Harry Potter: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me from Studying

"Honestly, the first time I saw that big guy, I thought we were going to die!" Padma clung to Hermione's arm, saying sincerely, "Hermione, you're so brave."

Hermione's face was flushed. "I had no other thoughts then; my mind was full of the Levitation Charm. I mean—it's really lucky, I'd only ever made textbooks float before!"

"Brother, that Slippery Surface spell of yours was brilliant!" Michael waved his wand, demonstrating, "Slippery Surface! You have to teach me next time we study!"

"No problem." Wade turned and said, "—Harry, don't mind Professor Snape's evaluation. Using a bucket was a good idea. On the contrary, ordinary spells hitting a troll are about as effective as a mosquito bite."

"No wonder Michael's Petrification Charm didn't work before—and none of you directly attacked the troll with spells later," Harry mused. "But I don't think I saw those two spells you used in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1."

"Wade has already self-studied Charms up to The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3," Michael said proudly. "And he spends all his time in the library and study room. He's learned more spells than all of us combined—even though it's only been two months since school started."

Harry immediately felt a bit ashamed and inferior—if Ron, Michael, or even Malfoy knew more spells than him, he could comfort himself by saying it was because they had already learned at home. But he knew that Wade and Hermione had no prior contact with magic before entering Hogwarts, yet now they were the most outstanding students among the first-years.

He couldn't help but wonder—was he too lax in his studies?

Watching the others chat and laugh, with even Harry naturally joining the conversation, Ron wanted to say something but couldn't get a word in, trailing behind them awkwardly.

Soon they reached a crossroads, and the group split. Harry, Hermione, and Ron headed towards the Gryffindor Tower. Without Michael and their banter, the atmosphere among the three immediately became stiff. They avoided eye contact, quickening their steps back to the common room.

On the way back to the Ravenclaw Tower, Padma, feigning nonchalance, looked at the path ahead and said, "Wade, that Slippery Surface spell, can I learn it too? It sounds quite interesting."

"Of course," Wade said. "We don't have class tomorrow morning, so I can teach you."

"Hmm—it might not be convenient in the common room, I heard—" Padma quickly glanced at Michael, then said, "You have a special place for practicing spells?"

After all, she was only eleven years old. Although she had tried to obliquely make her request, the hint was still not too obvious.

Wade understood. He deliberated for a moment and said, "I need to ask for everyone else's opinion, but I think they won't refuse your joining."

"Of course—you're welcome!" Michael said with a grin.

"Wonderful!" Padma couldn't help but skip a little, then her face flushed. She feigned composure, smoothing down her robes, and said, "I'm honored."

Outside the common room door, the eagle door knocker asked, "O, T, T, F, F, S, S, E, N. What's the next letter?"

"Uh..." Michael was the type of Ravenclaw who wasn't very good at riddles. He rested his chin on his hand, feigning thought, then decisively gave up after three seconds, asking, "What do you think it is, Wade?"

"It's 'T'," Padma said.

"Correct answer," the door knocker said in a chanting tone, then opened the door.

"Why 'T'?" As they entered, Michael was still asking, "Is it 'T' for Troll? Does this door knocker know we defeated a troll today?"

He grimaced, his expression exaggerated, and Padma couldn't help but chuckle. "It's the first letter of the numbers one to ten—One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten."

The common room was packed, seemingly all Ravenclaws were there. Several long tables had been added near the fireplace, laden with food and drinks. Students were celebrating Halloween for the second time here, and it was even better than in the Great Hall—because there were no professors here watching their every move.

Wade saw some usually reclusive students also chose to stay in the common room, simply sitting in a corner. The common room had been decorated for Halloween at some point; a giant skeleton walked around, occasionally causing shrieks; some students wore skull masks, which occasionally made ghostly sounds.

"Care for a Bloody Lollipop?" Terry enthusiastically offered to Lisa.

Wade bypassed the crowded people and went straight back to his dorm—the troll's stench still seemed to linger in his nostrils, and he wasn't in the mood to eat for now.

Padma watched his retreating figure, then asked Michael with a bit of trepidation, "Wade didn't eat dinner, did he? Why isn't he coming to the feast?" She worried it was because she had made herself annoying, making Wade rather go hungry in his dorm than spend time with them.

"Don't worry, it has nothing to do with you. Wade just doesn't like overly lively places," Michael said casually, focusing on piling food onto his plate.

Padma breathed a sigh of relief, also feeling a bit hungry. After filling their stomachs about seventy to eighty percent, they had leisure to continue chatting.

"Oh, right, for your study group, when Wade asks for everyone's opinion tomorrow, remember to put in a good word for me!" Padma remembered this and couldn't help but repeatedly urge him.

"OK! OK! Mission accomplished, guaranteed!" Michael said with a grin, raising his hand.

—Ask for opinions?

Michael knew better than anyone that as long as Wade agreed, no one else would have an objection.

Theo and Ryan were easygoing by nature; they wouldn't refuse a candidate proposed by a friend. Neville was timid; Michael thought he had no temper or strong opinions. The only one who might be a little difficult was Hermione, and Padma had just established a reasonably good friendship with her.

In fact, when Michael initially proposed "new members must be approved by everyone," what he actually meant was "if Wade doesn't agree, you can't bring anyone else over"—the restriction was on the other four.

He clearly understood that while the SSC appeared to be a mutually supportive group, in reality, most of the time Wade was helping them—Wade's notes made it easier for them to understand obscure expressions in textbooks, Wade's teaching on essay writing allowed them to complete high-quality assignments in a short time, and Wade also helped them quickly and accurately master various spells.

Anyone joining this group would quickly realize the benefits.

Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were enthusiastic sorts; if they thought this place was great, they might bring their other friends without asking—perhaps even thinking that bringing in more members was contributing to the group! In reality, it would only cause trouble for Wade, and the SSC wouldn't last long this way.

Wade wouldn't explicitly refuse, but when the group grew too large and noisy, he would one day quietly disappear from the Umbrella Room, just like he did now, staying in a quiet and solitary place where he was alone.

That's why Michael had to set rules and use them to restrain the people from those two houses from being too "enthusiastic." He could also use the rules to subtly refuse those who tried to join through him. The only exception could be Wade—because he was the center, and he could naturally decide who he wanted to help.

Michael had never told anyone about these calculations. Now, facing Padma's request, he simply nodded with a smile, promising to try his best to persuade the others.