The Rebirth of Harry Potter

Hermione tiptoed out of the girls' dormitory and into the Gryffindor common room, only to see Harry nervously glancing around in all directions.

The moment the door creaked open, Harry visibly jumped.

Realizing it was just Hermione, he let out a silent sigh of relief—

Then quickly composed himself.

No way was he letting her know he'd been scared!

Otherwise, she'd never let him hear the end of it.

——

A Late-Night Encounter

Stepping out of the shadows, Hermione took a proper look at Harry.

Then—

She suddenly remembered her dream.

Her cheeks warmed slightly, but thankfully, due to the dim lighting, Harry didn't seem to notice.

——

"What are you doing up in the middle of the night?"

Hermione covered her mouth with her tiny hand and let out a soft yawn.

At that moment, she embodied the very definition of drowsy charm.

Dressed in a thin pink nightgown, her outfit was wrinkled from sleep, and she had frog slippers lazily dragging along the floor.

Her already fluffy curls were now even messier, and her half-lidded eyes were still glazed with sleep.

She looked completely unguarded—as if she hadn't fully woken up yet.

——

A Sudden Fall

As Hermione moved closer, she suddenly let out a startled yelp!

Her foot caught on the red carpet, and she lost her balance, tumbling forward.

Just like anyone in such a moment, she instinctively shut her eyes tight—

As if that would somehow stop the fall from happening…

But—

The expected impact never came.

Instead—

She felt herself land in a warm embrace.

——

Harry's Reflexes

Harry had noticed how unsteady she was, and had almost spoken up to warn her.

But then he thought, "It's just a carpet. No way she'll actually trip on it… right?"

…

Wrong.

——

Luckily, Harry had been paying attention.

The moment she stumbled, he rushed forward and caught her—

Pulling her firmly into his arms.

——

A Moment Too Long

With such a petite, adorable girl in his embrace—

And, more importantly, the girl he liked—

Harry's first instinct should've been to steady her and let go.

Instead—

He pulled her in even closer.

——

…

"It was pure instinct."

"Totally not on purpose."

"Definitely not on purpose."

——

Aftermath

Once Hermione was sitting upright, she straightened her clothes and placed her hands firmly on her lap—

As if that would somehow help her regain her composure.

She opened her mouth to speak—

But before she could—

"That was the third time!"

Her voice was quiet, but dangerously cold.

Harry couldn't see her expression, but—

He could feel the chill.

There was killing intent.

——

Harry forced out a nervous laugh.

"Well, uh… what a coincidence, huh? Haha…"

Silence.

——

"Getting hugged is no big deal, right? It's just a small thing—"

——

"A SMALL THING?!"

Hermione's voice sounded like it had crawled straight out of the depths of hell.

——

Time for Retribution

"I'll show you 'small thing'—!"

Without hesitation, Hermione grabbed a book from the table and hurled it at him!

Harry jumped to his feet, dodging expertly.

——

"Oh, so now you're dodging?!"

——

Hermione charged at him, launching into a barrage of punches and kicks.

Harry, laughing nervously, could only weave around the circle of armchairs, using them as a barrier.

Hermione chased after him relentlessly.

——

The Chase Ends

Eventually—

Hermione stopped running.

Not because she forgave him—

But because she was exhausted.

——

She gripped a chair for support, breathing heavily, then collapsed into the seat.

Still glaring daggers at Harry.

——

Harry, seeing that she'd finally given up the chase, exhaled in relief.

Carefully, he took a seat two chairs away, keeping a safe distance.

——

What a night.

"Ahem— I called you here because I have something important to tell you."

"And this something couldn't wait until morning?"

Of course, Harry couldn't tell the truth.

So instead, he said—

"It's about the energy I showed you when school first started. I want to teach you how to control it—"

"—And since this kind of thing requires deep focus, nighttime is the best time for it."

——

Hermione's Curiosity is Hooked

The moment she heard this, Hermione's previous frustration evaporated.

Her bright, inquisitive eyes locked onto Harry, filled with curiosity.

"What exactly is it? How do you control that kind of thing?"

——

Harry began carefully explaining his theory—

And by the time he finished, Hermione's eyes were practically sparkling.

She was completely captivated.

——

"So, you're saying these elements are always around us—"

"—but we can only perceive them if we train our minds to sense them?"

"Exactly."

"Although," Harry added, "I'm not sure if everyone can 'see' them like I do."

——

Hearing this, Hermione lifted her chin confidently.

"I'll definitely find a way to sense them!"

Harry chuckled.

Seeing Hermione this determined wasn't something he got to witness often.

——

"All I have to do is imagine them, and that's it?"

She still found the idea a bit hard to believe.

"If it's that easy, why hasn't anyone discovered it before?"

Harry hesitated.

"Well… in theory, yes?"

"I mean, it worked for me… but I don't know if it'll work for others."

"But it's worth a try, right?"

——

Hermione Tries to Meditate

Hermione closed her eyes and followed Harry's instructions.

She calmed her thoughts, bringing herself to a quiet state of mind.

Her serious expression looked oddly adorable on her—

So much so that Harry suddenly felt the urge to pinch her cheeks.

——

Harry stared at her intently, unblinking.

Even though they were still kids, it was already clear—

Hermione was going to grow into a stunning beauty.

——

Hermione sat in silence for a while—

But she couldn't sense anything unusual.

Even though Harry had warned her it wouldn't happen right away,

Her eyebrows still furrowed in frustration.

She opened her eyes, just about to speak—

Only to find Harry staring at her, completely focused.

——

Wait… had he been watching me like this the whole time?

Hermione's mind went blank.

She suddenly felt—

A mix of happiness, embarrassment, and irritation all at once.

——

Harry, realizing she had caught him, hurriedly turned away.

"Ah—what a nice night sky, huh? Haha—"

Hermione nearly burst into laughter.

——

A Quiet Night

Hermione went back to meditating.

Harry went back to reading.

The Gryffindor common room fell into a deep silence.

——

And before he knew it—

Harry had fallen asleep.

Hermione, however, remained sitting with her eyes closed…

——

Morning Comes

Harry yawned and stretched.

As soon as he saw the common room, he remembered—

Oh right, I was here because of Hermione…

He turned his head and—

She was still there.

Sitting exactly where she had been.

——

"…Hermione?"

Harry cautiously called her name.

——

Hermione opened her eyes.

She looked completely exhausted.

"It didn't work," she said disappointedly.

——

"You weren't supposed to get it in one night!"

Harry sighed, looking at her drained expression.

"Look at yourself— you're completely out of it."

——

By now, the sun had already risen.

Harry urged Hermione to go rest,

Telling her to skip breakfast and sleep until class started.

——

Hermione, feeling dizzy, finally gave in.

She stumbled back toward the dormitory, barely awake.