In the end, Qin Yu and Hermione brought the cat home.
…
Actually, they'd already left the little yellow cat at the magical pet shop, where the clerk remarked that it had a bit of Kneazle in its blood—maybe it would sell, if they were lucky.
But they hadn't gone far when Hermione began to mutter, "Crookshanks is clearly beautiful. Why did the clerk say he was ugly and hard to sell?"
"Who?" Qin Yu blinked, confused.
"The clerk…" Hermione replied, equally puzzled.
"I mean, who's Crook-what?" Qin Yu pressed.
"Crookshanks," Hermione said, this time enunciating the name.
"Right! Crookshanks!" Qin Yu nodded.
"Crookshanks is very handsome," Hermione declared with conviction.
"So, Crookshanks is…?" Qin Yu frowned.
"The little cat we found! I just named him," Hermione explained, then glanced longingly back at the pet shop.
…
Well, Qin Yu wasn't sure if she'd mentioned the name before, but "Crookshanks" certainly fit—a pair of slightly bowed, stubby legs. (Crook means bent, shank means leg.)
Most importantly, he recognized the name.
He just wasn't sure if this "Crookshanks" was the same Crookshanks from the books—the one Hermione would buy in her third year. Still, the fluffy ginger fur, broad face, and short legs were certainly a match.
"If nobody buys Crookshanks, he'll have to stay locked in a cage forever. That's just too sad, isn't it, Qin? …Hey? Where'd you go?" Hermione looked around and realized she was talking to herself.
She turned to see Qin Yu standing behind her, bag of books in hand, giving her a look of helpless resignation.
"Why'd you stop walking?" Hermione asked, confused.
"Are you sure you want to leave?" Qin Yu arched an eyebrow.
…
Hermione blinked, then a smile crept across her lips.
"Qin, are you…?"
"Exactly what you're thinking," he replied.
"Really?!"
"Of course. You've already named him—he's ours now." In Qin Yu's mind, once Hermione had given the cat a name, it didn't matter whether this was the Crookshanks he remembered or not; there was no leaving him behind.
"That's wonderful! I absolutely love you! Mua~"
Hermione dashed over, stood on tiptoe, and pressed a quick kiss to Qin Yu's cheek, then darted back into the magical pet shop.
A Western-style peck on the cheek—nothing unusual, Qin Yu told himself as he coughed lightly and followed her inside.
Getting the cat back was easy enough. Qin Yu also picked up a few magical supplements and grooming potions for cats. The clerk, far from annoyed, was delighted to see business and didn't mind the kids changing their minds.
Hermione was over the moon, hugging the newly christened Crookshanks as if she'd never let go.
"Crookshanks, from now on you'll live with us! I'm your mummy—Hermione—and this is Daddy… wait, no, this is Uncle Qin," Hermione cooed to the cat as they walked down the street.
"Why am I not the dad?" Qin Yu asked, genuinely perplexed.
"Because I'm your little sister, so you're Crookshanks' uncle!" Hermione replied with absolute seriousness.
Clearly, she remembered how Qin Yu had introduced her as his sister at the Leaky Cauldron.
"Alright, uncle it is." Qin Yu saw no point in arguing.
So, the little family—two people and a cat—wandered around Diagon Alley a while longer, sampled some magical treats, and then called it a day.
…
When Qin Yu, Hermione, and Crookshanks returned home, the Grangers were still at work.
"Qin, do you think Mum and Dad will let us keep him?" Hermione was suddenly anxious.
"Don't worry, I'll help you convince Uncle David and Aunt Jenny," Qin Yu promised with a smile.
"That's wonderful! Did you hear that, Crookshanks? Qin will help us, so you can relax!" Hermione said, snuggling the little cat.
Qin Yu waited, but the ceremonial kiss never came—clearly, Crookshanks now commanded all of Hermione's attention.
When the Grangers returned that evening, they were understandably hesitant about another pet. They were mostly worried that Hermione wouldn't be able to care for the cat while they were busy with work.
But Qin Yu argued his case earnestly: students at Hogwarts were supposed to bring a pet anyway, so buying one early was no problem. Crookshanks was clever and low-maintenance, he insisted.
He even tried to have Crookshanks demonstrate using the toilet.
Of course, the bewildered and slightly terrified cat nearly fell in.
Still, Mrs. Granger relented. After all, if the kids could come up with the idea of teaching a cat to use the toilet, perhaps they deserved a little leeway.
And so, Crookshanks officially became part of the Granger household.
That night, Hermione took him straight to her room to sleep.
As for Trigger, who'd been napping on her windowsill, Qin Yu sent him off that night with a letter for Hogwarts.
…
Lying in bed, Qin Yu found himself wide awake, replaying the day's events.
The talk at the Leaky Cauldron, the young wizard he'd tailed—likely a Purist from Grindelwald's Army—and the cloaked man with the Death Eater tattoo.
The key and the pouch they'd exchanged.
All of it left Qin Yu feeling uneasy.
He'd already checked: the key was almost certainly for a Gringotts vault, and the pouch contained a sealed glass vial filled with a liquid so dark red it was nearly black.
"So, the G.A. is selling something to the Death Eaters for cash?" Qin Yu speculated.
But what exactly was in that vial?
He'd considered opening it, but caution won out—no sense tempting fate.
At that moment, he felt more than ever that he'd made the right choice by investigating. If he'd simply reported the suspicious man, he'd never have learned so much. And there weren't many people he could trust to act quickly.
He'd done what he could. The rest, he'd leave to those better equipped.
As he pondered this, Qin Yu glanced toward the window.
Almost as if he'd developed some kind of sixth sense, he watched as the air outside shimmered—and suddenly, a gray-bearded old wizard appeared.
Moments later, the window opened of its own accord, and the old man stepped inside.
It was none other than Professor Dumbledore—the person Qin Yu trusted most, and certainly the most powerful.
Dumbledore had come at Trigger's urgent summons.
"Qin, what's happened?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling with concern.
Qin Yu hadn't included details in his note, only asking the Headmaster to come at once.
He'd considered sending Trigger to Hogwarts with the key and vial, but for safety's sake, had instead asked Dumbledore to meet him in person.
"Well, it's like this. Today I took Hermione to Diagon Alley…"
Qin Yu recounted everything he'd seen and heard.
Dumbledore listened in silence, his expression growing graver by the minute.
By the time Qin Yu handed over the vial, worry was etched on the old wizard's face.
"So, this wasn't their first exchange, but their second?" Dumbledore asked, as if it were a minor detail.
"Yes. They seemed to know each other, even argued about ideology," Qin Yu replied.
"I see." Dumbledore pocketed the key and vial. Then, turning to Qin Yu, he said, "Qin, don't take such risks in future. Leave the rest to me. Enjoy the last days of your Christmas holiday."
"Um, I really just stumbled into it. I wasn't looking for trouble," Qin Yu said, rubbing his nose.
"Your vigilance and courage are admirable, but you're still young. Some things should be left to us adults—these matters are too dangerous," Dumbledore said kindly but firmly.
"Yes, Professor Dumbledore. I'll listen to your advice," Qin Yu agreed readily.
"Good. I'll be off, then. Get some rest." Dumbledore smiled, then vanished with a soft crack as he Apparated away.
With the dangerous items gone, Qin Yu finally breathed easy.
Ding! Host has submitted the investigation results to a key figure. Task complete. Reward issued—please check your inventory! the system chimed.
Qin Yu hadn't expected the mission to be marked as complete only now.
Excited, he tested his newly acquired reward—advanced Disillusionment Charm mastery.
He whispered the incantation and tapped himself with his wand.
Instantly, his body vanished; he felt like a ghost without a physical form.
The effect was everything he'd hoped for.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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