Chapter 768 On the Way Back to School

It was sunny outside.

It was a little cold inside.

The front of the train on the track emitted curling white smoke, and several owls followed the train, flapping their wings and having fun.

After Loren and Hermione got on the train, they walked back along the aisle and headed straight to the last section of the carriage. Sure enough, there was still an empty compartment.

They randomly chose a clean and tidy seat and sat in. Loren sat by the window, leaning against the window to enjoy the scenery.

In fact, it was to cover up his embarrassed expression.

Hermione sat next to him and looked at his red ears, which she found very interesting.

The two had more intimate behaviors and were almost frank with each other. This was the first time she saw such a shy reaction in him, just because of a normal physiological phenomenon.

Mr. Morgan was a bit cute like this.

After admiring for a few minutes, Hermione smiled and shook her head, changed to a posture suitable for reading, took out the seventh grade textbook from the pendant, and began to preview.

Loren glanced at the reflection on the glass quietly, determined to find a chance to avenge himself, and stopped looking at the scenery, sitting back in his seat silently.

Buildings and road signs passed by quickly outside the window, and the train had left the town without knowing when. The scenery outside the window turned into emerald green forests and country roads, with colorful wild flowers flashing by, leaving a few blurred shadows.

The hills ahead were faintly visible, and the train whizzed through this section of road, with bright red shuttling through the green mountains and tunnels.

Footsteps sounded in the corridor, and Harry and Ron knocked on the door and came in.

"Finally found you."

Harry sat down in the window seat on the opposite row, his breathing slowly calmed down, and his tone was somewhat relieved: "I didn't expect that I would almost miss the train on the last day of school."

"I ran too fast just now, and the piglet almost fell at the station..."

Ron stuffed the empty suitcase into the shelf, picked up the owl cage, put Zhu Qiongwei on the table, and complained while tidying up the seat: "We were supposed to leave at nine o'clock, and we could at least arrive at the station half an hour earlier, without rushing to get on the train. It's all because the Ministry of Magic took back the car assigned to Harry, and my mother insisted on stuffing some pickled beef."

"Chirp!"

Zhu Qiongwei agreed.

I don't know how Mrs. Weasley feeds a good screech owl, but it sounds like a chicken.

Loren turned his head to look outside the door and couldn't help asking, "Why didn't Ginny go with you?"

"She said she didn't want to disturb the graduates' last ride experience."

"Actually, she went to Luna to discuss the changes of the newlyweds. She said it was a girl's topic and didn't let us follow..."

While muttering, Harry caught a glimpse of the cover of the textbook in Hermione's hand, and immediately raised his chin, with a tone of pride as a student of potions specialty: "Potions textbook, I also previewed a part, the difficulty is not high, I can let Professor Slughorn give Gryffindor extra points in the first class!"

"The matter of Voldemort and the Death Eaters is over, and Professor Snape is back."

Loren's expression was calm, as if he was stating that the train had just entered a tunnel.

A shadow suddenly enveloped Harry, who was leaning against the window, and his eyes were dim. He couldn't help but cry out sadly: "Retire again? Why does he always retire! Can't the teaching position at Hogwarts be more stable? At least he should finish teaching the new graduates!"

"..."

The atmosphere in the compartment suddenly became cheerful.

In the past, when we took the special train back to school every year, we would discuss things related to the Ministry of Magic and the Death Eaters. This year, the topic was completely different: what new wizard pictures were released by the Chocolate Frog, the back-to-school discounts at Honeydukes Candy Store, and finally exploring all the places in the castle this school year...

"I heard that there is an attic on the top of the divination classroom. We can find a chance to get Professor Trelawney drunk at Christmas dinner or Halloween dinner, and then we can go up and take a look."

Loren shared his adventure plan, suddenly wrinkled his nose and sniffed, and smiled: "Do you smell it? It's lunch time!"

As the voice fell, the noise of trolleys clacking in the aisle sounded, and the elderly witch knocked on a crack in the door, with dimples on her face and a sweet smile: "Dear, do you want to buy some food?"

A sweet smell drifted into the compartment, a mixture of many kinds of sweets.

"Here are Bibi Multi-Flavored Beans, Blowing Super Bubble Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pie, Cauldron Cake..."

Listening to the witch's sales pitch, Harry was a little dazed, as if he had returned to the summer six years ago.

So he stood up and opened the compartment door: "Please give me some of each."

"Okay, okay!" The saleswoman was delighted and quickly picked out the snacks, tied them up neatly and handed them over, "The total is--"

"Eleven silver Sickles and seven copper Knuts."

Harry said in a steady voice, with a smile on his face, and handed over the coins he had prepared long ago. He felt that he was vaguely like Dumbledore now.

"But..."

The saleswoman looked at him with some embarrassment and reminded him weakly: "The total is twelve Sickles."

"...Oh."

Harry's smile froze on his face, and he took out a few Knuts expressionlessly to make up for it, took the snacks, and closed the door indifferently and neatly, with a vague shadow of a certain potion professor.

Turning around, Loren and the others all lowered their heads, pursed their lips, and took out the food they had prepared in silence.

The corners of Harry's eyes twitched a few times, and he comforted himself in his heart that although their shoulders were shaking slightly, at least they didn't laugh out loud, and maybe they were laughing at the owl outside the window that hit the tree.

Molly prepared corned beef, sandwiches, pumpkin pie, nougat for them...

Loren's pendant contained iced pumpkin juice, butter beer, cola soda...

In fact, the Burrow had a late breakfast, so Harry and Ron were still full when they got on the train, but the atmosphere in the compartment was like a picnic. Loren took a bite of corned beef with his left hand, chewing it with relish, and took a sip of cola with his right hand, the bubbles were refreshing and sweet, and the two of them quietly swallowed their saliva. The corned beef, which they were obviously tired of, suddenly became delicious.

After eating and drinking, several people looked comfortable and leaned back on their seats. Even the owl piglet who was fed next to them lay on the table, half of its wings covered its abdomen, showing a humane silly smile.

Harry touched his round belly and couldn't help sighing: "It would be great if the train could keep going."

After the words fell, he was a little stunned.

He said the same thing that summer vacation, but it was a vacation and leaving school, and now it is back to school.

Same feeling, completely different mood.

Rising blood sugar brought a slight drowsiness, the sunshine in late summer and early autumn was warm, and Harry slowly squinted his eyes.

Loren on the opposite side had also eaten and drunk enough, with a comfortable smile. He changed several positions in a row, and finally found a suitable angle to rest his head on Hermione's shoulder, closed his eyes and began to sleep.

The train had already entered the wilderness, and the golden sunlight was a little hazy through the glass window, shining in and hitting his face, and his long eyelashes cast a shadow on his eyelids.

Hermione's eyes moved away from the book at some point, staring at his face, and she didn't move her eyes away for a long time.

It was just a very ordinary sleeping state, but I couldn't see enough.

The sunset was setting in the west, and arrived at the station.

After walking out of the carriage, Loren stretched, turned around and saw two huge figures standing next to the station sign, pulling a rough and dull voice to guide the freshmen.

Grawp was excited and dancing.

The freshmen around were trembling and dared not approach.

Only the former gamekeeper Hagrid showed a relieved and kind look.

After boarding the boat, the freshmen became much quieter.

They curled up in the boat, looked up at the half-blood giant sitting in front, and then glanced at the pure-blood giant behind, showing desperate expressions.

Hogwarts did not have a boat that could carry Grawp, so he could only tighten his belt and swim into the lake. His huge and heavy body caused surging waves, and the waves hit the shore, one wave after another.

The boat drifted with the waves, and there was a risk of capsizing at any time, which startled the screams and cries of the little witches.

The error-free version is being read! 6=9+Shu_Bar released this novel for the first time.

"Don't worry, dear children, gamekeeper Grawp is protecting you!" Hagrid shouted to encourage.

The freshmen hugged each other and curled up in the boat, trembling even more.

...

On the other side, senior students entered the school in a night thestral carriage and walked into the brightly lit castle.

The hall was still magnificent, with the velvet dome twinkling with stars, thousands of candles floating in the air, illuminating the entire room, golden plates and goblets sparkling, and ghosts shuttled between the long tables of the college, flashing a hazy and transparent silver light.

Only the Slytherin long table seemed to be shrouded in shadows, and many pure-blood students were silent, even talking to people around them was weak.

The atmosphere in Slytherin was a bit dull.

Many students' families were in trouble, not only the relatives of the Death Eaters facing trial, but also the unprecedented severe investigation by the Ministry of Magic. Many officials in the family were dismissed and sent home, resulting in many businesses being unable to continue.

The students of the pure-blood family realized that some far-reaching changes were taking place, but they could not see clearly and could not change them, so they could only be at a loss.

As students from other colleges entered, the hall gradually became lively. After a summer vacation, the students seemed to have endless topics to talk about. Most people gathered around Harry, chattering about the information about Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

There are very few exceptions, such as the clever Seamus.

He approached Loren at some point and asked in a low voice: "The Daily Prophet reported the details of the battlefield. They said that a mysterious wizard defeated Voldemort. It was not Dumbledore or Harry. I had a guess at the time!"

Loren looked up and glanced at him.

Seamus' face flushed, and he was obviously a little excited. He kept recounting the newspaper news to confirm his unfounded but inexplicably correct guesses: "Loren, were you at the scene? Did you participate in the battle?"

"Yes."

Seamus held his breath and lowered his voice: "Then... are you the mysterious wizard?"

"Yes."

"I knew it!" Seamus cheered in a low voice, even more excited than the people at the scene, "I heard that you ambushed Voldemort at the airport, and the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix participated in the battle, as well as the Magical Congress of the United States. The Aurors there are more than the Ministry of Magic. Are the Aurors powerful?"

"I think so."

"What about the Death Eaters? Are they all extremely vicious and cruel? When they fight, they all use the Unforgivable Curses, and the lightest curse is torn into pieces? Are there any werewolves participating in the battle? Which side are the werewolves on? What about the Dementors?"

"I don't know the details."

"Look at my brain!" Seamus slapped his forehead, the sound was crisp, "Your opponent is Voldemort, the battlefield is completely different, of course you don't know the battle situation of ordinary wizards, they can't see your face at all, no wonder the newspapers only say that you are a mysterious wizard..."

"That's not what I meant." Loren paused, "I later told Headmaster Dumbledore that it would be great if you were here, your explosive magic would definitely be able to severely damage them."

"Loren!!"

Seamus slapped his shoulder heavily, and although he tried his best to restrain himself, he still couldn't help grinning, as if he had taken a euphoria drug and couldn't close his mouth.

He took a deep breath and took a long time to calm down: "It is said that wizard governments of many countries have awarded you the anonymous Merlin medal and specially granted you a seat in the Federation. When do you plan to reveal your identity?"

"I don't have this idea for the time being."

"Okay, I understand." Seamus smiled again, "I will keep it a secret for you. I won't tell anyone, even if Dean asks me, I won't tell my parents."

"Thank you, Seamus."

Loren couldn't help laughing as he watched his back go away. He shook his head and began to look at the guest seats and observe the faculty lineup for this school year.

The guest seats were vaguely divided into two areas. The ones behind were the elective courses and logistics faculty and staff, still those familiar faces, with no changes. In the front were the main professors and the four deans. The seating order and positions were different from last year, but there were no unfamiliar faces.

Sitting in the center was Dumbledore, and on the left and right were the two vice-presidents, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

The three professors were talking in a low voice. I don’t know if they happened to mention Loren or sensed his gaze, but they all turned their heads and nodded and smiled at him.

There was no Professor Slughorn. He really retired this time.

Turning right, next to Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts had also been replaced. Remus Lupin raised his glass and smiled gently at him.

Loren was slightly stunned, and he had a vague guess in his heart.

Ten minutes later, the sorting ceremony officially began.

When the freshmen lined up to enter, there were still traces of dried tears on their faces. There was still a bit of fear in their curious eyes, and they quietly looked at the students at the long table and the professors in the guest seats.

Snape, dressed in a black robe, walked down from the guest seat, placed the worn-out Sorting Hat on the four-legged stool, and then stood by with an expressionless face, quietly looking at the group of freshmen.

"Huh?"

The senior students were a little surprised. After two years of not seeing each other, Professor Snape seemed to be much gentler.

In the eyes of the freshmen, there was another picture -

The worn-out and dirty hat sang a weird song, and the weird and gloomy professor next to him had a sharp and cold look, as if he wanted to make them into specimens.

The dried tears of several little witches were moistened again.

The shadow of fear once again enveloped the freshmen!