days at Hogwarts

The lively banquet was over, the ghost drama troupe with its cheerful laughter quietly sank into the ground, the professors left from the side, and the little wizards, with their swollen bellies, returned to their dormitories in groups under the guidance of their class leaders. The whole castle fell silent.

Loren came out of the bathroom with his teeth clenched, the fresh orange taste of toothpaste lingering on the tip of his tongue. The other people in the dormitory had already finished washing up and were lying on their beds with their eyes wide open. It seemed that they would not be able to fall asleep for a while.

He had no intention of going to bed early and planned to take out the Book of Abraham and read it.

Stay up late, stay up late really late!

"Can I ask you a question?"

Ron's weak voice suddenly came from the bed next to him. He half-sat and turned his head, watching Loren lift the quilt and get into bed. He looked a little embarrassed, "If you feel embarrassed, you don't have to answer."

"Tell me……"

"After the party, you and Hermione were the first to leave the hall, but you were the last to return to the dormitory..." Ron spoke carefully. He knew that this was a private matter for others and was a little embarrassed to ask, "Did you go on a date?"

"Of course not, we went to the evening self-study class on astronomy."

"..."

Ron glanced at the dark sky outside the window, consciously turned this sentence into an affirmative answer, and thought blankly for a few minutes, his eyes gradually became blank: "Loren, Harry, do you think I'm weird?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Normal couples would date in places that are out of sight of people," Ron whispered. This was a question that had been on his mind for some time, and he finally asked it out loud. "Lavender and I always kiss in front of everyone..."

"It's normal that I can't help myself." Loren replied casually.

"I wasn't used to it at first..." Harry said slowly, remembering Ginny's complaints to him, "I was really worried that others would know we were siblings..." He glanced at Ron secretly and said unconfidently, "Then I got used to it slowly. After all, Lavender is such a passionate girl. It's normal for you to be more passionate during your relationship."

"You guys are used to it, but I'm not!" Ron complained in annoyance, lying back on the pillow, "You don't know that the eyes of those juniors are like the way we look at Goyle, thinking that he might be a fool..."

"Don't say that. Love is a matter between two people. Don't care too much about other people's opinions."

"I know..." Ron sighed, "Actually, I kind of regret it. I can't tell if I really like Lavender. She's a very good girl, not the prettiest one, and I'm not the most handsome among the boys, but before that, I never thought about being with her..."

"..."

There is no answer to the love problems of boys and girls aged sixteen or seventeen, and Ron does not need any advice. He just wants to talk to his friends and understand his own heart.

Harry chatted with him intermittently.

Loren smoothed the bed, took out the Book of Abraham, flipped through the pages, and observed the simple pictures. He turned the pages very quickly, occasionally interjecting a few words when he remembered something.

Unfortunately, this ancient papyrus book has become silent. The pictures are still the same pictures as before, and the text is still the same text. Loren found nothing.

The flickering candlelight gradually dimmed until it was completely extinguished at a certain moment. The dormitory fell into silence, with only the sound of their even breathing remaining.

……

Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, listening quietly to Scrimgeour's account of what happened tonight, his azure blue eyes as deep as a black lake, his gray eyebrows furrowed.

Scrimgeour stared down at the hot cocoa in the teacup. All the events that happened tonight kept appearing before his eyes. It seemed that several hours had passed, and yet it seemed like just now. His heavy face was filled with unstoppable fatigue and regret.

"…The battle went so smoothly that I let my guard down. When I saw that big guy with a burning butt roaring over, I, the Minister of Magic, was completely stunned."

"What are the casualties?"

"Merlin's blessing, Kingsley read a lot of reports while performing the security mission for the Muggle Prime Minister and learned about Muggle military weapons. After recognizing that it was a missile, he immediately organized people to launch a spell and detonated it in advance..."

Recalling the scene not long ago, the sudden bright flame reappeared in front of his eyes. Scrimgeour closed his eyes slightly, and his dry eyeballs were stimulated. The itching and pain became more obvious. He whispered, "The center of the explosion was some distance away from us. The flames did not affect us. The flying steel fragments and shock waves were blocked by the anti-werewolf vests of Weasley's Wagon Shop. Only two or three unlucky guys were injured, but..."

He paused for a moment and then said slowly, "But the captured dark wizards did not have anti-werewolf vests. Their fragile flesh and blood bodies were pierced by shrapnel, and their internal organs were shattered. Except for three lucky ones, the others died on the spot."

"What about the Muggles?"

"Most of the Muggles were Apparated away from the scene by the Aurors. Only two unlucky ones died." Scrimgeour's expression was very complicated when he mentioned the Muggles, and his tone was emotionless. "Kingsley has taken Tonks to London. I will go there to talk to them in person later."

Dumbledore looked at the minister who had just taken office. He was about to face the most difficult and dangerous situation in history.

Scrimgeour took a deep breath, his voice filled with sorrow. "All entrances and exits to the Ministry of Magic building have been blocked. There has been no news so far. The fireplace has been disconnected, and no one answered the phone booth. We can no longer contact the staff at the Ministry."

"No news is the best news."

"This was a mistake in my decision-making and I should be tried."

"Rufus, don't be too hard on yourself."

"..."

Just as they were talking, a streak of bright light suddenly flashed past the window, passed the tower in the blink of an eye, and shot straight towards the sky, like a meteor piercing through the sky. The light pierced through the dark sky, and the wind and waves it created tore the dark clouds into pieces. Through the remaining holes, one could glimpse the deep blue night sky with bright stars and the moon.

In front of the window of the headmaster's office, Dumbledore, wearing light blue pajamas, was holding a half-drunk cup of hot cocoa. He reached out and pushed the window open completely. Behind the crescent-shaped lenses, his blue eyes sparkled.

"It is truly astonishing..." Dumbledore gently stirred the sugar cube in his glass. "What do you think, Rufus?"

The Minister of Magic, with his hair loose, pursed his lips and remained silent. Scrimgeour wanted to ask what kind of magic this was, but felt it was unnecessary. Compared with the headquarters building that had lost contact, the dead and injured dark wizards, and the Muggle Prime Minister who was waiting for a meeting, a magic for show was not worth exploring.

"I'm going to say goodbye, Albus. I'll keep you posted when I have news."

"I wish you the best, Rufus."