Hogwarts' Golden Glory

On the last day of Hogwarts finals, the castle was filled with a restless atmosphere.

At breakfast, owls swarmed into the auditorium as usual, bringing the last batch of letters and packages.

But today, their feathers seem to carry a more vibrant scent of the outside world—the scent of freedom.

Parvati and Lavender were exchanging summer plans at the next table: "My dad said he'd take us to France, there's a wizard beauty salon there that supposedly makes hair shine..."

"I'm going to Romania to see Charlie," Ginny said to Harry, her voice filled with anticipation. "He said I can touch a baby dragon."

The professors in the faculty section displayed a variety of expressions.

Professor McGonagall solemnly gave instructions on safety matters, while Snape scanned the room with a gloomy gaze, as if judging which students would cause trouble during the summer vacation.

Dumbledore sat in the center, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles gently sweeping across the long tables of each house, lingering a moment longer on Kane.

After breakfast, the students flooded into the dormitories to begin the final packing.

Chaos reigned in the Gryffindor Tower.

Neville's chubby burrowed into his suitcase and refused to come out.

Seamus tried to use magic to fold the clothes neatly, but accidentally set one of Ron's socks on fire.

"Stop! I can do it myself!" Ron put out the flames, his face covered in soot.

......

In a corner of the common room, Hermione was carefully examining her reading list and notes.

"Are you really not going home for summer vacation?" Harry sat across from her, struggling to stuff the Invisibility Cloak into his already bulging suitcase.

"I'll go back, but only for two weeks." Hermione said without looking up. "Then I'll be going to the Magical Library in London to do research. They've opened up some summer internships for outstanding students, and Professor McGonagall recommended me."

As she spoke, the tip of her pen paused on the parchment. Along the edge, she wrote a small note: [Inquiry about Kane Malfoy's arguments in Chapter Seven of *The Core of Magical Theory*—his interpretation might be flawed?]

Harry wasn't in a good mood at the moment.

This afternoon he's going back to No. 4 Privet Drive—because of that damned "blood magic," he has to spend at least some time each year in that place he calls "home," a place devoid of any warmth.

Ron was excitedly planning: "Charlie said if the weather's good, we can go to the wilderness to see wild Hebrides dragons..."

"Harry?" Hermione noticed his silence. "Are you alright?"

"I have to go back to the Dursleys," Harry said sullenly.

Just then, a hand landed on his shoulder.

Harry looked up and saw Sirius Black standing behind him—no longer the haggard fugitive in the newspaper, but a man in a well-fitting robe with a gentle smile on his face.

A year of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts had made him look much healthier, although the shadow of Azkaban still lingered in his eyes.

"Shall we go outside and talk?" Sirius said softly.

"I know what you're thinking." Sirius leaned against the stone wall. "Privet Road."

Harry nodded, his throat tightening.

He finally found a real family, but now he has to go back to the place that hates him.

"Listen, Harry." Sirius crouched down, bringing his line of sight to Harry's—a gesture that reminded Harry of their first real meeting in their first year.

"Blood magic is important; it can protect you. As long as you still consider that place a 'home,' the magic Lily left behind will remain in effect. This is the only thing she can do for you now."

"But that's not home at all." Harry's voice was a little hoarse.

"Legally speaking, for now, no," Sirius sighed. "But this year is different."

He pulled a palm-sized silver mirror from his pocket, its edges engraved with fine patterns. "A two-way mirror. I have one side; you hold this one. When you want to speak, call my name."

Harry took the mirror; its surface felt warm to the touch.

"And this too." Sirius handed over another package. "Retractable Ears—the Weasley twins' latest improved version. Not for eavesdropping on the Dursleys," he winked, "but for listening to this."

He tapped his wand lightly, and a familiar voice came from the package: "—I'll say it again, Mrs. Figg, if Harry needs any help, my address is 12 Grimmauld Place—"

It was Professor Lu Ping's voice, sounding like he was giving instructions to someone.

"Grimmauld Place? Wasn't that already taken by Kane?" Harry asked, somewhat puzzled.

"After all, my mother is there, and it only came at a tiny, insignificant price..."

"So Remus will be staying at Grimmauld Place for the summer," Sirius explained, "to look after the old house for me... You can write to him, and he'll pass it on to me. And," he lowered his voice, "we're talking to Dumbledore to see if you can come out for a few days during the summer."

Harry's eyes lit up.

"So, bear with it for a few weeks." Sirius stood up and ruffled Harry's hair—a gesture that had become a habit between them. "Use the two-way mirror, write letters, do your homework," he said deliberately, putting on a stern face. "Don't forget you're still a student."

"I won't." Harry gripped the mirror and the package tightly, feeling the tightness in his chest dissipate a little.

When they returned to the common room, they ran into Professor McGonagall giving Hermione some instructions.

Upon seeing Harry, Professor McGonagall nodded to him.

"Professor," Sirius Black walked over, "is everything arranged?"

"I believe Miss Granger will be fine," Professor McGonagall said gently, then looked at Harry. "Happy summer vacation, Harry."

"Alright," Sirius broke the silence, "time to pack your bags. Remember, Harry—"

He looked at his godson again, his gray eyes filled with unwavering seriousness. "No matter what happens, you are not alone. We are all here for you."

This statement is more powerful than any guarantee.

When Harry returned to the Gryffindor tower to begin packing, he carefully hid the two-way mirror in a hidden compartment of his suitcase, next to the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak.

This summer vacation might not be so hard to get through—at least, he's not alone anymore.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere was quite different in the Slytherin common room deep underground.

The packing process here was proceeding smoothly. Older students were talking in hushed tones, discussing summer social activities, family matters, and some more intimate topics.

"My father said there's an internship position in the Magical Sports Division," a seventh-grader told his friend, "but you need someone in the division to recommend you."

"My uncle works in the Bureau of Mysteries, maybe he can..."

By the fireplace, Pansy Parkinson was complaining, "Why can't we just use Floo Powder to go straight home? Why do we have to take that slow train?"

“Tradition, Pansy,” Blaise Sabini said lazily, nestled on the sofa. “And there’s plenty of time on the train…to do something else.”

His gaze drifted meaningfully toward the corner of the lounge.