An Angry Hermione

Although they had been preparing for it, the awarding ceremony was fast approaching, and William and his family were very excited.

Roy muttered to himself several times a day, wondering why it wasn't July 31st yet.

Lyanna hasn't been to the lab for several days; she's left all the work to the graduate students and completely washed her hands of it. (Poor, smoking and drinking monk, and that wicked boss!)

Anne spent the whole day planning what to wear; this was her first time attending such an event.

Hermione's performance wasn't much better Anne's; she held a book and kept explaining the importance of the Order of Merlin.

She even found all the books about William and read them aloud to everyone, although only Lyanna listened attentively.

The Hogwarts: A History has been automatically updated to include William Stark, with only two lines below: recipient of the Order of Merlin, Second Class, and the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin to date; recipient of the Hogwarts Special Award for Services to the School.

Hermione spent all day chasing after William, asking him for details about capturing Tywin.

Amidst this commotion, July 31st finally arrived.

After finishing breakfast, Roy glanced at his watch and said, "It's about time, we should get going."

"How do we get there?" Iris asked, puzzled.

He had never ridden in a wizard's vehicle before and was very curious.

"Wizards usually Apparition or use Floo Powder, but Wizengamot sent Portkey with the letter, which should be more convenient and secure than the former two," Hermione explained. "Although I haven't used it myself."

Everyone turned their attention to William.

William took out a gold coin with an M engraved on it.

"Let's use this past."

Everyone gathered around William, looking at the coin with curiosity.

"Where are your friends?" Lyanna asked. "Are they with us?"

"No, they'll find other ways to achieve it. Let's go."

William took out his wand, tapped the gold coin, and a golden light suddenly rose up, enveloping everyone, including a cat.

It was also William's first time using Portkey. He felt as if a hook was pulling him forward with irresistible force from behind his navel, and he was lifted off the ground and flew up.

He could feel Hermione beside him; their shoulders bumped together, and the girl gasped.

They flew forward like the wind, unable to see anything clearly. William gripped his wand tightly, estimating the time. A moment later, the wand suddenly pointed at the ground.

A pale blue light rose, and the Slowing Charm instantly reduced everyone's speed, ensuring everyone remained safely on the ground without anyone falling.

"8:07, from Charing Cross Road, London," a completely emotionless voice said.

Roy whistled and shook his head. "While convenient, the experience of using this mode of transportation is hardly user-friendly."

The others shared this view; if William hadn't used magic at the last minute, everyone would have definitely fallen to the ground.

Iris, however, was inexplicably excited. She put her arm around William's shoulder, wanting him to cast the Slowing Charm again.

"But!" Hermione retorted loudly, "Young wizards can't use their wands outside, can they?"

"I don't think so, miss." A voice came from afar.

Professor Dumbledore wouldn't be willing to expel a second-class Order of Merlin recipient. He's no fool, though he might be a bit... eccentric.

A pair of red-haired twins walked over; they were George and Fred.

"Long time no see, have you missed us, William?"

"Of course not, I'll only think about Cedric." William smiled and introduced her to Hermione, "This is George, and this is Fred. They'll be third-year students soon, and they're both my good friends."

This is Hermione Granger... she's my... good friend.

"Oh, that's not a simple statement." The twins exchanged a glance, Fred grinned mischievously, "Countless girls want to be William's best friend."

"And..." George said, displeased, "William, you're hurting us. I'm Fred, not George."

William laughed, "Come on, George, don't try to fool me."

George frowned and said, "Brother, how do you tell us apart? Even Mom and Dad can't tell us apart."

"It's a secret."

"All right."

"Where's Cedric?" William looked around but didn't see him.

"He, my father, and Mr. Diggory are all waiting in the front hall. Let's go and meet them there," George said.

Everyone headed towards the front hall.

This is a large living room, where wizards constantly arrive from all over the world using various methods.

Hermione was still trying to persuade William, her face full of worry. "Remember the warning letter from the Ministry of Magic? William, if you use magic again, you'll be expelled from school..."

"What? You received a warning letter during summer vacation?" Fred asked curiously.

"Yes, the cauldron exploded, and the Potions was ruined," William explained.

"Are you injured?" Fred asked with concern.

"No, I used a spell. Don't worry, that kind of explosion won't hurt me."

Fred nodded; that was true. William had used Time-Turner to relive two years in his first year, making him far more powerful than students from ordinary schools.

"How's your invention project going over the summer?"

George sighed. "My mom caught me."

Where is the stuff?

"She threw some materials at us, but we hid most of them under Ron's bed," Fred chuckled.

"It's alright," William said magnanimously. "The recipient of the Order of Merlin, Second Class, will be awarded two thousand Galleon. With this start-up capital, we don't need to worry about money for now."

"So much money doesn't need to be handed over?" George asked suspiciously.

"No need," William laughed. "I'll deposit the money in Gringotts right after the banquet, without wasting a single second."

"What do you want to buy? We can be a little more lenient."

"Let's save it for now. We plan to pay for a new gown and new textbooks for Ginny next year," George said.

"And what about your brother Ron?" William asked.

"He... it's still usable, albeit barely," Fred said. "Didn't Cedric make him a new wand?"

"And there's also a new Hogwarts map specially launched by our ' Akali's Mystery Shop.'" George waved his hand. "The brothers' love can only go this far. Ron needs to understand that he has to earn his own allowance and buy his own things."

"..."

As they walked and talked, William cast several spells along the way, including a Cooling Charm that lowered the surrounding temperature.

Hermione followed along angrily, but William ignored her words. The boy seemed to treat his wand like a hand, casting spells at any moment.

Hermione, brimming with a sense of justice, felt it was a shame she wasn't Minister for Magic; she retorted angrily, "I'll fire you sooner or later!"

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