On the morning of the last day of the term, the entire school was bustling as students prepared their luggage.
In the Ravenclaw dormitory, Hoffa's roommates were turning the place upside down. They were so scatterbrained that they kept mixing up their socks and underwear with their friends'. Large suitcases were stacked high all around the room.
Hoffa, however, had very little luggage. Just like when he arrived, he carried only a black canvas bag, ready to travel light.
But as he stepped out of the common room, he realized that leaving school without hassle wouldn't be so simple.
In the common room, Aglea sat despondently before a stack of luggage that was taller than she was. Miranda was also struggling with two large suitcases.
The moment Hoffa appeared, he felt a sense of foreboding. He attempted to sneak out of the common room using the Disillusionment Charm.
But Miranda caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye and lazily waved her wand.
Hoffa found himself propelled by an invisible force straight to the two girls.
"Ah, Hoffa, you're just in time," Aglea said. "We've got a task that's perfect for you."
"I refuse," Hoffa said immediately.
"Refusal denied," Aglea replied smugly. "A European gentleman's first duty is to carry a lady's bags."
"I'm not European," Hoffa shot back. "And what you're describing is more like slavery. Thanks."
Miranda chimed in, "Hoffa, with that attitude, you're going to end up alone for the rest of your life."
In the end, Hoffa joined the crowd, floating a dozen bags alongside him as they left the school. He had cast Levitation Charms on all of them, making his way through the throngs of students to the train station near the Black Lake.
Squeezing through the crowd, bumping into bags as he went, Hoffa barely managed to climb aboard the train. But before he could sit down, his two friends shoved him right back out.
They needed to change clothes.
Leaning against the door with his arms crossed and rolling his eyes, Hoffa grumbled to himself. Honestly, if you needed to change, why not do it back at school? Why wait until we're on the train? Such a hassle.
Dressed in a white T-shirt and black utility pants, Hoffa had long since ditched his Hogwarts robes, preferring something more comfortable for travel.
After quite a while, the compartment door finally slid open.
The girls had shed their stifling black Hogwarts robes for breezy summer outfits.
Hoffa had to admit, they looked much cuter now. The girls of this era weren't so different from modern styles—simple and genuine, with a fresh energy that was refreshing to see.
Aglea wore a flowing Bohemian dress, her collarbone and calves exposed in an elegant yet casual way.
Miranda opted for a red checkered shirt paired with blue denim shorts, her outfit radiating a playful, summery vibe.
After this small feast for the eyes, Hoffa felt that all the effort of hauling their luggage had been worth it.
From a certain perspective, if one had a preference for youthful charm, his two friends could be considered exceptional in their respective categories—one striking and proud, the other petite and adorable.
Of course, he thought wryly, if you want to appreciate this, now's the time. By next year, when they turn thirteen, they won't even qualify as "legal lolis" on certain timelines...
Noticing Hoffa's somewhat gentlemanly gaze, Miranda subtly pulled her checkered shirt lower and tucked her legs closer together, while Aglea shot him a sharp glare.
Feeling a bit flushed, Hoffa turned his head to the window, focusing on the rolling Scottish countryside dotted with vibrant purple heather. He couldn't help but think about how eventful and interesting his past year had been.
With a loud whistle, the train began its journey southward under the brilliant sunshine.
The two girls chatted and laughed along the way, while Hoffa occasionally chimed in as he gazed at the scenery outside. Compared to their arrival at Hogwarts, his friends now seemed far more like ordinary girls their age, carefree and lighthearted.
As the train rumbled across an ancient stone aqueduct, Aglea turned to Hoffa.
"Hoffa, have you figured out your plans for the summer?"
"I have. Why?" Hoffa replied.
In truth, his summer goal was simple: earn enough Galleons to buy new books for the next school year. (Hoffa had no interest in using second-hand ones.) Though he didn't have a concrete plan yet, he was sure it wouldn't be a leisurely vacation.
Aglea scoffed. "Tsk, I was thinking, if you're too broke to go anywhere, you could stay at my place. I could help you out—"
"Don't trouble yourself, my lady," Hoffa interrupted lazily.
"Hoffa Bach would rather starve or jump off this train than freeload at your house."
Aglea muttered something grumpily under her breath about kindness being wasted and how someone like him even managed to have friends outside school.
Hoffa knew Aglea meant well, but her words always carried an undertone of smugness that made it hard not to reject her outright.
Miranda rested her chin in her hand and asked, "Are you planning to work with goblins? I heard they're loaded."
Hoffa shook his head emphatically. "Goblins? No way, absolutely not."
"Why not?" the girls asked in unison.
For the remainder of the train ride, Hoffa entertained them with tales of gambling goblins and his own unfortunate encounters with their cunning tricks.
When the train arrived at the station, the bustling crowd of wizards and witches brushed past the three of them as they made their way toward the exit. Many adult wizards were waiting nearby.
Near the station's exit, Miranda turned to the two and said, "I'm heading to Devon. I won't be taking the exit to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, so this is where we part ways."
Hoffa suddenly remembered something and stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Miranda, will you be coming back to school next year? I heard your grandfather mention that he wanted to take you away."
Miranda sighed softly.
"Actually, Adbe Goshawk has already resigned."
Hoffa drew a sharp breath. "Why?"
Miranda smiled faintly. "Maybe he felt he could no longer uphold fairness in his position. Or perhaps, with the tense political situation in Europe, as the deputy headmaster, he has more important matters to attend to."
"And what about you?" Hoffa asked hurriedly.
"What do you hope? That I'll come back or not?" Miranda countered.
"I—"
Before Hoffa could finish, Miranda chuckled. She removed her glasses, leaned up to whisper softly in his ear, "Goodbye, Hoffa Bach."
Then she winked, grabbed her luggage, and disappeared into the other end of the station.
Hoffa stood frozen, eyes wide. This girl! Always leaving conversations half-finished.
Still, since she hadn't left any contact details, Hoffa figured—hopefully, probably—she'd return next year. After all, her emotions had stabilized quite a bit, hadn't they?
After Miranda left, Hoffa turned to look at Aglea. Now it was just the two of them.
Aglea shrugged as she gazed in the direction where Miranda had disappeared. Together, they began walking toward the exit.
"And you? What are your plans for the summer?" Hoffa asked while pulling her large suitcase along.
Aglea crossed her arms and gave him a side-eye.
"Vacation, reading, studying more Transfiguration. Then in second year, I'll beat you—simple as that."
"Hah, still not giving up?"
"Giving up? You can forget about that before I do."
As they chatted, they arrived at the station exit. Hoffa handed the suitcase back to Aglea and was about to say goodbye.
Suddenly, Aglea's eyes widened, and her expression shifted. "Oh! Headmaster Armando!"
Hoffa quickly turned around, but all he saw was a crowd of people—nothing else.
He immediately realized what had happened.
Sure enough, when he turned back again, the space in front of him was empty. Aglea had vanished.
Around him, young witches and wizards, along with their parents, bustled about, brushing past him on the sunlit stone-paved street.
Hoffa couldn't help but let a smile tug at his lips. He shook his head in resignation, a faint grin appearing on his face.
"What a grudge-holding little girl."
Drawing his wand, he gave it a small toss. When it landed, it transformed into a pair of sleek black sunglasses.
Placing the sunglasses on his face, Hoffa slung his bag over his shoulder and turned toward the bright, sunny exit.
Ready to embrace a brand-new adventure.
(To be continued...)
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