Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

Chapter 341 Diana's Test

Diana's smile deepened, but she didn't respond immediately.

She picked up her teacup and took a sip, as if savoring the words while also appreciating the temperature of the teacup.

After a moment, she put down her cup, her gaze still fixed on Miss Farley: "You said he's the least wasteful person you've ever met, so how do you define 'wasting time'?"

Miss Farley was clearly not prepared for this question, but she did not panic, as if she thought about it before answering.

"Wasting time means that a person spends a lot of time doing something, but doesn't even know why they are doing it. Before His Highness Henry does anything, he has already thought clearly about the meaning of what he is doing, even if it is a very small thing."

Diana nodded. "And you? Have you ever tried doing something you later realized you were wasting your time?"

Miss Farley fell silent.

This question carries a different weight than the previous ones; it's more personal, more like someone asking her if she's truly examined her own life.

"Yes," she said. "When I was in sixth grade, there was a period when I really wanted to prove that I could handle everything, such as classes, social life, prefectural duties, and the Silver Serpent's Meeting mission—I felt that if I couldn't do everything well at the same time, it meant I wasn't good enough. Later, I realized that a lot of the things I did during that time were actually to prove that I could do them, rather than because the things themselves were worth doing."

"So how did you find out?"

"One night I stayed up until 2 a.m. and finally finished all the assignments and meeting minutes, but when I sat down at the table, I didn't feel happy at all. I didn't feel like I had finally finished," I just felt like I could finally go to sleep.

That's when I realized I was doing those things for others, not for myself.

Diana listened quietly, her gaze never leaving Miss Farley's face.

Her expression was gentle, but Miss Farley could sense a focused scrutiny in her gaze.

"So how did you adjust later?"

"I started asking myself a question," Miss Farley said, "If I do this, will I feel it's worth it when I wake up tomorrow morning?" If the answer is "yes," then do it; if the answer is "no," then stop and think about whether it's worth staying up all night for.

Diana smiled, a light but genuine smile, as if she had heard an answer she agreed with: "That's a good question. I often ask myself similar questions."

Miss Farley tilted her head slightly: "You ask yourself that question too?"

“Of course,” Diana said, “especially those things that seem important but turn out nobody really cares. Like seating arrangements at a dinner party, or the details of a charity event. Some things have to be done, but some things are just things everyone does.”

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She paused for a moment, then naturally changed the subject: "What about Henry? Do you think he has ever done anything similar?"

For example, doing something to prove yourself?

Miss Farley thought for a moment, then said, "I think His Highness went through that stage when he was very young. But he's past that stage now. His logic now is—'This needs to be done, and I can do it.'"

Diana's eyes flickered slightly: "You think he's acting out of necessity, rather than to prove himself?"

“I think so,” Miss Farley said. “He organizes tea parties and inter-house social events at Hogwarts—not because he needs to prove he can organize events, but because he thinks these things are good for the school.”

"So, do you approve of him?"

“Of course,” said Miss Farley. “He’s doing something no one has ever done before: bringing people from different houses together at the same table for tea. Slytherins and Gryffindors never used to sit together and chat, but now they sit together peacefully.”

Diana looked at Miss Farley, and after a moment spoke, "You spoke very well. And you even used 'him' to refer to Henry, not 'His Highness,' but 'him.'"

Miss Farley paused slightly, as if only now realizing her choice of words: "I—I should have used Your Highness."

Feel sorry."

“No need to apologize,” Diana said. “I’m actually glad you used him. It shows you don’t see him as just a title.”

Miss Farley sat there quietly for a moment, as if digesting the value of this observation.

She said softly, "I knew Henry the person first, and then I knew the title of Your Highness."

The living room was quiet for a moment.

The tea on the coffee table has been replaced with a fresh pot; the butler came in just now and quietly replaced the cold teapot.

Diana picked up her cup of freshly brewed tea, took a sip, and as she set it down, asked, "You and Henry were at Hogwarts together before, how did you two meet?"

"I first saw him in the auditorium," Miss Farley said. "I was in fifth grade then, and he was in first grade."

When did you speak to him again?

"In sixth year," Miss Farley said, "that was the first time I really sat down and talked to him. He asked me a question, asking what I thought was the biggest problem between Slytherin and Gryffindor."

Diana raised an eyebrow slightly: "What was your answer back then?"

"I said the biggest problem was that nobody wanted to ask that question," Miss Farley said.

Diana's smile deepened: "Was that the first time he noticed you?"

"I'm not sure if this was the first time he'd noticed me," Miss Farley said, "but it was the first time he'd made me notice him."

Diana didn't press the matter further. She leaned back on the sofa, picked up her teacup, and took a sip, as if she had already gathered enough information from the conversation.

The living room door was pushed open, and Henry stood in the doorway, holding a small tray with two steaming cups of freshly brewed tea on it, as if he had taken them from another room.

He saw Miss Farley and Diana sitting on the sofa, and walked in calmly, placing one glass in front of Diana and the other in front of Miss Farley.

"That cup of tea in the garden must be cold by now," he said to Miss Farley. "This one is fresh."

Miss Farley glanced at the freshly brewed tea in Henry's hand: "How did you know that cup was cold?"

"Observe." Henry smiled gently.

Diana sat nearby, watching the brief interaction. Her gaze swept back and forth between Henry and Miss Farley, and she said with a smile, "Henry, are you worried that Miss Farley won't have tea, or are you just looking for an excuse to come in and sit for a while?"

Henry glanced at Diana, his face not showing the typical reaction of someone who had been exposed: "Both."

Diana smiled and said, "Then sit down."

Henry sat down on another sofa, in a position where he could see Miss Farley and Diana.

His posture was very natural, as if he was used to being in his mother's living room and didn't need to pay special attention to his manners.

"Miss Farley," Diana turned her gaze back, "when you were at Hogwarts, did you ever think about what you would do after you left?"

"I thought about it," Miss Farley said. "At first, I wanted to join the Ministry of Magic; I wanted to change some of the existing systems. Then Henry recommended me to Oxford, saying that if I wanted to understand how the system worked, I should first see how Muggles did it."

"So, do you feel you learned more or less at Oxford than you expected?"

“More,” Miss Farley said. “One thing I learned there is that no system is perfect, but you can improve it by understanding its flaws.”

Diana listened quietly, then turned her head as if to confirm whether Miss Farley had fully grasped the weight of her words: "So, what do you think will be the biggest challenge Henry will face in the future?"

The room was quiet for a moment.

This is not a question asked casually. Its structure is simple, but its focus is very clear.

She was asking Miss Farley if she had seriously considered Henry's future, and if she had seriously considered what it meant to stand by Henry's side.

Miss Farley didn't rush to answer. She sat there, head down, as if she were seriously considering the question rather than looking for a perfunctory answer.

“I believe,” she finally spoke, “that the greatest challenge His Highness Henry will face in the future will not come from opponents in the magical world, nor from the lack of understanding in the Muggle world, but from the need to balance the expectations of both worlds at the same time.”

"How do you explain that?"

"The wizarding world wants him to be someone who represents the interests of the wizarding world, while the Muggle world wants him to be someone who represents the interests of the royal family. But the interests of these two worlds don't always overlap. If one day in the future he has to choose between the demands of the wizarding world and the demands of the Muggle world, that will be a real test."

Diana looked at her: "What do you think he will choose?"

"I don't think he'll make a choice," Miss Farley said. "He'll find a way that makes both sides feel respected."

"What if he can't find it?"

“Then I will help him find it,” Miss Farley said. “The point of being by his side is not to make decisions for him, but to make sure that when he is making a decision, he has considered all the things that need to be considered.”

After Miss Farley finished speaking, the living room was quiet for a moment.

It was a quiet that was being digested and weighed, like someone confirming whether what they had just heard matched their own judgment.

Diana put down her teacup and stared at Miss Farley's face for a long while.

"Miss Farley," she asked, "did you think carefully about what you just said, or did you just come up with it on the spot?"

"I've thought about it seriously," Miss Farley said. "I had already considered these questions before I came to Kensington Palace."

"So you knew you might be asked these questions before you came?"

"I don't know what questions I'll be asked," Miss Farley said, "but I know that if I'm going to stand by Henry's side, I should think about these things beforehand."

Diana looked at her and smiled.

"Then I can tell you something. The thing you just said, Henry said almost the same thing to me on his fourteenth birthday. He said that if he ever had to choose between the wizarding world and the Muggle world, he wouldn't choose either side. He would find a way to make both sides feel respected—you and he are using the same logic."

Miss Farley paused for a moment, then glanced at Henry.

Henry sat on the sofa, his expression calm, simply sitting there quietly, as if he had confirmed that everything was proceeding according to plan.

“Mother,” Henry began, “when I came in just now, I heard you asking her what the biggest challenge Henry would face in the future was. And what do you think is my biggest challenge?”

Diana looked at him: "Your biggest challenge is finding someone who won't distance themselves from you because of your status, nor will they get closer to you because of your status."

"So, do you think I've found it?"

Diana's self-illumination shifted from Henry to Miss Farley.

She looked at her for a moment, then smiled and said, "I think you're looking for this."

Miss Farley sat there without speaking, but she picked up the cup of tea that Henry had just brought her, as if she needed something to steady her hand.

Diana noticed the movement, but her self-glow was gentle, as if she saw something definite in it.

Henry was also quite surprised. He never imagined that his mother, who had never been particularly fond of these things, would ask Miss Farley so many questions.

It must be said that the power of maternal love is great.

"Miss Farley," Diana said, "what are your plans for this afternoon?"

"There are no special arrangements," Miss Farley said. "His Highness said I could stay here until the end of Christmas."

"Would you like to come with me to the kitchen? I'd like to make some cookies—the kitchen is warmer than the living room in winter, and it's a better place to chat."

Miss Farley put down her cup and said happily, "Okay."

Diana stood up and walked towards the door.

As she reached the door, she turned back and glanced at Henry. "You can come with me. If you'd like."

Henry sighed, stood up, and followed behind them.

The kitchen was much warmer than the living room, and the heat from the oven radiated through the metal door, giving the entire space a unique winter warmth.

The housekeeper had already prepared the flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, placing them on a marble table with several clean bowls and a wooden spoon beside them.

Diana walked over and tied on an apron, her movements very natural.

"Do you know how to make cookies?" she asked Miss Farley.

"Not really," Miss Farley said. "I tried once when I was a child, but the cookies turned out rock hard."

"That's perfect," Diana said. "I can teach you."

She scooped some flour into the bowl and then gestured for Miss Farley to stand beside her: "The butter needs to be softened beforehand so that it will mix evenly with the flour."

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