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Chapter 213: The Guest (Part 1)
Chapter 213: The Guest (Part 1)
Although Liam and Hermione didn't discover much from studying the Nymph's Magic Book during their journey, they weren't discouraged. After all, this was a compilation of partial knowledge from a Lesser Deity, and it would be strange to make significant progress in such a short time.
After packing their bags, everyone walked out of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, where their families were already waiting.
After saying goodbye to Hermione, Liam got into his family's car.
"Dad, why didn't you bring the sports car?" Liam was a bit puzzled, as his mother had mentioned in her letter that his father now preferred driving the sports car. So, it was strange to see his father driving the old minivan.
"I wanted to, but it's snowing today. The sports car's low clearance means it might get damaged", Mr. Lambert shrugged, looking a bit disappointed.
Upon returning home, Liam was greeted with his mother's incessant chatter, but he found it very heartwarming. After dinner, Liam gave his parents the gifts he had bought in Brazil. Not everything in Mahogany Town was exclusively for wizards, so Liam had purchased quite a few items that non-magical people could use as well.
His father particularly enjoyed the local Indigenous Wood Carvings, while his mother was fond of the Purple Propolis produced by Magical Bees. However, both of them were especially impressed by the Porcelain-Glazed Coffee Beans. Liam knew that these coffee beans required magic to grow, and after special processing, they had a stronger invigorating effect than regular coffee beans without the harmful effects of caffeine.
After a pleasant evening of conversation, Liam finally returned to his familiar bed for a good night's sleep. The next morning, he was awakened by a tapping sound on the window.
"Great, Christmas doesn't even let me rest. Who could it be?" Liam thought as he jumped out of bed onto the wooden floor and looked out the window. But there was nothing outside.
"Maybe I'm just too tired from the trip and am hallucinating?" Liam was thinking this when he suddenly heard his father, Mr. Lambert, calling from outside: "Hey, son, come out and take a look. It looks like something for you."
Something for me? Liam quickly dressed and rushed downstairs to the corridor by the door. As soon as he opened it, the cold outside made him shiver.
"Over here", his father waved his gloved hand. "I was just clearing the snow from the yard when I saw this bird fall from your window. It was holding a letter, so I thought someone might have written to you." He then handed over a gray, feather-duster-like object.
"This feather duster looks familiar", Liam thought as he took it from his father: an unconscious Owl and a letter, with the sender's name being Fred and George Weasley.
"The Weasley Family Owl really needs to be replaced. Errol looks even worse than last year", Liam said, quickly returning to his room to borrow a basket from his mother. He placed Errol in the basket and set it by the fireplace, then opened the letter.
The letter began with the twins' greetings, followed by an explanation that their mother had caught them during an experiment, making it inappropriate to send materials and supplies by mail. Fortunately, Ginny was visiting Hermione the next day, so they could use this opportunity to visit Liam and bring some things back home.
At the end of the letter, the twins asked Liam to reply as soon as possible if he was free.
Liam glanced at the listless Owl in the basket and thought that sending it out in this weather might really be a death sentence.
His parents were welcoming of Liam's friends' visit, especially when they learned that the visitors were the children of the Ministry of Magic official who had guided them before Liam started school. After all, Mr. Weasley had left a good impression on the family.
Mother Sally had been worried that Liam might be feeling lonely and friendless at School. Now, having classmates visit was a welcome piece of news.
After finishing dinner, Liam wrote his reply and braved the snow to go to Hermione's house to borrow her owl.
The doorbell rang, and Hermione opened the door.
"Liam, what brings you here so early?"
"I need to borrow your Hermes for a moment. I have to reply to the Weasley Twins, and their owl, Errol, seems unable to deliver messages anymore."
"I know about that. The twins should be coming over with Ginny tomorrow. You can come in for a cup of tea while you wait. I’ll finish my reply to Ginny and have Hermes deliver both letters."
Liam wiped the snow and mud off his shoes on the doormat and stepped into Hermione's house. The overall decor was cool-toned, with walls painted a light blue and furniture in similar shades.
In the living room, a gray L-shaped sofa was arranged around a small coffee table. A fireplace was set into the wall ahead, flanked by bookshelves filled with books. Various small photo frames were scattered around, displaying pictures of Hermione and her family.
Liam sat on the sofa, sipping a cup of black tea, while Hermione wrote her letter at the dining table in the adjacent Great Hall.
"Why are you home alone at Christmas?" Liam asked, puzzled.
"Well, after we made some money from that treasure hunt, my parents decided to expand their dental clinic. The contractors found an issue today, so they rushed to the site to address it", Hermione explained as she wrote.
"Can you even find contractors to work during Christmas?" Liam was shocked. He had lived in Britain for many years and had never seen workers willing to work during holidays unless they were House-Elves.
"These contractors are from Chinatown, and they are your fellow countrymen. My father helped arrange it. With overtime pay, they work even harder than my parents. This way, my parents’ clinic should be ready to reopen by the end of the holiday."
Soon, Hermione finished her letter and attached both her and Liam's letters to Hermes's leg. Liam carried the owl to the window and released it, noticing that it seemed fatter than when they first bought it.
The owl quickly disappeared into the gray sky, and Liam took the opportunity to bid farewell to Hermione and head home.
The next morning, the sound of a car engine announced the arrival of the Weasley Twins, who stepped out of an old green Ford Anglia and knocked on Liam's door.
"Hey, your father brought you here?" Liam asked, letting the twins in and watching the car drive away.
"Of course, our mother wouldn’t trust us to bring our lovely sister to London."
"Since our father had to work today, he agreed to drive us. He’s taking Ginny to Hermione’s place now and will pick us up on the way back home at noon."
The twins answered in unison. Liam led them to the living room and made each of them a cup of tea. Today, Liam's parents had gone to the shopping district to give their son some space, leaving him alone at home.
"Alright, tell me about your progress", Liam asked once everyone was seated on the living room sofa.
(End of Chapter)
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