The days at Hogwarts

Luna's voice was ethereal, as if she was singing, soft and thin.

A magazine was passed between Loren and Hermione, and Luna said in a light tone: "Take a look, this is the first time my dad has received a serious advertisement, the Easter promotion launched by Honeydukes Candy Store, it's very interesting."

Loren took one and watched Luna skip away.

Hermione frowned her pretty eyebrows and asked in confusion, "So she shared this issue of The Quibbler with us for free just to tell us that Mr. Lovegood got the ad?"

Looking at the stack of magazines in Luna's hand, Loren smacked his lips, "I suspect Mr. Lovegood might lose money on this issue."

It was all Luna's good intentions. Loren unfolded the newspaper and read: "Honeydukes Candy Store is enthusiastically launching Easter egg-shaped chocolates, and there are more wonderful gifts waiting for you."

"..."

The smell is so strong that it looks like the person in charge of advertising Honeydukes must be a Muggle-born.

The following is a product display. Various gifts are hidden in the egg-shaped chocolate, which is a bit like a lottery-wrapped firecracker. When you twist it open, a puff of smoke will come out, and when the smoke dissipates, you will see the hidden gifts.

When Loren saw the final grand prize, his eyes lit up.

"Look—"

Loren unfolded the magazine and showed it to her: "The grand prize is a bison. Twist open the egg-shaped chocolate, the smoke will disperse, and you can see a bison standing on the chest."

Then he looked back happily: "It is said that the inspiration came from the misuse of the Levitation Charm, which is really interesting. If someone draws a jackpot on the street, a wild bull will appear on the streets of Hogsmeade. I wonder if Uncle Ambrosio has done any harmless treatment, but I guess he has, tsk!"

The quill in Hermione's hand slipped on the parchment. Fortunately, it was the latest model from the Wenrenju Quill Shop. The little witch slowly turned the quill upside down and swept it. The slipped ink marks were absorbed by the feather and turned into ink and stored in the shaft tube again.

Hermione looked up and looked at him speechlessly: "Why do you look so disappointed? Are you expecting bison to run around the streets?"

"Hehe..." Loren smiled, came over and said, "Hermione, let's go to Hogsmeade tomorrow. Easter will definitely be fun."

"You are not allowed to leave school during the Easter holidays. And this week is not an activity week. Even seniors cannot go to Hogsmeade."

"Um--"

Loren nodded. "It's settled then. Tomorrow we'll take the secret passage behind the mirror on the fifth floor."

"Who told you it was a deal? How did you know I agreed?"

……

After some debate, Loren unilaterally announced that he would get up early to have breakfast tomorrow morning and try to get back in time for lunch after playing for the whole morning.

Hermione secretly made up her mind to get up early tomorrow to stop him.

The next morning, when Hermione got up, the other roommates were still sleeping. After washing up and changing into travel-friendly clothes, she was about to go and dissuade Loren when a silver phoenix patronus flew in through the window.

The Patronus landed gently on her shoulder, and Dumbledore's gentle voice came from its delicate beak.

"Hermione, come to the headmaster's office after breakfast. We are going to investigate the matter of Loren and Sirius. Remember, the password is egg-shaped chocolate."

The phoenix turned into countless tiny pieces of silver light and disappeared. Hermione's eyelids drooped and her lips were pressed into a straight line...

Hermione was almost the first one to arrive at the hall. After she ate something with a heavy heart, Loren ran in from outside and sat next to her.

"Ha, it's so early, can't you wait?" Loren said happily.

Hermione looked at him and felt a little relieved.

Bacon, fried eggs, orange juice... Hermione placed his favorite food on a plate and handed it to him, apologetically saying, "I have something urgent to do. I can't accompany you to Hogsmeade today."

"What's the matter? Can't you push it?" Loren asked.

Hermione avoided his gaze and said nothing.

"Ugh--"

Loren sighed, the knife making a "crunching" sound on the plate, and said in a complaining tone: "You are so mysterious lately. Go ahead, go ahead. What else can I do if you don't go? Should I petrify you with a binding spell, and then use a levitation spell to take you to the secret passage, and then follow the secret passage to the basement of Honeydukes Candy Store?"

A smile appeared on Hermione's lips. She felt happy involuntarily and patted his shoulder: "Can you tell me more details?"

"You are so bad! You don't keep your word, you broke the contract at the last minute, and you hit me. You are really going too far!"

"boom!"

……

When Hermione arrived at the headmaster's office, Dumbledore was standing by the table, sipping a cup of hot tea. The old man with a white beard had changed into a medium-length black velvet windbreaker, and a brown derby hat was turned upside down on the desk. This outfit was decades old, but with the old man's straight body and extraordinary temperament, it completely concealed the outdated rusticity and showed an elegant and mysterious demeanor.

It was completely different from the robes that Dumbledore usually wore, and Hermione couldn't help but take a few more glances.

Hearing the sound of Hermione pushing the door open, Dumbledore turned around, drank the remaining half cup of tea in one gulp, and gently joked to himself: "I am too old, and my spirits are not good. A cup of strong tea can refresh me."

Hermione pretended not to hear and asked, "Professor, how should we investigate? Do you have any clues?"

Dumbledore smiled and said, "Not just clues, I can roughly guess what happened between them. I just need to find some information to verify it."

"But professor," Hermione asked cautiously, "if you want to verify something, wouldn't it be more convenient and faster for you to do it alone? Why did you call me?"

"Why do you think so?" Dumbledore said slowly and firmly, "Hermione, you are more important than you think."

Hermione was still confused, but she didn't have time to ask more questions.

Dumbledore picked up the hat on the table, put it on his head, walked to her side, put one hand on her shoulder, and reached out to Qizhi with the other hand.

Fawkes flapped his wings and landed on Dumbledore's arm. With a crisp cry, Hermione felt an experience similar to Apparition, but somewhat different.

Hermione thought that Dumbledore would take her to some place in the wizarding world, such as a tree house in the deep forest where a crystal ball of prophecy was hidden, or a castle where a magic mirror that could tell everything was kept.

The next second, they appeared in a remote, dilapidated alley. When they walked out of the alley, there was no one on the street.

Even more unexpectedly, Dumbledore took her hand and led her into a shabby and inconspicuous subway station. Dumbledore skillfully took her to the subway, which was crowded with passengers going to work in the morning. The two had to find a place to stand. Hermione was wearing a muggle shirt that was easy to move in, and Dumbledore's beard was tucked into his clothes and he was wearing a hat. Even acquaintances could not recognize him.

With their outfits, it looks like a grandfather taking his granddaughter into the city for a trip.

It was so muggle and not magical at all.

Hermione couldn't help but tug at Dumbledore's sleeve and whispered, "Headmaster, where are we going?"

Looking at her tense little face, Dumbledore smiled and shook his finger, and whispered: "[Close your ears and block your listening]"

Then Dumbledore answered her in a normal voice without hesitation: "We are going to the Ministry of Magic."

Noticing that the passengers around her didn't react with surprise, Hermione guessed that the effect of the spell just now was to prevent others from hearing their conversation.

Hermione opened her voice and asked frankly, "Why do we take the subway to the Ministry of Magic? This is definitely not the mode of transportation that a normal wizard would choose, right?"

"Yes, Apparating will take you directly to the Ministry of Magic," said Dumbledore, "but I'd like to take the Underground as I haven't used it for a long time."

So Dumbledore had ridden the tube before, a long time ago. Hermione was so surprised by this discovery that she let go of the handrail in a daze.

The subway happened to stop at a station, and the inertia made Hermione a little unsteady. Dumbledore supported her skillfully and said proudly: "Don't be so surprised. There is a big scar on my knee. It is the complete map of the London Underground."

Hermione looked a little dazed. She never thought that one day she would be shocked by Dumbledore's Muggle way.

"Ticket machines, escalators, televisions, subway transportation... in the eyes of many wizards, they are much more amazing than magic." Dumbledore looked at the things in the subway station he had just seen, shook his head and said, "I once talked about these things with Loren, and he said that Muggle culture will sooner or later take over the wizarding world. What do you think, Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head blankly: "I haven't thought about such a long-term topic."

So the topic of discussion between Loren and Dumbledore was so grand? Thinking of the man who was clamoring to go see the bison, Hermione was a little confused about their impressions of the two.

"Loren told me a lot about you, the Anti-Werewolf Act, vulnerable groups, marginalized groups in society... He always said, Hermione, you are the one who worries about these troublesome problems, and these headaches should be handed over to you, and he is suitable to listen to your arrangements."

Hermione didn't know what Dumbledore meant by this, so she just listened silently without saying anything.

"Five more stops..." Dumbledore checked the subway map on the window and said with his head down, "Have you ever thought about taking a Muggle Studies class? Although you are a Muggle-born, it is interesting to learn about some wizards' views on Muggles. Perhaps it will be of some inspiration to you."

When it comes to course selection, Hermione becomes distressed: "Professor, I want to take every course, but Loren told me that the schedules will conflict. Is there any way to solve this problem?"

"Well, to be honest, I don't recommend that you take all of these courses, but -" Dumbledore winked at her mischievously, "there's no rule against taking all of them, is there?"

"Really? Professor?" Hermione understood the implication of this sentence and her eyes flashed with surprise.

……

"Four more stops, Hermione...three more stops now..."

They got off the train at a station in central London, and there was a huge crowd of people. They were pushed out of the subway by countless well-dressed men and women carrying briefcases and working overtime during the Easter holidays. They took the escalator and passed through the ticket gate. Dumbledore watched with great interest as the turnstile swallowed his ticket deftly, looking very happy.

Walking along the wide streets, Dumbledore was amazed at the majestic buildings on both sides of the road and the hustle and bustle of the streets.

After turning a few corners, the buildings on both sides of the street became lower and lower, and finally they came to a desolate path and squeezed into a shabby red telephone booth on the side of the road.

Under Hermione's surprised gaze, Dumbledore reached for the receiver and dialed the number "62442" on the dial pad with some inexperience.

After the call was connected, a clear and loud voice sounded in the phone booth. The voice did not come from the receiver, and the indifferent woman seemed to be standing next to them and talking.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, please state your name and your business."

"Wolfric Brian, I have an appointment with Mr. Arthur Weasley of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office..."

The principal actually lies!

Hermione's eyes widened and she looked at Dumbledore in surprise.

"Um... about the flying car from a year ago. This is Hermione Granger. Let us provide clues..."

Dumbledore was interested and was obviously about to continue talking when the cold female voice interrupted him.

"Thank you, guests please pick up your badges and pin them on the front of your clothes."

Ding-ling--

There was a crisp metallic collision sound, and two square silver badges slid out of the metal chute for returning coins from the pay phone. They were inscribed:

"Wolfric Bryan Provides Clues"

"Hermione Granger provided clues"

Hermione imitated Dumbledore and dazedly pinned the badge on her chest.

The cold female voice sounded again: "Guests of the Ministry of Magic, you need to be checked at the security check desk and register your wand. The security check desk is at the end of the main hall."

The telephone booth gradually sank into the ground as the sound came. After about a minute of monotonous, harsh friction sounds, a thin golden light shone on the feet of the two men. Then the golden light gradually widened, expanded to their bodies, and finally shone directly on their faces.

Just when Hermione felt the dazzling golden light, Dumbledore shook his sleeves calmly, and the strange vision in front of him subsided.

"The Ministry hopes you have a good day," the woman's voice said, and the door of the phone booth flew open.

This is a magnificent hall with a shiny dark wooden floor. The peacock blue ceiling is inlaid with glittering golden symbols that are constantly twisting and changing, like a huge bulletin board.

The surrounding walls were covered with dark, shiny black wooden boards with many gilded fireplaces embedded in them. Every few seconds, a wizard would suddenly pop out from the fireplace on the left, while in front of the fireplace on the right, there would be a line of wizards waiting to leave.

Hermione came by subway and looked at the wizards' means of transportation. The stark contrast made her feel a strange feeling.

There is a fountain in the middle of the foyer, and in the middle of the circular pool stands a group of pure gold statues, wizards, witches, centaurs, goblins, house elves...

Just as Hermione was looking around, a scary man with long gray hair walked towards them. When Hermione saw his appearance, she gasped.

She had never seen such a face before. It looked like a poorly crafted carpenter had carved it out of a piece of rotten wood. Every inch of skin on the face seemed covered with scars. The mouth was like a big crooked gash, and the bulge where the nose should be was gone.

One of his eyes is big and the other is small. The small one is a normal black eye, and the big one is bright blue. The blue eye is round like a coin, and the blue eye keeps moving up and down, left and right, which is completely different from normal eyes.

Suddenly, the blue eyeball rolled over and went into the man's head, and Hermione could only see a big white eyeball.

"Let me introduce you. This is Alastor Moody, my old friend." Dumbledore said happily, breaking the silence. "This is Hermione Granger, my new friend."

"More people prefer to call me Mad-Eye, but few dare to say it to my face." Moody's blue eyes moved around Hermione's body for a few times and then slowly retracted.

He did not continue to exchange pleasantries with Hermione, but angrily said, "You don't even know what those idiots did. That stinky rat ran away. If I hadn't listened to you, I would have gone to Azkaban to verify it. No one in the Ministry of Magic knows about this yet!"

"That idiot Fudge still had some brains left and knew to invite me back to investigate this matter..."

After listening to him babble about scolding a series of people, Dumbledore nodded and said with a smile: "Thank you for your help, Alastor."

Chapter 246 Hermione's Journey to the Ministry of Magic (Part )

"Because you are Albus Dumbledore, I wouldn't do this if it were anyone else!" Mad-Eye Moody said in a muffled voice, "Come on, this way."

Moody walked in front, talking non-stop about the dark wizards who tried to break into his yard, and the many people who had bad intentions towards him. Dumbledore occasionally asked him the reason for his judgment.

Hermione followed Dumbledore and Moody silently, looking at everything in the Ministry of Magic.

As they passed the fountain, Hermione saw a number of silver Sickles and copper Knuts gleaming at the bottom of the pool. A small, stained sign beside it read:

All proceeds from the Magical Brotherhood Fountain go to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

Hermione couldn't help but look at them a few more times, including the golden statues. Their postures were very meaningful, and the centaurs, goblins, and house-elves all looked up at the two wizards with infinite admiration.

Centaurs would never make such a gesture... Hermione recalled the few times she had brief dealings with centaurs, and her expression became increasingly strange. She wondered if the wizards in the Ministry of Magic were a little too narcissistic.

"This is a problem left over from the first Wizarding Council. At that time, Speaker Alfrida Cragg advocated defining all creatures that could speak human language as "humans" and the rest as "beasts", so mermaids were excluded."

As if he could see Hermione's confusion, Dumbledore explained, "This caused a lot of problems. Trolls and martens that could speak some human languages ​​were classified as humans, and the parliament that invited them to attend caused a lot of trouble."

"The relationship between the centaurs and the mermen was very good. They were allies who helped each other. The centaurs believed that this was discrimination against the mermen, so they withdrew from the parliament. It was not until 1811 that Minister Grogan Stump redefined "human" to make the mermen meet the conditions, but they took the initiative to give up the opportunity to become human because they did not want to be grouped with dark creatures such as hags and vampires. "