Harry returns from Hogwarts Legacy

Chapter 442 Reunion of old classmates

Cassandra's expression was utterly contemptuous, clearly saying, "You obviously want to see it, so what excuse are you making?"

But since she had already said that, she couldn't say anything more. She just gave a heavy snort and turned her head to look out the window.

Seeing her like this, Vivi turned her head and gave Harry a "problem solved" look.

Hey.

The carriage continued its journey through the clouds, heading towards the location where Imelda was hosting her class reunion, in a manor house in Northern Ireland.

Anyway, it's farther than Hogwarts—at least Hogwarts isn't separated by an ocean.

“I’m actually quite curious too,” Anne said. “I wonder which other old friends will be attending this class reunion besides us… But I really didn’t expect that Professor Garrick would also be attending this class reunion.”

Papbi suddenly narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously, "You mean you didn't expect Professor Garrick to be alive either, right?"

"Hehe, it was just a slip of the tongue." Annie stuck out her little tongue, trying to get away with it cutely.

“Heh.” Papiyas rolled her eyes. “That’s our Hufflepuff’s headmistress… But I’m really curious, why would Headmaster Phineas Black let such a young professor be the headmistress? Shouldn’t a more senior professor be in charge of this plant?”

“Didn’t Dumbledore also make Professor Snape, who was only twenty years old, the Head of Slytherin? What’s the big deal?” Anne said with a laugh. “Perhaps it’s an unwritten rule that the Herbalism professor is the Head of Hufflepuff? Just like the Transfiguration professor is the Head of Gryffindor.”

“But Professor McGonagall was the Transfiguration professor for a period of time, and during that time Dumbledore was the Head of the Department,” Cassandra suddenly said.

“Actually,” Vivi said, “if the Sorting Hat hadn’t sorted me into Slytherin, I would have tried to go to Gryffindor… After all, I think Professor McGonagall and I would have gotten along very well.”

“You two might actually become friends,” Harry said, “because Professor McGonagall said something similar.”

Vivi was overjoyed to hear Harry's words.

She said happily, "If I could choose again, I would definitely go to Gryffindor—"

Cassandra muttered in a low voice, loud enough for everyone to hear, "What's with the traitor's arrogance?"

Around 2:30 p.m., they finally arrived at the manor where the class reunion was being held.

After getting off the carriage, they found house-elves waiting for them. The house-elves led them into the mansion.

It's clear that Imelda is someone who appreciates a high quality of life, and the decoration of her mansion perfectly reflects Slytherin's aesthetic.

Time seemed to stand still here. Under the low ceiling, suspended magic lanterns cast a dim, yellowish glow, and crackling firewood burned in the fireplace.

In this warm light, those faces he thought had long been buried in the dust of a century turned around one by one, looking at him with familiar yet unfamiliar smiles.

"Merlin's beard! He's really here!" a voice rang out—Giannobia Knock, the Ravenclaw who was once obsessed with Goblin—jumped up from her chair. She looked much older, but her eyes were still bright.

“I told you Imelda could persuade him.” Sitting next to her was Priscilla Wakefield, whose long black hair was now completely gone, replaced by a full head of silver. Her demeanor was much more serene than in her student days, as she slowly twirled the wine glass in her hand.

Imelda, who had invited him, stepped out from the center of the crowd. She wore a dark green robe, with Slytherin silver ornaments gleaming at the collar, and the years had sculpted her into a more elegant and sharp figure.

She stepped forward, extended her hand to Harry, and a hint of barely perceptible teasing from an old friend played on her lips: "Potter, it seems that traveling through time has taught you to be punctual, hasn't it?"

“I’m always punctual,” Harry said with a smile.

"Where are your girlfriends?" Imelda asked sarcastically.

“They’re behind,” Harry said, and four girls walked in.

It should be said that these four stunningly beautiful girls were enough to be the focus of the banquet.

Imelda, in particular, was extremely envious.

"It's so good to be young..." she said with a mix of emotion and envy.

“If you can endure a hundred years of solitude.” Vivi walked to her side and extended her hand. “Long time no see, Imelda.”

"Long time no see, Vivi."

Imelda grasped Vivi's hand, then jokingly corrected herself, "Oh no, I should say, esteemed Ms. Grindelwald."

"Get lost," Vivi chuckled and scolded. "So, should I call you Ms. Reyes too?"

“Hahaha…” Imelda laughed heartily, as cheerful and lively as ever. She hugged Vivi and then hugged the girls in the next group. When she got to Papiyas, Imelda suddenly said, “Professor Garrick has been waiting for you for a long time. You are the only Hufflepuff who is attending the class reunion besides her.”

"Huh?" Papiyas asked curiously, "Where are the others? Why didn't they come to the party?"

“They’re dead,” Imelda said simply. “Some have lost contact and haven’t been reached for many years.”

"Oh……"

Papi nodded, somewhat saddened.

She quickly cheered herself up again.

"And what about the professor? Where is Professor Garrick?"

“She went out for a bit and will be back soon,” Imelda replied. “Come in and sit down, don’t just stand here like an idiot… You must be tired after such a long carriage ride, come in and have something to drink to soothe your throats.”

As she spoke, she beckoned everyone to go inside.

The students arrived one after another, and each one was a familiar face.

If they weren't so old, Harry would have thought he had traveled back a hundred years.

"Qiang Qiang..."

The door suddenly opened again, and a figure appeared in the doorway.

It was Professor Garrick with two braids, dressed just as she had a hundred years ago, but her appearance had aged.

Even so, one can still tell from her features that this professor must have been a beauty in her youth.

Time never defeats a beautiful woman; that's the idea.

"Classmates, I'm here!"

"Professor." Everyone stood up to welcome the professor, the only student attending the reunion.

If nothing unexpected happens, she should be the only professor who survives to attend the class reunion.

“Actually, Phineas just told me he wanted to go to the party—” Professor Garrick drawled. The students responded with a playful “Eh—”, just like students whose physical education class had been taken over by their main subject.

Seeing the students' cooperation, Professor Garrick nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "However, I didn't agree. How could I let him ruin such a wonderful day?"

"Long live the professor!" everyone cheered.

In reality, so many years have passed. People's dislike for Phineas has long since faded with time.

Even after entering society, when they encounter difficulties, they still thank Phineas.

If it weren't for his almost cramming-style education...

To some extent, Phineas was indeed doing it for the good of his classmates, but his methods were a bit unacceptable.

Everyone had arrived, and Harry met Lucan Brightby, who used to be quite close to Gareth. The once somewhat reckless Gryffindor now had several faint scars on his cheeks. It was said that he had once been the best Auror.

There were a few classmates whose names and faces Harry had to pause for a moment to recognize. They patted him on the shoulder and handed him a frothy butterbeer.

“I think we can get together often every year,” Imelda said to Harry with a smile. “You see, as the days go by, we old folks don’t know how much longer we have to live… It’s always nice to be with old friends, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.” Harry nodded in agreement.

Friendships formed during student days are pure and untainted.

“Of course,” Imelda said again. “I remember you were investigating someone called Voldemort, weren’t you?”

“Hmm.” Harry took a sip of butterbeer and let out a long burp.

“That’s great. I wouldn’t dare drink like that now. My stomach isn’t what it used to be…” said Randall Prewitt, who was standing next to him.

Speaking of Randall, Harry just chatted with him. By all accounts, he's Mrs. Weasley's grandfather...

This damn seniority system.

“But he’s hiding in America now,” Harry said with a shrug. “You know the Magical Congress of America—arrogant, haughty, and those adjectives don’t even begin to describe a fraction of them…”

“If it were the United States, Nerida might have some ideas,” Imelda suddenly said. “But she had some things to do today, so she couldn’t come to the party… She married an American, perhaps you could ask her for help?”

“Okay, I’ll ask her in the group,” Harry said, giving an OK sign.

Just then, Professor Garrick, who had been chatting and catching up with Papby, came over.

“Harry.” She opened her arms and hugged Harry. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. You’ve been here for a hundred years, why didn’t you think to contact me? And I was so worried about you, you little rascal…”

Harry didn't know what to say, so he just gave an awkward laugh.

"Where's your girlfriend, Professor?" He had no choice but to change the subject.

“She’s sleeping at home,” Professor Garrick said with a smile. “After all, she’s not a professor at the university, nor is she your classmate. I can’t exactly bring her to a class reunion, can I?”

Harry thought to himself, "Of course I know. I'm just changing the subject to avoid an awkward situation."

“Tell me,” Professor Garrick said, looking at Harry with a leisurely air, “what are your thoughts and insights?”

"Huh?" Harry didn't understand what the professor meant.

"What's it like to have four girlfriends?" Professor Garrick's eyes were full of mockery. "Four, Harry. I really didn't expect you to be my most promising student..."

“Professor, I actually managed to keep the biting cabbage alive in class…” Harry tried to jog the professor’s memory.

Unexpectedly, Professor Garrick smiled.

“The professor doesn’t remember,” she said. “I only remember that you dated four girlfriends at the same time, and the professor can’t forget that.”

Harry: ...

Professor, are you deliberately picking a fight?
"Are you feeling alright?" Professor Garrick looked Harry up and down. "If you're not feeling well, you can tell me—I'm a professor of herbalism, I know exactly what each herb does..."

Harry took a deep breath.

Do I still use herbs?
I am a humanoid magic stone; even if Vivi and the others were all combined, they would have to avoid my sharp edge!

Forget it, I won't stoop to the professor's level.

“Oh, by the way.” Professor Garrick was a little disappointed that Harry wasn’t taking the bait, but he didn’t forget the important matter. “I tried to cultivate the hybrid variety you asked me to for you, but it didn’t work out. Of course, it’s not necessarily because your approach is wrong, but it could be that I haven’t found the right method.”

Hybrid varieties?

Oh.

Harry remembered that when he started sixth grade, he talked with Professor Garrick about the knowledge of plant hybridization that he had learned in Muggle courses in the future.

Professor Garrick was immediately captivated by this knowledge, but before he could cultivate it, Harry transmigrated.

"But..."

Professor Garrick said meaningfully, "I tried to crossbreed poisonous tentacles with biting cabbage, and the biting cabbage successfully developed toxins... But I still think that although it's not very useful, it at least proves that your idea is feasible."

"Is it no use?" Harry asked, scratching his head.

“Of course it’s useless,” Professor Garrick said with a chuckle. “Look at the top predators in the animal kingdom, which of them are poisonous? Only those animals that don’t excel at hand-to-hand combat would put effort into using venom… But the strength of the man-eating cabbage lies precisely in hand-to-hand combat. I think its abilities are enough to deal with some wizards, and adding venom would be superfluous.”

But Harry didn't think so.

“But we are wizards, Professor,” Harry said firmly. “If we want to defeat our opponents, it’s worth the effort, no matter how much damage we inflict. I think biting cabbage with its toxins would be very useful.”

"Really?" Professor Garrick was delighted, then sighed. "But that was discovered accidentally eighty years ago. If you're interested in this, I can get it working on again..."

"Thank you very much, Professor," Harry said happily.

Just then, Vivi walked over, holding a wine glass.

She first glanced at Professor Garrick, nodded in greeting, and then put her hand on Harry's shoulder.

"What are you talking about?"

“Let’s talk about plant hybridization,” Harry said to Vivi. “Remember that hybrid plant I mentioned to you before? Professor Garrick had already achieved that eighty years ago!”

(End of this chapter)