Chapter 755: The Grand Finale — Nineteen Years Later
Chapter 755: The Grand Finale — Nineteen Years Later
After the war, as time passed, the British Wizarding World slowly healed from the scars of the conflict, and everything became vibrant once again. The war had dealt a significant blow to the ancient pureblood families, who had long been the upper echelon of the Wizarding World. This, in a way, spurred the British wizarding community to become more active and dynamic than ever before.
With the introduction of the Advanced Wizarding Academy, the Modern Wizarding Bank, and countless other new innovations, the British wizarding community underwent a rapid transformation. Many new things were brought into this once-stagnant country.
Of course, in such a changing world, everyone also underwent their own transformations. In the months following the war, after the Ministry of Magic returned to London and declared the post-war reconstruction complete, Liam and Hermione held their wedding on the Aerial Fortress. Soon after, Cedric and Zhang Qiu, Percy and Penelope, and many others who had delayed their weddings also held their ceremonies.
After their wedding, Liam and Hermione, in addition to managing their work in other worlds, focused on establishing their own school in this world. Surprisingly, three years after the war, Professor Dumbledore handed over the position of Headmaster of Hogwarts to Professor Mcgonagall and took a visiting professor position at Ryan and the others' school.
"The war is over, and I am getting old. It's time to pass the torch to the next generation", Dumbledore told Liam during an unexpected visit. "So I've retired, but I don't feel too old to move around. I hope to become a visiting professor at your new school."
Liam suspected that Dumbledore was concerned he might become the next Dark Lord, given how ruthless he had been during the war. However, he agreed to Dumbledore's request on the spot, as he had no desire to rule the world like Voldemort, and Dumbledore's involvement would greatly benefit the development of their school.
Time passed, and Liam's status in the British Wizarding World grew higher and more secure. One day, the Daily Prophet, which had become somewhat marginalized, published an article titled "The Era of Liam."
"…After the war, Layne Liang, a Muggle-born wizard, seized power in the British Wizarding World, from finance to manufacturing, from education to media. His influence extends into every aspect of the British Wizarding World…"
"Well, Hermione, the Daily Prophet has resorted to sensational headlines just to grab attention", Liam said as he ate his breakfast. "By the way, are we sending the kids to school today?"
"Yes", Hermione put down the newspaper. "I really admire Luna and her family. They couldn't even make it back in time for their daughter's first day of school and will have to wait at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters tomorrow."
Liam and Hermione had not given their children the gift of immortality, as it came with a price. However, their home was far from quiet. The children of friends like Lupin, Sirius Black, Harry, Ron, and Percy often visited, and even Luna and Rolf Scamander's twin daughters were frequently left in Ryan's care after Luna's marriage.
Perhaps due to the butterfly effect, Luna's twin sons in the original story became twin daughters. Since the girls turned one, Luna and her husband embarked on a global journey of exploration and discovery. As a result, their daughters spent more time at Ryan's home than at their own.
Soon, two brown-haired little girls and a group of puppets came downstairs. After greeting Ryan and the others, they sat down at the table for breakfast. Over the past decade, Liam had intermittently created six puppets based on Teacher Luo Zhen's designs, naming them Luminara, Garuda, Obsidian, Azure Well, Magenta, and Raspberry.
These Puppets usually serve as professors at the School and also work part-time as lab assistants. Out of their unique curiosity about Life, they even took on the responsibility of caring for the two little ones.
After breakfast, everyone packed up and set off in a Magic-enhanced Suv for the train station. They arrived early, so they could leisurely push their luggage carts from the parking lot to the massive, soot-stained station.
The car exhaust and the steam from pedestrians' breath shimmered in the cool air like a Spider's web. Two large cages on top of the luggage carts rattled, and the Owls inside grumbled unhappily.
“Uncle Liam, will my parents come to see us off today?” Lisa, the older of the Weasley Twins, looked up and asked Liam.
“Of course they will. Though they can be a bit unreliable at times, they wouldn’t lie to you about something like this,” Liam reassured her.
The family pushed through the crowd toward the wall between Platforms 9 and 10. Passersby curiously stared at the Owls. After a few minutes, when no one was paying attention, Ryan and the others slipped through the wall to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. The platform was shrouded in the thick white mist from the Hogwarts Express, with indistinct figures moving through the fog.
“Hermione, Liam, over here!” Just as Ryan and the others were looking around in the steam, a figure hopped up and waved at them. As Liam and Hermione approached with the children, they saw it was indeed Luna, who was standing next to Rolf Scamander. Rolf looked at his wife with a mix of affection and exasperation, as if she were still a young girl.
“How was your trip to China?” Liam asked Rolf, who had spent the past eight months traveling and conducting research there.
“It was fantastic,” Rolf said with a smile. “We saw many magical creatures we had only read about in books, and we discovered a new type of Magic Plant, which the Chinese wizards named after Luna. And there was a surprise: we met the Phoenix Fengling from our grandparents’ time, and he sent you his regards.”
“Sounds like an incredible trip,” Liam nodded. After a few more exchanges, Harry and Ron emerged from the mist with their families. The Malfoy Family, consisting of four people, saw Harry and the others but didn’t approach, instead waving from a distance.
Since Liam had helped Draco Malfoy by removing the Curse from Astoria, the two families had begun to interact more. However, Harry and Ron still didn’t get along well with the Malfoys, which was why they only waved from afar.
Harry and Ron, who were facing away from the Malfoys, didn’t see this. They greeted Ryan and the others warmly. Ron, in particular, was quite animated, nearly hitting his daughter Rose.
“Dad, calm down, everyone’s looking at you!” Rose said, exasperated.
“Oh, right, right,” Ron said, feeling a bit uncomfortable under the stares of the onlookers. “I just got a bit too excited.”
“He’s always so funny,” Lavender said, coming up behind Ron and kissing his cheek. “So adorable.”
“Dear, try to restrain yourself. We’re in public, and there are a lot of people we know around,” Ron said, blushing. At this, Rose made a face, indicating she was thoroughly fed up with her parents’ public displays of affection.
“There you are, we’ve been looking for you,” Percy said, emerging from the steam with his son. “Penelope is working late again; the manager’s job at the Joke Shop is keeping her very busy.”
“I thought I gave her a break!” Hermione said, puzzled.
“But she found an issue with a shipment from Brazil this morning and went straight to Rio,” Percy shrugged, looking frustrated. “It could have waited a few days.”
“Hey!” Harry's son James emerged, having already unloaded the luggage, Owl, and trolley, clearly brimming with news to share.
“Andromeda is over there,” he panted, pointing behind him through the swirling steam. “I just ran into her! Guess what she was doing? Kissing Victoire!”
“What?” Harry and Ron’s eyes widened, but Liam remained calm. “Let the young ones do as they please. Some things we just need to get used to. At the last gathering, Professor Lupin mentioned that he and his wife can accept their daughter having a girlfriend.”
“You’re right. There are some things I need to learn to adapt to,” Harry said, glancing at his old, worn-out watch, once owned by Fabian Prewett. “It’s almost eleven. You should get on the train.”
“Don’t forget to deliver our letter and greetings to Neville,” Hermione instructed as she hugged Luna’s daughter.
“Don’t worry, we’ll visit Uncle Longbottom’s office during our First Day of School break. We have a lot to give him—your letters, and my parents’ field notes—” The Weasley Twins nodded earnestly.
Soon, all the students boarded the train, and the red carriages began to close. The parents, their figures blurry through the steam, rushed forward for one last kiss and a final word of advice. Students leaned out of the nearest windows, many faces turning to look at Ryan and the others.
“Why are they all staring at us?” Harry’s son Albus asked.
“Don’t worry about it,” Ron said dramatically. “It’s me; I’m particularly famous.”
Everyone started laughing. The train began to move, and Liam and Hermione followed the other parents, smiling and waving as they watched the familiar faces of the children fade into the distance.
“Ah, looks like I’m a bit late,” Professor Dumbledore, dressed in a travel robe, appeared silently behind Ryan and the others just as they were about to leave. He waved his wand, creating a barrier between them and the others. “I thought I could catch the Hogwarts Express, but I got caught up chatting with an old friend from Germany and lost track of time.”
“You must have a very close relationship with him,” Hermione said, her and Liam’s appearances reverting to their teenage selves. After all, immortality was an irresistible temptation for most. To avoid complications, Ryan and the others usually maintained a transfiguration to look middle-aged. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been so engrossed in the conversation. Sometimes, I envy you for having so many lifelong friends.”
“That’s hard to describe,” Dumbledore said with a complex expression after hearing Hermione’s words. “It’s a long story!” He sighed. “But let’s not dwell on it. Liam, I came to ask you for a favor today. I’d like to take a long leave of absence.”
“Of course, take as much time as you need,” Liam said. “But may I ask what you plan to do?”
“There’s no need for secrecy,” Dumbledore chuckled. “Everything is running smoothly now, and your school is doing an excellent job. The British Wizarding World is stable. I’d like to take this opportunity to fulfill a promise I made in my youth, and travel the world with Aberforth Dumbledore.”
“Your journey will be fantastic,” Liam said earnestly. “After all, you’re finally fulfilling a promise from a century ago.”
“Yes, it’s been so long,” Dumbledore murmured, his eyes glazing over as he fell into a reverie.
After a few minutes, Dumbledore snapped back to reality. “I apologize. Old people tend to get lost in memories. But I must thank you. If not for the stability you’ve brought to the Wizarding World, I wouldn’t feel comfortable going on this trip.”
“It’s the effort of everyone, not just me,” Liam said humbly.
“Regardless, this world has flourished in peace for nineteen years, and I think that’s something worth celebrating.”
“Indeed!” Liam said, moving closer to Hermione and taking her hand. He watched the train disappear, leaving a trail of milky steam and the golden sunlight of autumn. “This peaceful and stable world is truly wonderful.”
(End of Chapter)
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