The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 351 Home Visit, Voldemort Knocks on the Door

The Christmas dinner lasted until midnight.

Although dancing is physically demanding, the little wizards in the castle seem to carry vitality potions with them at all times.

Even though many people had been dancing for hours, they were still reluctant to stop when the banquet ended.

Perhaps today's dance will be an unforgettable moment for many, especially for some seventh-graders.

As midnight approached, the other young wizards, though still reluctant to leave, also chose to return to their dormitories. Only the seventh-year graduating class lingered, reluctant to part, as if bidding a final farewell to their student days.

But in any case, the Christmas dinner came to a successful end.

……

12 month 25 day.

The ten-day Christmas holiday then began.

Although the professors were kind enough not to assign too much homework, the first and second-year wizards still felt uneasy during this period.

The reason is simple: young wizards in their third year and above can go to Hogsmeade during the day, while first and second year wizards... have no choice but to stay obediently in the castle.

Of course, this "well-behaved" is in quotes. Perhaps the badger cub is well-behaved, but no one can expect the lion cub to be well-behaved as well.

Fortunately, Professor McGonagall was prepared for this.

Filch, the castle caretaker, was once again appointed to a critical post. During the day, he stood guard at the castle gate with a gloomy expression, carefully watching every student who passed by.

As the newly appointed manager of the hunting grounds, Mad-Eye Moody was also entrusted with important responsibilities.

One person temporarily stationed himself in Hogsmeade, using his Magic Eye to capture any students who managed to break through Filch's defenses.

……

However, no matter how much precautions the castle took, it had little to do with Ino.

At nine o'clock in the morning, after getting up and washing up, he returned to Hogsmeade Cottage with Hermione. With the help of Blue Lantern, the two had a hearty breakfast together, and then Hermione, acting as the lady of the house, began to decorate the rooms on the second floor.

It was almost noon.

Ino sat listlessly in the first-floor living room, the fireplace crackling as it burned.

Since another person joined the cabin, the overall atmosphere has become much warmer.

I have no idea what Hermione is busy with upstairs. In just three hours, she has already gone out four times, and each time she has brought back a big bag of things.

Ino lay half-reclined on the sofa, listening to soothing white noise, and gradually closed her eyes.

But soon, the room clock struck again, exactly twelve times.

"It's noon..." Ino opened her eyes, but still didn't get up. Instead, she muttered to herself, "Blue Lantern! Prepare lunch. Keep it light; breakfast was too lavish."

However, the expected response did not occur, and even the blue light did not appear.

Startled by the sudden turn of events, Ino immediately sat up straight.

"Knock! Knock knock!"

Just then, a rhythmic knocking sounded at the door.

……

I heard a knock on the door.

Ino stood up and walked towards the door.

With a soft "snap," the door opened, and after seeing who it was, he froze on the spot.

A long black robe, a flat nose, a bald head, and scarlet eyes...

Okay, Voldemort blocked the door for him.

What's even more outrageous is that the other person was carrying a bag of gifts, just like friends visiting each other for Christmas.

"Good day!" Voldemort said in an elegant tone, "I apologize for the intrusion, but I suppose we've met before!"

At the same time.

Ino had already begun to call upon the phoenix, but unexpectedly, neither Kreeber nor Fide appeared at this moment.

Outside the door, Voldemort seemed to sense something. He placed one hand on his chest, bowed slightly, and spoke:

"I'm sorry for taking some unauthorized measures. After all, I came with good intentions, and it would be a real shame if I couldn't meet the homeowner."

As Voldemort finished speaking, the previously clear sky over Hogsmeade suddenly began to snow.

A biting wind howled through the sky, and Ino's shadow at his feet gradually twisted and stretched, as a faint black mist rose up.

"Ino, is someone here?" Hermione's clear voice rang out from the second floor.

In an instant, the snowflakes in the sky seemed to have shrunk considerably, and the black mist vanished without a trace.

"No! You can stay upstairs. It would be best to take a nap at noon," Ino said calmly, as the door to the second floor was frozen shut with frost.

Voldemort watched silently the entire time, only speaking slowly after the frost had completely frozen the doorway:

"Won't you invite me in? I brought your favorite toffee."

"Alright! Please come in, senior." Ino nodded slightly and then made way for him.

There was nothing he could do now that things had come to this.

Voldemort's mention of cream toffee clearly indicates he did his research. He not only set up magic to prevent apparition beforehand, but even the phoenix was restricted.

Even Hermione, who is currently in the same situation, and Dumbledore, who left last night, are both within the other party's calculations.

On the other hand, after receiving the invitation...

Voldemort politely replied with a "thank you," and then strode into the room.

"Although you may not eat it, I still have to praise Mr. Froome's cooking skills; the taste remains unchanged."

Inside the room, Voldemort spoke with a hint of nostalgia, casually placing a paper bag with the Honeyduke logo on the coffee table beside him.

"Please sit down! Although it was a bit unexpected," Ino said, plopping down on the sofa with a sigh, "what truly surprised me was your state of mind, senior."

While they appeared to be chatting casually on the sofa, he was actually buying Hermione time.

……

The second floor of the small house.

At first, Hermione didn't take the response from downstairs seriously and continued decorating the room.

However, a casual glance back caught her attention to the words frozen on the door panel:

"Go out the window, escape from here, light the feather, and have Krepp escort you back to the castle."

Upon seeing this, Hermione didn't hesitate at all; her first action was to draw her wand and walk towards the window.

Thanks to the Victorian architectural style of the cottage, the second floor is not high, only a little over three meters but less than four meters high.

But in order to avoid making a sound, Hermione quietly cast Transfiguration, turning a rope into a rope ladder.

Once secured, he lifted his robe without a word and stepped out the window with one leg.

……

At the same time.

In the living room on the first floor, Ino helplessly covered her forehead.

In his line of sight, a rope ladder suddenly swung down from the opposite window, and the knotted rope even bumped against the window, making a slight sound.

To be honest, this subtle sound wouldn't normally be anything special, and most people would hardly notice it. But unfortunately, the person who visited today is truly extraordinary.

Just as he was bracing for Voldemort's attack, he heard the other person's voice again:

"You could have simply made her use the stairs. I'm just visiting! I really meant no harm this time."

Upon hearing this, Ino did not respond immediately.

He watched Hermione descend the rope ladder until her figure completely disappeared from sight before he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then thank you for your kindness, senior! Now you can tell me the purpose of your visit."

Xiao Di's sharing today: Honeydukes Sweetshop

(The name Mr. Froome in this chapter is not something Xiaodi made up; it's from the official content.)

Honeydukes Sweets, located in Hogsmeade Village, sells chocolates and all sorts of other magical sweets and is a favorite among Hogwarts students and teachers. The shop is run by Ambrose Froome, whose wife watches over it while he goes down to the cellars to restock.

Every Christmas, the place is packed with customers, making it almost impossible to move. The candy store's cellar is filled with crates and other wooden boxes, and the floor is covered in dust. A long wooden staircase leads up to the shops above. From the cellar, one can hear the sounds of the shops opening and closing, accompanied by the ringing of bells.

(End of this chapter)