Hogwarts' Golden Glory

Hermione took a sip.

It was just the right amount of sweet. She took another sip and felt much better.

Ginny sat next to her, holding a plate of pies.

"Last week you sat in the library and spent an hour flipping through the same page of a book."

Ginny said.

"...Are you observing me?"

"Fred and George are betting on you. I told them you were just preoccupied." Hermione didn't argue. She looked down at the steam rising from her glass.

"You like that Malfoy," Ginny said. It wasn't a question.

Hermione was silent for a moment. "He said himself... he only sees me as a friend."

“What he says doesn’t matter,” Ginny said. “What matters is what he does. His first project was giving Fleur a house-elf, but you know what? He also gave Harry a project on how to deal with dragons.”

Hermione looked up. "How did you know?"

“Harry told me,” Ginny said. “Before he went to see Kane, Kane already knew what he was going to ask. He was waiting at the Astronomy Tower. It wasn’t a coincidence.”

Hermione's fingers slowly traced the rim of the glass. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"Because he's not ready yet," Ginny said, "but he's waiting for you."

Hermione did not answer.

She took another sip of hot cocoa, feeling the sweet warmth spread from her stomach to her fingertips.

She remembered something Luna had once said: "Some people have to take a long detour to get to the door. But they'll get there eventually."

She didn't know if Kane would arrive.

But she suddenly felt that it wouldn't hurt to wait a little while.

The little elf beside her handed her a plate of cookies, sprinkled with golden icing. "Miss Granger, eat more. You're too thin."

Hermione looked at the plate of cookies and chuckled softly.

"Thank you." She picked up a piece.

On the afternoon of the third day after the first project ended, Harry was staring blankly at the book "The Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures" in the library.

On the first day, everyone was at a loss when faced with the golden egg.

Kane has already told everyone the method.

Listen to the golden egg while it's soaking in water.

He already knew that the second project would take place in the Black Lake, where he would need to rescue the "kidnapped" treasure from the mermaids.

But he didn't know who the treasure was.

I don't know how long I'll need to stay underwater.

I don't know any way to breathe underwater for more than an hour.

The words on the entire page floated around in front of him, like clumps of seaweed, impossible to grasp.

"You look like you're drowning in books."

Harry jerked his head up. A voice came from behind the bookshelf. The voice was familiar—deep, slightly hoarse, with an unconscious upward inflection at the end, as if someone was always holding back a laugh.

Harry's heart skipped a beat. He put down his book, sprang up from his chair, and ran around the bookshelf.

Then he saw that person.

Sirius leaned against the bookshelves at the back of the library, wearing a clean, dark robe. His hair was neater than before, and there was a new, light-colored scar on his face, but his gray eyes were still the same—bright, with a smug "I've sneaked in again" look.

Harry opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Sirius Black had already stepped over, opened his arms, and given him a tight hug.

Holding on tightly. Not letting go. As if trying to bring back all the distance of the past few days.

"Good lad," Sirius's voice muffled on Harry's shoulder, "You did it. The first project. You did it."

Harry was so tightly held he could barely breathe, but he didn't break free.

He reached out and patted Sirius on the back. "Didn't you say you weren't coming?"

"What I said was, 'I need to accomplish some things first to make up for my mistakes.'"

Sirius released him, looked down into Harry's eyes, and smiled. "Things are different now. My business is done. Completely done."

"What is it?"

Sirius didn't answer immediately. He glanced at the library entrance to make sure no one was coming in.

Then he lowered his voice: "Regulus. I buried him. In the Black family cemetery, next to my parents."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, "I used that reversal magic to turn him back to how he looked in life. He just looks like he's asleep."

Harry didn't know what to say.

All he knew was that Sirius's brother, Regulus, a former Death Eater, had been dead for many years.

Now Sirius says he buried him.

"How are you?"

"I am fine."

Sirius said his voice was calm, but if you listened carefully, you could hear a thin layer beneath that calmness. "It's better than it has been in the past ten years. Some things can finally be let go."

He patted Harry on the shoulder. "So I'm free now. I can help you prepare for your second activity. Whatever you want to do underwater—I'll train with you."

Harry felt a weight lifted from his heart. "Would you help me figure out how to stay underwater for an hour?"

"What's an hour?"

Sirius grinned. "I spent twelve years in Azkaban. It was colder than water."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle.

I'm serious.

Sirius's tone became more serious. "The second project will definitely be more dangerous than the first. It's much more complicated in the water than on land. You'll not only have to deal with magic, but also water pressure, breathing, visibility issues, and things lurking in the shadows. Although I don't know underwater breathing magic, I can train your physical fitness and coping skills with you."

"How do I practice?"

"Meet me at Black Lake at six o'clock tomorrow morning. Bring warm clothes."

Sirius laughed and said, "I should go back to school too, and mooch some food at Hogwarts."

Harry looked at his somewhat unserious face, which held a hidden smile, and suddenly felt a great sense of peace. Not because he had the answer—but because someone was willing to help him find it.

He nodded. "See you at Black Lake at six tomorrow."

Sirius patted him on the back, then turned and walked out of the library.

He took two steps and then turned back: "By the way, there's an event coming up, you need to prepare well. I guarantee you'll be really looking forward to it!"

"What?"

Harry asked.

"Keep it a secret!"

Sirius chuckled, pushed open the door, and left.

Harry stood there, staring at the closed door.

He glanced down at the completely useless "Complete Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures" in his hand, closed it, and put it back on the bookshelf.

He was thinking about Black Lake tomorrow morning, its icy water, and the person who would be waiting for him on the shore.

He suddenly felt that the second project wasn't so scary after all.

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room.

"Stand up straight, and don't disgrace the Malfoy family."

"Is this how you dance?"