Mid-June, early morning.
The students walked out of Hogwarts.
The sunlight was a little dazzling, but not scorching.
Glistening dew clung to the edges of the leaves overhead, sparkling brightly. As the breeze passed through, droplets fell to the ground and slowly seeped into the soil. Some hung among the bushes. The wild grass was fresh and green, while nameless wildflowers shimmered beneath the sunlight.
Loren and Hermione walked side by side at the very end.
Harry, Ron, and the others followed not far behind, listless and glassy-eyed, looking rather foolish as they dealt with the aftermath of sneaking out last night and staying awake until dawn.
A train whistle sounded faintly ahead.
"Whooo—"
"The Express Train is already here."
Loren looked at the humble Hogsmeade Station platform, where a red train slowly pulled in and stopped by the platform.
A sense of reluctance rose within him.
Although they had been forbidden from leaving Hogwarts during their school years and had stayed far from Muggle technology, it had been quite enjoyable overall. It was just that, outside class, he had also needed to deal with Voldemort and solve the problem of world peace, which had kept him slightly busy.
Loren turned to the people behind him, feeling a little sentimental. "Harry, Seamus, do you have that dazed sort of feeling?"
"..."
Harry stiffly raised his head. His gaze took several attempts to focus on Loren before he finally came back to himself. "You're so energetic. Aren't you tired at all?"
"I didn't stay up all night."
"??"
Ron and Seamus both turned to look at him.
"I was already asleep while you were sneaking around. You only woke me when you came back to the room, so I asked about the Quidditch World Cup while I was at it. You