Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 301 The Calm Before Underwater Exploration

Chapter 301 The Calm Before Underwater Exploration

In February, life at Hogwarts continued as usual, as if the secret magic accumulating deep within the Black Lake had nothing to do with most people.

In Charms class, Professor Flitwick was explaining a variation of the "Extrasensory Charm," used to enhance the caster's perception of subtle magical changes in their surroundings. "—Pay attention to the flow of magic, not just with your eyes and ears, but with your heart—the whisper of magic itself—" The small professor stood atop a stack of books, his voice high-pitched but clear. Karen listened intently. Although he already understood it, Professor Flitwick was clearly explaining some extended knowledge beyond the textbook, and this spell might be useful for underwater exploration. He practiced as he tried to integrate that heightened perception into his "True Eye"—the combination of the two would be more than just the sum of its parts.

A somber, disheartening atmosphere permeated the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Gilderoy Lockhart, back from his vacation, seemed to have lost even the will to perform. In his latest class, he merely handed out signed coupons for his book series and then launched into a long-winded account of how he had once used a "charming smile" to fend off a dark wizard posing as a fervent fan at a book signing. "He was clearly trying to steal my inspiration for my next great work, my dear children!" he declared. Even his staunch supporters, faced with this familiar, repetitive tale of heroism, showed clear signs of wavering and disappointment. Karen, like most of the students, kept her head down, silently practicing her wandless spellcasting gestures under the cover of her textbook, as a wand was indeed somewhat inconvenient underwater.

The atmosphere was even colder in the Potions classroom in the dungeon. Professor Snape, his black robes billowing, moved among the cauldrons, his deep, smooth, and oppressive voice scrutinizing each student's mistakes.

"Alonso, if your brain is as empty as this cauldron, I suggest you just hand it over to the trolls. Maybe they can cook something more valuable out of it. Of course, you could also go find Mr. Longbottom of Gryffindor. Maybe the two of your brains combined will produce a surprise." He coldly mocked Alonso, and sure enough, all that was left in his cauldron was a pile of charred, smoky residue.

When Snape strolled over to Cullen, he stopped, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over the sleep beans Cullen was cutting. Cullen's movements were precise and steady, but Snape's lips still curled into a slight smirk.

"It seems some people are obsessed with some attention-grabbing little inventions," he said, his voice not loud, but loud enough for the nearby students to hear. He was clearly referring to the Quidditch system, now renamed "Hawk-Eye," a system that had prevented the Slytherin team from sweeping the field this semester, even with Malfoy's support and the entire team equipped with Nimbus 2001. This was mainly because they couldn't forget to foul, and the system always caught them. "To the point that even the most basic potion-making process has become—so clumsy, so devoid of spirit. Hawthorne, if your talent is limited to marking brooms and Blink balls, then I truly feel—sadness—for your future."

Karen's hands didn't pause for a moment, nor did he look up. He simply replied calmly, "Thank you for your guidance, Professor. I will be careful." He was completely unmoved. Snape's provocation was within his expectations. At this moment, his mind was already on the bottom of the Black Lake. Compared to that, the mockery from this somewhat vulnerable potion master was nothing more than the buzzing of a mosquito.

At lunchtime, the Great Hall was bustling with activity. Karen was discussing the afternoon's training plans with her roommates when Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked over.

"Hey, Cullen!" Ron greeted first, his eyes shining. "We watched Quidditch league highlights over the holidays! Your Hawkeye system is so cool! The slow replays were a bit weird in some places, but it caught every single foul! And best of all, it left those Slytherin bastards completely helpless!"

Harry nodded in agreement, then asked hesitantly, "Cullen, have you heard anything about Dobby lately? You know, the house-elf."

Karen swallowed the pie in her mouth and shook her head. "No, Harry. It never came back after that."

"What's wrong? You've run into trouble again?"

"No, not at all." Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "It's just that sometimes I feel—a little uneasy."

Hermione's attention was drawn to an open notebook beside Karen, filled with complex astrological symbols and arithmetic charts: "Karen, have you been studying advanced divination lately? Do you believe in astrology?"

But Professor McGonagall said it was all a lie.

"Just some personal interests, Hermione." Karen closed her notebook, smiled, and said, "It involves some ancient magical calculation models, quite dry."

Hermione clearly wanted to ask more questions, but then Fred and George came skipping over and put their arms around Karen's shoulders.

"Is our map working well, little scholar?" Fred winked.

"Have you found Peeves' secret treasure vault? Any clues about the previous replica map?" George asked in a low voice, trying to sound mysterious.

Karen laughed, breaking free from their "holds." "It works very well, it's been a huge help. As for the replica—" He shook his head, "Just as I suspected, its core seems to be connected to some ancient magical network within the castle itself. A simple alchemical copy can hardly achieve its full functionality. Without that permission," the replica would probably only display static terrain.

The twins sighed dramatically, expressing their regret. After chatting for a few more minutes, they were called away by Angelina to discuss training.

These little incidents, like ripples on a lake, briefly disrupted Karen's inner peace as she focused on her exploration, only to quickly dissipate.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and February 21st drew ever closer. Karen's preparations were nearly complete. The equipment had been checked again and again, the signal protocols had been practiced flawlessly, and the stability and power of the underwater spellcasting had been improved to the current limit.

On a moonless night, a cold wind swept across the surface of Black Lake, creating ripples of black light. Karen stood alone on the shore, his robe wrapped tightly around him. He closed his eyes and slowly activated the "Eye of Truth."

The world before him was instantly filled with magical light. The castle was like a giant, warm source of light, its tower windows emitting rays of various colors. In the direction of the Forbidden Forest, there was a deep, complex, vibrant aura of green and brown. And the Black Lake before him was no longer as calm as it had been moments before.

Beneath the dark lake, deep blue magical light flowed like slowly moving lava, and Karen could sense it was brighter and more vibrant than ever before. Rising from the depths of the lake, it intertwined and surged, like the pulse of a colossal beast awakening, beating slowly and powerfully, drawn by the call of the distant stars. A deep, resonant hum seemed to reach his senses even through the thick lake water.

Karen stood quietly, calming himself. Those were just his personal hopes, his expectation that the 21st would be the same. The tension remained, but more than that, there was a strong, almost reverent curiosity and anticipation.

He took a deep breath of the cold, fishy air and turned back to the castle.

The tranquility of Black Lake is about to end.