"Hey, Dylan, how are you feeling?"
After lunch, Neville was surprised to actually see Dylan in the dorm on a Sunday.
He looked over the boy stepping through the door: hair sticking up like a bird's nest, expression dazed and blank,
and what seemed obviously a stack of books in his arms, probably just back from the library.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Dylan's posture was slightly hunched, shoulders drooping. He clutched the books with dull eyes and dry, cracked lips that looked a bit pale and unhealthy.
Neville blinked. "I mean… you look kind of terrible right now."
Seamus was in the dorm as well.
He nodded repeatedly.
Even Coalball jumped down from the bed, padded over on soft paws, and sat obediently at Dylan's side, tilting its little head up.
"Mrrow?"
"I…"
Dylan first set the books in his arms down on the desk, then rubbed at his aching temples.
"Do I really look that bad?"
Neville and Seamus both nodded like bobbleheads.
"Mrrow!" Coalball also bobbed its tiny head.
Dylan gave an embarrassed little smile.
"This morning I was talking with Professor Flitwick about Charms. You know how it is—professors know so much. When he tutors me, what he says is nothing like what we cover in class."
He let out a soft sigh. "I seriously suspect the material he's giving me is already beyond what a seventh-year is supposed to be studying."
"This morning, in barely twenty minutes, he crammed in material from three books I've never even read."
"Plus two obscure journals I'd never even heard of."
"So…"
Dylan pointed at the books on the desk.
"So I went to the library and borrowed all of these. I don't want to struggle that much the next time he talks about any of it."
He muttered on, a bit wired.
"I still feel like I know way too little. Compared to the professors, my knowledge reserve is far too lacking. I have to read more, fast."
"Like this one, Decoding Ancient Runic Charms—I've never really gone deep into it. And The Secrets of Nonverbal Magic, Elemental Charms and the Power of Nature, an Analysis of Dream Magic… I've got to learn these."
Neville and Seamus stared, stunned.
They looked at each other, both at a loss for words.
Seventh-year material was not enough for Dylan anymore?
Seventh-years were not even technically "kids" anymore.
Was their roommate planning to stuff the entire contents of the Hogwarts library into his head in a single year?
Merlin's beard.
He was only in first year.
And he already wanted his knowledge base to surpass the professors'?
Both of them swallowed hard.
They glanced at Dylan, who really did not look entirely normal at this point.
Neville took a deep breath and finally spoke. "Dylan, you're working really hard already. You know way more than everyone in our year put together."
Seamus nodded quickly. "Yeah, Dylan, you work really hard!"
Neville: "I think maybe you should take a break? You've been going at this pace for so long."
Seamus nodded again. "Yeah, a really long time!"
Neville: "…"
Seriously? You're supposed to be helping me here.
Seamus blinked.
Isn't that exactly what I'm doing?
Dylan let out a heavy sigh.
In truth, he could feel that his body was still in its growth phase.
Under such intense study, even if his mind could handle it, his actual spirit and body were starting to strain.
Except…
Rest?
The moment that thought surfaced,
Quirrell's face suddenly flashed through his mind.
"If I don't use the six big Dark spells, I definitely can't beat him at my current level."
And when it came to facing Quirrell, it was not as if he could just hit him with Avada Kedavra in the corridor and be done with it.
Because…
The man had two faces.
One in front, one in back.
Even sneak attacks were tricky.
On top of that, while no one could trace his spellwork indirectly,
this was still Hogwarts. Who knew whether Dumbledore might be hiding somewhere, secretly watching Quirrell,
and just happen to see Dylan's ambush.
He would be caught on the spot.
So Dylan's plan was to shore up his magical foundation as much as possible.
At the very least, in a face-to-face fight, he wanted to be able to hold his own for a bit without Dark magic.
Then, with wand beautification in his back pocket,
he could slip a few less conspicuous max-level Dark spells into a barrage of normal magic.
He would be altering the color anyway, and as long as he showed no negative emotion, even if people saw him casting, they would not easily catch on.
"Rest, my eye. As long as it doesn't kill me, I'll study myself half to death."
Even though he did not really think Quirrell would manage to hurt him,
it was best to be prepared.
He might not want to get dragged into the "plot,"
but what if he got pulled in at some critical moment anyway?
If he could be fully prepared, then the more, the better.
Dylan dropped onto his chair and grabbed a book, ready to keep going.
Seeing this, Neville pressed his lips together, then reached out with his chubby hand and yanked the book away.
"Hey, Dylan! I need your help with something!"
"Uh?" Dylan froze.
Neville snapped the book shut. "Um… do you remember that Flame-Thorn I'm supposed to look after? The sapling Professor Sprout gave me?"
"Yesterday I ran out of its special feed, so I have to ask Hagrid for more. But I'm kind of scared of him. Could you come with me?"
Dylan blinked. "Isn't Seamus right here? You two don't seem busy. Why not go together?"
Lately, as Harry and Ron had gotten closer, Neville had often wanted to hang out with Dylan.
But Dylan was studying constantly, so after Neville ended up melting Seamus's cauldron in Potions, the two of them had gradually become friends instead.
Neville's cheeks were a little pink.
Seamus realized what Neville was doing and shook his head quickly. "Oh, I promised I'd go cheer Harry on. He's got a practice match today. Ron and his two brothers are there too!"
Dylan gave the two of them a doubtful look.
It was still pretty early before the match. That excuse was a bit flimsy.
But he understood what they were trying to do and smiled helplessly.
"In that case, I'll take you to Hagrid. We can grab something good to eat while we're at it."
Neville froze. "Something good?"
Dylan's lips curved. "Hagrid's own rock cakes. They're amazing."
(End of Chapter)
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