You wouldn't believe how excited Charles was when he saw the brown plush dumpling with Emma Watson's face. He felt a strange urgency, as if the world had somehow ruined it.
From Europa Universalis to Rise of the Mutants, and now it's definitely Long Live the Master, Ciel complained madly in his heart.
To everyone else, though, Charles just seemed impressed by the cuteness of the brown plush dumpling, staring at little Hermione as if under a spell. Nobody noticed the awkward twitch at the corners of his mouth or the slightly twisted expression that came and went.
"Ciel, do you know Hermione?" William asked, noticing his son's odd behavior.
"No, Dad. She just looks familiar to me. Like I've seen her somewhere before, but I can't remember where." Charles quickly looked away, trying to appear innocent and hide how flustered he felt.
"Really? That's strange, because I don't remember you at all. Hello, my name's Hermione Jane Granger. This is my father, Wallace Granger, and my mother, April Granger. Mr. William said you've studied high school courses on your own. Maybe we can study together sometime! Oh, you don't know how simple the teachers' lessons feel sometimes. Still, I always review carefully. I want perfect marks, after all!"
Hermione spoke with confidence and energy, introducing herself so naturally that Charles didn't have time to react.
When she finished, Charles almost wanted to cry. He thought he'd have to wait a long time before rewatching his favorite movie, Harry Potter: Part One. But now, here he was, face to face with Hermione herself.
How could he not be emotional? He'd gone from watching his favorite story to suddenly standing inside it. It was like meeting his idol in real life. No wonder he was so excited. And judging from Hermione's hurried self-introduction, Charles finally understood how Ron must have felt when he first met her.
"Hello, Hermione. I'm Charles Lancaster. I'd love to study with you sometime, and I have a feeling we'll be lifelong friends," Charles said seriously.
"Uh, Dad, Mr. Granger, please don't look at me like that," he added quickly. "I just think the friendship between Hermione and me will carry on the one between you two. After all, I've heard Dad complain plenty about his old college friend Mr. Granger. Weren't you both quite the pair back then?"
Charles looked at Mr. Granger with wide, innocent eyes, pretending not to notice the confusion in the room. He even patted the bewildered Hermione on the shoulder and pulled her a little aside.
"What? Damn it, William, how could you slander me in front of the kids? I've kept all your secrets!" Mr. Granger suddenly shouted, grabbing William by the collar. The two men looked ready to start wrestling right there.
"Ciel," Hermione whispered nervously, tugging on his sleeve, "shouldn't we tell our mothers that our dads are about to do something… unfriendly?"
Charles waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine, don't worry. They're just joking around. Though, my dad might owe your father a drink later."
He smiled and said, "Come on, let me show you my workshop."
Then he took Hermione by the hand and led her to the small garage behind the house. Inside were all sorts of handmade gadgets and little inventions. Hermione's eyes lit up as she looked around, asking about everything she saw.
A little later, Mrs. William appeared, already dressed for an outing. "Alright, everyone! It's rare for both families to have time off together. I don't think any of you plan to spend this vacation cooped up indoors, right? William, I swear — if you keep playing around with Mr. Granger, we'll leave you two here and take the kids out on our own!"
"Okay, okay, Lisa, I'm coming!" William replied, looking sheepish. "Charles, stop tinkering and bring Hermione along. We're going to the amusement park!"
"Coming, Dad!" Charles called back. Since there was no more excitement to watch, he and Hermione helped carry some bags, and soon all six of them were on their way to the amusement park.
The day flew by like a flash of light. As the sun set, the Lancasters said goodbye to the Grangers and drove home.
That night, Charles lay in bed, wide awake. During dinner, he had learned that the Grangers planned to move to London to expand their dental practice. Visiting William's family wasn't just for nostalgia; they were actually checking out the neighborhood since William had been recommending it for years.
So, not only was Charles living inside a Harry Potter story, he was about to have Hermione Granger as his next-door neighbor.
Every time he thought about it, he felt incredibly lucky. But then he remembered the "crazy woman" Bellatrix and the "two-hole socket man" (as he jokingly called Voldemort), and his head started to ache.
The memories of Sirius's death, Dumbledore's fall, and Hermione being called "Mudblood" all resurfaced painfully. Then came the realization that magic — real magic — existed in this world. The thought of magical creatures, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald made his heart race with curiosity.
After all, when he first crossed over, Fantastic Beasts 3 hadn't been released yet. He still didn't know how Dumbledore and Grindelwald's story ended.
"Wait… there's something called a Pensieve, right?" he muttered sleepily. "If I could somehow get Dumbledore's memories… could I watch Fantastic Beasts 4, 5, 6, and 7 early?"
Ciel chuckled at his own ridiculous thought and drifted off to sleep with a grin.