New Trunk

"Good morning, my little witch!" Luke greeted Hermione with a warm hug.

"Are you done with your work?" Hermione asked softly as they parted, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Of course, everything is done." Luke reassured her with a chuckle. He had completed what he could for now. Reincarnating Tom from the dirt was a complex process, requiring living sacrifices and DNA, which was currently impossible to obtain. Not every day brought fugitives to Knockturn Alley, and even if Tom's body could be revived, Luke had not yet decided where to send him.

Hermione watched with a mixture of exasperation and affection as Luke ordered a rich breakfast of honey muffins and milk.

"More dessert?" she said, shaking her head. "We need to watch what you eat."

Luke grinned and took a bite of his muffin, savoring the sweetness. "So, what happened to Ronald?"

Hermione looked over at Ronald, who was sitting listlessly, and said, "Professor McGonagall looked for him all night. He was found in his own bed the next morning."

"That's all Harry told me," Hermione added, her eyes narrowing as she snatched a muffin from Luke with a silver-patterned fork. 

"Sure enough, you can't let him eat too many sweets," Hermione remarked as she took a bite of the muffin, noting its sweetness.

"I don't know either. I couldn't find him last night," Harry said, looking puzzled. "Then, the next morning, he was just there, in bed. His face was pale and he didn't even know where he had been."

Hermione's eyes widened with realization. "Could someone have cast an oblivion spell on Ronald?"

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "It's possible. But why would someone do that?"

"I'm not sure, but it sounds like a possibility," Hermione replied, her brow furrowing as she considered the implications.

Forget the spell—Luke had once taught her in the Room of Requirement.

At once, Hermione recalled the spell.

"I don't know either," Harry said, shaking his head.

"You might as well take Ronald to the infirmary," Luke suggested, sipping his milk. He had a general understanding of Ronald's situation. It seemed Tom had been controlling his body, causing Ronald to have no memory of the previous day.

"Okay, I'll ask you to help Ronald and me take a break from potions class this morning!" Harry said, without hesitation. He shook Ronald awake and prepared to leave the table.

Watching them leave, Luke couldn't help but notice that Harry seemed quite pleased. Was it because he didn't have to attend Snape's class?

After breakfast, Luke and Hermione went hand in hand to the potions class.

Snape's mood had improved recently, so the little wizards didn't need to panic as much. After all, many students had blown their cauldrons during the first few classes due to Snape's intense gaze.

In this class, perhaps because Snape wasn't facing a ragged face like James's, he was in a much better mood. Of course, Gryffindor points were still deducted.

Since Harry and Ronald were absent, Hermione was left to manage the class alone. As a result, the points were deducted from Neville.

"Every time I have Snape's class, I always get points deducted!" Hermione complained, looking sullen. Thanks to Snape's persistent efforts, Gryffindor was at the bottom of the list this year. So far, it hadn't broken the bottom record from the previous year, though.

"Didn't you get some points back later?" Luke pointed out. With the weather being a bit warm today, he had stashed their robes in the Kamui space, leaving only their white shirts and ties exposed. Hermione's low ponytail was twisted into a small bun, resembling Professor McGonagall's hairstyle.

"Did you know that Professor McGonagall is known as 'Little Hermione'?" Luke teased, pointing to her hairstyle.

"You talk too much!" Hermione replied, smiling despite herself.

Hermione reached out, trying to catch Luke's finger, but only managed to playfully nibble at it with her little tiger teeth, her eyes twinkling with a mix of frustration and amusement.

After their playful scuffle, they decided to retreat to the Room of Requirement to escape the sweltering heat. Even Hermione, usually so composed, was rolling up her sleeves and wiping sweat from her forehead.

"Cool as the wind," Luke said, snapping his fingers. A refreshing breeze immediately enveloped them.

"This spell is wonderful! Teach me how to do it tonight!" Hermione's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Sure thing," Luke agreed, pleased with her enthusiasm. He had learned this simple charm from Tom Riddle and thought it would be a useful addition to Hermione's repertoire.

As they walked through the ancient stone corridors of Hogwarts, the hot wind felt oppressive, blowing in waves. Luke glanced at the portrait of the Fat Lady on the eighth floor and offered her a warm smile.

"Humph!" The Fat Lady turned away huffily, clearly still annoyed from the last incident when she hadn't been properly closed in.

Hermione chuckled and covered her mouth. "She's been like this since the door incident."

"She's not usually so grumpy," Hermione added, although she didn't spend much time in Gryffindor's dormitory.

"One day, I might just tell Professor McGonagall about your late-night escapades!" The Fat Lady made a playful face at Hermione.

Hermione, amused, aimed her wand at the portrait in mock threat. "Just kidding, Miss Granger," the Fat Lady said with a wink, revealing a more playful side.

"Let's head to the hut," Hermione suggested with a bright smile.

As night fell, they settled into the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor. The room was cool and comfortable, a welcome relief from the heat. Hermione, wearing a light off-white dress, was engrossed in taking notes from Charms and Transfiguration.

Meanwhile, Luke was focused on a different task. He had rolled up his sleeves and was working on transforming a suitcase with his wand. Inspired by a Hufflepuff senior's enchanted suitcase that housed various magical creatures, Luke hoped to find a way to safely contain the basilisk.

He knew keeping the basilisk in the secret room was impractical; it could be discovered by Dumbledore or others. Thus, a more secure location was necessary, and he hoped to use the space-enhancing features of the suitcase.

As he finished inscribing runes on the suitcase, Luke's face broke into a satisfied smile. The intricate design and enchantments seemed to promise a successful outcome.