Chapter 43: The Tactical Spandex and the Pheromone Fog part- 1
"System Alert," the voice chimed, triumphant. "Incident recorded. Type: The 'Cupboard Confession'. Total upper body exposure in a confined space. Sustained physical contact. Oil-enhanced intimacy. Target: Hermione Granger. Participant: Harry Potter. Rating: SS-class. Reward: Skill 'Pheromone Control (Minor)' and one hundred attribute points."
I sat at my desk, looking like the picture of innocence.
"Tough luck, mate," Dean Thomas whispered to me. "Harry cannot catch a break."
"I don't know, Dean," I whispered back, watching the door where Harry had exited. "I think Harry is starting to enjoy the bad luck."
I checked the new skill.
Skill: Pheromone Control (Minor)Description: Allows the user to emit or manipulate pheromones to induce feelings of attraction, trust, or relaxation in a target radius of five meters.
I smiled.
The next incident didn't need to be a physical accident. It could be chemical.
Harry and Hermione were teetering on the edge of a relationship. All they needed was a little... push.
And I knew exactly where to do it.
The Third Task. The Maze.
A dark, scary maze filled with monsters. And now, filled with pheromones.
It was going to be a romantic walk in the park. If the park was trying to kill you and your clothes kept falling off.
The days turned into weeks and the tension of the impending Third Task hung over Hogwarts like a thunderhead. The Maze was being grown on the Quidditch pitch, its dark hedges rising higher every day, whispering secrets to anyone foolish enough to walk too close.
For Harry Potter, the pressure was immense. He had dragons to face, merpeople to outswim and now, a labyrinth filled with Hagrid's nightmare creatures.
For Hermione Granger, the pressure was entirely different. She was fighting a war on two fronts: one against the Dark Arts and one against the fundamental laws of physics which seemed determined to leave her naked at every opportunity.
We sat in the library, surrounded by stacks of books on defensive spells.
"I have found a solution," Hermione announced, her voice low and serious. She closed a book titled Advanced Wardrobe Wards with a thud.
"Is it a spell to banish gravity?" I asked, flipping through a magazine on broomstick maintenance.
"No," Hermione said. "It is muggle technology. Specifically, athletic technology."
She opened her robe slightly to reveal a glimpse of black, shiny fabric clinging to her collarbone.
"Spandex," she declared. "A full-body, high-compression tactical unitard. It is aerodynamic, moisture-wicking and completely seamless. It is one single piece of fabric. No zippers. No buttons. No snaps. I have to practically dislocate my shoulder to get into it, but once it is on, it is a second skin."
Harry looked up from his parchment. He looked tired, but his eyes lingered on the black fabric.
"A second skin?" Harry repeated, his voice sounding a little hoarse. "That sounds... tight."
"It is," Hermione nodded efficiently. "It offers zero drag. If I have to run from a Blast-Ended Skrewt, nothing will snag. I am essentially a frictionless object."
(Oh, Hermione,) I thought, suppressing a chuckle. (You underestimate the power of tensile stress. Spandex is strong, yes. But when Spandex fails, it does not just tear. It explodes.)
(System check.)
Current Status:Name: Ron WeasleyActive Skills: Pheromone Control (Minor), Poltergeist Proxy, Structure Analysis, Telekinesis.Goal: Trigger an incident during maze training.
"We need to test your agility," I suggested. "The maze will be full of obstacles. You need to be able to dodge, duck and roll. Why don't we go down to the edge of the forest? I can set up an obstacle course."
"Good idea," Harry agreed, standing up. "I need to practice the Impediment Jinx anyway."
We headed down to the grounds. The sun was setting, casting long, golden shadows across the grass. We found a secluded spot near the Forbidden Forest, away from prying eyes.
Hermione shed her school robes.
Harry stopped walking. He actually stumbled.
Hermione stood there in her "Tactical Unitard." It was black. It was shiny. And it was tight. Incredibly tight. It left absolutely nothing to the imagination. It hugged every curve, every muscle, every breath she took.
"It... er... fits well," Harry managed to say, adjusting his glasses and looking everywhere except at her figure (which was impossible, as she was the only black object against the green grass).
"It is purely functional," Hermione stated, doing a few stretches. As she bent over to touch her toes, the fabric stretched thin over her lower back.
(Structure Analysis,) I commanded.
Blue lines appeared in my vision. I scanned the suit.
(Analysis Complete. Material: Spandex-Lycra blend. Stress points: Maximum. The fabric is stretched to 95% of its elastic limit just by her standing there. One sharp snag and the potential energy release will be catastrophic.)
"Right," I said, clearing my throat. "Harry, you stand there. Hermione, you run the course. I will levitate some rocks for you to dodge. Harry, try to hit the rocks with Impediment Jinxes before they hit her."
"Got it," Harry said, raising his wand.
"Go!" I shouted.
Hermione sprinted. She was fast. The suit did reduce drag. She vaulted over a log, ducked under a branch and rolled across the grass.
Harry fired spells. "Impedimenta! Impedimenta!"
He was doing well. But he was distracted. Every time Hermione moved, the light caught the shiny black fabric.
(Time to activate the new toy,) I decided.
(Skill: Pheromone Control (Minor).) (Type: Attraction & Confusion.) (Target: Harry Potter.)
I focused my will. I released a subtle, magical scent cloud directed straight at Harry. It wasn't a love potion; it was a biological signal. It smelled of vanilla, old parchment and something distinctly... primal.
Harry faltered. He lowered his wand slightly. He took a deep breath. His pupils dilated.
"Harry! Focus!" Hermione shouted, dodging a rock I had thrown (manually, for effect).
"Right! Sorry!" Harry shook his head, looking dazed. "It is just... the air. It smells... good."
"Keep moving!" I yelled.
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