Ravenclaw's Blue Gem

They opened the box door and Luna raised her head: "Zoe, someone brought a note here." She handed the parchment roll that was aside, and Zoe took it and sat down, the parchment roll tied with color. Bright purple ribbon.

"What is this?" Zoe looked at Hermione in confusion, then at Luna, and the two shook their heads."It was sent by a Ravenclaw student with help, but I don't know him either."

There is no trace of magic on the parchment scroll, and there is no smell that makes people feel uncomfortable. Eight achievements are just an ordinary scroll.But Zoe still put the sheepskin roll on the table, and after getting on the Hogwarts Express, the use of magic was allowed.

She carefully tapped the paper roll between her staff, the knot tied by the silk slid smoothly, and the paper roll unfolded, revealing the writing inside.

"Zoe:

If you can come and have lunch with me in Car C, I will be very happy.

Your faithful

HEF Professor Slughorn"

"Invitation?" Hermione frowned. "Isn't he the professor you met with Harry? Our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor this year."

"Yes." Zoe nodded, "but I don't know if he will teach us Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Why do you say that?" Luna asked.

"Because the professor used to teach potions." Zoe rolled up the parchment and put it in his pocket. "He occasionally uses some potions-specific things as examples, which shows that he is Profound knowledge in pharmacy."

"But we have a potions professor!" Hermione said incredulously.

"Even if he used to teach potions, it doesn't mean that he can't teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. I don't know how powerful his magic is, but I can ask Dumbledore to invite him. He must have his own one. Set method." Zoe said.

She did not speak out another possibility, an unlikely scenario-if Slughorn was invited to be her old profession, then the new defense professor would obviously become Sever Les Snape, Zoe knew that his teacher had always wanted this position.

It’s just that Dumbledore, who has always refused his application, suddenly agreed to him?Unlike what many people have seen, Dumbledore’s esteem and trust in Snape is by no means false. She could feel that Professor Snape’s approach to herself was mostly due to Dumbledore’s acquiescence and promotion. Most people would think that Dumbledore's reason for not allowing Snape to take up the Defence Against the Dark Arts class was his distrust of his past identity, but Zoe knew that was not the case.Those two people have a tacit understanding that belongs only to the two of them, like they are connected by an invisible line, acting as a bridge of trust.

"I'll go there first." Zoe was still thinking about things, and after speaking, he kissed Hermione naturally without noticing anything wrong.

"I just covered my eyes." When the car door closed, Luna pretended to hold her eyes, "I promise I didn't see anything."

Of course, this kind of "comfort" didn't soothe Hermione, whose face suddenly turned red.

Chapter 28 Slug Club (Part 2)

"Zoe, come sit here!" The door of the box was not closed. As soon as Zoe came in, he ran into the enthusiastic Slughorn. He gave her to the inside position. This box was obviously Lagerhorn had modified it without authorization. There were exquisite ornaments on the top of the box, soft cushions on the seats, and small tables like tea parties.There are elegant teapots and cups on top.

Slughorn himself is like a great elephant, holding his firm belly leisurely: "Sit down, sit down, you came a little earlier, let's have a cup of hot tea first? I used very good tea." Lagerhorn didn't wait for Zoe to speak, and the steaming cup floated to her, Zoe had to take it, thanked him and took a sip.

"Did you invite a lot of people, Professor?" Slughorn didn't look away, and Zoe randomly asked for a topic.

"Even if I want to do that, I can't sit in this box." Slughorn said with a smile. "I just found a few more concerned students and asked them to chat with me and contact me. I miss you. You should know some of them."

"Is it the same every year? You select the talents you like and invite them to the club?" Zoe asked.

"You know? Dumbledore must have told you." Slughorn nodded. "Yes. My vision is always good. I always find the most talented students. Talents themselves are A force, and such people can do a lot when gathered together, as long as there are enough opportunities. My club has facilitated a lot of cooperation over the years, such as Ambrose Froome, who is now the Duke of Honey The owner of the candy store, I introduced him to his first job at the time, so he would give me a gift box of candied pineapple every birthday." Slughorn smacked his lips, as if reminiscing the wonderful taste of candied pineapple. "There are many examples of this. My club provides not only happy gatherings for both parties. You can meet the best in various fields at the gathering. They can also find the talents they need. Maybe it’s a good opportunity On the head."

Such rhetoric is indeed full of temptation, which is what Slughorn is proud of.Dumbledore once said that Slughorn does not like the role of leader, and prefers to be in a secondary position, so that he does not have to bear too much responsibility, and he will not be cut off.The core of the club is Slughorn. Even students who get opportunities in their own abilities need to repay the kindness he introduced.

Slughorn glanced at the shining prefect badge on Zoe: "Zoe, my club welcomes you at any time. Just seeing you sitting here, I can remember the previous meeting with Max. In the current situation, first the prefect and then the chairman of the student union, you will do as well as her."

"I just want to be myself, Professor." Zoe stared at the tea cup in his hand. "I hate being mentioned with her. She is not a good mother."

"The way I speak is too bad, for me she is a good student who is nostalgic, even if she did a lot of wrong things." Slughorn helped her add some tea, "but I didn't expect I actually want to go back to this school to continue teaching, and I can just meet her child, and feel a little emotional for a while."

"Are you coming back to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Zoe asked.

"Defense to the Dark Arts? No, of course not." Slughorn said. "Dumbledore wants me to go back to my old line."

"Sure enough, you want to come back to teach potions?" Zoe said slightly surprised.

"I won't ask you why you knew about this, you can definitely see it." Slughorn smiled and patted his stomach. "He explained to me when I handed over work with Severus. About you, he rarely does this, isn't it? I'm looking forward to the first class of school — you must also attend the potions class improvement class." Zoe nodded.

As they were talking, two boys walked in outside the box. One of them was a student from Ravenclaw College. He looked very uncomfortable; the other was a student from Gryffindor College, who was big and strong. Compared with the fellow boys, he looked much more natural, and he found a place to sit casually. The Ravenclaw boy almost fell before sitting down.

Slughorn greeted them enthusiastically, but didn't introduce them. He wanted to wait for everyone to arrive.Then another black Slytherin boy walked into the box, and he took a seat where no one was left or right.

"Can't you go quickly?" After a while, an angry female voice sounded outside the box, scolding someone. A little girl appeared outside the box. She stared at someone outside the door. When she noticed Zoe sitting in the corner, she was stunned.

"Good afternoon, Daisy." Zoe took the initiative to greet her.

"Good afternoon, Siegel." Deliberately biting the last name, Daisy looked at the other people in the box, and she didn't hesitate to walk to Zoe's position.

Just as Daisy sat down, Neville and Harry also walked in. Although Daisy glared at Neville, he did not refuse when he sat down next to her.

Slughorn waved his wand and the box door slammed shut.He first introduced a few people present. The Ravenclaw boy who has been very nervous is named Marcus Bellby, and the big Gryffindor boy is named Cormic McLagen. Both are seventh graders. .The dark-skinned Slytherin was Braith Sabine. When Slughorn introduced him, Harry and Neville, who were in his same grade, didn't say a word, and the two sides didn't even meet their eyes.

Zoe listened absently to his introduction while thinking about his own affairs.Both of the Longbottom family’s children were invited, not to mention Daisy, who has always been very active. Neville has never been talented, even if Zoe can see that he is not really as he looks. Clumsy (to know that his results at the DA meeting are not bad), Slughorn is unlikely to know this. It can be seen that he invited the two of the Longbottom family. The starting point is based on the Longbottom family, and the two People's parents are very powerful Aurors.

But Slughorn did not invite Draco. The Malfoy family is a pure-blooded family with a long history like the Longbottom family, but it is not as desolate as the Weasley family. Draco is not invited. Unusual, but as long as you think about Slughorn's character, since he wants to stay away from danger and get the best enjoyment, it is not surprising that Malfoy, who is involved in the Death Eaters, is not invited.

"Zoe?" When someone called himself, Zoe recovered. Slughorn didn't care about her distraction. After seeing her recovering, he introduced her to others.

When we met for the first time, Slughorn just invited them to lunch together and chatted with them for a while.Dumbledore’s opinion was correct. Although Slughorn’s attitude towards them was very kind, they were all based on profitability.When he learned that Bellby’s father had a very uncomfortable relationship with his brother Damocles (his uncle invented the wolf poison potion and received the Merlin Medal for it), he was not surprised by his kindness to Bellby. The land ended, which was in stark contrast to his enthusiasm for McLagen (his uncle knew many big men in the ministry).

He kept them until dusk fell, which also meant that the train would arrive at the station soon.Although Slughorn is a snobby person, he is very talkative. He talked about the various students he met in teaching in the past. The boys were very happy to hear the anecdote of Margaret in his mouth, He was very excited when he said that she might attend this year's party.

As a test, Slughorn would naturally not let go of the opportunity to get to know them, just like a shark smelling blood. Only when he caught the part he needed, would Slughorn enter the next topic with satisfaction.

"Will you join? The slug club." Leaving Slughorn’s box, Zoe and Daisy had some way to go together. The students were already busy, checking their luggage and changing clothes, and the corridors gradually became crowded. stand up.

"I will join." Zoe said.

"I thought you didn't like these types of interpersonal communication." Daisy made no secret of her surprise.

"Actually, I really don't like it." Zoe shrugged. "But I can't lock myself up. I will be an adult next year. Even if it is not to please everyone, at least the names and faces of my peers Remember it all."

"Next year... Neville will be an adult too." Daisy's tone was flat.

"You don't seem to hate him that much."

"I don't know... before Neville had a conflict with grandma in the course selection. This is probably the first time I saw him resist grandma for himself, even if he failed in the end." Daisy said, "Last year, the more The stranger my impression of him is when I get along with him. He is not cowardly, which is good for the family, but I will be very upset."

"What you need is to have a good talk with him and break this deadlock." Zoe sighed. "It's useless to tell me."

"But it's nice if someone can listen to me." Daisy thought for a while and added another sentence, "But remember, it doesn't mean how good our relationship is." She was there. Said goodbye and got into the box without looking back.

Chapter 29: Things within reach

"The first-year freshman should not leave the team, go in the direction of the big man carrying the lantern, don't be crowded, keep order—" Zoe almost yelled at the crowd, even though she had already used the PA spell, pouring Amid the scouring of the heavy rain and the noise inside the crowd, her voice alone was still not enough to overwhelm the noise and guide the noisy team.

In the beginning, guiding students is a tiring job. If the old students are okay, at least they know where to go and it is not easy to be confused. But if there are new students mixed in, these unruly, curious, and trembling children always try Disrupt the team, rushing around, or chattering and noisy, for fear that others will not hear their surprised shouts.

If this is the case, the prefects will be able to deal with it, but half an hour before the train is about to arrive, it rains suddenly outside, thinking it will be rain that will stop soon, but miscalculates.Not only did the rain not become smaller, but it became more and more urgent. Even outside the windows became foggy, the temperature dropped a lot, and sometimes there were thunderous sounds in the distance.