days at Hogwarts

Chapter 387 End of Third Grade

After lunch time, at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid's Hut.

Over the years, the hybrid giant trampled on a spacious path that extended all the way from the direction of the castle into the depths of the Forbidden Forest. It circled the simple but sturdy cabin several times and carved out several flat vegetable plots.

The largest one is the pumpkin patch, where pumpkins larger than people are grown every year. George and Fred have always wanted to make the largest pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern and hang it in the Gryffindor common room with a levitating spell on Halloween, but they have never been able to do so.

After noon, the sun has reached its hottest time, but fortunately, the fresh cool breeze continues to flow from the forest, which is comfortable and pleasant.

Hermione was sitting on the third step, her legs stretched naturally and hanging down. She was holding an old notebook and studying it, her expression was quiet and focused.

The sun fell from the treetops, making her fair cheeks and neck reflect the light.

This is the note left by Professor Lu Ping. The main content is about controlling the size of the physical patron saint and using the physical patron saint to send messages. After bidding farewell to Professor Lu Ping in the morning, they went back to the office to take it out and are studying it.

Loren sat on the fifth step, resting his chin on Hermione's left shoulder, awkwardly looking at the notes, sniffing from time to time to smell the girl's scent.

"As a high-level magic spell, the Patronus Charm is more difficult to control than other magic spells, but this does not mean that it cannot be controlled. While focusing on controlling magic power, you need to focus on controlling your own mind..."

wow-

Hermione twirled her fingers and turned the page.

The head on the left shoulder shook, and he made a dissatisfied nasal sound.

Hermione heard that he was saying that he had not finished reading the previous page, so she turned back helplessly and asked while waiting for him to read: "Why don't you use the copy spell to make a copy like Harry and Ron?"

Loren glanced outside. The two people only read the notes for less than ten minutes before they started playing wildly with Fang, running in circles around Hagrid who was weeding the pumpkin patch, just like two other puppies. .

Loren hummed twice, indicating that she could turn the page.

Now his chin is pressed down by his entire head, and he has to struggle to raise his head when speaking. He won't speak unless necessary.

Hermione turned the page helplessly.

In this way, the notes that could have been read in two hours were delayed until the sun went down. The good news is that Hermione has read it very carefully and has almost memorized it. She has basically mastered the theoretical knowledge and practice methods. The rest is just continuous practice.

Hermione planned to practice these techniques over the summer vacation.

……

Hogwarts Castle, Library.

The little wizards lined up in a long line in front of Mrs. Pince's counter, registering the books they wanted to borrow on parchment paper. Probably because Professor McGonagall's control over the school had increased, even the books in the library began to be borrowed outside the holidays. Borrowing, in addition to the Muggle-born young wizards in previous years, many pure-blooded young wizards also joined the book borrowing team.

There are also some young wizards scattered in the library, holding idle books that they would not normally read to pass the time. The queue waiting for registration is slowly getting shorter.

Hermione, who was sitting by the window, looked up from the page and looked at the little wizards queuing up to borrow books. She felt a wonderful sense of accomplishment in her heart.

This is the first time that she has affected so many people, and it seems like she has changed the world a little bit.

"I want to go home on the weekend... I want to eat ice cream... I want to eat the egg tarts and apple pie baked by Monica..."

Loren stopped writing on the letter paper and raised his head to look at the girl next to him: "Is there anything else you want to add, Hermione? Also, let Hanhan be sent home, so you don't need to bring a bird cage with you when you get on the train. .”

Hermione lowered her eyes and looked at the words "ice cream," "apple pie," and "egg tarts" on the letter. She whispered, "My parents are both dentists. These foods with high sugar content were not allowed in the past year." I ate several times.”

"Then you're lucky to be able to enjoy sweets with me."

"..."

Hermione was silent for a moment. She knew that her mother would make these sweets for Loren, but she couldn't figure out why her mother, who always paid attention to dental health, would accommodate this man.

"Anything else to add?"

Hermione's eyes flickered, she pursed her lips and said, "Coke! Let mom buy some Coke."

Loren picked up the quill and dipped it in ink: "Then I'll write that you want to drink Coke..."

Hermione held his arm and looked at him seriously and solemnly: "You want to drink."

"Hey!" Loren was happy, "Okay, okay, I want to drink!"

Hermione craned her neck to watch him add a few more words to the blank page at the back of the letter. After confirming that he had not exposed himself until the end, she looked back and pretended to be reading a book seriously.

Loren put the quill into the ink bottle and dusted off the parchment paper: "I've finished writing the letter. Now let's talk about retouching fees and compensation for reputational damage."

"What retouching fee? What loss of reputation?" Hermione looked at him in surprise.

Lorenzo said confidently: "Of course you have to pay a polishing fee for writing letters for others. If you ask for Coke in my name, doesn't this damage my reputation? What if Monica misunderstands that I like to eat sweets and drink sugary drinks? What to do with bad boys?”

"Is this a misunderstanding?" Hermione laughed angrily.

"What are you talking about, slandering me!"

"be honest."

"Oh~ you hurt my heart, and now you have to pay for mental damages!"

"..."

Girls' restroom on the second floor.

Myrtle huddled in the toilet tank and blew bubbles. She heard the familiar footsteps outside and the sound of water running from the faucet. She floated out of the cubicle lightly and saw Hermione washing her face with water. She walked over and circled around Hermione, then stopped. He asked curiously in mid-air: "Hermione, why is your face so red?"

"Myrtle!?"

Hermione screamed, her little face seemed to become even redder: "No, it's nothing... The sun outside is too hot, I'm here to cool down."

"Sun..." Myrtle suddenly came closer and looked at her suspiciously: "Myrtle thinks you are lying, but she can't find any evidence."

"Stop talking about this..." Hermione gradually calmed down and changed the subject. "I heard that the ghosts in the girls' bathroom started throwing water to drive people away again. Is that you, Myrtle?"

"Oh yes……"

Myrtle picked at the small spot on her chin melancholy and sat on the water table: "Since the secret room was discovered, those people have been pestering me to ask questions. This is the second time Myrtle has been chased by everyone. I'm really happy about the spotlight... By the way, the first time was when people just found my body."

"But those people don't care about Myrtle at all. They still call me Fat Myrtle and Ugly Myrtle behind my back! Poor, sniveling, depressed Myrtle..."

Myrtle's voice began to sound a little crying, as if she would start sobbing the next second: "Oh, and Myrtle with pimples!"

Hermione's scalp was numb and she quickly comforted her: "No, don't cry, Myrtle, at least we won't say that to you, we are your friends..."

"Really?" Myrtle raised her head and looked at her. Hermione nodded bravely.

"Great!"

Myrtle happily circled Hermione and reached out to pull her arm. The ghost arm went straight through, which made Myrtle a little regretful: "Hermione, just commit suicide."

"!"

Hermione's eyes widened.

"This way I can take you to watch the boys take a bath. You don't know, they take baths very frequently when the weather gets hot... Oliver Wood of Gryffindor is about to graduate. If you don't watch, you won't be able to see him again."

"..."

Hermione silently made up her mind that Loren would never be allowed to take a bath in the prefects' bathroom in the future.

"Fortunately, there is also Hufflepuff's Cedric Diggory. He is so handsome..."

After listening to Myrtle muttering for a while, Hermione tried to persuade her: "Why don't you find other ways of entertainment, Myrtle? For example, some more serious hobbies, like Sir Nicholas..."

"Do you think I don't want to?" Myrtle sobbed sadly, "But I am different from other ghosts. I have no ghost friends. I can't take my head off! I can't go to Kent on vacation like Nick. Meet his widowed friend! You guys are back home for the holidays, and I can only wander around the castle, hiding from the nasty Peeves!"

I seem to have heard some strange news...

Hermione suggested bravely: "Why not try to put on a play? Sir Nicholas's decapitation show is very popular at every banquet. I think you can also try putting the story of the basilisk into a stage play."

"Really?" Myrtle's eyes suddenly burst out with joy.

Hermione nodded carefully and slowly: "You can try."

"Great Hermione! When you die, I will show you more boys taking baths!"

Myrtle cheered, rose into the air, turned around and fell headfirst into the toilet, splashing water and disappearing along the water pipe.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, patted her cheeks and walked outside.

It felt like dealing with Myrtle was more taxing than dealing with Loren.

……

Soon it was the last day of term, and the exam results were out. Loren and his friends passed every exam, even Harry passed Potions.

Hermione still ranked first in her grade. Under the influence of her good mood, she no longer cared about Loren's blackmail crime.

Percy got high marks in the Ultimate Wizarding Exam, and Fred and George finally got some points in the Ordinary Wizarding Exam.

Gryffindor House, mainly relying on its outstanding performance in the Quidditch Cup, won the House Cup for the third year in a row, which meant that the end-of-term banquet was held in red and gold decorations.

The Gryffindor table was the liveliest, and everyone was celebrating, especially the members of the Quidditch team. They made a fuss around Wood for a long time, until Professor McGonagall glared at them and stopped.

"I didn't see Professor Lupin..."

Neville looked around carefully, lowered his head and asked, "Is he sick again?"

Loren temporarily stopped his knife and fork and sighed: "Neville, Professor Lupin has resigned and left the school."

"Resign?" Neville was stunned for a moment, "But I haven't thanked him yet. My parents heard that my Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was Mr. Lupin, and asked me to answer their greetings... To be honest. , I didn’t even know they knew each other.”

Hermione comforted: "Don't worry, Neville, we will see you again."

Neville sat on the stool in a daze. It took him a few minutes to come back to his senses and slowly eat the food on the table.

Compared to Neville, Loren and others knew the news a few days earlier and had already gotten over the shadow of separation.

Harry returned to his seat with the beef ribs in his arms and said while chewing: "I think it was Dumbledore who intervened to prevent Snape from failing me on purpose."

"Yeah!" Ron's cheeks were stuffed full of roasted chicken legs, and he couldn't say a complete sentence.

Harry quietly glanced at the professors at the guest table, and happened to catch Snape's gaze. He saw the muscles in the corner of Snape's thin lips twitching ugly, and his fingers kept flexing and stretching on the table, looking like It's like I want to grab someone's throat.

Sensing Snape's bad mood, Harry was even happier, and even Professor Lupin's regret of not being able to attend the final banquet was diluted.

Snape looked away in disgust when he saw Harry's silly smile on the long table.

Really blind.

The steak's grease and sauce covered half of his face. I really don't know how he eats. Did he learn to chew bones from Hagrid's hound...

Dumbledore sat next to him, looking at the joyful scene of the little wizards in the auditorium, sniffing, and said with great emotion: "Sincere and warm emotions are as intoxicating as the smell of wheat bread. Such a scene I’ve seen it year after year, but every time it’s as touching as the first time…”

"Oh, I can't hold back the tears! Do you feel it, Severus?"

Snape replied coldly: "No."

"This is really a shame..."

"Sorry, maybe we are all busy planning business for the school summer vacation. Pomona has to go to Africa to check out raw materials, Minerva has to check accounts and negotiate with others, and Filius and I are too busy..."

Snape mocked: "Unlike you, the leisurely headmaster, we can't feel the "wheat scent"! "

Dumbledore blinked, decided to defend himself, and said in an aggrieved tone: "But I need to prepare for the International Wizarding Confederation I am about to attend, and next year's Triwizard Tournament, no, maybe the semi-finals Competition."

"Competition?"

"Yes." Dumbledore lowered his head and stroked his beard, then picked up a knife and fork to cut a piece of steak. "They decided to restart the Triwizard Tournament. Even the American Ilvermorny also participated, so it became four Strong competition."

"At this time..." Snape frowned and looked at him, "I think it should be prudent. It is best not to let strangers enter Hogwarts, especially the American Ilvermorny."

"Don't be so nervous. We can relax a little."

Dumbledore was obviously aware of his concerns, but his attitude was not clear and even sounded a bit noncommittal: "Voldemort has not yet been completely resurrected. Under the supervision of the four magic schools and the Ministry of Magic, he can only carefully shrink his tail..."

Moreover, changes are not necessarily a bad thing...

Dumbledore picked up a piece of beef with a dining knife and put it into his mouth, chewing it slowly and vigorously. His blue eyes were hidden behind his glasses and were blurry.

(End of this chapter)