Qin Yu had no trouble guessing the truth behind the three-headed dog on the castle's fourth floor.
It was clear that Dumbledore had borrowed the beast from Hagrid as a living guardian for the Philosopher's Stone.
The stone's former home had been vault 713 in the depths of Gringotts—the very place Qin Yu had visited with Hagrid over the summer, with Harry Potter in tow. In fact, it was during that trip, when Qin Yu let slip the secret of the stone, that he'd triggered a bout of time reversal. He'd spent quite some time afterward experimenting, trying to unravel the mechanics of that mysterious phenomenon.
In Qin Yu's view, a three-headed dog was hardly enough to protect something as precious as the Philosopher's Stone—not when compared to the dragon lurking beneath Gringotts. But then again, the stone was now hidden on the fourth floor of the castle, directly beneath Dumbledore's office.
And Dumbledore himself was the true safeguard.
If anyone dared to steal the stone under the nose of the greatest white wizard alive, they'd better be absolutely sure of their own abilities.
"Old Dumbledore's probably using the Philosopher's Stone as bait… What a masterful bit of entrapment," Qin Yu mused.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, he lay back in bed, sleepiness overtaking him.
Half-awake, he recalled Dumbledore's words from the night before: the world was growing more perilous, and he wanted Qin Yu to help unite the students of Hogwarts.
But that was easier said than done. Take Jerome's lot in his own year—Qin Yu could subdue them by force, and by now, they'd lost all their spirit. But for the younger students, using the same methods would only stifle Hogwarts' potential. If everyone cowered under his shadow, what would become of individuality and courage?
He needed a way to foster both competition and growth among the students.
And that… was no simple task.
These were the sorts of problems a teacher should be worrying about, yet Dumbledore had effortlessly shifted the burden onto Qin Yu's shoulders with a few offhand remarks.
Even though the old fox had insisted he wasn't asking Qin Yu to take on anything, his words were laced with the subtle weight of "entrusting the future."
Of course, it was also possible that he was just a pawn in Dumbledore's long game. Qin Yu had every reason to suspect the headmaster was orchestrating something grand, spending years weaving a scheme with an alchemist's patience—refining the world itself into a great "Philosopher's Stone."
"So, I get to worry, do the work, and not even get paid for it. That's probably Dumbledore's perfect plan," Qin Yu thought wryly, drifting off to sleep.
…
The next morning, the sun rose as always, and Hogwarts remained as serene and wise as ever—unhurried, unflappable.
But Malfoy was anything but calm. To his surprise and frustration, there was no word of Harry being punished—not expelled, not even given a slap on the wrist. The infuriating boy with the lightning scar was right there in the Great Hall at breakfast, as if nothing had happened.
Malfoy simmered with anger and unease. His carefully laid trap had failed, and now, disappointment mingled with a gnawing fear of retaliation.
Not from Harry himself, but from the formidable ally at his side—Qin Yu.
In that moment, jealousy for Harry Potter flared anew, and Malfoy's resentment for Qin Yu deepened, though he dared not show a hint of it.
On the other side of the Hall, Harry Potter was equally furious.
Seated at the Gryffindor table, he glared at Malfoy with a look that could have set the Slytherin's greasy blond hair ablaze—if looks could cast spells.
"I'll make sure Malfoy gets what's coming to him—sooner or later!" Harry muttered through gritted teeth.
The events of the previous night still rankled. Harry realized he now ranked Malfoy right alongside his cousin Dudley as the people he most despised.
Qin Yu glanced from Harry to Malfoy over at the Slytherin table, feeling as if sparks and lightning crackled between them.
Two kids, and yet the tension was palpable—like swords drawn, ready to clash.
But Qin Yu noticed something else: the moment Malfoy caught his eye, the Slytherin's bravado crumbled. He immediately dropped his gaze, no longer daring to look toward Gryffindor.
"Tsk. Looks like I'm tipping the scales a bit too much…" Qin Yu muttered under his breath.
If Harry and Malfoy were two sides of a scale, they might have kept a dynamic balance on their own. But with Qin Yu standing firmly behind Harry, the balance was shattered.
And that wasn't what he wanted—not if he hoped for real competition and growth.
After all, Malfoy might be a brat, but he wasn't truly evil. What he lacked was proper guidance. Qin Yu didn't want to squash the kid into submission; if that happened, Harry would lose a worthy rival—and some of his own fighting spirit.
…
"What's too heavy?" Hermione asked, puzzled, putting down her fork.
Seeing her anxious expression and the way she kept sneaking glances at her food, Qin Yu realized she'd misunderstood.
He grinned. "I'm definitely not talking about you. Here, try this one—it's sweet with a hint of tartness. Really delicious…"
"I'd better not. I feel like my face has gotten rounder since term started," Hermione pouted, lips pursed in frustration.
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Qin Yu said, studying her face.
"How can you not? Look, right here…" Hermione poked at her cheek.
"Let me check," Qin Yu said, unable to resist pinching her cheek.
"Hey—what are you… doing…" Hermione protested.
"Hmm, not bad. Feels like you have put on a little weight… I was too rushed last night to notice," Qin Yu replied, feigning seriousness.
"You! Calling me fat? I'll bite you!"
She promptly chomped down on his outstretched hand.
"Ow—ouch!" Qin Yu yelped.
"…Hmph!" Hermione released him, shooting him an indignant glare.
"Alright, no one thinks you're fat. You need to eat well if you want to grow taller. Otherwise, I'll be a whole head taller than you."
"…Then you're not allowed to eat so much. Wait for me to catch up!"
"Alright, I'll wait."
"Hmm, I'm thirsty."
"Here, juice," Qin Yu said, passing her a glass.
"…Does your hand… hurt?" Hermione asked, glancing at him.
"It hurts. Really hurts," Qin Yu replied, milking it for all it was worth.
"Then… let me use a healing charm on you."
"No need. Just blow on it for me—that worked great last time."
"Last time?…"
Right, last time had been in the common room. To "improve the healing effect," she'd even kissed his cheek.
Remembering this, Hermione quickly ducked her head, sipping her juice and pretending nothing was amiss, though her cheeks were turning a lovely shade of pink.
…
After their silly banter, Hermione reverted to her little foodie self, happily digging into her breakfast.
Qin Yu finished his own meal, and together with the others, they left the Great Hall for their respective classes.
Hermione was off to Charms, while Qin Yu had History of Magic.
No matter how monotonously Professor Binns floated in midair, droning on about the goblin wars, Qin Yu propped his chin in his hand, lost in thought.
He was still puzzling over how to give Malfoy a boost—how to help the kid find the courage to keep challenging Harry.
Of course, he couldn't just openly support Malfoy—he had no desire to see the Slytherin's tail wagging any higher.
"This really is a tricky problem," Qin Yu mused.
Ah, forget it. He'd set it aside for now.
Letting those worries drift away, his mind wandered back to his morning conversation with Hermione. He couldn't help but imagine what she'd look like as a chubby girl.
Ha! That really would be like a whole different person.
"Wait—a different person…"
Qin Yu muttered the phrase, brow furrowing, then relaxing as inspiration struck.
The problem that had been troubling him moments ago—he'd found a spark of an idea, right here, thanks to her.
Yes, he had to admit, thinking about her always seemed to bring unexpected benefits.
Or so someone concluded.
——Dimensional Wall——
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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