[204] The Echo of a Scream

The first class of the morning was Herbology with Hufflepuff. The third-year Slytherins were all very relaxed. Hufflepuff — no threat at all.

Draco walked beside Hall, his little mouth chattering. "I'm still the prefect of the third year! On my own merit!"

Hall gave him a meaningful look. "Look at your grades. Do you believe it?"

Draco fell silent. He hadn't forgotten that during last year's finals, Hall had once again used his superior grades and abilities to overwhelm the second-years.

"I don't really care that much about prefects." Hall rubbed his fingers together. "Otherwise, next year..."

"I understand, I understand, I understand. Just shut up!" Draco cut him off.

In Herbology, Hall calmly added five points to Slytherin. The Hufflepuffs only felt envy. Instead of being jealous, they should think about what to eat when they got back to the common room.

The first class of the afternoon was Hall's elective — Ancient Runes.

"Ulysses Josh. The professor in charge of your Ancient Runes course."

Class had been going for a while when a male professor finally arrived, albeit late. Hall, along with Draco, Zabini, and Hermione — who had also chosen this course — sized up the professor on the podium.

"So there's a professor like this at Hogwarts?" Zabini scratched his head. "If I hadn't seen this professor today, I wouldn't have remembered he existed."

Pansy tugged at her black hair. "Maybe it's because he looks too ordinary?"

"He is indeed a bit ordinary." Draco looked at the man before him — black glasses, short hair, common robes. He was the kind of person who wouldn't stand out in a crowd.

Draco noticed Hall remained silent. "You disagree?"

Hall didn't answer immediately. "Is this how you see Professor Ulysses?"

"Otherwise?"

"...Okay, I understand." Hall sighed inwardly. This must be the legendary protagonist's treatment. In his eyes, Professor Ulysses was completely different. What ordinary appearance? What indistinguishable in a crowd? That was a joke.

Look at that golden, Veela-like blonde hair — even more stunning than the Malfoys'. And those tender green eyes, like spring water. And that fair skin. Had it not been for the fact that this world no longer had fairies and elves, Hall would have suspected he was seeing a legendary creature.

As if sensing Hall's astonished gaze, Professor Ulysses looked at him. Just one glance, and he knew.

Hall's heart skipped a beat, but he wasn't particularly afraid. Regardless of Professor Ulysses's identity, he was a professor recruited by Dumbledore. He wouldn't do anything bad to Hall.

Hall smiled at Professor Ulysses.

"Ancient Runes is a magical script, and learning runes is not easy. Let's see if you have the talent first." Professor Ulysses withdrew his gaze and began his lesson. Unlike most professors who followed the book, he started with a powerful approach.

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He casually traced runes in the air, so effortlessly that onlookers would've thought it was easy. After tracing all the characters, his voice rang out again. "The exam for this course is also very simple. I can tell you now. Before the final exam, as long as you can completely trace one rune character on an object, you will receive an excellent grade. Otherwise, you will fail."

No intermediate grades.

"Thank you, Professor, for the free points!"

"Is that easy? It's only a few characters!"

"Tracing them before the final exam won't be difficult!"

Hearing the students' cheers, Professor Ulysses's face revealed a meaningful smile. "Is that so? Then I'll look forward to it."

"Wait! How did this turn?"

"No, no, I don't remember it being like this!"

"That's wrong! Don't keep going down the wrong path!"

In no time, the Ancient Runes classroom became incredibly lively. Every student was using their extraordinary memory to try to replicate the runes they'd just seen. They thought it wouldn't be too difficult. But only after trying did they realise how difficult it was.

They simply couldn't do it.

Even Hermione and Draco, both top students, weren't doing much better. Their brains told them they'd learned it. Their hands told them they knew nothing.

Draco looked pained. "Why do I feel like my brain and my hands aren't mine anymore? I think I remember it pretty clearly!"

Hermione had somehow sat down next to Hall, separating herself from the Slytherins. "I feel these characters have a mysterious power. I remember them when I look at them, and the moment I look away, they disappear from my mind. A person can't draw something they haven't seen."

Hall looked at Hermione with admiration. "You've already gotten ahead of many people by realising that."

Everyone stared. Really? It really was that hard?

"I tried to teach myself runes before," Hall said with a pained expression. "I spent most of the semester and still couldn't get the hang of it."

Everyone stared in shock. Hall — the cream of the crop — couldn't get the hang of it after most of a semester? "That's when I started to reflect. I realised I couldn't even memorise a single complete character, which is almost impossible for me."

Draco nodded knowingly. Hall's memory was indeed excellent — he'd read all the books in Black's old mansion.

"And now?" Zabini asked.

"Not bad for now." Hall casually drew a rune in the air. Though his speed was slow, he drew a complete character.

Professor Ulysses appeared before Hall. He gazed at the golden character in the air. "Do you know the meaning of this character?"

Hall nodded. "In runes, this character should symbolise water." He waved his hand, scattering the character. Instantly, a damp, misty atmosphere filled the air. Everyone stared in astonishment.

"This is runes — where every character carries its own power." Professor Ulysses looked at Hall with admiration. "Learning runes is the most difficult of all magic. Modern magic is derived from Latin, more in line with the usage habits of wizards in recent centuries. But runes are the power used in the age of gods."

He recounted the history of runes. His voice wasn't particularly dramatic, but everyone could detect a certain truth in his calm tone — as if Professor Ulysses had witnessed it all himself.

"The reason early human wizards were so powerful — the four founders, the three brothers — they didn't master Latin spells. They mastered the purest runic magic."

"But Professor, if runic magic is so powerful, why hasn't it been passed down?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.

Professor Ulysses curled his mouth. Hall's heart skipped a beat — not from fear, but because Ulysses looked even more handsome when he smiled.

"A very straightforward answer: because it's difficult to learn. Latin spells require practice. If one day isn't enough, try two. As long as you're diligent, you'll learn them. But runic spells require talent — real talent. Some things you just can't force yourself to learn. Therefore, wizards who master runic spells find it difficult to find successors, and the art has been slowly lost."

Hermione looked melancholy.

"Hall seems to have quite a talent for it?" Draco said uncertainly.

Professor Ulysses glanced at Hall and finally nodded. "He does have some talent."

"Professor," Hall seized the opportunity, smiling obediently, "if I encounter difficulties in my studies, can I come to you?"

Professor Ulysses thought for a moment, then nodded. "You can have ten minutes after each class."

Everyone looked at Hall with envy. Their professor really disliked interacting with people. Giving Hall ten minutes was already a huge favour.