Hogwarts: I Am an Exemplary Wizard

Chapter 688: Chapter 664: Harry in Pain and Joy_2

Although he only watched for a short while, he noticed that the Wampus Cat hesitated several times when making a move, indicating that it didn’t see clearly.

The Wampus Cat confirmed this statement.

It growled softly.

”You can still see, but it’s a bit blurry, right?” Kael asked.

The Wampus Cat nodded and glanced disdainfully at Harry.

Not only Harry, but it was also quite tired these days. It had to hit him without really hurting him— a technical skill that truly tested one’s patience.

So strictly speaking, the Wampus Cat actually wanted to end this training more than Harry did.

”Thank you, Natalie.” Kael opened a box and said, ”I’ve prepared some warthog legs and Dragon Blood Meat for you. Go ahead and eat.”

The Wampus Cat jumped in without a second thought... Fawkes followed it into the box, not wanting to appear in front of other students since Kael was definitely going to leave the Room of Requirement.

”Kael... is that a phoenix?” Harry rubbed his eyes, asking uncertainly.

”Yes, Fawkes. You must have seen it in the Headmaster’s Office.” Kael packed up the box and said, ”It’s sort of your supervisor, and can also be considered a critical-time Healer.

”Okay, let’s go out. You can stay here if you wish...”

Before Kael could finish his sentence, Harry dashed towards the door.

He must have been crazy to want to stay there.

Harry had lost count of how many times he was beaten. All he knew was that he was getting bruised every day, and the water spilled from him could fill a new lake.

Compared to his experience these days, his ten years at the Dursleys could be described as cozy... at least his uncle and aunt wouldn’t hit him with a stick every few minutes, but the Wampus Cat would, and it hurt a lot.

Its tail was like an iron rod, leaving a mark with each hit, but it never hit the bone, just plain pain, which left Harry with no excuses for giving up.

There was even a time when Harry thought learning Occlumency from Snape wasn’t so bad.

”I’ve basically been getting beaten up all day!”

On the way back to the Auditorium, Harry couldn’t help but complain to Kael, ”Even sometimes when I’m sleeping, my bed gets inexplicably flipped over.”

”That must be because you overslept,” Kael said. ”The Wampus Cat only enters that room during training sessions.”

”Even so...” Harry pouted, ”I still need rest, but once you threw me into the Room of Requirement, you never came back!”

”That’s also necessary for the training,” Kael explained. ”Practicing Occlumency requires casting aside unnecessary emotions. Although long-term continuous training is very tough, it allows you to stay undisturbed by other things, keeping your mind in a completely relaxed state.

”In fact, I was the same back then, living and eating with the Wampus Cat, and basically getting beaten from the moment I opened my eyes each day.”

Hearing that Kael went through the same, Harry felt a bit better, and in retrospect, his recent days had indeed been quite fulfilling.

The bothersome issues of Voldemort, the Order of Phoenix, and Umbridge hadn’t appeared in his mind for a while, and even his sleep quality had improved, falling asleep almost the moment he hit the pillow, waking up only when it was daylight.

”By the way, Kael, how long did it take you to learn Occlumency?” Harry asked curiously.

”I forgot...” Kael thought for a moment, ”It should be around a week too. The Wampus Cat couldn’t figure out my thoughts anymore. Why?”

”It’s nothing.” Harry shook his head, feeling a bit delighted inside.

He learned Occlumency in a week, and it took Kael a week too. Doesn’t that mean his talent for this Charm is the same as Kael’s?

As a recognized good student at Hogwarts, no one would doubt Kael’s talent for magic.

Harry never thought he had the same talent as Kael, much like discovering his exam scores were on par with Hermione’s... quite thrilling.

Thinking of this, Harry didn’t feel so upset anymore, half-jokingly said, ”I’ve been counting days. I thought today was the last day of the holiday, and you’d definitely come pick me up, but I didn’t expect you to come this late. I thought you forgot.”

”Haha... no way.” Kael chuckled, ”It’s just that Umbridge returned to the school early. You didn’t sign on the stay list, did you? It wouldn’t be good if she saw you.”

”Umbridge is back?” Hearing that name again, Harry’s good mood quickly faded.

”You’re right, if she found out I returned to school early, she’d probably be jumping for joy. Good thing you didn’t come to get me in the morning... I’d rather be whipped by the Wampus Cat than get interrogated by Umbridge.”

”Ah... it’s nothing, it’s my duty,” Kael said. ”Let’s hurry up, the feast is about to start.”

”Feast?” Harry’s eyes lit up.

Although the House-elves delivered meals on time every day during those days, Harry wasn’t in the mood to enjoy their taste under the Wampus Cat’s endless torment— he ate just to fill his stomach.

Now that it finally ended, coupled with a feast on top of that, he subconsciously quickened his pace.

...

By the time they returned to the Auditorium, it was already full, and Harry instinctively looked toward the teachers’ table, where Snape was sitting.