The sudden silence and everyone's stares made Wayne's hair stand on end. He instinctively stepped back, hiding behind Hermione.
For a moment, he didn't even dare enter the Great Hall.
Hermione was equally baffled, turning to look at the boy. "What did you do this time?"
"I'm innocent!" Whatever had happened, loudly proclaiming his innocence couldn't be wrong.
Just then, the twins weaved past the Slytherin table and ran up to Wayne, placing a hand over their hearts in an exaggerated bow.
"Welcome, our Smiling Gentleman!"
"Ooooh!"
The Great Hall erupted into cheers and applause. Even the professors at the High Table couldn't help but smile and join in the clapping.
Even Snape wasn't scowling for once.
Wayne rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things.
But unlike the other professors, Snape's smile was full of mockery and amusement.
That made Wayne feel even worse.
He yanked Fred up and hissed, "What's going on? Is this your doing?"
"Still playing dumb?" Fred laughed heartily, slapping Wayne's shoulder. "Everyone knows—it just happened!"
Wayne was baffled. "I genuinely don't know. Spit it out, or I'll tell Percy it was you two who knocked him out last time."
Seeing he wasn't acting, George raised an eyebrow. "Everyone's congratulating you on your award."
"What award?"
"Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award! It was just announced today—didn't you see the magazine this morning?"
Wayne: "..."
Amid the applause, Wayne fled to the Hufflepuff table. Cedric immediately leaned in, but before he could speak, Wayne urged, "Do you have Witch Weekly? Show me, quick!"
"I do!" A girl spoke up, handing him the magazine from her bag while studying him intently.
Cedric asked, "Wayne, can you smile for me?"
"Piss off, I'm not in the mood."
Taking the magazine, Wayne felt his vision darken the moment he opened the cover.
On the title page, there was a glaring photo of himself accompanied by a colourful headline.
"Winner of This Year's Most Charming Smile Award – Hufflepuff's Prodigy Wizard Wayne Lawrence"
In the photo, Wayne flashed a bright smile at the camera while giving a peace sign with his hand.
He remembered this photo clearly – it was taken when he'd borrowed Colin's camera, and the other boy had requested a photo in exchange for its use.
At the time, Wayne had agreed without hesitation. After taking the shot, Colin had jokingly asked if he wanted to enter the competition like Lockhart.
Wayne had thought Colin was kidding, so he'd playfully responded that if he did enter, he'd definitely win first prize.
Turns out the little bastard was serious?
His gaze shifted to the Gryffindor table, where Colin was excitedly chatting with classmates – probably about both the photo and Witch Weekly's award.
He couldn't really blame Colin. The boy had asked for his permission, and Wayne himself had treated it as a joke when agreeing.
So who should he blame?
Wayne suddenly turned to glare at Snape, his hostile expression making the gleefully amused old bat's heart skip a beat.
Why's he looking at me? I didn't take that damned photo.
But in Wayne's heart, he had already pinned the blame on Snape.
If Snape hadn't become the person Neville feared most, Wayne wouldn't have needed to borrow Colin's camera, and Colin wouldn't have entered his photos into the competition.
None of today's events would have happened.
You just wait, you old bat!
...
For the next few days, wherever Wayne went, he was met with stares from everyone.
Back in the common room, Susan and Hannah kept pestering him to smile again so they could take more photos to enter on his behalf next year.
And this was already after Wayne had cast the Confundus Charm on himself.
If he strengthened the charm's effects any further, he'd practically become invisible – even Hermione and the others wouldn't be able to find him.
When Dumbledore heard the news, he deliberately arranged a chance encounter with Wayne, then put on an expression of surprise.
"Why, if it isn't our Smiling Champion?"
"The Witch Weekly truly has excellent taste. You're far more deserving of this award than Lockhart ever was."
Dumbledore was thoroughly enjoying himself. All his earlier frustration about Wayne commandeering his office and changing the passwords had vanished, and he felt he could devour two portions of spicy chicken in one sitting.
Hmm, poached fish would be nice too.
"Professor..." Wayne said through gritted teeth, maintaining his smile, "I feel my magical abilities have improved recently. I'd love to discuss them with you."
"I'm afraid I'm not feeling my best these days. If you need a partner, I believe Severus would make an excellent opponent."
Having delivered this gentle refusal, Dumbledore quickly walked away.
His old bones couldn't take the strain – better to let Snape handle this one.
...
Finally, Wednesday evening arrived, and with it Professor Lupin's open class, which successfully diverted the students' attention.
After dinner, over half the students remained in the Great Hall.
Most Slytherins had left, including Malfoy, who looked down on Lupin's teaching. Many younger students also departed since they wouldn't benefit much from staying, preferring to play card games with friends instead.
The four long house tables had been pushed to the sides of the hall, leaving students standing in the middle. Wayne, surrounded by beauties of all ages, attracted numerous glances.
After a while, Professor Lupin appeared, carrying his signature battered suitcase, receiving spontaneous applause that made him somewhat bashful.
"Thank you, thank you all."
Placing the case on the staff table, he began: "This isn't a formal lesson today, and there are no specific objectives or requirements, so please feel free to relax."
"When learning the Patronus Charm, maintaining a positive, happy mindset is absolutely crucial."
The Great Hall fell silent but for Lupin's voice as hundreds of young wizards listened intently.
"Before we begin, I must emphasise once more that the Patronus Charm is an extremely advanced and difficult spell to master."
"So if you can't manage it today, don't be discouraged or doubt yourselves. Most people require considerable practice to produce a proper casting."
"The more disheartened you become, the less likely you are to succeed."
"When did you first master it, Professor?" a young wizard couldn't help asking.
Lupin smiled faintly, a nostalgic expression crossing his face. "I had a rather good group of friends back then. With their help, I mastered the Patronus Charm by fifth year."
Suddenly, as if remembering something, his expression darkened again.
"Right, let me teach you the incantation first," Lupin changed the subject. A row of letters floated from his wand, hovering mid-air.
"The incantation is very simple: Expecto Patronum. Like other spells, you must enunciate clearly, firmly, and focus all your attention."
"Most importantly, casting this charm requires powerful positive emotional energy. Try to focus on happy, joyful memories. Everyone, give it a try now!"
"Wait, Mr Lawrence, not you!" Lupin quickly stopped Wayne as he drew his wand.
"How about being my assistant instead? Twenty points to Hufflepuff?"
Wayne readily agreed.
This blatant quid pro quo drew no objections from the other houses' young wizards. Having Wayne as their instructor was clearly to their advantage.
"Everyone together now: Expecto Patronum!"
"Expecto Patronum!"
As the incantations faded, silvery-white wisps soon emerged from some students' wands, gradually coalescing into a mist that obscured the ceiling.
"Excellent, that's the first step to success," Lupin moved among the students. "Those who haven't succeeded yet, try a few more times. Perhaps your emotions weren't strong enough—try recalling happier memories."
Several more students succeeded, and the silvery mist on the ceiling thickened.
Harry shook his head in dissatisfaction. He had indeed produced mist—he'd managed that during Wayne's tutoring session on Saturday.
But forming a corporeal Patronus remained far beyond his reach.
"Professor, I did exactly as you said, so why haven't I succeeded? Not even mist," Seamus asked, puzzled.
Lupin approached him, and a group of students gathered around.
"Seamus, what were you thinking about when casting the spell?"
Seamus squirmed awkwardly. "Well... I was imagining the day I'd get to blow up my old primary school."
Lupin maintained an awkward yet polite smile. "Mr Finnigan, I asked you to recall your happiest memory, not indulge in wishful thinking."
The class burst into laughter.
Lupin raised his voice: "Everyone must remember—the Patronus requires real, genuine memories that actually happened, not imaginary fantasies. Those will never work!"
The students nodded and resumed practising.
Cedric recalled the moment two years ago when he and his teammates had won the championship. A strange power surged within him.
"Expecto Patronum!"
He shouted, and silvery-white strands—far denser than before—shot from his wand tip, twisting and intertwining as if forming something.
Noticing this, the surrounding students stopped to watch intently, curious about what animal Cedric's Patronus would take.
Yet in the end, when all the strands coalesced into a mass, it still fell just short of completion.
"You lost focus at the last moment," Wayne remarked from the side. "Your concentration must remain absolute, especially when you're close to success. Not a single lapse is allowed."
"Then I'll try again," Cedric said, preparing to cast once more, only for Wayne to stop him.
"It's no use trying again tonight. Using the same memory will drastically lower your... er, excitement level. The effect won't be nearly as strong as the first attempt."
"What should I do then?" Cedric frowned. "I can't possibly find a new happiest memory every time I cast this spell?"
"So you finally understand where the real difficulty lies?" Wayne rolled his eyes. "You must remember the exact feeling of joy from your first successful attempt. Then, each time you cast, replicate that same joy. Only then will your success rate improve significantly."
Lupin, who had overheard Wayne's explanation, took two awkward steps back. He had to admit Wayne's instructions were far more detailed and clearer than his own.
"How did you succeed the first time?" Cedric asked humbly.
"Me?" Wayne pointed at himself. "After getting a properly matched wand, I cast the Patronus Charm without even thinking about it."
The gathered young wizards: "..."
"Could you be any more ridiculous?" Cedric deadpanned. He shouldn't have asked.
But determined to master the spell, he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and pressed on: "Then what were you thinking during your last casting? The one at the Quidditch Pitch?"
Wayne's mouth twitched.
"My experience really isn't suitable for you. For me, I've been happy my entire life. I just need to maintain my usual mindset to cast successfully."
Cedric was thoroughly defeated.
Nearby, George looked thoughtfully at his twin brother: "Fred, what do you think our happiest memory is? Let's see if we come up with the same thing?"
Wayne curiously moved closer, eager to hear their answer.
Three seconds later, they spoke in unison: "That time we threw Ron down the stairs!"
They burst into simultaneous laughter.
"Is Ron actually your real brother?" Wayne asked flatly, watching the pair double over with mirth.
"Of course, genuine article!"
"Certified authentic!"
Fred excitedly raised his wand. "Wayne, you don't have a younger brother, so you can't understand the sheer joy of successfully pranking him... Expecto Patronum!"
George immediately followed suit. Both wore radiant smiles as silver threads finally coalesced into two... giant monkeys?
Wayne's expression grew even more peculiar.
He distinctly remembered the twins' Patronuses being magpies. When had they changed into these things?
"Someone succeeded!"
"It's the Weasley twins!"
"Honestly, I'm not surprised it's them. Have you ever seen them without smiles on their faces?" commented Angelina, Gryffindor's Seeker.
"True enough! Last time Snape punished them by making them scrub toilets, they were still grinning while working!"
The two giant monkeys in the sky beat their chests and roared soundlessly at the heavens.
"Why can your Patronus roar?" Fred asked Wayne.
"That comes with more practice," Wayne explained. "Eventually, you can even use them to deliver messages. Very convenient."
The twins' eyes lit up as Professor Lupin brought out his case. "Excellent. If you can cast a Patronus during your OWLs, you'll certainly earn plenty of extra points."
"Would you like to try some advanced training now?"
"What's that?" George asked curiously.
Lupin patted the case. "Inside is a special teaching assistant Headmaster Dumbledore arranged for you - a Dementor."
Hiss...
Nearby students shivered and backed away, looking at the case in terror as if wanting to flee the Great Hall.
"Don't panic, everyone," Lupin quickly reassured them. "This Dementor has promised not to resist in any way. It's much less dangerous."
"But it's still a Dementor!" Norman hastily pulled Toby's coat off and wrapped it around himself. "Just hearing their name makes me feel cold already."
"Shall we try?" George looked at Fred.
"Absolutely." Fred grinned. "We're ready, Professor."
Whoosh!
Everyone retreated further, crowding against the walls while watching Lupin's case nervously. The twins had handed their Patronus badges to Percy for safekeeping.
"Remember that feeling from earlier. You can do this," Lupin reminded them once more before undoing the case's latch.
The Dementor's chilling aura began spreading, causing the Great Hall's temperature to plummet.
The case lid was pushed open as tattered black robes emerged. The twins felt all their happiness being drained away, but gritted their teeth, raising their wands and shouting the incantation.
"Expecto Patronum!"
"Expecto Patronum!"
The silvery mist grew faint again, utterly failing to take shape. The Dementor fully emerged from the case, floating mid-air.
Suddenly, it caught a familiar scent. Turning its head, it spotted a handsome young man holding Astoria in his arms.
The Dementor: "..."
Whoosh!
It practically dove back into the case at top speed, pulling the lid shut behind itself.
After a long silence.
Lupin massaged his forehead. "Wayne... perhaps you should step outside?"
Wayne: "..."