days at Hogwarts

Chapter 138 Two Stars Get Closer
The emotion of a long-lost reunion is dispelled by a strange surprise.

Loren pondered for a moment before asking, "Aren't you hot in this suit?"

In fact, it is not hot. The summer climate in the UK is relatively cool. In some formal occasions and business environments, suits are still the main clothing.

Bates scolded with a smile: "I haven't seen you for a year, and that's the first thing you said?"

He stretched out his hand to rub Loren's head, looked at Loren with loving eyes, and said with a smile: "Let me see, how much little Loren has grown in a year."

It was only then that Loren felt that the Grandpa Bates he knew had come back. His nose was sour, and he complained in a low voice: "Then you have been traveling for so long, and I can't find anyone during the holidays. I am learning wolfbane potion at school..."

Loren complained endlessly like a child who couldn't eat candy.

Hermione heard the voice coming and stood behind, seeing Loren so childish for the first time.I am happy for him, but also a little worried about the upcoming parting.

Hearing Loren's scolding, Bates could only laugh. He raised his eyes and saw the well-behaved little girl behind him, his eyes lit up.

He said: "You are Loren's best friend Hermione, right? He told me in the letter that he is indeed a beautiful and kind child. Thank you for helping me take care of Loren."

Hermione blushed when she heard that, and felt a little bit of joy inexplicably.

Loren asked Grandpa Bates with his eyes, what are you talking about, and when did I write these words.

The letter simply stated that they were boarding at Hermione's house, and obviously didn't say anything else.

Bates looked at the little girl with a smile, no matter how satisfied he looked.

After all, he was seven or eighty years old, so he couldn't have guessed if it wasn't written in the letter. He could let his classmates stay at home, what else could he be if he wasn't the best friend.As for being beautiful and kind, isn't that obvious at a glance?

Aware of Loren's gaze, Bates stared back openly.

What, you have a problem with my words?
"Grandpa Bates, hello, Loren also told me about you..." Hermione came back to her senses, blushed and welcomed Bates into the house and sat down, and hurriedly took out tea and snacks to entertain Bates.

Bates and Hermione took Loren as a topic and gradually became acquainted.

From when Loren was knocked over by a sheep when he was a child, he was unconvinced and insisted on wrestling and fighting with the sheep, to talking about Loren falling asleep in school and distracted.

Loren stood beside him with a sullen face, and shouted angrily: "Hey! I'm here, don't go too far!"

But neither Bates nor Hermione paid any attention to him, and they talked about interesting topics to themselves.

"Loren, he has been restless since he was a child. He always tricked the shepherd who went up the mountain with him to fight with the sheep, while he hid behind. As a result, the two boys were overturned by the sheep, disgraced, and came to me crying. Teach the sheep a lesson." Bates laughed exaggeratedly at this point.

Hermione smiled, and added a cup of tea to Bates, "Grandpa Bates, let's have dinner at our house today. My parents will want to meet you. They want to find someone to share their experiences as wizard parents."

Bates suddenly felt guilty, exchanged experience, exchanged experience of leaving the child at home during the summer vacation...

He felt that the Grangers would certainly not want to talk about these experiences.

Bates made a haha, "It should be me who wants to thank you for helping me take care of Loren, why don't I treat you to dinner?"

Hermione agreed with a smile, and quickly went to call the Grangers to discuss the matter.

Seeing Hermione leave, Loren said sadly to Bates, "It wasn't like this a year ago, and revisiting the old place taught you some bad habits."

Grandpa Bates was so serious a year ago, but now he has become like this.

Bates showed a sad expression: "Oh, you know, I'm already an old man, who knows how long I can live."

Loren was a little silent when he heard the words.

Indeed, Grandpa Bates is a veteran of World War II, and he is almost 80 years old now. With the monthly ravages of the wolf, he is already very old.

Bates quietly lifted his lowered eyelids, peeked at Loren's expression, and said, "So, my wish now is just to hope that you will be well, don't need any big achievements, grow up happily, and be an adult."

Loren's heart was hot, swollen, and ironed properly.

Bates is still saying: "I don't know what to do after graduating from wizarding school, but you don't have to work hard to earn money, and it will be enough to live on my farm in Scotland in the future."

While talking, things started to go wrong, "When you start a family, get married, and have a bunch of children..."

"Stop it! I'm only 12 years old." When Loren saw the suit, he knew that Bates was not serious. He thought he was just trying to live a loose life, but he didn't expect to be so serious.

Bates waved his hand indifferently, "We're talking about the future."

Loren didn't want to talk to him anymore, so he changed the subject and said, "Headmaster Dumbledore and I have a magic that may keep you from transforming for a few years. If things go well, the werewolf disease can be completely cured. If it doesn't go well , just use the magic again after a few years."

Bates wanted to say that he was already 80 years old, and it didn't matter if he had Wolfsbane Potion or not.

He looked at Loren suspiciously, "Speaking of Wolfsbane potion, are you deliberately teasing me, the potion you send is getting worse every time, and no sugar is allowed."

Loren knew the reason why the medicine became more and more bitter and unpalatable.

Damocles Belby began to develop wolfbane potion in 1970, and he achieved the effect of keeping werewolves sane on a full moon night very early, but Belby's unique configuration process could not be reproduced by others.

The research and development of a potion cannot be considered successful only if the researcher can refine it. It must be guaranteed that the potion masters who meet the conditions can reproduce it.

It involves the method of configuration, the preparation of medicines, the influence of tides and moonlight, and there are some metaphysical factors in it.It was not until recent years that Belby finalized the formula, and there was still some adjustment work on the dosage and ratio of materials.

The wolfbane potion that Loren can get is Snape's internal test version. It is said that the perfected formula will be submitted to the Ministry of Magic for notarization next year, and a second-class Merlin Medal of Honor cannot escape.

To sum up, the more optimized the Wolfsbane potion is, the more unpalatable it is, probably because Belby listened to some of Snape's revision opinions.

Such a grown-up person is afraid of suffering after taking medicine.

Loren said helplessly: "I'll write to Principal Dumbledore right away, and when we finish the magic ceremony, you won't have to drink Wolfsbane Potion for a long time."

"It's not bad now. Except for the days when the moon is full, it won't affect daily life." Bates turned his head and saw Hermione returning from the phone call, with a smile on his face again.

Before Loren had time to say a lot of things in his heart, he was thrown aside again. Compared with the enthusiastic Bates and Hermione, he was like an outsider.

at dusk.

The Grangers went home hand in hand. As soon as they entered the door, Bates, in a neat suit, greeted him with a friendly smile on his face, shook hands and thanked him for the compliment.

For a moment, Loren couldn't tell who was the guest.

"Nice to meet you, thank you very much for taking care of Loren..."

"Loren is a good boy..."

The three adults began to chat enthusiastically, laughing and laughing continuously, until the sun completely set, leaving only a little bit of light left.

"I know a restaurant on the banks of the Thames, let's eat there tonight," suggested Bates, who ate there the last time he sent Loren to London.

Wendell said in surprise: "What a coincidence, we plan to try that one too."

Loren and Hermione were pulled into the car in this way. Loren saw the black car on the side of the road and saw Bates' proficient skills. Only then did he know that Bates' trip was still a self-driving tour.

Five people, two families, and two cars drove towards the restaurant at a constant speed.

At the dinner table, the Grangers and Bates still maintained a fiery enthusiasm, chatting about everything except the two children.

The two little wizards who were the protagonists of the topic sat silently by the side, eating quietly.

"I never knew Grandpa Bates was so talkative." Loren complained to Hermione quietly.

Hermione slowly divided the food, put it into her mouth slowly, and then swallowed it slowly. She turned her head and asked softly, "Are you leaving tonight?"

Loren thought for a while, "I don't know, it depends on Grandpa Bates' arrangement."

Hermione stopped talking, and ate the food in front of her silently and slowly.

Even taking Loren to reunite with his relatives was not so joyful. He watched Hermione eat a steak for 15 minutes, and there was still more than half of it left.

Loren picked up the steak on his plate with a knife and asked, "Do you want a steak?"

"No—" Hermione paused in her answer, looked at the steak overflowing from Loren's knife, and then at the steak on her own plate, recalling Loren's trick.

If she refuses, Loren may take her steak, and if she accepts, she may have to eat two steaks.

Hermione's mood suddenly became brighter, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly, "I eat my own steak."

Loren also smiled, and the two began to enjoy a delicious dinner.

Bates on the side seemed to be inquiring about something with the Grangers, and Loren vaguely heard words such as "property insurance" and "municipal tax".

The Grangers were all beaming and smiling brightly.

I can't hear the latter clearly, these parents are mysterious.

After the meal, the two cars drove back to Granger's villa.

Bates drove Loren out of the car and shouted loudly: "I have discussed with Mr. and Mrs. Granger. I will ask them to take care of you for another night. I will pick you up tomorrow morning."

After speaking, Bates waved his hand, kicked the accelerator and drove away.

Loren felt the gasoline exhaust spraying his face, and he froze in place.This is him, he was abandoned by Grandpa Bates again?

"Loren, hurry up and pack your luggage." Monica patted Loren on the shoulder and led him into the room.

Hermione's face was filled with regret again, and she sat on the sofa in a daze, her eyes blank.

Loren didn't dare to look at it, so she went upstairs to pack her luggage with her head buried.

Monica walked up behind Hermione, put her arms around her and advised her tenderly, "It's okay, you are classmates, we will meet again soon. And Loren can't live in our house forever, can he?"

Hermione said nothing, buried her head in her mother's arms.

Wendell said angrily: "It's all Loren's fault. He disrupted our vacation arrangements. The clinic opened when he thought he could be your playmate, but now he has run away. It's really dishonest!"

"It's not Loren's fault!" Hermione raised her head and retorted, "I'll help him pack his luggage."

She walked upstairs quickly, stepping on the stairs so loudly.

Monica looked at her daughter's back and said with a smile: "Being able to experience the emotions of parting friends is also part of growing up."

"Yes."

Wendell and Monica smiled at each other.

"What gift shall we give tomorrow to congratulate them on moving to a new house? How about red wine?"

"good idea."

When Hermione entered Loren's room, Loren was undoing his Transfiguration, and the desk and cabinet turned back into two ordinary pens.The luggage has already been packed, but in fact, there is no need to pack anything, just throw the things in the space box.

Only the bed frame remained, and Loren had another night to sleep.

Hermione's footsteps unconsciously lightened, looking at Loren in the room who was staring out of the window in a daze, she suddenly didn't know what to say.

Loren turned to look at Hermione, patted the quilt beside her, and motioned for her to sit over.

Hermione sat next to Loren and looked out the window with him.

The bright moonlight poured in from the window and sprinkled the area in front of the window. Loren and Hermione were bathed in the silver-white moonlight.

Living in a secluded location in the suburbs, the night is even colder. The moon is not a full moon, but is covered with a thin layer of cloud gauze, and the moonlight is faint.

Neither of them spoke, and the two stars in the sky moved closer in silence.

After an unknown amount of time, Hermione said softly, "Remember to write to me."

"Ah."

Above the distant cloudy sky, there is the misty singing of the stars and the moon, and the silence pervades the midsummer night.

Early in the morning.

Loren got up lightly to wash up, and had breakfast with the Grangers.Hermione wasn't up yet, but no one bothered to wake her.

After saying goodbye to the Grangers, Bates picked up Loren as promised.

Until the car outside started its engine and disappeared at the end of the road.Hermione, who was lying on the window sill and peeking behind the curtains, came out slowly to have breakfast.

There was a sound of closing the door, and the Grangers went out to the clinic.

"Hermione! Remember to clear the table after eating!" Wendell's shout from outside the door gradually weakened.

Hermione ate, and never felt that the big empty house was so deserted. The heart and the room together echoed empty in the silence.

The soft light cast mottled shadows, the sofa, tables and chairs, doors and windows were motionless, and Hermione could even hear the hands of the clock ticking. A feeling of grievance suddenly rose in her heart and she sniffled.

After breakfast, Hermione sat on the sofa for a while, and went upstairs to Loren's room, thinking about putting back the handicrafts that had been put in the box.

The room was empty, only the quilt and sheets were lying quietly on the carpet.

Sitting on the carpet grabbing a drink, falling on the bed laughing at the kangaroo's joke, these scenes are still vivid in my memory.

Why did they leave suddenly? There are still many things we haven't done together. The branches in the back yard haven't been pruned yet. They haven't been to the amusement park together.

"It's clearly agreed for two weeks, you liar." Hermione's eyes turned red for a moment.

(End of this chapter)