Harry and Ron sat down across from us, and once they were settled, I spoke.
"Hi, I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves yet... I'm Selene."
I introduced myself simply as Selene and extended my hand in greeting, just as I had done with the others Hermione had introduced me to. I introduced myself this way because, technically, I hadn't yet met Ron, who somehow turned almost as red as his hair when he took my hand.
With Ron acting like this, I sensed Hermione was getting a little uncomfortable, so I thought she already had feelings for him at this point. Not wanting to make Hermione feel any more awkward, I focused my attention more on Harry and the twins' conversation.
During breakfast, watching Ron eat was quite a spectacle. I couldn't believe how he could fit so much food in his mouth at once, and I was grateful I'd eaten a little before he arrived because I'd completely lost my appetite. I made a mental note to visit the kitchen sometime soon, since I hadn't met all the house-elves yet. With that in mind, I thought I'd also take Harry and Hermione to meet them. I wanted them both to understand the elves' need for a magical bond so Hermione wouldn't try to free them, and so Harry, if he wished, could form a bond with Dobby so the elf could live well. And if Harry wasn't sure, I would offer him a temporary bond if Dobby wanted it, until he could find a family or Harry accepted him.
After breakfast, both Harry and Ron joined us to show me around the castle. We went to the Astronomy Tower and the area where the student trophies and awards were displayed. Harry even showed me his dad's trophy from when he was on the Quidditch team. When the topic of Quidditch came up, Ron started telling us how Gryffindor had won the cup that year and that Harry was part of the team. As Ron explained many things about Quidditch, I couldn't help but say,
"I'd really like to see a Quidditch match. It sounds so interesting...
" "We can teach you about the game whenever you want," he replied. "If you'd like, we can also teach you how to fly on a broomstick if you don't already know how."
Ron was so excited talking about it, but when he mentioned flying on a broomstick, his voice dropped a little. I guessed it was because he didn't have one of his own, and Harry's had been broken by the Whomping Willow, so only the school's brooms remained, and Madam Hooch wouldn't lend them out except for first-year flying lessons and matches. Thinking about that, I said,
"I'd really like to, but I don't think I can do it because Artemis would get jealous if I didn't fly on her, and believe me, you don't want to see an angry Artemis because... she can be a bit... too mischievous."
Harry and Ron looked curious when they asked.
"Artemis?
" "Your eagle?
" Seeing me nod, Harry asked again,
"Why would your eagle get jealous?
" "Umm... you see, Artemis is a special eagle that can grow big enough to be used as a mount. She's been with me since I was six, and ever since she was able to fly while carrying someone, she won't let me ride anything but her when I want to fly... let's just say she acts like a spoiled little princess when I use another mount."
The three of them chuckled a bit when I described Artemis like that, and Harry said after laughing,
"I kind of understand. Hedwig gets annoyed too when I use another owl to send a letter."
Since we'd been chatting about Quidditch and what they were doing to study for their exams, time flew by, and it was time for them to go to class. As we parted ways, Harry said jokingly,
"You're lucky you don't have any exams right now."
That comment made Hermione stare at him, and I could only laugh at them before saying,
"Don't think so. I also have to study and take some tests; they're just later on, and I have to take them before the next school year starts to see which year I'll be in."
My comment seemed to scare Ron, as he said,
"You must be joking... do they expect you to learn several years' worth of material in just a few months? That's worse than the holiday homework they give us.
" "Haha, it's not so bad. From what I've seen so far, I can learn the theory in a few weeks... I just need more time for potions and spell practice, but I think I can manage in time... at least I've already learned the first-year spells; they were very easy."
When I finished speaking, I noticed that the three of them were very surprised, and Ron exclaimed,
"Seriously, you've already learned all the first-year spells?
" "Uh... yeah, they were very easy, actually... why?
" "When did you start learning them?"
"Yesterday, after returning from shopping with Professor McGonagall.
" "And you're telling me you've already learned all the spells in this time, which at most could be 8 or 10 hours?
" "Hmm, if you put it like that, I think it might be hard to believe, but... yes, I've already learned them."
Ron was speechless and looked a little scandalized as he stared at me in surprise. Harry was the same until Hermione spoke.
"But yesterday we spent several hours exploring the castle, so your time was much less than that... learning all the spells in such a short time is... incredible."
I felt a little uncomfortable with their scrutinizing looks, so I told them.
"I have a special method that allows me to learn things much faster than normal."
I saw Hermione's eyes light up when I mentioned a special method, and when I finished speaking, she asked,
"Could you teach us that method?"
"Hmm... I think I could, but I'm not sure if you'll be able to learn it. This method is something like... my familiar magic, so I don't know if you'll be able to pick it up. But if you want, I can try to teach you... but it will have to be after your classes, since I think you should already be heading to your classes so you're not late."
After parting ways with them, I walked to a place without portraits to use my invisibility ability and head to the Room of Requirement. Once there, I continued with my combat exercises, since I couldn't neglect my physical training to accelerate the growth of my Mana Core, which was becoming more difficult to increase with each level I gained, as the requirements were increasingly demanding on both my physical and mental abilities. The physical ones, in particular, required more of my attention and consistency to improve.
After all the exercise I did, I was sweating profusely again, so I conjured a bathroom in the living room to take a shower. When I finished, I called Blinky to give her my dirty clothes to clean and take to my room.
Then I absorbed the clones to see how far they'd come. I had to do it one by one since it was a bit painful to receive the memories of several at once. Noticing they still had a little way to go before finishing the books, I decided to make another seven clones, but this time I only used 2% for those who only needed to learn theory, 5% for those who still needed to practice, and one more clone to continue meditating since I'd already absorbed the other one.
From the memories of the clone practicing spells with the wand, I noticed that the amount of mana required was ridiculously less and much faster compared to when he had to use the staff. I knew this because he practiced not only the spells from the book but also the spells he already knew. I concluded that I was experiencing something similar to Neville Longbottom, who had difficulty casting his spells because he didn't have the right wand; he was using his father's. Reaching this
conclusion, I wondered what my new limit would be when casting spells...
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