Harry Potter: Archmage of Another World

The soft light of dawn bathed the weekend morning in a comforting glow. Harry held a letter addressed to Sirius Black, meticulously rereading it multiple times to ensure no one could decipher its true meaning.

Dear Godfather,

I hope this finds you well. The first week back here has been awful, but I'm so glad it's finally the weekend.

We've got a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Umbridge. She's about as pleasant as your mother was.

I'm writing to you because the thing I mentioned in my letter last summer happened again last night while I was in detention with Umbridge.

We all miss our greatest friend and hope he'll return soon.

Please reply as soon as possible.

Best wishes,

Harry

With a leisurely pace, Harry made his way alone to the owlery at Hogwarts to send the letter. After securing it to the leg of a speckled owl, he watched as it fluttered its short wings and soared out of the tower.

Suddenly, the door to the owlery creaked open behind him, startling Harry. He turned to see Cho Chang standing there, holding a letter and a small package.

The sun was now high in the sky, its silver-white rays crisscrossing through the round room, bathing it in warm, golden light. Cho's face was radiant and clear under the sunlight, and Harry's heartbeat quickened.

"Hi," Harry said instinctively.

Cho appeared surprised to find someone there. "Oh—hello," she replied, pausing briefly before flashing a charming smile. "I didn't think anyone would be up here this early. I just remembered it's my mum's birthday five minutes ago."

She lifted the package in her hand.

"Oh," Harry mumbled, unsure of how to respond. He desperately wanted to say something witty or funny to show off his sense of humor, but his nerves completely failed him.

"Why isn't Augustus with you? You know, his saker falcon would probably deliver a package much faster," Harry blurted out, immediately regretting it. Idiot! he cursed himself. Why bring up Augustus now of all times?

Cho's expression turned slightly awkward, though she forced a polite smile. "Actually, I haven't seen him in a while. I suppose he's been busy lately—especially with your OWLs coming up soon."

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding as if he understood, though inside, it felt like his heart had just gone into overdrive.

"Nice weather today," he said, pointing out the window. A second later, he pinched himself hard, inwardly screaming. Weather?! That's the best you can do?

"It is," Cho agreed with a nod, now busy tying her package to an owl. "Perfect for Quidditch, too. I haven't been out all week. What about you?"

"Same here," Harry replied. "You know, I've been stuck in detention, so no time for Quidditch."

Cho looked up, her package only half-tied to the owl.

She glanced at Harry with sympathy, her dark eyes carrying a hint of admiration. "That awful woman, Umbridge. Just because you told the truth. Everyone's been talking about it—it's all over the school. Standing up to her like that was really brave."

For a moment, Harry felt like he was dreaming. He couldn't think of the words to describe how he felt. Cho thought he was brave. Merlin's beard! Could this be real? Could the universe finally be smiling on me?

"Actually, Augustus stood up for us too, defending what happened," Harry added without thinking in his excitement.

A second later, Harry realized his mistake. His loose tongue had betrayed him once again, and he cursed himself internally.

Cho's mood visibly dampened. She nodded slightly at Harry, finished tying her package, and managed a small smile. "Well, I should get going now, Harry."

"Right—see you later," Harry said, waving as she left, trying to maintain a cheerful expression despite his frustration with himself.

As they parted ways, Harry continued on his walk back to Gryffindor Tower. Despite everything, there was a peculiar sense of joy bubbling inside him. If he didn't count the two times he'd put his foot in his mouth, this was probably the longest and most complete conversation he'd ever had with Cho.

And she'd called him brave. That was no small thing, was it?

Sure, she might still prefer Augustus for now, but it seemed Augustus didn't hold any special feelings for her—after all, they hadn't seen each other in two months. That meant Harry still had a chance. Smiling to himself, Harry strolled cheerfully along the sun-drenched paths of the castle grounds.

Far above Earth, on the moon's desolate surface, Augustus stood before the towering Violet Cloud Tower, which had rested there for some time now. He was here to collect certain minerals from the cosmos.

Interstellar travel demanded a tremendous amount of energy from the tower, but it was a necessary effort. His research had revealed that lunar basalt, found in the moon's seas, bore a remarkable resemblance to a rare magical mineral in another realm. This mineral was critical to completing the tower's energy systems, which were still incomplete. Using lunar basalt and the moon's rich supply of gaseous elements, he could conduct a comprehensive reconstruction of the tower. A fully operational energy system was essential for the tower to undertake long-distance space travel.

On the barren lunar surface, Augustus surveyed the landscape of craters, volcanic debris, and hardened lava plains. The darkness and desolation of the moon formed its unchanging backdrop.

Basalt was mainly concentrated in the lunar seas, the product of ancient volcanic activity. Augustus summoned a group of elemental gnomes from another dimension to assist with mining the basalt.

Many lunar basalts contained tiny vesicles—gas bubbles trapped when magma encountered the vacuum of space. To gather intact samples, Augustus had to continuously bind the escaping gas particles during the gnomes' excavation.

In the vastness of space, under the shimmering starlight, Augustus's lone figure stood illuminated by the pale blue glow of the stars, a solitary yet resolute presence on the lunar surface.

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