Blake figured that Mr. Ollivander probably wouldn't come knocking just to bonk him on the head.
The man had made a wand for a half-giant before. Surely a bear wasn't that outrageous.
"Ha! Boss, look! I can use magic!" Xiong Da yelled, ecstatic.
"Of course," Blake replied coolly. "How else could I have taught you transformation?"
At Blake's meaningful look, Xiong Da immediately froze. Right. If he could already transform, why would he need a levitation spell?
He nearly let the secret slip.
"Ahem... I meant, it's my first time using magic with a wand," Xiong Da added quickly.
"Really?" Hermione blinked, clearly intrigued. "Then could you show me how you cast magic without one?"
Her eyes sparkled. Wandless casting—essential for any powerful wizard. After all, real combat didn't leave time to fumble for a wand. Skilled wizards apparated without one, saving it for offense or defense.
At her words, Xiong Da blushed. Well, not that anyone could tell—his fur was always red after evolution.
Truth was, that levitation spell had drained everything he had. And now she wanted wandless magic?
Xiong Da shot Blake a desperate look.
Blake sighed, staring up at the sky in exasperation. Didn't you just say this was your first time using magic? Why act like you're a seasoned wizard now?
If you mess this up, Blake thought, they'll realize you can't use magic naturally. And then the transfiguration lie crumbles.
Pig teammate. No—bear teammate!
"How about... just demonstrate with your hands?" Blake muttered, not bothering to explain the situation.
There was no way Xiong Da could perform wandless magic consistently. But now? Now he had to try.
The bear man turned to an empty bucket on the ground and lifted his paw.
Please work, he prayed silently. Or Blake's going to slice me up and pickle me in a wine jar.
"Stand up!" he shouted.
Whoosh!
The bucket flew into the air.
Xiong Da beamed—then immediately remembered the daggered glare Blake had given him moments before. He reined in his excitement and cleared his throat.
"Ahem… I wasn't used to the wand before. Now that I'm casting without it, I think I overdid it."
Hermione raised a brow, impressed. Blake, on the other hand, slowly moved his hand away from his wand. He'd been ready to intervene.
Magic in this world really is... idealistic, Blake thought. Under enough emotional pressure, even a magical bear could achieve wandless casting.
"Strong emotion… strong desire…" he mused. "Like a wishful thinking wand."
"Oi!" Hermione waved a hand in front of him. "Didn't you say you had someone to pick up?"
"Pick up?" Blake blinked, still lost in thought.
"You said you were picking up Cassandra today!"
"Bloody hell!" Blake slapped his forehead and bolted.
Hermione watched him sprint off, dumbfounded. Then she looked at her hand. "Why… why did I remind him…"
Blake opened a small dimensional door and peeked into Cassandra's room—only for a knife to press coldly against his neck.
"Cassandra—wait—there's no need to get stabby," he stammered.
"You said you were picking me up," Cassandra said, circling him with the blade. "I waited all night. Then all day. But you never came."
Blake's face paled. He had forgotten.
But there was no way he could admit that. If she found out, he'd be skewered before even getting to the first date.
"Ah… there was an accident."
He opened the dimensional door wider and stepped through, still nervously scratching his neck where the knife hovered.
"Oh? What kind of accident?" she asked coolly, now behind him.
Blake winced. No point hiding it. "A bear I raised suddenly mastered transformation and turned into a humanoid bear."
It sounded ridiculous even to him.
Newt had witnessed it firsthand and still questioned his sanity afterward.
And now he was just tossing it out casually?
Unsurprisingly, Cassandra's hand shook. The knife grazed his skin.
"You're lying! Just making up wild stories!"
She sounded genuinely hurt. "Mum was right. All men are pigs! Handsome ones lie the best!"
What is going on?! Blake groaned inwardly. He hadn't even done anything!
He had to defuse this. Fast.
"Everything I said is true," he insisted. "Come see for yourself. If I'm lying, you can kill me."
Cassandra frowned, not quite convinced. "You really expect me to believe that?"
Blake sighed, then suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Five minutes. That's all I ask."
Five minutes later, Cassandra was leaning on Blake's shoulder, red-faced and panting slightly.
"Why are you so fast today?" she whispered breathily into his ear.
Blake turned an unhealthy shade of red. "That was a massage spell. Just a massage spell."
"Aww…" Cassandra exhaled, a little disappointed. "Will you still… give me massages in the future? Or do I need the knife again?"
Blake pulled her gently in front of him and met her gaze.
"Cassandra… do you like me?"
Her eyes widened. "I… who said I did?! I-I just agreed to hang out. Don't get the wrong idea!"
She turned around, flustered.
Blake raised his eyebrows. Tsundere behavior is so outdated.
"Okay… guess I misunderstood," he said lightly. "You almost had me thinking you liked me."
"I am acting normal!" she snapped, though her tone wavered.
Inwardly, she panicked. Was he disappointed she didn't confess? If she had just said she liked him, would she have... won?
Blake changed the topic. "You ready?"
"Mhm," she mumbled, like a mosquito's buzz.
He opened the dimensional door. As they stepped through, Cassandra sulked. Stupid Cassandra. You had the chance!
Blake turned to see her still gripping her knife.
"Ahem… it's great you're coming, but maybe leave the knife behind?"
He gently took it and tossed it back into her room.
Cassandra the yandere... that's all I need.
At that moment, Xiong Da raised a paw. "Boss! Order some honey beer, will ya? I'm tired of honey water."
Cassandra blinked at the bear-man lounging at a table, sipping honey water and nibbling grilled fish.
So Blake was telling the truth.
Her shock faded as curiosity took over. "Honey beer… my dad has a few barrels hidden away. I could fetch them."
Blake hesitated. "Are you sure? Isn't that a family reserve?"
"It's fine. He won't notice a few barrels." She lifted Blake's massive suitcase and vanished back to Warley Manor.
"Do you really need that big a suitcase?" Blake muttered nervously.
Fifteen minutes later, Xiong Da was guzzling honey beer.
Blake stared at the souvenir stamp on the barrels. "These were limited edition…"
"Relax," Cassandra said. "They're not worth much."
Emotionally, they were. Blake could only pray Mr. Worley wouldn't notice.
"By the way… does your dad know you came out?"
Cassandra paused. "I… may have forgotten to mention it."
Blake groaned. He checked his pocket watch.
"At this point… your father's probably calling the Aurors."
"I'll go back!" Cassandra tugged his sleeve. "You shouldn't get in trouble."
Xiong Da, sipping happily, took mental notes.
Advance through retreat! Hide truth in fiction! True lies, false truths! Brilliant!
Miraculously, Blake and Cassandra dodged the wrath of her father.
Mr. Worley wasn't home.
Mrs. Worley simply gave her daughter one piece of advice:
"Be safe."
As Cassandra left, her mother gave her a long, knowing look.
Cassandra froze. Does she know? What kind of "safe" is she talking about?!
The next morning, Blake opened the Daily Prophet to find the headline he'd been waiting for:
"You-Know-Who's Most Loyal Follower, Sirius Blake, Escapes from Azkaban!"
He looked up from the paper.
Cassandra took the newspaper and read it, a little surprised.
"Who is this person? This is the first time I have heard that someone can escape from Azkaban!"
Tina came to the dining table with a pot of hot tea and said: "He is the last male of the Black family...I heard that he was once the best friend of Harry Potter's parents, but he betrayed them to a mysterious man, causing Harry Potter to become an orphan... Then he bombed a street. This explosion not only killed many Muggles, but also killed his own good friend, Peter Pettigrew…"
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