Chapter 31: Nolan's New Interest

In November, Hogwarts began donning its winter garb.

That morning, Nolan, still half-asleep, was carried into the Great Hall by Miles, who was already accustomed to this ritual. Nolan collapsed onto the table like a lifeless body. While everyone else chatted cheerfully over breakfast, he slept. The young wizards were unfazed—this was typical behavior for Nolan.

Not far away, Eve nibbled on her buttered sandwich, sneaking cautious glances at Nolan. His hair was a chaotic mess from sleep, which filled her with an urge to fix it for him. But she knew she couldn't, and even if she could, she didn't dare.

Her musings were interrupted by Cho Chang, who approached from the Ravenclaw table with a large hairbrush in hand.

"Miles, he looks like an absolute madman," Cho remarked, her tone a mix of exasperation and concern. "Merlin's beard, when you drag him out of bed and get him dressed, why can't you at least make sure his hair is somewhat presentable?"

Miles paused mid-bite into a cheesy sausage, looking incredulous. "Why don't you tell him to stop playing those Muggle games all night?"

Cho's cheeks flushed a soft pink. "I—I have my reasons…"

Camille Smith from Slytherin smirked and quipped with a mocking tone, "Oh, that's because he wouldn't listen to you either. Everyone knows Nolan doesn't listen to anyone."

Cho's face turned bright red. She lowered her head, said nothing further, and focused on vigorously brushing Nolan's unruly hair.

Nolan stirred slightly and mumbled, "Don't use a dog brush on me…"

"This isn't a dog brush! I only use it on my own hair!" Cho retorted, her frustration apparent.

At that moment, the owl post arrived, marking the start of a peculiar scene. Around ten owls swooped into the Great Hall, each carrying large, broomstick-shaped packages. The sight immediately stirred whispers among the students, all curious about the unusual delivery.

The owls, moving in perfect sync, dropped their loads right in front of Nolan at the Slytherin table. The broom-shaped parcels landed with a cacophony of thuds, knocking over a pitcher of pumpkin juice. Orange liquid splashed everywhere, and Cho let out a startled scream. But before a single drop could touch her, a sleek black umbrella opened to shield her.

To everyone's amazement, the person holding the umbrella—still very much asleep—was Nolan himself.

Miles stared, his mouth agape, before finally finding his voice. Shaking Nolan awake, he exclaimed, "Merlin, Nolan, what on earth have you done now?"

"Hm?" Nolan responded groggily.

Miles pointed at the pile of packages. "What is this?"

Glancing at the bundles, Nolan's typically expressionless face lit up with an uncharacteristic trace of excitement. "After our last flying class, I got interested in taking apart brooms."

"And?"

"So I bought a few." Nolan's reply was utterly nonchalant. He began tearing open the packages under the astonished gazes of the surrounding students.

The contents spilled out—twelve brand-new broomsticks from various top-tier lines, including the Comet, Cleansweep, and Nimbus series. Among them were three Nimbus 2000s, currently the most advanced brooms on the market.

Cho, who adored brooms, covered her mouth in disbelief. One Nimbus 2000 alone cost 380 Galleons, a sum equivalent to an average wizard family's annual income. "Oh… Merlin… Merlin!"

Nolan glanced at Cho, then at the brooms, as if weighing something. Finally, with a tone of reluctant generosity, he said, "If you want to ride one, I'll let you. But you'll have to return it afterward—I want to examine its internal structure."

Cho's outrage was palpable. "You're planning to dismantle them? I can't believe it! Nolan, how could you even think of doing that?"

"I'm curious about the magic behind their flight," Nolan said softly.

At that moment, Professor McGonagall arrived, clearly intrigued by the commotion Nolan had caused yet again. Adjusting her glasses, she surveyed the scene.

"Oh my, what a splendid sight," she said with a hint of amusement. "Mr. Von Draugr, perhaps before you disassemble these fine brooms, you might allow the school's Quidditch teams to experience their exceptional speed?"

Nolan reluctantly muttered, "If you insist…"

The drama at the breakfast table quickly came to an end.

Though many were envious of Nolan's collection of over a dozen broomsticks and curious about how much gold he must have to his name, few truly believed he would disassemble those extraordinarily valuable brooms simply to study flying magic.

But the next day, shocking news spread throughout the castle—Nolan had already dismantled a Nimbus 2000! It was said that Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch team captain, was so distraught that he broke into loud sobs, apparently fed up with his old Cleansweep Seven.

The incident caused a stir at Hogwarts, drawing even the attention of the professors. During Potions class, Snape—his sleek black hair as polished as ever—mocked Nolan openly:

"It seems our Mr. Von Draugr has found a new interest outside of Muggle games. Oh, poor soul, let us hope he gains something more than just the skill to dismantle broomsticks."

Nolan replied softly, "Actually, I did learn something, Professor Snape. I discovered an inscription on the broomstick. I'm not sure if it's a modern language, but I can see that the arrangement of these symbols holds special significance for the broom's functionality. It's fascinating."

Snape's breath hitched. After a moment of silence, he grudgingly muttered, "How wonderful."

For days, the Slytherin common room buzzed with activity. Younger students struck dramatic poses as if riding brooms while older students crowded around Nolan. The disassembly of a broomstick was an uncommon event—once taken apart, it was nearly impossible to reassemble properly. So, the opportunity to examine the internal structure of a broomstick up close was exceedingly rare.

The Slytherin prefect, Dalric Connaught, diligently helped Nolan record the broom's magical array and its inscriptions, while his girlfriend used a measuring tape to document the exact dimensions and placement of each magical marking.

Nolan himself was deep in thought, his usual gaming sessions noticeably reduced. Occasionally, he would look excited, jotting down notes in English on parchment. Sheet after sheet was filled with diagrams and observations incomprehensible to Miles, who could only shake his head in bewilderment.

In a quiet corner of the common room sat Eve Stock. She watched from afar as Nolan, surrounded by a crowd, became the center of attention. Her heart swirled with a mixture of envy and sorrow.

Just then, Montague Lockman strode into the common room from outside and called out to Nolan, his voice loud and teasing:

"Hey, Nolan! Your little girlfriend's waiting for you outside. Looks like she wants to talk to you!"

The room erupted with the sound of several girls sighing in disappointment.

"Little girlfriend?" Nolan asked quietly, then seemed to piece it together himself. "Cho?"

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