The Granger house.
Hermione must have cleaned before she went to find Hylan.
The living room and kitchen were spotless.
Afternoon light filtered through the curtains, soft and warm, filling the rooms.
“Sit anywhere.
I’ll get the cake.”
“Thanks.”
Hermione came back from the kitchen carrying two plates, each holding a large slice.
She’d clearly had them ready.
She hadn’t even been gone a full minute.
“Go on, try it.” She handed Hylan a spoon, her face full of expectation.
Hylan didn’t eat right away.
He studied the cake.
The slices weren’t quite even.
“What’s wrong?”
Hermione tensed.
Had he noticed?
“Nothing.” Hylan smiled and shook his head.
“Don’t mind if I do.”
He took a bite, chewed slowly, and nodded.
“This is really good.”
Hermione let out a breath.
Then Hylan added, “You made this, didn’t you?”
“How did you know?” Her eyes went wide.
It really was too ugly.
“It’s not that sweet.”
“I know you don’t like things too sweet, so I cut the sugar on purpose.”
“So you made it specially for me?” Hylan looked pleased.
The girl flushed and turned away.
“I was helping my mum bake yesterday.
It was just practice.
Nothing special.”
She said a lot of things.
None of them were a denial.
“Alright, eat up.
There’s lots of filling.”
“Okay.
You too.”
They ate and talked.
Time slipped by.
The sunlight that had been on the living room floor was now climbing the wall.
Hermione thought about leaving for Hogwarts soon.
Even with cake in her stomach, her mood sank.
She traced the plate with her spoon, searching for the words.
“Hylan, I… I’m going away to school soon.
Very far.”
“We probably won’t see each other much after that.”
Her voice jumped louder, as if she were bracing herself.
“But I’ll come back every holiday to see you.”
By the last syllable, she was barely audible.
They could have gone to the same school.
Years more as classmates.
Holidays together, reading together, quiet afternoons with cake like this one.
The Hogwarts letter had shattered all of it.
The news had stunned the Granger family.
But for different reasons.
Mr.
and Mrs.
Granger were amazed their daughter had the potential to be a witch.
Hermione was devastated she’d be leaving Hylan.
She’d even thought about not going.
In the end, her parents’ excitement had pushed the thought down.
I won’t forget you.
We’ll see each other every holiday.
We’ll always be best friends.
She’d heard those words before.
Every primary school holiday, classmates said the same things.
Then they vanished.
When the new term started, everything had shifted.
A friendship like hers and Hylan’s, lasting so many years, was rare.
“It’s okay, Hermione.
I think we’ll see each other again very soon.”
“Yes.
Yes, Christmas will be here before you know it.”
She thought he was just comforting her.
The fact that she was hiding things from her best friend made her feel worse.
Guilt pressed down on her.
[Guilt!
Guilt!
Guilt!
Guilt Value +26]
That works too?
Hylan’s expression flickered.
But he wasn’t about to tell Hermione he’d be going to Hogwarts with her.
From her perspective, he didn’t know.
She’d probably gotten the same warning from Professor McGonagall.
Don’t tell anyone about Hogwarts.
Besides, September first was only days away.
A surprise would be better.
By the time they finished their cake, evening was settling in.
“Goodbye, Hermione.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
It was a startlingly clear day.
London’s fog had been swept aside, as if by a giant hand, revealing a sky unseen for ages.
Thin sunset light burst through the white clouds and fell over them like gauze.
The street was quiet.
Only the occasional chirp of an insect.
“Hylan, don’t forget me.” Hermione’s voice caught.
“Don’t worry.
Goodbye, Hermione.”
Hylan reached out to shake hands.
Instead, Hermione threw her arms around him.
Her cheek, wet with tears, pressed against his in a kiss on each side.
He didn’t know what to do.
“Goodbye, Hylan.
Goodbye.”
“Don’t cry, Hermione.
We’ll see each other soon.”
He held her, patting her back gently with one hand.
It took a long while before they finally pulled apart.
Even after Hylan had gone, Hermione stood in the doorway, watching his figure shrink into the distance.
After she left, Hylan would probably be alone all the time.
He was so kind.
Would someone take advantage of him?
Would he go hungry?
She looked at his thin frame and felt even worse.
Just then, Hylan turned around.
He smiled and waved.
He didn’t say a word, but Hermione understood.
Don’t be sad.
[Can guilt spread?
Guilt Value +40]
Hylan stared at the prompt and fell silent.
Hermione, I really didn’t mean to…
The situation was unexpected, but he did the math in his head.
Total guilt accumulated: 217.
Enough to exchange for one trait keyword.
Three were available: [Charm Instinct], [Fade Away], and [Alchemist’s Hand].
[Fade Away] was cheaper, but its effect leaned toward stealth.
Not high value for him right now.
[Charm Instinct] and [Alchemist’s Hand] were both solid.
He was interested in both.
But right now, he could only afford one.
Hylan weighed the options.
[Alchemist’s Hand] was good, but he had no alchemical materials.
He couldn’t use it immediately.
[Charm Instinct] was different.
He already had The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 in his hands.
He could use it right away.
And charms were simply used more often than alchemy.
The answer was obvious.
Hylan didn’t hesitate.
He chose [Charm Instinct].
[Congratulations.
Charm Instinct unlocked.]
[Charm Instinct: Level 1 (1/100)]
[Description: You silly thing.
Can you even understand these spells?]
[Effect: Inspiration comes more easily when learning charms.]
The moment the keyword locked in, Hylan felt his mind clear.
His perception of the world around him sharpened.
He had a feeling.
Studying charms with this would be twice as effective with half the effort.
He was itching to start.
Time to go home and study.