Hogwarts: I will not become the Dark Lord

"I really shouldn't have been so stubborn and insisted on trying that ridiculously bumpy Knight Bus," Hermione said regretfully, leaning slightly weakened against Jerry on the deserted street, barely able to stand. "I should have listened to your advice! I feel like my whole body has been shaken apart by that broken-down bus!"

"Hermione, we need to hurry!" Jerry looked at Hermione's slightly tired face, took out his pocket watch from his arms and glanced at it quickly, a trace of helplessness on his face. He gently half-squatted down and said, "Get on, I'll carry you!"

"Really?" Hermione could hardly believe her ears, suddenly feeling that her back didn't ache anymore and her legs weren't weak anymore. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, not expecting such an unexpected gain! She immediately stopped hesitating and climbed onto Jerry's back.

Her cheek gently pressed against Jerry's warm neck, her soft breaths like feathers lightly brushing against Jerry's skin, creating a subtle and warm ripple. Hermione felt an unspeakable heat and throbbing, as if even the air had become viscous. This inexplicable emotion quietly took root and sprouted in her heart, entwining every sensitive nerve.

Both of them tacitly remained silent, passing through the weedy, desolate patch of grass in the center of the small square. On both sides of the deserted street, the houses seemed exceptionally gloomy, the dilapidated windows shimmering with a cold light under the dim street lamps, and the peeling paint on the facades added to the desolation.

Soon, Jerry carried Hermione to a house that looked equally dilapidated. Faint, low, and noisy sounds could be heard from the window upstairs.

"We're here!" Jerry said softly, standing in front of the house.

Hermione, upon hearing this, seemed not to have heard Jerry's words, remaining silent on Jerry's back for a while before seeming to wake up from a dream, a momentary daze and reluctance flashing in her eyes. She gently responded with an "Mmm," her voice soft and slightly shy, then slowly slid off Jerry's back, her feet returning to the solid ground.

The night breeze carried a hint of coolness, gently brushing against their faces, making them slightly more awake from the previous atmosphere. Hermione looked around, a hint of doubt arising in her heart.

"Jerry, are we in the wrong place?" She first looked to the left, only to see the number "10" clearly written on the doorplate, then turned to the right, but it was already the number "13".

"Think carefully about the specific address you saw on the note," Jerry softly reminded.

As Hermione's thoughts touched on the familiar string of numbers and street name, miraculously, a mottled door quietly appeared between the mansions of number 11 and number 13, as if space itself had cracked open a seam.

Immediately afterward, dirty walls and gloomy windows appeared one by one, the entire building seeming to expand from nothing, silently squeezing the houses on both sides to the sides.

This scene left Hermione speechless, watching everything in disbelief, while inside the neighboring number 11 mansion, the Muggles' stereo music continued to play loudly, completely unaware of the strange phenomena occurring around them.

"That's the Fidelius Charm!" Jerry explained softly, "A very advanced and ancient spell!"

"Let's go, let's go inside first!" Jerry gently took Hermione's hand, walked up the stone steps, and came to the door. The black paint on the door had long since peeled off, the surface crisscrossed with shallow and deep scratches, while the door knocker was made of silver, presenting a winding, coiled snake shape.

There was neither a keyhole nor a mailbox on the door. Jerry could only carefully knock on the door, hoping not to attract the attention of the surrounding Muggles.

After a while, a faint rustling sound came from inside the door, followed by a middle-aged man's slightly hoarse and alert voice, seeping through the crack in the door: "Who's there?"

"Jerry Green."

"Hermione Granger."

As soon as the words fell, a burst of rapid and complex metallic clanging sounds intertwined with the rattling of sliding chains.

"You two are pretty quick!" The door opened, and Mad-Eye Moody quickly pulled Jerry and Hermione into the house, leading them to a foyer almost swallowed by darkness. The air was filled with a damp, musty odor, and a faint, sweet, decaying smell, giving the whole space a sense of being abandoned for many years.

"Everyone, long time no see!" Jerry and Hermione looked around and found that besides Mad-Eye Moody, the Weasley family, Sirius Black, Lupin, and Professor Snape were also in the house. It was not easy for these three to be in the same room without a conflict!

"We were originally thinking about whether to pick you up, but Dumbledore said it wasn't necessary. He said you are much stronger than most of us!" Mad-Eye Moody shook Jerry's hand and said, "You should know these people, oh, I forgot, this is Nymphadora Tonks, you probably don't know her yet." Moody turned to the side and pointed to a woman with violet hair.

"Hello, just call me Tonks, be casual," she greeted with a smile.

"However, Tonks actually prefers everyone to call her by her last name instead of her first name," Lupin reminded with a smile.

"Hey, if you were saddled with such a silly name by your goofy mom, you'd be the same as me," Tonks grumbled at Lupin. (The first part of Nymphadora's name, 'Nymph,' has a very rude meaning.)

"There are still a few members of the Order of the Phoenix who haven't arrived yet. I'll introduce them to you when they come."

On the wall, a row of ancient gas lamps were lit one by one, emitting flickering light, illuminating the dim foyer, the peeling wallpaper, and the worn-out carpet with exposed threads. Looking up, a cobweb-covered chandelier hung from the ceiling, emitting a faint flicker, and dim family portraits hung crookedly on the surrounding walls.

The foyer decorations, whether the high-hanging chandelier or the candlesticks placed on the slightly unstable table next to it, were all shaped like winding snakes.

"It's so late, why are you all gathered here?" Jerry asked curiously.

"Tonight is not peaceful!" Sirius sighed softly, his expression grave. "Besides you two, Harry also encountered Dementors, and a Muggle boy was also injured!"

"Ah?" Hermione said in surprise, "Is Harry okay? He lives in a Muggle neighborhood, right? How could the Ministry of Magic let Dementors go there?"

"Harry is fine, not injured, but like Jerry, he faces the risk of being expelled from school!" Sirius shook his head, feeling a burst of anger.

"Alright, Sirius, whatever it is, let's talk about it tomorrow! Children, it's getting late, you should go upstairs and sleep!" Mrs. Weasley hugged Jerry and Hermione warmly, then said, "Hermione, you and Ginny will be in the same room."

After Hermione was pulled away by Ginny, Jerry also followed Ron and the twin brothers upstairs.