Chapter 233: Professor Levent, Gentle And Kind
Riddle’s illusory body floating above the golden goblet suddenly lunged upward. The body formed from silver mist glowed faintly, its flickering frequency slowing from fast to slow, like a drowning person breaking the surface, directly shattering through layers of space to return to reality.
In the silent hotel room late at night, not far from the golden goblet was the coiled young snake Yurm, tilting its head to examine his body, seemingly very interested in the flickering illusory body, as was that young professor, whose eyes held an intrigued gaze of inquiry.
Riddle’s expression darkened and shifted. In his remnant soul’s mind, scenes from Wool’s Orphanage still flickered vaguely, those Muggle peers of the same age treating him as a freak, the sounds of humiliation and curses still ringing in his ears.
“What did you do to me?”
“Did I do anything?”
Melvin spread his hands, indicating he hadn’t even touched his wand. “Just now I was asking about the inferius and Obscurus, and you suddenly became very strange. Hufflepuff’s Goblet contains wondrous magic power, while the horcrux is black magic created by Herpo. The two powers conflict, which may have affected you. From my perspective, you didn’t even get a chance to answer before you floated in midair in a daze, not reacting even when Yurm approached.”
“Did I do anything strange or say anything odd?”
“No, you just floated there, looking somewhat dazed, like a student zoning out in class.”
Riddle felt shocked and uncertain inside as he looked down at the young professor, his brows furrowing tightly.
What exactly were those strange visions just now?
Was it the magic power conflict between the goblet and the horcrux affecting the remnant soul, stirring up past memories?
Or did Melvin use some magic similar to Legilimency, drawing out deep memories from his heart while he was distracted?
With the doubts unanswered, this feeling made him unusually irritable. This body couldn’t cast magic, so he couldn’t interrogate Melvin or check the horcrux’s own condition. Riddle deeply despised this sense of powerlessness, despised this illusory body of the remnant soul.
He gave Melvin a deep glance before his figure dissipated in midair, his consciousness returning to the golden goblet.
“Hiss…”
Yurm tilted its head back and flicked its tongue, snake eyes revealing a human-like confusion.
“This can’t be blamed on me. It wasn’t me who scared him; it was his own memories that scared him.”
Melvin’s eyes lowered slightly as he gently stroked the scales on the young snake’s head. “The soul of an Obscurus hides deep despair, and this despair seems to have altered the nature of the magic power, able to draw out unbearable memories from the depths of others’ hearts.”
Just now, through Riddle’s perspective, he had vaguely glimpsed a few pictures, but they weren’t clear.
Yurm didn’t seem to know if it understood, flicking its slender forked tongue and rubbing its head against his fingertip.
“Hiss…”
“Yeah, an Obscurus is a very peculiar magical creature, though they generally don’t live long.” Melvin teased the young snake, muttering to himself, “I don’t know how long Bastien can live. Her magic power has undergone transformation; I hope she can grow up healthy.”
……
In the evening, the Granger family returned to the hotel after a day of sightseeing.
The sunset of midsummer July, with the sun setting in the west, orange-red fiery clouds filling the horizon, the evening glow brilliant. The four leaned on the railing to admire the sunset, Hermione and Bastien’s eyes sparkling, their faces flushed red.
Once the sun gradually dimmed, Mrs. Granger, as the head of the household, began setting the dining table, distributing cutlery. The hotel suite’s terrace was filled with food packed back from the streets—that was their dinner today, with a unique flavor.
Bastien stared blankly at the table full of food. Hermione turned her head and asked, “Why are you standing there not eating? No appetite? Did we go to too many places today, and shopping tire you out?”
“It’s all your fault, you two. This to play, that to see, dragging her everywhere. Bastien isn’t even seven yet.” Mrs. Granger grumbled disapprovingly.
The father and daughter across from her could only smile apologetically; they’d had too much fun and gotten a bit carried away.
“I’m fine. Maybe my body has recovered and doesn’t need so much food to replenish energy anymore, plus I ate too much while shopping, so now I can’t eat any more.” Bastien looked at the delicacies on the table, sighing regretfully. Her slightly comical expression made the other three smile.
The sun sank into the Seine River, and dinner ended amid laughter and chatter as night gradually fell.
During the meal, Hermione and the others didn’t ignore Bastien, chatting with her. The dentist couple also simply checked the girl’s temperature, confirming Bastien just had no appetite and her body was fine.
Because the little girl was tired and listless, there were no evening activities planned. The family washed up early and returned to their bedrooms to rest.
Considering the high room rate, the hotel suite was very spacious with extra vacant bedrooms, but ever since that museum incident, Hermione, as Bastien’s prospective sister, felt she should care for Bastien’s physical and mental state, so these past few days she’d been sharing a room with her.
“I’m really fine…”
Watching Hermione move over her pillow and quilt and lie down next to her, Bastien seemed a bit awkward and said softly, “I just feel a little tired, no appetite for dinner.”
“Many times, patients aren’t aware of their own condition.”
Hermione adjusted her sleeping position, smoothed her messy hair. Growing up in a dentist family, she’d picked up some medical knowledge by osmosis. “No appetite could be heatstroke. Even though your temperature is normal, what if other symptoms appear at night?”
“…”
A warm emotion flowed through Bastien’s heart, like the water of the Seine River rushing by. Since her mother died that year in the season when ice and snow thawed, no one had cared about her health. The people of New Salem only treated her as a slave.
“Life now is so wonderful it’s like a dream.”
Bastien lay on the pillow, eyes on the ceiling. The sweetness and happiness she’d tasted in her life didn’t add up to these past few days. Ever since that night following Hermione to the hotel, her memories of New Salem felt more and more distant. “I’ve never eaten so much candy and steak. Even if I died right now like this, I’d be willing.”
“What are you saying!”
Hermione pinched her nose. “There’ll be more candy later, and more fun things waiting for you. When you turn 11, I’ll go find Headmaster Dumbledore. Maybe you can even go to Hogwarts for school.”
“School…” Bastien tilted her head slightly.
“Hogwarts is the best magic school in the world, with the best professors. Remember Professor Levent from that day?”
Hermione unconsciously sped up her speech, then suddenly realized she sounded like Lavender, who during holiday banquets would drag other roommates into late-night chats about which boys were handsome, which professors gave too much homework, and Professor Levent’s outfits.
She paused briefly, composing herself. “He’s Hogwarts’s Muggle Studies professor. Next year I can take his class.”
“That professor from that day…” As if recalling the destructive violent flames, Bastien shrank back. “I think he’s a bit fierce, scary.”
“Professor Levent is a very nice person, just occasionally like that.” Hermione weighed her wording. “Sometimes he’s mysterious and seems odd, but once you get familiar, he’s a kind and gentle professor.”
“Oh…” Bastien opened her mouth, feeling it awkward to describe that professor as kind and gentle.
“Let’s sleep early today. Tomorrow we’re going to Disney, to ride the pirate ship—it’ll be fun.”
“Mm.”
Bastien responded weakly.
