The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 70 A New Story

Wiltshire, more than 200 kilometers from London.

In the evening, after passing through a lush forest, Ino finally arrived at her destination, Malfoy Manor.

Upon entering the manor, a wide lawn comes into view.

Surprisingly, the lawn was planted with glowing grass, which is mentioned in "A Thousand Magical Herbs".

Two nut bundles may not seem expensive, but to fill an entire expansive lawn with them is a luxury that only the Malfoys could afford to spend money on.

At the end of the lawn stands a white and solemn main building, with the overall architecture exhibiting a strong Victorian style. Both the walls and stone pillars are adorned with exquisite reliefs.

In front of the main building, Ino's gaze unexpectedly met that of the owners of the manor—Draco's parents, Lucius and Narcissa.

Lucius, a dignified yet elegant middle-aged man.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor, Mr. Swinburne!" The voice was deep and powerful, as if each word carried an innate elegance.

Ino returned the gesture with a slight bow: "Thank you very much for your invitation, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa, the former pure-blood heiress of the Black family, now the mistress of the manor, spoke gently: "Please come in. You must be exhausted after such a long train journey."

However, Ino keenly noticed that Narcissa's gaze never seemed to leave her son Draco.

Those deep eyes were filled with love and longing for her son, and the emotion between her brows flowed like a stream, warm and subtle.

……

At the dinner party, Ino looked at the dazzling array of dishes and once again marveled at the Malfoy family's wealth and connections.

Because many of the items on the table don't seem to be things that money can buy; one has to circumvent the Magical Creatures Protection Act and avoid scrutiny from the Ministry of Magic.

During dinner, the Malfoys seemed to adhere to traditional etiquette, avoiding sensitive or controversial topics as much as possible when they spoke and chatted.

For example, right now, Narcissa is always concerned about Draco's life in the castle, but never mentions his final exam results.

Seeing this heartwarming scene, Ino smiled slightly. Just think, how enviable is a mother who never asks about exam results?

the other side.

At the dinner table, Lucius's voice broke the silence.

"Mr. Svenburn! Draco and Severus have both mentioned you to me. If you don't mind, I'd like you to call me Uncle Lucius. And I'd love for you to stay at the manor during your holidays, at least until you graduate."

As Lucius finished speaking, the atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly became somewhat subtle. Malfoy, who had been chatting quietly with his mother, stopped talking and turned to look at Ino with expectant eyes.

"Of course! Dracoben and I are friends, and I also hope you will call me Ino."

Ino nodded slightly, a gentle smile on her face.

"However, Uncle Lucius, thank you very much for the invitation, but as for the matter of where I live, I still hope to buy my own house in Hogsmeade, as Draco knows."

"Alright, I respect your choice." Lucius nodded, indicating his understanding.

Although Malfoy was somewhat disappointed, he also knew Ino's character well, which was that he never easily changed his mind once he had made a decision.

Thinking of this, Malfoy started chatting quietly with his mother again, recounting various interesting stories from the castle.

……

After the dinner, only Ino and Lucius remained sitting opposite each other in the living room.

"Ino! To be honest, I'm genuinely happy that Draco has made a friend like you. Your perfect grades and the professors' fondness for you are proof of your excellence."

As he spoke, Lucius’s eyes revealed genuine admiration.

Ino smiled gently and leaned back on the soft sofa. "Thank you for your compliment, Uncle Lucius. I just want to find simplicity in this chaotic and complicated world. And everything I've done is simply to achieve that goal."

"Find simplicity..." Lucius repeated softly, the words seemingly touching his heart and evoking some resonance.

After a moment of silence.

It's unclear what Lucius was thinking, but his expression became somewhat serious:

"Ino, I sincerely hope you can treat me as your uncle, and that the Malfoy family will be your most reliable friends on your journey to find that simple life."

……

Holidays always seem to pass faster than weekdays.

On the third day after arriving at Malfoy Estate, Ino bid farewell to the Lucius couple.

There was no other way; the stirrings in his heart returned, forcing him to choose to leave.

Although each trip and return is only a fleeting moment, the presence of house-elves at Malfoy Manor makes it easy to detect anything unusual.

In the morning, after politely declining the Malfoys' offer to see him off in their carriage, Ino, carrying his briefcase, hummed a light, cheerful tune as he walked alone along the country lanes of Wiltshire.

He was in a very good mood at the moment. With Lucius's help, he not only bought a flying broom without leaving home, but also replenished his suitcase with a large amount of regular potions.

It even includes a rare vial of Felix Felicis and prohibited Polyjuice Potion. Importantly, these potions are all made by Potions Master Slughorn, so their quality is absolutely guaranteed.

Thinking of the compound potions, Ino couldn't help but laugh out loud again. The reason he bought these kinds of potions was simply to experience other identities in future stories.

But Lucius seemed to be overthinking things, as he directly sent over a large suitcase that looked like a tool for committing the crime.

In addition to two large bottles of compound decoction, the box also contained 12 hair samples with photos, covering three generations of people, and even different styles of robes for disguise, as well as three inconspicuous empty aluminum flasks.

……

On a country road.

Feeling the flutter in her heart again, Ino didn't think twice before disappearing into the dense bushes nearby.

After a while.

A young man in his early twenties with black hair and blue eyes emerged from the bushes.

"Stale swill..."

The young man looked at the aluminum flask in his hand with a somewhat speechless expression, then carefully put it in his pocket.

The young man was the same as Ino after drinking the compound decoction.

Now that he had obtained the potion, he wanted to experience participating in a story as an adult.

Emerging from the bushes.

Ino looked around and saw only vast, boundless grasslands stretching to the distance beyond his sight.

To his left was a dense forest, with tall, deep trees and lush foliage, resembling a dark and mysterious world.

Even in that fleeting glimpse just now, he saw two strange statues standing outside the forest path, facing each other and forming an archway just wide enough for two people to pass through.

……

"Oh!"

With a soft laugh, Ino walked towards the grassland without looking back.

As for that mysterious-looking forest, let whoever wants to go go. He's not here on a mission to adventure, so there's no need for him to cause trouble.

Someone once said that looking out over the sea, the view of the sea and sky merging into one is extremely magnificent.

But at this moment, on this vast grassland, Ino experienced the same feeling.

Walking on the boundless grassland at sunset is truly a rare treat.

New book release, a new journey begins. Thank you to all the big names for your support!

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(End of this chapter)