At the long Gryffindor table, Hermione had already been anxiously waiting.
Seeing Wayne chatting and laughing with Cho, she let out a cold snort in frustration.
It wasn't until Wayne stood up and waved at her that the young witch immediately got to her feet.
The two girls followed behind him all the way out of the castle to the Black Lake.
Wayne began by introducing the two to each other.
"This is Hermione Granger, a first-year from Gryffindor. You can also call her 'Miss Know-It-All.'"
"This is Cho Chang, a second-year senior from Ravenclaw and the most outstanding female Seeker in the entire school."
Both girls rolled their eyes.
Who introduces people like that?
Hermione even pinched Wayne's arm in annoyance.
That nickname was originally given to her by Snape. She already disliked it, but now that Wayne used it too...
She hated it even more.
But with a shared target for their annoyance, Hermione and Cho quickly found common ground and soon got acquainted.
Only then did Wayne shift his thoughts and summon Ho-Oh.
Ever since Ho-Oh hatched, a faint spiritual link had formed between the two of them. Even across long distances, they could sense each other.
A burst of flame erupted, and Ho-Oh flew out from it. But that wasn't all—Fawkes, who had been following her around since morning, also flew over.
The two girls' eyes sparkled. They could hardly contain themselves from getting closer.
Although Wayne found Ho-Oh's appearance rather ordinary, in Cho and Hermione's eyes, she was absolutely stunning.
Especially those smooth, beautiful feathers that shimmered faintly.
The entire bird exuded a holy aura.
Fawkes paled in comparison. He seemed to be nearing his next rebirth, with his feathers looking a bit dull—but he still radiated energy.
"Where did you two go off playing?" Wayne stroked Ho-Oh's feathers and asked softly.
Both birds chirped a few times.
"Unicorns?" Wayne's eyes lit up.
"How many?"
"Chirp! Chirp!"
"Just three, huh? Still not bad."
Wayne nodded, making a mental note to go check them out when he had time.
He was a sucker for beautiful things, after all. Creatures like unicorns, known in countless legends as pure and elegant beings, definitely piqued his interest.
Seeing Hermione and Cho still standing there without moving, Wayne waved them over. "Come on, Ho-Oh is easy to get along with. Just don't touch her crown."
With his permission and seeing no objection from Ho-Oh, the two girls finally came closer for a better look, even taking out the snacks they had prepared earlier.
Wayne also pulled some dittany leaves and Ashwinder eggs out of his pocket.
"Feed her this. Phoenixes love medicinal herbs and fire-type ingredients."
This was actually given to him by Dumbledore earlier—perfect for offering as a borrowed gift.
Ho-Oh and Fawkes both happily munched away, and Cho and Hermione cautiously reached out to stroke Ho-Oh's feathers.
They squinted their eyes in pure bliss.
Warm and cozy. So comfortable.
"By the way, Dumbledore has already given you permission to live in the Forbidden Forest," Wayne said to Ho-Oh. "If you want to play, remember to show restraint and help heal any injuries."
What he meant by "play," of course, was fighting and leveling up.
The Forbidden Forest had its own ecosystem. If Ho-Oh went too wild, it could disrupt the balance there.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
Ho-Oh proudly lifted her head and flapped her wings twice, as if to say: Relax, I know what I'm doing.
Wayne chuckled awkwardly.
Hopefully, she wouldn't cause too much trouble.
"Wayne, why does Ho-Oh have a crown on her head, but Fawkes doesn't?" Hermione suddenly asked.
"Because my phoenix is a ruler. Fawkes isn't."
"Bragger."
"You'll see in time."
"…"
After the two birds had eaten their fill and flown away in satisfaction, Hermione and Cho were content too.
Just then, Hermione asked, "You said you had something to talk to me about during class—say it now."
Cho glanced at the two of them. "Then I'll get going first."
"No need," Wayne waved his hand. "Even if you hadn't come today, I was going to find you for help anyway."
Cho became interested. "I can help you?"
In her eyes, Wayne was exceptionally talented—he could already perform wandless magic, had bought a Nimbus 2000 in his first year, and certainly wasn't lacking in money.
She really couldn't imagine what Wayne might need her help with.
Wayne pulled out two thick pieces of parchment from his bag—one he handed to Hermione, and the other to Cho.
"I'm planning to start a small business. I've got Hufflepuff covered, but I'll need help in the other Houses."
"What's this?" Cho asked.
The parchment didn't contain much writing, but the decorations and patterns were beautifully done.
Hermione's parchment had crimson and gold edges, with two majestic lions drawn in opposite corners.
Cho's parchment had sky-blue patterns, and the animal had changed to a soaring eagle.
"Tap them with your wands."
The two girls did as he said. Instantly, the blank parchment was splashed with a blot of ink, which quickly spread and transformed into a detailed map.
"This is... a map of Hogwarts Castle?" Hermione looked at him in astonishment.
"That's right. But it's not just any map—while you're inside the castle, you can see your own location and the real-time movement patterns of the staircases."
Cho's curiosity was piqued. "That amazing?"
Wayne shrugged. "Try it out and see for yourself."
The three of them returned to the castle. Sure enough, each person had a marker appear on their map.
Wayne's icon was a badger, Hermione was a lion, and Cho was an eagle.
As they moved, the icons on the map moved accordingly.
When they reached the staircase landing, Hermione cross-checked it—the pattern of movement matched the map exactly.
And when they were just about to step onto one of the more temperamental staircases, the map even displayed a warning: Do not run or stomp heavily.
"This is incredible," Cho exclaimed, then looked at Wayne.
"You made this?"
"Of course," Wayne said with a bit of pride. "I spent over a week working on it."
Cho clapped playfully. "Wayne, you're amazing. With this map, I'll never be late again!"
Hermione, on the other hand, fell silent.
She had been studying incredibly hard lately, all in hopes of catching up to Wayne.
But looking at this map, she felt a sense of despair.
How could anyone possibly catch up to a monster like this?