The shadows of apple trees shifted quietly across the picnic blanket, covering the two figures seated side by side. Lynn's palm rested over Hermione's slightly cool hand, his fingertips passing on the warmth of the sun. Hermione did not pull her hand away, but the blush on her cheeks spread all the way to her ears like ripe strawberries. The leaves rustled softly, as if humming a gentle prelude for the tranquil afternoon.
Aunt Monica appeared in the kitchen doorway carrying a fruit salad. Her smile paused slightly when she saw the two of them nestled together beneath the tree, then deepened into something warmer. "The fruit's here! If I took any longer, my singing would've brought all the little birds over!" she teased as she approached, breaking through the gossamer-thin ambiguity between them.
As if burned, Hermione swiftly pulled back her hand. Her cheeks were so red they seemed ready to bleed as she hurriedly reached for the fruit bowl. "Thank you, Mom!" Lynn naturally withdrew his hand as well. The lingering softness beneath his fingertips was like a faint electric current spreading all the way into his heart. He silently accepted the fork Hermione handed him and speared a piece of cantaloupe glazed with sparkling syrup. Its sweet, clear juice melted across his tongue, washing away the flutter in his chest from moments ago, along with a trace of embarrassment.
The afternoon drifted slowly beneath the shade. Hermione tried hard to refocus on her "magic nurturing plan," excitedly discussing the possible synergistic effects of adding Unicorn Hair—only a tiny amount, and legally obtained—to the potion. Lynn listened quietly, nodding now and then, but his gaze kept unconsciously falling on her faintly flushed cheeks and the curls that swayed gently as she explained. Sunlight slipped through the leaves and danced in her hair like scattered gold.
Only when the sunset had dyed the sky orange-pink and the tree shadows had stretched long did they pack up and return indoors. An enticing scent of stew wafted from the kitchen, while Uncle Wendell sat on the sofa watching the evening news.
The atmosphere at dinner remained warm and harmonious. Lynn even took a second helping of Aunt Monica's beef stew. Afterward, he volunteered to help clear the dishes. His movements were somewhat unpracticed, but exceptionally earnest. Hermione stood beside him drying plates, and every occasional brush of their arms filled the air with a subtle current that neither of them needed to acknowledge.
"Lynn, could you help me put this in the attic storage room? It's right above your bedroom." Uncle Wendell handed him a cardboard box filled with old photo albums.
"Sure." Lynn took the box.
The narrow stairs to the attic stood at the end of the hallway. Carrying the box, Lynn stepped onto the creaking wooden steps. The attic was dimly lit and crammed with dusty old furniture, suitcases, and holiday decorations. He found the spot Uncle Wendell had mentioned and carefully set the box down. Just as he was about to leave, an inconspicuous old wooden chest in the corner caught his attention. Its lid was half open, revealing yellowed papers inside and... a book with a deep-purple hard cover, its lower right corner stamped with the emblem of a raven carrying a scroll.
Professor Snape's private potion notes?!
Lynn's heart jolted. How could it be here? Had someone missed it when Dumbledore sent people to clear out Quirrell's office after that incident? Or had someone deliberately left it here?
Holding his breath, he gently pulled out the book. The familiar sharp scent of potion ingredients mingled with the smell of old paper and rushed toward him. He quickly flipped through the pages, his sharp gaze sweeping over the densely packed notes. Soon, he found several key pages Quirrell had marked with a trembling pencil—sections on suppressing parasites, Devil's Snare, and Fluffy's weakness. But beyond that, on the final few pages of the book, Snape had recorded something entirely different in a messier, more secretive hand:
> *...Star Power originates from the bloodline and communes with the cosmos. Damage to its origin cannot be healed by external medicine; one must invoke a resonance with starlight, supplemented by pure Mind Guidance, to rebuild the pathways...* > *...Moon White Stone, a companion wonder, resonates from the same origin as Star Stone and may serve as a medium for invoking starlight...* > *...Forcing it into motion will inevitably invite backlash, like draining a pond to catch fish...*
Lynn's pupils suddenly contracted! Snape had actually researched Star Power! And his conclusions perfectly matched what Dumbledore had said and what Hermione had been doing! He had even mentioned the possibility of using Moon White Stone as a medium!
The value of this book far exceeded his imagination! Not only could it confirm that Hermione's potion was partly on the right track, but it might also conceal the key to speeding up his recovery! Lynn's heartbeat quickened. He swiftly tucked the book beneath the hem of his loose T-shirt, closed the wooden chest, and walked downstairs as if nothing had happened.
Back in his room, Lynn locked the door and sat at his desk, carefully studying the book under the desk lamp. Snape's notes were profound and obscure, filled with bold conjectures about the nature of Star Power and deductions from dangerous experiments. Some of the extreme methods concerning "invoking a resonance with starlight" made Lynn frown deeply. But the central idea was clear: the self-healing of Star Origin required a combination of internal and external means. Pure intent—protection? yearning?—and the resonance of Moon White Stone were the key catalysts. External forces could only assist with gentle nurturing and must never interfere by force.
Just as he was absorbed in it, a soft knock came from the door. "Lynn? Are you asleep?"
It was Hermione. Lynn quickly closed the book, stuffed it at the very bottom of his desk drawer, and got up to open the door.
Hermione stood in the doorway holding her pillow, dressed in pajamas printed with little cats. A trace of hesitation and concern showed on her face. "I... I couldn't really sleep. I heard you going upstairs earlier... Are you okay?" Her eyes instinctively swept over Lynn's somewhat grave expression.
"I'm fine." Lynn stepped aside to let her in. "I was looking at something."
Hermione entered the room and naturally sat cross-legged on his dark-blue star-and-moon sheets, hugging her pillow. "Is it about recovering your magic?" she asked softly, her eyes full of concern. "This afternoon... was I too impatient? The idea of Unicorn Hair might have been a little risky..."
Lynn sat beside her, making the mattress sink slightly. "Your direction is right," he said calmly. He relayed the core conclusions from Snape's notes about Moon White Stone resonance and Mind Guidance in the simplest terms possible. "Snape's notes mentioned similar ideas. External nurturing is the foundation, but the core lies in the self-healing of the origin and... Mind Guidance." He concealed the source of the notes and the dangerous methods within them.
Hermione's eyes instantly lit up like stars ignited in the night sky. "Really? Professor Snape said that too?!" Her enormous joy swept away her earlier unease. "Then my potion idea wasn't wrong! It just needs to be gentler and focus more on guidance..." Excitedly, she grabbed Lynn's arm. "Mind Guidance! The will to protect... or a powerful desire? Like Headmaster Dumbledore implied?" Her brown eyes shone with pure light beneath the lamp, brimming with the passion to explore.
Lynn looked at her flushed cheeks so close to his own and felt the warmth from her fingertips, along with her wholehearted concern and trust. A powerful impulse rose in him. He wanted to tell her that the book was in the drawer. He wanted to study those difficult theories with her. But reason immediately suppressed the thought. The origin of Snape's notes could not be explained, and she absolutely could not know about the dangerous deductions they contained.
He could only nod, avoiding her overly bright, inquisitive gaze. "Yeah. It will take time."
"That's okay!" Hermione immediately said, her tone exceptionally firm. "We have plenty of time! I'll stay with you through it! Starting tomorrow, we'll adjust the potion formula, remove the Unicorn Hair, and add more ingredients that Stabilize Mind, like lavender and chamomile! As for Mind Guidance..." She bit her lower lip in thought. "Maybe we can try meditation? Or... um... think about things that make us especially happy?"
"Such as?" There was a faint, almost imperceptible prompting in Lynn's voice.
"Such as..." Hermione's cheeks reddened again, and her voice grew softer. "Such as... Orange Cake?" She quickly looked up at Lynn, then lowered her head again, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her pillow. "Or... or the swans at the park? Or... the sunlight beneath the apple tree?" Her voice grew quieter and quieter. Each "such as" was like a small stone falling into Lynn's still heart, sending warm ripples across its surface.
Lynn said nothing, only watched her quietly. The warm yellow light of the desk lamp traced her soft outline. Her fluffy curls fell over her shoulders, and a small section of fair neck showed above the collar of her pajamas. The air carried her faint, fresh scent, like sun-warmed grass. A sense of peace and fulfillment unlike anything he had ever known slowly wrapped around him like a warm tide.
"Mm." Only after a long while did he respond in a low voice. That single sound contained too much—his approval of her suggestion, his cherishing of her companionship, and a deeply hidden tenderness that even he himself had yet to notice.
Hermione quietly relaxed at his response, unable to stop the corners of her lips from curling upward. Hugging her pillow, she leaned against the headboard, her body loosening as drowsiness seemed to arrive with the reassuring atmosphere. She gave a small yawn, and her eyelids began to droop.
"You should go back and sleep," Lynn reminded her.
"Just a little longer..." Hermione's voice was thick with sleepiness, like a kitten acting spoiled. "Just a little... until you finish drinking today's bedtime potion..." She forced herself to stay awake and pointed to the blue test tube on the desk labeled "Calming."
Lynn picked up the test tube, pulled out the stopper, and drank it in one gulp. The cool, faintly sweet liquid slid down his throat, bringing a soothing sense of relaxation. He set the test tube down and turned his head, only to find Hermione already asleep, hugging her pillow against his headboard, her breathing even and deep.
Under the warm yellow light, her sleeping face was utterly defenseless. Her long eyelashes cast thick shadows beneath her eyes, her cheeks still held a faint blush, and the corners of her lips curved slightly upward, as if she were having a sweet dream. A few brown curls mischievously clung to her smooth forehead.
Lynn's heartbeat skipped. He did not wake her. Instead, he quietly stood and, with extreme care, pulled over his own blanket to cover her. His fingertips accidentally brushed the strands of hair scattered across the pillow. They felt as soft as the finest silk. He gazed at her sleeping face, his chest filled with a warmth so full and overwhelming that he had never experienced anything like it before. The Star Stone beneath his pajamas gave a clear, warm pulse, as though it too had been touched by this quiet warmth.
He turned off the harsh desk lamp, leaving only an extremely dim nightlight beside the bed. Then he pulled over the chair from his desk and sat beside the bed. Picking up the copy of Advanced Algebra Explained Hermione had spread open on the desk that afternoon, he began to read quietly in the faint light.
Only the soft sound of pages occasionally turning and their steady, mingling breaths remained in the room. Outside the window, a bright full moon rose high into the sky. Its silver radiance spilled through the gauzy curtains, casting hazy patches of light across the floor. The Moon White Stone at Hermione's throat and the Star Stone against Lynn's chest gave off synchronized, warm glimmers in the tranquil night, pulsing like breaths across the tiny distance between them.
The night was deep and peaceful. Until—
Knock, knock, knock!
A rapid, loud knocking suddenly shattered the silence! The sound came from Lynn's bedroom window!
Lynn instantly became alert. Setting down his book, he silently rose and walked to the window. Hermione was also startled awake. She sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes. "...What was that?"
Lynn pulled back a corner of the curtain. Outside, a sturdy barn owl with sharp eyes was urgently pecking at the glass. Its talons tightly clutched a thick, deep-purple envelope bearing the official seal of the Ministry of Magic! Written on the envelope in ornate, frigid lettering were:
> **For Mr. Lynn Evans** > **(Address: Residence of Wendell and Monica Granger, London)** > **(By Ministry of Magic Owl Express Delivery)**
The Ministry of Magic! It had finally come!
Lynn's gaze instantly sharpened like a blade, and a layer of frost settled over his calm face. As if sensing the fluctuation in its owner's emotions, the Star Stone against his chest suddenly sent out a cold, stinging pulse of warning.
He drew a deep breath and, beneath Hermione's uncertain, startled gaze, abruptly pushed open the window.
Before you continue