Seeing those schoolgirls dangling from the tree, Qin Yu felt a jolt of shock.
Just moments ago, it was as if a voice inside him had whispered instructions—and he'd simply followed that urge.
He never imagined it would actually work. Had his thoughts alone really triggered the magic?
Is this what it feels like to wield magic with just a thought? he wondered.
Little Hermione stared at the scene, wide-eyed and a little horrified. She murmured, "When did my wishes start coming true?"
But when she glanced at Qin Yu and caught the thoughtful look on his face, a suspicion flickered in her eyes.
Could it have been him?
As if a sudden realization struck her, Hermione blurted, "Run!"
She grabbed Qin Yu's hand and dashed toward home.
…
They didn't slow down until the school gates were far behind them. At last, Hermione caught her breath and looked at Qin Yu with wide, curious eyes. "Was that you? Did you make them float up there?"
Qin Yu saw no reason to hide his identity as a wizard from Hermione—sooner or later, she'd find out anyway.
He nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, that was me. I put them up there."
Hermione's mouth fell open in shock. She quickly clapped a hand over it, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then whispered urgently, "Don't you know? The Ministry of Magic has rules—you're not allowed to use magic on Muggles whenever you want!"
(Note: Setting adjustment—see author's note.)
By this point, Hermione already knew a bit about the wizarding world. She'd read plenty of books, and Ministry officials had even made contact with young witches and wizards like herself. In this world, things were a little different from the Harry Potter universe Qin Yu remembered. Of course, he'd long since noticed Hermione sneaking peeks at books about magic.
Qin Yu smiled at her concern. "Relax—no one saw, and besides, no one ever told me about the Ministry's rules."
"But I just told you!" Hermione insisted, her voice stubborn.
He couldn't help but ruffle her brown curls. "You really are a good kid."
She huffed, fixing her hair. "Aren't you a kid too? Why do you talk like a grown-up?"
Qin Yu grinned. "So, did seeing them stuck in the tree make you feel better? Are you happy now?"
Hermione hesitated, then nodded. "Of course it made me feel better to see them punished," she said, then added more quietly, "But as wizards, we shouldn't bully Muggles. It's not right."
"Why not?" Qin Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Because… because that's the rule!" Hermione declared, though she couldn't quite explain why.
Seeing how serious she was, Qin Yu let it drop. He gave her hair another gentle tousle. "Come on, let's get home for dinner!"
…
All the way back, little Hermione chattered away like a proper little motormouth.
"If you can use magic, how did you get hit by my dad's car?" she suddenly asked.
Qin Yu smirked. "I guess I didn't have these powers back then. Getting hit by the car was just the price of admission—magic was my reward from the universe."
Hermione looked at him like he'd said something outlandish, but since he didn't have a better explanation, she let it go. Then, almost conspiratorially, she whispered, "Let me tell you a secret—I'm a witch, too! I'll get to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry someday. But I have to wait until next year, because my birthday's September 19th. You have no idea how much I've wanted to meet someone like me. I never thought the first person my age who could use magic would be you!"
(Note: Hogwarts admits students at age eleven, with term starting September 1st, so Hermione will attend at twelve.)
When Hermione finished, she noticed Qin Yu's calm expression and blinked in confusion. "Why aren't you surprised?"
"Should I be? The moment you mentioned the Ministry's rules, I knew you were a witch," Qin Yu said with a faint smile.
"Oh, I let it slip…" she muttered, a little embarrassed. "But I'm serious—you really can't use magic in front of Muggles. Understand?"
"Yes, ma'am! My dear Prefect, can we go home now? I can already smell Aunt Jenny's beef stew." Qin Yu spread his hands in mock surrender.
"Grrr…" Hermione's stomach grumbled in agreement. She straightened up, all seriousness again. "As long as you understand how serious this is. All right, let's go home."
She sniffed the air, caught the scent of simmering stew, and eagerly pulled Qin Yu along as they hurried inside.
…
"Hermione, what's got you in such high spirits?" Mrs. Granger asked over dinner.
"Mmm—secret! I can't tell you!" Hermione replied, shooting Qin Yu a conspiratorial grin.
"My, my, our little Hermione is growing up—she's got secrets now," Mr. Granger teased.
"Dad, didn't you always say everyone has a right to privacy? I'm just exercising my rights!" Hermione replied with perfect seriousness.
"Quite right. We promise not to invade your privacy," Mr. Granger laughed.
Watching the warm, lively Granger family, Qin Yu felt a pang of bittersweet longing. Would he ever see his family from the other world again?
But there was no use dwelling on things he couldn't change. For now, he just had to make the most of this new life.
Hermione glanced at him, sensing a sudden shadow cross his face. She wondered what he was thinking.
"Hey! Last piece of beef—if you don't eat it, I will!" Qin Yu announced, snapping out of his reverie.
Hermione saw that the melancholy had vanished from his eyes, replaced by a teasing smile.
"No way! I want it! I barely got any!" she protested, pouting.
Her fierce protectiveness over food made the whole table laugh.
…
That night, Qin Yu lay awake in the attic, sleep eluding him.
The power inside him made him uneasy.
He could feel it, even in his dreams—a force flowing through his body, almost like a dragon winding its way through every limb. Each morning, he woke up overflowing with energy.
But this power, bottled up for too long, felt like it was bound to erupt one day. The thought filled him with dread.
And yet, the system had gone silent, offering no guidance on how to keep the darkness at bay.
…
The next day was Saturday.
To give the kids a proper weekend, the Grangers took Hermione and Qin Yu to the city's largest zoo.
Hermione loved the zoo—animals, she always said, were easier to get along with than people. At least they didn't give her mean nicknames.
That made Qin Yu's heart ache for her. It wasn't easy being an "outsider" in the Muggle world.
As for the zoo itself, Qin Yu had his reservations. In his previous life, he'd been allergic to animal fur and usually steered clear of cats and dogs.
But now, having undergone Soul Transmigration, perhaps this new body wouldn't be so sensitive. At Hermione's urging, he decided to give it a try.
I'm just testing whether my allergies are gone, he told himself. It's not because I can't resist her puppy-dog eyes. Definitely not.
The family piled into the car, soon arriving at the zoo for a day of adventure.
But as Qin Yu and Hermione neared the entrance to the reptile house, a sudden commotion erupted inside. People came streaming out, screaming in panic.
A moment later, a massive, brilliantly patterned python slithered out into the open.
——Dimensional Wall——
Author's Note: For the sake of the story, some settings and timelines have been adjusted. Don't get too hung up on the details!
Even if you haven't read or watched much of the original, it won't affect your enjoyment of this story. There's plenty of original content, and when canon elements appear, I'll provide detailed notes. Feel free to leave comments if you have questions or want to discuss!
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