23 Chapter 23
Mike didn't see Hermione in the Ravenclaw common room the next day. This shy girl, although given permission by Professor Flitwick, was still afraid to come to the Ravenclaw common room.
Although Hermione didn't come, another pair from Gryffindor didn't mind showing up.
After class, Mike had just arrived in the common room when he saw the Weasley twins looking bored.
"Do you know how much money we made?"
"You won't believe it when I tell you!"
The Weasley brothers swarmed Mike as soon as they saw him, each speaking rapidly and energetically, spitting with every word.
"Calm down. I assume you're here today to give me money, right?" Mike said with some annoyance.
The Weasley brothers exchanged glances, and George pulled out a heavy bag from his robe.
"We've been running around the pubs and tea houses in Hogsmeade Village these past few days. Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop accepted our proposal and added our drink to their menu."
"That's right, the drink is fantastic. Now they're asking us for more every day."
"Combined with what we've sold at Hogwarts, we've made one hundred Galleons in the past few days! Here's your fifty Galleons."
The Weasley brothers told Mike about their recent activities, stuffing the bag they held into Mike's hands.
Mike was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected these two brothers to have such a high talent for business, even knowing how to collaborate with local businesses.
No wonder he had recently seen some older wizards carrying the same Dolfan magical drink as him.
Weighing the heavy Galleons in his hand, Mike mentally gave the two brothers a thumbs up.
"It seems our magical drink is selling well outside of school. I've seen many senior students drinking it," Mike said as he pocketed the Galleons. "But what about the younger students? Have you forgotten them?
"Halloween is coming up," Mike paused. "What if we offer every wizard a cup of Dolfan Potion to try at the Halloween feast? Do you think those who like it will find a way to buy it?"
At Mike's words, the Weasley brothers were momentarily stunned, and then they excitedly grabbed Mike's arms and legs, tossing him into the air repeatedly. They even chanted, "Mike, our Prince Charming! Mike, our Prince Charming! Mike, our Prince Charming!" attracting curious glances from passing Ravenclaws.
Fortunately, the Weasley twins knew their limits when it came to joking around, and they put Mike down before the crowd grew too large.
"We need to go stock up now. See you, Mike!"
With that, the two of them ran out of the Ravenclaw common room, still horsing around.
Mike shook his head as he watched them leave. They were good in every way, just a bit too rowdy.
Halloween was fast approaching, and Mike, seated on the Ravenclaw common room sofa, was swiftly whisked away by Penelope to help decorate the Hogwarts Great Hall.
Ever since she heard Professor Flitwick call Mike his favorite student, this girl's attitude towards Mike had become noticeably warmer.
These past few days, she had appeared now and then in front of Mike, displaying concern for him.
Truly a girl adept at seeing which way the wind blows.
Yet, Mike didn't dislike Penelope's attempts to please him. After all, Penelope was a beauty. Compared to Hermione's youthful innocence, Mike preferred Penelope, who was three years his senior.
As for being opportunistic. Aren't most people in the world like that?
They like to gather around the strong, hoping to catch some scraps when the strong are feasting, ready to pounce like wild dogs when something falls.
Mike had seen too many such people in his previous life and liked dealing with them. They are simple enough. At least they were straightforward. As long as no better opportunities came their way, they wouldn't betray you.
Helping with the decorations in the hall earned house points, so each house's prefect organized students to assist.
However, these young wizards couldn't help much, and some mischievous Gryffindors even hindered the work. The primary workforce was the house-elves, who cleaned up the messes left behind by the young wizards every evening.
Most of the participating young wizards were first and second-years, as older students were busy dealing with increasingly heavy coursework.
Among them, Mike was undoubtedly the celebrity of the entire hall.
His magical power and spell level far exceeded those of the young wizards. While others needed to rest after using the Levitation Charm to move two or three large decorations, Mike could keep going all afternoon.
Finally, after three days of hard work, the hall was finally decorated on the morning of Halloween.
Dumbledore and the teachers of the four houses held a luncheon for all the students who participated in the labor.
During the luncheon, Dumbledore highly praised Mike and even earned 50 points for Ravenclaw, putting Ravenclaw ahead of Gryffindor and second only to Slytherin.
Professor Flitwick clapped excitedly, clapping so hard that his hands turned red, his eyes almost disappearing with his laughter.
Mike kept looking for Hermione during the luncheon. He knew that Hermione would be trapped in the girls' bathroom by the troll tonight, and he wanted to prevent that from happening.
Because of his arrival, although the world still largely followed the original plot, many details had already changed. He couldn't guarantee that Hermione would survive the troll's attack this time. He had to prevent Hermione from encountering the troll tonight.
However, to his disappointment, Hermione was not at the Gryffindor table; only Harry and Ron were wolfing down their food.
Mike remembered they had only participated for one day before giving up due to the hardship.
Mike had no appetite. After accepting the professors' compliments, he left the hall. Finding Hermione was the most important thing right now.
Mike searched many places: the library, the Gryffindor common room, and various professors' classrooms, but all to no avail.
Seeing it was getting dark outside, a dejected Mike could only return to the Ravenclaw common room.
He had to conserve his energy for the rest of the time, as a troll over three meters tall was waiting for him to deal with tonight.
But when Mike entered the common room, the figure he had been searching for all afternoon appeared before his eyes.
It was Hermione.
She was hiding alone in a corner of the empty Ravenclaw common room, her nose and eyes red from crying.
