Library
"Use explosions to blow them all away!" Ron suggested.
"No! That would only anger them. We should use a sleeping charm—oh! I'm sure I've seen it somewhere!" Hermione retorted, rustling through book pages.
"Uh—could we just fly over on broomsticks?" Harry racked his brains.
"No tools are allowed in the competition, Harry," Ethan said gently. "Because it tests comprehensive academic ability, not Quidditch."
"You can't use Summoning Charms either."
"Because the actual competition is in a primitive forest. Unless monkeys suddenly realize the necessity of maintaining hygiene, you won't be able to summon a broom."
Of course, flying broomsticks were different from ordinary cleaning brooms anyway.
"Oh, oh..." Harry responded in confusion, dizzy from this string of complex sentences.
Ever since learning that Ethan was preparing for the selection, the three friends had volunteered to gather around and help him think of solutions. Whenever they had free time, they would spend it together in the library, looking for ways to deal with giant purple toads.
"Look, Ethan!" Hermione excitedly pushed a book over, pointing to a very complex spell. "There's a method for a powerful sleeping charm here. You can cast it jointly with other students to make all the toads fall asleep."
"That's a good idea," Ethan said seriously, looking at the tongue-twisting spell. "There's just one small problem."
"Although the selection is in groups of five, I'm afraid no one will help me."
Hermione was stunned and blurted out: "Why? Isn't this a competition about working together?"
She had researched this thoroughly. Although the Secret Realm Tracking Challenge had no explicit grouping requirements, participants usually formed teams by school, helping each other and ultimately sharing glory together. So the school selection also encouraged student cooperation. The professors would even specifically assess whether students worked well together.
How could no one help Ethan?
Ethan smiled: "Perhaps in others' eyes, I'm destined to be eliminated."
So there was no need to help.
"..." Hermione was stunned.
In her clever little brain, there was only how to achieve higher scores—she had never considered these social dynamics.
Two seconds later, she finally reacted. She lowered her head in shame, using the rustling of book pages to cover her embarrassment, saying quietly:
"Look, look at this description of giant purple toads!"
"They're very quiet when undisturbed, but once startled, they attack en masse and won't stop until they've eliminated all intruders..."
"Generally, their hunting targets are limited to intruders. But once enraged and entering a berserk state, the entire group will indiscriminately attack everything around them, extremely dangerous..."
Ethan listened to the explanation he was already familiar with, propping his chin as he thought.
Currently, his idea was to use portals to quickly pass through the outer perimeter and enter the cave. But there were also toads guarding inside the cave, protecting their king—a giant toad that could be five or six meters tall. Once the king was injured, all toads would immediately go berserk. It was absolutely not to be provoked, somewhat like a final boss.
The assessment objective was to take what you considered the most precious item from the cave nest. This also involved a first-come-first-served issue. Toads liked shiny things. Those who entered first could choose first, while those who entered later would probably have to choose from bent silver spoons and broken ceramic bowls.
As long as you could successfully obtain precious treasure, you could be directly selected. Other situations would depend on the professors' evaluation.
"I absolutely cannot fall into a situation requiring evaluation, because the professors definitely won't choose me, a first-year," Ethan pondered. "To successfully be selected, I must obtain precious items. To get into the cave first... portals? The plan feels very rough..."
At this moment, Ethan heard Harry mutter: "If only we could know directly where the treasure is... Then Ethan could use a portal to reach out and take the treasure without even entering the nest."
Ethan smiled. He opened his mouth, about to tell Harry that his portals had to be set within a visible thirty-meter range.
But suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck his brain like lightning, piercing through the darkness of his thoughts!
BANG!
Ethan suddenly stood up, his chair falling backward with a loud crash. The three friends were startled, all shrinking back and staring at Ethan in terror.
"Right... how did I not think of this before?"
Ethan's unfocused eyes stared at midair, muttering to himself.
"Within visual range... within visual range... Since my eyeballs can't detach from my body and move independently."
"Then, just create another field of vision!"
What he needed was a new painting, a new card! To remove the limitations of his portal card!
Inspiration was rising!
Ethan whipped his head around. Pupils dilated, mouth grinning. His cobalt-blue eyes stared straight at Harry, saying:
"Harry, you're simply a genius!"
"..."
Harry's entire back was pressed against his chair, small, pitiful, and helpless. Facing Ethan, who was almost nose-to-nose with him like some deranged creature, Harry struggled to twitch his mouth corners.
Brother, brother, no medicine can save me...
"Who's making noise in the library!"
Librarian Madam Pince appeared in a huff. For the first time, Harry felt her appearance was so timely.
Unfortunately, upon seeing Ethan, Madam Pince's furious face immediately softened, saying with concern: "Oh, it's Mr. Vincent? Are you alright? Nothing wrong?"
"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Madam Pince."
Ethan turned his head, wearing an extremely proper smile.
"That's good, that's good~"
The three friends watched in amazement as a smile actually appeared on Madam Pince's stern face.
The next second, Madam Pince turned and glared at Ron: "If you don't study properly, get out!"
"..."
Ron quickly grabbed a book and lowered his head pitifully.
After Madam Pince left, Ethan turned around, eyes sparkling, quickly directing: "Come on, my friends! Help me find spells about expanding vision!"
"It's time to give this world a little shock!"
Although the three friends didn't understand how expanding vision connected to the world, this didn't stop them from getting excited too.
Books were brought over one by one, and spells and principles were recorded. For a moment, there was only the rustling of turning pages and the scratching of quills on paper at the desk.
Outside the window, leaves swayed. Cold wind carrying fresh air continuously beat against the windows, carving beautiful, irreplaceable frost patterns around the four figures.
...
Soon, it was the day of the selection.
Since the competition time was at ten PM, during curfew hours, there were no spectators. Only participants and professors, wrapped in thick robes, standing by the shimmering Black Lake cliff.
Ethan looked at the brand-new rectangular card in his hand with fascination, unable to look away from it, finding it more pleasing the more he looked. He walked with his head down over the rugged lakeside gravel.
At this moment, a voice rang out: "Well! Look who's here?"
Ethan stopped, slowly raising his gaze. He saw Sean Mike, who had been furious since being rejected from the society and remained so until now. Arms crossed, looking down at him contemptuously, as if about to start dancing the next second.
Ethan spoke, saying in unison with Sean: "Isn't this the famous artist Ethan Vincent? Coming to the selection, overestimating yourself—are you here to entertain everyone?"
Two voices overlapped. Word for word identical.
"Sorry, I overheard your rehearsal in the common room last night."
"You really should improve your lines—they have no impact at all."
Ethan sincerely suggested.
Sean: "..."
Sean's face turned red instantly. Even in the night, it was clearly visible.
Ethan Vincent!
Sean trembled with shame, as if suffering the ultimate humiliation. He glared at Ethan through gritted teeth, flames of fury rising in his eyes.
He absolutely had to make this smooth-talking brat make a complete fool of himself in the selection! Let this brat see what real Ravenclaw strength looked like!
[Chapter Complete]
***
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