Wayne's teasing thoroughly unsettled Newt.
He was one of the few people in the world who truly understood Grindelwald.
He even knew the full history of Grindelwald's relationship with Dumbledore.
In terms of power, cunning, and charisma, Newt couldn't pinpoint a single weakness in Grindelwald.
Sure, he had foiled the Dark Wizard's schemes multiple times back then, but that was only due to a series of coincidences—and Dumbledore's behind-the-scenes help. If he had to do it all over again, he'd probably die a dozen times.
If he could return to that era, Newt would still heed Dumbledore's persuasion and go to New York—but this time, he'd keep a closer eye on his case, and after winning Tina's heart, he'd find some quiet place to retire.
Let someone else oppose Grindelwald. He wanted no part of it.
But then, remembering that Grindelwald had remained imprisoned all these years, Newt realised Wayne was just winding him up. He shot the younger man an exasperated glare.
"Don't joke about Grindelwald with me again. The psychological scars run too deep."
The others laughed, and Nicolas nodded in agreement. "It's better he stays locked up. Last time in Paris, he nearly broke these old bones of mine."
Only Cho was utterly lost.
In the education of young witches and wizards her age, the most terrifying Dark Wizard was You-Know-Who, so feared that even his name was taboo.
As for Grindelwald, he was merely a figure from history books, remembered only because Dumbledore's reputation had peaked after defeating him.
She couldn't understand why powerful wizards like Nicolas Flamel and Newt were so wary of him.
Wayne had no intention of explaining—some things simply couldn't be understood through words alone.
Only those who had lived through that era could truly grasp the terrifying influence of Grindelwald, something Voldemort couldn't even compare to.
He instructed, "Once you two master Human Transfiguration, you can use the Elixir of Life. That way, you won't draw unwanted attention outside."
As for Nicolas and Perenelle... if they wanted to restore their youth with the Elixir of Life, the quantity required would be far too great.
It would be better to simply have Ho-Oh visit whenever they needed it.
...
Over the next few days, Wayne and Nicolas immersed themselves in the task of separating Ravenclaw's Diadem from Voldemort's soul fragment.
To give Wayne more time with his girlfriend, Nicolas thoughtfully only required his assistance in the mornings—both to lend a hand and to teach him some Alchemy.
The rest of the time, Nicolas worked alone.
Once engrossed in his research, Nicolas became utterly consumed, needing constant reminders to rest and eat.
When tired or drowsy, he'd often down a vial of Invigoration Draught and continue working relentlessly.
But it was precisely this focus and dedication that allowed him to quickly find a solution.
One day, Nicolas dragged Wayne—who had been feeding goldfish with Cho—into the laboratory.
"I have two ideas now. Listen first, then tell me which one seems more suitable."
Wayne nodded, waiting for Nicolas to continue.
"First, I heard you cured Nagini's blood curse using Ho-Oh's miraculous power. Since the blood curse is also soul-related, do you think Ho-Oh could purify the diadem?"
"Impossible..." Wayne immediately dismissed the idea. "Ho-Oh's healing works by destroying and repairing simultaneously. If we use sacred fire, Ravenclaw's Diadem wouldn't survive."
"Objects have no life force. Ho-Oh's flames would melt the diadem into molten metal."
"Is that so?" Nicolas looked slightly disappointed but quickly rallied. "Then there's only one option left."
"Basilisk venom can destroy a Horcrux, correct?" Nicolas confirmed again.
"Exactly."
This was something Wayne had told Nicolas—he'd shared every known method of destroying Horcruxes, hoping to provide inspiration.
"Then we can develop an entirely new potion," Nicolas said excitedly. "We'll separate the toxins that destroy matter from those that destroy souls. That way, the diadem remains intact while the soul within is completely eradicated."
"That's a solid approach," Wayne agreed.
If there were no spell or potion specifically designed to target soul fragments within Horcruxes, they'd simply create one.
And in the field of potions, Nicolas's skill wasn't far behind his mastery of Alchemy.
However...
The young man then made an even more audacious request...
"Could we extract the soul fragment without damaging it?"
"Like how Tom did it—he willingly detached from the Horcrux, but this time, it'd be forced."
"What are you planning?" Nicolas was startled by his bold idea.
"Two Dark Lords are already giving Dumbledore enough headaches. If you create another one, he'll definitely fight you to the death."
"Little ancestor, please just settle down for once."
Nicolas pleaded earnestly, genuinely afraid Wayne might have another bizarre idea.
The world was chaotic enough without someone fanning the flames.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Wayne gave an awkward laugh, hastily making up an excuse.
"I just wanted to see if we could use this soul fragment to locate the other Horcruxes."
Actually... if given the chance, he'd really like to see what seven Voldemorts in one frame would look like.
Hmm, and whether old Dumbledore would lose his mind.
Hearing Wayne's explanation, Nicolas's expression softened as he mused, "That is indeed a possible approach, though extremely difficult to achieve. Destroying it would be the most permanent solution."
Suddenly remembering something, he added, "I forgot to ask – does Dumbledore know about the Diadem?"
"Of course not," Wayne grumbled. "It was hard enough borrowing Gryffindor's sword from him. If he knew I'd found the Diadem, he'd never stop pestering me."
"So after destroying the soul fragment inside, I plan to rename Ravenclaw's Diadem. How about 'Lawrence's Diadem'?"
"What an awful name..." Nicolas instinctively complained, but quickly seized on the key point, giving the boy a strange look:
"Did you just say... Gryffindor's sword? Dumbledore returned it to you?"
Wayne suddenly remembered that while Newt knew about retrieving the sword, he hadn't told Nicolas Flamel yet.
Under the old man's insistent demands, he reluctantly produced the sword.
"Be careful with it – don't damage it."
"Understood, understood." Nicolas handled the blade with loving admiration, clicking his tongue. "Alright, give me some more Basilisk venom, then you can go keep Cho company."
Wayne blinked. "Didn't I give you plenty last time? Used it all up already?"
Without looking up, Nicolas replied, "I'm helping you with this, yet you expect me to supply materials too? That's hardly fair. Remember to leave extra."
Wayne: "..."
Leaving behind two large vials of Basilisk venom with a pained heart, Wayne exited the laboratory with a look of utter agony.
Usually, he was the one extorting others. Only when the tables were turned did he realise how much it hurt.
No, he'd have to make up for this once back at school.
...
Time passed swiftly, and soon another new year arrived.
Researching Basilisk venom wasn't an overnight task, so Wayne hadn't expected Nicolas to solve it within days.
With less than a week left of the holidays, both he and Cho needed to leave soon. Cho wanted to spend time with her parents, while he needed to arrange other matters before the term started.
At Perenelle's insistence, they stayed three more days before finally departing Nicolas's estate. Before leaving, Wayne had to negotiate extensively to reclaim Gryffindor's sword, promising Nicolas could study it again during his next visit.
Instead of returning directly to London, he and Cho headed to the other side of Devon – The Burrow in Ottery St Catchpole.
Whether it was Ginny, the twins, or Cedric, they'd all invited him multiple times. Being so nearby, it would've been rude not to visit.
Mrs Weasley was delighted to see them. "I thought you wouldn't have time to come! Did you try the jumper? How does it fit?"
Wayne unbuttoned his coat to reveal the grey jumper underneath, smiling. "The size is perfect, though I'm still growing. I'll have to trouble you for another next year."
Mrs Weasley happily agreed, even asking if he'd prefer different patterns and whether initials alone were too plain.
The twins exchanged glances, understanding each other perfectly. This was the key difference between Wayne and them – he knew exactly how to charm adults.
Visiting while wearing Molly's handmade jumper, then unabashedly requesting another? That showed genuine closeness. It never felt obsequious, just warmly familiar.
Had they mastered Wayne's techniques, they might've avoided half their childhood punishments.
After lunch, Ginny tried dragging Wayne off to find Luna, but Fred returned with Cedric, and George mercilessly shooed his sister away.
"Run along, kiddo. We've got hundreds of Galleons' worth of business to discuss."
"Mum!" Ginny shouted indignantly. "Fred and George are bullying me again!"
From the kitchen where she was baking a cake, Mrs Weasley called back soothingly, "Ginny dear, go find Luna yourself. Cedric came specifically to see Wayne – it wouldn't be right to take him away."
Stamping her foot in frustration, Ginny stormed out to find Luna alone. Mrs Weasley shook her head ruefully.
While she pitied the peculiar Lovegood girl, she couldn't imagine Wayne having much in common with someone so... eccentric.
...
In the twins' bedroom.
"So, what do you think of our new product?" Fred asked eagerly.
"Hold that thought." Wayne raised a hand, turning to Cedric. "Those Chocolate Frog cards you gave me – did you get them from Ron?"
Cedric blurted out, "How did you—" before catching Wayne's knowing smirk. Realising his slip, he adopted an ingratiating expression.
"Money's a bit tight lately, I'm saving up to pay you back. It's the thought that counts, right?"
"That card took me playing Ron for several days of Wizard's Chess to win."
"You actually beat Ron?" Wayne stared at Cedric in astonishment.
"Pfft!"
Before Cedric could answer, Fred burst out laughing. "He used your tactics and completely demoralised Ron."
"That... unorthodox Wizard's Chess approach." Cedric waved his hand dismissively. "Just go with the flow."
Cho gave the group an odd look.
Now she understood why Wayne was so mischievous – clearly, he'd learned it all from Cedric and the twins.
After thoroughly mocking Cedric, they finally returned to the main topic.
Fred and George wanted Wayne's opinion on their inventions – their discussions always yielded valuable insights.
"They're quite good, just need some improvements." Wayne praised them first before analysing: "The invisible ink's stability is poor. You must control its activation time better – create several tiers."
"Most professors collect homework the following week, and students usually cram on weekends. So three, five and seven-day tiers would suffice."
"We'd love to," Fred said glumly, "but our Potions skills aren't up to it."
"I've improved the potion formula for you. The actual brewing is your responsibility."
"Brilliant!" George gave a thumbs-up. "That's why we need you, Wayne. Just replace Snape and teach us Potions instead."
"Sounds good to me." Cedric grinned foolishly. "Then we could dock points from Slytherin daily – see if they'd still be laughing."
"I'd die of frustration teaching those idiots." Wayne didn't hesitate.
Hogwarts wasn't lacking in fools – quite the opposite.
Sometimes watching them learn magic was painful, like his two roommates...
Toby still couldn't master the Levitation Charm properly, while Norman barely scraped an Acceptable in Transfiguration.
What a pair of legendary talents.
"Now about the Booger Bubblegum – no major issues, just too expensive."
"Too expensive?"
George looked puzzled. "Ten Knuts per piece isn't bad, is it?"
"I mean, the production cost are too high! Just the materials cost seven Knuts. Factor in labour and failure rates, you're practically running a charity!"
Wayne gave them a disappointed look. "Weaken the effects, shorten the duration – that'll reduce costs immediately."
"But customers won't be satisfied," George protested.
"Says who?" Wayne said righteously. "I'm considering the customers' best interests."
"Long-lasting effects could damage friendships. Halving the duration would be perfect – costs could drop to three Knuts."
"As for price... lower it slightly. Nine Knuts seems fair."
They exchanged glances...
Costs more than halved, and the price dropped by... one Knut?
Cedric said dazedly, "Suddenly, his logic makes perfect sense. What do you think?"
George nodded emphatically. "Now I finally understand why your family's business in the Muggle world is so successful. You've got a real talent for making ruthless schemes sound considerate—no wonder you're raking it in."
Wayne smiled and patted his shoulder. "Keep at it. The Celia Store in Diagon Alley will be waiting for you two to make it shine."
The twins swallowed hard in unison.
Owning a shop in Diagon Alley... that was their ultimate dream.
Though Celia Store belonged to Wayne, they held shares too, making them minor proprietors.
This carrot was far too tempting.
...
By evening, when Mr Weasley returned from work and the Diggorys joined them for dinner, Wayne took Cho back to London.
Her father was moved to tears upon seeing his daughter finally home.
After barely exchanging pleasantries, he promptly shooed Wayne away.
Glancing at the darkening sky, Wayne wasn't ready to head home yet.
He activated the Zombie Ward linked to Grace and soon received a response.
"Senior, are you in London now?"
"Yep," came Grace's languid voice.
"I'll come replenish your magic. There's something I want to discuss, too."
"Then hurry over~ I'm all alone at home," Grace giggled.
Wayne's expression remained unchanged.
So what if she was home alone?
He could handle her just fine!
After confirming her address—conveniently near a place he'd visited—he Apparated on the spot, vanishing into thin air.