From the Quidditch pitch to Hagrid's hut, the path wound through a sea of wild grass.
Daisies nodded in the breeze, beetles fluttered up and down among the blades, and the crisp scent of autumn drifted through the air. Slowly, the last of Hermione's frustration faded away.
When they crested a gentle hill and spotted the little wooden hut in the distance, the girl slipped free of Qin Yu's hand and dashed ahead across the grass.
To Qin Yu, she looked like a butterfly—darting, lively, and untamed—dancing through wildflowers and weeds.
Soon, the little butterfly landed at the fence outside the hut.
He caught up, crouched in front of her, and carefully plucked stray grass and prickly burrs from the hem of her robes and her cotton socks.
Hermione mimicked his earlier gesture, running her hand through his black hair. The feel of it made her smile—it reminded her of Crookshanks, their ginger cat.
"Crookshanks is mine, and you… are too…" she murmured under her breath.
"Hmm? What was that?" Qin Yu looked up, having just removed the last dry stem from her sock.
"I said… let's go meet your friend!" Hermione announced, putting extra emphasis on "friend." She hooked a finger under his chin and raised an eyebrow, radiating confidence.
With her looming over him, Qin Yu felt his own presence shrink a notch. Still, he couldn't help but think she looked rather dashing.
He shook off the thought, took her outstretched hand, and let her help him to his feet. Then, hand in hand, they walked toward the hut.
…
"Blimey! Look who's here—a bright and beautiful young lady!" boomed Hagrid, swinging open the door with a grin that could barely contain his delight.
"It's wonderful to see you again, Hagrid!" Hermione beamed up at the half-giant.
Qin Yu waved and greeted him as well, "Long time no see."
At that moment, the little hand in his grip squeezed tighter, and its owner craned her neck, peering curiously into the cozy room.
The hut was small, and the crowd inside was even smaller.
There were only George and Fred, both looking a tad nervous, plus Harry and Ron—each chewing on a chunk of rock cake, and clearly wishing they weren't.
No one else.
Hermione's brows drew together. She looked at Qin Yu, her voice uncertain: "Are we waiting for someone else?"
"Everyone's here. You two are the last to arrive," Hagrid answered for him.
He then enthusiastically offered his latest batch of rock cakes—the very ones Harry and Ron were valiantly gnawing on.
"Thank you, Hagrid!" Hermione accepted one out of habit.
After sitting beside Qin Yu, she leaned in and whispered, "Didn't you say I'd meet this Anna? Where is she?"
"You'll see her soon enough," Qin Yu said mysteriously, snatching the cake from her hand before she could take a bite.
"I haven't even tried it…" Hermione protested.
"Trust me, you're not missing anything," Qin Yu assured her, taking a bite himself—and struggling mightily to chew it down.
Watching his pained expression, Hermione couldn't help but giggle.
Well, Qin Yu had proven with actions that Hagrid's cakes were not for the faint of tooth.
Truthfully, most of her earlier outburst had been the result of pent-up pressure these past weeks. Letting it out had helped, and Qin Yu's steady presence made all the difference.
Now, with a clear head, Anna seemed more "suspicious" than ever. With all the clues so far, how could she not guess Anna wasn't a person at all?
The only question was—what exactly was Anna?
A puppy, maybe? Or a cute owl? mused clever Miss Granger, running through possibilities in her mind.
…
Watching Qin Yu and Hermione chatting quietly—especially when Hermione laughed—George and Fred both let out a sigh of relief.
Just before Qin Yu arrived with Hermione, they had solemnly asked Hagrid if he'd protect them if Qin Yu came after them for stirring trouble.
Hagrid's answer? "Qin did what I've always wanted to do. Why would I stop him?"
That response had left the twins utterly disheartened. Now, seeing Hermione happy, even if they had to swallow a mouthful of "dog food," they were at least reassured—no need to fear for their lives.
With that relief, even Hagrid's rock cakes tasted a bit sweeter.
…
…
When the beautiful unicorn trotted gracefully from the Forbidden Forest, Qin Yu and the others were setting up a picnic in the clearing outside the hut—Hagrid's cakes were only the appetizer.
The first to spot the unicorn was, fittingly, Hermione.
Sunlight shimmered on the unicorn's snowy coat, making her glow with a dazzling, mysterious radiance.
Hermione gaped as the magical creature approached, rubbing her eyes in disbelief—surely she was dreaming.
But no, she was truly seeing a legendary unicorn.
"She's Anna, isn't she?" Hermione whispered.
Such a beautiful, princess-like creature deserved a princess's name.
Her question from earlier was answered in an instant.
"That's right, she's Anna," Qin Yu said softly at her side.
After two months apart, Anna's coat had changed from gold to pure white—she was fully grown now.
Sensing Qin Yu's presence, she'd come trotting over, delighted.
George and Fred whipped out the carrots they'd washed in advance, ready to dash over and win Anna's favor.
But one look from Qin Yu—just a little too sharp—and they froze, wisely handing the carrots to Hermione instead.
When it came to choosing between Anna and Hermione, they knew who to please.
"Unicorns love clean carrots," Qin Yu explained to his favorite girl.
"Oh, I see… Can I feed her, then?" Hermione's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Of course. I'll take you over."
He led Hermione toward Anna.
"George, Fred, can we go too?" Ron pleaded with his brothers.
"Yeah, we want to go!" Harry echoed.
"You think you're the only ones? We want to go too…" muttered one of the twins.
But, knowing they were in the doghouse, neither dared disturb Qin Yu, Hermione, and Anna's moment.
…
Anna pranced happily as Qin Yu approached.
Ever since the day he'd rescued her from danger in the forest, her heart had belonged to him—filled with admiration and trust.
It couldn't be helped. For a young unicorn, nearly lost in the woods, to be saved at the crucial moment by a human boy… well, that left a mark.
"Anna, it's been a while!" Qin Yu greeted the unicorn warmly.
Anna snorted softly and nuzzled his clothes.
"Let me introduce you—this is Hermione, my family," Qin Yu said, pulling her forward.
"H-hi, Anna, it's… it's wonderful to meet you!" Hermione stammered, waving shyly.
Anna looked from Qin Yu to Hermione, then leaned in and nibbled the carrot from the girl's hand.
"Qin! She ate it, she really ate it!" Hermione squealed, grabbing his arm.
"Looks like she likes you," Qin Yu beamed.
Hermione circled Anna, feeding her two carrots in a row, every bit the starstruck fangirl.
…
Anna didn't linger long. After "chatting" with Qin Yu and munching a few carrots, she turned and disappeared back into the Forbidden Forest, drawn by the distant call of the elder unicorn, Kelly.
"Something's up. Since the end of summer, the animals in the Forest have been uneasy," Hagrid said, watching Anna go, his voice heavy with worry.
"Maybe they sense some kind of danger…" Qin Yu muttered, glancing toward the looming silhouette of Hogwarts castle.
"I dunno. Let's hope nothing bad happens," Hagrid said, scratching his head.
Anna's visit was brief, but George and Fred were reluctant to see her go. After all, she hadn't even taken a bite of their carrots.
But no one was more disappointed than Harry and Ron.
It was the first time either boy had seen a unicorn, and just as quickly, she was gone—having spent her time with Qin Yu and Hermione.
They both secretly wished they could be Qin's sister, just for the chance to feed that beautiful, mysterious unicorn.
But that was never going to happen. Envy was all they had.
At least the picnic made up for it.
With Qin Yu directing, George and Fred grilled up a feast—meat skewers, roasted veggies, mushrooms—enough to satisfy everyone.
After the meal, Hagrid brewed a massive pot of tea, and they all sat around, chatting and sipping.
During the conversation, Hagrid asked Harry about life at Hogwarts. Harry recounted everything, start to finish.
"…I just feel like Professor Snape really doesn't like me. Maybe he even hates me…" the boy concluded, thinking back on Potions class.
"Nonsense! Of course not!" Hagrid protested at once.
"Harry, I know Professor Snape a little. He doesn't actually dislike you—it's just that he doesn't know how to handle your relationship," Qin Yu said carefully.
"Yeah, that's it. Snape's just… well, he holds grudges, but it's more than that. He probably blames himself, after all—" Hagrid caught himself, realizing he'd said too much, and quickly clammed up.
"Blames himself for what?" Harry looked at him, baffled.
"Nothing. Anyway, I think that's enough picnic for today. I've got work to finish, haha!" Hagrid said, awkwardly changing the subject.
"I've got stuff to do too. Let's clean up," Qin Yu chimed in, smoothly steering the conversation away.
There was too much old history between Snape and Harry's parents to explain in a few words, and now wasn't the time.
So, Qin Yu and the others helped Hagrid wash up and carry the picnic things inside.
While tidying the hut, Harry stumbled across a fresh copy of the Daily Prophet—and spotted a headline about a break-in at Gringotts.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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