A Bold Idea

Saturday, December 17.

Loren and Hermione were taking a walk around the lake. The Black Lake was calm on a winter afternoon, and the slightly chilly air they breathed in helped to dispel the drowsiness that had crept in after lunch.

Black Lake has frozen over, with a layer of ice forming on the rocks along the shore.

"Crack, crack..."

The sound of the chocolate shell being bitten sounds like ice cracking.

Loren pressed the nut against his front teeth with his tongue, took a bite, and cleanly sliced it open, a wonderful sense of satisfaction rising in his heart.

"Loren."

"Um?"

"When exactly are you planning to give me the dress?" Hermione glanced at the Dolphin Pendant around his neck, wondering if it contained the box from the Twilfitt and Tatting's she had been longing for. Given his habit of piling everything up in there, that was highly likely.

Her eyes turned somewhat dangerous.

Loren stepped back two paces, avoiding her dangerous gaze, placed his hand on the little Witch's shoulder, and pushed her forward. "Don't be sad, don't be impatient, if life deceives you..."

"But what deceived me wasn't life, it was that bastard Loren Morgan."

Hermione's voice was soft and her expression was resentful. He had indeed calmed her down after making such a fuss.

Loren chuckled and pushed the girl forward on the slippery ice, "Want to hear the bad guy's ideas on Flying Spell based on the Levitation Charm?"

Hermione stood with her feet together and her shoulders slightly tilted back, gliding along like an ice skater. She tried to suppress the smile that was creeping up her lips, but she couldn't.

She had absolutely no way to deal with this person.

"You're changing the subject again, I don't want to hear it."

The girl's voice had become more charming.

"There are many common methods of flight in the Wizarding World, from Flying Carpet to flying brooms..."

A few dozen meters to the right, a group of young wizards were practicing the Patronus Charm. Their school could be identified by the color of their robes. A group of Ilvermorny and Beauxbatons surrounded two Hufflepuff students, probably asking them about the secrets of the Patronus Charm. Gravis and Phoebe were there, but none of Durmstrang's people were present.

The tip of the staff drew out wisps of silvery-white light, which quickly dissipated in the howling cold wind.

The Witch Bute Ilvermorny looked at Gravis with surprise, sniffed, and began practicing again with renewed fighting spirit.

People noticed the strange couple and kept glancing at them.

Castle Great Hall.

Ginny brushed the snowflakes off her shoulders and led Gabrielle through the Entrance Hall. Because she was too young, and because some people in Beauxbatons had a lot of complaints about her older sister, the little girl had never made any friends, so Ginny had gotten used to playing with her.

During afternoon tea time, the four Head of House tables were filled with an overly sweet aroma, along with the crunching sounds of biscuits and pastries being bitten.

Brightly colored macarons are a favorite among girls, but after eating them, they can't help but complain that they are too greasy, and sadly lament that the dresses they prepared before the start of school no longer fit.

Boys prefer donuts covered in frosting. The fat and carbohydrates stimulate the brain to release enough Dopamine. This primal satisfaction allows them to open up and chat with friends about their dream dance partner. Hormones and adrenaline accelerate their heartbeats.

Harry and Ron, who had been struggling to find dance partners, were among them.

Ginny, carrying two glasses of Pumpkin Juice, hesitated for a few seconds at the end of the Gryffindor table before quietly leading Gabrielle to sit next to Ron.

She was a Weasley family child, so it was only natural for her to sit next to her brother.

Ginny handed the Pumpkin Juice to Gabrielle and then stuffed a donut into her mouth. Holding the cup, she looked down and secretly glanced to the side, listening intently.

"...I'm telling you, buddy, we need to speed things up, or all the good girls will be picked." Ron said in a low voice.

"Yes..." Harry said with a worried look, "But who should we invite?"

He had actually had the urge to invite Cho Chang, but it was only a fleeting thought. Loren's words echoed in his ears, and when he thought about how Cho Chang was already with Cedric, he quickly put the idea out of his mind.

Ron muttered what he'd heard from elsewhere, "Loren and Hermione, Rolf and Luna, and Neville and Hannah of Hufflepuff have teamed up, which is hardly surprising... Seamus and Dean are still unsure, but they definitely have someone in mind."

Harry was also doing his own investigation. "We don't know the people from other houses, but they definitely can't be from Slytherin. The older girls are much taller than me, and I'd be laughed at if they danced..."

"Of course, a pretty girl would be better... Eloise Midgen, she has more acne than I have freckles..."

"It would be best if he were proficient in Quidditch, so at least he could talk to me for the rest of the Yule Ball ..." A figure flashed through Harry's mind. He paused for a moment, then tentatively looked at Ron. "What do you think about me inviting Ginny?"

Ginny, who was not far away, suddenly choked on a mouthful of Pumpkin Juice, but she used great patience to hold back her cough and slowly swallowed it back.

Gabrielle looked at her with a puzzled expression as she covered her mouth, her face turning bright red.

"Huh?" Ron grinned. "Harry, are you kidding me?"

Harry chuckled awkwardly, a strange mix of guilt and nervousness creeping in, and quickly changed the subject. "I just suddenly remembered I could ask some younger girls to be my dance partner, what do you think..."

"That's a good idea..."

"..."

Ginny stared blankly at the glass of Pumpkin Juice in her hand.

Life's ups and downs come too quickly; they're incredibly exciting.

I wonder if this porcelain cup could smash Ron's head...

Gabrielle blinked at Ginny; her new friend's facial expressions were so rich that she wanted to take a picture of them.

Just as a fratricidal murder was about to occur, footsteps sounded again near the long table.

Ginny turned her head and looked over. When she saw Hermione walking from the Entrance Hall, her eyes welled up with tears. She stared intently at her only friend who knew her secret thoughts.

Hermione approached.

Harry and Ron saw it too. Harry asked, somewhat puzzled, "Hermione, you're back from practicing magic? Why didn't Loren come back with you? Did you slip and fall because your robes are covered in mud?"

Hermione pursed her lips.

Ron waved his hand and excitedly called out, "Hermione, come and analyze this for us! Harry and I were talking about inviting someone to dance... Ha, you have no idea what Harry just said! He actually wanted to invite Ginny to dance! How is that possible? This is hilarious!"

Hermione paused for a moment, her lips twitching slightly from the cold wind, before turning to look at Ginny beside her.

Ginny looked at her, her face full of grievance.

Loren leaned against a thick beech tree by the lake, his magic robe bearing the marks of dried mud.

He fell into deep thought.

It's strange, why did Hermione fall in front of him, but he became the cushion underneath?

The group of young wizards practicing the Patronus Charm hadn't left yet, but thankfully they didn't see the wrestler's disheveled appearance.

Speaking of which, the Black Lake is indeed a common place to practice magic. Spellcasting is prohibited in the corridors and courtyards of Hogwarts Castle. In the past, young wizards often went to Abandoned Classroom to practice magic. However, facing the stone walls and floors protected by Ancient Magic and Alchemy, even seventh-year students would not get any reaction when they threw spells at them, making the practice tedious and boring.

Ever since Professor Flitwick explained the importance of basic charms in his open class at the Charms Club, the students have been frequently practicing magic by the Black Lake. The feedback from the fish and the splashes of water is quite interesting...

Forget about frying fish, I heard that some unknown male Gryffindor wizard foolishly threw Blasting Curse into the lake and got splashed with water by Giant Squid and Mermaid several times.

Loren knew without a doubt that the student's surname Finnigan, but whether he did it on purpose was anyone's guess.

When practicing spells, it's normal for minor accidents to happen.

Loren withdrew his gaze and began to ponder his Flying Spell.

From Flying Carpet to flying brooms, from Thestral to Hippogriff, and even the avian Animagus... numerous examples show that flying is not a difficult task for wizards.

However, as Ancient Magic has evolved to the present day, no one has yet summarized a universally applicable Flying Spell, which involves many factors, such as the high difficulty of practice and the high risk involved...

Headmaster Dumbledore once displayed Flying Spell in the Albanian Forest, traveling through Apparition at will, almost without any trace of it.

When the second-year students entered the underground pipes of the Chamber of Secrets of Secrets, Professor McGonagall demonstrated Flying Spell, which was derived from the summoning of Transfiguration. It was precise and meticulous in its use, but not very convenient.

Snape's Flying Spell was very strange, seemingly inspired by bats and Vampire, and he could reach maximum speed with the help of his cloak.

I've heard that the Death Eater also have a Flying Spell that turns them into Grey Mist, which is very conspicuous, but I've never seen Professor Snape use it.

Loren remembered most clearly and felt most directly the fact that Professor Flitwick had demonstrated the improved Flying Spell using the Levitation Charm, and he had personally experienced it when learning Apparition.

Lightweight and agile, it can be controlled with ease.

Most importantly, he could only understand the last type of flight.

Applying Levitation Charm to clothing and accessories allows the body to escape the constraints of gravity and rise into the air, where one can then address the problem of moving without any leverage. This falls under the category of Summoning Charm.

Loren cleared his mind and stretched out his arms.

"Whoosh..."

A slight Magic Power caused his robes and shoes to vibrate, and Loren's body slowly lifted off the ground.

The feeling of stepping into the air and losing weight caused his center of gravity to tilt slightly, but not to the point of complete imbalance. Loren was now unable to control himself flexibly, and could only hover and move stiffly a few inches off the ground, with all turns being stiff right angles.

This was quite different from what he had envisioned for flying; turning and speed were both problems, and it was even less efficient than when he transformed into an owl and flew with his wings.

"Crack, crack..."

With his hard-soled leather shoes crunching on the snow, Loren heard a series of footsteps approaching. He made sure he landed steadily and turned to look.

Phoebe Delacour, dressed in a light blue robe, stood beneath a beech tree. Her silver hair reached her waist, and her emerald eyes gleamed with a faint silver light. She smiled and nodded, "Phoebe Delacour, Beauxbatons."

"Loren Morgan, Hogwarts, Gryffindor House." Loren glanced into the distance; most of the students practicing the Patronus Charm had left, leaving only Gravis and a girl Bute Butt.

"I recognize you. Thank you so much for taking care of Gabrielle." Like Gabrielle, her accent became a little strange when she spoke long sentences. "This time, all the students who came were upperclassmen, and with my election to become Champion, Gabrielle was all alone. Thank you for asking Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood to take care of her."

"You should thank Ron, Ron Weasley, or more precisely, he's the one who got Ginny to take care of your sister," Loren said.

Phoebe smiled faintly and did not continue the topic, "Mr. Morgan, your control over Magic Power is very exquisite, and your control over the Levitation Charm and Summoning Charm at the same time is admirable... However, my grandmother once told me that flying requires not only Magic Power, but also feeling the call of the earth while being close to the sky."

"You can fly?"

Phoebe's expression froze for a moment. "I don't know how yet."

"Then what's the point of saying all this..." Loren immediately became disgusted. "Did you need something from me? If not, I'm going back to the Castle."

Phoebe's smile became somewhat forced. She hesitated for a few seconds before tentatively asking, "I'd like to know, what is your relationship with Madam Maxime?"

Loren's eyes flickered slightly, but he replied calmly, "It's alright, I've never seen you before."

Seeing Loren's expression, Phoebe lifted her robe, curtsied, and said, "Alright, I'm sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Morgan, goodbye."

Loren watched her leave, then shook his head and returned to the Castle.

It seems that I'll be better suited to practice at the Room of Requirement in the future.

Did Maxime, Nicol, ever mention himself to her?

Probably not...

In the Great Hall, Ron gritted his teeth in anger.

That wretched Hermione! I asked her for advice on inviting a dance partner, and she didn't even help. I kindly shared some funny jokes with her, and she actually mocked me and even called Harry and Ginny away. How infuriating!

Who wouldn't want a beautiful dance partner who's willing to accept them?

If Loren wasn't good-looking, would they have been together since first grade?

Ah, of course Harry and Ginny couldn't be dance partners.

What reason is needed for this?

Ron ate his donuts and drank a large glass of Pumpkin Juice until his throat felt cloyingly sweet. He slowly expelled all the gas in his stomach with a burp and his mind gradually calmed down.

Hermione called Harry and Ginny away; could they really become dance partners?

Does that mean he's the only one who can't find a dance partner?

Ron felt his stomach starting to bloat again.

"Elder sister!"

The girl sitting next to me exclaimed in surprise and jumped up, running towards the Great Hall entrance.

"Gabrielle's sister?"

Ron's gaze followed the little girl as she ran toward the door, watching the radiant Veela Half-blood Witch pull the girl into her arms.

Her long, silver hair moved without wind, and her emerald eyes seemed to hold all the candles in the Great Hall and the starry sky in the dome. She was beautiful, with slender arms, long legs, a graceful waist, and an elegant figure.

Ron suddenly had a bold idea.

So, working overtime, being late...

I bow to my dear readers.