Chapter 55

King’s Cross Station, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. The platform was shrouded in thick white mist from the Hogwarts Express, its red carriages barely visible. The crowd swirled through the fog like shadows.

“Anne, if you feel unwell at any time, anywhere, you must ask for leave and go to the infirmary, understood?” Diana said as she adjusted Anne’s collar and scarf.

“Okay, I understand,” Anne nodded.

“Remember to send your monitoring data via Momo every day,” Aaron continued.

“Got it, I’ll remember.”

“If reading gets tiring, stop reading. Go to bed early at night,” Aaron reminded her.

“Mm. I’ll take good care of myself, truly,” Anne promised.

Aaron looked at Anne, full of concern. “Anne, maybe you shouldn’t attend Hogwarts this year. Stay home, study, and take the NEWTs directly. You’ll pass anyway. And if not, it’s fine, we don’t need that certificate. Seventh year at Hogwarts is particularly stressful. Your father and I stayed up late all the time. This year, you have to complete a whole year’s curriculum in just half a semester, your stress will be even greater.”

He glanced at Diana, hoping she would say something.

“I agree with Aaron, Anne. But if you want to go to Hogwarts, that’s fine too,” Diana said.

“Hey! Diana?”

“Alright, Uncle Aaron. I’ll take care of myself, and my girlfriend is at school too. If I don’t eat or rest properly, she’ll definitely remind me, right?”

“Alright, I trust Hermione, but you still need to watch yourself,” Aaron said, conceding.

“Anne? Found you at last!” A familiar voice, long unheard, called out. Anne smiled and turned around.

A bear hug, Fanny nearly dove into Anne’s arms. Anne laughed and hugged Fanny back, and Fanny planted a quick kiss on Anne’s cheek.

“Hey! That’s all spit!” Anne complained.

“No! Just a lipstick mark!” Fanny said, grinning.

“Ah?” Anne reached to wipe it, but Fanny blocked her, frowning in mock anger. “No wiping! This is punishment for putting love before friendship! Tell me, you refused my Christmas holiday invite, did you go out with your long-lost girlfriend instead? How can you value love over friendship? You left a mess, didn’t notify me, and didn’t invite me out?”

Diana and Aaron exchanged a glance and smiled. They began chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Charles, who had come with Fanny.

“Alright, alright! My bad! Really! After returning to Hogwarts, I’ll make you something delicious! How about that as compensation?”

“Not enough!” Fanny said. “All this time, you only contacted me by letter, especially that night at Hogwarts! You didn’t come, I was hoping you would.”

“I said in my letter I would—”

“I know, I know. Okay, thanks for the Felix Felicis. But that night, none of us students joined the front-line battle! Such a pity! We were only on standby and in logistics, helping deliver bomb crates and guard the castle. The other side was too dumb to even enter the castle gates!” Fanny lamented.

“Well, that’s good. Otherwise, our start-of-term might have been delayed,” Anne said.

“Ah, listen!” Fanny suddenly paused, excitedly rolling up her sleeve and shaking her wrist in front of Anne. Anne couldn’t see clearly before she lowered her arm and asked, “See it now?”

“…No.”

Fanny pouted, quickly explaining, “It’s an Order of the Phoenix emblem bracelet! Red rubies! Limited edition signed by Skoll! Only fifty in the entire wizarding UK! You don’t know! Skoll is my idol, the only one!”

Rapidly, she continued, excitement in every word. “Do you know how moving his words were that night? So passionate! All died in battle! Wizards with wands in hand! Things worth risking life for! It got my blood pumping, I wanted to fight them directly!”

Fanny was so excited, she didn’t notice Hermione had arrived behind her. Hermione had sped up upon seeing Anne hugged by someone, leaving the Granger couple behind. Only after seeing the Charles couple chatting with Aaron and Diana did she slow down.

Anne gave Hermione a helpless smile; Hermione responded with a calm, “It’s fine.”

Fanny paused mid-sentence, pinched Anne’s cheeks, and asked, puzzled, “Anne? Have you lost weight? Didn’t you say China has so much good food? How are you thinner?”

Before Anne could answer, Fanny leaned closer, noses nearly touching, eyes locked.

“Hey! Fanny!” Hermione exclaimed.

Anne leaned back slightly, and Fanny straightened, glanced at Hermione, then let go of Anne. Anne exhaled in relief, but Fanny pulled Hermione in front of Anne.

Hermione looked puzzled. Fanny stared at Anne’s eyes and asked Hermione, “Hermione, see! Isn’t Anne’s left eye a bit gray? And she’s thinner, her complexion looks off.” Her tone grew concerned. “Anne, are you sick?”

Hermione frowned slightly. Anne touched her nose and smiled. “So obvious, huh?”

“Anne? Are you really sick?” Fanny said. “How come again? Wizards don’t usually get sick, right? But I feel—”

The whistle of the Hogwarts Express sounded.

“Oh! Okay! Anne, I’ll say goodbye to my parents first! Then I’ll find you.”

Diana and Aaron finished chatting and came over. Aaron lifted Anne’s trunk onto the train. Diana hugged Anne and kissed her on the cheek, leaving two lip marks this time.

“Aunt Diana…” Anne called helplessly.

“Wipe them later yourself, and wipe the other one too,” Diana laughed. “Alright, Anne.” She patted Anne’s head. “Study well and rest properly.”

Anne smiled sweetly and nodded.

Standing at the carriage door, Anne waved to the platform while using a handkerchief to wipe the lip marks. But Hermione quickly took over, letting Anne relax as she wiped the marks.

Fanny pouted but said nothing. Once Hermione finished, she handed her trunk to Anne. “I want to share a compartment with you this year. I’ve got Easter break covered! You must save time for me!”

“Okay!” Anne agreed, smiling. Fanny nodded in satisfaction. “Alright, I’ll go to the prefect compartment first. See, these boring things, you pushed them onto me.”

“Yes, yes, yes, Fanny. Back at school, I’ll treat you to some good food, Chinese cuisine!”

Fanny looked at Hermione. Since Hermione was also a prefect, Gryffindor had kept the prefect positions of Ron and Hermione. For Slytherin, Anne had discussed with Fanny and the head.

Hermione leaned in and kissed Anne. Anne smiled, taking Hermione’s trunk. A basket rested atop it; Krukshan was sound asleep inside.

“Not hard to carry?”

“Girlfriend, I’m still an adult wizard, you know?”

Hermione laughed and went with Fanny toward the prefect compartment. Anne quickly found an empty compartment at the rear carriage, placed the trunk on the luggage rack with a floating charm, and sat by the window.

Watching the scenery pass by, Anne felt a bit dazed.

The compartment door was knocked. Anne tilted her head as Luna entered with a cloth bag, wearing phoenix-emblem earrings that swayed bright red.

“Good morning, Anne. Did you enjoy the Christmas break?”

“Pretty good. And you?”

“Oh! Couldn’t be better. We rebuilt our house; my father said the old place will have a monument. Singing Against the Wind has been selling really well!” Luna placed the bag on the luggage rack and sat opposite Anne.

“Wow, that’s great.”

“I think so too,” Luna said excitedly, leaning forward to look into Anne’s eyes.

“Anne, your left eye has a gray tinge, like a little crescent moon inside!” Luna said sincerely, frowning. “But you’ve lost weight. Didn’t you enjoy your vacation? Your family has been secretly helping the Order of the Phoenix protect wizards, right? I guess you didn’t really play?”

“Ah ha, right! I’ve been busy helping all along.”