HP: The Root of Everything - The Magician

After Hermione, dressed in a thin nightgown, confirmed several times that the person outside the window was not her imagination but real, her tear-streaked face instantly brightened.

Hermione used Blink to appear at the window and opened it. Before Teach could say anything, she leaped out of the window and into her teacher Teach's arms.

He held Teach Carl tightly, refusing to let go.

She feared that the real Teach would slip through her fingers like a dream bubble.

Hermione Granger, the magician, didn't believe in God, but at this moment, she wanted to pray to the divine: "Almighty God, please let me stay with my teacher forever, and never let her leave my side."

I don't want to experience the disappointment and pain that comes with anticipation again.

As she thought about it, Hermione burst into tears again in Teach's arms, crying loudly while trying to suppress her sobs so her parents wouldn't hear and worry.

On a rooftop not far away, Corey Bab looked at little Hermione and said with great affection, "What a sensible child!"

After saying that, Corey glanced at Xia Ke on the other rooftop with a puzzled look.

Their eyes met, and Xia Ke bowed and nodded to Corey in greeting.

Seeing that Shake, who appeared with Teach, was friendly, Corey felt relieved and teleported away, preparing to return to the town of Goshel to continue taking care of Machi.

Xia Ke stared intently as Hermione, the beautiful girl, snuggled and acted coquettishly in Teach's arms. A feeling of jealousy welled up inside her, and she couldn't help but grit her teeth and curse inwardly: [Tch, what a despicable little brat who's pushing her luck].

Teach silently comforted his disciple in his arms. After Hermione finished venting her grievances through crying, he wiped the snot and tears from Hermione's pink face and teased, "Sorry, Hermione, I'm not late, am I?"

Hermione glanced back at the clock on the wall in the room; it was 12:11.

So she said haughtily, "Hmph~ Teacher, you're late, so you have to give me double the birthday presents before I can forgive you."

Teach was quite certain that he knocked on the window at 12:00, but seeing little Hermione's eyes red and swollen from crying, he could only helplessly let Hermione be willful: "Okay, okay, double the present, right? I'll give you mine."

As he spoke, Teach took out a palm-sized black gift box from his pocket. Inside the box was a gold and silver women's bracelet, which he then personally fastened onto Hermione's left wrist: "This bracelet is the gift I originally prepared for you."

"A magical costume, 'Heart Chain Protection'"

"This 'Heart Chain Protection' has the effect of blocking negative magic from invading you, such as Legilimency and Imperius, one of the three great dark magic spells."

"In other words, with this magical costume, you can learn and use black magic without worrying about its negative impact on your character."

Hermione listened intently as Teach explained the effects of the Mystic Code, then stared fascinated at the gold and silver bracelet on her wrist. Hermione understood the purpose behind her teacher giving her this bracelet-shaped Mystic Code.

So when Hermione looked at the bracelet, it was as if she saw her teacher, Teach, standing in front of her, shielding her from all danger.

"So, do you like this birthday present?"

Hermione was extremely pleased, but overwhelmed with emotion, tears welled up in her eyes.

Teach Carr, a two-times single man, had no idea how much meaning and emotion a bracelet gift could hold for a young girl just beginning to experience romantic feelings.

"...Why are you crying again, child? Sigh~ I hope this second gift from me will cheer you up."

After saying that, Teach took Hermione's wrist, which was adorned with the 'Heart Chain', and drew a transmutation circle on the back of her hand. He then connected the transmutation circle to the pseudo-magical circuit between Hermione's arm and her heart, and said, "Let's infuse it with magic~".

As Hermione's magic flowed in, her feet left the roof outside the window, and she flew up without any aid.

Since Hermione was unable to control her flight since it was her first time, Teach grabbed her hand and they slowly flew together.

As Hermione adjusted to the effects of the 'Flying Transcendental Formation,' Teach explained, 'This Flying Transcendental Formation is a magic trick that I rushed to develop tonight.'

"[Urgent?]" Hermione was very puzzled by these two words.

Seeing the questioning look in Hermione's eyes, Teach smiled and explained, "Hermione, do you remember when we were on the plane hunting trolls, I promised you that one day I would let you fly like Superman?"

"You love feeling the freedom of the wind, so I created this magic trick for you, representing the freedom of flight."

"The Heart Chain Guardian Gear and the Flying Formation are both gifts from your teacher for your 13th birthday."

In the corner below, Xia Ke overheard Teach urgently researching the training array that their dragon shamans had drawn to wrap their bodies in natural magic and fly after the banquet. Originally, it was intended to be used to better defend against enemies, but unexpectedly... it was just to be given away as a gift.

Jealousy, intense jealousy.

At this moment, Shake felt intense jealousy towards Hermione, who was basking in Teach Carl's affections.

So much so that she was so consumed by uncontrollable jealousy that she didn't even notice the dragon scales that appeared on her body beneath her clothes.

And so, Xia Ke watched through gritted teeth as Teach took Hermione into the air, soaring freely under the moonlight.

Keep going up, keep going up, until you fly up into the clouds, so close to the full moon.

"Teacher, look! What a big moon! I've never seen such a big moon before!" Hermione exclaimed as the night wind blew above the clouds, the bright, pure moonlight shining on her, giving her an air of flawless holiness.

Hermione was smiling happily; she had never been so happy or so free.

People always feel that there is an invisible shackle imprisoning them, making them feel oppressed and stifled. Therefore, people want freedom and want to fly.

Use flight to break free from shackles and gain freedom from confinement.

This freedom is what Hermione is experiencing now.

Teach Carl lay on the clouds, watching Hermione fly excitedly above him, then looked at the huge, round moon that seemed so close, and reached out his hand, wanting to grasp it.

But then Teach shook his head and lowered his hand: "The sky is unreachable, a place that humans cannot reach with their physical bodies. Only God can reach it."

Teach patiently accompanied Hermione as they flew through the sky for several hours, then around 3 a.m., he threw Hermione into bed, ordered her to sleep, and then climbed out the window and left.

"Xia Ke~ I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. She is my only disciple, so it's unavoidable that I need to put some effort into her."

Teach clearly sensed Shake's emotions, so he took out his hands from behind, revealing a gift box containing a ring.

Teach smiled gently, removed the useless diamond ring from Shake's ring finger, and then placed the transformed ring on her finger: "Mystic Code 'Heart-to-Heart Connection'"

"This ring has no special offensive or defensive effects, only a communication function... the function of communicating with me anytime, anywhere."

After saying that, Teach took Shake's soft hand and flew towards the direction of the Carl family's ancestral home in London.

Xia Ke, standing behind, looked at the 'Heart-to-Heart Connection' ring on her ring finger, pouted, and chuckled softly, "...Hmph~ Scumbag..."