The Return to Hogwarts

What's going on? How does the owner of this voice know her name, and even where she works?

Fear finally gave way to curiosity. Louise gritted her teeth, turning her pretty face away, but secretly peeked through the corner of her eye, and what she saw next—

"Oh God, it's you!"

Louise Andre's eyes widened, and she let out an incredulous gasp!

Chapter 761 Visit

2024-02-15

A slightly thin frame, a handsome face with sharp features, soft gray hair, and those strangely pale purple eyes with a deep, luminous light. Louise blinked hard, staring at the young man in front of her, her bloodless lips parting comically.

“Mr. Blaine—”

Without warning, another man emerged from the darkness behind the young man. He was a tall, black man. Based on her professional experience, Louise knew the moment she saw him that he was a stern-faced man, and the sharpness between his brows was even more intimidating.

Louise shrank back in fright at the sudden appearance of Kingsley with a serious expression, and Amosta released her arm. Looking at the Muggle girl who had taken a few steps away, Amosta smiled gently.

“This is Kingsley. Don’t be afraid, Miss Andel, we are not bad people—”

A handsome appearance always makes it easier to gain trust. Although Louise was not familiar with the gray-haired man in front of her, she immediately believed what he said.

"You know this lady, Mr. Blaine?"

Amostah glanced again at the girl who was looking at him timidly, a strange glint in his eyes.

"I wouldn't say we know each other, we only met once, on a street outside the alley leading to the entrance of the ministry. Do you remember me, Miss Andelle—"

Louise bit her lip and nodded slightly.

"Just call me Louise. You are Amosta Blaine—"

Louise quickly said the gray-haired man's name, but after saying it, for some reason, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she closed her mouth again.

How could she possibly forget?

Amosta Blaine – This was the first time she had ever approached a complete stranger on the street, only to be decisively rejected. For a 'lady,' this humiliation would stay with her for life.

"What a strange coincidence—"

Amosta shook his head slightly and sighed again, but his tone was heavy.

“Louise, I’m so glad to have met you again, but it’s really a terrible thing for you in this situation—”

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Louise finally came to her senses and immediately realized what Mr. Blaine meant by "terrible." The slight blush that had just appeared on her cheeks vanished instantly. She stared wide-eyed at Amosta Blaine, but he didn't respond to her gaze. So, Louise looked blankly at the tall, burly man behind Mr. Blaine. Kingsley, who exuded a stern aura, also lowered his head, his features heavy with worry.

"Fraser," Louise covered her mouth, "What—what happened to him?"

Amosta and Kingsley exchanged a glance, both seeing the hidden anger in each other's deep eyes.

“Louise—” Amosta pursed her lips, “May I ask, what is your relationship with this Fraser?”

He is my older brother--

At the quiet alley entrance, the girl's heartbroken and sorrowful sobs echoed.

St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries, fifth floor, Department of Magical Injuries.

The agonizing night finally ended with the first light of dawn. The pale green morning light streamed through a window high in the wall opposite the door, which was covered with oak paneling, and gradually shone on Hermione's pale, bloodless face as she slept.

Beside the hospital bed was a recliner, where Tonks was sleeping, draped in his wizard's robes. But when hurried footsteps suddenly approached from the corridor outside the door, Tonks, who was breathing steadily, abruptly opened his eyes.

Although her dark, bright eyes were still hazy from being suddenly awakened from sleep, the increasingly experienced woman had already drawn her wand and assumed a fighting stance. As the footsteps drew closer and stopped outside the ward, the haze in her eyes had completely disappeared. She pushed herself to Hermione's bedside and stared warily out the window.

Du, du, du—

But after the slightly hurried knocking, Tonks relaxed instead. She scratched her hair, which had become dry from a bad night's sleep, and after thinking for a moment, turned her brown hair black.

"I am in Albania, shouting—"

Upon entering the ward, Sirius, without even greeting Tonks, strode past her to Hermione's bedside.

"I'm working on a mission with the French strikers. I just received a letter from Ms. Burns last night, and then I rushed back. Phew. How's Hermione?"

"She's been in a deep sleep ever since I got here, but Dumbledore said she'll probably wake up today—"

Since Sirius joined the Auror Office, the two have become partners, while Kingsley has focused his energy on commanding the team.

Sirius looked exhausted, probably from traveling through the morning dew. His hair was wet, with a few strands hanging down his forehead, but he paid no attention to it. His furry gray eyes were fixed on Hermione's pale face, watching her weak breathing. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides.

"Ms. Burns didn't say much. She only told me that Hermione had a problem retrieving a package at Hogsmeade and was seriously injured. Is there any new development? What exactly happened?!"

Looking at Hermione, who had been living in his house just over a week ago, Sirius's breathing didn't stop; instead, it became even more rapid, and his furrowed brows caused deep wrinkles to appear on his forehead.

"Nobody knows what happened, Sirius—"

Tonks said in a low voice,

“But I heard that Amostella and Dumbledore were furious, and that Madam Umbridge practically smashed half her office after returning from Hogwarts. The Minister also looked rather grim. I guess they must have had some bad experiences at Hogwarts—”

Sirius's lips twitched. Fudge and Umbridge were probably there to express their stance, and at the same time, they certainly hoped to avoid the responsibility that the Ministry of Magic should bear in this matter. And based on his understanding of Amostella, he certainly wouldn't give Fudge and Umbridge a good look.

The feeling of schadenfreude that lingered in Sirius's heart vanished in an instant, replaced by a worried expression.

Perhaps knowing Sirius's relationship with Harry Potter, Ms. Burns made a special note in her letter to him that Harry was not injured in the terrorist attack, but she knew Harry and knew he would not be so glad.

"Oh, it's time--"

Sirius was worried about Harry's current mental state when Tonks called out to him. She picked up her robe, which was lying on the deck chair, and pulled a bottle containing a golden potion from her pocket.

"What Dumbledore brought—"

Tonks gently lifted the covers and helped Hermione, who was wearing a hospital gown, sit up.

"He told me she needs to be fed three tablespoons every six hours. This is a two-day supply; Snape will bring the rest by tomorrow evening. Could you please do me a favor—"

Upon hearing Snape's name, Sirius pursed his lips and picked up a silver spoon from the bedside table.

Taking the bottle from Tonks, Sirius carefully tilted the bottle and gently brought the potion, its golden flames flickering, close to Hermione's bloodless lips.

After the potion entered her mouth, Hermione's sickly face quickly regained its color, and her breathing became slightly heavier.

To avoid disturbing Hermione's rest, Sirius and Tonks didn't talk to each other anymore. Around nine o'clock, the hospital therapists came to check on her. They gave Hermione some nutrient solution and applied a pungent, violet-colored, sticky potion to her right arm before hurrying off to the next ward.

"Take a nap—" Tonks noticed Sirius's exhaustion as he struggled to stay awake. She said to him, "We need to stay energetic to deal with any possible assassination attempts at any time—"

Tonks's explanation convinced Sirius, and he nodded.

"Okay, I'll only sleep for two hours. If Hermione wakes up—"

Tap, tap—

"Feel sorry--"

Under the watchful eyes of Sirius and Tonks, who suddenly became alert,

A hoarse, hard voice suddenly came from behind the tightly closed hospital room door.

“I heard that a young wizard named Hermione Granger was sent here. She’s my grandson’s classmate, so I came to see if she’s alright.”

Chapter 762 Awakening

2024-02-15

It took Hermione several minutes after opening her eyes to realize that she was still alive.

Everything in front of her was shrouded in a hazy light and shadow, making it difficult to see clearly. Moreover, she was too weak to even perform a simple action like turning her head. The sounds entering her ears were also a buzzing sound. Therefore, although she wanted to figure out who the three people standing by her bed were and what they were saying to her, she was powerless to do so.

Hermione lay quietly on the bed, staring at the few rotating crystal bubbles on the ceiling that illuminated the ward.

She had never seen these glowing bubbles before, which meant that she was not in Hogwarts' dormitory or the school hospital; she was in a completely unfamiliar place.

How did she get here, and why is she here?

Hermione knew nothing of all this; her memory ended when Professor Blaine appeared beside her and told her not to worry, that he could save her.

Thinking of the young professor, Hermione felt her weak heart beat strongly, and a warm current flowed through her body. This warmth accelerated her recovery; Hermione felt the hazy white light before her eyes fade more quickly, and the voice that had seemed to come from behind a dream became clearer.

Of the three people standing by her bedside, one seemed eager to help her up, but another slapped the hand of the man who was about to help her up and reprimanded him sternly.

Is it Professor McGonagall?

I remembered

Hermione's dry lips twitched as if she wanted to say something, but only a very slight gurgling sound came out.

Next, a large number of people dressed in dark robes rushed into the cramped room, drove away the three people in front of her bed, and then removed the cup covering her, unbuttoned her clothes, and exposed her bare body to the air.

A strong sense of shame welled up inside Hermione. She closed her eyes to avoid looking at the scene, but the sensation of her delicate skin being touched became clearer and clearer. The shame accelerated her regaining control of her body, and Hermione's toes, hidden under the covers, curled up.

Half an hour later, the three people waiting outside were finally released.

"--She should get out of bed and walk around every day; this will help keep her body active, but the time should not exceed half an hour because she is still very weak--"

St. Mungo's healer solemnly addressed Tonks and Sirius,

"Also, her right arm is probably not working properly right now, you need to keep an eye on that--"

Then the therapists and nurses left the bedside; there were many patients in this hospital who were on the verge of death and waiting for treatment.

"Sirius—" Hermione called out sweetly.

"Oh, you're finally awake--"