Cold rain, carrying London's distinctive March gloom, lashed fiercely against the grimy windowpane. Lynn suddenly opened his eyes. The bone-deep chill came not from the rain outside, but from the hard single bed beneath him and the strange smell lingering in the air—a mixture of old wood and cheap disinfectant.
His head throbbed as if countless needles were stirring inside his skull. Fragments of memories that did not belong to him crashed into his consciousness like floodwaters pouring through a broken dam. Lynn Li, a Chinese orphan who shared his name, had lost his parents early and struggled to grow up in an orphanage called Oak House in East London. He had only recently turned eleven. As for him—the other Lynn—the last thing he remembered was wearily closing his dog-eared copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows after working late into the night. His computer screen had still been on a forum post analyzing Hermione Granger's character... and then came a dizzying plunge into darkness.
Transmigration? And into a book he knew by heart? Lynn pushed himself upright and looked around the cramped, shabby room. Peeling walls, creaking wooden floorboards, and the only light came from the gray daylight beyond the window. He pinched his thigh, and the sharp pain mercilessly shattered his last hope that this was a dream.
"This is the magical world?" he murmured, his heart racing out of control. At this point in time, the curtain of the magical world was about to rise for him—or rather, for "Lynn Li." Yet what he felt more strongly was absurdity, followed by immense loneliness. He had become a helpless stranger in a familiar yet unfamiliar story, playing a role that had never existed before.
Breakfast at the orphanage ended in its usual dreary fashion. Mrs. Smith, the administrator, announced in her habitual impatient tone that the afternoon would be "free time, but don't cause trouble." Wrapping his thin coat tightly around himself, Lynn headed almost instinctively toward the nearby community library—a place that had been one of the original Lynn's few comforts.
The library's heating was turned up high, shutting out the damp chill outdoors. Its quiet atmosphere soothed Lynn's turbulent thoughts somewhat. He wandered aimlessly among the shelves, his fingers brushing over book spines as familiar titles offered a faintly unreal comfort. Just as he reached the children's section, muffled sobbing and the piercing laughter of several boys shattered the silence.
"Hey, look! Miss Know-It-All is reading those huge books nobody wants again!"
"Who does she think she is? The teacher's little pet?"
"Give me that book! Let's see if it's full of stars and 'O's she drew herself!"
"Go away! It's my book!" A young girl's voice rose, tearful yet astonishingly stubborn.
Lynn looked toward the sound. Three boys around eleven or twelve, dressed in obviously ill-fitting old clothes, surrounded a corner. Trapped in the middle was a little girl. She had thick, unruly brown curls, even more disheveled from struggling, like a startled lion cub. Her fair little face was flushed red, and her large doe-like brown eyes brimmed with tears, yet she clutched a hardcover book to her chest without letting go. She wore a faded pink coat with worn cuffs and carried an old backpack stuffed to the brim.
Though she was still young, those familiar curls and those eyes filled with intelligence and stubbornness struck Lynn straight in the heart—Hermione Granger! It was her! Hermione, still in primary school and not yet accepted to Hogwarts!
A powerful urge to protect her instantly swept away Lynn's confusion. Without thinking, he strode over and placed himself between Hermione and the boys. He was slightly taller than them, and his sudden appearance startled the leader.
"Hey, you lot," Lynn said, deliberately lowering his voice into a cold, unquestionable tone. "What kind of skill is bullying a little girl? This is a library, not a stage for little thugs like you. Shall I get Mrs. Smith to come and settle this?" He deliberately mentioned the strict Oak House administrator, whom all the local children knew.
The lead boy clearly recognized Lynn and knew Mrs. Smith's reputation. A flicker of wariness crossed his face, though he still refused to back down verbally. "What... what's it got to do with you, Lynn Li? Mind your own business! She's a freak who does nothing but read all day!"
"Reading is a good thing." Lynn did not give an inch, his sharp gaze sweeping over them. "At least it's far better than some people who only know how to bully the weak with their fists and mouths. Leave. Now. Don't make me say it twice." He shifted slightly, revealing the path to the administrator's office behind him.
The three boys exchanged looks. In the end, they were all bark and no bite. Muttering things like "You got lucky" and "Freaks belong with freaks," they turned and ran off unhappily, disappearing behind the shelves.
Quiet returned to the library corner, leaving only Hermione's small, suppressed sobs. She still hugged the book tightly, as if it were her only shield, and watched Lynn cautiously. Her large eyes were full of lingering fear and a trace of confusion.
Lynn's heart softened instantly. He crouched down, bringing his eyes level with Hermione's, and gave her a gentle smile, trying to dispel the coldness from moments ago. "Hey, it's okay. They're gone." His voice was soft, as though afraid of startling a frightened bird. "Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"
Hermione sniffled, trying hard to hold back her tears, with little success. She shook her head and said quietly, "N-no, I'm not hurt. Thank you..." Her gaze fell on the orphanage badge pinned to Lynn's chest before quickly darting away.
"You're welcome." Lynn's smile grew warmer. "My name is Lynn. Lynn Li." He pointed to himself. "What's your name?"
"Hermione... Hermione Granger." The little girl's voice still carried a nasal tone, but it was much clearer now. She finally relaxed a little, loosening her arms enough to reveal the hardcover's title—British Children's Encyclopedia: Wonderful Science.
"Nice to meet you, Hermione." Lynn noticed the book in her arms. "Science? That's cool. I like studying this sort of thing too." He pointed at the encyclopedia. "Especially the parts about mathematics and logic."
Hermione's eyes lit up at once like two polished amber stones. "Really?" She seemed somewhat incredulous, but also delighted to have found someone like herself. "You think logic is interesting too? Like... like the River Crossing Problem in this book?" She meant the classic logic puzzle about a farmer taking a wolf, a sheep, and a cabbage across a river.
"Oh! That one!" Lynn immediately showed great interest. "Of course! It's a classic. The key is not leaving the wolf alone with the sheep, or the sheep alone with the cabbage, right? You have to find the right order." He deliberately did not give away the answer, guiding Hermione instead.
Hermione nodded vigorously. Tear tracks still marked her face, but the fear and hurt from before had been replaced by pure excitement for knowledge. "Right! I tried several different ways, but they were always wrong. The farmer should take the sheep across first!" she said eagerly, sharing her thoughts.
"That's right, taking the sheep first is safe." Lynn nodded approvingly. "Then the farmer returns alone. The second time, he can take either the wolf or the cabbage... if it were you, which would you take?" He guided her patiently.
Hermione furrowed her little brows and fell into serious thought, unconsciously twisting the corner of a page between her fingers. Looking at this small Hermione, immersed in the world of logic, Lynn felt a strange warmth and an indescribable sense of destiny rise in his heart. This was the girl renowned for her intelligence in the magical world. Even in the Muggle world, her brilliance shone so clearly.
The two of them quietly discussed the logic puzzle in the library's peaceful corner. Lynn did not give her the answer directly, instead guiding Hermione step by step with questions. Her eyes grew brighter, her thoughts clearer, and when she finally worked out the correct sequence in full, her little face blossomed with immense accomplishment and pure joy. She completely forgot the unpleasantness from before.
"You're amazing, Lynn!" Hermione praised sincerely, her eyes filled with admiration and closeness as she looked at him.
"No, you solved it yourself. You're very smart, Hermione," Lynn said honestly. He glanced out the window. The rain seemed to have eased. "Are you hungry? To celebrate solving the puzzle, how about I treat you to some chips? I know the chips at the shop on the corner are especially crispy."
Hermione hesitated, touching her little stomach before looking at Lynn's gentle smile. In the end, she could not resist the temptation of chips or this novel friendship. She nodded, a shy smile appearing on her face. "O-okay. Thank you, Lynn."
Lynn stood and naturally held out his hand. Hermione hesitated for a second, then placed her small hand in his palm. It was a little cool, but soft. Holding her hand, Lynn carefully led her around the small puddles on the floor as they headed out of the library. Hermione's other hand still hugged her encyclopedia tightly, as if it were her most precious treasure.
Outside the library, the air after the rain carried the fresh scent of earth. Lynn walked hand in hand with little Hermione along the wet pavement, feeling brighter than he had at any point since arriving in this world. Then Hermione suddenly cried, "Oh!" and stopped.
"What is it?" Lynn asked with concern.
Hermione's little face scrunched up in dismay. "I... I think I forgot another book on my seat in the library! Basic Charms and Introductory Magical Theory! Dad worked so hard to borrow it for me!" She was so anxious that she was nearly in tears. That book clearly meant a great deal to her.
Lynn's heart skipped a beat. Basic Charms? A Muggle little girl was reading a book like that? This was clearly an important sign! He immediately reassured her, "Don't worry, Hermione. We'll go back and find it. We only just left the library, so it should still be on your seat. I'll go with you."
Hermione nodded hard, and the two turned around and hurried back. However, just as they were about to step through the library doors again, Lynn caught sight of an inconspicuous corner near the entrance—a battered wooden lost-and-found rack stood there. A thin book with a dark blue cover printed with intricate silver star patterns lay alone on it, its page edges seemingly dampened by the rain.
Lynn stopped. He had never seen that cover before, but an intense, indescribable intuition seized him at once. It was as if the book were calling to him, radiating a faint yet impossible-to-ignore warmth. Almost as though possessed, he reached out, his fingertips touching the cold, damp cover.
At that very instant—
A faint yet distinct electric sensation shot from his fingertips through his entire body! He seemed to hear a silent hum from deep within his soul. The library's background noise, Hermione's anxious calls, even the rain outside, all receded and blurred. The entire world was reduced to the book beneath his fingertips and an extremely tiny yet utterly real... spark suddenly igniting in some long-dormant place deep inside him.
Lynn jerked his hand back, his heart pounding violently in his chest as though it might shatter his ribs. He looked down at his fingertips, where a strange tingling numbness seemed to linger.
"Lynn? What's wrong?" Hermione tugged at the hem of his coat in confusion. She was anxious to find the book she had lost.
Lynn took a deep breath, suppressing the storm in his heart, and forced a smile at Hermione. "N-nothing. I suddenly felt a little dizzy. Let's hurry and find your book." He gave the mysterious dark blue book one last deep look, forcibly tore his gaze away, and followed Hermione back into the library.
Yet the strange sensation lingering on his fingertips and the faint "spark" inside him were like a boulder thrown into a still lake, sending enormous ripples through his heart. On that rainy London afternoon in 1991, after meeting the little girl with brown curls, Lynn Li's world truly touched the boundary of "magic" for the first time. The gears of fate began to turn with a roar at the moment he took Hermione Granger's little hand, and when his fingertips touched that mysterious book, carrying him down a magical path filled with the unknown, yet destined to be inseparably intertwined with hers.
Before you continue