In the aftermath of the war, Hogwarts was waiting to be rebuilt.
The Castle's restoration work was proceeding in an orderly manner; the Ministry of Magic had dispatched a team of specialized restoration experts to collaborate with the Professors.
Funerals for the fallen were held with solemnity, and the entire wizarding world was immersed in a complex blend of post-war sorrow and hope.
Harry Potter, as a veritable the savior, became the focus of everyone's attention.
He was busy dealing with Ministry of Magic officials and reporters from The Daily Prophet, as well as the endless stream of Wizards coming to express their respect and gratitude.
Ron stayed by his side as his most solid support, awkwardly helping him ward off unnecessary trouble.
Meanwhile, Hermione Granger, who had also achieved great military distinction during the war—
a girl whose role, in the eyes of many, was no less significant than Harry's—seemed to have completely vanished from the public eye.
She refused the ceremony for the Ministry of Magic's order of merlin, first class, and also turned down all interview invitations from newspapers.
She didn't even appear in the Gryffindor Common Room anymore; most of the time, she was like a persistent ghost, walking alone between the Castle's library and the Room of Requirement.
Since she last sought out McGonagall and Dumbledore, almost no one had seen her again.
"She's just too sad," Harry said to a worried Ron. "After all... Lia did it for all of us. Give her a little more time."
In the deepest corner of the library's Restricted Section, a mountain of dusty ancient texts was piled in front of Hermione.
Her brown eyes were bloodshot, yet they sparkled with an intensely focused and persistent light.
"'Conjecture on Horcrux Reversal'... no, the line of thought is wrong. Lia's situation isn't a reversal; it's a rebirth."
She murmured under her breath, meticulously taking notes on parchment, then gently closed a book and placed it on the "excluded" pile.
"'Song of the Phoenix: Mysteries of Ancient Life Magic'... 'Nirvana requires a complete will and the inextinguishable fire of love as a primer'... Yes, this is the direction!"
"'Conjecture on Ancient Runes and Creation Runes'... interesting. This book mentions that certain high-level combinations of Life Runes can indeed 'weave' life..."
She frustratedly ran her hands through her already bushy hair, subconsciously reaching into the Beaded Bag she always kept by her side.
Only when her fingertips touched the gold-red bird egg, wrapped in a soft cashmere scarf and emitting a constant warmth, did her tense nerves slightly relax.
The pulse of this egg seemed stronger and clearer than it had been at the beginning.
When Hermione pressed her fingers against the shell and tentatively channeled her magic into it, she could clearly feel that deep within the shell, the silver bell acting as the core would actually emit a faint resonance of joy and longing that only she could hear.
It was just like... just like the satisfied purring sound Lia would make when she stroked her throat.
This discovery brought a heartfelt smile to her weary face and made her even more determined in her research direction.
It needed a "core"—that bell which carried the bond between them.
It needed a "shell"—the tail feather of the Phoenix Fawkes, which contained pure life energy.
It also needed a "catalyst"—the thread between herself and Lia that, though broken, still existed, along with her own continuous infusion of magic and love.
Hermione began a mad experiment.
No longer content with waiting passively, she attempted to actively "hatch" the egg.
She utilized the Room of Requirement to create a perfect "Incubation Room" with constant temperature and humidity, filled with Ancient Runes she had found in various ancient texts that were said to promote the flow of life energy.
Every day, she would spend a vast amount of time gently and continuously injecting her magic into the egg.
She could clearly feel that the egg was like a hungry infant, affectionately absorbing her magic, and the golden-red glow on the shell grew brighter by the day because of it.
As for herself, she was thinning at a rate visible to the naked eye, but the light in her eyes grew increasingly steadfast.
She could clearly feel that the egg was like a hungry infant, greedily absorbing her magic, and the golden-red glow on the shell grew brighter by the day.
Her abnormal behavior eventually failed to escape her friends' eyes and naturally caused them concern.
"Hermione, what exactly are you doing?"
Late one night, Ron finally caught her in the corridor as she was preparing to head to the Room of Requirement.
He looked at Hermione's sunken cheeks and exhausted demeanor, speaking with heartache.
"Look at yourself! We're all very worried about you. Lia... she wouldn't want to see you like this either."
"You lock yourself up all day. Harry says you look like... like a lunatic obsessed with the Dark Arts."
"Regardless, none of us want to see you like this..."
Hermione's footsteps paused.
She raised her head, looking at Ron with those bloodshot eyes; though weary, her gaze was full of sharp intelligence.
"You're wrong," Hermione's footsteps paused; she slowly raised her head and looked at Ron with those bloodshot eyes, her voice raspy yet gentle. "She would. As long as it brings her back, she would support me in doing anything."
"But she's already... Hermione, we all know..."
"You don't know," Hermione shook her head gently, without a hint of reproach. "But I'll be able to let you know soon. I haven't gone mad, Ron. I'm doing something... more important than saving the world."
"We all need you, Hermione," Ron's voice carried a tone of comfort. "Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore are also very worried about you."
Ron shrugged again: "If Harry and I hadn't stopped her, Professor Pomfrey would have tied you up and taken you away herself."
Hearing this, the persistence in Hermione's eyes wavered slightly.
She knew her friends truly cared about her.
"Alright, Ron..."
Hermione hesitated for a moment and let out a long breath. "Thank you for your concern. This is about Lia; I just... need a little time. Please believe me, everything is getting better."
She moved past Ron, preparing to leave.
"Alright..." Ron looked at her determined eyes and ultimately chose to believe her.
He grabbed her wrist, and the icy touch made his heart tremble.
He paused for a moment and pulled out a variety of still-steaming meat pies wrapped in a clean napkin from his robes, stuffing them into Hermione's hand.
The tight wrapping couldn't mask its warmth and aroma.
"Regardless, you still have to remember to eat. Once you've recovered, Professor McGonagall... or rather, Headmistress McGonagall now, will give you your reward."
The heavy warmth and aroma in her hand caused Hermione's tense nerves to fully relax.
She gave a sincere, tired yet warm smile: "Thank you, Ron. Did you move the entire kitchen here?"
"With this amount, you must have put a few of everything from the Great Hall in there."
Seeing her smile, Ron also scratched his head in relief: "Hey, I'm not Lia; I don't know what you like to eat these days..."
"Alright, Ron." Hermione tucked the meat pies into her Beaded Bag, the warmth of friendship filling her with strength. "Don't worry, I suspect... it's almost time."
"Goodbye."
With that, she left without looking back.
Ron raised his eyebrows, made a helpless expression, and also departed.
That night, in the Room of Requirement.
Hermione earnestly ate half of the meat pies before picking up the increasingly bright gold-red bird egg and returning to her research.
Just then, in an almost rotting ancient text with a dragonhide cover, she turned to a page where a previous reader had deliberately folded the corner.
She pressed the shell against her cheek, murmuring softly.
"Come out soon, okay? I'm... really so tired being all alone."
"But it doesn't matter. As long as you're still here, I can keep going."
As soon as she finished speaking, the egg in her arms suddenly gave a gentle shake.
Immediately following that, an imperceptible, spiderweb-like crack appeared on the smooth shell.
That crack was like a bolt of lightning, instantly cutting through Hermione's muddled thoughts.
She snapped her head down, holding her breath, and channeled her magic into the egg to sense it carefully.
The pulse of life inside the shell was clearer and more powerful than ever before!
The silver bell acting as the core was no longer just passively resonating.
It gradually began to sway rhythmically of its own accord, emitting a series of soothing, faint tinkling sounds..."}],
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"