I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 444 Dumbledore's Arrangements

Hermione glanced at Koyatl a few more times.

They found that the other party did not make any move.

I remained leaning against the window, gazing at the scenery outside.

Seeing this, the embarrassment in her heart dissipated somewhat.

Then, the little witch leaned forward and whispered, "It's a sense of security."

"A sense of security?" Ron looked at Hermione, puzzled.

Hermione quickly gestured for him to keep his voice down.

"Haven't you noticed? There's always a sense of distance between her and us when she's with us, not because she doesn't trust us."

"I think it's a form of self-protection. Given her past, it's normal for her to have these kinds of psychological issues," Hermione continued softly. "She only seems natural and relaxed when she's talking to you."

"Really?" Ron asked, scratching his head.

"Yes!" Even Harry nodded.

Perhaps his emotional intelligence improved considerably after he started secretly dating Ginny, because he can now see through these things.

"And it's obvious," Harry said definitively.

"Look—" Irving spread his hands. "So, young man, seize the opportunity. If you miss it, you really miss it."

Ron was a little flustered, his eyes constantly glancing at the seats opposite them.

But I have absolutely no idea what to do.

Kyrie Irving understood perfectly; now was the time to deliver the assist.

He turned his head to the side, his emerald green eyes staring intently at Justin across from him.

Justin, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, immediately noticed the gaze directed at him by Irving.

His expression froze, bewildered.

After exchanging glances with Irving several times, a sudden inspiration struck him, and he quickly stood up to give up his seat.

"Go!" Irving said, a smug smile on his face.

"Huh?" Ron frowned.

on?

What are you going to do?

Harry grabbed him.

Then he dragged and kicked him to the other side.

His combo was incredibly smooth; it was clear he'd been wanting to do this for a while.

Justin sat down next to Ron, and they switched places.

And just like that—the atmosphere on the other side suddenly became strange.

Hannah, of course, understood perfectly.

She made up a lie, got up from her seat, walked a few rows back, and went to find Susan.

As for Ernie, he got up almost simultaneously with Justin.

He walked a few rows forward to find Zacharys and Neville.

"Waaaaah~~~"

Suddenly, the train sounded its whistle.

Large amounts of steam drifted past from both sides.

The steam momentarily obscured the young wizards' vision, but after that instant...

The vast fields then revealed their beauty to the young wizards.

A gentle breeze rustled the green grass, its leaves spreading out, creating a soft, rustling sound like ocean waves.

In the distance, there seemed to be a Muggle town, with the outline of its eaves faintly visible beneath tall oak trees.

The scent of flowers, grass, and human habitation wafted on the wind.

A feeling of comfort suddenly welled up inside me.

Irving unconsciously gripped the girl's hand even tighter.

They exchanged a few words here and there.

Justin and Harry, who were standing in front of him, had long since disappeared.

One might go to find Susan, and the other should go to Ginny's carriage.

Well, that's youth.

Like the fields outside the window, it is full of timeless charm.

In that wilderness, there are always men and women who want to explore.

"Clang—"

The train continued its journey.

The two people on the opposite side remained silent.

They sat facing each other, leaning against the window, like wooden figures.

Silence—until the train pulled into King's Cross station.

Harry and Ginny arrived together after the train pulled into London.

Seeing that Ron and Koyatl were still in the same positions he had left in, he considered his attempt to bring the two together a failure.

However, Owen and Hermione didn't think so. If they had failed, they wouldn't have sat together for hours without saying a word.

The train stopped.

The ticket seller indicated that they could safely pass through the magic barrier between platforms nine and ten.

A group of people were waiting for them outside.

Irving saw the Weasleys, and the Grangers.

They squeezed to the front of the crowd.

He also saw Luna's father, Mr. Xenophilius Lovegood.

Hannah's father, Mr. Abbott.

Finally, there's Neville's grandmother—Mrs. Augusta.

At this moment, she changed her usual serious expression and stood in the crowd with a smile.

Neville walked quickly past them.

"See you in September," he said to Owen, Harry, Hermione, and the other young wizards.

"Happy summer vacation. Have fun," Irving replied.

Neville held a flowerpot in his hands, inside which grew a strange plant.

Qu Yicao—Professor Sprout spent a whole semester without discovering any effects from this magical plant, except that it makes a cheerful sound when someone passes by it.

The professor treated it as an ornamental plant and transplanted many of them into the Hufflepuff lounge.

Neville asked for one, and judging from his cheerful steps, he must have intended to bring this plant, which could bring happiness, to his parents.

After six months of treatment, the Lombards regained consciousness a few months ago.

They are still living in Rozier's Magical Disability Hospital. Although they are conscious, their souls are not so easy to recover and they need a long period of rest.

This summer vacation should be their last period in the hospital.

"Ron, Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley called out their names warmly, then hurried over and hugged her children tightly. "Oh! And dear Harry, well—it's so good to see you, child."

She hugged Koyatl tightly again. "I've tidied up the room. I didn't know what kind of decor you liked, so I just went with Ginny's style."

"That's enough," Koyatl said calmly.

"Mom—" the twins came up.

"Did you pick us up from the goblin cave?"

"Oh—of course not." Mrs. Weasley pressed the twins' heads down, kissed their foreheads, and then led them away from the platform.

Mr. Arthur also came to help, and the busy family enjoyed themselves immensely.

Harry looked on with great envy.

As the crowd slowly dispersed, he suddenly discovered something unexpected waiting for him on the other side.

At least they were looking at themselves.

There was Mad-Eye Moody, who wore a bowler hat pulled low, obscuring his magical eyes, and looked just as menacing as when he wasn't wearing the hat. He held a long wooden staff in his rough, tangled hands and wore a large travel cloak.

Tonks stood behind him, sunlight streaming through the dark glass ceiling of the platform, her bubblegum pink hair shimmering in the light. She wore patched jeans and a bright purple T-shirt with a graphic of the quirky sister band.

Next to Tonks was Lupin, who had a smile on his face and wore a brown Muggle suit with a coat over it.

He was waving at Harry.

"Hello, Harry," Professor Lupin stepped forward and greeted Harry.

At this moment, Mrs. Weasley was greeting Hermione.

"Hello," Harry replied. "What are you doing here?" Actually, he wanted to ask if they had come specifically to pick him up.

"Oh," Lupin chuckled softly, "we're here on behalf of Sirius—he's currently in the Far East."

The Federation has established a new department, you know, and Dumbledore wants me to be involved in its management—so I'm transiting through London on my way to Sweden.

But now that we've run into each other, I think—before your aunt and uncle take you home, you should have a brief talk with them.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Harry replied immediately.

"Oh, I think that's not necessarily true." Moody gave a cruel, noncommittal smile. "Can they really be more difficult to deal with than Scrimgeour?"

"That's them, isn't it, Potter?" He pointed behind him from over his shoulder, his magical eyes clearly peering through the back of his head and top hat. Harry tilted slightly to the left, looking in the direction Mad-Eye was pointing.

Sure enough, the Dursleys were watching the wedding procession of wizards with bated breath.

"Yes!" Harry nodded.

Irving also stopped and watched with great interest.

Having received an affirmative answer, Moody, along with Professor Lupin and Mr. Arthur, walked toward the Dursleys.

"Good afternoon," Mr. Weasley began. "You should remember me, I am Arthur Weasley."

Mr. Arthur had visited their home two years ago to take Harry to the Burrow.

To make things easier, he had the Ministry of Magic connect the Dursleys' fireplace to the Ministry's Floo Network.

Unfortunately, what Mr. Arthur didn't know was that fireplaces in Muggle homes were mostly just for show, so when he used the Floo Network to get to the Dursleys, he was obviously stuck inside.

In order to break free, Mr. Arthur had to use a spell to blow up the Dursleys' fireplace, destroying their living room.

Vernon must remember it vividly. He'll never forget it.

Sure enough, after hearing that name...

Harry's Uncle Vernon's face immediately darkened, and he glared fiercely at Mr. Weasley. But he didn't say a word, probably because with so many wizards around, he knew he didn't have much of an advantage.

Aunt Penny was equally frightened and embarrassed, frequently glancing around as if afraid of being seen by acquaintances with such a person. Meanwhile, Dudley seemed to be trying to shrink his body to appear smaller, but his efforts were in vain.

"We think it's necessary to have a brief talk with you about Harry," Weasley said, still smiling.

"Not bad," Moody said in a low voice. "The main thing is his security next."

"Safety?" Vernon's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "What do you mean? That freak—I mean Harry—is going to put our family in danger?"

"We don't know!" Moody growled. "That's precisely why we need to increase vigilance!"

This was Dumbledore's intention—he was originally very confident in his invisibility magic, and the magic of love left to him by Harry's mother was still intact, so theoretically nothing unexpected should happen—but, who knows?

The world is becoming increasingly unpredictable, filled with gods and ghosts. Perhaps Voldemort and the Death Eaters possess some unprecedented abilities?

“It’s not just Harry,” Moody continued, his Mystic Eyes darting wildly before settling on Hermione. “Granger needs protection too.”

"Huh?" Hermione, who had just finished greeting Mrs. Weasley, walked over with a puzzled look on her face.

"Protect me?"

"That's right!" Professor Lupin said, "but your safety is now taken care of."

"Wait a minute!" Vernon puffed out, his anger seemingly outweighing his fear of the wizard before him. "I can't let my family risk their lives! If there's any danger, then you should take him away!"

"Hmph—Dumbledore has already discussed this with you!" Moody said. "Harry must live with you for at least a month each year."

"I don't understand—" Vernon shouted, causing passersby to turn their heads.

The Grangers also came over.

"You don't need to understand. Because it's difficult for me to explain the reason to you." Mad-Eye stared intently at him. "You just need to know that this is a magical contract left by Harry's mother, and her son must stay with his blood relatives."

As he spoke, Moody moved his top hat back, fully revealing his fierce face and his constantly rotating Demon Eye. "And don't think we don't know about your mistreatment of Harry. I'm telling you, if you do anything similar again, we will take immediate action."

"Tonks." He turned to look at the female Auror who was greeting the Grangers, who was very curious about her pink hair.

"Harry, Tonks will protect you."

"What?" Harry was completely unprepared for the sudden change in his surroundings—why would Dumbledore suddenly arrange all this?

This made him slightly unhappy, because the principal still treated him like a child—that he could protect himself!

However—out of respect for Dumbledore, Harry finally nodded.

And Owen—he probably guessed why Dumbledore did this.

It must have been the events that occurred in the Tower of the Gods in Brazil that spurred the professor. He didn't want any more young wizards to get hurt, and he had to completely prevent such incidents, even if it was just a matter of prevention.

Hermione, on the other hand, also looked very confused.

She walked over to Owen and whispered to him if he knew the reason.

Owen shook his head and simply told her his guess.

Meanwhile, the Grangers, standing nearby, frowned slightly.

They could guess why their daughter needed protection.

They're not stupid; Hermione got so many medals last year.

Medals represent achievements—and naturally, they have a corresponding other side—enemies.

No one can hurt Hermione at school—but what about outside?

To be honest, the Grangers were still grateful to the wizards for protecting their daughter—at least they hadn't done nothing.

Of course, besides these, what kept their brows furrowed was the way their daughter seemed to be getting along so well with a child who looked incredibly beautiful.

"It must be a girl!" Mrs. Granger whispered in her husband's ear.

They had seen Owen in his current form in Egypt before, but it was only a brief encounter. Hermione was afraid to reveal his name, so she never gave him a detailed introduction.

They were quite happy at the time, as their daughter had a new boyfriend who seemed much better than the previous one.

But now—after taking a closer look at Irving.

A terrible thought arose in the Grangers' minds.

This boyfriend... isn't very obvious.

Mr. Granger turned his head and glanced at his wife, his eyes showing the same concern.

They exchanged a glance.

Then he immediately stepped forward, took Hermione's hand without saying a word, and was about to leave without stopping.

This puzzled Hermione greatly.

He quickly asked, "What happened?"

"Hmm—" After thinking for a moment, she guessed that her parents were probably worried about her safety. "There's nothing dangerous here."

But the Grangers, upon hearing Hermione's explanation, did not stop; instead, they quickened their pace.

Owen had originally planned to say hello.

He wasn't given a chance to speak at all.

However—before the Grangers could take more than a few steps...

A man suddenly walked against the tide as the passengers were leaving.

The man's steps were steady and powerful, his posture upright and proud, and his expression composed.

She wore a dark blue vest with a fine texture and subtle dark patterns, understated yet luxurious.

A white shirt, with a delicate tie hanging quietly at the collar.

He was wearing a long black robe with intricate silver runes on the lining.

The man looked to be in his fifties.

His gray hair did not make him look old; on the contrary, it made him appear more mature and composed.

At that moment, he walked slowly with his hands behind his back.

His gaze was fixed on Hermione.

"Mr. Grindelwald?" Hermione stared wide-eyed in shock at the legendary wizard who had suddenly appeared before her family.

"Hmm—" Grindelwald nodded, his deep voice continuing, "You should address me differently, Miss Granger."

"Uh," Hermione paused, then realized what she should call her.

At this moment, all the wizards around turned around.

Professor Lupin, Moody, Tonks, Mr. Arthur, and everyone else looked on with surprise.

"Hello, sir." Mr. Granger frowned slightly; the man before him must come from a distinguished family. For one's demeanor doesn't lie.

"Hello." Grindelwald extended his hand.

Mr. Granger immediately shook hands with him.

"The child over there calls me 'Grandpa,'" he said. "I'm pretty sure he's a boy."

"..." Hermione was stunned again, and then realized why her parents were reacting so strongly.

She covered her mouth and chuckled, glancing back at Owen.

"That"

"Magic—it always comes with unexpected twists, like growing hair that can't be cut. I believe this is only temporary," Grindelwald said. "Of course—some things depend on the child, don't they?"

"Hmm—" Mr. Granger had already noticed that his daughter had turned around several times in just a few seconds.

He's definitely grown up.

"You're right."

"If you have time, let's have a good chat," Grindelwald said casually. "Also, the child's grandmother has invited your family to travel to France this summer."

He said slowly, "The child will be safe there."

In an instant, Hermione knew who Professor Moody was referring to when he said her safety was complicated by other people.

That was naturally Irving's maternal grandmother, Ms. Rozier.

"Hmm—" Mr. Granger pondered for a moment—looked at his daughter and wife, and then responded with a smile, "We don't seem to have any reason to refuse this invitation."

They made a good impression on the wizard they were meeting for the first time.

Although he wasn't as enthusiastic as the Weasleys, he was much friendlier than most wizards in the magical world.

When they accompanied Hermione shopping in Diagon Alley, the gossip never stopped.

Grindelwald smiled slightly and nodded.

Miss Granger's parents were among the few truly intelligent Muggles he had ever met. Their intelligence lay in their ability to foresee Hermione's future, knowing that their daughter would inevitably have a place in the magical world, while being inevitably disconnected from the secular world.

As parents, they encouraged their daughter and actively encouraged her to engage with the magical world.

If her daughter cannot integrate into the magical world, then she will become someone who is neither here nor there.

Being abandoned by two worlds would be a disaster.

This is where the Grangers' wisdom truly lies.

Many people fail to see this point.

But then again—how could parents be idiots to raise such a smart daughter?

The two parties reached a verbal agreement.

They then parted ways.

"I didn't expect you to come. Is this a good thing?"

After watching Hermione and her family leave.

After saying goodbye to Harry, Owen spoke to Grindelwald.

"It's bad news!" the man said bluntly.