Just before dawn, Jane and Dr. Erik arrived at the temporary research facility, intending to take Thor away.
To that end, they had even arranged a fake identity for him.
Coulson repeatedly explained that Thor had stayed of his own free will, but neither of them believed it. Left with no choice, Phil arranged for them to meet.
After the meeting, Thor explained everything about himself.
Jane and Dr. Erik were utterly shocked, yet said they could understand—though they needed time to digest such an overwhelming amount of information.
Jane never imagined she would fall for a god.
Thor stole a quiet glance at Jane.
The atmosphere between them grew awkward.
"You haven't seen Mjolnir yet, have you? I can take you to see it," Thor said.
As he spoke, he led them toward the area where the hammer was kept, boasting about it along the way.
"The head of Mjolnir is forged from Asgard's native metal—Uru—which can store enormous amounts of energy."
"The handle is made from wood that fell from the World Tree, giving it extremely strong magical affinity."
"It took the internal energy of an entire star to forge, and it's also imbued with my father's magic and divine power."
At that point, Thor's voice abruptly stopped.
Even knowing his father might not truly be dead, losing his worthiness still stuck in his throat like a bone.
Soon, Jane and Dr. Erik finally saw the legendary hammer.
Unable to suppress their scientific curiosity, the two immediately stepped forward, studying Mjolnir closely, utterly absorbed.
They even ignored Chu Yang's presence.
"It's truly a magnificent work of art," Jane praised without restraint, reaching out to touch it.
Erik stopped her and turned to Thor. "Will touching it be dangerous?"
"No danger," Thor explained. "You can even try lifting it—though that's impossible."
Jane refused to believe it. She immediately grasped the handle and pulled upward with all her strength.
Chu Yang watched with anticipation.
After all, she would become the future Lady Thor—if she actually lifted it, things would get very interesting.
Unfortunately…
Mjolnir didn't move an inch.
After several minutes of trying, Jane gave up and complained, "It's incredibly heavy. You fight with this all the time? Don't you get tired?"
Thor laughed proudly. "Of course not! I am Thor—the mightiest warrior of Asgard!"
A few more lines in, the two began exchanging meaningful glances.
Chu Yang couldn't stand watching any longer and decided to leave the cramped space to them.
The moment he stepped outside, he nearly collided with Phil Coulson.
Phil felt like he'd run into a steel wall—stars danced before his eyes.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Chu Yang asked.
"I was just about to look for you," Phil said grimly. "A strange thing suddenly flew down from the sky—kind of like Tony's armor. It's causing chaos outside. You need to see this."
Phil led Chu Yang outside the temporary facility. There, a hooded agent was engaging a humanoid armored figure with a bow. Smoke filled the air; soldiers and agents lay injured all around.
Even several tanks had been destroyed.
Chu Yang stared at the airborne armor for a few seconds, then shook his head. "That thing is completely different from Tony's armor. It has extremely strong magical reactions."
Phil reacted immediately. "Asgardian?"
Chu Yang smacked his lips. "Obviously an execution order. Loki wants Thor to stay on Earth—permanently, as a corpse."
The Destroyer Armor was Asgard's strongest weapon. Existing weapons couldn't inflict effective damage on it.
Seeing this, Phil could only make an urgent call for reinforcements.
Chu Yang glanced at the archer still restraining the Destroyer and guessed he was Clint Barton, the famed Hawkeye, on par with Natasha.
Hawkeye's arrows were all specialized, powerful ordnance—but against the Destroyer, they were nothing more than fireworks.
That he could even stall it was already an extraordinary feat of archery.
While Phil was calling for help, the Destroyer finally unleashed its true power. Energy beams gathered and detonated in wide-area AOE attacks.
Powered by Odin's divine power, magic, and soul energy, the Destroyer's reserves were practically limitless.
Even continuous large-scale attacks showed no sign of depletion.
Hawkeye and the agents were forced into desperate retreat.
"What do we do?" Phil asked anxiously. "Backup will take time. Can you hold it off? If this continues, no one here will make it out."
Chu Yang glanced at him. "I'm still a student…"
Phil gave a bitter smile. "I know—but aside from you, no one here can handle it."
Chu Yang shook his head. "I refuse moral coercion."
Phil's eyes were red with desperation.
Chu Yang added calmly, "You'll have to pay extra."
Phil froze, then said firmly, "Done!"
Chu Yang smiled and walked toward the Destroyer.
"You're a mage—why are you going up there?" Phil shouted in alarm, trying to pull him back.
If anything happened to Chu Yang, the rift between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony Stark would be irreparable—directly jeopardizing Nick Fury's Avengers Initiative.
The next second, lightning erupted around Chu Yang.
Strange sigils appeared on his face like a mask.
Invisible Armament Haki spread across his entire body.
He took a deep breath. His heart thundered, his body temperature rose, and the world seemed to slow.
Lightning Release Armor, Sage Mode, Armament Haki, Breath of Origin—four buffs activated simultaneously.
Facing the Destroyer, Chu Yang was as cautious as he had been against Gin Ichimaru.
Seizing the moment while the Destroyer attacked Hawkeye's group, Chu Yang drew two wooden swords and executed a sword technique.
In recent days, the Chu Yang from the Demon Slayer world had made huge progress not only in the Breath of Origin, but also in swordsmanship.
By fusing techniques from Sun Breathing and Moon Breathing, he had created a brand-new sword form.
This was its first use.
Breath of Origin — First Form: Sun–Moon Cycle.
A blinding flash erupted between heaven and earth, surging toward the Destroyer. The overwhelming power made even the Destroyer sense danger.
Abandoning its other targets, it immediately assumed a defensive posture. A thick pale-gold barrier formed around it.
Chu Yang wielded both blades—one bright, one dark. Golden flames burned along the wooden sword in his right hand as he slashed hard into the barrier.
Ripples spread; cracks formed—but it held.
Twisting his waist mid-strike, Chu Yang followed with his left blade, dark energy surging like silent moonlight.
The second strike landed.
Sun and moon overlapped—their combined force was unimaginable.
The barrier shattered.
The explosion's shockwave tore through the area like a typhoon. People and vehicles were flung aside; chaos erupted.
Phil Coulson and Hawkeye stared from afar, utterly dumbfounded.
"Is this… how mages fight?" someone muttered.
The massive commotion alerted Thor and Jane inside.
When they rushed out, they saw the Destroyer thrown from the dust cloud.
Chu Yang hovered in midair, lightning, sunlight, and moonlight intertwining around him. His presence was terrifying—more godlike than Thor himself.
Thor swallowed hard and turned to Phil. "Is he really a mage?"
Phil looked even more confused. "Don't ask me. This is my first time seeing this too."
As they spoke, the Destroyer rose again.
Aside from shallow blade marks, it hadn't suffered serious damage.
It glanced at Thor—then locked onto Chu Yang as the greatest threat.
Controlling it, Loki was also shaken and immediately decided to eliminate this human first.
The Destroyer soared into the air, reengaging Chu Yang in a fierce aerial battle.
Phil seized the moment to evacuate all researchers from the facility, awaiting S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters' reinforcements.
Thor stared upward, fists clenched. The frustration and fury in his chest nearly burst out of his throat.
He knew—the Destroyer had been sent by Loki to kill him.
As Asgard's greatest warrior, he could now only accept protection from others.
Jane grabbed his arm anxiously. "We have to leave—now!"
Thor didn't move, eyes fixed on the Destroyer.
Dr. Erik rushed over and, together with Jane, pulled Thor away.
The three left the temporary facility.
Looking back, Erik saw Chu Yang and the Destroyer still locked in battle high above.
"Oh my God…"
Erik popped two pills from his pocket and swallowed them, finally calming down.
After several hundred meters, Thor stopped abruptly, his expression grim.
"Jane, I can't just leave. That Destroyer came for me."
"I know—but what can you do now?"
"I am Odin's son. The crown prince of Asgard. As the God of Thunder, I cannot flee!"
"Nor can I push my responsibility onto others!"
Anger at his own helplessness made Thor finally explode.
"Well said, Thor!"
A familiar voice rang out behind him.
Thor turned, joy flashing in his eyes.
His closest comrades had arrived.
Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg.
The latter three were known as the Warriors Three, Thor's trusted lieutenants.
Sif—their only female member—was likewise a renowned Asgardian warrior.
Seeing them, hope and strength surged back into Thor's heart.
The four stepped forward and explained Asgard's current situation.
Odin's Odinsleep. Loki's abnormal behavior.
Everything matched Chu Yang's earlier suspicions.
"He… got it all right!"
Thor looked at Chu Yang with eyes filled not only with shock, but also with heartfelt respect.
Because of this, Thor quietly made a decision.
After understanding the situation, Thor's comrades immediately moved to support Chu Yang, helping him restrain the Destroyer's movements.
Meanwhile, ignoring Jane's attempts to stop him, Thor returned to the research facility and reached out toward Mjolnir.
"Mjolnir… acknowledge me once more. Let me fight as the God of Thunder, side by side with them, and protect everyone here…"
Thor whispered his prayer.
On the other side, even with Chu Yang plus the four Asgardian warriors, they still couldn't defeat the Destroyer—only suppress its actions.
At the end of the day, the twin blades in Chu Yang's hands were merely wooden swords formed through Wood Release. Even though Chu Yang himself was extremely powerful, it was still difficult to break through the Destroyer's hardened armor.
As Asgard's strongest weapon, every inch of the Destroyer was made of materials on the same level as Mjolnir.
In the distant past, it had even fought alongside Odin against enemies as powerful as the Celestials.
"My Armament Haki coating still isn't strong enough. Otherwise, even wooden swords would be able to damage it."
Chu Yang calculated silently. By now, the timing should be just right. No matter how useless Thor was earlier, he should have reclaimed Mjolnir by now.
The thought had barely passed when—
A heaven-shaking thunderclap suddenly erupted from within the research facility.
Chu Yang let out a breath of relief. The other four warriors also broke into smiles.
Vast lightning converged into a single beam. As it blasted the Destroyer away, it struck down in front of everyone.
When the lightning faded, standing before them was Thor—armored, divine power restored!
Holding Mjolnir, Thor had regained his former radiance, lightning flickering deep within his eyes.
He swung the hammer, guiding thunder from the sky and drowning the Destroyer in lightning.
Yet the Destroyer wasn't easily destroyed. It forced itself upright through the storm of lightning.
Thor and his companions charged forward at once, and the two sides clashed head-on.
Chu Yang dismissed all his buffs, returning to the harmless appearance of an ordinary student, and calmly stood to the side watching the show.
"Aren't you going to help?" asked Phil Coulson, who had been acting like a frontline reporter for quite a while.
"The time's up. If you want to renew the service, you'll need to pay more," Chu Yang shot him an annoyed look.
Phil laughed awkwardly. "Don't worry. To thank you for your contribution this time, we'll prepare proper compensation."
"I hope we can establish a good cooperative relationship—"
"Cooperation?" Chu Yang waved him off. "Forget it. Compared to fighting, I prefer staying in a lab."
"If you ever use ridiculous excuses to bother me again, I'll be the first to take you out."
Phil Coulson's smile froze instantly.
"And as payment," Chu Yang continued calmly, "this Destroyer armor must be delivered to Stark Tower first. I'll study it, and only after that can you."
"Try anything funny, and I'll still be the first to take you out."
Phil couldn't smile at all anymore. He shut his mouth and said nothing.
On the other side, Thor unleashed his full might and successfully finished off the Destroyer. He then prepared to summon the Bifrost and return to Asgard.
Jane stood in front of Thor, reluctant to part, eyes practically dripping with affection.
Their comrades tactfully turned their backs, giving the two some private time.
After a brief moment together, Thor summoned the Bifrost. A dazzling pillar of light tore through space and shone upon the land.
"So much power…"
Chu Yang watched the Bifrost and couldn't help but marvel. This was the strongest energy fluctuation he had ever felt.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed the beam seemed to deviate—drawing closer and closer to him.
Before he could get away, a hand suddenly reached out from the light and grabbed his clothes.
"Holy sh—!!!"
Leaving behind only a curse, Chu Yang was dragged straight into the Bifrost.
The light vanished.
Phil Coulson stared at the now-empty grassland, his mind blank—then an icy chill shot straight to the top of his head.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
—
"I loaned you my assistant, and now you're telling me he was taken away by aliens?!"
"Calm down, Tony. Strictly speaking, he was taken by Thor, the God of Thunder."
"So what, then?" Tony Stark snapped. "Do I need to invite Zeus to deal with him?!"
"…Uh."
Tony was raging in his lab. Even Nick Fury, who had rushed over, had to keep his distance.
Phil Coulson bore the full brunt of Tony's fury.
He stood there with his head lowered, not daring to say a word.
"He's just a freshman! His real age is barely high-school level!" Tony roared. "How the hell is he supposed to survive on some damn alien planet?!"
Normally, Pepper Potts would have stepped in to calm him down.
But this time, she said nothing—arms crossed, staring coldly at Phil Coulson.
She was even angrier than Tony.
Phil felt incredibly awkward.
He really wanted to tell Tony that the so-called freshman was more like a humanoid superweapon than Asgard's strongest weapon.
Chu Yang wouldn't just survive there—he'd probably thrive.
"Tony, I know you're angry," Nick Fury said solemnly, "but this incident has proven my instincts right."
"Earth is facing a cosmic-level threat. We need people like you to ensure its safety."
"Sorry," Tony sneered. "I can't even protect my own assistant—let alone the planet. You picked the wrong guy."
"That damn Avengers Initiative of yours? I'm not interested."
Nick Fury's expression changed. He hadn't expected Tony to reject the Avengers outright.
"Don't act on impulse, Tony," Fury said grimly.
Tony laughed coldly. "You've investigated me for years. You should know my personality."
"I like acting on impulse."
"Remember how the New York Times described me?"
"Willful, arrogant, and self-centered—that's my brand."
Nick Fury took a deep breath, his head aching. He had underestimated how much Tony valued those close to him.
Sensing Tony's volatile mood, Phil Coulson cautiously raised a hand. "I think Yang can protect himself."
"He's the strongest wizard I've ever seen."
Also the only wizard I've ever seen, Phil added silently.
Tony's sneer only deepened. "Aliens, gods, now wizards. When did your storytelling become as ridiculous as the FBI's?"
Phil sighed helplessly and took a laptop from his briefcase, playing the surveillance footage from the research facility.
The entire battle between Chu Yang and the Destroyer played out on screen.
Tony only glanced at it casually—then froze.
Pepper stood beside him, staring at the footage, utterly baffled.
Nick Fury was also seeing it for the first time. He'd been too busy rushing over to calm Tony down.
The three watched as Chu Yang, godlike on screen, shattered a barrier that even artillery couldn't scratch—with just two slashes.
"Wow~~~"
Nick Fury clicked his tongue and said to Tony, "The wizards I know usually stay in the back throwing fireballs…"
"Same," Tony muttered blankly.
Then he ground his teeth. "I knew there was something wrong with that kid! No normal human could damage my armor so easily!"
Phil Coulson added, "Thor probably took Yang to help resolve Asgard's current crisis. Once it's over, he should bring him back."
Tony frowned. "And what exactly is he supposed to help with?"
Yeah!
What help could I possibly provide?
Chu Yang thought the same.
So when Thor and Loki fought, he didn't intervene at all, obediently standing off to the side as a spectator.
It was a fight between brothers—what business did an outsider have getting involved?
It wasn't until Thor smashed the Bifrost that the smile on Chu Yang's face instantly froze.
"You destroyed the Bifrost—how am I supposed to get back to Earth?!"
Chu Yang stormed up to Thor in a rage.
"I'm sorry—I forgot!" Thor suddenly realized the problem and lowered his head in apology.
"Then why did you drag me here in the first place?" Chu Yang asked helplessly.
"When I become king, I want you to be my strategist!"
Thor's eyes burst with excitement.
"…That's it?"
Chu Yang stared at him blankly.
"You were able to deduce Loki's conspiracy from so little information. Your mind is even sharper than Loki's."
Thor praised him without reservation, grinning.
Chu Yang felt miserable.
He knew the plot—that was why he could guess what Loki was up to. What did that have to do with intelligence?
All he wanted now was to leave.
Asgard was not a good place.
After Odin's death, living here would be even more dangerous than on Earth.
First, Thor's older sister Hela would break Odin's seal and return to Asgard, destroy it completely, and force the Asgardians to flee toward Earth aboard a ship—only to encounter Thanos halfway, resulting in half of them dying.
It nearly drove the idiot God of Thunder insane.
Chu Yang had no intention of being part of the half that died.
After the chaos caused by Loki was resolved, Thor's prestige in Asgard skyrocketed.
No one could challenge his position anymore—his ascension as the next king was practically set in stone.
Thor's soaring popularity also turned Chu Yang into a celebrity by association.
"Thanks solely to the fame spread by the Warriors Three."
They went around boasting about how Chu Yang had helped Thor defeat the Destroyer on Earth.
They even claimed Chu Yang was the one who exposed Loki's plot and guided Thor back to his resolve.
They embellished the story shamelessly.
Now, wherever Chu Yang went, the attention he drew was second only to Thor.
He even received a private audience with Odin.
As a reward for helping Thor, Odin promised to grant Chu Yang one wish.
Chu Yang asked to return to Earth.
Odin shook his head regretfully, saying that before the Bifrost was repaired, there was no other way to send him back, and asked him to choose another wish.
Perhaps feeling it was improper that he couldn't fulfill Chu Yang's first wish, Odin encouraged him to make a larger one and guaranteed it would be granted.
Realizing there was no immediate way back, Chu Yang made a second request.
"I want to learn Asgardian magic."
Odin frowned slightly. "It's not that I'm refusing, but as a mortal, due to the limitations of your body, it would be extremely difficult for you to master Asgardian magic. I'm afraid I can't grant this wish."
Chu Yang smiled. "I only need an opportunity."
Odin pondered for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "I like your confidence. Very well—I grant your wish."
Thus, Chu Yang began a new journey of studying magic in Asgard.
...
The Harry Potter World
Recently, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore had been absent from school more and more frequently.
Where he went—no one knew.
Although he was rarely seen even before, the number of times he left Hogwarts alone had visibly increased.
The students hadn't noticed.
The teachers and professors hadn't either.
Everyone seemed used to Dumbledore's air of mystery.
But Chu Yang was quietly paying attention.
He understood that the more frequently Dumbledore left the school, the closer the Horcrux hunt was to its end.
Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes:
Tom Riddle's Diary — in the hands of Lucius Malfoy.After Voldemort's fall, Lucius lived in constant fear because of the diary, terrified his identity as a Death Eater would be exposed. By now, he was probably desperate to get rid of it.
For Dumbledore, obtaining it wouldn't be difficult.
The Gaunt Ring — hidden in the Gaunt shack.The ring held the Resurrection Stone and was cursed by Voldemort. Anyone tempted enough to wear it would trigger the curse.
Chu Yang had already hinted at this in the fake book. With Dumbledore's wisdom, he would certainly be cautious.
The easiest Horcrux to obtain was Ravenclaw's Diadem, hidden in the Room of Requirement together with the fake book.
No real difficulty there.
Hufflepuff's Cup — stored in a vault at Gringotts, the so-called safest place in the wizarding world.To true powerhouses, it was no different from a backyard.
Still, given Dumbledore's personality, he would most likely negotiate with the goblins to retrieve it.
The fifth Horcrux was Slytherin's Locket.
An heirloom of Salazar Slytherin, passed down through the Gaunt family.
It was later sold by Voldemort's mother, Merope Gaunt, to Borgin and Burkes for ten Galleons.
After reclaiming it, Voldemort turned it into a Horcrux and hid it in a seaside cave.
The locket was placed at the bottom of a basin, surrounded by a vicious potion. Anyone attempting to retrieve it had to drink the potion first.
That potion inflicted unbearable, life-destroying agony.
Regulus Arcturus Black, younger brother of Sirius Black, drank the potion.
He paid with his life.
Before dying, he ordered his house-elf Kreacher to take the locket and destroy it.
Unfortunately, no matter what Kreacher tried, he couldn't destroy it.
Protected by Voldemort's powerful magic, the locket survived.
It was eventually hidden in the old Black family residence.
As a supporter of Voldemort's pure-blood ideology, Regulus had once been a Death Eater.
But after realizing Voldemort wasn't promoting pure-blood ideals at all—only ruling through violence—his beliefs shattered.
In that collapse, Regulus chose betrayal.
He successfully took the real locket and used a fake one to deceive Voldemort.
Yet the stigma followed him for life.
No one knew that Regulus Arcturus Black was a true hero.
So Chu Yang wrote his unknown deeds into the fake book.
The final Horcrux was Harry himself—or rather, the fragment of Voldemort's soul accidentally left within him.
The first five weren't hard to find.
Only the last one posed a real problem for Dumbledore.
How to eliminate the soul fragment inside Harry was an enormous dilemma.
Dumbledore could never cast spells with the intent to kill Harry as the simplest solution.
Judging by the timeline, Chu Yang estimated Dumbledore had found at least three Horcruxes by now.
Adding Harry, who was always at Hogwarts, that made four.
If Chu Yang helped Dumbledore collect at most two more Horcruxes, there would be a real chance to destroy Voldemort completely.
The time was ripe.
Chu Yang finally decided—it was time to lay his cards on the table.
Voldemort's mastery of the Dark Arts—Chu Yang wouldn't claim to know every single spell, but he had a solid grasp of at least seventy to eighty percent of them.
On top of that, over this period of time, Chu Yang had been continuously researching ninjutsu, kidō, and curse techniques. By drawing parallels between different systems, he had developed quite a few counter-spells specifically aimed at dark magic.
At the very least, he no longer needed to worry about being ambushed by bizarre and sinister curses and capsizing in the gutter.
With sufficient preparation, he could eliminate Voldemort under absolutely foolproof conditions.
Just as Chu Yang was considering how to come clean with Albus Dumbledore, that very night, his room received some unexpected visitors.
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley—the three of them arrived wearing an Invisibility Cloak.
"Hey, Yang… sorry to bother you so late, but you have to come out with us right now," Harry said awkwardly.
"Please," Hermione and Ron pleaded, looking at Chu Yang with hopeful eyes. "We really need you."
Chu Yang nodded, grabbed some clothes, went into the washroom to change, and then left the dormitory with them.
There was no way four people could fit under one Invisibility Cloak.
Chu Yang gestured for them to go first, while he followed behind on his own.
The three carefully led the way ahead.
Chu Yang followed them out of the school grounds, heading straight toward Rubeus Hagrid's hut.
Along the way, the trio looked like they wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.
Harry's conflicted expression was the most obvious.
Chu Yang smiled and spoke first. "You didn't call me out just to play an adventure game, did you?"
All three laughed awkwardly at the same time.
In the end, Hermione gathered her courage and asked, "Yang… Professor Dumbledore told us that you've encountered Voldemort before?"
"Yes," Chu Yang nodded.
Harry suddenly grew agitated. "Is Voldemort really terrifying?"
Chu Yang shook his head. "I don't think he's terrifying. On the contrary, he looked much weaker than I expected."
Weaker?
Harry was stunned by that answer.
He never expected Chu Yang to use that word to describe the Dark Lord everyone in the wizarding world feared.
Hermione and Ron also frowned—this wasn't the answer they had imagined.
Chu Yang smiled. "If Voldemort were still as powerful as he was back then, he'd already be standing openly in front of everyone. Why would he need to hide?"
Hermione couldn't help nodding. It made perfect sense.
Without realizing it, Chu Yang's confident attitude began to influence them as well. Gradually, they stopped viewing Voldemort as some unstoppable catastrophe.
After all, if someone who had seen him with their own eyes wasn't afraid—why should they be?
That was what all three were thinking.
"You've finished your questions," Chu Yang said. "Now it's my turn. So—what does Professor Dumbledore want with me?"
His question startled the trio once again.
Hermione asked in shock, "How did you know?"
"Professor Dumbledore wouldn't tell you about my encounter with Voldemort for no reason," Chu Yang replied.
Only then did Hermione realize she'd accidentally let something slip, and she gave an embarrassed grin.
Harry took a deep breath and said seriously, "Professor Dumbledore hopes you can stay with me in the Forbidden Forest for a while."
What was in the Forbidden Forest?
A War Tree mutated from the Whomping Willow.A unicorn clan that revered Chu Yang as a divine being.And Firenze, along with the centaurs who held deep goodwill toward Chu Yang.
With these three forces combined, everything in the Forbidden Forest could be swept aside.
That place was his home ground.
By asking Chu Yang to stay with Harry in the forest, Dumbledore was implicitly entrusting Harry's safety to him.
The elderly wizard had finally made up his mind to confront Voldemort head-on.
Before the soul fragment inside Harry was destroyed, Harry remained Voldemort's only chance at a comeback.
Staying in Hogwarts would make Harry a target for Death Eaters.
But staying in the Forbidden Forest would not only be safer—it would also draw Death Eater attention away from the school.
From Chu Yang's perspective, bringing the War Tree and bulldozing everything directly would be far more efficient.
But Dumbledore still regarded him as a student.
Entrusting Harry's safety solely to Chu Yang was already his bottom line.
"Looks like the camping gear I bought recently will finally come in handy," Chu Yang said with a smile and a nod.
"That's great," Harry said, forcing a nervous smile of his own.
"I'm really good at setting up tents!" Ron exclaimed excitedly. "George and Fred taught me when we went to watch Quidditch!"
"Why are you so excited?" Hermione snapped. "Professor Dumbledore said it's Yang and Harry going to the forest—not us!"
"One more person means more protection for Harry, right?" Ron argued righteously.
"That's not more protection—it's one more person dragging Yang down!" Hermione reached for Ron's ear, but he dodged deftly.
"Professor Dumbledore said Yang can summon unicorns," Ron whispered temptingly. "Don't you want to see a unicorn?"
For a girl, unicorns were an irresistible existence. What girl could refuse riding a unicorn under the moonlight?
Hermione's resolve immediately wavered.
She muttered softly, "The Forbidden Forest is dark and scary… with only the two of them, they'd definitely be afraid. More people would be better…"
Ron gave her a thumbs-up.
As they talked, they arrived at Hagrid's hut. Hermione stepped forward and knocked.
Knock, knock, knock.
Hagrid opened the door sideways, looking secretive. "Come in."
The warm fire chased away the chill of the night, and a wave of warmth spread through everyone's bodies.
Chu Yang glanced around and asked, "Professor Dumbledore isn't here?"
"He's got more important things to do!" Hagrid said, bringing out several cups of hot tea.
"That's practically your catchphrase now," Ron teased, mimicking Hagrid's tone. "Every time we ask about him, you say the same thing."
Hagrid's eyes widened. "You don't know how important the things Professor Dumbledore is doing are! Right now, he's—"
"Hagrid!" Chu Yang interrupted quickly.
"Merlin's beard!" Realizing he'd nearly misspoken, Hagrid shot Chu Yang a grateful look.
"Actually, we do know what Professor Dumbledore is doing," Ron said smugly. "We gave him that book about Horcruxes."
"We just don't know where they all are."
Hagrid hurried over and clamped a hand over Ron's mouth, the grease and grime nearly making Ron gag.
While the two struggled, Hermione turned to Chu Yang. "You don't know what a Horcrux is, right?"
Chu Yang smiled and nodded.
"You actually have things you don't know?" Hermione's eyes lit up. Being able to show off knowledge in front of Chu Yang might have been her happiest moment at school.
So she excitedly explained how she'd traced the clues about Horcruxes from Hogwarts: A History You Never Knew.
When she finished, her eyes sparkled like stars as she looked at Chu Yang expectantly.
Chu Yang got the hint immediately. "Hermione, you're really smart."
Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly as she lifted her chin proudly.
"That's not fair! We discovered it together!" Ron protested, breaking free from Hagrid and dragging Harry over.
Chu Yang sighed. "All right—clever and brave Mr. Ron Weasley."
Ron nodded in satisfaction. "Exactly. You've got good taste."
Harry, mortified, quietly turned his head away as if he didn't know him.
"All right, kids, keep it down," Hagrid said, pressing his hands downward. "We're heading into the Forbidden Forest soon."
"Hagrid," Chu Yang asked casually, "do you know how many Horcruxes Professor Dumbledore has found so far?"
Hagrid shook his head. "Sorry, I can't tell you the exact number. But there are two left unfound."
Judging by the difficulty, that most likely meant the Gaunt Ring and Slytherin's Locket.
A short while later, Hagrid led them deep into the Forbidden Forest.
They stopped beside a lake.
There stood a small wooden cabin.
"All right—this is it," Hagrid said proudly, introducing his handiwork.
The cabin wasn't large, but it could comfortably house four people. It was just rather bare—aside from beds and a fireplace, there wasn't much furniture to speak of.
Under Hermione's astonished gaze, Chu Yang pulled out a small carry-on bag and began dumping things out.
A tent. Sleeping bags. Camping lights. Foldable outdoor tables and chairs. A toolbox. Hanging ropes. Assorted hooks. A first-aid kit. Pots and pans.
As more and more items spilled out of the bag, the other four stood there with mouths agape.
"Are you… moving house?" Hermione swallowed.
"It's not that much stuff," Chu Yang said, checking to see if anything was missing.
Learning Apparition had one obvious advantage—it allowed him to freely travel between the magical and non-magical worlds.
"I have to admit, this is more complete than what I prepared," Hagrid said, coughing awkwardly. "You really like camping?"
Chu Yang nodded. "Since the orphanage, I've lived in group settings for too long. If I get the chance, I prefer having more time alone."
Ron excitedly circled the camping gear. His father's job involved the Muggle world, so he was fairly familiar with such things.
Harry said hesitantly, "I remember Professor McGonagall saying the Extension Charm isn't allowed on personal items…"
Chu Yang smiled. "If we followed every Ministry regulation to the letter, magic would bring us a lot less joy."
Hermione nodded vigorously. "I agree!"
Harry fell silent in thought.
(End of Chapter)