The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 378 Last Year's Gift Appears at the Leaky Cauldron Bar

in the valley.

The moment Hermione saw Ino appear, she lowered her head like a child who had done something wrong.

"I didn't mean to, I just touched it and it fell down."

Hermione pointed to a towering red mill in the valley, with a huge windmill that moved automatically without wind.

She truly hadn't expected that the seemingly sturdy branches would break so easily. Similarly, she was glad she only touched the mill and not the gold coins and jewels on the other two oak trees.

aside.

Ino wasn't surprised by the sudden appearance of the mill. After all, it was supposed to be a gift from last year's harvest festival, only the harvest was delayed.

But to his delight, Hermione, by sheer chance, reminded him of something he had almost forgotten.

That was the gift of the first harvest festival: three oak trees, one laden with jewels, one adorned with blue lanterns, and the other bearing a seemingly ordinary crystal ball...

Grindelwald's request was instantly fulfilled.

But before that, seeing Hermione's slightly remorseful expression, he still spoke words of comfort:

"Don't worry about it! The mill was already fully matured; it would have fallen off on its own even if you didn't touch it..."

That's just how it is. Now it's the end of August, and the harvest festival of the new year is approaching once again. Last year's gifts will naturally fall away.

Hermione visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that she had fallen on her own.

"That's good! Otherwise they would have thought I'd caused trouble..."

"Haha, it's not that bad! You won't cause any trouble in the valley."

Ino smiled and waved his hand; in fact, Hermione couldn't even pick up a pebble without his permission.

"Oh, right! You should check out the mill, it's really interesting..."

As he spoke, Ino also turned to look at the red windmill.

He knew perfectly well what the mill did, and although he found it amazing, there were more important things to do at the moment.

As the thought crossed his mind, a crystal ball about seven inches in diameter floated out of the pristine white marble house.

……

The drizzle, falling softly, silently weaves the web of time.

Time, like this drizzle, slips through the net, drop by drop.

At the end of August, a sudden rain shower in London washed away the last trace of summer heat.

Break the Cauldron Bar.

Old Tom stood at the bar, listlessly watching the rain outside, a starched rag in his hand, wiping the endless cups.

In the past, bars in August were not exactly packed, but at least they were lively and bustling.

Now, not only is his bar deserted, but even the Diagon Alley behind it is hardly frequented.

The low-hanging dark clouds in the sky and the desolate Diagon Alley easily remind some older wizards of those bygone days.

Tom Abbott was one of them.

Standing at the bar, he glanced sideways at the two young Aurors arranged by the Ministry of Magic, and a sense of absurdity welled up within him.

Unlike other ordinary people, as one of the Twenty-Eight Holy Families, Old Tom knew some unknown secrets.

Take Azkaban, for example, which people fear so much. In fact, it had already been broken out of prison, and the Death Eaters imprisoned there had all escaped.

As for who did it, the answer is self-evident.

Fudge suppressed the news, arguing that it was wrong to create panic. This decision may or may not have been the right one.

But he didn't want to care whether it was right or wrong.

Compared to his final act of madness, his current actions have reassured many, which is why the Ministry of Magic only sent two young Aurors to guard this place.

"Another exchange..." Old Tom sighed and shook his head.

"What exchange? It's a miracle your bar hasn't gone out of business! The attendance rate is..."

A familiar voice rang out, and Old Tom inside the bar looked towards the door with surprise.

A year and a half can make many memories blurry, but it can also make many memories deep.

The young man outside the door—he could never forget the man who used to live in the bar and always tell Hannah stories—had returned.

Soon, as the young man entered the bar, the surprise on Old Tom's face turned into disbelief; the rumors were actually true.

Although he had heard rumors of resurrection two weeks ago, he always just laughed it off when he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes.

However, today, upon seeing the witch behind the young man, old Tom suddenly felt that the world had become somewhat unfamiliar.

But as the head of the Abbott family, old Tom is also adept at managing his facial expressions.

The look of shock vanished instantly, replaced by a warm smile.

"Ha! The bar is closing down? No way, it's an ancestral property, there's no exorbitant rent."

Old Tom said this half-jokingly, then looked out the door. The rain that had lasted for several hours had quietly stopped.

The sky seems to have changed.

"You always bring up your family's traditions! Now give us two glasses of freshly squeezed herbal juice, so that your hard work today won't have been in vain."

Enoch walked to the bar with a smile, and also beckoned Hermione to come over.

This might seem like a high-profile act, but he didn't care. After all, some things really can't be hidden, and the more you hide them, the bigger the trouble becomes.

Hiding is cowardice, and once you become cowardly, flies and mosquitoes will swarm to you.

the other side.

Old Tom seemed to sense this, but he chose to ignore it and continued the conversation with a cheerful smile:

"Still grass juice? Your taste never changes."

……

After half an hour.

On the main street of Diagon Alley, the pavement, washed by rain, reveals the unique luster of cobblestones.

Hermione linked arms with Ino, her gaze subtly sweeping around. The seemingly deserted shops around her made her feel countless prying eyes.

"Is this really okay for us?" Hermione leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

"That's fine, unless you give up your studies and then live in seclusion forever."

Unlike Hermione, who deliberately controlled her volume, Ino spoke naturally.

Upon hearing that she was giving up her studies, Hermione decisively shook her head: "Forget it then. Anyway, I have a shelter, so I can hide if there's danger."

"Yes, very soon! It won't be long."

As he spoke, Ino looked up at the horizon; the dark clouds that had been gathering rain had long since been blown to the banks of the Thames.

He understood Hermione's choice.

For almost every native English wizard, the seven years of study at Hogwarts are an indispensable part of their lives; otherwise, it would seem somewhat incomplete.

As for his high-profile appearance today, he also had his own plans, one of which was to keep Voldemort in check.

Once is enough of a snake biting you instead of killing it.

In fact, two days earlier, after Grindelwald's help confirmed the location of the last Horcrux, he had already been planning an opportunity.

To devise an opportunity similar to the one at Hogsmeade, not only to completely eliminate Voldemort, but also to publicly serve as a deterrent, thus resolving all potential troubles once and for all.

Just like Nico possessing the Philosopher's Stone, this almost open secret has remained untouched by anyone for centuries.

Ultimately, it's about bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

Magic in Hogwarts belonged to fairy tales; but when magic entered the adult world, it naturally became a law of the jungle.

……

At the same time.

With Ino's appearance, unlike the quiet atmosphere of other shops in Diagon Alley, the Daily Prophet headquarters building was bustling with activity.

In a luxurious office, several well-dressed wizards sat quietly.

"We just received word that Fudge has given his consent. So, we can report on this..."

As soon as one of them spoke, the previously quiet office was filled with various sounds.

"I don't object to reporting, but what about the attitude?"

"Neutrition is never wrong..."

"Neutral? You must be half asleep, have you forgotten about Dumbledore!"

"That's true, but that person is still alive..."

Seeing that an argument was breaking out in the office, the person who had spoken first banged on the table.

"No need to argue! We're always on the side of the advantage! Let Rita do the interview; they crossed paths at the Goblet of Fire, I trust she'll handle it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the office, which had been a little noisy, fell silent once again.

With the decision made, the massive headquarters of the Daily Prophet, like an old machine, began to operate at full capacity once again.

Xiaodi's sharing today:

Daily Prophet

Editor-in-Chief: Barnabas Goughfe

This is a newspaper headquartered in London. It is the main source of news for British wizards, and because it has a great influence in the British wizarding community, it tends to present events from the perspective of the Ministry of Magic (which has strong ties to it).

Unfortunately, The Daily Prophet doesn't seem to adhere to journalistic integrity very well.

(End of this chapter)