The Ravenclaw Eagles watched Amanda with increasingly gentle and doting gazes, while the Gryffindor Little Lions nearby, knowing nothing of Amanda's past, were nearly driven mad by curiosity.
What was the deal with Amanda's Boggart? Why did she look so wretched, why did she look several years older? Why did everyone from Ravenclaw appear at the end, and why did Miss Granger from their own house show up too?
Thinking this, a few Little Lions who truly couldn't contain their curiosity asked the Little Eagles beside them.
"What exactly was the situation with Amanda's Boggart just now? Do you guys know?"
Looking at the curious Little Lion before him, the Little Eagle being questioned narrowed his eyes slightly and picked up his wand, slowly stroking it.
"I think, sometimes, it's better not to ask questions that shouldn't be asked. Don't you agree?"
The specifics of Amanda's situation were a Ravenclaw secret, kept to protect her and avoid triggering her.
Except for Amanda's friends, namely Harry and Ron, The Ravenclaws strictly adhered to their pact, not revealing a single detail about Amanda's past to anyone.
Not even their own parents were an exception.
So now, when the Gryffindor Little Lions asked about Amanda's Boggart, how could they possibly get an answer?
"Uh, yes..." The previously curious Little Lion looked at the wand being continuously stroked in the Little Eagle's hand and instantly felt his curiosity vanish.
"I'm not curious anymore. I don't want to know."
He shook his head vigorously. The Little Eagle nodded in satisfaction, put away his wand, and even reached out to pat the boy's shoulder.
"That's the spirit. Study hard, live well, and don't overthink other things."
"Right, right, right..." The Little Lion looked at the Little Eagle with an indescribable expression.
It felt like Ravenclaw's entire vibe had undergone a sudden transformation ever since Amanda arrived.
After Amanda's Boggart, the Young Wizards present either had pale faces and no motivation to continue, or were so immersed in talking to each other that they had no intention of continuing the lesson.
Seeing that it was almost time for the class to end, Professor Lupin simply stepped forward, intending to send the Boggart back into the wardrobe.
Amanda, who was sitting on a chair with Hermione's arm around her waist, looked up at him. She saw that when facing him, the Boggart turned into a sphere emitting a soft light.
A moon. Combining this with her previous deduction that Professor Lupin was a Werewolf, Amanda's brain instantly identified the object the Boggart had become.
Fear of becoming a Werewolf. Amanda blinked, a flicker of realization passing through her half-dead eyes.
No wonder Headmaster Dumbledore dared to let a Werewolf Wizard be a Professor; Professor Lupin likely belonged to the side of Werewolf Wizards who were unwilling to harm others.
This was evident from his fear of the full moon that would force his transformation.
Like Amanda, Hermione also saw the glowing orb the Boggart had turned into in front of Professor Lupin. However, she didn't possess as much information.
At this moment, she didn't know it was the moon. She felt a bit strange—was Professor Lupin... afraid of lamps?
The first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the term ended with the ringing of the bell. Professor Lupin did not assign any homework to the Young Wizards.
He walked out of the classroom chatting and laughing with the Young Wizards, as gentle as a senior student, without any of the typical Professor's sternness.
Amanda was led into the Great Hall by Hermione, who kept an arm around her waist until they reached the Ravenclaw Table.
As they sat down to eat, the sound of Hermione talking to Senior Penelopa reached Amanda's ears.
"Senior Penelopa, I know you have the O.W.L.s Exam this year, but I still wanted to ask if you might have time to teach me the Patronus Charm?"
Hermione spoke with some hesitation and anxiety; she knew she shouldn't disturb someone preparing for exams.
But she couldn't help it. Among the students she knew who could cast the Patronus Charm, Senior Penelopa was the one she was most familiar with and had the best relationship with.
"Of course, if you don't have time, forget it. I can ask someone else. I don't want to interfere with your exams."
Hearing Hermione's request, Penelope swallowed the piece of beef brisket she had been chewing for a while with a loud gulp.
She turned her head and nodded without hesitation. "Sure, no problem. Thanks to Amanda, my revision is going great right now, and I have plenty of free time."
Hearing Penelope say it was no problem, Hermione visibly relaxed and gave a bright smile.
"Then thank you, Senior Penelopa."
Sitting on either side of Amanda, Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore overheard the conversation and quickly stood up from their seats to lean in close.
"Senior Penelopa, add the two of us too! We want to learn as well."
Penelope paused for a moment, her gaze shifting to Amanda, who was eating, and she gave a doting smile.
"Fine, no problem. The three of you can just learn from me together."
It was all for Amanda anyway, and since the three underclassmen were her friends, teaching one was the same as teaching three.
"Then how about we have lessons four times a week? We want to master it quickly."
As Hermione spoke, she looked at Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore for their agreement.
The two girls nodded vigorously. Coincidentally, learning it as soon as possible was exactly what they were thinking.
After all, every additional person who knew the Patronus Charm meant one more layer of protection for Amanda.
"Alright then." Penelope arched an eyebrow, looking at the three underclassmen who had turned into "workaholics" before her eyes.
"But practicing three times a week will be very exhausting."
"No problem!"
Hermione and the other two answered in unison.
Amanda, who was sitting nearby eating lunch, put down her knife and fork, turned her head mechanically, and said in a flat voice:
"Thank you, Hermione. Thank you, Senior Cho Chang, Senior Marietta, and Senior Penelopa."
All four of them froze at the same time. Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore exchanged looks.
Penelope, more directly, grabbed Hermione's sleeve. "Is this... an improvement?"
Amanda had actually taken the initiative to react to the outside world while eating, and it was without anyone even calling her full name!
"Yes."
Hermione hummed in agreement, then bit her lip and recounted what had happened in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class to the three seniors.
After hearing Hermione's account, the joy in the three seniors' hearts turned bittersweet.
The past Amanda that the Boggart had transformed into was far too wretched. Before they could be happy about their junior's improvement, they felt heartbroken for her first.
"What a good child."
Seeing that the pumpkin juice in Amanda's cup was empty, Cho Chang immediately refilled it for her.
"What she truly fears isn't her own suffering, but us suffering what she herself has endured."
"Yes..."
Hermione softly echoed, then regardless of the fact that this was the Ravenclaw Table, she sat right down.
Since no Gryffindor or Ravenclaw student would say anything anyway, there was nothing to worry about.
"When we went to Paris this year, she once told me that if there were no humans left in the world, resources wouldn't be depleted, and the kind of future from her original world wouldn't happen."
Cho Chang clicked her tongue at Hermione's words, but her expression showed no fear or wariness.
After all, if someone as meticulously analytical as Amanda wanted to do something bad, she would never say it out loud.
Others would only find out after she had already finished it.
The fact that she directly spoke the dark thoughts in her mind was just as Hermione guessed.
She was asking for help—asking Hermione to help her suppress such thoughts, waiting for her to fully recover her emotions so she could process that resentment toward humanity herself.
"I told her to wait, that I would make the world a better place and lead it away from that kind of future."
"Minister for Magic?"
Penelope gave a light laugh, her eyes burning as she looked at the junior beside her who didn't hide her ambition at all.
Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore also looked at her with the same focus, waiting for her answer.
"Yes."
Hermione nodded with certainty. "Only by becoming the person at the very top will I have the power to decide the direction of the future."
"Since Amanda has worries, I will eliminate everything she worries about for her."
"The Wizarding World has Pure-blood families," Cho Chang said calmly, picking up her pumpkin juice and taking a sip. "They control all sorts of resources in the Wizarding World."
"The Muggle World is the same, I suppose," Marietta Eckmore added quietly. At this moment, the state they displayed was not at all like thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls.
They were more like wise strategists who had been tempered through various environments.
"They will all stop you, they will hinder you. What do you plan to do? Can you make them cooperate with you?"
Penelope also put down her knife and fork, looking at Hermione seriously, waiting for her response.
"They will."
Before Hermione could answer, Amanda's response arrived a step ahead of her.
Turning her head with stiff movements, Amanda's voice was cold and solemn as she spoke word by word.
"They will agree. If they don't, I will go and have a personal talk with them. If Hermione is going to become the Minister for Magic for my sake..."
Amanda looked up at Hermione, and a flicker of emotion actually passed through her half-dead eyes.
"Then I will be the sharpest blade in Hermione's hand."
Hearing this, Cho Chang, Marietta Eckmore, and Penelope were all stunned simultaneously.
Also stunned were the Little Eagles sitting at the Ravenclaw Table who had been quietly eavesdropping on Hermione's conversation.
Hermione opened her mouth, then finally reached out to pull Amanda's shoulder, drawing her into her arms to lean against her.
"It's not just for you; of course, I have a bit of my own selfishness too."
Hermione arched an eyebrow, like a lioness unsheathing her claws. Her aura was confident and high-spirited. "If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it best. I will definitely aim for the top!"
"A fine ambition, Miss Granger."
Penelope clapped her hands in appreciation. "Forgive me, since we're in the Great Hall, I can't applaud for you too loudly."
Looking around, the Little Eagles across the entire Ravenclaw Table crowded toward them, centering around Amanda.
Penelope, Cho Chang, and Marietta Eckmore were the first to raise their goblets of pumpkin juice.
Then all The Ravenclaws followed. "To Hermione Granger, and the future she wants to create for Amanda."
"To Hermione Granger, and the future she wants to create for Amanda!" echoed many voices.
The voices of The Ravenclaws directly stunned everyone in the Great Hall. Students from the other three houses and the Professors all turned their gazes toward them.
Professor Flitwick looked at the Little Eagles of his house, vaguely feeling... that something was escaping his imagination.
"To the future Minister for Magic, Hermione Granger. Ravenclaw is with you."
"To the future Minister for Magic, Hermione Granger. Ravenclaw is with you!" echoed many voices again.
In Hermione's arms, Amanda was the first to drink a whole cup of pumpkin juice, followed by Cho Chang, Marietta Eckmore, Penelope, and the rest of Ravenclaw.
As they set down their cups, the Great Hall was silent. Hermione's face was slightly flushed, but she still sat in her place with her head held high, holding Amanda in her arms.
Before the Slytherins could have any reaction, Amanda was the first to pull out her wand and place it on the table.
Since she was to be a blade, she needed to have a deterrent effect.
Making a rational analysis in her mind, Amanda's gaze slowly swept over the Slytherins in the hall. These Little Snakes, most of whom were heirs to Pure-blood families, all lowered their heads in unison.
None dared to meet Amanda's eyes.
Sitting at the Staff Table, Professor Snape turned to look at Headmaster Dumbledore, his hollow eyes even revealing a hint of uncontrollable helplessness.
Well then, the Gryffindor impulsiveness has even managed to infect Ravenclaw.
He cast a subtle glance at Amanda, who was sitting in the middle of the flock of eagles. She was clearly a steady, analytical child; how had she been led astray like this by that Gryffindor, Granger?
Even though, with her own strength, Granger's intelligence and political sensitivity, plus the support of Ravenclaw House, she did indeed have the qualifications to vie for the position of Minister for Magic.
But couldn't they be a bit more cautious? They hadn't even graduated—they were only in their third year—and they were already making such a huge scene.
The Pure-blood wizarding families, Fudge's people at the Ministry... how guarded would they become? They might even resort to underhanded tactics against them.
Thinking of this, Professor Snape's gaze toward Headmaster Dumbledore grew even deeper. It was his indulgence—his indulgence of Gryffindor House that made them more and more reckless, and look now, even Ravenclaw House has been led off course.
Professor Snape's gaze made Headmaster Dumbledore feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. He cleared his throat and said with a smile:
"It's quite good, isn't it? Such idealistic children."
Professor Snape gave an unceremonious cold snort and took a large bite of steak with his knife and fork.
"It's alright, Severus," Headmaster Dumbledore said cheerfully, taking a bite of a sweet biscuit. "I'm still here. No one can do anything to my students."
As he spoke, a dazzling light seemed to emanate from him. Professor Snape paused for a moment and swallowed the steak in his mouth.
"I have no interest in worrying about those reckless little brats."
Headmaster Dumbledore shook his head with a smile. It was only then that Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall, sitting beside them, finally snapped out of their shock.
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