That day, until he went back to the dormitory to sleep, Vid's mind was filled with flying broomsticks. Even at night, he dreamt of himself flying on a broom, soaring freely like a bird—he flew over Hogwarts Castle, over the pitch, over the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake—
He circled the grass, then flew through the corridors of the castle, with everyone exclaiming and looking up at him. Michael was half-dead, hanging on the stairs, his eyes dull with exhaustion. But Vid kept a safe distance from those damn stairs—he drew a graceful arc in the air and finally glided lightly through the window, landing directly on his bed.
Upon waking, the wonderful sensation of flying freely lingered in Vid's mind, and he looked at the ceiling, lost in thought, unable to sleep.
But first-year students are not allowed to bring brooms to school... and a Nimbus 2000 costs at least a thousand Golden Galleons...
Gray's father, Ferdinand, owns a toy factory, with products sold all the way to the United States, making their family relatively wealthy among ordinary people. Vid also had plenty of pocket money, allowing him to buy various snacks at will. However, no matter what, he couldn't bring himself to ask his parents for a thousand Galleons to buy something like a "toy."
How great it would be to achieve financial freedom by himself—Vid couldn't help but think.
If he were in the Muggle World, he could use his knowledge of the future to quickly accumulate wealth. But as a student in a boarding school, how could he make money?
Vid's mind wandered.
...
Saturday was a full day of rest, and when Vid arrived at the practice room in the morning, he found Hermione was already there.
Among the group, Hermione spent the most time in the practice room. Sometimes, Vid would read in the Ravenclaw common room or dormitory to avoid going downstairs, but Hermione spent nearly all her spare time in the practice room. Vid was sure that aside from Neville, she probably didn't have any friends in Gryffindor College, and her relationship with the other girls in her dorm didn't seem too harmonious.
The girls always moved together, going to class, dining, and even going to the bathroom as a group, but Hermione was always alone.
However, Vid didn't persuade her to get along better with her classmates—emotional intelligence was innate, and Vid himself wasn't the sociable type and didn't like forcing himself to please others.
But today, the girl was unusually not studying, but instead was "ping-ponging" something onto the wall.
"What's this?" Vid went over to take a look.
The rectangular wooden board was decorated with simple patterns, with a line of script above.
"Umbrella room? (伞屋?)" Vid's expression was somewhat peculiar, as it reminded him of Umbrella Corporation, a company that made biological viruses and destroyed the world.
"Yes." Hermione hammered in the last nail, saying, "There are many practice rooms, but this one belongs only to us, so I think it should have a special name. That way, when others hear 'Umbrella House,' they still won't know where it is."
"Alright then." Vid wasn't too concerned about such trivial matters, so he grabbed a book from the shelf and sat down to start writing his assignment for yesterday's Herbs class.
Today's practice room—or rather, the Umbrella House—had changed significantly compared to when they first started. Each of them had claimed a spot along the wall, with bookshelves placed by the wall and the area around the desk arranged as per personal preference.
Hermione's shelf was full of books, many of which were borrowed from the library and yet to be returned. She also had a thick stack of brand new parchment, two bottles of ink, and seven or eight quills—she went through these supplies quickly. Given that parchment was more expensive, she usually took her notes in notebooks bought from Muggle shops. The Granger family wasn't short of money, but Hermione's frugal nature meant she didn't spend it unnecessarily.
Aside from textbooks, Vid's shelf contained all the notes he had compiled so far. Michael and the others often borrowed them, saying—ha asserting that with Vid's notes, they could pass their final exams even without attending classes. In addition, there were many transformation props like buttons, matches, and chess pieces—commonly used items. Ever since taking Flying class, his desk quietly acquired a miniature model of a flying broomstick.
Michael's spot was more flamboyant, filled with perfumes, mirrors, gift boxes, chocolates, and various other random items. A poster of a Quidditch star adorned the wall, a model of a Fire Dragon was on the table, and there were half-eaten cookies along with badges collected from who knows where. Michael proved that not every Ravenclaw loved to study.
Hufflepuff's Theo was well-liked by Professor Sprout, and he himself was good at Herbology. His shelf held two rows of small flowerpots as big as fists, all of them housing plants he cultivated himself, including common Dittany, mint, marjoram, yarrow, among others. On the table was a mimblewimble plant whose growth resembled diseased internal organs, with pustule-like growths that sprayed thick, foul-smelling liquid to attack others. To prevent accidental injury, Theo covered it with a hemispherical glass lid.
Neville really liked Theo's setup and wanted something similar for himself, but due to limited pocket money, he currently only had three or four pitiable pots. He also prepared some fertilizer, which everyone required to be placed in the corner of the Umbrella House to prevent it from affecting the air.
Leian, though also skilled in Herbology, was mostly fond of Astronomy, so his desk featured a set of planet models, with celestial bodies of varying sizes orbiting around a central sun. Additionally, Leian collected various quills and inks of different colors, neatly arranged on the shelf.
The rest gradually arrived at the Umbrella House, and upon noticing the new name of the practice room, they all voiced their admiration, with Michael even calling Hermione's idea brilliant, pleasantly surprised.
Despite knowing that this guy habitually compliments women, Hermione still beamed, her cheeks slightly flushed.
After putting down his backpack, Theo said, "I think not only should the practice room have a new name, but we should have one too, to show we're a team."
"Right," Leian nodded. "If we keep thinking 'I'm in Hufflepuff, he's in Ravenclaw, you're in Gryffindor,' there'll always be barriers. We should be a collective that transcends house distinctions."
"It's suddenly become official!" Michael exclaimed excitedly. "So, what should we call ourselves, Vid?" he asked, turning to his friend.
Vid, suddenly being cued, paused, "Uh... After-school Tutoring Interest Group?"
"—Maybe you shouldn't give any suggestions." Michael turned expressionlessly, "Hermione?"
"Well—" Hermione was inexplicably nervous, "Magic Enthusiast Club?"
Michael sighed. "Hermione, how's that different from Vid's After-school Tutoring Interest Group? How about Neville?"
Neville stammered, "I—I can't think of anything right now."
"Theo?"
Theo said, "How about the Sunflower Club?—Sunflowers symbolize hope, sunlight, loyalty, steadfastness, and growth. Isn't that very fitting?"
"Hmm—"
Michael began to mull it over.
Indeed—it's fitting in many ways, but somehow feels a bit ordinary. If he were to come up with a name himself, he couldn't think of a better one either.
"Leian?" Michael turned to the last person, deciding that if Leian couldn't think of something better, they'd go with the Sunflower Club.
Leian fiddled with the planetary model on his desk, thinking for a while before saying, "How about Starry Sky Chaser? Abbreviated as SSC."
Michael clapped vigorously, loudly cheering, "Cool!"