Simultaneously traversing: the pinnacle of all realms

Diagon Alley was even more bustling in July than before the start of the school year, with wizards dressed in all sorts of robes everywhere. Some lingered in front of shop windows, while others hurried along carrying large bags and small packages.

Wow, there are so many people.

Hannah remarked, "There weren't this many people last time I came."

"Because it's the holidays," Xavier said. "Everyone's coming to buy things."

The two walked slowly along the street. When they passed Flourish and Blotts, Xavier glanced inside—there were several stacks of new books piled up at the entrance, and the top one had the words "Breaking Up with the Ghost" printed on its cover, written by Gilderoy Lockhart.

"This book is very popular recently."

Hannah followed his gaze and said, "My mother bought a copy too, and said it's very interesting."

Xavier's lips twitched slightly.

Lockhart. Second-year Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

He silently labeled that person as a "show-off," but didn't say anything more.

The two continued walking, and when they passed a pet store, Hannah stopped and looked at a purple toad in the window for a while.

"So ugly," she commented.

"Indeed," Xavier agreed.

After walking a while longer, Hannah stopped and turned to look at Xavier.

"By the way, Ethan, what are your plans for summer vacation?"

"A plan?" Xavier thought for a moment.

"Physical training, reading, practicing magic—that's about it."

"Practice magic!" Hannah's eyes lit up. "You said you wanted to practice at the Leaky Cauldron, right? Well... can I come find you to practice with me?"

Xavier paused for a moment.

"My dad is a wizard, but he has to work and doesn't have time to teach me," Hannah explained.

"Also, I'm not quite proficient at some of my spells yet, and I'd like to find someone to practice with. I always feel like I'm not using the ones I learned in first grade well enough—"

She spoke softer and softer, seemingly a little embarrassed.

Xavier looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"sure."

Hannah's eyes lit up instantly, and her smile was like a sunflower.

"Really? That's great! I'll come see you tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow might be a bit rushed," Xavier said. "How about the day after tomorrow? The day after tomorrow morning, see you at the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Okay! It's settled then!"

The two high-fived, like two little children.

—Even though they were just children.

Xavier looked around and his gaze fell on a shop across the street—Florin’s Ice Cream Shop. There were a few wrought iron tables and chairs in front of the shop, with a large parasol over them, making it look like a perfect place to sit down and rest.

"Shall we go get some ice cream?" Xavier suggested.

"Great idea!"

The two crossed the street and sat down on a chair by the door.

There weren't many customers in the shop. The owner, Florin Fusco, was a chubby old man who loved to laugh.

"What would you two like to order?"

"Two servings of chocolate ice cream with raspberry sauce," Xavier said.

"Okay!"

Florin worked quickly and soon brought out two large bowls of ice cream, each with a chocolate bar stuck on top.

Xavier paid the bill, and the two began to eat.

Florin didn't have many guests, so he moved a chair and sat down next to them, and started chatting.

"Are you students at Hogwarts?" Florin asked.

"Yeah, I just finished first grade," Hannah mumbled, her mouth full of ice cream.

Which college?

Hufflepuff.

Florin's eyes lit up, and his smile became even brighter.

"Hufflepuff! What a great house! Helga Hufflepuff is a wonderful witch."

He patted his chest. "I'm Hufflepuff too, graduated years ago."

"Really?" Hannah's interest was piqued. "Mr. Florin, what was the Hufflepuff common room like when you were at Hogwarts?"

"It was probably about the same as it is now," Florin recalled.

"It was round and cozy, with a fire always burning in the fireplace. Oh, and the kitchen entrance was really close to the common room; I used to sneak out there in the middle of the night to grab food—"

As he said this, he suddenly realized that he was talking to two eleven-year-olds about "sneaking out in the middle of the night," and quickly coughed twice.

"Ahem, just pretend you didn't hear that."

Xavier and Hannah exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.

"Mr. Florin," Xavier asked, scooping a spoonful of ice cream, "have you been running this ice cream shop since you graduated?"

"More or less," Florin said.

"When I was young, I also thought about doing something big. I applied for a job at the Ministry of Magic and tried my hand at business. But I found that selling ice cream was the best fit for me."

He looked down at his round belly and smiled.

"I'm happy every day. My customers are happy when they eat my ice cream."

As Xavier listened, a feeling he couldn't quite describe suddenly welled up inside him.

It seems that most Hufflepuff people are like that.

Everyone wants to live a peaceful and stable life, and incidentally, make themselves a little more comfortable.

When Helga Hufflepuff founded the school, she said, "I like students who are loyal, honest, fair-minded, and hardworking, but I will accept all students, regardless of whether they possess these qualities."

This rule was indeed continued in Hufflepuff hundreds of years later.

"Mr. Florin," Hannah said, licking her lips contentedly after finishing the last bite of her ice cream, "your ice cream is delicious."

"Oh, thank you!" Florin smiled even more broadly.

"Would you like another one? It's on me today."

"Really? That's great!"

Hannah ordered another one without hesitation.

Xavier initially wanted to refuse, but seeing Florin's expectant look, he nodded.

"Then I'll have another one, thank you, Mr. Florin."

While waiting for the ice cream to be served, Florin sat back down next to them.

"What are your plans for the summer vacation?" he asked.

"Practice magic!" Hannah blurted out.

"Ethan is going to rent a room at the Leaky Cauldron to practice magic, and I'm planning to go find him and practice together."

Florin nodded, a look of approval on his face.

"Practicing diligently is a good thing. But you also need to pay attention to rest and not overwork yourself."

He paused, then suddenly lowered his voice, as if he were talking about a secret.

"By the way, if you want to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts, I suggest you take a look at the books in my shop. Not textbooks, but adventure stories—they contain some methods for dealing with danger that are much more practical than what's written in textbooks."

Xavier paused for a moment, then turned to look at the row of bookshelves in the corner of the ice cream shop.

Various books were neatly arranged on it, including "Hogwarts: A History of the School," "A Directory of Important Wizards in the Twentieth Century," and several works by Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Lockhart's book?" Xavier asked.

"Yes." Florin nodded.

"Although some people say he likes to exaggerate, the things he experienced and the dangers he encountered were real. Learning from other people's experiences is always better than waiting until you encounter them yourself to figure out a solution."

Xavier nodded thoughtfully.

That's true. Even if the solutions in the book have been embellished, they at least offer a possible approach.

"Thank you, Mr. Florin, I will read it."

The three chatted for a while longer before Hannah reluctantly stood up.

"We have to go back."

After thanking Florin, the two slowly walked towards the Leaky Cauldron.

Back at the bar, Hannah said goodbye and went upstairs.

Tom was wiping glasses behind the bar when he saw Xavier come in and nodded to him.

"Little wizard, would you like to take a look at the room? You can pay me back the room fee whenever you decide you don't want to rent it anymore."

"No, boss, I'll come back tomorrow."

Xavier understood that old Tom probably just wanted to provide a place for children to play.

After thanking him, Xavier left the Leaky Cauldron and headed home.

This holiday was so much fun! I had Hannah practicing magic with me, Mr. Florin's ice cream, and the Leaky Cauldron, a "safe zone" where I could freely cast spells.

Tomorrow I'll tidy up my room first, then go to Flourish and Blotts to buy some second-grade textbooks.

The day after tomorrow, we'll start practicing once Hannah arrives.

This summer, he plans to practice all the spells he learned in first grade until he can cast them with his eyes closed.

Then--

Then learn all the new spells for second grade.