Chapter 104 - You're Going on a Date?!

"Not bad, casting the Disillusionment Charm successfully ten times in a row without any mistakes. You've mastered this spell," Lynn said with a slight nod. Irina, standing right in front of him, had completely vanished from sight. 

Though the Disillusionment Charm wasn't a simple spell, it wasn't too difficult for Irina to learn. With over ten minutes until curfew, she could now cast it steadily.

Irina waved her wand, canceling the charm and revealing herself with a smile. "The next step is to perform it non-verbally. While useful, a Disillusionment Charm you can't cast silently will only work for sneaking around, not actual combat!"

Lynn nodded. "Exactly, enemies can hear you cast it, so you need to learn the non-verbal version to use it in a fight. The Disillusionment Charm is incredibly versatile for evading powerful foes or helping allies ambush separated enemies."

"I understand. It's Halloween tomorrow with no classes. Do you have any plans?" Irina asked.

"I was thinking of taking a secret passage to Hogsmeade to buy some alchemy ingredients," Lynn replied.

Irina looked puzzled. "A secret passage? Do you still remember where they all are after all this time? I've forgotten..."

Lynn chuckled and pulled out a blank parchment from his bag, showing it to her. "The Marauder's Map. You remember this, right? Fred and George shared it with me two years ago since I go out a lot."

Irina's eyes lit up at the legendary Marauder's Map. How could she forget such a wondrous artifact?

"Can you take me along tomorrow? I want to visit Honeydukes and see if any Hogsmeade shops sell magical plant seeds!" she said excitedly.

"Magical plant seeds?" Lynn looked puzzled. "What do you need those for?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Irina explained. "Aside from my ice affinity, I seem to have an affinity for magical creatures and plants too. On our second Herbology lesson, when we re-potted Mandrakes, mine was exceptionally docile with me!"

Irina recounted the details of that Herbology class to Lynn.

Lynn nodded in understanding. If Irina had a special affinity with plants and creatures, perhaps his own talent for alchemy was a similar special ability.

"No problem, come find me at the castle entrance tomorrow morning. What kind of magical plant seeds did you want to get?" Lynn asked.

"Well, like Venomous Tentacula and Chinese Chomping Cabbages?" Irina said eagerly. "We learned the theory behind those dangerous plants in Herbology, but Professor Sprout didn't let us handle them directly."

Lynn looked surprised. "Those are quite...potent choices! You may be disappointed - the Ministry prohibits private cultivation of Venomous Tentacula and Chomping Cabbages. Hogsmeade definitely won't sell those; you'd only find them in Knockturn Alley."

Irina deflated a bit but didn't lose heart. Venomous Tentacula was just a passing fancy - she hadn't tested her plant limits. Growing something so dangerous when her experience was limited to docile Puffapods could be unwise.

Being killed by one's own magical plant would be embarrassing for a dimension traveler!

...

The Next Morning...

Irina sprang out of bed early, carefully selecting her outfit for the day. 

The sound roused Hermione, who poked her bushy head out from the upper bunk, blinking sleepily. "Irina, why are you up so early? No classes today, remember?"

Hermione could scarcely believe Irina, who usually overslept daily until roused, was up before her.

"Hee hee, sneaking out with Lynn today. Don't tell anyone, okay?" Irina said merrily as she changed.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. "What? Just the two of you? Isn't this a date?!"

Irina nearly tripped. "Merlin's beard, we're only twelve! What are you thinking?"

"So a few years older and it could be?" Hermione sat up, eyeing Irina with great interest.

Flustered, Irina fled from their dorm without replying.

"That girl, what kind of books is she reading..." she muttered, heading for the Great Hall. It had to be Lockhart's works corrupting Hermione's mind!

After breakfast, Irina arrived at the castle entrance to find Lynn already waiting.

"It's only seven! Why are you here so early?" she asked in disbelief. Back when she first came to Hogwarts, Hermione had to physically drag Irina out of bed to avoid being late with Harry and Ron.

Lynn smiled. "I'm too weak, so I have to fly before the other birds."

Irina gave him a skeptical look. You? Weak? The wizard who could solo kill a troll as a second-year? Don't be ridiculous!

"Remember the Disillusionment Charm? Follow me, we're taking the secret passage under the Whomping Willow today. I'll show you the route since you'll need it next year," Lynn said, retrieving his wand meaningfully.

(end of chapter)