Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying

Chapter 551: Chapter 174: Boggart and the Fish Tank

The students scattered in chaos, screaming and running around the classroom.

After all, the boggart was not a real ”ghost woman”. Whenever the person closest to it changed, it would freeze for a moment.

The ”ghost woman” then appeared like a flickering signal, at times ferocious and terrifying, at other times bewildered, switching states so frequently that it seemed the poor creature was completely confused by the students.

But because its appearance did not change fundamentally, most of the terrified students did not notice this.

Only Vid remained standing in place, looking at the boggart, and then at Professor Trokka who was not controlling the situation at all. He realized that even the new professor’s expression seemed a bit dumbfounded, as if he had never anticipated such a situation in class, resulting in a temporary response paralysis.

After the crowd ran around like headless chickens for a while, the people in the classroom basically split into two groups.

Most hid behind Professor Trokka, while a small group cowered behind Vid.

Vid: ”...”

He sighed softly and took two steps forward.

Vid was actually curious too, wanting to know what he feared the most. At the same time, he thought that even if Voldemort or the corpse of a loved one suddenly appeared in the classroom the next moment, he clearly understood it was the effect of magic and would not lose composure over it.

The ghost swiftly approached.

Pop!

With a crisp sound, the terrifying centipede ghost woman instantly disappeared, replaced by something no one had expected.

”Ah... aaah...”

Daphne’s face turned pale as she closed her eyes tightly, hiding in the corner as if she truly wanted to squeeze herself into the crevice.

After shouting for a while, she suddenly realized the surrounding screams had disappeared. She quickly shut her mouth and then secretly opened one eye.

The imagined scene—the terrifying ghost right in front of her with a gaping maw—wasn’t there. Gathering courage, Daphne looked around and found there was no ghost in the classroom, but instead, there was a...

”Fish tank?” Malfoy voiced the question in everyone’s mind, raising his eyebrows and asking in surprise, ”Gray, are you most afraid of a fish tank?”

He pretended to act relaxed, as if he hadn’t been the first to run behind Professor Trokka after the ghost transformed.

At this, Malfoy chuckled, looking around as if expecting everyone to join him in mocking Vid, but even Goyle just looked on blankly, his face showing nothing but confusion.

Malfoy looked again at the center of the classroom.

Okay, upon closer inspection, that fish tank was indeed somewhat creepy—

In the transparent crystal fish tank, there was only a small fish swimming slowly; the water was very clear, nothing unusual there.

But above the fish tank extended a dense circle of pink fleshy nerves, which at first glance appeared to be petal-like decorations with round eyes at the tips, each eye staring fixedly at the fish tank below.

Such a Cthulhu-like scene made the belated realization cause Malfoy to breakout in goosebumps, as if feeling an invisible, great terror.

He rubbed his arms and asked Pansy quietly: ”Which movie scene is this from, have you seen it?”

Pansy shook her head, muttering quietly: ”So strange... what kind of things does Gray usually watch?”

The whispered discussions full of curiosity and astonishment seemed to awaken the dazed Vid. He stepped forward, aimed his magic wand at the boggart, and said calmly, ”Ridiculous! Ridiculous!”

Pop!

The fish tank disappeared, turning into a figure dressed in black with an old-school camera on his head. He took a step forward, then with a ”thud” fell, flailing on the floor like a swimming stroke on dry land.

Malfoy’s keen eye noticed Vid’s mouth curling upwards slightly, almost as if he genuinely found this scene amusing.

He couldn’t help but say to those beside him, ”That Gray guy... isn’t something wrong with him?”

”What? No, I don’t think so,”

Goldstein, who was also hiding behind Professor Trokka, said as he came up with a reason for his fellow student:

”You find this scene strange; perhaps he watched some weird cartoons when he was young, leaving a bit of a mental shadow.”

”So lucky.”

Terry said enviously, ”He had so many cartoons and movies to watch as a kid. I only had the mud puddle at my doorstep to play with.”

—When did being a Mudblood become something enviable?

Malfoy rolled his eyes, originally wanting to say that, but looking at the few Ravenclaws beside him and the tall figure of Professor Trokka ahead, he ultimately swallowed the words.

Professor Trokka finally regained his composure at this point. He flicked his magic wand, tossing the boggart that couldn’t get up back into the box, then cleared his throat and looked at everyone.

”Aside from Vid Gray, I am very disappointed with all of your performances just now!”

Professor Trokka emphasized his tone slightly, watching as the students who had panicked and fled earlier lowered their heads under his gaze, then finally exhaled slowly, pretending the chaotic classroom scene was his intended purpose all along.

Professor Trokka waved his magic wand, causing the wands, books, crystal balls, and other items that had been scattered on the ground by their owners to fly back, then said:

”I think you’ve realized by now, running away is the most useless action, and throwing away your wand is utterly foolish!”