The days at Hogwarts

Monica noticed Loren's actions through the rearview mirror and smiled gently: "When a family goes camping, they have to wear the same clothes."

She raised her voice slightly. "It's always been like this in our family, isn't it, Hermione?"

Hermione looked away from the window and answered loudly, "Yes!"

Full of energy and vitality.

"Speaking of this," Wendell recalled what he had read in the newspaper, "the government has stepped up its efforts to develop the Forest of Dean. Now there are many visitor facilities on the edge of the forest. We can stay a few more days."

"Because it is summer, we can go deeper into the forest. There are ancient stone circles and abandoned well houses nearby. We can also visit the hunting lodge of Elizabeth I." Wendell has done a lot of preparation for this camping trip.

"Elizabeth I," Hermione raised a hand. "I know. She was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. She ruled during the golden age of the Renaissance. Shakespeare lived in that era."

Loren didn't know if it was his illusion, but Hermione seemed particularly lively while camping.

Hearing Shakespeare's name, Monica teased, "One of us has a name related to Shakespeare. Guess who it is?"

Hermione knew, but she didn't answer. Her little feet dangled under the seat, showing that she was in a very happy mood.

Wendell continued, "Hermione's name comes from Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. Your mother spent a lot of time thinking of this name."

"I've said it so many times!" Hermione complained, but anyone could tell that she liked the name very much.

Loren looked at the emerald green in the open field, enjoying the warm atmosphere of the Granger family, and thinking that maybe he should find an opportunity to travel with Grandpa Bates.

"Speaking of Elizabeth I," Wendell recalled a legend and asked the two little wizards in the back seat for confirmation, "Is her sister Mary I really a witch?"

"I used to think it was just a tall tale, but now that my daughter is a living witch, it has some basis in reality."

"Mary?" Loren was startled when he heard this somewhat familiar name.

Hermione wasn't quite sure what the legend was, "I just know she's Elizabeth I's sister."

Bloody Mary is not a good story and is usually told to scare people.

Monica glared at her husband, but considering that there were two real wizards sitting in the back who would not be scared by the legends made up by ordinary people, she still patiently told the two little wizards about the history.

"Mary I grew up in the era of the Reformation, which was also the time when the struggle between Catholics and Protestants was the most intense. The war of faith was bloody," Monica paused and saw through the rearview mirror that the two children did not react much. It was obvious that they had no understanding of the cruelty of war.

She went on to say: "Her father was Henry VIII and her mother was a Catholic Spanish princess, Catherine. Their marriage was a political marriage and they were not happy."

Monica glanced at Loren and Hermione again. The two were listening with great interest. "Henry VIII cheated on his wife. In order to divorce Catherine, he betrayed Catholicism, broke with the Pope of Rome, promoted Protestantism in the country, and persecuted Catholics."

"Mary was slandered as Catherine's illegitimate child and suffered humiliation in the court, even worse than a servant. In such a family environment, Mary developed a paranoid and eccentric personality. She became a die-hard Catholic and hated Protestantism very much."

"As an adult, she was tried for treason by her father, Henry VIII, for refusing to convert to Protestantism."

Hermione couldn't help but say, "That's her father? How could there be such a father?"

Wendel said: "Because it was a special era, the king's power also came from religion."

Monica continued: "Mary I married King Philip II of Spain. After ascending the throne, she restored the status of Catholicism and began to massacre Protestants. Over a five-year period, more than 5 people were burned to death at the stake. A pregnant lady gave birth in the flames, and the baby was burned to charcoal. People called her Bloody Mary."

"I'll tell you the rest," Wendell drove without looking back, but his tone was excited.

"Later, she turned into a ghost. Legend has it that if you call her name three times in front of a mirror, you will be able to see her reflection in the mirror, and she will answer your questions."

Loren's breathing stagnated. This Mary seemed to be the same Mary he had met before.

"But!" Wendell lowered his voice, "She sometimes extends her claws and fangs from the mirror, tears off people's skin, and digs out their eyeballs. This is the punishment that Protestants have endured."

Hermione's face tightened when she heard this. She put her feet on the seat in front of her and leaned back as far as she could, away from her father.

Monica reached out and patted Wendell, "Be serious!"

"Ha!" Wendell laughed, "I was planning to tell this horror story on a camping night. The atmosphere will definitely be better."

"Are there any other legends?" Loren couldn't help but want to know more.

"If the summoning ritual is not performed correctly, the spirit can scream at the participants, torture or strangle them, steal their bodies or souls, drink their blood, or gouge out their eyes," Wendell said.

"There are two basic elements to summoning Mary: a mirror in a dark room and calling her name a certain number of times. There is also a saying that Bloody Mary only comes on certain days."

Loren subconsciously connected this Bloody Mary with the Mary in the illusion of "The Book of Abraham".

"When I was in college, some of my classmates liked to play some ghost rituals. They said that young women would go up the stairs in a dark room, holding a mirror in one hand and a candle in the other. When they looked in the mirror, they could see the face of their future husband. If they saw a skull, it meant that she would not live to get married."

Monica said, "I've played this game before."

Wendell turned his head to look at her and complained, "Hey! I didn't know anything about this."

He then teased, "So you saw my face, right?"

Monica paused and said, "What I saw was a skeleton. My classmates were playing a trick on me."

Wendell's face turned a little ugly when he heard that, and his hands holding the steering wheel couldn't help but clench tightly, and his fingers turned white.

Monica's college life was spent in such bad jokes, those damn classmates!

Monica patted his hand with a relieved smile, indicating that she was fine and asking Wendell to relax.

"Mom~" Hermione leaned on the backrest in front of her and comforted her in a soft voice, "They would never have thought that you would have such a good husband."

Wendell grinned, "And such a good daughter."

"Hehe." Hermione laughed innocently.

"So have you heard of the witch Bloody Mary?" Monica asked with a smile.

Hermione replied, "Of course not. If there really is such a witch, then she must have violated the Statute of Secrecy."

This is the atmosphere in the Granger family. Both parents are knowledgeable and love reading. They can always tell Hermione a wonderful and interesting story at any time.

Loren's heart could never calm down. He was now certain that even if the Mary in the mirror in the illusion and Bloody Mary were not the same person, they had a great relationship.

But more doubts followed.

Mary I of the Tudor Dynasty lived in the 16th century, and The Book of Abraham was written thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago. Why are the two connected?

Why is the legend about Mary more widely spread in Muggle society, but there is no news about it in the wizarding world?

Thinking back to what Mr. Granger had just said, Bloody Mary would only come at a specific time, which was very consistent with the timing Flamel had told him, when Mars was bright.

He couldn't wait to enter the Book of Fantasy and ask Flamel when the next time he would interpret the Book of Abraham was. But he could only resist this urge and wait until he was alone.

The car was driving on the road, and the popular science education of a piece of history and legend came to an end.

The four set out at eight in the morning and arrived at the outskirts of the Forest of Dean, where tourists enter the country, at half past eleven.

After passing the wilderness on the road, they drove into a street with cafes, restaurants and hotels.

Loren was a little confused, he thought they would drive into the forest and set up a tent next to the car to camp. Unexpectedly, the facilities here are so complete.

Wendell drove into the hotel parking lot, and the hotel staff came up with a cart, loaded the luggage into the car, and followed them silently.

Seeing that Loren was unfamiliar with the environment and procedures here, Hermione was afraid that he would get lost, so she took his hand and held Monica's hand with the other, and the three of them followed Wendell.

The lobby is luxurious and exquisite, with gorgeous flower-like chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. The bright golden light illuminates every corner. The marble floor is smooth, and the oil paintings hanging on the walls are colorful and huge.

We checked in at the front desk and then entered the hotel suite. After the waiter had put our luggage away, the atmosphere became lively again.

The four of them sat on the sofa, and Monica began to cut the fruit on the table.

"This is not what I thought camping was," Loren said in a dazed tone.

"In the beginning, camping was done directly in the forest. But after a number of disappearances occurred, the government started to take it seriously. Just in time to develop the economy, they built a street here." This was not Hermione's first time here, and she had the same doubts at the beginning.

Wendell was a little exhausted after driving all the way. He sat on the sofa, rubbed his brows and said, "Let's rest here and head to the forest this afternoon."

"Then why did we come to the hotel?" Loren asked.

We are leaving in the afternoon, so this room won't be used at all.

He looked around and saw that the hotel had a separate bathroom, living room, and bedroom. For a hotel located in a scenic area, this suite did not look cheap.

"The hotel operates a camping area that provides services specifically for camping. They provide free charcoal, barbecue, drinks and other consumables. Most importantly, they regularly check our safety." Monica cut the apple into four pieces and handed one piece to each of them.

So camping means camping in someone else’s designated area and enjoying some services.

Loren found it very novel, but on second thought it made sense.

In the past, when the economy and social environment were bad, the streets were full of unemployed people, drug addicts, and gang members. There were always some vicious crimes, and in a sparsely populated place like the forest, the danger was even greater.

It was not until recent years that the situation has improved, but who can guarantee safety?

Knowing that there had been disappearances in the forest, the Grangers were certainly not unprepared, and this was the right way to camp.

Chapter 130 Dean Forest

The group of four had a hearty lunch at the hotel, then took a comfortable nap in the hotel, took a shower, changed clothes, and then rented a large-displacement camping car at the hotel and headed into the forest.

At the temporary parking lot in front of the hotel, a small blue pickup truck with a rough and sturdy frame was parked on the side of the road. The spare tire was placed on the front hood, and several packages were piled on the open rear cargo rack.

Outside the bag were boxes of drinking water, coal, and some canned food...

Wendell stood on the steps and looked at the Land Rover Defender 130, his eyes sparkling, his hands patting the shell again and again, with a satisfied smile on his face.

The hotel manager nearby saw that the old customer was very satisfied, so he actively introduced: "Land Rover's new cars are mainly provided to the military and the government. We took over a batch and modified them."

He rolled up the sleeves of his neat suit and measured the vehicle with his hands: "The wheelbase is 130, the diesel engine is turbocharged, the horsepower reaches 85, and the high chassis is very suitable for driving in the forest."

Wendel touched here and looked there, and was extremely satisfied.

Monica was holding Hermione's hand, and Hermione was holding Loren's hand, standing further back, watching Wendell and the hotel manager chatting with smiles on their faces.

The white and blue striped short-sleeved shirt was wrapped in thick camping protective clothing, and the lower body was also changed into tight pants. The hard-soled thick boots on the feet were a bit heavy. The whole outfit was mosquito-proof, wear-resistant, and thick, and it was obvious that it was for outdoor activities.

Fortunately, the hotel provided it and its location at the edge of the forest was suitable for temperature. Otherwise, if they wore such clothes in midsummer and failed to protect themselves from mosquitoes, they might have suffered from heatstroke first.

Loren leaned close to Hermione's ear and whispered, "I think your father came here for this car, not camping."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement.

The hotel manager took out something that looked like a satellite phone and put it in Wendell's hand: "Use this to contact us if anything happens. It's satellite-based. We can find you even if you're in the Arctic."

Wendell took the things, talked to the hotel manager for a few more words, opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat, waving to Monica and the other two behind him and shouting, "Get in! We're leaving!"

The three of them walked forward quickly. Loren and Hermione consciously went to the back row, and Monica sat in the front row next to Wendell.

"Have fun!" the hotel manager waved goodbye.

Wendell stepped on the clutch smoothly, the diesel engine started with a "boom" sound, and the car gradually accelerated and drove out of the hotel manager's sight.

Unlike the Granger family's car, this pickup truck has much more compact seats, with two rows of six seats, and the space is a bit narrow, but for Loren and Hermione, it is enough for them to move freely.

The car gradually drove out of the bushes made of steel and concrete and headed towards the forest.

The lush treetops intersected together to form a dense green sky. As the vehicle drove deeper into the area, tall trees stood tall. They could only see the tree trunks from the car window, but no longer the treetops. The sunlight was filtered into mottled patterns and fell on the carpet of fallen leaves and moss.

Being away from human habitation and immersed in the natural environment makes people unconsciously put all thoughts behind them and just focus on taking in the magnificent scenery in their eyes and minds.

As the car drove deeper into the forest, the air became cooler and cooler until it didn't feel like summer at all. The forest was full of trees, which was shocking at first, but after driving for a while I gradually got used to it and didn't find trees more than ten or even dozens of meters tall strange.

On the contrary, the occasional squirrels, birds and other animals are very attractive.

After a while, Wendell pulled over, turned off the car, and called out, "Boy Scouts, get out of the car!"

When I opened the car door, I was greeted by the fresh and fragrant air of the forest trees, which was also cool.

Wendell went to the back and handed the bags to several people. The bags in Loren and Hermione's hands contained sleeping bags, blankets and other lighter items. The main weight was borne by the two adults, Wendell and Monica.

Monica's large backpack was stuffed bulging with stuff. When she stood up with it over her shoulders, her body was pulled back by the weight.

Wendell was startled and quickly supported her. He held the backpack steady and did not dare to let go: "Be careful, you don't have to carry everything in the backpack, you can lock it in the car and leave it here."

"I'm just not ready." Monica tried again, but it was still too heavy.

In previous years, they had camped as a family of three, and the things they brought were just enough. This time, they added food and water for one more person, and also changed to a bigger tent, so this problem occurred.

"I have an idea!" Hermione took out a purple linen bag and said, "Put it in here."

Monica and Wendell looked at the small cloth bag, thinking about the magical spell, and took off their backpacks doubtfully.

Loren took two steps forward and asked with a smile, "Did you anticipate this?"

Although this is a forest, it is not an uninhabited area and there is a risk of being discovered if using the levitation spell. It is indeed very convenient to use space equipment in this environment.

"This pocket doesn't take up much space, so I thought I might need it, so I brought it with me."

Hermione opened her pocket and pressed the opening against the luggage. The objects, which were much larger than her pocket, shrank rapidly when they touched the opening of the bag and were sucked in.

Wendell and Monica watched helplessly as drinking water, coal, canned food, and large bags were put into the linen bags one by one, unable to speak.

Wendell was not frightened. He looked at the linen pocket with shining eyes, even brighter than when he saw the Land Rover Defender.

After packing the last thing, Hermione clapped her hands and tucked her messy hair behind her ears: "Alright!"