Chapter 58: Return and the Principle of the Trace

The next day, Erwin woke from a nightmare.

In the dream, countless Ravenclaw girls rushed toward him one after another.

Something indescribable happened, over and over again.

Cho and Hermione stood nearby, watching him and the girls with knowing smiles.

When Erwin was finally alone, they raised their swords and discussed the distribution plan...

****

Even after finishing his morning routine, he still felt the lingering unease.

Erwin kept telling himself it was just a dream.

However, he should probably look for some magical training to strengthen his body. It would help him fight in melee combat against dark wizards in the future.

When Erwin packed his belongings, well, the house-elves would take them to the car for him anyway, so he just tried to forget about the nightmare.

When Cho and Erwin arrived on the train, they each received a letter.

The letter warned them not to use magic during the holiday, threatening expulsion in severe cases.

"Fred and George said they wish the Ministry had forgotten to send us this," Cho remarked.

"Actually, you don't have to worry."

Erwin's words drew the attention of the twins and Cho.

"This notice is essentially contract magic."

"As soon as this letter is in your hands, you've made an agreement with the Ministry of Magic. They'll monitor the use of magic around you. If there are no other wizards around you and there are magical fluctuations, then of course you're the one using magic."

After Erwin finished speaking, Cho, Fred, and George fell into thought.

"So you mean if there are adult wizards around, even if I use magic, they can't be sure it's me?" Fred asked uncertainly.

"That's exactly what it means."

At this moment, George suddenly remembered something.

"Fred, you forgot. Last time when we accidentally pushed Ron out of the window, didn't you subconsciously use the [Levitation Charm]? The Ministry of Magic didn't send a letter that time."

Erwin's mouth twitched when he heard this.

What a dire existence Ron was living.

It really wasn't easy to have such brothers and still be alive.

"That's right! George, Mum beat us up at home that day."

After figuring this out, the twins immediately smiled.

Their summer vacation wouldn't be boring after all.

"What about you, Erwin? You don't have any wizards living with you," Cho said, looking at him curiously, wondering how he could solve this problem.

"Oh, I had a house-elf in the kitchen grab it for me when I got this letter. So there's no trace on my wand at all."

Cho and the twins were stunned when they heard these words.

They hadn't expected such a clever workaround.

At this moment, Erwin stood up.

"I'll go say hello to Harry and the others. Sit with them for a bit."

Cho didn't suspect anything and nodded to show she understood.

Erwin walked out of the compartment and wiped his cold sweat.

In truth, he was looking for Hermione. He liked being around her as much as he did with Cho.

He still hadn't figured out how to talk to Cho about Hermione, so he could only use time management methods for now.

****

When he arrived at Hermione's compartment, she started chattering about the books she was going to read this summer.

The atmosphere between the two was warm.

Listening to Hermione's plans, Erwin was genuinely thinking about what he was going to do this summer.

If all went well, he would be very busy.

First was completing the alchemy test for his own purposes.

He already had a general grasp of it and could finish in a few days.

Second was waiting for Dumbledore's reply.

If Nicolas Flamel agreed, he would stay in France for a while.

Finally, there was something Erwin had been hesitating about.

Although he had plenty of money, alchemy and ancient magic research were expensive pursuits.

If the money obtained through the system's sign-ins and card draws wasn't enough, he was considering whether he needed to recruit some wizards to help him earn wealth.

The test items from alchemy needed to be sold somewhere, and some magical items obtained through sign-ins also needed to be disposed of.

****

The train passed through Muggle towns and gradually arrived in London.

Erwin said goodbye to Hermione in advance.

Before leaving, he gave Hermione a protective pendant.

This pendant could automatically cast an [Armor Charm] in critical moments.

He had given Cho the same necklace before, but Hermione had to wait until now.

Hermione knew where Erwin was going. She pursed her lips and said nothing.

Finally, the train stopped at Platform 9¾ of King's Cross Station.

Erwin and the others took a long time to get off the platform.

An old guard was there, allowing only two or three people to pass at a time so as not to attract the attention of Muggles.

After Erwin and Cho passed through the barrier, they saw a couple beckoning to them.

The man had a hardened face and looked powerful. The woman was a very gentle and beautiful lady.

"Dad, Mum."

Cho cheered and ran over, burying herself in the woman's arms.

Seeing this, Erwin couldn't leave, so he had to steel himself and step forward to greet them.

"You're Erwin, right? Cho mentions you often in her letters."

Cho's father spoke while studying Erwin carefully, as if trying to see what was so special about this boy that he could captivate his daughter.

"Hello, sir." Erwin nodded stiffly, feeling the less-than-friendly look in the father's eyes.

He felt this was more torturous than another fight with Voldemort.

"Don't scare the boy."

Cho's mother slapped her husband's head, and instantly his cold expression turned into grief, not daring to be angry or speak.

"I'm Cho's mother. Just call me Aunt Helen."

Erwin immediately understood the family dynamics and pretended to be surprised.

"So you're really Cho's mother! I wasn't sure just now, I thought her mom didn’t come, and that you would be her sister. You look so young and beautiful, Aunt."

Helen was delighted by Erwin's words and immediately became friendlier toward him, insisting he visit their home sometime.

Erwin naturally agreed.

Finally, after parting from Cho and her parents, Erwin returned to his own home.