"Today, we're going big," Wayne announced once Harry and Malfoy arrived in their usual classroom.
"How big?" Harry asked curiously.
"Now that we're properly underway, I'm going to teach you two new spells."
"Really?" Malfoy brightened. "I want to learn the most powerful one."
"How about the Killing Curse?" Wayne smirked.
Malfoy shuddered but still whispered, "If I wanted to... would you teach it?"
Harry, hypersensitive to the Killing Curse, glared at him furiously. "Typical evil Malfoy!"
"I was just asking!"
"Asking means you're considering it. I'm telling Professor McGonagall."
"Potter, have you no shame? Always running to teachers."
"Learned from you."
Wayne: "..."
His Witch's Heart talent was utterly wasted on these two. They only had eyes for each other.
Wayne waited patiently until their bickering subsided and both turned to him expectantly.
"I'm not teaching you the Killing Curse. Your tuition fees don't cover that."
"Besides, with your current magical power, the effect would be weaker than a Disarming Charm."
Malfoy reluctantly accepted this—his father had said the same, warning him against coveting powerful Dark Magic that required greater magical power and experience to master, with treacherous learning processes.
Wayne handed them the prepared spells, tailored to their different strengths.
"Levitation Spell?" Harry said delightedly. "Thanks, Wayne."
This was a famously notorious spell at Hogwarts. Harry vividly remembered Hermione first using it—on Ron.
But it was Slytherin who had truly popularised it. Nearly half the Slytherin upper-year boys had been hoisted to the ceiling by this spell, with Marcus Flint dangling for an entire day.
This greatly increased Harry's fondness for the spell.
Moreover, the Levitation Spell was a non-verbal incantation—once moderately practised, it could be cast silently, making it extremely convenient.
Malfoy frowned. "Acid Jinx? I've never heard of that."
"Lawrence, can I learn the Levitation Spell too?"
"You sure?"
Wayne drew his wand and aimed at a table.
Whoosh!
A large glob of green acid shot out, landing on the table with an immediate sizzling, corrosive sound, accompanied by a pungent, acrid stench.
Soon, the once-intact table was rendered unrecognisable, leaving only its metal skeleton behind.
Not even a Repairing Charm could fix this—it was utterly ruined.
Harry's expression turned grave. "I agree with Malfoy. He should learn the Levitation Spell too."
"Potter!" Malfoy, who had just begun to smirk, snapped furiously. "Mind your own business, scarhead!"
"Lawrence, this one—I want to learn this one!"
"Fine." Wayne looked at him seriously. "I can teach you, but if you end up hurting someone and getting thrown into Azkaban, don't blame me."
"Relax." Malfoy waved it off dismissively, already fixated on mastering the spell as soon as possible.
Perfect for tormenting Potter later.
After nearly two hours, Harry had made decent progress, managing to levitate a cup upside down.
Malfoy wasn't as fortunate—his wand only produced faint wisps of smoke, with no acid in sight.
But he didn't care. The Acid Jinx was far more destructive than the Levitation Spell. So what if it took longer to learn?
Before they left, Wayne dangled another carrot.
"If you two master these spells and still attend my lessons next term, I'll teach you an even stronger one."
Both Harry and Malfoy's curiosity was piqued. Without further ado, Wayne incanted the Laceration Curse. Two invisible blades sliced through the air, cleanly bisecting a row of tables in half.
Staring at the smooth cuts, Harry and Malfoy's breathing grew ragged.
Damn, that spell was cool.
Coach, I want to learn!
Seeing their reactions, Wayne knew his plan had succeeded. Smiling, he repaired the tables and strode out of the classroom.
Snape had already given him permission to teach the Laceration Curse freely—Hermione and Cho had already learned it, so teaching Harry and Malfoy wasn't an issue.
Today's Levitation Spell and Acid Jinx were also spells recorded in the Half-Blood Prince's textbook.
Using Snape's spells to line his own pockets—Wayne felt even more pleased.
"Huh? What are you two doing here?" Wayne paused as two figures suddenly emerged from a classroom ahead, his voice laced with suspicion.
His words startled the pair.
The red-haired girl turned first, offering an awkward smile.
"W-Wayne, what a coincidence."
"Hello, Wayne," the other girl said airily.
"Luna." Wayne nodded, then focused on Ginny. "Sneaking around the Charms classroom at this hour instead of sleeping—care to explain?"
"Who's sneaking around?" Ginny muttered indignantly. "I just overate at dinner and brought Luna out for a walk."
"Right, Luna?"
"I didn't have dinner," Luna said blankly, staring at the red-haired girl, instantly rendering her speechless.
"Pfft!"
Watching Ginny's betrayed expression, Wayne couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Luna," Ginny wailed, "whose side are you on anyway?"
"Enough, stop changing the subject. What are you two really here for?" Wayne remained unmoved, cutting off Ginny's attempt to gloss over things.
Left with no choice, she confessed everything.
Though under Cho and Penelope's protection, no one dared bully Luna in Ravenclaw anymore.
But while outright bullying was off the table, isolation was inevitable.
Given Luna's personality, this isolation might actually suit her—no one disturbed her peace. Besides, she wasn't friendless; she got along famously with Ginny.
Luna could ignore this cold treatment, but fiery-tempered Ginny couldn't stand seeing her friend slighted.
Tonight's mission was revenge.
Tomorrow's first lesson for Gryffindor and Ravenclaw first-years was Charms. Ginny had smeared super glue on the seats that those girls usually took.
After explaining, Ginny grabbed Wayne's arm and wheedled, "Wayne, you helped Luna last time—you can't stand seeing her mistreated either, right?"
"Please don't tell anyone."
"Who said I was going to?" Wayne chuckled. "You did well, but there's a flaw."
"Applying glue this early means it'll dry by tomorrow morning. They'll spot it immediately."
Ginny froze.
That... made sense.
She panicked. "What do we do?"
"Simple." Wayne pushed the classroom door open, vanished Ginny's glue, then cast a Permanent Sticking Charm layered with a triggering rune, creating a proper trap.
"Now we're set. Once they sit, those robes are done for. Not even Professor Flitwick could save them."
Ginny gaped at his technique. "You're scarily good at this."
"Of course." Wayne preened.
He'd built his reputation on sticking charms. The Leaky Cauldron's courtyard still bore his handiwork.
Truthfully, Wayne could've updated those traps long ago, but the wretched Ministry had stationed a Squib permanently by the entrance to open the door for visitors.
How underhanded!
Before leaving, Wayne reminded her, "Remember—if anyone else tries sitting there, cast a Levitation Charm on the chair first. That'll disable the trap."
Ginny nodded obediently. With a wave, Wayne disappeared around the corridor corner.
"Stop staring," Ginny said sourly, noticing Luna still watching Wayne's retreating figure.
"He chose Greengrass in the first year. We never stood a chance."
She'd noticed it too—Wayne looked even more striking now, radiating an almost dizzying charisma.
Only by desperately pretending nothing had changed had she kept her composure.
Luna didn't respond. After a long pause, she finally looked away and murmured:
"I saw them."
"Saw what?"
"The stars around him."
'Stars?'
Ginny blinked in confusion. She hadn't seen anything.
"Luna, you're not... faint from hunger because you skipped dinner, are you?"
...
The following week, Wayne paid special attention.
At noon, several Ravenclaw first-years entered the Great Hall with sour expressions, not wearing their robes.
They were the same group who had cornered Luna that day.
He stopped paying attention then, turning to his own troubles instead.
The power of the Witch's Heart talent exceeded even his expectations.
While the benefits regarding Dark Magic hadn't manifested yet, the charm aspect was already causing him significant distress.
During Herbology class, nearly all the girls in the class were distracted, frequently glancing at Wayne.
Even while walking around, young witches would forcibly hand him love letters, leaving Norman and Toby hugging each other and weeping with envy.
Truly, some have too little while others drown in excess.
In the end, Wayne had no choice but to cast a Confundus Charm on himself to lower his presence, finally gaining some peace.
He didn't dare eat the chocolates, sweets, or snacks those girls gave him—who knew if they'd been laced with love potions or such?
Before long, Wednesday arrived.
That afternoon, all second-year wizards received an application form.
Starting from the third year, Hogwarts students could take elective courses—five in total:
Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Muggle Studies.
Typically, young wizards would choose one or two electives—some based on interest, others on career aspirations after graduation.
For instance, those aiming for the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures would consider Care of Magical Creatures essential.
Wayne returned to the common room with his form, where a group of second-years had gathered to discuss their choices.
"Do we have to pick any?" Macmillan groaned. "I'm already swamped with core classes. Adding another would just be worse."
"You must choose at least one elective," Hannah said, signing her name for Care of Magical Creatures—the choice of most Hufflepuffs.
Often, their only choice.
For lazy badgers who preferred slacking off, students like Cedric—diligent and studious—were the exception.
"Which course is easiest?" Norman asked, uncertain.
"Muggle Studies, obviously," Wayne chimed in casually. "You grew up in the Muggle world—it'll be a breeze for you."
"And if the professor disagrees, just say, 'I'm a Muggle—who'd know better than me?'"
"Good point." Norman nodded emphatically, scribbling his name without hesitation, with Toby quickly following suit.
Many Muggle-born wizards did the same.
By OWLs, they'd have one certificate secured.
"Wayne, what are you picking?" Toby asked curiously.
"Definitely Divination. The others... I'm still deciding."
Wayne shook his head. The slackers' attitude had rubbed off on him—he wasn't keen on extra courses either.
He planned to persuade Newt over the summer to teach Care of Magical Creatures.
If Newt agreed, he'd sign up. But if Hagrid became professor...
He'd have to think carefully.
As for Ancient Runes, his skill already surpassed Bathsheba Babbling's—attending class would be a waste.
His interest in Divination wasn't genuine either.
He just wanted to see if Trelawney still slipped into those strange trances.
"Wayne, Hermione's waiting outside for you," a student called out as they entered the common room.
"Got it. Coming."
...
While Wayne was indifferent about electives, Hermione treated them like a battlefield.
Seeking advice, she'd gathered Penelope, Cho, and even Astoria.
In the courtyard garden, they sat around a circular table.
"What should I do, what should I do? I want to take every class." Hermione frowned, indecisive.
It seemed like giving up even one subject would be a crime to her.
"You'll have to drop one or two eventually," Cho advised. "Otherwise, the daily workload will crush you."
"And with so many classes, there are bound to be scheduling conflicts. The professors won't let you take them all."
"Exactly. I took three electives, and now I'm exhausted," Penelope lamented. "I go through ten vials of Invigoration Draught a week, and all the money I earn just goes straight back to Wayne."
She shot a glare at the carefree, grinning boy.
"But..." Hermione said doubtfully, "Percy got twelve O.W.L.s last year, and he never stops bragging about it."
Hearing this, Wayne recalled an absurd rumour from his past life—that Percy was some genius who'd scored twelve 'Outstandings.'
He did get twelve certificates, but that didn't mean twelve 'O's.
You only needed an 'A' to pass and earn a certificate, which was far easier than acing every subject.
"Hermione, surely you don't need to take Muggle Studies?" Astoria asked, puzzled.
"Aren't you a Muggle-born witch?"
"But I want to see how wizards perceive Muggles," Hermione insisted. "Even if I have to drop other subjects, I won't give up this one."
"Then drop Divination and Arithmancy," Wayne interjected, drawing the girls' attention.
He explained, "Divination is a subject that relies heavily on innate talent. Most people can only predict trivial things like short-term luck—and even then, they're often wrong. It's practically useless."
"As for Arithmancy... Muggles have that too."
"Muggles can do Arithmancy?" Cho asked, intrigued.
"Mm. Arithmancy is called 'big data' in the Muggle world," Wayne said with complete seriousness.
"Wayne, which electives did you pick?"
"Divination."
Hermione: "..."
The little witch rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You took Divination, but you won't let me? I don't care—maybe I have a talent for it!"
With that, Hermione promptly signed up for Divination.
After some thought, she ended up selecting all the other electives too.
Seeing her stubbornly follow the same path as in the original timeline, Wayne could only shake his head helplessly.
He knew a few things others didn't.