The Return to Hogwarts

Perhaps it was because Amosta's gentle tone was as usual, but Louise's pounding heart gradually regained its rhythm. She took a few deep breaths, pursed her lips, and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Sorry, Amosta, I just—well, I couldn't sleep, and—I saw your light was still on, and I wanted to talk to someone—"

It's normal to have trouble sleeping; Amos would be surprised if Louise could fall asleep peacefully.

"Oh, if you don't mind, maybe we can have a drink--"

Amosta stood up from the sofa and said with a smile.

"Consuming a small amount of alcohol can help relax the nerves--"

Drinking in a room late at night felt even stranger.

Louise's heart raced again, but noticing Amostella's composed expression, she breathed a slight sigh of relief and nodded slowly.

Amosta walked to the wine rack in the room, his eyes scanning the three shelves before he quickly picked out a bottle of semi-dry sherry.

With an elegant flourish, Amusta skillfully opened the bottle of sherry with a corkscrew. Turning his head, he saw Louise standing ten feet behind him, scrutinizing the sofa he had just sat on, her gaze filled with hesitation.

Instinctively, Amosta almost drew his wand and conjured a chair for Louise, but thankfully he managed to restrain his instincts in time.

Although Amosta knew from the moment he decided to bring Louise to Italy that this Muggle girl would eventually witness real magic, and he wasn't afraid of that, as he would eventually take away her memories, the Law of Wizardry Secrecy was deeply ingrained in people's minds, and Amosta was instinctively trying to delay the time it would be revealed.

"Let's sit there--"

The wine swirled and rolled into the crystal glass. When Amosta handed the glass to Louise, he pointed to the sofa he had just sat on, while he himself sat on the edge of the bed.

As the liquor, with its subtle hazelnut and extremely light tobacco aroma, went down her throat, Louise exhaled heavily, as if trying to banish all her sadness and worries from her mind. She didn't say anything immediately, but silently sipped the liquor one sip after another, her gaze fixed on the brass clock on the wall, her eyes filled with a sense of bewilderment.

Amosta knew perfectly well how Louise felt at that moment. Her brother had lost his life to terrorists, and her parents were still unaware of it.

Although her relationship with her brother and family had deteriorated for quite some time, her family probably thought Frazier was just temporarily blinded by passion and had become rebellious. They probably believed that Frazier would eventually come to her senses and return to a normal life, but—

Now everything is in vain. Frazier will never have a chance to change his mind again. No, he has already changed his mind, but he is unwilling to contact them just to protect them.

Even so, he was still killed by that group of people.

"you say--"

After a long silence, the bewilderment in Louise's eyes remained. She stared at the ticking brass seconds, her voice fading.

Does magic really exist in this world?

Amosta paused briefly as he shook the wine to disperse the sediment, but quickly resumed his actions without offering any answers. He knew perfectly well that Louise needed someone to confide in, not for him to provide any explanations.

"Fraser excelled academically from a young age; he was extremely intelligent, and few could fool him—"

Louise looked bewildered.

"If there were no magic in this world, then those who killed him must be the most skilled con artists in the world. Only the most sophisticated deception could have made Frazier so obsessed with studying magic."

What if magic existed in this world?

Amosta lowered his gaze, watching the light filtering through the clear wine and casting shimmering shadows on the velvet carpet, and asked softly.

Louise looked at Amosta with slight surprise. She had assumed that Amosta wouldn't easily intervene in her ramblings; after all, Amosta was a government agent, and with her keen journalistic eye, she could tell he was a man very adept at concealing his true intentions.

"If it really exists--"

Louise gave a pale smile.

"Then this world is really very unfair."

"Fairness is always relative, and magic isn't a gift from heaven. Humans can also do many incredible things through technology, at least—"

Amosta shrugged.

"Magic can't get you to the moon, but technology has already done it—"

Louise pursed her lips, glancing at Amosta with a hint of surprise. The man's response to her dreamlike question seemed far too serious, as if it were magic.

After gently shaking her head, Louise banished the absurd thought from her mind. As a journalist, she knew all too well how advanced the media was these days. If magic existed in this world, how could it not be exposed?

Perhaps Amosta is a man who likes to take things seriously?

Louise thought to herself, then lowered her head, took a sip of her wine, and caught a glimpse of the parchment on the coffee table beside her.

"what is this?"

"We considered that the terrorists who committed the crimes might be able to escape from Britain, and not necessarily through normal channels. So, I arranged for Kingsley and his men to obtain a list of people who left Britain by smuggling in the period following the shipment of the package--"

"You guys reacted really quickly!"

Louise was slightly surprised, thinking to herself that they were indeed special agents; normal police officers wouldn't be as efficient as them. Instinctively, her hand reached for the list, but upon touching it, she recoiled as if burned.

"I'm sorry, I--"

“I can’t find anyone more qualified to look at this list than you, Louise—”

Amosta smiled and gestured an invitation from afar with the hand holding the wine glass.

parchment--

Louise ran her fingertips over the paper, a sense of surprise rising within her. There weren't many people who would use such an old-fashioned paper these days.

The list was long, with names and countries written in black ink that made Louise dizzy. She looked at it aimlessly, neither Amosta nor Louise herself expected to find any clues on the fugitive list.

As her gaze moved downwards, a name came into view that made Louise frown slightly. It seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she had heard it before. Slightly tipsy, she quickly looked past the name and continued down.

"How's it going? Did you find anything?"

Seeing Louise silently fold the list back up and put it back on the coffee table, Amosta casually asked.

"Well--"

Louise shrugged again.

"Tom Riddle's name appeared three times on the list, but I don't think it could be any of my classmates from elementary, high school, and college with that name—"

"Ah—" Amosta chuckled, "Indeed, the possibility is slim--"

A few jokes eased the oppressive atmosphere in the room, and Louise's gloom dissipated somewhat. Before Amosta could refill her empty glass, she walked over with slightly unsteady steps and poured herself a drink. Drowning her sorrows in alcohol was indeed a very good way to deceive and numb herself—Loue thought, glancing at Amosta sitting there with impeccable posture. Louise raised her chin.

"Could you tell me about yourself, Mr. Amosta Blaine, the young and promising man?"

The light-tasting liquor was deceptive; unknowingly, Louise, her mind numbed, curled the corners of her lips into a smile, her soft laughter uncontrollably exuding allure.

Chapter 773 This must be a dream!

2024-02-27

As the warm, golden sunlight streamed through the gaps in the closed curtains, it fell on Louise's delicate forehead and gradually moved downwards, brushing against her long eyelashes. The intense light and shadow made her feel uncomfortable in her drowsy state, and her eyelids trembled slightly. Louise finally opened her eyes slowly.

A dizzy head and insufficient sleep prevented Louise from fully controlling her body's movements. After several failed attempts, Louise finally managed to sit up from the soft bed by supporting herself with her arms.

The room was quiet, except for her own breathing and the soft, rhythmic chiming of the wall clock. The shadowy figures in the tangible golden light that streamed into the room exuded an air of tranquility.

Louise, with a few strands of her hair between her lips, stared blankly through the gap in the curtains at the pale world outside.

Whoops!

Suddenly, in a split second, Louise abruptly threw off the covers, looking at her body with a hint of panic—her nightgown was perfectly intact! Her coat was still wrapped around her! She carefully examined her body; there was nothing amiss!

She looked in alarm at the sofa next to the bed, where her underwear, which she had changed out of the night before after washing up, was piled up—yes, this was her room!

Louise let out a heavy sigh of relief. Nervousness caused her long, slender, pale fingers to tremble slightly. She pressed her lips tightly together, staring intently at her fingertips, her cheeks gradually shifting from pale to flushed. Suddenly—

"what!"

In the quiet room, a sharp scream suddenly pierced the sky!

With a whoosh, Louise quickly pulled the covers over herself and shrank back under them, as if only in a cramped, dark environment could she avoid the ever-present embarrassment that was about to strike her!

Damn it, what did she do?!

In the bedding, Louise bit down on the silk quilt that was offered to her mouth, her two canine teeth grinding together and piercing through the silk. She didn't want to recall what happened after last night, but those shameful images tore through her reason, clearly displayed before her eyes in the darkness.

She remembered that she couldn't fall asleep last night because of helplessness and sadness, so she went to Amosta's door after finding that he was also awake.

The first half of their conversation went smoothly, but then things gradually went wrong. Louise couldn't blame anyone else, because the one who was acting strangely was herself.

She forgot that she actually had a very low alcohol tolerance, and under the influence of alcohol, she 'actually' started flirting with Amosta Blaine, her nakedness still lingering in her mind's eye.

He seemed to offer to take her back to her room, but what did she do when she was in a carefree mood?

Louise's cheeks were burning red under the covers. She closed her eyes tightly, as if only that could stop her from continuing to recall. She seemed to have suddenly pushed Amosta hard, catching him off guard and causing him to fall onto the bed. Then, to Amosta's utter astonishment, she threw off her coat and excitedly jumped onto his bed. Uh... then, she seemed to see a beam of red light and fainted.

"what!"

Louise screamed again.

"It's an illusion, it must be an illusion, it's all just my dream!"

Louise was panting heavily, scratching frantically at the sheets like an angry kitten.

"I must be too sad and stressed, that's right, that's it, this is my dream, that must be it, haha!"

About twenty minutes later, Louise, her hair disheveled, poked her head out from under the covers. Her eyes were blank and unfocused, as if she still couldn't understand her actions the night before.

However, when Louise caught a glimpse of what the hour hand on the opposite clock was pointing, she suddenly jumped up.

"Oh, damn it!"

Louise jumped out of bed in a flurry, quickly stripped off her coat and nightgown, and dashed into the bathroom. Amidst the rushing water, her angry shouts could be faintly heard.

"What have I done!"