The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 424 Peaceful Years, the Weasley Family Population

Mechanical Magic Office.

After chatting for about an hour, Professor McGonagall left, but with a slight smile on her face as she departed.

As the office door closed, Ino's gaze returned to the window.

The rain was still falling lightly.

As for the specific events of the three-way competition, he doesn't plan to get too involved. He can offer suggestions, but the decision-making power will always be left to the principals.

While making decisions is easy, just like when we were students, we should do what is appropriate for our role and not overstep our bounds.

……

Time is like fine sand, slipping through our fingers.

The first match of the three-way battle was ultimately scheduled for the sixth day after Halloween.

This time, the venue was not chosen at the Quidditch stadium.

Although the training ground is relatively spacious, a single Quidditch pitch is still not enough to accommodate all the teachers, students, and guests of the castle.

This is not an exaggeration. Due to the limited enrollment area and some special events, there were not many students at Hogwarts to begin with.

Ultimately, the Book of Admission only examines eligible young wizards in the British Isles, and Voldemort's decades-long meddling has made Hogwarts inferior to Beauxbatons overall.

But as the saying goes, luck always comes in cycles.

Hogwarts, once a secluded place, has become the choice for many wizarding families in Europe.

As mentioned before, no one is a real fool.

When a new discipline is established, many people can see its potential, especially in the first few years after its emergence. They may even become pioneers who lay the foundation for it.

Not only that.

With Voldemort's complete demise, the world fell into a state of peace and tranquility.

Just like when a story ends, everything returns to normal. Perhaps it's a time for rest and recuperation, or perhaps a new story begins.

During this period, a peaceful life became the norm.

Although life encompasses many things, procreation is always an essential part of life, which has led to a surge in the number of new generation wizards.

……

When Ino thinks about population and the new generation, he thinks of today's newspapers.

Thanks to the peaceful years, the Daily Prophet also became more law-abiding.

There's nothing major news; they only report on everyday trivia.

One of these articles, titled "The Future of England Belongs to Weasley," also caused a minor stir.

The article is not only well-reasoned and distinctive, but also vivid in content and leaves suspense at just the right moment.

But after seeing the signature at the end of the article, everyone suddenly realized that Lockhart and Rita, the husband and wife team, had personally written it, so it would be strange if it wasn't wonderful.

The essence of this article is actually quite simple: it describes the Weasley family's exaggerated population.

The Daily Prophet published a family portrait of the Weasleys, and everyone who saw the newspaper instinctively started counting heads.

But after counting the photos, everyone fell silent.

A total of twenty-six people, not counting those still in gestation...

The Weasleys had seven children, seven partners, and the Weasleys themselves, making a total of sixteen adults.

Bill has three children, Charlie has two, Percy has three, and George and Fred each have one...

This number is something that some pure-blooded families wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Arthur and Molly, despite being ridiculed by all purebloods for half their lives because of their poverty.

But fortunes turned, and the Weasleys, in the latter half of their lives, proved everyone wrong.

There are already twenty-six people in the Weasley family. Who can imagine what the Weasley family will be like in twenty years...

The Daily Prophet's articles, or rather Lockhart and Rita's articles, truly resonated with many people.

……

"Does the future of the English wizarding world belong to the Weasleys?"

At Malfoy Manor, Lucius slammed the newspaper heavily onto the coffee table.

"You..." Lucius turned his gaze to the side.

He was about to scold Draco for being so useless, but when he saw his granddaughter looking at him with her big, innocent, watery eyes, all the words he was about to say vanished instantly.

"Lucy, come here and let your grandfather give you a hug," Lucius said softly, opening his arms.

Three-year-old Lucy stumbled over from the side.

Draco sat quietly on the sofa, watching the heartwarming scene of the grandfather and grandson, his smile never fading from his face.

Unlike the grudges of the previous generation, he didn't have much of an opinion about the Weasleys. Whether working with George Fred or working with Ron at his magazine after graduation, he generally got along well with them.

And the person who brought about all these changes suddenly came to Draco's mind.

Perhaps it was during that summer vacation when Ino took him to visit the humble abode that the subsequent events unfolded...

For some reason, Draco thought of something: what if Ino hadn't entered Hogwarts, or hadn't been sorted into Slytherin?

However, he was amused by his own thoughts in an instant; there are no "what ifs" in this world.

……

Time flies like water.

The sixth day after Halloween.

The castle, illuminated by the morning sun, is solemn and striking.

Today is the first match of the Triwizard Tournament, and all the young wizards have gotten up very early, which is quite unusual for them.

After a quick bite of breakfast in the hall, they all left the castle.

This time, however, the crowd did not head towards the Quidditch pitch, but instead headed towards the Whomping Willow.

……

Not far from the Willow Tree, about fifty feet away, stands a dreamy little wooden cabin.

The small house is covered in a mottled wooden exterior, with the years carving delicate textures on it.

The roof was covered with thick moss and wildflowers, the windows were inlaid with stained glass, and wind chimes made of various seashells hung under the protruding windowsills, making a crisp tinkling sound when the breeze blew.

The door to the wooden cabin was open.

The young wizards had already formed a long line and began to file in one by one.

They had been told long ago that the first match of the Triwizard Tournament would be held in this cabin.

"I think this should be a door key..."

"Who knows? It just feels weird."

"I heard that this cabin belongs to Professor Swinburne..."

Swinburne, the name itself seems to have a magical quality; upon hearing it, all doubts vanish.

In the long queue, all that remained were various discussions and speculations.

……

moment.

As each young wizard crossed the threshold, they all realized that they had entered another world.

An oval-shaped open-air plaza, several times larger than the original Quidditch stadium, somewhat resembles the Quidditch World Cup stadium.

As everyone entered the circular seating area, they discovered a small town full of life outside the square.

Or rather, a city without walls.

Through the binoculars, one can see that the town's houses have a very strange structure: treehouses, mushroom houses, small villas, miniature castles...

Surprisingly, despite the many houses, no one from the town was seen.

The renovated Screaming Shack also made its first public appearance.

……

In the stands.

Ino sat quietly in his seat, while Colin, dressed in a suit, and Draco, in a vintage robe, stood beside him.

The three of them smiled as they listened to the exclamations and discussions of the young wizards around them.

In a daze, they also recalled their performance when they were in school.

Colin, in particular, picked up his camera and immediately started snapping photos.

Colin and Draco were able to return to Hogwarts entirely because of their identity as the founders of "Once Upon a Time in Hogwarts".

A magazine built around Hogwarts has seen its influence and sales steadily increase over the years.

Now, coinciding with the Goblet of Fire, Professor McGonagall, while allowing the Daily Prophet reporter to enter, also waved her hand, granting Draco and Colin entry as well.

In contrast to the Daily Prophet, which only reports without paying, The Hogwarts Story pays the castle 30 Galleons annually for its premises.

Professor McGonagall has always been very clear about who is close to whom and who is distant.

(End of this chapter)