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Age is a peculiar thing. Generally, a gap of three to five years becomes trivial once people enter society. It's common to see couples with even larger age differences, and many consider this range ideal.
Yet, in school, three to five years can mean the difference between middle school, high school, or even university. During this time, even a single year of age difference feels enormous. First-years and second-years practically live in separate worlds, like parallel lines that never intersect.
The main reason for this divide is likely that, aside from their cuteness, younger girls offer little else. And cuteness rarely stands a chance against the allure of maturity.
Don't misunderstand—Harry isn't interested in lolis. Rather than investing energy in a relationship where he'd have to "raise them up," he'd much prefer discussing life with an older, more alluring upperclassman. The world of adults, with its mutual understanding, aligns far better with Harry's current mindset.
However, teasing younger girls is admittedly entertaining.
Both Ginny and Luna are remarkable. Unlike their peers, they have quirks that set them apart and make them more interesting.
Though Ginny is a shy girl who blushes easily, she shares her brothers' clear vision for the future. Bill chose the high-stakes, high-reward path of a curse-breaker; Charlie, despite not becoming a dragon tamer, still pursued a high-risk, high-reward career; Percy aims for the Ministry of Magic; and the twins have chosen entrepreneurship, carving their own path in business.
The Weasley family may have fallen on hard times, but they are a long-established pure-blood family, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. As long as they endure, they're bound to rise from the shadows and reclaim their status.
Ginny has shown a strong interest and talent for spells. The day after she received her wand, she was already engrossed in her books. Although her family lacks formal teaching, she has several attentive brothers. Percy, while a bit of a bookworm, has an excellent grasp of theory, and Charlie, who returned home during the holidays, is a larger version of Percy with both strength and brains. When he graduated with thirteen N.E.W.T.s, he was even more impressive than Percy, who recently passed twelve O.W.L.s.
Under the guidance of these outstanding brothers, Ginny had far surpassed her peers even before starting school. While other young witches were still struggling with the Stupefy Charm, she was already casting Blasting Curses in the pond. Harry found great delight in discussing the combination of the Petrificus Totalus and Bombarda spells with her. This pairing is a signature spell of Mrs. Weasley's, who had recently taught it to Ginny. Harry gained a lot from the discussion and made subtle adjustments to enhance the spells' synergy, resulting in a power far beyond what he'd expected.
With just slight pronunciation changes and a subtle adjustment in magical output, the improved "Petrificus Bombarda" could reduce a person to fine sand in seconds, indistinguishable from a pile of cement dust. There's no counter-spell to bring this dust back to life, whereas the original curse would only shatter a body part, allowing for recovery if it wasn't the head. This new version is nearly as deadly as the Avada Kedavra.
This is the depth of a wizarding family's heritage. It's not just books and knowledge passed down, but powerful secret spell combinations.
As for Luna, the "crazy girl" in others' eyes, she gave Harry a huge surprise. With her unique, unconstrained thought process, Luna's creativity truly broadened Harry's perspective. Her imaginative mind, unbound by common logic, introduced Harry to a new world. Though she often brought up bizarre concepts like "Wrackspurts" and "Blibbering Humdingers," which sounded like fantasy, she opened a new door of understanding for Harry.
In their conversations, Harry mentioned Animagus transformations, a skill he intended to learn soon. When he shared a story about a strange Soviet bear-human Susanoo he'd encountered, Luna eagerly listened. It was one of the most bewildering things he'd ever seen, and he still couldn't fully understand how it worked. Perhaps it was an advanced Animagus transformation?
Harry envisioned his future Animagus form, knowing that, with the Philosopher's Stone's power, he could choose magical creatures that ordinary wizards couldn't. This choice would greatly influence his combat abilities in the second stage of Animagus transformation.
If he chose an agility-oriented form like Professor McGonagall's cat, he'd lose out on strength. Even if he mastered a transforming Gundam technique, he couldn't hope to match brute-force opponents like the Frost Tyrant in a face-to-face brawl. Conversely, if he chose a power-based form like a bear, he wouldn't possess McGonagall's elegant predatory finesse.
Ordinary animals face similar limitations, as do magical creatures. Magical beasts gain a power boost from their inherent magic, but the gap between agility and strength becomes significant. A Thunderbird, for instance, can fly at several times the speed of sound, summoning thunder as it goes, but once grounded, even a troll could pluck its feathers with ease.
Harry Is Greedy for Power and Speed
Harry was quite ambitious; he wanted the strength to wrestle with dragons, the agility to move at high speed, and, of course, the ability to fly. His ideal was to become a "hexagonal warrior," without a single weakness in any skill. But did such a magical creature really exist? Despite poring over Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, he couldn't find anything that matched his vision. Although he hadn't fully digested the vast contents of the book, he was beginning to suspect that no such perfectly balanced creature existed in the world.
"If there's no such magical creature in existence," Luna said in her soft voice, her silvery eyes looking at him with a touch of innocence. She smiled, and two adorable dimples appeared on her cheeks.
"Why don't you create one yourself?"
"My dad once told me that there was a creature called a Chimera that a Greek wizard made a long time ago. It had the strength of a dragon, the majesty of a lion, the agility of a goat, and the wings of an eagle," she added.
"Though nobody believes my dad, and they say he's a fraud, like the Chimera doesn't exist, just like how they think the Crumple-Horned Snorkack isn't real."
There was no anger or disappointment on Luna's face as she spoke, just a serene expression rarely seen on an eleven-year-old.
"But I believe him," Luna continued calmly. "I also believe that a wizard could create a magical creature like that. If you can't find what you're looking for, then why not try to make it yourself?"
Luna's innocent and dreamy words opened a new window for Harry, revealing a path he hadn't considered. Luna didn't realize how complex such a "synthesis" would be, nor how many fundamental principles it would violate. Of course, Harry didn't intend to counter her with practicalities.
"Yes, you're right," he murmured, somewhat dazed as he gazed out the window. "If it doesn't exist in the world, then make it exist."
"Alright, gather 'round, everyone! Dinner's on me!"
Harry quickly rummaged through his backpack and pulled out an array of steaming dishes, a feast prepared by Aunt Petunia herself. Not a single British dish was among them, and the mouthwatering aroma soon filled the entire compartment.
(End of Chapter)