bacchusnovels Chapter 160 Happy Valentine's Day: Time Stop
Chapter 160 Happy Valentine's Day: Time Stop
Chapter 160 Happy Valentine's Day: Time Stop
On the morning of February 14th, Sean walked into the hall in a daze, his eyes still showing the weariness from returning late from Malfoy Manor the night before.
The previous night's busyness had kept him almost awake, so the morning sunlight felt more like torture than a force to awaken him.
As he hurried into this place where he usually ate, looking somewhat bewildered, it was already past the usual breakfast time.
As soon as Sean stepped into the auditorium, his eyes were immediately drawn to a vibrant array of colors.
He looked around and was surprised to find that the originally plain walls were now covered with large, bright pink flowers, which were as dazzling as the morning glow and dyed the entire auditorium with a light pink hue.
But that wasn't the most shocking thing for him.
Looking up, countless heart-shaped confetti were slowly drifting down from the light blue ceiling. These confetti danced gently in the breeze, like a group of joyful sprites frolicking in the auditorium.
For a moment, Sean felt as if he were in a dream world, completely different from the solemn atmosphere of his daily life.
A sense of doubt arose in his heart. What was going on? He looked around; the other students all wore similar expressions of surprise. They whispered among themselves...
There was much discussion, with everyone seemingly speculating about what this sudden change meant.
Connecting this to the conversation he had overheard between McGonagall and Lockhart, Sean immediately understood that this was all Lockhart's way of boosting morale.
As Sean passed by the Gryffindor table, he saw Ron sitting there with a look of disgust on his face, and Hermione seemed to be grinning like an idiot the whole time—she laughed even harder when she saw him.
Harry, brushing the confetti off his bacon, asked, "What's going on?" When Sean reached the teachers' table, he saw Lockhart wearing a bright pink robe that perfectly matched the decorations he was displaying, looking like a magician straight out of a fairy tale.
He stood at one end of the long table, waving his wand, trying to quiet the noisy crowd. His bright smile contrasted sharply with the expressions of the teachers opposite him.
Sean's gaze gradually shifted to the other side of the long table, where Professor McGonagall's brows were furrowed and a muscle on her cheek bulged out. Snape's appearance was also quite amusing; his gloomy face had become even more somber, as if someone had given him a large cup of Bone Spirit, making him even paler.
There are teachers with normal expressions, but there is only one: Tonks.
Just like Hermione, when she saw Sean walk in, she secretly glanced at him, then quickly lowered her head, a strange smile on her face.
All of this made Sean feel a little strange, as if he hadn't woken up properly.
Is today some important day?
Lockhart then revealed the answer for him.
"Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!" Lockhart's voice echoed in the spacious room. He rose gracefully, a warm smile on his face. His eyes swept across the crowd, as if he were gazing affectionately at everyone present.
"So far, I've received thirty-six heartfelt greeting cards," he said in a loud voice, with a touch of pride. "I sincerely thank every friend who sent me one! Your blessings and kind wishes have warmed my heart."
Lockhart paused, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if concealing an even greater surprise. He continued, "However, I'm not content with just that. Today, I've taken the liberty of arranging a little surprise for everyone—but believe me, this is just the beginning!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lockhart clapped his hands lightly, and with a crisp clapping sound, twelve dwarfs slowly walked in through the small door leading to the foyer.
They were short in stature and had gloomy faces, but what was most surprising was that they all had a pair of golden wings on their backs and carried small, exquisite harps on their shoulders.
The appearance of these dwarfs immediately attracted everyone's attention.
Their golden wings shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, while the harps on their backs exuded a captivating musical aura.
Lockhart watched this scene with satisfaction, knowing that his Valentine's Day surprise had successfully captured everyone's attention.
"My friendly little Cupids with greeting cards!" Lockhart announced cheerfully, his face beaming with pride and joy. "They will be roaming around the school today, personally handing you heartwarming Valentine's Day cards! But the fun doesn't end there!"
"I'm sure my colleagues will be eager to participate in the celebrations! Why not invite Professor Snape to instruct everyone on how to skillfully concoct love potions? His expertise in potions is truly profound."
"If you are interested in psychedelic magic, then Professor Flitwick is undoubtedly the best choice. He has gone further down this cunning magical path than any wizard I have ever seen..."
3
Upon hearing Lockhart's words, Professor Flitwick immediately buried his face in his hands, seemingly trying to avoid the various gazes directed at him.
Meanwhile, Snape's expression was completely different. His face was ashen, and his eyes flashed with a cold light. He looked around at everyone present, his eyes seeming to say that if anyone dared to ask him how to make the love potion, that person would face the danger of being forced to drink the poison.
However, Sean didn't get to see such a spectacular scene.
At that moment, he was staring intently at the sausage on his plate.
To be precise, it's the system panel that appears on the surface of the sausage.
[Holiday Event Quest: Valentine's Day Gift]
[Task Requirements: Interact with different female protagonists on Valentine's Day (rewards will be calculated based on the number of interactions)]
The rewards for this task are as follows:
[6 people (Achievement: Time Management Master) (Six system modification attempts) (Other unknown rewards)]
[Achievement: Time Management Master]
[Quality: Gold]
[Effect: Holders of this achievement can freeze or slow the flow of time within a certain time and geographical area. The specific effect depends on the user's mana reserves.]
Cooldown period: 1 months
[Achievement Description: The Hero stops time for three seconds to save the world, the Old SP stops time for ten minutes but only wants to do some weird things. And me... I'm not destined to be a hero.]
[Achievement Hint: The pleasure generated within the time-stopped area will accumulate, and after the time-stop is lifted, it can be released all at once onto the person whose time was stopped.]
[5 people (Achievement: Time Management Master) (Five System Modifications) (Significantly Enhances the Function of a Certain Part of the Host's Body) (Significantly Enhances the Host's Mana Reserves) (Potion Gift Pack) (Valentine's Day Limited Gift Pack)]
[Achievement: Time Management Junior Expert]
[Quality: Purple]
[Effect: Holders of this achievement can freeze or slow the flow of time within a certain time and geographical area. The specific effect depends on the user's mana reserves.]
Cooldown period: 3 months
[Achievement Description: The Hero stops time for three seconds to save the world, while the Old SP stops time for three minutes but only wants to do some weird things. And me... I'm not destined to be a hero.]
[Achievement Hint: ...]
[4 people (four system modification attempts) (one time stop trial card) (disguise skill gift pack)]
Potion Mini Gift Pack (Valentine's Day Limited Edition Gift Pack)
[3-person (three system modification attempts) (Defense Skill Gift Pack) (Valentine's Day Limited Gift Pack)]
[2 people (two system modification attempts) (Healing Skill Gift Pack) (Valentine's Day Limited Gift Pack)]
[1 person (Achievement: Asahi Man) (One system modification attempt)]
[Achievement: Asahi Man]
[Quality: Gold]
[Effect: Holding this achievement will significantly increase the favorability rating with the opposite sex.]
[Achievement Description 1: Give birth to his child, I'll raise it... I can have his surname...]
[Achievement Description 2: So... could you use the lipstick I gave you to go to a hotel with your boyfriend on Valentine's Day, so I can feel a little involved?]
[Achievement Description 3: You're a good person... but...]
[Achievement Reminder: There is a fundamental difference between a gentle person and a tortoise!]
[Task Reminder: The interaction format must conform to the Valentine's Day theme. If it does not, it will not be counted as a participant's attempt.]
Sean stared in disbelief at the long string of system notifications that appeared before him.
He hadn't expected the rewards for the sudden holiday event tasks from the system to be so generous.
He didn't want any of them except for the last one.
Although the last achievement seemed very useful, he lost interest in using it after thinking about the descriptions of the three achievements below.
First and foremost, the most important achievement is the "Time Management Master" award, which was given to six people.
He could already imagine the role this achievement would play in his hands.
However, the goal of six people is quite difficult.
His system's female protagonists are Tonks, Hermione, Cho Chang, Luna, and Astoria.
Susan and six others.
First of all, let's not even mention how difficult it is to interact with six people in one day.
If he remembered correctly, Astoria hadn't started school this year... which meant she wasn't at Hogwarts right now.
Interacting with her was almost an impossible task for him.
So Sean reluctantly turned his gaze back from the top to the list of rewards for the five people.
If you can't get the best reward, the Time Management Master seems like a good alternative, and the rewards for five people can be significantly enhanced...
He's already this strong; if he were to become even stronger... Sean couldn't even imagine what kind of suffering Bella would endure.
Of course, the interaction among the five people is also difficult.
First, it depends on the system's definition of "interaction".
If the interaction is a regular interaction, it's simple; just send a Valentine's Day card like Lockhart did... But if it's an "interaction" within a game, then...
Given the generous mission rewards and the cheat device's features, Sean should rightfully assume it's the latter.
He has now developed a certain level of understanding with Tonks, Hermione, and Cho Chang. If Luna, who is behaving somewhat strangely, is added to the mix, even if they can "successfully interact," they will only achieve the reward for a four-person mission.
Susan's favorability rating remained at three points.
He and Susan had barely interacted this semester, so it would be difficult for him to connect with her on this special holiday and complete any "interactions".
Secondly, the second biggest challenge is time management.
The only place where he could "interact" without being noticed by others was his office. Sean thought he was already quite capable of handling two witches in one night without them noticing each other.
But what if this number increases from 2 to 5?
This is undoubtedly very challenging for him.
Just as Sean was pondering how to maximize his profits, an extremely absurd scene unfolded below.
"Hermione, please tell me, are you really not one of those thirty-six people?" Ron's eyes were fixed on Hermione, as if searching for some kind of confirmation.
As he spoke, he mechanically picked up a piece of chicken from the plate, unconsciously put it in his mouth, and chewed it absentmindedly, as if the chicken had lost its original deliciousness.
Hermione's expression turned serious the moment she heard Ron's words. She quickly waved her hand in denial, "Ron, how could I possibly send Professor Lockhart a greeting card? We have no interest in participating in any of his activities."
?
However, Hermione suddenly paused here, her eyes flickering as if she was hesitating about something.
Her face was slightly flushed, as if gently touched by the summer sun, with a hint of shyness and embarrassment in the blush.
"However..." Hermione pursed her lips, as if she had made up her mind.
The three little ones had already left the auditorium and were heading towards the Transfiguration classroom.
Just as she was about to say something, a commotion suddenly broke out in the crowd. A dwarf, only up to Harry's shoulder, pushed through the crowd and charged aggressively toward Harry.
"Hey, you! Harry Potter!" The little man's face was as dark as the clouds before a storm. He rudely pushed aside the crowd with his elbow and charged menacingly at Harry.
As soon as Harry saw this unfamiliar and imposing little dwarf, a sense of foreboding welled up inside him, and he instinctively wanted to run away.
However, the dwarf was much faster than Harry. He kicked at people's calves, like a ship cutting through the waves, carving a path through the crowd, and soon caught up with Harry.
Harry tried to turn and run away, but the dwarves seemed to have locked onto him as their target.
"I have a message about the soundtrack that I want to deliver to Harry Potter myself," the dwarf said menacingly, pulling an exquisite harp from his waist and strumming the strings with a threatening air.
The piano music was sharp and piercing, causing those around to frown and cover their ears.
Seeing this, Harry panicked even more and whispered, "Not here," while trying to run away again.
But the dwarf seemed to have anticipated his move, muttering "Stop right there!" before suddenly reaching out, grabbing Harry's backpack, and pulling him back to where he was.
Harry struggled to get his bag back, but the dwarf was surprisingly strong.
After a fierce struggle, with a piercing tearing sound, Harry's backpack was ripped in two.
The books, wand, parchment, and quill from the backpack were scattered on the floor, and an ink bottle was smashed, splattering black ink and turning the surrounding floor into a mess.
Harry frantically groped around on the floor, desperately trying to pick up all the scattered items. Books, wands, parchment—he stuffed them into his hands one by one, hoping to get everything organized before the dwarves began their annoying singing.
However, his hasty actions inadvertently caused a traffic jam in the corridor, and the surrounding students watched curiously and whispered among themselves.
"What's going on here?" A cold voice rang out from the crowd; it was Draco Malfoy's drawn-out tone.
Harry was startled. He didn't want to have any contact with Malfoy at this time, and he didn't want Malfoy to know the embarrassing situation he was in.
Harry quickened his pace, almost frantically stuffing things into his backpack, wanting Ron and Hercules to help him pick them up.
But when he turned his head, he found the Hercules standing awkwardly in the crowd some distance away.
Clearly, this kind of awkward Nijing soap is something most people can tolerate.
At that moment, Harry had only one thought in his mind: escape as quickly as possible, lest Malfoy hear the Valentine's Day theme music that was about to play. The embarrassment and humiliation were unbearable for him.
However, just as he was about to escape from the city, another familiar voice rang out: "What's all this commotion about?" It was Percy Weasley, and his appearance only made Harry more flustered. He knew that Percy, as a prefect,
He had an almost obsessive pursuit of order in the corridor.
Harry was filled with despair; all he wanted was to escape this embarrassing situation. But just as he was about to flee, the dwarf suddenly grabbed his knees and pulled him hard, causing Harry to fall heavily to the ground.
"Alright," the dwarf said with satisfaction, plopping down on Harry's lap. "Now, here's your Valentine's Day gift with a song:"
As the dwarf finished speaking, he began to strum his harp, and the shrill sound echoed through the corridor once more:
His eyes were as green as freshly pickled toads, and his hair was as black and elegant as a blackboard.
I want him to be mine; he's really arrogant.
He was the brave warrior who conquered the Black Demon.
A wave of embarrassment washed over Harry, and he felt his cheeks burning.
He was almost willing to hand over the Galleons he had in Gringotts, hoping to vanish into thin air during this embarrassing moment without a trace.
However, he knew this was impossible, so he could only grit his teeth and force himself to laugh from the bottom of his heart, trying to make himself look as ridiculous as the people around him.
As Harry stood up, he rubbed his knees vigorously, trying to relieve the pain and numbness he had felt when the dwarf sat on them.
His legs felt weak, as if they were supporting his body weight, but he still tried his best to stand up.
Percy Weasley, the usually stern prefect, now appeared somewhat helpless. He waved for everyone to disperse, signaling that they were about to gather, and shouted loudly, trying to disperse the crowd.
The students around them, some having had enough of the farce, began to disperse; others, however, remained excited, shouting and laughing, seemingly finding the appearance of this little dwarf quite amusing.
Although Harry wore a smile, his heart was filled with bitterness and helplessness:
This Valentine's Day is terrifying!
Sean shouted in his heart.
He spent almost the entire day running around preparing for this unexpected Valentine's Day event. First, he met up with Tonks after breakfast, then he met up with Cho Chang during his morning classes, and finally, he "bumped into" He Qian at the library at noon and asked her out...
The three agreed times were: Father Hercules from 6 to 7 pm, Tonks from 7 to 8 pm, and Cho Chang from 8 to 9 pm.
He meticulously planned his time so that he could seamlessly connect and perfectly complete the "interaction with the Valentine's Day theme" planned by the system.
As for Luna and Susan, he circled around the Hodgson Watts several times but couldn't find any trace of them.
Maybe it's just fate.
Sean sighed inwardly.
That's just how reality is; there will always be a slight gap between reality and ideals.
That's life; you have to learn to accept imperfections.
Just as Sean was sitting at his desk in his office, calming himself down, a soft knock suddenly sounded on the door.
Sean's gaze involuntarily drifted to the clock hanging on the wall.
He rubbed his eyes, carefully checking, and the ticking hands clearly pointed to 5:30, which was still half an hour before the time he and He had agreed upon.
Why is she here so early?!