At five o'clock the next morning, as the first light of dawn crept into the sky, Neville woke right on time.
He reached for the little notebook that had automatically flown to his bedside the night before, checked the time, and began preparing to wash up.
As he rose, Neville felt better than he ever had before. His body was light, his mind clear—not dull and sluggish as it used to be. It was as if the stiff gears inside him had finally been oiled and now turned smoothly.
Loren had already been up earlier, washed and ready. He softly called Neville to remind him to wash as well, then slipped quietly from the dormitory to wait in the common room.
Neville copied him, moving gently so as not to disturb Harry, Ron, and Seamus, who were still fast asleep. Waking others from their dreams, he thought, was hardly proper.
When he finally entered the common room, Loren and Hermione were already waiting. Once Neville joined them, Loren led the two out of the castle.
For a moment, he considered simply leaping from the tower with them, but decided against earning Professor McGonagall's wrath—best not to provoke the stern old cat when he'd have to endure her authority for years to come.
Instead of returning to yesterday's training spot, Loren took them to the shores of the Black Lake. The open ground there suited him better.
From his robes, Loren produced a full set of gear—an alchemical invention of his own making: the Automatic Training Suit. It had been designed to help someone follow preset routines and strengthen their body. He had first created it for Hermione, to address her physical frailty.
Loren had tested the prototype on himself, gradually perfecting it. The final version included a gravity function, simulating added weight. He wore his own set constantly, removing it only to sleep.
Before term began, refining the design had drained his energy. With no data but his own, calibrating the suit for others had proven difficult. Then he had thought of Neville. Here was a boy he admired, one he had always wanted to help.
And so, a perfect solution presented itself: let Neville try the experimental model, gather data, and eventually pass a perfected version to Hermione.
Under Loren's guidance, Neville strapped on the suit. At a few adjustments of Loren's wand, the gear activated, moving Neville's body along the preset training motions.
The exercises were gentle, far lighter than Loren's own regimen. At first, Neville was fascinated by the feeling of his body moving without his mind directing it.
Seeing him so excited, Loren left him to it and turned to teaching Hermione the method of magical body-tempering—a practice that strengthened both body and control over magic at once.
But as time wore on, Neville's fascination gave way to dread. His body grew heavy and sore, yet the suit kept him moving. When he tried to cry out, he discovered with terror that even his breathing had been taken over, forced into a set rhythm. He could not speak at all.
Loren and Hermione, too absorbed in their training, forgot him.
An hour later, the suit finally ceased. Neville collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
The thud jolted Loren back to awareness. He hurried over and examined him, quickly realizing Neville had only overexerted himself and fainted. From his robes, Loren produced a vial of shimmering nutrition potion and poured it into his mouth.
This was no ordinary concoction. Since undergoing the training of a Xiling Empire inspector in his past life, Loren had needed constant energy supplements. He brewed this potion for himself, consuming several bottles daily to sustain his body and fuel his eventual opening of a spiritual space. Unlike Hao Ren, who had a Raven 12345 to support him, Loren had only himself.
He followed the potion with a Freshening Charm and several Quick Revitalization spells. Sweat vanished, Neville's body absorbed the potion rapidly, and soon he stirred awake.
"Loren, save me—I can't stop moving!" Neville cried out in panic, reaching toward where Loren should be. But he quickly realized he was free, his body under his own control again, and Loren right at his side.
"It's fine, Neville," Loren lied smoothly. "This is what training feels like. Only by breaking limits can we grow."
Terrified, Neville stripped off the suit at once. The so-called "suit" was nothing more than two wristbands, two kneepads, and a belt—five simple pieces in all.
Loren did not stop him, waiting instead until Neville had set them aside before asking gently:
"Neville, do you notice anything different about yourself?"
At that, Neville paused. To his surprise, he felt lighter, stronger—his body no longer weighed down, but brimming with energy.
"Merlin's beard! So this is the result of training? It feels amazing!" he exclaimed, stretching and marveling at the newfound vigor in his limbs.
The truth, of course, was that it wasn't just the suit's work. The nutrition potion and revitalizing spells had smoothed away the pain of breaking his limits, leaving only the exhilaration of surpassing them.
"Well then, put it back on," Loren urged. "I'll switch it to Lifestyle Mode. You'll be able to go about your day as usual while it subtly trains your body."
In that mode, the suit simulated the resistance of water pressure, forcing the wearer to move as though underwater—an efficient method of constant training.
Trusting him, Neville donned the suit once more. Loren explained the switch so he could turn it off when needed, then called Hermione over to wrap up her practice. Together, the three returned to Gryffindor Tower.
They split to wash up. Loren finished fastest, using little more than water and a Freshening Charm, and soon rejoined the common room.
Neville arrived next, carrying the books needed for the morning's classes. He sat beside Loren and opened *One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi*.
It was still early, not yet seven. The common room was mostly empty save for a few older students furiously copying homework—an all-too-familiar sight that made Loren nostalgic. In his past life, he had often arrived at school early for the same reason, though back then he was the one providing the homework to copy.
As he mused, Fred and George Weasley crept up behind him. Loren, already aware of their presence, waited without reaction.
"Oh, my dearest prefect," George said grandly. "Are you plotting your future kingdom?"
"No, no, George," Fred countered. "Gryffindor first-years don't have prefects. Isn't that right, Your Majesty the Lion King?"
Amused, Loren played along. Shifting in his chair, he propped his chin on his fist and asked in a regal tone:
"Have you brought me what I demanded?"
The twins exchanged a glance, catching on, and dropped to one knee in mock ceremony. They held up a freshly made map with exaggerated reverence.
"Great Lion King, the battle map is complete. At your command, we are ready to strike against the serpents!"
Nearby students abandoned their homework to watch the show. Neville sat bewildered, staring at Loren in confusion—when had his friend become the "Lion King"?
Loren flicked his wand, summoning the map to his hand. He opened it, checked it thoroughly, and found it accurate. No tricks from the twins.
"You have done well. I shall reward you."
From his robe, he drew two small bottles of nutrition potion and levitated them before the twins.
"Drink them. They will grant you strength."
At the sight of the milky liquid, the twins shivered, dread flashing in their eyes.
"What's this, then? Do you refuse the King's gift?" Loren said with mock severity, and before they could react, he froze them with his wand and poured the potions down their throats.
The moment the spell broke, both brothers leapt up. "Loren, what did you make us drink?"
"Something good," he replied lightly, already pulling out parchment to copy their map. "You'll see."
The twins hesitated, then realized they felt no ill effects—only a warm sensation in their stomachs, a deep and satisfying fullness.
"Oh, mighty Lion King, will you not explain?" Fred asked, bowing dramatically once more.
"This potion will keep you fed and brimming with energy for three days straight," Loren said without looking up. "If you want to end it early, burn it off with intense activity."
Delighted, the twins dashed from the room, clearly eager to test it.
With their little play finished, the younger students returned to their frantic homework.
Loren, however, now had what he wanted: a reliable map of Hogwarts.
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