Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 809 Opening Ceremony

August arrived in the blink of an eye.

Loren, carrying a steaming glass of milk in one hand and a fried egg in the other, walked lightly to the dining table: "Minister Granger, please open the jam and set the table."

Hermione, who was flipping through the newspaper, looked up and silently did as she was told.

Loren set out the breakfast, sat down beside him, and said in a sarcastic tone, "Oh dear, Minister Granger is very busy. I'm so sorry to trouble you with something like this."

I forgive you.

Hermione looked down and picked up a loaf of bread, spreading jam on it. It was her favorite strawberry jam, with a rich, sweet aroma, but the color wasn't bright enough. She didn't know where he bought it; there was no label on the glass jar.

"You really don't hold back."

"The Ministry of Magic is indeed very busy right now. If a legendary wizard who proposed a plan but was irresponsible could join the team and help, it would ease the situation considerably."

"Emmm..."

Loren hesitated for a moment, then decided to pretend he hadn't heard: "When do you guys take your vacation?"

Hermione focused intently on spreading the jam, her eyes fixed on the ground. "This weekend is a normal day off, but your birthday is on Thursday."

"..."

Loren immediately frowned and stared at her.

Hermione pursed her lips and remained silent.

This is the person who, while she was working overtime, took Grandpa Bates and her parents out for a late-night snack without waiting for her, bringing back several cold dishes. She still remembers this incident.

And I don't know what they talked about, but the parents went on vacation as soon as they got back.

There are only the two of them at home right now.

Loren maintained that expression, gazing intently.

Half a minute later, Hermione finished spreading the jam, took a bite while meeting his gaze, and smiled slightly before continuing, "I've applied for early leave to attend the opening ceremony of the Longbottom family's store on Wednesday, and I can spend Thursday and the following weekend with you for your birthday."

Loren gave a shy smile: "I've only been here for half a month, isn't it a bit inappropriate to take a vacation like this?"

"If you mind, I can withdraw my application."

"I have absolutely no objections."

"The strawberry jam tastes great, where did you buy it?"

"I made it myself, I know you like to eat this."

"..."

Hermione's gaze softened, and she remained silent, only slowing her chewing motions.

……

One week later.

Loren found Crookshank and Hanhan, who were searching around, and told them to watch the house. Then he prepared dried rat meat and mineral water and placed them in the yard and on the second-floor balcony before heading to Diagon Alley.

Influenced by the International Confederation of Wizards, businesses in Diagon Alley have been booming recently, with tourists everywhere and even the Leaky Cauldron packed with customers, making it hard to believe that it is currently the off-season for summer vacation.

Previously, it was Old Tom who greeted the customers, and there was always a group of elderly wizards chatting together. Now that the owner and staff have changed, those old wizards have disappeared.

When Loren and Hermione arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, they found Hannah from Hufflepuff standing behind the counter, skillfully mixing drinks and eloquently serving customers, showing no signs of having nearly fainted from nervousness before her exams.

There was no time for catching up. We ordered two butterbeers and sat in front of the counter for a while until Harry and the others appeared by blink, then headed towards Diagon Alley.

Not far from the Leaky Cauldron, at 7 Diagon Alley, you can easily spot Neville standing at the shop entrance, back straight, looking quite imposing.

"You've finally arrived!"

Her voice was clear and crisp, somewhat similar to Hannah's earlier, without a trace of her former timid and hesitant demeanor.

"Oh my, isn't this the proprietress of Leaky Cauldron?"

Loren greeted Neville with a warm handshake.

Harry and Ron, who were behind him, reacted for a moment after hearing this, but quickly came to their senses and, while shaking hands, referred to her as the proprietress of the Leaky Cauldron, laughing uncontrollably.

"The Leaky Cauldron is so busy, why don't they go and help Hannah?"

"Well... I often help out there..."

Neville scratched his head subconsciously, looking a little embarrassed, and slowed down his voice. At that moment, the figure of the chubby classmate could be vaguely seen.

Seamus, Dean, and the others gradually arrived, and the scene immediately became lively:

"Long time no see, Neville."

"have not seen you for a long time."

"Oh, let's not talk about that anymore. You finally sent us an invitation... I've missed you guys a bit since the holiday started. You've all been busy with work and business since graduation, while I've been idle at home. My mom is about to kick me out of the house."

Ron exclaimed in surprise, his expression seemingly filled with excitement: "Me too!"

"Didn't you become an Auror along with Harry?"

"There are too many people in my family at the Ministry of Magic, and I don't like this job."

"..."

Amidst laughter and chatter, a large group of people entered the shop.

Longbottom Boutique

The sign above was spotless and brand new, and the shop window displayed all sorts of goods: beautifully patterned woven flying carpets, exotic clay cauldrons, and strange masks with brightly colored paint... Most of these were goods that were originally prohibited from entering the country. The Ministry of Magic had lifted the ban only a few weeks ago, but the shops and supplies were already in place. This was the foundation of the Longbottom family.

The store is bright and spacious, making it a very comfortable place to shop.

The store's interior was enchanted with a seamless stretching spell, making the space very spacious. Goods were categorized and displayed on shelves, with price tags and product descriptions posted next to them. Each area had its own trial display stand, and the main aisle was spacious enough for centaurs or giants to run around in.

Unlike other shops, the interior lighting here is inspired by Muggle supermarkets. There are no visible oil lamps, candles, or torches. Although no electric lights are used, all light sources are hidden in the ceiling and on the shelves, creating a soft, bright but not glaring light.

It absolutely crushes similar stores.

"The items displayed in the window are magical items from other countries, but what we mainly sell here are the same things that are sold in ordinary magical boutiques," Neville explained to them. "The lifting of the ban had a rapid impact on the merchants, but a slow one on the ordinary wizards. If they had to choose a flying device, most wizards would still prefer a flying broom to a flying carpet."

The flying props display area was still filled with various models of flying brooms, with the addition of some flying brooms produced in other countries. The flying carpets were locked in cabinets and not on display.

"That's right, that's right..."

Ron nodded in agreement: "Just like the previous Queer Earth World Cup press conference, the Arab Queer Earth Association proposed the flying carpet project, which was immediately rejected."

"How did you know?" Simo was quite surprised by his erudition.

"I'm applying for the assistant coach position for Charlie's Artillery Team."

"!!"

Simo immediately opened his eyes wide, his eyes filled with disbelief.

We're all just ordinary people, but you've secretly made progress!

"The interior design of the store is based on Muggle supermarkets. We consulted several Muggle research experts, including Professor Bubbaji. In fact, wizarding shops have been learning about Muggle business culture for a long time. In the past, it was just about promotional methods and holiday discounts. Now we are starting to study product design and store decoration. We are just a bit more radical than them."

Will other shops also be renovated?

"It probably won't happen in the short term. Loren proposed that relocation plan, but it's still uncertain when the relocation will begin. If we have to move out once the renovations are complete, it would be a complete loss."

Everyone turned to look at Loren, their eyes widening.

"Why are you looking at me? The detailed plan was drawn up by the Ministry of Magic."

Everyone immediately looked at Hermione.

Hermione remained expressionless and subtly pinched his arm.

(End of this chapter)