days at Hogwarts

arrive home.

Grandpa Bates was sitting on the sofa watching TV, reviewing the major news of the week. The female host looked very beautiful in her tight skirt and high heels.

Loren took two bottles of Coke from the refrigerator, opened the bottle caps with his fingers, handed one over, and sat down next to him carelessly.

Grandpa Bates took the drink and took a sip, acting like a veteran of World War II. Unfortunately, the bottle contained soda instead of whiskey. In a way, the carbon dioxide was more choking than liquor, and the bubbles irritated his throat, causing the veteran to cough twice.

Loren couldn't help laughing, then he quickly tightened his expression and pretended he didn't see it.

Grandpa Bates took another sip, this time gently and with the right amount. Listening to the dense bubbles popping in the glass bottle, he said calmly, "Two owls were waiting at the door when the sun set. Is there any urgent news about the wizard war?"

“It’s the transcript of our exams.”

Grandpa Bates nodded. He was not very interested in the interim test results of his wizarding school. Since they would not affect his further studies or career choices, it would be better to take the high school entrance examination.

The evening news was still going on. To guarantee the ratings, the female host always stayed in the center of the screen. The director would not cut the screen unless it was necessary. However, the next few news items were more important, so the TV station had to cut the screen.

"On July 7, the British Crown Prince and Princess Diana divorced. The First Civil Court of the High Court in London issued a divorce decree last Monday. Senior Judge Angell ruled that the 15st applicant divorce was established that day. If no one raises an objection within 31 weeks, His Royal Highness Prince Charles and Her Royal Highness Princess Diana will announce their official divorce. On the 6th, there were about 15 reporters in the court audience, but the parties were not present. In the form explaining the reasons for the divorce, Charles claimed that "there were irreconcilable differences"..."

"According to insiders, Lady Diana will receive £1700 million in alimony at the cost of losing her title of Her Royal Highness..."

Grandpa Bates took another sip of Coke and glanced at Loren. "Husbands and wives should communicate in time and compromise appropriately. Don't listen to the news about irreconcilable differences. It's just that the two of them are no longer determined to go on together."

"Yes, you are right."

Loren complained silently in his heart, even though he had been single all his life, he was able to educate people in a proper manner.

"At 7:17 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on July 8, a passenger plane exploded in the air in the United States, killing 40 people. The TWA flight from New York's Kennedy Airport to Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport was a Boeing 228 aircraft that flew from Athens that day. After undergoing normal maintenance procedures, it left the apron at 747:8 p.m. and exploded violently half an hour later. The wreckage was scattered on the water near Long Island, New York City, killing a total of 14 people. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined, and the relevant investigation is still ongoing. Our reporter will continue to report..."

Grandpa Bates frowned. "These terrorists are going too far. Even if they have demands, they should target government bureaucrats. Why target ordinary passengers?"

Air crashes are not uncommon.

The United States has long been a country with a high incidence of terrorist attacks or plane crashes. The high-altitude environment blocks the possibility of rescue and struggle, and a plane crash basically destroys the entire aircraft. The harm caused by organized and premeditated terrorist attacks is even more serious. The famous plane crash into a building shocked the world.

Not long ago, a Delta Airlines passenger plane crashed near Miami.

Neither the wizarding world nor the Muggle world has been peaceful in recent times. It's just a little strange that the terrorist organization that planned the plane crash was too low-key, and no one has come forward to claim responsibility for the incident.

The TV screen cut back to the beautiful female host.

Loren drank the last sip of soda in the bottle and shook his head in disgust. The first sip was a perfect drink, and the last sip was sweet dog urine.

……

The summer vacation during the fifth grade was a little special.

The exams were over, but the elective courses for the sixth year had not yet been determined. There were no messy summer homeworks. However, because they needed to keep an eye on the news about Voldemort and wait for the exam results, they did not plan to travel anywhere else, and there were only a few entertainment activities at home every day.

In the morning, I trimmed the flowers and plants in the backyard before the sun was too hot. After lunch, I watched TV and newspapers, watched two movies, and watered the flowers and plants in the evening. The day passed like this.

Fortunately, with Hermione by my side, nothing is boring, even just sitting together and daydreaming is full of fun.

On an ordinary midsummer night, someone's birthday, a charcoal fire was lit in the Granger family's backyard, and the aroma of grilled meat gradually spread.

Loren brought a plate of freshly grilled tender beef and a cold Coke in his hand and sat down next to the girl: "Hermione, don't be in a daze, try this!"

The little witch's slightly distracted eyes refocused, looked at his face, then looked at the plate of tempting barbecue, and a strange feeling surged in her body, driving her to cover her mouth quickly: "Hiccup..."

Hermione shook her head shyly, but before she could say no, the man considerately fed her the roast meat cut into small pieces.

The rich aroma of meat filled her nose. Hermione, feeling her swollen belly, looked up at him.

"Ah——" Loren's eyes were shining, making it really hard to refuse.

Hermione could only open her mouth helplessly: "Ah."

The dipping sauce is salty, fragrant and slightly spicy, with a slightly browned outer layer, a firm texture and a soft and tender inner layer.

Lemon juice was added when marinating the meat, and the astringency was removed by the charcoal fire, leaving only a slightly sour fragrance, which was not greasy at all.

Hermione felt a little melancholy.

After swallowing the barbecue in her mouth, Hermione quickly pushed the barbecue over to her: "You eat it, my stomach is already full."

"Okay, then you take a rest and I'll grill it for you later." Loren felt a little regretful. The pleasure of feeding his sweetheart even exceeded the food itself. It was a pity that the girl's appetite was too small.

Loren chewed the roast meat and muttered, "The remaining meat will be saved for tomorrow's lunch. It will be delicious if fried with some vegetables..."

"..."

Hermione looked up at the night sky, feeling melancholy again.

"When do you think our report cards will be sent to us..." Before Hermione could finish her words, she was fed another piece of barbecue.

Loren looked at her seriously and said, "Don't mention the exam when you are so happy."

Hermione didn't dare to say anything and just chewed in silence.

"..."

After eating and drinking, Loren wanted to lie down and look at the stars, but Hermione refused and forced him to go out for a walk, grabbing two bottles of cold Coke and holding hands, just like an ordinary middle school couple. Hermione sent him home, and only remembered to calculate the calories in the Coke when they were walking back.

Melancholy, very melancholy.

……

In the blink of an eye, it was late August.

Summer is coming to an end, autumn is approaching, and the weather has turned cooler.

School is about to start, and the Hogwarts notice and list of items for the new school year have been sent to us. Because the curriculum for sixth-grade students has not yet been determined, this notice is different from previous years. The list lists the textbooks and materials needed for all subjects, allowing students to purchase as needed.

Loren and Hermione walked on the street, looking around. Diagon Alley was completely different now.

The back-to-school shopping period is the undisputed peak season for Diagon Alley. In previous years, the streets were crowded with students and parents, but now they are eerily deserted.

The windows that used to display spell books, cauldrons, brooms, and glamorous models showing clothes were now all covered with large notices from the Ministry of Magic. Purple parchment covered the storefronts tightly: "Several measures to prevent the dark arts" "Several characteristics of suspicious persons"...

Ministry-mandated safety advisories and warnings were everywhere.

There are also some rather realistic portraits of bald snake faces. Perhaps the portraits were clear when the Ministry of Magic created them, but now the faces in the portraits have been erased. At a glance, it looks like rain erosion, but if you look closely, you can find some traces of human erasure.

Several windows were boarded up, the doors of Florin's Ice Cream and Cold Drink Shop were shut, and only a crack was left to indicate that Ollivander's Wand Shop next door was still open.

As Loren passed by, he heard several wizards muttering to each other.

"Have you heard about Florin?"

"The owner of the ice cream shop?"

"That's right. Last month, when he went out to buy raw materials, his store was robbed and everything was turned upside down..."

"Florin, are you all right?"

"Fortunately, Merlin protected him and he didn't run into those people head-on, otherwise it would have been terrible. But Florin didn't dare to continue running the store. I heard that he fled the country... What a pity, he can't eat delicious ice cream anymore."

"Are those the people?"

"It must be that someone saw the mark."

“Why would they attack Florin, an ice cream owner?”

"You don't know this, Florin Fusco is a descendant of Principal Dexter Fusco. Their family knows many secrets of the Middle Ages."

"..."

The Secret of the Middle Ages...

Loren looked thoughtfully at the locked wooden door of the ice cream parlor.

"I hope Mr. Fusco is safe and sound..."

Hermione sighed and gave her sincere blessings, remembering that the boss always stood behind the bar with a kind smile and would give them an extra scoop when making ice cream.

In addition to the changes in shops, there are also many shabby little stalls on both sides of the street.

As the two walked towards Flourish and Blotts Bookstore, they passed by a shabby striped awning, and a slightly piercing voice called out to them: "Sir, Madam, would you like to buy one?"

Following the sound, I saw a scruffy short wizard carrying a handful of silver mascots with a cardboard sign next to him that read "Amulet: Effective against werewolves, Dementors and Inferi."

"Buy one, just to protect her pretty neck..." The wizard vendor looked at Hermione with malicious eyes, but saw the boy pulling the girl behind him, and his eyes met those dark eyes.

How could there be such strange eyes in the world?

It seemed as if there was no difference between the pupil and the eye, it was completely dark, yet clear and glowing, like a calm lake without any wind or waves, which could reflect the shadow of the person looking at the other person.

The wizard peddler subconsciously tried to see the shadow clearly, but when he looked closely, the lake seemed to be filled with stones, splashing water and ripples, and no shadow or light could be seen anymore.

A strange feeling came to his mind, and the short wizard unconsciously stopped his next action and stood there in a daze. When he came to his senses and looked inside the bookstore, the young couple was no longer there.

After leaving Flourish and Blotts, Hermione put away Advanced Potion Making and glanced back quietly. The vendor was still standing there in a daze. She tugged at Loren's sleeve and asked, "Is he okay?"

"I'll probably have nightmares for a few days."

Appropriate punishment.

Hermione nodded, "Now that we have all the textbooks and materials, where do we go next?"

"Go to George and Fred's joke shop."

"I remember it was...Diagon Alley 91, 92..."

Hermione didn't continue counting. The joke shop was so conspicuous that she could see it without even looking at the house number.

The storefronts of the surrounding shops were dim and covered with notices, but the window of the joke shop was emitting colorful lights like a fireworks display. It was filled with all kinds of spinning and jumping goods. Passers-by stopped to watch, and some little wizards dressed as students opened their eyes wide, with obsessed expressions on their faces.

They also had a few notices on their walls, but more conspicuous than the notices were the vulgar slang homophones that served as the joke shop's advertising slogans.

"Why are you worried about You-Know-Who? You should be concerned about Constipation Ren..."

"The special-grade dung bomb allows you to experience the feeling of being a dung eater..."

"Who's worried about Dementors? Let your foggy friend taste the fat tongue taffy..."

The parent standing nearby whispered the advertisement and couldn't help laughing out loud.

Loren and Hermione also chuckled.

"Loren! Hermione!"

Suddenly, footsteps were heard in the aisle next to him, and Ron came running over. He was wearing a student wizard robe from Madam Malkin's shop, black clothes and black pants. In addition to the Gryffindor lion emblem, the most eye-catching thing was the badge on his chest, symbolizing the captain of the Quidditch team.

Anyone could see what he wanted to show off. His face flushed and he was filled with a bright smile. He ran and stopped in front of the two of them. He was out of breath, but he still asked with difficulty:

"Do you see any difference in me?"

Loren looked him up and down, ignoring his efforts to straighten his chest, and hesitated for a moment: "Grown taller?"

"That's a little bit, but that's not what I want to talk about."

"Put on weight?"

"My mom said I've lost weight, guess again."

"The magic robe is new."

"Guess again."

"Oh! I see!" Loren dragged out his tone, responding to his eager expectation, and said in a deep voice, "There are more freckles on your face!"

"Ahhhh!" Ron felt extremely uncomfortable. "It's a badge! A badge! I'm officially the captain, and my status is equivalent to that of a prefect..."

Harry and the others who arrived later burst into loud laughter, which merged with the laughter from the joke shop and echoed for a long time, like bright sunshine, piercing the solemnity that enveloped the entire Diagon Alley.