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Chapter 596: Outbound Journey
Chapter 596: Outbound Journey
The next morning, Liam pulled his packed suitcase to Hogsmeade Station. When he arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, he was surprised to see a considerable number of people there, many of whom appeared to have brought their entire families, dragging large and small suitcases.
"Because of the recent conflict, some people are moving from dangerous areas in London to Hogsmeade. They believe that being closer to Hogwarts will ensure their safety under Professor Dumbledore's protection. So today, the Hogwarts Express from London has brought those wizards who plan to move here", Susan Burns whispered, sharing the information she had obtained from her relatives at the Ministry of Magic.
"It seems everyone is a bit on edge. I hope the situation doesn't get any worse", Liam said as he helped Hermione stow her suitcase on the luggage rack. They found an empty compartment in the last car of the train and sat down. However, just as the train started moving, someone knocked on the compartment door.
"Who could be knocking so early?" Liam opened the door, puzzled, only to find Harry and Ginny standing outside.
"Everywhere else on the train is full, and we barely found this spot", Harry said as he helped Ginny stow her luggage. "There are a dozen Aurors on the train today, with two patrolling each car. Everyone boards and finds a compartment as soon as they can. We arrived a bit late, so it was hard to find an empty one."
"It seems the Ministry of Magic isn't completely inactive", Hermione remarked as two Aurors, wands in hand, walked past their compartment. "I wonder if Tonks is on the train."
"Probably not", Harry shook his head. "Sirius Black told me through the Two-Way Mirror that Tonks has been patrolling Diagon Alley recently and that the Aurors on the Hogwarts Express today are from the Rapid Response Force in the Auror Office."
"By the way, there's something I need to tell you", Harry said, looking around to ensure no one was outside the compartment before gesturing for everyone to lean in. "Did you know that Malfoy and his mother will be staying at Number 12, Grimmauld Place?"
"What?" "You must be joking!" Ginny and Hermione exclaimed, unable to believe that Malfoy and his mother would be staying at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
"I'm not joking", Harry said, looking troubled. According to the Headmaster's arrangement, he would be staying at Number 12, Grimmauld Place for the remainder of the summer after attending the wedding at The Burrow. The thought of sharing a roof with Malfoy, whom he had been at odds with since their first year, made Harry feel extremely uncomfortable. "But Sirius Black told me it was Dumbledore's decision."
"I think it makes sense", Liam said thoughtfully, and the three of them turned to look at him. "If I remember correctly, Malfoy's mother is Sirius Black's cousin. Given the current situation, she has nowhere else to go, so it's natural for her to return to her old family home."
"But the problem is, Malfoy is a Death Eater", Ginny said, sounding anxious. "I don't think it's safe just because they're related."
"Don't worry about that", Liam said. "Malfoy has no choice but to rely on us. If he's found by the Dark Lord or other Death Eaters, he's as good as dead. I think Malfoy is probably hoping just as much as we are for the Dark Lord to be defeated soon."
"True, Voldemort isn't known for being kind to his followers", Harry said, looking relieved. "So, I guess I'll just ignore them, and they'll probably do the same."
The rest of the journey passed in a relaxed conversation, with Harry and Ginny listening to Liam recount their various adventures in China.
When the train arrived at the station, Liam indeed saw Sirius Black waiting on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. After an awkward moment of silence, Sirius Black sighed and gestured for Narcissa Malfoy and Draco Malfoy to follow him.
"I guess Kreacher might be a bit happier now." After watching the Black siblings' first meeting in years, Liam offered his own comment. It seemed that Sirius Black still had a bit of a gentlemanly spirit, at least enough to avoid a public argument on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
In the following time, Liam and Hermione quickly stowed their luggage in their Spatial Bag and retrieved two suitcases. They then left Platform Nine and Three-Quarters side by side and smoothly took the subway to Heathrow Airport. Fortunately, Professor Dumbledore had already prepared the necessary tickets and visas for them, allowing them to board the flight to China without any issues.
"Why don't we just Apparate there? With our current magic power, we can easily handle an intercontinental journey", Hermione asked Liam in a low voice, as there weren't many people on the subway at this time.
"Mainly, Apparating directly into another country's territory in the Magicworlds is considered quite rude. Also, once we get to China, we'll need to spend some time in the ordinary world there. It wouldn't be a problem for me alone, but you, as a European, would stand out too much in the streets of China. Without proper legal entry procedures, it would be very troublesome."
After landing at Pearl City International Airport, Liam immediately showed Professor Dumbledore's letter to the staff of the Chinafangshu Federation and explained their purpose.
The efficiency in China was much better than expected. One of the Sorcerers entered an office and quickly returned, informing Liam that they could use the Cloud Path to the Chinafangshu Federation headquarters in Inner Chang'an the next morning to submit the letter.
After thanking the staff, Liam was curious about how they managed to contact the Fangshu Federation headquarters so quickly. The distance from Pearl City to Inner Chang'an was even greater than the distance from the southernmost to the northernmost point of the British Isles. Ordinary animal messengers wouldn't be fast enough, and expensive Alchemical Products like Two-way Mirrors couldn't be that widely available.
"Of course, it's the telephone", the older Sorcerer replied with a slightly puzzled look at Liam. "Is there any other way? Writing letters, like they did a decade ago, is far too slow, especially for long-distance communication. However, I heard a professor from the Chinasorcerer Academy mention that they are trying to adapt Mobile Phones for our use. Maybe the next time you come from Britain, you'll see them. They say it's even more convenient than the current Landlines."
"The British Wizarding World is more conservative than ever, or rather, British Wizards are pretending not to see the changes in the outside world", Liam thought after hearing the Chinasorcerer's words. "Most of this can be attributed to the extremely conservative mindset of Pure-blood Wizards and their suppression of Muggle-born Wizards who don't reject technology. Hopefully, things will improve after the war."
Long journeys are exhausting, even for those with physical and mental strength far beyond that of ordinary humans. After a 12-hour flight, followed by a few minutes of luggage retrieval, customs clearance, and negotiations, Liam finally led a drowsy Hermione out of Pearl City International Airport at 4:30 PM local time.
On the way to the reserved hotel, Hermione even leaned against Liam's shoulder and almost fell asleep. So, upon reaching the hotel, they both washed up and went straight to bed, skipping dinner altogether.
(End of Chapter)
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