The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 33 Chanting on the Astronomical Tower

Hogwarts, the Astronomy Tower.

Compared to the laughter and joy of the castle, the Astronomical Tower is always the loneliest and most tranquil place.

Saturday, a chilly morning.

As usual, Ino got up, washed, dressed, and then took her accordion to the top of the tower once again.

I sat on the ground, quietly waiting for the sunrise.

About fifteen minutes.

As the first rays of dawn illuminate the highest spire of the castle, like a golden spell, Hogwarts appears solemn and magnificent in the morning light, as if a giant has long guarded this land.

The sun rose, and its warm rays streamed through every window of the castle, illuminating every corridor.

To be honest, Ino really enjoyed this feeling, sitting quietly by herself, enjoying her own time.

The ethereal and soothing melody of the accordion drifted into my ears, reminding me of those seemingly distant memories.

A touch of reminiscence, a hint of melancholy—thoughts drift like a freshly brewed cup of black tea, spreading with the rising steam before dissipating into the air.

"The sun has been exiled to the west, darkness is spreading across the land, and it has lost its former glory, but you need not grieve..."

The melodious songs echoed from the top of the tower, accompanied by the accordion, making one feel as if they had entered a mysterious and ancient dream.

The singing was plaintive and poignant, like a gentle breeze brushing past the ears, touching the softest parts of people's hearts...

About ten minutes have passed.

When the song ended, Ino waved her wand, and the accordion obediently fell silent.

"Slap! Slap!"

A burst of applause came from behind him, making him quickly turn around.

"The power of music!"

Dumbledore took off his glasses and wiped the light fog off the lenses with his hand.

"Good morning, Principal." Ino stood up and greeted him.

"Thank you, Mr. Swinburne! You have allowed me to enjoy such beautiful music, so enchanting. I wonder if it has a name? Please forgive an old man's curiosity."

"You can call me Ino!" Ino gave a slight, reserved bow, and then said:

"As for the song's name, I call it 'Ancient Dream.' It was supposed to be played on the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), but as you can see, I only have an accordion."

So far, he has acted just like a student who has been suddenly praised by the principal, reserved with a hint of shyness.

"A wonderful name!" Dumbledore exclaimed, then waved his hand gently.

Suddenly, two high-backed chairs and a small coffee table appeared at the top of the tower. What was outrageous was that there were all kinds of candies and two cups of hot black tea on the coffee table.

"Would you mind talking to me, Ino? You know, I'm a music lover too."

Faced with the sudden invitation, he had no choice but to accept it, though reluctantly.

After all, Dumbledore had already said all that, and even prepared tea and sweets. If one were to refuse now, it would truly be a slap in the face.

"That would be my honor, Principal!"

Upon hearing the clear reply, Dumbledore smiled and nodded, walked to the table, pulled out a high-backed chair, and sat down.

"Ino, would you be interested in playing at the Halloween party? I was originally looking for other bands, but now there are clearly better options."

Halloween...

Okay, Ino suppressed her inner dissent.

You should know that in the coming years, Halloween at Hogwarts will be incredibly diverse and ever-changing...

During the banquet, being able to finish a whole dish is truly a sign of skill and quick reflexes.

Of course, if Dumbledore had mentioned a Christmas dinner, he might have seriously considered it, but Halloween... well, whoever wants to go can go.

……

"I'm sorry, Principal, I still have many shortcomings. Perhaps I will apply to you for a performance in a few years, who knows?"

Although Ino declined, she didn't forget to mention the future, which was also to save face for Dumbledore, since the headmaster had personally extended the invitation.

"It's a bit of a shame! But I respect your choice," Dumbledore said, his expression unchanged.

It seems that being rejected was something he had expected.

The tower fell into a brief silence.

After Dumbledore stopped talking, Ino was happy to have some peace and quiet. After all, it was a pleasant thing to have someone bring you hot tea and free candy early in the morning.

I casually picked up a piece of cream toffee and put it in my mouth. The rich milky aroma filled my taste buds. This was incomparable to the artificially flavored milk candies I had eaten before.

In life, nothing is more important than good food.

Following the principle of free service, Ino ate three toffee pieces in a row before taking out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe the candy crumbs from the corners of her mouth.

It wasn't that he had eaten enough, but rather that there wasn't much left on his plate.

The table wasn't very big to begin with, and with black tea and several different kinds of candy on it, you can imagine that there weren't many of each kind of candy.

As a guest, eating only a small portion is already the limit; any more than that... might seem excessive.

However, Dumbledore seemed to have seen through Ino's thoughts.

He reached out and gently tapped the table, and the small table visibly expanded to more than twice its original size, not only replenishing the previous cream toffee but also adding several new kinds of candy.

"Honeydukes never disappoints! Oh, by the way, it's a candy store in Hogsmeade. Maybe you can go and try it yourself when you're in your third year."

"If all of them are this good, I'll definitely be a regular customer," Ino said, as she picked up another unidentified candy and put it in her mouth.

After all, the principal is paying for the whole event, so it's a rare opportunity that we might as well take advantage of.

It's not about being greedy for small gains, but rather that it's a truly rare opportunity.

Hogwarts is probably a little unfriendly to students below the third year... Just think about it, what proper full-time boarding school doesn't even have a small shop!

Pure-blooded wizards are alright; although they're a bit troublesome, at least they can write letters home to buy things.

The students from Muggle families suffer the most; they can't even get magic candy during school, let alone other fun things.

Although her mind was wandering, Ino never spoke up.

The main idea is to eat more and talk less, perfectly portraying the image of a shy student in front of the principal.

He answered when Dumbledore asked a question; he remained silent when Dumbledore didn't.

This kind of communication actually has a specific name – awkward conversation.

The two chatted for a long time, on and off, until the sun had fully risen.

"I should go back now, Headmaster!" Ino stood up and said to Dumbledore.

"Thank you for chatting with this old man for so long. I hope we'll have the chance to chat like this again in the future. You know, sometimes I get lonely when I'm alone," Dumbledore said, mostly jokingly.

He did not respond to the principal's proposal, neither accepting nor rejecting it.

He simply bowed slightly to Dumbledore, then turned and picked up the accordion beside him, heading towards the stairs of the Astronomy Tower.

However, just as Ino was about to leave, Dumbledore's voice came from behind him again.

"My child, you need not be afraid, nor do you need to hide from anyone. For until I die, no one at Hogwarts can harm you, I promise!"

……

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(End of this chapter)