Alexander woke before sunrise.
Downstairs, the Chen family shared a quick but warm breakfast.
Once finished, Mr. Chen placed the Portkey on the table.
Everyone gathered.
They held on.
A familiar hook-like pull yanked them forward.
And within seconds, they landed smoothly inside the Chen family estate in New York City.
Alexander wasted no time.
He opened his briefcase and released Silver and Copper.
Don and Lisa had been left behind to maintain their Devon residence, so Silver and Copper immediately got to work helping Mrs. Chen clean and restore the house.
Meanwhile, Alexander and his father stepped outside to inspect the yard.
Everything looked pristine.
The wards placed around the small villa were still intact and working.
Creatures are undisturbed, and the garden is still thriving.
By lunchtime, the estate felt fully alive again.
Mr. Chen finally nodded in approval.
"You can go visit your friends."
Alexander grinned.
He called Silver over, mounted his old broom, and took off into the sky.
The wind rushing past him felt nostalgic.
He already knew where everyone would be gathered.
After flying for a while, he descended toward a massive estate.
Landing smoothly, he was greeted by a butler and a house elf.
The butler bowed politely.
"Welcome back, Young Master Chen. Everyone is gathered in the back."
Alexander smiled.
"Thanks, James. Silver, go make friends with the other house elves."
Silver bowed and hurried off excitedly.
As Alexander entered the backyard, cheers erupted.
All his friends were there.
The owner of the estate was the Jones family.
Nick Jones, their oldest son, is the same age as Alex.
They were childhood friends.
Their parents used to work together.
Nick ran over and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Look! Alex is back!"
The rest gathered quickly.
Handshakes.
Hugs.
Nods from those he didn't know.
Everyone settled into lounge chairs and outdoor sofas, and snacks were already spread across the tables.
Alexander opened his magical pouch and began handing out gifts.
British snacks.
British magical sweets.
Small enchanted trinkets.
His friends were thrilled.
Then he pulled out his photo album.
His time at Hogwarts was captured in both photos and enchanted photos.
They had heard stories from Alexander's letters, but actually seeing the enchanted photos.
Helped make the stories feel more exciting.
They spent hours flipping pages of photos, replaying scenes, and asking questions.
He even let them make copies of their favorite photo or enchanted photo.
In return, they shared copies of their own pictures from the past two years.
Eventually, Nick groaned dramatically.
"HOW DARE YOU LEAVE US FOR TWO YEARS JUST TO GET A GIRLFRIEND!"
Everyone burst out laughing.
Alexander smirked.
"And how many girlfriends have you had this year alone?"
Before Nick could answer—
Another childhood friend, Steve Heart, spoke up.
"Alex, Nick had at least nine. One for each month."
The group exploded with laughter.
Nick threw his hands up defensively.
"Not my fault, they think I am handsome! I only dated them because I was just bored!"
More laughter followed.
Steve pointed at Alexander, then at the Valentine's Day photos.
"So that's why you ordered all those fireworks! Thanks for the business! I made a lot of money."
Alexander chuckled.
"I did too."
The conversation shifted from school to business.
Future supply needs.
Fireworks.
Enchanted items.
Everyone agreed immediately to help and supply anything Alexander needed.
Extra money was always welcome.
Plans were made deep into the night.
Finally, when it got late, Alexander stood up.
"I'll visit again tomorrow."
They all nodded, satisfied.
He found Silver, and they flew home under the night sky.
He couldn't help but be nostalgic as he flew home.