The conversation between men that night seemed never to have happened, and everything returned to normal.
Only from time to time, Su Er would take out the key Dumbledore had given him and stare at it in a daze, needing to reassess this key.
The custom-tailored school robes from Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions arrived half a month before the start of term.
Su Er mysteriously hid a box in his room, but a week before school started, it was ultimately discovered by the hyperactive Angel.
The little girl planted several kisses on Su Er's face in a row, ran around wearing that cloak embroidered with a Unicorn in silver thread, and asked Mr. and Mrs. Ellison, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, and the surrounding neighbors one by one.
"Do I look good, bro?" Early that morning, she darted into Su Er's bed wearing the cloak again.
"You look great, you look great, Angel is the prettiest little witch." Su Er showered her with praise.
"Really? Tee-hee-hee." Angel laughed until she was radiant. "Bro is also the most handsome wizard."
After making a fuss with Angel for a while, Su Er got up, fed some food to the owl Angel had named Little Ash, added some water, and went downstairs.
Hermione knocked on the front door promptly at nine in the morning.
As the start of term drew closer and closer, Hermione had been a bit nervous and even somewhat... urgent lately?
Su Er did not know whether that word was appropriate to describe it.
Hermione recorded the days leading up to the start of term with a schedule, accurate to the second.
Ever since the people from the Ministry of Magic came, she had safely placed her wand inside its box, wrapped it in silk cloth, picked up her books instead, and began the ultimate academic operation---memorizing books.
She was determined to be a top student who dominated every subject at Hogwarts!
Even Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander was memorized by Hermione.
Su Er was also forced to start grinding. Well, you could not really call it grinding; more accurately, he was drafted to serve as a merciless verification robot, and at the same time, he was forced to memorize quite a bit of content from the books.
For example, in Elementary Potions, how to brew a strong dose of the Draught of Living Death.
For example, in the History of Magic, the recorded past and present of the Wizarding World.
Using one word to describe Su Er's recent feeling---his brain was stuffed with knowledge that did not belong to him.
Of course, memorizing was one thing, and practicing was another.
Time finally arrived at the day before the start of term. Angel was in a bad mood early in the morning, wearing her favorite Unicorn cloak, and refused to respond no matter who spoke to her.
The little one had seen Su Er packing his luggage the day before, and had been somewhat gloomy ever since that night.
Until nine in the morning, when Mr. Granger started the car and Mr. Ellison placed Su Er's luggage in their vehicle.
She finally could not hold it back anymore, her mouth turned down, and she burst into tears.
She struggled to get down from Mrs. Ellison's arms and ran in a small trot straight toward Su Er.
Seeing the little girl crying a tear-stained, rain-drenched face, he also felt a bit reluctant to part.
"Big brother is just going to school, it's not like he's not coming back." Su Er soon felt his front collar dampened by tears, and he gently patted Angel's young back, comforting her softly.
"When I come back, I'll be able to turn you into a Unicorn." Su Er promised.
Hermione turned around and secretly wiped away tears; she was also reluctant to part with this House-elf-like little sister.
Mrs. Ellison also wiped the corners of her eyes, walked forward, and joined Su Er in softly comforting the little one.
Yet time was up, and those who had to set off still had to set off.
Parting is for the sake of a better reunion.
Along the way, Su Er stared blankly out the car window, quiet and not speaking.
The car gradually drove into the city, getting further and further away from home. King's Cross Station was right ahead not far off, and Mr. Granger drove them all the way into the station.
"Platform Nine and Three-Quarters." While looking at the train ticket in her hand, Hermione raised her head to look for the Hogwarts train platform, but she walked back and forth several times without seeing the sign for Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
The dejected Su Er looked at Hermione's bewildered little face, and his mood suddenly got a bit better.
He pulled back the young girl who wanted to go ask the security guard.
"Do you know where Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is, Su Er?" Hermione asked.
"I think someone will tell us how to get in." Su Er raised his eyebrows toward the direction they had come from.
Hermione looked over in the direction of Su Er's gaze.
She could not believe that in the summer someone would wear long-sleeved thermal clothing on their upper body, knee-length shorts on their lower body, and a pair of leather shoes on their feet.
Beside that person wearing inappropriately timed clothes was also a child.
"I bet you, he must be a wizard." Su Er shrugged and leaned close to Hermione's ear.
Hermione gave a start, glared at Su Er with a slightly red little face, and looked with expectant eyes at the two people approaching them.
They passed Su Er and Hermione as if no one else was there, pushing a luggage cart straight toward the pillar located between platforms nine and ten.
No matter when it was, people dressed in bizarre clothes appearing in public places would always attract people's attention. The security guard beside the station stared in dumbfounded shock as an adult and a child vanished into the wall.
He rubbed his eyes and reached out a trembling hand to touch the wall.
"My God..." He muttered, "Did that damn Bob sell me fake booze?"
"Sir." A stylishly dressed young woman suddenly approached. Su Er and Hermione clearly watched the young woman pull out a stick and wave it before the flushed-faced, pot-bellied guard. Then, the guard's eyes glazed over as he walked back to where he was supposed to be.
Having finished all this, the young woman breathed a sigh of relief, patted her snowy-white chest, and looked up to see Su Er and Hermione, who were pushing their luggage and had witnessed the whole thing.
"It's you guys." She walked over and greeted them like an old friend.
"Excuse me, who are you?" Su Er was certain he had never known this young woman, and Hermione also wore a look of utter bewilderment.
"Oh, I forgot." The young woman blinked at them, her features suddenly blurring for a fraction of a second. "Now you know who I am, right?"
"You're Tonks, the one who came to Su Er's house that day?" Hermione saw clearly and spoke up first.
"Bingo." Tonks giggled and tossed a piece of candy into her mouth. "Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, the flavor's not bad. Want one?"
Su Er shook his head in refusal, then asked, "But aren't you an Auror?"
"Well, I accidentally made a bit of a mistake while executing a mission, and the higher-ups had me come here to reflect for a while. It's no big deal." She shrugged indifferently. "It's pretty nice here, too."
"What was that magic you just used?" Hermione was not very interested in the reason behind Tonks's appearance here, but was instead rather curious about the magic that could change one's appearance.
"This is my innate ability." As Tonks spoke, she raised a hand to stroke her hair, which gradually turned a vibrant red.
"An Animagus?" Suer voiced.
"Huh, you actually know about the Animagus." Tonks cast a surprised look at him. "That's right, I'm a natural-born Metamorphmagus, though advanced Transfiguration can also achieve this."
"Professor McGonagall is a very powerful Transfiguration master, if you manage to get into her N.E.W.T. class."
"N.E.W.T. class?" Hermione asked in confusion.
"That's right. Every professor has their own advanced class, and they only take in talented little wizards. I'm a member of Professor McGonagall's class, oh." Tonks proudly lifted her chin, then glanced up at the time. "You guys are catching the Hogwarts Express, right? Just walk right through this pillar."
With that, Tonks gave them a breezy wave and bid them farewell.
Watching Tonks's stylishly dressed back as she left, little stars flickered in Hermione's eyes.
"She's so cool."
Before you continue