The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 204 The Bard's Apprentice

Time slips away second by second.

After finishing two packets of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, it was already afternoon.

The number of people in the market gradually decreased.

Leaning against the wall by the street, Ino tried to weave an olive branch headdress, following the style of the crown of Thranduil, the Woodland Elf King, that she remembered.

He sat there for several hours, and Helena only sold one bunch of fresh olive branches, which she traded for a loaf of bread.

It's hard to imagine how this child survived on just one loaf of bread a day.

So he also tried weaving, since weaving new styles into headbands could leave Helena with a skill to make a living.

……

Athens, a coastal city.

Every afternoon, you can feel the care from the Aegean Sea, with the warm and humid sea breeze gently caressing you like a poem.

The gentle sea breeze seemed to carry the song of a mermaid, captivating and enchanting.

After completing the third experimental headband, Ino put down the olive branch, proving that he probably had little talent for weaving.

Helena looked at the awkwardly placed headband on the ground, a faint smile appearing on her lips, but it quickly vanished.

Because the market was about to close, and the closing of the market meant parting, and she would be all alone again.

Unlike Helena's psychological changes, Ino was planning the itinerary for this trip.

He didn't want to participate in Greek mythology at all, because the gods on Mount Olympus were unreasonable and even excessively willful.

The consequences of this recklessness often involve innocent people. Several clear examples include the famous Trojan War and the infamous Medusa.

The tragedy of the Trojan Horse's destruction of the city was caused by nothing more than jealousy between three goddesses.

Medusa, the Gorgon, fared even worse. Simply because she was beautiful, she was forcibly taken by Poseidon, the god of the sea. Even more absurdly, because the incident occurred at Athena's temple, Poseidon escaped unscathed, while the victim was cursed and transformed into the terrifying Medusa.

Faced with such an absurd world, no one dares to act rashly. In Greek mythology, those without background or support often end in tragedy.

Ino had made up her mind to live a simple and uneventful life, to return to normalcy, and not to deliberately think about what she could gain. The extra time she had gained was already the greatest reward.

Of course, if the opportunity arises, he also plans to participate in some ordinary little stories, but he will not touch anything related to gods or heroes.

After all, in the minds of bards, a story is a story, only differing in length, not in quality.

A short Aesop's fable, just a few dozen words long, can sometimes change a person's life; similarly, a long epic story is often listened to and then forgotten, with no real meaning for most people.

Just as Ino was lost in thought, in the center of the market, the shadow cast by the sundial had shifted to another angle.

As several distant horn calls sounded, all the vendors began to orderly pack their belongings.

Helena was no exception. She opened her little hands, rolled up the linen on the ground, packed it up, tied it up, and then slung it over her shoulder. The whole process was so skillful that it was heartbreaking.

"I have to leave! Athens doesn't allow homeless people to stay overnight; I have to leave when it's time."

After packing her bags, Helena looked up. Although her tone was full of disappointment, there was a hint of anticipation in her large violet eyes.

Ino didn't speak immediately, because the scene before him seemed to transport him back five years—the familiar tone, the familiar expression…

Perhaps, the scene that Hans saw back then was just like what he sees now.

"If you're willing, you can become my apprentice! Learn the skills of a bard, and at least you won't go hungry in the future."

Five years later, Ino said the exact same thing again.

……

Outside Athens.

With her backpack on her back and a pearwood staff in one hand, Ino followed Helena along a rugged path.

This path leads to Mount Imitus, east of Athens.

As a mountain range rich in honey and medicinal herbs, Mount Imitos is covered with all kinds of wildflowers. The faint fragrance of the flowers, along with the calls of birds returning to their nests at dusk, perfectly embodies the phrase "birdsong and fragrant flowers".

Before nightfall, Helena led Ino to a hidden valley.

"Ino, this is where I live! Now it's yours too." Helena turned her head and said with a bright smile.

You should call me teacher!

Ino looked helplessly at the girl in front of him, who refused to change her form of address no matter what he said.

However, he was still very touched by Helena's trust.

Honestly, if the roles were reversed, he probably wouldn't bring a stranger home who only gave him a few pieces of candy.

"You live here?" Ino pondered, looking around.

There wasn't a decent place to shelter from the wind and rain in the entire valley. Even when he was down on his luck, he still had a bridge over the Thames.

"Look!" Helena smiled brightly, proudly pointing to several tall olive trees not far away.

Following Helena's pointing finger, Ino saw a small treehouse in his field of vision.

It's called a treehouse, but it's more like an enlarged bird's nest perched in the middle of a tree branch. The only difference is the addition of a small rain shelter.

The appallingly shabby shack stood in stark contrast to Helena's innocent and proud smile.

Ino was silent for a moment, then took out her wand.

"Helena, your teacher has prepared a small gift for you."

To Helena's astonishment, a miraculous scene unfolded.

Under the olive trees, large icicles began to form on the open ground, and from these icicles, more ice began to spread gradually.

In just over ten seconds, a two-story building made of ice and snow stood still in place.

"Transform instantly!" Ino waved his wand again, concentrating intently as he cast the Transformation Charm.

In Helena's figure, he saw his former self.

Without the miracle of the shelter, he might have died in the welfare home long ago, or perhaps he would have survived to the age of 16 and found a low-paying job, living an ordinary and mundane life in London.

Hogwarts and magic are essentially two parallel worlds.

At this moment, Ino truly wanted this miracle to be passed down. Or rather, she wanted this little house in front of her to become Helena's miracle as well.

With unwavering conviction, he unleashed the Transfiguration Charm, and at the same time, the entire house, encased in ice crystals, emitted a dazzling white light.

A few seconds.

When the light faded, a house made of pure white marble suddenly appeared.

Upon seeing this, Helena jumped up in delight.

"You still insist you're not a temple priest!"

(End of this chapter)