Back in the common room, everyone celebrated a second time, and it was nearly midnight before they gradually headed back to their dormitories to rest.
After putting out the fire in the fireplace, Bing Huan stood up—and found Professor McGonagall behind him. "What brings you here at this hour?"
"Professor Dumbledore asked me to fetch you."
The old professor and the young man strolled through Hogwarts in the dead of night.
"Professor Dumbledore showed me how you all performed down there. I'm proud of you, my boy."
"Professor, you know I barely did anything. If Old Dumbledore hadn't told me to hold back, I could've gotten through it all by myself." Bing Huan shrugged nonchalantly.
Professor McGonagall shook her head and smiled. "That's exactly why I'm praising you. It's rare to see someone think as part of a team, keep his own overwhelming strength in reserve as a last resort, and still pull his teammates back when it matters.
You've grown this year. At least you don't kick doors in anymore."
"You've gotten a lot more genial, too."
"Are you saying I used to be a sharp-tongued, harsh, and overbearing old woman, Mr. Bing Huan?" Professor McGonagall's glasses slid down her nose as she fixed him with a mock-stern look.
"I never said that! Oh, here, this is for you." Before they knew it, they had reached the Headmaster's Office. Bing Huan took out a box of pills and handed it to Professor McGonagall. "At your age, it's important to take good care of yourself."
With that, he slipped into the Headmaster's Office before Professor McGonagall could get angry.
Dumbledore and Grindelwald were already waiting inside. "You're here."
"It's the middle of the night. Why aren't you two out counting stars instead of dragging me here?"
"Come to think of it, ever since Harry started school, whenever we've called you in, it's usually been to ask for your help. It's been a long time since we had a proper chat like this."
"Oh, so you do know you've been exploiting child labor!" Bing Huan took a sip of lemonade and leaned back on the sofa.
"How have you found your year at Hogwarts?"
"Pretty good, except there's one old man who keeps making me work, and another who's enabling him."
Grindelwald reached over and smacked Bing Huan on the head. "You little rascal! How am I enabling him?"
"Hahahaha!"
"..."
"..."
Bing Huan saw the two old men, who had been joking just moments ago, suddenly fall silent. "Why are you hemming and hawing? Just say it. It's only a death omen, isn't it?"
Dumbledore seemed surprised by how calmly the boy took it. "You know?"
"Remember when I first met Hermione four years ago? A month before I left, I happened to sneak in and see it. No chance of survival, right?"
"..."
"Enough! I haven't given up yet, so why are you sitting here mourning me? When my master found me, he calculated that I wouldn't last three days after I returned. And look at me now—I'm doing just fine. A death omen doesn't necessarily mean it'll take my life.
"But there's something I need you to promise me. If I don't make it, I want you to personally deal with their memories."
"Seal them?"
"Erase them. Don't leave a single thing behind."
"...All right."
Dumbledore looked at the boy on the sofa with a heavy heart. Even at thirty-one, it would be hard to accept something like that. Yet at thirteen, Bing Huan could speak of it without a change in his expression. No wonder his senior brother, Yu Zhen, always said he was too mature. It was the kind of maturity no elder ever wanted to see.
The next day
The young witches and wizards had all finished packing, but Bing Huan was once again cornered at the train door. "You can't stand us up this time, Huan!"
"Exactly!"
Cedric, Wood, Fred, and George stood in the train corridor. Their compartment was at the very end, so they didn't have to worry about blocking anyone.
"All right, all right. You can all come."
The four of them were finally satisfied and went to the compartment across the corridor. Before long, Hermione and the others came over, too. Harry was holding the photo album Hagrid had given him, filled with pictures of him and his parents. Hagrid had gone out of his way to contact their old schoolmates and get the pictures.
"You three have to come visit my house this summer. I'll have an owl invite you."
"I could definitely use something to look forward to," Harry said.
"Don't worry. Your brother's already invited me. Those guys have pretty much planned out my whole summer." Bing Huan pointed at the compartment across from them. The only reply he got was four middle fingers.
Hermione happily agreed, then asked Bing Huan, "Huan, are you still going to fly home?"
Bing Huan shook his head. "My master and mistress are in seclusion, and my senior brother and senior sister are representing our sect in negotiations with the government about the second half of the year's cooperation. It's also time for the sect's ranking competition, so my martial uncles are all busy. I'd only be getting in the way if I went back. A video call is more convenient."
"Then you have to be the first to visit my house. My parents said they miss you, too."
"Sure."
"Ooh!" Fred started up again. Whenever Bing Huan tried to coax Hermione, those two brothers were always there to make a fuss.
Fred: "You have to be the first to visit my house, okay?"
George: "Okay!"
Even though it had happened plenty of times before, Hermione still blushed and lowered her head. Bing Huan looked at the Twins in exasperation. "You two don't want to learn how to use Flying Swords anymore, is that it?"
Fred: "How could anyone make jokes like that? I, Fred, condemn him first!"
George: "Exactly!"
"..." x6
Before long, the train arrived. Everyone passed through the exit and officially returned to the Muggle world.
"He's over there! Harry Potter! I see him!" The speaker was a cute red-haired girl—Ginny, Ron's younger sister.
"Now, Ginny, that isn't polite," Mrs. Weasley said with a warm smile as she looked at them. "You must've had a busy year."
"I did. Thank you for the toffees and the sweater."
"Oh, it was nothing, dear. You must be Bing Huan and Hermione. The children often mention you in their letters."
"Hello, ma'am."
The Grangers arrived, too, and both families chatted together in high spirits.
"I hope you're ready." It was Harry's uncle, Dursley, still looking as punchable as ever. Petunia and Dudley stood behind him.
"You're Harry's family, right?"
"Come on, boy. We can't waste the whole day." Dursley turned and walked away.
Hermione couldn't believe anyone could be so unpleasant. "Have a... um, happy summer?"
"I will." Harry beamed, picked up Hedwig, and followed after him. Ron and Hermione watched in astonishment. Bing Huan stepped up behind them. "The Ministry of Magic only forbids us from using magic at home. They don't dare interfere with cultivation.
"That kid asked me for three hundred talismans yesterday. He's going to have the best summer of all."
After Bing Huan promised again and again that he'd visit them as soon as he was done with his errands, summer officially began. Back in Dorset, he knocked on the door of a small villa. Their grandson, Rolf, answered; it happened to be the day Newt's family was gathering for a meal.
Tina introduced Bing Huan to the rest of the family. That afternoon, in Newt's case, Bing Huan recounted the events of the past year to the couple. They were amazed by how exciting life at the school had been for the five of them. Tina was more angry that Dumbledore had dumped so many problems on the students. It took Bing Huan and Newt a long time to calm her down enough to stop her swearing.
Bing Huan politely declined Newt and Tina's offer to let him stay the night, then headed to Devon in the middle of the night to visit Nicolas Flamel. The sprightly old man looked just as he always had. As soon as Bing Huan saw him, he asked whether he had really destroyed the Philosopher's Stone.
Nicolas Flamel didn't answer directly. He simply waved a hand and poured Bing Huan some tea. "Don't worry, my boy. If I were really so attached to it, I wouldn't have let Dumbledore use it to lure Voldemort out.
"Even without any other means, the Elixir of Life I have left will keep me alive until I'm ready to die—or... make another one."
At that, Bing Huan finally felt at ease. The two of them chatted until dawn. Before he left, Nicolas suddenly said, "I'll give you your birthday present all at once, three years from now."
Then, without explaining, he sent Bing Huan on his way. Bing Huan assumed the old man had just gotten cryptic again.
Before you continue