《Harry Potter: My Life as Hermione》Chapter 44: Winter’s Approach, Black Lake Frozen

On the morning before Halloween, Qin Yu made his way to the Great Hall, drawn by the irresistible aroma of roasted pumpkin.

He had barely taken his seat when a flurry of owls swept in, swooping over the tables and dropping letters and parcels to their intended recipients. Instantly, the Great Hall was filled with a cheerful uproar.

Clearly, the post owls had their work cut out for them today.

Qin Yu soon found himself the recipient of a rather large, tightly wrapped package—about the size of a school bag.

As expected, Hermione's neat handwriting was scrawled across the wrapping.

When he opened it, he found a bright red sweater and a pair of brown woolen gloves.

Reading the letter tucked inside, he learned that the sweater was a gift from Mrs. Granger, while the gloves were lovingly hand-knitted by Hermione herself.

—She'd chosen the colors because he'd once mentioned that Gryffindor's house color was red, and that her own hair was brown.

"Tsk, a red sweater…" Qin Yu muttered, at a loss for words.

Such an eye-catching color—thank goodness he was still a "child." If it were his previous life, he'd never dare wear something so bold in public.

As for the gloves, while they were a little lopsided, they were wonderfully warm. He decided he'd save them for the heart of winter.

Hermione's letter also described their Halloween preparations—she was making two beautiful jack-o'-lanterns—which made Qin Yu feel the festive spirit even from afar.

…

With the holiday in the air, students spent the day distracted, their minds on the evening's feast rather than their lessons.

It got so bad that, during Potions, someone mismeasured the milk thistle powder and dumped in an entire spoonful. A bizarre smell filled the dungeon. After a sharp scolding, Professor Snape expertly cast a spell to siphon away the offending odor, leaving everyone briefly breathless before fresh air returned.

At last, the final class of the day ended. Students surged eagerly up to the Great Hall for the Halloween Eve banquet.

The hall was a marvel of magical décor—glittering Halloween ornaments everywhere, the enchanted ceiling transformed into a swirling starry sky, and thousands of bats fluttering overhead, setting the perfect mood.

As for food, the feast was nothing short of spectacular. Mouthwatering dishes filled the four long house tables and the teachers' table, their scents mingling in the air.

Lost in the grand, bustling spectacle, Qin Yu let out a sudden sigh.

"What's wrong, Qin?" Elvis asked, quick to notice.

"I was just thinking… If only I could snap a photo and post it on my Moments feed," Qin Yu said with a shrug.

He pictured it: a notification flashing—"You've received a comment from Hermione and a like from Professor Dumbledore." Now, that would be something.

"Moments? What sort of circle is that?" asked George, who was sitting nearby. Fred looked equally curious.

"Well… how do I explain this…" Qin Yu paused, searching for the right words. After all, these young wizards barely understood the Muggle world, let alone "future" inventions.

Then, catching sight of Percy leafing through the Daily Prophet, inspiration struck. "Imagine you made your own version of the Daily Prophet—posting pictures and stories, like tonight's Halloween feast. Your friends could see your newspaper through—well, let's say the Floo Network. And they could comment or leave messages."

The Floo Network, of course, was the wizarding world's go-to transportation system. Most wizard homes had fireplaces connected to it. Toss in a pinch of Floo powder, call out your destination, and in a flash of green flames, you'd be whisked away.

It could even be used for partial transport—like sending just your face to someone else's fireplace for a chat. Risky business, and likely to give someone a fright, so most people didn't do it unless absolutely necessary.

Qin Yu's analogies—using the familiar Daily Prophet and Floo Network—helped the others grasp the concept, at least a little.

And George and Fred immediately sensed a world of potential.

They pounced, pestering Qin Yu for more details.

Unable to resist their enthusiasm, Qin Yu did his best to explain, weaving together what he knew of social media from his previous life with the realities of the magical world.

The Weasley twins' eyes grew brighter with every word.

Qin Yu had mentioned similar ideas before, but never in such detail. Now, it was as if he'd thrown open a door to a whole new world.

"The wizarding world will never be the same!" George exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement.

"And we'll be the ones to change it!" Fred's voice trembled with anticipation.

"Ahem, I've always admired your ambition," Qin Yu said, clearing his throat.

What else could he say but encourage them?

Bolstered by his words, the twins huddled together, already plotting.

As a result, Percy Weasley—the twins' third brother, who'd once dreamed of joining a powerful department at the Ministry of Magic—was later convinced (or hoodwinked) by his younger brothers to apply for a position at the Ministry's Floo Network Authority. Of course, that would have to wait until he graduated—he was only a fourth-year, not even a prefect yet.

…

After Halloween, the weather turned bitterly cold. Snow and ice blanketed the distant hills around Hogwarts, and the Black Lake froze over, its surface hard and unyielding.

Under the patient guidance of both professors, Qin Yu finally mastered the use of the pyramid's runes, learning that they functioned like a language—different combinations produced different magical effects.

To reward his progress, Professor Swenton presented him with a piece of alchemical material.

It was a leftover from crafting the large pyramid—about a third of the original lot, still quite a bit since the pyramid's walls had been pressed so thin.

Qin Yu was overjoyed. This stuff was worth a fortune—and, as Professor Swenton explained, even he could only refine a little more, since Master Flamel's precious catalyst was nearly gone.

Armed with alchemical materials and runes, Qin Yu was eager to create something new—but definitely not another refrigerator.

Instead, he set his sights on something he'd always dreamed of: a flying sword.

Of course, it wasn't easy. Beyond hammering the alchemical material into a meter-long blade, he made little headway—the sword couldn't fly, nor did it have much power. It wasn't even as effective as a Beater's bat in Quidditch.

And lately, he hadn't had much time for experiments anyway. His very first official Quidditch match was just around the corner.

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