Became good friends with the Boy Who Lived

After putting all the Cornish elves back into the cages, all the students showed a sense of unsatisfied feeling and chattered with each other.

Aeris motioned for the students to be quiet, and after the chaotic noises stopped, he said, "My plan is for our interest group to meet twice a week, on Wednesday afternoons after the last class until an hour and a half to two hours before dinner, and on Sundays from nine in the morning until lunch. Our first meeting will be in the old empty classroom on the second floor, the one with the armor standing outside that always walks around."

Eris paused, then continued, "There are no thresholds or conditions for group gatherings. Our purpose is to help each other. Students who are interested can come."

It was time to end the get out of class, but the students were still talking to each other and walking towards the classroom for the next class.

Aris restored the classroom to its original state and covered the cage with black cloth again. Hermione asked thoughtfully: "Aris, what do you want to do? Forget about the defense team, but what about Dumbledore's Army? This..."

"Why not call it Grindelwald's Army?" Aeris teased, "What bad intentions could I have, Miss Know-it-all?"

Harry said, "Why go to that empty classroom then? There are plenty of options, right?"

"I usually go to that empty classroom to practice spells," Aeris said. "I decorated it a little bit to facilitate practice. It's very remote, and after casting a few protective spells, no one will disturb me easily."

Ron said incredulously: "You are always with us, how can you still have time to practice spells? The problem is, you found and decorated a good place, and you even hid it from us?"

"Last year, Quirrell always gave me a very dangerous feeling," Aris said helplessly. "I always had to find a hiding place for myself. The sense of crisis kept me busy all the time. Sometimes when Harry was training Quidditch, I was practicing spells."

Hermione still didn't give up and asked: "Then why did you set up this interest group? You didn't even discuss it with us. Isn't this a bit hasty..."

"I'm sorry, guys," Aeris said apologetically, "I just came up with this idea on a whim. You've also seen what Professor Lockhart did. Those 100 questions, are they something a normal professor can come up with? I just don't want us to get nothing out of Defense Against the Dark Arts again this year."

The four of them were already on their way to the classroom for their next class, and Hermione asked, "So how many people do you think will come to the first group meeting?"

"It doesn't matter," Aris answered as he walked. "My original plan was to form a group with a few of us to help each other and learn from each other. There are five of us: me, Miss Know-It-All, Harry, Ron, and Draco. But later I thought that happiness is better shared than happiness alone. One person's shortcomings can be overcome by many people's efforts. We can also meet many like-minded friends, right?"

Ever since Harry was forcibly dragged by Professor Lockhart to take a photo together, he finally understood why Aris avoided Quirrell last year. But Harry's situation was obviously worse. He couldn't avoid two people at the same time. After he avoided Professor Lockhart, he would always be blocked by Colin. After avoiding Colin, he would meet Professor Lockhart who waved at him again.

Aeris, Ron and Draco always hid aside to gloat over others' misfortunes. The little fanboy Colin was really "diligent". The happiest thing for him every day was to say, "Hi! Harry!" and get a helpless reply from Harry, "Hi! Colin!"

When Ron told Harry that Ginny might form a "Harry Potter Fans Club" with Colin, Harry, who had just taken a sip of pumpkin juice, sprayed it all over Ron's face. Facing Ron's resentful eyes, Harry asked in panic: "They won't...right? They definitely won't...right..."

Harry and Ron's one-month voluntary labor began. After the Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall left Harry and Ron behind, with Aeris and Hermione waiting beside them. Professor McGonagall said in a serious voice, "Mr. Weasley, you have to help Mr. Filch clean the trophy display room from after dinner tonight until curfew. No magic is allowed when cleaning or wiping those silver and gold medals. Mr. Filch will make arrangements for the specific matters. As for you, Mr. Potter, you have to go to Professor Lockhart's office from after dinner tonight until curfew to help him write replies to his fans."

"What?" Harry said in a horrified voice. "Professor, I beg you, can you let me go with Ron to clean the trophy room? I..."

"Do you think I'm negotiating with you, Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall's tone brooked no refusal. "Professor Lockhart specifically asked you to help him. This is also a form of voluntary labor. You have no right to refuse, Mr. Potter!"

Harry walked out of the classroom with a look of despair on his face, and Ron also had a sad face, mumbling about something. Harry's eyes lit up and he suggested, "How about we switch?" Ron shook his head like a rattle.

In the common room at night, Aries and Hermione sat opposite each other, both holding a book and reading, chatting from time to time. At this time, there were not many people in the common room. The portrait of the Fat Lady at the entrance was opened. Ron dragged his tired body towards Aries and Hermione, and suddenly collapsed in an armchair, cursing and complaining: "That old bastard Filch made me clean every trophy and medal more than ten times. I am really convinced. I really don't understand why Professor Dumbledore would leave such a bad old guy in the castle..."

The portraits at the entrance and exit were opened again, and Harry, with a serious expression, walked towards the group.

Aeris asked, "What's wrong, buddy? Why do you look so bad?"

Harry hesitantly told several people about the strange noises he heard in Professor Lockhart's office and after he left the office.

"You heard it, but Professor Lockhart didn't?" Hermione put down the book in her hand and asked, "Did you hallucinate?"

"What are auditory hallucinations..." Ron sat up straight and asked curiously, but was glared back by Hermione.

"I'm sure that's not hallucination," Harry was inexplicably agitated, "I'm sure that I'm not crazy, and I'm also sure that those voices came from the walls."

"Walls?" Aeris pondered, "There should be a complicated pipe system inside the walls of Hogwarts Castle, right?"

Hermione said, "You mean there's something lurking in the plumbing?"

Aeris asked solemnly, "Before entering school, have you ever had any experience of communicating with any animals?"

Harry was startled. He said uncertainly, "On my cousin Dudley's eleventh birthday, I went to the zoo with them. I chatted with a Brazilian python... for a while. But there's nothing surprising about this. I believe many people can..."

"This is not some common talent, Harry," Hermione said in a trembling voice, "Do you know why the emblem of Slytherin College is a snake? According to legend, Salazar Slytherin is the most famous snake whisperer in the history of magic. The ability to communicate with snakes is a unique talent in the Slytherin bloodline. If you can communicate with snakes, it means you may be a descendant of Slytherin..."

"Professor Dumbledore can even communicate with mermaids," Aris said faintly, "Maybe Professor Dumbledore can also communicate with snakes. No matter what, we should not be too arbitrary, Miss Know-it-all. Besides, does it matter to us who Harry is descended from? My grandfather is the dark wizard Geralt Grindelwald."

Harry glanced at Aeris gratefully and asked, "Do you think I heard a snake talking?"

"It's possible," said Aris, "That explains why Professor Lockhart couldn't hear the sound, but you don't have to worry too much. It could be a snake that accidentally slipped into the pipe system. Snakes are cold-blooded creatures, and they will say some bloodthirsty words. There's nothing to be nervous about." Aris tried his best to calm Harry's bad mood. Harry was very resistant to the idea that it might be a descendant of Slytherin.

After the last class on Wednesday afternoon, Aries took Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco to the old empty classroom on the second floor. As soon as they entered the door, the others were stunned by the scene before them.

This classroom was cast with an exquisite traceless extension spell. It was dozens of times larger than an ordinary classroom. The ceiling was so high that it could not be seen, and the floor was obviously reinforced with magic. There were countless strange rocks and a small rockery. There were also fake trees of different sizes, and the green grass on the ground seemed to be fake... This classroom was almost transformed into a small park by Aries.

"Is this what you mean by a little arrangement?" Ron asked blankly.

Aeris smiled and said, "Now you know why I like to pick up stones by the Black Lake."

"But how on earth did you do it..." Hermione's voice was still full of disbelief.

"This is part of Helga's legacy," said Aeris. "The founders were capable of more than we could imagine."

"But we never noticed from outside that this classroom has changed so much." Hermione asked puzzled.

"It's just some tricks," Aeris said. "You won't find out the secrets unless you enter the classroom."

Hermione wanted to ask something else when there was a knock on the classroom door. Aeris waved his hand, and the door opened. An elf-like girl walked in. She saw the scene around her but was not surprised at all.

She had long light blonde hair with a hint of brown in it, slightly protruding silver-gray eyes, very light eyebrows, and she exuded a friendly aura.

"I heard someone say," a pleasant, ethereal voice sounded, "there is a group meeting here, and I hope to attend."

"Of course!" said Aeris. He waved his hand into the distance and a table came over and stopped at the door. Aeris took out some parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill from the drawer of the table.

At Aeris's suggestion, Aeris, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco wrote their names on the parchment in turn. Aeris then handed the quill to the little girl, who took the quill and wrote on the parchment: Luna Lovegood.

"Welcome, Luna," Aeris said, "We will wait for other students. If no one comes in half an hour, we will start..."

Before Aerys could finish his words, there was another knock on the door. When he opened the door, it was Cedric who came with several of his classmates to attend the party. After entering the room, they were all stunned. Aerys shook hands with Cedric and said, "Welcome, Cedric."

Cedric smiled and nodded, writing his name on the roster, and the knock on the door rang again...

A beautiful oriental girl walked in with several female classmates. After seeing the layout of the room, they screamed at the same time.

After seeing the name written by the oriental girl, Aries greeted her in fluent Chinese: "Nice to meet you, Miss Zhang Qiu."

Zhang Qiu looked at Aris in disbelief and said in Chinese: "How come you speak Chinese so well?"

Aes said: "I came from a different time. Before I came here, I was a descendant of Yan and Huang."

Seeing Zhang Qiu's expression of "you must be kidding me", Aries said with a wry smile: "My father often does business with Oriental people, and I learned it from a kind Oriental old man."

Zhang Qiu smiled sweetly and began to observe the room curiously.

Harry walked up to Aris and asked quietly, "Did you...speak to her...did you...say anything?"

Looking at Harry, whose cheeks were slightly flushed, Aries looked a little strange. He said jokingly, "So Mr. Potter likes girls older than himself?"

"I...I'm not..." Harry stammered as he denied hastily, "I...I didn't...you...don't talk nonsense...I just..."

More people came, Fred and George walked in, and were also shocked by the scene before them. They surrounded Aries enthusiastically, saying that they would perform well and asked Aries to teach them the Traceless Stretching Spell.

Many people came in one after another, including Ginny, Colin, Seamus, Dean... and even some students from Slytherin College. After waiting for a while until no one else came in, Aris said:

"Everyone, come together first. To commemorate the first gathering of our defense team, Colin, take a group photo for all of us!"

There were about fifty classmates attending the first gathering, and each of them had a bright smile in the group photo.