Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 62 How can this not be considered a good person?

Hermione's expression of disgust and gritted teeth was hilarious; it perfectly satisfied Loren's perverse sense of humor.

Not long after, once Hermione had gotten used to the Chocolate Frog and her expression had calmed down, Loren lowered his head and began sorting through the pictures one by one.

Cleopatra picking her nose, a medieval witch, put her away.

In Paracelsus during the Renaissance, there is still a portrait of this wizard skilled in healing arts displayed in the corridor.

Dumbledore took it out and put it aside.

Although there was a pile of candy on the table, the wrappers took up a large portion of it, and the Chocolate Frog finished it in no time. There was a small stack of picture cards, including several Dumbledore pictures.

Hermione had never eaten so many candies in her life. The chocolate released dopamine in her brain, releasing a feeling of pure joy. She was happy, but also felt strange, as if she shouldn't be this happy.

Hermione figured that from now on, she could eat Chocolate Frogs as a snack without any particular reason. She even planned to bring some back for her parents to try; her father was sure he would be interested.

But cockroaches are different; it's unacceptable that cockroaches are ingrained in our genes and physiology.

Hermione stared at the cockroaches scurrying about in the box, a chill running down her spine. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Is there really no other way?"

"You have to finish it all." Loren was a complete rascal.

Hermione struggled internally for a while, then finally mustered her courage, her face showing a resolute determination to face death. She shrank back, reached out her hand, and pinched a pile of cockroaches between her thumb and forefinger.

The candy struggled restlessly in her hand, and the tiny thorns on the arthropod's legs scratched her fingers, tickling them. This prickly sensation seemed to travel from her fingers to her back.

"Waaah!" Hermione couldn't take it anymore and broke down, crying, "I can't do it!"

She let go, allowing the cockroaches to pile up on the table. The cockroach-shaped candies automatically crawled back into the box.

Oh dear, that seems a bit much.

Loren stopped his prank. "No, don't cry. If you can't finish it, that's fine."

Hermione blushed. She used to only cry like this in front of her parents. As she got older, she thought it was too childish. She was already eleven years old, and even if she cried, she wouldn't whine like that. That would be too unladylike.

Hermione's face was burning; she felt like she had been acting like a spoiled child with someone she was close to. Luckily, Loren hadn't noticed.

Hermione glanced at Loren, wiped her face, and then grabbed a handful of candy and popped it into her mouth.

The worm-like sensation returned, and Hermione started crying again while eating, "Waaah, waaaah..."

The rich aroma of chocolate, filled with lemon syrup, creates a sweet and sour flavor with a slightly refreshing taste.

Loren slowly leaned closer and tentatively asked, "Is it good?"

"Waaaaah~"

Hermione's crying grew louder. Hearing the question, the girl sniffled and said somewhat angrily, "It's delicious!"

Loren couldn't help but laugh, eating while crying, saying that the delicious little squirrel was too funny.

"You're still laughing! It's all because of you!" Hermione was furious when she saw Loren laughing, so she grabbed a handful of cockroaches and shoved them into Loren's mouth.

Loren already liked this kind of food, so he went along with Hermione and ate the candy on the table with her.

In the abandoned classroom, the dim light cast the shadows of two small figures. Sharing amusing candies, one couldn't help but laugh out loud from time to time, while the other sniffled and occasionally slapped the person next to them in annoyance.

The candy on the table was finished.

After a long while, Hermione calmed down, her lips still smeared with syrup, her eyes watery as she looked at Loren expectantly, "Is the spell broken?"

"Ahem!"

This is too sinful! Loren condemned himself. He looked around, wondering if Hermione would stab him to death with her wand if he confessed now.

"Let's talk about Nicolas Flamel."

Hermione didn't notice the problem with that statement and listened attentively to Loren's words.

Loren took out a picture of Dumbledore and showed it to Hermione. It had a sign that read...

Dumbledore's well-known contributions include:

In 1945, he defeated the dark wizard Grindelwald, discovered twelve uses for dragon blood, and made significant progress in alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel.

"You can find information about Nicolas Flamel in any book on alchemy; he is an indispensable figure in the field," Loren said.

Hermione nodded and kept the news in mind.

Loren said nothing else, not that he knew Nicolas Flamel, and not that he mentioned the Philosopher's Stone.

The growth tasks assigned by Dumbledore need to be completed by them on their own. The trio must follow the main storyline of saving the world on their own. With him as a variable involved, no one knows what the outcome will be.

For a time, he arrogantly believed that he could use his foresight to know the plot and use the walkthrough to easily defeat Voldemort.

The troll incident made him realize the reality: he still couldn't think of any way for the three little ones, at their age, to fight the troll without taking any damage.

The movies of his past life were just movies; this is a real magical world where people get hurt, and any danger could kill 11-year-old him.

Loren worried that his involvement in the plot might turn him into some minor, plot device, like Cedric. Voldemort was defeated, the trio was safe, and no one would notice the people on the casualty list lining up to meet their demise.

Of course, Loren wouldn't be restrained, living in constant fear that the butterfly effect might unleash a storm. The unexpected incident in flight class and the troll's fate both indicated that a corrective force existed within the plot, ultimately pointing to that outcome.

Before you can protect yourself, just be a good student and occasionally give the trio a boost. As long as you don't get involved yourself, what can they do to you?

Be a happy person in this magic school, bring joy to everyone, and encourage Hermione to try new things bravely, just like today. How could such a good person not live a long life?

Loren had thought it through. Quirrell would only make his move at the end of the semester, and telling Hermione Flamel in advance wouldn't have a major impact on the plot.

And so, Loren reaped happiness, Hermione got her answer, and it was another win-win day.

The two left the classroom and walked together back to the Gryffindor common room.

Just now, in the confined space, in the dim light, her mind was a bit foggy, and she hadn't noticed many things. Now, with the cold wind blowing, Hermione was much more awake and felt that something was amiss.

Hermione asked, "Loren, what kind of magic is this, using candy to break the curse? Where did you see it?"

Hermione's question reminded Loren of the scene where Hermione was crying as she ate a pile of cockroaches, saying how delicious they were.

"Hahaha!" Loren couldn't help but laugh. "I saw it on your face!"

"During the day, your face practically screamed 'Come on, lie to me!'"

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!

Hermione clenched her fist. "You wretched bastard! You're dead!"

The running footsteps stirred the wind in the corridor, causing the candlelight to flicker, and the two people's shadows stretched long on the ground, overlapping each other.

(End of this chapter)