"Ugh, well... let's go after all!"
After wrestling with the decision for several days, Hermione finally voiced her opinion.
"We've already finished this semester's coursework through self-study, so missing two months of classes wouldn't really hurt us... Though house points are important, but... I have to admit, the chance to broaden our horizons in the Dragon Kingdom is what really appeals to me!"
"The most important thing should be that you'll get to see firsthand and possibly obtain a divine beast as a contracted partner for Beast Master courses."
"...Don't call me out like that! Besides, there's no guarantee it'll work out. God, if not a single divine beast acknowledges me, I can't even imagine how devastated I'd be—I'd definitely cry."
Hermione slammed her textbook onto the desk, leaned back, and slumped in her chair, stretching both hands toward the ceiling and grasping at nothing.
She caught only empty air.
Without Hermione, their star point-earner, Gryffindor would truly become "Gryffin-poor." Just during those ten-plus days when she'd been unable to speak with the Mandrake leaf in her mouth—before Glenn created the alchemical communication device—Gryffindor had fallen behind Slytherin by nearly seventy to eighty points, despite previously keeping pace or even occasionally surpassing them. Two months would be catastrophic.
By the time Hermione returned to Hogwarts, Gryffindor would probably be dead last. The academic atmosphere among Hogwarts' houses had become intensely competitive—under normal circumstances, the point difference between any of the four houses never exceeded a hundred. Even the Hufflepuff badgers had become much more fierce due to the changed environment, relentlessly pursuing whichever house was ahead of them.
Without their fierce warrior, the lions would likely be devoured entirely by the overly aggressive little badgers.
The house point situation would almost certainly go awry, while on the other side, far away in the Dragon Kingdom, the beast-seeking expedition planned for February was full of unknowns—quite possibly ending in complete failure.
Otherwise, why do you think this expedition was held every single year?
Still, Hermione ultimately couldn't resist the allure and thrill of adventure, choosing to participate in this beast-seeking expedition.
Surely no one could resist the chance for close contact with magical creatures, right? Right?
"Alright, we'll reply with that decision then. Tell Grandmother we're participating."
Glenn said no more, retrieving the prepared reply letter from his black ring. He filled in their decision in the space deliberately left at the bottom, folded it neatly, and sealed it in an envelope, ready to send later.
"But Glenn, don't you usually dislike getting involved in troublesome affairs like this? How come you seem to have agreed even faster than me this time?"
Hermione watched Glenn complete the letter, seal it, and looked at him suspiciously, her heart full of questions.
Had his personality changed?
How strange.
"The Dragon Kingdom is vast and rich in resources, with excellent ecological environments. Secret realms inhabited by divine beasts are surely sparsely populated, and the quality of potion ingredients is generally quite good. I specifically asked Grandmother about it—she said there are indeed many magical plant materials in the secret realm, but they're never harvested by humans because they're food for the divine beasts living there."
"...You're not planning to 'compete' with them for food, are you?"
Hermione raised her hands to make air quotes, looking at Glenn with exasperation.
"I won't let them notice."
Glenn replied with complete seriousness.
"Hey, this isn't about whether they notice or not!"
"Trust me."
"This isn't about trust either, damn it!"
"I won't take much—just want to see the differences between the same magical plant materials due to regional variations. It's a rare opportunity."
"Well... alright then."
"Don't worry, I'll leave them enough to sustain themselves."
"...I can tell you're just messing with me."
"No."
"Wait, that last statement was serious??"
"Just joking. Sorry."
"..."
Hermione blinked, sighed, and covered her face. After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"...Fine, you don't need to apologize for that."
"But I'm still taking the magical plant materials."
"So you... forget it, forget it. You win. Just take less—we'll be on someone else's territory after all."
Glenn nodded, then lowered his head slightly, reaching out to gently stroke the desk before him, feeling the texture of the wood grain against his palm, lost in thought.
"Actually, my main reason is to seek out the 'possible trouble' Grandmother mentioned in her letter."
"I've realized I can't stay idle anymore. My recent aversion to troublesome matters might have just been conservative behavior due to excessive caution about this unknown and still somewhat dangerous new world and new powers."
"But now I feel like after adapting to life here, I somehow can't settle into comfort."
"Maybe... I'm naturally the type who thrives on chaos?"
Glenn murmured, seemingly speaking to Hermione but more like talking to his own heart.
Though he claimed to want distance from danger and trouble, Glenn's heart still craved danger, craved chaos.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have emerged from among so many similar humans in that cruel, dark situation in his previous life, surviving normally.
The recent operation, fighting over a hundred Dementors—Glenn had to admit that in that moment, he'd genuinely felt a long-missed sense of pleasure and excitement. Though not as intense as the feelings Hermione gave him, it was enough to reawaken the dangerous heart that had been dormant since he'd controlled his Obscurus.
His Obscurus was now successfully under his control—under normal circumstances, there was basically no possibility of losing control again. Glenn's wings were gradually growing full, and he'd gained considerable strength in the wizarding world, so he was beginning to release his true nature.
Recent situations and signs also indicated that the British wizarding world was about to be drawn into an unavoidable chaos. Glenn believed—even if it was just his excuse—that he needed to enter the proper state in advance.
A state capable of facing chaos and crisis.
The holiday should end.
Glenn's thoughts wandered, but he was brought back to reality by a cool, delicate touch on his forehead. Hermione had pressed her index finger gently against his head, bringing her face close to his.
"You can't act recklessly, okay? I promised Mum and Dad I'd keep an eye on you."
"And I won't let you return to that state from your previous life either."
"Your current living environment is completely different from before, so you need to change your mindset accordingly."
"Seeking danger means you could be consumed by it—I absolutely won't allow you to face such a situation."
"So during this expedition, you absolutely cannot leave my side. And that goes for the future too."
"Someone needs to pull you back when you get carried away, and I believe that person can only be me. Don't you think so?"
Glenn was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"Of course."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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