Harry Potter and the Candy Factory

Lane's fingers swept across the stubble on his chin.

Listening to Charlie's unwavering answer, he thoughtfully pondered for a moment, then continued to ask,

"Do you know the couple, or do you also know their child?"

Upon hearing this, Charlie couldn't help but be surprised.

He turned his head, first sizing up his cousin who was still stroking his chin, and after about two or three seconds, he said with a smile,

"I don't remember ever telling you that the guests I invited this time are a family... How did you know?"

Charlie's question was tantamount to indirectly acknowledging Lane's guess.

He also smiled, not imitating the other party's way of being mysterious, but directly admitting it,

"I deduced it from your conversation with Russell just now... Sixty percent deduction, plus forty percent guesswork."

Lane continued,

"Russell said that, according to your instructions, eggnog, redcurrant rum, and brandy were prepared for the guests."

"Among them, eggnog is an alcoholic beverage made with eggs and cream, redcurrant rum is a well-known sweet wine, deeply loved by ladies, as for brandy... I and my employees usually like to drink some when we get together."

Listening to his explanation, Charlie's smile deepened, and a few different glimmers also appeared in his deep blue eyes.

Having heard this, he already understood Lane's meaning, but he did not interrupt him, but instead let the other party continue.

"So, I guess, your guests are probably a family, brandy is prepared for the husband, redcurrant rum is prepared for the wife, and finally eggnog is for the child..."

After saying that, he raised his eyebrows, looking at Charlie with a bit of smugness, as if asking if it was as he said.

Only then did Charlie smile and nod, saying,

"It is indeed a family of three... It's just that the husband in this family prefers redcurrant rum, and the brandy is what I prepared for the wife."

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, Lane couldn't help but frown slightly.

After a brief silence, something seemed to be stirring in his mind.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to continue talking to Charlie—

"Dong—"

"Dong—"

"Dong—"

......

On the mechanical clock tower in the very center of the factory, the hands slowly moved to the hour mark as the gears turned, and the deep and melodious chimes arrived as scheduled, resounding in every corner of the factory, also forcing the words that Lane was about to say back into his mouth.

Charlie's smile did not diminish, and he refocused his gaze on the fireplace, straightened his chest, and said,

【The old book friend of ten years recommended me a book chasing app, Yeguo Reading! It’s really easy to use. I rely on this reading aloud to pass the time while driving and before going to bed. You can download it here】

"Alright, our guests are coming."

Hearing this, Lane had no choice but to swallow the words completely, no longer saying anything.

After taking a deep look at Charlie's exquisite profile and smile, he also turned his head and stared at the calm fireplace that had not yet reacted.

However, in his heart, the thoughts that Charlie's words had aroused were becoming more and more active, and the emotion in his eyes was becoming more and more inexplicable...

Without letting them wait too long, the fireplace, which had been silent the second before, suddenly burst open the next moment, rising up with raging flames.

The ink-green, eerie flames soared into the sky, almost breaking through the shackles of the fireplace, reaching towards the corners of the two people's clothes.

When the flames dissipated, leaving only the remaining ashes mixed with a few sparks swaying and falling in mid-air, a slender leg took the lead from the dark fireplace, and then, the next second, Lucius Malfoy's familiar yet unfamiliar face appeared in front of Lane.

Lucius's face at this moment slowly overlapped with Lane's memory of his image from ten years ago.

And upon seeing the person in front of him, Lane's expression completely lost its previous calmness.

He subconsciously took half a step back, and even his pupils shrank sharply.

At this moment, the terrifying memories imprinted in his memory more than ten years ago seemed to be completely activated, causing him to instinctively reach for the position on his waist.

That was the place where he used to put his wand when he had not yet left the wizarding world.

However, as his hand grasped empty air in the familiar place, he finally suddenly realized that he had already given up his identity as a wizard.

Even the laurel wand that had accompanied him for countless times was sealed in the deepest part of the cabinet at home, and had not seen the sunlight for a long time...

He turned his head and glanced at Charlie, whose smile remained unchanged and had not changed from beginning to end, then he took a deep breath, suppressed the confusion and unease in his heart, and silently moved the foot that had just stepped back half a step back to its original position.

On the other side, Lucius, who had just come out, was also shocked speechless.

Looking at the man in strange Muggle-like clothes beside Charlie Black, a surge of emotions no less tumultuous than Lane's welled up in his heart, so much so that even the steps he wanted to move forward seemed to be glued in place, unable to step out.

"Dear, what are you doing?"

Behind him, Narcissa, who was blocked by his tall figure and unable to see what was going on outside, was even more puzzled at the moment, and could only gently call out from behind, patting Lucius on the back, signaling him to let her and Draco out.

Only then did Lucius react, nodding busily, and stepping back half a step towards the side of the fireplace, however, his eyes never left Lane's body from beginning to end.

Of course he knew Lane... Or rather, he knew Regulus Black.

After all, as relatives with blood ties, and also as subordinates of the Dark Lord, he still had a particularly deep impression of this young wizard who was seven years younger than him.

It's just that he never thought... After the separation one day more than ten years ago, the two of them would meet again at Charlie Black's factory...

Looking at the man in front of him who was a little more滄桑 than he was back then, Lucius's jaw moved slightly, and his pursed lips opened a little... However, after a long while, he still didn't call out the name.

"Reg... Regulus? Is that you, Regulus Black..."

In the end, it was Narcissa who spoke, breaking the strange stalemate.

She widened her eyes, which were strikingly similar to Charlie's but even more beautiful, and softly called out the name that once belonged to her cousin with a bit of disbelief.

The familiar name and voice caused Lane to feel a burst of trance.

After a moment, he finally showed a bright smile that he had never had before, and nodded earnestly to his cousin.

"It's me, Cousin Narcissa, long time no see..."

Everyone present showed a smile, even Lucius, after hesitating several times, swallowed the question that was about to come to his lips again, and temporarily squeezed out a smile, then looked at Charlie with a deep meaning.

Only Draco, with a bewildered look, took his mother's hand, looked at his father, then looked at his uncle, and then blankly turned his gaze to the man he had never seen before.

What's going on... Did I miss something?

Didn't anyone notice my new clothes?