Hogwarts : Max Level Unforgivable Curse

"Moo!"

The coal ball beside him was startled.

A pair of black eyes stared blankly at the fleeting pink starlight.

Dylan was also surprised.

"Looks like the money wasn't wasted after all!"

Dylan waved his wand again.

"Lumos!"

"Whoosh~"

A dazzling, soft pink light dispelled the gloom in the room. Sparkling particles shimmered with a mesmerizing glow, intertwining and colliding, each touch bursting into pink starlight.

"Moo!!"

The coal ball charged over, pouncing toward the pink starlight.

But it missed.

"Moo?"

Dylan suddenly discovered a new source of amusement.

He waved his wand again.

"Whoosh!"

The pink starlight reappeared.

The coal ball pounced again.

"Hey, this is fun!"

Who would've thought that beautifying his wand would turn it into a cat toy? Dylan spent almost the entire afternoon playing with the coal ball, never tiring of it.

It wasn't until the sound of footsteps and chatter outside the door signaled the return of several young wizards to the dormitory that Dylan finally stopped.

"Whew!"

Dylan exhaled deeply, looking at the now-tired coal ball with a fond smile. He reached out and gently scratched its chin. The coal ball narrowed its eyes in contentment, purring with a soft "moo-moo" sound, and nuzzled Dylan's hand.

Dylan burst into laughter at its adorable antics.

Although they had spent the whole afternoon playing, Dylan didn't feel like it was a waste of time. On the contrary, as he reflected on his state of mind, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the accumulated stress had completely dissipated. His heart was filled with joy, and even his tired body felt lighter.

"While eating dinner usually helps relieve some stress, I can't exactly overeat every time."

This afternoon's playtime with the coal ball had unexpectedly released all the pressure he had been carrying.

"Today, I won't do anything else. I'll just get a good night's sleep, recharge, and continue fighting tomorrow!"

After eating a meal, Dylan returned to his dorm and fell into a deep sleep.

By evening, when Harry and Ron returned, they found Dylan fast asleep. Exchanging glances, they were surprised but instinctively softened their movements.

---

**The Next Morning**

"Hmm, the smell of roasted pumpkin?"

Early the next morning, as Dylan finished washing up and stepped out, he was greeted by a rich, enticing aroma.

"Ah, Halloween."

Dylan rarely paid attention to holidays, but the scent of pumpkin made him realize it was Halloween.

"I remember, wasn't there a troll that showed up during the Halloween feast?"

Dylan slung his small bag over his shoulder and headed toward the owlery, lost in thought.

"Wait, wasn't that troll released by Quirrell?"

Dylan's memory was a bit hazy. He vaguely recalled that Harry and the others had sneaked into the girls' bathroom and encountered the troll. What stuck out most in his mind was how they had easily defeated it using the Levitation Charm they had just learned.

"Trolls aren't common. Not only are they rare, but their teeth can enhance the potency of potions. Their livers can be used to make potions for curing severe illnesses or curses. Even their mucus has unique magical properties, making it ideal for potion-making."

Dylan arrived at the owlery, fed Luna some food, and handed her a letter to deliver to his parents. Then he headed to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Hmm, I can't kill the three-headed dog, but I should be able to handle this thing, right?"

The three-headed dog was clearly placed in the restricted area by Hogwarts. He couldn't go looking for trouble with it. But this troll… Dylan happened to be researching a new potion, and if he could collect materials from the troll, he wouldn't have to go out of his way to find them.

---

**Later That Day**

After a full day of classes, the students of Hogwarts made their way to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast. Dylan walked among the crowd, eventually catching up with Harry and Ron.

He noticed that Ron looked a bit off.

"Hmm?"

Dylan blinked, then whispered to Harry, "Is Ron feeling okay?"

Harry glanced at Ron, who seemed preoccupied, and pursed his lips.

"During Charms class this morning, you performed really well with the Levitation Charm."

"And?" Dylan tilted his head.

"And…" Harry paused, glancing at Ron again. "After Professor Flitwick called Hermione up to demonstrate the charm, Ron muttered something mean about her under his breath because she didn't perform as well as you."

"Then…?"

At this point, Dylan had a rough idea of what had happened. During class, he was usually the focus of the professors' attention, so he hadn't paid much attention to what was going on with Harry and Ron.

But hearing Harry's explanation, Dylan sighed. "So, as soon as he said it, Hermione caught him?"

Harry nodded solemnly.

"(-ι_-｀)…"

Dylan really didn't understand why Ron had such a habit of talking behind people's backs. And every time, he managed to get caught red-handed by the person he was badmouthing.

"Actually, Ron hadn't said anything bad about Hermione for a while. But this time… Hermione felt like Ron didn't consider her a friend at all."

Harry added, "She also thinks Ron has been badmouthing her behind her back a lot."

"…"

Dylan clicked his tongue, momentarily at a loss for words.

"So, what happened next? What's the situation now?"

"Hermione cried through the second half of class and hasn't been seen all afternoon."

"Uh…"

Is this how the plot kicks off?

Dylan had originally planned to sneak into the bathroom, quietly deal with the troll, collect the materials, and finish everything without anyone noticing. But now, thanks to Ron, Hermione had stormed off to the bathroom again.

"Who knew girls could be so complicated? I already said it was just a joke! And she really didn't perform as well as Dylan!" Ron insisted.

"But you also said she was being pretentious…" Harry added.

"Was I wrong?" Ron glared.

"Even though I didn't do well in class today, she didn't have to keep lecturing me!"

"So that's what started it…"

(End of Chapter)