Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

On the morning of the 24th, the snow finally stopped.

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, casting a thin golden line across the floor.

Henry opened his eyes, and for a moment he was dazed.

This wasn't his perpetually dark bedroom in the Hogwarts crypts, and the view outside the window was no longer that deep, dark lake. This was the room where he had slept since childhood. The plaster patterns on the ceiling, the books on the bookshelves, and the vibrant, burgeoning world all reminded him that he had returned home.

He got up, washed up with the help of his servants, and changed into a dark gray cashmere sweater and neatly ironed casual trousers.

Ah, it feels so good to be home.

When they came downstairs, William and Harry were already in the living room.

The two knelt on the carpet, sweating profusely in front of the suitcase, seemingly trying to open it but unable to.

"Henry!" William's eyes lit up when he saw his brother appear. "Quick, open it for us!"

"Darling? Stop fooling around." Diana's voice came from the bottom of the stairs. "It's time to go."

Today she wore a dark blue coat, paired with a hat and gloves in the same color scheme, making her look elegant and gentle.

The drive to Sandringham House takes about two hours. A convoy of two black Land Rovers slowly drove out of the gates of Kensington Palace, through the quiet streets of London, and headed toward Norfolk.

Henry, his mother, and his two brothers sat in the first car, while Charles rode in the other—he had a stack of documents to review and said he could take care of them on the way.

William and Harry fell asleep ten minutes after getting in the car. They were slumped in the back seat with their heads together, mouths slightly open, fast asleep.

Diana covered them with a blanket, moving so gently as if afraid of disturbing something precious.

"They were so excited last night," she whispered, "they kept saying they wanted to open your present today."

Henry nodded, his gaze falling on the rapidly receding scenery outside the window.

"Are you nervous?" Diana asked.

"What?"

"Let's go to Grandma's house." Diana turned her head to the side.

"It's alright." Henry smiled slightly.

Diana smiled but didn't say anything.

But she reached out and gently squeezed his hand.

When Sandringham House came into view, Henry suddenly understood why some people described it as a fairy tale.

It was a Victorian-style red brick building, situated in the center of a vast estate, surrounded by neatly manicured lawns and groves of trees. Snow settled on the red walls, accumulating on the windowsills and roof, gleaming softly in the afternoon sun.

It's that time of year again for white albums...

The convoy entered the manor gates and proceeded slowly along the long driveway.

William and Harry were already awake and were peering out the car window, muttering, "We're here, we're here."

The car was parked in front of the main building.

A familiar figure was already standing at the door; it was tall Paul, wearing his signature dark coat and white gloves.

He saw Henry get out of the car and bowed slightly.

"Welcome home, Your Highness Henry."

"Paul," Henry nodded, "Is Grandma home?"

"Her Majesty the Queen is in the Garden Hall, waiting for you all." Paul's gaze fell on the little one behind Henry, dressed in a neat tea towel, with big, blinking eyes.

As the Queen's attendant, a seasoned veteran who had seen it all, he merely raised an eyebrow.

"Who is this...?"

"My assistant, Lucy," Henry said, "she'll be staying with me for a few days."

Paul nodded without asking any further questions.

He gestured for me to follow him: "Please come with me."

In the garden hall, the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly.

Elizabeth sat in her favorite armchair, a tartan wool blanket covering her lap, a cup of tea in her hand.

Today she wore a light gray wool cardigan, paired with a pearl necklace and earrings—a style she has never changed in decades.

When she saw Henry come in, she put down her teacup and looked at him.

"Henry".

"Grandma." Henry walked over, stopped in front of her, and gave a slight bow. "Merry Christmas."

Elizabeth scrutinized him carefully, from head to toe, her gaze filled with deep concern.

Charles, standing nearby, subtly curled his lip, pretending to be particularly interested in an oil painting on the wall.

"I've lost weight," she said.

"No, Grandma."

"Didn't Hogwarts eat properly?"

"……some."

"Then why did you lose weight?"

Henry couldn't help but laugh.

"Quidditch training," he said, "is something else."

Elizabeth gently patted the armrest of the sofa beside him.

"Sit down," she said, "and have a cup of tea with Grandma."

Afternoon tea usually begins at four o'clock, but there were a few more people in the garden hall today.

Prince Philip sat in an armchair on the other side of the fireplace, a glass of sherry in his hand, discussing something with Charles—it sounded like they were arguing about something as trivial as whether the Christmas tree decorations were crooked this year compared to last year.

Diana sat next to Elizabeth, speaking softly.

William and Harry were allowed to play in the living room, but only on the carpet, and were not allowed to touch anything fragile.

Lucy stood half a step to Henry's side, holding the spare can of Corgi in her hands, so nervous that she almost crumpled the corner of the tea towel.

"Is that your assistant?" Prince Philip's gaze fell on the little creature, filled with undisguised curiosity.

"Yes, Grandpa," Henry said. "Lucy, this is His Highness Prince Philip."

Lucy bowed deeply: "Your Highness..."

"Alright, alright," Philip waved his hand, "no need for such formalities. Are you a house-elf?"

"...Yes, Your Highness."

"Can you cook?"

Lucy blinked. "Yes...yes, Your Highness, the Hogwarts kitchen—"

"Then you'll make breakfast tomorrow," Philip said. "I want to see which is better, the cooks at Hogwarts or the ones at Sandringham."

Lucy froze and looked at Henry.

Henry nodded slightly.

"...Yes, Your Highness," Lucy said softly.

Diana couldn't help but chuckle, and Elizabeth, holding her teacup, also smiled.

"Philip," she said, "don't scare people."

"I didn't scare her!" Philip looked completely innocent. "I just wanted to try it—"

His words were interrupted by a knock on the door. Paul pushed the door open and came in, followed by several servants carrying silver platters.

The silver platter was filled with exquisite afternoon tea treats, along with a pot of steaming black tea.

"Tea and refreshments are ready, Your Majesty," Paul said.

Elizabeth nodded, her gaze falling on Henry.

"Henry," she said, "aren't you going to tell me about the gifts you brought?"

Henry stood up, took the spare can of corgis from Lucy, and walked over to his grandmother.

"Grandma," he said, "this is for you."

(Happy Lunar New Year's Eve! I'll be adding two more chapters. The last two chapters will be posted at 10:30 PM. Please give me some monthly votes! Thank you!)