Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 779 Protest, Strong Protest!

Hagrid's Hut at midday.

The already spacious room has been expanded, with a ceiling height of over ten meters. Smoked chicken and a complete black bear pelt hang from the ceiling. Pink umbrellas, mole fur coats, and a giant crossbow are displayed on the walls. The old solid wood floor is still preserved. The copper kettle that used to always be placed on the stove has been removed, and a huge crucible is on top, emitting steam.

A large bed sits in the corner of the room, covered with bedding pieced together from scraps of cloth. At first glance, it looks rather shabby, but peeking out from the gaps in the open zipper are fluffy white down and a few unicorn tail feathers. Combined with the various precious materials casually placed throughout the room, this little house gains a mysterious and unpredictable air.

A huge wooden table and chairs were placed in front of the fire. Five young wizards, two giants, and a hound were sitting around the table. Lunch was the result of Hagrid and Gropp's hard work all day: a pot of steaming meat soup, with a basket of pies for each person.

Happy Birthday, Hagrid!

"Happy birthday!"

"Tsk, who would have thought Hagrid is 69 years old?"

There is currently no research on the lifespan of giants.

"Don't talk about studying at a time like this."

"Thank you so much, thank you so much..."

Hagrid was so moved he could barely speak, only repeatedly expressing his gratitude. He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his snot and tears, the 69-year-old mixed-race giant crying like a child. Perhaps feeling that this appearance was somewhat unbecoming of a school professor, he hastily grabbed a few pies to cover his embarrassment.

The pie was a bit dry, so I picked up a porcelain bowl the size of my head and gulped down the scalding hot broth.

The main ingredient of the broth is beef, including brisket, ribs, and knee bones. It is then mixed with recently cured ham and smoked turkey. The whole pot is stewed in a huge crucible and simmered from early morning. When the time is almost up, a small portion of the broth is ladled out and placed in another crucible, which is then filled with homegrown vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots.

I couldn't even tell what animal the broth tasted like anymore; it had all sorts of flavors. The meat's fat and flavor compounds had been stewed into the broth, making it delicious, savory, and rich, with a hint of sweetness from tomatoes and carrots. The hot broth flowed down my esophagus into my stomach, and the warm, comfortable feeling seeped into my bones, making me feel warm and cozy all over.

Make a slit in Mrs. Weasley's pie, soak it in the broth, and wait for the dry crust to absorb the broth. The meat filling inside will become even more delicious, and with one bite, your mouth will be filled with the savory broth.

Hagrid initially tried to hide his embarrassment, but the more he ate the pies with broth, the more he wanted to eat, and before he knew it, he had devoured half a basket of pies, letting out a satisfied sigh.

The broth in the crucible had dropped a little.

The pure-blooded giant, Gromp, was getting impatient, but since he hadn't fully mastered human language, he could only stammer and say briefly, "Slow down! Gromp's chopping wood! Wait for Loren..."

Loren only understood a small part of it.

He chopped the firewood to cook this pot of meat soup. He started cooking the soup in the morning, and the aroma of meat began to waft through the air after about half an hour. He and Ya Ya were so tempted that their mouths watered. They could have cooked another pot of soup. If they hadn't been waiting for Loren and the others, they wouldn't still be waiting to taste it.

Gloucester had given up protesting and hurriedly began to eat.

The broth was still bubbling in the pot. I ladled it out and poured it directly into my mouth, then stuffed a few meat pies in with my mouth and gulped them down. My tongue was numb.

"Hiss...whoosh..."

Even when his mouth was burning hot, he didn't slow down, as if he were racing his brother.

Pureblood giants are tough.

Loren grinned from ear to ear.

Compared to meat broth with pies, Loren prefers braised beef brisket that's almost completely tender, with lean meat and tendons, soft, flavorful, and delicious.

Hermione and Ginny, the two girls next to them, preferred carrots; they were sweet and melted in their mouths with just a gentle bite.

Harry and Ron were also wolfing down their food, not caring that the broth was too hot to handle, their breath steaming hot. Actually, there was no need to rush. When Loren told them the recipe, he had calculated how many people they would eat. There was also half a cauldron of broth next to them, and Hagrid's own vegetables and fruits were full of storage scales, which was enough to feed the two giants for a lunch.

If that's still not enough, there are also rock-crust pastries and fruitcakes frozen solid in front of the fireplace.

This is enough to fill you up.

……

After lunch.

Grop's expression was blank, his eyes unfocused, as if he had turned back into the foolish giant. He collapsed on Hagrid's large bed, half of his body dragging on the floor, his belly swollen, and the sound of water churning could be heard when he turned over and swayed.

Hagrid moved the two giant crucibles to the wall, covered them, and planned to heat them up again that evening. Served with hearty rock cakes, this would be his and Gropp's dinner.

Harry and Ron are helping to clear away the dishes and pots, while the girls are cleaning the table.

Loren was exempt from labor because he provided the recipes.

Sitting in a chair covered with a unicorn blanket, Loren lazily watched them busy themselves, his mind blank, not thinking about anything, not even trying to fall asleep, just purely daydreaming.

Hermione came over and sat down next to him. After a while, she whispered, "I want to sit by the door and get some fresh air."

"Emmm..."

Loren paused for a moment to think.

The fireplace in the room was burning brightly. Having just eaten lunch, it was indeed a bit stuffy, and his cheeks and forehead were slightly hot. He also felt a bit like he wanted some cool air.

"Then blow for a little while," Loren said lazily. "Don't blow for too long, just a little bit."

"..."

The chair was moved to the doorway, and the door was opened a crack, letting in a blast of icy wind, carrying snowflakes that melted quickly upon landing on him, leaving a cool, refreshing sensation. A few strands of Hermione's hair swayed on his face, tickling him.

"Professor McGonagall has started compiling the list of students staying on campus for Christmas. Should we stay on campus or go home for the break?"

"Go home, go home. There's no special reason to stay at school this year. If we don't go back soon, Grandpa Bates will start yelling at us."

"I'll go back that night and write to them."

"It's perfect to have Hanhan deliver it. Once he gets home, he shouldn't come back yet. It's cold now, and we don't usually need Hanhan to deliver any mail, so we don't have to make two trips during the holidays."

"..."

Hermione glanced at him, then, feeling the cold wind had cooled down enough, she kicked the door shut. "It's just that you don't have to receive the mail. Silly has to deliver it to Nancy, to the magazine, and to all my pen pals."

"Nancy..."

Loren's mind drifted to the image of the wizards from the Magical Congress of America. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Judging by the time, it's been almost half a year. Nancy and Pickley should be heading back soon, right?"

"Um."

Hermione nodded: "The Death Eaters' trial is over, the Ministry of Magic's investigation is basically finished, they're going home for Christmas, and Mr. Kohauer is also going back to complete the final election for President of Parliament."

"When will Mr. Kohhausen leave?"

"The weekend before Christmas, that's when we go home for the holidays."

"Having been away from the Magical Congress of the United States for over half a year, is there any chance of winning if I go back now?"

"Don't forget that Nancy and Pickley also came to the Ministry of Magic with him. They represent the Butt, Grevis, and Picqueri families, not to mention that Mr. Coohaus also secured the support of Ilvermorny..."

Hermione spoke softly and at a steady pace, listing the candidates for president of the Magical Congress of the United States one by one, analyzing their situations, and estimating their chances of winning. Hermione was meticulous and rigorous, as if she could already see the outcome.

Outside the door, the wind and snow howled, while inside, a roaring fire burned in the stove.

Loren listened quietly, tilting his head slightly to look at the girl beside him who was telling her story, his eyes slightly dazed.

His Hermione seems to be quite formidable.

"I remember the International Wizarding Congress is going to be held again, isn't it?"

"That's right, it's held every four years. The last one was for fourth-year students, the year of the Fire Cup Championship. The next United Conference will be held next summer."

"I see..."

Loren nodded thoughtfully, then changed the subject: "Could you help me arrange a meeting with Mr. Kohhausen?"

"Um?"

……

12 month 19 day.

Loren and Neville sat facing each other at opposite ends of the round table.

A flawless version after careful inspection!

Neville, after all, was a Gryffindor prefect. Although he was gentle and kind, and always seemed cheerful, he would only gently dissuade classmates from breaking school rules when he encountered them. Only when he couldn't dissuade them would he consult with Parvati and report to Professor McGonagall, arranging for a demerit and detention. In addition, he was roommates with Lorenz and, because of his parents, was grateful to and respected Lorenz, sending him Honeydukes candy boxes during holidays and treating him very well.

However, when Professor McGonagall specifically requested a meeting with him, he had no choice but to personally convey the professor's warning.

"Recently, several paranormal events have occurred: in the castle's washrooms, the common rooms of the four houses, and even the Hufflepuff dormitories. More than a dozen freshmen reported seeing a demon's smile in the middle of the night, appearing and disappearing quickly, only to reappear when they let their guard down..."

Naveen paused for a moment, then sighed: "Based on their description, Professor Flitwick determined it to be a Halloween jack-o'-lantern."

"Yeah?"

Loren rested his chin on his hand, frowned, and looked puzzled. "It's strange. How could the pumpkin lantern suddenly appear and then disappear? Hogwarts truly lives up to its reputation as a magical castle. Even after seven years here, there are still many wonderful magics that we haven't discovered."

"..."

Neville's expression was one of utter helplessness: "All the professors were in the conference room at the time. Professor Hagrid said that most of the pumpkin lanterns had been destroyed, and only a few of the scariest ones were given to you as souvenirs."

"What do you mean?" Loren frowned, looking distressed. "Do the professors suspect me?"

"All the professors were in the conference room at the time..."

Neville repeated helplessly, "Professor Babling is here too. She said she's been helping you refine some kind of spatial teleportation alchemy array."

"Are you suggesting I did it based on just these two points?"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape both believe the evidence is conclusive and consistent with your long-standing character traits, so it must have been you who did it."

"Slander! Utter slander!"

Loren slammed his fist on the table indignantly, his hands turning red, trying to prove his innocence: "This Hogwarts is such a big place, doesn't it need evidence to solve a case? Where's the headmaster? Where are the school rules?"

"All the professors were in the conference room at the time..." Neville emphasized again, "The punishment was personally decided by the headmaster. Instead of deducting Gryffindor points, it was changed to two weeks of confinement. The professor asked me to tell you to report to Mr. Filch after you return to school for the Christmas holidays."

"hateful!"

Surprisingly, there is no possibility of appeal.

The principal's verdict is final in the first instance.

Loren strongly protested, saying that without any direct evidence, they convicted him based on stereotypes and prejudice, which was a desecration of school rules and a betrayal of Ravenclaw!

They protest even when they're locked up, and they protest even when they're on holiday.

Loren remained seated, muttering to himself.

Neville got up and packed his luggage. Christmas was next Thursday, so Hogwarts was having an early holiday. The special express train would depart on time tomorrow morning to take the young wizards home for the holiday.

Harry and Ron had almost finished packing and were now struggling with a wizard chess endgame.

Seamus finally managed to stay at Hogwarts this year, supposedly by using the excuse of being his last year at the school to persuade his witch mother, who was also a student at the time. Unfortunately, all of his other roommates went home this year.

This is so uncomfortable!

This directly caused him to become listless and unable to muster any energy for the upcoming Christmas holidays.

It took Loren several minutes to recover from the shock of "dominating Hogwarts for years, never being put in solitary confinement since his second year, only to crash and burn just before graduation."

Loren looked up and saw his roommate, who was staying at school, with a distorted expression. He couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder: "Seamus, you don't seem to be in a good mood? You're also mourning the moral decline at Hogwarts, and feeling sorry for me being wronged, aren't you?"

"Not at all."

Seamus waved his hand, his tone very blunt: "In Merlin's name, tell me honestly, were those pumpkin lanterns a prank you played?"

"This is not a prank, it's a keepsake I left for Hogwarts."

"So it was you who did it, and the professors were right."

"How can this be correct?"

Loren frowned and retorted, then launched into a string of statements like "procedural justice is visible justice," "the adjudication process must be fair and just," and "participation, neutrality, and equality," which made his roommates burst into laughter, filling the dormitory with a cheerful atmosphere.

……

"Bang!"

The handsome man fastened his suitcase, sat down on the nearest bed, let out a long sigh, relaxed, and said leisurely, "Finally, I can go home!"

"Are you unhappy here?" Nancy asked, sitting on a sofa not far away, a gentle smile on her face.

"It's been fun working here and gaining experience and knowledge. After all, the Magical Congress hasn't held such a large-scale trial of dark wizards in many years. It's just that the food here is awful!" Piccolo waved his hand. "I thought the food back home was bad enough, but I didn't expect British food to be even worse."

"I'm going home tomorrow."

"By the way, has Mr. Kohhausen decided where to meet Loren?"

"It's been decided."

"where?"

"On the Hogwarts Express."

"?"

(End of this chapter)