After almost half a year away, coming home felt slightly surreal to Rock. It seemed like everything had changed just a little bit.
But the warmth of home still enveloped him. Rock glanced back at Tina, who was bustling about in the kitchen. He wanted to help, but Tina shooed him out, telling him to just sit still and eat some candy.
Turning back around, Rock found Theseus staring at him intently. He froze for a second. "Grandpa Theseus, what's wrong?"
"Come here, little Rock." Theseus beckoned him over. "On the way back just now, I noticed you were deliberately avoiding any mention of Dumbledore."
Newt, sitting nearby, turned his head at the mention of the name.
"Did Dumbledore entrust you with... a task?" Theseus asked, his expression unreadable.
As expected of an Auror. even though Rock had tried to be subtle, Theseus had seen right through him.
"Grandpa Theseus, Headmaster Dumbledore just asked me to return the Philosopher's Stone at a critical moment," Rock said, trying to downplay the situation as much as possible.
Theseus frowned. clearly realizing that the Stone was still in Rock's possession.
"Damn it... What is Dumbledore playing at!" Theseus slammed his cane toward the ground, but Rock caught it just in time, shaking his head.
Theseus looked toward the kitchen, took a few deep breaths, and slowly calmed himself down.
"Grandpa, although there have been some minor hiccups, rest assured that the task Dumbledore gave me is easy to complete. My main focus is on finishing my studies. Remember, I am a Ravenclaw."
Rock's words gave Theseus the answer he needed: Rock would not be deeply involved in the dangerous parts of the plan.
Theseus held Rock's gaze for a moment, then slowly nodded.
Over the past six months, Rock's letters had shown that he was no longer an ignorant child. His handling of the Malfoy incident, in particular, had impressed Theseus.
However, satisfied or not, Theseus had an idea.
He decided to prepare some things for Rock before he returned to school.
To avoid further questioning from Theseus and Newt, Rock told them about the study group he had formed at school.
As for Snape's detentions, he euphemistically called them "private Potions tutoring sessions."
Newt listened quietly, occasionally patting Rock's head. Theseus, on the other hand, looked at Rock with new eyes. He quickly understood the reasoning behind some of Rock's actions.
"Alright, how long are you three going to chat?" Tina came up behind the sofa, wrapped her arms around Rock's neck, and kissed the top of his head. Then she pulled him up. "Time to eat. I made a feast."
"Okay!"
Theseus and Newt exchanged a look, then got up and headed to the dining table.
At the table, Tina kept piling food onto Rock's plate.
Rock stared at the overflowing mound of food, stunned. It reminded him of how he used to serve food to Theo and the others back at school.
"Grandma, you eat this too."
Suppressing the emotion in his heart, Rock clumsily served food to his grandparents.
Sometimes, showing affection to family felt surprisingly awkward.
Tina and the others exchanged smiles, accepting Rock's kindness. For the first time in months, the manor in Dorset was filled with laughter and joy.
Watching Rock and Tina leave the room later, Theseus stood up and looked at Newt. "Let's go."
Newt nodded. Agreeing with Rock was one thing, but they still needed to go find Dumbledore. It was an unspoken understanding between the brothers that had lasted for decades.
In his room, Tina glanced curiously at the door but turned back to chat quietly with Rock.
Unlike Theseus, Tina only asked about Rock's well-being, as if nothing else mattered more than his health.
---
Deep in the valley of Aberfoyle lay the Longbottom Manor, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing a lake on the fourth.
In the manor, Augusta Longbottom sat in a high-backed chair. Neville sat opposite her, palms sweating, but his back was straighter than usual.
Augusta read the letter in her hand, her gaze flicking to Neville. Seeing him clutch his wand as if startled, she looked back down.
Finally, Augusta put down the letter. As she took off her glasses, she quickly wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
Her movements were so swift and subtle that Neville didn't notice a thing.
"A Ravenclaw student helped you?" Augusta's eyes rested on Neville. "How many times has your wand backfired this term?"
"...Grandma, ever since I started following the plan, not once. It just gets hot occasionally. I asked the professor, and he said it's a normal sign of bonding."
Neville tried hard to control his panic as he spoke.
"Normal bonding," Augusta repeated the phrase.
Another silence followed. Just when Neville thought he couldn't take it anymore, Augusta did something unexpected. She stood up and walked toward the study.
A room she rarely allowed Neville to enter.
"Come here."
Neville stood up and followed her. The study door swung open, and the contents of the room stunned him.
Augusta opened the bottom drawer of a desk and took out a slightly faded notebook.
"Your father," Augusta said, handing the notebook to Neville, "didn't get along with his wand right from the start either."
Neville's eyes widened. He had never heard this before.
"Back then, Ollivander said this wand was the perfect match for your father, but your father felt otherwise. Not until his third year did things change."
Augusta calmly recounted stories about Frank Longbottom that she had never mentioned to Neville before.
"It took him three years," Augusta's voice softened, "to truly become partners with this wand."
"Although I don't approve of discussing family matters with outsiders," Augusta paused. "But..."
That "but" made Neville look up at his grandmother.
"If Frank knew, he would appreciate what you've done." Augusta smiled, a rare sight. "He always said I relied too much on intuition."
Neville licked his lips. This was the first time he had seen this side of his grandmother.
"By the way, do you know who your father's idol was?" Augusta asked suddenly.
"I... I don't know, Grandma," Neville stammered, feeling a bit down. His grandmother usually only urged him to be like his father, the pride of the Longbottoms.
"Your father's idol was Theseus Scamander, a war hero in the wizarding world who later became the Head of the Auror Office."
Augusta spoke slowly. Neville looked up in disbelief. Scamander?
That was Rock's...
"The great-uncle of the boy who wrote this letter." Augusta beckoned Neville closer.
Neville hesitated, then walked forward slowly. The next moment, a wrinkled hand gently stroked his hair. Her voice soothed all his panic.
"You didn't give up. You are learning to become partners with it. That is the Longbottom way."
Neville's eyes welled up with tears. That was the highest praise he could ever receive.