An Unimagined Path

At 7:30 a. m., the corridor on the Seventh Floor was quiet.

A layer of clear morning light shone through the high window, illuminating the Tapestry depicting Barnabas training the Troll.

In the Tapestry, the Troll carrying a huge wooden club is lying on the grass, snoring.

A soft "click" sounded.

The smooth stone wall directly opposite the Tapestry suddenly changed, revealing a heavy Oak door that opened inwards.

Cordelia was the first to step out the door.

She wore a well-tailored Slytherin Robes with silver-green trim, and her long, silver-gold hair cascaded smoothly down her shoulders.

Facing the cool morning breeze in the corridor, the girl raised her arms and stretched languidly with a cheerful expression.

You slept so well.

Then, she seemed to remember something.

Cordelia turned around, looked at the half-open door, a mischievous smile appearing in her eyes, and waved her hand through the crack in the door:

"Come out already, don't be shy."

There was silence inside the door for a full three seconds.

Then, a series of slightly hesitant footsteps sounded.

The door was opened, and a slender, tall figure slowly walked out from behind it.

The morning sunlight fell on that person.

Her long, smooth, jet-black hair cascaded straight down her shoulders and back, reaching her waist, making her face appear even more pale and jade-like.

The sharp angles of his thirteen-year-old eyes softened under the influence of the drug, transforming into clean, sharp lines, with a high nose bridge and pale red lips.

Although she was still wearing that slightly oversized Hufflepuff black Robes, the way it draped loosely over her young frame gave her an aura of aloofness that kept strangers at bay.

Especially those jet-black eyes.

She stepped out the door, raised her eyelids and glanced around the empty Seventh Floor corridor, then casually raised her slender, white fingers and tucked a strand of black hair that had fallen across her forehead behind her ear.

There was neither shyness nor panic.

Those dark eyes were calm and undisturbed, exuding a sense of detachment that seemed to have seen through the world and disregarded everything.

Being swept by that gaze made even the draft blowing in through the high windows of the corridor feel a bit colder.

Cordelia held her breath, seemingly stunned by the other person's appearance, and stood there staring at him for several seconds.

The next second, the girl's silver-gray eyes suddenly lit up.

She cheerfully stepped forward, reached out with both hands, pinched the other person's pale, thin cheeks, and gently pulled them to the sides:

"This is so cute!"

The aloof and icy aura that had just been established shattered on the spot.

A faint blush rose to Gavin's fair earlobes.

He raised his right hand and gently brushed away Cordelia's mischievous little hand, his clear, cold voice tinged with a hint of helplessness:

"I'll forgive you this time, but you're not allowed to do it again."

"Okay, whatever you say."

Cordelia withdrew her hand, readily agreeing and nodding her head obediently like a chick pecking at rice.

As for next time?

We'll talk about it next time~

The 500-page "Gavin Gu Personal Freedom Guarantee Contract" has already been signed in black and white; she is now the rightful party to the contract.

Moreover, Gavin is clearly still feeling guilty and hasn't retaliated against her.

You know, last time in Romania, she was knocked unconscious.

Seeing that Gavin was just rubbing his cheek and didn't retaliate, Cordelia became even bolder.

She took the opportunity to step forward and hold Gavin's slightly cool hand, leaned close to him, and naturally stretched out her arm to pull him into her embrace. With her other hand, she Splinching his bangs that she had just messed up.

However, the slender body in her arms was as stiff as a board.

Gavin turned his head, looking at her with a questioning expression:

What are you doing?

"I've always wanted a little sister," Cordelia answered matter-of-factly, "And now it's finally come true."

Gavin sneered, glancing at her sideways:

"It's not like you have a younger brother."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Gavin's heart skipped a beat.

No, he seems to have said something wrong.

Cordelia does indeed have a cousin.

Years ago, her uncle's family was captured from the manor by the Aurors for following Voldemort, and her cousin and younger cousin were taken away with them.

However, when he went to Azkaban last year, he went through the entire prison's inmate list but couldn't find a single person with the surname Rowle.

It wasn't until summer vacation when he asked Mr. Rowle about it that Mr. Rowle told them the truth.

After her uncle's case came to light, Cordelia's aunt, who had broken with her family for the sake of Pure-blood glory, intervened halfway and rescued her uncle's family. The family members then disappeared without a trace.

Realizing he had inadvertently touched on a sore spot in her family, Gavin's expression stiffened slightly, and he was about to try to salvage the situation:

I didn't mean to --

I have a younger brother.

Cordelia interrupted him abruptly, tilting her head back, her silver-grey eyes curving into two beautiful crescent moons, and patted his shoulder:

"Isn't that you, my silly little brother?"

Gavin opened his mouth, but the words he was about to say got stuck in his throat.

Seeing this, Cordelia tightened her grip on his arm with satisfaction, rested her chin gently on his thin shoulder, and sighed with a smile:

"I'm so happy! Now I have a younger brother and a younger sister!"

Gavin turned his head to look at the girl's profile, which was so close to his face.

He could tell, of course, that she was deliberately making jokes to avoid making him feel guilty for a thoughtless remark.

After a two-second silence, Gavin didn't rush to pull his hand back; instead, his voice softened slightly:

"I didn't mean to just now."

"Um--"

The little head on my shoulder nuzzled me gently.

Cordelia's playful smile gradually faded, replaced by a very light, yet unusually serious, smile.

"It's okay, I know."

She released his hand, and they stood side by side in the sunlit corridor, her silver-grey eyes clear and calm.

"I used to think that as long as I stayed in my hospital room and didn't think about it, those terrible things would disappear."

"You taught me to face life head-on and not to constantly run away from it."

Cordelia turned her head and gave him a serious, smiling smile:

"So, once I have a lead, I'll go find them myself."

Tell them they were wrong, but I miss them.

Gavin glanced at her quietly, a slight stirring deep within him.

That little girl who once huddled in the pure white ward of St. Mungo's's Hospital, never daring to mention her family, has truly grown up completely.

"Yes, I'll stay with you."

Cordelia was even more pleased to hear this.

"Let's go," the girl Gavin again. "Let's go get breakfast."

Gavin responded with a smile, turned around, and started walking towards the stairwell.

They had only taken two steps.

Gavin suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He lowered his head, covered his lower abdomen with his right hand, and his handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Cordelia's smile vanished instantly.

The instinct of a frightened bird, honed by twenty-one days of tending to Gavin's bedside, made her rush forward to support Gavin's elbow, her voice instantly tense:

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Didn't you say last night that the pain would stop after the prescription was changed? Are there any other side effects?"

Gavin stood still, taking two breaths before gently shaking his head.

However, he did not loosen his grip on his stomach.

He kept his head down, staring intently at his stomach, his expression extremely strange.

Seeing that his complexion was rosy and his breathing was steady, with no signs of gagging or cramping, Cordelia's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled down.

Then, her gaze followed Gavin's line of sight downwards and landed on the hand he was pressing against his lower abdomen.

In the quiet corridor, Cordelia stared at his belly for a long time.

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something.

The girl's silver-gray eyes widened little by little.

Could it be that...?

She suddenly gasped, raised her hands and covered her mouth tightly, the sound leaking out from between her fingers:

"You're not pregnant, are you?"

The air froze for two seconds.

"Ah?"

Gavin slowly raised his head.

With his aloof, icy face, he rolled his eyes at Cordelia in a perfectly executed and beautiful gesture:

"What kind of nonsense is this?"

"Isn't that right?"

Cordelia blinked her long eyelashes, lowered her hand from her mouth, and adopted an extremely serious academic expression, solemnly counting on her fingers:

"That's how it's written in the books. The male and female protagonists sleep in the same bed, and when they turn the page, they have a baby."

At this point, she tilted her head, pointed a finger at her chin, and began to seriously consider the issue of family ethics:

"Is this my baby? After it's born, should it call me Dad or Mom?"

Was the baby kicking you just now?

Cordelia leaned closer, pressing her head against Gavin's stomach.

Let me hear it.

"Stop reading those trashy novels."

Gavin, unable to bear it any longer, raised his right hand and slapped her smooth forehead, pushing her head away half a foot.

"It has nothing to do with the baby, it's Magic."

Cordelia was pushed back a little, covered her forehead in annoyance, and then blinked blankly:

"Magic? What's wrong with Magic?"

Gavin withdrew his hand from his lower abdomen, raised his head to look at the wall that had just disappeared, and a glint of disbelief flashed in his dark eyes:

"My Magic is starting to grow again."

The heavy Oak Doors of the Room of Requirement closed behind us once more.

Gavin didn't even bother to take off his Hufflepuff Robes. He quickly walked to the bedside, sat down, leaned back against the headboard, closed his eyes, and focused his attention deep into his mind.

Although he had sensed the Magic activity in the corridor, his breath hitched slightly when he actually saw the scene in the Consciousness Space.

The familiar Alaya Consciousness River beneath my feet has now expanded to more than twice its original width on both sides.

Gavin stood there stunned for two seconds, then tried to measure the distance by taking steps in the void.

It's not an illusion.

If the river channel in male form is likened to a four-lane road, then in female form it has been widened to an eight-lane road, two-way, with an emergency lane, a non-motorized vehicle lane, and a sightseeing walkway.

When he was experimenting with Polyjuice Potion in his second year, he discovered that changes in body shape could affect a wizard's Magic tendencies.

But ultimately, Polyjuice Potion are just another product wrapped in someone else's outer shell.

However, the Biphasic Transformation Potion used his own body as a base, and through some magical medicinal properties, directly brought out the hidden side of this body.

No wonder Cordelia in the parallel world was able to temporarily slow down the deterioration of the Obscurus when she became "Daiya".

He didn't understand before, but now he does.

It turns out that besides changing identities to avoid negative emotions, this dual-body transformation itself can expand one's talents and directly increase the body's capacity to absorb Magic.

This isn't some kind of Gender-Change Potions at all.

It's practically a talent enhancer.

He had never thought of it this way before, simply assuming that psychological changes between men and women helped control the Obscurus Cordelia of the other world.

His Lia was truly his lucky star.

If it weren't for her sudden inspiration last night, a normal person like him, even if he stared at this bottle of medicine for a hundred years, would never have thought to try it himself.

What truly captivated Gavin's attention were the changing Whirlpool above the river.

At this moment, a very distinct layer appeared on the outermost edge of both vortices.

The white and black Magic that had been drawn up from the wide river overnight did not directly merge into the original two Whirlpools, but instead condensed into a faint halo around the outer edge of each Whirlpool.

Gavin observed intently for a moment, and soon an idea came to mind.

The two Whirlpool, one black and one white, within his body were accumulated little by little using the Magic power of his male body in the past.

After drinking the potion last night and transforming into a woman, the Magic newly drawn from the Alaya Consciousness River seems to have naturally acquired different properties.

Because male and female Magic originate from different sources, the newly absorbed Magic cannot be directly incorporated into the existing Whirlpool. Instead, it first gathers into a layered halo around the Whirlpool, and then, as the Whirlpool rotates, it gradually transforms into Magic of the same origin, which is then absorbed by both Whirlpool.

The strange feeling I had in the corridor just now was a reaction caused by the outer halo slowly transforming and penetrating into the Whirlpool.

Only--

Gavin's gaze shifted to the point where the two Whirlpool met, and his brows furrowed slightly.

The outer white halo was gradually transforming into the same source of Magic and merging into the white vortex on the right.

The small portion of Magic that had just been transformed and dissipated from the edge of the white vortex was still drifting to the left by an invisible force, where it was sucked in and devoured by the five-story-high black Whirlpool.

As long as the black vortex continues to intercept, even if the woman accumulates an extra layer of Magic, a little of it will be absorbed by the black vortex, and the white vortex will still not be able to accumulate enough Magic beyond its limit to settle.

How can we shut Obscurus up?

Gavin's gaze returned to the Obscurus black halo, and a sudden inspiration flashed in his mind.

Etc.

The reason he failed to seal the vortex last night with Newt's Sealing Charm was because he was using male Magic of the same origin, which was instantly melted by the vortex as nourishment.

But what about now?

Even the Magic that the black vortex itself draws up from the river cannot be immediately absorbed; it must first be separated by a layered halo around it.

Since the female body Magic of different origins naturally has a barrier between it and the original Whirlpool, what if he directly mobilized the female body Magic that had not yet been transformed, and then used Newt's Sealing Charm to fix it and prevent it from transforming into Magic of the same origin?

As soon as the thought arose, Gavin immediately mobilized the Magic of female magic that had just been generated and, following the sealing technique Newt had taught him, spread it along the outermost layer of light halo of the black Whirlpool.

The thin sealing membrane quickly closed, enveloping the entire five-story-high black vortex along with its outer halo.

One second.

Two seconds.

Five seconds passed.

Gavin's eyes lit up.

The Sealing Charm, which would have melted and been swallowed up even if it hadn't lasted a single breath last night, was now tightly wedged against the boundary of the layered structure.

Because their souls share the same origin, the Black Vortex did not suffer a violent backlash due to the stimulation of external Magic.

Furthermore, because the nature of the female's Magic is different, and the conversion process is locked by the Sealing Charm, the black vortex has no way to assimilate and absorb this membrane.

As the black vortex was completely sealed by this "alien membrane," the wisps of Magic from the white vortex on the right, drifting towards the black vortex, immediately ceased.

Without the black vortex feeding on it, and as the outer white halo gradually transformed and merged into it, the mist inside the white Whirlpool on the right finally began to thicken visibly.

However, Gavin quickly realized the current progress.

Although the white Whirlpool has stopped leaking air, it is still a long way from truly collapsing and settling towards the center.

The reason is simple--

In her female form, the Alaya Consciousness River beneath her feet expanded by a full two times, and her body's capacity to contain Magic also doubled.

The extra halo that accumulated last night after a good night's sleep and this morning's effort is negligible compared to the doubled capacity of today, far from reaching the level of "overcapacity overflow".

If he wants the white vortex to settle inward due to exceeding its limits, like Gavin in the parallel world, he first needs to completely fill the more than double capacity in his female form.

Fortunately, the mouth of the black vortex has now been sealed off by a membrane, so it will no longer be able to intercept things from the side.

As long as he concentrates on Meditation and accelerates the absorption of Magic from the wide river, he will eventually be able to fill up this doubled limit.

"Shall we try cultivating now?"

With this in mind, Gavin was full of energy.

He immediately cleared his mind of distractions, entered a Meditation state, and guided the Magic on the river surface to accelerate its flow into the outer halo.

Cordelia initially stood nervously by his side on the wooden chair beside the bed.

After more than ten minutes, seeing that his breathing was deep and even and there were no signs of discomfort on his face, the girl took out a book called "Advanced Potion-Making" and started reading.

The only sound in the room was the rustling of pages turning.

In addition, the Pine in the Fireplace occasionally makes a slight crackling sound.

Time passed by, second by second.

The rustling sound of turning pages slowed down and finally stopped completely, leaving only the soft sounds of legs gently swaying and yawning by the wooden chair.

Gavin was so engrossed in the exhilarating feeling of his Magic steadily increasing that he completely forgot to keep track of time.

Until the hands of the wall clock steadily aligned at 9:12 AM.

The effects of the medicine dissipated precisely at the exact twelve-hour mark.

In reality, Gavin's long, black hair, which had been draped over his shoulders, visibly receded into short hair, and his delicate, slender frame quickly returned to the shape of a thirteen-year-old boy amidst a slight tingling sensation.

In the Consciousness Space, Gavin, who was concentrating on Meditation, suddenly froze.

The once wide Alaya Consciousness River beneath his feet suddenly narrowed inward without warning, shrinking back to the width of the river in his male form in the blink of an eye.

Gavin was a little dumbfounded.

I was so focused on Meditation and accumulating Magic that I forgot about the twelve-hour time limit.

Before he could even react, something even more absurd happened.

As his body reverted to male, the Magic flowing within him instantly returned to its original nature.

The sealing membrane outside the black vortex instantly lost the support of the female body's Magic and transformed back into the same source of Magic in the blink of an eye. It was then swept up by the black vortex and melted and devoured on the spot.

At the same time, without the barrier of the sealing membrane, the black vortex immediately began to draw in the overflowing Magic from the edge of the white vortex again.

Gavin was speechless for a moment.

I've been busy all morning, and just because I forgot to check the time, I've ended up doing all the work for this damn thing?

Gavin was speechless and was about to exit the Consciousness Space to go eat.

However, as soon as his gaze swept over the white Whirlpool, he suddenly stopped.

Wait a moment--

Something seems off?

At the very center of the white Whirlpool, a wisp of extremely thin, pure white Magic appeared.

Although it was only as thick as a hair, its density was several times higher than the surrounding white mist, and it remained completely still no matter how the black vortex next to it tried to pull it.

Gavin paused for a moment, then quickly realized what he meant.

The Magic I accumulated last night and this morning is indeed not much when placed in a female body that has doubled in size.

But just now, when he suddenly transformed back into a male body, his body's capacity instantly shrank by half, and the excess Magic burst the originally overflowing white vortex.

After the Sealing Charm failed, the black vortex managed to suck up most of the water in the chaos, but the remaining small portion was still forcibly squeezed into the center of the white vortex the moment the river narrowed.

Is this even allowed?

Gavin's eyes lit up.

With the Primordial Qi, I can finally cultivate?

He began to review the current situation and his cultivation strategy.

The alien Magic sealed the black Whirlpool, increasing its talent and capacity limit to continue training. In a state of exceeding its Magic limit, it imitated Gavin to guard its mind, while simultaneously using the collapse effect of the Potions's failure to compress its Magic.

However, all of these conditions have one prerequisite.

It seemed that only one path lay before him.

"Should I maintain a female form while cultivating?"

Gavin hesitated in his heart.

He had never even considered this plan before.

After all, male-to-female transformation is still too much of a psychological breakthrough.

Subconsciously, he still wanted to be a man.

While it's true that there's only the option of crossing over into women's clothing zero times or countless times, the same might be true for girls.

However, the thought of himself dressed as a woman still sends chills down his spine.

He is a normal person and does not want to be a T in the LGBT community.

However, if you think about it carefully, the issue of appearance might be a problem in the real world, but it doesn't matter at all in the Wizarding World.

After mastering the Human Transfiguration, he could subtly adjust his appearance to remain completely undetectable to others, just like Elizabeth from another world.

Therefore, in terms of appearance, he could still be considered a boy.

The only problem is how well I can accept it psychologically.

After much deliberation, Gavin finally made a decision.

Let's do it!

The benefits of cultivating high-level Magic are numerous.

Instead of consuming Obscurus's lifespan, this method enhances various white magic spells. Once this path is successfully established, it will also allow Cordelia to sustain her lifespan.

The only price is being a girl who goes unnoticed for a period of time.

It's a huge profit no matter how you look at it.

" For the For the Greater Good!"

Having figured this out, Gavin opened his eyes without hesitation.

Cordelia, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, just then saw him transform back into his usual black-haired boy form.

The girl closed the Potions book on her lap, looked at the face on the bed that had returned to its usual appearance, and a faint trace of disappointment flashed across her silver-gray eyes.

It changed back.

She knew very well in her heart—

The reason she was able to act recklessly last night using that Contract and force Gavin to drink the medicine was simply because he had just upset her for twenty-one days and she felt guilty, so she let her overstep her bounds and act recklessly once.

This kind of petty, demanding behavior might work occasionally, but it's unlikely to work every time.

In other words, her pretty younger sister with fair skin, long, straight black hair, and a soft, squishy texture will probably only exist for these short twelve hours, and it will be difficult to see her again afterward.

Even with Contract in place, the next prank still needs the right opportunity.

Cordelia rested her chin on her hand, sighed with regret, and was about to say goodbye to her irreplaceable sister:

"Sigh, my only sister is gone just like that—"

The last word "" has not been spoken yet.

Without uttering a single word, Gavin, who had just opened his eyes, picked up a flat, colorless Crystal Bottle from the side.

Cordelia's sigh caught in her throat.

"... Wait, what are you going to do?"

Without even looking up, Gavin flicked the cork off the Crystal Bottle with his right thumb.

Under Cordelia's blank stare, he tilted his head back and gulped down the entire silver potion.

The warm, pearly-gray liquid slid down his throat.

It melts in your mouth.

Her short hair, which had just been pulled back, suddenly grew long again and reached her waist.

The boy's clear features softened and relaxed in the blink of an eye, transforming him back into the aloof, fair-skinned girl with long, straight black hair.

A deathly silence fell over the room.

The regret on Cordelia's face gradually solidified and shattered.

She stared blankly at the empty Crystal Bottle in Gavin's hand, then looked up at the girl's face before her, now recovered. Her silver-gray pupils trembled violently, and even her voice changed.

"You, you... why did you start drinking it on your own?!"

Then, as if she had suddenly thought of something.

Cordelia abruptly stood up from the wooden chair, rushed over and grabbed Gavin's sleeve, her face turning deathly pale with fright.

"Gavin, you haven't... become obsessed with being a girl, have you?"

After saying that, Cordelia looked at the empty bottle beside her, somewhat incredulous.

This is --

Did you personally turn your boyfriend into your best friend?

No!

Gavin looked at her terrified expression and couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.

I almost forgot this is the Britain.

He casually put down the empty medicine bottle, stuffed the remaining medicine into his bag, and briefly explained what he had just discovered.

"Real?"

Cordelia gripped his sleeve tightly, staring at his eyes with a mixture of disbelief and skepticism.

"Just for cultivating Magic? Don't you think being a girl is more fun?"

"My mental health is very stable, thank you."

Gavin's lips twitched slightly, his tone indifferent:

"Don't worry, I still prefer being a boy."

He will urinate standing up for the rest of his life.

"Swear it!"

"I swear! If I'm lying, may I never have enough to eat for the rest of my life."

Upon hearing this, Cordelia's heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, finally settled down. She let out a long sigh of relief and patted her chest with her small hand.

"That scared me to death! I thought—"

Cordelia shuddered at the thought of that possibility.

After recovering, she asked curiously:

"How long do you plan to practice like this? Is a day or two enough?"

Gavin estimated the progress of his cultivation just now and shook his head:

"It's hard to say. Back in first grade, it took a month just to stop using Magic. It'll be the same this time. Conservatively speaking, it'll take at least a month."

The words had barely left his mouth.

Cordelia's eyes, which had just relaxed, suddenly lit up:

"A month?!"

The last trace of worry on her face vanished instantly, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her face as she cheered and hugged Gavin's arm.

"I just said I wanted a little sister, and now I actually have a one-month-old little sister!"

"This is..."

"Marvelous!"

Gavin watched his girlfriend complete an emotional sit-up in a second and suddenly realized he had explained things too quickly.

We should put on an act and make her worry a little longer.

Make her realize that her illicit behavior could have terrifying consequences.

But it's too late now.

Cordelia had by this time fully embraced the role of the older sister.

She excitedly let go of his hand, took out a Silver and Green silk ribbon from her Robes pocket, and stood on tiptoe to hold it above his head:

"Your hair is so long, it'll get all over your Oatmeal if you go to the Great Hall for breakfast with it down. Come on, lower it a little, let me tie it up for you--"

Gavin's eye twitched.

If someone were to walk into the Great Hall with that long, straight black hair...

There's no need for breakfast at Hogwarts today; the four Long Tables are bound to erupt in chaos.

He decisively took a half step back, avoiding the wicked little hand, drew his Wand, and gently tapped it on his head.

A high-level Human Transfiguration quickly covered the entire body along the ends of the hair.

The next second, her long, black hair that reached her waist was pulled back into a neat, short bob, and the cool, aloof girl's features and vocal cords were simultaneously covered with a precise, Transfiguration disguise.

In the blink of an eye, he reverted to his usual thirteen-year-old self with black hair and black eyes.

At this point, he had completed the three-layered nesting doll of male-female-male.

Looking at himself, now outwardly a man, Gavin felt a surge of emotion.

It has to be Transfiguration.

He loves Transfiguration the most.

Transfiguration, how can I live without you?

In front of her, Cordelia was still holding up the silk hair ribbon that she hadn't had time to tie.

She blinked twice, looked at Gavin who had returned to his boyish appearance, then looked down at the hairband in her hand, feeling a little disappointed.

But she wasn't discouraged at all. She immediately folded the hairband neatly, stuffed it back into her Robes pocket, and still happily said:

"It's okay, save it and use it when we get back here tonight. I'll braid it into two little braids for you."

Gavin's right foot, which had just stepped out, paused for a moment:

"I don't think it's necessary to go through all that trouble."

Then, he frowned, as if he had thought of something:

"Please check again to make sure there's nothing missing from the Transfiguration."

Cordelia circled him carefully, scrutinizing him.

Even though she was exactly the same Gavin from head to toe, Cordelia couldn't stop smiling.

The girl stopped in front of him, cupping her cheeks in her hands, her silver-gray eyes sparkling with laughter.

"There's no flaw. But for some reason, I still find you so adorable."

Gavin, his face expressionless, bent down, picked up the Dragon Hide Bag, and flung open the door:

"Let's go, it's time to eat."

At 9:30 a. m., breakfast was still being served in the Great Hall.

Since there were no classes scheduled for the first two periods this morning, many students were still sitting at the Long Table, leisurely drinking tea and reading newspapers.

Even after descending the Marble Staircase from the Seventh Floor, Cordelia's excitement about "taking her new little sister out for breakfast" had clearly not worn off.

She held Gavin's arm affectionately the whole way.

Even as she stepped into the Great Hall, she casually brushed off non-existent Dust from the corner of his robe, showing none of the aloof and arrogant demeanor she usually displayed in front of Slytherin students.

The two walked through the Entrance Hall and went straight to the Hufflepuff Long Table, intending to sit side by side as they had the previous morning.

A shout suddenly erupted from the direction of the Slytherin table, which was positioned diagonally to the side:

"Cordelia--!"

"Ah?"

Cordelia looked in that direction and saw a sullen girl standing there, glaring at her fiercely.

Tracy Davis.

Tracy's face was grave. She ran across the aisle between the two Long Tables and grabbed Cordelia's other arm.

Cordelia was startled by the tug and turned her head blankly:

"What's wrong, Tracy?"

Tracy glared warily at Gavin beside her, then pulled Cordelia back half a step towards the middle of the aisle.

That manner was exactly like the head teacher and dormitory supervisor in Gavin's previous high school days, who would sneak into the woods at midnight with a flashlight to catch couples dating too early.

Tracy took a deep breath, lowering her voice as she thought it was very quiet—

In fact, the Hufflepuff badger cub, who was listening intently nearby, heard every single word.

She spoke with great sorrow:

"You can't go on like this, Cordelia!"

"Huh? What?"

"You haven't come back to the dorm for two nights in a row! If you keep staying out all night with him—you'll get pregnant!!"

Boom!

Cordelia was struck by the thunderclap and stood frozen in place, completely stunned.

At the Hufflepuff Long Table next to him, Justin, who was drinking Pumpkin Juice, suddenly sprayed it all over Rolf's face.

Rolf was struck hard; with a flick of his wrist, the fork clattered into the Oatmeal bowl.

Cordelia's entire face flushed red from her fair neck down to the tips of her ears.

She was both embarrassed and angry, and opened her mouth to retort:

"What nonsense are you talking about! He's not doing this now—we absolutely won't—"

The words were about to come out, but he abruptly stopped himself.

Cordelia caught a glimpse of Gavin standing beside her out of the Gavin of her eye. Her lips moved, but she swallowed the rest of her words.

Gavin, who was listening nearby, was startled.

Look at Cordelia's lip movements just now.

She was clearly trying to say, "We're both girls, nothing will happen to us."

If he had shouted these words in front of hundreds of people in the Great Hall, his lifelong reputation would have been written into Hogwarts history today, along with yesterday's "Miss Malfoy."

The problem is, Tracy doesn't know that.

Seeing that her face was flushed and she was stammering, Tracy was even more certain that she had arrived at the perfect time.

"You're still trying to hide this from me for him! Your bed is exactly the same as it was the night before last, you haven't even lifted the corner of the blanket!"

"Cordelia, you didn't come home to sleep again last night, I caught you!"

Cordelia was speechless and attempted a final struggle:

"That was..."

I won't listen! You have to go back to the dorm to sleep tonight!

Tracy held her arm tightly, blocking her escape route, and then glared at Gavin as if he were a thief.

"Look, he's no use to you. I've already remade the sheets for you! I'll sleep with you tonight!"

"Ah?"

Cordelia panicked.

Others may not know, but she knows it perfectly well.

Gavin is still a complete girl inside.

If I don't stay with him tonight and let him go back to the boys' dorm in Hufflepuff alone and sleep with three grown men, what if something happens?

She quickly turned to look at Gavin, and taking advantage of Tracy's inattention, lowered her voice anxiously and said:

"But you're like this... how can you go back to the boys' dorm to sleep? What if those three bully you—you can't leave me to sleep alone."

Sleeping alone?

It's better to sleep alone.

Gavin's eyes lit up.

He hadn't slept well for two days. The first day he was used as a human body pillow, and last night he suffered a psychological shock and didn't fall into a deep sleep until the early hours of the morning.

I can finally sleep by myself tonight.

No wonder so many boys in my past life kept saying they needed their own private space after they started dating.

It's definitely happier being single.

Thinking of this, Gavin's eyes filled with heartfelt gratitude as he looked at Tracy, and he said sincerely:

"Thank you, Miss Davis."

But Tracy didn't understand any of this and Gavin was just trying to confuse her.

She immediately reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her eyebrows furrowing in alarm, and she pulled Cordelia back half a step to protect her.

"Don't give me that! Trying to please me won't work. Tonight, Cordelia absolutely has to sleep with me!"

Gavin's smile became even more genuine, and he nodded repeatedly:

"Yes, you must keep a close eye on her. If she runs away, you must tell me."

You wish!

"I'll take her back for you."

"Hmph, you're smart to know what's good for you!"

Tracy gave a smug snort, taking it as the King of Hogwarts finally being defeated before her.

She immediately took Cordelia's arm tightly and, with her head held high, pulled her toward the Slytherin table.

Cordelia, who was being dragged along, kept turning back, her eyes filled with resentment as she looked at Gavin.

After taking a couple of steps, still feeling uneasy, she pulled Tracy back a few steps and glared at Justin, Rolf, and Ernie, who were watching the commotion at the Hufflepuff Long Table.

The girl put on a stern face and warned:

"You three, you're not allowed to bully him tonight!"

Watching Cordelia being pulled back to the Slytherin table by Tracy, Justin was the first to grab Napkin and wipe the Pumpkin Juice from the corner of his mouth.

Then, with a grin, he nudged Gavin, who had just sat down, with his elbow:

"Did you hear that? Miss Rowle told the three of us not to bully you. Seriously, Gavin, doesn't she think of you as a little too delicate? Which of the three of us would dare bully you?--"

Justin kept making sarcastic remarks.

Gavin didn't reply; he was absolutely starving.

Rolf was still wiping his collar with Napkin when he heard this. He glanced at Justin with a hint of resentment.

"You might not dare to bully him, but you bullied me! Why didn't you spray him in the face?"

"He wasn't sitting across from me!" Justin declared righteously.

Rolf picked up his backpack. "Shall I switch seats with him?"

Justin changed the subject, saying, "Eat your food."

Ernie moved his open Diary a little further away, indicating his agreement.

"Miss Rowle should make him promise not to bully us."

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?" Justin asked curiously.

Ernie glanced at the Slytherin table.

"I felt they were all quite busy, and it would be impolite to disturb them, so I didn't say anything."

You're just scared.

Gavin ignored them, piled a few slices of bacon onto his plate, and then added two fried eggs.

Justin leaned over and took a look.

"Eat more, so she won't complain that we starved you again."

Gavin took a bite of the fried egg, found it a bit bland, glanced at the center of the table, and reached out his right hand to reach for the Pepper and salt shakers on Justin's left.

His fingers had only just lifted an inch.

Justin, who was still chatting and laughing next to him, suddenly moved, stepping over the plate of roast chicken in front of him and grabbing the salt shaker.

He not only delivered the salt shaker safely to Gavin, but also considerately loosened the silver cap by half a turn for Gavin.

Although Gavin didn't understand what was going on, he still nodded and responded politely:

"Thanks."

He took the salt shaker and sprinkled some on the fried eggs on his plate.

"You're welcome. Fried eggs without salt are indeed bland..."

Justin casually uttered half a sentence, then his voice suddenly stopped.

He stiffly lowered his head, looking at his empty right hand, which was still in the "both hands offering" posture, then turned to look at the salt shaker that had been placed on his far left, which required him to lean out to reach. He froze on the bench.

A full three seconds passed before Justin, pale-faced, withdrew his hand and stammered an attempt to make amends:

"I... I just did it on impulse!"

Gavin took a bite of the fried egg and said calmly, seemingly unconcerned:

"Yeah, just doing it."

Justin's lips twitched, and he looked at his right hand as if it were a prosthetic limb under an Imperius Curse.

Rolf, sitting opposite him, was completely oblivious to Justin's unusual behavior.

The former Beauxbatons heartthrob was resting his chin on his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, staring intently at Gavin from head to toe.

"Strange... Gavin, is there something different about you today?"

Gavin's heart skipped a beat, but he calmly took a sip of his oatmeal porridge.

"What's the difference? Is it missing an ear or has an extra nose?"

"It's not a problem with my facial features, it's just the feeling..."

Rolf stroked his chin, observing intently, while his right hand involuntarily picked up a gleaming sterling silver ladle from the table and held it up in front of his face as a mirror.

Immediately afterwards, his left hand reflexively rose up, reflecting the light off the spoon, and meticulously brushed away the stray hairs from his forehead three times.

He even casually unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and his voice unconsciously lowered into the magnetic, bubbly tone he used when flirting with pretty girls:

"... It looks much better than yesterday. Speaking of which, the sunshine this morning was really nice."

Click.

Justin, standing next to him, crushed the remaining half of his toast and stared wide-eyed at Rolf.

"What are you doing?!"

Rolf snapped back to reality with a start.

He looked down at the silver ladle he was holding high, then touched the unbuttoned collar of his shirt.

His face instantly turned Liver-Colored, and he slammed the soup spoon back onto the plate with a clatter, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

What am I doing?

He must have been bewitched to do those things.

That's not the real him!

"That's why I warned you two a long time ago!"

Ernie, sitting to Gavin's left, slammed down his Quill, straightened his back, and sternly reprimanded the two:

"You all lack even the most basic self-discipline! Gavin just came from the Hospital Wing; he needs a quiet and normal environment with his classmates. Can't you learn from me and maintain proper social distancing?"

As he spoke, Ernie's hands were never idle.

He deftly picked up the bone china teapot beside him and poured in some hot water.

Next, he carefully rinsed the empty teacup in front of Gavin inside and out, draining the water.

The skillful technique he used to warm the cups and saucers was so adept that one might mistake him for a master possessing the spirit of a renowned physician.

Next, Ernie steadily poured eight-tenths full of Ceylon Black Tea into the cup. He then used silver tongs to place a sugar cube and a lemon slice, with the seeds removed, on the side of the cup.

He held the teacup with both hands and pushed it towards Gavin, only to have the two opposite him shake their heads.

"See that? That's the composure Hufflepuff student should have."

There was a deathly silence across the table.

Justin and Rolf raised their hands blankly, pointing shakily at the cup of Black Tea in front of Gavin, where even the lemon seeds had been carefully removed:

"... Ernie, you never scald your cup when you pour yourself tea, and you never pick out the lemon seeds."

Ernie, still holding the teapot handle, slowly lowered his head, looking at the silver sugar tongs in his other hand, and froze on the spot.

Gavin silently picked up the perfectly heated glass of lemon Black Tea and took a sip.

Watching this Hufflepuff circus performance, coupled with the changes I've experienced today...

He suddenly understood the reason--

It's a pheromone.

This is a trace chemical signal secreted by an organism from the outside.

In nature, animals use the vomeronasal organ in their nasal cavity to capture these signals, which they use to transmit courtship information and attract mates.

In humans, the vomeronasal organ has largely degenerated, so the human nose cannot smell its odor, and the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for rational thinking, cannot detect its existence at all.

However, once inhaled into the nasal cavity, it will bypass human reason and quietly activate the hypothalamus deep in the brain, which is responsible for instinct.

Although Gavin wore a male Transfiguration today, it only changed part of his appearance and did not stop the female pheromones emitted by the girl's body inside.

And so, an utterly absurd scene unfolded—

These three guys in front of him, both in their eyes and in their reason, definitely considered him their best buddy.

However, their activated hypothalamus firmly believes that there is a highly attractive member of the opposite sex sitting in front of them, urging them to frantically express themselves and unconsciously display their peacock-like charm.

Gavin sighed deeply as he looked at his three roommates, who were frozen in place.

Forget it, I'd better not tell them.

If they knew they had just been unconsciously courting him, these three would probably have joined hands and jumped into the Black Lake on the spot.

At 9:30 p. m., the round door leading from the Hufflepuff Common Room to the boys' dormitory was pushed open.

Gavin had just returned from his experiment in the Room of Requirement on the Seventh Floor.

Before returning, he deliberately drank the third bottle of Biphasic Transformation Potion.

After greeting everyone, he went back to his bed and went to sleep.

There was no way around it; he was just too tired.

He's even afraid to sleep in the Room of Requirement now.

He always felt that the door would be opened from the outside, which made him unable to sleep peacefully.

The dorm room is still the best; he's never liked his bed this much before.

Seeing how exhausted he looked, Rolf and Justin exchanged a knowing smile.

Ernie, on the other hand, was completely baffled.

He felt like he was being ostracized again.

It was late at night.

The last embers in the dormitory Fireplace had gone out completely, and only the faint moonlight shone through the high window.

Justin lay on his back on his four-poster bed, his eyes wide open in the darkness.

This is weird.

This is so weird!

He usually falls asleep within five minutes of his head hitting the pillow.

But tonight, ever since Gavin pushed open the door and drew the bed curtains, he felt that the air in the entire bedroom was off.

Even though my eyelids were heavy with sleep, my heart was pounding fast and hard in my chest, and I felt an inexplicable heat and excitement throughout my body.

He tossed and turned in bed for almost two hours, reciting Eton College's rules from the first to the last.

But my mind wasn't drowsy at all; on the contrary, it was so clear that I could run ten laps around the Quidditch Pitch right now.

Just as Justin was wondering if he had been Curse some rare insomnia in the hallway—

Suddenly, a soft creaking sound came from the four- Rolf bed on the left.

Immediately following was a burst of irritable scratching of hair and muffled thumping of the down pillow.

Justin paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and tentatively asked into the darkness:

"... Rolf? You can't sleep either?"

There was a moment of silence in the darkness.

Rolf's deep, self-doubting voice drifted out from behind the opposite bed curtains:

"I don't know what happened... I closed my eyes and counted eight hundred sheep, and towards the end, I actually started thinking about how to match the lead ewe with Beauxbatons' silk scarf. My heart is pounding like I've just been chased for three miles by a Hungarian Horntail."

The words had barely left his mouth.

From the bed on the right, where his schedule was always precise to the minute and he always slept with his feet together and his hands pressed tightly against his trouser seams, came the sudden sound of Ernie pulling off the covers:

"Did you two secretly add Wit-Sharpening Potion to the Pumpkin Juice?"

Justin and Rolf were both startled:

"Ernie?! You weren't asleep either?!"

Ernie sat up abruptly in the darkness, his voice unusually clear:

"I've been lying on my back in the standard sleeping position for a full two hours and seventeen minutes! But my pulse is 18 beats per minute faster than usual! This is absolutely illogical!"

Rolf rolled over in bed, burying his face in the pillow and letting out a muffled groan of despair.

"I don't care about common sense right now... I just want to know, which of you two knows Sleeping Charm? Just cast it on my forehead, please."

No one answered him.

In the dark and quiet Hufflepuff boys' dormitory, three unlucky roommates stared at each other, unsure of what to do.

Rolf suddenly lowered his voice:

"Speaking of which, haven't you guys noticed that Gavin is a bit—"

"No."

"I don't either."

"..."

The dormitory fell silent again.

After a long while, Rolf finally spoke slowly:

I haven't even said what happened to him yet.

"Anyway, there isn't any." Justin panicked a little, grabbing the blanket and pulling it over himself. "Stop thinking nonsense, go to sleep."

"Okay, time to sleep." Ernie also returned to his lying-down position.

Rolf had no choice but to lie down again.

In the darkness, the only sound was the thunderous pounding of their hearts.

Only Gavin's steady, sweet breathing could be heard coming from behind the tightly drawn bed curtains in the corner.