The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

London, September 1, 1992.

King's Cross Station, like a giant, ancient reptile cast in glass and steel, lies sprawled under the hazy British sky, slowly breathing in the scent of the crowds.

Just like last year, Julien carried his grandfather's specially made backpack and squeezed into the bustling Muggle crowd, as if entering a river of various colors.

This year he's become so familiar with the place that even his parents didn't have to see him off.

"Julien! Over here!"

Looking in the direction of the sound, a sea of ​​red hair surged between platforms 9 and 10.

The Weasleys stood out like a burning flame in the gray station. Julien walked over with a smile, and the twins George and Fred immediately took his arms, one on each side.

"Look who it is!" George exclaimed dramatically. "Isn't that Ravenclaw's 'Master of Shadows'?"

"How was your summer in Bordeaux?" Fred winked. "I heard that French witches have a tradition of kissing, and—"

"—Specially 'meticulous'?" the two asked in unison, then burst into laughter.

Julien shook his head helplessly. After the "Forbidden Forest Incident" at the end of last year, the twins somehow heard about the details of his use of the "Shadow Deflection Spell" and gave him this nickname ever since, constantly teasing him through owl emails throughout the summer.

"Hey, ignore them." Percy pushed his way out of the crowd, his prefect badge gleaming on his chest.

He held out his hand earnestly. "Have you had a good summer vacation, Blake?"

"Quite pleasant, Prefect Weasley." Julien deliberately used a formal address, watching Percy struggle to suppress his smug expression. "Except for the seventeen letters from your two brothers."

"It's eighteen letters!" George corrected.

"There was supposed to be a nineteenth letter, but it was eaten by an owl," Fred added. "We suspect it was Percy's owl, Hermes, who's always had a grudge against us—"

"Enough!" Percy's face flushed red. "You two, go help Ginny with her luggage!"

"Yes, Prefect!"

Julien then noticed a small, thin girl standing behind Mrs. Weasley. She had the same red hair as Ron and the others, but it was more vibrant than her brothers', like a newly ignited flame.

She was clutching a small handbag tightly; inside, besides some snacks, a notebook was clearly visible.

A black notebook.

Julien's gaze lingered on the notebook for a moment. The cover was pure black, without any decoration, yet in the morning light of the station, it shone with an eerie, almost light-absorbing darkness.

Ginny noticed his gaze and immediately hid her handbag in her arms, her cheeks turning redder than her hair.

"Hey, Julien, long time no see." Ron and Harry ran over from a distance. Only then did Julien remember that Harry should have been taken to the Burrow by Ron and the others to spend the summer.

"Hi, Harry, Ron. It's great to see you both. How was your summer vacation?"

"Not bad, Julien. I spent the time at Ron's house," Harry said happily.

"Julien, let me introduce you. This is Ginny, our little sister." Ron patted his sister's shoulder casually. "She's starting school this year. Mom said the Weasleys finally have a Gryffindor girl."

"Ron!" Ginny protested softly, her voice barely audible, "We haven't been sorted yet."

She looked up, glanced quickly at Harry, then immediately looked down at her toes.

"Hello, Ginny," Julien said gently, deliberately looking away from the black notebook. "I'm Julien Black, Ron's friend, and Harry's cousin."

"I...I know," Ginny's voice was barely audible, "Ron and...Ron have been talking about Hogwarts all summer."

“I didn’t say anything,” Ron said. “It was George and Fred who said it.”

"Alright, alright, children!" Mrs. Weasley's booming voice interrupted the conversation. "Time to get on the train! Ginny, my dear, follow Percy, he'll take you to the right carriage."

"I want to be with Ron..." Ginny whispered.

"You probably want to be with Harry Potter," Julien thought to himself.

"Percy's a prefect, he'll take good care of you," Mrs. Weasley said firmly, then turned to Julien, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Mr. Black, Ron has been well taken care of at school. Those letters..."

"Very interesting, Mrs. Weasley," Julien said sincerely.

Mrs. Weasley seemed about to say something, but the station bells rang for half past ten. The crowd began to surge, a cacophony of parents' final words, the hooting of owls, and the rumble of suitcase wheels.

"It's getting late, let's go." After the strangely dressed wizards had all crashed onto the platform, Mr. Weasley urged everyone on.

Julien and the others passed through the magical wall. The red Hogwarts Express had already begun to spew white steam.

Steam enveloped everyone, so much so that even the Weasleys didn't notice that Ron and Harry, who were lagging behind, hadn't come over.

The platform was crowded with students dressed in robes of various colors. Julien began subconsciously searching for two figures—

"Julien! Here."

A cool, clear voice came from the left. Elizabeth Rozier stood beside a stone pillar, her snow-white skin accentuated by a deep green silk dress.

She wasn't wearing the snake-shaped brooch today; instead, she wore the star brooch Julien had given her, which shimmered faintly at her neckline.

"You're late," she said, with a hint of barely perceptible complaint in her voice. "We've been waiting for you for a long time."

"The Weasleys' enthusiasm was hard to refuse."

Julien walked over with a smile, noticing a figure wrapped in a cloak standing behind her. "Liria, hello there."

The girl from the North emerged from the shadows, her long, silvery hair not braided this time, but cascading down over her feather-trimmed cloak.

Her complexion was rosier than last semester, and a warm light flashed in her icy blue eyes when she saw Julien.

Then she asked directly, "What happened during the summer vacation? You said in your letter that something big happened."

"Come on, it's time, let's get in the car first."

As soon as they reached the car door, they saw a familiar figure again – Cassian Thorne.

A few steps away, he was still wearing that unremarkable gray trench coat, but the monocle on his left eye had been replaced with a more elaborate one, inlaid with a miniature astrolabe.

"Mr. Black! Miss Rozier! And—Miss Veracati!"

"Please just call me Liria, that's how we're used to it where I'm from."

"Why are you here again?" Julien blurted out, then realized something, "I mean..."

"Hmm, I know what you mean." Cassian's lips curled into a smileless arc. "Is it because nothing good ever comes from my presence?"

"Excuse me." Julien gave an awkward but polite smile.

"Wolfgang escaped. He was being escorted, near Azkaban," Cassian said directly.

Liria and Rozier both gasped simultaneously: "Azkaban?"

Cassian's voice deepened. "We underestimated... the infiltration capabilities of certain individuals. Three escort wagons, twelve Aurors, all under the Confusion Charm. By the time they regained their senses, Wolfgang had vanished into the mists of the North Sea."

Liria had also heard Rozier talk about their Christmas ordeal: "Where did he go?"

"That's precisely why I've come to find you." Cassian's gaze swept over the three, finally settling on Yu Lian's face. "Did you encounter anything unusual during your summer vacation? Or any... signs related to the 'Moonshadow Council'?"

"How could we have seen him before?" Rozier asked.

Cassian's gaze remained fixed on Julien; he felt the boy before him was too composed.

"Yes, I saw him in Nice, on the French Riviera."