The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 60 Where is Ada?
The next morning, Ada went to find Professor McGonagall and handed the Galleons to her. She learned a lesson. There was suddenly an extra sum of money in the box. Although her name was on it, Ada still felt uneasy.

Professor McGonagall carefully checked the small leather bag and the Galleons. She didn't find any problems. The bag of money was neither a dangerous item nor a product of a prank.

Judging from the name on the leather bag, this money was indeed given to Ada by someone. Although it was not much, it could indeed improve Ada's poor financial situation. However, the cautious Professor McGonagall still confiscated the Galleons temporarily.

Professor McGonagall thought that it would be better not to spend such unclear money, and she could return it to Ada after she found out the origin of the money.

After leaving the office, Ada went to meet up with the twins. They were supposed to leave Hogwarts today.

Hogwarts did not allow any students to stay in school during the summer vacation, so Ada had to return to the orphanage. Ada had no feelings for the orphanage, and she had no attachment to it except for Lady Mary.

But Ada had no choice but to go back there and continue living there. When she had money, she would definitely own her own house, even if it meant becoming a house slave.

When heading to the station, Ada told the twins about Garlon and expressed her own thoughts.

The brothers agreed that it might have been given by Dumbledore, who had prevented the Daily Prophet from publishing Ada's name, so it was a personal subsidy from him to Ada.

As for the fact that the money was sent by Snape, the twins totally disagreed with this statement. In their opinion, Snape had no need to do so, and he had no conscience to make himself feel bad and give Ada some compensation.

Ada thought: I can't figure out who sent the money anyway, so I shouldn't worry about it for now. The money is not in my hands now, so I'd better leave it to Professor McGonagall.

On the train, six people squeezed into a compartment, the twins and Lee Jordan sat on one side, and the three girls sat on the other side. Along the way, everyone played cards and laughed, just like when they first arrived.

The countryside outside the window became greener and tidier. The train passed through one Muggle town after another. As the scenery outside the window became more and more urbanized, Ada and the others changed out of their wizard robes and put on Muggle clothes.

When the train stopped at the platform of King's Cross Station, students poured out, the excitement of returning home diluting the atmosphere of farewell.

It took a long time for them all to get out of the platform. A wizened old guard was standing by the partition, only allowing two or three people to pass at a time, so that they wouldn't burst out of the solid wall in large numbers at once and attract the attention of the Muggles.

Ada and the twins walked out of the passage together. Mrs. Weasley was waiting there with Ron and Ginny. She waved to Ada and the twins.

The plump Mrs. Weasley ignored her twin sons and said to Ada with a smile: "My dear, you must come to our house during the holidays. I will ask Arthur to pick you up."

"Mom, Ada is not your daughter, Ginny next to you is!"

"We are your sons, and we haven't seen each other for half a year!"

The twins were a little jealous, but neither Ada nor Mrs. Weasley paid any attention to them.

"Thank you for your invitation. I really long for the life of a wizard family." Ada and Mrs. Weasley hugged each other, as if they were mother and daughter and the twins were just the neighbors' children.

Ada didn't say much to Mrs. Weasley because she had to cross half of London to get back to the orphanage.

Dragging her suitcase, Ada took the Muggle public transportation to the neighborhood where the orphanage was located. After only a year, this neighborhood actually gave Ada a sense of unfamiliarity.

She continued walking along the path in her memory. She had walked this path for a long time, so there was no mistake. However, when Ada stood in front of the orphanage, her brain suddenly froze - the orphanage was gone!
"Where is my orphanage? Where is my orphanage?" Ida murmured to herself, "Did I go to the wrong place? No!"

Ada rubbed her eyes vigorously, but the scene in front of her did not change at all. The orphanage was not playing hide-and-seek with her, but it really disappeared, and only ruins were left.

Looking around, some houses not far from the orphanage had also been demolished. A team of construction workers were working on the ruins of the houses. It seemed that the houses had been demolished for a long time.

No matter how much Ada disliked the orphanage, it was a place where she could shelter from the wind and rain. Now that it has been demolished, Ada still felt a little bitter.

It was getting dark, so there was no need to stay here any longer, unless Ada wanted to sleep on the street. After taking a last deep look at the ruins of the orphanage, Ada dragged her suitcase and left. The next block was still there, and she was going to go there now.

Ada entered a very small coffee shop. Because of the low prices, people from the surrounding area would frequent this place. Ada had been here once or twice before.

Sitting in the corner of the restaurant, Ada ate pie and listened carefully to people's discussions, but these people didn't say anything nutritious, they were either bragging or discussing football.

After sitting in the cafe for a while, Ada, who had not found out anything, was about to leave, when a familiar voice suddenly sounded beside her.

"Esmeralda Drizzt?"

Ada looked up and saw a man standing in front of her. His voice was familiar and his appearance was somewhat familiar. Ada asked uncertainly, "Mr. Cork?"

"It's me." Mr. Cork looked at the suitcase on the ground and asked, "You just got back?"

"Yes sir, we were on summer vacation, but when we came back, we found that the orphanage had been demolished."

Mr. Coke took out a pen from his pocket and wrote something on the napkin. He said, "After Christmas, the block where the orphanage was located was demolished. It was said that a commercial district would be built."

"The several blocks nearby are not wealthy and can be considered a gathering place for the poor. We don't have to worry about losing a lot of money if we build a commercial district here," Mr. Cork continued.

"Where's Lady Mary?"

"She and the children were arranged to live in another orphanage. The conditions there are much better than here." Mr. Cork handed the napkin with words on it to Ada. "Look, this is the address of the orphanage."

Ada took the napkin and frowned when she looked at the address on it.

"Mrs. Mary has been unable to contact you, so she asked several people nearby to tell you the address if they see you." Mr. Cork continued, "The place is in the countryside near Surrey, not too far away."

"My school is very strict and I am very busy with my studies, so I have never been in touch with Madam Mary."

Ada only asked Mr. Weasley to send a letter at Christmas, but did not leave any contact information. Lady Mary was a nun, and Ada was a witch, so she never told Lady Mary about this, for she was afraid that the elderly Lady Mary could not bear this shock.

"Do you need me to take you there?" asked the kind-hearted Mr. Coke. "I've been there once."

"Don't bother, sir. I can take the train myself." Ida evaded the question. "I think I should leave now."

Mr. Coke looked at his watch and continued, "Then be careful on your way. It's getting late. You'd better go tomorrow."

"Thank you. I'll stay at my classmate's house for one night."

After saying goodbye to Mr. Cork, Ada left the cafe and bought an envelope and stamps. Ada had no plans to go to Surrey, but she should at least let Lady Mary know that she was safe.

After stuffing the letter into the mailbox, Ada dragged the box and left the neighborhood. It was getting late and she needed a place to stay.

A wizard needs to find a place to live, where do you think of first? Ada thought of the Leaky Cauldron, which looks shabby, but it is Ada's first stop in the magical world.

Ada's back was stretched diagonally on the street. It all started from the orphanage, where Ada came into contact with a whole new world and where she met Mag for the first time. Now this place has been demolished.

If you don’t know where you came from, then you can only move forward. This may be the magical arrangement of fate!
(End of this chapter)