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Chapter 786: Dumbledore's Unexpected Visit
Chapter 786: Dumbledore's Unexpected Visit
"A neighbor?" Fred asked, his eyes fixed on the witch standing not too far away. He pondered for a moment, unable to recall ever meeting such a neighbor.
It wasn't until George reminded him that they were in Godric's Valley, not Stagwood Village, that he realized he wouldn't have met the neighbors on this side.
"Do I need to invite her in?" Fred hesitated for a moment.
Due to the protection of the Fidelius Charm, the witch should only be able to see a part of the wedding, specifically the area outside the magical boundary. To join them, someone would have to inform her of the exact address.
But he wasn't familiar with this person, so he was unsure of what to do.
"Oh, it's an honor to meet you, Bathilda Bagshot!"
Just then, Mr. Weasley, who was on guard duty, noticed the situation and hurried over with Sirius.
His actions also drew the attention of the others, and they all turned to look.
"Bathilda Bagshot?" Ron tugged at his hair. "Her name sounds so familiar. Why do I feel like I've heard it somewhere before?"
"If you hadn't slept through so many classes," Hermione glanced at him, "you'd surely realize she's the author of 'A History of Magic'."
"Oh, now I remember," Harry, standing beside them, slapped his thigh. "No wonder, I've seen her name on the book list."
"But Hermione, it's not our fault. No one can stay awake during History of Magic. I bet even you can't."
Hermione's face turned slightly red. "At least I've read the book," she glared at Harry and Ron, who were united against her. "Unlike you two, after six years, you don't even know who wrote the book."
At this, Harry and Ron fell silent.
Hermione ignored them and once again turned her attention to where Mr. Weasley had gone. She muttered softly, "But she does look like a witch from a storybook."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ron asked. "She is a witch."
"No, I mean she looks like a witch from Muggle storybooks. Hunched back, messy appearance, and a face that's hard to make out. In the stories I've read, this is how witches are often described."
"Huh?" Ron was puzzled. "But not all witches look like that."
"Thank you for the compliment," Hermione said sarcastically. "Of course, I know that. But in the Muggle imagination, witches are depicted like Bathilda."
"Is that so?" Ron instinctively looked at Harry.
"I'm not sure," Harry replied with a shake of his head.
Although he had lived with his Muggle aunt and uncle for eleven years, he had never seen these storybooks. They were something only Dudley could access, and even if they were thrown away, they wouldn't be given to Harry.
Moreover, given their family's aversion to magic, Harry didn't think Uncle Vernon would allow such storybooks about wizards or witches into their home.
"But Hermione's observation is probably correct," Harry said thoughtfully. "I've heard Dudley mention that witches are often portrayed negatively. I guess that's why he said they look like that. But if that's the case, then..."
"What about wizards?" Ron asked curiously.
Hermione thought for a moment. "I suppose they'd look like Professor Dumbledore. He's the epitome of a wizard no matter where he is."
"Thankfully, it's just their imagination," Ron glanced at Bathilda's appearance once more and patted his chest. "If it were real, it would be terrifying."
"Yes, you're absolutely right," Harry agreed from the side.
Imagine if Hogwarts was filled with professors like Dumbledore and Bathilda teaching classes; it would be quite frightening.
"But why is she here?"
"I'm not sure," Harry replied. "Perhaps she was attracted by the noise. After all, at this time, there aren't many exciting things happening, right?"
As they spoke, Mr. Weasley and Sirius had already invited Bathilda inside.
However, this witch, who was older than Dumbledore, showed no intention of conversing with others. Like before, she remained quiet and still, not uttering a word.
To be honest, being stared at like this did make one feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Have you confirmed her identity?" Kyle asked as he approached Mr. Weasley.
"It should be fine," Mr. Weasley replied. "Alastor's magical mirror hasn't raised any alarms, indicating she isn't someone else disguised by Polyjuice Potion... As for whether she's an Imperiused individual, we can't confirm that for now, but we'll keep an eye on her."
"Bathilda is also an old friend," Sirius added. "When James and Lily moved here, they often relied on her help, and she assisted us numerous times in escaping from Death Eaters."
"Now, she wants to attend Lupin's wedding, and we can't possibly refuse her."
"I understand.
Kyle nodded, "I noticed something off about her."
"It's probably due to her age," Sirius said. "When we first met Bathilda, she was already over a hundred years old. Now, another two decades have passed, and it's normal for her to become a bit senile."
"So, she was like this before, not very talkative?" Kyle asked curiously.
"No," Sirius shook his head. "I remember Bathilda being quite chatty back then. As a historian, she couldn't write a complete History of Magic solely by researching on her own. She often needed to inquire about secrets from other elderly witches and wizards."
"As far as I know, Bathilda had quite a few friends. Sometimes, she would be out for several weeks at a time."
"Is that so..."
Their conversation was temporarily interrupted by the arrival of Lupin, who had come to ask Sirius to dance.
Although Kyle didn't quite understand why Lupin ignored Tonks and chose a male partner, Sirius seemed delighted.
They made their way to the dance floor in the center of the garden, where they danced to a lively tune that Kyle had never seen before.
"Oh, the so-called Pillager Celebration Dance..." Professor Sprout approached them, holding a cup of butterbeer, "It's been almost twenty years since I last saw this. It's quite nostalgic."
"Nineteen years," Professor McGonagall calmly added, "I don't find it nostalgic at all. Ever since they graduated, my work has become much easier, at least until the Weasley brothers entered school.
"Fortunately, they finally graduated."
Hearing her words, Professor Sprout couldn't help but chuckle.
Upon reflection, it seemed like all the troublesome students had been sorted into Gryffindor recently, including the infamous Marauders and the notorious Weasley brothers. Professor McGonagall's work was indeed less stressful compared to Professor Sprout's.
In contrast, Professor Sprout's Hufflepuff house was much more manageable. She had ample time to tend to the adorable plants in the greenhouse, unlike Professor McGonagall, who lived in constant anxiety, fearing that her students might do something extraordinary.
As she thought, she also happily greeted Kyle, "How are you feeling after graduation?"
"Not bad," Kyle replied honestly. "Just a bit bored."
"That's how it is for most graduates unless you find a job quickly and keep yourself busy," Professor Sprout said with a smile. "But I believe you've already started working at the Ministry of Magic, right? I remember you were an Assistant Minister last year."
"Minister Bones has indeed reminded me several times," Kyle said.
"Bones..." Professor Sprout paused, "Oh yes, she's the Minister now." Her smile faded slightly as she thought about the recent Death Eater attack on the Ministry.
"Why don't you go?" she changed the subject. "Don't you like working at the Ministry?"
"A bit," Kyle admitted.
"Or you could travel around, searching for rare plants," Professor Sprout suggested. "This job won't be boring, and the income is quite substantial. After all, some plants are not cheap.
"I can introduce you to some wizards who are experts in botany.
"Thank you, Professor," Kyle said with a smile.
"I'm just making a connection," Professor Sprout waved her hand, "but I think, due to Mr. Scamander, you might prefer magical creatures.
"Or you can search for magical creatures and, while you're at it, look for local plants. Even if you don't have time to care for them, you can send them to Hogwarts, and you can set the price."
"Then I'll set a good price," Kyle joked.
"As you should," Professor Sprout said, unbothered.
Professor McGonagall watched as Professor Sprout chatted happily with the outstanding graduate, leaving her unable to join the conversation. She kept sipping her soda, which, for some reason, tasted increasingly sour.
Even though Kyle didn't ignore her, Professor McGonagall struggled to feel the same way Professor Sprout did during their conversation.
Just as she had felt less touched than Professor Sprout while watching Lupin and Tonks recite their vows, Professor McGonagall now felt the same way as she observed the trio chatting.
A few minutes later, Cedric arrived.
Professor McGonagall watched the trio talking, and her usually sweet soda seemed to turn more sour with each sip.
Fortunately, the arrival of Bill and Charlie provided her with some comfort.
However, this comfort was short-lived. When she saw Fred and George running towards them, playfully shoving each other, Professor McGonagall's thoughts immediately turned to Weasley's Joke Shop. Her head began to throb.
She had assumed that after Zonko's closure, Hogwarts would become much quieter. But she never expected Weasley's Joke Shop to seamlessly take over Zonko's business and even become more popular.
Just last semester, Filch had confiscated over a hundred gadgets, and with her own additions, they had almost reached two hundred.
The amount was almost equivalent to the entire previous school year, and this was after the school's crackdown on confiscated Dark artifacts. If not for the inspection, there would undoubtedly have been even more.
It was no wonder that the two of them could surpass the existence of the 'Pillager Quartet', even after graduation, they were still causing trouble for the school.
Fred and George, sensing the unusual atmosphere, paused in their steps and then, very naturally, turned and walked into the house.
But Professor McGonagall didn't mind; she understood Fred and George's personalities too well. Even if she said something, they wouldn't change, and it was even less likely that they would stop selling those magical items to students.
Professor McGonagall glanced at the time, "Pomona, I think we should... Oh, Albus, how did you get here?"
Albus? Kyle couldn't help but turn his head and saw Dumbledore right behind him, and no one knew how he had arrived.
Dumbledore's appearance also made the atmosphere more lively, and people gathered around.
Lyle Lupin ran from a distance, looking at Dumbledore with gratitude and repeatedly thanking him.
"There's no need for that, Lyle," Dumbledore said, patting his arm, "This is what Remus deserves. He earned his own happiness with his kindness and noble character, and it has nothing to do with me."
"No, Albus, it was you who got him into Hogwarts, and that's how he got this opportunity," Lyle Lupin said with a lump in his throat. "In comparison, I have failed as a father."
"Don't say that," Dumbledore comforted him.
"Albus, how did you get here?" Professor McGonagall walked over and asked, "Didn't you say you had something important to attend to?"
"That was the plan," Dumbledore shook his head helplessly, "But there was a little detour. The person I should have been looking for is actually here."
"At the wedding?" Professor McGonagall asked, puzzled.
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded.
But before he could say more, he was surrounded by the crowd, including the couple of the day, Lupin and Tonks. He could only offer his blessings first.
"My blessings to you," he said with a smile, "The situation is sudden, please forgive me for not preparing a suitable gift in advance."
"You've already given it, haven't you?" Tonks smiled, "If not for that drop of the Phoenix's tear, Remus wouldn't have been able to leave the hospital so soon. If that were the case, who knows when our wedding would have been."
"The provider of the tear is Fox, not me," Dumbledore said, "Oh, I've already thought of what to give you as a gift, but this time is a bit inappropriate. If you can wait..."
"Of course, no problem," Lupin smiled, his thoughts were actually the same as Tonks', he didn't really care what Dumbledore was going to give him.
On the other side, Kyle, seeing Dumbledore surrounded by the crowd, was also curious as to why he had returned.
The day before, his tone clearly indicated that he would be gone for a long time, and now, after such a short time, he had suddenly returned.
"Isn't it great?" Cedric said, "I wish Dumbledore could have attended my wedding with Autumn."
"What did you say?" Kyle turned his head sharply, "You're getting married? When?"
"Of course not now," Cedric shook his head, "Autumn's parents want to take her out of Britain, and come back when the situation stabilizes. We were just discussing this, that's why we're a bit late."
"So, you don't want her to leave?" Kyle asked.
"Of course not," Cedric replied, "I'd rather she spend some time in another country, like a vacation."
"How about France?" Kyle suggested, "Conner just opened a potion shop there, and since it's a new store, they could help each other out."
"That's what I said too," Cedric sighed, "But Autumn doesn't want to leave, and she even had an argument with her parents."
"What do you mean?"
"I advised her to leave," Cedric said, "But Autumn got angry and kicked me."
As he spoke, he lifted his robe, revealing a distinct footprint underneath.
"Serves you right," Kyle said, "You should have stood by her side, and figured out the rest later."
"You should have told me!"
"You didn't ask me either!"
"Forget it, let's not talk about this now," Cedric rubbed his forehead, "I've been wanting to ask since earlier, why has Bathilda Bagshot been staring at you? Do you know her?"
"I don't know either," Kyle shook his head.
Cedric's observation was something Kyle had noticed too. From some point onwards, Bathilda had stopped looking at others and had been staring at him.
It was only after Dumbledore's appearance that the intense stare briefly shifted, but it didn't disappear.
(End of Chapter)
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