days at Hogwarts

Chapter 156 Before School Starts
Privet Drive, the Dursleys.

Harry still lived in the storage room, although Aunt Petunia had hinted that he could move upstairs to a normal bedroom.Harry chose to continue living here, and he didn't know why, but he just didn't want to move.

Today, the small storage room welcomed a special guest.He was short and thin, with big bat-like ears and protruding green eyes the size of tennis balls.

This is an eccentric house-elf who calls himself Dobby.

"You intercepted all my letters, so I couldn't contact my friends all summer!" Harry looked angrily at the house-elf in front of him.

Hathaway stood on the crossbar of the suitcase bird rack, flapped her white wings, and loudly "cooed" at the vicious house-elf, as if pointing at Dobby's nose.

Hathaway set off in the morning with Harry's birthday gift to Loren, singing with a backpack, but was robbed by the house elf when she went out.This kind of behavior is simply outrageous for owls.

Dobby blinked anxiously and looked up at Harry: "Harry Potter don't be angry... Dobby had hoped, hoped that if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him... Harry Potter might be Don't want to go back to school, sir..."

The more we talked about Harry, the angrier he became. This Dobby couldn't communicate at all!The two quickly started fighting, one wanted to chase, the other ran around the room, even Hathaway's cage was overturned on the ground.

boom!
The door of the storage room was kicked open.

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed in surprise, "Quickly subdue it, it intercepted my letter!"

After receiving the report from the Dursleys' house, Blake, who arrived in a hurry, immediately pulled out his wand and pointed it at Dobby. The light of magic power was accumulating, and a conflict was about to break out.

"Dobby is here to protect the great Harry Potter. He can't go back to that dangerous school. Those people are mixed up with werewolves. Dobby is here to warn!" Dobby howled in a high voice, and hit a Snap your fingers and disappear in place.

The Dursleys, who were carefully hiding behind Black, widened their eyes, recalling in surprise the monster they saw just now, and the magic that disappeared in an instant.

……

Loren and Bates had no relatives or friends in London, so they only invited the Grangers to a simple dinner.Of course, the cake was ordered at the cake shop by phone.

After tidying up the cabinets with magic, Loren heard the voices of three adults as soon as he walked out of the kitchen. They were sitting on the sofa, talking enthusiastically.Bates even occasionally raised his head with a smile.

Hermione was waiting outside the kitchen with her hands behind her back as if hiding something.

"What are they talking about, so happy?" Loren passed by Hermione, taking out paper to dry the water marks on his hands.

"I was talking about what we like to eat, and I just said that you like to eat burnt food." Hermione said absently, her eyes wandered, and she was a little afraid to meet Loren's eyes.

"What kind of burnt smell?" Loren's face froze for a moment, and then he pretended not to care and said, "Let them adults talk, let's go upstairs and play."

That was exactly what Hermione wanted, she nodded, and followed Loren upstairs.

"I received a letter from Ron this morning. He asked if we could get in touch with Harry. He didn't reply to the past letters, not even the birthday wishes." Loren pointed to the sleeping man hanging upside down on the curtain rod. Errol, explain to Hermione where it came from.

Hermione's eyes widened, looking shocked.

Loren thought she was worried that something happened to Harry, and comforted him, "Harry has his godfather by his side now, so nothing will happen."

"No!" Hermione sat down on the edge of the bed, and patted the quilt regretfully, "We forgot Harry's birthday, and neither of us thought of writing him a letter."

Harry's birthday was July 7, and they were on the boat that day and couldn't remember Harry's birthday at all.

Loren blinked. The two of them forgot their friend's birthday because they were traveling together. It sounded a little... He coughed and changed the subject: "Ron invited me to the Burrow as a guest."

Hermione looked up at him indeed.

"I'm going to reject him, but I think Grandpa Bates may need my company more," Loren shrugged, "What do you think?"

"I also feel more comfortable in my own home."

"I heard that there are many magic items in the wizard's house. I will have a chance to see them in the future."

"Our appliances look amazing to them too..."

The two chatted about the magic furniture. Second-year students are like this. They always have endless topics, and they can't finish talking.

Until it was late at night outside, when Monica greeted Hermione and talked for a while before going home.

"I prepared a birthday present for you, I don't know if you like it or not..." Hermione muttered softly, her face blushing.

She spent a whole night of mental construction, and finally suppressed the twists and turns in her heart, and gave the gift out.

Hermione took out a small pendant from behind. The ivory-white thuja wood was carved into a dolphin with a smiling face. The streamlined body was simply carved with fins and kisses. The shape was simple but conveyed the agility of the dolphin.

There are some knife marks and flaws on the surface. Through these marks, Loren seems to be able to see the little girl with her head lowered and focused, cutting wood chips bit by bit with a handmade knife.

"You asked me not to disturb you just to do this!" Loren took the pendant in surprise, his heart seemed to be filled with something, and it was hot.

Hermione explained seriously: "It's mainly for practicing the spell, and the pendant is only made during the rest time."

Wearing the pendant around his neck, Loren held the little dolphin in his hands, rubbing his fingers non-stop, holding it up in front of his eyes to examine it inch by inch, and the corner of his grinning mouth never let go.

Although the shape is simple and the carving is not exquisite, but the more you look at it, the more beautiful it is, and the more you look at it, the more you like it.

Seeing Loren's feedback, Hermione also felt that the happiness in her heart seemed to overflow.

"What kind of wood is this, it smells like a fragrance—"

As soon as Loren raised his head, he met Hermione's shining eyes, which were moist, and the light reflected in them looked like bright stars and moons.

He couldn't help but want to see more clearly, and see more clearly.

Hermione's cheeks were flushed, her eyes lowered slightly, and her slender eyelashes fluttered: "The one made of cypress wood, I carved it myself, no, I didn't use Transfiguration..."

For some reason, she hid her eyes, and Loren felt that the thin lips of the rosy little mouth became more attractive, like a pendant, and the more she looked, the more beautiful she became.

Hermione felt again the strange emotion she felt when she saw Loren with the mole on her brow in the library.

The two looked at each other at some point, their eyes reflected each other's face, the light became more and more hazy, but that face became more and more clear.

Boom!
dong dong!

There was the sound of window glass being hit.

Like frightened rabbits, the two hurriedly moved their eyes away.

Loren looked out the window, and saw a white, fluffy owl knocking on the glass.

"Hathaway?" He opened the window and let the owl in.

Harry's Hathaway, with her beautiful white feathers, is so dazzling that anyone who sees it can recognize it at a glance.

It was also the configuration of a package and a letter. Loren opened the letter and read it quickly. The content was similar to what he thought.

After the birthday wishes, Harry briefly explained what he had been through.

"Harry said that a house elf named Dobby intercepted all his letters during the holidays. His godfather suspected that Malfoy did it and has investigated." Loren condensed part of the content and relayed it.

Hermione stroked her hair, the blush on her face hadn't completely faded, "No, it's fine, I'll go back first."

The little witch quickly left the room, but no matter how she looked at it, her footsteps seemed to be running away.

After counting the candy from Ron, the handheld game console from Harry, and writing back to them, Loren's 12th birthday was over.So plain, yet so beautiful.

……

"Honestly, what are you talking about... Diagon Alley, should we pay attention to something?" Wendell asked nervously. He felt uncomfortable no matter how his hands and feet were placed in the passenger seat. All became blindfolded.

In the back seat, Hermione, who was nestled in Monica's arms, sighed helplessly: "I asked Professor McGonagall before, it seems that you can go shopping normally, but you can't buy things with pounds."

The holidays are almost over, and they make an appointment to buy supplies for the new school year.Mainly to supplement Hermione's worn-out quill, as well as the second-year Defense Against the Dark Arts book, Gilderoy Lockhart's complete set of travel notes.

It involves 6 strange creatures including female ghosts, werewolves, trolls, ghouls, snowmen in a certain snow area, hags, and vampires.

When discussing the itinerary, both parents proposed to visit together, and their attitudes were firm.Loren and Hermione had no reason to refuse, so a group of five set foot on the way to the Leaky Cauldron.

Bates, who was driving, turned his head, looked at Loren, and quickly turned back to look at the road. He asked in a tentative tone: "Loren, otherwise I'll wait for you outside, and I won't go to that. Diagon Alley for wizards?"

Loren also sighed deeply. It was you who asked to go and have a look at home, and it was you who wanted to back down when we were about to arrive.

"Come on, gentlemen, you're not even as calm as Mother Hermione."

Monica smiled, and shook Hermione's arms: "It's because I believe the two little wizards will protect us."

This kind of composure lasted until she saw the dirty and dark Leaky Cauldron. The black stains covering the outer wall completely covered the original color of the wall. Monica just looked at it and didn't want to get close.

Not to mention the weirdly dressed wizards in the bar, looking at their clothes with strange eyes, every item is awkward.

Hermione took Monica's hand and explained softly: "If you come by yourself, you won't be able to see the Leaky Cauldron, it's enchanted."

"The development of the wizarding society lags behind the modern industrial society. Our clothes are rare items for them. There are also little wizards from wizarding families in the school who ask Muggle wizards to help bring clothes."

Loren tapped the wall a few times with his wand, opening the door to the wizarding world, "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Although the sellers of owls, cauldrons, and strange-shaped brooms were amazed by the three of them, others were even more amazed when they saw them along the way.

After walking for a short time, the three of them couldn't stand those gazes any longer. The scrutiny of the wizards made them look like monkeys on the street.

When Loren and Hermione came out of Gringotts, Bates and Granger were standing awkwardly on the white steps. There seemed to be no place for them to stay on Diagon Alley, which was widened by space magic.

"Hermione, otherwise..." Wendell whispered that he wanted to leave.

Loren felt a little suffocated in his heart. They were all enthusiastic and cheerful people. They shouldn't bear such scrutiny, let alone be pressured to give up their curiosity.

"Loren! Hermione!" A familiar voice sounded, and Harry ran towards them from a distance, his face covered in black soot.

Loren saw Hagrid's huge figure from a distance, and his eyes lit up, "Harry, Hagrid, it's great to see you two!"

"This is my grandpa, Bates, and these are Hermione's parents, Wendell and Monica." Loren pulled Hagrid and introduced them, "This is Hagrid, our friend."

"Hello, Loren and Hermione are good boys, and you must be good parents." Hagrid smiled heartily.

Bates and the Grangers stared blankly at Hagrid's face before reacting to greet Hagrid.Although this big man is too tall, his eyes are very gentle, unlike those wizards.

"Hagrid, our parents are a bit uncomfortable with the environment in Diagon Alley. Can you take them for a drink? It's better to choose a clean place without so many people." Loren asked.

"Of course! You guys just went to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley together and asked them to take you to buy school supplies." Hagrid readily agreed, and was about to leave with Bates and Wendell's clothes.

Under Hagrid's pull, Bates and Granger were taken away like an adult leading three children.

"By the way, Loren! Help me buy some medicine to get rid of flesh-eating slugs!" Hagrid's voice came from afar, like thunder, breaking up the dark clouds in the sky and shining clear sunlight.

Hagrid was like this, he was too happy to drink, and it would be even more happy to drink with kind people.

Hermione repaired Harry's eyes, only to look up to find that their parents had abandoned them.

"Harry, have you gone to Gringotts to withdraw money?" Loren asked lightly.

Harry was still a little dazed, "I, I'll go after I find the Weasleys."

A family of red-haired people can be seen at a glance even in Diagon Alley, among the wizards in strange costumes.They looked around and saw Ron, Fred, George and Mr. Weasley trotting up the crowded street.

"Harry, that's great! Molly is going crazy." Mr. Weasley gasped. "She's right behind."

"Where did you come from?" Ron asked.

"Knockturn Alley."

George and Fred exclaimed together: "That's cool!"

(End of this chapter)