The common room fell silent for a moment.
Then Seamus was the first to jump up from the sofa. "Really?!"
"Really," Professor McGonagall said, a slight smile playing on her lips, though she quickly suppressed it.
" Merlin's beard!" Dean jumped up too. "I want the one [ Gryffindor McGonagall ]!"
"I want [ Quidditch Pitch ]!" Ron blurted out, his voice so loud it startled everyone around him.
Professor McGonagall glanced at him and nodded. "Okay. Where are the others?"
Neville stood up from the sofa, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I... I want the one [ Hufflepuff Headmaster Sprout ]."
"Can."
Seamus chose [Headmaster of Ravenclaw Flitwick ], Dean chose [ Hogwarts Headmaster Dumbledore ], and the other students also said what they wanted.
Professor McGonagall pulled a stack of animated cards from inside her robes and distributed them one by one.
Ron's hands trembled slightly as he took the Quidditch Pitch card.
He turned the card face up; the image showed Hogwarts Stadium bathed in sunlight, its green hues shimmering, the rings on the three goalposts swaying gently in the wind, and the flags atop the stands occasionally fluttering.
"So handsome," he whispered.
"Don't just look at the front," Seamus leaned closer, "There are words on the back too."
Ron flipped the card over; it had a witty caption printed on it. "No matter how high you fly, there's always someone on the ground waiting for you to come home."
That night, the Gryffindor Common Room was more than twice as lively as usual.
Those who received dynamic cards gathered together to show off their cards, while those who didn't receive any watched from the sidelines, occasionally letting out envious exclamations of admiration.
Ron placed the [ Quidditch Pitch ] card on the coffee table, letting the image on the card flow slowly in the candlelight.
Neville sat beside him, holding a picture of [ Hufflepuff Headmaster Sprout ], on which a flower was slowly blooming, its pale yellow pollen floating in the greenhouse light.
" Neville, why did you choose Professor Sprout?" Harry asked.
Neville looked down at the cards in his hand and thought for a while.
"Because... she always praised me," he said softly. "Every time I helped out in the greenhouse, she would say I was doing a great job, that I was very talented."
He looked up at Harry: "She's the first professor to say I'm 'talented'."
Harry patted Neville on the shoulder.
Hermione sat beside her, also holding a card, an extra reward from Professor McGonagall.
She didn't choose [ Hogwarts Headmaster Dumbledore ], nor any other powerful card; instead, she chose the [ Hogwarts Castle ] domain card.
"Why did you choose this one?" Ron asked.
"Because this one is the best-looking, don't you think?" Hermione retorted.
Warm candlelight shines through the windows of the castle in the picture, the weathervane of the Astronomy Tower turns slowly, and the surface of the Black Lake ripples with light along the edge of the card.
Hermione placed the cards on the coffee table, letting the images slowly rotate under the light, a faint smile playing on her lips.
The fervor surrounding final exams is finally starting to subside.
The corridors of Hogwarts returned to normal; students no longer hurried along with their books, but instead strolled and chatted in twos and threes.
The cheers from the Quidditch Pitch returned, and many of the chairs in the library became empty.
Summer vacation is just around the corner.
"Where are you planning to go this summer?" Ron asked Harry.
" The Dursley family," Harry said, his tone devoid of expectation.
"Oh." Ron paused for a moment, "Then you can come to my house. My mother would definitely welcome you; she wrote to ask about you the other day."
"Real?"
"Really. She said if it's inconvenient at your home, you can come the Burrow anytime."
Harry felt a warmth in his heart, but after thinking for a moment, he shook his head. "I'll go back to the Dursley family and see how things are. If I really can't stay there, I'll write to you again."
"Okay." Ron nodded. "Anyway, you know where my house is."
Hermione walked by, carrying a bulging bag. "You two, stop chatting! Have you packed your luggage? The Hogwarts Express departs tomorrow morning."
"All packed up," Harry said.
"Um... I haven't," Ron said.
Hermione rolled her eyes, but didn't nag like she usually did. She just patted him on the shoulder. "Get ready tonight, or you'll be scrambling to get things done tomorrow morning."
The next morning, the Hogwarts Express departed from Hogsmeade Station on time.
The steam train slowly accelerated in the morning light of the Scotland Highlands, the sound of its wheels rolling over the rails crisp and rhythmic.
The train carriages were packed with students, and every compartment was full.
They played cards or ate snacks, and a few discussed their summer vacation plans.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in the same box.
Ron was flipping through his Chocolate Frog Card, Hermione was looking at a book she'd borrowed from the library, and Harry was leaning against the window, watching the fields and hills slowly recede into the distance.
" Harry, how are you going to get along with the Dursley family when you get back?" Hermione suddenly asked.
Harry thought for a moment, "I'll try not to cause trouble. They don't want to see me anyway."
"Didn't they treat you much better after they saw that book last year?" Ron said.
"That was last year," Harry said. "I ruined my uncle's business back then, who knows how they'll react now."
Ron thought for a moment, patted Harry on the shoulder, and didn't say anything more.
As the train approached the station, Harry pulled a small bottle from his pocket.
Inside was Polyjuice Potion that Professor McGonagall had prepared for him in advance, made from the hair of another Muggle boy, whose effects would last a whole day.
He tilted his head back and drank it down, a burning sensation rising in his throat, and then he felt as if he had been stuffed into an inflating balloon.
A few seconds later, he turned into a chubby little boy with dark skin, exactly the same as before.
"It always feels weird to watch," Ron commented from the side.
"You'll get used to it," Harry said, his voice sounding unfamiliar.
It was already evening when the train stopped at King's Cross Station in London.
Students poured out of the train carriages dragging their suitcases, and the platform was filled with scenes of parents and children hugging.
Harry spotted Mrs. Weasley in the crowd; she was hugging Fred and George.
Percy stood to the side, his Prefect Badge pinned to his chest, his expression saying, "I've been standing here for ten minutes."
" Harry!" Mrs. Weasley saw him and came over with open arms. "Aren't you really coming to the Burrow this summer?"
"I'll go back to the Dursley family first," Harry said.
"Alright," Mrs. Weasley patted him on the shoulder, "Write to me anytime if anything comes up."
Mrs. Weasley.
Harry dragged his suitcase across the platform and spotted Uncle Vernon in the crowd.
Vernon stood by a pillar at the end of the platform, wearing a dark gray suit, his expression suggesting he was ready to turn and leave at any moment.
"Let's go." Vernon glanced at him but didn't say anything more.
Harry followed him out of King's Cross Station.