The next day, he was awakened by the sound of an owl flapping against the window.
He got out of bed and looked out the window at the four or five owls, realizing that they were the deliverymen promised by Flourish and Blotts.
He quickly opened the window and let a few owls in.
Five owls dropped the huge package they had been dragging together onto the ground, stared at each other, unsure whether to rub against Ethan.
However, under Edward's enormous outstretched wings and menacing gaze, the owls reluctantly returned to the windowsill, not daring to approach Ethan.
He was busy feeding the messengers owl food and didn't notice their confrontation.
When he filled the small bowl that had been used to feed Edward the day before with food and placed it on the windowsill, he noticed the tense atmosphere between them.
Edward watched as his bowl was used by the other owls and hooted in dissatisfaction.
Ethan guessed that it seemed to be jealous, so he quickly stroked its head to comfort it.
Soon, the owls had finished the small bowl of food mixed with dried meat and grains.
Seeing that the owls were still looking at him with lingering interest and showed no sign of leaving, Ethan went over to prepare to give them another bowl.
Just as he picked up the bowl, as if by prior arrangement, five owls spread their wings and brushed against his shoulders, face, and hands before flying out the window.
Edward was furious.
Good grief, they've been waiting here!
With a "whoosh," Edward, who had been standing on the edge of the desk, spread its wings, which were about 1.2 meters long, flew out the window, and chased after them, intending to teach a lesson to the few guys who dared to steal affection under its nose.
"Hey! Come back, Edward!" Ethan quickly stopped the bloodshed just as it was about to happen.
Edward, who had already flown about thirty meters away, was caught in a dilemma. After hesitating for a moment, he angrily hooted a few times in the direction the owls had flown away, and flew back toward Ethan, who was anxiously calling out from the window.
Ethan, who successfully prevented the bloodshed, spent a great deal of effort calming Edward, who was still muttering curses under his breath.
This commotion dispelled even the little bit of sleepiness he had left.
It was already 2 p.m. He rubbed his rumbling stomach, gave up on opening the package, and went downstairs in his pajamas.
"Mom, is there anything else to eat? I'm hungry," he asked Sofia, who was reading a novel, his hair disheveled.
"Go wash up first, and I'll have Lilith cook for you in a bit."
Lilith is the cook in the family.
"Oh." He went upstairs to wash up, still wearing his slippers.
When he came downstairs again, a steak, a soup, a fruit platter, and a small pudding were already laid out on the dining table.
Starving, Ethan wolfed down his food, completely disregarding the dining etiquette his teacher had taught him.
Listening to the clattering of the plates, Sofia couldn't help but scold, "I know you're curious about wizarding books, but you also need to have a sense of time. You can't stay up this late next time!"
"I understand, Mom." His mouth was full of food, and his speech was slurred.
Sofia shook her head, unsure if he had listened.
After finishing almost all the food, he let out a burp, took the remaining few grapes, and started stuffing them into his mouth as he sat down next to Sofia, curiously examining the book The Adventures of Mad Muggle Martin Miguel in her hand.
Noticing the dark circles under Sofia's eyes that she couldn't quite hide, he teased her subtly, "Is this book really good?"
Sofia rolled her eyes at him and didn't say anything.
After finishing the last grape, Ethan dusted himself off and went upstairs to continue reading.
Half a day passed quickly. If it weren't for the fact that tomorrow is Monday and he has to go to school, he wouldn't have planned to sleep tonight.
The next day, a yawning Ethan entered the school escorted by Pierre-Nico, where he encountered Hermione, who was also looking listless.
The two smiled at each other, silently approached each other, but said nothing. They parted ways in the teaching building and walked toward their respective classrooms.
Ethan, who hadn't slept well the night before, didn't care what class he was in and buried himself in his desk to catch up on sleep.
The teachers who knew a bit about his family background pretended not to notice and continued to talk about the knowledge that might be required for the entrance exam to junior high school.
He slept soundly all morning, and at noon he found Hermione, had lunch together, and told her about his recent plans.
"After I graduate in a few days, I might have to live in the suburbs for a while. You know, there are too many people in the city, so it's not good for practicing."
This was a decision he made after discussing it with his parents at dinner last night. His family owns a sizable estate in the suburbs, which is usually not frequented by many people, making it a perfect place for him to study magic.
Hermione simply nodded, remaining silent.
"So, do you want to spend your vacation with me? I think we can be more efficient together."
Hermione blushed slightly upon hearing such a direct invitation.
She said timidly, "I... I need to ask my parents for their opinion."
"Yes, I believe they will agree." Ethan was full of confidence. He had no other intentions toward Hermione at all. He was upright and had nothing to worry about being misunderstood.
Unfortunately, the Grangers rejected the suggestion, as they were not comfortable with their daughter living with a boy her own age.
"It's okay, we'll keep in touch by phone during the holidays." Ethan comforted the somewhat heartbroken Hermione, which aroused the jealousy of the other girls. They couldn't understand how the handsome and wealthy Ethan had suddenly become so familiar with this unassuming academic genius.
Not needing to worry about entrance exams, Ethan moved to Croydon's holiday estate on the first day of his vacation.
He and Hermione, who was also homeschooled, would often talk on the phone for one or two hours a day to discuss the problems they encountered in their magical studies.
"Have you mastered the Levitation Charm yet? I made a feather float yesterday," Ethan boasted on the phone.
"I did it! I was able to make the feather float the day before yesterday!" Hermione said defiantly over the phone.
"Really? That's great. If we hadn't run out of feathers at home, and I had Edward go out and catch a sparrow to get the feathers, I think I could have learned the spell even sooner." Ethan's words carried a hint of regret and the stubborn competitiveness of children.
Magic is so unscientific that he often fails to cast spells because of his deeply ingrained scientific beliefs.
Take this Levitation Charm for example. He always imagined a gust of wind blowing when casting the spell, which made the feather float. This distraction caused his spells to often fail.
After several days of practice, constantly reminding himself that this was a magical world, and giving himself mental suggestions for a long time, he finally succeeded in applying this simplest spell for the first time.
His memories of his past thirty years brought him both some advantages and some troubles.
"The reason Hogwarts sets the admission age at eleven is probably because raising it to fourteen or fifteen would make it even harder for Muggle-born students to integrate into the magical world," he thought to himself.
Holidays always fly by, and in the blink of an eye, two months have passed, and it's time to start school again.