https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-322-Dolores-Umbridge-s-Dark-Side/12946196/
Chapter 323: The Crimson Train
Chapter 323: The Crimson Train
The day before the start of school, Vold, dressed and ready, headed downstairs and found their neighbors sitting in the living room.
Alastor Moody, with his single eye, was examining a piece of sausage on his fork.
Hearing footsteps, his blue magical eye spun, and he looked directly through the back of his head at Vold.
"No need to get up so early, kid," Moody said gruffly. "No need to worry about traffic; I'll take you to the station."
Vold was surprised. "Mr. Moody?"
"Mmm," Moody grunted in response. "Dumbledore told me about his plan. It's well thought out, but not thorough enough—stations like these, with their mixed crowds, are perfect for observing others."
"So thank you, Alastor. He's really considerate."
Fiona happily placed a piece of toasted bread into Moody's plate, saying, "Buttered toast, perfectly toasted."
Moody sniffed and, after a careful examination, said, "It smells wonderful. Your cooking skills are amazing, Mrs. Gray."
"It's all thanks to Coco and the others at home!" Fiona asked, "How about some scrambled eggs, Alastor?"
"Yes, thank you very much."
Moody was always polite to Fiona, whether it was because he was a man of few words or a gentleman.
Ferdinand asked Vold, "Have you packed your luggage?"
"Yes, I have," Vold replied. "But Eva doesn't want to go into the cage. Tonight, just let her fly over to find me."
"That's good too; it'll avoid any mess in the car," Ferdinand said.
As they were about to part ways, Vold hugged his parents separately. When Fiona's eyes grew moist, he smiled and winked, saying, "Don't worry, Mom. If you miss me, I can come back tonight."
Fiona knew he meant 'fly back,' and she immediately smiled through her tears, but shook her head, saying, "You have to follow the school rules, Vold. Don't get caught by the teachers, or you'll be expelled!"
She hugged him tightly for a while before finally letting go.
The tense atmosphere that had been building up recently made even the carefree Fiona feel the pressure, making their parting especially worrying and bittersweet.
Ferdinand reminded him, as always, "Be safe, Vold."
Vold nodded, grabbed Moody's arm, and with a bang, they vanished from their original spot.
No matter how much time had passed, the nauseating feeling of Apparition never changed.
Vold leaned against the wall, taking a moment to recover before he felt much better.
Looking up, he saw they had arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
The crimson steam train was parked on the platform, its top spewing smoke. The platform was filled with students saying their goodbyes, cages with various creatures making a ruckus, and the whole place was in disarray.
Moody observed for a moment before suddenly huffing coldly, "The number of people keeping rats as pets has increased... Dumbledore should add another school rule to prohibit the keeping of rat-like creatures on campus!"
Vold looked around and noticed several girls or first-year students holding hamster cages, each containing chubby pets, some even asleep.
It seemed they had all forgotten the discomfort Peter Pettigrew had caused.
However, the scene also reminded Vold of Fiona's previous pet, Miss Millicent.
Although Vold didn't like this type of pet, he had to admit that it had brought Fiona much joy.
"They should be puppet pets," Vold said after observing for a moment. "I've seen several identical white hamsters."
"Puppet pets?" Moody fell silent for a moment, then asked curiously, "Do these things also need to be caged?"
Vold thought for a moment. "... Personal preference, I guess?"
Moody shook his head in confusion. "... Let's find a compartment."
Voldemort arrived early, before Michael and the others. He randomly chose an empty compartment, and Moody, after checking to ensure its safety, allowed Voldemort to enter.
"Stay vigilant, kid!"
The retired Auror gave a final reminder, and as Voldemort took his seat, he disappeared with a loud bang.
Voldemort took out a book from his pocket and placed it on the table. Just as he started reading, he felt an incredibly intense gaze upon him.
He turned his head and saw Harry's flattened face through the glass, staring at him resentfully.
"..."
Voldemort was speechless for a moment before opening the window. "Harry? What are you doing?"
"Wait!"
Harry ran to the door, entered the compartment, and slammed a crumpled piece of paper he had been clutching onto the table in front of Voldemort. He then forcefully stretched it, opening it, and slammed it back onto the table.
The newspaper remained wrinkled, and a distorted face appeared in the frame.
Harry's voice echoed faintly, "Voldemort, is this the noble, elegant, and kind Ms. Umbridge?"
Only heaven knows the shock Voldemort felt when he saw the newspaper!
He couldn't imagine what Voldemort was thinking to praise such a person so highly.
Voldemort cleared his throat and asked indignantly, "Harry, how can you judge a person by their appearance? Does being ugly disqualify one from possessing elegance?"
Harry, with a stern face, paused, momentarily stunned, even feeling as if he truly had no valid argument.
He sat down beside Voldemort, racking his brains for a response, but couldn't come up with one.
Voldemort chuckled, opened his book, and continued studying the Guide to Magical Creatures.
The blood and wolf fur from Claire couldn't be wasted, but to analyze it more specifically, he first needed to establish a more solid theoretical framework.
The silence in the compartment persisted until just before the train's departure, when Harry heard the noisy voices of the Weasley family outside.
Harry rushed out like a gust of wind, and Voldemort heard him greeting the Weasleys.
This young wizard, who often seemed shy in the original story, now appeared more lively and confident, no longer the boy in the narrative who craved love but often avoided it.
After a while, Michael, Theo, and Ryan found the compartment, greeted them, and their luggage quickly filled the rack.
The long whistle sounded, and the conductor began closing the doors.
Hermione also arrived at this moment, bringing gifts from her trip to France—
A small tower that could breathe fire, with flames that were slightly warm but not hot.
"France also has some interesting magic. I bought several magic books and even revised my magic history paper."
Hermione excitedly said, "If I have the chance, I'd love to visit Beauxbatons Academy in France! By the way, have you all bought Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? I want to pre-study, but I've never been able to open it properly."
"Stroke the spine," Voldemort said, "like petting a cat."
Hermione was taken aback. "Like that?"
"Of course," Voldemort said, "this book is like a little animal."
"I'll try it when I get back! If it works, I'll almost be done by the time we reach school!"
Just as she had come in a hurry, Hermione left in the same manner.
Voldemort smiled, and as the train swayed slightly, he felt his heart racing.
By tonight, at the latest... he would obtain the long-awaited Chrono Device!
(End of Chapter)
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