Chapter 85: The Three Broomsticks
Chapter 85: The Three Broomsticks
The conversation about house-elves came to an abrupt halt as Hagrid approached through the morning mist, leading a carriage pulled by a Thestral.
"Good day, Hagrid," Professor Mori greeted politely. "Thank you for preparing the carriage for us."
"No problem, Professor!" Hagrid replied cheerfully. "A pleasure to be of assistance—and good day to you, young man."
He bent down to acknowledge Ved, who looked up at him.
"Good morning, Mr. Hagrid," Ved said.
The gray eyes that met Hagrid's held a cold, serene gaze, causing the vague impression Hagrid had of him to suddenly become more concrete.
"Oh, you're... you're Ved Ravenclaw, aren't you? Harry mentioned you to me..." Hagrid said curiously, then frowned. "Er... you're a first-year, right?"
He looked at Ved and then at Professor Mori, clearly hesitant.
Professor Mori smiled but spoke firmly. "Ved is my student, and I'm taking him to Hogsmeade for his alchemy studies."
Hagrid scratched his head. Although he didn't understand why one would need to go to Hogsmeade to study alchemy... After all, he had only attended school up to the third year and hadn't fully grasped even the basic magic, so how could he know the requirements for studying alchemy?
So Hagrid hesitated for a moment before dropping the matter. He patted the Thestral's neck in a soothing manner, seemingly murmuring something to it, then said, "Professor Mori, Ved, you may board the carriage now. This fine creature will take you to Hogsmeade. Once you're done, it will bring you back."
"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor Mori said politely.
He climbed into the carriage first and then motioned for Ved to join him. "Come, Ved."
Once they were both seated, the Thestral set off, its hooves clopping gently on the road as it carried the carriage out of the school grounds through the thin mist and morning light. Behind them, Hagrid heaved the massive oak door shut.
The Thestral occasionally stretched its black wings as if longing to take flight, but it ultimately continued walking quietly on the road.
"So, you can see Thestrals, can you?" Professor Mori asked, noticing where Ved's gaze kept drifting.
"Yes," Ved replied.
"And who did you see die?" Professor Mori inquired, quickly adding, "Oh, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"...It was a Muggle friend," Ved said after a long pause. "He passed away from an illness many years ago... I watched it happen, watched his parents' pain and despair, and there was nothing I could do..."
His eyes were dark and hollow, as if he were still immersed in the grief of that moment.
Professor Mori patted him comfortingly on the back and said softly, "I understand—losing a friend feels like losing a part of yourself, but time heals all wounds... Perhaps your friend's parents have also found their way out of the darkness and even welcomed new children into their lives."
"Hmm... Maybe... Maybe that's how it is..." Ved trailed off, his gaze unfocused. "I hope so..."
The carriage continued on in silence, and soon, the village of Hogsmeade began to emerge from the mist.
As it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, the small village was quiet, with only a couple of people in wizarding robes walking the streets. From a distance, they could already see The Three Broomsticks.
A warm, yellowish light shone from the windows of the pub, standing out brightly in the morning gloom. Through the glass, they could see the place was bustling with people, suggesting that quite a few patrons were already inside, despite the early hour.
Ved hopped off the carriage and turned to look at Professor Mori.
"Go on in, child—I'll join you in a couple of minutes," said Professor Mori.
"While sitting in the carriage, Professor Mori said, 'If all goes well, I won't need to show my face. But if that fellow is late, don't hesitate to take him out... Hmph, a mere werewolf... I'll introduce you to better prey.'
Ved couldn't help but laugh at the old man's protective and domineering words. He nodded and said, "Of course, I'll keep that in mind, Professor."
As he pushed open the door, the wind chimes tinkled merrily. The pub was brightly lit, even at this early hour, and two hungover wizards were passed out on the tables.
A curvaceous lady stood at the bar, directing a cloth to wipe down the tables. Upon hearing the chimes, she immediately flashed a warm smile, but her expression turned to one of surprise when she saw it was a student who was clearly below the age requirement.
"Child, it's not a Hogsmeade weekend, is it? Did you sneak out of school?" she asked, walking over with a hint of seriousness in her tone.
"I have an appointment to meet someone here. I got permission from my professor," Ved replied, already spotting the wizard sitting in the corner. He nodded at the lady and added, "Sorry to disturb you. May I have a non-alcoholic drink, please?"
After placing his order, he walked over to the corner where Remus Lupin was seated.
The man before him looked even more haggard and aged than he had imagined, suggesting that the past few years had been tough on him. Lupin stared at the approaching Ved, his eyes widening gradually as a clear look of astonishment spread across his calm features.
"You... you are..."
"Ved Grey," Ved introduced himself, extending a hand. "I believe my father mentioned me to you?"
"Y-yes..." Lupin shook his hand awkwardly, "...he said you needed someone to help manage your business affairs, but I thought... well... I assumed you'd be older..."
"I understand. Many people assume that first-year students don't know much," Ved replied, choosing to sit across from Lupin. However, the pub's chairs were a bit too high, causing his feet to dangle in the air.
Ved propped his hands on the edge of the chair and scooted back, nonchalantly meeting Lupin's gaze. "To reintroduce myself, I am Ved Grey, the inventor of the Friend's Tab, and a first-year student at Hogwarts. As you may know, this invention has brought me considerable profits, and I have subsequent collaborations with Aslan's Wizarding Workshop and others." He paused briefly to thank Madam Rosmerta for the drink she had just placed on his table, a frothy Butterbeer, before continuing. "So, I need an agent to communicate with Aslan's on my behalf. Additionally, my personal learning progress far exceeds what is currently taught at school, so I'm also seeking a magic tutor."
Lupin thought for a moment, recalling the content of the job advertisement. "You want to learn the Patronus Charm? And you want to become an Animagus?"
"Not just that," Ved said, "I also want to learn the Disillusionment Charm, the Disguising Spell, memory-related magic, and more. Any magic I don't understand, I want to learn."
Lupin fell silent for a moment before asking, "Including Dark Magic?"
(End of Chapter)
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