At Oak House Orphanage, the night was so quiet that only the occasional groan of old pipes and the howling wind outside remained. Lynn lay on his hard bed, utterly unable to sleep. Those two sharp golden eyes he had seen in the treetops during the day were branded into his mind.
An owl! It had definitely been an owl! Its target of observation... had it been him, or Hermione? Or both? Was that fate-changing envelope already clutched in its powerful beak, ready to cut through London's night sky at any moment?
Time seemed to stretch on. Lynn tossed and turned, and the "spark" within him seemed to sense his agitation, flickering restlessly. Finally, he sat up and, by the faint moonlight filtering through the window, took the dark-blue Star Stone pendant from its hiding place. It felt icy in his hand, but when he tried channeling a weak thread of the spark's warmth into it, an extremely faint ripple seemed to spread within the cold stone, sending back a weak but distinct vibration, like a resonance. The sensation was clearer than before, as though something was drawing near, calling to him.
Holding the pendant, he went to the narrow window and lifted a corner of the heavy curtain. His blazing gaze swept over the streets, fragmented by the dim yellow light of the streetlamps, and the pitch-black tree shadows in the distance. The night wind wailed, stirring fallen leaves across the ground with a rustling sound.
Second by second, time passed. Just as Lynn thought nothing would happen tonight and was about to give up—
Tap! Tap-tap!
A clear, short sound of something hard striking glass suddenly came from below the window!
Lynn's heart leaped into his throat! He immediately ducked down and looked toward the sound. A large bird covered in dark brown and grayish-white feathers was using its curved, sharp beak to strike the glass of the transom window at the end of the first-floor corridor beneath his attic room! Those molten-gold eyes pierced the darkness with terrifying sharpness, as though they could lock directly onto Lynn in the attic!
It had come! It had really come!
Without nearly a moment's hesitation, Lynn slipped out of his room like a shadow and crept down the creaking wooden stairs. The orphanage corridor was pitch-black, lit only by the faint light filtering through the transom at the far end, dimmed further by the bird's silhouette outside. Holding his breath, he quietly approached the window.
The owl seemed to sense him drawing near and stopped tapping. It tilted its head, its molten-gold eyes fixed unblinkingly on Lynn inside the window with an inhuman air of scrutiny. Lynn could see its powerful talons gripping the narrow sill tightly. Bound securely to one of them was a thick, square parchment envelope! In the dim light, the envelope was an ancient-looking beige, and an address appeared to be written on it in dark green ink.
Lynn took a deep breath and carefully, silently, unlatched the transom window and pushed it open a crack.
The night wind rushed in at once, carrying a chill and a trace of wildness. The owl did not fly away. It merely extended the claw holding the letter forward, its movements precise and steady, as if it had undergone countless hours of training.
Lynn reached out. His fingertips touched the cold, tough parchment envelope and the rough, scaled texture of the owl's claw. Just as he untied the thin string securing the envelope, the owl suddenly beat its wings and silently melted into the night, vanishing in an instant. Only a few drifting down feathers and a lingering chill on the envelope remained.
Lynn quickly shut the transom window, his heart still pounding wildly. Clutching the letter, which seemed to carry the weight of fate, as though it were a burning coal, he hurried back to his attic room. After locking the door and drawing the curtains tight, he finally turned eagerly to the envelope beneath the moonlight outside.
Dark green ink formed elegant yet forceful lettering across the beige parchment:
Oak House Orphanage
Attic Room
To Mr. Lynn Li
On the back of the envelope was a dark-red wax seal. Its design was not any crest he recognized, but a complex symbol made of abstract lines, resembling both intertwining vines and the paths of stars, radiating an air of mystery.
Lynn carefully picked open the wax seal with his fingernail and pulled out a parchment letter of the same material. Written upon it in the same dark green ink were the following words:
> Mr. Lynn Li:
>
> We are pleased to inform you that, following observation from multiple parties and a careful assessment, you have been admitted to an elite boarding academy in the Scottish Highlands with a long history of researching ancient energy and developing individual potential.
>
> The new term will begin on September 1. Enclosed is a list of the required books and equipment.
>
> In view of your special circumstances, the academy will send a representative to wait at the orphanage entrance at nine o'clock on the morning of July 31, to guide you through the subsequent arrangements and the purchase of necessary items.
>
> Please submit your decision—whether to accept or decline this admission—in writing before July 15, and have it delivered back by any Night Messenger, such as an Eagle Owl.
>
> Deputy Headmaster (Acting)
> Respectfully
There was no academy name! No headmaster's signature! The wording was extraordinarily cautious, using phrases like "researching ancient energy," "developing individual potential," and "elite boarding academy" in place of those sensitive terms. Yet the core message was crystal clear—he had been accepted into a magic school! And it was in the Scottish Highlands! The timing, location, and procedure... everything was proceeding exactly as it should!
An overwhelming surge of joy and relief, enough to nearly drown him, instantly shattered Lynn's composure. He had succeeded! He had obtained his pass to leave Oak House and step into that wondrous world! Hogwarts! It had to be Hogwarts!
Suppressing his excitement, he looked down at the list enclosed with the letter. The parchment clearly listed:
Required books for the first year: Introduction to Basic Energy, Introduction to the Analysis of Ancient Symbols, Herbal Properties and Basic Applications, Basic Construction of Energy Fields, A Compendium of European Magical Creatures, A Brief History of Energy Conversion...
Equipment: plain work robes (black), protective gloves (dragonhide or equivalent material), protective cloak (black, with fastening clasp), Standard Energy Conductor (various materials available; testing for compatibility recommended)...
Every name had been cleverly obscured, but Lynn immediately matched them to the familiar textbooks and equipment from the original story—the wand had become a "Standard Energy Conductor." This admission letter perfectly avoided every possible risk while precisely conveying all the necessary information!
Lynn read through the letter and list several times. After confirming there were no mistakes, he carefully hid them back in the Starry Book's hiding place. Lying in bed, he could not calm his excitement for a long time. What about Hermione? Her letter should arrive soon too, right? At last, they could enter that longed-for world together!
The next afternoon, Lynn rushed into the Tool Shed in the Grangers' backyard almost exactly on time. Hermione had arrived before him and was sitting on a small wooden stool, clutching a beige parchment envelope identical to his! Her little face held a mixture of immense excitement, disbelief, and lingering fright.
"Lynn!" The moment she saw him, Hermione jumped up. Like a startled little bird that had found something to rely on, she rushed to him in a few steps and held up the envelope, her voice still trembling slightly. "You... look! Last night! There was this huge, huge bird! It knocked on my window with its beak! Then... then it left this! My name's written on it!" The owl's sudden visit had clearly frightened her badly.
Lynn understood at once. He naturally reached out and gently took Hermione's small hand, which was trembling faintly from excitement and nerves—her wrist was cold—offering reassurance. "Don't be afraid, Hermione. I got one too." He took out the envelope he had hidden and showed it to her.
"You got one too?!" Hermione's eyes went wide, and her fear was immediately replaced by immense surprise. "Really? Then... then that big bird..."
"They're called Night Messengers. They specially deliver important letters like these," Lynn explained, using words she could understand as much as possible. "They're very clever, and they won't hurt people. See? It only delivered the letter and left, didn't it?"
Hermione recalled the sharp but seemingly non-malicious gaze of the bird the night before, as well as the way it had flown off after dropping the letter. She nodded, and her tense little body finally relaxed a little. She looked down at the identical envelopes in their hands, then into Lynn's warm, smiling eyes. A wonderful joy, as though their fates were connected, rose within her. They had discovered the secret together, lit Little Spark together, and now they had received an invitation that would change their lives together!
"Lynn," Hermione said, her voice full of anticipation and a touch of unease, "is that academy in the letter... real? In the Scottish Highlands? To... to study that kind of 'ancient energy'?"
"It's real." Lynn nodded firmly, his tone filled with undeniable excitement. "That's where the 'key' we've been searching for can truly be put to use! We can study together and explore more wonderful things together! Just like you said yesterday—making the Tool Shed clean itself, or making cakes taste better!" He used her childish words from the day before to encourage her.
Hermione laughed, and a brilliant smile bloomed across her little face, scattering the last trace of unease. "Mm! We'll go together!" She nodded hard, her brown eyes full of longing for the future. Pulling Lynn down onto the small wooden stool beside her, she eagerly opened the envelope. Their heads leaned close together as they carefully read through the equally cautious admission letter and list.
"Look! We have so many of the same books!" Hermione pointed at the list and whispered excitedly. "Introduction to Basic Energy, Introduction to the Analysis of Ancient Symbols... Ah! And this 'Standard Energy Conductor'! It sounds so cool!" She was already completely immersed in the new life awaiting them.
"Yeah, we'll go buy them together," Lynn replied with a smile. He took out the Starry Book and placed it on the workbench, preparing to begin that day's exploration. However, just as his fingertips brushed over the book's cover by accident—
Bzz...
A vibration far clearer than usual, accompanied by an extremely faint but genuine warmth, instantly passed from the Starry Book into him! It was as though the book had sensed the admission letter's presence as well and produced some strange resonance!
Lynn's heart stirred, but he calmly withdrew his fingers. Was there truly some connection between the Starry Book... and that academy? Perhaps they could only solve that mystery once they had truly stepped into that ancient castle.
"Hermione," Lynn said, picking up a quill—one Hermione had brought—and a sheet of ordinary white paper, "the most important thing now is—writing back! We need to tell them that we accept!"
"Right! Write back!" Hermione immediately agreed, excitement flushing her cheeks. She snatched the quill, dipped it in ink, and wrote neatly at the top of the paper:
> Dear Deputy Headmaster:
>
> I, Hermione Granger, am deeply honored and pleased to accept your academy's admission. I look forward to September 1.
> Respectfully, Hermione Granger
The handwriting was neat, carrying the earnestness unique to a child. After finishing, she proudly showed it to Lynn.
Lynn took the pen and solemnly wrote his own acceptance letter on another sheet of paper. As he signed it, he looked at Hermione's youthful yet determined signature, and a gentle smile touched his lips. He carefully folded both replies and looked toward the sun gradually sinking outside the window.
"Once it gets a little darker, we'll put the letters outside the Tool Shed door," Lynn said. "Those Night Messengers will find them."
Hermione nodded hard. Her small hand unconsciously moved to the Moon White Stone pendant on her chest, then she looked at the Star Stone hanging before Lynn. Her eyes brimmed with limitless anticipation for the journey filled with starlight and the unknown that they were about to begin together.
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