The Thirteen-Person Feast

Mrs. Longbottom lowered her head, shielding her eyes. "We were all overjoyed at the time. Voldemort had been defeated, and peace was on the horizon. I remember Frank telling me that morning that we should celebrate the victory..."

"I've complained about the unfairness of fate, why did it have to be my son and daughter-in-law?"

Why at a time when good days are just around the corner?

"I'm so sorry, Augusta," Dumbledore said. "If I had been more careful back then, perhaps—"

"No," Mrs. Longbottom raised her chin, revealing her slightly reddened eyes, "I am proud of them! They are members of the Longbottom family, and they did not reveal any information until the very last moment."

Dumbledore stood silently by the window, the sunlight streaming in but not touching him.

"Neville has always been a bit careless, always forgetting things," Mrs. Longbottom's gaze softened. "We all thought he had no magical talent, we even almost thought he was a Muggle-born. The day he fell from the building and bounced back up was the happiest moment of my life in over a decade. I gave him Frank's wand, hoping he could inherit his father's power and make Lomberton's name known throughout the Wizarding World once again."

"Last year he wrote to me that the wand was not suitable for him. I knew that the mismatched wand caused him to make frequent mistakes and become the laughing stock of his classmates... After changing the wand, he felt much more relaxed and his grades improved."

Even I, this senile old man, could feel his happiness. Sometimes I wonder if I chose the wrong path; he should have lived a peaceful and stable life.

Mrs. Longbottom's voice suddenly rose, becoming somewhat shrill. "But no! His name is Lomberton! His parents fought Voldemort's attacks three times, to the very last moment!"

Dumbledore glanced at the four people lying on the bed, and instead of offering any advice to the old man, he said gently, "Neville is excellent. He is skilled in Herbology, dared to fight a giant python in Dueling Club, and is full of courage, just like his father Frank."

"Just like Frank, just like Frank ..." Mrs. Longbottom's lips moved as her gaze shifted to the side, landing on the peacefully sleeping Loren.

His black, curly hair was a little messy and had grown a bit taller than when we last met. That's how boys his age are; they can grow several inches in just a few days.

Neville mentioned this kid at home. Not long after school started, he took them on a night trip, defeated trolls, dealt with the remnants of Voldemort's soul, had excellent grades, and had a girlfriend who was first in her grade... There was also Frozen Pear, who didn't like Quidditch, and was very interesting in his words and actions.

Mrs. Longbottom's impression of him was that he was exceptionally talented, somewhat restless, and a typical Gryffindor.

Until Dumbledore wrote to her, telling her that the young wizard she had met briefly in the closed ward at Christmas had proposed a treatment...

Her gaze fell on the mirror. The Longbottom family could tell at a glance that it was a Dark Arts item, and she could smell the strong stench of blood on it.

But it didn't matter now. Mrs. Longbottom swore to Merlin in her heart that as long as Frank and Alice woke up, this little wizard would be the Longbottom family's benefactor.

The closed ward fell silent, and the light streaming through the window shifted its position constantly with the angle of the sun.

Dumbledore saw that the four people lying on the bed were surrounded by scarlet Magic Power, like threads woven from clouds, connecting the Longbottom Family three to the mirror.

A creation of Alchemy, cast from an unknown, heavy metal into the shape of a flower, with small stems like roots, drawing Magic Power from endless blood.

Fear, wailing, and pain are the vessels that connect the soul.

The silvery-white mirror shimmered with two distinct Magic Power: the holiness and light of the Unicorn, and the coldness and darkness of the Dementor. These powers granted Loren the ability to control illusions.

Having witnessed it firsthand with Sirius Black, Dumbledore sometimes couldn't help but marvel at what knowledge his old friend Nicol had imparted to Loren, enabling him to race ahead on the shadowy road ahead.

The mirror of Legilimency Sectumsempra, the mirror of blood and Magic Power... even if it weren't for the shadows, it would be hard to conceal the brilliance in Loren's mind. Dumbledore didn't know if these things would turn Loren into another Dark Lord.

A sudden surge of intense Magic Power erupted from Neville's body. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and said in a deep voice, "They're about to wake up."

The next moment, Neville suddenly opened his eyes, curled up, and let out a painful howl.

He seemed still immersed in the moment the illusion ended, and shouted, "Hurry! Get out of Knockturn Alley!"

The pain, emanating from his very soul, tensed his muscles, and the pressure on his throat and trachea quickly tore his vocal cords, making his voice sound shrill and hoarse.

"Neville, Neville, what's wrong?" Mrs. Longbottom panicked and quickly went to Neville's side to check on him.

"Grandma! Grandma!" Neville burst into tears, reaching out to hug her and burying his head in the old woman's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "The Cruciatus Curse, the Cruciatus Curse..."

Mrs. Longbottom's eyes instantly reddened. She pressed Neville's head and stroked the back of his head repeatedly, comforting him in a trembling voice, "It's alright, it's alright, there's no Cruciatus Curse here, no Cruciatus Curse here."

"Mom?" A puzzled male voice sounded from the side.

Mrs. Longbottom turned her head incredulously to look at her son Frank, whose face no longer showed his usual dazedness and confusion, but was instead looking around in bewilderment.

"Dumbledore? Mom?" Frank scratched his head. "Alice, what?"

He seemed to be missing a part of his memory, looking around the ward with a bewildered expression and a sense of confusion about his wife's frail face.

Alice stared blankly at Neville, who was in pain, letting out short, gasping breaths that sounded like sobs.

She pressed her hand to her heart, tears streaming down her face. "Neville..."

"Frank, Alice, you've finally woken up!" Tears of joy welled up in Mrs. Longbottom's eyes.

The old man's joyful cries triggered memories for the two men. Frank and Alice hurriedly got out of bed, stumbled over, and hugged their family, weeping bitterly.

Loren and Dumbledore exchanged a glance and then quietly left the closed ward.

As Dumbledore walked down the corridor toward the stairs, he rubbed his eyes, his voice filled with emotion. "The most touching thing is the reunion of lovers after a long separation; it's true in all stories."

Loren watched Dumbledore rubbing his eyes with a slight toothache. He had been somewhat moved, but now he couldn't remain so. "You're over a hundred years old, you don't need to be moved to tears."

Believe me, no one would be comfortable seeing an old man with a white beard and white hair like this.

"Emotion knows no age. Even if Nicol were six hundred years old and still alive, he would cry at the sight of this," Dumbledore said. "He always gets moved to tears when he sees operas."

"The Longbottom family, who have endured many hardships, are reunited. Thanks to you, Loren, you gave this story a happy ending."

Then I'll have to go back and ask Flamel.

Loren shook his head. "Neville found his parents; he looks like he suffered terribly on the third level of the illusion."

As the two passed the end of the corridor, they saw Myrtle, the Healer, engrossed in writing medical records in the next room. Her quill pen flew across the parchment, leaving almost afterimages.

The two of them walked quietly down to the Fourth Floor before speaking again.

"It was you who proposed the treatment, paving the way for Neville's reunion with his parents," Dumbledore said sincerely. "Loren, you have a heart of gold, and I only wish that it would never be tainted."

Loren automatically translated his words into platitudes in his mind, then pretended not to hear. "Not all patients with soul problems can be cured with this method. Keep it a secret for me, and don't let any random people come to me."

Dumbledore smiled and said, "I understand."

"Also, keep it a secret that the Longbottom Family is to be called."

"They will."

After leaving St Mungo's Hospital, Loren used Dumbledore's teleportation to return to Hogwarts.

All the young wizards had left, and the entire Castle was quiet. The blooming bluebells and the lush green shrubs in the courtyard made the scene even more tranquil.

The ghosts no longer had to worry about passing through the bodies of any little wizards while flying at high speed, and they could freely dart around the Castle, their silvery-white ghostly figures leaving trails of light.

Sir Nicholas flew forward, his head held aloft by a tiny piece of skin, like a kite in flight. Loren found it utterly grotesque.

Upon entering the Gryffindor Common Room, Loren immediately spotted Hermione standing by the window, wearing a blue and white checkered casual jacket and black jeans, smiling broadly.

"I've learned Apparition!" Hermione said, lifting her smooth chin with feigned pride. "Don't you dare tease me during summer vacation, or you'll regret it!"

The girl gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and shook her wrists. Her fair skin seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, making it impossible to look away.

Loren walked over with a smile and put her fist down, "It's almost lunchtime. Should we eat lunch before going home, or go home for lunch?"

Hermione's attention was diverted, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "I'll eat at school. I still have some things to pack, and I probably won't make it to lunch at home."

"Okay, but what's the point of packing it all up? Just put it all into the pendant space, right?"

"It's about organizing the things inside the pendant. You can't just put them in and leave them piled up randomly."

"Emmm"

Loren fell silent.

"Ugh~" Hermione glanced at him disdainfully, "You didn't just pile it up randomly, did you?"

"My things are all clean. Randomly piling them up won't make them dirty, and I can find what I need. How can it be considered random? It's just that their arrangement doesn't conform to the traditional concept of neatness," Loren retorted confidently.

Hermione leaned closer, reached into his collar and pulled out the Dolphin Pendant, peering inside through the scales.

The girl's sudden closeness made Loren's heart skip a beat. He could feel Hermione's hot breath on his neck, which made the sunlight streaming in through the window feel scorching hot.

Loren tilted his head back, trying to step back a little, but Hermione tugged at his clothes. "Don't move, let me see what a mess your storage space is in!"

Driven by this force, Loren involuntarily lunged forward, his lips landing on the girl's forehead.

Both of them were somewhat at a loss, and for a moment they stood there, their lips pressed against their foreheads, like two burning hot stones pressed together, their hot breaths constantly drilling into their noses.

About half a minute later, Hermione finally reacted and took a few steps back. Her face was flushed, and she quickly said, "I, I still have some things to pack in my dorm. I'll go pack my things first. You tidy up your space, it's too messy, yes, too messy!"

Looking up, I saw that the person was actually pursing their lips, as if savoring the memory.

Hermione was even more embarrassed and hurriedly ran away.

Watching the girl's figure disappear down the stairs, Loren chuckled, "You think you can teach me a lesson with that...?"

Back in her dorm, Hermione burrowed straight into bed, letting out shy moans. As her shyness faded, a sweet feeling welled up inside her. Her forehead and brow were itchy, and she couldn't scratch it; the itch seemed to seep into her very soul.

It was ten minutes later when Hermione calmed down. She tiptoed out of the dormitory, walked down the corridor, and stood on the stairs looking down, carefully observing Loren's condition.

Loren, sitting on the sofa, held up a copy of "Transfiguration Today" and noticed out of the corner of his eye a head peeking out, like a frightened kitten that might shrink back at any moment.

Loren showed no sign of surprise and said calmly, "Let's go downstairs for lunch, and then we'll go home."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a strange sense of regret. She responded and came out, and the two went downstairs together for lunch.

When they arrived at the Great Hall, they were surprised to find that the house tables had been moved to the wall, and a table much shorter than the Head of House was placed in the center of the Great Hall. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick Sprout, and Professor Kettleburn sat there, along with the caretaker Filch, Madam Pince, Madam Pomfrey, and Hagrid.

"Loren, Hermione! Come, have a seat!" Dumbledore called out cheerfully. "You've made it in time. Silvanus doesn't leave until this afternoon, so we've decided to have another lunch for him. There aren't many people, and it would be a bit silly to use the house tables... Sit, sit down!"

The two sat down on the right side of the table, next to Hagrid at the very end.

"Wait a moment, and there's also Professor Victor for Arithmancy Class, Professor Bubage for Muggle Studies, and Professor Babbling for Ancient Rune," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "Well, it's a shame that Professor Trelawney for Divination Class always keeps to himself, otherwise you would have met all the professors for the elective courses."

Professor McGonagall added, "Professor Babbling is in a hurry to go to Egypt to participate in the excavation of an ancient site and has already left."

Hermione's eyes lit up, and she eagerly asked Professor Kettleburn, "What's the course on Care of Magical Creatures, Professor? What Fantastic Beasts will we encounter?"

Kettleburn laughed, "You've asked the wrong person. I'm about to retire, and I won't be teaching you Care of Magical Creatures next semester."

Before the little Witch could show any disappointment, he cheerfully added, "However, I recommended Hagrid to the headmaster to take over the position of Professor of the Care of Magical Creatures. You can ask him."

"Hagrid! Really?" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.

Hagrid said somewhat embarrassedly, "I... I'm not sure... I don't know if I can do it well."

"Trust me, Hagrid! No one is more suited for this position than you." Professor Kettleburn reached out to pat him on the shoulder, but after looking at his physique, he withdrew his hand.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded, "I think so too. You can do it, Hagrid."

Hagrid was so moved he was about to cry when the door opened again, and Professor Trelawney glided toward them as if on wheels.

"Sybil, this is truly a delightful surprise!" Dumbledore said, standing up.

"I was looking at the crystal ball just now, Headmaster," Professor Trelawney said in her most ethereal voice. "To my surprise, I saw myself abandoning my solitary meal to join your feast. How could I refuse a sign from fate? I hastily descended from my tower, and beg your forgiveness for being late..."

Professor Trelawney's state gave Loren a sense of foreboding.

"Of course, of course," Dumbledore said. "Professor Babbling's seat is available. Please have a seat."

However, Professor Trelawney did not sit down. Her large eyes darted around the table, and suddenly she let out a low shriek. "I dare not, Headmaster! If I sit at the table, there will be thirteen people! The worst! Don't forget, whenever thirteen people eat together, the first one to stand up will definitely be the first to die!"

Loren's pupils dilated violently as he suddenly recalled the events of the thirteen-person banquet. Few of Trelawney's Prophecy made while she was lucid were true, but this one had just happened to come true.

Seeing that Dumbledore had already stood up, he quickly counted the number of people.

Fortunately, there were only twelve people.

Activating his Magic Sight, Loren confirmed again: the rat Scabbers were gone, the Beetle Rita was gone, there were no hidden Animagus, and no ghosts lurking under the table. There were only twelve people in total.

As everyone looked at Trelawney, Dumbledore noticed his unusual behavior.

"We're willing to take the risk, Sybil. Sit down," Professor McGonagall said impatiently.

Once she sat down, there were indeed thirteen people... Loren stood up abruptly, and facing everyone's astonished gazes, he paused for a moment. "Professor, I think it's best not to take the risk. Hermione and I are in a hurry to go home, so we'll head back first."

Hermione stared at him blankly.

Professor McGonagall, sensing that Loren was misled by Sybil's identity Divination Class professor, spoke up to persuade him to stay, saying, "Don't worry, Loren, unless there's a ruthless executioner waiting outside to kill the first person to step out of the Entrance Hall, there won't be any other danger here."

Professor Flitwick and Professor Kettleburn burst into laughter. Professor Trelawney, seemingly deeply insulted, glared angrily at Professor McGonagall before looking expectantly at Loren.

Loren stood there, somewhat conflicted, unsure whether to leave or stay.

Dumbledore saw his predicament and smiled, "Minerva, we should understand the students' desire to go home early. After all, we were like that when we were in school."

He looked at Loren: "See you next semester. And please give my regards to Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Mr. Bates."

"Goodbye! Headmaster and professors!" Loren relaxed, grabbed Hermione, and ran out of the Entrance Hall, disappearing from the professors' sight.

Trelawney grinned triumphantly and happily found a seat.

A silence fell over the table. Most people thought Loren was intimidated by the title of Divination Class professor, while others had different ideas.

Dumbledore and Snape stared at the remaining two seats, their eyes filled with thoughtful expressions.

Sybil's Prophecy weren't all nonsense; at least one or two of them were true...

Keep in mind that there are eleven people at the table now, Professor Victor of Arithmancy Class and Professor Bubage of Muggle Studies have not yet arrived.