Both girls were clever enough to understand. Upon hearing Wayne mention going to the Forbidden Forest to 'stock up', Cho was initially taken aback before quickly understanding as she glanced around the space.
She couldn't help but laugh helplessly. "You're far too bold. The school might overlook a few, but if the numbers grow too large—"
"Don't worry, I've already spoken to Professor Dumbledore," Wayne waved his hand dismissively. "He agreed with my idea, but said to know my limits."
This was one of the perks of having Dumbledore as Headmaster—he never hesitated to show favour or even partiality towards students he liked.
From Newt in the past, to James Potter's Marauders, and even Harry now.
As long as your actions remained within his tolerance, Dumbledore wouldn't interfere excessively. Sometimes, he'd even offer help, guiding students towards the path he envisioned for them.
Wayne was one such student. And Newt had played a significant role in this.
Being able to obtain the suitcase from him was akin to a celebrity endorsement—proof of good character.
As long as Wayne didn't overstep, the old Headmaster would turn a blind eye.
Seeing that Wayne had a clear grasp of the situation, Cho nodded and said no more. This world was indeed rather desolate.
"Alright, you two can play with Mia for a bit. She's been alone here lately and must be quite bored."
As he spoke, Wayne handed them a pair of rubber gloves to protect against accidental discharges from the Thunderbird.
"What about you?"
"I'm going to transplant some Chomping Cabbages and water the saplings in the forest."
Once again, Wayne felt the acute need for a House-elf—or perhaps a curvaceous female assistant.
Such trivial tasks shouldn't require his personal attention.
Cho had initially wanted to help, but Wayne refused, fearing she might get hurt handling the dangerous plants.
By seven in the evening, when the school's dinner service was about to end, the three hurried back to the Great Hall, still somewhat reluctant to leave.
Watching Wayne meticulously tend to his little world, Cho and Hermione had eventually joined in, even experiencing a peculiar sense of being creators themselves.
...
During dinner, Wayne glanced at the staff table and noticed Snape was still absent.
Had the man been avoiding him all day? Was he trying to weasel out of their agreement?
"Wayne, where were you this afternoon?"
Another female voice came from behind, causing Cedric, who was holding his cutlery, to freeze and roll his eyes in exasperation.
Couldn't he give it a rest?
Three girls, all the prettiest in their respective years. Bloody hell!
"Penelope, have a seat," Wayne greeted warmly, shooting Cedric a meaningful look.
The lad wisely scooted over to make room.
"Thank you." The blonde prefect's sweet smile made Cedric blush, prompting him to lower his head and focus on his meal; he hastily ordered a lemonade.
Penelope sat so close that Wayne could catch the scent of her perfume, different from Hermione's or Cho's.
Probably a different brand of shower gel.
In a hushed tone, Penelope whispered, "I've developed three products. The twins said they're fine, but I'm still a bit worried. Would you like to test them?"
Wayne looked at her in horror. "Senior, what grudge do you hold against me? Why must you harm me?"
Her creations were prank products—Ton-Tongue Toffees (toffees that made your tongue swell), Babble Beverage Gum (which made you chatter nonstop for ten minutes), and Nausea Nougat (to simulate the thrill of riding the Knight Bus).
How could he possibly be fine after trying all these things?
Penelope also realised the implication of her words and blushed slightly, quickly explaining, "What I meant was that I'll make them again while you observe to see if there's any issue."
Although Wayne was only a first-year wizard, Penelope still regarded his skill level as superior to her own.
Quite simply, apart from the maps and the quills, she couldn't replicate any of the other products Wayne had created.
Not to mention those protective artefacts that would cause pure-blood families to clamour over them if placed on the market. She'd even overheard several students in the Ravenclaw dormitory saying they'd brought money from home to purchase his defensive artefacts.
"Don't be nervous, senior," Wayne reassured her. "You should believe in your abilities. Besides, George and Fred both said there weren't any problems."
"If you're worried, you could always have those two test them out."
"Pfft!"
Penelope couldn't help but laugh, exuding a charming grace.
"You're too wicked. How exactly did you end up in Hufflepuff?"
"Because I'm an honest man... By the way, I've just learned how to read palms. Let me see your recent fortune..."
Cedric beside them: "..."
Three more glasses of lemon juice, extra lemons, no sugar!
...
Under the bright moon, a dark figure darted out of the castle, swiftly knocking out Fang before disappearing into the Forbidden Forest. Time was tight, the mission urgent.
If he wanted to get any sleep tonight, he needed to move quickly.
"Meow~!"
"Meow~!"
On his way to the Mooncalf herd, several cat-like cries reached his ears. Wayne immediately halted, waving his wand.
The vines on the ground grew wildly, transforming into whips that lashed towards the bushes. The meowing intensified as shadowy figures darted through the undergrowth.
Wayne continued forward without pause, controlling the pursuing vines while following the creatures. Two minutes later, five Kneazles were securely trapped, their fur immediately bristling at Wayne's appearance.
"These little things are really hard to catch."
Kneazles, XXX-class magical creatures, weren't particularly aggressive but were notoriously difficult to capture.
It seemed most feline creatures possessed Legilimency abilities—take the Wampus cat, for instance, they were natural Legilimency masters.
Though Kneazles weren't as formidable as Wampus cats, their danger perception was remarkably acute, making them exceptionally challenging to catch.
Wayne had only succeeded thanks to his Dynamic Perception and powerful spellwork. With all his talents engaged, he produced dried fish and cat food to tempt the little creatures. After considerable effort, the Kneazles finally agreed to come home with him.
When Newt had entrusted the case to Wayne, he'd emphasised that the animals must consent before being housed within. Having given his word, Wayne naturally wouldn't go back on it.
He was, after all, a Hufflepuff.
Having dealt with the Kneazles, Wayne suddenly realised his frantic running had taken him far from the intended Mooncalf territory. Quickly changing direction, his remarkable memory ensured he wouldn't get lost.
Another half hour brought him to the hill where he'd previously encountered Mooncalves with the two girls. Tonight, since it wasn't a full moon, the Mooncalves weren't out dancing, leaving the surroundings in complete silence.
"Oooh~!"
Wayne emitted a peculiar cry from his mouth before scattering the fireflies he'd prepared in advance. A faint rustling sound approached as over a dozen Mooncalves hopped over, nibbling on the fireflies floating in the air.
Wayne patted them, one after another.
After the wide-eyed creatures had their fill, he finally asked, "Would you like to come with me?"
"I can provide you with a place to live. It might not be as big as the Forbidden Forest, and it's a bit barren, but it's much safer—no natural predators. Plus, I can guarantee you plenty of food so you can dance every day."
"Ooo~!"
The Mooncalves exchanged glances, uncertain. They roughly understood Wayne's words but didn't know how to decide. Wayne wasn't in a hurry either. Instead, he used the massage techniques he'd learned from Newt to win them over.
Eventually, all the Mooncalves crowded around Wayne, nudging him affectionately.
Success!
He couldn't help but grin.
With these Mooncalves, he'd never run short of fertiliser, and they'd speed up the growth of his magical herbs.
But most importantly, they were adorable.
When Wayne picked his harem—no, his pets—appearance was always the top priority. Ugly creatures like Acromantulas? No matter how useful they were, he wanted nothing to do with them.
The little short-legged creatures lined up and entered the suitcase. In the unfamiliar environment, the Mooncalves grew restless, their bodies wriggling uneasily.
Only after Wayne helped carve out a cave-like den for them to burrow into did they settle down.
They really were timid.
After scattering another batch of fireflies as food, Wayne left the suitcase and resumed his work.
Next, he found some Billywigs, Fwoopers, and Diricawls.
Luring birds was his speciality.
With Ho-Oh's aura and his natural talent, it was almost too easy. Unfortunately, the Forbidden Forest had no Demiguises—otherwise, he'd have loved to keep a few plump little furballs in his suitcase.
After several hours of hard work, he'd gathered over a dozen decent species before finally stopping.
Not that he didn't want more—he couldn't handle any more at the moment.
Looking at the nearly 9000 points in his possession, Wayne decided to wait until he accumulated 10,000 before starting the prize draw, hoping to win a House-elf to solve his current troubles.
Following his connection with Ho-Oh, Wayne made his way near the Centaur tribe. Ho-Oh came flying towards him, accompanied by Hestia and Diana.
"Chirp chirp!"
"Neigh—"
Hestia affectionately nuzzled against Wayne, while Diana, imitating her mother, rubbed against his trouser leg.
"How have you been lately?" Wayne stroked the unicorns' horns and smiled.
"Neigh~!"
"Is that so? Then I'll have to thank the Centaurs properly on your behalf. Now that I'm back, you can move back home. If you don't want to stay here permanently, that's fine too."
Just as Wayne was speaking with Hestia, the crisp sound of hooves approached once more.
Several Centaurs, armed with bows and arrows, walked over. Upon recognising Wayne, they immediately lowered their weapons, not daring to aim them at the young wizard.
They were all members of the previous patrol squad and had witnessed Wayne's power—and brutality.
As for whether someone else might be impersonating him, that wasn't a concern for the Centaurs. Given the unicorns' keen senses, they would never mistake someone else for him.
"Long time no see, little colt."
"I believe I mentioned before that I prefer people to call me by my name, Firenze."
"My apologies, Wayne Lawrence."
The tall, leading Centaur stepped closer to Wayne, marvelling at the familiarity between him and the unicorns.
Suddenly, his gaze fell upon the suitcase at Wayne's feet, and his expression sharpened.
"You've met Mr Scamander?"
"No." Wayne paused in stroking Hestia and sighed. "How did you know there was something unusual about this suitcase?"
"Mr Scamander once provided great assistance to our tribe. I'm very familiar with his suitcase."
'I'll have to modify the suitcase's appearance later—it's too conspicuous. Newt carried this thing all over the world back in the day. Who knows how many people might recognise it?'
"Alright, fine. It was indeed given to me by Newt, my senior."
Firenze gave a slight nod before extending an invitation. "Since you're here, why not visit our tribe as a guest?"
Wayne looked puzzled. "I thought you didn't like humans?"
"You are a friend of Mr Scamander, which makes you a friend of the Centaurs. We welcome friends wholeheartedly."
'My senior is truly impressive.'
Wayne silently gave Newt a mental thumbs-up before happily agreeing. He was still somewhat curious about how the Centaurs lived.
However, to his disappointment, the so-called "tribe" was merely an area enclosed by fences, with a few makeshift shelters.
It wasn't much different from a stable.
Then again, Centaurs, like horses, could sleep standing up, allowing them to wake and flee or fight at a moment's notice. Building proper houses would be unnecessary—even obstructive.
Wayne settled onto a soft pile of hay with a light exhale.
When he first arrived, the other Centaurs had been wary, especially Bane, who had been blasted away by Wayne's spell last time. He let out an angry roar and nearly charged forward.
But after Firenze reprimanded him and emphasised Wayne's connection to Newt, the Centaurs quickly calmed down.
This only deepened Wayne's curiosity—just what had Newt done to earn such gratitude from the Centaurs?
"Thank you for taking care of Hestia and Diana during this time," Wayne initiated the conversation.
"Centaurs and Unicorns are friends. Helping friends requires no thanks," Firenze shook his head gently. "Rather, it is you I'm curious about. How did you know Dark Wizards had entered this part of the Forbidden Forest?"
"We've patrolled for half a month and found no trace of outsiders."
"Just a precaution," Wayne lowered his gaze. "As Centaurs skilled in divination, you must have sensed some shifts in events."
Firenze fell silent. "Geniuses tread among the stars, while the mediocre cannot even reach a single footprint."
"Lawrence, you are a true genius. If you wish, I would impart the Centaurs' inherited art of prophecy to you in full."
Wayne hesitated slightly.
Prophecy and fate undeniably existed in this world.
Take Voldemort, for instance—his entire later life was spent chasing that absurd prophecy.
Everything he did and saw was merely him hurtling towards the prophecy's end, pitiful and laughable. Grindelwald was no different. Nearly two decades earlier, he had shown wizards the vision of the bomb descending upon Hiroshima, yet still, nothing could be changed.
"I'll pass," Wayne ultimately declined. "Prophecy only interferes with my judgment of events, leading me unwittingly down a predetermined fate."
"Knowing more isn't always for the better."
"I'd rather trust in my strength to alter any outcome."
Admiration deepened in Firenze's eyes. "The choice of a true sage. May the starlight forever guide you."
This phrase held the highest blessing in Centaur culture. Wayne exchanged a few polite words in return.
Before leaving with Hestia and Diana, he suddenly asked, "Do you know where the Acromantula nest is?"
Firenze hesitated, glancing at the stars before answering, "Northwest. There's a grove of golden wattles there."
"A tribe of Thestrals also resides nearby. If you're going, be cautious."
"Thanks." Wayne waved, mounting Hestia and vanishing into the darkness.
With a mount, speed was incomparable. Hestia streaked like a beam of light, reaching the golden wattle grove Firenze mentioned in under ten minutes.
The Unicorn gradually slowed as Acromantulas began closing in from all sides.
A ring of fire erupted from Wayne, scattering the spiders and illuminating the night sky.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here. Keep going," Wayne patted the Unicorn gently, and Hestia whinnied before charging forward.
Any Acromantula that approached was blasted away by Wayne's spells. He didn't strike lethally—at worst, a leg was severed.
"Hufflepuff's little wizard, what are you doing here again?!"
The ground suddenly churned as Aragog burst forth, blocking Wayne's path. His aged voice trembled with fury.
How long had it been since they'd had peace? He'd even moved his descendants, yet they were still being hunted down!
"Don't be hasty, Aragog," Wayne remained smiling. "I'm not here to fight—didn't you notice I haven't killed a single spider?"
"State your business and leave!"
Aragog barely restrained his anger, wanting to know what Wayne was after.