Cutting through the human mass, we advanced toward the epicenter of the main courtyard, the spot where Neville and Malena managed to break through the tumult.
"Red! Hannah! By Merlin, you're alright!" Neville exclaimed, rushing toward us with his features distorted by emotion.
"Hello, Neville. Sorry for the inconvenience regarding the delay; we suffered a slight detour," I replied normally, contrasting drastically with the Gryffindor's agitated state. "I hope your stay in solitude hasn't been too severe... Though I see you possessed excellent company." I gave a knowing look to Malena, who gifted us an enigmatic smile while possessively intertwining her fingers with Neville's.
Our sudden appearance triggered chaos in the school's internal order. Neville finally exhaled the compressed air in his lungs in a sigh of genuine relief, a reaction shared by the faculty and the headmaster himself, though a great bewilderment reigned on their faces.
The deployment of the Amazons did not go unnoticed either. The high echelons of Castelobruxo were aware of and had certain exchanges with said indigenous civilization, and even the student body possessed some notions about their existence, but the opportunity to witness their martial bearing from just a few meters away was an unprecedented privilege for many.
The headmaster, flanked by Professor Silvia and the upper management of the faculty, quickly closed the distance toward us to unravel the mystery. Niara and her subordinates maintained a rigid posture; they did not profess toward the officials the kindness or respect they reserved for us, but they supplied the precise and concise answers that were indispensable.
"The jungle has returned to stability in the peripheral sectors. However, I suggest restricting academic incursions during the coming weeks while the strongholds of conflict finish settling," Niara decreed, sealing her words with a nuance of warning.
The warriors did not prolong their stay. They left the rest of the organizational details regarding the management of the school in the hands of the local authorities, not without first firmly reminding them that the borders of their territory remained strictly closed, except for the female population. Straight after, the Amazons prepared to retreat into the thickness of the foliage, giving Hannah and me a discreet nod of farewell before disappearing.
Even without the imposing presence of the warriors, the stir caused by our simple return was enough to turn the entire school upside down. We were the center of attention; everyone stared at us, anxious to know every detail of our survival in the jungle. Of course, the fact that Hannah returned dressed like just another Amazon only fueled the whispers and speculations.
The headmaster of Castelobruxo had to intervene immediately to restore order and, in the process, mentally improvise a speech completely different from the one he had planned for that day.
However, as if fate had set out to chain one extraordinary event after another, Albus Dumbledore appeared walking from one side of the grounds. His presence captured the crowd's attention instantly, provoking a grimace of absolute bewilderment on the school headmaster's face.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Hannah and Neville exclaimed in unison, perplexed.
Although Albus was a living legend in Europe, his direct influence on the American continent was concentrated more in the north. There were those who recognized him immediately among the crowd, but the murmurs of astonishment would have been much greater in other corners of the world.
"Forgive the interruption. I came to pay a visit, but found the castle deserted," Dumbledore explained with a slight chuckle, stroking his beard with his usual warm, kindly old man persona. "Seeing so many people gathered out here, I couldn't help but feel curious."
The arrival of the Hogwarts headmaster was a surprise to the locals, especially when he revealed the true motive for his timely trip: the student exchange was coming to a premature end, and he himself would take charge of bringing us back home.
From that moment on, everything transpired at a breakneck speed. The headmaster of Castelobruxo was visibly annoyed by Dumbledore's unannounced intrusion; nevertheless, considering the turbulent year that had been experienced both at Hogwarts and at his own institution, he ended up giving in. He knew perfectly well that it was best to settle the matter as soon as possible to avoid a potential international conflict. After all, the man wasn't having a good time: the blow to public opinion if Hannah and I hadn't returned alive would have been catastrophic for his career and for the school's prestige.
Even so, we didn't leave immediately. We requested to stay one last night to depart the following morning, a request that Dumbledore didn't hesitate to grant... especially after I approached him to whisper in his ear that he should take advantage of that time to discuss "that matter" with the headmaster of Castelobruxo. Dumbledore nodded with a fixed gaze, understanding that it was the perfect scenario to move his pieces.
With the extension granted, Hannah, Neville, and I had time not only to pack our bags and buy some souvenirs from Brazil, but also to say goodbye to the friends we were leaving behind. Neville was the one who took the farewells most seriously, though not entirely by his own initiative: Malena practically dragged him away to make the most of their last moments together. She shared a bit of time with us at first, given our friendship, but it didn't take long for her to drag Neville away from curious eyes.
Hannah, whose maturity was becoming more noticeable every day, could barely avoid blushing upon seeing them walk away. She reproached herself, calling herself naive for not having understood before we embarked on our adventure in the jungle that her "good friend Malena" turned out to be a total predator. Even so, she was sincerely happy for them. With a smile, she clung to my arm as we began our last formal date on Brazilian soil.
Looks of astonishment followed us wherever we went. Although our closeness was already evident before disappearing, now we walked with the familiarity of an established couple, something everyone accepted as the logical course of events. They knew how I treated her, and the generalized theory was that getting lost in the jungle had been the final trigger for our romance. More than one student sighed with envy and regret upon seeing Hannah—whom they now saw as several centimeters taller and with a defined figure that didn't go unnoticed—holding my hand.
We dined outside the premises, enjoyed the improvised party that the school organized to celebrate our return, and finally retired to the dormitories. That night we decided to take things easy and simply rest; one more day of truce wasn't bad. Mind you, when the moonlight already flooded the room, I noticed that Neville's bed remained completely empty.
The next morning, with our luggage ready, the students of Castelobruxo organized a farewell for us that was as improvised as it was affectionate. Several professors came over to say goodbye; especially Professor Silvia, who gave me a tight hug and begged me to stay, assuring me that she herself would guide my steps to develop my potential as a prophet. I had to turn down the offer, but she didn't give up: she handed me a slip of paper with her Muggle phone number and her address in the magical world, reminding me that the doors would be open if I changed my mind. She even proposed that I return after my graduation from Hogwarts to become her teaching assistant. On the other hand, the combat professor said goodbye with a firm and pleasant handshake, taking an interest in my future plans and leaving me a couple of valuable recommendations.
Hannah and Neville also had their own moments of affection with the Herbology teachers, with whom they had shared so many hours among exotic plants.
However, the longest, most awkward, and strangely emotional farewell was Neville and Malena's. Careless of the presence of the professors or the curious glances of half the school, the older girl caught Neville's body in her arms, wrapping her hands around his neck so tightly she nearly suffocated him, and planted a kiss laden with such overwhelming passion that it left him breathless.
"Wait for me," Malena told him upon letting him go, giving him a smile of absolute confidence.
Neville stumbled back toward us, his cheeks burning. He was the very picture of shyness, but both Hannah and I noticed something different in him. Since that accident in the forest that had separated us, Neville projected a new confidence, a different spark in his eyes. He had matured. Even so, Hannah and I didn't pass up the opportunity to tease him a bit. To our surprise, he didn't shrink back.
"Well, look at that, Neville has become quite the man," Hannah teased with a sly smile.
"And you quite the woman, Hannah. I'm sure Hermione will love to know that," Neville retorted, mimicking the bold and confident tone Malena used to use.
However, the flash of bravery didn't last long; almost immediately, his own audacity frightened him, his confidence evaporated, and he sank back into his usual shyness, apologizing clumsily while turning even redder.
Hannah and I were left open-mouthed, processing the blow, before bursting into laughter. Neville hadn't said it with bad intentions; in fact, he promised us repeatedly that he would keep the secret. In the end, the three of us ended up laughing out loud, sharing a much deeper camaraderie than before. Between joke and joke, Hannah even let a detail or two slip, confirming Neville's suspicions. He had only repeated the mischief he heard from Malena, but he would never betray us; he considered us his friends and wasn't going to go around gossiping to anyone. His only real concern was Hermione's reaction when she found out about us, but we assured him that we would take care of that in due time.
While we continued to mock each other—whether it was the relationship that had emerged between Hannah and me in the thick of the jungle, or Neville's wicked and hilarious romance with an older girl who clearly wore the pants—the headmasters' meeting came to an end. They were joined by Professor Kettleburn, who approached leaning on a crutch. He had recovered from his wounds; he still had a long period of rehabilitation ahead of him, but at least he had kept all his limbs, though he now sported a new repertoire of scars.
When we were all ready, Dumbledore pulled an old leather belt from his robes. We stood in a circle and held onto it firmly while waving our hands to say goodbye one last time to the Castelobruxo community. A moment later, the world turned into a whirlwind of spinning colors.
...
The Portkey deposited us with a dull thud in the British Ministry of Magic, where security staff was already waiting for us to log our entry. A tedious bureaucratic process awaited us, which Dumbledore took care of almost entirely. However, our presence did not go unnoticed: dozens of employees and passersby fixed their eyes on me, whispering under their breath.
My fame following the recent events had spread like wildfire. It was a difficult reputation to bear, and I knew it would accompany me for a long time. At Hogwarts, the attention had shifted a bit thanks to the incidents of the Chamber of Secrets, but for the rest of the magical world, I remained the center of speculation. I had to whisper a quick explanation to Neville and Hannah, who were looking around quite confused.
The situation became even more tense with the pompous appearance of Minister Cornelius Fudge. Although his official excuse was "to welcome the rescued students," it was evident he came for me. That a British student was capable of going to and returning from Brazil by his own means already represented a headache for him, and if you added what I did to that... Fortunately, Dumbledore covered my back, allowing me to ignore the matter and leave the whole burden to him.
The Minister, moreover, saw his spotlight cut short when Augusta Longbottom burst into the atrium. Upon learning of her grandson's return, the imposing witch pushed her way through the official delegation—shoving Fudge aside almost without looking at him—to pull Neville into a hug. A similar scene occurred with Hannah's parents, who rushed toward her with their faces distorted by anguish. As they hugged her, they couldn't hide their astonishment: their daughter not only seemed to have grown several centimeters and sported a pronounced tropical tan, but she also emanated a much more mature and self-assured bearing.
Since the families had come to receive them, it was agreed that the kids would return to their respective homes to spend a few days with their loved ones before rejoining Hogwarts for the end of the term.
As for me, after saying goodbye to Neville and Hannah with a casual gesture, I simply vanished into the crowd. My relationship with Hannah would remain a secret for the time being; that had been our agreement. However, before leaving, I couldn't help but notice the nerves eating away at her. She was overjoyed to be reunited with her parents after so long, of course; but now she was a new woman, one who had experienced very adult pleasures in the jungle and who was now having a rough time maintaining her composure in front of her family, forcing herself to act like the innocent girl she no longer was.