Amidst the varying moods of its passengers, the hogwarts express slowly pulled into King's Cross Station.
The swaying of the train as it stopped pulled Amanda out of her mental simulation of Potion-making, and at the same time, woke Hermione, who was sleeping soundly on her shoulder.
"Ha-ah... we're here." Hermione covered her mouth and yawned. Still a bit dazed, she lifted her head from Amanda's shoulder, sat up straight, and rubbed her eyes.
Waiting until Hermione had lifted her head, Amanda stood up and reached for the luggage rack to bring down her and Hermione's bags.
She also helped the three seniors opposite them with their luggage. Having fully woken up, Hermione took her bag and gave Amanda a sweet smile.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Amanda nodded with an indifferent expression and walked out of the compartment pulling her suitcase, followed by Hermione and the three others including Cho Chang.
Having just arrived at the compartment door, Harry and Ron looked at each other. Ron had a complicated expression as he looked at Harry and said with some difficulty,
"Mate... have you ever seen Hermione look so gentle, so... so whatever that was?"
Harry hesitated for a moment. "Do you mean, so sweet?"
"Ah, yes, yes, yes!" Ron realized suddenly and nodded vigorously. "I was just thinking about how to describe it, and that's the word!"
"Well... I've never seen it," Harry shook his head firmly. "And I don't think Hermione would ever show that expression to anyone except Amanda."
"Tsk, tsk... who would have thought? Gryffindor's famous Miss Granger, choosing love over friends."
Ron spoke jokingly, and Harry immediately waved his hand. "I didn't say that; you did."
"Hey! You can't sell out your mate like that!"
The two boys walked off the hogwarts express, play-fighting with each other.
Inside the platform, Amanda was already pulling her suitcase and waiting in line with Hermione to exit.
When it was their turn to leave the platform, she turned back with Hermione to say goodbye to the three seniors, Harry, and Ron.
"Goodbye Senior Cho Chang, Senior Marietta, and Senior Penelopa. Goodbye Harry, Ron."
"Bye, see you after the summer break."
All five of them waved at Amanda with smiles and also said goodbye to Hermione beside her.
"Don't forget to write to us; we'll be waiting for your letters."
Penelope bent down and rubbed Amanda's small head while giving her instructions.
"Okay, I will write to you."
Amanda spoke mechanically, agreeing to Penelope's words with extreme seriousness.
"Mm-hm, go on then."
Penelope hummed with satisfaction and gently pushed Amanda forward, letting her and Hermione pass through the wall of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters together.
Stepping out of the platform, Hermione spotted her parents not far away and ran toward them happily.
"Dad! Mum! I missed you so much!"
Mrs. Granger opened her arms to catch the rushing Hermione and picked her up with a happy laugh.
"Dad and Mum missed you too."
Mr. Granger reached out with a chuckle and patted the top of Hermione's head. "Welcome home, Hermione."
Amanda watched Hermione reunite with her parents and stood politely at a distance without interrupting.
Only after they had mostly finished talking did she pull her suitcase and walk forward slowly.
"Auntie, Uncle, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, Amanda." Mrs. Granger set Hermione down, putting one arm around her while using the other hand to pinch Amanda's cheek.
"We missed you too."
Amanda's eyes showed no fluctuation as she blinked. "Thank you."
"Welcome home," Mr. Granger said to Amanda with a smile, repeating the same words he'd said to Hermione. "Let's go, we're going back for a big feast."
Exiting the train station, Hermione and Amanda loaded their suitcases into the car's trunk themselves.
Settled in the back seat with her seatbelt fastened, Amanda kept her eyes fixed on the receding street scenery outside the window.
"What are you looking at?"
Hermione leaned over to Amanda and looked out the window curiously.
A faint scent lingered around Amanda's nose; it wasn't the scent of shampoo or body wash.
It was a more natural, fresher, and sweeter scent. As Amanda breathed it in, she felt as if her whole body had become lighter.
"Looking at the shops outside," Amanda replied expressionlessly.
"The shops outside?"
Hermione paused, looking at the roadside shops flashing by. "Is there anything interesting to see?"
Amanda nodded stiffly. "I can compare them with the memory from last time to see which shops have closed and which ones are newly opened."
Pointing out the window, Hermione spoke in amazement, "You remembered all the shops outside? Just with a glance like that?"
One had to realize there was no traffic jam, and the car was traveling at a significant speed.
The shops outside were basically just a blur, and yet... Amanda could actually see them clearly?!
She could even compare them with the memory left from the last time she was in the car?
Hermione sat back properly and grabbed Amanda's hand, squeezing it gently twice. "I'm starting to suspect you have hyperthymesia."
Amanda turned back and looked steadily at Hermione. "Hyperthymesia is an extremely rare medical phenomenon, a branch of non-selective memory. People with hyperthymesia lack the ability to forget and can remember personal experiences with absolute clarity, down to every detail."
Listening to this cold and clear definition, Hermione couldn't help but tighten her grip on Amanda's hand.
"I do not lack the ability to forget; therefore, I do not have hyperthymesia."
"I simply have a high level of concentration, coupled with minimal brain interference, which results in a strong memory."
"Mhm..."
Hermione pursed her lips and leaned into Amanda's embrace, her hands playing with Amanda's left hand as if fascinated.
Amanda sat in her seat with a blank gaze, letting Hermione play with her hand.
Sitting in the front, Mr. and Mrs. Granger both sighed helplessly in their hearts. Amanda was truly impressive in many aspects, especially her memory; it was too powerful.
In the eyes of the two dentists... if Amanda's emotions hadn't yet fully recovered, she would actually be quite suited for studying medicine.
Glancing at her parents in the front, Hermione tilted her head up and whispered to Amanda.
"Can I tell my parents about... you know, you coming from another world? I can guarantee they won't tell anyone."
Amanda nodded without hesitation upon hearing Hermione's words. "Okay."
"Mhm." Hermione gave a soft response and leaned against Amanda's soft chest, listening to her powerful heartbeat.
With the road clear, the four of them returned home in less than an hour.
Entering the Granger Residence, Amanda looked down and saw her own slippers.
They were perfectly clean without any sign of having been unworn for a long time; it was clear the Grangers had prepared in advance.
Her slippers were placed right next to Hermione's, giving the impression that, just as the Grangers themselves said, they had two daughters in their home.
After putting on her slippers, Amanda instinctively walked into the kitchen to pour a glass of water for Hermione and each of the Grangers. When her mechanical hand reached for the fourth glass, she paused for a moment.
This was the glass she had used last summer, and it had also been prepared in advance by the Grangers.
Coming back to her senses, she poured water into her own glass as well and carried the four glasses out on a tray.
Hermione, who was about to go into the kitchen to see what Amanda was doing, quickly took the tray from her hands.
"Thank you, but you don't have to do this. We can pour our own water."
Amanda shook her head calmly. "It's fine. If I can help, I will help."
"Alright then..."
Hermione sighed helplessly and picked up her water glass from the tray. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. It's only right."
Amanda nodded with no change in her tone. The Grangers also came forward, thanked her, and took large gulps of water.
Mrs. Granger put down her glass and nudged the two girls toward the living room.
"Alright, you two go watch TV. Your father and I will make dinner."
"Neither of you is allowed to help, just watch TV properly."
As she spoke, Mrs. Granger specifically patted Amanda's shoulder.
Amanda turned her head, and seeing the gentle smile on Mrs. Granger's face, her heart felt a sudden surge of warmth. "Okay. Thank you, Auntie, Uncle. Sorry for the trouble."
"It's no trouble, go on and watch."
Mrs. Granger nodded with satisfaction and led her husband into the kitchen, where the two of them began working together on dinner.
Amanda sat in front of the TV with Hermione. Hermione turned on the TV and accurately found the animation channel. Seeing that tom and jerry was on, she reached out to hug Amanda's arm and began watching with great interest.
Given Hermione's current age and preferences, tom and jerry was the most appealing cartoon to her.
Watching tom and jerry on the screen, Amanda's thoughts shifted with every change in the frames.
Does not conform to the laws of physics, does not conform to the laws of biology... Amanda hadn't watched for more than five minutes before a bunch of related 'reminders' popped up in her mind.
thomas the tank engine was still okay; having a face on a train, Amanda simply defined them as a new species and didn't apply normal physics or biology to them.
Instead, she had constructed a set of definitions unique to that'species' based on the animation's content.
But tom and jerry... the cat in there was just a cat, and the mouse was just a mouse.
Even the settings were very normal household scenes, so how could... Amanda felt her brain processing beginning to stall. She turned to look at the delighted Hermione beside her.
"Hermione..."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Hermione, who was laughing happily, stopped immediately when she heard Amanda call her and turned to look.
"This animation does not conform to physical and biological definitions. Or is it that the main characters in here are another biological type of cat and mouse?"
Hermione was stunned for a moment. She opened her mouth to explain but found she didn't quite know how to organize her words.
It took several seconds before Hermione barely managed to decide how to say it. "This is just, just a cartoon. We don't need it to follow physics, biology, or any of those things."
"We just need it to make the people watching it happy, to be able to relax, or to feel some warmth from it. Do you understand what I mean?"
"It's just that in cartoons, things don't have to follow common sense."
Amanda's mind quickly processed the definition of a cartoon that Hermione had provided and soon found the most fundamental point of contradiction.
"I see. The requirements and definitions for cartoons in my previous world are different from here."
"Different?" Hermione was puzzled for a moment. "Then last time when we watched thomas the tank engine... why didn't I see you ask me?"
Amanda lowered her head and answered Hermione seriously, "I thought they were a special species, and that cartoon was filming their lives."
After all, since even magic existed, it wasn't impossible for there to be another special species, was it?
"Uh, alright then."
Hermione pursed her lips, and her hand holding Amanda's arm tightened again. Leaning back on her shoulder, Hermione playfully blew on Amanda's hair.
"Phew... phew... what are the requirements and definitions for cartoons in your world?"
Turning her head to look at Hermione, who was blowing on her hair, Amanda skillfully recited the definition and requirements for cartoons from her original world in her mind.
"Cartoons: a type of film and television work that simulates characters through animation and designs a plot to achieve the purpose of educating children."
Hermione nodded silently, waiting for Amanda to continue with the rest of the definition, but instead, she heard her move directly to the requirements for cartoons.
"Wait," Hermione suddenly lifted her head, her large eyes blinking as she looked at Amanda. "That's it? That's your entire definition of a cartoon?"
"Yes." Amanda nodded seriously.
Hermione swallowed. She felt a faint cold sweat starting to run down her back. "Uh... then, then what about the requirements?"
"Requirements: Animation production should have educational significance and should assist students in learning. At the same time, to ensure the healthy growth and personal safety of students, animations should fully represent real life and reject any elements of fantasy. They should consciously prevent content related to emotions, play, and entertainment from appearing in the animation, helping students with better enlightenment and learning."
"This... this..."
Hermione opened her mouth in vain, not knowing what to say.
What kind of cartoon would be made under such requirements?
She didn't even notice that she had voiced this question in her dazed state.
Amanda blinked, her voice as calm as water. "The cartoons authorized for broadcast all record the learning and lives of students."
"Generally, four templates are used. The'School Chapter': one episode is forty-five minutes long, a complete replica of classroom teaching. The 'Going Home After School Chapter': one episode is six hours long, a complete replica of doing homework, reviewing, and previewing."
"The 'Year-End Exam Chapter': one episode is two hours long, a complete replica of the exam process and problem-solving. The 'Post-Exam Record Chapter': a complete replica of the disposal personnel capturing failing candidates and the entire process of executing the disposal."
Hermione's breathing quickened, and cold sweat kept breaking out on her forehead. She even felt her tongue uncontrollably pulling back, and a sudden feeling of nausea appeared.
Looking at Hermione's pale face, Amanda had no expression. "I'm sorry. Did my words make you uncomfortable?"
"No, no," Hermione forced a smile, not wanting Amanda to feel guilty. "I'm just... just a bit hot. I'll be fine in a moment."
"Mhm..." Amanda nodded with a stiff expression. Hermione was lying; she had easily reached this conclusion through Hermione's micro-expressions.
However, since Hermione didn't want to continue talking about it, according to the rules of politeness, she shouldn't keep asking.
With a pale face, Hermione looked at the cat and mouse running happily on the TV. In her imagination, two iron cages fell from the sky, trapping them inside.
Those definitions and requirements for animation seemed to restrict the cartoons, but in reality... the ones being imprisoned were the children themselves.
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