38 38. Talent And Hard Work, The Irritable Snape

The last three found Lee Jordan in armor on the fifth floor.

"Filch went crazy. He chased me from the fourth floor to the eighth floor. I jumped into a secret passage and went back to the sixth floor. But he caught up again."

Excitedly eating a sandwich in the kitchen, Lee Jordan said, "Escaping from Filch is as challenging as surviving a sword fight."

Thoughtfully, the elf prepared a large round table filled with food and drinks for several people.

After finishing his sandwich, Lee Jordan expressed his worry, saying, "I always feel like Filch might know it was me. What if he comes after me in the future?"

Fred provided comfort, saying, "It's not just a possibility, it's a certainty. You're the only black man in the school, and you have a reputation for dishonesty. Filch knows it's you."

"Damn it," Lee Jordan angrily replied, trembling with anger. "Are you two trying to trick me?"

"Don't worry," Cedric consoled him after drinking a glass of lemon juice. "As long as he doesn't catch you in the act or have evidence, he has no right to punish you."

Fred curled his lips disdainfully and said, "It's ridiculous that Lee has been following us for so many years and still doesn't know these rules."

"It's because I followed you that I've been imprisoned so many times," Lee replied angrily, then asked the question he was most concerned about. "What's in that corridor? Did you see it?"

The group became energetic in discussing this topic.

"Let me tell you...you won't believe it,".

"Three-headed dog? Trap door?" Lee exclaimed.

Then they looked at Wayne, who had been showing off his food, and asked, "Did Wayne defeat the three-headed dog?"

"Correction," Wayne interjected. "I didn't defeat it, just stopped it for a while."

"That's why we stopped you," Cedric interrupted. "Based on your determination, you won't stop until you beat the three-headed dog to death."

George spoke with envy, "How did you become so skilled in magic?"

"Compared to you, I was a failure in first grade."

"Now we're equals," Fred complained, not even sparing himself. "With just a few moves, he could turn the four of us into Muggles."

Cedric's mouth twitched. He wondered why he was even part of their group if they were going to make fun of themselves like that.

Was it embarrassing to be at the top of his grade?

"Do you have any tips?" Cedric couldn't help but ask.

"I really can't teach you," Wayne shook his head. "Magic is an innate talent that requires exploration, but it's difficult to improve."

"If you want to become stronger, aside from learning more magic spells, you must have a deeper understanding of magic."It's not that he's fooling a few people, it's just the fact.

Dumbledore and Grindelwald's strength was created by a combination of nurture and nature. While they were in school, they showcased their extraordinary talents. Only through hard work were they able to achieve such daunting accomplishments. Talent serves as the foundation for this. It is only through possessing a strong foundation and putting in the effort that one can see results. The most obvious example of this is Hermione.

During Harry's time at school, he was often preoccupied with playing around and would act recklessly when faced with adversity. Meanwhile, Hermione had already mastered numerous magic spells. However, after receiving some advice from Lupin, Harry's magical abilities surpassed Hermione's by his third year and continued to grow further apart. This demonstrates a talent gap between the two.

Although Cedric possessed good talent, it was only good relative to regular individuals. According to the grading system, his overall evaluation was a B-level. However, due to his above-average work ethic, he was able to secure his position at the top of his grade. The twins, on the other hand, were even worse, as their focus was more on having fun rather than studying.

"I just hate geniuses like you," Fred sneered.

No further discussion was made on the matter, and everyone redirected their attention to finishing supper. Half an hour later, Wayne and the others left the kitchen and returned to their homes. However, after seeing Cedric enter the dormitory, Wayne ventured back out of the common room. He had already checked the fourth-floor corridor and earned fifty points. Tonight, he had accumulated over a hundred points by exploring. However, Wayne wasn't simply trying to earn more points. He wanted to visit the restricted section of the library and search for the books he needed.

At Flourish and Blotts, he had purchased a book called "Elementary Alchemy," which was the alchemy textbook used at the Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Beauxbatons was at the forefront of alchemy due to Nicolas Flamel, and young wizards could choose alchemy as an elective starting in their third year. At Hogwarts, only those who passed the OWLs exam were eligible. However, no matter how advanced the book was, it couldn't be mass-produced. Alchemy was a subject with a high entry requirement and was not suitable for widespread teaching. Wayne could only try his luck in the forbidden section of the library to see if he could find what he needed.

As he returned to the second floor, Dumbledore and Snape had already arrived in the fourth-floor corridor. Observing the seemingly unchanged oak door, Snape placed his wand on the handle and examined it. Then he spoke sadly.

"It appears that your warning had no effect at all, Dumbledore."

"That's to be expected, Severus," Dumbledore replied nonchalantly. He didn't take offense when someone disregarded his warning. His tone was as if he were chatting with a friend about his mischievous grandson."Shut up!" Snape snapped irritably, cutting him off. "As you grow older, you shouldn't constantly dwell on the past. Wasn't that a pleasant experience? They deserve to be expelled!"

"And that little wizard who broke in here should be fired!"

"It's not that serious yet," Dumbledore replied, blinking as he extracted the key and opened the oak door.

"Let's first assess how far they've gotten."

Snape derisively snorted and hesitated to enter first.

The dim-witted dog only recognized Hagrid and Dumbledore. Anyone else who appeared before him would be attacked.

After Dumbledore stepped inside, Snape followed closely behind.

The three-headed dog appeared ready to lash out, but upon seeing the familiar white beard, it immediately lay down, its three tongues hanging out as it whimpered.

"This is..." Snape's eyes narrowed.

The wand emitted a bright light, revealing clear wounds on the three-headed dog.

Dumbledore stated significantly, "It appears our little wizard is truly capable."