I Was Actually Reluctant

"Was it my fault that they copied my homework?"

"Was it my fault that the teacher caught them after they copied it?"

"Was it my fault that I admitted I wrote it when the teacher asked who had done the homework?"

"Was I supposed to tell the teacher that I was the one who copied the homework?"

"Did I beg them with tears streaming down my face to copy it?"

"When they ostracized me now, did they forget who kept calling me their best sister when they begged to copy my homework?"

"So why did I have to bear all of this?"

Hermione was brimming with resentment, her cheeks puffed up into a bun-like face. Every time she complained to Lynn, she could not help rolling her eyes.

But Lynn clearly was not seriously listening to the little girl's "heartfelt outpouring." He was carefully studying a spell in the second-year Charms textbook: Tarantella Charm.

This spell was quite interesting. It could make anything with legs dance, even inanimate objects like chairs and tables.

However, the spellbook did not provide detailed instructions for the pronunciation of the incantation or the wand movements, so Lynn did not dare try it lightly.

Professor Foxx had specifically warned him that mistakes while casting spells could sometimes lead to extremely serious consequences, and told him not to overestimate himself.

Lynn's talent for Charms was only two points, merely the level of an ordinary wizard. Even with a spell only slightly more difficult than the Levitation Charm, he could not guarantee that nothing would go wrong when he cast it.

So, for now, his research remained purely theoretical.

Still, he had completed the timed mission to cast a spell on the third day after returning from Diagon Alley.

As mentioned before, some spells truly were not difficult. Their pronunciations and casting gestures were simple. Spells such as the Lumos Charm, Levitation Charm, and Cleaning Charm were easy to learn once one found the feel for their pronunciation and gestures.

Lynn had not spent the one free point rewarded for completing the mission carelessly. For the time being, he had not decided which branch of magic to focus on first, so he would save it for later.

"Mm... yes, so why were you still going to school when summer vacation had already started?"

Lynn flipped through the thick magic book. Although most of his attention was focused on researching spells, he had roughly heard what Hermione was complaining about.

At the mention of this, Hermione's face involuntarily took on a proud expression.

"Because my parents set the goal of having me attend St. Paul's Girls' School. What we learn during ordinary classes is definitely not enough, so of course I have to attend an intensive summer camp during the holidays."

As she spoke, she became angry again. "Who would have thought there would be slackers attending the summer camp too?"

Lynn knew of St. Paul's Girls' School. It could be called Britain's best girls' school, having produced many famous women, with a university admission rate as high as one hundred percent.

Naturally, such a school was not somewhere people who casually embraced "happy education" were qualified to attend. It definitely required genuine ability, along with, more importantly, family background.

The material taught in Western classrooms was extremely limited. Since extracurricular activities took up too much time, what students learned was very superficial.

So what did one do if they wanted to get into a prestigious university?

They had to start working hard from a young age, pile on all kinds of tutoring classes outside school, then test into private secondary schools or elite schools.

Yet tutoring and private teachers were too expensive, and private school tuition was even more expensive. This almost completely cut off the path to higher education for poor and ordinary families, leaving them only rotten public secondary schools and community colleges.

Basically, their fates and the fates of their next generation had already been decided.

Hermione's parents were both dentists. In Western countries, that was a highly respectable profession, and their income placed them solidly in the middle class. Sending her to tutoring classes and having her work hard to enter an elite girls' school was naturally no problem.

As for why there were slacker students in the summer camp she attended, it was likely because the camp was not merely for tutoring. It also offered many opportunities to participate in social welfare activities, and its reputation was fairly well-known internationally.

Some children had poor grades, and their well-off parents would send them to summer camps like this to "gild" their résumés.

Then send them to study in America.

The admissions style there differed from Europe's. They did not place much importance on academic grades, instead requiring children to have sufficient "social experience." The basis for judging that was whether one's child had an impressive enough résumé to move the admissions officers.

For example, Lynn remembered that in his previous life, a student in China had been admitted to the prestigious American University of Rochester because of his fanatical love for instant noodles.

Of course, academic grades could not be too ugly either. At the very least, they had to reach an excellent standard.

"You really did not need to get angry over this. Their goals were different from yours, and so were their future paths. Once the summer camp ended, you would never have any interaction with them again. There was no need to be friends with them. In fact, if they annoyed you, you could even beat them up."

Lynn closed the book and casually dropped a few wheat kernels into Umr's bowl, speaking meaningfully.

"After all, you had superpowers."

By then, Hermione's attention had been drawn to Umr, who had run over to eat the wheat kernels. Her eyes gleamed as she eagerly wanted to touch its soft, smooth fur.

"What difference does that superpower make whether I have it or not? I still don't know how to activate it."

"Squeak."

Just as Hermione's hand reached halfway over, Umr sensed her intentions. Clutching the wheat kernel in its paws warily, it swiftly hopped onto Lynn's shoulder, giving her no chance at all.

"Y-you-you... why is the noise your hamster makes so cute!!!"

Hermione's girlish heart overflowed, and she wished she could immediately scoop Umr into her arms and give it a thorough cuddle.

"Maybe its throat is just damaged. What normal hamster makes noises like that?" Lynn had become so accustomed to fooling the little girl that he could not stop even if he wanted to.

"Then what is that wooden stick you hold every day?"

"Do you know pen spinning? I think this wooden stick is more convenient to spin, and it does a great job training finger dexterity."

As he spoke, the ash wand spun nimbly between Lynn's fingers. If Ollivander knew he was playing with his wand like this, he would probably strangle him.

"And what about these books you're reading? Why do the covers say things like spells and magic?"

"Who hasn't had a chuunibyou phase? What was wrong with reading magic books? You must have fantasized at home about becoming Snow White someday, and having a handsome, dashing prince riding a white horse come marry you, right?"

As though Lynn had struck a nerve, Hermione's cheeks reddened slightly. Embarrassed into anger, she reached for his hair.

"I did not! Don't talk nonsense!"

Laughing loudly, Lynn leaned back to dodge her. He accidentally fell off his chair, while Hermione burst into gleeful laughter at his misfortune.

Lynn had no choice but to fool the little girl like this. He did not know much about the magical world, and he was not sure whether the people prohibited by the Statute of Secrecy from learning about magic included prospective witches like Hermione.

To avoid trouble, he would fool her whenever he could. In any case, once Hermione received her Hogwarts acceptance letter next year, he would naturally no longer have this concern.

Mm... that was right. They had to believe him: Lynn only fooled people because he was forced to. Deep down, he was actually reluctant.

Good night????