Mysterious Journey

Chapter 753: A Friend of Destiny

"Alright, it's time, you should go find your friends…"

As Eileen's voice faded, the surroundings instantly became clear again.

If it weren't for the "Homu Commemorative Ticket" that had suddenly appeared in her hand, Danilova might have even thought that everything just now was just an illusion. Eileen had already lowered her head and was concentrating on eating breakfast, with no intention of continuing the conversation.

Around them, only Luna Lovegood seemed to turn her head and take another look.

"Eileen, I don't understand—"

Danilova nervously squeezed the paper ticket in her hand, gathering her courage to speak.

Just then, Irina Ivanovich walked over.

Behind her, dozens of Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin first-year students were introducing themselves and chatting in small groups, the bustling crowd like a scenic line attracting everyone's attention.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. Have you finished eating?"

Irina stopped beside Eileen and asked elegantly. The girl's gaze passed over Eileen and landed on the somewhat dazed Ravenclaw first-year student beside her, a strange look flashing in her eyes.

Is this the little witch who comes from the same place as her, but from a Muggle scholar's family?

Looking at the somewhat bewildered Danilova, Irina smiled and proactively extended her right hand, introducing herself.

"Hello, I'm Irina, Irina Ivanovich, a first-year student from Slytherin. The Hogwarts new student orientation is about to begin, let's go to the grounds outside the castle together! By the way, my family used to live in St. Petersburg."

"Eh? I, I'm Danilova, I live in…"

Facing the imposing Slytherin first-year student, Danilova stood up in a fluster, answering quickly with some embarrassment, her eyes involuntarily glancing at Eileen Kaslana sitting beside her.

For some reason, Danilova always felt that although Irina's gaze was on her, her attention was on the person beside her.

"Good luck, new students. Welcome to Hogwarts."

Eileen picked up a napkin and elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth, glancing at the little witches who were talking beside her, a meaningful look flashing in her eyes. As she stood up and brushed past them, she said softly in a voice only they could hear.

"Be sure to get along well, dear little first-years—"

The daughter of a former Soviet nuclear physicist, and the granddaughter of a "wizard traitor" from the Chernobyl incident…

She had to admit, this world was truly wonderful, and even she didn't know what the future would hold—the only thing she could be sure of was that from the moment these two little witches stepped onto the Hyperion, the world began to change.

Eileen smiled happily at the two chosen children and walked towards the other end of the Great Hall.

The new school year at Hogwarts had just begun. These young first-year students needed to go through a rather long campus life to become friends, and before that, Eileen didn't plan to play too much of a role in it.

At least for Eileen at the moment, this wasn't the most important thing.

According to the Hogwarts second-year schedule this year, her first class was mathematics and physics with all four houses.

At the entrance of the Great Hall not far away, Hermione and Hannah were already standing there. Judging from the expressions on the faces of the two little wings who had grown up a bit, if she couldn't explain her "house-traitor behavior" clearly, she would probably suffer a bit.

However, just two twelve-year-old girls…

How could the great Fairy Queen, the third-generation Dark Lord, and the Hogwarts Head of House be afraid?

"I know what you want to ask…"

Eileen stopped and, before Hannah and Hermione could speak, preemptively said.

"Um, anyway, listen to my explanation first—"

"Oh? I wonder what reasons the Hogwarts Head of House, the summer homework assigner, has this time?"

Hermione snorted lightly, her voice tinged with sarcasm and dissatisfaction.

At the breakfast table just now, she had already learned the news from Percy Weasley. Compared to being tricked into learning a bunch of math knowledge from non-magical universities during the holidays, she didn't know which one made her angrier.

And what made Hermione even more unhappy was that Eileen had hardly written to her all summer.

"But it's okay, the first class is in the large classroom on the sixth floor of the castle. We can talk as we walk…"

"Han, Hannah—" The little ahoge on Eileen's head wriggled a little nervously.

"But Eileen, you're wearing Ravenclaw robes today…"

Hannah glanced at the blue house crest on Eileen's chest and said softly with a somewhat resentful tone. In Hogwarts, the relationship between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw couldn't be called friendly, after all, smart people always needed some simpletons to set themselves off.

Last night in the common room, Prefect Cedric had subtly conveyed the thoughts of everyone in the house to her.

If Eileen was being forced by Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore, then they should find an opportunity to snatch her back from the Ravenclaw Tower. Even if the other three houses came knocking, Hufflepuff's strength wouldn't be afraid in the slightest.

Hufflepuff had finally had a chance for a seven-time championship, and everyone understood where the key was.

Recalling the conversation in the common room last night, Hannah turned to look at the white-haired dumpling beside her and said with a serious face,

"Don't be afraid, Eileen. If you're being threatened, tell me secretly, and we'll help you find a way."

"Eh?!"

……

The road from the Great Hall to the sixth-floor classroom was particularly long.

Although she had lived at Hogwarts for a whole year, for Eileen, the moving castle was still as full of novelty as it had been on her first day of arrival, but… that didn't mean she didn't have the most basic sense of direction.

"We—are definitely taking a detour, aren't we!"

Eileen looked around at her surroundings and said firmly.

This was the ninth time she had started climbing the upward staircase, her destination was a familiar yet unfamiliar platform. There were no landmarks on the platform, only a extremely beautiful landscape painting, and not even a single person.

"We haven't gone wrong, do you remember if we've been to any repeating scenes?"

Hermione carefully identified the direction, subconsciously avoiding Eileen's eyes, and pointed to the empty corridor in front and said earnestly, "I think it should be this way, so what else did Professor Dumbledore say?"

"Really nothing, the four houses just divided me up, there's no conspiracy or oppression…"

Eileen sighed helplessly, looking at the two wings beside her, "After leaving the common room, I went straight back to the Ravenclaw common room with Luna, went straight to sleep after going back, nothing happened."

"Hmm, Eileen is indeed not lying this time."

Hannah stared at the little ahoge on Eileen's head for a few seconds and turned to say.

"Granger, I think it's almost enough, we're going to be late soon…"

After more than a year of getting along, "Nana-min" had almost mastered a new lie detection technique. Compared to the white-haired dumpling who could lie with a straight face at any time, the ahoge on Eileen's head was always difficult to control its emotions.

"Don't worry, everything is under control."

Hermione shook her head, casually lifting a curtain next to the passage on the right. Behind the dark curtain, there were narrow, rapidly rotating wooden stairs. Looking at her friends, Hermione said quite smugly.

"Go this way, Fred told me about a quick passage that leads directly to the Gryffindor common room corridor from here."

"So… where are we exactly?"

Eileen's mouth twitched slightly, and she looked at Hermione with a helpless expression.

For the first time in her life, she experienced what it was like to be at the mercy of others - as someone with a terrible sense of direction, it was really too difficult in this situation. If she hadn't successfully controlled the ahoge just now, she would probably have to wander around a few more times.

"Uh, probably somewhere in the North Tower of Hogwarts—"

Hermione Granger stuck out her tongue. Before Eileen could continue to speak, she said, "Anyway, remember what you promised us on the way, sleep in the Gryffindor house on Tuesday, and sleep in the Hufflepuff house on Thursday—class is about to start in a quarter of an hour, let's hurry over, if you don't want to be late for the first class of the new semester."

“…Don't worry, I will definitely come to find you on Tuesday—”

Eileen glanced at Hermione, who was as smug as a little fox, and replied meaningfully.

Now was not the best time to strike, when this weakest "Calculating Machine" was alone, she would make Granger understand what it meant that "all the gifts given by fate have already been priced in secret".

As for now…

Eileen looked at the steel simpleton beside her who had been turned against her and was watching her vigilantly, a deep sense of helplessness arose in her heart.

Now, Eileen finally understood the kind of restraint that Grindelwald and Dumbledore had felt back then.

At such a close range, unless she strengthened her power to the point where it was uncontrollable in one breath, or used some high-power spells that might cause harm to Hannah, she would not be able to steadily control this little wing who had already mastered some of her abilities in an instant - especially when they were pushed into a corner, they would attack her ahoge.

Hopefully, the matter between Irina and Danilova won't be exposed so quickly, otherwise…

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