Howl was truly surprised by Draco's desire to see the Muggle world.
Old Malfoy was someone who could be immediately identified as extremely disdainful of Muggles.
Howl had found relevant records in the Hogwarts library indicating that the Malfoy family had always adhered to the principle of self-interest above all else, and held an extreme contempt for the "ignorant" Muggles who did not understand magic.
Only powerful and influential Muggles, such as royalty or nobles, could catch their eye.
And now, Little Malfoy actually wanted to step out of those high walls and see what the ordinary world was like.
Heh, this was not simple.
Was he going through a rebellious phase?
Under his gaze, Draco now noticed the abruptness of his behavior and awkwardly lowered his head: "Professor, I'm sorry."
"It's nothing," Howl casually nodded, then looked at Hedlund: "In university, there are many specialized subjects.
If you want to study, you should first learn more about them yourself, and then choose the direction that suits you best.
And it's not just engineering; agriculture, medicine, and other fields are all very promising disciplines, but the specific choice depends on you."
"Alright, Professor," Hedlund nodded.
After resolving that, Howl looked at Harry.
"What about you two?"
"Professor Jones, I want to ask about wands, and also some difficulties I encountered when casting the Patronus Charm."
"The Patronus Charm?!" Hedlund, standing nearby, looked Harry up and down with surprise and uncertainty.
Second year… the Patronus Charm.
Was there a connection between these two words?
However, to his surprise… the Professor in front of him actually seriously listened to Harry's problem and tried to provide an answer.
Soon, Harry gained some insights and nodded repeatedly.
"Any other questions?" Howl stood up and stretched.
"No, that's all," Harry quickly said, knowing full well that Uncle Howl would rather go back and lie on a comfortable sofa to read than waste time here on trivial matters.
Although Hedlund and Draco were not entirely familiar with Howl's daily habits, they had practiced observing people's expressions since childhood and both noticed that Howl looked a bit tired.
Then, the group quickly said their goodbyes and left.
However, as soon as Harry opened the door, he bumped into a familiar figure.
With a round, puffed-up face, he stood at a small table, carefully writing his name on the registration sheet.
"Neville," Harry greeted him.
"Ah!" Neville was startled, dropping his quill and looking flustered: "Oh… Harry, you… what are you doing here?"
"I just came out of the office," Harry said, a little puzzled; Neville's demeanor seemed unusually odd.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing," Neville quickly stepped back, trying to move away from the small table.
There was no one else around; before Harry and his two friends appeared, it was just Neville.
"Is he your friend? From Gryffindor?" Hedlund asked Harry.
"Yes," Harry nodded.
"Oh, I thought Miss Granger was your only friend in Gryffindor," Hedlund smiled, then waved his hand.
"I'm leaving now, you guys chat."
Soon, Hedlund passed Neville and disappeared down the other end.
"Neville, are you signing up for the Duelling Tournament?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"Oh… I… just wanted to try; Grandma said I should participate in more school activities," Neville suddenly became awkward, his smile appearing forced.
Neville looked embarrassed: "Who was that person…?"
"Slytherin's seventh-year prefect, the top student in seventh year," Draco answered the question proudly.
"Alright," Neville clearly didn't care about the other person's title; he just looked a bit nervous: "That… he won't tell anyone, will he…?"
"Tell what?" Draco asked, confused.
"It's just, about me joining the Duelling Tournament… no, I didn't mean I'm very worthy… it's just… I…"
"Are you afraid they'll make fun of you?" Harry helped Neville finish his sentence.
"Yes," Neville nodded, then sighed: "Never mind."
Saying that, he walked to the small table, wanting to cross out the name he had just filled in.
Suddenly, a hand gripped his wrist, stopping his movement.
"What's there to be afraid of? Just treat it as fun," Harry said.
"Let's just forget it," Neville pulled his hand away: "There's no point in me going, I'll just get beaten up anyway, and I don't want to trouble Madam Pomfrey."
"Neville," Harry shook his head: "Don't be so pessimistic.
If you want to go, then go.
What's there to be afraid of? Or, who's making fun of you?"
"Peeves," Neville said with a wry smile: "I think what he said is right.
If I get beaten and cry on the field, that would truly be laughable."
"Oh, Peeves… well, there's really nothing you can do about him," Draco nodded, chuckling: "You're not like us Slytherins, who have The Bloody Baron looking out for us.
Your Gryffindor ghosts are quite soft; they'll cry and stomp their feet if you just mention his neck."
"That's not true," Neville retorted.
"Neville," Harry interrupted their meaningless discussion about ghosts.
"If you're really worried, do you want to train with us?"
"Tsk…" Draco clicked his tongue in exasperation: "Alright, that's a good idea."
Harry had already said it, what could he do?
"In any case, if you genuinely want to participate but are afraid you're not good enough, or too far behind, then come along.
Even if it's just a crash course, it's still much better than hesitating and wasting energy on whether or not to sign up."
"Training?" Neville was a bit surprised; he hadn't expected to receive such an invitation.
"But I'll warn you beforehand, it's going to hurt a lot," Draco said mischievously.
Draco's words always carried a unique provocative tone.
At least in the eyes of Neville and the other Little Wizards of Gryffindor, that was the case.
To Neville, these words sounded like: "You—can you do it?!"
Full of challenge, very capable of stirring one's competitive spirit.
"Training? Your own? Can I join?" Neville put down his quill.
"Of course you can," Harry nodded: "But indeed, as Draco said, it will be a bit painful and tiring!
But… at least after enduring the hardship, when you're on the field, even if you lose, you can honestly tell yourself that you truly tried, right?"
Neville nodded; he felt that Harry's words were always convincing.
As for the rest… Neville was willing to trust Harry unconditionally.
"Then it's settled," Harry nodded: "Tomorrow morning at six, we'll meet at the Great Hall entrance on the first floor."
"You'd best write that down," Draco reminded him again, in his usual annoying manner.
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