Malfoy's 'source of happiness' for summoning the Patronus wasn't a single memory, but rather a 'medley' of multiple fragments:
The joy of his first ride on a toy broomstick, the pride after being praised by his father, the happiness upon receiving the Nimbus 2001...
The first time he looked down his nose at Potter in the train, when Potter bowed and apologised to him over the bathroom incident, the schadenfreude upon learning Potter had fainted because of a Dementor...
In short, Harry featured extremely frequently—appearing in over half the memories.
Thankfully, Wayne didn't see any scenes of Malfoy being smitten with Harry, or he might have started suspecting Malfoy of harbouring unsavoury thoughts.
Wait.
He froze.
Malfoy didn't have any... peculiar... interest in Harry... yet remained fixated on Harry.
Wasn't that an even bigger problem?!
"Wayne..." Harry's hesitant voice interrupted Wayne's contemplation.
"What is it?"
Harry shook his head. "You were looking at me strangely just now."
Wayne's expression remained neutral. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about what to teach in this lesson."
"I can practise the Patronus Charm on my own," Harry said quickly. "Let Malfoy and I practise duelling instead."
"No way!"
Malfoy shuddered, causing the silvery weasel in the air to dissipate into smoke.
"We already agreed—I'm learning a new spell today." Malfoy pushed past Harry to stand before Wayne.
"You haven't even mastered the Patronus Charm yet. What right do you have to decide the lesson content?"
Were Wayne not present, Harry would have gladly 'bonded' with Malfoy right then and there.
"Malfoy has a point," Wayne agreed.
This was class time—he wouldn't show favouritism based on personal relationships.
Since Malfoy had made such progress, he deserved a reward.
Still, Harry needed appeasing too: "Harry, if you grasp the new spell faster than Malfoy, you can choose what we study next."
Harry nodded, shooting Malfoy a glare.
He'd remember this.
As for which spell to teach, Wayne already had one in mind.
With a wave of his wand, several tables and chairs flew forward to serve as teaching aids again.
The furniture in this room had endured much abuse—frequently transfigured into materials or used as shields and obstacles during their sparring.
"Today's spell is a trap-type incantation. You've learned plenty of offensive magic, and the Shield Charm covers defence."
"What you lack most are control spells."
"Only by restraining your opponent can you land attacks more easily."
Wayne drew his wand and pointed it at the furniture's shadows on the floor, intoning:
"Shadow Bind!"
Instantly, the darkness seemed to come alive—inky tendrils rose from the ground, binding the tables and chairs tightly.
Both Harry's and Malfoy's eyes lit up.
What a cool spell!
To actually use the enemy's own shadows against them—utterly unpredictable.
But...
Harry suddenly thought of a question and spoke up, "If it's nighttime, wouldn't this spell be useless?"
Malfoy froze, also realising the implication, and waited for Wayne's explanation.
"Nighttime?" Wayne chuckled. "Wouldn't that be even better?"
Whoosh!
All the light sources in the room extinguished, leaving only the moonlight streaming in from outside, faintly outlining their figures.
"Ow!"
Suddenly, panicked yelps echoed in the darkness, followed by the sound of something cutting through the air.
Wayne snapped his fingers, and the candlelight reignited, revealing the scene in the classroom.
Harry and Malfoy were tightly bound by black tendrils extending from the ground, only their heads exposed—as if wrapped head-to-toe in black silk.
"See now?" Wayne smiled at the two. "Nighttime is where this spell truly shines."
"Shadows aren't just literal..."
This magic wasn't something he'd won in a draw—it was of Wayne's own creation.
Where there is light, there is shadow.
With the inheritance of the Dragon King and partial legacy of the Lady of Luminosity, Lux, his understanding of light ran deep—and by extension, so did his perspective on darkness.
It hadn't taken much effort to create an entire series of shadow-based spells.
The 'Shadow Bind' he taught the two was merely the most basic introductory spell. Mastering this incantation was a prerequisite for delving deeper.
Yet even this entry-level spell had them utterly enthralled, their faces screaming, 'We must learn this.'
Wayne dispelled the magic, releasing them from their restraints.
"Now, let me explain the key points of this spell... Essentially, it's a composite incantation, incorporating principles of Transfiguration..."
As Wayne lectured, Harry and Malfoy's expressions shifted from excitement to numb resignation.
They weren't slackers, but relying mostly on talent and last-minute cramming, sitting through two hours of earnest instruction was pushing their limits.
Fortunately, Wayne realised further explanation was futile and simply handed them the incantation to experiment with freely.
After class, Wayne didn't return to the dormitory. Instead, he headed to the Forbidden Forest, set down his suitcase, and slipped inside.
...
The new week began with a shock. As young witches and wizards made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast on Monday morning, they all froze when passing the noticeboard.
A gleaming announcement outshone all the other parchments, its letters radiating a kaleidoscope of colours—impossible to miss.
The twins at the front read it aloud:
"Celia Store will host a new product launch in the Great Hall this Wednesday at 8 PM! All interested students are welcome to attend and witness the unveiling!"
"Signed—Wayne Lawrence."
The twins exchanged glances and chorused, "What's Wayne come up with now?"
Soon, every student who wasn't blind knew the announcement's contents.
And it wasn't just the students—the professors had seen it too.
At lunch, Snape swooped over to Wayne with gleeful vindictiveness and declared,
"Lawrence, students aren't permitted to use the noticeboard. Fifty points from Hufflepuff. Remove that parchment at once."
Snape couldn't outright target Wayne these days—after all, he was his financial benefactor.
But since he willingly fell into his hands, that doesn't count.
To Snape's disappointment, after he announced the point deduction, not only Wayne but even the surrounding badgers merely fell silent for two seconds before continuing their meals as if nothing had happened.
Just points deducted...
They were already used to it.
What they cared more about was what new product Wayne would release, making such a grand announcement.
Toby and Norman had been pestering him for ages, but couldn't get anything out of him, leaving the two hopping with frustration.
"Professor," Wayne said unhurriedly after finishing a piece of stewed beef, speaking calmly, "that notice is enchanted. Even I can't take it down—it'll only fall off naturally after three days."
Snape sneered. "Then don't blame me if I burn it."
"Go ahead," Wayne said indifferently. "As long as you're not afraid of blowing up the notice board."
Snape's expression darkened.
He didn't dare gamble on whether Wayne was telling the truth because the boy absolutely had both the capability and the audacity to do it.
If the notice board really exploded, knowing Dumbledore as he did, the headmaster wouldn't blame Wayne—he'd come after Snape instead.
Two shameless bastards!
Snape's face cycled through shades of green and white.
Finally, under the watchful eyes of the young wizards, he furiously deducted another ten points from Wayne before storming off in humiliation.
"So what exactly have you prepared?" Cedric asked curiously from nearby.
George and Fred had also quietly edged closer.
The twins had been bombarded with questions all morning—everyone knew they were partners in the Celia Shop.
The problem was, they didn't know either. Wayne's secrecy was impeccable.
"Not a single word until 8 PM on Wednesday."
"Come on, let's ask Hermione," George said loudly on purpose.
"Go ahead. She doesn't know either," Wayne remained unfazed, calmly continuing his meal.
The twins exchanged a glance, completely out of ideas.
In the following days, the castle buzzed with speculation about what new invention Wayne had concocted to warrant such fanfare.
Professor McGonagall summoned Wayne to her office, asking wearily, "Mr Lawrence, what have you come up with this time?"
The school had only just settled into peace—how had it suddenly become so lively again?
To be honest, this was truly the most troublesome generation of students she'd ever taught.
The twins, Malfoy, Harry, Wayne...
Each one caused bigger incidents than the last.
"I warn you, if it's another thing like that invisible ink, don't expect any leniency from me—I'll ban it outright."
McGonagall knew about Wayne and the twins' shop, which mostly sold prank items. As long as she didn't catch them red-handed, she usually turned a blind eye.
Students needed outlets for their stress—even someone as strict as her didn't expect them to study all day.
But if Wayne publicly defied school rules, no matter how much she liked the young wizard, she wouldn't show mercy.
"Don't worry," Wayne said with a bashful smile. "It's just a game, not a prank item."
"It definitely won't disrupt classes."
Professor McGonagall's expression softened slightly. "I knew you were a good boy who'd understand my position."
Finally, as a Gryffindor, Professor McGonagall couldn't resist her curiosity. "Could you tell me what it is?"
Wayne shook his head lightly. The older catgirl's face darkened as she pointed towards the door.
...
Wednesday.
The feast had ended, and nearly all the students remained, waiting for the eight o'clock announcement.
Even most of the professors had come.
The four Heads of House, Ancient Runes Professor Bathsheba Babbling, and Muggle Studies Professor Charity Burbage were all present.
Dumbledore had also appeared.
Professor McGonagall stared uncertainly at the old headmaster who hadn't shown his face for days: "Albus, your face..."
"Thank you for your concern, Minerva, I'm perfectly fine," Dumbledore said cheerfully. Had it not been for the bruising around his eye, Professor McGonagall might have believed him.
Snape and others couldn't help glancing over curiously. Dumbledore now had one eye visibly larger than the other - clearly someone had punched him.
Seeing their sceptical expressions, Dumbledore remained jovial: "Memory does tend to fail with age."
"The other day I suddenly needed to find a lavatory, but somehow lost my way. In my haste, I walked straight into a suit of armour."
"Not to worry - the armour emerged completely unscathed."
With so many people present, further questioning seemed inappropriate. Professor McGonagall reluctantly accepted this explanation.
Only Snape emitted a cryptic sneer.
Yet even he wondered - who in this world could possibly harm this old man?
Had he and Lawrence disagreed and come to blows?
Snape speculated maliciously before suddenly speaking: "Dumbledore, are you just going to let him run wild like this?"
Dumbledore looked genuinely surprised: "What's wrong with it?"
"Mr Lawrence's every invention proves both practical and fascinating. His willingness to share demonstrates quintessential Hufflepuff qualities."
Professor Sprout beamed with delight.
"I see no fascination, only endless trouble," Snape scoffed. "My instincts tell me this grand spectacle will inevitably create unnecessary extra work for me."
"Attending to students' well-being is part of a professor's duties," came Lupin's voice from behind, making Snape's expression darken further.
Lupin nodded politely to the other professors before positioning himself beside Snape: "Severus, you seem rather fatigued lately. Perhaps insufficient rest explains this irritability?"
"As Potions Master, I understand my own constitution better than you," Snape replied coldly.
"Splendid," Lupin said, unfazed by Snape's attitude - his sole aim being to annoy him.
Dumbledore pretended not to notice their tension, gesturing towards the Slytherin table:
"Look, your students appear to disagree with you - nearly all have attended."
The table was fuller than during mealtimes.
"Perhaps they have too much free time," Snape's eyes glinted dangerously. "I suggest professors might consider assigning double homework next week."
Professor McGonagall gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Had the young snakes heard this, they'd have wept protests of innocence.
Some baseless rumour had spread that Lawrence would carefully note absent students - that those who didn't attend were slighting him, rejecting his friendship.
With stakes so high, how could they dare stay away?
...
At precisely eight o'clock, Wayne appeared, flanked by Cho and Hermione.
The young man smiled, giving his wand a slight flick. The staff table rose slightly, gaining an additional tier of steps.
The two girls lowered their heads shyly under the gaze of so many people.
They had never experienced such a scene before, their hearts pounding wildly.
Cho had faced more fervent crowds during Quidditch matches, but that was while flying high above, completely unable to see the people below—nothing like the proximity of this moment.
It felt entirely different.
Once the three of them had taken their positions, Cedric suddenly shouted, "Well done!" and began clapping.
Then, everyone else joined in, the applause so thunderous it seemed the stars on the ceiling might shake loose.
Wayne waved his hands around until the applause gradually died down and the crowd quieted.
As the young man on the stage swept his gaze across the various house tables, lingering particularly on the Slytherin table, the little snakes inwardly sighed in realisation.
Lawrence was clearly checking who wasn't present!
How sneaky!
Little did they know, Wayne was simply puzzled as to why so many Slytherins had returned.
"Welcome, everyone, to the new product launch of our Celia Store."
Wayne looked out at the young witches and wizards below, flicking his wand to unfurl a banner behind him.
"To thank you all for your support, for the next week, not only will our new products be available, but everything in Celia Store will be sold at a 10% discount!"
The applause surged again, this time far more heartfelt.
A 10% discount could save quite a bit of money, and with pocket money being limited, every knut counted.
This time, it took a full minute for the Great Hall to settle back into silence.
Wayne continued, "I'm here to present to you a groundbreaking game. Through this game, you won't just find joy—you'll also learn many useful things."
"Now, let my assistants, Miss Granger and Miss Chang, give you all a demonstration!"