Part 23

"Have you made friends with many people this year? Take their addresses too, so you can correspond over the summer," Garrett could feel the girls glaring at him, so he hurriedly left. Not wanting the crowd to continue following him, Noah approached the girls and greeted them. Of course, he didn't know any of them, but the girls handed him gifts with letters. Noah accepted them gratefully and barely managed to carry them back to the common room.

"I didn't think you were this popular, my friend," Arthur helped him carry everything to his bed.

"Noah, are you busy?" Poppy poked her head into the room. When she saw all the gifts, she gasped. "Mr. Omill, I'm impressed!" She laughed and picked up a small box that had fallen on the way.

"Poppy," Noah approached her and took her hand. "Will I miss you when you leave?"

"Tomorrow on the train. By the way, I have a gift for you," she handed him a book. "Compared to the ones you received, it's probably not as impressive," Poppy blushed with embarrassment and hinted for him to bend over. When Noah did, Poppy whispered in his ear, "It's my favorite book... romantic."

Noah felt a little embarrassed. "Why such a gift? I don't need it," he tried to refuse.

"I'll leave you two," Arthur almost tiptoed out of the room.

"Come on, the last time you asked about love, I immediately understood," Poppy winked. Leaving the box on the bed, she left the room following Arthur.

"That's crazy," Noah thought. He wanted to throw the book into the closet, away from himself. After a moment's thought, however, he put it in his bag.

He discarded all the flowers and letters he had received, keeping only some school supplies like enchanted pens, colored papers, and ink. After organizing everything, he went to the cartography hall, using volatile gunpowder to avoid drawing attention in the school corridors. Every time he passed by empty paintings, rage overwhelmed him, while the sealed magic left him feeling despondent.

"Maybe I should just extract it and be done with it?" Noah sat down by the ruined wall and took out a book, hoping to distract himself. When he opened it, a letter fell out. It contained Poppy's grandmother's address. After putting the letter in his bag, he began reading the book. It captivated him from the first pages, making it hard for him to put it down. It described the love story between a guy from a poor family and the daughter of a rich count. A few hours later, Noah managed to tear himself away from the book. He needed to occupy himself. This time, he decided to absorb more than usual, a clot the size of an apple.

"Nothing will happen. Just a little more," Noah reassured himself. After the absorption, he felt nothing. After standing for a minute, he confirmed that there was no reaction.

"Tomorrow, I'll try twice as much as today," Noah thought, believing this would speed up the process. This thought pleased him. He skipped lunch because he didn't feel like eating. Instead, Noah went to the library, where he knew there would be no one at the moment, and he could read Poppy's book.

The library was empty, and even the strict Agnes Pergamm was absent, which pleased Noah immensely. He went up to the second floor and took a seat by the window. The events in the book were unfolding rapidly, with the count discovering that his daughter had fallen in love with a guy from a lower class and deciding to marry her off to an old, but very rich marquis.

"Yes, they should just run away together and be done with it," Noah raised his head and saw Sebastian sitting next to him, commenting on the events in the book.

"What?! " Noah slammed the book shut and hid it behind his back. "And how long have you been sitting here?!"

"Well, I definitely read a few pages with you. You were so focused that I didn't dare to distract you," Sebastian couldn't hide his smug smile. Noah felt so embarrassed that he wanted to sink into the ground.

"Please forget what you saw," Noah felt as if he had been caught doing something very shameful.

"Come on, everyone has their own tastes. Who am I to laugh at you?" Sebastian looked at the books in front of him, with titles that were even difficult to read.

Sebastian noticed this and said, "For easy reading." Noah just rolled his eyes and turned away from him.

"Come on, now you look like an ordinary Hufflepuff student in my eyes," Sebastian laughed.

"And how did I look before in your eyes?" Noah was ready to hear any criticism.

Sebastian paused, "Well, nothing has changed. You're still the same in my eyes," a slight blush appeared on Sebastian's cheeks. "You're the most wonderful person I've ever met." He got up, picked up his books, smiled, and left.