The days at Hogwarts

"..."

"Hermione? Hermione?"

"I know!" the girl responded sadly.

……

After lunch the next day, the two met and went out, teleporting directly from the garage to the alley next to the potion materials store in Diagon Alley.

During the holidays, the streets of Diagon Alley are filled with streamers of various colors. Although many shops are not open, almost all the shops that are open have a Christmas tree in front of them, decorated with all kinds of magic ornaments.

There were even fairies holding bluebells at the entrance of Madam Malkin's Robe Shop, soliciting customers. The colorful and soft light lit up in the small bluebell flowers. The fairies shook a few times from time to time, shaking off the sparkling pollen from the stamens. Very nice.

The signboard of the potion ingredients store was full of dirt. Loren looked at it for a long time before he could see the words "Slug & Giggs" from the black stains.

Pushing open the door and walking in, this is a weird place filled with all kinds of strange things. On the ground were a row of barrels of sticky substance, and against the wall were various jars of powders and herbs. Bundles of feathers, fangs and claws hung from the ceiling.

The whole dispensary smelled really bad, it smelled like a mix of rotten eggs and rotten vegetables. The two bought ten mandrake blades as quickly as possible, and then rushed out of the drugstore to take a deep breath.

Cold air poured into his nose, and his head was colder than his throat. Loren covered both sides of his nose in an attempt to warm it up: "No, my nose was attacked by magic!"

Hermione couldn't help but sneer, even though her nose was also red: "Let's find a place to drink something hot. How about trying the butterbeer from the Leaky Cauldron?"

"agree!"

When they walked into the Leaky Cauldron, before they had time to shake off the snowflakes on their clothes and hats, they saw familiar figures sitting on a small table in the right corner of the bar - three professors.

"Your violet water -" Mr. Tom, the bar owner, held a shallow saucer of champagne glass with his thick fingers and handed it over. After he stabilized it, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Merlin, Minerva, even the ghosts have no way of knowing. , how hard it is to find a clean glass for violet water in my bar.”

Professor McGonagall smiled and said, "I knew you could do it."

"Yes, yes!" Tom smiled and looked at Professor Flitwick, "What about you, Filius, what would you like to drink?"

“A soda with ice and snail cherry syrup, thank you!”

"What? No, no, they don't have anything like that in the Leaky Cauldron!" Tom said with a deliberately stern look on his face, "How about Gump's Old Social Wine?"

Hearing this, even the most serious Snape couldn't help but lift the corners of his mouth and smile faintly.

-

Note: After the implementation of the International Statute of Secrecy in 1692, the then Minister of Magic, Ulric Gamp, made an exception and allowed the Leaky Cauldron to continue operating as a safe haven and refuge for members of the wizarding society.

While insisting on the use of many powerful hidden spells and asking all patrons to behave appropriately, Gump actually understood the psychological needs of wizards who wanted to vent during this difficult time. He also further allowed the owners to let people into Diagon Alley from their backyards, as the shops behind the Leaky Cauldron also needed protection at that time.

Out of gratitude, the owners of the Leaky Cauldron brewed a new beer - Gump's Old Courtyard. The drink was so unpalatable that no one could drink a pint, even with a reward of 100 galleons.

Chapter 345 Time flies

Loren and Hermione looked at each other, their eyes shining brightly, their thoughts racing.

Based on what is known and overheard at The Three Broomsticks, the Ministry of Magic invites professors to work together to capture Bellatrix Lestrange during the Christmas holidays.

The professor is here today, which means...

The two of them lowered their heads silently and walked quietly behind the professors' desks.

There were only two tables of them in the right corner of the bar. This location actually had a risk of exposure, but in the noisy Leaky Cauldron bar, the professors obviously did not notice them.

Loren took two glasses of butterbeer from a waitress. The two of them turned their backs to the professors, holding the glasses and raising their ears in high concentration.

Eventually Old Tom and Professor Flitwick each took a step back, and Old Tom replaced the syrupy soda with two pints of mead. After sending Christmas greetings to several professors, the boss politely left.

Professor Flitwick took a sip of the mead, smacked his lips, and said in a high-pitched voice: "That Mrs. Lestrange, she is so patient. What do you think, Minerva, Severus? I thought she would attack on Christmas Eve, after all, we all thought that was the time when protection was at its most lax."

"That's also a good time for us to catch her..." Snape said in a mocking tone, "But who knows what those idiots at the Ministry of Magic were thinking. They mobilized all the dementors that afternoon. Even if she is Trollhead, seeing the dementors like dark clouds above the streets, wouldn't be stupid enough to attack Gringotts at that time."

"Don't say that, Severus." Professor Flitwick, probably getting used to the taste of the mead in the Leaky Cauldron, took a swig and let out a contented sigh, "Thanks to them, we survived one. It’s a peaceful Christmas Eve, isn’t it?”

"You're right, and happily, today is the deadline." Professor McGonagall shook the violet water and said,

"If Mrs. Lestrange does not appear again, the Ministry of Magic will open the Lestrange family's vault under the witness of Wizengamot and Hogwarts. No matter what the mysterious person wants in the underground vault, After today, she won’t have to worry about it anymore.”

"This is indeed good news to be happy about!" Professor Flitwick smiled.

The three of them toasted. Professor McGonagall put down the champagne glass and said another thing: "Taking advantage of this incident, I plan to open a treasury in the name of Hogwarts in Gringotts and transfer the school's Something to put in the vault.”

"Why do you do this?" Professor Flitwick asked in confusion, "I mean, Minerva, there are enough rooms in the Hogwarts castle for you to put your things."

"Of course I agree with your idea, Filius, if it is the property of Hogwarts..."

As Professor McGonagall explained, she took out a golden chain from her pocket. There was a small hourglass tied to the chain, and the hourglass contained fine golden sand.

Snape raised his eyebrows: "Time turner? I thought you had returned it to the Ministry of Magic."

"Oh, not yet. The usage period I applied for for Miss Granger is one full year."

Loren, who was behind, looked at Hermione who was standing aside. Hermione raised her head in confusion, with dense foamy hops still hanging on her lips.

"I plan to store it in Gringotts' vault. If I do this, when I apply for a time turner for other students in the future, I can get it directly from Gringotts." Professor McGonagall said, dialing the number Small hourglass on a chain.

"Is this any different from before?" Professor Flitwick asked in confusion before he could react.

"No more contact with the Ministry of Magic, which means-"

Snape took a sip of mead and said slowly, "In a few decades, after a few more ministers of the Ministry of Magic, the Time Turner will become a thing of Hogwarts."

Hermione's eyes widened immediately. Professor McGonagall seemed a little different from what she had known before.

Snape toasted to Professor McGonagall: "To Minerva, you are a competent Vice-Principal."

"That sounds like you're implying that Dumbledore is an incompetent headmaster..." Professor Flitwick added in a low voice.

Professor McGonagall couldn't help but smile. After returning the greeting to Snape, he suddenly asked: "By the way, Severus, the Ministry of Magic and Principal Dumbledore only designated me and Filius for this mission. You didn't have to." Come on, why did you take the initiative to apply to come out with us? Is there anything important you need to do?"

Professor Flitwick also looked at him curiously. The two of them knew that Snape's past was a bit difficult to study carefully. If he was related to the crazy woman Death Eater, it might cause unnecessary trouble.

Why come here...

Snape was silent for a while and said softly: "I just happened to have a batch of potions for sale, and I wanted to replace them with potion experiment materials as soon as possible."

As Snape spoke, he took out a small cloth bag from his arms, spread it out on the table and showed it to his two colleagues.

His move was intended to change the subject. Flitwick did not notice it, but Professor McGonagall took a deep look at Snape.

"Blood tonics, elation potions, palliatives...oh!" Flitwick raised his voice a little, "and living hell potion, veritaserum, polyjuice potion...to be honest, Severus, these things belong Illegal drugs, right?”

Snape nodded noncommittally: "As long as there are enough benefits, those goblins can sell themselves."

Flitwick, who has goblin blood, didn't think there was anything wrong with this. He observed the various potions in the small cloth bag with interest. Suddenly he saw a small white bone knife and became interested: "Severus, What's this?"

This bone knife is only two fingers long. The ribs of the basilisk are ground to a smooth white color like ivory. There is no fine processing and the carving is rough, giving it a simple beauty.

The most bizarre thing is that the blade of the bone knife is stained with scattered red powder, and under the illumination of candlelight, it is faintly flashing with crystal light spots.

Snape's brows slowly knitted together.

Bone knife and magic stone powder?

It was all his fault that Dumbledore kept him chatting until late that night, and the next day he came back from the Shrieking Shack guarding those two little things. When he was packing his things in a tired and sleepy state, he actually packed these things too. Into the bag.

Snape carefully picked up the bone knife and was about to explain it to Flitwick and McGonagall when an earth-shattering explosion suddenly sounded——

Boom!

A torrential wave of weather swept over him, and under the strong impact, the bone knife flew out of his hand.

Under the astonished gazes of the three professors and two young wizards, the hard snake bone shattered the bottom of the golden hourglass, and the red crystal powder fell into the hourglass along the cracks under the action of inertia.

The crimson magic stone powder was hidden in the golden sands of time. In Loren's field of vision, the crimson magic power was like a flame falling into the golden river, melting silently.

The hourglass flew off the table due to the impact, flipping endlessly in the air.

Sorry for the lag, the remaining 2k will be sent out around one o'clock, bow to the readers.

Chapter 346 The Leaky Cauldron in the River of Time

In less than a breath, Loren saw the golden hourglass turning upside down dozens of times——

An invisible wave enveloped the corner on the right side of the bar, and something unspeakable cut them off from the outside world.

The aftermath of the explosion... the air wave hit the wall, causing it to crack and collapse, overturning the tables and chairs in the bar, overturning a middle-aged witch wearing a pointed wizard hat at the door, and overturning a strange wizard hiding under a large cloak... their screams, Old Tom's exclamations, the noisy Aurors and pedestrians outside...

The smells in the bar...the sweet, bubbly aroma of butterbeer, the stale smell of grease in the bar...and the heat from the fire in the fireplace, the cold wind squeezing through the cracks in the door.

All sights, sounds, smells, and even physical sensations disappeared.

Countless slender golden streams of light revolved around them. In the bright golden world, a few faint blood reds made people feel uneasy.

Loren and Hermione felt as if they were the only ones left in the world, and the three professors next to them. They looked at each other with big eyes and small eyes. Loren blinked his eyelids and moved his lips, trying to say something.

But some invisible force imprisoned them, unable to move or speak.

Snape, McGonagall and Professor Flitwick also saw them. The three professors' eyes flashed with concern, which quickly disappeared into deep thoughts.

The golden stream of light suddenly shone brightly, and Loren and others felt like they were flying backward at an unprecedented speed. All the blood in their bodies was struggling to squeeze forward, and their throats and stomachs were beating and trying to spurt out of their bodies... Just as they When the eyeballs were so bulging that they seemed to pop out of their sockets, the flight stopped.

The golden stream of light stopped, and the crystal clear sand emitted a soft light, like countless stars.

The light of the real world shone in again, and a noisy sound like a tide flooded into my ears.

It was still the Leaky Cauldron Bar, but this Leaky Cauldron Bar was a little different from the Leaky Cauldron Bar they were familiar with. It looked a little neater, and the tables and chairs were not so old.

At the bar, a group of wizards in different clothes were sitting together, looking at a construction drawing with a sad face.

Before Loren and Hermione could speak, Professor McGonagall held them in her arms and shook her head to signal them to be quiet.

Snape and Professor Flitwick took out their wands in unison and placed them across their chests, protecting Professor McGonagall and the two little wizards from one side to the other. The atmosphere in the bar became solemn on guard.

Loren frowned. The group of wizards at the bar gave him a strange feeling. There seemed to be a vague transparent barrier outside the magic light, making it difficult to see clearly.

And further away, beyond the bar wall, the golden soft light of the Sand of Time still exists, as well as the red glow of the Magic Stone.

Just when the three professors were on alert, the wizard over the bar began to speak:

"Damn it! That troll minister told us to avoid Muggles and give up the Leaky Cauldron! He really deserves to die at the hooves of centaurs!"

The three professors and two students present were all top students who were well-versed in the history of magic. They immediately realized the meaning behind this sentence and couldn't help but feel their heartstrings tugged.

Historically, the Minister of Magic nicknamed "The Troll" was Minister Farris Spavin who served from 1865 to 1903. He is the one who introduced the "Law on the Reasonable Restraint of Minor Wizards" and used traces to detect minors' use of magic and violation of the law.

Faris is the longest-serving Minister of Magic in history, and also the longest-serving Minister of all time. He once survived an assassination attempt (flying kick) by a centaur.

The incident of defending the Leaky Cauldron occurred at the end of the 19th century, when the Muggle government planned to demolish the Leaky Cauldron and build Charing Cross Street. Farris Spavin gave a seven-hour speech in front of the Wizengamot, explaining why the Leaky Cauldron could not stay.

But the wizards used a large number of forgetting spells to modify the entire road plan, allowing the Leaky Cauldron to have a place in the new road plan...

The conversation at the bar continues: "What a Minister for Magic, what a seven-hour speech! Fuck it, who cares!"

"You're right, who cares!"

"We have to keep the Leaky Cauldron! If the Ministry of Magic doesn't do it, we'll do it ourselves!"

"You go to old Potter, they will definitely be willing to help! I'll go to old Malfoy for advice. Although they are indeed uncomfortable, they are definitely the right people to go to for this kind of thing!"

"Split up and call for help... Weasley, go to Ottery St. Catchpole, Froome, go to Hogsmeade, Bagshot, go to Godric's Hollow... Old buddies, our place can't be taken away, get moving!"

"let's move!"

"I'm going to drink ten pints of Gamp's when it's done!"

"I remember!"

"Hahahaha!"

"..."

The people at the bar dispersed and headed towards the door.

Just when the three professors were preparing to fight, something unexpected happened. Those people actually passed through the bodies of Loren and the others, as if Loren and the others were ghosts that did not exist.

Watching the wizards walking out of the bar and heading away in all directions, just when Professor McGonagall was about to say something, the golden light outside the bar enveloped them again, and they once again began to fly backwards at an unprecedented speed.

After an unknown amount of time, the golden stream of light stopped——

This is a small bar with soft lighting and simple decoration. There are very few wine utensils and alcoholic beverages behind the bar. The candlesticks and torches on the surrounding walls and ceiling are bare and unadorned.

All kinds of guests are mixed here...people wearing magic robes and weird wizard hats, people wearing double-breasted long coats, people wearing coarse shorts...the wizards are talking about magic and Quidditch. , the Muggle residents were talking about the suburb of Marseille, about the theater and opera...

In front of and behind the bar, a woman in brown cloth walked among the drinkers, delivering various drinks to the guests.

A man in a coarse cloth jacket took the beer and smiled heartily at her: "Daisy, do you want to go to Marseille tomorrow? I heard that there will be a royal horse!"

"No, I have to stay in the tavern and clean up."