Chapter 16 Memory Ball and Potion Class
Wanting to get some samples from a House-elf by just waiting simply wouldn't do; Hodu had to think of another way.
This kind of material could not be bought outside at all, and House-elves did not have any wild populations. If he wanted to find them, he could only start with Hogwarts.
After all, this place gathered the most House-elves in all of Britain.
Hodu pondered for a moment, perhaps he should take some time to check out the kitchen.
Usually those elves almost never appeared in front of students, so if he wanted to run into them, he really had to proactively seek them out.
By Thursday morning, Hodu was sitting in the Great Halleating breakfast, his expression somewhat ugly.
The school's food wasn't actually bad to eat, but after eating it for a few days, he still started to miss steaming hot meat buns.
In comparison, the things on the plate appeared much less attractive.
Right at this moment, a group of owls flew in from outside.
As usual, they delivered letters and packages into the hands of the students.
Hodu had also received letters.
On the first day of formal classes, Hannah had sent him one, asking if he was used to living at the school, yet she deliberately didn't ask which House he had been sorted into.
In Hannah's view, this matter had probably been determined long ago, and there was simply no need to specifically ask about it.
Hodu thought about it and simply didn't proactively mention it either.
He actually wanted to see when Hannah would remember to ask about this matter.
If she never asked, then he would tell her when he graduated.
Hodu could already imagine that Hannah's expression at that time would definitely be quite wonderful.
"Today's candies have been delivered, who wants them?"
Malfoy's voice came from nearby, so loud as if he was afraid the whole table couldn't hear.
Hodu raised his head and happened to see Malfoy tearing open the package in his hands, his face full of showing off.
This kind of performance hadn't stopped since the first day of school.
In Hodu's view, this was no different from ordering takeout from outside the school every day.
However, if candies could be mailed in, food might work too.
The tips of his brows twitched lightly.
At that time, the one doing the hard work would still be his owl Gili; treating it as doing a bit more exercise every day, there didn't seem to be any problem.
Hodu noted this matter down in his heart, preparing to find an opportunity to write a letter to Hannah.
"He's showing off again, wishing everyone knew his family is rich."
Ron stared at Malfoy and muttered unceremoniously.
Soon, he noticed that Harry was opening a letter and immediately leaned over to ask: "Harry, did you receive something too? Who sent it?"
"Hagrid. He invited me to be a guest at his house on Friday afternoon."
Hearing this, Hodu instantly perked up.
Speaking of Hagrid, he wasn't sleepy anymore.
However, he didn't speak up immediately, just waiting for a suitable opportunity.
"Neville, you have something in your hand too."
Ron turned his head and then saw the item in Neville's hand.
His gaze subsequently swept toward Hodu, discovering that Hodu's hands were empty, and a trace of relaxation even seemed to flash across his face.
"This is sent to me by my grandmother, called a Memory Ball. If I forget something, it will remind me."
As soon as the words fell, a hand reached over from the side and directly snatched the glass ball from Neville's hand.
"Malfoy!"
Harry and the others cried out on the spot.
Malfoy shook the Memory Ball in his hand, smiling very punchably: "Want to take it back? Come and get it yourself!"
Harry didn't hesitate in the slightest, rushing over together with Ron.
The two of them had just reached Malfoy when Malfoycurled the corners of his mouth and raised his hand to throw the Memory Ball out.
"Goyle, catch!"
Goyle had raised his hand long ago.
But at the very moment the Memory Ball flew toward him, his feet seemed to be tripped by something, and his whole body staggered and fell forward.
"Not good!"
Harry and Ron's expressions changed at the same time.
Of course they weren't worried about Malfoy's lackey Goyle, but because after Goyle fell, the Memory Ball also plummeted toward the ground along with him.
Seeing that the glass ball was about to smash onto the ground, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, precisely catching it steadily.
Hodu held the Memory Ball, turning around to stuff it back into Neville's hand: "Here you go."
After activating Treasure Perception, he could even determine in advance the landing position of the Memory Ball, and catching it wasn't considered difficult.
"Well done, Hodu!" Harry and Ron only then relaxed, shouting excitedly.
Malfoy, however, immediately darkened his face, obviously still wanting to say something.
It was just that Professor McGonagall was already walking toward this side.
Seeing Professor McGonagall, Malfoy could only give a heavy snort and left with Goyle and another lackey.
Neville gripped the Memory Ball tightly and said earnestly: "Thank you, Hodu."
"It's nothing." Hodu casually patted his shoulder.
No matter what, they were also roommates; he couldn't just watch Neville keep being bullied.
This matter was just a small interlude during breakfast for Hodu.
But Malfoy had only been in school for a few days and was already like an unstoppable grasshopper, jumping up and down all day long; his energy was truly overly exuberant.
After finishing breakfast, the few of them went to the classroom together.
Just as he stepped through the door, Hodu saw Snape with a gloomy face, staring straight at Harry.
That appearance of affectionate gazing made Harry directly complain in his heart.
Sure enough, as soon as the class started, Snape aimed his spearhead at Harry.
Hermione raised her hand high up on the side, almost not putting it down for the whole class, but Snape didn't even glance at her once, still intently making things difficult for Harry.
In this Potion Class, Hodu also failed to escape Snape's attacks, but because Harry kept attracting most of the firepower, his situation wasn't that terrible.
When class ended, Hermione was already puffing with anger.
She had raised her hand for a whole class without ever getting a response, and Gryffindor had even had a full ten points deducted; naturally, she was bottling up a fire inside.
Hodu also completely confirmed after this class that he probably didn't have the slightest talent in Potion.
Even if he really did, running into a Professor like Snapemade it hard to develop an interest in this course.
He had already been restrained enough.
Otherwise, he would have already found a way to make a move in secret.
Professors truly deserved the respect of students, but Snape obviously did not fall into this range.
Even Professor Quirrell, who was possessed by Lord Voldemort, seemed to be much better than him.
Hodu let out a breath, feeling that this class was truly disgusting.
Snape wasn't just targeting Harry; he demeaned everyone equally, with only Malfoy receiving special treatment.
Even the students of Slytherin couldn't completely avoid his sarcasm, with only Malfoy becoming that obvious exception.
Hodu couldn't help thinking of another matter: having taught for so many years, could it be that those little lions who usually didn't even care about school rules had never taken advantage of the dead of night to secretly slip a sack over his head?
Was it because Snape himself was too strong, or because everyone feared the school rules?
But as long as this kind of thing wasn't found out, logically speaking there wouldn't be any consequences.
Even if he might be expelled, they would have to catch the person first.
Hodu silently put this matter into his contingency plan.
He wasn't an ordinary young Wizard; living inside his body was a mature soul, and he simply couldn't stand Snape's undisguised belittlement.
To put it bluntly, this was PUA.
Making the young Wizards sound completely worthless just to satisfy some strange pleasure of his own?
Anyway, Hodu couldn't stand it.
School rules didn't amount to much to him; the only things that truly made him have scruples were the laws of the Ministry of Magic.
Just wait.
Hodu said secretly in his heart, sooner or later, a sack would be slipped over Snape's head.
Chapter 17: The Remembrall in the Flying Class
The first class in the afternoon was Flying Class, a lesson Hodu had been looking forward to for a long time.
Although he was born into a Wizard family, he had never actually touched a Broomstick in his life, let alone experienced the feeling of flying in the sky himself.
The reason was simple: Hannah didn't use Broomsticks at all, so naturally there wasn't one at home. On top of that, she was always worried that Hodu might secretly try it out and fall from a high place, losing half his life. Thus, it had been delayed until now.
Right now, Hodu was excitedly gripping the Broomstickhanded out by Madam Hooch.
However, the wooden handle of this Broomstick was covered in cracks and looked even older than Hodu himself. He even doubted whether it would fall apart directly after he mounted it, dropping him from midair.
Standing in front of everyone, Madam Hooch first placed her Broomstick on the ground to her right, then reached out her hand toward it.
"Put your hand over it and call out loudly, 'Up!'"
After saying this, she gave a demonstration.
"Up!"
The Broomstick on the ground instantly shot up and landed firmly in Madam Hooch's hand.
"Just like that."
Hodu's eyes lit up, and he quickly reached out his hand, shouting at the Broomstick by his feet, "Up!"
The Broomstick on the ground twitched slightly.
Like a lazy pig, it only lifted one end of its tail slightly before settling down again, utterly perfunctory.
This was nothing unusual. Apart from Harry and Malfoy, no one else had succeeded yet. At least Hodu wasn't too bad; the Broomstick had spared a moment from its laziness to give him a bit of a response.
Hodu narrowed his eyes and stared at the uncooperative Broomstick. He directly activated Treasure Perception, focusing his perception onto it.
The Broomstick shuddered slightly.
Of course, it didn't possess true sentience, or it would likely have felt a pair of imposing eyes pressing down heavily upon it. Yet, as a magical item, it still retained the spirituality inherent to a treasure.
The next second, before Hodu even had time to speak again, the Broomstick shot up fiercely and flew straight into his right hand.
That was more like it.
Hodu let out a satisfied smile. He could feel that Treasure Perception seemed to deepen his connection with treasures. Especially for items he had already mastered that were nearby, continuously gazing at them allowed him to slowly establish a link.
In a trance, he even felt the Broomstick in his hand submit, like a little puppy wagging its tail.
Of course, this was just his perception; the Broomstick was far from intelligent enough to truly understand any of it.
After a while, quite a few people had successfully controlled their Broomsticks.
Others were slacking off or faking it.
Hermione's face was flushed red, but she was already holding a Broomstick. Hodu happened to see that she had simply bent down and picked it up off the ground herself.
Her face was probably hot enough to cook an egg. After picking it up, she casually looked around as if nothing had happened, making sure no one noticed.
Unluckily for her, Hodu had seen it all.
When Hermione looked up, her eyes met his, catching the unceasing amusement in his gaze.
Her eyes widened instantly, and she jerked her head away, looking as though she were about to burst into steam.
Afterward, Madam Hooch told them to mount their Broomsticks and sit on the wooden handles.
As soon as Hodu settled in, he felt the seat pressing uncomfortably into his rear. Let alone riding it for a long time, even sitting for a short while would hurt. It would definitely be much better if a comfortable seat could be added to the broom handle.
Unfortunately, this was not his Broomstick, but a school-owned public one.
Before long, under everyone's control, the Broomsticks lifted them slightly off the ground. With their rears resting on the wooden handles, their feet could still touch the ground, preventing them from falling off right away.
Madam Hooch looked at them and said, "When I count down three, two, one, and blow my whistle, you kick off the ground hard. Is that clear?"
She began counting down.
"Three!"
The countdown had barely started when Neville, next to Ron, kicked off fiercely with both legs, carried upward by his Broomstick.
"Aaaah—"
Neville wasn't sitting properly on the broom at all; instead, the broom pulled him upside down, head pointing down and feet in the air. He kicked wildly, clutching the handle tightly with both hands, dangling beneath it.
But the Broomstick suddenly swerved, and Neville lost his grip, flung directly out from midair.
"Neville!"
Harry's face paled, and he shouted up toward him.
But that shout did not slow Neville's descent in the slightest.
Hodu had a sudden thought.
Thump!
Neville slammed heavily into the ground, leaving a large crater where he hit. Hodu rushed over and saw that the ground in the crater had become soft like a marsh, easily caving in under Neville's impact.
Neville's face remained pale; whether it was from the fall or frightened by the ordeal was hard to say.
Madam Hooch had already begun examining him. Confirming he had only suffered minor injuries, she noticeably sighed in relief. However, the Flying Classclearly couldn't continue like this, so she ended up taking Neville to the Hospital Wing.
The remaining young Wizards stayed behind to practice freely.
Malfoy immediately burst out laughing. "Haha, did you guys see that? He almost kicked his pants off! Tsk, quite noticeably white."
Fire flared in the eyes of Harry and Ron, and they immediately began arguing with him.
However, Neville's accident had reminded Hodu of something else. Mounting his Broomstick once more, he lifted his feet slowly off the ground, allowing the broom to carry him in a low hover.
He looked as if he were riding a child's tricycle.
Relying on Treasure Perception, he quickly detected Neville's Remembrall lying on the ground. Hodumaneuvered his broom over the Remembrall and bent down, reaching out to pick it up.
Just as his hand was about to touch the Remembrall, a figure shot past at high speed, moving so fast it left only an afterimage.
A hand beat Hodu to it, snatching the Remembrall away first.
Hodu looked up to see Malfoy hovering smugly in midair on his Broomstick, clutching the Remembrall in his hand.
Malfoy waved the object in his hand and sneered, "Isn't this that kid's glass ball? Finders keepers!"
"You!"
Harry's eyes widened, his temper flaring immediately. Just as he was about to mount his broom and give chase, Hermione pulled him back in time.
"Madam Hooch told us to stay where we are! If you do this, Gryffindor will lose points!"
Hermione urged him hastily.
But Harry Potter clearly had no intention of listening.
The next moment, he shot into the sky on his Broomstick, chasing right after Malfoy.
Hodu's gaze shifted slightly, but he didn't fly up to follow. He dismounted, stepped over the Broomstick, and held it by his right side, keeping his eyes locked on Malfoy as if waiting for the right moment.
Harry truly lived up to his future as a Quidditch player, possessing natural talent. Even on his first time riding a Broomstick, his movements were remarkably skilled.
Thus, Hodu wasn't worried at all that Harry wouldn't be able to catch up to Malfoy.
Chapter 18: Flying Broomstick Out of Control
Harry rode his flying broomstick in hot pursuit, quickly closing the distance between himself and Malfoy.
"Hand over the Remembrall!"
His voice was full of anger, but Malfoy couldn't even be bothered to turn his head, still tightly clutching that glass ball.
Harry's expression sank, and simply gritting his teeth, he urged his broomstick to crash toward Malfoy.
That posture, no matter how one looked at it, looked like he intended to fall out of the sky together with the other person.
Malfoy never expected him to pull such a stunt, his whole body shaking with fright, his palm instinctively loosening, and the Remembrall was also fiercely flung far away by him.
Harry didn't entangle with Malfoy anymore, turning his direction and chasing after the flying Remembrall.
On the ground, Hodu saw this scene clearly, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
The flying broomstick in his hand had begun to vibrate at some unknown point, and soon, the trembling turned into a violent tremor, like a motor had been stuffed into the broomstick.
That momentum was also like a wild horse flying into a rage.
Hodu's right hand holding the broomstick loosened slightly.
The next second, the flying broomstick surged out abruptly, its speed ridiculously fast, resembling a wild horse breaking free from its reins, or like a completely out-of-control car, charging straight into mid-air.
In just the blink of an eye, it caught up to Malfoy.
At this time, Malfoy was still immersed in his triumph.
He gazed at Harry, who was chasing the Remembrall, a confident smile hanging on his face.
In his view, the Remembrall had already been thrown to that position, and Harry could by no means catch it in time.
As for the other flying broomstick flying up from the ground, he didn't care about it at all.
Until a commotion approached from the side, Malfoypuzzledly turned his head.
Greeting his eyes was a flying broomstick with no one riding it.
It was already less than a meter away from him, its wooden handle charging over practically brushing against his face.
"Get out of the way!"
Pansy Parkinson on the ground screamed out.
The warning came too late.
The wooden handle of the flying broomstick heavily slammed into the bone beneath Malfoy's chin, and a sharp pain exploded on the spot.
Malfoy's mind went into a daze, his hands also loosening accordingly, and his whole body was knocked flying off the broomstick, plunging straight down toward the ground.
With a muffled thud.
Malfoy heavily smashed onto the grass, dust blown scattering everywhere.
Fortunately grass was paved underneath; if it were changed to hard ground, this hit would definitely not be as simple as just hurting for a while.
"Ah—!"
A shrill scream followed closely after.
Malfoy's face was pale, tightly hugging his arm.
Only to see his right forearm twisted into a very awkward angle, looking nothing like a normal appearance.
Hodu raised an eyebrow.
Screams soon came from all around, and a few timid girls even closed their eyes directly, not daring to keep watching.
Hodu gently shook his head.
If anyone among this gang of little Wizards had practiced the Levitation Charm to proficiency, Malfoy wouldn't have fallen into such a state.
As long as there was a Wizard with sufficient experience, like Professor McGonagall, casting a spell in time when he fell, matters would not have developed to this step at all.
The Levitation Charm could not directly act on a person's body, but clothes could become the target of the spell.
As long as the clothes supported the body, the falling speed could be brought down, and in the end, there would likely be no major trouble at all.
As for Madam Hooch being right at the scene, yet Nevillestill fell from the air, this was already enough to explain the problem.
Madam Hooch's level was truly a bit hard to put into words...
"Mr. Hodu!"
A cold voice suddenly came from behind.
Hodu's whole body stiffened, his hair practically standing on end.
He turned his head back, just in time to see Professor McGonagall standing there at some unknown time, staring at him with a stern expression.
However, Professor McGonagall only glanced at him, then walked quickly toward Malfoy, who was still screaming.
After confirming Malfoy's injuries, her expression obviously turned ugly, and then she raised her wand, casting the Levitation Charm on Malfoy.
"Mr. Hodu, help take Mr. Malfoy to the Hospital Wing. Mr. Harry, you come along too."
Not a shred of temperature could be heard in her tone, and she specifically called out Hodu's name.
Hodu instantly had the answer in his heart.
Professor McGonagall must have seen the whole process just now.
Strictly speaking, this was no longer suspicion, but absolute certainty.
He immediately put away those little thoughts of his, walked to Malfoy's side, grabbed his uninjured arm, and helped him up from the ground.
Having moved just a little, Malfoy let out another miserable scream.
That quite nicely-groomed blonde slicked-back hair was already a mess, large drops of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, and his facial features squeezed together because of the pain.
Watching this appearance of his, Hodu didn't feel much sympathy in his heart, instead finding it rather comical.
Malfoy, who usually bullied people relying on his status, when truly encountering such a thing, would likewise scream all over the place from pain.
Hodu had originally thought that a pure-blood Wizard's dignity could help him hold on, but as it turned out, there was nothing special about it either.
"Professor McGonagall, this matter started because Malfoypicked up Neville's Remembrall first and refused to return it to him!"
Seeing this, Hermione hurried over to explain for Harry and Hodu.
Professor McGonagall looked at her, her stern expression easing slightly.
"Miss Granger, I will handle the course of events. Now, take Malfoy to the Hospital Wing first."
After speaking, she led several people away from the flying field.
Harry didn't reach out to help, just honestly following behind Hodu.
Ron actually wanted to go along too, but as soon as he saw Professor McGonagall's face, his footsteps instinctively stopped, and he could only choose to chicken out.
On the way to the Hospital Wing, students poked their heads out to look around from time to time.
Yet Professor McGonagall's aura was too strong, everyone was very sensible, and not a single one dared to crowd close.
Of course, there were also people who didn't need to get close to satisfy their curiosity.
The Weasley twins saw Malfoy on the stretcher from afar, and the smiles on their faces could hardly be concealed.
They didn't dare walk over, but winked and gestured at Harry from a distance, obviously wanting to dig out more things from his expression.
Soon, the two guessed that Malfoy becoming like this probably couldn't be separated from Harry and Hodu, and even secretly gave them a thumbs-up.
Until Professor McGonagall stopped her footsteps, sweeping an ice-cold glance over.
The Weasley twins instantly withdrew their gestures, turned around and ran out of sight, dispersing even faster than before.
Several people arrived at the Hospital Wing all the way.
Madam Hooch's expression changed immediately upon seeing Malfoy injured like this.
Sending two wounded people on the first Flying Class for freshmen, this kind of start was simply too terrible.
Malfoy was quickly sent into the ward, his bed arranged right next to Neville's.
"Professor McGonagall, this Flying Class is simply too dangerous," Madam Pomfrey complained with a frown, "Should first-year students really not be exposed to flying this early at all? Quidditch is such a dangerous sport, I think it should be banned outright."
Professor McGonagall evidently knew what kind of temper she had and didn't argue with her, simply replying calmly: "I will seriously consider your opinion. Now, please treat Mr. Malfoy first."
Subsequently, she turned around, lowering her voice toward Hodu and Harry.
"You two, come outside."
Within those few short words, the anger could no longer be concealed.
Not long after, Hodu and Harry stood obediently in the corridor outside the ward. Professor McGonagall stood opposite them, her gaze sweeping over the two of them, finally falling on Hodu first.
"Mr. Hodu, you come and explain."
She had seen very clearly from a distance that the flying broomstick had rushed out from Hodu's hand, and hit Malfoy without the slightest deviation.
Hodu shrugged, the expression on his face as innocent as if he had done nothing at all.
"Professor McGonagall, this counts as an accident. That flying broomstick might have been used for too long, and just now it suddenly malfunctioned, completely out of my control."
Chapter 19 Kitchens on the Basement Floor
If not for having Treasure Perception, Hodu would never have been able to control that flying broom to such an extent.
Once a broom left the hand, it was like a car without a driver; how could it possibly fly along a set route by itself?
What truly played a role was the deeper connection between him and the flying broom.
Even if the broom slipped out of control, it could still keep moving forward according to his will, except that this control couldn't be maintained for too long.
Therefore, Professor McGonagall didn't catch any solid evidence.
By comparison, attributing the matter to the school brooms being in disrepair for years obviously made more sense.
She stared at Hodu for quite a while, seemingly wanting to find flaws from his expression.
Unfortunately, the innocence on Hodu's face was simply too standard, and Professor McGonagall ultimately saw nothing.
"This batch of school flying brooms has indeed been used for many years."
She withdrew her gaze, her tone carrying a bit of helplessness, "It's just that the school has never had enough funding to replace them."
"I hope this accident can make Lucius understand that the repair of teaching aids cannot be dragged on forever."
After saying these words, she tacitly accepted this explanation.
Next, Professor McGonagall turned to Harry beside her.
Compared to Hodu, Harry was obviously much more nervous. Seeing her look over, he hurriedly spoke:
"Professor McGonagall, I just wanted to get Neville's Remembrall back."
"That thing was snatched by Malfoy."
Professor McGonagall wasn't interested in this matter and directly asked:
"Mr. Potter, have you used a flying broom before?"
Harry was stunned for a moment, completely failing to understand why she suddenly asked this, but still honestly nodded.
Hodu saw a trace of brightness flash in the depths of Professor McGonagall's eyes.
Only that trace of pleasant surprise was hidden beneath her stern expression, suppressed back in a flash.
Professor McGonagall glanced again at Malfoy inside the hospital wing.
She originally seemed to have intended to take Harry to meet Gryffindor Quidditch Captain Wood, but right now Malfoy was still lying inside, obviously making it unsuitable to leave immediately.
"You guys go back first," she said.
Harry didn't leave immediately, instead asking, "Can I go in and see Neville?"
"Of course you can."
Only until this moment did Professor McGonagall's mouth finally carry a bit of a smile.
After getting permission, Hodu and Harry entered the hospital wing together.
Neville's condition wasn't serious, having just taken a fall and being quite frightened by what had just happened.
After drinking a little calming draught, he had eased up a lot.
On the other side, Malfoy lay pale on the bed, finally no longer shouting loudly.
Sweat had soaked some of his clothes damp.
Seeing the two enter, he immediately glared fiercely at Harry.
Hodu was instantly relieved on the spot.
Very good, as expected Harry still took on all the hatred.
Malfoy's resentful and hateful appearance clearly showed he had already put all the blame for just now onto Harry's head.
Malfoy moved his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something.
But catching sight of Professor McGonagall standing beside him, he ultimately swallowed the words back down.
After getting Madam Pomfrey's consent, Hodu and Harrytook Neville and left the hospital wing.
This accident temporarily came to an end.
By the next day, Hodu heard the follow-up news from the Weasley twins.
Malfoy's father Lucius directly barged into the Principal's office, flying into a rage at Dumbledore and even demanding that the Principal take responsibility for Draco Malfoy's injury.
But Dumbledore used just a single sentence, easily blocking him back.
"Lucius, I express my regret regarding Mr. Draco Malfoy's injury."
"However, this is merely an accident caused by the aging of the flying brooms."
"Minerva mentioned replacing new brooms at the board of governors meeting last year, but the person who rejected this proposal at the time was none other than you."
These words sounded truly infuriating.
Put that way, Draco getting injured today was instead partly caused by Lucius himself.
Dumbledore didn't stop, adding further:
"Considering Mr. Draco Malfoy's experience this time, I believe replacing the flying brooms can no longer be delayed."
"I have sent letters to every member of the board of governors, and when you return home, you should receive one as well."
Lucius was infuriated to a pale blue complexion, ultimately having to leave the Principal's office in a fit of rage.
He didn't continue staying at the school, instead directly taking Draco Malfoy back home to recuperate from his injuries.
As for Harry and Ron, both of them were immensely happy upon hearing this result.
After finishing lunch at noon, they returned to the dormitory.
Harry, however, was called away alone by Professor McGonagall and didn't return until quite a while later.
Ron immediately crowded over to inquire.
The result was just as Hodu had anticipated: Harry truly met Wood and also successfully joined the Quidditchteam.
Entering the house team in the first year was a first at Hogwarts.
After hearing it, Ron was even more excited than Harryhimself.
"There are no classes in the afternoon, what are we doing?" Ron asked enthusiastically.
Harry thought for a moment and said, "I'm planning to go to Hagrid's place for a trip this afternoon."
"Then I'm going too!" Ron immediately chimed in.
"Alright, Hagrid shouldn't mind," Harry agreed very crisply.
Having said that, he suddenly sensed a burning gaze, turned his head, and happened to meet Hodu's direct stare.
Harry hesitated for a moment and tentatively asked, "Hodu, do you want to come along as well?"
"Alright."
Seeing that he was somewhat sensible, Hodu immediately agreed.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the three of them arrived in front of the hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
After entering the house, Harry first made introductions for the two of them.
Ron Weasley was a child of the Weasley family, Hagridnaturally knew him, and very well at that.
When it came to Hodu, Hagrid obviously looked at him a couple more times, then extended his huge palm and shook hands with Hodu's small hand.
"I know you. A true Gryffindor."
Hodu was instantly somewhat amused yet exasperated.
He hadn't expected that he too would manage to get a title, although it sounded like something in the same category as the "Boy Who Lived".
Hagrid remembered something else and continued:
"Oh, your mother is Ella Max, right? I remember her. She was a very pretty little girl back then."
His memory still remained fixed on what Ella Max looked like when she was in school, and when speaking of this matter, his tone was full of memories.
After introducing everyone, Hagrid began to care about how Harry had been spending his week at school.
Hodu, on the other hand, walked around the house alone, observing the magic materials placed everywhere.
His level wasn't high enough yet, and he couldn't recognize many things.
But this didn't affect his astonishment in the slightest.
Every single material here seemed to correspond to a magical creature behind it.
Not knowing how much time had passed, Hagrid walked up behind Hodu and asked at the top of his lungs:
"Hodu, are you very interested in these things?"
"That's right," Hodu said, turning back, "I've always been curious about magical creatures. These materials should all come from them, right?"
Mentioning his specialty, Hagrid immediately perked up.
Hearing that Hodu was interested, he immediately picked up the materials and introduced them to Hodu one by one.
Most of these things were given to him by others.
Hagrid knew many friends, and the gifts he received were naturally numerous; as time went on, all kinds of materials piled up in the house.
Listening to Hagrid's explanation, the more Hodu listened, the more surprised he became.
Practically everything was here; to him, it was completely a treasure trove.
Baby teeth that had fallen out from a Cerberus, a Unicorn's horn, a Fire Crab's shell, a Centaur's tail hair, as well as Hippogriff feathers...
By the time Hodu snapped back to his senses, an entire afternoon had already passed.
The three of them returned to the castle with a feeling of not having seen enough, feeling that this visit was very fulfilling.
After dinner ended, Hodu didn't follow Harry and Ron back to the dormitory, instead heading down the stairs to the basement floor of Hogwarts.
Apart from the Slytherin common room, there was also the kitchen here.
Chapter 20: The Gift from the Basement Kitchen
The moment he stepped into the basement area, Hodu felt a lot more secure. Being underground, this place could be considered his home turf. If he ran into any real danger, he would only need to think it, and he could bury this entire area, making hiding here naturally safe.
The corridors here were clearly damper and dirtier than the rest of the Castle. Hodu walked along the corridor and quickly found the kitchen.
The kitchen was located directly beneath the Great Hall; the food needed daily in the Great Hall was usually prepared here and then sent upstairs.
Just as he walked in, Hodu saw a group of House-elves busily working. They stood by their respective kitchen utensils, waving their magic to make the pots and pans move on their own, making the entire kitchen a scene of bustling activity.
Upon noticing a Wizard entering, the nearby House-elves turned their heads one after another, sizing him up with curiosity.
"Mr. Wizard, are you looking for someone?"
A House-elf quickly put down its work and trotted over to Hodu, behaving with great respect, not looking down on him just because he was a young Wizard.
"I'm looking for Bitun," Hodu stated his purpose directly.
No sooner had he spoken than one of the House-elves from the nearby group squeezed out and spoke up on its own initiative.
"Mr. Hodu, are you looking for me?"
A smile immediately appeared on Hodu's face, and he nodded at it. As for whether the one in front of him was actually Bitun, he wasn't really sure.
These House-elves looked almost identical; who could tell them apart?
Bitun led Hodu away from the busy kitchen and into a relatively quiet compartment nearby.
"Mr. Hodu, is there something you need from me?" Bitunasked in confusion.
It really couldn't understand why Hodu would make a special trip to find it.
"It's just that I haven't seen you in a while, so I came to see how you've been doing lately," Hodu said casually. "Now it seems you're doing quite well. Oh, right, I also prepared a little something for you."
With that, he reached his hand into his pouch, which had been cast with an Undetectable Extension Charm, pulled out a handful of snacks, and held them out to Bitun.
Bitun's large eyes instantly went wide.
"Are... are these for me?"
Its voice was full of pleasant surprise, as if it utterly couldn't believe it was actually receiving a gift.
After Hodu nodded in confirmation, Bitun's eyes immediately welled up with tears. It took the snacks excitedly, even jumping up and down on the spot.
"Mr. Hodu, you are the best Wizard I have ever met, besides Dumbledore!" Bitun hugged the handful of snacks tightly, its tone thrilled. "No one has ever given me a gift specifically before."
What he gave was just some loose snacks, without even a gift box, let alone any elaborate packaging. Yet Bitun's happiness did not seem fake in the slightest.
Looking at it, Hodu felt somewhat guilty. However, that bit of shame came quickly and went just as fast.
"We are friends. Isn't it normal for friends to give each other gifts?" he said with a serious face, as if not giving the other party any chance to refuse, directly declaring Bitun as his friend.
"Friend... I am Mr. Hodu's friend?"
Bitun was completely stunned, looking at Hodu in disbelief.
At this moment, Hodu also understood one thing. Although both were humanoid magical creatures, Goblins could still possess a certain degree of freedom, while House-elves had become the servants of Wizards. In the end, these fellows were simply too easy to coax.
However, he had once heard Hannah mention an ancient rumor by chance.
In the rumors, House-elves were not slaves to Wizards in the past, but an independently existing race. They were more powerful than human Wizards and had once prospered, even enough to pose a threat to Wizards. In those days, the relationship between Wizards and House-elves was not like it was now; the two sides were more like mortal enemies.
Precisely because the conflicts kept escalating, a great war eventually broke out between the two sides. The ultimate victors were the Wizards.
To prevent House-elves from growing into a threat again in the future, the Wizards domesticated this race into servitude. After long ages had passed, the fundamental culture of House-elves was completely altered, to the point where they themselves instinctively believed they were born to be slaves to Wizards.
As for whether this rumor was true or false, Hodu couldn't say for sure.
He did not immediately bring up his real request, but instead chatted with Bitun for a bit first, asking about its daily life. Once the atmosphere between them had warmed up to a certain degree, Hodu finally steered the topic toward his real business.
"Bitun, could you give me a piece of your fingernail?" Hoduasked. "I've been very interested in collecting things from magical creatures lately."
"Of course, Mr. Hodu."
Bitun agreed very readily, without the slightest hesitation. At Hodu's gesture, it pinched off a small piece of fingernail from its own finger and handed it over to Hodu.
Once he had the item in hand, Hodu did not linger any longer and bid farewell to Bitun directly.
Bitun didn't sense anything unusual at all, still bidding him farewell warmly.
Actually, Hodu had originally wanted to inquire about the channels through which Hogwarts usually procured raw food ingredients, but after some thought, he decided to wait until they were a bit closer next time before asking.
Leaving the kitchen, he went back up the stairs to the ground floor.
Feeling the slight sensation in his palm, Hodu muttered in his mind, "Fuse!"
[Mergeable item detected, starting analysis task.]
[Current item to fuse: House-elf
Analysis Difficulty: Grade B
Analysis Progress: 1/5000
Current Extracted Trait: 1. Household Mastery]
[Household Mastery: Handy with daily life magic.
Note: The level of this trait is tied to the analysis progress; once the analysis is complete, a ten-thousand-fold trait will be obtained.]
[Current Analysis Efficiency: Increases by 1 point daily; analysis progress can be raised through related tasks.]
Hodu's footsteps came to a sudden halt, and his mouth opened involuntarily.
What's going on?
He had never expected that the trait analyzed would actually be this.
Household Mastery?
Did he have to compete with House-elves for jobs in the future, go to some manor to be a butler, and become the world's strongest Wizard manservant?
The more Hodu thought about it, the more speechless he became. But since the trait had already been drawn, he had no other choice but to accept it for now.
Fortunately, the next task didn't look too troublesome.
As he walked toward the Gryffindor Common Room, he checked his exclusive task.
[Exclusive Task: Cooking Delicacies
Gain 1 progress point for each time food is prepared
Note: This task is an exclusive task for fusing the House-elf.]
Hodu raised an eyebrow.
Isn't this task a bit too simple?
He barely had to think to come up with a way to complete the task. Five thousand times preparing food sounded like a lot, but in this country where people didn't even pay much attention to proper meals, it wouldn't be hard to cut corners.
How much effort did it take to make a decent lunch? Heating two slices of bread, putting a slice of bacon in between, spreading some butter, and putting the bread together—wouldn't that count as completion?
If that was still too much trouble, boiling eggs in water would also work.
Throwing an egg into boiling water—how much time could that take?
Thinking of this, Hodu raised his hand and rubbed his chin. He suddenly thought of an even more ridiculous method: would boiling five thousand eggs at once directly fill up the task progress? If the system really calculated by quantity, then things would be even easier.
The trait he got this time indeed didn't satisfy Hodu very much, but the task was simple enough and shouldn't take too much time. Because of this, his mood actually improved again.
In any case, this trait was practically obtained for free, so it wasn't a loss no matter what.
The next day arrived in the blink of an eye.
Hodu planned to find Bitun again today, striving to complete the fusion of the House-elf within a single day and push this trait all the way to ten-thousand-fold.