Chapter 27: 4 Privet Drive
Today is Harry's birthday.
Su Yu still had to get up early, because he had to leave early to pick up Hermione. Farley and Cassandra were not going; they were going shopping together later, as they weren't very close with Harry anyway.
When Su Yu climbed out of bed, Kurama was still curled into a ball under the covers, with only the tip of her nose showing. He fished her out, and she muttered, "So early again," before burrowing back into his body.
According to the letter Ginny sent, her brothers had already set off, but they had secretly taken their father's car. Ginny wrote in great detail—George and Fred had slipped out at four in the morning, and Percy had discovered it later, but by the time he chased after them, the car was already gone. Ginny said she didn't know how angry her mother would be when they returned, but she was happy to see her mischievous brothers get scolded; she had drawn a smiley face at the end of the letter.
Today, Butler Carson drove a stretched Rolls-Royce. Carson was wearing a brand-new tuxedo, his silver-gray hair combed meticulously, standing by the car waiting for Su Yu to come downstairs.
Su Yu got into the car holding Kurama, Carson closed the door, and started the vehicle.
The car drove through downtown London, heading north.
Hampstead Garden Suburb, Number 8.
Hermione's house was a small red-brick building with a neat little lawn in front. When the car stopped at the gate, Hermione heard the sound and rushed out. She was wearing a light blue dress, her hair tied in a ponytail, and Su Yu could see the smile on her face from the car far away.
Seeing her like this, Su Yu hurriedly opened the door and got out. It was better to remain presentable for his first meeting with her parents. He placed Kurama on his shoulder, adjusted his robe collar, and was just about to walk forward—
Hermione ran over.
She slammed into Su Yu's arms like a cannonball.
Su Yu took a step back, his heel hitting the car door before he stopped. He felt that if he were an ordinary person, he would have been seriously injured at the very least. Did this little girl not know how strong she was? Hermione's arms wrapped around his waist, her face buried in his chest, her hair brushing against his chin, her whole body clinging to him like an octopus.
"You're finally here!" her voice was muffled against his chest, "I've been waiting for so long!"
Su Yu patted her back. "Alright, alright, your mom and dad are watching."
Hermione looked up from his arms and glanced back—the Grangers were standing at the door; her mother was smiling, while her father's expression was somewhere between "Why is my daughter like this?" and "Who is this bastard?" Hermione blushed, let go of Su Yu, but still held onto his sleeve.
Su Yu walked to Hermione's front door and politely greeted the Grangers. Mr. Granger was a dentist, not very tall, with thinning hair, but he was looking at Su Yu with a dangerous gaze.
"You must be Su Yu?" Mr. Granger extended his hand, "Hermione mentions you often, you've got some skills, kid."
Su Yu shook his hand. "Hello, Mr. Granger. Hello, Mrs. Granger. I'm sorry to bother you so early."
Mrs. Granger smiled. "No bother, she got up at five o'clock."
Hermione stomped her foot on the side. "Mom—"
After Su Yu promised to bring Hermione back safe and sound the next day, the two of them finally let him go. Mrs. Granger stood at the door, watching them get into the car and waving. Mr. Granger stood next to her, hands in his pockets, his expression a complex look of "my daughter is all grown up."
Hermione sat in the car, her mouth never stopping.
"Su Yu, you guys went out to play and didn't take me!" Her tone was both aggrieved and angry, her finger poking Su Yu's arm. "You went to Disney! To Paris! To Italy! When you sent me photos, I was sitting at home reading. Do you know how miserable I felt?"
Su Yu leaned back in his seat and listened.
"Was it fun there? Was Pirates of the Caribbean fun? Was the roller coaster scary? Was the Sleeping Beauty Castlethe same as in the books? Did you take photos? You have to take me next time! And the Eiffel Tower, the angles of the photos you took weren't good. The ones Farley took were okay, but not good enough. Next time we have to take them like this, I'll teach you—"
Su Yu interjected: "Kurama's mouth got blown crooked by the wind on the roller coaster."
Hermione froze for a moment, then burst out laughing, leaning back and forth, tears coming out. "Really? Did you take a picture?"
"No. I was busy holding onto her."
"You must take one next time!"
Hermione kept talking, from Disney to Paris, from Paris to Rome, from Rome to Venice, asking "Was it fun?", "What attractions were there?", "Let's go together next time" for every place.
Kurama's air-raid siren went off.
She covered her head and rolled around on Su Yu's lap, her ears drooping, her tail curled into a ball. Kurama rolled three times, finally unable to take it anymore, she squeezed through the middle of the front seats, jumped onto the passenger seat, and squatted next to Carson.
Carson glanced down, not saying a word. Kurama reached out a paw and closed the soundproof partition in the back. The noise suddenly became much quieter. She sighed contentedly, lay down on the passenger seat, rested her chin on the armrest, and dozed off. Carson reached out and turned the air conditioning down a bit so it wouldn't blow on her.
Su Yu saw this scene in the rearview mirror and his mouth twitched.
Hermione didn't notice and kept talking.
When Su Yu and the others arrived, the three Weasleybrothers hadn't arrived yet. Who knew if something happened on the way.
They had secretly planned to give Harry a surprise because he hadn't replied to any of the letters they had sent since the holidays began, nor had he written to them.
Ron said in his letter that he had sent at least six letters and hadn't received a single reply; Fred said he had sent eight; George said he had sent five; Hermione said she had sent over a dozen, but they had all disappeared without a trace. This made them very anxious, so they took this opportunity to come and see together.
When the car stopped at the gate of 4 Privet Drive, Su Yusaw Harry at a glance through the car window.
At this moment, Harry was walking across the lawn, sat down abruptly on a garden bench, and hummed softly: "Happy birthday to me... Happy birthday to me..."
No cards, no gifts. By evening, Harry still had to pretend he didn't exist—hiding from The Dursleys, not making a sound, not letting anyone know he was there.
Hermione was the first to lose control. She rushed over and hugged Harry, squatting beside the chair, her arms around his shoulders. She couldn't bear to see Harry like this—sitting alone in the garden, singing happy birthday to himself.
Harry looked at Su Yu and Hermione in surprise. He never thought that anyone would come to see him on his birthday. He seemed somewhat bewildered, not knowing where to put his hands, and forgot to greet them, just standing there blankly.
Su Yu also greeted him: "Won't you invite us in to sit, Harry?"
Harry finally reacted, stood up from the chair, and led the two into the house. In the photos on the wall, Dudley smiled like a steamed bun, Aunt Petunia's mouth was pursed into a line, Uncle Vernon's face was purple, but there was no Harry.
Harry poured tea for the two.
"It's just that there isn't much food at home," Harry said, his voice not loud: "I only get a bowl of canned soup every day, and it's cold. But I can drink half of it in one go!" He even smiled when he said this.
"I always pour some soggy vegetable leaves from the bottom of the bowl into her empty food dish," Harrypointed to the owl cage in the corner, Hedwig was squatting inside, her white feathers a bit dirty, her neck retracted and eyes closed, "but Hedwig won't eat it. I really don't have anything else to offer you."
Hermione was almost crying. If she had known earlier that Harry was living this kind of life, she would never have let Harry return to this place that didn't belong to him.
Su Yu didn't ask those nonsense questions. Things like "Why don't you just leave?", "Why don't you call the police?", "What are you using all that money in your pocket for?"—the kid was only twelve, he didn't have a driver's license, and no legitimate hotel would let a child under sixteen stay alone. As for other, less legitimate ones, young Wizards weren't allowed to use magic outside of school, they would be expelled. If Harry didn't use magic, what was the difference between him and a Muggle? And where could he go anyway?
At this moment, the three Weasley brothers also arrived.
They climbed in through the window. Fred was first, George second, and Ron last. When they landed, they knocked over an umbrella stand at the door, making a loud clanging sound. The three of them had hair redder than usual, and their faces were full of excited smiles. Fred was holding a bag of potato chips he had swiped from the car.
After hearing about Harry's situation, the three Weasleybrothers looked at each other. Fred spoke first: "You can't stay here anymore." George followed: "Absolutely not." Ron said: "We have room at our place."
"You're coming with us," Fred said, his tone brooking no argument, "Mom and Dad won't mind."
"Mom already said you could come stay," George said, "She said you definitely wouldn't eat well alone at home."
"Yeah," Ron said, "Although my mom's cooking isn't much better—"
Fred slapped the back of his head.
However, suddenly there was movement from Harry's room.
Everyone turned their heads to look.
A House-elf walked out from a crack in the door. It was very small, with a bald head, ears as big as bat wings, and round eyes like two tennis balls. It was wearing a dirty pillowcase with holes in the neck and sleeves, from which its hands and feet stuck out.
Upon seeing Harry, it bowed deeply to him, its long, flat nose almost touching the carpet.
"Uh—hello," Harry said nervously.
"Harry Potter!" the House-elf said, its voice an octave higher, sharp enough to cut glass.
"Sir, Dobby has long heard of your name... it is such an honor..."
"Th—thank you," Harry looked at him somewhat bewildered. He wanted to ask "What are you?", but then thought it might be a bit rude, so he changed it to, "Who are you?"
"Dobby, sir, just Dobby. Dobby, a House-elf," the House-elf said.
"Oh—really?" Harry said. "Er—I don't mean to be rude or anything, but—why are you in my room?"
"It's not that I don't want to see you," Harry said hurriedly, "but, er, is there something specific you're here for?"
"Oh, yes, sir," Dobby said eagerly. "Dobby has come to tell you, sir... it is difficult, sir... Dobby does not know where to begin..."
To his alarm, the House-elf suddenly burst into tears—and it was a piercing sound.
"Don't... don't do that..." Harry said, unable to stand it. "Why don't you come and sit down?"
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you."
"Offend Dobby!" the House-elf choked out. "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a Wizard—like an equal—"
"You must not have met many good Wizards," Harry said, trying to encourage it.
Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leaped up and began slamming his head violently against the wall. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!" His forehead hit the wall with a dull thud, over and over, until the wallpaper cracked.
"Stop that—what are you doing?" Harry said urgently. He rushed over to grab Dobby, but Dobby was too fast, and he grabbed nothing but air.
"Sir, Dobby must punish himself," the House-elf said, his eyes going a bit cross-eyed, pupils dilating as if he were about to faint. "Dobby serves a Wizard family. Dobby is a House-elf—his duty is to serve a house and a family forever..."
"Do they know you're here?" Harry asked curiously.
"Oh no, sir, no... sir, Dobby will have to punish himself severely for coming to see you. Dobby will have his ears caught in the oven door for this. If they find out, sir—"
"But won't they know if you catch your ears in the oven door?"
"Sir, Dobby guesses they do. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They don't care if Dobbykeeps doing it. Sometimes they even remind me to do extra punishments..."
"But why don't you leave? Run away?"
"A House-elf must not be freed, sir. This family will never free Dobby... Dobby must serve this family until he dies, sir..."
Harry and Hermione widened their eyes.
"I thought suffering here for a few weeks was bad enough," Harry said. "But hearing this, The Dursleys seem a bit more humane. Can't anyone help you? Can't we?"
Almost at the same time, Dobby was moved to tears of gratitude. Tears fell like broken beads, his whole body shaking like a sieve, making whimpering sounds.
"Harry Potter asks if he can help Dobby... Dobby has long heard of your greatness, sir, but never knew of your kindness..."
Harry felt a flush on his face and said, "Whatever you've heard about my greatness, it's all just rubbish. I'm not the greatest at Hogwarts; Su Yu is. He—"
Su Yu interrupted at this point: "What exactly are you here for? You've been waffling on for ages and haven't said a single thing to the point."
Dobby trembled, his voice dropping even lower: "A plot, Harry Potter. A plot to cause the most terrible things this year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Dobby cannot say! Dobby has known for months, sir. Harry Potter must not go and risk it. He is too important, sir!"
"Enough!" Harry shouted, grabbing the House-elf's arm to stop him. "You can't say, I get it. But why are you warning me?"
Dobby talked for a long time before everyone understood—Dobby wouldn't let Harry leave the house, and even less would he let Harry go to school.
The reason Harry couldn't receive or send letters all summer was also because of him, as Dobby had intercepted all the letters on the way. When he said this, he didn't dare look at Harry, just kept looking at the floor, as if counting the threads on the carpet.
And when Harry and Ron protested, Dobby actually tried to take action! He raised a finger toward Harry and started chanting something, and abnormal fluctuations appeared in the air.
Su Yu sat where he was, a deep, bottomless dark purple surging in his eyes, his pupils shattering layer by layer, transforming into cold, concentric ripple patterns.
With just one glance, it made one tremble from the depths of their soul, as if being watched by the Heavenly Path, locked on by reincarnation, making even breathing difficult.
He wanted to test the new, once-a-year ability he had acquired a few days ago.
"Shinra Tensei."
Dobby's body was grabbed by an invisible hand and flew violently toward Su Yu. Su Yu reached out and grabbed Dobby by the neck.
The Weasley Twins were still talking excitedly: "Isn't this more useful than Accio?" Both their eyes lit up; Fred leaned over to George's ear and whispered, "Can we learn this?" George said, "You go ask him."
Ron and Harry were also shocked—wasn't using magicoutside of school against the rules? But grabbing someone like that... wasn't it a bit much? Ron glanced at Su Yu's expression and swallowed the second half of his sentence.
Hermione just watched Su Yu; she absolutely trusted him. Whatever Su Yu did, he had his reasons.
Su Yu held Dobby by the neck, every word sounding as if it had been fished out of an ice cellar: "Who exactly sent you?"
"It was Dobby himself who wanted to come," Dobby's voice was intermittent, his throat being gripped, making a sound like a frog with its neck stepped on, "Dobby wants to save Harry!"
Su Yu stared at Dobby for a few seconds. He didn't hate Dobby; he was simply suffering from intolerance for stupidity. Waffling on for ages without making a single point clear. What did this have to do with Harry? Luciuswanted to frame the Weasley family, finding an opportunity to slip Lord Voldemort's diary to them, after all, that diary was a Dark Arts object.
No matter who ended up getting hurt, Arthur Weasley, as the main force in confiscating contraband, would definitely suffer, and the new "Muggle Protection Act" he was spearheading might also be shelved. You say there's a big plot? What kind of big plot could Lucius possibly have with his brain? He didn't even know it was a Horcrux. And knowing it was Lord Voldemort's thing, would he write on it? And teaming up with Tom inside to release the Chamber of Secrets, plotting against Hogwarts—still the same thing, Lucius didn't have the brains for that. He could even believe Lord Voldemort was dead, what could you expect him to do?
As for Dobby, he was even stupider. He didn't understand anything, just felt Lucius was targeting Harry, came over and helped in all the wrong ways, and was always self-harming, making things worse for Harry. If it weren't for Dobby, Harry could have had it better.
Su Yu released Dobby.
Dobby landed on the floor, clutched his neck and coughed twice, the tears in his eyes not yet dry, but his expression had changed from fear to confusion.
Su Yu looked into his eyes and said, "Harry is protected by me and Dumbledore, he will be fine. Go back."
Dobby opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Su Yu's gaze made him swallow his words. He bowed deeply to Harry, then with a "pop," disappeared.
The room was quiet for a moment. Fred broke the silence: "What was that just now—"
"A House-elf," Su Yu said.
"No, I mean that move of yours—"
"Want to learn it? You can't."
Fred closed his mouth in disappointment.
Soon, The Dursleys returned. Uncle Vernon's car pulled into the driveway, the car door slammed loudly, and his footsteps could be heard from the doorway. Aunt Petuniafollowed behind him, her high heels clicking quickly. Dudley walked at the very back, still chewing on something, making smacking sounds.
By this time, however, Harry had already packed his things. He didn't have much—a battered trunk, Hedwig's cage, and the photo album Hagrid had given him. He hugged the trunk to his chest and slipped out the back door with the three Weasley brothers.
The three Weasley brothers' car was parked at the corner of the street. It was a sky-blue Ford Anglia. Fred opened the car door, George climbed into the driver's seat, and Ronand Harry sat in the back.
Just as Uncle Vernon opened the front door, he happened to see the car fly up from the corner of the street.
The wheels left the ground, the car body wobbled as it rose into mid-air, then suddenly accelerated and shot into the clouds.
Uncle Vernon's face turned from red to white, and then from white to purple. Aunt Petunia let out a scream, and the thing in Dudley's mouth fell to the ground.
"See you next summer!" Harry shouted, his voice drifting down from the sky, growing fainter and fainter. The Weasley brothers cheered loudly, their laughter drifting from the car windows, echoing throughout the street. Harry sat back in his seat and smiled knowingly.
Su Yu stood at the entrance of The Dursleys' house, waiting until the car disappeared into the clouds before slowly turning around. He looked at Uncle Vernon, looked at Aunt Petunia, and looked at Dudley.
Su Yu spoke slowly: "You will receive a court summons. Regarding the issue of your child abuse, I hope you can make it through this. Because only then can I accompany you to play slowly."
He didn't wait for The Dursleys to react. After finishing, he turned around, took Hermione's hand, and walked away.
Kurama poked its head out of the car window, took a look at The Dursleys, then pulled it back in. Hermione sat next to Su Yu, her hand still holding his sleeve.
The car started, Carson turned the car around, and drove toward Fawley Manor.
They were going to use Floo Powder to go to the Weasleyhouse to celebrate Harry's birthday. The reason they weren't using Apparition was because Su Yu had never been to the Weasley house, and he couldn't apparate there.
Chapter 28: Birthday at The Burrow
Su Yu and Hermione arrived at the Weasley family home with a large cake as the sky was already darkening.
The Burrow looked crooked in the twilight, smoke rising from the chimney, and a few chickens were scattered in the yard, pecking at the ground.
Mrs. Weasley walked over from the other end of the yard, and the chickens on the ground flew away in a panic.
She was wearing a floral apron and clutching a spatula in her hand.
When she saw the sky-blue Ford Anglia parked in the yard, she froze for a moment.
Then she rushed over, and suddenly this plump, kind woman transformed into something like a saber-toothed tiger.
"Yikes!" Fred shouted.
"My god!" George exclaimed.
Mrs. Weasley stopped in front of them.
"Hello there," she said.
"Good evening, Mother," George said, putting on a smug look.
"Do you have any idea how worried I've been today?" Mrs. Weasley whispered terrifyingly.
"Sorry, Mother, but look, we—"
Mrs. Weasley's three sons were all taller than her, but they were very afraid of making her angry.
Fred shrank back, George's smile froze on his face, and Ronsimply hid behind Harry.
"The room was empty! No note! The car was gone... Was there an accident... I was worried to death... Do you know that? In all my life, I've never experienced anything like this... Wait until your father gets back, Bill, Charlie, or Percynever caused this kind of trouble..."
"You should learn from Percy!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, pointing her finger at Fred's chest. Fred stepped back as he was poked in the chest. "You could have died, you could have been seen by Muggles, you could have caused your father to lose his job—"
It seemed this would go on for a few more hours.
It wasn't until Mrs. Weasley turned her head and spotted Harry that she went hoarse from shouting.
Harry backed away in fear, thinking he was about to be scolded too.
"Oh! So good to see you, dear Harry," she said, her voice softening instantly, as if the storm had suddenly turned into a sunny day, "Quick, quick, come inside for dinner!"
She turned around and led Harry back into the house.
Harry glanced nervously at Ron, who was nodding to encourage him, and followed her inside.
Ron gave him a thumbs-up, and Fred gave him a shove from behind.
Then Mrs. Weasley saw Su Yu and Hermione.
"Oh, my god, what kind of day is it today?" Mrs. Weasleysaid dramatically, covering her cheeks with both hands, "Sean Foley! How did you, a good child, come here too? And who is this?"
Su Yu quickly put down the cake. He placed the cake on the table in the yard, and then explained everything that happened today to Mrs. Weasley—the abuse from The Dursleys, Harry being trapped in his room for the entire summer vacation without receiving any letters, only having a bowl of cold canned soup every day, and that today was Harry's birthday, so they had come to celebrate Harry's birthday.
After listening, Mrs. Weasley's eyes turned red.
She was hugging Harry at this moment, comforting him incessantly, while saying that this child had really suffered.
Mrs. Weasley stroked his hair, like soothing a small injured animal.
Just then, a short, red-haired person in pajamas appeared at the kitchen door.
She let out a small shriek when she saw so many people in the yard, then ran back, and the wooden door slammed shut behind her.
"Ginny," Ron whispered to Harry, "My sister. She's been mentioning Su Yu all summer."
Ron glanced at Su Yu when he said this, but Su Yuremained expressionless.
Kurama poked her head out from his arms, glanced at Ron, then at the kitchen door, and buried her face back in.
The Weasley family kitchen was small and quite narrow.
Looking around, there was a clean wooden table and chairs in the middle.
The table was covered with a checkered tablecloth, worn at the edges, but washed very clean.
Su Yu, Hermione, and Harry sat carefully on the edge of their seats.
Hermione sat up straight, with both hands on her knees, just like in Professor McGonagall's class.
Su Yu leaned back on the chair, Kurama jumped from his arms onto the table, squatted next to an empty plate, her tail curling and uncurling.
Harry looked around.
He had never been inside a Wizard's house.
The large clock on the wall behind him had only one hand and no numbers at all, just inscriptions like "Time to make tea," "Time to feed the chickens," and "You're late" around the edge.
On the mantelpiece were three thick books titled Make Your Cheese Delicious, Cooking Charms, and One-Minute Feasts.
It was so magical! If Harry heard correctly, the old-fashioned radio next to the sink had just announced that the next segment was "Wizarding Hour, hosted by the popular Wizard singer Sai Wang-Bo."
The music coming from the radio was cheerful and quirky.
Mrs. Weasley was clattering around in the kitchen; she was preparing a sumptuous meal for tonight.
As she poured sausages into the frying pan, she cast a glance of disgust at her sons.
The sausages sizzled in the pan, oil splattering everywhere.
She muttered from time to time about "I really don't know what you were thinking" and "I really can't believe it."
Then she quickly added, "I don't blame you, dear"—this was said to Harry.
"Arthur and I were also very worried about you, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said to Harry while cooking in the kitchen, her wand waving rapidly, "Last night we were discussing that if you didn't reply to Ron by Friday, we would go pick you up. But really, flying an illegal car in the middle of the sky in the countryside—anyone could have seen you—"
She pointed her wand casually at the cutting board, and the knife on it began cutting the potatoes and bacon by itself.
The knife fell rapidly, the potatoes were cut into uniform thin slices, and the bacon was cut into neat small pieces, stacking neatly in the corner of the cutting board.
"Mother, it was cloudy that day," Fred said.
"This is the time you should shut up!" Mrs. Weasleyinterrupted him, giving the spatula a fierce flip in the pan.
"They were starving him, Mother!" George said.
"You too!" Although Mrs. Weasley said that, she still cut a slice of bread, buttered it, and handed it to Harry. Her expression softened a lot, letting Harry have a snack first, this poor child.
At this moment, Ginny came down from upstairs.
She had changed into a clean light blue sweater, her hair combed neatly, tied in a ponytail at the back of her head.
Her cheeks were still red.
She explained with a blushing face that her appearance just now was too casual, and then greeted Su Yu, Hermione, and the others.
After speaking, she sat shyly next to Su Yu, with the distance of one chair between them, then moved a little closer.
Kurama raised her head from the table, looked at Ginny, then at Su Yu, and slapped her tail on the table.
Suddenly the front door made a bang.
"He's back!" George said, "Father is back!"
Mr. Weasley came in, took off his glasses, and closed his eyes wearily.
His robes were covered in dust, and his hair was messy.
He was thin and a bit bald, but his hair was as red as his children's.
He wore a dusty, old green robe, with the collar open and his tie crooked.
Then he saw Su Yu and the group of young Wizards, and hurried to greet them.
"My god, are you Harry Potter? So glad to meet you, Ronhas already told us a lot about—" he said to Harry, then sat at the dining table, got up to get the teapot, but the tea in the teapot was already cold, and he didn't notice, poured a cup, and drank it.
"Today your sons drove that car to Harry's house and brought him back!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, her voice coming from the other end of the kitchen, with the rhythm of the spatula hitting the iron pot, "Do you have anything to say about that, eh?"
"Did you really?" Mr. Weasley said urgently, his eyes widening suddenly.
He looked at Fred and George, and both of them lowered their heads at the same time.
"How did it fly? I—I mean," seeing the look in Mrs. Weasley's eyes, he stuttered a bit, "That—that is not right, children—really not right..."
"Let's ignore her," Ron muttered to Harry just as Mrs. Weasley was as angry as an inflated bullfrog, "Today is your birthday! You should be happy, Harry!"
A table full of delicious food was brought to the dining table.
Roast beef, fried chicken legs, mashed potatoes, sausages, gravy, peas, carrots—plates and bowls filled the table, and some plates were still steaming at the edges.
Many of them were made by Butler Carson at Su Yu's request—those roast meats and fried chicken.
Mixed with the Weasley family's dishes, it didn't feel out of place.
Everyone sang the birthday song, urging Harry to make a wish quickly.
Hermione started, Ron sang along, Fred and George sang off-key on purpose, Ginny laughed while covering her face, and Su Yu hummed along.
Harry closed his eyes, hands clasped, the candlelight dancing on his face, illuminating a tear at the corner of his eye.
At this moment, he finally shed tears.
This was the first time he had celebrated his own birthday since he was born.
There was cake, there were friends, there were people singing beside him.
Not sitting in the garden alone singing to himself, but having people with him.
He blew out the candles.
Smoke rose from the wick, slowly dissipating in the air.
Fred grabbed a handful of cream and smeared it on Ron's face from behind, Ron screamed, turned to chase Fred, tripped over a chair leg, and fell face-first onto the ground.
George was even more ruthless; he went around behind Mr. Weasley and plonked a piece of cake on his bald head.
Mr. Weasley was stunned for a moment, then laughed, his laughter louder than anyone else's.
Hermione and Ginny also took advantage of the darkness to secretly smear quite a bit of cake on Su Yu's face.
Hermione dipped her finger in some cream, dotted it on the tip of Su Yu's nose, then quickly retracted her hand, pretending nothing had happened.
Ginny was even bolder; she smeared a piece of cake on Su Yu's cheek and ran away after smearing it.
Su Yu acted as if he didn't see it.
He sat there, a little white on the tip of his nose, a patch of cream on his cheek, his expression as calm as if nothing had happened.
Then he suddenly picked up Hermione and Ginny and kissed them both on the cheek.
Kissed on the cheek, through the cream.
Hermione's cream was sweet, and Ginny's cream was also very sweet.
When the candles were relit, one could only see Ginny and Hermione painted like little kittens by the cake—cream stuck in their hair, cake crumbs smeared on their faces, colorful sugar sprinkles on their collars, but no one saw that their faces were already flushed red.
After celebrating Harry's birthday, Su Yu saw that it was getting late and took Hermione back to Fawley Manor.
Ginny stood at the door, hands behind her back, toes tapping the ground, drawing circles.
"I will definitely bring you gummies when school starts!" Ginny waved at Su Yu, her voice not loud, but very serious.
Su Yu looked back at her, the corners of his mouth curled up, and he nodded.
When Su Yu returned home, Farley was leaning on the sofa, holding a bag of potato chips and watching TV, while Cassandra was sitting next to her, a magazine spread across her knees.
Seeing Su Yu come in, Farley just raised her eyebrows, and Cassandra smiled.
Su Yu asked Butler Carson to take Hermione to find a room to freshen up before returning to the Great Hall to play.
When Hermione followed Carson upstairs, she turned back to look at Su Yu, and Su Yu waved at her.
Su Yu also sat on the sofa, squeezed between Farley and Cassandra, rested his head on Farley's lap, and put his legs on Cassandra's knees.
Kurama struggled to squeeze out from Su Yu's arms; she had almost been squashed just now...
Chapter 29: Mooncalves Under the Moon
"Hahahaha, Su Yu, look quickly! These Diricawls! They're so much fun!" Cassandra laughed, a rare occurrence, her laughter echoing through the clearing in the magical forest.
She crouched in front of a Diricawl and reached out a finger to gently touch the fluffy little creature—with a pop, the Diricawl vanished, reappearing three steps away a second later, tilting its head to look at her.
"Whenever you touch them, they Apparate!" Cassandrachased after it and touched it again; pop, it vanished again. Her laughter grew louder, her eyes curving into crescents, the green pupils reflecting the birds that kept flashing in and out of existence.
"Slow down, Cassandra!" Su Yu watched her childish behavior, following behind at a leisurely pace. It wasn't that he didn't want to hurry; he was currently covered in Bowtruckles.
Those twig-like creatures were clinging to his shoulders, arms, and even the top of his head, their long, thin fingers gripping his clothes, green eyes blinking. He had to walk carefully, afraid they might fall off. One particularly small one had crawled up to his ear, treating it like a branch, its whole body hanging from his earlobe and swaying back and forth.
Farley and Kurama were angrily holding onto a Niffler. The black, fluffy little creature, with a duck-billed nose, was struggling desperately in Farley's hands, its four short legs kicking wildly in the air. Its pouch was bulging, filled with shiny things.
"Spit it out." Farley's voice was cold, but Su Yu could tell she was holding back laughter.
The Niffler refused. It covered the opening of its pouch with its two little paws, shaking its head like a rattle.
Kurama squatted next to Farley, her tail puffed up, amber eyes glaring at the Niffler. "It stole my Galleons! Three of them! I counted!" Her voice was sharp and angry, and she scratched the ground twice with her claws.
Farley held the Niffler upside down and gave it a shake. Clatter—three Galleons fell to the ground, gleaming in the sunlight. Kurama pounced on them, clutching the coins to her chest, counting them one by one, and even flipping them over to check the backs to make sure none were missing.
Farley shook it again. Her watch and gold ring fell out. She shook it once more, and Cassandra's necklace fell out too; the Niffler's pouch was like a bottomless pit.
The Niffler was emptied out, sitting dejectedly on the ground, pawing at its empty pouch and letting out a pitiful squeak. Farley looked at it, her heart softened, and she took a Galleon from her pocket and handed it over. The Niffler's eyes lit up instantly; it stuffed the Galleon into its pouch and bolted into the woods.
Su Yu and the others had arrived at the Swiss magical forest reserve a few days ago for a visit. This reserve was hidden deep in the Alps, shielded by a powerful magical barrier that Muggles would never be able to find.
The trees in the forest were so tall their tops couldn't be seen, the canopy forming a green screen. Sunlight leaked through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadows on the ground, and the air was filled with the scent of pine resin and wildflowers.
The two young women loved it here; there were so many magical creatures. Diricawls, Bowtruckles, Nifflers, Fwoopers, and Doxies hiding in tree hollows—each one fascinated them. Farley tried to shake hands with a Bowtruckle, but was pinched by its long, thin fingers, making her pull her hand back in ticklish surprise.
Because tonight was a full moon, they were waiting to see the Mooncalves dance. Mooncalves only come out to dance on nights of the full moon, and it is said that their dance possesses magical power; those who see it will have good luck.
Just then, an Erumpent walked over from the distance. Its build was like a rhinoceros, its skin grey-blue with a metallic sheen, and a long, sharp horn grew on its nose, the tip glowing faintly. It walked slowly, each step making the ground vibrate slightly.
How to put it, Su Yu felt it was kind of ugly-cute. Its face was wrinkled, its eyes were small, and when it looked at people, it tilted its head with an expression like a cow contemplating whether or not to eat a piece of grass.
Su Yu walked over to its side and reached out to stroke its back. The Erumpent's skin was rough, like sandpaper, and then the Erumpent lay down comfortably, rolled over onto its back, exposing its greyish-white belly, wanting Su Yu to scratch it.
Kurama also jumped over, landing on the Erumpent's belly, bouncing up and down as if it were a trampoline. The Erumpent's belly was very soft, and every time Kuramabounced, it let out a comfortable purr, its eyes squinting into slits.
Su Yu took out a large backscratcher from his ring and scraped it up and down on the greyish-white belly. The Erumpent was so comfortable that its limbs were trembling slightly, and its tail swished back and forth on the ground, sweeping up fallen leaves.
Not far away, a Thestral walked over, carrying a young girl on its back.
The young girl rode on the Thestral's back, her long, pale blonde hair messy in a carefree way, like wheat waves tousled by the wind, hanging loosely to her waist. Her hair wasn't tied up, nor did she use any hairpins; it was just left loose, and when the wind blew, the strands drifted in the air like a soft flag.
Those slightly protruding grey-blue eyes always carried a hint of dreaminess, as if gazing at places others couldn't see, and even her speech was slow and leisurely, her voice as light as if it were floating in the air. An old wand was tucked behind her left ear, a necklace of Butterbeer corks hung around her neck, and a pair of radish-shaped earrings dangled from her ears.
The crazy girl, Luna Lovegood.
Su Yu and the others had met her in the reserve a few days ago. That day, Farley was studying the life patterns of a Runespoor, when Luna walked out of the woods, riding on the back of a Thestral, her pale blonde hair almost transparent in the sunlight. Farley looked up at her and was momentarily stunned.
Farley looked at her and found this person very interesting. Through conversation, she felt that Luna possessed a sort of manic beauty, very similar to her own.
After a few days of interaction, they had already become friends.
"Su Yu!" Luna said slowly, her voice as light as the wind, as she slid off the Thestral's back and stepped barefoot onto the grass, "You don't have any Wrackspurts on you today; it seems you're in a good mood."
"That sounds like good news." Su Yu replied with a smile. The Bowtruckles on him raised their heads, glanced at Luna, and then settled back down. "Do you want to watch the Mooncalf dance with us tonight?"
"Sure, that will probably be beautiful, won't it?" Luna tilted her head, her grey-blue eyes looking at Su Yu, her gaze seeming to pass through him and land somewhere very, very far away.
"I don't know, Miss Luna, but it will certainly be an unforgettable memory, won't it?" Su Yu said.
Luna nodded and smiled.
Everyone waited until dark.
The moon hung in mid-air, its clear radiance spilling all over the ground. The light in the forest dimmed, the sky above the canopy shifting from deep blue to inky blue, and the stars began to light up one by one.
Su Yu, Farley, Cassandra, and Luna sat on a hillside, a pile of firewood burning nearby. The wood in the fire occasionally crackled, sparks flying up, flashing in the air before vanishing.
No one spoke, only the sound of the wind gently brushing through the leaves could be heard.
Farley leaned against Su Yu's left side, her head resting on his shoulder, her eyes half-closed. Cassandra sat on Su Yu's right, hugging her knees, her chin resting on them, looking at the distant forest. Kurama lay on Su Yu's lap, her tail hanging down, swaying in the glow of the fire. Luna sat a little further away, her bare feet stretched toward the fire, her toes curling slightly in the firelight.
Not long after, several round, grey figures walked out from the woods—they were Mooncalves.
They weren't very big, about the size of a fat cat, their bodies round, their four legs thin and long, walking with a sway, like reeds swaying in the wind. Their skin was smooth, shimmering with a silvery-grey luster in the moonlight. The most striking thing was their large eyes—round and big, occupying half their faces, their pupils deep blue, shining in the darkness like two polished gemstones.
As soon as they saw the full moon, they seemed awakened by the moonlight, beginning to clumsily and adorably spin, jump, and dance on tiptoes in the clearing. Their movements were slow, carrying a silly kind of tenderness, as if the whole world only consisted of them and the moon. One Mooncalf lifted its front leg, spun around in place, put it down, spun again, and then tripped over its own feet, almost falling. Another Mooncalf jumped up and, upon landing, stepped on its companion's tail; the two rolled together, tumbled a few times on the grass, then got up and continued dancing as if nothing had happened.
Their dance had no music, no rhythm, but they danced very earnestly. Each Mooncalf was communicating with the moon in its own way.
Luna tilted her face up slightly, her pale blonde hair shining in the moonlight, and said softly, "Look, they are talking to the moon."
Cassandra gently nudged Su Yu's arm, a smile curling her lips: "Aren't they cute? Like a bunch of little fools dancing in the moonlight."
Farley leaned against Su Yu, her eyes soft, and also smiled gently: "How wonderful, I've never seen such gentle and cute magical creatures."
Su Yu looked at the Mooncalves hopping about in the moonlight, then looked at the two girls quietly watching beside him, feeling that this night was incredibly gentle, even the wind slowing its pace. The firewood in the fire had burned down to embers, the dark red light dancing on the faces of the people. Kurama had fallen asleep at some point, her tail sliding off Su Yu's lap and resting on the grass, the tip slightly curled.
Luna took a small notebook out of her pocket, opened it, and drew something with a pencil so short it was almost impossible to hold. Su Yu glanced at it—she was drawing the Mooncalves, the lines very simple, sketching out their round bodies and thin legs in just a few strokes.
"You draw very well." Su Yu said.
"Thank you," Luna didn't even look up, "They are very happy today. Can you tell?"
Su Yu looked at the Mooncalves still dancing, then looked at Luna. "I can tell."
Luna's lips curled into a smile, and she didn't say anything more.
The next day, the three of them were woken up by Kurama.
"My Galleons are lost again!" Kurama's voice came from outside the tent, sharp enough to pierce an eardrum, "It must! It must be that Niffler!"
Su Yu sat up from his sleeping bag and rubbed his eyes. Farley was lying next to him, covering her head with her quilt. Cassandra was sleeping on the other side of the tent, turned over, and muttered something.
"Aren't you going to get up and help me look?" Kuramarushed into the tent, squatting in front of Su Yu, her nine tails puffed up into a ball.
Kurama even touched her neck, confirming the Philosopher's Stone on her neck again. She said, "Luckily I always sleep while clutching it at night, otherwise it would have been stolen."
"That's fine then, you still have the Philosopher's Stone. It's just Galleons, we can conjure more later."
"No!" Kurama's tails puffed up even more, "Those are my Galleons! Each one has feelings!"
Su Yu sighed and had no choice but to get up to help look. Farley's watch and gold ring were also missing—Farley sat up and glanced at the bedside, confirming the watch was gone, her expression shifting from sleepy to speechless. Cassandra's loss was even more inexplicable; her hairpins and the sunglasses she had brought were gone. Cassandrarummaged under her pillow, inside her sleeping bag, and through her backpack, but couldn't find them.
When Su Yu walked out of the tent, he was still imagining what a Niffler wearing sunglasses, hairpins, gold rings, and a watch would look like. In his mind, he pictured the black, fuzzy little thing with sunglasses perched on its nose, hairpins stuck in its head, gold rings on its two front paws, a shiny watch hanging on its wrist, its pouch bulging, clinking as it walked along. He found this image quite funny.
Kurama had by now transformed into Sherlock Holmes. She squatted at the tent entrance, her nose to the ground, sniffing out scents, moving forward step by step.
Su Yu said from behind: "Kurama, no need for that much trouble, watch me!"
He drew his wand and waved it. "Revelio!"
A golden light shot from the tip of his wand, spreading out in the air, exploding like fireworks into countless tiny specks of light that fell on the ground, trees, and blades of grass. Then he opened his mouth and exhaled a mouthful of golden sand—the sand spread out in the air like a fine net, covering a range of several dozen meters around them. The sand flowed in the air, slowly revealing the scene of the Niffler sneaking away last night.
"The Niffler ran that way!" Su Yu pointed out the direction to Kurama.
Kurama immediately ran toward the west, her four legs moving fast, her nine tails dragging behind her in a straight line. Before long, she returned with the Niffler in her mouth. The Niffler was held by the scruff of its neck, its four legs kicking in the air, its pouch bulging like a balloon.
It was just as Su Yu had imagined; the sunglasses on its nose looked ridiculous and funny. Cassandra's sunglasses were perched on the Niffler's nose, the lenses too big, sliding down to the tip, forcing it to keep pushing them up with its claws. Cassandra's hairpins were stuck in its head, Farley's gold rings were on its two front paws, and Farley's watch was hanging on its wrist, having already slid down to the base of its paw and ready to fall off at any moment.
Su Yu lifted it upside down. Clatter—a pile of things fell out of the pouch, forming a small hill. Galleons, spoons, buttons, a glass marble picked up from who knows where, and a pair of radish-styled earrings.
Su Yu picked up the earrings and looked at them. Aren't these Luna's? They were exactly the same as the pair she wore on her ears. It was a pity that Luna had already left with her father—Mr. Lovegood had come to pick her up early in the morning, saying they were going to find a rare aquatic creature. Su Yu could only put the earrings into his ring and wait for another chance to return them to her at school.
When Su Yu took the things back, the two young women were also dressed and ready. Farley was tying her hair; seeing Su Yu come in, she reached out her hand. Su Yuplaced the watch and ring in her palm, and Farley put them back on. Cassandra took the sunglasses, had Su Yu clip the hairpins back onto her head, and smiled at Su Yu.
The three of them packed up the tent and Apparated back to Fawley Manor.
Butler Carson had already prepared a sumptuous breakfast for them.
The dining table was filled with food, and Su Yu sat down. Kurama jumped onto the table, squatting in her usual spot, with a plate of sliced fruit and a small piece of cheesecake in front of her.
The start of the school year was getting closer and closer. Su Yu and the others planned to rest at home for the next few days to prepare for school.
If you ask what Su Yu would do about textbooks? He would just use the ones Cassandra used last year. As for Lockhart's books? Su Yu was giving him enough face by not elbowing Lockhart in the face, let alone buying his books? Which Dark Arts spell did he not know? Oh, except for that blue Fiendfyre Curse of Grindelwald's that he hadn't found where to learn.
Cassandra sat opposite Su Yu, holding a cup of coffee in her hand, flipping through today's newspaper. Farley sat next to Su Yu, buttered a piece of toast, and placed it on Su Yu's plate. Kurama finished her fruit and started eating the cheesecake, taking small bites, her tail swaying behind her.
Su Yu leaned back in his chair and took a sip of coffee.
The summer vacation was almost over. A new school term was about to begin.
Chapter 30: Returning to Hogwarts
For Su Yu, this summer vacation passed by way too quickly.
Although he yearned for life at Hogwarts, he also cherished the peace and modern comforts of home. Sigh...
The weather in London today was exceptionally good; it was rare to have such a bright sun.
The clouds that had lingered for days seemed to have been blown away by magic. The sky was clean and gentle, a brilliant blue. King's Cross Station was bustling with people coming and going. The sound of suitcase wheels, voices, and laughter blended together, yet it didn't feel noisy at all. Sunlight streamed through the tall station windows, casting bright spots of light onto the ground, as if even the weather was welcoming the arrival of the new school year.
Just like last year, Su Yu walked through King's Cross Station in a sleepwalking state.
His eyes were half-open, reflecting the massive chandelier on the ceiling of the station hall, but the light didn't seem to register in his brain.
However, this time he had Cassandra walking with him, holding his hand the whole way.
Cassandra walked on his left, holding his hand with one hand while pushing her small trolley with the other. She guided Su Yu forward, ensuring he wouldn't bump into pillars or step on anyone's feet.
"Su Yu, can you wake up a little?" Cassandra shook Su Yu's hand helplessly. "If you walk onto the platform like this, people will think I'm escorting a walking corpse."
"Mmm..." Su Yu responded with a meaningless syllable.
Cassandra sighed, resigning herself to continue leading him forward.
Farley, holding Kurama, and the butler Carson were following behind with their carts.
Kurama was lying in Farley's arms, not yet fully awake, her ears drooping and her tail dangling, swaying gently.
Carson pushed that overflowing trolley, the luggage stacked higher than a person. On top sat the bamboo cage of the Qingluan, which was squatting inside with its head tucked under its wing, also dozing off.
Hermione had been waiting for them at the platform for ages.
She stood next to the entrance of Platform 9 ¾, standing on tiptoe to peer in this direction, clutching her ticket in her hand.
Seeing Su Yu's group approach, she immediately rushed over, her tone urgent and rapid: "Why are you only just arriving! Hurry, hurry, I've already found a spot; if we're any later, there won't be any room left!"
"The train isn't going anywhere," Su Yu said vaguely.
Hermione glared at him and turned to walk into the train.
Su Yu, led by Cassandra, followed behind, with Farleyholding Kurama catching up.
Platform 9 ¾ was the same as ever.
The crimson Hogwarts Express was parked on the tracks, steam venting from the engine and diffusing into a white mist beneath the arched glass ceiling.
The platform was full of people—parents seeing their children off, returning students, and a few owls hooting in their cages.
Hermione led them to the front of a carriage and pushed the door open.
Su Yu walked in and naturally lay down on Cassandra's lap, rubbing against her comfortably to find the perfect angle before closing his eyes.
Cassandra looked down at him, reached out to brush the stray hair from his forehead, and said nothing, using her other hand to flip open the magazine she had brought.
Farley sat opposite them, placing Kurama beside her.
Kurama yawned, revealing two sharp fangs, then lay down, resting her chin on Farley's lap.
Farley then pulled a pile of bottles and jars from her bag.
Su Yu squinted and glanced over, discovering they were all cosmetics—foundation, eyeshadow palettes, lipstick—so many kinds it was as if she had moved her entire vanity table here.
Hermione sat next to Farley, pulling a thick book from her bag and turning to the dog-eared page.
Hermione's eyes darted over the top of the book, and then she immediately leaned in, her eyes shining.
That focused expression was exactly the same as when she was in Potion Class.
She nodded as she read, occasionally asking a few questions, like "How do you use this brush?" or "How do you draw eyeliner so it doesn't go crooked?", asking quite meticulously.
Kurama also leaned in to look, but lost interest after a while and buried her face back into Farley's lap.
Su Yu, lying on Cassandra's lap, listened to Farley giving Hermione a serious lesson and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
A dignified Slytherin magic princess starting a Mugglemakeup class on the Hogwarts Express—the scene looked so incongruous no matter how he viewed it.
But then again, Hermione really did need to learn these things.
It wasn't that she wasn't pretty, but she usually didn't care about these things at all.
Sometimes her hair was messy and she didn't know how to style it, and her clothing choices were entirely based on mood, completely wasting her good foundation.
As Su Yu was letting his thoughts wander, the compartment door was pulled open from the outside.
Daphne stood at the doorway.
Her long golden hair was a bit longer than it had been before the summer break, draped neatly behind her.
She was wearing a simple and elegant beige dress, and she appeared to have more of a mature aura than last year, but the expression on her face was still that gentle, refreshing look.
"Finally found you all," Daphne said with a smile.
Her gaze fell on Su Yu, who was lying on Cassandra's lap, and a hint of amusement flashed in her eyes.
She then naturally lifted Su Yu's legs, sat down, and placed his legs back onto her own lap.
Cassandra and Farley exchanged a look, both wearing meaningful smiles.
Su Yu sat up and hugged Daphne tightly.
He lowered his head, buried his face in the crook of her neck, and took a deep breath of the scent he hadn't smelled in over two months.
"How was your vacation, Daphne?" Su Yu's voice was muffled against her shoulder.
"Not bad," Daphne sighed.
One hand wrapped around Su Yu's back, and the other stroked his hair.
"Didn't I tell you in my letters? Mother has been training me in the etiquette a future heir should have; it's exhausted me every day. Walking, speaking, eating, posture—every single thing has to be practiced."
"But I wanted to hear it from you directly," Su Yu replied, lifting his head from her shoulder and looking into her eyes earnestly.
Daphne's face flushed slightly, and the amusement in her eyes deepened.
"By the way," Su Yu said, "didn't you say in your letter that your sister is coming to Hogwarts this year too?"
"Yes," Daphne said, shifting to the side to let Su Yu lean against her.
"She's in the first-year carriage. I was late coming here because I went to see her off."
She paused, then added, "I also saw that little girl named Ginny you mentioned in your letter; she was there too. But she seemed to arrive very late, rushing over in a whirlwind, her hair flying everywhere. That Weasley red hair is really easy to recognize."
The other girls greeted Daphne as well.
Farley looked up from her book and smiled at her.
Cassandra put down her magazine and nodded at her.
Hermione was the first to speak: "Daphne! You look so beautiful today!"
However, when Farley and Cassandra teasingly said, "Su Yu's stepmother has arrived," it still made Daphne blush.
She looked down, pretending to fix Su Yu's collar.
"Alright, you two," Su Yu sat up from Daphne's embrace. "My Daphne is the gentlest."
Farley shrugged, Cassandra smiled, and the two looked at each other without saying anything more.
The group ate and drank along the way.
Hermione took a bag of sweets out of her bag—Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and Chocolate Frogs—and placed them on the table.
Kurama contributed a few pieces of cheesecake—she didn't know when she had stolen them from the kitchen, wrapped in wax paper.
Su Yu bought a trolley full of snacks; of course, it was paid for with Kurama's money.
Su Yu ate a few cookies, drank a cup of pineapple juice, and lay back down on Cassandra's lap.
Kurama finished her share of the cake and began to steal Su Yu's cookies.
She was slapped on the paw by Farley, pulled it back, and then stretched it out again when Farley turned her head.
In the meantime, Hermione went to look for Harry and Ron.
She wanted to see how her two "good sons" were doing—a term Su Yu had taught her.
She walked from one end of the corridor to the other, peering into every compartment, but couldn't find Harryand Ron anywhere.
When she returned to the compartment, the expression on her face was one of "this isn't scientific" confusion.
"I can't find them," Hermione said. "I've checked the whole carriage. Could it be they didn't get on the train?"
Hearing this, Su Yu turned his head slowly, looked at the sky outside the train window, and then raised his hand to point at the clouds outside.
Hermione and the other girls crowded to the window and were astonished to find Harry and Ron driving a sky-blue Ford Anglia, flying high in the air.
The car was wobbly, like a drunken iron bird.
At that moment, because Harry hadn't fastened his seatbelt, he was about to fall out of the car.
The door was open, and his body had already slid out more than halfway, with only his two hands gripping the door frame, his entire weight hanging from those two hands.
The wind whipped his robes, his hair flew backward, and his face was distorted.
Ron was inside grabbing his collar, but Ron's own posture was unstable, and he could fall out together with him at any moment.
Hermione screamed, her mouth agape, and she froze there, unable to react to anything.
AI Model: gemini-3.5-flash
It was still Farley who reacted quickly. She pulled out her wand, poked it out of the window, and gave it a wave. An invisible force shot from the tip of her wand, hitting Harry's butt. Harry was pushed back into the car by the force, landing on his seat with a thud. The door slammed shut, and the car wobbled twice before stabilizing again.
Hermione was dazed beside them and didn't even react. Her mouth was still wide open, and her eyes were staring wide.
Su Yu sighed.
These two really couldn't scrape together a single brain between them. Such troublemakers—they just had to turn a simple case of tardiness into an expellable offense to be satisfied. If Harry weren't the protagonist, being seen by six or seven Muggles in this situation would have definitely gotten them expelled; it's a serious offense in the Ministry of Magic. Compared to Ron and Harry, Lucius's painstakingly devised scheme to ruin Arthur looked like a child playing in the mud.
Only Hermione worried the entire way, looking up from time to time at those two big idiots outside the window.
Farley was quite calm, continuing to apply her makeup. Cassandra flipped through a magazine, occasionally glancing out the window. Daphne leaned next to Su Yu, tracing circles on the back of his hand with her finger. Kurama, having finished the last piece of cake, lay on the table napping, her tail wagging gently.
Soon, the train arrived at the station.
The Hogwarts Express slowly came to a halt on the pitch-black platform, steam billowing from beneath the wheels and diffusing into a white mist in the night wind.
This year, they didn't have to take the small boats anymore. Professor Flitwick stood on the platform; being so short, he was almost invisible in the crowd, but his pointed Wizard's hat still gave away his position. Standing on his tiptoes, he waved his arms, directing the older students toward the Thestral carriages.
The Thestral carriages were parked in the lot outside the platform. Su Yu carried Kurama, following the crowd forward. He still couldn't see creatures like Thestrals, since he had never witnessed death. Then he boarded the carriage, with Daphne following behind him, then Cassandra, then Farley, and Hermione last, still clutching that bag of unfinished candy.
The carriage traveled through the darkness, its wheels making a crunching sound as they rolled over the gravel road.
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Everyone arrived at the Great Hall. This time, they were the ones waiting for the first-year little Wizards. Su Yu sat at the Slytherin table holding Kurama, his gaze casually sweeping over the staff table. Headmaster Dumbledoresat in the middle, his long silver-white beard draping down his chest; Professor McGonagall sat next to him with a stern expression, while Professor Flitwick was talking to Professor Sprout about something.
And at the staff table, there was an exceptionally eye-catching figure—Gilderoy Lockhart.
He wore an incredibly magnificent forget-me-not blue robe, his golden curls gleaming in the candlelight, and his signature pearly white teeth fully revealed as he smiled. He was waving to the students in the Great Hall, his expression like a superstar walking the red carpet, making no attempt to hide his enjoyment of being the center of attention.
Su Yu looked at the staff table and noticed that only Professor Snape's seat was empty. He figured Snape had gone to rescue Harry and Ron. That tsundere—he was clearly extremely anxious upon hearing the news and had secretly run out to find them, yet he absolutely refused to admit it.
The doors of the Great Hall opened, and Professor McGonagall led the first-year new students inside.
The new students lined up in a row, each of them pale and incredibly nervous, some even trembling. The tattered Sorting Hat sat on a stool, a tear near the brim opening up like a wide, grinning mouth.
The Sorting Ceremony began.
Professor McGonagall unrolled the parchment and read out the first name.
One new student after another stepped forward and put on the Sorting Hat. The hat would twitch on their heads for a few seconds before shouting out their assigned house. Every time a new student was sorted into their house, the corresponding long table would erupt in a burst of cheers and applause.
"Astoria Greengrass."
When Professor McGonagall read out this name, Su Yu felt Daphne beside him tense up slightly. Astoria stepped out of the line, her light footsteps making it seem less like she was participating in the Sorting Ceremony and more like she was taking a stroll. She walked over and sat on the stool, and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Haton her head.
The hat stayed on her head a bit longer than Su Yu had expected. Only after about a dozen seconds did the hat shout out—
"Slytherin!"
Warm applause immediately erupted from the Slytherintable. Daphne clearly let out a sigh of relief, a brilliant smile appearing on her face as she clapped furiously. Astoriatook off the hat, glanced toward the Slytherin table, and the moment she saw her sister, her eyes lit up. She jogged over to the table and sat down next to Daphne.
"Sister!" Astoria happily hugged Daphne, then turned to look at Su Yu and blinked. "Hello, Chief Su Yu."
Su Yu smiled and nodded. "Congratulations on joining Slytherin."
"I knew I would get into Slytherin." Astoria raised her chin proudly. "Our whole family is in Slytherin, after all."
Daphne reached out and ruffled her sister's hair, her expression a mix of pride and doting affection.
The Sorting Ceremony continued.
"Ginny Weasley."
When Professor McGonagall read out this name, the Gryffindor table immediately fell silent. The twins, Fredand George, craned their necks to look at their sister, their expressions even more nervous than Ginny's own.
Ginny took a deep breath and walked over to sit on the stool. When the Sorting Hat was placed on her head, it made its decision almost instantly—
"Gryffindor!"
Deafening cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table. Fredand George jumped up from their seats, whistling and shouting their approval, while Percy clapped with a gratified expression, looking very much like an old father watching his daughter.
Ginny stood up from the stool and walked toward the Gryffindor table, a shy but proud smile on her face. Su Yunoticed her casting a quick glance toward Slytherin, probably looking for him.
Afterward, Professor McGonagall read out Luna's name.
"Luna Lovegood."
Luna leisurely walked up to the stage, her pace more like a casual stroll than participating in a solemn ceremony. She sat on the stool, and the Sorting Hat had barely touched her hair—perhaps it hadn't even touched it yet—when it shouted—
"Ravenclaw!"
Polite applause echoed from the Ravenclaw table. Lunatook off the hat and drifted toward the Ravenclaw table.
Kurama was making a fuss on the table, demanding cheesecake and asking why dinner hadn't started yet. Her paws tapped on the tabletop, making a pitter-patter sound. "I'm starving! Serve the food! Serve the food!" She shouted several times. A few nearby lower-year Slytherin students stole glances at her, then quickly looked away.
Dumbledore didn't keep everyone waiting long, either. He stood up, resting both hands on the podium, his silver beard gleaming slightly in the candlelight.
"Before we all indulge in our feast," Dumbledore said, his voice echoing through the Great Hall, "I have a few words to say. First-years, please note—the Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits. Additionally, this year's Quidditch trials will begin in the second week; those interested, please contact your respective Heads of House. Furthermore, this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor will be Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart. Please give him a warm welcome."
Warm applause rang out in the Great Hall, and many people began to cheer.
He paused.
"Now, let the feast begin!"
Food appeared out of thin air on the golden plates. Roast beef, fried chicken legs, shepherd's pie, peppermint humbugs, and buttered mashed potatoes—the aroma spread throughout the Great Hall. A plate of cheesecake immediately appeared in front of Kurama, and she dove right in, completely unaware of the caramel sauce stuck to the tip of her nose.
After Dumbledore finished speaking, he hurriedly left with Professor McGonagall. Watching Professor McGonagalland Headmaster Dumbledore depart, the worry in Hermione's eyes deepened even further.
Throughout the entire feast, Hermione barely ate anything, only taking occasional sips of pumpkin juice. Most of the time, she kept her eyes on the entrance of the Great Hall, hoping those two familiar figures would appear there.
But even by the end of the feast, when the desserts were cleared away and Dumbledore reappeared to announce the end of the feast, Hermione still hadn't seen Harry and Ron return.
The feast was over. One by one, the students stood up and followed their respective Prefects back to their common rooms.
Su Yu stood up and picked up Kurama, who was still licking her paws. Farley and Cassandra stood beside him, while Daphne held Astoria's hand.
"Let's go," Su Yu said, "back to the common room."
The Slytherin common room was just as it had always been. Deep green carpets, silver hangings, and a fire crackling merrily in the fireplace. Outside the window, the waters of the Black Lake flowed slowly, casting green ripples across the stone walls.
The new term had begun.