"Why are you two so desperate to get girlfriends?" Nolan asked, genuinely puzzled.
One of the twins leaned in conspiratorially. "We need to act fast!"
The other added, "Or all the good ones will be taken!"
"And we'll be left with nothing but trolls!"
"No one wants to end up with Millicent Bulstrode!"
"The wizarding world is small!"
"The competition is fierce!"
The twins spoke in rapid succession, as if this was a life-or-death situation.
And truth be told, they weren't wrong. The wizarding community wasn't exactly large, and Hogwarts only accepted around fifty students per year. The gender ratio wasn't always balanced, making dating even trickier.
Most of the delicate, pretty witches were snapped up by the tall, handsome wizards while still in school—like Eve and Cho.
Right now, Eve and Cho were among the most popular girls among the boys, their beauty making them highly sought after.
If a wizard left school without securing a girlfriend—or worse, got dumped later on—his dating prospects would plummet. Eventually, he'd be left with only the leftovers, the ones no one else wanted. And Fred and George absolutely did not want that fate.
Nolan frowned. "Why doesn't anyone just date a pretty Muggle? Do you all hate the idea of having half-blood children that much? I thought only Slytherins cared about blood purity."
Fred and George exchanged a look before one of them admitted, "Oh, it's not that we care, exactly..."
The other twin continued, "It's just... we don't understand Muggle culture at all." He sighed. "You get what I mean, right? A Muggle girl would probably think we're clueless country bumpkins."
Nolan shrugged. "You lot overcomplicate things."
"Wait—" One of the twins' eyes suddenly lit up. "I heard Nolan's a half-blood! You are a half-blood, aren't you? That means you must know all about Muggles!"
The other twin's excitement grew. "Our mate here is a Muggle expert!"
"Maybe we should go check out a Muggle bar together!"
"I bet there are way more pretty Muggle girls than witches. I mean, there are just so many more of them!"
There was no official saying that Muggle women were more attractive than witches...
But the truth was, Muggles put way more effort into their looks. They had fashionable clothes, stylish jewelry, and the latest beauty trends. Compared to them, most witches—especially pure-bloods—looked like country bumpkins in their outdated black robes.
Even Muggle-born witches, after spending years at Hogwarts, would start to slack off in terms of grooming, eventually blending in with their more traditional classmates.
"Mate, let's go wild tonight!" One twin draped an arm over Nolan's shoulders, grinning. "Let's show those Muggle girls just how crazy wizards can be!"
"You're not going to refuse, are you, Nolan?" The other twin gave him a pleading, puppy-eyed look.
Nolan raised an eyebrow. "You two are really set on this?"
From the side, Ginny shrieked, "FRED! GEORGE! If you dare do something like this, I swear I'll tell Mum!"
"Oi, shut it, Ginny," one of them waved her off. "You just go enjoy your time with Harry, yeah?"
Meanwhile, Ron looked up eagerly. "Hitting on Muggle girls? That sounds awesome! Can I come?"
"Ron..." Harry tugged at his sleeve, clearly uncomfortable. He really didn't want to get dragged into anything involving Nolan.
One twin smirked. "You're too young, little Ron."
The other grinned wickedly. "With your height, even if you wore a suit, you wouldn't pass for a high schooler. You'd just drag us down—poor little brother."
Ron Weasley let out a heavy sigh, clearly disappointed. Deep down, he was crushed that he couldn't be part of the night's adventure.
"Alright, fine. Forget I said anything. But I have to hear all about it later—chatting up Muggle girls at a Muggle bar? That's the kind of legendary thing no Hogwarts student has ever done before!"
"Exactly, little Ron! Now you're getting it!" Fred—or maybe George—shouted excitedly.
Nolan sighed. "If you're all so determined, I suppose I can spare a bit of time to go with you. Tonight at seven, at the Leaky Cauldron."
"It's a date!" The twins high-fived, celebrating as if they had just won the House Cup.
Nolan took a few steps away but then suddenly paused. He turned back to them with a smirk.
"Make sure you wear proper Muggle clothes. And even if you get it wrong, do not make yourselves look like freaks—unless you want to be the laughingstock of every bar in New York."
With a flick of his wand, there was a sharp crack—and just like that, Nolan vanished into thin air.
"That was so cool! Apparition!" one twin exclaimed.
The other looked on with envy. "I wonder when we'll be able to learn it... I bet Dad won't even consider teaching us until we're adults."
Ginny scoffed. "Honestly? I don't think you two will ever learn it. Apparition is clearly not an easy spell." Then, curiosity got the better of her. "But wait... how did he learn it already? I thought he was the same age as you?"
One of the twins grinned. "Why wouldn't he be able to learn it? He's Nolan Von Draugr."
The other simply shrugged. "You'll see for yourself when you get to Hogwarts, little Ginny. Nolan is practically a legend there."
Luna Lovegood, standing off to the side, still had that faraway, dreamy look in her eyes. She stared up at the sky, lost in thought, completely unfazed by the conversation around her.
Meanwhile, Ron and Harry exchanged glances—both of them letting out a sigh at the same time.
Neither of them knew how Nolan had already mastered Apparition, but one thing was certain—the gap between them and him was growing wider and wider...
That afternoon, Nolan trained for a while longer under the watchful eye of Madam Perona, perfecting his Apparition.
According to the old witch, he was just about ready.
His speed in mastering spells was nothing short of astonishing. Perhaps it was because he possessed an unshakable heart.
After all, when it came to learning Apparition, fear itself was the greatest obstacle. Only those who could conquer their own hesitation could force themselves into the cracks of space.
A single moment of doubt, and the pressure of the void would tear a wizard apart—or worse, land them in the middle of a Muggle fireplace.
Madam Perona smiled as she set fire to an old, tattered Portkey hat, watching it crumble into ashes. "My dear, I don't think you'll be needing Portkeys anymore."
She patted his shoulder, her eyes twinkling. "Now, try Apparating home. And don't worry—even if you end up losing a leg, I promise I'll fetch it back for you."
Nolan smirked. "That's very reassuring. I'll visit you again soon, Madam Perona."
With that, he closed his eyes, picturing the towering cliffs of Randall Gorge. His fingers tightened around his wand—
And in a heartbeat, he vanished.
~~~----------------------
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