"I just went to the library to read a lot when I had nothing to do. If I were really allowed to get started, I wouldn't even be able to use a spell now."
Jon lowered his head and took a sip of the cup of warm black tea. He had just eaten at Hagrid's place and had no intention of drinking anything now.
"Good theory is the basis for successful practice." Slughorn said and poured himself a cup of tea. "I think people have never missed a beat. You will definitely have a lot to do in the future. If this were in peacetime, I would I will definitely send you an invitation to join my club."
Of course Jon knew about the club he was talking about, and those who could join were indeed people who were either capable or had prominent family backgrounds.
Slughorn is obviously very good at building relationships with students. He can always take the initiative in social interactions. This is not only due to his identity, but also his innate specialty.
Jon was just helping out. He had no intention of staying here any longer. After sitting down and drinking two more sips of tea, he stood up and prepared to leave.
Slughorn didn't do much to persuade him to stay, and just let him leave with a few pieces of toffee and a box of pineapple preserves.
After leaving the office and closing the door from the outside, Jon did not continue to linger in the corridor. He was worried that if he did not go back, Neville would probably go to Professor McGonagall to report his disappearance.
However, just when Jon took steps to return to the dormitory, he suddenly felt a cold touch on the index finger of his right hand.
He was stunned for a moment, then raised his hand and saw a ring on his index finger that he had never seen before!
It was a silver ring that looked very slender overall. It was just the right size to wear on Jon's finger, and there was a rhombus-shaped blue gemstone inlaid in the middle of the ring.
The gem was very small, and it was not suspended on the ring, but was directly wrapped in the ring. In front and back of the gem, surrounding the silver ring, there were vaguely four diamond-shaped gaps, like As before, there were four gems that were supposed to be inlaid.
Jon couldn't help but frown deeply when he looked at the ring. He was sure that the ring was not his, and he had never seen such a thing before!
He tried to take the ring off his index finger and took it off easily.
Jon first thought that this was Slughorn's thing, because he didn't have this thing in his hand before entering his office, and it suddenly appeared as soon as he left the office door.
He just thought about it for a moment and immediately came up with a solution.
Regardless of whether this thing came to him from Slughorn, he had to go back and give the ring to him.
Most of the diaries, rings, lockets, opal necklaces, etc. in the magical world, especially those with unknown origins, are not good things, and there are always some curses attached to them that are difficult for ordinary people to understand.
Jon has never imagined that there might be an old man hiding in this ring, saying that he is the chosen one. Compared with others, it is safest to nip possible dangers in the cradle. of!
So he turned around without hesitation and knocked on Slughorn's office door again.
"Please come in."
Slughorn, who was stuffing a candied pineapple into his mouth, looked at Jon who walked in again in surprise and asked doubtfully.
"Is there anything else you want, kid?"
Jon took a deep breath and stretched out his right hand in front of him.
"Professor, when I left your office, I didn't know why this suddenly appeared on my hand."
Seeing the ring lying quietly in Jon's hand, Slughorn was obviously stunned.
But he quickly reacted and quickly threw the candied pineapple that had not been put into his mouth back on the desk. At the same time, he opened the drawer in front of him and took out a small wooden stick from it. box.
He opened the small wooden box in front of Jon. It was empty, but it was obvious from the dents in the cushion that a ring should have been lying there.
Slughorn's face became serious. He put away the smiling face that he used to look at everyone. That face was serious and even a little scary.
However, this seriousness did not last long, and he relaxed his brows again, but then quickly frowned again.
He didn't speak, but stood up from the chair, pacing back and forth in front of Jon with his hands behind his back and a gloomy expression on his face.
Jon didn't dare to disturb him. Slughorn's reaction now at least reassured him. This ring originally belonged to the defense professor, but he didn't know why it fell to him after he went out. in hands.
Finally Slughorn stopped his anxious thinking. He stared at Jon and stretched out his hand.
"Give me the ring."
Jon returned the ring to his hand without any hesitation.
After getting the ring, Slughorn did not let Jon leave, nor did he immediately put it back into the wooden box. Instead, he stepped back directly towards him. After about three meters, he continued for a while. The familiar cold feeling suddenly appeared on Jon's index finger again!
Jon looked at the ring that seemed to depend on him, with a look of astonishment on his face. Compared to him, Slughorn's expression became calmer at this time.
"Professor, this..."
"Just take it with you first." Slughorn looked at the ring on Jon's hand and said softly, "Don't worry about anything else, it won't cause you any harm, but you can't get rid of it for the time being. Go back first, Jon. I will come back to you tomorrow after I figure out some things. Then I will explain to you about the ring. Also, during this period, don’t tell anyone about the ring. Come on, remember! It’s anyone!”
Of course, Jon was not very relieved about such a result, but he couldn't force Slughorn to tell what the ring was right now.
he could only ask.
"When can I see you tomorrow, Professor?"
As if sensing his worry, Slughorn set a time for him.
"Let's finish lunch tomorrow at noon. We should all be free by then."
After getting an accurate time, Jon finally left.
He returned to the dormitory, and Neville looked like he was about to go out in a hurry. He was relieved when he saw Jon.
"Where have you been? I didn't see you at lunch. I almost went to Professor McGonagall just now to tell me that you were missing."
"I went to give Professor Slughorn a little help. Don't worry, I already had lunch and brought back some desserts."
Jon acted nonchalantly and placed the pineapple preserves and toffee on the table. However, when he lay back on the bed, he still quietly picked up the ring set with a blue gemstone, and was stunned. Trance.
