The days at Hogwarts

"Do you still want to drink? I'm going to get a drink!" Ron stood up suddenly and headed towards the bar happily.

Hey, boys...

Hermione stared at Loren angrily: "Did you listen carefully just now?"

"Eavesdropping does not conflict with drinking butterbeer..." Loren muttered in a low voice, "I heard that Bellatrix Lestrange is wandering near Gringotts, and the professors from the Ministry of Magic want to catch her. Live with her..."

He felt that the interaction between Fudge and Ms. Rosmerta was more interesting. One wanted to take advantage of the power of the Minister of Magic, and the other enjoyed the praise of the beautiful female pub owner to satisfy his own vanity.

But just looking at the performance just now, Ms. Rosmerta almost played Fudge in the palm of her hand.

"Will the professors succeed?" Hermione asked.

"I don't think that Death Eater will be caught so easily. Knockturn Alley, which is next to Diagon Alley, is originally a hiding place for many dark wizards, not to mention that there are Voldemort's agents in the Ministry of Magic."

"Speaking of this, I want to know even more, since Peter Pettigrew has failed, why doesn't she return to Voldemort and is still wandering in Diagon Alley?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.

"Maybe there is something attracting her..." Harry's casual answer suddenly stopped. He remembered that in the first year, Quirrell attacked Gringotts in order to seize the Philosopher's Stone.

But the Philosopher's Stone is gone...

"It's a Horcrux! She's looking for a Horcrux!" Harry suddenly felt blessed and blurted out.

Ron came back happily holding four glasses of butterbeer, and while sharing them with several people with a smile on his face, he said: "Ms. Rosmerta talked to me, and her voice is so nice!"

No one answered him. Hermione nodded and said thoughtfully: "I think so too. The Lestranges are famous Death Eaters. If Voldemort is willing to give the Horcrux diary to Lucius... Malfoy will take care of it, and he will definitely be willing to give the other Horcruxes to the Lestranges for safekeeping."

Ron's eyes widened: "Death Eaters? Horcruxes? What are you talking about?"

"It's really surprising that Bellatrix Lestrange would put such an important thing in the underground vault of Gringotts..." Harry blew the foam on the top of the butterbeer and drank. Take a sip.

"Hey!" Ron looked at them angrily, "Can anyone explain to me what exactly you talked about during the two minutes I left?"

Hermione hadn't finished her original glass, but it had gone cold, so she took the new one.

Loren drank the foamy hops into his mouth. He felt that the salty and sweet foam was similar to the milk cap, which was quite delicious: "It's not unexpected. During the time when Voldemort fell, the Ministry of Magic was searching for Death Eaters everywhere. Lestrange’s house is certainly not safe, and it would be safer to put it in the goblins’ underground vault.”

"You! You!"

Ron finally understood that no one among these people could explain to him, so he sat down angrily and listened while analyzing and speculating on the situation.

Harry's brows knitted together and he asked doubtfully, "Why do you have to wait until Christmas vacation?"

"I mean, even if the goblins in Gringotts don't know about Horcruxes, they should know that Lestrange's underground vault contains dark magic items that Death Eaters value, and they are even willing to risk being captured and sent back to Azkaban for these items. For such criminals, why don't they just open the vault and hide the items inside again?"

"Because the core of our laws is that private property is inviolable, and this is related to Gringotts' business reputation." Hermione explained, "They must protect the treasures in everyone's underground vaults, even if the owner of the underground vault is a Death Eaters. Only then will people be willing to trust Gringotts and store their gold Galleons in Gringotts' underground vault instead of hiding it in their own home treasury."

"Oh, our family won't have such troubles. There are no gold galleons to save, and there is no treasure house...my father usually hides his personal money in the attic." Ron said with a smile.

Loren looked at him strangely, and she could hear inexplicable pride in his tone.

"I still don't understand, Hermione, that's a Death Eater," Harry whispered.

"For example, if Professor Black," Hermione paused and glanced at Loren before continuing, "if Professor Black's vault was raided after he was imprisoned in Azkaban, would you still receive Firebolt from the Godfather?”

"But he was wronged -" Harry was suddenly stunned. He seemed to understand something, but not very clearly, and fell into a hazy thought.

"That's the thing. Although I also think there is something wrong with such a rule, I haven't figured out the hidden relationship here yet. Maybe in the future..." Hermione said words that others could not understand, and slowly fell into thinking.

Loren sipped her piping hot butterbeer and thought about the Hufflepuff Gold Cup.

After Quirrell attacked Gringotts, the goblins strengthened the defense of the underground vault, but it shouldn't make any difference whether they strengthened it or not. After all, Harry and the others could break through.

Dumbledore must have guessed that there might be a Horcrux hidden in the Lestrange family's vault. With his ability, even if all the goblins from all over the world gathered in Gringotts, they could not stop him.

As for why he didn't use inappropriate methods to enter the treasure house and destroy the Horcrux, it was probably because of his own psychological imprisonment.

Ron's eyes moved back and forth on the faces of the three friends, looking left and right, and couldn't help but feel a little anxious:

"You are talking, you are talking, why are you not talking again?"

……

It seems like in just the blink of an eye, the holidays are right around the corner.

The fine powder-like crystal snow formed a white cap on the roof of the castle, looking like a cake with frosting. White ice crystals hung on the branches in the Forbidden Forest, and every tree was shining with silver.

In the castle, colorful Christmas decorations were put up as in previous years. Thick light strips made of holly and mistletoe were put up in the corridors, and mysterious lights flashed in each suit of armor. Hagrid dragged a dozen trees and placed them in the Great Hall, and Professor Flitwick decorated them with sparkling golden stars.

On the morning of the holiday, the boys' dormitory.

Harry and Ron didn't have any roommates in the dormitory to get in the way of packing their luggage to go home. Loren, Neville and Seamus had almost finished packing last night. They would be fine if they straightened their pajamas and bed in the morning.

Seamus asked Loren: "Have you ignored your Animagus secret medicine?"

Loren glanced out the window, where the goose-feather-like snow was fluttering, and replied: "Judging from the current temperature, storms with thunder and lightning will not appear in Hogwarts for at least a few months."

"Makes sense."

Neville suddenly turned around and asked: "Seamus, do you want mandrake blades? I can buy them in Diagon Alley and give them to you with an owl?"

"No need." Seamus smiled sheepishly, "You forgot, Dean and I are not members of the teaching class."

"Yeah, sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Animagus is too hard and difficult. We gave up after thinking about it. I'd better concentrate on studying the blasting spell."

Loren suddenly remembered something and said to Neville mysteriously: "I advise you to stay away from Diagon Alley during the holidays, especially Gringotts."

Neville was stunned: "Why?"

"In short, just stay away." Loren didn't make it too clear.

The Longbottoms are now well-known figures in the Auror community. They must have had channels to know about the arrest in Diagon Alley, especially since the target of the arrest was Bellatrix Lestrange. Time will naturally restrict the whereabouts of this silly boy.

At least they won't let him go to Diagon Alley until the arrest operation is over.

The three of them were talking as they dragged the empty box downstairs.

The little wizards in the common room were coming and going. Compared to them, the few people with the help of storage scales were much more relaxed. Seeing Hermione waiting on the sofa, Neville and Seamus left first.

Loren walked over and took out the owl from the cage, and rubbed his face with the soft and downy hair on the little spectacled owl's chest: "Hanhan, do you want to take the train with us, or do you want to fly back by yourself? "

Hanhan, the little spectacled owl, used its wings to turn away from his face, chirped a few times, flapped its wings and landed on the handle of Hermione's suitcase.

"Hanhan is so good, hehe..." Loren picked up a large, fluffy ginger cushion from the sofa. Ignoring the kitten's resistance, he opened Crookshanks' forelimbs and rubbed his belly. soft fur:

"Crookshanks, are you going to take the train home with us, or are you going to spend Christmas at school?"

A trace of human helplessness flashed in Crookshanks' eyes. After struggling for a while, he fell to the ground and found a place to lie down at Loren's feet.

"Crookshanks is so good!" Loren chuckled twice more, turned his gaze to Hermione, leaned over and rubbed against the girl's hair, "Hermione, are you going to--"

Before she could finish her words, she was pushed away by Hermione. She rolled her eyes and walked towards the exit of the lounge while carrying the box.

"Oh, Hermione is not good at all."

Chapter 342 End of the Year

Chapter 342 Late 1993

In the auditorium, Harry and Ron, who were wearing pajamas, sat on the long table, playing wizard chess out of boredom, watching the little wizards dragging their suitcases away in the corridor outside. Occasionally, one or two familiar people came in to say goodbye to them.

"Let's play a game of crackling cards," Harry said helplessly when he saw that he was about to be checked again, "or Gobstone. At least you can find it interesting, Ron."

Ron's eyebrows drooped and he looked lazy: "I choose the explosive card."

"Hey! Harry, Ronnie!"

The two turned around and saw George and Fred walking towards them among the people lining up to leave the castle with their luggage.

"I've told you many times! I'm already a third-year student, don't call me Ronnie anymore!" Ron looked at the two of them angrily.

"Okay, Ronnie."

"No problem, Ronnie."

Harry suppressed his laughter and asked curiously: "What's the matter? Why haven't you boarded the Hogwarts Express yet?"

"Let's get you into some holiday spirit before we leave..." Fred said with a mysterious wink.

George and Fred moved closer to the Christmas tree, making sure that the little wizard outside could not see them. George smiled and took out a square piece of parchment from his arms, which was very worn.

"what is this?"

"This, Harry, is the secret to our success."

……

Carrying the suitcase in his left hand and carrying Hanhan's cage in his right hand, Loren followed Hermione downstairs.

He originally wanted to carry Crookshanks with him, but the little kitten followed its owner's bad example and behaved badly. As soon as he stepped onto the stairs, it turned into an afterimage running under people's feet. He jogged downstairs to wait for them.

While waiting for the stairs to turn, Loren looked at Hermione and said pointedly: "A naughty kitten like this will squeal in pain if someone steps on it."

Hermione pursed her lips and said, "Crookshanks has the blood of a cat. Even if all the teachers and students in the school have a dance on the stairs, he will not be stepped on."

Loren raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise: "Oh, the cat nives also know how to dance?"

"..."

After receiving Crookshanks on the first floor, they came to the side door of the auditorium. From here, Loren and Hermione saw Harry and Ron on the long table, burying their heads on the table, as if there was something interesting.

Drag the box inside.

Before they entered the door, Harry and Ron seemed to have had a premonition beforehand. They raised their heads and looked at them with an interesting look that said, "Sure enough, it is like this."

"It turns out it's the Marauder's Map." Loren glanced at it and looked away, "Did George and Fred give this to you?"

Harry was still immersed in the name "Prongs" on the map. He nodded subconsciously when he heard this. He suddenly came back to his senses and said quietly in a voice full of resentment: "No wonder George and Fred said you had already Got it, but you didn’t tell me?”

"And me!" Ron echoed, "How unfriendable!"

"Didn't I say it?" Loren scratched his head in confusion, "I thought I had said it. Alas, it's all because of the weather. It's so cold that my brain is not flexible."

"..." Harry was silent for a moment, still looking at him full of resentment, as if looking at a heartless person.

"Ahaha, it's getting late. We're still rushing to get on the train, so let's not talk anymore." Loren said very naturally, "Then Merry Christmas, Harry, Ron, see you next semester."

Hermione echoed obediently: "Merry Christmas, see you next term."

Harry squinted his eyes and looked at the two of them: "Why do I have a feeling, Hermione, you also know about this, right?"

Hermione blinked: "The train is about to leave. We are in a hurry. Goodbye Harry, goodbye Ron."

"Goodbye!"

Seeing the two despised people turning away, Harry secretly made up his mind to continue questioning this matter when he returned to school next semester.

……

Get on board.

Find an empty cubicle.

Hanhan was placed on the small table in the compartment. Crookshanks held it in his arms as a hand warmer. The train gradually started to move. Loren opened the window and looked outside: "Tsk, this seems to be the first time we take a train from Back home from school."

Hermione recalled the past two years carefully... When he went home at the end of the first grade, this man was detained in school, and it was Dumbledore who sent him home; in the second grade, they were detained in school together and used Apparition. Go back.

The little witch told him seriously and finally concluded: "Only you, not us."

"Yes, yes, it's just me." Loren muttered, rubbed her shoulders, tilted his head and leaned against her, closed his eyes and said vaguely, "Call me when you arrive at the station, and remember to check your luggage. .”

Hermione stiffened for a moment, pursed her lips, lowered her head and looked into Crookshanks' bright yellow eyes:

"Meow~"

The little kitten looks like this, what can be done with him?

Fortunately, the sleeping position was very awkward. Not long after this person's head was resting on her shoulder, she felt her neck was sore. She muttered something and turned her head away, then changed the direction and relaxed her neck.

A few hours later, when the Hogwarts Express arrived in London, it was still dark.

Emerging from platform nine and three-quarters, the noise of King's Cross Station rushed into my ears in an instant, like a tide, and there were various not-so-pleasant smells in the station.

Loren suddenly had a trance-like feeling. They had been talking about storms and human deformation in the snow-covered ancient castle in the morning, but now they were in the simple Muggle world.

People coming and going in the station will never know that a magic train pulled in here a few minutes ago, and there are all kinds of incredible and magical things in the place where the train goes.

Loren did not use magic or open his magic vision, but he felt that he was fundamentally different from these people...

It wasn't until Grandpa Bates's voice reached his ears that Loren came back to his senses.

"Loren! Hermione! Here, here!" Grandpa Bates stood next to a black Ford car, waving his hands happily.

"Grandpa Bates!" The two of them greeted him happily.