An Unexpected Encounter

"Go next door and call Hermione and the others. We can't wait any longer for this delicious food." After tasting a piece, Bates couldn't wait any longer. He squeezed past Loren and grabbed some seasoning to sprinkle on the roast meat.

Loren stared wide-eyed at Bates. "Hermione from next door?"

"Didn't you notice? Our new home is right next to Granger house's. We're neighbors." Bates said with a smug smile, his back to Loren.

"I arrived in London a day early and it took me a while to buy the house. I consulted the Mr. and Mrs. Granger about things to note when moving in, and the property insurance was already in place, which saved me a lot of money..."

Loren ignored Bates's grumbling and ran out without looking back, filled with a strange joy.

Bates turned around and only saw Loren's back. He grinned and cursed, "You brat."

The Granger house next door.

Light, rhythmic footsteps sounded, followed by the sound of a key being inserted into the lock and the sound of the Lockhart turning. The door opened.

Hermione's eyes lit up again as she sat on the sofa, and she quickly went to meet him:

"Mom and Dad, you're back!"

Hermione was puzzled when she saw their empty hands. Usually, they would buy dinner and groceries for the next day on their way home.

"Shall we go out for dinner tonight?" Hermione asked.

Wendell and Monica exchanged a smile. "No, Bates bought a house next door to us. We're going to their house to celebrate tonight."

"We, next door?" Hermione's eyes and mouth widened.

"Yeah, didn't Loren tell you? We'll be neighbors from now on. It's the house on the right. Bates is really rich..." Wendell continued rambling on.

Hermione pushed open the door and ran towards the house next door.

The evening breeze brushed against the little girl's face, blowing her long brown hair. Her small figure danced in the glow of the setting sun, just like her shining heart.

Loren was also running towards Hermione's house, his eyes shining with joy.

Hermione could see the thin layer of sweat on Loren's forehead, and she could see the same smile on his face as hers. It was that smile that filled both of their hearts to the brim.

The two figures, running at breakneck speed, stopped just before they collided. They stared into each other's eyes, unwilling to look away, with barely suppressed smiles on their lips.

Loren, panting, met Hermione's gaze and said with a smile, "My family invites you to come and visit."

"Yes!" Hermione nodded emphatically, her face flushed.

As the last rays of the setting sun faded into the deep blue night, in the backyard of a villa in Hampstead Garden on the outskirts of the city, a group of people gathered around a charcoal fire, working with all their might to finish a large plate of roasted lamb in front of them.

The lamb skin is roasted until it's charred and fragrant, with the fat and sauce forming a crispy brown crust, coated with powdered spices like cumin and cardamom. Onions, carrots, and potatoes are garnished on the side, glistening with an enticing sheen of oil.

When Loren was dividing the meat, he had a little scheme in mind, cutting four of the eight ribs for Hermione. He put his and Hermione's plates together, sliced them into pieces, and used a small knife to poke a piece of tenderloin, bringing it to Hermione's mouth.

The aroma of spices, meat, and fat made her mouth water. Hermione took a bite and chewed, her eyes sparkling.

The well-defined texture of the tenderloin melts in your mouth, filling your entire palate with wonderful juices and aroma, along with the savory flavors of cumin and sauce.

"Mmm!" Hermione nodded as she ate, and after swallowing the meat, she praised, "Delicious, tender and juicy, the spices and flavors blend together wonderfully."

That's it, that's what a great diner is, and Loren felt an immense sense of satisfaction.

At first, Wendell tried to cut the meat with a knife and taste it piece by piece, just like Loren did. But soon he was led astray by Bates and started to tear the lamb leg with his teeth, chewing and swallowing it in big gulps.

Monica reminded him, "Eating like this is bad for your gums."

Wendell paused in his munching on the mutton, then said seriously, "Protecting your teeth is for better eating; now it's time for them to come in handy."

After saying that, he focused intently on the lamb leg in his hand, eating until his mouth was covered in oil.

Monica glanced at the seasoning powder and oil around his mouth, then at Bates, who was also gnawing on a leg of lamb, his beard neatly trimmed. She sighed and began to savor small bites of lamb with a knife.

Wendell, having satisfied his hungry stomach, slowed down his eating pace and exclaimed, "We should try roast lamb next time we go camping; it's so delicious!"

"You said you'd choose to go camping on the water next time, but you can't roast lamb on a boat," Monica shattered his fantasy.

It's so hard to choose.

Wendell looked at the roasted lamb in his hand, then thought about the fun of fishing, and fell into a difficult decision.

"Is camping fun?" Bates couldn't help but ask curiously.

Wendell nodded. "It's very interesting to be able to get close to nature and enjoy the outdoors."

"I have a cabin on High Mountain Ranch, and I would like to invite you to visit sometime."

"A ranch? Are there animals there? Isn't the mountain beautiful? Can you reach out and touch the clouds...?"

Loren and Hermione stayed in the corner, listening to the adults' chatter, their bellies full, but they still wanted to eat.

Hermione picked up the last piece of tenderloin, felt the pressure on her belly, and put it down regretfully. "I can't eat anymore."

Loren suppressed a laugh, "If you can't eat, you can eat tomorrow. Your stomach is more important."

Before leaving, Hermione managed to make room in her stomach and ate the last piece of meat with great difficulty.

Dear Headmaster Dumbledore:

Hey, it's me, Loren, the Hogwarts student you're so proud of.

I hope you have a wonderful summer vacation and that it helps to lift your spirits. You know, the Patronus Charm requires a lot of happy memories to be released, and my Patronus still shows no signs of materializing. Perhaps I'm still young and don't have enough happy memories.

Just yesterday, my grandfather Bates, who had been traveling, finally returned home, ending my adoption by the Granger house. While sharing this good news with you, I sincerely invite you to visit my new home, which is right next to the Granger house's, at 118 Hampstead Garden, a suburb of London.

There's also some news, good or bad: my grandfather once met your preferred next Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor and spent some time with him. If Lockhart manages to get through the next school year, there might be a sequel to * Wandering with Werewolves *. Of course, that's not the point. Although I haven't noticed anything wrong with Grandpa Bates, I still hope the headmaster can check if Grandpa Bates has any memory loss.

Please give my regards to Hagrid and quietly ask him if he could help me get the Unicorn Horn.

Sincere greetings

Loren put down his pen, waited for the ink to dry, put the letter into a beautifully printed envelope, and handed it to Hānhan was waiting nearby.

He patted the little Spectacled Owl's head. "Go quickly, I'll treat you to a white mouse when you come back."

"Coo-coo!" The owl spread its wings and disappeared into the vast night.