Hogwarts' Golden Glory

"The film is damaged," Ms. Pomfrey said regretfully. "The magical fluctuations of the petrification curse have destroyed all the photosensitive materials."

The boy was completely deflated, collapsing back onto the bed like a plant starving of water.

Just then, Harry stepped forward.

His steps were hesitant, and his green eyes were filled with complex emotions—guilt, apology, and a hint of relief at finally being able to unload the burden.

"Colin," Harry's voice was low, but the hospital wing was quiet and everyone could hear him, "I...I want to apologize to you."

Colin's eyes widened suddenly: "Apologize? Why? You didn't do anything wrong, it was my own fault for going there in the middle of the night—"

“No,” Harry interrupted him, taking a deep breath. “Before you were petrified, I…I was really mean to you. I avoided you, impatiently pushed your camera away, and even secretly wished you would…disappear.”

These words were so harsh that Ron gasped.

Hermione gently touched Harry's arm, but he shook his head and continued:

"Back then, I found you annoying, like a tagalong, and I felt your adoration brought me too much unnecessary attention. But I was wrong."

He looked directly into Colin's eyes:

"You genuinely love the magical world, and you genuinely... regard me as someone worthy of admiration. But I've come to see that genuine affection as a burden."

Colin stared at him blankly, his mouth slightly open, like a fish out of water.

"So," Harry said finally, his voice hardening, "I want to formally apologize. I'm sorry, Colin. I'm sorry that my attitude may have made you feel unworthy of your enthusiasm. I'm sorry that I didn't treat someone who considered me a friend well."

silence.

A long silence.

Then, Colin's tears welled up unexpectedly. Not tears of sorrow, but a childlike sob mixed with relief, emotion, and immense surprise.

"You...you consider me a friend?" he asked, sobbing.

Harry nodded. "If you'd still like to."

"Yes! Of course I'm willing!" Colin wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve. "I've always... I've always wanted to be a brave Gryffindor like you! That's why I always follow you around, trying to learn how you face difficulties, how..."

He couldn't continue because he was crying too hard.

Ron whispered to Hermione, "Merlin, she cries even harder than my mother does when she reads a romance novel."

Hermione glared at him fiercely, but her own eyes were also a little red.

Just then, the door to the medical wing was pushed open again.

Dumbledore walked in, his long, silvery hair shimmering in the morning light.

His blue eyes gently swept across the room, finally settling on Colin.

"Welcome back, Mr. Crevy," the old headmaster said with a smile. "It's good to see you've recovered."

Colin hurriedly tried to get out of bed to bow, but Ms. Pomfrey pressed him back down.

"I heard," Dumbledore said, walking to the bedside, "that you lost a very important tool in that unfortunate incident?"

"My camera..." Colin whispered, "but it's okay! I can save up my allowance and buy another one—"

Dumbledore raised his hand, stopping him from speaking.

The old headmaster took out a slender box from the inner pocket of his robe—not the ornate packaging common for magical items, but a simple dark brown cardboard box tied with simple hemp rope.

"Open it and see." Dumbledore placed the box on Colin's lap.

Colin's fingers trembled slightly. He untied the rope and opened the box lid—

A gasp of shock.

It didn't come from Colin's mouth, it came from Hermione.

Because inside the box lay a camera they had never seen before.

The fuselage is a matte dark gray with smooth lines resembling the skeleton of some kind of raptor.

The lens is not ordinary glass, but a semi-transparent crystal material that emits a faint light.

Most remarkably, the viewfinder is surrounded by a ring of tiny, slowly changing gems—currently transitioning from the gold of the morning light to the deep red of the Hogwarts banner.

"This is..." Colin's voice trembled.

"An improved version of the Magic Camera," Dumbledore explained gently. "Developed in collaboration between Hogwarts and Muggle engineers—yes, we do have that kind of collaboration. It has several features."

The old principal gently picked up the camera—his movements as practiced as those of a seasoned photographer:

"First, it uses magic imaging, eliminating the need for film. The photos are stored in a memory crystal inside the camera, capable of holding up to five thousand images."

"Secondly, the lens is a composite material of dragon glass and unicorn tears, which can produce clear images in extremely low light conditions and can even capture the magical outlines of some magical creatures."

"Third," Dumbledore's eyes flashed with a mischievous light, "it has a special mode—'Instant Develop.' The photographs taken can be projected into the air instantly, just like..."

He pressed the shutter.

It's aimed at Harry.

Click.

A half-body photo of Harry speaking was instantly projected from the top of the camera and floated in the air.

It is not a two-dimensional image, but a three-dimensional, slightly rotating holographic image.

Every subtle expression on Harry's face—tension, sincerity, relief after guilt—was clearly visible.

"Wow..." Ron's mouth dropped open.

Colin's eyes widened as round as camera lenses.

"This...this is too expensive..." he stammered, "I can't..."

"You can," Dumbledore said, placing the camera back in his hand. "And you should. Because from today onward, Colin Creevey, I want you to be the 'Official Student Photographer' of Hogwarts."

Everyone in the medical wing was stunned.

"Official...what?" Colin's voice was as soft as a whisper.

"Student photographers," Dumbledore repeated, "responsible for documenting Hogwarts' daily life, important events, and... the students' genuine smiles and tears."

"Your work will be included in the school yearbook, displayed in the auditorium, and may even be selected by the Daily Prophet—and of course, you'll be paid."

He looked at Colin, his gaze deep and intense.

"You have a talent, Colin. Not a magical talent, but a talent for observation. You always manage to capture people's most authentic and vivid moments. This talent deserves to be used well, not wasted on blindly chasing celebrities."

Colin hugged the camera tightly, and tears welled up in his eyes again.

But this time, they were pure, happy tears.

"I will!" He nodded vigorously. "I will take the best photos! I will document the real Hogwarts! I..."

He suddenly remembered something, turned to Harry, and blushed again: "Harry...can I...can I take a picture of you? Not as the 'savior,' but as...my friend?"

Harry smiled.

That was a truly relaxed smile that Ron and Hermione hadn't seen in a long time.

"Of course," he said. "Take as many pictures as you like."

The flash went off.

The photo captures Harry smiling, and Colin smiling too.