Blake and Hermione were eventually kicked out of the Slytherin common room.
Of course, only in Snape's absence.
Cassandra was the only one bold enough to drive them out.
Hermione followed Blake, noticing his indifferent expression. She couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure this is okay? She looked really angry."
Blake hummed nonchalantly. "I expected this when I told her."
"Then you did it on purpose to make her angry?" Hermione's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Not exactly. I was just testing her attitude." Blake shrugged. "This is only in the planning stage. If she objects, I'll find another way. But if she doesn't…" He smirked. "Well, that would be interesting."
"Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that she'll be connected to Fleur Delacour's family. So, I'll have to change my approach. As for Cassandra… she'll calm down as long as I don't insist on pursuing the Delacour family."
Hermione sighed in mild disappointment. It wasn't as if Blake lacked the technical resources or connections of the Delacour family. He was just leveraging his existing relationships.
Honestly? It was all nonsense.
Blake admitted that this was just an excuse to meet the two Veela sisters. But Cassandra saw right through him and refused.
Hermione glanced at Blake, then casually asked, "Is Fleur the girl who went on an adventure with you? She must be very beautiful, right?"
Blake's heart skipped a beat. A trap!
Answering "beautiful" or "not beautiful" would both lead to disaster. And if Hermione got angry, she might refuse to help with homework tonight.
That was unacceptable.
Thinking fast, he turned to Hermione. "Do you know what a Veela is?"
Hermione shook her head. Despite being a top student, she was only in her second year and hadn't read everything.
Blake reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick book: Are They Human or Non-Human?
"This is a fascinating book, Hermione."
She watched in astonishment as he flipped through it frantically, momentarily forgetting her question. But she quickly snapped out of it. "No! I was asking—"
"I know your question. The answer is in the book."
Blake found the section on Veela and handed it to Hermione.
She read quickly. "So, Fleur is a Veela?"
"To be exact, she's a quarter Veela. The Delacour family is a pure-blood wizarding family."
"Oh…" Hermione stared at the book, lost in thought.
Blake wiped the sweat from his forehead. Smart thinking! He never directly said Fleur was beautiful—he let the book do it!
But he underestimated something crucial.
Girls don't always argue with logic.
Hermione handed back the book with a smile. "That makes sense… It's normal… I have to go."
"Oh, by the way, I'm a little tired today. Do your homework yourself. I know you can do it. Good luck."
Blake watched, stunned, as she walked away.
"Damn… Lesson learned. Sometimes, plans need to account for people who don't follow the rules."
But if you thought Blake would do his homework tonight, you'd be wrong.
Room of Requirement – One Hour Later
Blake furiously scribbled in his journal.
"Senior Tom, this Transfiguration essay is ridiculously hard. I can't even start it…"
…What? You'll do it for me? That's so embarrassing!
"Oh, you need some ink? No problem!"
Blake poured two bottles of ink onto the diary. Soon, his magic quill copied the completed essay onto parchment.
A new line appeared in the diary:
I finished your homework. So can you—
Before the sentence was complete, Blake grinned and pointed his wand at the diary.
"Obliviate."
The diary: Wo Ri… (Censored frustration.)
A few moments later, new words appeared:
Hello, my name is Tom Riddle…
A few days later, Snape returned to Hogwarts in time for his weekend Potions class.
Blake, who had been waiting for news, immediately went to see him.
Now that Snape was back, his potion store should be ready.
"I spent all five thousand Galleons. Not a single Knut left," Snape said expressionlessly, meeting Blake at his office door.
He didn't even let him in.
Blake, accustomed to Snape's antics, didn't argue. He just wanted to see how grand this five-thousand-Galleon store was.
He trusted Snape's efficiency. After all, Dumbledore did.
But before visiting the shop, Blake retrieved the Vanishing Cabinet from Agatha, who was training Bode. It was too significant a moment not to handle personally.
When news of the shop's opening spread, the entire base wanted to see it.
After all, the store would be their secret base in Diagon Alley and the mountain's secret passage.
So, Snape was sent ahead, while Blake followed with a crowd.
As they arrived, Blake noticed Snape's slightly unnatural expression.
Uh-oh…
Was there a problem? Five thousand Galleons was no small sum…
When they finally saw the store, even Blake, known for his composure, twitched slightly.
"You spent five thousand Galleons… on this?" Blake asked, pointing at the short, unremarkable shop.
Snape nodded. "Renting wasn't cost-effective. Given our…true purpose, buying was better."
He hesitated. "Between the purchase, renovations, and magical enhancements, we used every Knut."
"Oh, I see…" Blake's expression darkened as he entered.
He still had hope—maybe the inside was spectacular.
…
Blake picked up a chair and turned to Snape with a smile. "Professor Snape, why does this chair look so familiar?"
Snape remained calm. "Perhaps it's a common design."
Blake lifted it higher, pointing at a small dent. "Are today's chairs so identical that even damage is the same?"
Snape's expression twitched slightly.
"Professor, you know this chair well."
Blake gritted his teeth. "Because this is your chair! The one I used to block the spoon you threw at me!"
"…Perhaps a coincidence," Snape said, maintaining his usual deadpan tone.
Blake laughed bitterly. "You took kickbacks."
He gestured at the mismatched furniture. "Fine. Take a cut, buy a new set, and I'd overlook it. But you didn't even bother hiding it! You just moved your office furniture here?"
"That's why you didn't let me into your office earlier, wasn't it?"
Snape coughed. "Five thousand Galleons isn't much for Diagon Alley property."
Blake sighed. "I admit buying is better than renting. But…" He eyed the modest shop. "This place is not worth five thousand Galleons."
"How much did you pocket, you old fox?"
Snape casually covered his robe pocket. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Blake groaned. "You even look guilty!"
Snape had never cared about money before. But with future fatherhood on his mind, he figured saving a bit wouldn't hurt.
It wasn't easy securing funds for milk powder.
And if he could fleece Blake a little, why not?
After all, Blake had humiliated him before.
Blake sighed. "His daughter is already spoiled before she's even born."
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