"Merlin's food-grade, skin-friendly, 3-speed, 6-frequency...! He's alive!"
"Cedric! You're alive!"
The entire Great Hall erupted! Every student stood up!
Cedric Diggory, the Champion who had been declared dead, stood there completely intact!
Dumbledore, standing at the podium, showed the first genuine smile of the night. He raised his hand and gave a gentle wave.
The black drapes symbolizing mourning faded away, replaced by the bright, dazzling yellow and black representing Hufflepuff!
Countless ribbons and stars drifted down from the magical ceiling, and the entire Great Hall became as bright as day!
The oppression and sorrow were swept away, replaced by the incomparable ecstasy and exhilaration of having survived a disaster!
Cedric was surrounded by his classmates. He scratched his head, looking a bit overwhelmed, a bashful smile on his face.
"I... I don't know what happened," his voice came through clearly via Dumbledore's magic. "I only remember a green light, then a warmth in my chest, and then I didn't know anything. When I woke up, I was in the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey said it was a protective charm Professor Dumbledore left on me that saved my life."
He looked at Dumbledore, his eyes full of gratitude.
Then, his gaze moved past the crowd and landed on Harry.
"But what Harry said is true," Cedric's voice became serious. "I saw it, in that graveyard. Lord Voldemort... he really has returned."
The feverish cheering faltered for a moment, but only for an instant.
The joy of survival triumphed over the fear of the future.
So what if Lord Voldemort was back? One of their Champions had survived the Killing Curse! It was a victory!
The feast turned completely into the wildest celebration party in Hogwarts history, co-hosted by Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
Lia was buffeted by this tidal wave of emotion. She watched Cedric being tossed high into the air, saw Harry embracing Ron excitedly, and looked at Hermione beside her, who was weeping with joy.
She turned her head and buried her face in the crook of Hermione's neck, taking a deep breath of the scent that always put her at ease.
The war wasn't over, but tonight, they had won... On the Hogwarts Express back home, the atmosphere was completely different from when they had arrived.
The carriages were filled with the noise of survivors and spirited discussions about the future.
Cedric's "return from the dead" had given everyone a shot in the arm.
In the compartment shared by Lia, Hermione, Harry, and Ron, the atmosphere was relatively quiet.
Harry recounted everything that had happened in the graveyard—Priori Incantatem, the spirits of his parents... He was no longer the boy crushed by guilt; Cedric's survival had washed away his heaviest shackles.
Lia leaned on Hermione's shoulder, her tail idly brushing against Hermione's calf.
The plot of the triwizard cup, Barty Crouch Jr.'s disguise, Lord Voldemort's resurrection, Cedric's fake death... it was all in the past.
The train was carrying them away from that Castle full of danger and wonders.
When the train pulled into King's Cross Station, the platform was crowded with wizarding parents who had come to meet them.
Lia followed Hermione out of the carriage and immediately spotted an ordinary couple in the crowd who looked somewhat out of place.
The Grangers.
They saw Hermione, relieved smiles appearing on their faces, and then their gaze naturally fell upon the girl with cat ears and a cat tail beside her.
Mrs. Granger gave Lia a gentle smile, one she had clearly grown accustomed to.
"Lia, welcome home."
This simple sentence made Lia's heart instantly soften.
In the car ride home, the London streetscape flew past the window, and everything from the wizarding world was sealed away behind Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
For Lia, this wasn't moving away, but returning.
The car stopped in front of a typical English two-story house with red brick walls and a small garden.
Hermione opened the front door.
The warm scent of books, disinfectant, and dinner food wafted toward them.
Lia took a deep breath, and every muscle in her body relaxed.
She followed Hermione up the stairs, familiarly pushing open the door to Hermione's room.
The room was just as it had always been—one wall was a bookshelf reaching to the ceiling, textbooks and parchment were neatly stacked on the desk, and pink sheets covered the bed.
The door clicked shut behind them.
All the noise, danger, and conspiracies of the outside world were completely shut out by this door.
Lia could no longer hold herself up; she fell straight backward, sinking softly into Hermione's arms.
Hermione caught her steadily, pulling her close in the process.
"Exhausted, aren't you?" Hermione's voice was low and gentle.
Lia didn't speak, she just buried her face in Hermione's shoulder, nuzzling her skin with the tip of her nose to confirm her owner's scent.
Her tail unconsciously wrapped around Hermione's waist, tightening more and more.
The long-standing threat of death had required constant vigilance.
Only here, in Hermione's arms, in this room that belonged only to her, did her sense of security reach its maximum.
Hermione leaned down and kissed the tips of her cat ears. "We're home."
Lia looked up, her sky-blue eyes shimmering with moisture, reflecting Hermione's clear face.
She reached out her arms, hooking them around Hermione's neck, pulling her down forcefully to meet her in a kiss filled with endless dependence and longing.
There was no lust in this kiss, only the relief of surviving and the cherishing of what had been reclaimed.
After a long time, their lips parted.
Lia lay against Hermione's chest, listening to that steady, powerful heartbeat, and let out a long, satisfied sigh.
"Hermione..." her voice was thick with a nasal quality, soft and sweet as if acting spoiled, "I want to take a bath."
"Alright, let's go together."
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