Mr. Lovegood, excited beyond measure, hurried over to refill Blake's teacup with Gordig root tea.
"Blake, I officially announce that from today on, you are the deputy editor of 'The Quibbler'!"
Blake blinked in surprise. This was happening too smoothly.
"I'm glad you trust me, Mr. Lovegood!" he said happily.
Mr. Lovegood beamed. After years of running "The Quibbler," he had finally found someone who truly appreciated his work.
"So, how do you plan to make 'The Quibbler' popular?" he asked eagerly.
Blake smiled. "The core theme of 'The Quibbler' is novelty. People are drawn to the unusual—the more novel, the better. Curiosity is limitless. If we can satisfy it, success is inevitable."
Lovegood clapped his hands. "Exactly! If only I had met you sooner!"
"It's not too late," Blake reassured him.
Lovegood, moved, grasped Blake's hand excitedly. "Don't call me Mr. Lovegood anymore. Call me Xenophilius! Or better yet, Brother Xenophilius! And I shall call you..."
Blake quickly intervened. "Wait! That wouldn't be appropriate! Your daughter Luna and I are classmates. If I call you brother, wouldn't that make Luna and me the same generation?"
A horrifying mental image flashed in his mind—Luna, just a year younger than him, calling him "Uncle Blake."
No way!
Lovegood chuckled. "What does it matter? I call you brother, you call me—" He paused, then grinned slyly. "Blake, what do you think of Luna?"
Blake tensed. "Excuse me?"
"I know it's early to talk about such things, but if it were you… I wouldn't object! Then I could call you brother, and you could call me—"
"Cough, cough!" Blake almost choked on his tea. "Let's focus on revitalizing 'The Quibbler,' shall we?"
Lovegood laughed but relented. "Alright, alright. According to your analysis, we need to satisfy the readers' curiosity. But I've tried everything! I still don't understand why our readership remains low."
"The reason is simple, Mr. Lovegood. You've mentioned the Snorlax—a rare magical creature—many times in 'The Quibbler,' right?"
"Yes! A docile, beautiful creature never recorded in any magical beast books! That should spark curiosity!" Lovegood said enthusiastically.
"It does—at first. But there's never been any evidence to back it up. No eyewitness accounts, no photographs, not even a sketch. Over time, readers assume the Snorlax is pure fiction. Curiosity turns into skepticism, then outright dismissal."
Lovegood's eyes widened. "Blake! Do you also believe in the Snorlax?!"
Blake nodded confidently. "Of course! It must exist! Just like the Nan Hook and the Harassing Horsefly!"
Lovegood was stunned. This was the first time someone outside of himself and Luna spoke so firmly about believing in these creatures. His eyes welled up with tears.
"But... where do we find proof? I've never actually seen a Snorlax myself..." Lovegood admitted, ashamed.
Blake didn't question him. Instead, he smirked. "Leave that to me. The Snorlax is said to inhabit Sweden, correct?"
Lovegood nodded.
"Then I'll go to Sweden and find it. I'll bring back undeniable proof!"
"Really?!" Lovegood gasped. "I've searched for years but never found one. Can I come with you?"
Blake shook his head. "No, Mr. Lovegood. You're needed here at 'The Quibbler.' Start writing the article. I'll bring the Snorlax to you."
As Blake left the Lovegood house, Lovegood thrust a large bag of Gordig root tea into his hands. Blake accepted it with a knowing smile—this might even increase Luna's favorability towards him.
Back at Hogwarts, Blake returned to his dormitory. His roommates were at the library, leaving him alone. He shook the snow off his cloak and strode towards the Room of Requirement.
Blake entered his hidden laboratory. In a biological petri dish, a mysterious creature floated in deep sleep. He checked on it briefly before turning his attention to his next task: building a second biological petri dish.
Originally, he planned to use this technology to create a "daughter" for Snape. But that could wait. Right now, he had to create the Snorlax.
That's right—the Snorlax didn't actually exist.
No amount of Druid magic would summon one in Sweden. But Blake had something better than magic: advanced biological cultivation technology.
He had already gathered enough details about the Snorlax from Lovegood and Luna. All he needed now was to create it. And once it existed, it wouldn't be a fraud—it would be real.
Blake worked tirelessly through the night, combining the blood of various magical creatures. By morning, the second biological petri dish was operational. He had used up more than half of his alchemy materials, but it was a worthy investment.
Exhausted, he dragged himself to breakfast, dark circles under his eyes. As he turned a corridor, he yawned and bumped into something soft.
"Oh… so soft…" he muttered absentmindedly before realizing he had just walked straight into Professor Babbling.
Her expression was unreadable. "Did you do that on purpose or by accident?"
"Accident!" Blake said quickly.
"Oh? And you expect me to believe that?" she smirked, flicking his forehead.
"I... I was just tired…" Blake stammered. Then, an idea struck him. He pulled out a small vial. "This is a beauty potion I recently created. Think of it as an apology!"
Professor Babbling's eyes lit up. "Beauty potion? I've heard about your beauty shop in Diagon Alley…"
Blake grinned. "Yes! This is our best-selling potion. Just a spoonful morning and night will keep your skin youthful and wrinkle-free. Here's a VIP card—50% discount at my shop. Don't tell anyone!"
Professor Babbling took the potion, clearly pleased. "Thank you. And don't forget to take my class next year."
Blake sighed in relief as she walked away. That could have gone much worse… but still, that was surprisingly soft.
At the Great Hall, Blake greeted Nagini and Baker at his food stall.
"Good morning, Blake," Nagini said knowingly. "Where are we going this time?"
Blake raised an eyebrow. "How did you—"
"Dumbledore already told you—if you go on a long trip, you must take me with you."
"Hmph," Blake muttered. "Not like he can stop me... Ahem. Yes, we're going to Sweden."
To maintain the illusion, he had to take the newly created Snorlax to Sweden, release it, and then "discover" it there. A perfect plan.
Besides, Hogwarts was getting boring. Why pass up the chance for adventure? Sweden had Swedish Brachyrhinosaurus, after all. He had even prepared enough Master Balls for this trip!
With that, Blake grinned. Time for another grand adventure.
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