Since its passage in 1875, the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery Act had been continually refined. The introduction of the Trace—a detection charm placed on all underage wizards under seventeen—had become one of the law's most effective tools, monitoring magical activity outside of school.
In practice, however, the Act's core requirement was simple: "Underage wizards must not deliberately use magic in front of Muggles." As for young witches and wizards practicing spells at home (as so many did), or experimenting privately, or even trying out new wands in shops—well, even if the Trace reported it, the Ministry of Magic wasn't about to send Aurors to arrest anyone. As long as you weren't too brazen or didn't cause a major scene, the worst you'd get was a warning letter.
For children who hadn't yet started Hogwarts, or for Muggle-borns, the Ministry's supervision was even weaker—undocumented persons didn't have the Trace at all. And since these kids often had accidental magic outbursts—like making zoo glass vanish or toppling trees—the Ministry could only respond if they got word through other channels.
In short: don't cause trouble, and the Ministry won't come knocking.
(Note: This is a blanket explanation—don't overthink the Restriction Act or the Trace. Just look at Harry's behavior from the first book to the last: unless someone in power is targeting you, the law is pretty flexible. I know the Trace is a canon thing, but if Harry can get away with things, if Malfoy can, then so can the protagonist. Call it my magical rewrite. The Trace is important, but Qin Yu won't act recklessly unless the story demands it.)
Given all that, after a single, very cautious experiment with the advanced Disillusionment Charm, Qin Yu resisted the urge to sneak downstairs and spook Hermione and Crookshanks. He used the spell sparingly.
He had to admit, handing everything over to Dumbledore gave him true peace of mind. With the burden off his shoulders, he felt much more at ease.
That night, as sleep crept in, he lay in bed and drifted off almost instantly.
…
Over the next few days, Hermione spent every spare moment cuddling Crookshanks. The bond between girl and cat deepened at lightning speed.
Amazingly, Crookshanks actually learned to use the toilet.
This was thanks to Hermione's relentless training, but even Qin Yu had to admit—the cat was shockingly clever. For a moment, he wondered if Crookshanks was actually a wizard Animagus in disguise, but the cat never "revealed his true form."
"I'm teaching him to say 'Mama' now. By the time you get back from school, maybe he'll have learned it," Hermione said with a proud smile.
But as soon as she said it, her smile faded. The Christmas holidays were almost over—Qin Yu was leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow.
Her eyes, so bright a moment ago, filled with gloom and longing.
Qin Yu noticed at once. He spoke gently: "I'll be back before you know it. And I'll write to you all the time…"
But Hermione pouted. "I don't want just letters…"
After these ten days together, letters just weren't enough for her anymore. Having Qin Yu nearby was so much better.
But school was school; he had to go back.
The thought made her miserable. Crookshanks, sensing her mood, rubbed his fluffy face against her arm.
For a moment, Qin Yu didn't know how to comfort her—he felt a pang of sadness himself.
Then, watching Crookshanks nuzzle her, he felt a sudden burst of jealousy. He grabbed the cat by the scruff and set him aside.
"Qin, you—"
Before Hermione could finish, Qin Yu stepped forward and gently pulled her into his arms.
If you don't know what to say, just hold her for a bit. Yes, even if it's only ceremonial.
At first, Hermione was stiff with surprise. But as she breathed in Qin Yu's familiar scent, she relaxed. Her cheek nestled against his neck, and the storm clouds in her heart began to clear.
"Then you have to write me at least once a week—no, twice! You can make them short, but you're not allowed to skip just because you're busy!" she demanded, her voice muffled but determined.
"I promise—two letters a week, minimum. If I don't, you can send Trigger to drag me back," Qin Yu replied solemnly.
"How's Trigger supposed to carry you?!" Hermione exclaimed, eyes wide.
"He's got plenty of brothers and sisters. They'll help," Qin Yu said with a straight face.
"Then you might get dropped out of the sky by a whole flock of owls!" The image made Hermione giggle uncontrollably.
A girl's sadness comes and goes quickly.
With Qin Yu's promise—and especially after that hug—Hermione's mood brightened considerably.
She scampered upstairs to help him pack.
Qin Yu watched her kneeling by the bed, folding his clothes with a seriousness that was both clumsy and adorable. A strange warmth filled his chest.
Getting his laundry folded by the future Minister for Magic… it was enough to make a man sentimental.
"Qin, you should pack your own things too. Check what you need to bring, and what you don't," Hermione chided, seeing him standing there in a daze.
"I want to take you with me," Qin Yu said, half-joking as he sorted through his things.
"Really? Is that allowed?" Hermione's eyes sparkled with hope.
All right, this girl was being mischievous.
"Ha! Unless you turn into an owl or a cat," Qin Yu teased.
"Then I'll transform right now… I'm already a cat… meow~"
With that, Hermione scrambled onto Qin Yu's bed, curling up and pretending to be a kitten.
Qin Yu reached out and patted her head, playing along with her act.
Of course, her performance wouldn't fool anyone for long—she was a long way from being a real cat, and there was no way he could sneak her off to Hogwarts.
The only thing she managed was to scatter the neatly folded clothes all over again.
After a round of laughter and play, Hermione dutifully went back to folding clothes by the bed.
…
The next morning, Qin Yu ate an early breakfast, grabbed his trunk, and prepared to leave.
The Grangers had wanted to take him to the station, but he insisted he could manage on his own—no need for them to miss work.
He said his goodbyes at the door.
"Crookshanks, say goodbye to Uncle!" Hermione called, lifting the yellow cat's paw and waving it at Qin Yu.
Her cheerful farewell surprised the Grangers. They'd expected tears, but instead their daughter was all smiles and mischief.
Little did they know, Hermione had already weathered her sadness the day before and been comforted. She was still reluctant to see Qin Yu go, but she was learning to be strong.
…
Qin Yu left the Granger house, caught the bus and the Tube, and made his way to King's Cross Station. He slipped through the barrier at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and boarded the Hogwarts Express once more, bound for that magical castle.
The holidays were over. A new term was about to begin.
——Dimensional Wall——
First, regarding the use of magic outside school: for the sake of the story, please refer to the explanation at the start of this chapter.
Also, the new term will move quickly—no long detours.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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