Hogwarts' Golden Glory

"Why don't you open it first?"

Dumbledore smiled and pulled the small pouch with the golden ribbon toward himself.

"No, no, no, you go first. The best stuff is always the last thing to come out."

Professor Older, not to be outdone, held the small cloth bag with the silver ribbon to his chest.

"How about this," Dumbledore winked, "we'll open them at the same time and see whose treasures are more surprising."

"Good idea!" Professor Old nodded in agreement.

The two of them simultaneously untied the ribbons and carefully opened the cloth bag.

A rich aroma of tea immediately wafted out, carrying a hint of fruit and smokiness.

"This is... a crimson robe?" Dumbledore paused for a moment, then looked up at Professor Alder.

"Da Hong Pao?!"

Professor Old was also stunned. He looked down at the tea leaves in his hand, then at Dumbledore's.

The two poured the tea leaves onto the table and found that they were exactly the same in color, aroma and shape.

"This...this was a gift from Kane."

Professor Old scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said...

"What a coincidence, this was also a gift from Kane." Dumbledore shook his head with a wry smile. "He also said it was the last pack."

"That's what he told me too."

The two remained silent for a moment.

. . . . . .

Just as Kane stepped into the pillar of Platform 9¾, a silver-blue phoenix suddenly poked its head out of the inside pocket of his coat.

Its beak gently pecked at the boy's wand hand, filled with curiosity about everything around it.

"Igor, let's go back first."

Igor is the name Kane gave to this phoenix.

Upon hearing Kane's voice, the other person pulled their head back.

Just then, Kane noticed an old woman not far away, wearing a dark green robe and a pointed hat.

At that moment, the other party was sternly reprimanding a round-faced boy.

The boy had his head down, clutching a worn-out toad tightly in his hand, his face filled with dejection.

"Nawi, how many times have I told you to keep an eye on your toad!"

The old woman's voice was loud and authoritative, "How disappointed your parents would be if they saw you like this!"

Kane raised an eyebrow and said to Draco beside him, "You go in first, I'll come find you later."

He then walked up to Neville and his companion, and gave a polite bow: "Hello, Mrs. Longbottom."

Neville's grandmother turned her head, her sharp eyes scrutinizing Kane from head to toe: "You are...?"

"Kane Malfoy, my father is Lucius Malfoy."

Kane smiled slightly, his tone gentle yet confident.

"The Malfoys?"

Mrs. Longbottom frowned further, her tone clearly wary. "What do you want?"

Kane didn't answer directly, but instead turned his gaze to Neville and said softly, "Neville, your toad looks quite special. May I take a look?"

Neville was taken aback. Didn't Kane often see his rascal?

But he still handed the toad in his hand to the other person.

Kane took the toad and gently stroked its back with his fingers.

The toad suddenly let out a joyful "croak" and then jumped back into Neville's hand.

"It likes you very much."

Kane said with a smile, then turned to Mrs. Longbottom.

"Mrs. Longbottom, I've heard that Neville's parents...were Aurors, is that right?"

Mrs. Longbottom's face turned pale instantly, and her tone turned cold: "This is none of your business."

Kane, unfazed by her attitude, continued, "I've recently been researching an ancient magical healing method specifically for the psychological trauma caused by the Cruciatus Curse. I think it might be helpful to Neville's parents."

Neville abruptly looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes: "R-really?"

Mrs. Longbottom gave a cold laugh!

"Young man, don't think you can solve problems that even St. Mungo can't handle just by reading a few magic books. I don't want my son and daughter-in-law to become your guinea pigs."

Navei suddenly exclaimed, "Grandma, Kane is really amazing!"

Mrs. Longbottom's wariness lessened slightly upon hearing Neville's account.

But his tone remained firm: "Even if you are capable, I don't believe a Malfoy would help the Longbottom family for no reason."

Kane spoke sincerely: "Mrs. Longbottom, I understand your concerns. But I'm helping Neville's parents not for any family gain, but because I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Besides, Neville is my classmate, and I want him to be better off."

Neville's eyes reddened slightly, and his voice trembled a little: "Grandma, how about... we let him give it a try?"

Mrs. Longbottom was silent for a moment, then finally sighed: "Alright, but I'll be supervising the whole time. If you dare to try anything funny—"

"You can kick me out anytime," Kane interjected, a sly smile playing on his lips. "But I think you'll be satisfied."

A long-lost smile appeared on Neville's face. He hugged the toad tightly and whispered, "Thank you, Kane."

Kane patted him on the shoulder: "You're welcome, Neville. I'll explain the treatment plan to you in detail when we get back to Hogwarts."

Mrs. Longbottom watched this scene, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

She muttered under her breath, "I hope you're not wasting your time."

Kane smiled slightly and did not refute.

He knew that changing someone's opinion took time, and patience was the one thing he had no shortage of.

Just then, the Hogwarts Express whistle sounded, and Kane waved to Neville: "Get on, we have a lot to talk about."

Neville nodded and followed Kane toward the train.

He felt much better.

Mrs. Longbottom stood there, watching the two figures disappear into the distance, a hint of anticipation appearing in her eyes for the first time.

"Perhaps... this Malfoy child really is different."

On the Hogwarts Express, Kane and Neville found an empty compartment and sat down.

Neville's toad, Rafer, lay quietly on his lap, seemingly affected by Kane's aura, and stopped jumping around.

Neville rubbed his hands together, and asked nervously, "Kane, the method you just mentioned... can it really help my parents?"

Kane pulled a thick spellbook from his pocket, its cover adorned with shimmering gold runes.

He turned the page and pointed to a complex magic circle diagram, saying, "This is an ancient soul-restoring magic called 'Aura Resonance.' It can repair souls damaged by dark magic through a magic circle and specific potions."

Neville's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again: "But... the doctors at St. Mungo's said my parents' condition is very complicated, and even they can't help them."

Kane nodded, his tone steady: "The healers at St. Mungo's are indeed excellent, but they rely primarily on modern magical medicine. 'Aura Resonance,' on the other hand, is a therapy that combines ancient alchemy and soul magic. It doesn't require direct application to the patient's body; instead, it guides their soul to heal itself through a magic circle."

He took out a piece of parchment and drew a complex rune on it with the tip of his wand: "Look, this is the core of the magic circle. We need three key materials: moongrass, phoenix feathers, and unicorn tears. Moongrass can be gathered during a full moon, I already have phoenix feathers, and as for unicorn tears..."

Neville suddenly interjected, "I've heard there are unicorns in the Forbidden Forest! Maybe we can..."