Hogwarts Wasteland: The Witch from the Borderlands

Chapter 94 Second Grade Start of School

On the afternoon of September 1st, Hermione and her three companions passed through the fireplace and returned to Hogwarts.

Lily was already waiting for them in the office. On the table were everyone's summer homework that they had completed a few days ago. She didn't look tired or injured, so it seemed that things had really improved a lot this year.

"Very good, everyone has reached my expectations. If you can maintain this pace of learning during the summer vacation, getting a 0 in Potions class this year will be no problem at all."

She spoke in a gentle tone, then pushed three small leather bags containing Galleons in front of Hermione and the other two: "This is the money you made from selling the potions you brewed during the summer vacation, as well as the wages for helping me."

"It's not a lot, but we'll always need it in the future."

Hermione was a little embarrassed: "I'll pass, Professor. They've been doing all the work. I haven't contributed much." Most of the repetitive tasks were left to the three boys. She was either learning how to make new potions or going on adventures with the pioneers. Her role in those high-end potions was really negligible.

Lily laughed and said, "You've only been brewing this compound decoction for a month, and you've made quite a bit of money selling it. Don't refuse; it's what you deserve."

Hermione had no choice but to accept it, and Harry, seeing there was none for himself, immediately cried out, "Mama, this isn't fair! Why wasn't there any for me!"

Lily immediately glared at him, annoyed: "What do you need money for! You won't need it at school!"

She stared at Harry's pouch of magic at his waist: "And the Invisibility Cloak. I won't take it back, but if any professor catches you out at night, you and your father are both finished!"

Harry was so startled that he quickly covered his pocket. Inside were not only the Invisibility Cloak but also a small gift that Mr. James had given him beforehand. He wouldn't dare to open it until he got back to his dormitory.

After leaving the Potions Department office, the four of them headed towards the Great Hall, where they would first attend the opening ceremony that evening.

Along the way, you could see many students returning to the school. They emerged from the professors' offices and the fireplaces in the auditorium, chattering away, and the ancient castle was once again full of life.

This year, Hermione is a sophomore and can sit at the long table to watch the new students be sorted into their houses. Some of them have actually been living in the castle for almost a week, but on the first day of school, they still have to officially enter through the main gate with the other new students.

"Oh, my dear little brother, have you missed your older brothers all summer?"

The familiar voices belonged to the Weasley twins, who wrapped their arms around Ron from behind, only to be impatiently pushed away by him. "We heard your wand broke. Was it because of the basilisk?"

"Our little brother must have been so brave fighting the basilisk! Oh my god!"

"Brave little Ronnie!"

"This deserves to be written into an epic and sung by bards!"

Ron, enraged, threw a punch at them, but the twins nimbly escaped.

"Alright! You two!" Percy stepped in to stop his brothers' antics. "Ginny's still waiting outside for Sorting, so behave yourselves."

Hermione then remembered that Ron's sister was also enrolling this year, and that their heroine, Madam Molly, had contributed many talented individuals to Gryffindor.

She turned to look at the faculty seating area, where Professor Lockhart was already sitting, chatting with other professors. The week-long battle to protect the new students had quickly brought him closer to the other professors.

Dumbledore sat in the middle with a smile. Although McGonagall was actually the headmaster now, whether it was her intention or a way to mislead outsiders, it was better for Dumbledore to continue as the nominal headmaster.

The students shared their summer experiences. Professor McGonagall had taken the children to Warsaw, a city predominantly inhabited by Muggles, or rather, not quite a city, but rather a network of tunnels where people lived in a vast and complex underground network.

Ruled by the Warsaw Supreme Council, they do not resist the arrival of wizards, but they do not reject fairies either. Any race can enter the underground network tunnels as long as they can pay the head tax, but their safety is not guaranteed.

Slaughter frequently occurred between wizards and Muggles, goblins and wizards, and Muggles and goblins and wizards alike. Only the most basic order existed. Yet, Professor McGonagall, along with a group of students, disguised themselves as Muggles and lived there for nearly a week, observing firsthand the conflicts and lifestyles of each race in the wasteland.

Ferenze's team of centaurs went to the Sahara, a place that, though arid and barren, was less affected by nuclear contamination. There, they found perpetually flowing springs, encountered many wondrous creatures, and even captured a tribe of Tepo warthogs.

The money from the sales was enough to make every student beam with joy.

The students didn't have to wait long; soon, Professor McGonagall led the new students in from outside.

There were many more children this year. Hermione saw Ginny in the group, making faces at her brothers. There was also a Muggle child, who had been brought to Cliffside, and his name seemed to be Colin Crevey. He was also the only one of the orphans from Cliffside to attend school.

He had a blind adoration for Hermione. Although Lockhart was the one who rescued him, Hermione, who was only a year older than him, was like a Valkyrie descending to earth when fighting the Basilisk, which completely captivated the boy. When he left Cliffside, he declared that he would go to Gryffindor.

Unsurprisingly, Ginny and Colin were sorted into Gryphon. Each house enrolled a dozen or so students this year, with Hufflepuff having the most. Slytherin even surpassed Ravenclaw in number this year, avoiding being at the bottom.

It turns out that Hogwarts' strength and stability have changed the opinions of many nobles, such as those from Malfoy Castle, who are now more willing to send their children there.

In Ravenclaw, the smallest of the three, there was a little girl named Luna Lovegood who caught Hermione's attention. She was an ethereal girl, like moonlight, and seemed a bit crazy. Hermione wondered if she could learn the magic of the full moon quickly. But it was just a thought, and she didn't intend to rush to get to know her.

After the Sorting Ceremony, Dumbledore stood up and tapped his cup. "It's another new year, and everything is getting better, isn't it?"

"Looking at your faces, I feel like I've become a few years younger."

"First of all, let's welcome our new professor of Anti-Wizard Technology Defense—Professor Gilderoy Lockhart!"

The auditorium erupted in enthusiastic applause. The children in the audience were all learning from his textbooks, and many of the new students were students he had saved, so they were very supportive.

Dumbledore continued, "At the same time, Professor Lockhart will also serve as the Head of Slytherin."

A louder round of applause erupted from the long table in Slytherin. Lockhart was a Malfoyburg native from Slytherin, a source of pride for them. Because of last week's freshman defense battle, the professor had declined the Malfoyburg Platinum Knight's badge, but that didn't diminish their admiration for him.

Although from the nobles' perspective, choosing Lockhart as Headmaster of Slytherin was merely a reluctant choice due to differing opinions, they still outwardly had to praise him highly.

"And, I think you'll really like this next part." He blinked his eyes behind his crescent-shaped glasses: "We'll be reverting to the old Quidditch format, which means that starting from the first week of school, each house's Quidditch captain will be in charge of training their players!"

The news ignited the Great Hall, and everyone cheered, overjoyed to have a whole year of Quidditch matches to watch.

"Finally, the new student wand selection will be held the day after tomorrow. Before that, the deans of each house will give you some initial guidance."

Ron and Neville visibly shifted from their earlier joyful cheers to tension, as did Ginny and Colin beside them.

Dumbledore's remaining words were brief, ending with the announcement, "Enjoy dinner!" followed by the appearance of countless delicacies on the long table.

Hermione, who had no interest in Quidditch, immediately switched to battle mode. She astutely noticed that the food was better this year.

Perhaps this was part of the compensation from Malfoy Castle. This was the first time Hermione had ever eaten grilled pork chops; she had only ever seen pigs in books before.

There was also crème brûlée, strawberry jelly, and crucible cake! The Hogwarts elves probably hadn't fought such a rich battle in a long time. Abundant ingredients were transformed into delicious dishes in their hands, appearing continuously on the table, making every student and professor exclaim with satisfaction. Apart from the nobility, even the Potter family rarely got to taste these delicacies.

Hermione's gluttonous state startled Colin, but in an instant, he was also captivated by the food he had never seen before.

Finally, after a hearty meal, Hermione struggled to her feet. She felt like she had eaten enough for the entire week, but if it was another dinner like this tomorrow, she vowed she could do it again!

Just as the students were about to return to their dormitories, two unexpected people stopped Hermione.

It was Narcissa and Draco. They didn't look well. Draco's originally rosy cheeks had turned as pale as his mother's, perhaps because he had spent the entire summer at the castle.

"We've come to apologize to you," Narcissa said in a low voice.

Hermione remembered that the elf hadn't shown his face since Dobby's attack. But with such severe injuries, it was already a miracle he recovered. Even if elves were more resistant to radiation than wizards, it was impossible for him to launch a second attack a month later. This was why Hermione dared to go shopping in Malfoy Castle alone.

Although Mr. James was unable to get further explanation from Malfoy Castle regarding the attack, Narcissa, who was at Hogwarts, was interrogated. They genuinely knew nothing about Dobby, and Dobby had never come to them. Narcissa even took out a truth serum and drank it herself to prove her innocence.

But since this was once their family's elf, Narcissa felt it was necessary to bring her son to apologize to the victim.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Draco stammered to Hermione.

He was already afraid of Hermione, and although he became much colder after experiencing a series of setbacks, his fear remained unchanged.

"You don't need to apologize," Hermione said seriously. "This wasn't your doing in the first place."

"However, Dobby's master is Lucius, I heard it with my own ears."

She didn't let the matter drop just because of his apology: "Even if he's still in jail, even if Malfoyburg denies it, I will remember it until the day of reckoning."

Narcissa lowered her head, wanting to say something but unable to speak. If what Hermione said was true, then it was indeed Lucius who instructed Dobby. But why would Lucius rather make another mistake than think about escaping and reuniting with his family?

She couldn't understand it, but it was none of Hermione's business. The little witch was eager to go back and see the gift Mr. James had given Harry.