《Harry Potter: My Life as Hermione》Chapter 35: Professor S Torments Me a Thousand Times

When you've glimpsed the wonders and magic of the world, can you ever be content with a life of endless repetition?

Qin Yu had never really pondered this question—at least, not until the Boggart revealed just how deeply he clung to his old life.

He realized then that the innocence, dreams, and aspirations of his youth had never truly vanished. Perhaps it was because he'd been granted a second chance at life, to become a teenager once more, that those dreams and hopes had returned so vividly. Or maybe, it was those very dreams and innocence that gave him the courage to live as a youth again.

Who could say for certain? Just as he could never know why the hand of fate had guided him here, to show him a new world and let him start over as a boy in this magical place...

So why not follow his heart? Why not embrace everything this world had to offer—joy and sorrow alike—and strive to live a life unlike any before? To make this journey count, to honor both the adventure and the river that carried him here.

…

Professor Swenton's Boggart training had gone off without a hitch for Qin Yu.

Yet, the experience left him with a tangle of questions and reflections. By the time he reached the Great Hall from Professor Swenton's office, he'd sorted out some of these thoughts. Though not everything was clear, he felt his mind had grown sharper, his will more resolute than ever.

That sense of growth far outweighed the fleeting triumph of disarming Professor Snape with an Expelliarmus.

Of course, that's not to say that Professor Snape wasn't as good a teacher as Swenton.

On the contrary, in Qin Yu's eyes, Severus Snape was a wizard of rare talent and imagination. His words always hit home, pinpointing Qin Yu's weaknesses and tailoring his guidance to fit. That was a big reason why Qin Yu had advanced so quickly in his magical studies.

As for Professor Swenton, Qin Yu saw him as a true scholar—worldly, witty, and endlessly knowledgeable. Whether it was ancient legends, wizarding lore, or Muggle trivia, he always had a story at hand. Qin Yu often joked that Swenton would make a far better History of Magic teacher than Professor Binns ever could.

Snape and Swenton—one, the cool and enigmatic genius; the other, the passionate and erudite sage. Sometimes Qin Yu couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if the two of them teamed up.

Unbeknownst to him, the magical world already had its share of legendary duos—GGAD for Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore. By comparison, Snape and Swenton could easily form their own duo: SSSS, or maybe just S4.

The image of Snape and Swenton side by side struck Qin Yu as oddly harmonious.

And it wasn't just the professors—among the younger generation, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy could be paired up in all sorts of ways: Ron/Harry, Draco/Harry, Draco/Ron… If those three ever became friends, they could practically debut as the "HWBoys." (Note: HW for Hogwarts; the school's full abbreviation is HSWW.)

Qin Yu and the Weasley twins had once daydreamed about the future of wizarding pop culture, and bringing those three into the fold would make for a promising start.

Lost in these whimsical thoughts, Qin Yu found himself smiling. After all, the sight of Harry, Ron, and Draco standing together was a visual that never failed to amuse.

By now, he was seated at the Great Hall table. His friends—Jimmy and the others—noticed his grin and shot him curious looks.

"Qin, did something good happen?" Elvis asked, always the first to show concern. He'd long considered Qin Yu his best mate at school.

"I know, I know! It's gotta be this morning's letter!" Jimmy blurted out excitedly. "I was here early and saw Qin get another pink letter!"

"Huh? Qin got another letter?" Wilson groaned, green with envy.

Elvis and Bork wore matching expressions.

"..."

Qin Yu wasn't about to explain his secret CP-shipping habits to a bunch of kids—they wouldn't get it anyway. As for the letters, surely they'd be numb to it by now, given how many he'd received.

"Alright, enough about me. What are you lot up to these next couple of days?" he said, steering the conversation away.

Sure enough, the boys dropped the subject and eagerly started talking about the upcoming Quidditch tryouts for each house.

When they found out Qin Yu had signed up, they got even more excited.

Jimmy suggested forming a cheer squad for him, and Elvis immediately volunteered to make banners.

Listening to their excited chatter, Qin Yu felt a sudden warmth in his chest. Sometimes, the little things meant the most.

…

After lunch, Jimmy and the others rushed off to prepare their cheerleading materials.

Qin Yu headed back to endure another round of Professor Snape's relentless training.

As it turned out, the time he managed to knock Snape's wand away with Expelliarmus had only happened because the professor had gone easy on him.

This afternoon, the rules were the same: only Expelliarmus allowed. But this time, Snape wasn't holding back.

He doubled his magical output, sending a shock through Qin Yu's hand with a single spell—no surprise there, given how powerful Snape was.

But then came the real shock: two Expelliarmus spells fired off in rapid succession. No one had ever told him that was even possible!

Qin Yu was stunned. And just as he started to adapt to Snape's double strikes, the professor hit him with a triple volley.

As if that wasn't enough, Qin Yu was pretty sure Snape was adding extra effects to his spells—shock, stun, knockback, blinding flashes, paralysis, burning, freezing. You name it, he got hit with it.

He was battered from every direction, left staggering and breathless.

Technically, Professor Snape only used Expelliarmus—just his own, highly modified version.

By the time training ended, Qin Yu felt like he'd been taken apart and put back together—badly.

Don't tell me this is payback for yesterday, he thought, eyeing Snape's calm, unreadable face. He couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

Thankfully, Snape finished the lesson by casting a few healing spells, easing most of the pain and exhaustion.

…

Since the Quidditch tryouts were a big deal, Qin Yu was granted a day off to participate.

The next morning, surrounded by his friends, he headed to the pitch.

There were plenty of familiar faces among the hopefuls: George and Fred, of course, along with a Gryffindor girl named Angelina Johnson. From Hufflepuff came a certain handsome boy—Cedric Diggory.

Watching Cedric from afar, Qin Yu had to admit—this guy could almost rival him in looks. (Author: ptui!)

…Dimensional Wall…

Note: GGAD stands for Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore.

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!

Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!

��� patreon.com/GoldenLong