Chapter 39: The Proper Way to Operate a Flying Broomstick

"Let me correct you first: it is not I who am bullying them, but they who are bullying me. I am merely acting in self-defense."

Chu Yang did not shrink back from Snape’s anger. He kept his eyes fixed on the professor, retorting with composed firmness: "When they draw their wands, I naturally draw mine to fight back. We are all wizards, are we not? Do they have a monopoly on magic?"

Snape sneered, "Are you certain your spells are as effective as your fists?"

Chu Yang shrugged, his face full of nonchalance. "I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. Rest assured, once the results are in, I will report them to you immediately."

Snape knew why Chu Yang was so brazen. Professor McGonagall had already explained to him that any retaliatory actions taken by Chu Yang within Slytherin had the tacit approval of Headmaster Dumbledore.

"If you are serious, then I admire your courage." Snape turned away coldly and walked toward the podium, announcing loudly, "For backtalking a professor and showing no respect for authority, five points from Slytherin!"

Chu Yang looked utterly astonished.

Good grief, Snape must really be riled up—this was the first time he had ever seen the man deduct points from his own house!

In a single day, Slytherin had lost ten points because of him.

At this rate, he was already outpacing the "trio" in point deductions.

Would I become the new master of point loss?

As everyone knows, a "trio" usually consists of four people, and the "Four Heavenly Kings" usually number five... but Chu Yang had no desire to join them in this particular competition.

The first Potions class of the semester was exceptionally heavy. Snape, already ill-tempered, paced around the freshmen like the Grim Reaper, the sound of his leather boots clicking sharply against the floor.

Throughout the entire lesson, Snape did not look at Chu Yang once. He likely thought this would put pressure on the boy, but he underestimated Chu Yang’s psychological maturity.

Snape’s ability to intimidate students was far inferior to that of Chu Yang’s high school homeroom teacher, or even his physical education instructor. Anyone who had survived compulsory education could easily adapt to the academic intensity of Hogwarts. Only the British locals seemed to find it overwhelming.

As soon as class ended, the freshmen scrambled to flee, but Chu Yang, who had just clashed with Snape, packed his books slowly and was the last to leave.

"Thank you for today’s lesson, Professor Snape. I learned many things not found in the textbooks." Chu Yang bowed slightly and turned to leave.

Watching Chu Yang’s retreating figure, the frosty expression on Snape’s face gradually softened.

Snape grew dazed, whispering to himself, "If I had been as brave as he is back then, perhaps Lily would have..."

The empty classroom echoed with the sound of Snape’s solitary voice.

Lunchtime arrived. After the morning’s mental ordeal, the first-years finally had time to soothe their turbulent young hearts. In the Great Hall, the freshmen subconsciously sat as far away from Chu Yang as possible. After learning that he had taken down so many boys single-handedly, he had left a rather dark impression on them.

As for the matter of a non-pure-blood standing up to pure-bloods, it would not be hailed as an act of heroism here. Even setting aside the divide between pure-bloods and others, no one wanted to be associated with Chu Yang because he had offended too many people! One had to remember that every student entering Slytherin came from a background of significant influence; it was the cradle of pure-blood wizards, after all.

Chu Yang understood this well, and he was not childish enough to hold a grudge against those who distanced themselves from him; self-preservation was human instinct.

To his surprise, however, someone suddenly sat down opposite him. It was neither Hermione nor Harry or Ron.

It was Neville Longbottom!

Neville, carrying his food, said with a goofy, sincere smile, "I didn't get a chance to thank you when we crossed the lake, so now is a perfect opportunity."

"You're welcome." Chu Yang rested his chin on one hand, tapping the table with the other. "Are you sure you want to sit here?"

Neville immediately panicked. "I'm sorry, if you don't like me sitting here, I can move."

"That’s not what I meant," Chu Yang waved his hand, explaining, "With you sitting so close to me, aren't you afraid they'll isolate you just as they have me?"

Neville scratched his head. "They won't. They just don't understand you yet. After a while, they'll realize they were wrong about you."

Chu Yang chuckled. To hear him speak, one would think this guy knew him intimately.

Suddenly, more students gathered around Chu Yang’s seat. Unsurprisingly, it was the "point-deduction trio."

"There are some parts of this book I don't understand. Teach me." Hermione placed a thick tome in front of Chu Yang. Although she was asking for help, her tone suggested otherwise.

Harry and Ron sat down diagonally across from Chu Yang, chatting and joking, occasionally asking him for "combat details" from the night before.

"I heard from Goyle that you kicked Blaise so hard he flew!" Ron asked excitedly, "You really didn't use a spell?"

Chu Yang smiled. "My wand was in my trunk; I didn't have a chance to reach it. So, of course, it wasn't a spell."

Ron sighed, "You’re incredibly strong!"

Once the three of them were seated and chatting, Ron’s older brothers joined them shortly after, and the area around Chu Yang began to feel "normal."

Fred and George winked at Chu Yang. Clearly aware of his "feat," the two peppered him with questions, making the area instantly lively.

Then, a crisp chirping echoed above the Great Hall as countless owls flew in through the skylights, their beaks and talons laden with parcels.

"Hey! The mail is here!"

The surprised shouts made Chu Yang realize that the students' family deliveries had arrived. Come to think of it, wouldn't it be quite profitable to start a courier company using owls to deliver light packages?

A newspaper dropped onto the table in front of Ron and Harry. After asking, the latter opened it impatiently.

Chu Yang vaguely remembered... this newspaper reported the theft at Gringotts. The vault had contained the Philosopher's Stone, which granted immortality, and it had been retrieved by Hagrid on Dumbledore’s orders just in time.

The "trio" was entirely focused on the newspaper, unaware that the object in question was lying quietly within Hogwarts.

The first class of the afternoon was Madam Hooch’s flying lesson, and the freshmen were already bursting with nervous excitement. Flying was the ultimate human dream; wizards and Muggles alike were captivated by it.

Madam Hooch strode through the middle of the freshmen, announcing loudly, "Welcome to your first flying lesson."

"Please place your right hand over your broom and say 'Up!' to command the broom to fly into your hand. This is the first step in establishing a bond with your broomstick."

As she spoke, Madam Hooch sensed something amiss. One student had jumped onto his broom, feet planted firmly on the bristles, adopting a bizarre stance.

Under her horrified gaze, the boy with the Eastern face shouted!

"Up!"

The good news: the broom really did fly up.

The bad news: he was standing on it while it flew!!!