After their joke in the net cafe, Wayne had Tess start sweeping the floor and tidying up the trash. He then brought bedding and a quilt from his own room, deciding that Tess would sleep inside the net cafe from now on. With the bell at the door, he would be able to hear her from his room next door whenever the door opened or closed.
He returned to his seat and continued watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
In the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, young Harry had seen his parents and his deepest desires in the Mirror of Erised.
At the same time, Professor Quirrell had arrived there. In his arrogance, he confessed that all the recent incidents—releasing the troll, chanting a jinx to knock Harry off his broom during the Quidditch match—were his doing.
It was then that he revealed his true self: Voldemort, whose physical body had been destroyed, was possessing Quirrell. He intended to steal the Sorcerer's Stone from Harry to reshape his body and achieve a true resurrection.
During the struggle for the stone, the young Harry was protected by a form of "Ancient Magic"—the power of his mother's sacrificial love. This magic would protect Harry until he reached adulthood, a charm jokingly referred to as the "Minor Protection Law" by some.
Ultimately, Quirrell crumbled into ash upon Harry's touch, and Voldemort's soul was forced to flee, continuing his search for a way to return.
By defeating Voldemort, Harry not only earned a massive amount of points at the end of the term but also became a hero of Hogwarts.
None of this plot was new to Wayne; he had seen the movies in theaters long before crossing over to this world.
Since he had successfully applied the "Levitation Charm" to the real world, he specifically practiced another spell that appeared in the first movie while in the virtual Hogwarts: "Petrificus Totalus."
This was a Full Body-Bind Curse that could turn a target into a stiff stone-like state, rendering them unable to move without causing actual physical harm. It was a control-type spell.
Undoubtedly, such a spell was extremely practical in any world.
However, Wayne faced a challenge. Since the characters in the movie did not interact with him or react to his actions, he couldn't find a person to practice "Petrificus Totalus" on, unlike the feather he used for the Levitation Charm. He could only ensure that he memorized the incantation perfectly and that his wand movements and intonation matched the professors' exactly.
In the second film, Harry had finished his first year and returned to his aunt and uncle's house for the summer.
Out of fear of wizards and magic, his uncle was determined not to let Harry return to Hogwarts, going as far as boarding up all the windows and doors in the house.
There, Harry met Ron's parents—the warm and welcoming Arthur and Molly—as well as Ron's older brothers, and of course, the youngest of the seven siblings, Ginny.
Wayne couldn't help but chuckle at this part. He thought it was a good thing his dim-witted apprentice Raymond wasn't here; otherwise, the boy would likely start predicting that Ginny would become Harry's greatest rival or something of the sort.
"Boss... Boss..."
As Wayne was immersed in the movie, he felt Tess tugging at his hand, calling him softly.
He took off his goggles. "What's up?"
Tess looked a bit dejected. "Boss... it's so boring... why can I watch that game you play, but I can't see this movie?"
Wayne initially wanted to refuse. After all, the rules of the net cafe were strict. But looking at the twelve-year-old girl in a room filled only with gaming equipment—no books, no toys—he realized even he would find it agonizingly boring.
Furthermore, the net cafe rules were meant for customers. Tess was now his employee, the "Counter-Sitting Girl" of the shop. Logically, the rules didn't apply to her—at least not entirely.
"Wait a moment." Wayne put his goggles back on, returned to the movie interface, and called the vending machine through the "Skynet."
"It's after business hours. I want to turn on the external screen while I watch the movie. This doesn't count as a violation, right?"
There was no response.
"I don't care. I know you can hear my voice. If you don't reply, I'll take it as a default agreement."
A moment passed, and still, there was no sound.
Wayne took off his goggles and had Tess close all the windows and draw the curtains tight. Then, while returning to the movie world, he activated the screen in front of him.
Technically, movies could be watched from the side, but that would spoil the plot for future customers and affect business. Moreover, those watching the screen wouldn't experience the immersive "Virtual Plus" feeling.
Even so, for Tess, the story unfolding before her eyes was enough to make her stare with rapt attention.
Wayne thought this wasn't surprising. The Harry Potter series was originally intended for young readers, and Tess was around the same age as the trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron in the early films.
On the other hand, Wayne also wanted to use this opportunity to see what this mysterious young girl was really after.
...
"Cheers!"
"Drink up!"
Clink! Clink! After several rounds of toasts, six men were celebrating around two tables pushed together in the center of the Lion's Pride Inn.
The group was led by Rainier. Besides his four subordinates, there was also Willem—the bodyguard sent by the boss, Farley, to ensure they ate and drank well. All of them were starting to look a bit flushed.
Dobbins, the bartender, was carrying over a fresh keg of mead.
Willem wiped the foam from his lips and grinned. "Look at me now, doing the job of a drinking companion. How could I be too busy? Ever since Hogger was driven off, Stormwind has sent extra patrols. Those petty criminals heard that even the Gryphon Riders were deployed; they wouldn't dare show their faces."
Verdan: "By the way, where's Raymond? Did he buy a house or something?"
Willem tossed a peanut into his mouth and chewed. "Him? He went to Stormwind. He's a Warlock; who knows what those secretive types are up to."
Hicks: "Why talk about that? Look at you all. We didn't come here to gossip. We need to discuss how we're going to fight the day after tomorrow."
He slammed his hand down on the table, causing everyone in the hall to look over.
"The day after tomorrow, I'm going to be like Miller and kill a Black Dragon with my own hands to satisfy my cravings!"
Hudson told Hicks to keep his voice down but also agreed. "It's true. With our level—excluding the Captain, of course—the four of us definitely don't have the skill to slay a dragon solo. We need to plan this carefully."
Verdan: "Exactly! But thanks to Mil's fight today, we've all seen exactly what moves that Black Dragon uses."
Rainier, usually cautious and reserved, spoke up under the influence of the alcohol. "Miller... that kid Wayne is indeed impressive. It's the first time I've seen someone able to completely predict every single move of an opponent in battle, let alone a Black Dragon."
The other customers in the hall, seeing that the loud table had quieted down, returned to their own conversations. However, a few tables nearby began to whisper mockingly. "Look at them. They're dreaming before they've even fallen asleep. Slaying a dragon solo, my ass."
Another person said, "Hehe, plenty of soldiers have no wars to fight these days. How else would they pass the time if not by bragging?"
The first man added, "True. But bragging about slaying a Black Dragon? This is the first time I've encountered that level of thick-skinned nonsense."
As the two were snickering, the first man suddenly felt himself being lifted by the back of his neck.
It was Hicks. Having overheard their ridicule, his temper flared. "Who the hell are you calling a braggart? Say it again to my face."