133- Hufflepuff’s Fishing Magic

133- Hufflepuff’s Fishing Magic

Hearing Daphne's evaluation of Professor Lockhart, Hermione suddenly looked up, staring intently at her.

Hermione had prepared many counterarguments, but Daphne spoke first, shutting her down with a single sentence.

"He's lying. The story in his book Wanderings with Werewolves is made up, or at least it's not something he personally experienced—because that's not how the human restoration spell works." Before Hermione could argue, Daphne shared the knowledge about the spell that Rhys had taught her.

"Maybe his understanding of the spell is just really deep..." Hermione tried to defend.

"Impossible. Even Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, who invented the spell, couldn't do it—I have letters from them to prove it. Their first attempts at casting the spell lasted at most five years," Rhys spoke up in support of Daphne.

"And besides, he just talked and talked without saying anything useful," Daphne pointed out sharply.

Hermione recalled their earlier conversation and realized it was true. Whenever Rhys tried to steer the discussion towards more technical details, Lockhart would find a way to change the subject. Caught up in her admiration for him, she hadn't noticed.

Now, Hermione began to feel uneasy. Desperately trying to defend Lockhart, like a drowning person grasping at straws, she said, "It can't be. He—I mean, Professor Lockhart—he's written so many books!"

"Writing books doesn't mean he actually experienced those things. He could have made them up, or maybe he just heard the stories from somewhere else."

Rhys's words left Hermione silent, and she became increasingly doubtful: could it be that Professor Lockhart was really just a fraud with an empty reputation?

"You can't judge a book by its cover. Let's wait until he teaches a few classes, then we'll know the truth," Rhys said in an almost despairing tone.

In truth, he no longer had any expectations for Lockhart.

The atmosphere in the compartment grew heavy until the arrival of the trolley full of food. The assortment of snacks lifted everyone's spirits a little.

"So, besides sweets, do you have any real food? Even a sandwich would do," Rhys asked after buying a pile of snacks, feeling like something was missing.

He craved something more substantial.

"Of course, dear." the kind-looking trolley witch handed him a box of ham and egg sandwiches, fulfilling his request.

However, one box of sandwiches wasn't enough to satisfy Rhys's appetite. Just then, a river came into view outside the train window, and Rhys suddenly remembered a food magic spell that Helga Hufflepuff had taught him.

He immediately decided to give it a try.

"Let me show you something impressive."

Following the same method, in no time, Rhys had fished out about a dozen more from the magical basin.

With a flick of his wand, the scales and innards of the fish were cleaned out in an instant. At the same time, the moisture in the fish seemed to "agitate" under his spell. Before long, the fish were transformed into dried, crispy snacks.

"Feel free to try them. They're not quite fried fish, but they should be crunchy enough."

Hermione took one, carefully chewing it.

The once fresh fish had been processed by Rhys into something as crisp as a cracker. Even the bones could be easily chewed. Despite having no seasoning, the dried fish had a unique and pleasant taste.

"The taste is really good, and the spell is amazing!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Heh" Rhys nodded, pleased with himself.

During the rest of the journey, they quickly finished off the snacks and sandwiches they had bought earlier, and enjoyed a fresh fish feast. Some were dried, while others were roasted over a fire.

The delicious fish added a bright spot to an otherwise monotonous trip.

As night began to fall and the sky outside the train windows grew darker, they finally arrived at Hogwarts.

When the train slowly pulled into the platform, a nervous expression appeared on Astoria's face.

"What's wrong?" Daphne noticed her sister's change in mood and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm worried... What if I get sorted into Gryffindor?" Astoria said, her voice growing more anxious as she spoke, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead.

Neither her father, her sister, nor even the doctor who treated her had been willing to reveal any details about the Sorting, leaving her feeling uncertain and uneasy.

"Hehe~ Little Astoria, if you're really scared, just keep silently repeating my name during the Sorting. I'm sure your wish will come true," Rhys said, shaking his head with a smile at Astoria's worry.

This girl—how could she possibly end up in another house?

'Though, should I test the Trace on her?'

———

12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon!♥