Chapter 455: Courting the Werewolf
Chapter 455: Courting the Werewolf
The last night of the term had arrived, and many students had already packed their bags, ready to attend the end-of-term farewell banquet. At this moment, Liam received a letter from his parents. In the letter, they expressed their dissatisfaction with Liam's tendency to act first and inform later, especially regarding significant matters like an engagement. However, they assured Liam that if this was the result of a well-thought-out decision with Hermione, they would respect his choice. They only asked for a proper explanation.
After discussing with the Granger family, the four of them returned to London. The letter had requested Liam to call home from King's Cross Station on the day he returned to London, and then go directly to the Granger home to discuss the matter with Hermione's parents.
As Liam and Hermione descended the stairs to attend the End-of-Term Feast, Liam learned that Hermione's parents had also written her a similar letter. He couldn't help but feel grateful for the greater freedom British parents gave their children, making the current situation much better than he had anticipated.
The next day, during the journey back on the Hogwarts Express, Malfoy and his gang tried to attack Harry to avenge their Death Eater families. Unfortunately for them, they chose to do this outside a compartment full of DA members. As a result, they received a thorough thrashing instead.
While Harry and his friends were buying snacks to celebrate, Liam and Hermione walked in hand in hand. They had just completed their Prefect duties of maintaining order. However, the observant Ginny noticed that both of them seemed a bit tense.
"What's going on with you two?" Ginny asked with concern, drawing the attention of Harry and Ron.
"Well—today we need to tell our parents about our engagement", Liam said, looking at Ginny. "It's natural to be a bit nervous in such a situation."
"Ah, that would be nerve-wracking", one of the Weasley twins said, while the other added, "But Liam, you can't avoid it." Then, in unison, they said, "So, young man, face it bravely."
The Weasley twins' banter made everyone in the compartment laugh, and they soon returned to their own activities, such as reading newspapers, magazines, or playing Wizard Chess.
The Daily Prophet was filled with articles about how to repel Dementors, the Ministry of Magic's efforts to capture Death Eaters, and hysterical letters claiming that the Dark Lord Voldemort had been seen passing by someone's house early one morning.
"Even before the war has officially begun, the wizards of Britain are already in such a state of chaos. It shows how deeply rooted Voldemort's fear is. If they are this scared before the fighting starts, the war ahead will not be easy", Liam thought to himself after finishing the Daily Prophet. This made him realize that his family's decision to move to China had been a wise one.
However, what was more significant for Liam was that he received Deviation Points for changing the battle at the Ministry of Magic and other events, totaling 46 points.
When the train finally pulled into King's Cross Station, Liam and Hermione got off. With the Ticket Inspector's permission, they passed through the magical barrier between Platform 9 and Platform 10 to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, where they found many Order of the Phoenix members waiting on the other side.
There was Mad-Eye Moody in his bowler hat, Tonks standing next to a lively-looking Lupin, the Weasley parents in their best Muggle clothes, and Sirius Black, arm in arm with his St. Mungo's Healer lover, wearing a golden prosthetic hand on his left arm and a radiant smile on his face.
"Oh, it's such a relief to see you all safe and sound." Weasley gave each child a warm embrace. Afterward, Lupin and Tonks greeted Harry and then made their way over to Liam and the others.
"You seem to be doing much better lately. Your complexion has improved a lot." Liam smiled as he sized up Lupin, who had just walked over. Meanwhile, Tonks, after exchanging greetings, quickly pulled Hermione aside to chat in hushed tones.
"For people like us, having a job that provides a steady income through honest labor is a huge blessing", Lupin said in a low voice. "Even though Umbridge is gone, the law she enacted to restrict werewolves is still in place. Thanks to you, I can now offer these non-evil werewolves a job, preventing them from joining Voldemort out of desperation."
"That's great to hear", Liam nodded. "How many werewolves are working at the plantations in Northern Europe now?"
"Including me, there are 19. Additionally, there's a wizard and a Muggle family who aren't werewolves. Their child was unfortunately bitten, and when they learned about our place, they brought their child here. The wife, a witch who graduated from Beauxbatons, handles external communications for the manor. Her husband is an artist, so he has a lot of free time to care for their child."
"The love parents have for their children is truly remarkable", Liam remarked, and Lupin nodded in agreement, thinking back to his own childhood and how his parents continued to love him even after he became a werewolf.
These werewolves work very diligently. According to the latest reports, the large plantation in Northern Europe can now provide most of the common ingredients for the Joke Shop, reducing production costs by about one-fifth. The reliability of these werewolves has also been proven, as the secret of growing sunflowers in the Arctic Circle has not been exposed, despite their knowledge of the value of these mystic plants from their past lives in the magical world.
So, the notion that werewolves are inherently immoral is just a racist lie. While some werewolves may be immoral, it has nothing to do with their blood.
"That's good to hear. I'm working hard to find a way for werewolves to live like normal people. I think I'm starting to see a solution", Liam shared the good news with Lupin. After falling through the Veil, his increased power gave him hope that he could solve this problem.
"Your preservation flask was already very helpful", Lupin nodded. "There's no need to rush; we have the patience to wait."
Just as Lupin finished speaking, Hermione and Tonks concluded their whispered conversation and walked over. Tonks then said, "Alright, let's move on to the next step. See, Sirius Black has already gone over."
Liam was still puzzled when he saw Sirius Black, Mad-Eye Moody, and Mr. Weasley walking toward the Dursleys. As they approached, it became clear that Mr. Weasley was leading the group in warning the Dursleys not to mistreat Harry. As a former murderer, Sirius Black's presence was incredibly intimidating, especially when he revealed his shiny golden prosthetic hand, which thoroughly shook Uncle Vernon.
"By the way, could you ask Sirius Black what kind of prosthetic hand he'd like? Write to me once you find out. I can make a better one for him", Liam whispered to Lupin as he said his goodbyes.
After shaking hands with Lupin, Liam picked up his luggage and walked with Hermione to the train station to catch the bus. Along the way, he prayed that everything would go smoothly when he met the parents later.
(End of Chapter)
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