Chapter 165: Vacation Invitation (Fourth Update)
Chapter 165: Vacation Invitation (Fourth Update)
"Isn't this great? No more studying!"
Ron let out a cheerful sigh when he saw Jerry and Hermione approaching. He had been the most miserable during this period.
"I hope we all pass the exams and don't get held back!"
Harry said with some concern.
He had performed poorly in several subjects, especially in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Harry, cheer up! We won't know how badly we did for another week, so there's no need to worry about it now."
Ron was unusually optimistic.
Jerry wanted to reassure Harry that there was no need to worry. After all, with Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, backing him, there was no way he would be held back.
"What are your plans for the summer?"
Hermione pulled Jerry to sit beside her.
"Nothing, you know my situation. I'll probably be locked in my room most of the time!"
Harry sighed.
Just thinking about his aunt and uncle made him feel terrible. He didn't even want to go back. If only the summer break at Hogwarts could be like Christmas, where students could stay at the school.
"Hey, why don't you come to my place for the summer? All three of you, I'll send you owls to let you know when to come!"
Ron suddenly suggested.
"That sounds like a great idea!"
Hermione and Harry's eyes lit up. They were very interested in the Burrow, which Ron often mentioned.
It was hard to imagine what a wizard's home, filled with magic, would be like. It must be fascinating.
"Sorry, I won't be able to make it. I have to attend the English Quidditch team's training this summer!"
Jerry smiled and declined the invitation.
He didn't actually need to attend the Quidditch training, as it was a pre-arranged commitment in his contract. He had already asked Mayer via owl, and there were no upcoming matches for the time being.
National Quidditch matches were infrequent, with only two or three a year, and most of the time was spent in training.
However, he had other plans for the two and a half months of his summer break and would likely not be in this world at all, so he couldn't visit the Burrow.
He was actually quite interested in the Burrow, especially in the magic car that Ron's father, Arthur, had modified using alchemy.
Arthur was an expert in alchemy.
But there would be plenty of time to explore the Burrow and alchemy later. For now, he needed to focus on more pressing matters.
Besides, Harry and Hermione might not be able to go to the Burrow anyway. Harry would likely be locked up by his Muggle uncle, and it was only thanks to Ron and his brothers, using Arthur's magic car, that Harry was rescued.
"That's too bad!"
Hermione, Ron, and Harry all looked disappointed.
For kids their age, it was a significant letdown when even one of their close friends couldn't join them.
"Jerry, if you have some free time during the summer, would you like to come to my place? Our estate is quite large!"
After dinner, as Jerry walked into the Slytherin common room, he received an invitation from Daphne.
"Um, I'm afraid I can't. I have to attend the English Quidditch team's training this summer!"
Jerry immediately used the same excuse to decline, looking rather troubled.
"Alright then!"
Daphne left, looking disappointed.
However, as he walked down the corridor to the boys' dormitory, he received a similar invitation from Blaise Zabini, which he also declined using the same reason.
Just as he entered the dormitory and was about to lie down, Draco Malfoy, along with Goyle and Crabbe, approached him.
"Jerry, Goyle and Crabbe will be coming to my house for the summer. Do you have time to join us?"
Jerry couldn't help but twitch his lips. In the end, he politely declined Draco Malfoy's invitation for the same reason.
However, that wasn’t the end. In the last week of the school term, Jerry received quite a few invitations from older young wizards to visit their homes over the summer, especially from those in Slytherin.
In fact, if Jerry were just an excellent young wizard, given his status as an orphan, he wouldn’t have received so many invitations.
The main reason was that he wasn’t just academically and behaviorally outstanding; he was also currently the hottest and most popular Seeker in all of Britain, hailed by many newspapers as a once-in-a-century Seeker prodigy and the future pillar of British Quidditch.
So, Jerry's status itself was something to be proud of. In the eyes of many young wizards, inviting Jerry to spend the summer at their homes was a matter of great prestige.
In the second week of June, the exam results were released.
Jerry, as expected, topped the year with the highest score, while Hermione came in second.
Hermione’s written exam scores were the same as Jerry’s, both perfect, but in the practical section, Jerry outperformed Hermione by a significant margin, leading to his overall score being far ahead.
On the last evening of the second week, the end-of-year banquet took place.
The entire Great Hall was adorned with green and silver decorations representing Slytherin, celebrating the house's seventh consecutive win of the House Cup.
A massive banner depicting the Slytherin serpent hung on the wall behind the head table.
With Quirrell dead and Voldemort having fled back to his long-hidden forest, many things had changed. There was no more daring adventure by the Harry Trio on the fourth floor, which had previously earned Gryffindor a lot of points.
So, the entire end-of-year banquet was mostly about eating, drinking, and a few words from Dumbledore, with no unexpected incidents.
The House Cup, as usual, went to Slytherin.
With the end of the banquet, the summer break officially began.
Over the two and a half months of summer, all the young wizards would leave Hogwarts. Therefore, the next morning, one could see young wizards dragging their trunks around the castle.
After the last breakfast in the Great Hall, all the young wizards gathered at Hogsmeade Station by nine o'clock and boarded the Hogwarts Express bound for London.
The train passed through forests and mountains, crossing numerous Muggle towns, and finally arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters in King's Cross Station at three o'clock in the afternoon.
The young wizards took off their wizard robes and put on jackets and short-sleeved shirts.
After getting off the train, Jerry and the other young wizards, including Hermione, lined up behind the wall that led to the regular station.
To avoid drawing Muggle attention with a sudden influx of children, a thin, old guard stood at the barrier, allowing only two or three young wizards to pass through at a time.
Exiting the Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and arriving at the entrance of King's Cross Station, Jerry saw Hermione’s parents, the Grangers, once again.
He also saw Ron’s parents, the Weasleys, and the Dursleys, whom Harry had described as detestable.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
