[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-hogwarts-learning-panel":3,"chapter-hogwarts-learning-panel-hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-297":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Hogwarts Learning Panel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2250535,4210,"Chapter 297: The Faint Gaze","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-297",297,"\u003Cp>In the following days, Lockhart’s reputation underwent a slight shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, when he entered the Great Hall, the witch girls’ chatter would swell noticeably; now, the witches themselves sometimes tried to avoid him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saturday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean sipped his steaming pumpkin porridge, its cloying sweetness often reminding him of the soft, sweet potatoes beside the hearth on winter nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owls flew into the dim, vaulted ceiling, parcels falling like rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around him, Harry wearily responded to Colin; for Colin, the most thrilling thing in the world seemed to be saying “How are you, Harry?” six or seven times a day and hearing “Hi, Colin” in return, no matter how weary or irritated Harry’s tone was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione planned to burn all of Lockhart’s books with fire, but Jia Jia Siting talked her out of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My mother says that knowledge is never guilty, no matter the circumstances.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neville carefully studied the Fire Charm in his Standard Spellbook; somehow, he no longer merely hoped others would help him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when that person was most likely Wizard Sean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron was visibly excited—he was sneaking out of Hogwarts tonight to buy a wand in Diagon Alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had to be extra careful, not to cause Wizard Sean any trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group gathered in the Hut had, without realizing it, spent a year bound together—or rather, connected by some young witch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean unconsciously turned his gaze toward Gryffindor’s table, where a sweet little witch was enthusiastically chatting with her companion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They both held animated black cat cards, chattering away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean glanced at Ginny’s journal on the table; he sensed the malice within had grown stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes it even stabbed his eyes like needles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Ginny herself had begun to carry an aura that disturbed the Soul Relic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean knew that just as he could sense Voldemort, young Voldemort could also detect him through unknown means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had discovered each other as early as the Sorting Ceremony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference was that Tom didn’t know what he intended to do, while Wizard Sean clearly knew how to destroy the journal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tom seemed to be growing desperate—he likely used some coercive method to harm Ginny’s soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean felt a slight urgency, but he would not allow himself to panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speed up the pace—tonight, if undetected, he would find the Chamber’s entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dew clung to the grass outside Hogwarts Castle; even though the sun had risen high, faint mist still hovered over the Quidditch pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several Quidditch players, wrapped in blue-and-white scarves, stepped out—they looked as if they had just finished training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean’s head was hidden behind a book as he passed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First-years have already finished Flying class—still no Seeker for us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roger Davies tugged at his scarf, impatiently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re looking for someone like Rodry Plentton—Davies, he’s the absolute core of the Tutshill Tornados, a five-time League Cup champion—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His teammate stared at him in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cut him some slack—he took over when Ravenclaw was Quidditch champion;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the moment he took charge, Ravenclaw collapsed instantly… well, now everyone knows whose fault it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Said the Quidditch player named Toya dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now I appoint you to recruit—Toya—when Ravenclaw loses again, people will know last year we added a powerful core, but this year we added nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roger’s veins bulged as he slapped a recruitment badge onto Toya’s arm—now one person’s suffering became two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean silently quickened his pace toward Hagrid’s Hut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Material Transfiguration was just one hundred proficiency points away from reaching [Skilled], meaning less than a week of training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entry-level proficiency required prolonged incantation, but [Skilled] drastically shortened the time; at Expert level, it became instantaneous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This pattern had already been confirmed with Dark Magic and spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside Hagrid’s Hut, the pumpkins in the patch had swollen to the size of trellises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hagrid, looking furious, was about to step out; when he saw Wizard Sean, his face instantly brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wizard Sean, how have you been? Come in, come in—I just thought Lockhart had come back again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean entered the hut with some confusion; one corner held a massive bed, the other a fire crackling merrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You won’t believe it—he actually taught me how to keep water sprites out of the well,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hagrid grumbled, taking a half-plucked rooster from a spotless table and setting down a teapot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As if I didn’t already know. He bragged about how he banished female ghosts—if even one word of that is true, I’ll eat the teapot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean imagined Hagrid’s teeth really could swallow a teapot, then noticed the rooster—its body bore more than just slaughter wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it injured?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it’s the second one killed since term started,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he explained,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Either a fox or a vampire—I need the Headmaster’s permission to cast a charm around the chicken coop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tom clearly wielded an extremely unusual form of Dark Magic; less than two weeks into term, he was already forcing Ginny to slaughter roosters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean had reason to believe his urgency was tied to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the young wizard’s gaze grew deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to prepare something that could track Ginny’s movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had originally thought it would be the Plan Map, but that night, he found a better option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a pitch-black, storm-clouded night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since early October, the weather had grown colder, rain had increased, and nights had turned darker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron peered around the corridor corner, alert for Filch and Mrs. Norris.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Mrs. Norris was perched on Wizard Sean’s shoulder; Ron turned and nearly fainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“S-Wizard Sean—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I explained your situation to Mr. Filch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron was in a daze—could he say that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Great Mr. Green—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fred poked his head out from behind a lifted portrait, then ducked back upon seeing Mrs. Norris.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your loyal follower comes—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George’s smile vanished instantly; he too pulled back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like he’s not loyal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron unconsciously mimicked George’s tone,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your loyal follower has left—”\u003C\u002Fp>",1006,"2026-06-19T10:00:41.888Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8f036b47c28c847e90ca04b929c8b0ab2caae15768528369309e517ac096f3fd","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-298","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-296",526,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhogwarts-learning-panel-cover.jpg"]