Chapter 739: Extra - Hep
Chapter 739: Extra - Hep
Fred's plan had fallen through, and someone else was responsible for livening up the atmosphere.
Of course, Valen was unaware of this, so it enthusiastically led the Granger couple on a tour of the rooms. "I remember the last time we came, the house was built on a cliff", Mr. Granger said, still feeling a bit uneasy.
"That was a mistake", Felix recalled. "There were many seabirds nesting there."
"I thought it was because the front door faced the cliff", Mr. Granger said. Not at all, Felix thought to himself. That was the brilliance of the design. He had deliberately placed two chairs at the entrance, facing the sea, but cleaning up the bird droppings was a major issue. There were just too many unscrupulous birds.
Mrs. Granger stared at Valen's cradle, which was filled with various items: a small hat, a cozy cloak, a personal wand, and a bedtime storybook.
"You've really thought of everything", she said with an odd expression.
Hermione enthusiastically added, "There used to be an aquarium—"
"Did it have little fish?" Mr. Granger asked curiously.
"Oh, um", Hermione suddenly became flustered, "You know the Selma Lake Monster? It was something like that, just smaller..."
Mr. Granger grumbled noncommittally, "I read in the newspaper that it was depressed, not used to the local water."
"Maybe it misses home. Norway is quite far from here", Felix mused.
"Makes sense", Mr. Granger said.
During dinner, Felix and Hermione introduced the Granger couple to many of the island's attractions, while the Grangers mentioned the recent changes in London. "Many people are waiting to watch the broadcast on TV", Mr. Granger said.
"It's the same on the island. The stadium has been improved several times, but it can only accommodate five hundred thousand people, even with magic. So some people can only watch one or two matches, but the carnival during the World Cup is really great..."
After a satisfying meal, the four of them, plus Valen, chatted lazily. Mr. Granger stood up from the dining table and walked to the living room window.
"What's this?" Mr. Granger asked with interest, examining a beautifully shaped slender bottle on the shelf. The bottle's bottom was lined with a thin layer of fine sand. He thought the silver particles must contain some fascinating magic, as if they were breathing.
"It's a memory", Hermione said, walking over and picking up a grain of sand. The bottle cap automatically unscrewed, and the silver sand trickled down the neck of the bottle, with fleeting images of Felix and Hermione appearing.
"Did you go to the cemetery?" Mr. Granger asked in surprise, vaguely seeing a tombstone but not reading the inscription.
"Yes", Hermione said softly, "To see someone... a very complicated person."
It was the secluded place Grindelwald had chosen for himself. One day, while Felix was studying time magic, he saw Grindelwald's final moments in a mirror and suggested they go and see. The surroundings were beautiful. They set up a tombstone and then used magic to hide it.
When Hermione and Mr. Granger returned to the dining room with some desserts, Felix and Mrs. Granger were still chatting. Hermione sat down next to him. "What were you talking about?" Mrs. Granger immediately fell silent. Felix grabbed Hermione's hand and wrote on her palm. Hermione struggled to read the letters: B, A, and halfway through the third letter, her cheeks turned crimson.
"We're not in a rush about having children. We can wait until we're sixty", Felix said seriously.
The Grangers gasped in shock. Hermione glared at him. "Of course we won't wait until we're sixty."
"We can help take care of the children", Mrs. Granger hastily offered, still hearing the terrifying echo of 'sixty... sixty...' in her mind. She nudged her husband's ribs, and Mr. Granger said solemnly, "Yes, since you two are usually so busy..."
"Felix and I have discussed this seriously, recently", Felix said.
"But there isn't even a single parenting book in your study", Mrs. Granger pointed out.
"There is", Felix said, giving her a meaningful look. At that moment, Valen called out from the sofa, pulling out a copy of the "Childcare Bible" from its pocket and putting on a pair of glasses, pretending to read seriously.
The Grangers were speechless.
"Are you planning to leave your child in the care of a Niffler?"
"… Incorrect", Felix said seriously. "Valen is just imitating. You might not have noticed, but Valen's size is similar to that of an infant. Hermione sometimes practices with it. I've seen her doing it..."
Hermione's fingers were already equipped with 'buffalo strength.'
"Post-dinner drinks!"
Felix snapped his fingers happily, and four cocktails and a glass of juice appeared in the air. He pushed the juice with a straw to Valen and then asked excitedly, "Does anyone want cherries or lemon slices?"
"I like cherries", Mr. Granger said, distracted. "Can I have a small spoon to eat them with?"
...
After settling the Grangers in, Felix and Hermione lay in bed. The scene in the room changed the moment they lay down. They were lying on a grassy field, looking up at the blue sky and white clouds, with a gentle breeze blowing around their feet.
“I’m so tired.”
“It’s okay, everything is under control.”
“Even the Childcare Bible?”
“Ahem, our common topic is you. The first time we met formally, we talked about your childhood and school days. The second time, we discussed the dental health of wizards and magical creatures, which went best... because I brought a moving fire dragon skull, and your father seemed to really like it.”
“Yeah, he couldn’t get enough of it, he wanted to sleep in it at night,” Hermione said with a smile. “Although Mom wasn’t too happy about it.”
“This teaches us a lesson: every gain has its cost,” Felix said with a straight face. Hermione laughed so hard that her hair fell down. After she finished laughing, she fixed her hair and noticed Felix staring at her earlobe.
“...Do you like it?”
“It’s as beautiful as the Runic Codex.”
Hermione blinked.
“Which Runic Codex, mine or yours?”
“Well...”
A leaf fell from the sky, and Felix caught it, turning it into a pair of earrings and putting them on Hermione.
“...Now there’s no need to compare.”
Hermione propped her hand against Felix’s chest, and brilliant Runes spread from her fingertips. Felix’s casual clothes transformed into a tuxedo, and she pulled him up from the grass. “Would you like to dance, Professor?” she asked, and the illusion shattered, leaving them standing by the bed in their bedroom.
“It’s too small here.” The next moment, they vanished from the room.
A while later, Valen waddled in, staring at the empty bedroom. Those two are at it again. Where did they go this time? A list of secret hideouts flashed through his mind: desert, rainforest, underwater, the moon, inside a floating island... It all depended on what they wanted to do. If they were fighting, a high mage and a wizard nearly at that level had many options: desert, moon, and space were all viable.
Felix and Hermione’s month on Mars wasn’t just about stargazing or dry discussions of magic. As the only two wizards in the world with the Runic Codex, one of whom was on the brink of enlightenment, the only way to verify magic was through countless, unrestrained displays of it.
Valen plopped down at the door, took out the Childcare Bible, and started taking notes.
Hogwarts.
Hermione, dressed in a bright yellow evening gown, looked around with wide eyes. Felix was nowhere to be found. She walked down the stairs, and a puff of air sounded. A Kobold floated in the air—it was Peeves. Hermione couldn’t help but laugh when she saw him.
To her, Peeves seemed to have been forced into a butler’s outfit, similar to what Dobby liked to wear. Peeves looked dejected, his evil black eyes trying to shine with genuine sincerity, and he held an invitation.
“Beautiful lady, are you lost?” he recited.
“Oh, um—” Hermione said cheerfully, “Yes, I am.”
Peeves muttered under his breath, then immediately put on a surprised look. “What a coincidence, there’s a ball nearby, and if you’d like—” He clearly hoped Hermione would say no, but she smiled and said, “Thank you, Peeves, could you show me the way?”
Peeves hopped down the stairs, and Hermione followed, holding her dress.
As they approached the Great Hall, the melodious music grew faintly audible. Hermione took a deep breath and walked in. The room was filled with people.
“Professor Dumbledore?” Hermione called out in surprise.
“I’m not sure I can accept that title,” Dumbledore’s memory body said cheerfully. “I was in the Seventh Classroom listening to chamber music when Felix suddenly appeared and invited me to a ball.”
Through that young face, Hermione saw the wise old man with a white beard. She smiled with a nostalgic look. “Regardless, you gave me the most important guidance, which is an invaluable treasure to me.”
“Hmm?” Dumbledore’s memory body sounded slightly curious.
“You told me that mastering magic and understanding oneself are equally important, and to follow my heart,” Hermione said softly. Dumbledore smiled and said, “Where your treasure lies, there your heart will be also.” “Exactly,” Hermione said, walking toward the center of the Great Hall, which was now transformed. A golden dance floor extended to the feet of every guest from the Seventh Classroom, who stepped onto it with curiosity.
Two ghosts floated past.
“I hear they’re preparing for the 426th Quidditch World Cup.”
“How envious, I attended the 322nd...”
Felix and Hermione met each other’s gaze through the shadows of the ghosts. Felix extended his hand, leading Hermione into the dance floor. Hermione was a bit dazed until they began to dance, and she realized the familiar feeling—on the Triwizard Ball in fourth year, at Bill and Fleur’s wedding, on Mars, and at their own wedding two years ago. Each dance marked a step forward in their relationship.
“How long can we dance?” Hermione whispered.
“About a thousand years,” Felix said, “I think.”
(End of Chapter)
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