Before he finally got his hands on the newspaper, Qin Yu had been desperate to see it.
But now, with it clutched tightly in his grasp, he found himself hesitating—almost afraid to open it at all.
What if the answer inside was one he couldn't bear?
He scowled inwardly. Honestly, in two lifetimes, I've never been so hung up over a man. Second Brother, you stubborn old sod—couldn't you make things a little easier for me?
Across the table, Hermione seemed to sense his reluctance. She dragged her chair over and settled in right beside him.
With a bright, teasing smile, she said, "Let's read it together! I still don't know what Professor Swenton actually looks like, you know?"
She didn't know what was going through Qin Yu's mind, but she could at least be by his side as he faced whatever answer the hard-won newspaper held.
Looking at her radiant smile, Qin Yu suddenly felt like the luckiest guy in the world—like he'd beaten 99% of all the lonely hearts out there.
Of course, he was still technically one of them.
But that didn't stop his mind from wandering—wondering what their future kids might be called, or if his wife would humor him by cosplaying as Kamisato Ayaka or Furina tonight.
Still, time marched on, unhurried. There was no need to rush, and no point in worrying.
"Hurry up and open it!" Hermione urged, grinning.
There he goes, staring at me again. If he keeps it up, I might actually blush… Sure, I'm cute, but come on—we spend all day together, I'm not going anywhere!
Snapping out of his daze, Qin Yu turned his attention to the newspaper. He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and slowly unfolded it.
Hermione leaned in, holding her breath, her shoulder pressed against his. A few strands of her hair brushed his cheek, tickling him and easing his nerves.
Together, they focused on the open page and began to read.
The content was, surprisingly, rather… ordinary.
It was a long-winded piece charting the rise of the G.A. organization: how it had suddenly appeared in Brazil, gained influence at lightning speed, then moved north into the North American wizarding world. There, it recruited droves of disenfranchised wizards, rapidly expanding its reach.
Now, G.A. was stepping into the spotlight, aggressively competing for seats in the Magical Congress and loudly proclaiming itself the champion of the common wizard.
Several influential Congress members had thrown their support behind the group. Gellert Abernathy, especially, was being hailed as "a rising political star who could bring new energy to North American wizarding society"—a development that had shocked many.
As a self-proclaimed "truth-telling" paper, The Wizard's Voice argued that G.A.'s meteoric rise was suspicious—surely, they reasoned, it must involve some shady dealings. The article named two key figures, Little John and Ian Stanley, as likely enforcers, noting that some wizards had reported being threatened—individually or together—by the two, and even cited evidence of them using offensive magic.
In conclusion, The Wizard's Voice warned readers to be wary of G.A.'s growing influence, voicing concern for the future of the Magical Congress—and the entire North American wizarding world.
Once they finished reading, Qin Yu sat in silence for a long time.
"The person you said looks like Professor Swenton—is that this Ian Stanley? Do you think they're the same person?" Hermione finally broke the quiet.
"I… I really don't know." Qin Yu shook his head, thinking it over. "If you just look at the face, yeah, he's the spitting image of Swenton. But… the whole vibe is different. I just can't believe Professor Swenton would end up as a thug for some shady group. It's impossible to imagine."
"Maybe it's just someone who looks like him?" Hermione suggested gently.
"I wish it were that simple…" Qin Yu stared at the animated magical photo, his voice distant. "He's got some of the same features—scars, a mole, the shape of his eyebrows. I didn't notice at first, but the more I look, the more I see those little details."
"So he…?" Hermione trailed off, uncertain.
"Maybe it's just coincidence. Maybe my memory's playing tricks on me… I really can't say for sure. It's just so far outside what I know of him. The man in that photo—he's nothing like the Swenton I remember. Maybe they really are two different people…"
After a year of knowing him, Qin Yu trusted Swenton's character. He couldn't believe the man would turn into a gang enforcer or magical criminal. Besides, Swenton had written to them—never once mentioning anything like this.
In short, Qin Yu was at a loss.
His first instinct was to ask Snape—someone who cared about Swenton just as much.
But after the holidays started, Professor Snape had left Hogwarts for his hometown, and Qin Yu had forgotten to get his address. There was no way to contact him by owl.
He'd just have to wait until term started.
Thinking of Snape inevitably brought up his "spy among spies" reputation.
And that led to another possibility: what if Swenton was also on some secret undercover mission for the greater good?
But… why would a European wizard get involved in North American magical politics?
If that were true, the only one who'd know would be Dumbledore—no one else would be high enough up the chain.
Has Dumbledore already got his fingers in North America too? If so, you're reaching pretty far, old man!
In any case, there was nothing more he could do until school started. Stuck in London, he couldn't reach anyone.
With that thought, Qin Yu finally relaxed a little. He'd done everything he could—there was nothing left to do, even if he wanted to.
Once you come to terms with things, it's easier to breathe.
When he looked up, he saw Hermione savoring her ice cream, spoonful by spoonful, shivering with delight and a touch of cold.
Catching his gaze, Hermione quickly finished her bite, licked the spoon clean, then scooped up a large spoonful and held it out to Qin Yu.
"Ew~"
Qin Yu recoiled, pulling a face like a grumpy old man on the Underground, clearly scandalized by the lack of hygiene.
But the little witch was relentless, glaring at him and pushing the spoon closer. She looked determined—he wasn't getting out of this.
Fine, fine. It's just a little of her saliva. No big deal.
Qin Yu shrugged, opened wide, and devoured the bite she offered.
Seeing him finish it off, Hermione hummed happily before explaining, "It's not like I wanted to share spoons. The ice cream shop clerk only gave us one, you know!"
So that's why business is slow—you're not even giving out enough spoons!
Qin Yu mentally grumbled about the clerk, then opened his mouth again, signaling he wanted more.
Hermione kept scooping, shaking her head in mock exasperation. She was already used to his "protesting on the outside, but loving it on the inside" ways.
With the newspaper and Swenton's mystery set aside for now, they finished their ice cream and settled back into their books.
Qin Yu's book on meditation was all over the place—hardly any useful information, and after leafing through it for ages, he'd found nothing worthwhile.
Hermione's current read, The Hidden Magical History You Don't Know, wasn't exactly a standard magical history text. It was more like a collection of wizarding folk tales—a bit like those story magazines from Qin Yu's previous life.
Still, Hermione found an intriguing story that seemed oddly relevant to their situation—or at least, inspiring. Excited, she leaned over to share it with Qin Yu.
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