The days at Hogwarts

The doorbell rings.

"Who is it?" Loren asked subconsciously as he stood up to open the door, but he immediately realized that it must be Hermione.

"It's me, Hermione." The girl's voice was clear and crisp, having just gotten up early in the morning.

Hermione always comes over on her own initiative, so I feel like I should take the initiative once too. Loren stood up from the table and walked towards the door.

He opened the door.

Hermione was wearing a white knee-length dress, white socks and canvas shoes, and looked full of energy.

"Good morning, Hermione!" Lauren turned around and let Hermione into the house. "How about I come to your house tomorrow to see you?"

"Sure," Hermione replied, "as long as you sleep in less."

Loren felt that this was an insult to his personality and retorted loudly: "I got up very early today! I was just thinking about something after breakfast and forgot to clean up."

"By the way, have you had breakfast? Do you want me to make you another one?" Loren asked while clearing the table.

Hermione quickly shook her head: "I've eaten it."

She actually felt a little complicated. She didn't need to eat an extra breakfast today, which was in line with her thoughts yesterday.

But inexplicably, Hermione felt a little disappointed.

Loren turned on the faucet and began to rinse the dishes under the rushing water. The cold tap water brushed across his skin, feeling cool and comfortable.

Hermione stood at the door and looked around. She didn't see anyone else. "Where's Grandpa Bates? Is he out again?"

"He's at the bank again." Loren put a plate on the counter. "Speaking of which, how was your building society's investment last year?"

"Following the advice in your letter, I exchanged some foreign currencies, half of which were US dollars and half were marks, and then kept them in the bank." Hermione looked at Loren who was washing dishes and felt that Loren had a unique appeal, a different kind of appeal from the red mole on his forehead.

"What do your parents think about this?" Loren started the second cleaning.

Hermione blinked and watched Loren repeat the previous action: "My mother agrees with your point of view. She believes that the pound will depreciate, but the government will maintain social stability, and the depreciation should not be large."

"It's not wrong to think so. Under normal circumstances, there won't be a sharp depreciation." Loren agreed. It's an adult matter, he can't force others to believe him, and the Granger family is not short of money.

Normally, the currency will not depreciate, but in the near future, the situation will be abnormal. A guy named Soros has set his sights on the British pound, absorbed a batch of funds, and is preparing to short the British pound, ambitiously wanting to bite off a piece of British meat.

This short selling behavior will exacerbate the depreciation of the pound and force the British government to fall.

Loren put the dishes back into the cupboard, closed the door, and waved at Hermione as he walked out of the kitchen.

"ah!"

The water droplets splashed on Hermione's face, and the cold stimulation made Hermione scream.

"Terrible!" Hermione wiped her face and then slapped Loren's back hard, making a "bang" sound.

Loren grinned, even though he knew he would get beaten, he couldn't help but do it.

Seeing that the little witch was about to get angry, Loren quickly changed the subject: "After sending you home last night, Principal Dumbledore came to my house."

Hermione stopped raising her hands in the air and her eyes widened.

"Cure Grandpa Bates' werewolf disease, and he won't have to worry about the full moon nights in the next few years." Loren took Hermione to the courtyard. According to the habit of the past few days, they should start practicing the Patronus Charm.

"Why didn't Headmaster Dumbledore stop by my house?"

Hermione couldn't stop herself from muttering, "Have you reminded Headmaster Dumbledore that my house is next door to yours?"

"I told you, but the Ministry of Magic had an urgent matter to deal with, and Headmaster Dumbledore left immediately after the treatment," Loren said.

"Although we are both little wizards of Muggle descent, Headmaster Dumbledore has always been interested in you." Hermione looked at Loren resentfully. Fortunately, Professor McGonagall was fair, otherwise she would have been jealous.

The little witch didn't know that Professor McGonagall, who she thought was fair and just, had decided to pay special attention to Loren next semester starting from the final exams.

Loren felt that Dumbledore valued Harry, and they were just incidental, although Dumbledore was also very good to them...

He coughed and said, "Let's start practicing the spell."

As the incantation of "Call upon God to Guard" was chanted, the courtyard flashed with silver light.

"Your Patronus Charm has become much more solid. You should be able to summon a physical Patronus before school starts."

"I envy you. My Patronus Charm is still growing and showing no signs of solidifying."

Loren was slacking off while speaking flattering words.

Hermione tried hard to suppress the smile on her face and said sternly, "No laziness, practice spells!"

"Yes, Professor Granger."

Loren glanced at Hermione secretly, and seeing that her attention was no longer here, he tentatively read: "【Luminescent Flashing】"

Bang!

If you seek death you will be beaten, Loren rubbed his arms with a grimace.

……

"Why don't you bring little Hermione over for dinner?" Bates was standing at the kitchen counter, seasoning steaks with spices and salt, slapping his palms on the steaks, making a snapping sound.

"She won't agree." Loren watched Bates's pickling process from the kitchen door and reminded him, "You put too much salt. The beef can't absorb so much salt during pickling. The extra salt is wasted."

Bates never marinated the steaks in advance before frying them. It was only after watching Loren make it a few times and seeing that they tasted better after marinating that he reluctantly added this step.

Bates didn't say anything. Although you were right, he didn't want to pay attention.

Throw the butter into the pan and wait for the oil to melt into liquid. After the fat and milk aroma is released, Bates puts the steak in and slowly fryes it.

Use a spatula to hold each side and touch the bottom of the pot in turn. The high temperature and oil will denature the protein at the edge first, making it hard and preventing the juice from seeping out.

Then he alternates between frying the front and back sides, waiting for the heat to penetrate the steak and reach the degree of doneness he wants.

Loren looked at it for a while and then said, "I still think it's better to cut it into small slices or strips and eat it with onions. It would be even better with some rice."

Bates pretended not to hear and remained silent, not wanting to pay any attention to Loren.

He added a little more salt to the pot, poked the center of the steak with a spatula to feel its softness and hardness. When he felt it was just right, he put it on a plate, took out his fork and knife, and went out.

As they passed the door, Bates turned and looked at Loren: "Your steak is still on the plate. You can cook it yourself. You can do it any way you want."

Loren looked at him with an indescribable expression. He was 80 years old, so what?

Looking at Loren's stunned look, Bates took a deep breath and felt that the steak on the plate smelled even better. I told you to keep giving me feedback.

Bates sat at the dining table and began to enjoy his delicious steak.

A few minutes later, Loren came out with a well-done steak garnished with rosemary and garlic.

Watching Loren cut a piece and put it into his mouth, although it didn't have enough juice and didn't look soft enough, why did it smell more fragrant and taste better?

Bates ate with big mouthfuls, and his entire mouth was filled with beef and juice.

With the addition of garlic and rosemary, the well-done steak was even more tempting. Bates smelled it and felt that his steak was no longer fragrant.

Why is it that this person cooks the same thing better? Bates was so angry that he said, "Next time you cook."

"I was supposed to cook originally, you just wanted to cook today," Loren said.

Bates's knife scraped hard on the plate, making a squeaking sound.

For the sake of the 80-year-old man's cardiovascular system, Loren stopped talking about steak: "Grandpa Bates, how much money do you have now?"

Bates looked up at Loren and said, "Why are you asking that?"

"For some unspeakable reasons, I now know about some financial changes, and the return on investment is very high." Loren felt that the way of eating piece by piece was not suitable for him, so he started cutting the beef continuously and enjoying it after cutting it.

While cutting, he explained to Bates, "The pound will depreciate in September. I'm not sure how much it will depreciate, but it will definitely depreciate significantly, so I want to ask you if you have any ideas on how to make money from it."

"Magic? Prophecy?" Bates asked tentatively.

"Yes, yes, I can't tell you. Magic works like that." Without waiting for Loren to answer, Bates came up with the answer in his mind.

"Just think of it as a wizard's prophecy." Loren had no way to explain his rebirth and time travel, and the prophecy was the best excuse.

"I never thought the wizard's prophecy could predict these things." Bates sighed, and then asked curiously, "Can the prophecy see lottery numbers?"

"It shouldn't work." While cutting meat, Loren looked up at Grandpa Bates and said, "You have a very flexible mind."

“So do we make this money or not?”

Bates thought for a moment and replied, "I will consider what you say, but you don't have to get involved in these matters."

As a veteran, he was ingrained with the character of being cautious, and he couldn't bring any trouble to Loren, even if it was just a possibility.

"Oh." Loren nodded obediently, feeling a little regretful that he couldn't follow the capitalists in making trouble.

Bates looked at Loren's still young face and felt a trance in his heart. When he first saw him, he was still a little kid, but now he has grown so big.

"Loren."

"Ok?"

Bates hesitated, but asked anyway: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I can't think of anything specific to do yet. Maybe I should return to human society—" Loren paused for a moment, "and enjoy life?"

Bates smiled, thinking that Loren had not yet planned for the future, and continued to ask: "What kind of jobs do students who graduate from magic schools usually do?"

"It depends on the situation. Wizards from pure-blood families with businesses will go home to inherit the family businesses. Others include dragon breeders, Quidditch players, Aurors from the Ministry of Magic, which are police officers, government officials, and people who run magic supply stores." Loren said what he knew.

“How do these jobs pay?”

"Well..." Loren thought about what to say, "Most people can support a family."

Pure-blood families occupy a monopoly position to gain benefits, and wizards with outstanding abilities can break through the blockade. For example, professors at Hogwarts can make money with their own abilities.

Others, constrained by the confidentiality law and the blockade of the pure-blood family, can only eat and wait for death.

Bates nodded thoughtfully and said nothing more.

Chapter 146 Hermione’s Patronus

The sky was slightly bright, and the July morning breeze, carrying cool moisture, blew through the window that was not closed tightly, and blew on Loren's sleeping face.

Loren felt his eyelashes itchy, as if being teased by a naughty elf. He fluttered his eyes a few times and opened them.

The alarm clock on the bedside table had just hit six o'clock. Thanks to having gone to bed at half past nine last night, Loren slept soundly and refreshed, without any desire to stay in bed longer.

The fantasy book lay quietly beside the pillow, and the portrait of Flamel on the cover showed him with his head bowed, eyes closed, and a relaxed expression.

Loren lifted the quilt, got up, changed out of her pajamas, and put on a cotton and linen blend POLO shirt. The fresh light green color added a touch of coolness to the summer, and paired with a pair of brown cropped pants, she looked very energetic.

"Goodbye, Flamel!" He folded the quilt and walked out of the room briskly.

Flamel could not show up in the outside world, this was just his happy soliloquy, Loren himself did not take it seriously, nor did he expect Flamel to respond.

But soon after the door was closed, a tiny silver light flowed along the edge of the picture on the cover of the fantasy book. Flamel in the portrait opened his eyes, which were a pair of eyes with silver-white pupils and ancient and long memories.

Flamel flashed a few times and walked out of the portrait.

The palm-sized portrait took a step forward, gradually growing larger, breaking through the constraints of the picture and coming to the real world. When its feet landed on the ground, it had become the size of a normal adult.

He looked at the furnishings in the bedroom, his eyes shining with joy. After walking around the walls of the room a few times, he came to the window and admired the sun gradually getting brighter with infinite longing.

Loren closed the door, went downstairs, washed up, cut the bread into thick slices, put it in the toaster and set the timer. While waiting, he fried eggs, bacon, and sausages in a frying pan...

Hermione Granger is a little witch with a regular schedule and strong self-discipline. Except when she is dragged to a night tour in Hogwarts, she goes to bed and gets up on time.

But something unexpected happened today.

Boom!

dong dong!

Boom boom boom!

There was a hurried knock on the door, and one could tell that the person knocking outside the bedroom was excited.

Hermione opened her eyes, her eyes were unfocused, her expression was blank, and she had a hint of sleepiness from being awakened. She always woke up about five minutes before the alarm went off, but this was obviously not the case now.

Boom boom boom!

There was another rapid knock on the door.

"Hermione! Wake up!"

Hermione fell silent. She could hear a little excitement in Loren's voice. This man actually got up early just to wake her up.

Boom boom boom!

"Hermione! Wake up!"