That entire day, until he went back to the dorm to sleep, Vid's mind was filled with flying broomsticks. When he went to bed at night, he even dreamed of flying on a broom, free as a bird—he flew over Hogwarts Castle, over the field, over the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake—
He made a circle around the grass, then flew through the castle corridors, with everyone exclaiming and looking up at him. Michael was hanging lifelessly on the staircase, his eyes void of energy. But Vid kept his distance from those damned stairs—he drew a graceful arc in the air and finally glided lightly through a window, landing directly on his own bed.
Upon waking, Vid still had a lingering sensation of the wonderful feeling of flying freely, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep again for a long time.
But first-year students were not allowed to bring brooms to school... and a Nimbus 2000 cost at least a thousand Galleons...
Gray's father, Ferdinand, owned a toy factory, whose products could be sold in the United States, making their family relatively wealthy among ordinary people. Vid also had plenty of pocket money, allowing him to freely buy various snacks. However, no matter what, he couldn't bring himself to ask his parents for a thousand Galleons to buy something like a "toy."
If only he could achieve financial independence on his own—Vid couldn't help but think.
If he were in the Muggle world, he could rapidly accumulate wealth with his foresight. But as a student at a boarding school, how could he make money?
Vid couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.
...
The whole of Saturday was a rest day, and when Vid arrived at the practice room in the morning, he found Hermione was already there.
Out of the group, Hermione spent the most time in the practice room. Vid occasionally stayed in Ravenclaw's common room or dormitory to read because he didn't want to go downstairs, but Hermione spent almost all her free time in the practice room. Vid could be certain that the girl in Gryffindor College, apart from having a few conversations with Neville, didn't seem to have any friends, and the girls in her own dormitory didn't seem to have a harmonious relationship with her.
The girls always moved together, went to class together, ate together, and even went to the restroom together, but Hermione was always alone.
However, Vid didn't persuade her to get along with her classmates—emotional intelligence was innate, and Vid himself wasn't the sociable type either, he didn't like to force himself to please others.
But today, instead of studying, the girl was unusually knocking something on the wall with a "bang, bang."
"What's this?" Vid walked over to take a look.
The rectangular wooden board was decorated with simple patterns, and it had a line of calligraphic writing on it.
"Umbrella House?" Vid made a slightly strange face as he remembered the Umbrella Corporation, a company known for creating bioweapons that destroyed the world.
"Yes," Hermione said as she hammered in the last nail, "There are plenty of practice rooms, but only this one belongs to us. I thought it deserved a special name. That way, when others hear us mention 'Umbrella House,' they won't know where it is."
"Alright." Vid wasn't too concerned about such trivial matters; he picked up a book from the shelf and sat down, starting to write his assignment from yesterday's Herbs class.
The current practice room—or Umbrella House, as it was now called—had changed significantly since its inception. Each of them had claimed a spot against the wall, with bookcases along the walls and tables arranged according to personal preferences.
Hermione's shelf was filled with books, many of which were borrowed from the library and hadn't been returned. She also had a stack of new parchment, two bottles of ink, and seven or eight quills—her supplies were consumed quickly. Given the high cost of parchment, Hermione usually took notes in notebooks purchased from Muggle shops. The Granger family wasn't short on money, but the girl's personality was somewhat frugal, avoiding unnecessary expenses.
Vid's shelf, in addition to textbooks, had all the notes he had compiled so far. Michael and the others often borrowed them, saying with Vid's notes, they could pass the finals even if they skipped classes. Additionally, there were numerous items for Transfiguration, like buttons, matches, and chess pieces—common things. After the flying lesson, a mini model of a flying broomstick quietly appeared on his desk.
Michael's area was much more flamboyant, with perfumes, mirrors, gift boxes, chocolates, and various miscellaneous items. A Quidditch star poster adorned the wall, and on the desk was a Fire Dragon model, yesterday's unfinished cookies, and badges collected from who knows where. Michael demonstrated firsthand that not every Ravenclaw loves studying.
Theo from Hufflepuff was highly favored by Professor Sprout and excelled in Herbs class. His shelf displayed two rows of fist-sized flower pots containing plants Theo cultivated himself, like the common Dittany, Mint, Marjoram, and Yarrow. On the table was also a Mimbulus Mimbletonia, a plant resembling diseased internal organs, covered with pustule-like things that sprayed a sticky, foul-smelling liquid to attack others. To prevent accidental injuries, Theo had placed a hemispherical glass cover over it.
Neville was very fond of Theo's setup and wanted to create something similar himself, but with limited pocket money, he currently only had a pitiful three or four flower pots. He had also prepared some fertilizer, which everyone insisted must be placed in a corner of the Umbrella House to avoid affecting breathing.
Leian was skilled in Herbs class, but his favorite subject was Astronomy, so his desk displayed a set of planetary models, with various-sized planets slowly orbiting around the central sun. Moreover, Leian had a collection of different quills and ink colors neatly arranged on the bookshelf.
The others gradually arrived at the Umbrella House, noticing the practice room's new name, and praised it endlessly. Michael even tapped the table, complimenting Hermione on her cleverness and the pleasant surprise.
Despite knowing Michael was habitually flattering girls, Hermione blushed with pleasure.
Theo set his bag down and said, "I think not only should the practice room have a new name, but we should also have a name, something indicating that we're a unit."
"Right." Leian nodded, "If we keep thinking I'm a Hufflepuff, he's a Ravenclaw, and you're a Gryffindor, there will always be a barrier. We should be a group that transcends the houses."
"It suddenly feels so formal!" Michael said excitedly, "So what should we call ourselves, Vid?" He looked at his good friend.
Vid, suddenly called upon, was taken aback, "Uh... an after-school tutoring interest group?"
"——Perhaps you shouldn't give any suggestions," Michael said expressionlessly, turning his head, "Hermione?"
"This—" Hermione suddenly got a bit nervous, "Magic Enthusiasts Club?"
Michael sighed, "Hermione, how is this any different from Vid's after-school tutoring interest group? Neville?"
Neville stammered, "I—I can't think of anything for now."
"Theo?"
Theo said, "How about the Sunflower Club?—Sunflowers symbolize hope, sunshine, loyalty, steadfastness, and growth, isn't it very fitting?"
"Hmm—"
Michael was torn.
Indeed—it was fitting in every sense, but for some reason, it felt a bit ordinary. If he had to name it himself, he couldn't come up with anything better.
"Leian?" Michael looked at the last person, thinking if he didn't have a better idea either, they would call it the Sunflower Club.
Leian fiddled with the planetary model on his desk, and after thinking for a while, said, "How about 'Starry Sky Chaser'? Abbreviated as SSC."
Michael clapped loudly and praised, "Cool!"