Chapter 307: A Time to Rest
Chapter 307: A Time to Rest (Requesting Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
"Olympe told me her students might want to audit the Care of Magical Creatures class at Hogwarts. I think the French students probably won't appreciate the more powerful creatures, so I've prepared some prettier, smaller ones for them", Hagrid said. Since they had no classes next, Liam and Hermione stayed at Hagrid's Hut to have tea at his invitation. Of course, Liam carefully used magic to check the surroundings, ensuring that the annoying Beetle wouldn't come to eavesdrop.
"Thanks for the warning. I've heard from several people that Olympe has been under a lot of pressure lately. Sometimes, it's better not to say certain things", Hagrid poured the black tea from the teapot into Liam's cup.
"Olympe? You and Madame Maxime are on a first-name basis now? It seems your relationship has progressed quite quickly", Liam said after taking a sip of tea.
"I think I need to change my teaching plan. Madame Maxime believes my course content isn't very popular with the girls. Hermione, what do you think?" Hagrid, embarrassed by Liam's teasing, changed the subject. If it weren't for his beard, his face would probably be beet red.
"Yes, I think you could add some more popular creatures to the ones you already have. That way, the classes would be more engaging", Hermione carefully offered her opinion. Seeing Flobberworms every class was truly a nightmare for most students.
"Alright, I think you might be right", Hagrid, who had become less stubborn since he started dating, agreed. For the rest of the time, he and Liam discussed which creatures would be more suitable for the second half of the semester.
"I hope Hagrid can keep this up", Hermione said as they walked back to the castle.
"Let's see how long his relationship lasts", Liam silently prayed that Hagrid's love life would go smoothly. He also found the Flobberworms, which looked like molting lobsters and couldn't be fried to a golden brown to make neighborhood kids cry, quite uninteresting.
The days passed as usual, until the arrival of the Hogsmeade weekend in mid-January.
"I think you should take a break", Hermione said as she watched Liam wave his wand in the Room of Requirement, casting an Electroshock spell that knocked over the two wooden dummies in front of him. He then turned and used his left hand to behead the last wooden dummy that suddenly appeared behind him, ending his practice.
"You're right", Liam put away his sword into his Spatial Bag. "Let me get ready, and then we can go to Hogsmeade."
Ten minutes later, Liam and Hermione were already walking to Hogsmeade.
"What potion have you been brewing lately?" Liam had been spending a lot of time in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, making some kind of Elixirs. Even though Hermione had read many books, she couldn't identify the Elixirs. All she could tell was that it was a silver-blue liquid, so she decided to ask him directly.
"It's a Centaur Elixirs. Using Unicorn blood as the main ingredient, it can quickly restore life. Recently, Aunt Betty helped a difficult birth of a female Unicorn, and she was fortunate enough to receive some non-cursed Unicorn blood. She gave me half of it, and I'm using it to experiment with a recipe I got from Lanie Shaman", Liam leaned in close to Hermione and whispered in her ear, as there were other people around.
"When will the potion be ready? What are its effects?" Hermione asked, concerned.
"It will definitely be finished before the second Tournament", Liam calculated the time and said, "This is actually a very easily absorbed product that contains a large amount of light and life energy. It's highly effective in removing dark forces from the body. Percy mentioned at the ball that the countries are discussing legal issues regarding the Triwizard Tournament. I'm worried that the Durmstrang team might use some Dark Magic."
"Can't you use that kind of magic too? You should have mastered enough counter-curses, right?" Hermione asked. She was certain that the magic required to control mummies was not a force of light, and she believed Liam had an equivalent power.
"Yeah, but the elixirs are just a backup. In a fight, using an elixir is much faster than casting a counter-curse. That extra bit of time could make all the difference", Liam shrugged. "Of course, I'm just guessing the content of the next tournament based on historical records. Whether these elixirs are allowed in the competition is still up in the air, but it's always good to be prepared."
While strolling through the streets of Hogsmeade, Liam kept a close eye on everyone around him. With Harry's participation and the tampering of the Goblet of Fire, it was clear that Voldemort's followers had infiltrated Hogwarts. After confirming that Mad-Eye Moody hadn't been replaced, Liam continued to observe everyone in the school, trying to identify the spy.
But today was another fruitless day. After walking down the entire street, Hermione started shivering and rubbing her hands. Liam immediately suggested they go to the Three Broomsticks Inn to warm up with a drink.
The British love socializing in pubs, and British wizards are no exception. The small inn was packed, and Liam had to push his way to the bar to order two Butterbeers, heated and flavored with ginger and maple syrup.
Through the mirror behind the bar, Liam saw Ludo Bagman sitting in a dim corner with a group of goblins. Bagman was speaking in a low, rapid voice, and the goblins had their arms crossed, looking menacing. It seemed Ludo still owed a lot of gambling debts from the Quidditch World Cup.
Upon noticing Liam, Bagman quickly left with the goblins. As they exited, they ran into Harry and Ginny, who were out shopping. Harry was quickly pulled aside to talk, while Ginny stood on the opposite side of the road, looking annoyed. Worse still, Liam saw Rita Skeeter and her photographer heading their way—
"What are you looking at?" Hermione asked, taking a sip of her Butterbeer.
"Nothing", Liam replied, taking a sip of his own. It felt great to have a warm drink in the winter.
The Three Broomsticks was not only a great place to have a drink but also a hub for gossip and rumors in the British magical community. Liam overheard someone mention that the Ministry of Magic had been circling Black Lake for the past few days. There were also plenty of local stories, like Madame Rosmerta hiring a capable young man, who was apparently a distant relative, to whom she planned to pass the inn. Zonko's Joke Shop, struggling with declining revenue and an aging owner, was up for sale, and many outsiders had come to inspect it. Another story involved a male wizard who, after occasionally staying out late drinking with female colleagues, found himself locked out by his jealous wife.
The most popular topic recently, however, was the Triwizard Tournament. The patrons had strong impressions of Fleur and Krum, but as a town at the foot of Hogwarts Castle, they still primarily supported the local students. For example, Madame Rosmerta generously provided Liam with a plate of cheese-sauced fries.
On the way back to the castle after their Hogsmeade trip, Liam felt a sense of relaxation and contentment. It was clear that occasional breaks and relaxation were truly beneficial.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report