Fated Adventure.

One month passed quickly, and finally, there was a chime from the magic mailbox. Walking over, I pulled out the three letters inside.

Ryan Grim, Yue Grim, Rachel Roth.

"Hogwarts letters are here!" I called out, opening my own letter.

Yue, Serenity, and Rachel walked into the living room. I passed the letters to their respective owners.

"Ready, Serenity?" I asked. We had already formed a plan, and she had read the Harry Potter books.

"Yes, Master." She was eager—finally able to do something for me. Of course she was ready.

"Good. We need to go shopping anyway, so we'll split up at the Leaky Cauldron."

I glanced over the school list. There were a few changes from last year's curriculum, mainly in Defense Against the Dark Arts. We also needed telescopes, potion ingredients, and other first-year supplies.

Over the past month, I had already transformed the second guest bedroom in my trunk into a proper potions lab, and we had been practicing brewing potions there.

Rachel's eyes flickered with excitement as she read over her Hogwarts letter. Yue, on the other hand, didn't seem particularly impressed—this would cut into her cuddle time. Serenity, of course, would be coming to Hogwarts, just in a different way.

"Alright, let's head to the alley and get this shopping over with."

I was excited—this was another step toward finally heading to Hogwarts.

---

Once we were ready, we stepped out and made our way to the Leaky Cauldron. Over the past month, we had visited Diagon Alley multiple times, whether for shopping or dates.

My relationship with Rachel had grown significantly. While we hadn't crossed that final step, we were much closer. Kissing, hugging, hand-holding, and cuddling were all on the table, with a few heated make-out sessions thrown in.

Of course, I also ensured that Yue and Serenity had their own dates and alone time with me. Happy wife(s), happy life, after all. No complaints so far.

Arriving at the Leaky Cauldron, we slipped through the crowd toward the back. Serenity silently peeled away from our group, heading off on her mission.

"Let's get the robes out of the way first," I suggested. "Then we'll go from there."

The alley was crowded—no surprise, given that other students were also shopping for the school year.

First stop: Madam Malkin's. We got fitted for our Hogwarts robes without issue. Then, it was off to Flourish and Blotts, where we picked up the new Defense Against the Dark Arts books.

Next up: Slug & Jiggers Apothecary. I stocked up on potion ingredients—not just for first-year, but for first through seventh-year levels, buying around ten sets so we'd have extras for practice and storage.

I wasn't worried about anything spoiling. I had a special stasis cabinet for potions and ingredients in my trunk, and an extra one tucked away in my Gate of Babylon just in case.

We also grabbed new brass telescopes and a small crystal ball containing a copy of the galaxy that moved and looked stunningly real. Just because I wanted one.

Everything was going smoothly—until the darkness appeared.

---

A loud crack echoed through the alley, followed by a thick, inky-black mist that spread unnaturally.

Shouts of alarm filled the air as people froze in confusion. Some screamed, others stumbled backward.

The darkness churned, swallowing light, before suddenly collapsing inward. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished.

Where it had been, Hagrid now stood—half-dazed, looking confused. Beside him was Harry Potter, wide-eyed and lost.

I barely had time to process it before I felt a small hand slip into my pocket, depositing something.

A soft whisper tickled my ear.

"Mission complete, Master."

A featherlight kiss brushed against my neck, and then the presence was gone.

I reached into my pocket, feeling the small, grubby package wrapped in brown paper. My fingers twitched, and a discreet portal opened. Without hesitation, I tossed the object into my Gate of Babylon for safekeeping.

"Good job, Sera," I murmured under my breath.

She was long gone.

With the Philosopher's Stone now in my possession, I had secured one of the most powerful magical artifacts in existence.

Whether it was real or a fake remained to be seen. But I wasn't about to test it in the middle of a crowded street.

I glanced at my girls. "How about we go get some milkshakes?"

Yue and Rachel perked up. Taking Serenity's hand as she reappeared beside me, we made our way toward Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for a well-earned treat.

---

As we sat at an outdoor table, I casually sipped my strawberry and whipped cream milkshake. Yue had her own, while Rachel idly stirred hers with a spoon, lost in thought.

"Is that…?" Yue finally spoke, pointing to a scrawny boy with messy black hair, green eyes, and clothes five sizes too big.

"Yep," I replied, taking a sip of my drink. "Harry Potter."

Rachel frowned slightly. "He looks…"

"Like a neglected orphan? Yeah."

It was ridiculous how the Wizarding World never questioned why their so-called hero showed up every year looking like he'd been living in a basement.

"If I were him, the second I found out about magic, I would have done everything in my power to master it," I mused. "Instead, he spends the next six years screwing around on broomsticks, copying homework from Hermione, and playing chess with Ron."

Rachel looked down at her milkshake, sympathy flickering in her eyes. "Do you think we should help him?"

I shrugged. "Sure, why not? Already intervened, so might as well go all the way."

Serenity remained quiet—she didn't care about Harry Potter at all. Yue sipped her drink, indifferent to his fate.

The truth was, I had already altered the timeline. Stealing the Philosopher's Stone was a massive deviation from canon. There would be consequences—some predictable, others not.

That was why I needed Serenity. An assassin could quietly handle problems, retrieve necessary items, and eliminate threats without drawing attention.

For now, though, I'd focus on Hogwarts.

A small smirk tugged at my lips.

This school year was going to be interesting.