When it comes to being shameless, Wayne has always had his own unique talent. This wasn't bestowed by any system—it was simply his innate gift.
Hermione and Cho racked their brains but couldn't understand why, despite making a perfectly serious suggestion, Wayne had arrived at such an absurd conclusion.
"Are you serious?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.
"Of course," Wayne said, stroking Lulu, who had no idea what was coming. "If an opportunity presented itself where you could get up close with a pure Unicorn, would you be willing to part with some money?"
The question left the two girls conflicted, but they eventually nodded. "If the price is reasonable, I would."
Putting themselves in that hypothetical situation, they found it hard to resist such a temptation.
There was no helping it—Unicorns held an extraordinarily special place in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds. Countless myths and legends had elevated these creatures to an exaggerated status.
Wayne pressed his advantage: "So how much would you be willing to pay?"
After some thought, Cho and Hermione each gave their answers.
Hermione, being more rational, said she would give up if it exceeded eight Sickles—nearly half a Galleon—since that amount could almost buy her a book with a little extra.
Cho, however, offered a full Galleon.
She had initially planned to say ten Sickles, but softened at the sight of Lulu's adorable big eyes and raised her offer on the spot.
Smack!
Wayne clapped his hands together with a crisp sound.
"Then it's settled—twelve Sickles per session. Photos only, and maintain a distance of at least one metre. How does that sound?"
"Wuu~!" Lulu whimpered, but Wayne understood her.
"Don't worry. If business is good, we can have jerky every day."
Among the three Unicorns, Hestia had the gentlest temperament, perhaps because she was a mother. Little Diana, still a foal, spent her days frolicking around.
As for Lulu, this one seemed a bit slow—her reactions were always half a beat behind.
That was probably why she had been injured by Quirrell and might even have died without Wayne's intervention.
The moment Lulu heard her snacks were at stake, she panicked.
All she had to do was stand there and let human females look at her up close, and in return, she'd get treats. Lulu agreed without hesitation.
Delighted, Wayne took out the last bag of Murtlap jerky—this really was the final one. The owl to place a new order at Diagon Alley had only just left that morning.
This was a favourite snack among Unicorns and many other carnivorous magical creatures, and it wasn't cheap either. A ten-pound bag sold for three Galleons in Diagon Alley.
Ten pounds only lasted the three Unicorns a few days, but fortunately, they didn't eat it daily—it was just a treat.
...
With the plan now in place, Wayne didn't hesitate.
He returned to the Common Room to find a senior student to borrow a magical camera.
Then, in the evening, after the upperclassmen returned from Hogsmeade, he shared his idea with Penelope again.
Penelope was very well-liked—she could strike up a conversation with girls from almost every house, well, except Slytherin.
But Wayne had already made arrangements for Slytherin.
The blonde senior's eyes first lit up, then turned mischievous. "Junior… no, should I call you junior sister instead?"
Wayne's face darkened—Penelope was teasing him about how Unicorns only approached pure-hearted maidens.
"Senior, you're being cheeky again," Wayne said irritably, lightly smacking Penelope's head. "So, are you in on this or not?"
"Of course I am," Penelope huffed, shooting him a glare as she smoothed out her golden hair, which the boy had ruffled.
"Give me a day. Bring the Unicorn the day after tomorrow, and we can get started."
Penelope hesitated. "What about Slytherin…?"
"Leave that to me," Wayne said confidently.
The blonde senior's gaze flickered as she took in his spirited demeanour.
Both of them came from Muggle families, but while she had to rely on hard work and careful networking to navigate student relationships, Wayne effortlessly earned Slytherin's approval. Was this the difference that talent and ability made?
After bidding Penelope farewell, Wayne headed to the Slytherin dungeons.
Upon seeing him, two students who had been about to enter flinched and quickened their pace.
"Wait a minute!"
"Travers, Rosier, why are you running?"
The two named boys turned back with miserable expressions.
Rosier stammered, "Lawrence, we weren't running—we just suddenly remembered we had homework to finish."
Their hands trembled, unconsciously reaching for their wands. Wayne noted these subtle movements and smiled.
"I'm not here to cause trouble. Hufflepuffs never start fights—unless you've been plotting revenge against me again?"
"Of course not!" Travers nearly jumped. "Lawrence, aren't we friends? Why would we ever retaliate against you?"
Wayne decided to stop teasing them. Slytherins were a nest of vipers—when they knew they were outmatched, they usually wouldn't stir up trouble.
But once they believed they had the upper hand, they wouldn't hesitate to strike.
"I'm not here for you two. Could you call Greengrass out for me?"
Rosier and Travers nodded frantically, muttered the password, and vanished into the Common Room.
Soon, Daphne Greengrass came jogging out.
"W-Wayne, what did you need?" The girl was slightly out of breath from running, her cheeks flushed as she came to a stop in front of him.
"Here's the thing…" Wayne explained the Unicorn matter. Daphne looked disappointed at first, but quickly perked up.
"No problem, I'll spread the word." Then she added wistfully, "If only Astoria were here—she adores Unicorns."
Wayne's interest was piqued. "The little white-haired girl… I mean, the girl standing next to you at the station last time?"
Daphne nodded. "Yes, that's my younger sister, Astoria. She'll be old enough to start next year."
"Simple," Wayne said cheerfully. "Once she starts next year, I can take her to see the Unicorn privately. Though last time we met, she didn't look too well?"
At this, Daphne's expression darkened. "Yes, Astoria's health has never been strong. Mum didn't want her to come to school at all, but she insisted."
She didn't elaborate further—it was a private family matter.
Wayne tactfully changed the subject.
He knew Astoria carried some sort of curse, but the specifics were never clearly explained in the original material. Only by meeting her and conducting thorough research could he figure it out.
After exchanging a few more words, Wayne returned to the Hufflepuff Common Room.
...
By the second day of the holiday, news had spread.
Lawrence would be bringing the Unicorn he'd rescued out of the Forbidden Forest, giving everyone a chance to admire its beauty up close.
If anyone wanted a photo, well—that depended on their 'fate' with the Unicorn.
This caused another minor sensation.
Unicorns were incredibly rare magical creatures. Many older students knew they lived in the Forbidden Forest, and Professor Kettleburn had confirmed it.
But very few had seen one—usually just a fleeting glimpse before it vanished.
The girls were especially excited. They had a chance to take photos with a Unicorn!
As for the so-called 'fate', it was just twelve Sickles—not too expensive, something most could afford.
And then there was the odd competitive streak.
If everyone else had a photo displayed in their dorm and you didn't, the sheer psychological gap would make the girls willingly fork over the money.
Even the boys had complaints.
"Unfair! This is completely unfair!"
"We want photos with the Unicorn, too—we can afford it just fine!"
In the Hufflepuff Common Room, Wayne found himself cornered on the sofa by a group of burly lads, with Norman voicing his indignation.
"Who doesn't have a bit of a girlish heart? This is blatant discrimination, Wayne!"
Amused by the impassioned outburst, Wayne shrugged helplessly. "It's not up to me. Unicorns won't let males get close. Protesting to me won't change that."
"Then how come you can?" Quidditch Captain Wotley chimed in.
"I saved her," Wayne replied calmly. "Out of gratitude, Lulu decided to stay with me. If you're keen, you could always try rescuing a Unicorn in the Forbidden Forest yourselves."
That shut them up.
Thanks to big-mouthed Ron, nearly everyone in the school knew the circumstances under which Wayne had saved the Unicorn.
If they tried the same, they'd more likely end up picking out a gravestone than taming a Unicorn.
"Is there no other way?" Cedric asked, unwilling to give up. It was a Unicorn, after all.
"Ten metres," Wayne held up his hands to demonstrate. "That's the closest you can get. Any nearer, and if Lulu attacks, I won't be responsible."
He added pointedly, "You know how Professor Kettleburn lost half his leg?"
"How?" Cedric asked curiously.
"It was gored by the Unicorn's horn. Neither healing magic nor potions worked," Wayne fibbed.
Newt had told him that Professor Kettleburn's broken leg was due to being scorched by a dragon—it had nothing to do with a Unicorn at all.
But the latter part wasn't an exaggeration. A Unicorn's horn contained extraordinary magical power, and wounds inflicted by it were notoriously difficult to heal, practically irreversible.
Seeing how dire he made the consequences sound, the boys, no matter how fond they were of Unicorns, had no choice but to reluctantly leave.
...
The next day, Wayne brought Lulu to the edge of the Black Lake.
Quite a few students were already gathered nearby, and when the Unicorn appeared, they grew excited.
"It really is a Unicorn—so beautiful!"
"Her fur is glowing!"
"I want to touch it so badly. Are you sure I can't? I'll pay extra!"
Under the warm sunlight, the silvery-white fur shimmered with a faint mist. Paired with an innocent gaze, Lulu's charm pierced straight into every girl's heart.
Well, that included the inner maiden hearts of quite a few burly men, too.
The mist was a special effect Wayne had deliberately added for the Unicorn. To earn points, he had truly exhausted all his cunning.
Moving to a slightly dimmer spot, Penelope was waiting there.
"Hold out your hand," Wayne said, drawing a golden circle with his wand. Penelope didn't understand but obediently extended her pale hand.
Wayne grasped it, and the blonde senior only felt a warmth on the back of her hand. When he let go, a diamond-shaped mark had appeared.
"Now you can get within a metre of Lulu. You can even pet her, but don't touch her head or horn."
Penelope nodded lightly, though her thoughts were elsewhere.
Once the instructions were given, Wayne began organising the young witches into a queue. Hermione handled the payments while Penelope took photos.
Ten Sickles wasn't much, but Wayne noted that the line had already grown quite long in no time.
With four or five hundred girls in the school, he was bound to make at least two or three hundred Galleons.
He wouldn't touch the money himself—it would all go towards buying treats for the Unicorns. The points were what he wanted.
"Wayne, Wayne."
A hushed call came from behind.
Wayne turned his head. "Harry? What are you doing here? Only girls can take photos."
"No, I'm not here for that," Harry said, shaking his head quickly under the odd looks from the nearby young witches.
"Can you come with me for a moment?"
Wayne glanced at the orderly queue and nodded, following Harry to the shade of a large tree. "What's the matter?"
Harry rubbed his forehead, looking troubled. "It's my scar. Ever since we ran into that Dark Wizard in the Forbidden Forest, it's been aching faintly."
"I haven't had a proper night's sleep lately."
"Could you cast your Patronus again? Last time, after your Patronus appeared, I felt much better."
With that, Harry pulled out a handful of Galleons from his pocket. "I can pay you—consider it a treatment fee."
"What kind of person do you take me for?" Wayne said indignantly. "You're my friend. Do I need money to help you?"
Harry's eyelid twitched.
'How could you say something so righteous while simultaneously pocketing the money?'
Wayne extended a finger, and white mist drifted out, gathering on Harry's forehead.
Instantly, Harry felt a comforting warmth; his headache faded as his mind cleared.
"Ahh." Harry exhaled deeply, his eyes regaining their spark. "It works. You're amazing."
Wayne shook his head lightly. "It's just a temporary fix. If you want a good night's sleep, I'd recommend a sleeping potion—like the Draught of Living Death."
"Do you have any?" Harry asked hopefully.
"Five Galleons a bottle. Two or three drops at a time should last you till the end of term."
The wealthy Harry bought it without hesitation. After thanking Wayne again, he left in high spirits.
...
During the remaining days of the holiday, young witches came daily to take photos with Lulu. Some even visited multiple times just to spend more time with the Unicorn, watching her happily munch on the snacks they'd brought.
Lulu ate her fill every day, her large eyes narrowing with contentment.
Occasionally, Professor Kettleburn would come by, observing the Unicorn from a distance while enthusiastically jotting down notes.
...
In the Hufflepuff Common Room, Toby and Norman huddled in a corner, whispering.
"Did you see the photos Susan and Hannah took?"
"Yeah, but envy won't help. We're blokes."
"We don't have to be."
Norman blinked, giving Toby a strange look. "What do you mean?"
"We could temporarily not be blokes," Toby repeated.
Norman scratched his head. "How do we become girls then? Is there some temporary gender-changing potion in the wizarding world?"
"No need for anything that complicated," Toby said, his clever mind working. "Unicorns aren't human. We just need to cross-dress—she'd never notice."
Norman looked at him with newfound respect. "Toby, you're brilliant."
But then his face fell. "We don't have girls' clothes, though. And we'd need makeup, right?"
"That's true..." Toby deflated.
Then a voice floated over: "You could borrow girls' clothes from the House-elves. They've got plenty of discarded student uniforms."
Both boys jumped, only now noticing Cedric had joined them.
"Cedric, as a model student, what do you think our chances are?" Toby asked.
"Fifty-fifty," Cedric said uncertainly. "Worth a try. Senior Grace is quite good with makeup."
The two masterminds exchanged glances before declaring in unison: "Let's do it!"