The post-match banquet was held in the ballroom prepared by the organizers.
The translucent crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow, and the long tables were laden with Swiss delicacies: self-rotating cheese fondue, steaming blueberry tarts, and various unknown desserts... The judges, organizers, and all the contestants gathered together in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
Of course, a certain Durmstrang contestant had already left Switzerland early for "certain well-known reasons."
At the banquet, Lynn, Ryan Sanderson, and Luc Leclerc—the three contestants who had contributed the most "unconventional" works in the finals—naturally sat at the same table.
Putting aside the competition, it was always easy for young people to become acquainted.
Luc Leclerc wiped the corners of his mouth elegantly with a napkin. In his somewhat broken English, he recounted an incident from his time studying Alchemy at Beauxbatons, where he tried to apply an Eternal Bloom Charm to a rose, only to end up making every plant in the greenhouse dance wildly.
Ryan Sanderson's eyes sparkled as he waved his fork, describing his vision for the future of the "Walkman":
"...Just you wait! This is only the beginning! I'm going to make it a craze across all of Ilvermorny, then take it out of the United States and to the rest of the world! I want every Wizard to be able to fly on their Broomsticks while listening to Rock music!"
His enthusiasm was highly infectious.
Lynn listened to them chat with a smile. Then, as if remembering something, he pulled two pre-prepared "mobile phones" from his pocket and handed them to Ryan Sanderson and Luc Leclerc.
"Here, these are for you. I've already saved my contact information inside.
Now we can 'call' each other anytime, even across the Atlantic.
It's much more convenient than an Owl."
The two of them accepted the special gift with surprise and began to fiddle with it curiously.
Ryan Sanderson tried pressing the call button immediately. Hearing the buzzing vibration from Lynn's pocket, both of them broke into novel smiles.
Of course, Lynn didn't forget his main business. Holding a glass of juice, he politely moved through the judges' table and successfully obtained the contact information of several masters.
The judges were all very friendly to him, the champion. Vasily Orlov patted his shoulder and praised him as an impressive young man. The usually stern Samuel Brooke also expressed his approval of Lynn's standardization ideas...
Early the next morning, the first light of dawn appeared.
Lynn and Professor Dumbledore stood on the same lawn where they had arrived, preparing to return to Hogwarts.
"Professor Dumbledore, aren't Mr. and Mrs. Burns returning with us?"
Lynn looked around but didn't see Edgar Burns's parents.
"Ah, they still have some Ministry of Magic business to wrap up here," Dumbledore explained.
"This time, it's just the two of us going back."
"That's great..."
Lynn blurted out instinctively, then realized it sounded wrong and quickly corrected himself. "No! I mean... that's a pity. It looks like we won't be able to use that... uh... 'convenient' Portkey to get back to Hogwarts."
He tried his best to make his expression look sincere.
A meaningful smile appeared on Professor Dumbledore's face. "Well... about that, Mr. Lynn, you might be 'pitying' it a bit too early."
As Lynn's gaze gradually froze, Dumbledore unhurriedly pulled an incredibly familiar empty beer can from his pocket.
Lynn: "..."
The familiar sensation of a hook jerking at his navel, the familiar world-spinning, the familiar dizziness that felt like it would toss out the cheese fondue he'd eaten at the banquet last night...
---
"I'm freaking back!!"
With a bang, Lynn kicked open the dormitory door, his voice loud and full of momentum.
William Smith, who was quietly reading at his desk, was startled by the sudden noise, and the "Theory of Transfiguration" in his hand almost fell to the floor.
He adjusted his crooked glasses, and after seeing it was Lynn, he gave him a sharp eye-roll.
Ollie Thorne, who was staring out the window, also turned his head. Seeing it was Lynn, his face remained expressionless, but he gave a slight nod as a greeting.
Edgar Burns, who had been lying sprawled on his bed, had the most intense reaction.
He sat up with a start, instantly grabbed the wand by his pillow, and pointed it angrily at the "intruder," Lynn at the door. It looked like a spell was about to burst from his lips!
Seeing this, Lynn quickly raised his hands, a placating smile on his face.
"Don't shoot! It's one of your own! Look at the good stuff I brought back for you!"
Saying so, he quickly opened the undetectable extension trunk and began pulling things out like he was showing off treasures:
Beautifully packaged Swiss Magical Chocolates, throat lozenges said to make one temporarily sing in a yodel, and various quirky Swiss magical trinkets... Finally, he solemnly stuffed the three carefully prepared gifts into their hands. "Here, the local specialties and gifts I promised! Absolutely practical!"
After bragging vividly to Edgar Burns and the others in the dorm about his heroic exploits and how he won the championship in Switzerland, Lynn felt refreshed.
"Alright, enough bragging. I'm going fishing!" He grabbed the fishing rod leaning against the corner and headed toward the Black Lake with high spirits...
---
Time flew by, and the Hogwarts Express, puffing white steam, slowly pulled into Hogsmeade Station.
The platform was instantly filled with the noise of voices and the atmosphere of parting.
"See you next term~"
"Take care!"
"Remember to write!"
Various farewells echoed everywhere, mixed with hugs and waves.
Lynn, Edgar Burns, William Smith, and Ollie Thorne stood together with their respective trunks, watching the scenes of reluctant parting around them.
Lynn scratched his head and looked at his three roommates, asking in a slightly odd tone, "Uh... do we need to have a formal farewell like them?"
Hearing this, Edgar Burns slapped Lynn on the back and grinned. "What's there to say goodbye for? It's just one Christmas break; don't be so mushy! If you want to chat, don't we have this treasure made by the champion?"
He said this while waving the "mobile phone" Lynn had given him. "We can 'call' every day and chat anytime.
Not to mention, Lynn, this thing is really useful. It's much faster than the Owls my parents use!"
"You bet!" Lynn tilted his chin up, showing no humility and putting on the full air of a champion.
"A champion's product is bound to be a masterpiece! Just wait. Once I optimize this thing further, reduce costs, and expand production, I'll take you all with me to make a fortune. We'll be the business titans of the wizarding world!"
William Smith and Ollie Thorne nodded in agreement from the side.
William Smith pushed his glasses up and added, "It is indeed very convenient.
Although the Muggle world seems to have something similar called a 'mobile phone,' as far as I know, it's nowhere near as... uh... 'smart' as yours."
He used the term Lynn had previously instilled in them.
After all, the era-defining iPhone hadn't appeared in the Muggle world yet. Lynn's "mobile phone," which integrated magical communication, was indeed unique in its convenience.
"By the way," Edgar Burns looked curiously at the other three, "what are your plans for this break?"
William Smith thought for a moment and said somewhat helplessly, "Me? Probably... the same as usual.
I can't use magic outside of school, so I'll probably spend most of my time reading, pre-studying next semester's lessons, or finding some popular science books to read."
His holiday plans were, as always, those of a top student and "compliant."
Ollie Thorne nodded quietly, indicating his plans were similar to William Smith's, and that he might also help his father with some paperwork.
Handling company business at just eleven years old... I'm not envious, not envious at all... really!
Then, the three of them turned their gazes toward Lynn in unison.
"Me? Hard to say, depends on my mood. Maybe I'll go traveling? Since it's just me anyway, what does it matter where I stay?"
---
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