Where Cassandra Is, There Is My Home

The morning sunlight streamed through the old, dilapidated glass window in the Living Room, casting dappled shadows on the dark wooden floor.

The street outside the window was unusually quiet, with only one or two pigeons occasionally fluttering their wings and leaving behind a cooing sound.

The fire in the fireplace had gone out last night, leaving only embers glowing a dark red.

The House Elf Ruby was squatting in front of the fireplace, carefully cleaning the soot with a small brush, muttering to herself, probably complaining that "the dirty soot makes Ruby's Kitchen less than perfect."

Traces left by someone who stayed up late working last night are still visible everywhere in the Living Room.

Hermione's Parchment lay scattered on the coffee table, and Bill's crystals Leviosa in mid-air—he had set up a slowly rotating Magic Field to scan them all night.

Kingsley's Auror robes were draped over the back of the chair, and one of Ron's socks was huddled pitifully in the corner of the sofa.

Everything was quiet until "Bang!"

A muffled explosion came from the basement, followed by a plume of dark gray smoke rising up the stairs, and then Ron's coughing and cursing.

"Merlin's beard! I knew that broken crystal was suspicious!"

The tranquility of the Living Room was completely shattered.

Hermione was the first to rush down from the second floor, her hair even more frizzy than usual. She had clearly just been woken up, still wearing her pajamas with a sweater casually thrown on over them.

She ran while shouting, "Ron! What did you blow up again?!"

Bill sat bolt upright in his armchair, rubbing his eyes—he'd slept in the Living Room last night. He instinctively reached out to steady the crystals that had almost been damaged by the tremor.

Lupin also peeked out from the Kitchen, holding a knife he was using to chop mushrooms.

Tonks burst out of another bedroom, her hair now an alarming bright red—a natural reaction to just waking up, but which, combined with her panicked expression, created a comical effect.

Kingsley's voice came from a guest room on the first floor. "Can anyone tell me what exactly happened this morning?"

Only Cassandra descended the stairs slowly and deliberately, neatly dressed, carrying a freshly brewed cup of tea.

She glanced at the black smoke billowing up the stairwell, then at the chaotic crowd, and calmly took a sip of tea.

"It seems Mr. Weasley has begun another day of exploration," she said.

Harry popped his head out from the basement stairwell, his face covered in soot, but he couldn't help laughing.

He shouted upstairs, "It's alright, it's alright! Ron wanted to test the limits of that Thunderstorm Energy-Absorbing Crystal, but it wasn't cooperating. Everyone's fine, it's just that the basement walls might need to be repainted."

"I told you long ago that the crystal's structure was unstable!" Hermione stormed down the stairs, glaring at Harry as she passed him. "And you still went along with his nonsense?"

"I was just watching!" Harry raised his hands to show his innocence. "Really, I was just watching and helping him hand him tools. He was the one who got blown up, not me."

"Then what's with the soot on your face?"

"That's splash damage," Harry said matter-of-factly.

Ron finally climbed out of the basement.

He was covered in black ash, his hair stood on end, and his expression was both embarrassed and aggrieved.

He was still clutching the culprit crystal in his hand—now shattered into three pieces, still crackling with residual electricity.

"I really just followed the instructions!" he protested. "George and Fred said this crystal could withstand at least five lightning strikes! I only tried it on the third time!"

"Are you sure you used a test and not torture?" Bill walked over, took the Crystal shard, and examined them carefully. "This thing—how much magic did you put into it?"

"Just... the normal amount?" Ron said guiltily.

Tonks walked over, patted him on the shoulder, his hair now back to pink, and said with a tone full of sympathy, "Dude, you have to understand, when George and Fred say 'normal,' they usually mean the normal amount for their level. For an average wizard, that number might have to be divided by three."

Ron looked even more aggrieved.

Hermione sighed and handed Harry a damp towel. "Wipe your face. Then go change your clothes. You have a meeting at nine; you can't go to see Veratia looking like this."

"Is Veratia coming back today?" Harry asked.

"I'll be there at noon." Hermione nodded. "She messaged me last night saying that things with the Confederation are temporarily settled, and she'll be personally involved in formulating the next steps."

The chaos in the Living Room gradually subsided. Ruby peeked out from the Kitchen, saw Ron's disheveled state, exclaimed in surprise, and immediately rushed over, using Scourgify to sweep him from head to toe, while also cleaning up the black smoke billowing from the basement.

"Ruby can't let the guests get all dirty!" she muttered. "Mr. Weasley should take care of himself! Ruby, go make breakfast; you need to eat well to have the strength!"

She rushed back to the Kitchen, and soon the sounds of pots and pans clattering filled the air.

Everyone washed up and changed clothes, then gathered in the Living Room.

The fireplace was relit, and its warmth dispelled the morning chill.

Ruby served up a steaming breakfast: bacon, eggs, toast, fried mushrooms, fried onions, chicken legs, a large pot of coffee, and several pots of hot tea.

Ron's eyes lit up immediately when he saw the food, and his earlier frustration vanished.

He grabbed two chicken legs, one in each hand, and wolfed them down, mumbling, "Mmm... Ruby, you're an angel... no, even better than an angel..."

Ruby blushed with delight at the praise, spun around on the spot, and then ran back to the Kitchen to get her newly baked cookies.

Kingsley sipped his coffee, discussing something in hushed tones with Lupin.

Bill ate his breakfast while still staring at the Leviosa crystals; clearly, he had made a new discovery last night.

Tonks and Hermione chatted about the recent developments at the Ministry of Magic. Anne came downstairs, sat sleepily next to Harry, took the hot tea Cassandra offered, and whispered a thank you.

Sebastian's ghost floated in mid-air, looking at the people filling the room, his tone complex. "I remember when I was alive, the Room of Requirement was just as lively as it is today."

"It's alright, you're not really dead yet," Ron mumbled incoherently.

Sebastian fell silent, drifting quietly to a corner and pretending to study the tapestry patterns on the wall.

Harry couldn't help but laugh as he watched this.

He took a bite of the toast and found today's breakfast especially delicious.

This is what he wanted.

What he wanted was a living, authentic, and warm everyday life.

Every ordinary day we experience may be a series of miracles.

After breakfast, everyone dispersed to continue with their own business.

Hermione took over the largest table in the Living Room and began organizing the crystal analysis data she had received from Bill the previous night.

She used her wand to arrange the Parchment one by one in mid-air, forming a complex information wall, and then used Quill to circle and mark on it, occasionally uttering exclamatory interjections.

Bill huddled in a corner, continuing to examine the Crystal shard.

He seemed to have a new idea today, piecing together several fragments and scanning the seams repeatedly with the faint light from the tip of his wand.

Phoebe arrived sometime earlier; she had come to visit Bill last night via Floo Network and decided to stay overnight.

She was sitting next to Bill, quietly knitting something that looked like a baby blanket, occasionally glancing up at him with tenderness in her eyes.

"You two—" Tonks couldn't help but ask, "Are you planning to have a baby?"

Phoebe raised her head and smiled calmly, "Soon. We'll think about it carefully after all this is over."

Bill smiled slightly, neither denying it nor denying it, but simply shook Phoebe's hand.

Kingsley and Lupin occupied another table, spread out the huge Magic Map of South America, and began to study the detailed topography of Tornador Peak.

They would occasionally call Harry over and ask him about his perceptions and judgments of certain places.

Harry walked over, closed his eyes to sense the energy, and then pointed out where there were unusual flows of Ley Lines and where there might be hidden passages.

"Here," he pointed to an inconspicuous depression on the map, "I feel the Ley Lines here are weaker than elsewhere. Logically, the Ley Lines near the main peak should be stronger. There are only two possibilities for this weakening:"

"It's either due to natural causes, or someone has set something up there."

"This could be a defensive node for Voldemort," Kingsley circled on the map in red. "It consumes Ley Lines energy to maintain some kind of barrier; this point is worth noting."

Ron didn't bother with that vest today—it was completely ruined, and he threw the wreckage into the junkyard in the basement.

He then turned his attention to the Thunderstorm Insulated Boots. This time, he was wiser and carefully read the usage instructions that came with the Twins —a three-page document filled with dense small print, beginning with the bolded words, "Strongly recommended to read this before operation!"

Tonks watched him from the side, occasionally offering some advice.

"Here," she pointed to an inconspicuous seam on the side of the boot, "If the lightning strike is too powerful, this seam could become a weak point. It's best to reinforce it with Impervius Charm."

Ron scratched his head. "Impervius Charm? Can that stuff reinforce the seams?"

"It should work if you use some kind of adhesive," Tonks thought for a moment. "I remember Hermione had a book about creative applications of everyday spells; it seemed to mention a similar method."

Ron immediately turned to Hermione: "Hermione! Borrow the book!"

Hermione didn't even look up; with a casual wave of her hand, a thick book flew out from the pile of books beside her and landed precisely in Ron's hand.

"Part Three, Chapter Seven," she said.

Ron flipped through the book, his expression gradually shifting from confusion to bewilderment, before finally giving up completely and shoving the book at Tonks: "You take it, I can't understand it."

Tonks smiled and took the book, beginning to study it.

Anne sat by the fireplace, an open book on soul magic she had borrowed from Cassandra, recommended by Sebastian.

Sebastian's ghost floated behind her, occasionally peeking out at the pages of the book and offering some comments.

"This passage isn't quite accurate," he said, pointing to a line. "The key to casting the Soul Tremor Spell isn't the amount of magic power, but the timing. If the timing is wrong, the shock effect will be greatly reduced."

Without turning her head, Anne asked, "So how did you manage to get hold of it back then?"

"I tried thirty-seven times," Sebastian said with a hint of pride. "The last time I almost shattered myself completely, but I succeeded."

"Your standards for success are truly unique," Anne said.

"I just wanted to try and see if this method could remove the Dark Magic Curse," Sebastian said quietly.

Anne paused for a moment, then lowered her head and remained silent.

Cassandra sat on the old sofa by the window, a family record book spread out on her lap.

That was a record Lucius sent yesterday via owl, detailing the Malfoy family's historical interactions with certain families in South America.

She would occasionally look up at the busy people in the Living Room, then lower her head again to continue reading.

After Harry returned from Kingsley's place, he sat down next to her.

He wasn't reading; instead, he leaned back on the sofa, staring blankly at the Living Room.

"What are you thinking about?" Cassandra asked, her eyes never leaving the pages of the book.

"Thinking about it—that's nice," Harry said.

"What's so good?"

"This," Harry gestured to the Living Room, "Everyone's here. Everyone's busy, but they're all here. It's lively, chaotic, but it's nice."

Cassandra finally looked up at him, a slight smile playing on her lips, "You're becoming more and more like a noisy old man."

"Maybe it's because there's never been much excitement in the past," Harry said. "The Dursley family are never very exciting."

Hogwarts ' dormitory is one, but it's different from this; this is home.

Cassandra was silent for a moment, then gave a soft "hmm".

"It really is home," she said.

"Where you Cassandra, are, that's my home." Harry reached out and took Cassandra's hand.

Cassandra did not struggle, but quietly let him hold her like that.

Ruby was busy preparing lunch in the Kitchen, and the aroma wafted out in waves.

Ron had put down the pile of equipment that was giving him a headache and was now craning his neck towards the Kitchen, eagerly awaiting what was to come.

Tonks laughed at him, saying he looked like a puppy waiting for food, and he didn't argue back, just chuckled.

Hermione finally looked up from her pile of documents, rubbed her eyes, picked up her now-cold tea, took a sip, and immediately frowned.

"Ruby!" she called out, "Could you please get me a hot cup of tea?"

"Yes, Miss Granger!" Ruby immediately Apparition over with a steaming teapot, filled Hermione, and also poured tea for the others.

Bill yawned, put down the Crystal shard in his hand, and stretched.

Phoebe gently patted his shoulder and handed him a small cookie.

Bill took it, took a bite, then suddenly remembered something and turned to Hermione.

"By the way, when I was scanning those crystals last night, I discovered an interesting pattern," he said. "The cycles of those energy fluctuations closely match records of volcanic activity in certain areas of the Andes Mountains."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "You mean, Voldemort is using the geothermal energy of the volcano?"

L