The train moved slowly, but neither Noah nor Hermione cared about its speed.
What mattered was the journey itself. Neither of them could forget those eight hours from years ago, filled with anticipation and anxiety, constantly swinging between the two.
Now, their mindsets were completely different. None of that remained.
What was a little awkward was that, as they talked, they naturally drifted closer together until they were sitting very near each other. When they finally noticed their current appearances, something felt off.
"You didn't..." Hermione looked at Noah with unmistakable curiosity. "Actually have feelings for me back then, did you?"
"Not a chance." Noah rolled his eyes. "First, I'm not into little girls. Second, back then I only cared about magic. You weren't even remotely on my radar."
"Oh?" Hermione tilted her head. "Then why are you sitting so close?"
"Because in my eyes, you still look like your adult self," Noah replied without hesitation. "This is my magic. There's no way I'd be fooled by my own spell."
He shut the topic down decisively.
Noah had no intention of being mistaken for that kind of person.
And he was telling the truth. Back then, he genuinely hadn't had those thoughts about Hermione. She was simply too young.
What he hadn't expected was that they would end up together in the end.
Could this be considered some kind of long-term nurturing project?
Noah rubbed his nose. It wasn't exactly shameful, but he definitely didn't want it misunderstood.
Just as he was about to explain further, the compartment door slid open.
A genuine young girl stood there.
Golden-brown hair fell just past her shoulders, wavy and bushy, clearly untouched by any effort to tame it. It spilled freely down her back.
The moment she appeared, both Noah and Hermione froze.
Noah glanced at the Hermione beside him with a playful glint.
She rolled her eyes on reflex.
The girl at the door was equally stunned.
Especially when she saw someone with the same hair color, dressed neatly, radiating confidence she herself completely lacked.
It felt like staring into a mirror.
Yet they clearly weren't the same.
That temperament alone made her breathing quicken.
After steadying herself, the girl politely greeted them and explained why she was there.
"A boy named Neville lost his toad. Have you seen it?"
"Lost his toad again?" Hermione answered gently. "Sorry, we haven't seen one here. Maybe it hopped somewhere else."
Seeing the younger version of herself, Hermione immediately understood what was happening.
Her attitude softened.
In this girl, she saw her past self-and the insecurity she once carried.
"Oh, I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll go check the other carriages."
"No need. I can help."
Hermione smiled and drew a wand she hadn't used in who-knew-how-long. She flicked it casually, without an incantation.
The girl was confused at first.
This person looked her age. Just like her.
And yet she wasn't chanting anything at all.
Then, in the next instant, a plump toad appeared in midair, frozen in place.
The girl froze too.
Only then did she realize how frightening the woman in front of her was.
"Take it back to Neville," Hermione said with a smile, lowering the toad into the girl's hands. "Tell him to have confidence. His future is something worth looking forward to."
She paused, then added softly, "And you should be more confident too. Your future is more beautiful than you can imagine."
"I... I..." The girl stammered, as if something had clicked.
Noah watched quietly, smiling.
He didn't stop Hermione.
This was a very pure Harry Potter universe, free of outside chaos. Its power ceiling was low. Noah didn't care what Hermione said or did here.
They had come to look back.
And to enjoy themselves.
"My... my name is Hermione Granger," the girl said hesitantly. "You are...?"
"My name is Hermione Granger too," Hermione replied with a smile. "And his name is Noah. Noah Fenier. He's the love of my life-and the person who changed my destiny."
"Your name is Hermione too?" The girl stared. "This-"
"Don't trust appearances," Hermione said gently, patting her head, even though she herself looked like a child. "We're from about thirty years in the future. Just a little trick. Keep it a secret, alright?"
The girl nodded.
She glanced once more at Noah, who was smiling lazily nearby. Then, as if she had misunderstood something, her face flushed.
She bowed hastily and fled the compartment.
Noah found it all extremely amusing.
He knew she had misunderstood.
He also didn't care to correct it.
There was no Noah in this universe, and they wouldn't stay long. What happened here afterward wasn't his concern.
Once the young Hermione left, no one disturbed them again.
Noah wrapped an arm around Hermione as they watched the greenery pass and the sun slowly sink.
Time passed quietly.
When silver moonlight appeared among the branches, the train finally slowed to a stop.
Watching the children rush about outside, Hermione rested her head on Noah's shoulder. Every scene stirred nostalgia.
"So this time, we're reliving the past and playing Hogwarts students again?" she asked softly.
"Maybe," Noah shrugged. "But we still have something more important to do. Come on. Let's get off. We should at least eat."
"You really won't pass up a free meal?" Hermione teased. "Professor Dumbledore was good to you back then, wasn't he?"
"It's not taking advantage," Noah replied. "We're former Hogwarts students. And everything here is worth remembering."
As he spoke, he had already led Hermione into the Great Hall.
The sea of students spread out before them.
Instinctively, Noah guided her toward the Ravenclaw table.
Even after all these years, he hadn't forgotten his house.
Hermione watched him with an amused look.
She had been Gryffindor, but the Sorting Hat had hesitated back then. Sitting at the Ravenclaw table now, watching the children enter, gave her a strange mix of familiarity and novelty.
When Professor McGonagall appeared with the new students, both of them fell silent.
This was a professor worthy of respect.
She had helped countless students, treating everyone fairly regardless of house.
Hermione respected her deeply-no less than Dumbledore.
Seeing her younger self's teacher, Hermione smiled.
"Truly something worth remembering," Hermione murmured. "Both the time and the people..."
When she saw this universe's version of herself step up first, she laughed. "Noah, you were the very last one, weren't you?"
"Yes," Noah smiled. "I waited forever. I was so jealous of you back then. You went first, and I just stood there like an idiot."
He would never forget standing awkwardly through half the ceremony.
He had always wondered why, alphabetically, he ended up last while Hermione went first.
But that was how it was.
And now, it was simply nostalgia.
As expected, this Hermione chose Gryffindor.
Neither Noah nor Hermione was surprised.
No matter the universe, she would make the same choice.
Hermione's gaze drifted over Dumbledore, Snape, and the others-lingering briefly on Quirrell, a playful glint appearing in her eyes.
She remembered Flitwick's teaching, Snape's sharp tongue, Sprout's nagging, and Dumbledore's concern.
She remembered the day Noah first revealed his unprecedented talent.
His opponent back then had been Quirrell.
Turning her head, Hermione looked at Noah, now wearing the appearance of a child.
In this environment, her memories overlapped.
Back then, Noah had always walked ahead.
She had always followed.
It was the same now.
She was still the one standing behind him.
Looking at Noah's youthful face, the emotions in Hermione's chest quietly swelled, growing stronger with every passing moment.