Harvey said earnestly, "I think 'Reddy' or 'Goldie' would be great. Simple and accurate!"
Hermione looked at him with utter disdain. "Ugh, those names are terrible. I'm not listening to you. His name is Crookshanks!"
With that, unwilling to hear any more of Harvey's nonsense, she picked up the cage and marched down the street.
Harvey scrambled to catch up, buzzing in her ear like an annoying fly.
"How about 'Yellow'? Or 'Gold-Digger'? Cats grow up eventually, and his fur is a mix of yellow and red, so 'Big Yellow' is perfect..."
The Grangers, left behind like background characters, exchanged a look of mutual suspicion.
Mr. Granger, feeling like his precious little girl was being stolen right from under his nose, said worriedly, "Those two aren't going to start dating, are they?"
"Perhaps... magic schools don't care about puppy love?" Mrs. Granger said, taking a more liberal view.
She had a soft spot for Harvey; he seemed like such a polite, obedient boy. Surely he wouldn't lead her daughter astray.
"Absolutely not!" Mr. Granger had already decided that as soon as they got home, the 'Three Rules' would be upgraded to version 2.0.
The day after their trip to Diagon Alley.
Eight o'clock in the morning.
Harvey crawled out of bed, still bleary-eyed, and went through his routine: wash, dress, and out the door.
In the first-floor dining room, the table was already set with a fragrant breakfast.
Hermione was already seated, eating her breakfast while reading The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1.
The intensity of her focus looked familiar to Harvey.
Ever since they returned from Diagon Alley, he had been so excited he couldn't sleep, spending the whole night flipping through his own copy of the textbook.
However, restricted by the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, underage wizards were forbidden from using magic outside of school.
The Hogwarts acceptance letter had stated this decree very clearly.
Harvey felt like someone who had been handed a "Holy Bible" of magic but was forbidden from practicing it. It was incredibly frustrating.
At the table, Harvey grabbed a butter croissant and some milk.
He leaned toward Hermione's ear and whispered temptingly, "Do you want to try using magic?"
Because of the dinner conversation the previous night, where the Grangers had officially implemented the 2.0 version of the 'Three Rules,' Hermione was very sensitive to Harvey's proximity.
She tried to act like she hadn't heard him, but the topic was too enticing to ignore.
Making sure her parents weren't watching, Hermione whispered back, "I read in A History of Magic that the Ministry uses something called the Trace to monitor underage wizards. Do you have a way around it?"
Harvey acted mysterious. "Of course! I—"
Suddenly, the Grangers' eyes drifted over to them.
"Ahem! Mrs. Granger, this breakfast is delicious as always. I simply love your cooking..."
Harvey loudly praised her culinary skills to cover his tracks.
"If you like it, eat more, and no whispering at the table," Mr. Granger said, fixing Harvey with a stern glare.
He was currently on high alert, guarding his daughter like a hawk.
Harvey had to finish his breakfast in silence before he finally felt "liberated."
Mr. Granger left for his dental clinic, and Mrs. Granger took the plates into the kitchen.
Only the two children remained in the living room.
"You said you have a way to dodge the Ministry's monitoring. Is it true? We won't get caught?" Hermione asked impatiently.
Harvey replied cryptically, "Remember when I said that once we learn magic, I can take you to explore another world?"
"You mean... that portal you fell out of? Was that a spell you cast?"
Hermione looked troubled.
"But I've looked through several books and I haven't found a single mention of a portal spell..."
Regarding his own "cheat code," Harvey didn't want to explain too much, so he stammered out an excuse:
"The portal is... a natural talent of mine. Sort of like how the legendary wizard Merlin could control the elements. Portals are just my innate gift!"
By the end, he was so certain of his lie he almost believed it himself.
"I see..." Hermione looked down at her pink teddy bear pajamas and said hesitantly:
"You said that world was dangerous. If we're going there to practice magic, should we change clothes? If something happens, at least we can run."
Harvey thought about it; she had a point.
Even though Marvel's superheroes hadn't really emerged yet in 2006, there was always a risk.
Even without supervillains, America was the land of "shootings every day." He was still vulnerable to bullets.
Keeping an eye on the kitchen to make sure Mrs. Granger wasn't coming out, Harvey whispered:
"Go change your clothes and then come to my room. We're going on a secret adventure to the New World!"
"Okay!" Hermione nodded eagerly. Since meeting Harvey, her dormant sense of adventure had been fully ignited.
She was tired of being the perfect "good girl." It was time for a little rebellion, to experience the thrill of being young and wild...
Finding an excuse to convince herself, Hermione shouted toward the kitchen, "Mom! I'm going to my room to study!"
Then, filled with excitement, she stomped up the stairs toward the second floor.
Harvey returned to his room and put on a set of black athletic wear that Mrs. Granger had bought for him.
Two minutes later.
His bedroom door creaked open.
A vibrant, beautiful young girl sneaked into the room and closed the door behind her.
Hermione was wearing a pure white hoodie and blue-grey joggers. With her bushy brown curls, she looked simple yet incredibly sweet.
Looking at the energetic girl in front of him, Harvey couldn't help but steal a quick kiss on her cheek.
Before Hermione could get angry, Harvey—holding his textbook and wand, ready to go—put on a grave expression.
"Are you ready?"
"Remember, no matter what happens, don't be shocked. Stay close to me. If you get lost, I might not be able to find you."
"The consequences of getting lost in that world are extreme!"
His stern tone made Hermione nod vigorously, completely forgetting her anger over the stolen kiss.
Seeing that she wasn't going to pursue it, Harvey breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
She was easy to bluff now, but once she grew up, it wouldn't be so simple.
He wondered how long his "Witch Training Program" would take to reach completion.
Without further ado.
Harvey silently willed the portal to open.
A long silence followed; the room remained still.
Hermione's skeptical gaze made Harvey incredibly awkward.
"Uh... I haven't quite mastered my talent yet. Give me a second..."
Just as Hermione began to doubt whether Harvey was actually reliable, a blue vortex manifested in front of them and rapidly expanded.