Chapter 133: Different People And Different Summer Beginnings
Hermione patted their backs with concern. Arthur stood awkwardly to the side. Seeing his son look over, he grinned, “Uh, I didn’t expect Muggles to be so unaccustomed to this…”
Vaughn rolled his eyes.
Frankly, he hadn’t expected it either. At least, when they first got on the bus, Mr. and Mrs. Granger had seemed quite normal.
It wasn’t until the Knight Bus had to brake sharply four times to avoid cats and elderly ladies crossing the road that the impatient driver chose a route that “slid” past the surrounding buildings.
The sudden weightlessness and their unfamiliarity with magic made Mr. and Mrs. Granger feel as if they’d been tossed into a washing machine.
They still hadn’t recovered.
Although Vaughn was worried about Mr. and Mrs. Granger’s condition, after Hermione patted their backs for a while, they still managed to straighten their bodies.
It had to be said, the “training” on the Knight Bus was useful.
At least when Mrs. Granger elegantly wiped her mouth and looked at The Burrow, its crooked appearance didn’t make her exclaim “God,” but rather calmly ask Vaughn:
“Dear, is this it?”
“Yes, Madam, welcome…”
Vaughn was saying, when Molly, who had already opened the door, exclaimed with excitement-fueled sharpness, “Welcome, welcome Mr. and Mrs. Granger, and of course, my dear Hermione darling, come in quickly, a sumptuous dinner will be ready soon!”
Following her were Percy, Fred, George, and Ron, holding Scabbers, with Guo Guo Cha eyeing him from behind.
“Mrs. Weasley, hello…”
“Oh—you look so young and beautiful, just like Hermione…”
“Heavens, is this magic? That frying pan is cooking by itself, how convenient…”
“Actually, I’m quite interested in some Muggle things, like lipstick, face cream… ah, is that the word? Sorry, I don’t know much…”
“…Yes, I like Vaughn very much. In fact, he visited my home once, and I was deeply impressed and fond of him then…”
“…Hermione is undoubtedly a good girl, yes, no one praises her more, beautiful and good at studying. I’m so glad Vaughn could be her friend…”
Ushering in guests, Molly chatted as she prepared dinner.
The friendship between the middle-aged women rapidly warmed up amidst brief pleasantries and mutual compliments.
Their loud and enthusiastic laughter echoed throughout The Burrow.
Arthur and Mr. Granger, who should have been leading the conversation on such an occasion but could only shrink to the side due to their similar family standing, suddenly found common ground and were whispering to each other.
And by the dining table in the living room, Fred and George were winking at Hermione.
Percy, who had seemed dispirited for the past two days, also forced a smile to welcome Hermione—he had always admired Hermione, and no one was happier than him when Hermione and Vaughn became a couple.
In Percy’s opinion, among their classmates, only Hermione’s academic performance was worthy of Vaughn.
“Granger, you look absolutely amazing today!”
Percy complimented.
The twins were not to be outdone, “More than amazing, absolutely amazing!”
“You’re stating the obvious, Fred.”
Hermione smiled, pursing her lips.
Then, she sensed a gaze fixed intently on her.
It was Ron!
He sat in the shadows of a corner, holding the fat rat, his eyes practically spewing resentment!
Hermione then remembered that she hadn’t greeted her friends yet, so she waved, “Hi, Ronald.”
“Hmph hmph…”
Ron snorted, his tone sarcastic, “Hello, Miss Granger!”
Hermione, long accustomed to his awkward personality, didn’t bother with him. Instead, she scanned the room and asked curiously, “Where’s Ginny? I’ve heard Vaughn talk about her so much. Last time I saw her at the station, I didn’t get a chance to talk to her properly.”
Upon hearing this, the Weasley brothers exchanged glances and chuckled softly.
The twins, in imitation little girls’ voices, called out, “Mama, Mama, I don’t want Vaughn to have a girlfriend!”
Fred, in a gruff voice, imitated Molly, “Why not, Jo… no, Ginny?”
“If he has a girlfriend, Vaughn will never love me again!”
The twins slapped the table and burst into laughter, “Our cute little sister is jealous, Hermione, she says she hates you and never wants to see you again!”
Percy and Ron also laughed.
Then, a girl’s furious shriek came from overhead, “I did not say that!”
“You did, you did.”
“You also said—Mom, if Vaughn has a girlfriend, I won’t be able to sleep in his room anymore, can you kick her out?”
“Ah—Fred! George!”
The little girl shrieked and slammed the door shut.
Of course, no one paid attention to a little girl’s jealous outburst. Even Hermione found it amusing. She tugged on Vaughn’s arm and whispered, “Take me upstairs, I want to talk to her.”
“As you wish, beautiful Miss Granger.”
“Shameless—”
The Weasley brothers, who had been watching the two of them with smiles, suddenly felt unhappy as they saw them flirting.
Damn it, the cloying scent of young love!
After Hermione went upstairs to talk, Ginny eventually came down.
The little girl happily held Hermione’s hand.
Living in the Weasley household with seven older brothers, although she was very doted upon as the only girl, she was also very lonely.
It was fine when she was younger, but as she grew older, now at 11, her body began to undergo certain changes. Those private matters unique to girls were something she couldn’t speak about, no matter how close her relationship with Vaughn was.
Ultimately, she needed a best friend.
As for why the serious and self-disciplined Hermione, who often seemed unapproachable, could get along with Ginny… it could only be attributed to the power of love!
Of course, the tempering provided by Harry and Ron, the “dragon and phoenix chicks” of their year, over the past year at school also played a part.
Hermione had also brought Ginny a gift, a girlish dress. Mrs. Granger served as a reliable fashion consultant—
Of course, everyone received gifts; it was a matter of politeness.
Before the banquet began, Hermione opened the satchel Vaughn had given her and took out the gifts one by one.
The gift for Arthur was a Muggle book, **Foundations of Electromagnetism**, chosen according to Vaughn’s suggestion. It systematically explained the basic laws and applications of electromagnetic fields and electromagnetic waves.
The gift for Molly was a **French and Eastern Cuisine Cookbook**, also based on Vaughn’s suggestion. As for why she didn’t gift a book about British cuisine… as everyone knows, the three thinnest books in the world are a British cookbook, German jokes, and Italian war heroes!
It was simply embarrassing.
Percy, the twins, and Ron also received gifts, mostly items from the Muggle world corresponding to their personalities and hobbies.
For example, Percy received a set of books on how to improve study efficiency. Whether they were useful or not was unknown, but they looked impressive.
Each of the twins received a set of basic science books to help them understand various scientific concepts in Muggle society.
As for Ron, Hermione gave him a whole box of Muggle candy.
At the dining table, seeing the gift given to him, which was completely different in style from everyone else’s, Ron blushed like a monkey’s backside, “Actually… actually, I really love studying too…”
Vaughn and Hermione, sitting opposite him, smiled without saying a word.
Regardless, everyone in the Weasley family liked Hermione very much, and the atmosphere of the welcome banquet was very lively.
The children’s laughter and cheers were matched by the parents who were meeting for the first time. Mrs. Granger and Molly, the two middle-aged women who held the reins of the household, talked from magic to Muggles, and from Muggles to child-rearing, feeling they had met too late.
Mr. Granger was gentle and elegant, not very talkative, but when Arthur started talking about Quidditch and unconsciously disparaged soccer, he too began to exchange opinions heatedly.
Of course, overall, it was very harmonious, especially since the food served at the banquet was influenced by Vaughn. The Weasley family had a preference for Chinese cuisine in recent years, but not everyone could accept it, so Molly made some modifications to the cooking methods.
For example, the spicy and savory flavors were changed to sour and spicy, and sour and sweet.
Although Vaughn found this hard to describe, the Granger family praised it highly.
“You truly are a gourmand, Madam,” Mrs. Granger said to Molly with admiration. “This cream… huoguo? It’s sweet and rich, sour and delicious, like eating a pot of lemon cheese, it’s very tasty!”
On the other side, Vaughn, picking through his own pot with a fork, was somewhat speechless, wondering if the other party was just being polite or genuinely thought it was delicious.
Judging by how happily Hermione was eating, it seemed to be true…
While the Weasley family was enjoying the happy and lively atmosphere, in the distant Scottish Highlands, the last batch of seventh-year students was also leaving school.
The WAC’s recruitment fair didn’t end until tonight.
The two-day recruitment fair, presided over by Remus Lupin, fully outlined the job responsibilities, benefits, and career prospects of frontline caseworkers.
By the end of the fair, including Slytherins like Phil Travers, a total of 9 graduates had confirmed their contracts.
About 7 more wanted to consider it further.
Such results did not satisfy Lupin.
After the recruitment fair, Lupin didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he wandered around the completely deserted castle, thinking and seemingly trying to recapture the feeling of his student days.
Hogwarts in the summer, with no mischievous students causing trouble, the plants in the courtyard grew wild during this rare opportunity. The lush greenery, set against the light from the setting sun filtering through the sky above the courtyard, resembled a full and rich impressionist painting.
Lupin plucked a sprig of lavender and played with it between his fingers, pacing in the quiet courtyard and along the corridors.
After walking for some time, he heard Dumbledore’s voice, “Troubled by the recruitment?”
Turning around, the dear Headmaster stood silently not far behind him, hands clasped in front of his stomach, smiling at him.
Lupin was not surprised; Dumbledore had already started appearing and disappearing when he was a student. “Yes, the number of recruits is far from enough. The WAC needs many wizards, but Hogwarts graduates prefer to go to the Ministry of Magic… except for Slytherins.”
“Indeed, Vaughn has great influence in Slytherin, always reminding me of Voldemort from decades ago.”
Lupin frowned slightly, “I don’t want to discuss this topic.”
“Ah, Remus, please forgive me, I’m not belittling him, but praising him,” Dumbledore said with a smile. “You should still remember Slytherin’s tradition: respect the strong, submit to the strong. But the few who can truly make Slytherins respect and submit have been Voldemort and Vaughn for many years.”
Lupin said calmly, “And you, Dumbledore.”
“Hahaha—”
Dumbledore burst into laughter.
Since the day the students left school, they had had an “unpleasant” conversation, and had not discussed such topics since.
Lupin’s reaction just now made Dumbledore completely certain that the other party would continue to follow Vaughn’s path.
That answer was clear—Vaughn could be Voldemort, or he could be Dumbledore!
Having received Lupin’s perspective, Dumbledore wasn’t particularly disappointed or anything. He hadn’t intended to try and sway him anyway.
Walking up to Lupin, looking at his former student, Dumbledore asked, “Have you noticed the movies being shown in the Great Hall these past two days?”
“**Harry and the Painted World**, yes, I’ve seen it.”
“I thought you would come to question me the first moment you saw it. The students think it’s fake, but I believe you must have seen that the content filmed was all real.”
“…”
Lupin fell silent, turning to look at the various colored flowers blooming in the courtyard under the eaves, watching them sway in the wind and the lingering sunset light:
“You, me, James, Lily, and… we all know that prophecy. The prophecy said the Dark Lord would personally mark his enemy. When I learned the Dark Lord attacked the Potter family, I knew he wasn’t dead and would one day return to fulfill destiny with Harry…”
As a former core member of the Order of the Phoenix, Lupin understood the power of destiny.
Just as he understood how powerful Dumbledore was.
But even the powerful Dumbledore couldn’t do anything about Voldemort; it wasn’t that Dumbledore was unwilling to exert effort, but destiny dictated that Voldemort would not die at Dumbledore’s hands.
Saying this, he hesitated, and Lupin still asked, “Dumbledore, what do you think of Harry’s performance?”
“Excellent!” Dumbledore replied cheerfully.
Lupin’s brow twitched after watching the movie. “I want to know your real thoughts. At least in the movie, I didn’t see any hope for Harry to defeat the Dark Lord. He was toyed with by the Dark Lord the entire time. However, that girl named Granger performed remarkably well.”
“Oh, that’s our dear Mr. Vaughn Weasley’s girlfriend…”
Dumbledore calculated the time and continued, “As far as I know, they have even started to establish a relationship. The Granger family should be visiting The Burrow right now. By the way, Remus, you’ve been to The Burrow too, haven’t you?”
Lupin ignored the latter part of the irrelevant talk and was stunned by the first part. “They… they’re only 12 years old!”
“To be precise, only Vaughn is 12; Granger is already 13.”
…Does that make a difference?
Lupin, who had never dated during school, felt a faint pain in his heart.
Seeing his choked expression, Dumbledore laughed even more heartily, but he quickly composed himself and sighed, “Then you must have also seen Vaughn’s performance… I wish Vaughn and Harry could switch places.”
“…”
Lupin didn’t know what to say. He had also seen the final scene of the “movie,” Vaughn’s performance in killing the Dark Lord.
Ruthless, decisive.
And that kind of indifference, once a goal is set, to achieve it at all costs, even disregarding one’s own safety.
Lupin felt somewhat uncomfortable.
He had already decided to pledge allegiance to Vaughn for the sake of werewolves. At this moment, he naturally didn’t want to comment on his boss. He said, “Dumbledore, you don’t need to try…”
“No, Remus, you made it very clear last time. I respect your ideals, so I won’t ask you to do anything. In fact, I fully support you in helping Vaughn wholeheartedly and achieving his goals.”
Lupin was astonished, his lips moved.
He seemed unable to believe this was the Dumbledore he knew.
The old man smiled, “Dear, you’ve been neglecting your magical studies. You only see the surface and haven’t noticed that in that movie, Vaughn was able to deal with Tom while caught between Tom and Harry, the children of destiny. What does that signify?”
His head suddenly went blank.
After a moment of stunned silence, Lupin realized, “Vaughn… he is not affected by Tom and Harry’s destiny?”
“There is still an effect, just not as obvious as for others,” Dumbledore said. “More importantly, his destiny can also influence Tom and Harry!”
“At the beginning of the year, the stirrings in the web of destiny caught my attention. Guess what happened in the wizarding world related to Vaughn at that time?”
Did he even need to guess?
Lupin murmured, “The Werewolf Affairs Committee…”
“Yes, the establishment of this organization caused a tiny ripple in the web of destiny. It felt like you threw a fallen leaf into a lake, and the slight ripples spread across the water. Yet, such a small disturbance, and Tom’s destiny, which hadn’t changed for many years, was partly transferred… How interesting!”
Gazing into the distance, Dumbledore chuckled.
Even with his explanation, Lupin couldn’t truly grasp what kind of concept that was. He only knew that what he had once thought unshakable, the destiny belonging to Harry and the Dark Lord, had been shaken by his future boss!
His mind in turmoil, he listened to Dumbledore continue:
“The emergence of the Werewolf Affairs Committee was Vaughn’s first step in influencing this world, and you just happen to be working within it…”
“…Assist him well, Remus. I can no longer imagine what the future world will become. Perhaps one day I too will die with the old world. Don’t be sad then; it will be out of my own will.”
Lupin understood every word in those sentences, but he couldn’t comprehend them when put together.
Or rather, he dared not imagine the implications behind them…
As they parted, Dumbledore drew his wand from his sleeve, looked at it, then pressed the tip to his forehead and drew out a wisp of silver thread, letting it fall.
The silver thread drifted down and appeared before Lupin. He instinctively drew his wand and caught it.
Looking at this wisp of memory, like mist, hanging on his wand, Lupin asked with some confusion, “Albus?”
“Take it, put it into your memories, and keep it safe.”
“What is this?”
“You can consider it a gift, a safeguard… I’ve locked it with magic. When the time is right, the magic on it will naturally be released.”
With that, the old wizard, wearing a pink and purple pajama set and looking like a pervert, leisurely walked into the depths of the corridor, where shadows began to spread as the light gradually dimmed.
He soon disappeared from sight.
Lupin was left alone, staring blankly at the wisp of silver thread.
…
The banquet was over.
Knowing that the Granger family would likely be tired today, Molly and Arthur didn’t arrange any other entertainment activities. They simply conjured several tents in the reed marsh outside The Burrow using magic.
In fact, Arthur even attempted to set up tents using Muggle methods. He specifically bought two Muggle tents, some nylon ropes, and stakes for securing them, preparing to hammer the stakes into the ground.
Then he was thoroughly scolded by Molly.
“God Almighty—”
Led by Molly, Mr. and Mrs. Granger entered the magically extended tent and exclaimed at the vast space of nearly 3,000 square feet inside.
That was only half of the tent’s space; the other half was divided into two compartments as bedrooms.
The magic’s wonder and extravagance were hard for the two Muggles to believe. They had been somewhat puzzled when they first heard they would be staying in tents.
Now, they had long forgotten their initial faint displeasure.
After seeing Molly off, Mrs. Granger collapsed onto the bed, dazed, and sighed, “Such marvelous magic, isn’t it, dear?”
After speaking, she noticed her husband’s gloomy expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“Sigh, I’m worried about Hermione… she should be staying with us.”
Mrs. Granger was unconcerned, “She’s staying with Ginny, what’s there to worry about?”
“…You don’t actually believe she’s sleeping with Ginny, do you?”
“I believe my daughter. Even if not, what does it matter? Are you living in the Middle Ages, or are you one of those rigid Yankees across the Atlantic?”
Indeed, in the eyes of the English, North America, also known as the New World, was the rigid and old-fashioned place.
This was the belief in both Muggle society and the wizarding world!
Hermione really liked the Weasley family.
Everyone was good to her and cared about her every move, except Ron.
Everyone was also witty and humorous. Even Percy, who was nicknamed a bookworm at school, was very lively during after-dinner conversations, let alone the twins, and Mr. Arthur, who always had delusions about Muggles.
Of course, except for Ron!
After showering in the lavatory, Hermione was drying her hair and preparing to go upstairs when she saw Ron.
He was sitting in the dimly lit living room, just like that evening, holding his fat rat, Scabbers, his whole demeanor so gloomy that he almost blended into the shadows behind him.
“Heavens, Ron! You scared me to death!”
Ron, with a sullen face, said, “I’ve thought about it, and I still think something is wrong, Hermione. Can you please not be with Vaughn?”
Hermione found it inexplicable and subconsciously asked, “Why?”
Ron, with a sullen face, said, “You’re my good friend, you’re like Harry to me. Can you imagine Harry dating Percy one day? No! Anyway, I feel like throwing up just thinking about it, it’s so terrifying. Now, when I see you with Vaughn, it’s the same feeling, my brother and my brother…”
If she could, Hermione really wished she could cast a poison curse at the chattering guy opposite her!
“Go to sleep, Ronald!”
Hermione stomped upstairs, still able to hear Ron calling from below, “Hey, don’t go, let’s talk more…”
Talk about…
Hermione restrained herself repeatedly before she stopped herself from swearing, considering Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Vaughn, and Ginny.
Stupid Ronald!
When she reached the third floor, she saw Vaughn. He and Guo Guo Cha were sitting on the stairs, waiting for her.
Seeing her pouting, Vaughn smiled, “Ron upset you again?”
Hermione recounted what Ron had said, annoyed, “He’s completely unreasonable. What kind of eyes would see me as… a brother?”
Just thinking about it made her stomach churn!
“Alright, don’t be angry.”
Vaughn comforted her, “If you’re really upset, then later, when I have time, I’ll develop a potion specifically to turn Ron and Harry into your sisters, how about that?”
Imagining the scene, Hermione burst into laughter.
Seeing her happy again, Vaughn took her hand and led her to the attic at the top of The Burrow.
This was originally his potions lab. Although he didn’t need it after starting school, his mother hadn’t repurposed it and often cleaned it to prevent ghouls from moving in again.
The attic was now cleared of the herb racks that had once been filled, and everything appeared empty, with only moonlight shining in.
Vaughn led Hermione through the window that let in the moonlight. Outside the window was a specially prepared platform where they could sit and recline, feel the wind from the heights, and admire the scenery around The Burrow.
Sitting on the platform, Vaughn said softly, “When I was little, I loved sitting here, watching the sun rise and set…”
The area around The Burrow was wilderness. From this height, the view was extremely wide.
Watching the reeds at the tips of the branches sway with the gentle breeze under the night sky, creating wave-like patterns that stretched into the distance, and listening to Vaughn’s quiet narration, Hermione’s heart gradually settled.
She loved hearing Vaughn talk about these things because she wanted to understand his past completely.
Lovers are generally like this.
Of course, another similarity between couples is that they usually digress from the topic as they talk.
Guo Guo Cha, also lying on the platform and acting as an unwitting chaperone, suddenly twitched its pointed ears.
Turning its head, its large cat eyes widened abruptly, as if it had seen something that deeply shocked its soul!
A thin, veil-like cloud drifted by in the sky, slightly obscuring the moon.
The rustling sound from Guo Guo Cha’s dumbfounded movements continued for a while longer, finally ending with Hermione’s breathlessness.
Hermione rested her head on Vaughn’s shoulder, then she heard Vaughn’s hoarse voice say, “Shall we go back to the room?”
“Mmm…”
Vaughn took her hand and they walked out of the attic. Just as he was about to turn towards his room, the girl, who had seemed so delicate a second ago, suddenly broke free, chuckled crisply, and skipped downstairs in two or three steps.
“Uh…”
Vaughn blinked.
Hermione smiled, her eyes crinkling, bit her lower lip, her gaze swirling in the darkness, “Hmph, you big bad wolf!”
Before he could reply, the girl, as if to avoid some fierce beast, quickly opened Ginny’s room door and darted inside.
Even more outrageous, Vaughn heard her lock the door!
Vaughn was speechless. He stood stunned for a moment, then sighed, “…Clever little girl, not only deceiving me but also guarding against me. Who doesn’t know I’m a gentleman?”
“Meow~”
Guo Guo Cha looked up at him, clinging to his thigh.
“…That’s something only adults do. Children shouldn’t be so curious!”
“Meow!”
“You’re only 2 years old, and I’m 12. Who do you think is older?”
After bickering with the disgruntled Guo Guo Cha for a while, Vaughn picked it up and returned to his room.
In Ginny’s room downstairs, hearing the sound of the door closing overhead, Hermione, leaning against the door, finally let out a slight sigh of relief.
Her cheeks were flushed red, filled with both worry and a subtle, shameful anticipation.
Confident that Vaughn wouldn’t come looking for her, Hermione took a few breaths to calm her racing heart before slowly climbing into bed.
Ginny, who had been asleep for a long time, seemed to sense someone approaching and whimpered, hugging her closer.
Hermione also pulled her into her arms.
Listening to Ginny’s steady breathing, in the darkness, Hermione looked at the ceiling and whispered, “Goodnight.”
…
Early in the morning, roars could be heard from the house at Number Four, Privet Drive:
“Damn it, how many times have I told you not to let that damned thing appear before me, let alone outside!”
Harry shrugged, narrowing his eyes and lowering his head to avoid Uncle Vernon’s spit from drenching his face.
While moving Hedwig’s cage behind him, Harry softly explained, “Hedwig is an owl, Uncle. She needs to go out and fly, and she won’t bother…”
“Shut up!”
Uncle Vernon’s face turned red, his thick beard trembling. “Don’t think I don’t know owls are messengers in that cursed place, right? I even saw it holding a letter in its claws… God, damn it, that filthy place, even the animals are bizarre. Get out! Get out!”
He aggressively shooed Harry away but dared not step forward.
Sensing his uncle’s bluster, Harry’s lips curved slightly. Ever since he returned for the summer, he had noticed that his aunt and uncle were very fearful of magic, even hesitant to utter the word “magic” precisely.
Therefore, he had been carefully hiding the small booklet sent during the school break, not daring to let his aunt and uncle know that underage wizards were forbidden to cast spells outside.
Maintaining outward politeness, Harry bid farewell to Uncle Vernon and scurried back to the second floor with Hedwig—thanks to magic and his aunt and uncle’s fear of magic, they no longer dared to let a “wizard” live in the storage room.
Of course, the downside was that Uncle Vernon had locked his robes, cauldron, broom, and other items in the storage room where he used to live, refusing to let him take them out.
He couldn’t ride a broom, read magic books, or practice spells.
Harry didn’t know how he spent the first week of summer vacation. Finally, he had to bother Ron and send Hedwig to The Burrow with a letter.
Hedwig had been gone for a week, and today, she finally brought back Ron’s reply.
Hurrying back to his room, Harry eagerly removed the thick envelope tied to Hedwig’s leg. The envelope was written in Ron’s crooked, worm-like handwriting:
【 To the dear Harry Potter, from your loyal, Ron Weasley 】
