Could history really have changed?
Ivan was a little confused, but he hadn't done anything since he returned. How could there be a butterfly effect?
Under Ivan's watchful eye, Alicia did not wait at the nine and three-quarters station. Instead, she walked to an empty spot and leaned against a stone pillar, her purple eyes silently watching the entrance to the platform, showing no sign of approaching…
Was it because she didn't really want to meet Mr Arthur and Lady Molly?
Ivan was trying to guess what was going through Alicia's mind, and he remembered that the Weasleys knew his father, who had been mentioned as a hero in Knockturn Alley…
However, his opinion of Alicia was not so good, and from Sirius's attitude towards her the last time, Ivan felt that the members of the Order of the Phoenix were not fond of his mother.
It's no wonder that when he got home in his first year, Alicia didn't pick him up until after the Ronns had left…
A few thoughts passed through Ivan's mind.
Ivan then fixed his gaze on Platform Nine and Three-quarters, wanting to see if Alicia would ever meet up with her past self, and if her past would ever change!
Not long after, young wizards came out of Platform Nine and Three-quarters and ran excitedly to their parents, who were waiting for them.
Yvonne soon caught sight of George and Fred, and a loud Mrs Weasley calling out to them to hurry along, and she could hear Mrs Weasley interrogating them about their grades this year…
George and Fred were quite relaxed, as they had successfully achieved their goal this year, and were chatting happily with Mrs Weasley.
Ivan looked at it for a few moments, then turned his attention back to the partition wall of the platform, from which he would emerge in a few minutes.
Hermione tugged at his sleeve and said, "Ivan, remember that?"
"What?" Yvonne looked at her strangely.
"Of course it's the one about learning to follow the course of history!" Hermione reminded Ivan, looking at him earnestly and hugging the book to her chest. "I don't suppose you saw your mother here?"
Though Ivan had not mentioned it to her, Hermione was wise enough to guess from his expression and words.
"Yes!" said Ivan, and then, to Hermione's surprise, he realised what she was going to say to him. "You want me to go and distract Alicia now?!"
The young witch nodded. Her knowledge of time was limited, but if the future Ivan said so, then there had to be a reason for it.
Yvonne frowned, her mind in turmoil.
Deciding whether to allow the past to change without action, or to go up and lure Alicia away and return everything to normal?
The battle of minds lasted less than a second, and Ivan chose the latter!
Because he wanted to steer the otherwise unknown outcome to the side he expected, not into another parallel universe!
With that in mind, Ivan grabbed Hermione's copy of the book and waved his wand, turning it into an empty suitcase.
Ivan took a deep breath and tried to think of something to say when they met, then threw off the Cloak of Invisibility and moved towards Alicia.
It was time to test his acting skills again!
At that moment, Isia was leaning against a stone pillar on her left, staring dreamily at Platform Nine and Three-quarters, looking for Ivan in every young wizard who came out.
However, a familiar voice suddenly spoke behind her.
"Mom!"
Alicia was stunned and turned around instinctively. She was surprised to find Ivan behind her and asked curiously, "Ivan? When did you get here? Why didn't I see you coming out of the platform?"
Yvonne's lips curled up in a show-offy smile. "Of course it does! It's a spell I just learned this year. How's it going?"
Ivan touched his wand to his body, and a curtain of magic enveloped him, then he vanished into thin air in front of Alicia.
After demonstrating the effects of the Disillusionment Charm to Alicia, Ivan looked at her expectantly, as if she were a child who had scored well and wanted her parents to praise her.
"Impressive! You are indeed my son!" Alicia smiled and bowed slightly, hugging Ivan intimately and rubbing his cheek.
The familiar smell of lavender soothed Ivan's nerves, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Alicia did not suspect him.
Even as Ivan thought this, he felt Alicia's hand on his cheek. He let out a cry of pain and looked at her innocently, not understanding why she was doing this…
"I thought you said you'd be back for Christmas last year! I didn't see you that day!" Alicia pulled her hand back and smiled, but her purple eyes were dangerous.
Ivan swallowed hard. He had almost forgotten about this and hurriedly explained.
"Mom, you can't blame me! There's been a lot going on at school this year, and I've been too busy to come back, and I have to teach myself advanced charms, Quidditch, brew potions…"
Ivan counted off the things he had to do on his fingers, then said strangely, "Wait, didn't I tell Majka to send you a letter?"
"Your owl is so slow that I didn't see it until I got home from the station at Christmas!"
Ivan's expression was one of resignation, as he had been too busy looking for his missing diary, and it was only on Christmas Day, when he saw that the school was much less crowded, that he remembered to send the letter:
"Where's your owl?" At the mention of the letter, Alicia looked into Ivan's suitcase, but there was no sign of Marka.
"It just so happened that I also thought it was too slow, so I threw it away, intending to get a fast owl instead," Ivan said carelessly. The disbelief on Alicia's face was clear, and Ivan shrugged before speaking again.
"Well, Marka actually went to help me transport potion ingredients…"
Before Alicia could ponder this further, Ivan changed the subject and continued excitedly.
"By the way, you might not believe this, but I've earned tens of thousands of Galleons this year!"