A pair of toad-shaped glasses rested on the table.
This was the result of over a month of tireless work by Ted—the Anti-Death Goggles!
The lenses were forged from obsidian refined through alchemy, while the frame was made of bronze, inlaid with fine silver. Ted had inscribed several protective enchantments into the silver, including "Magic Suppression," "Protection Against Evil," and "Shadow Barrier."
Borrowing tech from the Overwatch universe, he embedded a silicon wafer—crafted from a single grain of sand—etched with intricate magical circuits that boosted auxiliary functions.
Ted had brainstormed countless methods before settling on special materials that reacted with magic, enabling him to carve out those delicate magic pathways.
With a precision of 10,000 nanometers, it was no small feat.
Finally, he applied ritual magic and refining techniques learned from ancient magical texts to amplify the goggles' effects.
Ted had truly poured his heart into this creation.
When he tested it, every feature worked exactly as intended. Now, the real test remained: could it withstand the deadly gaze of a basilisk?
He hadn't yet had the chance to test it in real combat. The basilisk still lurked deep within the Chamber of Secrets, inaccessible for a trial run.
And so, the days passed until April arrived.
---
Ding~ Talent [Knowledge of Other Worlds (Gold)] has activated.
Spirit Horse Whistle [(Green)] discovered.
Spirit Horse Whistle [(Green)]—a magical method used by demon hunters to summon a lifelong companion mount with a single blow of a whistle.
Costs 340 experience points to acquire.
---
A witcher's mount?
Grape? Turnips?
Ted redeemed it and was amazed to find it was an actual spell—a rare summoning spell!
It resembled a summoning ritual. The first time a witcher performed it, they would receive a mount unique to them, bonded for life. Any time they whistled afterward, their companion would race to their side, even in the direst situations.
Better yet, Ted realized this spell was highly customizable.
Demon hunters, it seemed, often adapted the spell to suit their personalities and needs. Ted was eager to try it out.
"There's a spell like this? No way I'm passing that up!"
He spent three days gathering the necessary materials, sourcing from Hogwarts' storerooms and Diagon Alley.
Packing a small satchel, he headed for the Forbidden Forest with Anzu and Parker.
Last time, when Anzu evolved, they used a cave that seemed perfect. Now they were back.
Inside, Ted redrew the summoning circle. Unlike his previous ritual, much of this one was based on foreign magical knowledge, so he only understood part of it.
After all, it had originated with warlocks from other dimensions. Demon hunters merely used it without fully grasping the theory.
"White crystal imbued with psionic energy—symbolizes heart and will."
"A knight's horseshoe from the Crusades—symbol of a loyal companion."
"Feathers from a hippogriff—for wind and freedom."
"Unicorn tail hair—purity and loyalty."
"A broken Roman gladius—unyielding strength."
"Ravenclaw crest—symbol of wisdom."
"Gryffindor crest—fearless bravery."
"Hufflepuff crest—endurance through hardship."
"Perfect. That's seven. Seven's a magic number. 7-chan, bless this ritual!"
"Oh, and here's one of my material cards—[Holy (Blue)]~"
"Parker! Anzu!"
Ted turned to his loyal companions. "Let's do this!"
As the circle activated, symbols glowed one by one, and the offerings dissolved into light. Ted began the chant:
"Your form entwined with mine; your fate bound to my own.
Answer the summoning circle, yield to this will, and appear before me!
I am the seeker of the heavens' wisdom, the wizard who gathers the magic of the realms.
Cross the planes and come forth, my loyal steed~"
Midway through, Ted felt incredibly awkward. The words were cringeworthy, but there was no turning back. He powered through.
Luckily, only Parker and Anzu were there to witness it.
Anzu stifled a laugh under his wings, while Parker, ever supportive, seemed genuinely moved!
Maybe Parker had inherited the more sentimental side of Ted's personality?
When the chant ended, the circle blazed with blinding light.
As the light dimmed, a magnificent white horse stood before them, complete with reins and a saddle.
The horse shook its mane, looked at Anzu, then at Parker—who sparkled like a walking amethyst—and finally met Ted's gaze. Then, to their surprise, it spoke:
"Ahem~ Let me ask you this: Are you my Master?"
"Smack!" Ted slapped his forehead.
That cheesy spell really did it!
Anzu: "CAW! what a dork"
"Hagrid!"
"Ted? You've been in the Forbidden Forest again, haven't you? Wait—what in Merlin's name is that horse doing here?"
Ted gave a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his head. "Er, yeah. This is my horse. Thing is, there's really no room in the castle for him. I was wondering if you could look after him?"
Hagrid blinked, then gave a booming laugh and patted his chest. "When did you even get a horse? Never mind, leave it to me!"
Ted let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks! Oh, and he's called Cabbage."
At that moment, the tall white horse gave a dramatic toss of his mane and spoke, "Greetings, Hagrid! You can just call me Brother Cabbage."
Hagrid stared, jaw slightly ajar. "Blimey, I've seen my fair share o' magical creatures, but a talkin' horse? You lot are gonna be the death of me!"
Cabbage wasn't just any horse.
He talked, strutted, and had the personality of a show-off.
The moment he stepped out of the Forbidden Forest, he immediately began trying to challenge Anzu to see who deserved to be Ted's number one companion.
Big mistake.
Anzu flattened him in seconds, stuffing Cabbage back into the saddlebag with a few solid whacks.
Anzu even released a puff of magical black smoke to blind him mid-fight, then gave him a thorough feathered thrashing.
But Cabbage wasn't all talk.
Oddly enough, he was an expert in swordplay—he could wield a one-handed sword with his mouth, twirling and slashing with grace.
And his speed? Unbelievable.
Sometimes it looked like his hooves barely touched the ground as he galloped, practically gliding over the grass without leaving a trace.
Still, he couldn't stay in the castle, so Ted entrusted him to Hagrid, who was more than happy to add another odd creature to his care.
...
The next day, Neville shared some exciting news.
"You won't believe it! The mandrakes threw a proper dance party in Greenhouse Three yesterday," he told Ted and the others. "Professor Sprout was over the moon."
The group gathered around as he explained.
When mandrakes reach the semi-mature stage, they begin to communicate—wriggling their leaves and making odd, muffled noises from beneath the soil.
It looked like some strange leafy rave.
Mandrakes were a serious magical plant, a bit like magical ginseng, and surrounded by centuries of lore.
In medieval times, Muggles believed they could prevent miscarriages by drying the root and soaking it in milk, placing it under beds.
Of course, they never figured out how to safely harvest one—pulling a live mandrake was fatal.
Still, this meant something important: Clara, Justin, and even Filch's cat were on their way to being cured.
Later, Neville brought the group to see a new project in the greenhouse.
"Come have a look! Gov and I managed to grow our first magical plant in our little garden—thanks to that pamphlet Ted gave us."
It was a small, purple-capped mushroom with faint yellow spots. Nothing impressive to look at.
"It's called a Scaredy-Shroom!" Neville said proudly, cheeks red with excitement. "It matches everything in the guide!"
Jerry leaned in, squinting. "What's it do?"
"It burrows underground when the sun's too strong," Neville said, gesturing.
Ted raised a hand and Anzu shot into the air, circling above. A
cloud of magical darkness spread across the glass ceiling, dimming the light.
The mushroom immediately reacted—bursting out of the soil and growing to nearly 50 centimeters tall.
Ron tilted his head. "That thing looks oddly familiar..."
"Don't get too close!" Neville warned.
Too late.
Ron leaned in and got a faceful of purple spores.
"Tastes... kinda sweet," he muttered, eyes crossing slightly.
Then his knees gave out and he flopped over like a ragdoll.
Ted caught him before he hit the floor.
Neville scratched his head. "They're bred from Drowsy Mushrooms. I passed out for over an hour last time."
Jerry chuckled. "It's fine. Ron's been having trouble sleeping lately—might be the best thing for him."
Everyone congratulated Neville, who looked both proud and embarrassed.
"We're going to try small puff mushrooms next. The big ones are tricky though. Professor Sprout even said she might publish our Scaredy-Shroom discovery in a professional journal! I think Ted deserves credit too, but he won't let me mention the pamphlet he gave me..."
Ted thought to himself: When you start growing magical sunflowers, we'll talk about payback.
...
As spring warmed the grounds, Easter Eve arrived.
The holiday was short, but something important came right after: course selection for third year.
Every second-year had to choose their electives, a major decision that would shape their magical education.
And Hermione? She was in full panic mode.
Because she wanted to take everything.