Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

In the evening, Prince Philip returned from outside.

He went for a walk in the manor in the afternoon, saying that since the snow had stopped, he needed to get some fresh air.

When he entered the living room, he saw his two grandsons playing with the escape coloring book on the carpet, Diana smiling and instructing them on how to chase the kitten, and Charles sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper.

Elizabeth wasn't there; she took Henry to meet the Prime Minister.

"I heard," Philip said, plopping down in his armchair, "that someone fell into the swamp today?"

Charles coughed and held the newspaper up a little higher.

William and Harry, oblivious, were still chasing the kitten.

"Well done." Philip laughed heartily, crossing his legs high. "Oh no, I mean he was really too careless—"

The laughter in the living room continued for a while. Charles held the newspaper up even higher, but it was obvious he was trying not to laugh. Diana, suppressing her laughter, continued to accompany William and Harry in their chase of the elusive kitten.

Only the two children were completely unaware.

"Father," Charles said in a muffled voice from behind the newspaper, "couldn't you...?"

"Can't I say what?" Philip looked innocent. "I just said he was careless, that's all."

Charles put down his newspaper and glanced at his father.

That look in his eyes clearly said, "Do you think I believe you?"

Philip gave him a "believe it or not" look, picked up his sherry, and took a satisfied sip.

"Speaking of which," he suddenly remembered something, "what do you say about 10 Downing Street?"

"They said tonight's meeting is private," Charles said, picking up the newspaper again, his tone regaining its calm. "Just a routine post-holiday visit, nothing special."

……

Meanwhile, on the other side of Sandringham Manor, in the small drawing room known as the Garden Room, the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly.

Elizabeth was reviewing a document in an armchair by the fireplace when she looked up at Henry sitting on the sofa opposite her—the boy hadn't had much of a private conversation with her since he came back, and this meeting with the Prime Minister would be a good opportunity to show him another side of the country.

There was a knock on the door. Paul opened it and bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister has arrived."

"Please let them in."

Henry noticed that his grandmother used the plural "they".

A moment later, three figures filed in.

(Sir Humphrey Appleby, Cabinet Secretary; Jim Hack, Prime Minister; Bernard Woolley, Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.)

Leading the way was a tall gentleman with an upright posture, ruddy cheeks, and a friendly and approachable demeanor; closely following him was a man of medium build, gentle and refined, with a slightly receding hairline; the last person to enter was considerably younger than the two before him, carrying a folder, standing at the doorway, neither too far forward nor too far behind.

"Good evening, Prime Minister." Elizabeth put down the documents and nodded slightly.

Jim Hack strode forward and bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, Merry Christmas! I hope we haven't disturbed your holiday—I mean, it's really intrusive on a day that should be for family reunions..."

"No, please have a seat." Elizabeth smiled slightly. "This is Henry, my eldest grandson. Henry, and this is Prime Minister Jim Hack."

Henry stood up and gave a slight bow: "Your Excellency the Prime Minister."

Huck extended his hand and shook Henry's hand, his tone extremely warm: "Your Highness Henry! I've heard so much about you—I often see you in the newspapers."

"Of course, he's much more handsome than he appears in the newspapers. I mean, the photos in the newspapers are never quite—well, not ideal."

At this point, he glanced back and said, "Right, Consort Han?"

Humphrey returned an awkward but polite smile.

"This is the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby," Elizabeth continued.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness," Humphrey stepped forward to greet him and began to chant: "It is a great honor to be able to meet you in such a warm and festive atmosphere. Although we are burdened with the myriad affairs of the state's daily administration—of course, these are some insignificant tasks we perform under Your Majesty's wise leadership—to be able to temporarily escape the hustle and bustle of Whitehall and immerse ourselves in the rare tranquility and elegance of Sandringham House is, without a doubt, a luxurious experience that is truly enchanting."

coming.

That's it!

Henry felt completely refreshed.

"This is my personal secretary, Bernard Woodley," Huck said, pointing to the man behind him.

Bernard stepped forward, bowed, and moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only uttered a vague "uh" before returning to his original position.

But his eyes swept quickly over Henry, then looked away, landing on the fireplace, as if he hadn't seen anything, yet also as if he remembered everything.

Everyone took their seats.

The servants silently served tea and snacks and then stepped aside.

"Your Majesty," Hark picked up his teacup, took a sip, then set it down and cleared his throat, "I shouldn't be bothering you during Christmas, but there are some matters..."

"I understand." Elizabeth nodded. "That gentleman has resigned, and the situation requires communication."

Hack's expression relaxed somewhat, and he began to talk about the impact of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Henry listened quietly, only speaking occasionally when asked a question.

Once the topic was over, Huck's gaze fell on Henry again, filled with obvious curiosity.

"Is Your Highness settling in well at Hogwarts?" he asked. "I mean, that magic school."

Henry bowed slightly: "Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency Prime Minister. I'm adapting very well."

"That's good, that's good." Hark nodded, then his eyes suddenly lit up as he turned to Humphrey. "Humphrey, do you remember when I first met the Minister of Magic?"

Humphrey put down his teacup: "On May 4, 1984, your first night as Prime Minister, then Minister for Magic, Ms. Millison Bagnor, made a formal visit from the fireplace in the study at 10 Downing Street via the Floo Network. It was a historic meeting, marking—"

"It marks the moment I almost fell off my chair," Huck interrupted, turning to Henry. "Your Highness, can you imagine? I'd been busy all day, and I'd just sat down in my study to have a cup of tea and catch my breath, when suddenly a green flame burst from the fireplace, and then a woman emerged from it—wearing a long robe and a pointed hat. My first thought was, 'Have I had too much to drink today?'"

Henry suppressed a laugh: "I can imagine, Your Excellency the Prime Minister."

“Ms. Bagno… ha, she said I’m much more accepting than my predecessor, who thought I was some kind of con artist sent by a political enemy and was going to throw me out the window!” Huck continued. “She introduced herself as Minister of Magic and said that, as is customary, the new prime minister needs to be informed of the existence of the wizarding world. Then she snapped her fingers and turned my teacup into a gerbil.”

Bernard added quietly from behind, "To be precise, it was a Mongolian gerbil, Prime Minister, Meriones unguiculatus. That gerbil even ran around your documents and left some marks."

"Okay, thank you, Bernard." Jim glanced at him.