Walking out of the greenhouse and checking the distance to the castle, Vid decisively raised his magic wand:
"Broom, come!"
A flying broomstick shot through the window of Ravenclaw Tower, drawing an arc in the air, and stopped steadily by Vid's side.
He mounted the broom and expertly flew back to his dorm.
Vid had previously thought that if he were to buy a broom, he'd definitely want a new one that nobody else had used.
Just like how he wouldn't want a second-hand car.
But ever since three house-elves had enthusiastically given him this flying broomstick, Vid's thinking had changed.
So what about the Sweep 140?
It's not like he was going to participate in Quidditch matches. As a temporary means of transportation, an old broom could function just as well as a new one.
This broom carried with it incredibly sincere intentions, more valuable than any thousand Galleon competition broom.
Moreover, after Vid got his hands on it, he had modified the magic on the broom multiple times. Though it's not as fast as the Nimbus series, its stability and comfort are top-notch.
Vid quickly took a shower in his dorm; the bells in the castle had already started ringing. He donned clean clothes and headed to the hall, where many students were already eating lunch.
Vid casually picked an empty spot to sit down, and as he forked a piece of steak and grabbed some toast, Michael sat beside him as usual.
Vid glanced at him in surprise.
Michael raised an eyebrow: "What's up?"
He reached out for a syrup pie, choosing between several roasted meats.
Vid lowered his eyes with a smile, "After what people said today, I thought you'd keep your distance from me."
Michael clicked his tongue.
"Why should I push away my friend because of what the enemy said?" He wiggled his fingers, "If I were that easily swayed, I'd have distanced myself from you during Herbology."
"True."
Vid nodded, his lingering concerns dissipating.
Michael glanced towards the Slytherin Long Table.
Malfoy was in a foul mood; he hadn't eaten much and seemed to have had a conflict with someone next to him, pushing his plate aside and striding out of the hall.
Crabbe and Goyle seemed to want to follow, but looking at the food on the long table, they ultimately stayed behind.
Michael squinted his eyes.
Naughty ideas bubbled up in Michael's mind like brew.
Suddenly, a pretty girl walked past him, her reddish-golden curls shimmering as if glowing, drawing Michael's attention involuntarily.
Someone nearby snorted loudly, brushed past Michael, and shoulder-checked him so hard he almost face-planted into his plate.
Michael was about to explode, only to find that the one who bumped him was Padma.
The girl glared down at him, her gaze like daggers, making Michael withdraw his gaze and offer a sheepish smile.
"Have you eaten, Padma?"
Padma snorted again, turning to leave with her dorm mates.
Michael awkwardly scratched his nose.
After Padma left, he found himself looking again at the girl from before, surprised to find it was Marietta, a third-year student.
A girl whose looks were previously unremarkable.
But in just one summer, she had transformed into someone radiant and eye-catching.
"Girls can really change so suddenly..." Michael said with some feeling.
"What?" Vid was puzzled.
"Uh..."
Michael was just about to speak when he noticed not just Marietta, but many other girls... even some boys in the hall had changed significantly from last term.
Simply put, they all looked more attractive.
He touched his sun-darkened face from the beach and felt a bit defeated.
"It's truly bizarre." Michael said to Vid, "Why is it that everyone else is getting better-looking except for me getting darker?"
Vid looked around and instantly realized, asking, "Does no one in your family subscribe to 'Wizard Weekly'?"
"Nope." Michael said, "Isn't that usually subscribed by witches?"
'Wizard Weekly' is a magazine featuring celebrity gossip, divination tests, recipe compilations, and advice columns, popular among witches.
Michael's mother is a Muggle, and apart from the 'Prophet Daily,' their family only subscribes to Muggle women's magazines.
"A few days ago, 'Wizard Weekly' published an article. Once you see it, you'll understand why."
Vid pulled out a magazine from his bag and handed it to Michael.
The pencil case was designed as a backpack style for one of its forms, and because it didn't weigh much, he often stuffed all sorts of things in it, too lazy to take them out.
Michael looked at him quizzically, "Vid, you subscribe to 'Wizard Weekly'?"
Vid remained unfazed, "Someone sent me this sample copy."
Michael opened the magazine, immediately spotting several comparison photos, in full color no less.
Witches in their twenties and fifties, a middle-aged balding wizard, and a young person with freckles.
The same person, wearing the same clothes, photographed in the same position: one photo with a dull complexion and rough skin; another appearing glowing and with soft, beautiful skin.
Upon closer inspection, it was an article introducing Aslan Magic Workshop's new product, the Soft Light Badge.
Every single line in the article suggested that this tiny badge could instantly make an ordinary person as beautiful as a Veela.
And it hinted that those who didn't wear the badge in the future might lose love, confidence, and family harmony.
Wait a minute...
Aslan Magic Workshop?
Michael immediately grabbed Vid's arm, "Vid, this isn't another one of your inventions, is it?"
Vid nodded, asking, "What are you so excited about? This is a product targeted at females."
"Who says!"
Michael flipped open the magazine with a flourish, pointing at the two wizards displayed inside.
"See? The pursuit of beauty transcends gender! Plenty of boys at school surely wear the badge too!"
He knew it! Today, Malfoy looked even more refined than usual.
Though that guy naturally looked good, he hadn't noticed any stark difference. But some people had changed so dramatically, it was as if they had swapped faces.
"Uh... so boys are wearing it too, so what?"
Vid leaned to the side, asking.
"You must have some on hand, right?" Michael said urgently, "Sell me one! I need it this afternoon!"
"No need to sell; I'll just give you one. Just remember it only lasts a month."
Vid pulled out a bunch of badges from his bag and handed them to Michael.
With the launch of the new product, Machioni, as always, not only sent magazines but also a bunch of samples, which Vid simply stuffed into his bag without intending to use.
Michael happily put them away, saying, "How can I accept this?"
"They're samples anyway, didn't cost me anything." Vid asked, "You look fine as it is, why do you want these things?"
"Well..." Michael blinked, "That's a secret."