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Chapter 72: Time to Return to School
Chapter 72: Time to Return to School
At the Leaky Cauldron, everyone waved goodbye and made plans to meet again on September 1st at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Mr. Weasley seemed eager to ask Mr. Granger something but was pulled back by Mrs. Weasley.
The Weasley family and Harry returned home through the fireplace, while Liam went home with the Grangers by car. The ride back was silent. When the car stopped in front of Hermione's house, Liam took his things from the trunk and was about to leave when Hermione called out to him, taking a couple of steps forward.
After seeing Mr. Granger help Mrs. Granger into the house, Hermione whispered to Liam:
"Once we're back at school, can you teach me how to use magic in a fight? I noticed you spent the whole summer learning this."
"Why? I remember you used to be a bit opposed to fighting, and you told me just the other day that now isn't the time to learn it", Liam said, surprised by Hermione's request.
"Because today, in the bookstore, when Mr. Weasley and Malfoy got into a fight, you were the only one who thought to pull my parents to safety. I realized that there aren't many good people like Mr. Weasley, and most wizards have a certain bias or even disregard for non-magical people.
Not to mention, both the Malfoy and Weasley families have significant influence in the wizarding world. So, conflicts between them usually don't escalate and rarely cause serious harm. But for us Muggle-borns, we might have to rely on our own strength to avoid harm. I don't think Malfoy would hesitate or hold back when casting curses at us.
So you were right. We need to protect ourselves, our family, and our friends. I believe you learned a lot about combat during the summer. Would you be willing to share that knowledge with me?"
"Of course", Liam promised. "Once we're back at school, I'll share that knowledge with you."
After saying goodbye to Hermione, Liam dragged his trunk back home, thinking about what she had said.
"Hermione really is a smart one", Liam thought. If it weren't for his past knowledge and his mental age of over thirty, he wouldn't have considered this angle.
At least in the British wizarding world, Muggles and wizards are not seen as equals. For example, Hagrid was never punished for making Dudley grow a pig's tail, while wizards with egalitarian views like Mr. Weasley are considered odd. So, as a Muggle-born wizard, one has to work harder to build their strength to live normally in the wizarding world. For Hermione to realize this at her age is a testament to her exceptional talent.
Once home, Liam took out the diary that served as a Horcrux of Voldemort. Life Magic clearly detected the presence of an evil and twisted life force within.
Liam thought for a moment, then placed the diary in an iron box and sent it to the Multiverse General Store. This way, he could ensure the diary's safe transport to school without it coming into contact with anyone.
Initially, Liam had planned to use his newly learned Life Magic to try and destroy the diary, but upon realizing the extent of its danger, he decided to play it safe. He couldn't help but admire Voldemort's genius for being able to create such a dangerous item through self-study during his student years. It was simply impressive.
Liam also realized the gap between himself and the ultimate boss behind the scenes. It seemed that he still couldn't be complacent and needed to obtain more power through the Multiverse General Store.
The rest of the holiday was peaceful. Mr. Lambert was in seclusion, claiming he was writing a great novel. Hermione, on the few occasions they met, expressed her admiration for Lockhart's abilities, thinking she could consult him about Dark Magic defense once school started.
However, this time Hermione wasn't as infatuated with Lockhart as she was in the original story. When she and Liam shared the contents of Lockhart's novels, Liam told her that their own adventures last year were no less impressive than Lockhart's. At least the Cerberus was far more dangerous than a vampire. As for the mysterious figure, that was a whole different level.
So, they could respect Lockhart as a seasoned adventurer, but there was no need to idolize him. After all, which teacher at Hogwarts had fewer accolades than Lockhart? It was just that Lockhart had publicized his experiences. (Given the lack of solid evidence, Liam couldn't call Lockhart a fraud, or it would definitely spark Hermione's rebellious streak.)
Hermione thought for a moment and admitted that she had been somewhat influenced by the novels. Plus, Lockhart was undeniably charming, which had made her a bit infatuated. Now that she realized this, she decided to view Lockhart simply as a very capable professor.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was September 1st. Mr. Lambert finally emerged from his seclusion and drove Liam to King's Cross Station.
On the way, Mr. Lambert was in high spirits, talking non-stop about the setting of his new novel. In his excitement, he failed to brake in time at a traffic light and ended up rear-ending the car in front.
Although it was a minor collision and no one was hurt, it still took a while to sort out. By the time father and son rushed to the station with their luggage, they ran into Harry and the Weasley family, who were also running late.
After exchanging greetings, the Weasleys began passing through the barrier one by one, while Liam said goodbye to his father. As Mr. Lambert walked out of the station, Liam heard a thud behind him.
Turning around, Liam saw Harry and Ron lying on the ground, their luggage carts overturned, and their belongings scattered everywhere.
A crowd had gathered, pointing and whispering. Liam took this opportunity to push through the crowd and approach them. "What happened? Why are you in such a mess?"
"Something's blocking the passage", Harry said, holding his ribs.
Liam walked over to the wall and touched it. Sure enough, the barrier was sealed. This must be the work of the house-elf, Dobby.
As the station clock ticked closer to the departure time, Harry tried pushing the cart against the wall again, but it remained immovable.
It seemed that, thanks to Dobby's enthusiastic intervention, Harry was successfully trapped at the station and couldn't get to Hogwarts. Liam and Ron, as collateral damage, were also stuck here.
Liam couldn't help but think that Dobby's method of "saving" them was unacceptable, but it was good news for him. This meant an opportunity to earn Deviation Points. The thought of this made Liam feel much better.
(End of Chapter)
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