July 7th was Luke’s birthday, and his grandfather was flying in from New York to celebrate with the family.
A few days earlier, Helen had called her father to ask about the magic school.
The moment he heard the news, Chang Hong immediately booked a flight.
He arrived in London at noon on July 6th, and James had already driven to the airport to pick him up.
Meanwhile, Luke was in his bedroom reviewing the progress of his training over the past few days.
Although he had mastered the Flame Spell, its power was still quite limited because of his low cultivation realm.
“Once I complete the mission, the reward should give me a significant boost.”
Inspired by Garfield, Luke had recently begun adapting the Garfield comic and submitting it to newspapers.
He wasn’t sure whether it would be accepted, but it was worth trying.
His backup plan was Anna’s new bedtime story, Zootopia.
He planned to publish it as a picture book first and adapt it into an animated film later, since animation required a much longer production cycle.
Just then, a booming voice echoed from downstairs.
“Where’s my precious grandson?”
Grandpa had arrived.
Luke immediately hurried downstairs.
The moment he saw Luke, Chang Hong got straight to the point.
“Your mother told me you have magical talent?”
Since Helen had taken Anna into town, Luke didn’t hide anything.
He casually raised his hand, and a small fireball appeared above his palm.
“No wand… and silent casting?”
Chang Hong stared at the fireball in disbelief.
“No… How are you controlling magic like this?”
He had expected Luke to possess magical talent.
He had not expected something this unbelievable.
Both wandless magic and silent spellcasting were considered advanced techniques in the wizarding world.
Yet a seven-year-old child had mastered both with astonishing precision.
“Grandpa,” Luke said honestly, “I’m not even sure whether I have magical talent. My situation seems… a little different.”
Seeing his grandfather still in shock, Luke asked,
“Do you know which school I’d attend?”
“Hogwarts?”
“Or Ilvermorny?”
“Of course Hogwarts,” Chang Hong replied after regaining his composure.
“Our Chang family is a wizarding family.”
“Unfortunately, I turned out to be a Squib.”
“You know what a Squib is?”
Luke nodded.
“Someone born into a wizarding family without magical abilities.”
“That’s right.”
“So I left the family and eventually settled in America.”
“I never told your mother any of this because she didn’t show any magical talent either.”
“As for you…”
“I’ll write to some old friends and ask whether your name appears in the Book of Admission.”
“In Britain, every magically gifted child has their name recorded there.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.”
Luke’s eyes brightened.
“Then… can we visit Diagon Alley?”
Before Chang Hong could answer, James’ voice came from outside.
“Luke! Look who’s here!”
Luke turned toward the front door.
“Hermione!”
“Hi, Luke.”
“Hermione, go on inside,” Mrs.
Granger said with a smile.
“I have to get back to the clinic. Your father needs my help.”
“Okay. Bye, Mom.”
Hermione waved goodbye before running over to Luke.
James smiled politely.
“Mrs. Granger, won’t you come in for a while?”
“Thank you, but I really can’t.”
She smiled apologetically.
“My husband can’t manage the clinic by himself on weekends.”
“Drive safely,” James said.
“I’ll bring Hermione home this evening, so you won’t need to make another trip.”
“Thank you very much, James.”
After seeing Mrs.
Granger off, James returned inside.
“Luke, has your mother come back yet?”
“Not yet. They should be home soon.”
Luke introduced Hermione to his grandfather.
“Grandpa, this is Hermione Granger.”
“She has magical talent too.”
Then he turned to Hermione.
“Hermione, this is my grandfather, Chang Hong. He’s a professor at the Manhattan School of Music.”
“I only found out today that he comes from a wizarding family.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Chang,” Hermione said politely, looking at him with curiosity.
Chang Hong smiled warmly.
“So you’re another little witch.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Granger.”
“You two go have fun.”
“I’m going to write to my friends at Hogwarts and ask them to check the Book of Admission.”
“Come on, Hermione.”
Luke smiled.
“I’ll introduce you to Garfield.”
As they walked upstairs, Hermione asked curiously,
“What exactly is the Book of Admission?”
“It’s a magical book kept at Hogwarts,” Luke explained.
“It has a black dragon-hide cover and records the names of every magically gifted child born in Britain.”
“The Book works together with the Quill of Acceptance, which writes each child’s name as soon as their magic becomes detectable.”
Hermione’s eyes sparkled.
“So Hogwarts really is the magic school you told me about.”
“I wish I could see it.”
“Hogwarts isn’t possible right now,” Luke said.
“But there’s somewhere else we might be able to visit.”
“Where?”
“Diagon Alley.”
“It’s hidden in central London.”
“It’s the main shopping district for witches and wizards.”
“You’ll find Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Ollivanders, Flourish and Blotts, magical creature shops, and all kinds of other magical stores there.”
By the time Luke finished speaking, Hermione’s eyes were practically glowing with excitement.
“I’ll take you there someday.”
Hermione suddenly remembered something.
“Can you teach me the fire spell you used last time?”
Luke shook his head.
“It’s called the Flame Spell, and it’s still too dangerous.”
“I’ll teach you my Mental Training Method first.”
“Once you’ve mastered it, I’ll teach you the Flame Spell.”
Hermione was still young, and her control over magic wasn’t stable enough.
Practicing offensive spells too early could easily result in accidents.
“Okay.”
Although she was a little disappointed, it didn’t diminish her excitement.
“The Mental Training Method is something I developed myself,” Luke explained.
“It’s best practiced somewhere quiet.”
“And you have to be very careful.”
He then taught Hermione the improved version of his training method.
The clay exercises for precision, the building blocks for control, and the LEGO multitasking exercises remained the same.
Only the speed training had changed.
Instead of using needles and nails, Luke replaced them with much safer objects, such as coins.
After checking the time, Luke estimated that Helen and Anna would be home soon.
“Let’s head downstairs.”
“My mom and Anna should be back by now.”
“You can practice more after you get home.”
“Okay, let’s head downstairs first. I haven’t met your mother or your sister yet.”
Hermione carried Garfield downstairs with Luke.
Sure enough, Helen was already in the kitchen preparing ingredients for the barbecue they would have that evening.
“Mom, this is Hermione Granger,” Luke introduced.
“Anna, call her Big Sister Hermione.”
“Hermione, this is my mom, Helen, and that little one is my sister, Anna.”
“I’m not little!” Anna protested.
She ran over to Hermione, circled around her curiously, and then said, “Hello!”
“Hello, Aunt Helen. Hello, Anna. It’s nice to meet you,” Hermione greeted politely.
“Hello, Hermione. Don’t be shy, just make yourself at home,” Helen said warmly before giving Luke a meaningful glance.
Luke looked at her in confusion.
As night fell, James began grilling in the backyard while Helen brought out the squid, beef, and lamb she had prepared.
A long table, made by pushing several tables together and covering them with a red tablecloth, was filled with elegant silver platters loaded with food.
Before long, the delicious aroma of barbecue filled the air.
Even Garfield wandered over, attracted by the smell.
“Happy Birthday, Luke.”
Hermione walked over and handed him a beautifully wrapped present.
“Thank you.”
Luke smiled happily as he accepted her gift.
“Hermione,” Helen asked with a smile, “when’s your birthday? How does your family usually celebrate it?”
“My birthday is September 19th. My parents always prepare a birthday cake and cook lots of delicious food.”
“Then you have to try Luke’s dad’s barbecue,” Helen said with a smile.
“He may not be the best cook, but his grilled meat is excellent.”
“Honey, that really hurts,” James said dramatically.
“Hermione, try these freshly grilled chicken wings. They’re made with our family’s secret seasoning. Dad, you should have some too.”
“Dad,” Luke said helplessly, “I’m pretty sure I’m the one who created that secret seasoning.”
“Haha!”
Grandpa Chang laughed.
“Then I’d better try these famous chicken wings seasoned by my grandson.”
He picked up a few and took a bite.
James coughed awkwardly.
“Ahem… Fine, you’re amazing.”
“Did your teacher teach you cooking too? I’d love to learn sometime.”
“Mmm…”
Hermione’s eyes lit up after tasting a chicken wing.
“It’s delicious!”
“Luke, can you cook?”
“I can make a few simple dishes.”
He gestured at his height and smiled.
“But I’m still too short to cook properly.”
Anna immediately ran over with half a chicken wing in her hand.
“I love Luke’s steamed egg custard, pear soup with rock sugar, crystal shrimp porridge, and steamed tofu with ham…”
She held up the chicken wing.
“Luke, you eat this one.”
“And make them for me again next time!”
Everyone burst into laughter.
After dinner, James drove Hermione home, with Luke accompanying him.
Before she got out of the car, Luke reminded her,
“Don’t rush your mental training.”
“If you run into any problems, you can always write to me or give me a call.”
Hermione nodded with a smile.
“Okay.”
“Goodbye, Luke.”
“Goodbye.”