The abandoned Tool Shed in Hermione's backyard had even more... potential than Lynn had imagined. It was truly tiny, pressed right against the back wall of the house, built from old red bricks. Most of the green paint on its wooden door had peeled away, exposing patches of wood in varying shades beneath. The roof was covered in thick dust and several stubborn clumps of moss. Inside were dusty old flowerpots, a few rusty pruning shears, and a bundle of dried vines. The air smelled of damp earth mixed with rust.
But Hermione's eyes shone brilliantly, as though she had found treasure. "This is it! I found it when I was playing hide-and-seek as a child. Mum and Dad have both forgotten about it!" She lowered her voice excitedly and struggled to push open the creaking wooden door, only for a cloud of dust to rush straight at them.
"Cough, cough..." Hermione's little face scrunched up as she fanned the air with her hand.
Lynn immediately stepped forward and shielded her, waving away the dust for her. "Be careful." He surveyed the cramped space. It was rundown, but it had walls on all sides and a roof overhead. Most importantly—complete privacy. Mrs. Smith's shadow and the potential risks of the library were completely shut out here. A plan swiftly took shape in his mind.
The next few afternoons became the two little explorers' "Secret Base renovation time." Lynn made use of every "resource" he could find at the orphanage: several fairly clean old boards, supposedly taken from a broken cabinet; some coarse burlap that had originally been used to cover miscellaneous clutter; and even a small tin of white paint that was nearly empty, the unfinished "masterpiece" of some unknown child.
They were like two busy little squirrels. Lynn handled the heavy work: he used the boards to build a simple platform in one corner as a "workbench"; carefully wiped most of the dust and cobwebs from the walls and roof with the burlap; and neatly stacked the truly useless junk in the farthest corner to clear as much room as possible. Hermione, meanwhile, showed off her careful nature: she spread a washed scrap of floral cloth over the workbench; neatly arranged the books she had brought—including the crucial Basic Charms and Introductory Magical Theory and the deep-blue Starry Book—in one corner; and somehow dug up two tiny paint-chipped tin cans. After washing them, she used one for the "treasure stones" they had collected and the other for Lynn's tools.
When Lynn dipped a brush into that pitiful amount of white paint and carefully drew a crooked moon—one that was trying very hard to look round—and a simple star made of several dots on the mottled wall, Hermione clapped beside him and cheered softly. "Look! This is our Moon and Star symbol!" The Moon White Stone pendant on her chest seemed to answer, gleaming with a warm, gentle light.
The tiny Tool Shed had been completely transformed. It was still simple, but it was filled with a cozy, secret atmosphere that belonged only to them. Sunlight streamed through cracks in the roof and a small high window, forming several pillars of light. Dust drifted slowly within them like golden fairies dancing. This place had become a harbor for Lynn and Hermione alone to explore the unknown.
"Alright, it's safe now." Lynn looked at the results of their work and nodded in satisfaction. He solemnly placed the deep-blue Starry Book on the floral-covered workbench. "Hermione, are you ready? Today, we'll try to help you find the feeling of Little Spark too."
Hermione immediately straightened her small body and sat on a little wooden stump before the workbench—also something Lynn had brought over from the orphanage. Her face was taut with anticipation and a hint of nervousness. "Mm! I'm ready!" She took a deep breath, copied Lynn's earlier posture, closed her eyes, and tried her hardest to focus.
Lynn did not have her try guiding it right away. Instead, he opened the Starry Book and found a relatively gentle set of symbols composed of several concentric circles and short rays spreading outward. He extended his index finger, concentrated, and, with extreme slowness and care, guided the "spark" inside him—which had recovered considerably—separating out a threadlike trickle of warmth. It gathered at his fingertip as he gently touched the symbols.
Hummm...
A familiar, faint vibration came through. A nearly imperceptible silver glow appeared around the edges of the symbol lines, shining steadily. A soft, rhythmic "energy field" spread outward from the page like ripples from a pebble dropped into calm water.
"Can you feel it, Hermione?" Lynn's voice was very soft, almost a whisper. "This kind of 'trembling'—like wind passing over a still lake. Don't rush to find the 'warmth.' Focus on sensing this feeling of movement first. Let it become the center of your awareness."
Hermione kept her eyes closed, her long lashes trembling slightly. She tried to block out the occasional birdsong from outside the Tool Shed and the faint dry creaks of the wood, immersing all her attention in the "trembling" Lynn had described. At first, she could only vaguely sense an indescribable "presence" coming from the direction of the page. But as Lynn's guidance remained steady and continuous, the sensation grew clearer—a subtle feeling, as if the air itself were trembling ever so faintly, carrying a strange rhythm, as though it were breathing.
"I... I can feel it!" Hermione's voice held a trace of barely contained excitement. "It's like... like a little drum beating somewhere very, very far away, but the vibration travels through the air..."
"Very good! Hold on to that feeling." Lynn encouraged her. "Now, imagine that you are the surface of that lake. Let that feeling of 'trembling' flow into your body from your fingertips, slowly and gently, like ripples in water... Don't resist it. Accept it. Let it become part of you..."
Hermione followed his instructions. She imagined that invisible "trembling" as the softest light, reaching from the direction Lynn was guiding through the air and lightly touching her fingertips. Then she tried to relax, imagining that her fingers were like sponges, trying to absorb and contain that marvelous sensation.
Time flowed through the silence. Lynn maintained his steady guidance at his fingertip, fine beads of sweat forming on his brow. Hermione's little face had also turned slightly red from her intense concentration. The Tool Shed held only their quiet breathing and the almost silent, faint hum from the page.
One minute... two minutes...
Just when Lynn thought this attempt might end in failure again, Hermione's body trembled ever so slightly!
Then the index fingertip of the little fist she had kept clenched in her lap suddenly lit up with an incredibly faint flash!
The light was as weak as the most inconspicuous firefly on a summer night, gone in an instant—dimmer even than the first time Lynn had shown her! If he had not been watching her so closely, he might not have caught it at all!
"Hermione!" Lynn's voice was filled with irrepressible excitement, but he immediately lowered it. "Don't stop! You did it! Your fingertip just lit up! Keep sensing that 'trembling' and let it flow in!"
Hermione had clearly felt it too! At the instant that faint light appeared, an incredibly weak yet incomparably clear warmth sprang into existence where her fingertip had lit up, like the first tender shoot breaking through the soil in spring, pulsing with the thrill of new life. It was as fragile as a candle flame in the wind, yet undeniably real, carrying an aura entirely different from Lynn's "spark"—gentler and more yielding.
"I... I felt it!" Hermione abruptly opened her eyes. Her brown eyes instantly brimmed with tears of delight, and her voice trembled with disbelief. "It's warm! Right inside my finger! Like... like a tiny glowing hot-water bottle!" Excitedly, she raised her right hand and turned over the fingertip that had just glimmered, as though the most magical flower in the world had blossomed there.
"Yes! That's your Little Spark, Hermione! You did it!" Lynn withdrew his guidance, and the glow on the Starry Book's symbols instantly faded. His heart was filled with immense joy and pride. Hermione's talent was even more astonishing than he had imagined! Though weak, this first step was immensely meaningful.
"Lynn! I did it! I really did it!" Hermione could no longer contain herself. She jumped off the wooden stump and, filled with overwhelming joy and excitement, hurled herself at Lynn like a tiny cannonball, wrapping both arms tightly around his waist! Her small body trembled slightly with excitement, her head buried against his chest. Her voice was muffled, yet brimming with happiness. "Thank you, Lynn! Thank you for teaching me!"
The sudden hug made Lynn sway slightly, and then a warm current surged through his entire body. Instinctively, he raised his hands and gently wrapped them around Hermione's slender shoulders, feeling the excitement and trust she was giving him. Her curly hair brushed against his chin, ticklish and carrying the scent of sunlight and dust. The Star Stone against his chest seemed to warm slightly as well. In that moment, all caution and exhaustion vanished, leaving only the pure, immense joy and sweetness of sharing success.
"It was the result of your own hard work, Hermione. You did wonderfully." Lynn's voice was smiling as he gently patted her back.
Hermione lifted her head. Her little face was flushed, and her eyes shone as brilliantly as though they held the entire starry sky. Tear tracks still marked her cheeks, yet her smile was dazzling. She let go of Lynn and stepped back, then extended her index finger again as though displaying her most precious treasure. She concentrated with all her might, her little face turning red from the effort.
This time, without the assistance of Lynn's guided "energy field," the process was much harder. She tried several times, her little brows knotting together. Finally, when fine sweat had appeared at the tip of her nose, her index fingertip flashed twice again with extremely faint, intermittent glimmers of light that were almost impossible to distinguish! They were weak and unstable, but she had truly guided them herself!
"Did you see that, Lynn? I can make it light up by myself too!" Hermione bounced excitedly, the Moon White Stone pendant on her chest hopping happily with her movements.
"I saw it! That's amazing!" Lynn was sincerely happy for her. As if by magic, he pulled a small wax-paper package from the cloth bag he had brought. When he opened it, there were two yellow cakes inside. They looked a little rough, but gave off an enticing sweet fragrance mixed with the fresh scent of lemon. He had saved his afternoon snack portion at the orphanage and secretly tried baking them with limited ingredients—mainly flour, sugar, and a little grated lemon peel.
"To celebrate Miss Hermione Granger successfully lighting her Little Spark, I hereby present the Magic Awakening cake!" Lynn said, imitating a waiter's tone as he offered one cake to Hermione.
"Wow! Lemon Cake!" Hermione's eyes widened in delighted surprise. She carefully accepted it as though it were some priceless treasure. She took a small bite. Though it was somewhat dry, the lemon fragrance and sweetness immediately melted across her tongue. "It's so good! Lynn, you can make cakes too?" The admiration in her eyes nearly spilled out as stars, soaring to new heights once more.
"Just a little experiment." Lynn picked up the other piece and took a bite himself. It truly tasted rather ordinary, but seeing Hermione's satisfied expression made it seem incomparably delicious. The two sat side by side on the little wooden stump, sharing their simple yet sweet cakes as the tiny Tool Shed filled with a relaxed, cheerful atmosphere.
"Lynn," Hermione said, licking cake crumbs from the corner of her mouth. Suddenly thinking of something, she looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Do you think that when I can make the symbols in the books shine really brightly like you can, we'll be able to do even more magical things? Like... make cakes taste better by themselves? Or make the Tool Shed clean itself?"
Lynn laughed at her wild imagination. "Maybe... maybe we really could. As long as we work hard enough." His heart filled with even greater anticipation for the future.
"Mm! We'll work hard together!" Hermione nodded firmly, full of energy. She carefully wrapped up the remaining half of her cake. "I'm taking this home to eat slowly!"
When they left the Tool Shed, the golden glow of the setting sun coated the old red bricks in warmth. Hermione skipped ahead, turning back now and then to chatter excitedly with Lynn. The Moon White Stone on her chest reflected a gentle glow beneath the evening sun. Lynn followed behind her, watching the girl's lively silhouette as an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and warmth filled his heart.
However, just as he was about to step through the small fence gate at the back of the Granger house, the corner of his eye sharply caught something deep within the crown of the tall oak tree in the neighbor's yard across the way—a blurry black shadow among the dense branches and leaves, along with two points of sharp golden light glittering in the twilight... eyes?
The shadow seemed to notice Lynn's gaze. It suddenly pulled back its head and vanished entirely into the thick foliage, leaving only a few leaves trembling faintly.
Lynn stopped short, his heart jolting. That shape... those sharp eyes... could it be... an owl?!
A chill quietly crawled up his spine, only to be replaced by overwhelming excitement. He calmly looked away and hurried after Hermione as though nothing had happened. But the heart in his chest pounded wildly beyond his control because of that shadow in the treetops.
The appearance of an owl could mean only one thing—the invitation that would change his fate was finally coming!
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