Hogwarts Life in 1994 Begins

The afternoon of the day before returning to school.

Hermione sat at her desk by the window, wearing thick light gray pajamas, her face tense, intently checking Loren's holiday homework.

He finished all his homework in just half a day.

This made Hermione completely uneasy, but after careful comparison, Hermione found that although the handwriting was a bit messy, the content was not made up. The answers to the objective questions were completely correct, the essay questions basically covered the key points, and there were not even any spelling errors.

Even the strictest Professor McGonagall, would have to give this assignment an excellent grade.

"So, Professor Granger, is there anything that needs to be changed?"

Loren lay lazily on the bed, holding a Rubik's Cube, his ten fingers twisting it with a rattling sound.

"No, Morgan, your homework is excellent—" Hermione replied, drawing out her words in a strange tone.

Loren stood up and stepped forward, casually placing the solved Rubik's Cube on the table. He then gently pinched the back of her neck, as if disciplining a restless kitten.

Before the girl could explode, Loren stopped, feeling refreshed. He clapped his hands casually and said, "I'm going back to school tomorrow. I'm going back to pack my things. See you tomorrow!"

After saying that, he waved his wand, and with a muffled thud, his figure disappeared from the room.

"..."

Hermione pursed her lips, remained silent for a moment, then mustered her courage and opened her Transfiguration textbook.

I'll turn him into a cat sooner or later, and then I'll teach him a lesson!

Meanwhile, Loren returned home and began packing with Grandpa Bates.

It mainly consists of clothes for spring and summer, most of which were newly bought by Grandpa Bates. Some clothes have labels, while others have no labels at all, and even the patterns are very simple.

These chores weren't complicated; Loren could have finished them all in five minutes with his wand. But Grandpa Bates insisted he do them himself, saying that he always bought his own clothes, and using magic would be disrespectful to his feelings.

Loren could only obey the old man.

"I've always had a question..."

Grandpa Bates was sorting through last year's old clothes, many of which no longer fit. Bates folded them neatly, packed them into a cardboard box, and asked, "Does the size of a wizard's robe change with the wizard's size? What about the style?"

Loren stopped folding clothes and replied thoughtfully, "I think so... From Alchemy perspective, these functions aren't difficult to achieve, it's just that I haven't seen them yet..."

"Last time I took you and Hermione to Diagon Alley, there was a wizard in that pub wearing a wizard's hat with a vulture specimen on it. Were those specimens real?"

"I think... right."

"Hey! What a bunch of weirdos..." Grandpa Bates shook his head and sighed, then looked at Loren seriously, "Don't you dare become one of those strange wizards. Wizards are only a minority, after all. You and Hermione will eventually return to ordinary society. Don't pick up those bad habits... understand?"

"Don't worry, I don't like vulture specimens either..." A sly glint flashed in Loren's eyes, and he changed the subject, "I like snake specimens."

Grandpa Bates' eyes widened instantly. Realizing he was joking, he grabbed the leg of a pair of pants and whipped it across Bates' back. "You brat!"

The wool fabric felt neither painful nor itchy against my back; instead, it brought a sense of silent peace to my heart.

Loren didn't stay quiet for long before he started joking around with Grandpa Bates again, making the old man laugh and scold him incessantly.

The following day, King's Cross Station, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

Monica and Hermione were whispering to each other a short distance away, while three men squatted by the passageway, staring intently at some machine at the entrance.

"Look at this rod..." Wendell said in a deep voice, "It raises and lowers, doesn't it look like the motion of casting and retrieving a rod?"

Loren: "..."

Bates: "..."

The two exchanged a glance, and saw the same meaning in each other's eyes: It's over, this person is beyond saving.

Before parting, the parents said the same things they had said a thousand times before, and saying them a few more times wouldn't make any difference, nor would saying them at the platform.

Bates wants Hermione to look after Loren and supervise his studies, Mr. and Mrs. Granger want Loren to look after Hermione and ensure she lives a good life...

Parents always see their children as fragile and vulnerable.

Monica's instructions to Hermione seemed a little different, but the station was too crowded and noisy, and no one else knew what they said except for the two of them.

The two dragged their empty black suitcases onto the platform and disappeared into the brick wall... The three parents stared blankly at the spot where they disappeared, and only after a long time did they come to their senses, turn around and leave without saying a word.

On the Hogwarts Express.

Loren and Hermione arrived early, and there were still many empty compartments on the train. They found a quiet spot at the back of the carriage, and accompanied by the distant whistle, the train sped out of the city, across the wilderness, and along snow-covered country roads.

Hermione, who had been peering out through the window, turned away and looked at Loren behind her, who was unpacking Cockroach Clusters: "I still think your handwriting on your homework is too messy."

Loren: "..."

Suddenly, none of the snacks on the table tasted good anymore.

"Why don't you go back to your dorm tonight and rewrite it? What if the professors can't recognize your handwriting and give you a low grade?"

"A low score is better than making me do it again." Loren rolled his eyes and shoved a Cockroach Clusters into Hermione's mouth in annoyance. "Shut your mouth and shut up."

Unlike her panicked state two years ago, Hermione is now calmly chewing on Cockroach Clusters. She chews and swallows the candy. "Grandpa Bates asked me to look after your studies, so you should listen to me."

"Your parents asked me to take care of you..." Loren leaned closer, staring into her eyes with a fierce expression. "Now you should turn into a cat and sit quietly in the car!"

Hermione was indeed frightened and obediently stopped mentioning the homework.

Hermione glanced up at him discreetly, then quickly looked away before he could notice.

She hasn't mastered the Transfiguration to turn a person into a cat yet, so she needs to avoid the limelight for now. Once she returns to school with Professor McGonagall's guidance and a little bit of her own diligence, she'll definitely be able to learn it quickly.

On Saturday, I'll turn Loren into a lion cat, and on Sunday, I'll turn him into a short-legged cat, then I'll hold him in my arms and knead him as I please.

Weekdays?

I have to teach on weekdays, so let's let him off the hook.

The train wound its way through forests and mountains, occasionally passing through dark tunnels. After Loren had eaten half of the candy on the table, he closed his eyes contentedly, tilted his head, and began to sleep.

Hermione felt the sudden increase in weight on his shoulder, closed the Transfiguration book in his hand, and glanced at the person.

The journey was far from quiet; the wheels rattled and clattered over the rails, but the man seemed completely unaffected. His stomach rose and fell evenly, his breath carried a sweet, candy-like scent, and his eyelashes fluttered occasionally, suggesting he was fast asleep.

He looks most pleasing when he's sleeping.

Hermione started thinking about whether she could turn him into a cat at night too, since she didn't have to go to class anyway.

In the Mandrake patch of the Third Greenhouse at Hogwarts, the adolescent Mandrake waved their leaves freely, emitting a shrill cheer that was unbearable for ordinary people.

Their enclosures have been expanded, and they will soon welcome more companions!

The faces on the roots and stems of the middle-aged and elderly Mandrake are tightly wrinkled. Looking at their joyful appearance, it's as if I'm seeing myself a year ago.

So young and energetic, so spirited, and so... stupid.

The middle-aged and elderly Mandrake twisted their roots and burrowed deeper into the soil.

The Mandrake were shouting and cheering with all their might, their voices possessing Magic Power similar to that of the Banshee; ordinary people who heard them would either faint or suffer deafness and death. But now, these voices, imbued with strange Magic Power, were trapped by an invisible membrane, unable to travel beyond the garden platform.

This all stems from the three professors next to the platform.

"They've never been so excited..." Professor Sprout looked at the little guys, his voice filled with undisguised joy. "It seems that the Mandrake are more gregarious than we thought. This batch is sure to grow very well."

Professor McGonagall smiled with satisfaction and turned to Lupin beside her, "Now, Remus, you can finally rest assured, right?"

Hogwarts took on all the responsibilities: the Wolfsbane Potion to keep them alert, and the Mandrake needed for Animagus training. Although the rest might be more difficult, at least they had a good start.

Although the Magic Power, piercing cries could not penetrate the barrier set up by Professor Sprout, Lupin was still somewhat dazed, as if he were in a beautiful dream, half asleep and half awake.

"I really don't know how to thank you..."

Lupin spoke even softer than usual, like a murmur. Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout couldn't hear the rest of the words, but they saw Lupin quickly come to his senses and reveal a determined expression. "Leave the rest to me."

Professor Sprout was at a loss for words, so Professor McGonagall picked up the conversation but didn't respond to Lupin. Instead, she joked, "I think we should add Mandrake to the Defense Against the Dark Arts. After all, their calls are dangerous enough. What do you think?"

"I don't agree!" Professor Sprout looked at Professor McGonagall with a resentful gaze. "I don't believe you couldn't foresee that, Minerva, it would only add to my workload!"

Professor McGonagall and Lupin smiled.

"Loren, wake up, we've arrived."

"Um..."

Loren awoke from his sleep with a heavy nasal voice, and when he opened his eyes, it was already dark outside.

The snow at Hogwarts had begun to melt, but it hadn't completely melted yet. The damp air condensed into a thick night fog around the ancient magic school, adding a touch of mystery.

Five steps away, their faces were no longer visible, but someone greeted them. Loren and Hermione casually replied to the voices, and after getting off the carriage, they took a few steps and randomly chose a Thestral carriage to get into.

As soon as I sat down, I saw Seamus and Dean chatting, sharing a copy of the Daily Prophet, each holding one end. The page featured a photo of the explosion in Diagon Alley. I have no idea how the reporter managed to take that picture.

Seamus and Dean looked up and saw familiar faces getting into the car; their eyes lit up with the joy of a long-awaited reunion.

"Loren, Hermione! Come and see this!" Seamus exclaimed excitedly. "You're far removed from the Wizarding World, you have no idea about the big things that happened during the Christmas holidays—"

"Death Eater are attacking Diagon Alley!" Seamus was interrupted by Dean before he could finish speaking.

Seamus gave him a disapproving look. "You probably don't know who it is—"

"It's Bellatrix!" Dean's face was full of excitement, and he rattled off a string of words, "Bellatrix Lestrange caused multiple explosions in Diagon Alley! The walls of the Leaky Cauldron were blown down, and I heard that Gringotts ' underground vault was blown open. Bellatrix took advantage of the chaos to steal something."

"Fine--"

"Fortunately, the Aurors had already laid an ambush and managed to retrieve the item. Although they didn't capture the Death Eater on the spot, they severely injured him."

A pained expression crossed Seamus's face, his brows furrowed tightly. He hadn't completely given up yet. After taking a deep breath, he said, "You'd never guess what happened back then—"

"Seamus was in Diagon Alley at the time, and he even saw Professor Flitwick!" Dean said in one breath, smacking his lips in satisfaction.

"Ah!" Seamus completely lost his composure, looking at Dean with a ferocious expression. "You've said it all by yourself, what am I supposed to say?"

He pounced on Dean, throwing a flurry of punches at him, his words sounding particularly aggrieved. "I finally managed to get on a wonderful adventure, do you think it was easy for me?"

"I went to Diagon Alley without permission during the Christmas holidays, and my mom practically beat my butt to pieces. It looked like it had been hit by a door-blowing curse!"

"She even said she'd stuff me into my dad's stocking as a Christmas present next year!"

"Do you know how smelly my dad's socks are? Do you know?"

Seamus beat Dean while crying and howling.

Loren and Hermione fell silent. Loren gestured to Hermione with his eyes: it's better not to tell Seamus what they went through.

Hermione blinked: Agreed.

The first dinner back at school was the opening banquet. After a short rest in the Castle, the young wizards went into the Great Hall and sat at the Head of House table, which they hadn't seen for a holiday. After Dumbledore's brief address, the Great Hall was filled with joy.

Loren and Hermione sat separately. Hermione was going to report to her roommate on her romantic progress during the holidays, while Loren was pulled by Seamus to sit with the boys and listen to him tell about his legendary adventures in Diagon Alley.

"...You have no idea how dangerous it was! The nearest explosion point was only one street away from me. I could see the flying debris falling right in front of me; it almost hit me!" Seamus pinched his thumb and forefinger together, leaving only a finger's width of space. "It was just a hair's breadth away!"

"You have no idea how dangerous that was!"

Ron was looking at a roasted chicken leg with a troubled expression, not paying attention to what Seamus was saying.

Harry listened to the whole thing, and scratched his head. "Oh, I see... Loren and Hermione should know, right? They were there too, the explosion was right in front of them, and Snape used Apparition to send them back to school to avoid it."

"..."

Seamus's expression gradually became blank, his gaze unfocused, and he lowered his head, beginning to question the meaning of life.