I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 414 A Sweet Night

On the other hand, Hermione didn't show much excitement about this, she just silently reached out and pulled down the brim of her hat to hide herself.

She didn't want to be recognized and then surrounded here.

It's so embarrassing.

Of course, this minor mishap did not dampen everyone's enthusiasm for the hidden location.

This French-style Diagon Alley offers many sought-after items that London doesn't have.

They lingered, captivated by the magical goods from other European countries.

Some of them had never even met Irving.

At noon, they had lunch at a cake shop called Sman Tick Magic Cake Shop – Sweet Mystery.

That was a very unique shop.

Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow. The brass plaque above the shop door gleamed, engraved with the words "Sweet Secret".

The heavy wooden door was repeatedly pushed open.

A sweet aroma wafted over.

The walls were covered with ancient magical artifacts and various exquisite cake pictures.

That was some kind of magic, somehow it made the picture emit a smell.

Adjacent to the shop's huge floor-to-ceiling windows is a massive glass display case, showcasing exquisite cakes in a variety of colors and shapes, like precious jewels.

Under the enthusiastic recommendations of shop owner Sman Tick (a Galleon offensive), they tried many different flavors of cake. The moment they bit into the sweet treats, the wizards felt as if they had been enchanted with a happiness spell. A gentle, comfortable, and pleasant feeling enveloped their minds and bodies.

"That's really good!" Ron commented after eating four six-foot cakes in a row.

"Unique." Even Luna, who has a somewhat eccentric personality, expressed her liking for it.

As for Irving?

He was still trying to figure out how the cake in front of him, which tasted like beef, smelled like roast beef, and had the shape of fruit and cream, was made.

He originally thought it was just a dessert before the meal.

It wasn't until the shop owner served him a "cake" that looked like beef brisket, but when cut open it was full of various vegetables and meats—clearly a barbecue 'cake'—that he realized how terribly wrong he had been.

Magic—it really is incredibly amazing.

Just as they finished their meal.

Luna suddenly pulled a card out of her jacket pocket as if she had a hot coal in her pocket.

The card is black, and the shirt has a glowing gold arrow on it.

At this moment, it is pointing in a certain direction without any deviation.

"Oh—my dad's here," Luna explained to everyone, holding up the cards. "Shall we have another get-together in a few days?"

"No problem?" everyone said enthusiastically.

"Okay—" she said quickly, getting up and then calling out to them, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Irving replied.

Then, Luna pushed open the wooden door, holding her signpost, and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Afterward, they left their hiding place and wandered around famous tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre.

Quite by chance, they met Bill and Fleur when they visited the Palace of Versailles.

The two are probably on a date.

When Fleur saw Hermione again, she was very happy and started chatting with her.

Last night's situation was definitely not suitable for casual conversation between girls.

Moreover, Hermione was always the main character at the banquet, and Fleur couldn't get a word in edgewise. She was still somewhat indebted to the legendary first Dark Lord.

During the girls' conversation, Owen learned that Hermione had been corresponding with Fleur through letters.

Furong knew they were coming to Paris for Christmas.

Sure enough, Miss Granger's charm was irresistible to women. She could attract girls anywhere, especially pretty ones.

She chatted and laughed with Furong the whole time.

At the end of the tour, Bill suddenly called Ron away.

They seem to have something on their minds.

This left the young wizards' travel group with only four people.

He and Hermione, Harry and Ginny.

Seeing this, Irving decisively proposed to separate.

Ginny naturally agreed, and Hermione understood his intentions, so she agreed as well.

Only Harry was worried that he wouldn't speak French and might encounter some difficulties.

However, none of these were major issues. After Owen handed Sirocco over to Ginny to look after, all the problems were resolved.

As afternoon approached, it was finally time for just the two of them to have some alone time.

Irving and Hermione strolled along the Seine River on the riverbank.

The people coming and going were mostly young men and women.

The river shimmered in the afterglow of the setting sun, like a shimmering ribbon winding through the city. In the distance, the buildings of Paris appeared even more magnificent against the backdrop of blue sky and white clouds.

The two chatted about lighthearted topics. They talked about their recent lives, sharing their joys and sorrows. Sunlight shone on them, bathing them in golden light. At that moment, they seemed to forget the world around them, immersed only in each other's company.

Around 6 p.m.

He and Miss Granger settled in a Muggle restaurant.

Today is the first day of Christmas, and young men and women are everywhere.

The same applies to restaurants.

Compared to the British, French couples are much bolder. As soon as the two approached, they could see at least three or four couples kissing in public in the restaurant.

They were so intimate that they seemed to be all alone.

The air was filled with an ambiguous scent.

Hermione tightened her grip on Owen's hand, her face flushing even more.

It's so embarrassing.

She couldn't be that bold.

However, Irving thought it was perfect.

That's the atmosphere.

great.

He found a seat on the innermost side of the window and sat down.

The previous couple just left; they caught a good time.

The restaurant waitress was a young woman in her early twenties with thick, black hair; she was of Asian descent and her nationality was unknown.

She approached in French with a strange accent, "What would you like?"

"Let's make a recommendation for today!" Hermione said curtly, barely daring to look up at the waiter's strange gaze.

"Okay." The girl looked away, quickly wrote something in her notebook, then turned and left.

She returned to the cashier's position.

Owen noticed that she was whispering something to her colleague, and every now and then she would get strange looks.

"I guess they're mistaking me for a girl again. Two girls on a date... that's pretty rare these days." Owen rested his chin on his left hand, a smile playing on his lips, leaning forward and staring intently at Hermione.

"Huh?" Hermione was taken aback, her eyes widening. So that's how it is—no wonder so many people kept staring at them as soon as they entered the restaurant.

"Maybe I'll have to keep my Disappearance spell active when I go out in the future," Owen said, sounding troubled, but it was more likely an act. He couldn't be bothered to pretend, and he wouldn't change his appearance for anyone else.

"I think this is fine."

"Really?" Owen unexpectedly grabbed Hermione's hand. "I might be quite busy lately—mainly with things at the hospital."

"At least in the next few days."

The Christmas holiday lasts for two weeks, and he will likely be busy at the hospital for the first week.

"It's okay," she said earnestly. "Saving lives is more important than anything else."

"That's what they say—" Owen kneaded her fingers, "but I'm not saving them for the sake of saving them; it's more of a magical exercise."

"Especially those guys who are courting death."

A sudden burst of intense hostility erupted from his voice, but it vanished in an instant.

"Never mind," he continued, "Come to think of it, I don't think I've prepared a Christmas present for you yet."

Irving gazed at him gently.

Their fragile relationship wasn't maintained by gifts or surprises, and they didn't lack anything between them.

This left Irving in a dilemma: what should he send?

Just like the gloves and hat Hermione gave him, it was more of a token of affection.

Thinking about it.

His fingers kept tracing across her palm, and each time she felt an electric shock and tried to pull them back, but she was clearly no match for him in terms of strength.

"I've suddenly thought of something good," he said, meeting Hermione's resentful gaze.

"What?" Hermione bit her lip as she scrutinized his face.

The boy's eyes were like sparkling emeralds, and a few strands of hair fell across his forehead, softening his already somewhat angular features.

He tied his hair with a simple hair tie, then tucked it into his trench coat, and put the hat she had knitted on his head to cover his long silver hair as much as possible.

Although it's not very useful, and might even give people a more—well—"cute" feeling, it can provide some psychological comfort.

The boy's smile widened even more.

He took Hermione's right hand, and then, as if by magic, his fingers caught it in mid-air, and a ring appeared in his hand.

Then—to Miss Granger's astonished gaze, she put the ring on the middle finger of her right hand.

"It should be on the left hand," Owen said. "But it can only be worn on the hand you're used to casting spells on."

"This is Solomon's Ten Rings," he explained. "A very powerful ancient magical artifact that can be triggered approximately every half hour, enhancing one of your spells."

"He's not very useful to me."

Irving sighed and said that this was something he had figured out over the past three months.

This ring can indeed enhance his spells, but the power will not exceed three times. Moreover, the spells in the ring can only be reactivated every half hour. For him, the enemies he faces are either those he can defeat without enhancing his spells, or those he still cannot defeat even if the spells are enhanced tenfold. Therefore, this ring is quite useless in his hands.

However, it was quite clear that Miss Granger had no interest in the purpose of the ring.

She just stared at it blankly.

This is a very unremarkable pure gold ring.

But if you look closely, you'll find that its surface seems to have flames dancing around it.

Those 'flames' are actually tiny, invisible magical runes.

She never expected Irving to give her a ring—no—maybe later, but not today.

This fool—doesn't he know what it means to put a ring on a girl's finger?

She felt as if her eyes were about to burst open, and something was about to overflow.

No—her nose stung, and she quickly covered her eyes with her other hand, afraid that Owen would see her.

Owen was surprised by Hermione's strong reaction.

He guessed she would be very surprised, but he didn't expect it to be this serious.

He extended his free right hand, leaving a mark on her cheek with his fingertips.

Then, gently, she said, "This is just the beginning, Miss Granger."

"There are nine left."

"Are you planning to cry every time you get one?"

The girl's body trembled slightly. She lowered her hand from her eyes, which were now misty and crystal clear.

She suddenly pressed her lips to his fingers, feeling him grip her hand even tighter.

"Expel Muggles," Owen whispered.

A tiny Muggle banishment spell spread half a foot from their table and chairs.

Everyone's attention was drawn to them, as if something else was at play.

Then he crossed the table from Hermione's side and stood beside her.

The girl's heart was pounding.

She realized what was about to happen.

But she showed no intention of running away. Instead, she boldly snuggled closer to him, closed her eyes, and wholeheartedly felt the boy who belonged to her.

Listen to his heartbeat.

That's also accelerating.

In that instant, this was more joyful than any confession of love.

They embraced like that, and after about ten seconds, Hermione looked up and stared at him.

After a moment's pause, she took the initiative to kiss his lips.

Fiery—like whiskey.

Although she had never tasted that kind of strong liquor, she guessed it must taste like this.

The boy responded passionately, holding her tightly in his arms. Their bodies were pressed together so tightly that she had to bend over to maintain the position.

His hand moved up the girl's back, and finally his fingers ran through her hair.

Press down on the back of her head; that might make it easier for her.

Of course, teasing a girl's hair is also a fun thing to do.

Each time she was touched, she would tremble slightly.

Gradually, I lost track of how much time had passed.

The breathtaking kiss had just ended.

The fiery liquor transforms into a sweet one, with a lingering sweetness tinged with a hint of tartness that spreads across the tongue.

Both of them unconsciously wanted more—but—this was clearly not a good place.

"Did you have this in mind all along?" Hermione's face flushed. She felt ashamed of her boldness just now, but she still leaned against him and was reluctant to leave. However, her fiery eyes now had a touch of rationality.

"How can you say that?" Owen pinched her cheek. "It was just a matter of time."

Hermione bit her lip, gazing at him with deep affection. Yes—Owen was right, it was only a matter of time.

But I always felt that that thing should come later.

Maybe a year or several years later.

Isn't it too early now?

This idea of ​​hers had just come to mind.

The faint feeling of restraint coming from her right middle finger made her immediately aware of the ring.

My inner conflict is nothing more than modesty and shyness.

She now belongs to one person forever, and that person belongs only to her; he is her possession.

It doesn't matter whether it's sooner or later.

Since we'll have to face it sooner or later, why not today?

Hermione raised her hand, glanced at the ring again, and then met Owen's gaze.

She bit her lip lightly, speaking shyly yet resolutely, "You know what you should ask. Do you expect me to say it? That's ridiculous!"

"Hmm—it's not impossible, is it?" Owen said jokingly.

Then he saw the girl open her mouth, revealing a row of sharp teeth, as if she was about to bite him.

"Just kidding," he said.

Then he lifted the girl's chin, gazed at her intently, and asked, "So—Miss Granger—will you marry me?"

As if in a dream, stars struck the earth, and the girl's brown eyes shimmered with tears and anticipation.

Then, she smiled gently, all emotion vanishing from her eyes, leaving only happiness and contentment. "I—do!"

Then their souls collided once more.

------

Dinner lasted from 6 p.m. until after 7 p.m.

Of course, they could stay a little longer.

However, if this continues, the Muggle exorcism spell may lose its effectiveness.

Because magic only makes people oblivious to them; deep down, Muggles still see people in that place, and they can't be waiting for hours to finish their dinner. That's just not normal.

After dinner, to the astonishment of the staff, the two walked out of the restaurant hand in hand, arm in arm.

It was still early.

They didn't want the day to end so soon.

Irving already has a good place to go.

Just now at the restaurant, several couples were discussing where to go next, and they all seemed to have chosen to watch a movie.

He heard that a new movie was released on Christmas Day, a brand new masterpiece by some famous director, and it was very popular. He heard about the movie several times in the restaurant.

Hmm—a movie?

A nice place, though old-fashioned, but just right compared to 1995 and for a little wizard who rarely watches movies.

"Hi, Miss Granger, want to go to the movies?"

The streetlights were still on.

The orange CD player radiated darkness.

Despite the cold, the two lovers felt a strange sense of warmth.

"Hmm?" Hermione looked at Owen, and from his teasing eyes, she immediately knew what he wanted to do—she knew a thing or two about dating in the Muggle world.

Although I am already out of touch with this world.

But she wasn't the only Muggle-born witch at Hogwarts.

The witch, who was a year ahead of her, had recounted her sister's dating experiences with boys, mentioning that the dimly lit environment of a movie theater was a good place for a date.

And she didn't seem to have any reason to refuse, "Hmm—" she nodded.

After obtaining Hermione's consent.

Irving then took her and quietly followed behind several couples.

Those couples were the ones who had just said they wanted to go see a movie at the restaurant.

He obviously didn't know where the nearby movie theater was.

You'll never get lost if you follow them.

Fortunately, it's not far.

Three blocks later.

He and Hermione spotted a huge sign from afar.

That looks like a movie poster.

Several huge searchlights shone on the poster, making it quite conspicuous.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, both of them noticed a figure on the poster that they recognized quite well.

The moment Irving saw that figure, he knew his plan had failed.

His original plan was to go to the cinema and find the least popular movie, preferably one that nobody would watch.

The pitch-black environment, the deserted corner, and the added blessing of Muggle expulsion and confusion spells—tonight is sure to leave behind wonderful memories.

But—the moment that poster appeared, he knew that there was no way anything could be made tonight.

"Is that Dobby? He's become a movie star?" Hermione exclaimed, pointing at the poster.

When did magical creatures become so openly exposed in the Muggle world?

What about the Ministry of Magic?

Aren't you going to do anything about it?

"I don't know—I haven't seen it for six months." Owen shook his head. He hadn't been home this year, to his London residence, so he hadn't seen much of it.

During his time in the hospital, it was the Rozier family elves who helped him.

As for Dobby—he thought the free little elf was on another round-the-world trip!

Irving only found out now that Dobby has gone off to make movies!

"Well—it seems we don't have many options." Owen shook his head somewhat dejectedly; Hermione's attention was definitely on the movie now.

I squeezed in with the crowd and bought two tickets for a movie called "Roman Treasures".

They entered the screening room under the guidance of the staff.

Following the numbers on their tickets, the two easily found their seats.

As soon as I sat down, I heard the audience in the rows in front of me discussing the movie enthusiastically.

"Christopher Snyder's new film, oh my god! I absolutely love his 2017 hit 'The Lord of the Rings'."

"Yes! The great Middle-earth! The special effects were amazing, and Gandalf... Honestly, if I were a wizard, I'd definitely want Gandalf as my teacher."

"Yes! If there were a wizarding school, Gandalf would definitely be the headmaster. He'd be perfect for the job."

They chatted excitedly.

But what he said made Irving chuckle.

This Gandalf sounds more and more like Dumbledore the more you talk about him!

Hermione, standing nearby, also found it amusing. With these people praising her, she became even more excited for the upcoming movie.

Soon the lights in the screening room dimmed.

The logos of several major film publishing companies flashed by in turn, and the film slowly began to unfold.

------

Two and a half hours later, this Marvel blockbuster, belonging to the 1990s, finally came to an end.

Regarding this movie.

It's hard to evaluate Irving because his storylines are just too lazy.

Yes—lazy, not rotten.

It's just a product of the Hollywood film factory's assembly line. There's nothing thought-provoking about the plot.

The only commendable aspects are the actors' performances and the exaggerated, realistic special effects.

It's basically a remake of "Indiana Jones".

The story revolves around a group of protagonists who are invited by the University of Turin to travel to the Italian coast in search of an ancient site.

Upon arrival at their destination, after a series of tedious adventures (which were tedious for Owen, given how many movies he'd seen and how outdated the 1990s plots seemed to him),

The main characters' team was surprised to discover that the so-called ancient underwater ruins were actually the birthplace of Roman mythology (actually Greek mythology).

The ruins are filled with all sorts of magical items.

Just as the main characters were about to pass on the news to the university, a group of soldiers wearing uniforms that were quite familiar to Europeans also appeared in the ruins.

It turns out that someone had already gotten there first.

Nazi remnants discovered this place decades ago.

They devoted themselves to studying these "mythical artifacts" in an attempt to rebuild the Third Reich.

Then—the plot took a turn in the direction of Hydra.

(End of this chapter)