Returning to Hogwarts

For Su Yu, this summer holiday had passed far too quickly. Though he also longed for life at Hogwarts, the peace of home and modern conveniences were things he wanted too. Sigh...

London's weather was exceptionally nice today. It was rare to see such bright sunshine.

The clouds that had lingered for days seemed to have been blown away by magic. The sky was a clean, gentle blue, and King's Cross Station bustled with people. The rumble of suitcase wheels, chatter, and laughter blended together without seeming noisy at all. Sunlight streamed through the station's towering glass windows, casting bright patches across the floor, as though even the weather were welcoming the new school year.

Just as he had last year, Su Yu wandered through King's Cross Station in a sleepwalking daze. His eyes were half-open, half-closed, reflecting the enormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the station hall, but the light did not seem to reach his brain.

This time, however, Ka-jie was holding his hand the entire way. She walked to his left, one hand clasping his while the other pushed her trolley. She led Su Yu onward, making sure he did not walk into a pillar or step on someone's foot.

"Su Yu, could you wake up a little?" Ka-jie shook his hand helplessly. "If you walk onto the platform like that, people will think I'm leading around a living corpse."

"Mm..." Su Yu responded with a meaningless sound.

Ka-jie sighed and resigned herself to continuing to lead him forward.

Fa-jie followed behind with Kurama in her arms, while Carson the butler pushed the trolley. Kurama lay in Fa-jie's embrace, not fully awake either, her ears drooping and her tail hanging down, swaying back and forth. Carson pushed a trolley piled high with luggage, stacked taller than a person, with Qingluan's woven bamboo cage resting on top. Qingluan crouched inside, her head tucked beneath her wing as she dozed.

Hermione had been waiting for them at the platform for ages. She stood beside the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, standing on tiptoe to peer their way with a ticket clutched in her hand. The instant she saw Su Yu and the others approaching, she rushed over, speaking quickly and urgently. "Why did you take so long? Hurry, hurry! I've already found us seats. If we're any later, there won't be any left!"

"The train isn't going anywhere," Su Yu mumbled.

Hermione glared at him, then turned and headed into the train. Su Yu followed behind, pulled along by Ka-jie, while Fa-jie carried Kurama after them.

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was the same as ever. The deep-red Hogwarts Express stood on the tracks, steam billowing from its engine and spreading into white mist beneath the arched glass roof. The platform was packed with people—parents seeing their children off, students returning to school, and several owls hooting from inside their cages.

Hermione led them toward the front of the train and pushed open a compartment door. Su Yu entered, then promptly lay down across Ka-jie's lap, rubbing against her comfortably before finding the perfect angle and closing his eyes. Ka-jie glanced down at him, reached out to brush the loose hair from his forehead, and said nothing as she opened the magazine she had brought with her.

Fa-jie sat opposite them and placed Kurama beside her. Kurama yawned, revealing two sharp little fangs, then lay down with her chin resting on Fa-jie's thigh. Fa-jie then pulled a whole pile of bottles and jars from her bag. Su Yu squinted and took a look, discovering that they were all cosmetics—foundation, eyeshadow palettes, lipstick. There were so many kinds that it was as though she had brought along an entire vanity table. Hermione sat beside Fa-jie, pulled out a thick book, and opened it to a dog-eared page.

Hermione peered over the top of her book, then immediately leaned closer, her eyes sparkling. That focused expression was exactly the same as when she attended Potions. She nodded as she watched, occasionally asking questions such as, "How do you use this brush?" and "How do you draw eyeliner without making it crooked?" Her questions were remarkably detailed.

Kurama leaned over to watch too, but lost interest after a while and buried her face back into Fa-jie's lap.

Lying on Ka-jie's lap and listening to Fa-jie seriously instruct Hermione, Su Yu could not help twitching at the corner of his mouth. The dignified magical princess of Slytherin was actually holding a Muggle makeup class aboard the Hogwarts Express. No matter how he looked at it, the scene felt absurdly out of place.

Still, Hermione really did need to learn a little about these things. It was not that she was unattractive, but that she normally paid no attention to them at all. Sometimes her hair was a complete mess and she did not even think to tidy it, while her choice of clothes depended entirely on her mood. It was a complete waste of her good looks.

As Su Yu's thoughts wandered, the compartment door was pulled open from outside.

Daphne stood in the doorway. Her golden hair had grown a little longer since before the summer holiday, falling neatly behind her back. She wore a simple, elegant cream-colored dress, and she seemed more mature than last year, though her expression still held that gentle warmth which made others feel as though they were basking in spring sunshine.

"I finally found you," Daphne said with a smile, her gaze falling on Su Yu, who was lying on Ka-jie's lap. A trace of amusement flashed through her eyes.

Then, entirely naturally, she lifted Su Yu's legs, sat down, and placed his legs across her own lap.

Ka-jie and Fa-jie exchanged a glance and smiled meaningfully at the same time.

Su Yu sat up and hugged Daphne tightly. Lowering his head, he buried his face in the hollow of her neck and took a deep breath of the scent he had not smelled for over two months.

"How was your holiday, Daphne?" Su Yu's voice was muffled against her shoulder.

"It was alright," Daphne sighed, one hand around Su Yu's back while the other stroked his hair. "Didn't I tell you all about it in my letters? Mother has been training me in the bearing expected of a future heir. It nearly exhausted me every day. Walking, speaking, eating, sitting posture—I had to practice every single thing."

"But I wanted to hear you tell me in person," Su Yu responded, lifting his head from her shoulder and looking seriously into her eyes.

Daphne's face reddened slightly, and the smile in her eyes deepened.

"By the way," Su Yu said, "didn't you say your little sister was coming to Hogwarts this year too?"

"That's right," Daphne said, shifting aside so Su Yu could lean against her. "She's with the first-year carriages. I was late because I went to see her off first." After a pause, she added, "I also saw that little girl called Ginny you mentioned in your letter. She was there too. But she seemed especially late, rushing over in a frantic hurry with her hair flying everywhere. That Weasley red hair is really easy to recognize."

The girls all greeted Daphne as well. Fa-jie looked up from her notebook and smiled at her. Ka-jie put down her magazine and nodded. Hermione was the first to speak. "Daphne! You look so beautiful today!"

However, when Fa-jie and Ka-jie teasingly said, "Su Yu's stepmother is here," Daphne still blushed furiously. She lowered her head and pretended to straighten Su Yu's collar.

"Alright, you two," Su Yu said as he sat up from Daphne's embrace. "My Daphne is the gentlest."

Fa-jie shrugged, Ka-jie smiled, and the two exchanged a look without saying anything else.

Everyone ate and drank along the way. Hermione took out a bag of sweets, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and Chocolate Frogs, placing them on the table. Kurama contributed several pieces of cheesecake—ones she had apparently stolen from the kitchen at some point and wrapped in greaseproof paper. Su Yu bought a trolley full of snacks too, naturally using Kurama's money.

Su Yu ate several biscuits, drank a glass of pineapple juice, and lay back down on Ka-jie's lap. After finishing her portion of cake, Kurama began stealing Su Yu's biscuits. Fa-jie smacked her paw, making her pull it back, only for her to stretch it out again the moment Fa-jie turned away.

At one point, Hermione went to look for Harry and Ron. She wanted to see how her two beloved sons were doing; Su Yu had taught Hermione that term of address.

She walked from one end of the corridor to the other, peering into every compartment, but found no sign of Harry or Ron. When she returned to the compartment, her face wore a puzzled expression that plainly said, This makes no sense.

"I can't find them," Hermione said. "I searched the entire train. They couldn't have missed the train, could they?"

Upon hearing that, Su Yu slowly turned his head toward the sky outside the window, then raised a hand and pointed at the clouds.

Hermione and the others crowded by the window, only to discover in shock that Harry and Ron were flying high in the sky in a sky-blue Ford Anglia. The car wobbled crookedly through the air like a drunken metal bird.

At that moment, Harry, who had not fastened his seat belt, was nearly falling out of the car. The door stood open, and more than half of his body had slipped outside. Only his hands clung to the door frame, his entire weight hanging from them. The wind whipped his robes loudly, sent his hair flying backward, and distorted his face. Ron was pulling on his collar from inside, but Ron's own posture was unstable, and he could fall out with Harry at any moment.

Hermione screamed, her mouth hanging open as she froze in place, unable to process anything.

Fa-jie was the one who reacted quickly. She directly drew her wand, extended it through the window, and gave it a flick. An invisible force shot from the tip and struck Harry on the backside. Harry was shoved back into the car, crashing into his seat with a bang. The door slammed shut, the car wobbled twice, and then steadied itself.

Hermione was so stunned that she did not react at all. Her mouth was still open, and her eyes were wide.

Su Yu sighed.

The two of them together really could not scrape together a single brain cell. Those damned idiots had to turn an ordinary case of being late into something worthy of expulsion before they were satisfied. If Harry were not the protagonist, having six or seven Muggles witness something like that would have meant certain expulsion. It was a serious crime at the Ministry of Magic. Compared to Ron and Harry, the scheme Lucius had worked so hard to devise in order to bring down Arthur was like a child playing in the mud.

Only Hermione worried the whole way, occasionally looking up to check on those two idiots outside the window.

Fa-jie remained calm and continued doing her makeup. Ka-jie flipped through her magazine, occasionally glancing out the window. Daphne leaned beside Su Yu, tracing circles across the back of his hand with her finger. Kurama finished the last piece of cake and dozed on the table, her tail swaying back and forth.

Before long, the train arrived.

The Hogwarts Express slowly came to a stop at the dark platform, steam pouring from beneath its wheels and spreading into white mist in the night wind.

This year, they no longer needed to take the little boats. Professor Flitwick stood on the platform. His small figure was nearly invisible among the crowd, but his pointed wizard's hat gave away his location. Standing on tiptoe and waving his arms, he directed the older students toward the Thestral carriages.

The Thestral carriages waited in the parking area beyond the platform. Su Yu held Kurama and followed the crowd forward. He still could not see Thestrals, since he had never witnessed death. He climbed into a carriage, followed by Daphne, then Ka-jie, then Fa-jie. Hermione was last, still clutching the unfinished bag of sweets in her hand.

The carriage traveled through the darkness, its wheels creaking over the gravel road.

Everyone entered the Great Hall. This time, they were the ones waiting for the first-year witches and wizards. Su Yu sat beside the Slytherin table with Kurama in his arms, his gaze casually sweeping over the professors' table. Headmaster Dumbledore sat in the middle, his long silver-white beard falling to his chest. Professor McGonagall sat beside him with a stern expression, while Professor Flitwick was saying something to Professor Sprout.

Yet one figure at the professors' table was particularly eye-catching—Gilderoy Lockhart.

He wore an outrageously lavish aqua-blue robe. His golden curls gleamed in the candlelight, and his trademark dazzlingly white teeth were fully on display whenever he smiled. He was waving at the students in the Great Hall, wearing the expression of a superstar walking down a red carpet and making no attempt whatsoever to hide how much he enjoyed being the center of attention.

Su Yu noticed that Professor Snape's seat was the only empty one at the professors' table. He guessed Snape had gone to rescue Harry and Ron. That tsundere had clearly been extremely worried after hearing the news and had secretly run off to find them, yet he would rather die than admit it.

The doors of the Great Hall opened, and Professor McGonagall led the first-year students inside.

The new students stood in a line, each of them pale with nerves. Some were even trembling. The worn Sorting Hat sat on a stool, its brim split by a crack that made it look as though it were grinning.

The Sorting Ceremony began.

Professor McGonagall unfurled a parchment scroll and called the first name.

One first-year after another stepped forward and put on the Sorting Hat. The hat wriggled atop their heads for several seconds, then loudly announced their House. Whenever a new student was assigned to a House, the corresponding table erupted in cheers and applause.

"Astoria Greengrass."

When Professor McGonagall called that name, Su Yu felt Daphne tense slightly beside him. Astoria stepped out from the line, her pace far too light for someone attending a Sorting Ceremony. She seemed as though she were merely taking a stroll. She sat on the stool, and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

The hat stayed on her head longer than Su Yu had expected. After more than ten seconds, it finally shouted—

"SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table immediately burst into enthusiastic applause. Daphne visibly relaxed, a brilliant smile spreading across her face as she clapped hard. Astoria took off the hat and glanced toward the Slytherin table. The moment she saw her sister, her eyes lit up. She hurried over and sat down beside Daphne.

"Big sister!" Astoria happily hugged Daphne, then turned toward Su Yu and blinked. "Hello, Chief Su Yu."

Su Yu smiled and nodded. "Congratulations on joining Slytherin."

"I knew I would get into Slytherin." Astoria proudly lifted her chin. "Everyone in our family is from Slytherin."

Daphne reached out and ruffled her sister's hair, her expression both proud and affectionate.

The Sorting Ceremony continued.

"Ginny Weasley."

When Professor McGonagall called that name, the Gryffindor table immediately fell silent. The twin brothers Fred and George craned their necks to look at their sister, their expressions even more nervous than Ginny's.

Ginny took a deep breath and sat down on the stool. The moment the Sorting Hat settled over her head, it seemed to make its decision almost instantly—

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in deafening cheers. Fred and George leaped up from their seats, whistling and shouting loudly. Percy clapped with a gratified look on his face, like an old father watching his daughter.

Ginny stood from the stool and walked toward the Gryffindor table, wearing a shy but proud smile. Su Yu noticed that she quickly glanced toward Slytherin, likely searching for him.

Then Professor McGonagall called Luna's name.

"Luna Lovegood."

Luna slowly walked onto the stage, her pace more like a leisurely stroll than attendance at a solemn ceremony. She sat on the stool, and the Sorting Hat had barely touched her hair—perhaps it had not even touched it—before it shouted—

"RAVENCLAW!"

Polite applause rose from the Ravenclaw table. Luna took off the hat and drifted lightly toward the Ravenclaw table.

Kurama was making a fuss on the table, demanding cheesecake and asking why dinner had not started yet. Her paw tapped the tabletop with quick pattering sounds. "I'm starving! Food! Food!" she shouted several times. A few younger Slytherin students beside her secretly glanced over, then quickly looked away again.

Dumbledore did not keep everyone waiting long either. He stood up with both hands braced against the podium, his silver beard faintly glowing in the candlelight.

"Before everyone enjoys the feast," Dumbledore said, his voice echoing through the Great Hall, "I have a few words to say. First-year students, take note—the Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits. Also, this year's Quidditch tryouts will begin during the second week. Those interested should contact their respective Heads of House. Finally, this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor will be Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart. Please give him a warm welcome."

Warm applause broke out across the Great Hall, and many people began cheering loudly.

He paused.

"Alright then, enjoy the feast!"

Food appeared out of thin air on the golden plates. Roast beef, fried chicken legs, shepherd's pie, peppermint sweets, buttery mashed potatoes—their fragrance spread through the Great Hall. A plate of cheesecake immediately appeared before Kurama, and she plunged face-first into it. Caramel sauce stuck to the tip of her nose, but she did not notice at all.

After Dumbledore finished speaking, he hurried away with Professor McGonagall. Once Hermione saw Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore leave, the worry in her eyes deepened even further.

Throughout the feast, Hermione barely ate anything. She only took an occasional sip of pumpkin juice, spending most of her time staring toward the Great Hall doors, hoping those two familiar figures would appear.

But until the feast ended, until even the desserts had been cleared away, until Dumbledore reappeared and announced the end of the feast, Hermione still did not see Harry and Ron return.

The feast was over. One student after another stood up and followed their respective prefects back to the common rooms.

Su Yu stood and picked up Kurama, who was still licking her paws. Fa-jie and Ka-jie came to stand beside him, while Daphne held Astoria's hand.

"Let's go," Su Yu said. "Back to the common room."

The Slytherin common room was the same as ever. Dark green carpets, silver ornaments, and a roaring fire in the fireplace. Outside the windows, the waters of the Black Lake flowed slowly by, casting green patches of light onto the stone walls.

The new school year had begun.