Hogwarts: Please, Just Graduate Already!

"This is Cho Chang, a second-year senior from Ravenclaw and the best female Seeker in the school.

Both girls rolled their eyes. Who introduced people like that?

Hermione even pinched Wayne's arm in annoyance.

That nickname had been given to her by Snape. Hermione had hated it at first, but after hearing Wayne say it like that,

she hated it even more.

With a common enemy to unite against, Hermione and Cho quickly became allies, and soon they had gotten to know each other.

Only then did Wayne's thoughts shift, and he summoned Ho-Oh over.

Ever since Ho-Oh had hatched, there had been a faint connection between them. Even across great distances, they could sense each other at any time.

Flames burst into existence, and Ho-Oh flew out of them. That wasn't all. Fawkes, who had been following her since morning, flew out as well.

The two girls' eyes sparkled, and they could barely hold themselves back from moving closer.

Although Wayne thought Ho-Oh looked rather ordinary, in Cho and Hermione's eyes she was

extremely beautiful.

Her gorgeous, silky feathers gave off a faint glow. The entire bird seemed to radiate a sacred aura.

Fawkes was slightly inferior. He seemed close to undergoing rebirth, and his feathers had grown somewhat dull, but he was still full of vitality.

"Where did you run off to play?" Wayne asked softly as he stroked Ho-Oh's feathers. The two birds cried out twice.

"Unicorns?" Wayne's eyes lit up. "How many?"

"Chirp! Chirp!"

"Only three? That's not bad."

Wayne nodded and made up his mind to go take a look when he had the time.

He was a looks-oriented person too. Unicorns, those pure creatures that appeared in all sorts of legends, had piqued his interest.

Seeing that Hermione and Cho were still standing there without moving, Wayne waved them over. "Come here. Ho-Oh is very easygoing, but don't touch her crown.

With his permission, and seeing that Ho-Oh did not seem opposed, the two girls finally moved

up close and examined her carefully, even taking out the snacks they had prepared earlier.

Wayne also took some dittany leaves and Ashwinder eggs from his pocket. "Feed her this. Phoenixes all like medicinal herbs and fire-element materials. Dumbledore gave these to me just now, so I might as well offer them to you."

Ho-Oh and Fawkes obediently ate while Cho and Hermione cautiously reached out to stroke Ho-Oh's feathers.

Their eyes narrowed happily. It's so warm and comfortable.

"By the way, Dumbledore has already allowed you to live in the Forbidden Forest," Wayne instructed Ho-Oh. "If you want to play, don't go too far. Remember to help heal anyone who gets injured.

The "playing" he referred to naturally meant fighting monsters and leveling up.

The Forbidden Forest had its own food chain. If Ho-Oh acted too recklessly, she would disrupt its balance. "Chirp! Chirp!"

Ho-Oh raised her head proudly and flapped her wings twice, as if to say, Don't worry. I've got this.

Wayne was speechless.

Hopefully, she won't cause any trouble.

"Wayne, why does Ho-Oh have a crown on her head, but Fawkes doesn't?" Hermione suddenly asked.

"Because my phoenix is a king, and Fawkes isn't." "Show-off."

"You'll know when the time comes."

After eating and drinking their fill, the two birds flew away contentedly, and Hermione and Cho were satisfied as well.

At that moment, Hermione asked, "You said during class that you wanted to talk to me about something. What is it?" Cho glanced at the two of them. "Then I'll leave first."

"No need." Wayne waved his hand. "Even if you hadn't come today, I would have needed your help."

Cho grew interested. "I can help you?"

In her eyes, Wayne was exceptionally talented, had mastered Wandless Casting, had bought a Nimbus 2000 in his first year, and was not short of money.

She truly couldn't think of anything Wayne would need her help with.

Wayne pulled two sheets of thick parchment from his bag, handing one to Hermione and the other to Cho.

"I'm planning to start a small business. I don't need to worry about Hufflepuff, but I'll need helpers for the other houses." "What is this?"

Cho's sheet had sky-blue patterns, and the animal had been changed into an eagle spreading its wings.

"Tap it with your wand."

The two girls did as he said. A blot of ink suddenly appeared on the blank parchment, then rapidly spread until it became a map.

"Is this a map of Hogwarts Castle?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"That's right, but it's more than just a map. As long as you're inside the castle, you can observe your own location and the real-time movement patterns of the staircases."

Cho's curiosity was piqued too. "It's that amazing?"

Wayne shrugged. "You'll never know until you try."

The three of them returned to the castle, and sure enough, a marker appeared on the map for each of them.

Wayne was a badger, Hermione was a lion, and Cho was an eagle. As they moved, the icons moved as well.

When they reached the stairs, Hermione compared them with the map. The movement patterns of the stairs were exactly the same as those displayed on it.

When they were about to step onto that violent staircase, a warning even appeared on the map, advising them not to run or stomp heavily.

"That's incredible." Cho exclaimed in amazement, then looked at Wayne. "You made this?"

"Of course." Wayne was somewhat proud. "I spent an entire week researching it."

Cho cooperatively applauded. "Wayne, you're amazing. With this map, I'll never be late again."

Hermione fell silent.

She had been studying incredibly hard lately, all so she could catch up with Wayne. But after looking at this map, she felt a little desperate. How could anyone possibly catch up to a monster like him?

Chapter Fifty-One: Cho, You Don't Want Your House to Lose to Hufflepuff, Do You?

Filled with intense curiosity, Cho and Hermione walked up and down around the stairs. Even Filch was alerted.

But since the three of them were merely taking a normal walk and had not violated any school rules, he could only follow them suspiciously for a while before leaving unwillingly.

What surprised Cho and Hermione even more was this:

When Filch appeared in a corridor, a marker appeared on the map as well.

"How did you do that?" Cho asked in surprise.

"Marking Magic and Tracking Charm, Dynamic Display, and some knowledge of Potions."

"You put a spell on Filch?" Hermione instinctively frowned.

"Don't make it sound so bad." Wayne spread his hands. "I didn't invade his privacy. Didn't you notice that his name doesn't appear unless he's in a corridor or the Great Hall?"

In reality, it was simply because Wayne's skills were lacking. He could only cover too small an area at once. Wayne had also drawn inspiration from the Marauder's Map, though his method of creation was somewhat different.

Although he didn't know the exact principles behind the Marauder's Map, after studying for so long, Wayne could roughly make out some of them.

He couldn't help admiring Harry's Father and Sirius Black from the bottom of his heart.

Their character had been poor when they were students, but their talent had indeed been impressive. The essence of the Marauder's Map was a contract.

Those fellows had certainly found Hogwarts' magical core, or perhaps the Book of Acceptance.

Every student who graduated from Hogwarts would leave behind a trace of themselves, allowing them to appear on the map.

Wayne, meanwhile, was only a newcomer who had just entered the Wizarding World. He couldn't reach that level.

His budget version of the Marauder's Map used a combination of Tracking Charm and Marking Magic to display people on the map at the appropriate times.

Although Cho came from Ravenclaw, she wasn't interested in these things. Hermione, on the other hand, pestered Wayne with questions for quite a while.

She only stopped after realizing that she could no longer understand him.

"So you're planning to sell these maps?" The little witch toyed with the map, clearly unable to put it down.

"Yes, and this isn't the only kind of map. There are three versions in total."

"You two have the Promax Edition."

As Wayne spoke, he took several more maps from his pocket. Hermione and Cho both stared at that pocket.

From snacks at the beginning to maps later, how much could that tiny space possibly hold?

They had to have been cast with the Undetectable Extension Charm.

Both little witches had reached the same conclusion, but neither said it aloud. They continued listening to Wayne's introduction.

"The Standard Edition only has the map function and the movement patterns of the stairs."

"The Pro Edition has positioning and route planning. You can set the fastest and easiest route to your destination."

"As for the version you're holding, it's the Promax Edition. It has all the functions mentioned above, and most importantly, it can also locate Filch and Mrs. Norris."

Hermione opened her mouth slightly.

He had managed to make so many tricks out of a single map. Just how was Wayne's brain built?

The two girls tested the other two versions separately. Just as Wayne had said, the Pro Edition only required tapping the destination with a wand to plot a route, making it incredibly convenient.

Aside from their functions, the three maps also looked different in quality. The Standard Edition was just simple parchment, albeit somewhat thicker. The Pro Edition bore each house's insignia and was decorated with beautiful patterns. As for the Promax Edition, Wayne had made it with great care, using the Drawing Mastery he had once obtained. It looked high-end and luxurious.

"Is there an even more advanced version?"

"Of course." Wayne rubbed his hands together, grinning happily. "Above that is the Custom Edition for VIP Clients. What do you think, Miss Granger? Interested?"

"Er." Hermione paused. Seeing Wayne's reaction, she asked tentatively, "How much do these maps cost?"

"The Standard Edition is five Sickles, the Pro Edition is one Galleon, and the Promax Edition is ten Galleons."

"That expensive?" Hermione blurted out, then felt she had been too abrupt and hurriedly added, "The Standard Edition isn't expensive, but the other two are they really..."

"I think it's reasonable," Cho suddenly said. "If I could exchange one Galleon for a map like this, I'd hesitate, but I'd ultimately buy it."

"Why?" Hermione asked, puzzled. "You're already in your second year. You should have memorized all the routes by now, shouldn't you?"

"It's not that simple." Cho smiled bitterly. "In fact, I was late twice last week. The school staircases are really too difficult to memorize. It's easy to take a wrong turn, and it takes a lot of effort."

"Are they really that difficult?" Miss Granger still looked doubtful. Wayne stared at her helplessly.

Does she really think everyone has a memory as powerful as hers?

Forget Cho—even those older students who had been at Hogwarts for years often took the wrong routes. Even after graduating, they still couldn't recognize every path.

"All right. Since you both feel that way..." Hermione could only accept their point of view. "How do you need us to help?"

"It's simple." Wayne smiled. "Tomorrow, when you attend class, go with your friends or roommates and use the map to guide you. Let them see how it works.

"If they ask questions, explain it to them. "For every map sold, I can give you thirty percent."

"I don't want your money." Cho shook her head. "You just said you were asking for my help. If I take money, won't this become an employer-employee relationship?"

"It's just a small matter. Leave it to me." Hermione also spoke seriously. "Exactly. It's nothing important."

"Once the promotion is over, I'll return the map to you." "I can't afford ten Galleons."

"Don't reject me so quickly." Wayne reassured them. "This is a collaboration in the first place, so splitting the profits is only fair. Hermione, you should understand the principle of distribution according to work."

"As for you, Cho, you're the only Ravenclaw student I know. Without your help, I'll sell at least one-third fewer maps. So you can accept this money with a clear conscience."

Cho still wanted to refuse, but Wayne suddenly covered her mouth. A mischievous smile appeared at the corner of the boy's lips as he spoke softly:

"Cho, you don't want your house to lose to Hufflepuff, do you?"

"If you agree, you can earn enough to buy a Nimbus 2000 yourself~"

Looking at the handsome, flawless face so close to hers, Cho's heart began pounding, and a blush spread across her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Miss Know-it-all was already furious. "What are you two doing?!"

Chapter Fifty-Two: Celestia's Mysterious Shop Is Open!

In the end, Wayne accomplished his goal.

The two girls both agreed to his profit-sharing arrangement and took the maps back to their dormitories. That guy was too wicked, constantly tempting them with their weak points. Cho really did want to earn a better broom through her own efforts, while Hermione wanted to buy more books.

The library only allowed her to borrow one book at a time, and some books even required her to wait in line. It simply couldn't satisfy Hermione's needs.

The two girls eventually succumbed to the temptation of Galleons.

And of course, they didn't need to return the two maps. Wayne had given them to the girls as welcome gifts for joining the business.

After all that commotion, Hermione had originally wanted to tell Wayne about Harry's planned duel with Malfoy and ask his opinion, but she ended up forgetting.

With piles of Galleons right in front of them, who had time to worry about some brat? The next day.

Hermione unexpectedly didn't get up early.