After thirty-nine rounds of time reversal, Qin Yu finally understood what the system meant by "unable to reveal information to others."
It was, quite literally, a forced erasure—no loopholes, no tricks.
Of course, Qin Yu had considered whether he could exploit this "bug" somehow. After all, the ability to rewind time was nothing short of extraordinary.
But the moment he entertained that idea, the system's voice turned icy: "Do not attempt to exploit this unstable mechanism."
Unstable? What did that mean, exactly?
Qin Yu mulled it over. It probably meant that the amount of time reversed wasn't fixed, and the consequences of each rewind could be unpredictable. If he wanted to return to before a certain event, but the rewind only took him to after it happened, it would be pointless. Worse, the butterfly effect could spiral things out of control.
"As long as you understand!" the system snapped, sounding distinctly annoyed.
"…And you claim you don't have emotions? What exactly are you? Let's have a chat!" Qin Yu shot back in his mind, half-joking, half-curious.
But the system fell silent, as if it had vanished into the void.
…
"Qin, could you take Harry to get his robes? I'm feeling dizzy—need something to drink to steady myself!" Hagrid rubbed his nose, looking a little green.
"Go ahead, but don't overdo it. Remember, you're carrying something important," Qin Yu replied, his tone meaningful.
"Don't worry! I'll be back in a jiffy," Hagrid said cheerfully, and lumbered off, leaving Qin Yu to shepherd Harry through the shops.
Harry had no objections—quite the opposite, in fact. Having Qin by his side made him feel even safer. This slightly older boy possessed a calm and maturity well beyond his years. Even Hagrid often sought his advice and genuinely valued his opinion.
In fact, though Qin Yu wasn't as physically imposing as Hagrid, he gave Harry an even greater sense of security.
Madam Malkin greeted them with her usual warmth, ushering Harry into the fitting room for measurements and alterations.
Meanwhile, the shop's assistant witch brought Qin Yu a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits—just like last time—so he wouldn't get bored while waiting.
After finishing his tea and a few biscuits, Qin Yu suddenly remembered something and wandered into the back fitting room.
Inside the modest space, two boys were trying on wizard robes.
One, of course, was Harry Potter. The other was a pale, sharp-featured boy with a shock of platinum blond hair and an air of smug superiority.
"Have you ever played Quidditch? I have. My father coaches me himself!" the blond boy boasted, chin raised.
"…," Harry opened his mouth, but said nothing.
He'd never played Quidditch. He didn't have a father. He had no interest in this conversation.
"But my father always says, if you want to be good at Quidditch, you have to fly fast enough—or you'll get clobbered. Hmph, if I were on the pitch, no one could catch me!" the blond boy declared, positively preening.
"Oh. That's nice," Harry replied, flat and noncommittal.
This boy had already rattled off a string of things Harry barely understood, and his attitude was dreadful—he even reminded Harry of his cousin Dudley.
He'd assumed wizards were all like Qin: handsome, confident, calm, and unfailingly polite. But this boy shattered that illusion.
It seemed people like Qin were rare, whether in the ordinary world (he still wasn't used to saying "Muggle") or in the wizarding world.
That was Harry's conclusion.
"Well then, did your father ever tell you that, if you're at Hogwarts, you should stay far away from a boy named Qin—especially on the Quidditch pitch?" drawled a lazy, teasing voice.
Both boys turned.
Harry's face lit up with relief and delight. The blond boy frowned, deep in thought.
It was, of course, Qin Yu.
"You mean Qin—the best first-year Beater in Gryffindor?" the blond boy asked.
"You've actually heard of him?" Qin Yu was genuinely surprised, especially by the glowing adjectives. He hadn't realized his "reputation" had spread so far.
"Of course I have! He's the one I'm going to beat!" The blond boy lifted his chin, full of pride.
"Ha! Ambitious, aren't you?" Qin Yu grinned, giving him a thumbs-up.
"You're right—my father told me to steer clear of this Qin. Said I should never provoke someone so… uncultured. But I'm not afraid of him. I'll be the best student at Hogwarts!" the blond boy insisted, his eyes shining with determination.
Years later, when this blond boy had grown up, married, and had children of his own, he'd always cringe in embarrassment whenever his son asked about his school days—desperately hoping no one who was there that day would ever tell the story. It was just too mortifying.
"Not bad, not bad—I like your confidence!" Qin Yu applauded.
"And who are you? Why are you saying all this to me?" the blond boy demanded, confused.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," Qin Yu replied, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
He couldn't help it—something about Malfoy's smug little face made him want to knock the wind out of him. But he was just a kid; a little rough around the edges, but not truly bad at heart. With the right guidance, he might turn out all right.
Yes, this blond boy was none other than Draco Malfoy, the cherished son of Lucius Malfoy.
"All done, dear!" called Madam Malkin.
"Thank you, Madam Malkin!" Harry said quickly, hopping down from the footstool and hurrying to Qin Yu's side.
"Bye! See you at school!" Qin Yu waved cheerfully at Malfoy.
"See you at school!" Malfoy retorted, refusing to be outdone.
He thought this boy with the Eastern features was odd… but maybe kind of cool, too.
It couldn't be helped—Malfoy had always aimed to be the most outstanding student at Hogwarts, the coolest kid in the castle. Now, faced with Qin Yu, he instinctively sensed a rival.
Of course, he also wondered if this boy might actually be Qin himself.
But by then, the two had already walked away, and he had no way to confirm it.
…
After leaving the robe shop, Qin Yu explained Quidditch to Harry and answered several of his other questions.
As for Uncle Hagrid—well, he must have trusted Qin Yu quite a bit, because he still hadn't emerged from the Leaky Cauldron.
So Qin Yu took Harry shopping for the rest of his school supplies, treating him to an ice cream along the way.
They visited several more shops, and finally, as they reached the door of Ollivanders, they ran into Hagrid at last—come looking for them at last.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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