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Early in the morning, Harry was jolted awake by the earthquake-like rumbling caused by Hagrid moving around his hut.
Opening his eyes, Harry saw that the sky outside was still a deep, dusky blue.
Drowsily, he asked, "Why are you up so early?"
Hagrid was fiddling with the fireplace, seemingly boiling water.
Turning around with a wide grin, Hagrid said, "I tried to be quiet, didn't mean to wake yeh. I'm always up at this hour. If you're still sleepy, go ahead and rest some more."
Harry sighed. "Forget it, it's not that early anymore."
He had always thought he woke up early—until now. He almost asked if Hagrid wasn't cold at this hour, but after taking one look at the man's thick hair and insulating body fat, he swallowed the question.
After getting up, Harry tidied up his bedding.
Hagrid had already brought the water to a boil and was pouring it into a teapot. A sweet fragrance soon filled the air.
Harry poured himself a cup. The tea tasted pleasantly sweet.
Hagrid hadn't always served tea like this.
This was something Harry had changed. When he and Hermione first started visiting, Hagrid used to steep strange-smelling roots that made the tea nearly undrinkable. Harry eventually had enough, threw out the offending ingredients, and bought him a supply of tea leaves commonly used in wizarding homes.
Now, Hagrid had grown quite fond of them.
The warm tea quickly chased away the chill in Harry's body.
Then, he bundled up the bedding and returned it to Gryffindor Tower. Little Cutie was wrapped up inside the quilt with only her head sticking out. She seemed fascinated by floating in midair and kept trying to wriggle free.
The day before, with everyone heading home, the snow on the ground had been packed down to reveal the stone walkways beneath. But overnight, fresh snowfall had erased all traces. The ground was blanketed once more.
Snowflakes still drifted gently from the sky, landing on Harry's hair and turning it a bright, snowy white.
Back in the dorm, Harry didn't bother making the bed—he just dropped the quilt on it, grabbed his Nimbus 2000, and headed out.
There was something exhilarating about flying in light snowfall.
Hood up over his head, Harry mounted his broom and soared forward. All around him, a vast white world stretched endlessly—quiet, untouched, and still.
As he flew, a thought drifted into his mind—of the legendary broom-riding girl from Gensokyo: Marisa Kirisame. Didn't she often fly around on her broom, charming girls without even trying?
Now that's what you'd call a true playboy.
Harry shook his head at the ridiculous comparison, laughed to himself, then continued enjoying the sky before turning back toward the castle.
Just as he was about to descend, he spotted someone below who looked a lot like Zhang Qiu. The girl was heading toward the Great Hall for breakfast. The more Harry looked, the more convinced he became.
He swooped down and called out, "Zhang Qiu?"
Zhang Qiu had been walking alone through the corridor, lost in thought, when a sudden voice behind her startled her.
She turned around—and was surprised to see Harry.
And Harry, just as surprised, hadn't expected Zhang Qiu to be staying at school.
When their eyes met, both of them smiled.
Merlin… are you really setting me up for a harem?
The Great Hall was even more deserted than the day before.
Barely more than a dozen students remained.
Most of them were probably still snuggled up in warm beds. No early classes, no obligations—especially nice in this cold winter weather.
Harry and Zhang Qiu sat across from each other.
Harry didn't feel the least bit awkward—he had been doing this with Hermione for months—but Zhang Qiu seemed a little tense.
She had never sat this close to a boy during a meal. Every time she looked up, she was met with his face—so close. In her mind, only people who were very close sat like this.
But when she saw that Harry didn't seem bothered at all, she gradually relaxed.
Sipping a warm broth, Harry asked, "Why didn't you come to dinner last night?"
With so few people in the Hall, he was sure he would've noticed her if she had. That's why he hadn't believed his eyes when he saw her this morning.
He hadn't expected her to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas.
Zhang Qiu swallowed a mouthful of food and replied, "I wasn't hungry last night, so I just went to bed early." She sounded a little sheepish, as if worried she'd come across as lazy.
"Why didn't you go home?" Harry asked.
"My parents are overseas right now. Even if they brought me home, they wouldn't be around to look after me. So they figured it'd be safer to just leave me at school."
Harry could hear a hint of resentment in her tone.
Zhang Qiu felt she was old enough to take care of herself, but her parents didn't trust her. To them, she was still just a child who couldn't manage alone.
And that hurt—because every kid wants to be trusted and recognized, not doubted.
"What about you?" Zhang Qiu asked, switching topics quickly, as she often did. "Why didn't you go back to your Muggle home?"
"Oh, I don't really like that place. It's not a home—just somewhere I live. There's no warmth, no family there," Harry said plainly.
"Ah… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up," she said.
Harry laughed. "Don't be. I don't mind at all. No need to apologize."
"So… what are you doing after breakfast?" Harry asked.
Zhang Qiu absentmindedly bit the tip of her silver spoon while thinking—then quickly set it down and stuck out her tongue, embarrassed.
Harry couldn't help but smile at her innocent gesture.
"I haven't really thought about it. It's a whole month, after all. I'll probably just spend most of it in the library."
Harry was speechless.
It felt like watching a beauty cloister herself in solitude and prayer.
She was in her youth—and she was going to bury herself in books the entire break? What a waste.
"You should be out having fun. It's winter break, not study break."
"You're funny," Zhang Qiu giggled. "Guess it's just a habit I picked up in primary school."
"You went to primary school in China?"
"Yeah."
Ugh, damn that Chinese school system…
"No way. You have to have some fun. I'm going to make sure of it."
Zhang Qiu smiled sweetly and asked, "Then tell me—what exactly can we do at school?"
"Uh…" Harry blinked.
Right. What could they do at Hogwarts during break?
"I don't care!" he said defiantly. "We can sneak up to the forbidden fourth floor or run into the Forbidden Forest. Anything's better than sitting around reading."
Zhang Qiu laughed. "Professor Dumbledore is still sitting at the staff table, you know."
"He's not a bat. He can't hear us."
They talked for quite a while, but still hadn't figured out a solid plan for the break.
In the end, they only decided what they'd do for the rest of the morning:
Play wizard's chess.
Luo Bei: Add this story to your collection! If you like it, vote too!
Thanks.
Recommendation: The Ultimate Teacher
Also—does the featured recommendation show the book's cover? Mine's just some black calligraphy slapped over a generic background. Probably the worst cover on all of Qidian. Can someone help me out?
Still using the same old design...
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