[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-hogwarts-learning-panel":3,"chapter-hogwarts-learning-panel-hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-38":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},2250276,4210,"Chapter 38: The Owl Portrait","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-38",38,"\u003Cp>After three in the afternoon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hogwarts slipped into a lazy weekend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For young witches and wizards, Friday’s joy and ease surpassed even Saturday and Sunday,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>for on this day they could toss their homework aside and fully enjoy their rare leisure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he walked from the greenhouse, dewdrops from the recent rain clung to the hem of his robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He learned from Professor Sprout that\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Snape would begin brewing a potion requiring two days,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>so the potion-brewing plan had to be temporarily shelved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, who had inherited the knowledge of Master Libaixu Polaqi, now sat like a man guarding a mountain of gold he could not yet use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, he was not familiar with Master Libaixu Polaqi’s modified ritual either,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>so he planned to practice in the hidden room until he mastered it,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and meanwhile, he could also improve his spell proficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going to cut off your head!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, please—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From across the lawn came a childish voice whose content clashed sharply with its tone; Wizard Sean turned his gaze and saw a few young witches and wizards playing the executioner game,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a game for two or more players: one person thinks of a word, others guess it letter by letter, and if they fail, they pretend to have their heads chopped off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean then heard a crackling explosion from the other side of the lawn,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and upon looking farther, saw young witches and wizards playing Exploding Snap—cards whose power was slight but enough to scorch the eyebrows of two players black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magical world offered many forms of entertainment beyond Quidditch, Wizard’s Chess, and Gobstones,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and Michael had played over ten strange games in just five days,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>which was why he still remained in the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be better if he didn’t scream “Wizard Sean, save me!” when returning to the dormitory, and simply read Wizard Sean’s notes quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean held the exquisitely wrapped Sizzle Bee Candy; the image of Senior Bruce being dragged away like a balloon by Senior Leon still lingered before his eyes,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and he noticed that every time Senior Bruce began to descend, Senior Piston would promptly stuff another piece of candy into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining candies were given entirely to him by Senior Piston, who grinned warmly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hufflepuff’s principle is—to—share—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior Bruce nearly howled these words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The afternoon sun, like melted honey, lazily spilled over the ancient stone walls of Hogwarts,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>warming and softening the cold stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spires of the towers traced golden outlines against the blue sky; owls hooted as they flew past,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean’s hair stirred—that was the wind,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a sharp cry echoed from the distant sky—that was an eagle,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>stumbling across the lawn was Jia Jia Siting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wizard Sean!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He called out enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Hermione, beside him, pout in exasperation; her book, emerald green with a dragon pattern, fluttered open in the breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mother says nature heals all children.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting leaned close to Wizard Sean and whispered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sunlight, lakeside, breeze, grass… though Hermione doesn’t think these are better than her copy of ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>she’s right, that book is fascinating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fantastic beasts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean thought,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>indeed, very interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wizard Sean’s gaze followed Jia Jia Siting’s finger to a page:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【I refute every other absurd claim in Miss Rita Skeeter’s book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only wish to add one simple point: I am not the heartless man who abandoned the heartbroken Seraphina Picquery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, the Chairman explicitly stated that if I did not voluntarily and swiftly leave New York, she would take severe measures to expel me.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean was momentarily speechless; it seemed gossip knew no divide between wizard and Muggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And this—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The Billywig is a native Australian insect; anyone stung by it feels dizzy, then floats helplessly into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generation after generation of young Australian wizards have tried to catch Billywigs and provoke them to sting, just to experience this side effect.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wizards can be quite mad, can’t they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting said, spreading his hands,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hermione, what do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. I also read in the book that wizards turn its juice into Sizzle Bee Candy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione closed the book, her voice firm and clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she finished speaking, Wizard Sean quietly placed a piece of Sizzle Bee Candy in each of their hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Delicious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean said seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione and Jia Jia Siting, still processing this, stared at each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Floating feels wonderful…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I mean, remember?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione and I applied to Professor Flitwick for use of that classroom,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he agreed quickly, but what did he say again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the corridor, Jia Jia Siting suddenly stalled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean saw clear amusement in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Idiot… it was—of course, but only if the owl portrait agrees,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>as they waited for the turning staircase, Hermione explained,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Professor said that in the tenth century, Hogwarts was the only magical school in Europe,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and back then, students came from all across Europe,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but as other magical schools opened, many wizarding families chose those closer to home,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>leaving Hogwarts—once able to hold a thousand students—with many empty classrooms, most sealed by magic, except ours, because…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a special owl portrait, one even past professors couldn’t always answer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting added with a grin, looking far prouder than Wizard Sean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione rolled her eyes at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the staircase rumbled and Jia Jia Siting knocked on the wall,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the yellowed, cracked canvas reappeared, showing a snowy owl in a velvet waistcoat, wearing tiny pince-nez, its head tilted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>as if it could never simultaneously straighten its glasses and hold steady the aged parchment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you staring at! Owls are eagles too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it squawked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No laughing! I’ll ask you a riddle—even clever young witches and wizards can’t answer it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it growled fiercely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting’s face fell instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought for a moment, then tried to bribe the owl in the portrait with a candy quill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s owl feather, isn’t it? Even if it’s just carved!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting gasped,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione burst into laughter;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then watched as Jia Jia Siting pretended to fumble and shoved the candy quill into Wizard Sean’s arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do rats eat the owl portrait?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting pulled out a screaming sugar rat to salvage the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young witch or wizard! Foolish young witch or wizard! I am a portrait!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owl flapped its wings, the parchment trembling beneath its claws, the whole bird radiating fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione was shaking with laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting looked desperate,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where am I supposed to find a rat portrait?!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1096,"2026-06-19T10:00:40.768Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f5c19250a98d539c56f687389fe614dbb6ad0e960d6d99530103e2c543f6d860","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-39","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-37",526,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhogwarts-learning-panel-cover.jpg"]