It was late December, and winter had fully set in. Every breath was white, reminding everyone of the cold.
Since then, Ron seemed to view Leo as an enemy. Harry didn't particularly feel the same, but being around Ron, they rarely exchanged words.
These pieces of information came from Hermione, but Leo had no interest in them.
Hermione had already finished her research on Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone. Understanding the danger of guarding the Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts, she seemed to have decided not to pursue it further. Harry and Ron still hadn't found answers, but Hermione didn't seem inclined to share.
"Honestly, those two are annoying. Despite Leo and Hagrid telling them to stop, they won't listen and they're convinced Snape is the culprit. While he's certainly suspicious, couldn't there be other possibilities?"
"Well, let them be. There's only so much students can do. Anyway, what are your plans for Christmas vacation, Hermione? I'm going home. My mom is all excited about having a grand Christmas party. She's even inviting you and your family. What do you think?"
"I'd love to attend! Actually, my parents have some sudden business during the holidays, so they'll be busy and won't be home much. I was considering staying at Hogwarts, but if there's a party at Leo's house, I'm definitely coming back!"
"Great, it's settled then. I'll let my mom know. The party is going to be even more lavish now. Why don't you spend the vacation at my house? I'd like to see how much you've improved in magic at Hogwarts and teach you more."
"Is it okay!? If it's not a bother, I'd love that. Please check how far my skills have come, Leo?"
Christmas vacation, day one.
Leo and Hermione were on the train from Hogwarts to King's Cross Station. They were alone in their compartment, discussing their plans for the holiday.
"First, let's finish our homework as soon as possible. After that, we can fully enjoy the Christmas party. For the rest of the vacation, we can work on your leveling up and completing my ring. Any specific magic you want to learn?"
"Well, I still want to try flying, as I mentioned before! I'd also like to learn some offensive spells. With the incident with the troll and all, I want to be able to protect myself."
"Alright, flying magic and offensive spells it is... For offense, let's think of versatile spells. I'll also teach you Occlumency as an extra precaution."
"Occlumency?"
"It's the opposite of Legilimency, a spell to read minds. Learning Occlumency will protect your thoughts from being read. Since Hermione knows about that thing, it's better to be safe. It's quite advanced, so it might be challenging to learn, but it's better than not knowing."
After that, they continued discussing their holiday plans, including the Christmas party and the specifics of their training. When they arrived at King's Cross Station, Leo's mother, Felice Taylor, was waiting for them.
"Leo, and Hermione too! Welcome back!"
Feriss hugged both of them together. Leo was used to it, but Hermione seemed to struggle with her unexpected strength.
"Mom, Hermione is getting crushed!"
"Oh dear, I'm sorry. I just got so excited. Well then, let's head home!"
My boy and his girlfriend were coming home for the first time in a long time, Feriss was in high spirits. Leo and Hermione shared a knowing smile before following Felice.
Once they arrived at the Taylor residence, the two of them immediately set to work on their homework. Leo worked on a plan to teach Hermione, while Hermione helped Feriss with various tasks.
Christmas Day.
When Leo woke up, there were more presents by his bedside than usual. Ravenclaw students and students from other houses who attended his study group had given him a joint gift of potion ingredients and a variety of sweets.
Professors had given him research papers from their respective fields, which made Leo wonder if they could be considered presents, but he was genuinely pleased.
From Dumbledore, there was an assortment of sweets from various countries. The contents were unique and unfamiliar to Leo, so he was grateful to receive them.
When they entered the living room, Hermione and Feriss were already busy preparing for the party.
"Merry Christmas, Hermione, Mom."
"Merry Christmas, Leo!"
"Merry Christmas! Yes, it's a joint gift from Mom and Hermione!"
The presents from Hermione and Feriss were a gigantic Christmas cake and a luxurious feast. It seemed like the party would continue from morning till night. To keep things interesting, there was a wide array of dishes, including Western, Chinese, Asian, Japanese, fast food, and even some exotic ones he had never seen before.
"Hehehe, it's my mom's masterpiece! Hermione helped a lot too. With magic, everything stays freshly made, so you can eat whenever you like."
"Ms. Ferris is such a good cook..... I didn't really do much, though..."
"This year, with Hermione around, I'm even more enthusiastic than usual. Oh, right! Here, Hermione, your Christmas present."
Leo handed her a book with no title or any writing on the cover.
"...? What kind of book is this?"
"This is a compilation of the magic and potions I've created. It includes some magic I haven't published yet. It's a special gift just for you. The contents of the book can only be recognized by you."
"Is it okay for me to receive such an amazing gift!?"
"Of course. During the Christmas break and any other opportunity, we can use this as our textbook and continue leveling up."
Hermione hugged the book tightly, her face beaming with joy. Feriss, watching this, mumbled in dissatisfaction.
"Sigh... My child has no sense of romance at all with his gifts, huh? Hermione, are you okay with this?"
Hermione declared firmly,
"Yes! It's the best present."
"Ah... I didn't ask about the present, but if calling him 'Leo' is okay with you... Could it be that you're not even aware?"
Both Leo and Hermione had question marks hovering over their heads.
(Well, it's only natural for Leo, but it seems like Hermione hasn't realized her own feelings yet. As a mother, I'm sure I won't encounter someone like my son again, so I have to make sure they develop a good relationship!)
Feriss made up her mind to herself.
By nightfall, Leo's father, Erskine, returned home, and the party kicked into full swing. The food was mostly exquisite, but there were some dishes that could only be described as punishment. According to Erskine, who had tried one of them, "It's what Venusians eat."
As the party heated up, the conversation shifted to life at Hogwarts.
"Leo! Ravenclaw is still filled with bookworms, huh? They always call me a meathead even though we're doing the same amount of work! Well, now I'm the Deputy Head of the Auror Office. That's the biggest promotion in the year!"
"You're quite drunk, Dad. I think Ravenclaw students are diligent, and that's a good thing. And it's not wrong to say you're a meathead."
"That's right. You've been like this since your student days."
Hermione couldn't imagine Ravenclaw students being called meatheads.
"You see, my dad's magical power is said to be hundreds to thousands of times that of an average person. He can unleash non-verbal spells like a Muggle's machine gun, forcefully making even difficult spells work with his sheer magical power. From the perspective of other Ravenclaws, you might call him a meathead."
"That's right. He's been saying things like 'Physical strength surpasses intellect' since his school days. Magic comes from the body, he used to say like that."
"Yeah, that's right. He's a meathead. But then my mother was described by people around her as "the strongest victim of bullying in history."
"The strongest...? You mean Mrs. Feriss?"
Hermione felt that Feriss, who seemed so gentle, being called 'the strongest victim of bullying in history' was hard to believe, even more so than Erskine being a meathead.
"Oh, indeed. Your mom has always been easygoing since she was a child. Her grades were bad... no, she was always last and during our time at school, there were a bunch of idiots who liked to play pranks. Your mom was often their target. In fact, the reason I got to know her was because I protected her from those guys. Then, she decided to learn magic so she wouldn't always be protected, but she wasn't good at studying. So, she came to a conclusion."
"What conclusion did she come to?"
"Physical strength surpasses magic."
"...!? Huh?"
Hermione wondered if she had misheard and looked at Leo. Leo nodded, confirming it was true.
"She mastered physical enhancement magic to the extreme and even started practicing Muggle martial arts. Before she knew it, she could evade magic with ease, move at an incredible speed, and launch punches and kicks without worrying about defense. She transformed into this amazing woman. I was the most surprised when one of the pranksters got slapped and did a full rotation in place. But, those pranksters ended up getting more than they bargained for, and the bullying-like harassment towards Feriss continued. Well, she beat them up every time they tried. To others, it looked like a kid being bullied who suddenly turned the tables and started beating the bullies, so maybe that's why she got that nickname."
"Those guys were incredibly persistent. In the end, Erskine and I gave them a thorough punishment. That's how our relationship started."
After that, his parents went from reminiscing to sharing stories of affection. Leo and Hermione claimed they had to study and made their escape.
For the remainder of the vacation, Hermione received special training. She had been studying independently at Hogwarts as well, so Leo was pleasantly surprised by her level of improvement. Seeing one's students grow was a source of joy.
They were in the magical development and experimental space within the research laboratory. It was incredibly spacious, with practice dummies set up.
"Now, let's start with an offensive spell, 'Corporis Physicalis' This spell generates a force field within a range, direction, and area specified by the caster. Let's try it out."
Leo extended his hand, and there was a practice dummy set up in front of him. He cast the spell, and the dummy was
blown away.
"What I just did was use it with minimal power, shooting it straight from my hand, covering only the area of my palm. Now, let's explore its applications."
The second time, the doll fell sideways. The third time, it floated in the air. The fourth time, the doll was severed from its torso.
"This spell has versatile applications. The second time, I set the coordinates for the force field right next to the doll and expanded the range but weakened the power. The third time, I applied just enough power for the doll to float. Finally, I made the effect range thin like a blade and increased the power, resulting in the doll being severed."
Hermione was quite surprised because she had always imagined magical attacks as spells cast to curse the opponent.
"The advantage of this spell is that it's not easily visible. Other spells often have visible cues like flashes of light, making it possible to dodge them. However, 'Corporis Physics' doesn't reveal the direction, range, or type of impact to the opponent when cast. It can also be used defensively. By generating a wide-ranging force field, you can protect yourself from explosions or falling objects. However, mastering it requires a considerable level of skill. Initially, even if you just generate a force wave in front of you, it can still be effective, so let's practice and get used to it."
(His explanations are quite straightforward... But it's an amazing spell with many practical uses. She truly is impressive.)
Hermione struggled a bit while getting used to 'Corporis Physicalis'. She wasn't particularly skilled at flying spells, as she could only float at this point, but with practice, she would eventually be able to fly freely. As for Legilimency, she didn't train much, probably because she didn't want Leo to read her mind. She did, however, learn to sense when her mind was being probed, which was a good start.
The enjoyable holiday quickly came to an end.
The day they returned to Hogwarts arrived, and they were at King's Cross Station.
"Well, take care. Mom, Dad."
"Go and return safely! Continue to grow and become even more remarkable."
"Take care of yourselves, too and, Hermione, keep doing your best!"
"Thank you so much for the holiday. It was fun."
They exchanged farewell greetings through the train window. Leo and Hermione were returning to the school after their holiday.
--------
This was Hermione's strengthening session.
Her studies are at the level of a fifth-year student, while her magical combat skills are at the level of a third to fourth-year student. She might further improve in the future.
As for Feriss, she already treats Hermione like her daughter-in-law.
But the two individuals themselves are still unaware. Especially Leo, who doesn't even know what love is.
Regarding Leo's parents, I'd like to introduce them more in detail in the future.
The bullies are the four from the Marauders. James was the one who got slapped and spun around like in the second round of Pickle vs. Jack Hammer.
So, stay tuned for the next chapter.