At King's Cross Station, on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, the chilly wind howled as plumes of steam from the train's engine swirled across the platform. Compared to the bustling chaos of September 1st when school began, the platform now felt quieter, almost desolate.
Parents were saying their goodbyes to their children heading back to school, but the crowd was noticeably smaller. Not every student chose to take the Hogwarts Express back to school, after all.
"Be careful at school, alright? And stay away from that mirror," Anne said, waving her wand to adjust Edward's scarf for the third time, her tone laced with concern.
"I know, Dad, Mum," Edward replied patiently, as he had done several times already.
"I know, I know—Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place in the world. No dark wizard, not even the Black Knight, would dare challenge Dumbledore. But I just can't help worrying, Ed," Anne said, pulling Edward into a tight hug, her arms wrapped protectively around his shoulders.
"Of course, I'll be careful," Edward said softly, returning the embrace.
William didn't join in the hug. Instead, he gave Edward a gentle pat on the back. "If anything happens, send us an owl."
Finally, with reluctance, Edward boarded the train back to Hogwarts. Though William and Anne might have seemed a bit overprotective, Edward understood their love and concern. He didn't show even the slightest hint of impatience. From his parents' perspective, Hogwarts was undoubtedly safer than home. At least there, no "Black Knight" would suddenly appear in the common room and hit him with a Stunning Spell. Apparition wasn't allowed at Hogwarts, and no dark wizard would be foolish enough to stir trouble there—not unless they were ready to face Dumbledore and the other professors' wrath.
All in all, school was safer than home, at least until the Ministry figured out who these attackers really were. Still, Edward wasn't entirely convinced that Hogwarts was the "safest place in the world." Trolls, rogue broomsticks, Bludgers—who knew what else might happen? For all he knew, something could've gone wrong during the Christmas holidays while he was away, and he just hadn't heard about it yet.
The idea of any place being truly "safe" seemed dubious. People claimed Gringotts was the most secure place, yet hadn't someone broken into a vault there not long ago? The only real security came from growing stronger. If Edward's abilities matched Dumbledore's, he was confident he could stroll through a castle full of dark wizards and dangerous creatures without a scratch. Strength was the key to doing what he wanted. The kinder the person, the more power they needed.
The train was nearly empty, and Edward quickly found an unoccupied compartment. After stowing his luggage, he leaned against the window, watching the buildings and streets blur by as the train sped along. His mind, however, was on his Knight's Blessings. Words materialized in his thoughts, each blessing glowing with a warm light: Humility (Level 4), Sincerity (Level 2), Compassion (Level 1), Honor (Level 1), Spirituality (???).
Since activating the mysterious "Spirituality" blessing before Christmas, the only one that had leveled up was Humility, rising from Level 3 to Level 4. Humility granted him focus, and now his concentration was four times that of his peers. For someone already far beyond ordinary, though, the upgrade wasn't as noticeable. The most obvious change was how much faster he could read and how much more precise his spell-casting had become. But no matter how quickly he devoured books, it didn't solve his current problem: he was stuck on the third stage of the Knight's Breathing Technique.
Merlin, as usual, was being frustratingly cryptic about how to progress. This time, it wasn't vague advice like "take it step by step." Instead, Merlin had offered a new riddle: "Courage and sacrifice are the keys to the third stage."
Courage and sacrifice? Those were two vital knightly virtues. Courage meant facing challenges head-on, fearless and resolute. Sacrifice meant being willing to give up everything for justice. But why were they the keys to advancing the breathing technique? Edward didn't think he lacked courage or the willingness to sacrifice, though he hadn't had many chances to prove it. Could it be because he hadn't yet unlocked the Courage or Sacrifice blessings? But Merlin had written this over a thousand years ago—surely not every Round Table Knight had a virtue-blessing system. That would be absurd.
After mulling it over, Edward decided to focus on what he could control. He'd practice the second stage of the breathing technique until he hit its absolute limit. As for Merlin's riddles, maybe the answers would reveal themselves in time.
Just then, a soft knock came at the compartment door. "Edward, can I come in?"
Hermione Granger's bushy brown hair appeared in the doorway.
"Of course, come in, Granger," Edward said, standing to open the door with a gentlemanly gesture.
"Oh, don't be so formal—just call me Hermione!" she said, looking a bit flustered as she stepped inside. Seeing the compartment was empty, she let out a relieved sigh and plopped down on the seat across from Edward.
Noticing her awkwardness, Edward smiled. "Relax, Daphne and Draco aren't in this compartment. They won't suddenly show up."
Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly as Edward saw through her. "I-I'm not avoiding them on purpose. It's just, I'm not used to talking with other Slytherins. Besides you, they're a bit—"
"Hard to get along with?" Edward offered.
"Well, yeah, I suppose," Hermione admitted, struggling to find the right words.
"I think you all just need a bit of mutual understanding, like you have with Harry and Ron," Edward said, then shifted gears. "But I'm guessing that's not why you wanted to talk to me alone. What's on your mind?"
Hermione gave a wry smile. "You see right through me, don't you? From the moment I walked in, it's like you've got me all figured out."
She sighed. "Alright, you've probably noticed I'm a bit… competitive, especially when it comes to studies. I always want to be the best. I was like that even before Hogwarts."
"At Muggle primary school, learning arithmetic, English, things like that," she added quickly, as if Edward might not know.
Edward, of course, knew exactly what Muggle schools taught. He could've shared far more advanced knowledge if he wanted to, but there was no need. He let Hermione ramble on without interrupting.
"I'm used to studying on my own," she continued. "If I have a question, I go to the teacher because I don't think my classmates could know more than me about what's in the books." She slowed down, each word seeming harder to say. "What I mean is, I only ask questions to people I think know more than me. And, well, as much as I hate to admit it, your grades are better than mine, Edward. I don't think I can catch up to you."
"So, I have a question I'd like to… ask your advice on."
Seeing Hermione finally get to the point after her mental gymnastics, Edward found it a bit amusing but kept his expression kind. "Of course, Hermione. Go ahead."
"Have you ever heard of Nicolas Flamel?"
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