133: The End of Second Year

As soon as Nolan stepped out, Professor McGonagall quickly approached him. "Are you alright, Mr. Von Draugr?"

She scrutinized him from head to toe, and upon confirming that he wasn't seriously injured, her face softened with relief, wrinkles gathering at the corners of her eyes. "Good."

Nolan could tell that McGonagall was genuinely worried about him, so his demeanor softened slightly. "I'm fine, Professor McGonagall. You should be more concerned about the other two Gryffindors."

"What happened to Harry?!" Hermione cried out.

"He's fine. With Dumbledore protecting him, he won't die." Nolan's voice was cold as he threw down those words and strode away, leaving the three behind.

McGonagall and Snape exchanged a strange glance. They could hear it—Nolan seemed deeply dissatisfied with Dumbledore.

They didn't know why, but that was definitely not a good sign.

Hermione ran after him and grabbed the corner of his robe.

"Let go of me."

But the top student of Gryffindor refused. Instead, she asked, "Are you really okay?"

"I'm fine." Nolan waved his hand impatiently. "Why ask that? You should know my attitude has always been like this."

"I can tell you're in a bad mood..." Hermione said cautiously.

But before she could say anything more, Nolan swiftly broke free from her grasp. In a flash, he transformed into a sleek black cat, and within seconds, he had vanished from sight.

A trace of sadness flickered across Hermione's young face.

…

The next day, news spread that Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom had all been admitted to the hospital wing.

Before long, a rumor began circulating. It claimed that these three brave Gryffindors had been gravely injured while protecting a valuable treasure hidden within Hogwarts, forcing them to be hospitalized.

Though none of the professors openly acknowledged their heroic deeds, they subtly expressed admiration for such courage.

And so, the rumors grew wilder and wilder.

Many students approached Hermione, eager to hear the truth from Gryffindor's brightest witch.

Left with no choice, Hermione had to conceal certain parts of the story, sharing only what she could—details that sounded impressive but not overly terrifying.

Thus, in no time at all, the once-disgraced Boy Who Lived became a hero once more.

Of course, Harry himself was still lying in the hospital wing under Madam Pomfrey's care, completely unaware that his reputation had once again skyrocketed.

…

About a week later, the end of term finally arrived. The students were preparing to board the Hogwarts Express and return to London for the summer holidays.

Nolan and Eve walked hand in hand along the shore of the Black Lake.

Not far away, the giant squid—whom they had seen lounging on the ceiling of the Slytherin common room once—was now basking lazily in the sun at the lake's edge.

Today, the silver-haired girl seemed a little sentimental. "If I could go back two years, to the moment I first stepped into this school... I never would've imagined I'd end up like this."

Nolan, quiet as the daylight around them, responded in a low voice, "You mean, becoming strong?"

"Compared to you, I wouldn't call myself strong. I've just done everything I could." Eve's words weren't modest—they were simply the truth.

There are three stages in a person's growth.

First, realizing that you are not the center of the world.

Second, understanding that some things will remain impossible, no matter how hard you try.

And third—despite knowing this, choosing not to give up.

Very few people ever reach that third stage. But Eve had.

She was only thirteen, yet she was already more mature than her peers—even more than her own mother.

Just then, a sudden cheer erupted from behind them, echoing across the castle grounds.

"Sounds like Slytherin won the House Cup," Eve said with a small smile, resting her head against Nolan's shoulder. "That makes it our seventh consecutive victory."

"For this year's graduating Slytherins, this is a perfect ending," Nolan said softly. "They didn't lose a single match. I think they'll all be grateful to you—nearly half of this year's success belongs to you."

Eve shook her head quietly and whispered, "But the one who changed me was you."

She lifted her head, her clear, watery eyes gazing at Nolan before leaning in and gently kissing his cheek. "You changed my life. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to fly so fast, wouldn't have won so many duels, wouldn't have had the courage to encourage my mother, waiting for her to stand up again… And I certainly wouldn't have been able to truly belong in Slytherin."

"Then that's wonderful." Nolan leaned in and kissed Eve on the lips.

The little witch giggled.

When Nolan asked her why she was laughing, Eve replied, "I wasn't the only one who changed in these two years, Nolan—you've changed too."

"Have I?"

"You used to be so indifferent during the day, like nothing in the world could interest you. But now… you're much more adorable."

Eve wrapped her arms around his. "Let's go back to the Great Hall. I don't think the Slytherins want to celebrate without Nolan Von Draugr."

"They're probably looking for Eve Stock instead," Nolan countered. "After all, Slytherin's Quidditch star is Miss Stock, and this year's top student is also her."

"Oh, stop it. Everyone knows that if you studied History of Magic like a normal person, you'd easily score higher than me."

"But I refuse."

"Hehe—"

Their voices faded as they walked toward the castle.

During the walk, Eve suddenly mused, "I want to change my hairstyle for the summer. What do you like, Nolan?"

"Try curling it into waves and tying it into twin tails."

"Oh, that sounds really cute. Alright, I'll listen to you."

Their figures gradually disappeared into the distance...

After being discharged from the hospital, Harry Potter barely had time to enjoy his day as a hero before he was unceremoniously packed onto the Hogwarts Express.

He knew he was about to leave behind all these wonderful young witches and wizards and return to the miserable existence that awaited him at the Dursleys'.

That thought weighed heavily on him.

Dragging his trunk, he walked through the train, peering into compartments in search of Ron and Hermione.

When he reached the second carriage, he stopped.

Inside one of the compartments, Cho Chang and Eve Stock were sitting together, chatting amiably. Across from them sat the boy who unsettled Harry the most—Nolan Von Draugr.

He was lounging lazily, staring out the window with an air of complete boredom, as if he were counting the trees rushing past.

Beside him, a golden-haired girl sat with a pout, swinging her legs back and forth, her height just a little too short to reach the floor.

Seeing this group together made Harry uneasy, but after a moment of hesitation, he steeled himself and knocked on the door before stepping inside.

"What do you want, Potter?" Nolan's voice turned instantly cold. "Savior? Brave warrior? Hero? What should I call you now?"

Harry scratched his head awkwardly. "Alright, Von Draugr, I just came to tell you that Neville's injuries are healing. In fact, if it weren't for you, he'd have recovered a long time ago."

"I see." Nolan turned back to the window, his voice barely audible. "So in the end, Dumbledore still made his choice."

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