Chapter 489: Departure
Chapter 489: Departure
In the days that followed, Liam spent time with his beloved. However, unlike a typical couple, most of their time together was devoted to Magic Research. They also visited the World of the Rose Maidens to attend a tea party with the maidens and sought advice from Teacher Luo Zhen, the true master of the rules, on some issues they encountered while deciphering them. Rogen informed Liam that the analysis of the Sands of Time he brought last time would still take some time, as the power of time was one of the most complex forces.
Of course, besides the tedious research and studies, Liam also took Hermione to Middle-earth to explore the beauty of that fantastical world. Naturally, many interesting events occurred during their journey. For instance, when Liam led Hermione into the Dale Kingdom's royal family's private Treasury, he stood by and watched as the usually composed Hermione displayed a rare look of astonishment.
However, when Hermione left the treasury, she didn't take any jewelry. Instead, she took a batch of books recorded on parchment, leaves, and even gold foil. If Liam hadn't assured her that she could read these books at her leisure, she might have tried to carry all of them away. Even so, she still took over fifty books, filling her small Spatial Bag to the brim before she was satisfied.
"I feel that the knowledge in any one of these books is far more precious to me than a swimming pool full of gold and jewels", Hermione said with a contented smile as she held a book of leaves detailing the history of Elves before their arrival in Zhongtu. "Compared to gold and gems, knowledge is the greatest wealth."
Liam agreed with this view; otherwise, he wouldn't have stored so many books in the treasury. Some of these books were about the creation of Magic Items, while others recorded various histories. Each one contained valuable information, and even the simplest mythological stories described aspects of Deity and world rules.
They also took some time to visit the World of Pirates of the Caribbean to attend Will and Elizabeth's wedding, where they presented a set of Elven-crafted silver cutlery as a gift.
In the last few days of summer vacation, Liam spent his time organizing the knowledge he had learned. Additionally, when Lupin brought the last Werewolf for treatment during the holiday, Liam agreed to continue the treatments after school started. He would come out of the School during his free time and meet Lupin at the shop in Hogsmeade, sending an Owl Post to inform him in advance.
Lupin also told Liam that the Fawcett couple he had rescued decided to stay at the plantation. As a result, the food quality there improved significantly. According to Lupin, the meals at the plantation were just edible before, but now they could be considered gourmet.
During this period, due to the protective wards at The Burrow, Liam and his friends received only a few letters from Harry and the others. One letter mentioned that Harry had seen Malfoy acting suspiciously at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley, and he suspected Malfoy was a Death Eater planning something sinister at Hogwarts this year.
Harry's intuition was indeed sharp, and Liam believed that Voldemort would not abandon his plans to infiltrate and attack Hogwarts. Malfoy was likely the executor of this plan. However, the success of such a plan depended on secrecy, and if it was discovered in advance, it would end disastrously. Liam was actually looking forward to Voldemort's attack this year, hoping to counter it and deal another blow to the Death Eaters.
In his reply, Liam expressed his support for Harry's suspicions, hoping to provide some comfort to Harry among those who didn't understand his views.
Finally, the day of the return to school arrived. Liam and the others packed their luggage and left home. They Apparated to a spot about ten kilometers away from the Manor and summoned the Knight Bus.
The Knight Bus appeared as usual, and the conductor, Stan Shunpike, greeted them aboard. The atmosphere on the bus was somber, as the recent events had dampened everyone's spirits. After enduring several minutes of oppressive silence, the bus finally arrived near King's Cross Station. Liam and Hermione, carrying their luggage, rushed off the bus as if fleeing from a hearse.
"The situation has deteriorated so much over a holiday, it's hard to believe", Hermione said, dragging her large suitcase. "In just two months, look at Diagon Alley and the atmosphere on the bus. If this continues, even if the Dark Lord doesn't carry out any more murders and destruction, the British Magic World will regress by years."
"Normal. This is what real war looks like, and war never changes", Liam said in a low voice.
After arriving at the station, they quickly entered Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and boarded the train. Once on board, they realized that the war had affected every aspect of the Magic World. For example, the Prefects' carriage was clearly divided by house. Only the Prefects from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw were present, while the two Slytherin Prefects were notably absent.
After a quick greeting, they accepted the Student Council President's assignment to patrol the carriages. However, before leaving, Hufflepuff Prefect Hannah Abbott came over to shake Liam's hand and chat with him for a while before leaving.
"What was Hannah talking to you about just now?" Hermione asked casually after they had stopped a group of second-year students from throwing Dungbombs on the train. "It looked like she was thanking you."
"Indeed, it was a thank you", Liam nodded. "Her mother wanted to buy a Golden Defensive Bracelet, but with the current situation, the regular queue would have taken two to three months. The Weasley Twins and I, considering she's a member of the Study Group, arranged for her mother to pay an additional 5% and get the bracelet first, so she came to thank me."
"Are those protective magic items really selling that well?" Hermione was somewhat surprised. She knew the price of those top-tier Golden Defensive Bracelets, but she didn't realize that just paying a little extra to get one sooner could elicit such gratitude.
"They're selling very well", Liam thought to himself. How could they not sell well during a war? "All orders for Defensive Bracelets are now booked at least six months in advance, and the top-tier Golden Bracelets are booked until next year."
"Will that take up too much of your time?" Hermione asked, concerned. "I'm worried we'll be very busy this year, and we might not have enough time."
"Of course not", Liam replied with a sly smile. "I've given the orders for Copper Bracelets to the Dwarves and the orders for Silver Bracelets to the Elves. Only the highest-quality Golden Bracelets will be made by me."
"That's a good approach. More people will get the protection they need", Hermione said. She didn't think there was anything wrong with Liam's method. If the Elves and Dwarves could produce qualified Bracelets, and Liam was willing to put them on the shelves, then the performance of the Magic Items was what mattered most, not who made them.
During their patrol, Liam noticed Malfoy, Pansy, and other Slytherin students huddled together in a compartment, discussing something. Malfoy looked more haggard than he did last year, which made Liam think that this year, Malfoy might be assigned a task by Voldemort, just like in the books. He decided to check the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement as soon as they arrived at school to accurately assess the situation.
After patrolling all the carriages, Liam and Hermione went to greet Harry and the others. After fighting together last year, their relationship had become much closer.
"The Weasley Twins have graduated, it feels a bit strange", Liam said, tearing open a Chocolate Frog and handing half to Hermione before chewing on the other half. "The train doesn't seem as lively as it used to be."
"No wonder I felt something was missing when I got on the train today", Ron said, looking enlightened. "Their business is really taking off. There are countless people with pockets full of Galleons hoping to buy those defensive magic items from them. When I went to Diagon Alley to shop, they were swamped with work."
"It's not just that", Luna interjected. "Our book, 'Look, This is a Muggle,' is also selling well. Maybe people need something light to read during these times. By the way, my father hopes to place an ad for The Quibbler in this magazine. What do you think?"
"Of course, that's fine", Hermione nodded. "But I think the magazine's style should change a bit. Otherwise, no one will read it even with an ad."
"No, I think the magazine is quite interesting", Luna defended. "It just doesn't appeal to many people."
Soon, Hermione and Luna were arguing about the magazine's content, while Liam and Neville settled into their familiar roles of spectators.
"Are they going to be okay?" Ron leaned in and asked. "I keep thinking they might start fighting any minute now."
"Don't worry", Neville said. "In the Study Group, they often argue about certain issues. They'll stop on their own after a while. According to Liam, it's just a matter of differing worldviews."
(End of Chapter)
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