Harry Potter: The Bard of Hogwarts

Shakespeare once wrote in his poetry:

"Those who waste time, time wastes them."

But Ino never agreed with this statement. For no matter how much one cherishes time, time will still silently abandon them.

A month and a half had passed since the last meeting in Diagon Alley.

It was now mid-November, with less than two weeks remaining until the first event of the Triwizard Tournament.

However, the entire atmosphere at Hogwarts was engulfed by a sense of restlessness, a mood that became increasingly palpable as time went on.

---

In the Slytherin dormitory.

Ino lounged lazily against the headboard, soft blankets folded up behind him for support. The soothing white noise of the fireplace crackling filled his ears, making everything seem so peaceful.

Nowadays, he had also reduced unnecessary outings.

Aside from attending classes, he no longer visited the library, spending most of his free time in the dormitory.

Things had been fine before. Although the restlessness among the students was becoming increasingly noticeable, the presence of the other three champions had helped draw attention away from him, making everything still relatively calm.

But this calm only lasted for a month.

---

At the end of October, something happened that made it impossible for Ino to remain uninvolved.

The Order of Merlin.

Although it was only a Third Class medal with a white ribbon, typically awarded to those who have made contributions in academic or entertainment fields, it was his young age that made the difference.

Since the 12th century, the Order of Merlin had never awarded a medal to a current student of Hogwarts.

Thus, this Third Class medal was a groundbreaking event.

The combination of being a Triwizard Champion and the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin seemed to create an unusual reaction.

What appeared to be an honor also brought its own set of troubles.

After all, wherever he went, he was either being watched or cheered on.

It was tolerable at first, but after a while, it became exhausting to deal with.

For this reason, Ino decided to stay in the dormitory entirely. Even for meals, either Lantern would cook, or Draco would bring food back for him.

Although he didn't go out much, he didn't feel bored either.

Perhaps this was because Draco, when bringing food, would often share the latest news with him. And then there was the two-way mirror for instant communication.

Thinking of the mirror, Ino couldn't help but picture Hermione's face in his mind.

Even though he had repeatedly told her that he didn't need too many potions, she remained as stubborn as a wind-up clock. Every day, when not in class, she would hide in the Room of Requirement, brewing potions.

---

Perhaps.

It wasn't just the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor that fulfilled one's needs; even the Slytherin dormitory seemed affected.

As soon as Ino thought about the mirror, a vibration came from the bedside.

The drawer opened, and a three-inch mirror slowly floated out, hovering steadily in the air.

As soon as the mirror connected, a delighted voice came through:

"Ino! I did it! The brewing time for Felix Felicis has been shortened! Thanks to you for telling me about that magical room; it's amazing…"

In the mirror, Hermione was speaking excitedly, but in her excitement, she seemed to have forgotten about the angle of the mirror.

"Ahem! Hermione, you could raise the mirror by about a foot so I can see your cauldron."

Ino coughed lightly and gently reminded her. This careless girl really didn't know how to protect herself.

"Raise it?" Hermione responded in confusion and then glanced at the mirror in front of her.

But as her eyes measured the angle of the mirror, she realized something was off.

"Ah! I have to go, I need to add new ingredients."

Without any hesitation, Hermione abruptly ended the connection.

The mirror was disconnected, but what had happened couldn't be undone.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Hermione felt her face flush. Although the girls in her dormitory always said that one should flaunt their strengths, this wasn't…

"Crazy! What will Ino think of me? I really should have made a stand for this…"

Looking at the mirror on the floor, Hermione had the urge to use the Time-Turner hanging around her neck, but it was just a fleeting thought.

She knew well that such things couldn't be undone with a Time-Turner, as time reversal couldn't erase someone's memory.

---

Unlike Hermione, who was caught in self-doubt, Ino was contemplating what he had just heard.

"The brewing time for Felix Felicis has been shortened… That's incredible."

During this time, he had learned that Snape had been giving Hermione some extra lessons, but even so, he was still astonished by her talent in potion-making.

Felix Felicis, one of the pinnacle potions. Even reducing the brewing time by a single day could potentially earn her the Order of Merlin.

After all, one of the people who had been awarded alongside him was Damocles Belby, the developer of the Wolfsbane Potion.

And Belby had received a Second Class medal, a higher honor.

To put this into perspective, Newt Scamander, the famous magizoologist, only received a Second Class medal with a purple ribbon after writing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

This just shows how highly achievements in potion-making are valued.

---

As his thoughts wandered, Ino's mind drifted to Ravenclaw's Diadem.

Previously, due to a lack of information, he hadn't started researching the diadem, even though he had obtained it. But now, he had an idea. Perhaps he could draw some inspiration from Hermione's improvement of Felix Felicis.

In fact, as a powerful alchemical artifact, the diadem and Felix Felicis shared a common trait—a clarity of thought.

In a state of absolute calmness, one could enter a mental state where everything just clicked into place.

Since their effects were similar, perhaps he could really find a way to connect the dots.

With that in mind, Ino picked up the two-way mirror again, but this time, he didn't immediately make a call.

As soon as he saw the mirror, a white image popped into his mind. Thinking from Hermione's perspective, as a reserved girl, she probably wouldn't want to be disturbed right now.

"Forget it! I'll wait until tomorrow…"

Putting down the mirror, Ino's figure vanished from the dormitory.

---

In the valley of the Sanctuary.

Thanks to Lantern's diligence, everything here appeared vibrant and thriving.

This time, however, Ino didn't come to check on the herb harvest but because he had felt a mysterious call.

Standing in the valley.

Ino followed the call to a garden that was both absurd and beautiful.

This was a place where the children from Rohan once planted stones they had found. The branches were colorful, and the buds were as pure as crystals…

No matter how long you looked at it, you would feel a deep sense of joy.