The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 85 Plans for the Second Academic Year

As you walk forward, the houses at the end of the alley become clearer.

The two-story building, though small in size, exudes a touch of Victorian elegance and solemnity.

The main structure of the house is made of dark marble, which has been weathered by time and exudes a calm and ancient charm.

On the outer stone wall, roses and ivy intertwine and entwine, adding a touch of mystery and vitality to this small building.

"Awesome! Really!"

Looking at the house in front of him, Ino couldn't help but admire it, then turned to look at Pansy behind him.

"This is it! I really like it. We don't need to look at the other two. Now, can you tell me its real price?"

"Haha, it's actually not that expensive." Pansy chuckled as she opened a piece of parchment and pointed to one of the contents.

"Look, a house that was similar to this one before only sold for 15,000 Galleons."

"Fine thousand is all you have," Ino thought speechlessly as he looked at the parchment scroll before him. Before enrolling in school, he considered himself a wealthy man with a bag of gold coins.

But now it seems... among these pure-blood families, he's only richer than the Weasleys.

"I can only pay 9 Galleons upfront. I will raise the rest as soon as possible. I think I will pay off the remaining amount before I graduate."

Ino said apologetically, "If I could, I really wouldn't want to owe money."

But the house in front of him really suited his aesthetic. Both the environment and the layout perfectly matched the style of a wizard's residence, mysterious, heavy and full of the sense of history.

……

It was almost noon.

Ino returned alone to the Three Brooms.

After paying a full 60 1.2-ounce gold coins, they successfully obtained a property purchase agreement stamped with the Ministry of Magic's seal and signature. At this point, the bag of gold coins Old John had given them was almost empty.

Pushing open the door with three brooms, one is greeted by Ms. Rosmerta's enigmatic smile.

"Did you take your girlfriend home? Let me guess, did you go to Madame Patif's Tea House?"

"Pansy isn't my girlfriend! She's my creditor," Ino said irritably. It's unclear if all Hogwarts students are like this, but Mrs. Rosmerta is always incredibly curious.

"Creditor?" Upon hearing this, Ms. Rosmerta's tone shifted from her previous joking manner to a more serious one. "Has something happened?"

"It's nothing much, I just bought a house in Hogsmeade," Ino said with a slight upturn of her lips, her tone relaxed and somewhat reserved.

He didn't hide the fact that he bought a house, but in reality, he couldn't hide it anyway.

After all, Hogsmeade is such a small place, at most the size of a small town, and everyone knows exactly what's going on there.

"My Merlin! The first time I met you, you went out and bought an owl, and now, not long after, you've gone out and bought a house. Next time, you won't buy my bar too, will you?!"

Seeing Ms. Rosmerta's slightly exaggerated expression, Ino said half-jokingly:

"Buy a bar? I'd love to, but I'm already heavily in debt. I'm even thinking of doing some storytelling here part-time. Of course, I'll give you 30% of the tips I earn as venue fees."

"Just put your few nut away," Mrs. Rosmerta said speechlessly, glancing at the empty lobby. "Trying to make money here? Do you think every day is Christmas?"

"That's true..." After realizing what she meant, Ino also seemed to understand.

Ultimately, Hogsmeade is just a residential area, not a commercial street. Its biggest economic activity is probably just the weekends when Hogwarts students in their third year and above come here to spend money.

……

Near dusk.

After paying for the accommodations for the past few days, Ino returned to the alleyway she had come from that morning, carrying her suitcase.

Looking at the old building, unlike when he viewed it from afar last time, this time he walked straight towards the gate.

"Cough! Cough cough..."

Pushing open the door, a pungent smell of dust hit me. The room was covered in a thick layer of dust, with mottled patterns on the floor and a fox spirit in the corner...

"How hasty!" he thought to himself. When he looked at the house that morning, he was also deceived by the appearance of this small building. Who would have thought that the inside would be so rotten.

"A whirlwind sweeps everything away! A sparkling clean! Peace and security reign supreme!"

Seeing this, he immediately took out his wand and cast three house cleaning spells in a row. After waiting at the door for a while, he carried his suitcase into the house.

The magic's effects were immediate. Looking at the old furniture and the spotless room, Ino breathed a sigh of relief and felt a sense of belonging.

The house has two floors, with each floor estimated to be only 60 or 70 square meters. Downstairs, there is a living room and a combined kitchen and dining room.

The second floor is an open-plan bedroom, with a walnut double bed in the center and a large desk on the other side facing the window.

Although the furnishings on the second floor were unusually simple, he didn't mind. He thought it was better to have more space, as it would make it easier to add things later.

……

Time, sometimes, is like a professional Seeker riding a brand-new broom, always catching the hidden Golden Thief before anyone can react.

The two-month summer vacation has quietly passed by more than halfway.

During this period, Ino spent most of his time in his cabin.

During the day, besides practicing magic, he would go to the pine forest behind Hogsmeade to cut down dead pine trees to make furniture, such as coffee tables, sofas, chairs, books, and shelves.

With the Cutting Charm and the Paste Charm, the process of making furniture couldn't be simpler. Not only is there no hard work involved, but it also has the fun of stacking building blocks.

Second floor, in front of the desk.

Hogwarts' owl delivered the second-year school year inventory list as promised.

Looking at the series of book titles on the parchment, it's easy to see that the popular novelist Lockhart eventually became a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"I really don't know what they're thinking, sigh..."

With a soft sigh, Ino put down the parchment in his hand. Compared to the unpredictable headmaster, he trusted Professor McGonagall more.

Whether based on an understanding of the story or on the correspondence exchanged during this period.

In short, he also discovered that Professor McGonagall's motivation for everything she did was always the little wizards in the castle.

If Professor McGonagall were the principal, she would never have allowed someone like Lockhart to teach at the school.

For this reason, he was also considering whether to tell Professor McGonagall directly about the so-called secret room at the right time, so as to avoid causing panic in the second half of the semester.

As for stopping the diary beforehand, sorry! He's not that great, or rather, he doesn't have the ability to deal with a story that has changed its course.

……

Humans are actually very complex beings, or rather, the human heart is always complex and ever-changing.

After crossing a bridge, eating a meal, and meeting some people, your thoughts will change accordingly.

After experiencing Middle-earth, Ino no longer blindly believes in any story or plot, but he also won't foolishly try to be a hero.

Similarly, just like the wave-particle duality of light molecules revealed by the double-slit experiment.

Perhaps when he immerses himself in the story and sees it from a first-person perspective, the story has already changed.

However, these changes are still within a certain range. If the notebooks are truly prevented from entering Hogwarts, Dumbledore will know nothing about Horcruxes.

If that's the case, the future course of the story could change drastically.

Therefore, the best option is to let the notebook in and then secretly tell Professor McGonagall.

As for the opportunity and the excuse, Ino had already thought it through.

In the magical world, what could be more magical than divination? All he had to do was buy a crystal ball before school started and then put on a show.

New book release, a new journey begins. Thank you to all the big names for your support!

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(End of this chapter)