Dumbledore stared at Blake, perplexed. He knew Blake could never truly become a Death Eater, even though Voldemort believed he could offer Blake something irresistible. Blake was merely playing along.
"So, Voldemort finally revealed his intentions to you tonight?" Dumbledore asked.
Blake nodded. "Yeah. If he didn't, he wouldn't have anything left to teach me about black magic."
Dumbledore was momentarily speechless. The idea that Blake had learned all of Voldemort's dark magic in just a few months was impressive—almost frightening.
"I must admit, a second face on Quirrell's bald head is quite… unsettling," Blake said, still amused by the memory of Quirrell.
Dumbledore, after a brief pause, warned, "It's clear Voldemort is trying hard to win you over. But if you join him too easily, it might raise his suspicions."
Blake nodded in agreement. "I thought the same, but just when I was planning a more cautious approach, he offered more than I expected."
Dumbledore frowned, confused. "Offered more? He's already teaching you black magic. What else could he offer? Perhaps a vague promise?"
Blake hesitated. "He mentioned that when he regains his body, he'll teach me more powerful dark arts… and the secret of eternal life."
Dumbledore's expression turned serious. "The secret of immortality? He said that?"
"Yeah, he claimed to be further along the path to eternal life than anyone else," Blake explained.
"Eternal life…" Dumbledore muttered, deep in thought. "It could explain why he didn't die when the curse rebounded."
The following morning, Blake was slumped over a table in the Great Hall, grumbling as he rushed through his homework. He was eager to face Voldemort but found himself bogged down by school assignments instead.
Nagini, ever thoughtful, brought him milk tea and cream puffs from the convenience store. Just as Blake started on another assignment, Cedric appeared, clearly amused. "Didn't do your homework last night?" Cedric teased.
"Cedric, keep pushing, and I'll make sure Nagini never sells you anything again," Blake replied with a smirk.
Cedric quickly backed down. "Fine, fine. But how about this—if I write your paper for 250, can I get a discount at your store?"
Blake waved him off, not interested in any deals. Still, Cedric persisted, offering to write Blake's Transfiguration essay using magic to match Blake's handwriting. Before Blake could respond, someone dropped a parchment in front of him.
"Here, next time don't bother me with something so trivial," Cassandra huffed, crossing her arms.
Hannah, who had been nearby, teased, "But you help him every day…"
Cassandra's face turned red with embarrassment. Blake, however, was grateful. "Thanks, Cassandra! Get whatever you want at the store—it's on me!" He eagerly grabbed the essay and started reviewing it.
Cedric, eyeing the parchment, noticed it was indeed Blake's Transfiguration paper—perfectly written. It looked like Blake had his assignments done for him all the time, and not just by anyone, but by Cassandra. Cedric's envy grew as he watched more girls approach Blake, each handing over homework.
"Blake, here's your Charms paper," Cho Chang said with a smile, handing him another neatly written parchment.
"And here's the History of Magic assignment," Hermione added, somewhat exasperated as she too handed over an essay.
As the girls exchanged surprised looks—realizing they all helped Blake with his work—Cedric felt utterly defeated. Blake was not only having his homework done by others but by a group of intelligent, beautiful girls. Cedric couldn't help but feel envious.
He muttered under his breath, "How does he do it…?"
Marcus, another student, patted Cedric on the shoulder. "Control your expression, Cedric. You're practically glowing with envy."
Cedric didn't even try to deny it. "I'm so jealous!"
Marcus chuckled. "You're not the only one. We're all envious."
As breakfast ended, Blake looked over the stack of completed assignments with a smug grin. "Finally finished all my homework on my own."
No one denied it. After all, managing to get others to help you was a skill of its own.
Still, the sight of Blake being helped by so many girls left Cedric feeling even more envious.
During the final exam period, the intense heat of summer made everyone feel sluggish. The castle had no fans or cooling charms, and the stuffy classrooms only made things worse. After finishing the last subject, the History of Magic exam, Blake felt drained.
"Why won't Professor Binns let us submit our exams early?" he groaned.
Hermione, who had been sitting nearby, retorted, "Because you finished in ten minutes!"
Blake shrugged, not seeing the problem. "I was done. What's the issue?"
He had already started daydreaming about ways to use alchemy to create an air conditioner when Hermione's frustration broke through.
"How did you finish the test in ten minutes and get all the answers right?!" she asked, incredulous.
Blake gave her a curious look. "You didn't memorize everything? After all that studying?"
Hermione gritted her teeth in frustration.
Blake, ever oblivious, continued, "I don't even need to remember the 'Werewolf Code of Conduct' or the elf rebellion."
Hermione shot him a glare. She was still fuming after checking their answers, finding out Blake had aced everything in record time.
As the exam period finally ended, Blake stretched lazily. "We've got a week off now. Nothing to do but relax. How about we head to Hogsmeade?"
His carefree attitude stood in stark contrast to the stress everyone else had endured. And despite their irritation, they couldn't help but follow him, knowing Blake always managed to make things interesting, even during the dullest of times.