Chapter 1080
Request
Chapter 1080 Request
"Yes."
Astoria leaned forward slightly, looked directly at Vader, and said frankly:
“I know your club never publicly recruits, but since you haven’t explicitly rejected outsiders, I’m thinking…”
She bit her lip and mustered her courage to say, "I want to try and see if there's a chance... If not, that's okay too."
Ron let out a soft hum, separated by a wooden partition.
He thought angrily to himself—this girl wasn't like this when she was talking to me! And now, she's acting so nonchalant…
"But……"
Wade glanced at the others, a smile playing on his lips: "SSC isn't some kind of club. It's just a group of friends of mine getting together to study, and then we came up with a name that sounds really cool."
Astoria was slightly taken aback, then dumbfounded.
—Not a club?
So all her hard work in preparing to join, carefully choosing her words, and meticulously figuring out the potential barriers... was it all for nothing?
Astoria overreacted when Ron stopped them earlier because she didn't want to be rejected before even stepping inside because of "academy disputes."
But what about the results?
SSC has no entry requirements or assessments, but it is more difficult than any other assessment.
To join them, you must first become their friend.
However, despite talking to Michael for so long, her sister Daphne didn't become familiar with the other members of SSC, let alone become their friend.
And she was even a student from a different grade and a different college, yet she just barged in and demanded to join... How presumptuous that sounds!
Astoria's face flushed red. She nervously clutched her sleeve, about to get up and leave, when Luna said casually:
"Many clubs and organizations started this way! Like-minded people doing fun things together."
"I had thought about starting a club called the Unicorn Snore Beast Investigation Association, but no one joined."
She shrugged and said regretfully.
“Speaking of which, I’m a little curious.” Theo leaned against a nearby table, his gaze sweeping over the three people before finally settling on Rolf.
He said, "The three of you, a Ravenclaw, a Slytherin, and a Hufflepuff... how did you all end up together?"
Rolf glanced at Luna, his face slightly flushed, and said, "It's...it's because of the maze game! We sometimes team up...and then we gradually got to know each other..."
He looked up at Wade and said, "Luna is amazing; she always finds clues that others miss. Astoria's spells are very precise; she is our commander."
"And what about you?" Michael had just returned to the Umbrella House. He had overheard a short part of what had happened and looked at Rolf with interest, asking, "What's your role in the team?"
"Me?" Rolf was a little embarrassed. "Should I... be considered a logistics soldier?"
“How could that be? You know a lot of things we don’t, and you always notice what everyone needs before we even say a word,” Luna said earnestly.
Astoria nodded, and Rolf blushed even more.
Wader, holding his teacup, asked, "Why do you want to join SSC? Hogwarts has many interesting aspects, and we..."
His gaze swept over the densely packed books and notes on the bookshelf, and he turned to say:
"To be honest, studying is a tough and tiring job—at least for most people."
Astoria opened her mouth, but did not answer for a moment.
“Because there are some very interesting rumors,” Luna said seriously. “Like crowns, secret treasures, the House of Time, and so on. Oh, and there’s also the thousand-year-old wizard who can turn back the clock.”
Wade: "...What?"
He looked completely bewildered, displaying for the first time the same expression other students had when listening to Luna's opinions. Meanwhile, the others around him were trembling with suppressed laughter.
Wade looked around, narrowed his eyes slightly, and determined that the rumors must be related to him.
At this moment, after a brief smile, Astoria finally decided to face the situation honestly.
“I don’t want to be like my parents, bound by the so-called pure-blood stance; nor do I want to be like my sisters, who, just because they are Slytherins, have to act like ‘Slytherins’.”
She spoke softly, and the room immediately fell silent, with everyone's eyes fixed on the blonde girl.
Astoria paused for a moment and said, "I want to live according to my own ideas, I want to take control of my own life... but to do that, you first need to have the ability."
She glanced at her friends, then looked up at Wade and said:
“I learned a lot at the previous spell workshop. But the workshop stopped after the league…”
"The school classes... Professor Longbottom teaches very well."
"But what is taught in the workshops is always based on the most practical applications, so that you can use what you learn to solve problems."
"If there were no workshops, the only place that could give me this kind of rapid improvement opportunity would be SSC."
"Of course, I know SSC has never recruited externally, and I didn't originally intend to make such a presumptuous request. But recently I heard..."
Astoria turned her gaze to Ron and Harry, who emerged from behind the partition wall.
"I heard that SSC has added a new member after a long time, and I was wondering... if there have been any changes... like the Weasley twins are graduating soon, so they're preparing to recruit some new blood..."
Of course, Ron's age doesn't fit the "new blood" concept at all, but isn't he very close to SSC? He's also Fred and George's younger brother.
The saying "being near the water tower gives you an advantage" is quite plausible.
However, if SSC only plans to recruit a small number of people, then after Ron, there won't be many spots left for others, which is why Astoria rushed over.
She feared that if she hesitated even slightly, the opportunity would slip away.
Michael's smile had faded slightly.
He then realized that the three of them were there to join SSC.
Seeing Astoria's slightly apprehensive expression, he found the child quite adorable.
Even though she suspected there might only be one spot left, she didn't abandon Rolf and Luna, who had a better chance than her, and went to knock on the door of the Umbrella House alone.
But on the other hand...
Michael looked at Wade, his eyes questioning.
Astoria took a deep breath and said, "Of course, I'm not just looking to get something from SSC."
"If I could, I would be willing to offer what I can, such as equipment, books, and some ancient alchemical artifacts from my family collection."
“If needed, I will also try my best to provide some help to other members—my father said that a mutually beneficial relationship is more beneficial than one-sided demands.”
The room fell silent.
Everyone seemed to be considering her request, but in reality, they were just waiting for someone to speak up.
(End of this chapter)