RNP Chapter 26 Hufflepuff
Chapter 26 Hufflepuff
The books in this secondhand bookstore aren't like those in Flourish and Blotts, imbued with magical allure and attracting attention. Instead, most of them are silent, hidden away in the sea of books, quietly guarding the knowledge within. Only from a few large iron boxes in the corner can one hear the rustling of pages turning.
"Most students don't like old books for one reason or another." John's finger traced a row of books. Before Lucas could even see what he was doing, a book called "Theory of Magic" was pulled out and placed in his pocket.
"But in my opinion, sometimes they miss out on real gems because of prejudice! Open the book in your hand and see what secrets it holds."
Lucas opened the book, "Theory of Magic," and along with the neat printed text, he was struck by the long passages of handwritten annotations between the lines.
"notes?"
"That's right!" John exclaimed excitedly. "This is a treasure! The useful notes give this book a deeper meaning! Following in the footsteps of those who came before, even the most difficult path becomes clear. Here, take it. Since Professor Sprout brought you here, I'll pick out some good books for you!"
As he rummaged through the pile of books, he kept rambling on: "When I was still in school, I started collecting the notes of top students, organizing them, and selling them to other classmates—to earn some pocket money."
"After graduation, I took over this shop. Actually, hidden beneath this dirty and run-down exterior are many good books, with annotations written by many unknown but truly excellent wizards. It's just that selecting them is time-consuming and laborious... Today, however, it's a special service!"
Soon, John had found the entire set of books that Lucas needed, in addition to several supplementary readings recommended by Professor Sprout.
John patted Lucas on the shoulder forcefully: "Go back and read these books carefully. I picked them out myself! They can at least earn you fifty points more from Hufflepuff!"
"Thank you, John," Professor Sprout said with satisfaction.
"You're welcome, Dean!" John gave an exaggerated salute, and a large pile of parchment fell down and hit him on the head.
After paying a very low price for the books, Lucas continued walking with Professor Sprout.
"Professor, you mentioned before that you are the Head of Hufflepuff. What houses are there at Hogwarts?"
Professor Sprout said, "There are four in total: Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own characteristics."
At this point, Professor Sprout felt something was amiss. Based on Lucas's brave and fearless performance, he was very likely to be sorted into Gryffindor.
Thinking of this possible scenario, Professor Sprout pursed his lips, feeling as if a magical plant he had painstakingly cultivated had been picked by someone else.
Lucas possesses amazing culinary skills, a passion for food, and an exceptional talent for herbalism...
He was born to be assigned to Hufflepuff!
Well, Minerva, now that you've entrusted this child to me, I can't let you off easy.
Her gaze turned to Lucas with a questioning look: "Lucas..."
Looking at the kind professor, Lucas said without hesitation, "Of course I choose Hufflepuff, and I want to be your student."
Professor Sprout smiled so broadly his eyes narrowed. "Ah, thank you... However, I'm afraid that's not up to us. Sorting must follow ancient rules. To give you a surprise, we can't reveal this rule beforehand; it's tradition..."
Professor Sprout, all smiles, led Lucas to a secondhand magical equipment shop, where the shop assistant was also a former Hufflepuff student.
With his help, Lucas obtained a high-quality, virtually brand-new brass balance and a well-maintained telescope.
"We have the largest number of students at Hufflepuff House," Professor Sprout advised Lucas patiently. "Honesty, loyalty, diligence, and kindness—you'll have many reliable friends both at school and after graduation..."
Then they bought a new set of crucibles and crystal vials from the pharmacy.
"Alright, all that's left is the magic wand, which all the new students dream of most!"
"The wand is a wizard's third arm. With the help of a wand, we can cast stable, precise, and controlled spells. Of course, highly skilled wizards can indeed cast spells without a wand, but that level is far beyond the reach of ordinary wizards, especially junior wizards."
"In short, the wand is not just a tool; it is also an indispensable and loyal companion to the wizard."
As Professor Sprout stood in front of a small, shabby-looking wand shop, imparting his knowledge to Lucas, the shop door gently opened, and an old man stood in the doorway, watching them with his silvery-white eyes.
"It's an indispensable, likely lifelong, loyal companion," the old man said softly. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Ms. Sprout. It feels like just yesterday I sold you the wand. Pine, unicorn hair, ten inches long, quite sturdy... I imagine you've taken good care of it, haven't you?"
"Of course, Mr. Ollivander." Professor Sprout took out his wand.
Ollivander leaned closer to take a look, almost pressing his nose against it: "Oh, not bad, not bad, thank you."
He then turned to Lucas: "A brand new face, a new student at Hogwarts, right? Come on, let me see which child has chosen you."
Lucas followed behind him, puzzled, and asked, "Sir, what does 'chosen' mean?"
Amidst thousands of long, narrow boxes stacked to the ceiling, Ollivander took out a silver measuring tape: "Every Ollivander wand is unique; they choose their own companions, their own masters. Come, which hand do you prefer?"
But Lucas did not raise his hand.
He stared blankly at the mountain of wand boxes, his heart suddenly pounding and his face turning bright red.
Then, the heartbeat seemed to split in two, and he felt that among the pile of boxes, there was a heartbeat that was completely in sync with his own.
It's like feeling your own pulse with your hand.
"Lucas?" Professor Sprout asked curiously.
Ollivander widened his eyes even more, a look of extreme delight spreading across his face. He raised his index finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.
Lucas walked forward involuntarily, following the guidance of his heartbeat and pulse, and pulled out one of the boxes.
In that instant, the heartbeat completely disappeared.
"Oh..." Ollivander tried his best to suppress his excited cheers, "Open it and see, open it quickly..."
Lucas gently pulled off the lid of the box, held his breath, and a beam of golden light was reflected in his hazel eyes.
It's so beautiful.