Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 67 Lively Snow

After closing the windows and clapping his hands, Loren wasn't sure how long the pears should be frozen; he figured leaving them outside to freeze for about a week would be about right.

Loren had no interest in either immortality or the Jade Record; the frozen pears he could eat in a week were something to look forward to.

In the Great Hall, at the Gryffindor dining table.

"Eat faster!" Simo exclaimed excitedly. "The snow on the playground is waiting for us!"

Upon hearing this, the young wizards around them quickened their eating pace.

It's the weekend, and the little wizards, who have been cooped up all week, have already discussed how to play. The snow on the playground is thick and perfect for a snowball fight.

Loren was drinking mushroom soup, its flavorful savory taste lingering sweetly, and he closed his eyes contentedly.

"Are you going with them too?" Hermione asked Loren cautiously, looking like she hadn't slept well, with slight bags under her eyes.

Hermione and Loren usually spar in the Room of Requirement on Saturdays, and their current record is around 100 to 22. Aside from the time Loren was practicing his Iron Man Charm, Hermione hasn't been able to defeat him. The little witch is holding her breath, determined to teach him a lesson this week.

The little witch was a little disappointed. If Loren wanted to go play too, she would go to the library to read books by herself.

"Did you stay up late reading again last night?" Loren glanced into Hermione's eyes but didn't answer her question.

"I... I was thinking of skipping class today," Hermione answered weakly, then realized why she was acting like she had done something wrong. She looked up, trying to be more assertive, but after being glanced at by Loren, she lowered her head again.

"Let's practice in a different place today."

Loren swallowed the last bit of the bowl and let out a satisfied sigh.

Let's go somewhere else? Where?

Hermione was pulled onto the playground by Loren, completely bewildered.

The stands and the lawn were covered in snow, so much so that the lines drawn on the ground were no longer visible. Many little wizards were already playing there, building snowmen, having snowball fights, and their laughter and screams filled the air above the playground.

The most eye-catching were the twins; one sat on a wooden plank, while the other pulled on a rope as they ran forward.

"Ah~~~~" the twins shouted happily, one pulling the other as they ran from one side of the playground to the other.

Hermione's gaze followed the twins as they ran from one end to the other.

boom.

A loose snowball hit Hermione on the back of the head. It didn't hurt, but it stunned her.

Hermione turned her head and stared blankly at Loren.

"Today's practice!"

Loren waved at Hermione, smiling broadly, but Hermione found that smile irritating no matter how she looked at it.

Loren rolled up another snowball, then leaned back and shot, hitting Hermione squarely on the forehead.

Scattered snowflakes slid down Hermione's face, feeling icy cold.

Bang! Another snowball.

"Loren!"

Hermione screamed and rushed toward Loren.

Not only here, but scattered battlefields gradually spread to other places, and a chaotic battle soon broke out on the playground, with snowballs flying everywhere. Everyone tacitly refrained from using magic.

One second you might be targeting someone, but the next second a snowball hits your face, and you have one more enemy.

Except for Hermione, who had no eyes for anyone else, she stared intently at Loren.

That damned Loren... images kept flashing through Hermione's mind, from the chocolate frog on the train to the swarm of cockroaches that night. She was determined to teach Loren a lesson.

Compared to Loren, who grew up in the mountains, Hermione was unfamiliar with this game; she would get hit when making snowballs and when searching for someone.

By the time Hermione had made a snowball and thrown it at Loren, Loren would always dodge it quickly and then slap Hermione in the face.

"Ah!" After repeating this several times, Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She gave up on the snowball and decided to take action directly. She rushed towards Loren.

"Go to hell!"

Fearing a beating, Loren sped away. The two chased each other, running laps around the playground.

The Weasley twins saw this, exchanged a glance, and chuckled.

As Loren passed the twins, Fred reached out and grabbed him, hooking his arm around his shoulder and calling out, "Hi, Loren, long time no see!"

Before Loren could react, George said, "Oh, Fred, we're going to be late."

"Goodbye, Loren!" the two said in unison, pulling their makeshift sled away quickly.

These two actors are terrible; anyone can see they're just trying to stall Loren.

Loren, seeing Hermione rapidly approaching, raised his hands. "Ceasefire! Ceasefire! There's interference from outside!"

Hermione couldn't hear anything. She took a running start and pounced on Loren, knocking him to the ground and pinning his hands down.

Hermione was panting, her face flushed from the exertion.

"You promise! You won't tease me again!"

When have I ever teased you?

"How can you guarantee it if you haven't done it?" Loren was still being stubborn.

Loren could feel Hermione's presence, warm and comforting, and he turned his head away uncomfortably.

Bang! As he turned his head, a snowball that seemed to have come from nowhere hit Loren in the face.

"Ptooey!" Some snow fell into Loren's mouth, and his face and body were covered in snow, making him look extremely disheveled.

Hermione looked at Loren and burst out laughing.

Loren was somewhat annoyed. "What are you laughing at!"

Hermione laughed even louder upon hearing this, unable to control herself. She gradually released her grip on Loren, collapsed next to him, and continued to giggle while clutching her stomach.

Hermione didn't know why it was so funny, but she couldn't help it when she saw Loren's expression.

Laughter is contagious, and Loren couldn't help but laugh as well, saying with a smile, "I'm talking to you, what are you laughing at?"

Snow was still falling from the sky, and it was cold and chilly, but their faces and hearts were warm.

……

The Gryffindor common room, in front of the fireplace.

Several young wizards sat around the fireplace, wrapped in blankets. They had been playing wildly all morning until their clothes were soaked and they were too cold to go back.

The fireplace was burning brightly, the firewood crackling and popping intermittently, its red glow reflecting on their faces, making their eyes sparkle and their faces feel hot.

"Are you going home for Christmas or staying at school?" Ron asked the others, mentioning that his parents had made a last-minute decision to visit his brother Charlie, the one who kept dragons in Romania.

As we entered the second week of December, the deans of various colleges began collecting lists of students going home on Monday. Today is Saturday, and everyone should have finalized their choices.

Next week we'll be able to start booking tickets for the Hogwarts Express.

Seamus and Neville are both going home for the holidays, and Hermione also says she wants to go home because she misses her parents.

Harry was delighted; he was supposed to spend Christmas with his godfather, and Hagrid had said Sirius would give him a surprise.

Last week, Loren received a letter from Grandpa Bates, who said that Grandpa Bates was still traveling around his old haunts, so Loren would have to stay at school for Christmas.

"And you are my true friend!" Ron looked at Loren with deep affection.

Loren sipped his hot coffee. "Stop. I don't want to play Wizards Chess with you at all."

Ron was the best at Wizard's Chess among them, even the clever Hermione couldn't beat him. Whenever he had the chance, Ron would drag the others to play Wizard's Chess, but everyone was tired of it.

Ron's face immediately fell, and everyone burst into cheerful laughter.

(End of this chapter)