Chapter 50

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At the Gryffindor table, Hermione was already staring intently. When she saw Wayne and Cho talking and laughing, she snorted angrily. It wasn't until Wayne stood up and waved to her that the young witch immediately stood up.

The two girls followed Wayne out of the castle and to the Black Lake. Wayne first introduced them to each other.

"This is Hermione Granger, the new Gryffindor this year. You can also call her Miss Know-it-all. And this is Cho Zhang, Ravenclaw's second-year star and the most outstanding female Seeker in the school."

Both girls rolled their eyes. How could he introduce them like that? Hermione even pinched Wayne's arm in anger. The nickname "Miss Know-it-all" was given to her by Snape, and she originally hated it. Hearing Wayne use it made her even more annoyed.

With a common target to mock, Hermione and Cho quickly bonded and got to know each other better. Wayne then had a thought and summoned Phoenix King over. Ever since Phoenix King hatched, there had been a vague connection between them, allowing them to sense each other even from afar.

A burst of fire appeared, and Phoenix King flew out. Fawkes, who had been following her since morning, also joined them. The two girls' eyes lit up, and they couldn't help but want to get closer. Although Wayne thought Phoenix King was average-looking, Cho and Hermione found her very beautiful, especially her soft, glowing feathers. The whole bird looked sacred.

Fawkes seemed a bit less impressive, appearing on the verge of nirvana. Its feathers were a bit dull, but it still looked full of life.

"Where did you go to play?" Wayne asked softly, ruffling Phoenix King's feathers.

The two birds chirped twice.

"Unicorns?" Wayne's eyes lit up. "How many are there?"

"Chirp! Chirp!"

"Just three, that's not bad," Wayne nodded, deciding to check them out when he had the time. Being a fan of beautiful creatures, Wayne was intrigued by unicorns and their legendary purity.

Seeing Hermione and Cho still standing there, Wayne waved them over. "Come here, Phoenix King is friendly, but don't touch her crown." 

With his permission and seeing Phoenix King had no objections, the two girls came closer to admire her. They even took out some snacks they had prepared. Wayne also took out some white leaves and ash snake eggs from his pocket.

"Fawkes likes healing herbs and fire-attribute materials," Wayne said. He had received these from Dumbledore, conveniently using them now.

Phoenix King and Fawkes both ate obediently, while Cho and Hermione carefully reached out to stroke Phoenix King's feathers. The bird narrowed her eyes happily; it was warm and comforting.

"By the way, Dumbledore has allowed you to live in the Forbidden Forest," Wayne told Phoenix King. "If you want to play, be careful and remember to help anyone who gets hurt."

The fun he referred to was naturally battling creatures and getting stronger.

The Forbidden Forest has its own food chain. If the Phoenix King acts too recklessly, it will upset the balance within.

"Chirp! Chirp!" 

The Phoenix King raised his head proudly and flapped his wings twice, as if to say, "You can rest assured if I do it." 

Wayne was speechless. 

"I hope there won't be any trouble."

"Wayne, why does the Phoenix King have a crown on his head but Fawkes doesn't?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"Because my Phoenix is the king; Fawkes is not."

"You're boasting."

"You'll see."

"..."

The two birds flew away contentedly after eating, and Hermione and Cho also had their fill. 

At this point, Hermione asked, "You said you had something to tell me during class. Tell me now."

Cho looked at the two of them. "Then I'll leave first."

"No," Wayne said, waving his hand. "Even if you didn't come today, I still need your help."

Cho became curious. "How can I help you?"

In her eyes, Wayne had outstanding talent. He had mastered wandless spellcasting and had bought a Nimbus 2000 in the first grade, so he wasn't short of money. She couldn't think of anything he might need help with.

Wayne took two pieces of thick parchment from his bag and handed one to Hermione and one to Cho.

"I plan to start a small business. Hufflepuff doesn't need to worry, but other houses will need help."

"What's this?"

There was nothing on the parchment, but the decorative patterns were beautiful. The edge of Hermione's parchment was golden red, with two majestic lions painted on opposite corners. The edge of Cho's parchment had azure patterns with soaring eagles.

"Tap with your wands."

The two women did as he asked, and a ball of ink appeared on the previously blank parchments, spreading quickly and forming a map.

"Is this a map of Hogwarts Castle?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Yes, but it's more than just a map. As long as you are in the castle, you can see your position and the real-time movement of the stairs."

Cho's curiosity was piqued. "Is it really that magical?"

Wayne shrugged. "Why don't you find out by trying it?"

The three returned to the castle, and sure enough, everyone had a mark on the map. Wayne was a badger, Hermione was a lion, and Cho was an eagle. As they moved, the icons moved too.

When they came to the stairs, Hermione checked and found that the movement of the stairs matched the map exactly. Even when they were about to step on the tricky staircase, a reminder appeared on the map telling them not to run or step hard.

"That's amazing," Cho exclaimed, looking at Wayne. "Did you do this?"

"Of course," Wayne said proudly. "I've been studying it for more than a week."

Cho clapped in agreement. "Wayne, you are great. With this map, I'll never be late again."

Hermione fell silent. She had been studying hard to catch up with Wayne, but seeing this map made her feel a little desperate. How could she possibly catch up with such a genius?