The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 245 Nothing Has Changed, Yet Everything Is Changing

In mid-June, the evening breeze carried a slight chill.

Ino carried her suitcase and walked alone along the winding cobblestone path.

This is the road outside the castle leading to Hogsmeade.

It was only a half-hour journey, but he walked for more than an hour.

There's no other reason, I just want to slow down.

Whether it's the pace of life or the passage of time, everything is already fast enough.

Perhaps, slowing down is a true luxury.

……

Near Hogsmeade.

The air was filled with the sweet scent of candy and the fresh aroma of herbs; it was obvious that Honey Duke was researching candy again.

On the main street, the shops on both sides are colorful, and through the shop windows, all kinds of magical props and trendy goods are on display.

Although these shops are all open, they lack the commercial atmosphere of Diagon Alley and instead possess the tranquility and serenity of village shops.

This is probably one of the reasons why people love Hogsmeade.

Find tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle, and peace amidst the chaos.

Ino leisurely made her way back to her little abode.

Cottage was a warm and inviting name he gave the place after it was connected to the Flyro network, to make it easier for people to get around.

A cozy little house in the countryside.

Pushing open the door, Ino made her way back to her room on the second floor.

After casting a series of cleaning and dust-removing spells, everything in the room looked brand new again.

I opened the window and let the lingering glow of the setting sun fill the room.

By the window, Ino leaned back in her recliner, casually flipping through the forbidden book Lina had copied—"The Techniques of the Killing Curse."

Simple, efficient, and lethal.

The Killing Curse, though considered by the world to be the ultimate form of dark magic, cannot be denied its uniqueness. Moreover, this magic is more for deterrence than for combat.

To be honest, he had wanted to learn about the Killing Curse for a long time, but he hadn't taken any action because of the rules.

After all, every move in the castle was under the old headmaster's control, so there was no reason why the most important forbidden book area should be left unchecked.

But now everything is easier. Thanks to Torina, much of the knowledge that was previously forbidden due to danger is no longer considered forbidden to him.

……

Time flies by.

Before we knew it, it was already the third day of the holiday.

After two consecutive days of rest and shopping, Ino not only stored a considerable amount of supplies in his suitcase, but also temporarily placed Fied in the suitcase.

Based on past assumptions, it's almost time to enter the fantasy story.

Although it's unclear which story will be initiated this time, the presence of the phoenix will undoubtedly save a lot of trouble.

At dawn on the fourth day of the holiday, Ino opened her eyes with a start.

Without any hesitation, he grabbed the suitcase from under the bed and then disappeared from the room.

……

Middle-earth.

The year 3015 of the Third Age.

The Shire, the homeland of the Hobbits.

Bilbo, bored out of his mind, smoked his pipe in Bag End. His ring was taken by his nephew Frodo, who also left with Gandalf.

His youthful adventures led him to acquire that ring by chance, and almost a hundred years have passed since then.

"It's good that they took it with them. Everything here was originally meant to be inherited by Frodo."

Bilbo took a deep drag on his pipe, the tobacco from the Shire, its rich flavor allowing him to briefly forget his troubles.

"Bang~ Bang bang!"

But before they could enjoy it for even a moment, the annoying knocking on the door started again.

"Leave me alone! I've already told you, don't ask me to any more parties, and don't come to my place as a guest! You're not welcome!"

Bilbo roared impatiently.

Over the years, he preferred to lock himself in Bag End Hole and live a life of near isolation from the world rather than make new acquaintances with anyone.

Over the course of a hundred years, he had witnessed the passing of too many friends and relatives, and he had long since had enough of the pain of separation.

But this time, the person knocking on the door seemed rather persistent.

The continuous knocking annoyed Bilbo, and even the pipe in his hand seemed unable to bring him peace.

"You thief on the barrel, are you going to open the door or not! If not, I'm leaving!"

The Bucket Rider, the Flying Thief! Hearing this familiar title and voice, Bilbo didn't even notice when his pipe slipped from his hand.

"Bang!"

The aged figure jumped off the chair and ran swiftly to the door.

Open the door! The scene from deep in my memory merges once again with the figure before me.

Bilbo's eyes became a little moist.

"My old friends! I miss you all. It's been so long since I've seen you, so very long!"

Forty-five years later, Ino returned to the Shire and to Bag End.

"I missed you all! So I'm back, bringing fireworks and new stories!"

……

The Shire remained as tranquil as ever under the cover of night.

A gentle breeze was blowing, just like the night I left forty-five years ago.

The bottom hole of the bag glowed with a faint, warm light from a candle.

Bilbo sat in the chair, his old, wrinkled face looking so happy.

"You have no idea what has happened all these years. Ever since you left, everyone has called Gandalf a lousy pyrotechnician because his fireworks... cough cough cough."

Bilbo suddenly coughed, seemingly because he was speaking too fast.

"Healed as before!"

Ino waved her wand and took out two sealed bottles of grass juice from the box.

"Old man, slow down!" He opened a bottle and handed it to Bilbo, while gently patting the man's back with one hand.

"Drink some water first, don't rush, really don't rush..."

"I'm not in a hurry! I'm just too happy!" Bilbo said, sipping his drink while explaining himself.

Seeing Bilbo's gradually calming expression, Ino also asked her own question.

"Aunt Julia... never mind, where's Lily? I just came in and the room was empty."

"Alas!" Bilbo sighed upon hearing this.

"What's wrong with her?" Ino asked calmly.

But the fleeting glint of ruthlessness in his eyes still caught Bilbo's attention.

"Don't misunderstand, Lily is fine, she just doesn't live in Shire anymore."

Bilbo explained rapidly, and finally revealed the reason for his sigh.

"The year after you left, Aunt Julia didn't make it through the winter. Lily and I buried her under a grapevine..."

As Bilbo recounted his story, Bag End fell silent.

Through the candlelight on the table, in the dim flame, Ino seemed to see the scene from forty-five years ago again.

An old, frail figure stood quietly in the outer city of Minas Tirith, carrying an oil lamp in one hand and holding young Lily's hand in the other.

Time passed by, second by second.

"Try to take it easy, Aunt Julia is already quite old."

Bilbo broke the silence with his words; no one understood this feeling better than him.

He has experienced far too much over the years.

(End of this chapter)