Harry Potter and the Candy Factory

… … … …

“So…”

Charlie found a place with steps and sat down casually.

“You’ve never seen your mom and dad?”

As he spoke, he skillfully unwrapped the hazelnut chocolate in his hand, glancing sideways at Harry, who was sitting next to him.

Harry hunched over, tightly clasping his knees, and buried his flushed face in them, not daring to look at Charlie beside him.

Listening to Charlie’s question, he could only weakly “um” and nod his head slightly.

Looking at the other boy’s burning red ears, Charlie couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. He shook his head, then handed the unwrapped chocolate to Harry, holding it out in front of him.

“Eat it! This is our flagship product, selling like crazy in Ma… in the UK. Kids your age generally love it.”

Charlie’s tone was gentle and soft, like a breeze on the Thames, blowing away the gray mist swirling in the Surrey sky, and subconsciously relaxing Harry’s mood.

Harry raised his head slightly, looking at the unwrapped chocolate in front of him, then at Charlie.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally made up his mind and reached out to take the hazelnut chocolate, which was half the size of his face.

The first thing Harry did upon receiving the chocolate wasn’t to put it directly into his mouth. Instead, he closed his eyes and gently sniffed with his nose.

Instantly, the sweet aroma of chocolate, mixed with the roasted fragrance of hazelnuts and the subtle scent of honey, rushed into his nasal cavity.

He was so familiar with this smell… His cousin Dudley would eat two chocolates of this size almost every afternoon.

So much so that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would always discuss it at dinner.

That Charlie’s Chocolate Factory boss should ask their lovely little Dudley to be the chocolate’s spokesperson.

After all, seeing how sweetly he eats it every time, the couple believed that there was absolutely no one in the world who liked this chocolate more than Dudley.

Thinking this, Harry couldn’t help but take another deep breath, as if wanting to remember the taste forever.

Charlie sat silently beside him, watching Harry as if he was performing some serious ritual with the chocolate, not interrupting, but patiently waiting.

He couldn’t help but raise a smile at the corner of his mouth, and a long-lost sense of anticipation miraculously appeared in his eyes.

It seemed that getting a sincere compliment from the child beside him had become an extremely important thing.

In Charlie’s anticipation, Harry finally opened his eyes and carefully took the first bite.

Looking at the clear tooth mark on the chocolate, Charlie himself didn’t seem to realize that his smile had become even more obvious. He even subconsciously widened his eyes as he looked at the other boy.

Standing beside them, Russell, witnessing this scene, almost popped his eyes out. For a moment, he almost lost control of his expression, nearly reverting from a human appearance back into a house-elf.

He stared in astonishment, repeatedly and carefully scrutinizing the unremarkable little boy in front of him.

He really didn’t understand what kind of magic this child possessed that could make his master, the greatest wizard in his mind—Charlie Black—care to this extent!?

With slow chewing, Harry suddenly straightened his back.

A light flickered in his eyes. He couldn’t help but raise a smile that he had never had before.

He turned his head and looked at Charlie, who was anticipating, giving the best compliment he could think of at this moment.

“Very delicious!”

Although there were only three short words, the joy in his tone and the smile on his face expressed Harry’s indescribable happiness.

And this was undoubtedly what Charlie wanted most.

Perhaps because he had been hungry for too long, Harry didn’t choose to savor each bite carefully. After swallowing the first bite, he began to increase his speed. Soon, in less than ten minutes, he had successfully eliminated the remaining chocolate in his hand.

Charlie, as before, watched him eat the entire chocolate bit by bit with a smile.

When the last corner was put into his mouth, Harry licked his fingertips, which were still stained with some chocolate, and breathed out a deep breath.

He patted his stomach, his face full of satisfaction.

“Hic…” Harry couldn’t help but hiccup, then laughed to himself.

It could be said that this was the fullest his stomach had been in the past few weeks.

And when facing Charlie, there was no longer the previous restraint and nervousness, but a bit more closeness and familiarity.

“Full?”

Charlie finally spoke again, asking with a smile, and then continued,

“When we go back later, I’ll have Russell bring you some more.”

“Thank you, Mr. Charlie.”

Harry wiped the remaining chocolate from the corner of his mouth a little embarrassedly, then bowed slightly to Charlie beside him, gratefully.

“Mr. Charlie…”

Suddenly, Harry seemed to have thought of something, couldn’t help but raise his head again, his big eyes looking at Charlie. After hesitating for a moment, he mustered up the courage to ask,

“Do you know my parents?”

“… … … …”

Charlie raised his eyebrows, looking at little Harry, who was looking up at him with sparkling eyes, his eyes almost overflowing with longing. After being silent for two seconds, he still chose to nod.

“Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia never let me see photos of my parents… They only told me that my parents died in a car accident.”

Speaking, Harry paused.

He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and the look in his eyes towards Charlie became even more sincere.

“Can you tell me about my parents? Anything will do… I want to know what kind of people they were.”

Listening to Harry’s words, Charlie pursed his lips, his eyelids drooping. He seemed to be organizing his words, considering what to say to the other party.

After a long while, with a groan, Charlie, after thinking it over and over, said this:

“I’m sorry, Harry, for some reason, I can’t tell you too much about your parents… But I can tell you that your parents and I studied and were educated in the same place. They were my upperclassmen, and also well-known… ‘popular figures’ at school.”

Harry listened, looking straight at the other party. He couldn’t help but hold his breath, fearing that he would disturb Charlie’s narration.

“What I want to say is…”

Charlie reached out and gently combed Harry’s curly, messy hair.

This time, he didn’t dodge.

“Your parents love you very much, they are even willing to give their lives for you… Even if, for some reason, they can’t be by your side.”

Charlie’s voice paused. “But…”

As he spoke, his hand gently brushed across Harry’s bangs, pushing them aside, revealing the lightning-shaped scar.

A faint light emerged from his fingertips, and silently, the streamer disappeared slowly into it.

“Love will live on with you forever.”