"Qin, the date mentioned here—it's the same day you and Hagrid took me to Diagon Alley! That was my birthday, I remember it exactly," Harry said, pointing at the newspaper.
Qin Yu glanced at Hagrid, who quickly looked away, suddenly fascinated by a spot on the wall.
"Let me see that."
Qin Yu took the paper from Harry. The headline read:
Regarding the break-in at Gringotts on July 31st, the wizard responsible has yet to be apprehended... A goblin spokesperson stated that they had received advanced warning before the thief entered Gringotts, and security was heightened accordingly. Not only did the thief fail to steal anything, but they were also seriously injured... Furthermore, the targeted vault's contents had already been removed that very day. As for what those contents were, Gringotts officials declined to comment, reiterating that the bank's security remains as reliable as ever...
Qin Yu had seen similar reports before. There was nothing new—no sign of the thief. Emphasizing the thief's injuries and the lack of any stolen items was likely just Gringotts trying to save face. After all, a bank's reputation is built on security.
"Qin, do you think what was in the Gringotts vault could be…?" Harry whispered, glancing at Hagrid.
His suspicion made sense. The date matched—July 31st. So did the events: Hagrid had taken a small package from the vault that very afternoon. And since it was Professor Dumbledore who'd asked Hagrid to retrieve it, it had to be something important—even if it looked ordinary. No wonder it had caught a thief's eye.
"That's not a question I can answer for you," Qin Yu replied with a shrug.
Of course he knew who the thief was, and what they were after, but saying it aloud would only tangle things further—possibly even trigger another time loop.
He glanced at Hagrid again, silently hoping the half-giant might let something slip.
"Don't look at me… I really do have loads of work to finish…" Hagrid muttered, dodging their eyes. He shoved his rock cakes into everyone's hands, mumbling, "Take these, if you get hungry at night, have one to fill your belly."
Who would eat these for fun?
Everyone holding the stone-hard cakes had the same thought.
…
On the way back to the castle, Harry walked with both pockets stuffed full of rock cakes, lost in thought.
He wanted to share his suspicions with Qin Yu, but didn't know where to begin. Most of his ideas were half-formed, even in his own mind.
And then there was Snape—the person who puzzled him most.
There was something Harry had never told anyone: the first time he'd seen Snape in the Great Hall, his scar had throbbed painfully. It made him wonder if this gloomy Potions Master was connected to Voldemort.
In fact, Snape fit his idea of a Death Eater perfectly—cold, arrogant, and menacing.
But Hagrid wouldn't say much about Snape, and Qin seemed to get along with him. Could Qin possibly…?
No, no, how could I ever doubt Qin? I'll never doubt him, not in my whole life!
Harry's thoughts tangled themselves into knots.
None of this was stuff a first-year should be wrestling with. It was more exhausting than a week's worth of classes.
"Stop overthinking everything. What you should do now is enjoy your time at Hogwarts, and focus on learning magic. Only then will you be able to handle whatever comes your way," Qin Yu said, giving Harry's shoulder a reassuring pat.
"…Yeah, you're right, Qin!" Harry nodded, a little more at ease.
He realized Qin was right—he needed to focus on his studies. Otherwise, even if he figured out who the villains were, he'd be powerless to stop them.
After they entered the castle, the group split up.
Qin Yu and Hermione headed to the library, while Harry and Ron returned to the Gryffindor common room, handing out rock cakes as midnight snacks. George and Fred slipped off somewhere mysterious—as usual.
Before parting, Qin Yu cheerfully invited George and Fred to join him for some private "training." The twins shuddered. They knew exactly what that meant: not team practice, but a one-on-two session—clearly, Qin was planning to settle the score.
The twins looked to Hermione for help.
But the girl was still holding a grudge. Thanks to their deliberate misdirection, she'd embarrassed herself in front of Qin—there was no way she'd bail them out now.
So George and Fred could only look mournfully at Qin Yu, hoping for mercy.
Qin Yu ignored their pleading gazes and left with Hermione.
…
"What were you and Harry talking about?" Hermione asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"Hmm… I suppose you could call it a talk about life. He's got a lot on his mind. I told him to focus on his studies and enjoy life here," Qin Yu replied after a moment's thought.
"Oh—" Hermione nodded, visibly relieved.
Then, looking quite serious, she said, "Since you care about him so much, I'll make sure to look after him for you."
"Look after him? You're still a child yourself, and you want to take care of others?" Qin Yu laughed.
"I'm all grown up, you know! My birthday's coming up in a few days!" Hermione straightened her back, trying to look taller.
"Yeah, you've grown a lot since last year," Qin Yu said, patting her head.
"Of course! Don't worry, from now on I'll keep an eye on Harry, Ron, Adam—oh, and Neville too," Hermione said, ticking names off on her fingers.
After counting so many people, she suddenly felt the weight of responsibility settle on her shoulders.
"Are you sure they'll listen to you?" Qin Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I've got you, haven't I? I'm the little fox that follows behind the tiger!" she declared, lifting her chin with mock solemnity.
She'd really mastered the art of borrowing the tiger's might.
"But you know, that little fox doesn't walk behind the tiger—it walks in front," Qin Yu corrected gently.
"Oh, is that how it goes…" Hermione nodded, then grabbed his arm and grinned. "I suppose it depends on the situation. If things get really dangerous, I'd rather hide behind the tiger."
Well, she really was a cunning little fox.
Qin Yu squeezed her small, delicate hand and strolled with her down the corridor toward the library, chatting idly about nothing and everything.
Truth be told, ever since Hermione's outburst on the Quidditch pitch, Qin Yu had been keeping a close eye on her mood.
Fortunately, after all the tears and biting and venting, the girl seemed a little stronger than before.
Of course, Qin Yu didn't believe she'd suddenly become some invincible "iron lady." He just hoped he wouldn't be so oblivious in the future—he didn't want to wait until she cried before realizing something was wrong.
"Qin, I think we're going the wrong way…" Hermione said suddenly.
Qin Yu looked around and realized she was right. This corridor didn't lead to the library at all—and, judging by the dust, few people ever came here.
He must have been lost in thought and missed the turn, leading Hermione astray.
Well, so be it. Since they were here, they might as well enjoy the moment.
With no one else around, Qin Yu pulled her gently into his arms, letting go of the guilt and uncertainty that had been nagging at him. He felt at peace again.
Then, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and, with mock seriousness, said:
"If I told you I didn't bring you down this corridor on purpose, would you believe me?"
Hermione looked up, her cheeks turning pink. She blinked at him, speechless.
Then she opened her mouth, but all she could think was, Even if you said you did it on purpose, what could I say?
—Dimensional Wall—
Author's Note:
I actually wrote nearly two thousand words of this chapter a couple days ago, but something felt off, so I held it back. After Hermione's emotional outburst, I hadn't found the right way to resolve things, and the chapter felt incomplete. Today I added the ending to bring the emotions full circle before posting.
More importantly, I've been feeling a bit lost with the pacing lately—not just with plot points, but also with how much time to give the main character and the supporting cast. Honestly, I feel like the story has been slipping out of my control, which is why I've been struggling.
I recently binge-watched Stranger Things—a show that's a masterclass in "restrained" storytelling, where the plot moves forward through the characters, while the core mystery stays hidden. It's inspired me, though I'm not sure if I can pull off that same smooth, satisfying narrative.
I know, as a fanfiction writer, I shouldn't overthink it. But when I get stuck, writing becomes a real challenge. Here's hoping I can get back on track.
Anyway, that's all for now. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.
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