Mysterious Journey
Chapter 751: Moving Forward… Bit by Bit (Double Update!)
"It's very simple. Make yourself the light in the darkness..."
Elenna smiled slightly, glanced at the flame in the eyes of the girl beside her who was similar in stature, and said softly.
"Hogwarts will open in two days. If nothing goes wrong, I will become one of the most unpopular outsiders in one of the houses, but that's not something to worry about—if you are a source of light in the darkness, people will naturally gather in the direction you are... And all you need to do is keep moving forward..."
"Then, Miss Ivanovich."
Elenna casually flicked her wrist, tossing a silver metal badge.
"You now have a choice: take this badge, join the Special Containment Procedures Foundation, become one of the sparks gathered around me, and follow in my footsteps to change this world—or—"
Elenna stood up, her small figure casting a huge shadow on the wall under the illumination of the light screen.
...
"A shadow's... shadow?"
Irina came back to her senses and took a deep look at the second-year student with light golden hair beside her.
During yesterday's Prefect Shadow challenge, she noticed that Miss Lyfa had looked at this boy several times, as if she was expecting him to participate in the selection, but he didn't make any move until the entire "Opening Ceremony" was over.
In comparison, the two burly boys behind Draco were even more eye-catching.
"The Moonlight Seven, not bad... I understand."
Irina Ivanovich nodded, looked at the bright red dipping sauce in front of her, and replied softly.
"I heard... last year at this time, a new student representative team swept through the various houses of Hogwarts, and you were one of them. I want to know how to inherit this tradition before the first flying lesson..."
"As you wish, it's not a complicated matter—I'll give you a list before Wednesday."
Draco Malfoy's lips curled up, and he stood up, tapping the girl's plate with his finger.
"But before that, dear Miss Ivanovich, I hope you enjoy the cuisine of Slytherin. If you want to become 'her' shadow with just a Prefect Shadow, it's far from enough for me to approve..."
"Thank you for your advice, Mr. Malfoy."
Irina took a deep breath, and amidst the unkind gazes of a group of older Slytherin students, she used a silver spoon to scoop up a small pinch of bright red chili sauce and placed it on the tip of her tongue, chewing it gently without changing her expression, as if she were tasting a dessert.
As a witch, she was unlikely to lose her composure in such a place with preparation.
Unlike small wizards like Harry, Ron, and even Draco, Irina, who was born into the Ivanovich family, had been receiving guidance from Old Ivanovich almost from the first time she showed her magical talent—you know, Koldovstoretz School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was the founder of the "Golden Cauldron" competition, tasting potions and magical materials was simply too easy.
A few seconds later, Irina put down the spoon and gracefully wiped her mouth with a napkin.
"The taste is not bad, at least it is a normal thing, much better than the secretions of a Bundimun. In return, I will also give you a little advice, or rather a suggestion—if you don't want to be expelled, then next time you see me in public, I hope you can remember to call me Prefect... D-Class Investigator, Mr. Malfoy."
"Forgetting the other person's status and authority in Slytherin is a very eye-catching thing."
After Irina finished speaking, she finished her breakfast in two or three bites and stood up to bid farewell to the older students around her.
Then, the girl led a group of Slytherin freshmen past the Gryffindor table, generously reaching out to a red-haired girl who had also finished breakfast and was looking at her with a wary expression, and said with a smile.
"It's about time, Ginny, let's go to the training grounds outside the castle together..."
"Um—" Ginny Weasley looked at Irina warily and did not respond.
And beside her, the other Weasley boys almost instantly stopped talking, frowning and looking strangely at this little guy wearing silver-green Slytherin robes, exchanging glances silently.
In fact, with Irina's voice, almost the entire Gryffindor and Slytherin houses quieted down a bit.
"I remember you, you are—"
Percy Weasley frowned, trying to recall yesterday's Sorting Ceremony, and said slowly.
"Irina, Irina Ivanovich, Weasley Prefect."
Irina naturally took over Percy Weasley's words, and replied with a smile.
"Thanks to Mr. Weasley's help, I was able to arrive at Hogwarts smoothly. My father and I have always wanted to express our gratitude to your father in person, but we don't have your family's contact address, so we can only ask you to convey it here somewhat abruptly."
"Dad? Are you friends of my dad?" Ginny Weasley asked curiously.
"No, I just took a ride on a flying... vehicle that Mr. Weasley modified."
Irina Ivanovich shook her head, and said softly and naturally according to Elenna's instructions.
"Vehicle?" Percy Weasley was taken aback, a confused look appearing in his eyes.
"Flying—ah, I know! Is it cool!"
At this moment, Fred Weasley stood up excitedly and said with an envious look.
"Dad has always been unwilling to let George and me touch it, but we both know that that thing is absolutely cool, absolutely amazing—but the whole summer has passed, and we still haven't found a chance..."
"Come on, if you don't want to be chopped into pieces by Mom, you better not think about it."
George Weasley glanced at his brother, then turned to look at Irina, his eyes becoming amiable.
"So, you really flew? From where to where? What does it feel like?"
"This... you know where I came from... As for more, I promised not to say..."
Irina looked at the red-haired boys who had surrounded her in an instant, and spread her hands helplessly.
"This situation is a bit complicated, you know, the Ministry of Magic... I advise you to write a letter directly to Mr. Weasley, after all, I don't know what can be said and what can't be said... I don't want to cause trouble for Mr. Weasley..."
"Understood, understood—"
"Wow—that's so cool—"
The Weasley twins exchanged a look, revealing a knowing expression.
Worthy of being their dad, as for what Irina said, they had no doubts at all—even Mom didn't know the secrets of the old Ford car parked in the backyard, which was an insurance in itself.
"Is that so..."
Charlie Weasley looked at his younger siblings, revealing a gentle smile.
Unlike these little guys still in school, after graduating from Hogwarts, Charlie Weasley came into contact with all kinds of wizards, and due to his research on dragons, the pure-blood wizards he dealt with were not a few.
Because of this, he knew very well that most of the wizards in Slytherin were normal wizards like them.
"Ginny, don't be shy... Haven't you always wanted to make friends at Hogwarts?"
Charlie Weasley patted his little sister's head and proactively put Ginny's hand in Irina's hand.
"We are Gryffindor students, this kind of hesitation is not allowed—go, you go to the training grounds first, I'll come over later, I remember that our batch of returning older students also have classes with you in the first week."
...
At the end of the hall, on the high table in the staff area.
"I think we don't have anything to argue about for the time being regarding the joint classes of the four houses—"
Dumbledore turned his head and glanced at Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall beside him.
"Facts have proven that Miss Kaslana is not an exception."
The old wizard gently pushed his glasses, let out a long sigh, and a smile appeared on his face.
"The children are doing much better than us. Times have indeed changed. As educators of the school, I think we can also start trying to abandon some prejudices and return Hogwarts to the intimate, beautiful original intention of its founding."
"You're right..." Professor McGonagall nodded, and said with some emotion.
"Of course, that's our Prefect Shadow..." Snape smiled, then, under Dumbledore's calm gaze, changed the subject, and continued naturally, "Gryffindor is not bad, Hufflepuff is also..."
"Humph." Professor McGonagall snorted softly, and did not choose to dismantle the stage at this time.
At the same time, the new student team in the distance moved again.
The golden-red robes and silver-green robes converged and headed towards the nearby Hufflepuff table.
And in the farther position, there were some little wizards in sky-blue robes who were turning their heads, looking curiously and expectantly at the crowd. Some of them who had finished breakfast stood up uneasily, wondering whether they should leave or stay.
At the end of this journey, a little witch with silver-white hair quietly cut the food on her plate.
As if everything had nothing to do with her.
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Chapter 2! My God!!!