days at Hogwarts

Chapter 262 A banquet for 13 people

Old Mrs. Longbottom lowered her head and covered her eyes: "At that time, all of us were immersed in the joy of victory. Voldemort was defeated, and peace was about to come. I remember that Frank told me that morning to celebrate victory..."

"I have complained about the injustice of fate, but why is it my son and daughter-in-law?"

"Why just when the good times are about to come?"

"I'm sorry, Augusta," Dumbledore said. "If I had been more cautious, maybe -"

"No," Mrs. Longbottom raised her neck, revealing her red eyes: "I'm proud of them! They are members of the Longbottom family, and they didn't reveal any information until the last moment."

Dumbledore stood silently by the window, and the vertical sunlight could not shine on him.

"Neville has been a little careless since he was a child and always forgets things." Mrs. Longbottom's eyes softened. "We all thought he had no magical talent, and we almost thought he was a squib. He fell from a tall building and fell from the sky. The day the ground bounced was the happiest moment for me in more than ten years. I handed Frank's wand to him, hoping that he could inherit his father's power and let Longbottom's reputation be spread to the wizarding world again."

"Last year he wrote to me and told me that the wand was not suitable for him. I know that the mismatched wand caused him to make frequent mistakes and became a laughing stock among his classmates... After changing the wand, he became much more relaxed and his grades improved.

Even a confused old guy like me could feel his happiness.Sometimes I also wonder if I chose the wrong path. He should live a safe and stable life. "

Old Mrs. Longbottom's voice suddenly rose and became sharp: "But no! His surname is Longbottom! His parents have resisted Voldemort's attacks three times and fought until the last moment!"

Dumbledore looked at the four people lying on the bed. He did not advise the old man, but said gently: "Neville is very good. He is good at herbalism. He dared to fight the giant python in dueling class. His heart is full of enthusiasm." Courage, like his father Frank.”

"Same as Frank, same as Frank..." Mrs. Longbottom's lips moved, and her eyes moved to the side to see Loren, who was sleeping quietly.

The black curly hair was a little messy and a little taller than the last time we met.That's the thing with boys this age, they can grow a few inches without seeing each other for a few days.

Neville mentioned this child at home. Not long after school started, he took them on night outings, defeated trolls, and dealt with Voldemort's remnant soul. He had excellent grades, had a girlfriend who was number one in grade... and frozen pears, and didn't like Quidditch. Qi, talking and doing things are very interesting.

Mrs. Longbottom's impression of him was that he was extremely talented, somewhat restless, and a typical Gryffindor.

Until Dumbledore wrote to tell her that the little wizard who had met once in the closed ward on Christmas came up with a treatment method...

Her eyes fell on the mirror. The Longbottoms could tell at a glance that it was a dark magic item, and she could smell the strong smell of blood on it.

But it doesn't matter now. Mrs. Longbottom swore to Merlin in her heart that as long as Frank and Alice wake up, this little wizard will be the benefactor of the Longbottom family.

The closed ward fell into silence, and the light coming in from the window kept moving with the angle of the sun.

Dumbledore saw the scarlet magic flowing on the four people lying on the bed, like threads woven from clouds, connecting the three Longbottoms to the mirror.

A creation of alchemy, an unknown heavy metal is cast into the shape of a flower, with a small handle like a root system, drawing magic power from endless blood.

The emotions of fear, lamentation, and pain are the carriers that connect the soul.

The silver-white mirror shines with two completely different magic powers, the holiness and light of the unicorn, and the coldness and darkness of the dementors. They give Loren the power to control the illusion.

He had already seen it with Sirius last time, and sometimes Dumbledore couldn't help but click his tongue, wondering what kind of knowledge his old friend Nico had imparted to Loren, allowing him to fly forward on the road shrouded in shadow.

Legilimency, the Shadowless Blade, the mirror of bloody magic... If it weren't for the shadow, it couldn't hide the sparkle in Loren's mind. Dumbledore didn't know if these things would turn Loren into another Dark Lord.

Neville's body suddenly burst out with intense magic fluctuations. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and said in a deep voice: "They are about to wake up."

The next moment, Neville opened his eyes suddenly, curled up with his whole body, and let out a painful cry.

He seemed to be still immersed in the moment when the illusion ended, and shouted loudly: "Go! Get out of Knockturn Alley!"

The pain from his soul tightened his muscles, and the pressure acted on his throat and windpipe, quickly tearing his vocal cords and making his voice sound shrill and hoarse.

"Neville, Neville, what's wrong with you?" Mrs. Longbottom panicked and walked quickly to Neville to check on him.

"Grandma! Grandma!" Neville cried all of a sudden, stretched out his arms to hug her, buried his head in the old man's arms and cried bitterly, "The Cruciatus Curse, the Cruciatus Curse..."

Mrs. Longbottom's eyes instantly turned red. She pressed Neville's head and stroked the back of his head. She comforted him with a trembling voice: "It's okay, it's okay. There is no Cruciatus Curse here, no Cruciatus Curse."

"Mom?" A doubtful man's voice sounded from the side.

Mrs. Longbottom turned her head in disbelief and looked at her son Frank. His face did not have the usual stupidity and confusion, and he was looking around doubtfully.

"Dumbledore? Mom?" Frank scratched his head, "Alice, this?"

He seemed to have lost part of his memory and looked around the ward at a loss, full of doubts about his wife's frail face.

Alice stared at the painful Neville and let out a short, cry-like gasp.

She held her heart and tears fell from her eyes: "Neville..."

"Frank, Alice, you finally woke up!" Tears of surprise flowed from Mrs. Longbottom's eyes.

The old man's joyful cry triggered their memories. Frank and Alice hurriedly got out of bed, stumbled over, hugged each other and cried with their family members.

Loren and Dumbledore looked at each other and quietly exited the closed ward together.

Walking along the corridor toward the stairs, Dumbledore rubbed the corners of his eyes, and his voice sounded moved: "The reunion of lovers after a long absence is the most touching, and it is like this in all stories."

Loren looked at Dumbledore rubbing the corners of his eyes with a bit of toothache. He was a little moved at first, but now he couldn't be moved anymore: "You are over 100 years old, so you won't be moved to tears."

Believe me, anyone who sees an old man with a white beard and white hair will not be used to it.

"You can be moved regardless of age. Even if Nico is still alive at [-] years old, he will cry when he sees this scene." Dumbledore said, "He is always moved to tears when watching operas."

"The Longbottom family is reunited again after many hardships. Thanks to you, Loren, you gave this story a happy ending."

Then I have to go back and ask Flamel.

Loren shook his head: "It was Neville who found his parents. He seemed to have suffered a lot in the third level of the illusion."

The two of them passed by the end of the corridor and saw Healer Meliam in the room next to him, engrossed in writing a medical record. The quill was flying on the parchment, almost leaving an afterimage.

The two of them walked lightly together and went down to the fourth floor before speaking again.

"It was you who proposed the treatment method and opened a way for Neville to reunite with his parents." Dumbledore said sincerely, "Loren, you have a heart as bright as gold. I only hope that this heart will never be reunited." Dirty."

Loren's mind automatically turned his words into chicken soup, and then he pretended not to hear it: "Not all patients with soul problems can be treated by this method. Keep it a secret for me and don't let random people come to me."

Dumbledore smiled: "I know."

"Also, tell the Longbottoms to keep it a secret."

"They will."

After leaving the gate of St. Mungo's Hospital, Loren took Dumbledore's teleportation back to Hogwarts.

All the little wizards have left, and the entire castle is quiet. The blooming bluebells and lush green shrubs in the courtyard make the scenery even more peaceful.

The ghosts no longer have to worry about which little wizard will pass through the body when flying quickly. They can run around in the castle freely, and the silver-white ghost figure can pull out a light tail.

Sir Nicholas was flying in front, his head being pulled behind by a thin bit of flesh, like a kite.Loren's eyes were filled with tears.

Entering the Gryffindor common room, Loren immediately saw Hermione standing by the window, wearing a blue and white plaid casual jacket and black denim trousers, smiling.

"I have learned how to apparate!" Hermione pretended to be proud and raised her smooth chin, "Don't play tricks on me during the summer vacation, or I'll make you look good!"

The girl gritted her teeth, clenched her fists and shook her wrists. Her fair and tender skin seemed to be shining under the sunlight, making it impossible to take her eyes away.

<divclass="contentadv">Loren walked over with a smile and put down her fist: "It's lunch time soon. Should we go home after lunch or go home for lunch."

Hermione's attention was diverted and she thought for a moment: "Let's eat at school. I still have some things to pack. I probably won't be able to make it in time for lunch at home."

"That's okay, but if there's anything to pack, wouldn't it be nice to put it all in the pendant space?"

"It's just about organizing the things in the pendant. You can't put them in and just pile them up."

"emmm"

Loren fell silent.

"Eh~" Hermione glanced at him with disgust, "You're not just a mess, are you?"

"My things are all clean, and they won't get dirty if they are piled in a mess. And I can find the things I need. How can it be considered a pile of things? It's just that their arrangement does not conform to the traditional concept of neatness." Luo Lunran said confidently. retorted.

Hermione stepped forward, reached out and pulled out the dolphin pendant from his collar, and looked inside through the scales.

The girl's face that suddenly came closer made Loren's heart skip two beats. He could feel Hermione's hot breath hitting his neck, which made him feel that the sun shining through the window was a bit scalding.

Loren tilted his neck back, trying to move away, but Hermione tugged at his clothes: "Don't move, let me see what kind of mess your storage space is like!"

Driven by this force, Loren involuntarily rushed forward and pressed his lips on the girl's forehead.

Both of them were a little at a loss and froze in place for a moment, their lips pressed against their foreheads, like two hot pieces of flint touching each other, and the hot breath continued to penetrate their noses.

It took about half a minute for Hermione to react and take a few steps back.Her face turned red and she said quickly: "I, I still have some things to clean up in my dormitory. I'm going to pack things first. You should tidy up your space. It's too messy, yes, it's too messy!"

When he raised his eyes, he saw that the man pursed his lips, as if he was reminiscing.

Hermione was even more ashamed and ran away in panic.

Seeing the girl's back disappearing up the stairs, Loren smiled: "You still want to teach me a lesson..."

When Hermione returned to the dormitory, she crawled directly into the quilt and let out a shy whimper.After the shyness faded away, a sweet feeling came back to my heart. There was an itch between my forehead and my eyebrows that I couldn't scratch. This itch went straight to the bottom of my heart.

After 10 minutes of calming down, Hermione quietly walked out of the dormitory, walked through the corridor, stood on the stairs and looked down, carefully observing Loren's condition.

Loren, who was sitting on the sofa, held up a copy of "Transfiguration Today". From the corner of his eye, he noticed the protruding head, like a frightened kitten that might retract at any time.

There was no abnormality on Loren's face, and he shouted in a calm tone: "Go downstairs and have lunch. After that, we will go home."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and at the same time felt a little regretful for some reason. She responded and walked out, and the two of them went downstairs to have lunch together.

When they arrived at the auditorium, they were surprised to find that the college tables had been moved to the wall. A dining table much shorter than the long table in the college was placed in the center of the auditorium. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Snape Professors Lauter, Flitwick, and Kettleburn were sitting there, along with Administrator Filch, Madam Pince, Madam Pomfrey, and Hagrid.

"Loren, Hermione! Come and sit here!" Dumbledore greeted cheerfully, "You have caught up. Sylvanus left only in the afternoon. We decided to hold another lunch for him. There are not many people, so use The college table looks a little silly... Sit down, sit down!"

The two sat down on the right side of the table, next to Hagrid at the end.

"Wait a moment, there are Professor Victor from Arithmetic Divination, Professor Bubbaji from Muggle Studies, and Professor Babbling from Ancient Runes." Dumbledore said with a smile, "Well, sorry It’s Professor Trelawney from the Divination class who always keeps to himself, otherwise you would see all the elective course professors.”

Professor McGonagall added: "Professor Babling is anxious to go to Egypt to participate in the excavation of an ancient ruins and has already left."

Hermione's eyes shone brightly, and she asked Professor Kettleburn at the side with great interest: "What is the content of Care of Magical Creatures, Professor! What magical animals will we come into contact with?"

Keltborn laughed: "Then you asked the wrong person. I will retire soon. I will not teach you how to protect magical animals next semester."

Without waiting for the little witch to show her disappointed look, he added cheerfully: "But I recommended to the principal that Hagrid take over the position of Professor of Care of Magical Creatures. You can ask him."

"Hagrid! Really?" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.

Hagrid was a little embarrassed: "I, I'm not sure...I don't know if I can do it well."

"Believe me Hagrid! There is no one more suitable for this position than you." Professor Keltburn wanted to pat him on the shoulder, but after looking at his size, he withdrew his hand.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded: "I think so too, you can do it, Hagrid."

Hagrid was so moved that he almost wiped away tears. At this moment, the door opened again, and it was Professor Trelawney, who slid towards them like a wheel.

"Sybil, what a surprise!" Dumbledore said, standing up.

"I was looking into the crystal ball, Headmaster," Professor Trelawney said in her most disembodied voice. "To my surprise, I saw myself leaving my lonely dinner to join you. How could I Can you refuse the hint of fate? I hastened down from my tower and begged you to forgive me for being late..."

Professor Trelawney in this state gave Loren an ominous premonition.

"Of course, of course," Dumbledore greeted, "Professor Babbling's seat just happens to be vacant. Sit down, sit down."

However, Professor Trelawney did not sit down. Her big eyes glanced around the table, and suddenly she let out a low scream: "I don't dare, Headmaster! If I sit down at the table, I will be dead." Three! The most unlucky! Don’t forget, whenever thirteen people dine together, the first one to stand up will definitely be the first to die!”

Loren's pupils shook violently, and he suddenly remembered the plot about the banquet for 13 people.Few of Trelawney's waking prophecies were true, but this one happened to come true.

Looking at Dumbledore who had already stood up, he quickly counted the number of people.

Fortunately, there were only twelve people.

Opening his magic vision, Loren confirmed again that Scabbers the mouse was not there, Rita the beetle was not there, there were no hidden Animagus, and there were no ghosts hiding under the table.No matter how many times I count, there are only twelve people.

When everyone looked at Trelawney, Dumbledore noticed something strange about him.

"We're willing to risk it, Sybil. Sit down," said Professor McGonagall impatiently.

When she sat down, there were really thirteen people... Lorenteng stood up and faced everyone's surprised eyes. He was silent for a moment: "Professor, I think it's better not to take the risk. Hermione and I happened to be in a hurry to get back." Home, let’s go back first.”

Hermione stared at him blankly.

Professor McGonagall felt that Loren was confused by Sybil's identity as a Divination class professor, so he tried to persuade him: "Don't worry, Loren, unless there is a crazy axeman waiting outside the door to kill the first one who walks out." People in the foyer, there will be no other danger here.”

Professors Flitwick and Keltborn burst into laughter.Professor Trelawney seemed to be greatly insulted. He glared at Professor McGonagall angrily, and then looked at Loren expectantly.

Loren stood there a little embarrassed. He couldn't leave for a while, or not leave at all.

Dumbledore saw his embarrassment and smiled: "Minerva, we should be considerate of students who want to go home early. After all, it was the same when we were in school."

He looked at Loren: "Then we'll see you next semester, and say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Mr. Bates for me."

"Goodbye! Principal and professors!" Loren relaxed, dragged Hermione and ran out of the hall, disappearing from the sight of the professors.

Trelawney smiled triumphantly and happily found a seat to sit down.

The dinner table fell into silence for a while. Most people thought that Loren was frightened by the name of the professor of divination class, while some people had other ideas.

Dumbledore and Snape stared at the remaining two positions with thoughtful eyes.

Sybil's predictions were not all nonsense, at least one or two of them were true...

You know, there are eleven people at the table now, and Professor Victor from the Arithmetic Divination class and Professor Bubbaji from the Muggle Studies class have not yet attended the dinner.