HP: Pure-Blood Glory

Early in the morning, Luke and his companions were groggily having breakfast in the dining hall. They needed to perk up as their first class of the day was Transfiguration.

"Ah~~~~"

After a big yawn, Luke stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth, lazily eating his breakfast.

"Haven't been sleeping well for days, have you?"

Hermione asked, sounding both curious and unsurprised.

They all knew about Luke's habit and ability to roam around at night, so they were used to him sometimes being sluggish in the morning.

Hermione's question wasn't really about whether he had slept well but more about what he had been up to the previous night. She left some room for Luke to decide how much to share.

If he didn't want to talk about his activities, he could just brush it off with a simple answer.

"Just a minor thing. I originally planned to go to the Forbidden Forest last night, but I got hungry halfway there, so I stopped by the kitchen for a midnight snack. After that, I felt sleepy and decided to head back to bed."

"But on the way, I ran into Mrs. Norris and played with her for a bit, which delayed me."

Luke spoke with a face full of exasperation and resentment, as if he was ready to settle the score with the cat that had disrupted his sleep.

After hearing his explanation, Taylor and Hermione exchanged glances and nodded. It seemed they knew something was up. After all, this time his excuse wasn't as half-hearted as usual.

While it wasn't easy to fool these two, who knew Luke well, the excuse worked well enough for the other kids in the group.

"Must be a special experience, having midnight snacks in the kitchen"

Malfoy said with some yearning.

He longed for Luke's freedom. But when he had previously asked to join Luke on a nighttime adventure, Luke had demonstrated the Disillusionment Charm, convincing Malfoy to abandon the idea. At least for now—he needed an Invisibility Cloak first.

Although Malfoy had since been on the lookout for one, he knew it was a costly item. To get one, he'd have to discuss it with his father. And if his father found out the purpose was simply for night wandering, there would likely be a lecture instead of approval.

Despite his occasional recklessness, Malfoy wasn't entirely foolish. He knew asking his father directly would just cause trouble.

So, after reluctantly shelving his plan to roam Hogwarts with Luke, Malfoy began pondering how to earn some money.

Luke was aware of Malfoy's distress but didn't know its exact cause. He was waiting for Malfoy to ask for his help.

"It's not all that special," Luke said after swallowing his bread. He picked up his coffee and took a refined sip. "But the advantage is that sometimes you can ask the house-elves to prepare your breakfast in advance."

He raised his cup slightly, emphasizing the noticeably stronger brew he was enjoying.

The group nodded in agreement. That was something they hadn't considered.

Harry and Ron exchanged a look, silently making up their minds about something.

Everyone finished breakfast quickly, mindful not to be late for Professor McGonagall's class. After eating, they hurried off to the Transfiguration classroom.

As they made their way there, Harry tapped Luke on the shoulder.

Luke slowed his pace, walking side by side with Harry and Ron.

"What's up?"

Luke asked.

Harry looked a bit embarrassed, and Ron's face was slightly red as well. Luke didn't press them, waiting patiently for them to speak.

After some hesitation, Harry finally spoke. "Here's the thing, Luke. We'd also like to try sneaking out at a night tour, and…"

He paused, thinking it over before continuing, "We were wondering if you could share any tips or advice."

Ron glanced at Harry in confusion, then at Luke, his face growing even redder, but he stayed silent.

"There's not much to it," Luke said casually as they walked. "Just avoid Filch and the professors who might be out patrolling or handling other business."

"As long as you don't get caught breaking the rules, you haven't really broken any rules."

At that, Luke noticed Hermione stiffen slightly. Though she refrained from arguing, she quickened her pace, clearly uncomfortable with his interpretation of school regulations.

Harry nodded, though he seemed uncertain, his expression conflicted.

Finally, Ron couldn't hold back any longer.

"Luke, I was wondering… could you come with us tonight?"

He asked in a low voice, clearly not wanting the others to overhear.

Luke understood. Ron's pride was well-known, and this situation probably made him feel like he had no choice but to rely on someone else. A direct rejection would only make it worse, especially considering how often Ron and Harry boasted about their friendship with Luke.

Luke's expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated this request all along.

"I'd love to join you on a nighttime adventure"

Luke said, raising Ron's hopes. But Harry's face betrayed a flash of discomfort.

'*Here comes the 'but,'' Harry thought helplessly.

'We really should just rely on ourselves,' he mused.

"But," Luke continued, "I can't tonight. I need a good night's sleep." He gestured to his eyes, smiling. "I'm seriously sleep-deprived."

Ron stared at Luke's dark circles and nodded blankly. Luke wasn't lying—those circles were proof enough that he needed rest.

It also explained why he'd been drinking such strong coffee earlier.

"You two shouldn't drag Luke down," came Malfoy's sharp voice.

Ron and Harry turned to glare at him, but Malfoy's bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle, immediately shot them menacing looks.

Unperturbed, Malfoy continued, "Luke can sneak around safely because of his Disillusionment Charm. If you two can't manage that or don't have an Invisibility Cloak, you'd just make things harder for him."

Harry wasn't sure how difficult the Disillusionment Charm was, but Ron's astonished expression made it clear it wasn't something they could learn anytime soon.

It seemed that Malfoy wasn't just making things up.

If they insisted on tagging along with Luke, they might indeed be a liability—a thought that didn't sit well with them.

"Maybe you could ask Fred and George, they probably wouldn't say no."

Luke suggested.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances but didn't respond. They had considered it before, but Ron seemed uncomfortable with the idea.

"It's fine, Luke, we can manage on our own."

Harry said with a determined smile.

Luke noted the mix of seriousness and a hint of disappointment in Harry's expression. He patted Harry's shoulder reassuringly.

"I'll lend you a little gadget tonight," Luke offered. "It should help with your night adventure."

Harry looked at Luke's sincere eyes, although he didn't know the helpful thing was but he eventually nodded.

"Thanks"

"We're friends. It's all about helping each other"

The group fell silent after that, hurrying into the classroom where Professor McGonagall was already standing at the podium, waiting for them.

Taylor glanced up at the professor, then leaned over to whisper in Luke's ear, "The professors don't seem to be sleeping well either these days."

Luke's mouth twitched ever so slightly.

"Maybe they've got some troubling matters to deal with," he replied.

Hearing this Taylor gave him a sidelong look, then turned her attention to the wooden piece on the desk.

Their task today was to transform the piece of wood into a ceramic vase—a clear step up in difficulty.

"Alright, continue where you left off last lesson, everyone"

Professor McGonagall said, her usual sternness tinged with an undercurrent of fatigue. Her students noticed, casting her concerned glances.

Though aware of their scrutiny, McGonagall pushed through her weariness, maintaining her authoritative demeanor.

"Luke, you may continue with your independent practice."

All eyes turned toward Luke.

For weeks now, Luke had been given free rein in Charms and Transfiguration, working far ahead of the curriculum.

It was said he was nearly through with the entire first-year syllabus.

The other students couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration.

Hermione, who had initially seen Luke as a rival, had long since given up that notion.

Competing with him brought only defeat and no sense of accomplishment.

Luke nodded at McGonagall, then set about transforming the wood into a cat.

Watching her students work, McGonagall nodded approvingly. This year's first-years, even without Luke, displayed remarkable potential. His presence, however, seemed to inspire a collective effort to strive harder, not just within their year but across houses and grades.

Students now sought role models outside their own houses. She had even heard some Ravenclaws commend Percy Weasley for his academic prowess.

The thought brought McGonagall a rare sense of satisfaction.

For a teacher, few things were as rewarding as seeing students self-motivated, even if only a little.

Yet, despite her satisfaction, she couldn't suppress a yawn.

The past few days had been exhausting. Every night, the professors patrolled the Forbidden Forest, investigating the presence of two elusive dark wizards. So far, they had found no trace of them.

On top of that, preparations for the upcoming Halloween feast were already underway.

And, of course, regular lessons continued unabated. In fact, with the students working harder and advancing faster, lesson plans required constant adjustments.

One thing after another, everything fell on the professors.

More work, same pay.

The kicker, however, was McGonagall's growing suspicion about Dumbledore. Years of friendship told her he knew more than he was letting on. His behavior lately had been unusually secretive.

And then there's Luke, that little troublemaker. He always puts on an innocent face, but can he at least pretend to be as serious in front of me as he is with others?

Isn't it obvious that he's somehow involved in this?

I have no idea where this kid gets such unwavering trust in me.

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Professor McGonagall couldn't help but shoot Luke a glare.

Meanwhile, as Luke was deep in thought, he suddenly sneezed.

"Caught a cold?"

Taylor asked with concern.

"No, just came up with a decent idea. It's a bit tricky, though"

Luke replied nonchalantly, waving his wand. "I might try turning this piece of wood into a cat sculpture first, then make it move."

"Breaking the process into steps should make it easier."

As he spoke, the block of wood on his desk gradually transformed into a large cat sculpture under the guidance of his wand.

The cat looked exactly like Booker, except it appeared even lazier.

An expression Taylor didn't recall ever seeing on Booker.

"By the way, have you seen Booker these past few days?"

Luke asked, eyeing his creation with a mix of satisfaction and mild irritation.

Back then, he thought Neville's Trevor was quite the troublemaker, always going missing except during the start and end of term.

But now, Luke felt that Booker was even worse—at least Trevor didn't go mooching off others for food, which Booker did with ease.

"Yeah, I think I saw Booker in Professor McGonagall's office. Also at Cho Chang's place, and…"

Luke felt a wave of exasperation washing over him. Why did Luna ever think he and Booker were alike? They weren't similar at all.

"You mentioned you have something to do tonight. What is it?"

Taylor's voice rang directly into his ear.

"Need my help?"

Luke pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

"It's a bit dangerous, better not. I've got a magical creature egg that's about to hatch. I'm not sure what might happen when it does, so it's best if you stay away."

Taylor frowned, her cheeks puffing slightly as she gave Luke a dramatic eye-roll before turning back to her vase transformation task.

The way she swung her wand had a slightly aggressive edge, almost like she was venting her frustration.

Luke chuckled to himself. He knew Taylor was just worried about him, but...

Considering the egg he was hatching was a basilisk, even Luke himself had no idea what to expect. He certainly wasn't about to let anyone else take that risk with him.

As the countdown to the egg's hatching neared its end, Luke's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

*****

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