Chapter 208

Finally, Umbridge's class ended.

John stretched refreshingly.

What a hearty study session.

It seems Professor Umbridge's class isn't as useless as Hermione said?

After this class, John's attitude toward Umbridge changed greatly, and he didn't take the lead in shouting and interrupting the class again.

It seemed Umbridge was the same; she didn't know what went wrong, but she was so amiable to him.

After one class, both seemed very satisfied with each other.

As for those strange rules in the classroom, for him who had participated in Chinese-style education, it was as intimate as returning to his hometown.

He adapted so smoothly!

It's just that others weren't so relaxed.

"No, John, what's wrong with you today?"

"That Professor Umbridge's class is so boring, why did you study so actively?"

At this time, Titus, who had held it in for a whole class, asked John.

Seeing him so serious just now made him, as a seatmate, have to pretend to be very serious too.

Ryan and Ethan also turned their heads from the front to look at him curiously.

"Huh? Boring?"

"The professor is teaching the essence!"

John was also stunned to see their reaction and asked in return.

This made the three of them confused again.

Your attitude toward Umbridge before the class started wasn't like this.

"No, didn't you deliberately shout at her at the beginning just to cause some trouble for her?"

Ethan asked in return.

Many students familiar with them were also crowding around to watch, nodding in agreement.

He couldn't say the whole school, but at least in the third year, most people tacitly agreed that John was their grade's big brother.

He had strength, and he had fame.

Especially since John was very approachable and had good relationships with everyone, everyone was happy to hang out with John.

That's why they immediately understood John's meaning when he started the group, and joined in the fun.

It's just that they didn't expect John to defect to the enemy in the end?

John scratched his head and said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Uh... I have to admit this; at first, I didn't realize Professor Umbridge's teaching level..."

She has no level!

Before John finished speaking, everyone complained fiercely in their hearts.

The reason everyone hated Umbridge's class was because her class was boring.

Unlike the previous two years.

There was Professor Lupin taking them to know all kinds of strange Black Magic creatures, and Professor Moody taking them to know all kinds of practical skills to deal with Black Magic.

This should be a class that lets students pick up their wands and practice—but she was good; she let them put their wands in the drawer and issued a copy of "Magic Defense Theory" to read like an imperial decree.

Seeming to see that everyone didn't agree with John's words.

John scratched his head and said.

"If you don't like this class, just treat it as a break for you."

"You can slack off, zone out, daydream, treat the textbook as an extracurricular book, and treat the professor as a storyteller without any psychological burden."

"Although Professor Umbridge's class is indeed quite boring, at least the textbook wasn't written by the professor, and the content inside is still a bit interesting."

Hearing John's words, although it couldn't completely offset their resistance to this kind of purely theoretical class.

But at least it gave them a little psychological comfort.

After finishing a day of study, it was dinner time.

The Great Hall.

John and the others sat by the long wooden table, chatting while eating.

"Ryan, our house's Quidditch team is recruiting. Didn't you say last year that you wanted to sign up?"

Ethan suddenly asked Ryan beside him.

Ryan was stuffing a large spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth and almost choked when he heard this.

"Cough, I was just joking last year..."

Ryan scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and said.

"Don't be like that, we're still waiting to see you on the field and cheer for you."

Hearing this, Titus, who came over to their side for a free meal, got anxious and said to Ryan.

"It's not like you, a Hufflepuff, can cheer for me, an Eagle House student."

Ryan complained speechlessly.

"Can't I be a cold noodle fan?"

"......"

Hearing Titus's righteous words, several people were speechless for a while.

"Go try it. Our house's team is full of seniors, and they'll all graduate in two years."

"It's time to find someone to take over."

John also spoke up to encourage him.

Ryan hesitated again, looked at John, and then lowered his head.

"But my talent for riding a flying broom is quite average, not as good as yours, John... You are smarter than me and work harder than me, so compared to me, the team should hope you join more, John."

Last year, he actually asked Captain Roger on the Quidditch team.

Although the captain welcomed him to participate in the selection, it could be seen from his words that he seemed to be looking forward to the gifted John joining the team more.

He hadn't told anyone about this because he was afraid of affecting their friendship.

John was slightly stunned; he didn't expect Ryan to say this, and at the same time, he noticed the slight change in Ryan's expression.

"Hmm... talent, indeed..."

Living a second life, John also truly felt the convenience brought by talent.

That kind of mastery speed where you learn as soon as you learn, and everything is several times faster than ordinary people, is indeed fascinating.

But talent has never been the only threshold.

What truly determines how far a person can go is the density of practice, the courage to correct mistakes, and the determination to start over after falling.

"I've heard a teasing remark."

"It's called—talented people are working hard, so what's the use of you working hard?"

John's words stunned Ryan, feeling that this was mocking him, but John had a gentle smile on his face.

"It sounds reasonable at first glance, but I actually hate this saying..."

"Because hard work is never to catch up with talent, but to become the person you want to be."

"Everyone has their own track; you don't have to give up running because of others."

"Even if everything is in vain in the end, it doesn't matter; at least you have tried your best for it and have no regrets."

John's tone was very calm and gentle, and deeply hidden with a faint regret.

Because once, he was also afraid of failure, afraid that hard work wouldn't bring results.

Until later, when he looked back on the past again and again, he understood that those so-called 'sober' thoughts were just cowardly excuses to reverse-engineer the process from the results.

Life paves true possibilities in repeated futility.

If you don't try your best once, how can you know what the result will be?

"I am also working hard for the future I look forward to now, Ryan, although I don't know if the future I look forward to will arrive as promised."

"But at least now, I am standing on the road leading to it."

"Even if I gain nothing in the end, I have no complaints or regrets."

"So I hope you can join me."

Ryan was stunned, his eyes slightly hot, and he was a little ashamed.

Being friends with John has always been a stressful thing, because John can always easily do things they can't do.

As long as they are by John's side, everyone will take John as the backbone and pay attention to John.

Sometimes he couldn't help but think that he, a pure-blood, couldn't even compare to John, a Muggle-born.

Every time this thought popped up in his mind, he was startled.

But this kind of thought was like a thorn, making him sit on pins and needles.

Now, John's words made his heart shake, as if a beam of light had pierced through the long-standing haze.

He suddenly realized that he had always used John as a ruler to measure himself, but forgot that everyone was walking on different tracks.

Everyone can work hard to run on their own track, no need to look up to others' brilliance, just listen to the rhythm of their hearts.

After a long time, Ryan took a deep breath, shook his head, and laughed at himself.

"You sound like my dad now."

"It's good that my big son understands his father's painstaking efforts."

John smiled and took the bait.

"Go to hell!"

"Hahahaha!"