"Qin!"
That bright, melodious voice called out again.
Qin Yu turned toward the sound—just in time to see a petite figure racing toward him like a sudden summer breeze. He barely had time to lift his arms before she flung herself into his embrace, squeezing him tight.
"Hermione? How did you get here?" Qin Yu asked, surprised by the little witch in his arms.
"Hee hee, surprised?" she grinned, tilting her face up to beam at him.
"Yeah, really surprised!" Qin Yu couldn't help but ruffle her bushy brown hair.
Six months apart, and her hair had grown even longer—nearly reaching her waist now.
"Mum and Dad are here too! They came with me," Hermione said, releasing him and pointing back the way she'd come.
"Hermione, why are you running so fast? Wait for us!" came the slightly breathless voice of Mrs. Granger, with Mr. Granger following close behind.
"Aunt Jenny! Uncle David!" Qin Yu called, hurrying to greet them.
Mrs. Granger was clearly delighted to see Qin Yu, gripping his hand and refusing to let go. Mr. Granger, ever helpful, went to fetch his suitcase—only to nearly stumble when he lifted it. The case was so light, he'd used far too much force.
He blinked in surprise at the weight, but quickly reasoned it out—after all, it was summer. Qin probably hadn't packed much.
"We got lost just now and didn't know where to wait for you," Hermione explained proudly. "Luckily, I spotted a bunch of kids acting a bit… unusual, so I guessed they must be wizards heading home for the holidays. I just followed the direction they came from—and found you! My deduction was right!"
"Very clever!" Qin Yu praised her.
"Right? I think I could be Sherlock Holmes!" The little witch beamed with pride.
"What about me, then?" Qin Yu asked, pointing at himself.
"You'd be Watson, of course!" Hermione declared, miming a pipe with perfect seriousness. "'Oh, my dear Watson, this case is elementary!'"
Their performance sent the Grangers in the front seat into peals of laughter.
For a moment, the Grangers were simply happy—their daughter and Qin were talking about things everyone understood, not the strange magic world that sometimes left them feeling left out.
But soon enough, when school started again, their daughter would be telling stories about flying broomsticks and beanstalks reaching the sky—things that belonged to a world they could never truly enter.
The thought struck both parents at the same time. When that day came, wouldn't their daughter drift further and further away?
They exchanged glances, each seeing the same bittersweet reluctance in the other's eyes.
But Hermione… she was destined to live in another world.
"Qin, can you do this?" Hermione asked, making her fingers open and close in a tricky pattern.
"That's easy!" Qin Yu replied, quickly copying her movements.
"You can do it too? Then I'll try something harder!" Hermione huffed, determined not to be outdone.
"Go on, make it a real challenge," Qin Yu teased.
"It'll be hard, just wait!"
Watching the two children in the back seat playing what looked like a silly game, Mrs. Granger couldn't help but smile, her heart easing a little.
Yes, even if Hermione belonged to another world, at least she had Qin by her side.
At that moment, a large, familiar hand settled gently over Jenny Granger's own, silently promising: I'll always be here with you.
Her heart warmed as she gazed at her husband.
Up front, the Grangers' thoughts swirled with emotion. In the back, Qin Yu and Hermione chattered away, reunited at last, sharing stories and laughter.
The car rolled quietly onward—carrying them all toward a home filled with warmth.
…
…
Mid-June, the height of summer.
Yet deep within the woods along the River Derwent in Yorkshire, an eerie chill hung in the air.
Hidden among the ancient trees stood a sprawling estate.
To ordinary passersby, it appeared to be nothing more than a collection of scattered stones—no buildings, no signs of life. Only those with certain gifts could see its true form.
Those special people were called wizards. And the rest? Wizards called them Muggles.
Now, a tall, slender man stood at the estate's entrance. The solemn look in his eyes made it clear: he was one of the few who could see what lay beyond.
He lingered for a long moment before raising a slender wand—about the length of his forearm—and pointing it at the estate.
A white light shot from the wand's tip, vanishing into the grounds.
It was as if a veil had been lifted. The air inside began to stir, turning into gentle breezes that swept through the ancient buildings.
The wizard stepped forward, wand in hand.
He walked the broad stone path, passed a long-dry fountain, crossed barren flowerbeds and lawns, and finally entered the grand hall of the main building.
There, in the center, stood a statue.
A tall man, robed, holding a round shield in his left hand and a long sword in his right.
He stood with his head held high, gaze unyielding.
Looking at the statue, the wizard who had just entered couldn't help but tremble.
"How pathetic. He's just a statue—why are you still afraid of him?" sneered a contemptuous voice, echoing through the hall.
"No, I'm not afraid of him. I just…" replied a second, deeper voice.
"Oh, so you hate him?" the first voice mocked.
"…I just don't know what he was really fighting for. Or what those people actually did for his ideals…" the deep voice murmured.
"Hmph. For the world? For wizards? For humanity? Ridiculous! People should live for themselves!" the contemptuous voice spat, growing agitated.
"You don't understand. Some people are just… different," the deep voice replied.
"Ha! I don't understand? If I didn't, you'd be dead already! We'd both be dead! Stephen!" the first voice laughed, wild and bitter.
"I… I'm grateful to you," the deep voice sighed.
"If you really want to thank me, go find those people. See for yourself why they left—and why we were abandoned!" the contemptuous voice hissed, brimming with hatred.
"I will," the deep voice said, solemn as a vow.
A hush fell over the hall.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me playing house with some kid has made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Stephen, you need to understand—there's only one person in this world you can truly rely on: me!" The contemptuous voice sounded almost frantic.
"Are you afraid of something too?" the deep voice asked, curious.
"I'm never afraid! Never!" the first voice shouted.
"I know you're not."
The voices faded. The wizard's figure vanished.
Only the statue remained, standing tall and silent—unchanged through countless days and nights.
Beneath the statue was a long, winding name. Strip away all the middle names and honorifics, and it could be simply: Morsus Swinton.
A name almost unknown in the wizarding world.
(End of Volume) — Let's pretend there are volumes.
——Dimensional Wall——
Sixty-seven chapters in, and I've wrapped up the protagonist's first year. Next up: Year Two.
Writing the main trio's reunion with the original canon will be challenging. I'll need to reread the books and work hard to balance original plot with canon events.
Whew, broke a sweat, but suddenly feel energized. The weather's been wild lately—everyone, take care of yourselves!
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