Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 758 Pushed to Dumbledore

The sunrise at the beach is also beautiful, but it's on the other side of the coast.

Before the morning glow faded, Loren and Hermione arrived at the Key West train station. They stepped onto the slightly noisy train, found their seats in the carriage, opened the window, and like ordinary people without magic, slowly made their way back to New York along the tracks and in the autumn breeze.

"Hermione, when did you buy your train ticket?"

"I asked Nancy to help me buy this before I came here."

"Watch the sunrise and sunset, then take the train back..."

Loren shook his head, his shoulder rubbing against Hermione's, soft and warm, his heart overflowing with love: "Miss Granger is so romantic."

Hermione sat by the window, quietly admiring the view outside, a faint smile playing on her lips.

I arrived in New York in the evening.

If we're late, we'll miss dinner.

Taking the train was just for fun; when it came to actually getting there, magic was needed. As soon as the two stepped off the platform, they found a corner, appeared in phantom form, and disappeared back to the hotel they had chosen that night.

The two checked in and found they were still in the same room. They didn't linger and took their meal vouchers to grab something to eat.

Loren paused for a moment as he entered the hotel restaurant.

Wow, everyone in the restaurant is a familiar face.

The Aurors from the Ministry of Magic, members of the Order of the Phoenix, and the American Aurors who were in charge of security that night—most of the wizards hadn't left yet. They were at the dining table talking with staff from the Magical Congress of the United States about Voldemort and the Death Eaters, as well as the details of the battle that night.

It looks like these wizards have already booked this hotel.

A wizarding war lasted only a few hours, but the subsequent documentation took several days.

Alas, the wizarding government's procedures are cumbersome and its systems are rigid...

In short, take jujube pills.

The only one who hasn't spoken to or reported to the Magical Congress of the United States is Harry. He seems to be being treated as a victim and a patient. At the recent dinner table, two young wizards with healer badges embroidered on their chests were observing his meals, presumably from the local magical injury hospital.

Harry is indeed a case of great research value, being the only known person in history to have survived the Killing Curse, cast by one of the most powerful dark wizards in recent centuries, and twice at that.

Upon seeing the two, Harry immediately choked up and quickly pulled his two friends aside to pour out his troubles.

The other Aurors and Order of the Phoenix provided duel reports, clues about Death Eater criminals, and determined sentences based on their resistance and past crimes. He alone was excluded from the combat personnel, and his most important daily task was to deal with various physical examinations, recall the feeling after being afflicted by the Killing Curse, and recreate the visions of the hallucinations.

It's even more torturous than the Crucifixion and the Killing Curse combined.

His strongest desire right now is to get rid of these annoying guys and go out and have some fun.

Staring at the two of them, Harry took a big bite of his pie, finally relieved to be free from the interrogation alone, but his gaze also betrayed a resentful mix of envy and jealousy.

"You two are really going too far! At such a critical moment, you actually dumped me to go on dates, went to Hawaii, went to Florida..."

He paused briefly, his resentment almost tangible: "You two have been neighbors since first-grade summer vacation, traveling everywhere every year, while I've been stuck at the Dursleys' house every year. After all these years, can't I even have a proper summer vacation?"

Loren couldn't help but laugh.

After returning from the hazy illusion, this person seemed to have completely relaxed, freed himself from the fragments of his soul hidden in his scars, freed himself from his nemesis Voldemort, as if he had unloaded a heavy burden from the bottom of his heart, unloaded the inexplicable mission he had carried for a long time, and been liberated from that bleak night more than ten years ago... He used to have an inexplicable sense of isolation, but now it seemed to have completely disappeared.

It seems there's a trend towards them becoming like Ron and Seamus.

Loren hesitated for a moment, then said seriously, "We figured this is our last summer vacation. Next year we'll be in seventh grade, and then there won't be any more summer vacations. Even if the summer after graduation is long, it won't count as a summer vacation. After that, we'll have to think about work, family, marriage—the things that come with being an adult wizard. We won't be able to play carefree like we do now. So Hermione and I discussed it and decided to go out and have some fun for a day."

Hermione pursed her lips and glanced at the man sideways.

"My last summer vacation!"

Harry's eyes widened, a sense of urgency rising within him.

He immediately turned to look at Tonks at the next table: "Is this true? Didn't you have a good time that summer after you graduated? No homework, no school, wasn't that a wonderful two months?"

Tonks nodded in agreement, "Loren is right. This summer has been the most enjoyable one yet. There's so much to do next summer. We'll be anxiously waiting for our grades, and once we get them, we'll want to go out and relax with our classmates. But they all have all sorts of plans. Some are going to take the Apparition exam again, some are going to intern at Gringotts in the Ministry of Magic, and some are doing part-time jobs to save money for their travels around the world. We can't even find anyone to go to Diagon Alley with."

"This...this..."

Tonks continued, "By the way, I remember you aspired to become an Auror after graduation, right? Then there's even less chance of having fun. Passing the exams to enter the Ministry of Magic and become an Auror prospective wizard, followed by a long period of specialized training, training, exams, practical assessments... it's busier and more tiring than seventh grade."

"What?"

Harry's voice grew louder, his expression one of utter shock and urgent urgency.

Wizards who had finished dinner didn't go back to their rooms, and employees who had to work overtime didn't go back to Woolworth House. The wizards in the restaurant couldn't help but slow down and quietly listen to their conversation. Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley, and other Aurors and Order of the Phoenix members also pricked up their ears, listening to their conversation without making a sound, and secretly observing Harry.

Why didn't you tell me sooner?

"You didn't ask."

Loren spread his hands, his tone innocent.

Tonks twirled the ends of her hair with her fingers, glanced at Harry, then at him and Hermione, her expression intrigued.

Haliten stood up abruptly: "No! I can't linger here any longer. I need to ask Minister Scrinker for leave."

……

An hour later, in the reception room on the hotel's rooftop.

Loren and Hermione sat side by side on the sofa, huddled together flipping through the latest issues of the New York Ghost, the thin pages rustling softly.

Nancy and Pickley were sitting next to him, their eyes vacant, seemingly lost in thought. Suddenly, Pickley sat up straight, causing the soft sofa to sway slightly.

"Do you think Harry can really get leave? Voldemort has been completely eliminated now, and the Death Eaters have been mostly captured and imprisoned. It shouldn't be a problem to let Harry relax for a while, right?"

Nancy was about to nod in agreement when she saw the young witch, who hadn't yet graduated, shake her head.

"No, that won't happen," Hermione explained softly. "Harry is the focus of the entire British wizarding world right now. When the Daily Prophet publishes the news of Voldemort's downfall, everyone will remember this savior. Even without the threat of Voldemort and the Death Eaters, Minister Scrimgeour wouldn't let him run around in this unfamiliar territory. If something happens, it will be hard to explain."

"Excellent analysis!"

A rough, cheerful voice came from the doorway.

Two middle-aged male wizards entered the room. The one who spoke was the one in front, dressed in a suit and tie, but his tie and cuffs were crooked, giving the first impression of being unrestrained and unconventional.

Minister Scrinzer was lagging behind; he was not very agile.

"Mr. Kohhausen."

Pickley and Nancy stood up to greet him.

"I've told you many times, just call me Samuel." The wizard smiled and patted the two on the shoulder, then sat down next to them. He turned to Hermione and said, "You must be Miss Granger. I've heard Nancy and Pickley mention you. You're academically excellent and very knowledgeable. I thought you'd be a bookworm, but I was wrong. You're a wise witch."

"Hello..." Hermione hesitated slightly.

Koohauer chuckled: "Rufus clearly wanted to refuse Harry, but instead of telling him directly, he went around in circles and finally passed the buck to Dumbledore, saying that Harry was just a student and should ask the headmaster for leave, not the Minister of Magic."

Scrimgeour limped over and sat down next to him, giving him a cold glance, but to no avail.

"In that case, Mr. Scrimgeour will be disappointed. Dumbledore will definitely agree to Harry's request," Loren chuckled softly, delivering a precise finishing blow.

Scrimgeour paused for a moment, recalling Dumbledore's style of doing things, and frowned slightly, his brows furrowing more and more, looking somewhat restless.

"This must be Mr. Morgan. I am Samuel G. Kohauer, the person in charge of this operation by the Magical Congress of the United States. Just call me Samuel."

Kohler clearly knew that Loren was the wizard who defeated Voldemort that night, but he didn't mention it much, only briefly mentioning it before quickly changing the subject: "Things have progressed very quickly in the two days you've been gone. We've kept the news under wraps, and The Ghost hasn't published any related news yet. Nancy, could you give our friends a brief overview of the current situation?"

"Yes, sir."

Nancy paused, organizing the information as she spoke slowly: "After Voldemort's complete death, those across the country who had been cursed with the Imperius Curse gradually returned to normal. The Death Eaters were mostly captured, and some officials even surrendered, admitting to having connections with the Death Eaters. The Magical Congress of the United States is conducting a comprehensive investigation into related personnel..."

Loren sat quietly beside him, listening.

These were all expected developments. Voldemort was the foundation of the Death Eaters, and with the foundation completely collapsed, the castles in the air above naturally crumbled.

Scrimgeour, having gradually recovered, cleared his throat and added, "We also uncovered an internal spy and arrested Mrs. Eckmore of the Department of Magical Transportation yesterday morning. Tykros will take over as head of the department. The sentencing trials for the Death Eaters will begin before September. To prevent influence from local pure-blood families, we plan to hold the trials at Woolworth House, and then extradite them back to the Ministry of Magic for further detention and processing."

Hearing about these political topics, Hermione's eyes gleamed, like a diligent student attentively studying in class.

Scrimgeour paused briefly, glanced at Loren beside him, and continued, "The situation of two Death Eaters is special. Lucius Malfoy has already been bailed out by Dumbledore, just like Professor Snape before him. He only needs to submit relevant evidence to explain the situation."

"Who is the other one?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.

"It's Bellatrix Lestrange," Scrimgeour said, his expression complex. "She's pregnant."

"She's pregnant!?"

Hermione exclaimed in surprise.

Loren paused for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before revealing a thoughtful expression.

"The child still in gestation is protected by powerful magic, and we cannot confirm whose bloodline it is..." Scrimgeour's voice turned cold, revealing a hint of ruthless cunning, "but we cannot rule out the possibility that it is Voldemort's bloodline."

According to the relevant regulations of the International Wizarding Federation, in order to promote the reproduction of the wizarding community, even the most vicious and cruel black wizards will not implicate their children for their crimes. As the maintainer of the wizarding social order, the wizarding government will certainly not apply the barbaric and backward collective punishment law.

But Voldemort was an exception.

Upon hearing the news that Voldemort had conceived a child, any wizard who knew Voldemort would not believe that it was his child. They would only think that it was some kind of dark magic creation, some kind of life-prolonging ritual of Voldemort, or some other bloody and cruel curse.

Hermione's eyes were somewhat blank as she asked softly, "What does the Ministry of Magic plan to do with Bellatrix... and the child in her womb?"

"The British Ministry of Magic is a full member of the International Confederation of Wizards. We will not violate relevant laws without cause, but we will also not allow Voldemort any possibility of realizing his conspiracy," Scrimgeour said coldly. "They will receive the best care at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Sicknesses, with professional therapists conducting regular check-ups. We will only begin Bellatrix's trial after the baby is born."

Nancy couldn't help but ask, "What about the child?"

"If the child is healthy, he will be treated as a normal orphan of a wizard, either handed over to relevant relatives for care or placed in a welfare institution."

"..."

The reception room gradually quieted down.

The two government officials remained silent, as did the other young wizards.

Loren searched through distant memories in his mind, stories from after the end of the series of adventures, seemingly about a cursed child.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much useful information.

"Alright! Now that we've covered the serious stuff, let's talk about something lighter."

Kouhauge suddenly clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. Meeting their gazes, he pointed to the newspaper on the table: "Next, we'll publish news about this war and celebrate the victory."

He said to Loren, "Rufus and I have discussed this, and we've decided to go with your opinion. If you're willing to reveal your identity, we'll publicize your achievements to wizards worldwide and strive for corresponding honors, including the Order of Merlin First Class from Britain, America, Albania, Germany, Austria, and many other countries; honorary trusteeships from several magic schools; nominations for individual positions in the International Wizarding Federation; and a nomination from Wizengamot..."

"Emmm...just hearing that gives me a headache."

"Then let's proceed with the second plan..."

(End of this chapter)