Hogwarts: Harry Returns from Azeroth

Chapter 295, Section 294: Hermione's Heart
"Of course not!!"

Without even hesitating, Hermione answered as quickly as possible.

"I just didn't expect—I mean—why you would suddenly invite—invite me!"

“Because…” Harry hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by Hermione’s question, “Because…we’re close? Because we’re friends? Because we’re the right age? And we both need a dance partner?”

"Alright, that's enough!" Hermione raised one hand to block her view and sighed deeply. "I understand—I agree."

"That's good," Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Otherwise, I really wouldn't know where to find a dance partner."

"Don't you have any other options?" Hermione asked, somewhat surprised. "Those girls, the upperclassmen—and so on."

“Then I’d rather not look for them,” Harry said, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t even know them, and I don’t understand them.”

There was no answer; Hermione simply pursed her lips, and she seemed to be smiling.

The news that Harry had a dance partner spread throughout the school in the shortest amount of time. So, wherever Harry went, the expectant gazes he received turned into a look of sorrow and regret... which really gave the perceptive Harry goosebumps.

At the same time, Hermione became the target of hostility from most of the girls at Hogwarts who admired Harry... But as a champion, especially one who achieved a perfect score in the first match and directly defeated the dragon, Hermione also had her own supporters.

Then the two groups of supporters started fighting each other, which escalated to the point where they were ambushing each other with wands in the corridors. This enraged Professor McGonagall, who then banished all of them to Professor Sprout's side to shovel dragon dung.

In Professor McGonagall's words, if you're already this energetic, then do something truly useful.

The unfortunate reality is that Ron and Neville, both only third-year students, cannot find an upperclassman to invite them to the Christmas dance, so they have no choice but to go home and spend Christmas with their families.

This really disappointed Ron for a long time, since he already had a girlfriend, while Lavender was a third-year student like him—the kid had even boasted to Harry in private that if he didn't already have Lavender, he would definitely be able to find an older female student to take him to the ball.

Well... it's not impossible, after all, Ron is quite a well-known figure at Hogwarts.

The auditorium was decorated like a fairyland, with the walls covered in shimmering silver frost and the ceiling a starry night sky. Hundreds of mistletoe twigs and ivy garlands hung overhead, and the four long college tables were replaced with more than a hundred small tables lit with lanterns, with about ten people sitting around each table.

“Don’t be nervous, Harry, spin…you almost stepped on my foot,” Hermione whispered, putting a hand on Harry’s arm.

As warriors, or rather, as a combination of warriors, Harry and Hermione were the first pair to lead the dance for everyone, so even though they had practiced the steps for several days beforehand, they were both a little nervous.

“I know,” Harry said softly. “Yes, you look beautiful today.”

"Thank you?" Hermione looked up at Harry with some surprise as they spun around. "I thought you'd think, well, you wouldn't notice—"

"Why wouldn't you notice?" Harry said with a laugh. "I'm not blind."

“In a way, it’s almost like being blind…” Hermione muttered in a voice only she could hear.

"what?"

“Nothing,” Hermione quickly shook her head. “I mean, talk more!”

“Tell me more?” Harry thought for a moment. “You shrunk your front teeth with a spell, didn’t you?”

“Ah, what keen observation!” Hermione patted Harry, both amused and exasperated. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“It’s beautiful, but it’s really immature,” Harry thought for a moment. “It’s like a lily bud that’s about to bloom; you can smell its fragrance, but it hasn’t really blossomed yet.”

Today, Hermione was wearing a white dress and her head was covered with sparkling silver decorations. It was clear that she was trying her best to dress herself in a mature and sexy way, but to be honest, in Harry's eyes, with Hermione's still-developing eyebrows and figure... she really was still a child.

Therefore, instead of feeling mature and sexy, it only makes people feel cute.

"Uh, thank you." But Hermione hadn't expected that. After Harry finished speaking, she lowered her head, her cheeks flushing pink.

Harry and Hermione weren't particularly passionate about dancing, so after leading the opening dance, they slipped out through a side door, declining dance invitations from many students along the way, before finally finding a quiet spot in the courtyard.

This is a place for those who want to find a quiet area to rest during the breaks in the dance, or more precisely, for young couples who are starting to feel romantic and want to get intimate... Well, the dance floor is at its most lively right now, so there aren't many people here yet.

Magic kept the temperature here like summer, so even wearing light clothing, one wouldn't feel cold. The magical flower fairies flitted among the flowers from time to time. These little creatures didn't possess true intelligence; at this moment, they were just hiding among the leaves, spying on Harry and Meghan, occasionally letting out some laughter.

The moonlight tonight is so bright that the decorative chains are gleaming with a pure white light.

“It’s better than I expected,” Hermione said suddenly as she sat down and rubbed her knees.

"That's good. I was always worried I'd step on your foot."

“Ah, your steps are indeed heavy,” Hermione chuckled. “But, um—can I ask you a question? A rather private one.”

“What?” Harry thought for a moment and said, “Go ahead and ask, but let me make it clear beforehand that I have the right to refuse to answer.”

“Of course,” Hermione said, nervously bringing her legs together. “Uh, you, according to your own account, you lived in that world called Azeroth for many years, right?”

“Yes,” Harry said frankly, “so I’m much older than you see.” “Like Dumbledore?”

“No, not at all,” Harry waved his hands repeatedly. “If you don’t count my age when I went to that world, I only lived in Azeroth for twenty-seven years.”

"Does that mean you're already a man in your forties?" Hermione said mischievously, turning her head sharply. "Uncle Harry."

“Well, you could call me that if my body from the other world came back exactly the same, but for some reason, when I returned to the world I was born in, my body reverted to when I was eleven years old,” Harry sighed. “You might not understand, but it’s really inconvenient for me.”

“Children and adults are different, of course,” Hermione comforted her. “Your sudden return must mean your family in Azeroth must miss you a lot, right?”

“Yes…” Harry fell silent for a moment, “They are all my beloved family. They would be very worried if I suddenly disappeared… And Azeroth has never truly been at peace; the war is never-ending…”

“I believe they will be safe,” Hermione suddenly said. “Besides, the demons you mentioned have already appeared in our world, haven’t they? The elemental language of Azeroth can also be used in this world, which in itself means that there may be some kind of connection between the two worlds, so you will see them again sooner or later.”

“…Yes,” Harry smiled, “I think so too.”

"So, you didn't have anyone you liked in that world?"

She simply took off her shoes, buried her feet directly in her skirt, wrapped her arms around herself, and turned her head to look at Harry's face.

"You were an adult in that world, right? You were very powerful and had your own career. A man in his forties should have been settled down and started a family long ago." Hermione spoke very quickly, or rather, she herself didn't know why she was so calm at this moment, as if she were talking about something completely unrelated.

“No, and I’m not even in my forties,” Harry said, looking speechless.

"That's not the point!" Hermione reached out and poked Harry's soft waist. "Come on, are you married yet?"

“No,” Harry sighed.

"Why not?" Hermione's tone was starting to sound like Professor McGonagall's. "War is the easiest place to foster friendship or love. I don't believe you didn't have a single female friend in that world. Didn't you have such an experience? Or do you like men? Hmm, do you like real minotaurs? The kind that are physically different from yours?"

"Of course I could never like a man, a male cow, or even a female cow!" Harry said speechlessly. "What are you thinking?"

"And then there are the people you like?" Hermione pressed. "The people who make your heart flutter, the people you want to spend your life with—aren't there any?"

“I…” Harry opened his mouth, “Okay…”

"Aha, I knew it!" Hermione clapped her hands triumphantly, as if Sherlock Holmes had discovered evidence. "I knew it!"

“But it’s just liking someone… liking someone doesn’t mean we’ll be together,” Harry said softly.

"Why?" Suppressing her excitement, Hermione tilted her head and asked, "According to you, didn't you also become the Great Prophet of the Minotaur tribe in that world? You possessed power and authority."

“Maybe it’s because of my power and authority,” Harry said with a wry smile. “If either of us were just ordinary people, we would be more likely to be together—but that’s impossible. If either of us were just ordinary people, we would never have met.”

“That’s true,” Hermione’s throat bobbed. “I mean… that’s definitely true… What kind of person is she? Uh, are you from different countries?”

“She was the princess of the sea kingdom of Kul Tiras…and perhaps she is now queen…Jaina Proudmoore.” Gazing at the moon in the sky, Harry said calmly, “Kul Tiras belongs to the Alliance, while my Tauren tribe belongs to the Horde—there has never been true peace between the Alliance and the Horde; war is the eternal melody.”

"I'm sorry." Although Harry's expression remained calm, Hermione couldn't help but feel sadness and regret in the eyes of the boy beside her... or rather, the man in the body of a boy.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Harry said with a smile, as if suddenly waking from his memories. “There is no such thing as a perfect ending in this world, and no one can hold all the good things in their hands. That’s normal. Let’s go back. Professor McGonagall might go crazy if the two heroes are not around for a long time.”

Without saying a word, Hermione simply took Harry's outstretched hand, then put on her shoes and stood up.

“I think things might not be as bad as you think,” Hermione said suddenly after walking a short distance. “That Jaina lady, sorry, I keep thinking about your owl, anyway, I think she might also be waiting for an opportunity—uh, I don’t quite understand what you mean by Alliance and Horde, but even you admit that there have been brief periods of peace between the Alliance and the Horde, haven’t you?”

“As long as leaders like you continue to work hard, sooner or later you will surely usher in a long-lasting peace,” Hermione said earnestly, pulling Harry to a stop. “Then you can be together.”

“…Maybe,” Harry said softly after a moment of silence, staring into Hermione’s bright eyes. “But now, that’s impossible.”

“Yes,” Hermione said with a slight smile, “you’ve returned to our world…go in.”

Without saying another word, Hermione simply gripped Harry's hand even tighter.

The music in the auditorium remained cheerful.

....................................

Time flew by amidst the students' anticipation, and the secret of the golden eggs gradually ceased to be a secret. People learned that each warrior's golden egg contained a parchment with different spells written on it, so they began to speculate on what these spells were for, and they enjoyed it immensely.

Winter passed by in the blink of an eye. When the students noticed that Professor McGonagall had become tense again, they belatedly looked up from their homework and exercises and realized that the second match was about to begin.

February 24th marked the official start of the second match. The Colosseum, which had been largely destroyed for unknown reasons, was rebuilt. The weather had warmed up somewhat, but it was still quite cold.

(End of this chapter)