Harry Potter: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me from Studying

All day, until he went to bed, Wade's mind was filled with broomsticks. That night, he even dreamt he was flying on a broom, as free as a bird—he flew over Hogwarts Castle, over the Quidditch pitch, over the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake—

He circled the grass, then swooped through the castle corridors, as everyone gasped, looking up at him. Michael hung half-dead on the stairs, his eyes vacant with exhaustion. But Wade was far from those damned stairs—he traced a graceful arc through the air, then lightly glided through the window, landing directly on his bed.

Waking up, the wonderful sensation of free flight lingered in Wade's mind. He stared at the ceiling with a sense of loss, unable to fall back asleep.

But first-year students weren't allowed to bring their own brooms to school... and a Nimbus 2000 cost at least a thousand Galleons...

The Grays' father, Ferdinand, owned a toy factory whose products sold even in America, making their family relatively wealthy among ordinary people. Wade had a decent amount of pocket money, allowing him to buy all sorts of snacks freely. But no matter what, Wade couldn't bring himself to ask his parents for a thousand Galleons to buy something akin to a "toy."

If only I could achieve financial freedom on my own, Wade couldn't help but think.

If he were in the Muggle world, he could quickly accumulate wealth based on his knowledge of the future. But as a boarding school student, how was he supposed to make money?

Wade's imagination soared.

Saturday was a full day off. When Wade arrived at the practice room that morning, he found Hermione already there.

Among the group, Hermione spent the most time in the practice room. Wade sometimes read in the Ravenclaw common room or dorm if he didn't want to go downstairs, but Hermione spent almost all her free time in the practice room. Wade was certain that the girl had no friends in Gryffindor besides Neville, and her relationship with the girls in her own dorm didn't seem very harmonious either.

Girls always moved in groups—going to class together, eating together, going to the loo together—but Hermione was always alone.

However, Wade didn't advise her to get along better with her classmates. Emotional intelligence was innate, and Wade himself wasn't the type to be socially adept, nor did he like to compromise himself to cater to others.

But today, unusually, the girl wasn't studying; instead, she was hammering something onto the wall.

"What's this?" Wade leaned in to look.

A rectangular wooden plaque was decorated with simple patterns, and a line of ornate script was written on it.

"Umbrella room?" Wade's expression was a little odd. He thought of the Umbrella Corporation, a company that created biohazardous viruses and destroyed the world.

"Yes," Hermione said, hammering in the last nail. "There are many practice rooms, but this one is ours, and I think it should have a special name. That way, when others hear us say 'Umbrella Room,' they won't know where it is."

"Alright," Wade wasn't very concerned about such minor details. He took a book from a shelf, sat down, and began writing yesterday's Herbology assignment.

The practice room—or rather, the Umbrella Room—had changed significantly since they first started using it. Each of them had claimed a space against a wall, with bookshelves, and their desks were arranged according to their own preferences.

Hermione's shelves were stacked with books, many of them borrowed from the library and not yet returned. She also had a thick stack of brand-new parchment, two ink bottles, and seven or eight quills—her supplies were used up quickly. Since parchment was expensive, Hermione usually took notes in notebooks bought from Muggle shops. The Granger family wasn't short on money, but there was a frugal element to the girl's character; she wouldn't waste money where it wasn't necessary.

Wade's shelves held not only his textbooks but also all the notes he had compiled so far. Michael and the others often borrowed them, saying that with Wade's notes, they could pass their end-of-year exams even without attending class. In addition, there were many props for Transfiguration, such as buttons, matches, and chess pieces—common items. After flying lessons, a miniature model of a broomstick quietly appeared on his desk.

Michael's space was much more flamboyant. He had perfumes, mirrors, gift boxes, chocolates, and all sorts of miscellaneous items. A Quidditch star's poster hung on the wall, a dragon model sat on his desk, uneaten cookies from yesterday, and various badges he'd collected. Michael proved, through his actions, that not every Ravenclaw loved to study.

Hufflepuff's Theo was a favorite of Professor Sprout's and was very good at Herbology himself. His shelves held two rows of fist-sized flowerpots, all containing plants Theo had cultivated, including common white dittany, mint, marjoram, yarrow, and so on. On his desk was also a Mimbulus Mimbletonia, a plant that resembled a diseased internal organ, covered with boil-like growths, and which would spray viscous, foul-smelling liquid to attack others. To avoid accidental harm, Theo had placed a hemispherical glass dome over it.

Neville loved Theo's setup and wanted to create a similar one himself, but due to limited pocket money, he currently only had a pitiful three or four flowerpots. He also had some fertilizer, which everyone insisted he keep in a corner of the Umbrella Room to avoid affecting their breathing.

Ryan was also skilled in Herbology, but his favorite subject was Astronomy. Thus, his desk featured a set of planetary models, with planets of various sizes slowly revolving around a central sun. Additionally, Ryan collected different kinds of quills and various colors of ink, neatly arranged on his bookshelf.

The others arrived at the Umbrella Room one by one. They noticed the practice room's new name and all praised it, with Michael even banging on the table, complimenting Hermione's ingenious and surprising idea.

Despite knowing the guy was just habitually praising women, Hermione's cheeks flushed with pleasure.

Theo put down his bag and said, "If you ask me, not only should the practice room have a new name, but we should also have a name to show we're a group."

"Right," Ryan nodded. "If we always think, 'I'm Hufflepuff, he's Ravenclaw, you're Gryffindor,' there will always be divisions. We should be a collective that transcends house differences."

"Suddenly feels official!" Michael said excitedly. "So, what should we call ourselves? Wade?" He looked at his friend.

Wade, suddenly called upon, paused. "Uh... 'After-School Tutoring Interest Group'?"

"—Maybe you shouldn't make suggestions," Michael said, turning away expressionlessly. "Hermione?"

"Well—" Hermione, for some reason, suddenly seemed nervous. "'Magic Enthusiasts Club'?"

Michael sighed. "Hermione, how is that different from Wade's 'After-School Tutoring Interest Group'? Neville?"

Neville stammered, "I—I can't think of anything right now."

"Theo?"

Theo said, "How about 'Sunflower Club'? Sunflowers symbolize hope, sunshine, loyalty, steadfastness, and growth—isn't it perfect?"

"Hmm—"

Michael began to deliberate.

Indeed—it was fitting in every sense, but somehow felt a bit ordinary. If he had to come up with a name himself, he couldn't think of a better one.

"Ryan?" Michael looked at the last person, deciding that if he didn't have a good idea either, they'd go with "Sunflower Club."

Ryan fiddled with the planetary model on his desk, thought for a long while, and said, "How about Starry Sky Chasers? Abbreviated as SSC."

Michael applauded vigorously, praising loudly, "Cool!"