Chapter 26: I Don't Believe It!

Ron felt as if he were punching a bag of cotton; feeling helpless, he could only turn to Harry to vent his frustrations.

"Hey, why is this friend of yours so strange? Is this the time for studying?" Ron sat in his seat, nodding his head rhythmically. "Once we get to school, there will be plenty of time to study."

"Yang likes reading; there's nothing wrong with that." Harry grabbed a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean and tossed it into his mouth, his expression instantly twisting.

Curious, Ron took a bean of the same color and popped it into his mouth, only to grimace. "Tastes like boogers. Disgusting!"

The two continued to chat about their future school life while snacking.

"I finally found you!" A girl pointed at Chu Yang with excitement, as if she had discovered a long-lost treasure!

Ron and Harry looked at Chu Yang with expressions of utter confusion.

The girl's voice was so loud that it startled Chu Yang from his reading. He pointed to himself. "Me?"

"Yes, you!" The girl plopped down next to Chu Yang and asked impatiently, "What kind of magic was that you used in the wand shop?"

Chu Yang said helplessly, "That wasn't magic. I was just waving the wand according to Mr. Ollivander's instructions!"

The girl wore an expression of disbelief, then shook her head. "Impossible! How could mere magical power trigger such a terrifying effect?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm just a first-year, just like you," Chu Yang explained casually before lowering his head to continue reading.

"Hey! Can you tell us what actually happened?" Ron looked at the two of them with an itching curiosity, looking exactly like a gossip-loving old lady.

Harry was equally curious.

And so, the girl recounted everything that had happened in the wand shop to the two of them.

After listening, Ron and Harry wore similar expressions to the girl's, staring at Chu Yang in amazement.

"Oh, right! I haven't introduced myself. My name is Hermione Granger. You can just call me Hermione," Hermione introduced herself quite boldly.

Ron and Harry introduced themselves as well, but when it came to Chu Yang, there was silence. Hermione turned around only to find him looking down, reading a book.

"Here we go again!" Ron rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Mate, I'm serious, there's no point in putting on an act for us. We're all classmates."

Harry tugged at Ron's sleeve and whispered, "Ron, don't say that..."

Ron laughed in frustration and retorted, "Look at the way he's flipping those pages. Does he actually look like he's studying?"

Harry hesitated for a moment.

He truly had never seen anyone read a book quite like Chu Yang.

Standing beside Chu Yang, Hermione tilted her head to examine the book's cover and read aloud, "'Practical Defense Against the Dark Arts'?"

"That doesn't seem to be a first-year textbook." Hermione frowned slightly. She remembered clearly that the only textbook related to Dark Arts was titled *Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Defense*.

She had already memorized that book cover to cover; clearly, this was not the same book Chu Yang was holding!

A thought flashed through Hermione's mind.

This wasn't a first-year textbook; it was for upperclassmen!

Hermione snatched the book from Chu Yang's hands and began to read it carefully.

"That behavior is quite unlikable, Miss Granger!" Chu Yang frowned. "Whether as a witch or a Muggle, you should maintain basic politeness."

Hermione stiffly handed the book back to Chu Yang and said defiantly, "This book is much more profound and obscure than *Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Defense*. Can you even understand it?"

Chu Yang said calmly, "As long as one finishes *Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Defense*, reading this won't be too much effort."

Hermione froze, her face turning red from her ears down to her neck!

As someone who had completely memorized *Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Defense*, those words sounded to her as if Chu Yang were calling her stupid!

Hermione cried out, "Specializing in only one subject is a very bad thing for a witch! It's useless to only read about the Dark Arts! More importantly, *Magical Theory* is the foundation!"

Hermione's loud voice gave Chu Yang a headache, so he impatiently recited the contents of the first page of *Magical Theory*, attempting to shut her up.

Sure enough, upon hearing Chu Yang's recitation, Hermione's words cut off abruptly. She looked at him in disbelief. "I don't believe you unless you recite the whole thing."

And then, Chu Yang actually finished reciting the entire book!

Seeing that Hermione still looked unconvinced, Chu Yang calmly proceeded to recite the first chapters of the other textbooks one by one.

Every time Chu Yang finished a chapter, Hermione's expression grew more agitated.

"Your parents must have given you lessons in advance to help you learn this early so you could perform well at school," Hermione said indignantly. If she had a family like that, she would learn even faster than Chu Yang!

Chu Yang closed the book and said slowly, "I did indeed look at these books in advance, but I self-taught myself for a month at the Leaky Cauldron after receiving my admission letter. No one gave me lessons."

"You could self-teach to this level in just one month?" Hermione shook her head firmly. "I don't believe it. It must have been your parents!"

Harry couldn't listen to this anymore. He stood up and shouted, "Enough! Yang and I are both orphans. We don't have parents, and no one taught us these things!"

"Orphans?" Hermione stared blankly at Harry. Once she snapped out of it, she immediately covered her mouth, her eyes filled with regret!

For those from orphanages, nothing hurt more than mentioning their parents!

"I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean it. I didn't know you were..." Hermione apologized to Chu Yang in a panic, her voice trembling with a hint of a sob; it was a sincere apology.

This was exactly the kind of atmosphere Chu Yang wanted to avoid!

Could they not just sit quietly on the way to Hogwarts?

Chu Yang sighed and forced a small smile. "Miss Granger, I actually don't mind my status as an orphan. Although the orphanage I came from was small and old, the people there were very kind."

"Director Anna celebrates every child's birthday at the orphanage. She tells us that even if our parents aren't by our side, there will always be people who love us just as much."

"I grew up in a very good environment. I feel no shame or inferiority regarding my background."

"Yes, yes, I know," Hermione nodded repeatedly, still looking apologetic. She felt Chu Yang was merely forcing himself to stay calm; the more composed he appeared, the more heartbroken she felt.

Even Ron stood up to apologize for his attitude. For a moment, even the snacks in his hand lost their flavor.

The two kind-hearted students stood before Chu Yang, apologizing incessantly, making the atmosphere in the compartment increasingly heavy.

*Good heavens!*

*What are you all doing?*

*I just want you to be quiet so I can read my book!*

*Is this really necessary?*

Helpless, Chu Yang grabbed the snacks nearby and stuffed them into Hermione and Ron's mouths, saying fiercely, "Eat! Just eat! I'll forgive you once you're finished. Consider it your punishment."

Without a word, the two began to eat.

The compartment fell silent immediately. Chu Yang smiled with satisfaction and returned to his book.

Harry looked bewildered.

*Is there really a way to punish people like this in this world?*

(End of Chapter)