The two-month summer vacation flew by in the blink of an eye.
All the novelty of the magical world had slowly settled into everyday life.
Dudley had already stopped his sweat-drenched weight-loss training. On one hand, he actually slimmed down — in just a month and a half, he lost nearly thirty pounds. His once-round figure shrank noticeably. Fat took up a lot of space; once burned away, the change was dramatic.
On the other hand, the used-who-knows-how-many-times "Forced Training Room" Lynn gave him finally broke. No amount of smacking made it work again.
But having grown addicted to exercise — and the dopamine that came with it — Dudley continued training on his own even without gadgets. Uncle Vernon bought a hanging punching bag, and Dudley punched it for hours every day, the rhythmic thump-thump-thump echoing through the house.
Uncle Vernon, driving his little car toward King's Cross Station, already felt reluctant to let Holly go. After over two months together, he'd finally realized Holly was actually a very good child.
She never caused trouble, always helped Aunt Petunia with chores, and quietly sat reading books, previewing school lessons. When sunlight filtered through the blinds onto her, the warm golden light outlined her delicate figure in a calm and pretty silhouette.
Vernon had always dreamed of having such a lovable daughter — and now, that dream felt real.
Just thinking about it made him want to shed a few fatherly tears.
When they arrived at Platform Nine, the station clock pointed to ten. Aunt Petunia held Holly's hand and repeated advice nonstop. Dudley pushed a trolley with Holly's suitcase — though it wasn't big, since most items were stored in their magical bags.
Hedwig and Sigurd dozed peacefully in their covered cages. The cloth kept them calm and hidden from the bustling Muggle crowds.
"Lin, I'll go with you. Bye Aunt Petunia! Bye Uncle Vernon! Bye Dudley~!"
Holly waved happily before pushing her trolley with Lynn toward the wall between Platforms Nine and Ten.
"Is the entrance really here, Lynn? I don't see a door like the one at the Leaky Cauldron."
"I'll go first. Wish me luck I don't smash into a wall, Holly."
With light steps, Lynn walked straight into the solid-looking brick barrier and disappeared.
Seeing this, Holly took a breath, closed her eyes, and ran forward.
No collision — just the cool sensation of passing through water.
Suddenly, the loud chatter of students filled her ears. A bright red steam engine waited before her. A sign read:
Hogwarts Express — 11 o'clockPlatform Nine and Three-Quarters
White steam billowed overhead. Cats of all colors roamed the platform. Owls hooted impatiently from cages. Excited students leaned out of windows, calling to families.
"Come on, let's grab a seat before it gets crowded." Lynn smiled, lifting Holly's suitcase and leading the way.
"Okay! Coming!"
Holly followed with Hedwig's cage in her arms.
"There are still lots of empty compartments… why aren't we stopping? Do you know someone here, Lynn?"
Holly tugged his sleeve curiously.
"We should find someone who can give us the inside scoop about Hogwarts."
"Oh! Right. The books mentioned four Houses… but they never explained how we get sorted!"
"Isn't this risky though?"
"What's risky?" Lynn shrugged, stopping outside a compartment.
Through the glass window sat an older student — likely second-year.
Lynn knocked politely and slid the door open.
"Mind if we sit with you?"
The girl lifted her gaze from her book — dark eyes meeting Lynn's. She nodded.
"Of course. You're first-years, right?"
"Yes — I'm Lynn, and this is Holly."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Cho Chang, second-year Ravenclaw."
She stood and looked Lynn up and down curiously. "Are you Asian? Is your surname Lin?"
"You could say that… though I don't actually know my parents. They didn't even leave me a name on paper."
"Oh—sorry." Cho looked apologetic.
"It's fine. I rather like living on my own." Lynn smiled.
After storing luggage and owl cages overhead, Lynn took a seat opposite Cho.
He had chosen that spot deliberately. With his X-ray-like sight, spotting the other Asian girl on the train had been easy.
As expected, Holly sat stiffly next to him, glancing shyly at Cho every few seconds, blushing adorably but too nervous to speak.
"Her name is Holly, right?" Cho smiled at the flustered girl. "She's your friend?"
"Mhm. She's just… a little shy. She really wants to know more about Hogwarts though."
"Then I'll tell you everything I can." Cho beamed at Holly. "What do you want to know first? The Houses? Or something else?"
Judging by their modern outfits alone, she could tell both were from Muggle families. Pure-blood households… did not exactly follow current fashion trends.
"U-Um…" Holly's cheeks flushed again as she nodded.
"You're adorable, Holly."
Cho leaned forward and gently took Holly's hand — a natural reaction when encountering something cute and huggable.
Her big-sister mode activated instantly as she pulled Holly to sit beside her and retrieved a small wooden lunch box.
"My mum made these sweets. Want to try one? Coconut milk pudding — chilled and delicious."
She scooped a wobbling pudding cube and held it up.
"In school, you won't get something like this."
Holly opened her rosy lips and bit down. The cold dessert made her eyes squint in delight — which made Cho even happier.
In mere moments, the two girls' closeness skyrocketed.
Meanwhile, Lynn sat across from them, grinning like a smug fox.
Why sit with Ron and watch him dual-wield chicken legs in berserk mode… when you can enjoy two cute girls bonding?This is infinitely more pleasant.
Relaxed, he took out his unfinished book and basked in the warm sunlight.
"Did you practice any magic at home?" Cho asked after small talk.
"A bit. We've read through most of the first-year books. But… spells don't come easy to me."
Lynn looked slightly troubled.
"First-year magic isn't too bad. Before school starts is the only time you can legally practice at home."
"Why?" Holly tilted her head against Cho's shoulder.
"Students aren't allowed to use magic outside school. The Trace detects spellcasting. Only houses with adult wizards can get away with it. Since you have no adult wizard family… once you start school, even during breaks, no magic allowed."
"That's so unfair," Holly pouted.
"It's mostly about secrecy," Cho explained. "Little wizards exposing magic to Muggles would make a mess. The Ministry can't spend every summer fixing memories."
She smiled softly. "You can come to my place next holiday! I get lonely waiting for school to start again."
"Oh! Do you know Quidditch?"
"Flying broomsticks!"
Holly lit up. "I wanted a Nimbus 2000, but first-years aren't allowed brooms yet…"
"Quidditch is amazing!"
Cho instantly became even more excited, linking arms with Holly. "I want to try out for the Ravenclaw team this year — if I'm good enough at flying…"
"You can do it! I believe in you!" Holly cheered.
"I also know a way to fly without broomsticks," she added mischievously, glancing at Lynn.
"Flying carpets?" Cho guessed. "The Ministry banned them — which is ridiculous; they're so comfy."
"We have these instead." Lynn pulled out several Bamboo Copters.
He had… a lot of them.
"Put it on your head — it lets you fly. Just mind the battery duration."
Cho picked one up like a magical treasure. "Can we try them? Now?"
"Of course."
Excited, Holly freed Hedwig and Sigurd. The owls soared into the sky with happy cries.
Lynn teleported them onto the train roof — without warning, but Cho adapted quickly like any pure-blood kid familiar with magical travel.
The Bamboo Copters lifted them smoothly, like gentle hands carrying them upward. No fear — only joy.
"This is so nimble!" Cho flipped in the air gracefully. "I could easily chase the Snitch with this!"
She twirled like a dancer, curtsying mid-air.
"Do you dance, Cho?" Holly asked.
"A little! Want me to teach you? Lynn, you too! I know a French Branle — three people is perfect!"
She grabbed both their hands, spinning them into a tiny floating circle, with the owls swirling around them curiously.
Below, the Hogwarts Express whistled, chugging forward.
Above, three figures glided freely in the bright sky, enjoying the sunlight and the cool wind brushing past.
Near noon, tired and hungry, they returned to the roof. The Bamboo Copters were almost drained — time to go back inside and wait for the snack trolley.