Dean Forest

The four of them enjoyed a delicious lunch at the hotel, then took a comfortable nap, showered, changed clothes, and finally rented a large-displacement campervan before heading into the forest.

On the temporary parking crosswalk in front of the hotel, a small blue pickup truck with a rugged and imposing exterior was parked on the side of the road. The spare tire was placed on the front hood, and several bundles were piled on the open rear rack.

Outside the bundle were boxes of drinking water, coal, and some canned food...

Wendell stood on the steps, examining the Land Rover Defender 130 with Winky in his eyes. He patted the exterior repeatedly, a satisfied smile on his face.

The hotel manager, noticing the regular customer's satisfaction, enthusiastically explained, "Land Rover's new models are mainly supplied to the military and government. We've taken a batch and modified them."

He rolled up the sleeves of his neatly tailored suit and gestured with his hands to measure the vehicle. "130mm wheelbase, turbocharged diesel engine with 85 horsepower, and a high chassis that's perfect for driving in the forest."

Wendell touched this and looked at that, thoroughly satisfied.

Monica, holding Hermione's hand, Hermione, holding Loren's hand, stood further back, watching Wendell and the hotel manager exchange pleasantries with smiles on their faces.

The white and blue striped short-sleeved shirt was wrapped up in thick camping protective gear, and the lower body was also changed into trousers with tapered cuffs. The thick, sturdy boots on the feet were somewhat heavy. The outfit was mosquito-proof, durable, and thick, clearly indicating that it was for outdoor activities.

Fortunately, it was provided by the hotel, and the location on the edge of the forest had a suitable temperature. Otherwise, if they had worn these clothes in the middle of summer, they might have suffered from heatstroke instead of being protected from mosquitoes.

Loren leaned close to Hermione's ear and whispered, "I think your dad came here for this car, not for camping."

Hermione nodded her little head in agreement.

The hotel manager took out something that looked like a satellite phone and handed it to Wendell: "Use this to contact us if anything happens. It's satellite-based; we can find you even if you're in the Arctic."

Wendell took the things, exchanged a few words with the hotel manager, opened the car door, got into the driver's seat, and waved to Monica and the other two in the back, shouting, "Get in! We're off!"

The three of them quickly stepped forward. Loren and Hermione consciously slipped into the back row, while Monica sat in the front row next to Wendell.

"Have a great time!" the hotel manager waved goodbye.

Wendell smoothly pressed the clutch, the diesel engine roared to life, and the car gradually accelerated out of the hotel manager's sight.

Unlike the Granger house's car, this pickup truck had much more compact seating, a double-row, six-seat configuration, making the space somewhat cramped. But it was enough for Loren and Hermione to move around freely.

The car gradually drove out of the steel and concrete thicket and headed towards the forest.

The dense canopies of trees intertwined, forming a thick green canopy. As the vehicle drove deeper into the area, the towering trees became so tall that only the trunks could be seen from the car windows, and the canopies were no longer visible. The sunlight was filtered into dappled patterns that fell on the carpet of fallen leaves and moss.

Away from human habitation, immersed in nature, one unconsciously leaves all other thoughts behind, focusing solely on capturing the magnificent scenery in their eyes and mind.

The car continued deeper into the forest, the coolness growing stronger until it felt like summer had completely disappeared. The forest was full of trees, which was initially awe-inspiring, but after driving for a while, we gradually got used to it, and the trees, some tens of meters tall, no longer seemed novel.

On the contrary, the occasional squirrels, birds and other animals are quite attractive.

After a while, Wendell pulled over, turned off the engine, and called out, "Boy Scouts, get out!"

As you open the car door, you are greeted by the fresh, fragrant air of the forest trees, which is also cool.

Wendell went to the back and handed the bundles to the group. The bundles in Loren and Hermione's hands contained sleeping bags, blankets, and other light items, while the main weight was borne by Wendell and Monica, the two adults.

Monica's large backpack was bulging, and when she stood up, the weight of it pulled her body backward.

Wendell was startled and quickly steadied her, holding onto the backpack tightly. "Be careful," he said, "You don't have to put everything in the backpack. You can lock it in the car and leave it here."

"I just wasn't ready." Monica tried again, but it was still too heavy.

In previous years, it was just the three of them camping, and the things they brought were just right. This time, they added food and water for one more person, and also changed to a larger tent, which is why this problem occurred.

"I have a way!" Hermione pulled out a purple linen bag. "Put it in here."

Monica and Wendell examined the small cloth bag, pondering the magical idea, and then, with some skepticism, removed their backpacks.

Loren took two steps forward and asked with a smile, "You anticipated all of this?"

Although this is a forest, it is not a no-man's-land. Using the Levitation Charm would risk being discovered. Spatial equipment is indeed very convenient in this kind of environment.

"This pocket doesn't take up much space, and I thought I might need it, so I carried it with me."

Hermione opened the pocket and pressed the opening against the luggage. The items, which were much larger than the pocket, shrank rapidly upon contact with the opening and were then sucked in.

Wendell and Monica watched in stunned silence as drinking water, coal, canned goods, and large bundles were stuffed into linen sacks one by one.

Wendell wasn't intimidated at all; his eyes shone brightly at the linen bag, even brighter than when he saw the Land Rover Defender.

After packing the last item, Hermione clapped her hands and tucked her slightly messy hair behind her ear. "All done!"

"Hermione," Wendell looked at Hermione with eager eyes, rubbing his hands together, "Can this car fit?"

Hermione was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding. She turned to look at Loren, then at her father, and said hesitantly, "It should work, but I'm not sure. It was made by Loren."

"If there's enough space, it should be able to fit." Loren wasn't too sure either; Hermione's pockets had plenty of space.

Wendell exclaimed excitedly, "That—"

Before he could finish speaking, Monica interrupted him, slapping Wendell hard and complaining, "Hermione's being unreasonable, but aren't you unreasonable too?"

Monica stepped forward and patted Hermione's head. "Take out your bag. We can't go camping empty-handed. We won't be able to explain ourselves if we run into other people."

This is the hotel's business area. During the summer vacation, there are definitely more than just them coming in. You might not run into them, but if you do, it will be hard to explain.

Hermione gave an embarrassed smile. "I didn't think of that."

She took her backpack out again, but it was filled with bulky but lightweight items like tent fabric, blankets, and sleeping bags. The rest was packed away in small, compact bags.

The four of them, each with a backpack, easily made their way into the forest. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which rustled softly underfoot.

Two adults each held a child's hand to prevent them from falling; Wendell held Loren's hand, and Monica held Hermione's hand.

Wendell shrugged, having never enjoyed such a relaxed camping trip before, and exclaimed, "Magic is so convenient!"

Nobody paid him any attention.

"This is a beech," Monica said, pointing to a tree with broad leaves.

So Hermione stared intently at the tree, memorizing the characteristics of its leaves and Bark, and nodded, repeating, "This is a beech."

A few minutes later, Wendell shrugged again and exclaimed, "Magic is so convenient!"

Loren looked up, unsure whether to respond.

A few minutes later, Wendell exclaimed for the third time, "How convenient, how convenient!"

Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Don't even think about it. Using the Untraceable Extension Charm without permission is against the law, and using it on an ordinary person is even more against the law."

They can be punished for multiple offenses, and then they can simply transfer to Azkaban.

Wendell wasn't disappointed that his little scheme was exposed. "I was just making a comment," he said.

The group chatted and laughed, following the occasional road signs and maps. Before long, they arrived at a flat area, which became their campsite.

Wendell and Monica started setting up the tent, while Loren and Hermione emptied their small pouches and laid them out on the ground, occasionally handing things over.

Hermione didn't like setting up tents; she wanted to take Loren for a walk in the forest instead.

As Wendell laid out the inner tent, he patiently shared his experience. "Pitch your tent on a hard, flat surface, not on a riverbank or a dry riverbed."

Hermione handed her a pole. "Where's the river here?"

Wendell did not answer the question; instead, he spread out the tent's frame. "Stay away from slopes with rolling stones."

Hermione helped stabilize the pole. "Where are the rolling stones and hills here?"

"The entrance to the tent should be sheltered from the wind."

Which side of the forest is sheltered from the wind?

Wendell hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but look up and say, "If you don't want to pitch a tent, go and collect some firewood."

Although there were fallen leaves everywhere on the ground, the leaves didn't burn well, so we mainly relied on dry firewood to light the campfire at night.

"No problem!"

Hermione immediately agreed. She turned to look at Loren, who was helping Monica, and called out, "Loren, let's go gather some firewood!"

Hermione wasn't a first-timer at camping, and she skipped and hopped away with Loren.

"Don't go too far, be careful!" Wendell shouted.

Hermione waved her hand, not turning her head. "I know, we're wizards!"

Monica looked up at their retreating figures and said with a smile, "Hermione has really changed a lot compared to a year ago."

Wendell nodded. "Yes, he's become much more mischievous."

The two had already discussed sneaking into the study to read and the lack of carbonated drinks in the refrigerator last night.

The couple exchanged a smile, then lowered their heads and worked together seamlessly to continue setting up the tent.

The forest was not only full of fallen leaves, but also dry branches and tree trunks. Hermione and Loren found them and threw them into their storage pouches, planning to chop them up slowly when they got back.

Loren looked around at the forest. There were trees on the High Mountain, but none were this tall and thick, and he had never been to such a deep place before.

He remembered Hermione's Christmas letter, "Did you camp here during the Christmas holidays? It must have been so cold."

Hermione was radiant from the moment she entered the forest. "It's not cold. We were in a camp not far from the hotel, and many people had lit campfires. If you feel cold at night, you can go straight back to the hotel."

"Huh?" Loren teased, "Winter camping seems much more relaxing."

Hermione disagrees, saying, "A summer camping trip deep in the forest to enjoy nature can be wonderful too."

Loren kicked a tree branch with his thick-soled boots, picked it up, and threw it into his storage pouch. "How much firewood do we need?"

Hermione looked into her small pouch. "Pack some more. Let's gather enough firewood for the next few days."

As wizards, neither of them worried about safety, and they walked in one direction, occasionally leaving a mark on a tree trunk. The forest was full of identical trees and the same layer of fallen leaves, so neither of them noticed how far they had gone.

Hermione ran ahead, nimbly leaping over a small, leaf-covered ridge, and continued on her way to find firewood.

Loren followed closely behind, and as he crossed the small ridge, a faint, crystalline blue light suddenly shone in his eyes. Loren looked around but found no Magic Power light. He used the method Dumbledore had taught him to focus his gaze, but there was nothing unusual; the surrounding trees were just ordinary trees.

He was puzzled for a moment, but assumed it was just a cheat Golden Finger activating on its own, and since there was no Magic Power light, he didn't pay much attention to it.

"Slow down, wait for me." Loren caught up with Hermione in a few steps and continued walking forward.

No one saw that the small dirt stepping stone the two had just crossed seemed to vanish like a shadow after a few ripples. If someone had stood on the stepping stone and looked to either side, they would have been shocked to find that the scenery on both sides was exactly the same.

It's just like a mirror!

A few minutes later, Loren and Hermione stood on the side of the road, bewildered.

They walked for a short while, then passed through a pine forest and came to the roadside. Across the road was a hotel that was smaller than the one outside the forest, and its lights were already on; it was clearly a chain enterprise.

"So every military camp has such convenient hotels?" Loren murmured, looking at the bright hotel lights. "The service is really attentive."

Hermione opened her mouth, but before she could speak.

"Do the two little guests need any help?" a voice came from the side.

The two men looked to their side at the same time. It was the hotel manager in the suit who had shown Wendell the car that afternoon. He was looking at them with a gentle smile.

Loren's eyes still shone with a faint, crystalline blue light, though it was not noticeable in the daytime. In his eyes, nothing except Hermione's eyes seemed to possess any Magic Power glow.

"Do you still remember us?" Loren asked.

The manager in the suit was very patient. "Of course, Mr. Granger is a regular customer of ours."

Hermione noticed something amiss. "Weren't you at the hotel outside the forest? Why are you here now?"

The manager in the suit smiled and said, "I'm here to hand over customer information. For customers in this camp area, you can come here to pick up any consumables you need."

He extended his left hand and turned to invite, "Want to go in and replenish your supplies? Maybe there'll be some freshly cooked, steaming hot food. We can start camping tomorrow."

He shouldn't have said that, because his words made both Loren and Hermione feel a little hungry.

The two exchanged a glance, smiled simultaneously, and reached a consensus: to take some food back with them.