"Where do you plan to take me today?" Hermione smiled as she looked at Noah.
She hadn't seen him in a long time.
Even though they had lived together for a period, she had barely seen him over the past year. Noah rarely returned to the Sanctum, and Hermione herself had been extremely busy-most of her time consumed by the promotion and revision of the Exorcist Act.
As a result, they had truly gone nearly a full year without seeing each other.
A few days ago, Noah suddenly appeared at the Sanctum.
That alone told Hermione that whatever had been occupying him was finally finished.
She was genuinely happy.
She knew that as Sorcerer Supreme, Noah handled matters that couldn't always be shared, so she never pressed him about what had happened during his disappearance.
After a peaceful yet passionate week together, Noah suddenly pulled her out.
Her curiosity was immediately sparked.
And she gladly followed.
"If we have time, let's go to Diagon Alley," Hermione said as they walked down the street together. "Evan, Kate, and Lawrence's wedding date is set. Less than a month. We should buy a few things. Also, how are your preparations as best man going?"
"Best man?" Noah tilted his head. "I got the invitation. I'm still considering it. What about you? Bridesmaid?"
"Of course." Hermione nodded. "Especially since they said the best man would be you."
"I'll prepare properly," Noah replied with a smile.
But his thoughts were clearly elsewhere.
He didn't share them.
When they arrived at King's Cross Station, Hermione suddenly realized where they were.
Even after nearly thirty years, she couldn't forget this place.
This was where her life had changed.
Between Platform 9 and Platform 10, among those three pillars, something far more important was hidden.
Hermione turned to Noah, curiosity obvious in her eyes.
She still didn't understand why he had brought her here.
But she didn't ask.
Looking at the crowded station-especially after noticing young mages and adult mages hidden among the crowd-her thoughts drifted to the past.
She remembered standing here herself.
Lost.
Helpless.
If not for someone's timely guidance, she might not even have known what to do.
"Is today about reminiscing?" Hermione asked after a while. "It's a nice start."
"It is." Noah smiled faintly. "You could say this is where our dream began."
He paused, then added half-seriously, "When I stood here back then, I was terrified I was being scammed. But the moment I saw a scar-headed boy charging his trolley into a wall, I knew I was probably about to walk a very different path."
"Scar-headed?" Hermione blinked. "Harry?"
"That one." Noah nodded. "Later I was even more shocked when I found out he was the legendary Savior."
Noah looked toward the platform and sighed quietly.
Back then, seeing that boy had genuinely startled him. He never expected to be in the same year as such a troublesome figure.
But Noah's luck had always been good.
He became the legend of that year.
He became the central figure of this merged world.
And it all started here.
Leading Hermione toward Platform 93/4, Noah looked at the barrier and smiled, sensing the subtle changes as his magic brushed against it.
He tilted his head slightly, nodded toward what looked like empty space, and stepped forward with Hermione.
The instant they touched the wall, space shifted violently.
No one could perceive it.
Not even Hermione.
When they emerged from the magic-wrapped passage, they were already on the other side.
The magical world unfolded before them.
Young mages in black Hogwarts robes crowded the platform, pushing luggage toward the train preparing to depart. A conductor shouted loudly, urging them to hurry.
"This is..." Hermione stared in a daze. "It's not the start-of-term day, is it?"
The moment she spoke, she froze.
Her voice sounded far too young.
Though she had always maintained an appearance in her early twenties, her voice had changed long ago.
Looking down, Hermione saw she was wearing a black robe identical to the children's.
She was shorter.
Much shorter.
She turned to Noah.
He looked no older than eleven or twelve.
"This is..."
Noah simply took her hand and pulled her toward the train.
"It's about to leave, Ms. Granger," he said calmly. "I assume you don't want to miss it and receive an expulsion letter from Headmaster Dumbledore?"
Still dazed, Hermione was pulled aboard.
Seeing the familiar faces inside the train, she was finally certain of one thing.
She had returned to the past.
And the culprit was the man holding her hand.
She remembered a suggestion Noah had once made.
Now she understood why he had smiled then.
As for the changes to her body, she could clearly feel that this was Noah's magic.
"Welcome to the past, Hermione."
After finding a compartment and once the train started moving, Noah looked at her and smiled.
"And welcome to where our dream began."
"It's a wonderful idea," Hermione said softly, looking out the window before turning back. "But I have a question. What if we run into our past selves?"
"It would be a little troublesome," Noah replied casually. "But nothing unsolvable. Just a small trick."
He paused.
"Besides, there's no 'me' here. And I doubt we're that unlucky."
"No 'you'?" Hermione found that odd, but didn't ask further. She remembered Noah mentioning something like this before.
They sat together, talking for a long time.
Noah told her everything.
From growing up in an orphanage.
To dreaming of becoming a lawyer or a financier.
That dream ended the moment a dim-witted owl appeared.
"From then on," Noah said with a straight face, "Wall Street lost a wolf that could dominate storms, and the magic world gained a cautious mage."
"Cautious?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "You were famous at Hogwarts. Whether it was proposing the Mages' Union to Professor Dumbledore or arranging summer jobs for students at the Exorcist Bureau-people still talk about you."
"Do they?" Noah rubbed his nose. "I always thought I was careful."
He sighed lightly.
"Alright. Maybe my version of 'cautious' looked high-profile to you. But honestly, I'm grateful to that dim-witted owl."
"Because it helped you find your path?"
"No." Noah shook his head. "Because it led me to you."
He wasn't good at sweet talk.
This was simply how he felt.
That owl had long since passed from old age. It was the one that brought Sorcerer Supreme Noah Fenrir to Hogwarts.
After its death, the British Ministry of Magic even opened a special exhibit to commemorate its contribution.
Noah regretted that he never had the chance to properly thank it.
At Hogwarts, he met lifelong friends like Kate, Lawrence, and Evan.
And it was there that he met Hermione, still budding and uncertain.
Back then, Noah had no romantic thoughts.
His mind had been filled with Thanos and survival.
But things had changed.
Long ago.
Hermione was independent.
She had her own thoughts.
She shared common ground with him.
Beautiful. Intelligent. Mature.
Those traits grew with time, but without Hogwarts-without meeting each other there-how would they ever have fallen in love?
Hermione was momentarily at a loss under Noah's sincere gaze.
She could feel his feelings clearly.
And this was the first time he had expressed them so directly.
Even after they became lovers, Noah rarely spoke like this. He preferred action over words.
Yet now, with him looking eleven or twelve, her heart skipped a beat.
It felt like she had returned to that peaceful campus.
Back to where her dream began.
Watching that Noah who was always calm.
Always standing at the front.
The Ravenclaw "Bear-Eagle" she secretly liked.
And pretended not to.