Visiting the Burrow

Loren was very good at Transfiguration.

The Magic Power he gained after the multiple riots allowed him to easily open the sealed wall panels of the fireplace and release the Weasley, who were piled up inside.

Considering they might have to return the way they came, the fireplace wasn't sealed immediately after it was opened. Fortunately, although there was some dust inside, there wasn't any pitch-black coal ash.

Mr. Weasley chuckled and patted his grey linen coat a few times, wiping his hands on the hem. Ignoring his dirty right cheek, he shook hands with Grandpa Bates and greeted him before extending his hand to Wendell.

"You must be Mr. Granger. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Arthur Weasley. We met once before at the Leaky Cauldron..."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Weasley." Wendell waved his arm enthusiastically, even more so than when he saw a patient with a horizontally impacted wisdom tooth—a patient who often meant an expensive surgery. "This is my wife, Monica."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Granger."

"Hello, Mr. Weasley." Monica smiled serenely and elegantly. "I'm so sorry to have trapped you in the fireplace."

"Oh, I should be the one apologizing." Mr. Weasley turned to look at the open fireplace. "It's all my fault. I never imagined we'd reach our destination only to be unable to get out..."

He leaned closer, looking the wires and sockets around the fireplace up and down, and said, "You know what? I took it upon myself to connect your fireplace to the Floo Network. Strictly speaking, Muggle fireplaces shouldn't be connected to the internet, but I have a very useful acquaintance on the Floo Network management team, and he got it done for me. Don't worry, we'll get it set up for you this afternoon."

"Connecting, that sounds like the Internet, but your network is even more amazing," Wendell exclaimed in surprise.

Seeing that he seemed very interested in the Floo Network that Arthur mentioned, Bates pulled him over and showed it to Arthur, "Look, this is the socket you wanted to see. The wires inside lead to the distribution box outside, and the distribution box is connected to the power station."

"That's how they transported electricity; it's a truly ingenious idea."

"Compared to this, I think your ability to move freely through the fireplace is even more amazing. Can you tell me how you do it?"

"Of course! Usually we'd light a fire in the fireplace, grab a handful of Floo Powder, walk into the flames, and shout out our destination... Is this an electric stove? Can you use it to boil water?"

"Yes!" Wendell seized the opportunity to explain, "When an electric current passes through a resistor, it generates heat..."

Seeing his father engrossed in his own world, chatting away while ignoring his children, Ron felt a little embarrassed. Faced with Loren's teasing smile, he could only helplessly shrug.

"It seems Hermione also has a troublesome father."

"It sounds like they could talk all day."

George and Fred each chimed in with their own words of appreciation, then the Twins winked at Monica and said in a cheerful, synchronized tone, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Granger— "

"I am George, George Weasley."

"I am Fred, Fred Weasley."

Ron quickly added, "I am Ron, Ron Weasley."

Monica was amused by the three brothers' self-introductions and shook hands with them seriously. "Hello, the Weasley family brothers."

The Twins' eyebrows twitched with delight. The lady seemed to treat them like adults. Fred immediately said proudly, "Oh, you probably don't know, but we have more than three brothers."

George nodded repeatedly. "Yes, we also have three older brothers and a younger sister!"

Ron blushed deeply, his face turning almost as red as his hair.

Monica said somewhat solemnly, "Your mother must have been a gentle yet strong woman."

"The question of whether she is gentle is debatable."

"But it is indeed very powerful."

"..."

On one side was the academic exchange between Muggle electricity and wizarding Floo Network, and on the other side was a cheerful, everyday conversation. Loren and Hermione stood silently by the fireplace, glancing at each other with unspoken understanding.

I felt like an outsider.

For the next hour, the usually quiet Granger house became more lively than ever before because of the wizard's unconventional visit. Loren went next door to get drinks for his classmates, Monica prepared hot tea for the three men having an academic exchange, although Mr. Weasley seemed more interested in the drinks.

Loren and Hermione sipped their Coke cans slowly, their expressions relaxed and at ease.

They found it amusing. Compared to Bates and Wendell, Arthur acted more like an ordinary person who had stumbled into a fantasy world—he was interested in all electrical mechanical objects, dragging Bates and Wendell around the room, lingering for a long time in front of the television and video recorder.

When the images were projected onto the screen and the sounds came from the tin box, Arthur was as amazed as Muggle had witnessed magic.

Meanwhile, Monica was asking George and Fred about the interesting aspects of life in a large family. George and Fred took one sip of the cola and immediately fell in love with the drink; the tiny bubbles tickled their tongues, causing a slightly painful sensation – it was so cool!

Ron savored the taste of his cola, glancing occasionally at the furnishings in the room. The neatly arranged, smooth floors, the harmoniously colored wall paint, the reflective tiles, and the spaciousness made him think that the place where Muggle lived was more beautiful than the houses of many of his wizard relatives. He really didn't understand why Pure-blood wizard looked down on Muggle.

Take another look at Loren and Hermione.

I had no other intention than to refer to lengthy papers on the A History of Magic and Potions Master.

The lively atmosphere continued until the sun outside the window ignited the clouds, burning a fiery red sunset. The crimson light shone into the small building. Bates glanced at the wall clock and interrupted Wendell's explanation of the principles of electromagnetism, "It's almost five o'clock. Let's go out for dinner. Arthur can take a look at our restaurant."

"That's wonderful—" Arthur's joyful cheers paused for a moment, then he glanced at the clock, his eyes widening instantly. He quickly stood up, muttering, "Oh no, oh no, I was having so much fun that I forgot the time... I forgot that the Dursley house are supposed to pick up Harry..."

"Sorry Bates, Wendell, Monica ... we have to say goodbye. There's a poor child waiting for us." Arthur hurriedly called to the children, "Loren, Hermione, please hurry up and pack your things. Harry is probably getting impatient."

George, Fred, and Ron's eyes widened in surprise, and they exclaimed in unison, "Harry!"

The shout instantly turned the previously lively and harmonious atmosphere tense. As Loren and Hermione ran to retrieve their empty suitcases, they heard Ron ask worriedly, "But Dad, how are we going to pick up Harry? Their fireplaces are all sealed up..."

"You all go back to the Burrow first, I'll go to the Dursley house to pick up Harry."

When Loren returned from next door, he saw that the fireplace was already burning brightly, crackling and popping, like a campfire that had been burning for hours, casting a slightly hot red glow on everyone's cheeks.

Ron, George, and Fred stood by the fireplace, while Arthur stood facing the fire, his whole body glowing red. Wendell observed the flames with great interest.

Hermione carried her suitcase in one hand and spoke quietly to Monica, probably saying goodbye.

Bates walked over silently, put his arm around his shoulder and patted him. "Whether you come back for Christmas or not, remember to write."

"Knew."

"Take good care of Hermione."

Don't worry.

Arthur took a small bag with a drawstring from his pocket, opened it, pinched out a little powder and threw it into the fire. The flames immediately turned emerald green and the flames leaped even higher than before.

"Fred, you go back first," Arthur said.

"Goodbye Mrs. Granger, Mr. Bates, and Mr. Granger." Fred turned and waved to the crowd, took a few steps forward, and walked straight into the flames, letting the emerald green flames lick his flesh. He said casually, "The Burrow!"

The Bates and Mr. and Mrs. Granger watched this scene with sparkling eyes.

The flames suddenly surged, completely engulfing Fred, sparks flying everywhere. By the time the scattered Mars fell back into the fireplace, Fred was gone.

George and Ron then disappeared into the flames one after the other.

Finally, it was Loren and Hermione's turn. Arthur knew it was their first time using Floo Powder. Remembering Harry's accidental entry into Knockturn Alley in his second year, he bent down and instructed, "Relax, kids. As long as you speak clearly, you won't make a mistake. If you're worried about soot, clench your arms and close your eyes, but remember not to move around too much, or you might fall out of another furnace door..."

"Don't worry if you get lost, just stay there, I'll find you."

Loren and Hermione nodded in agreement.

Actually, there's no need to worry so much. They already knew the location of the Burrow yesterday. There are no spatial restrictions like those at Hogwarts there, so even if the Floo Network malfunctions, they can still use Apparition to teleport there.

"I'll go first."

Loren picked up a pinch of glittering powder from Mr. Weasley's hand. Based on a quick glance and the tactile feedback from his fingertips, Floo Powder was not a uniform powder; it also contained some loose clumps that crumbled easily when rubbed between his fingers, much like sweet potato starch.

He walked to the fireplace and threw the powder into the flames. The flames shot up with a whoosh, and a few Bursting Flame landed on his face, but it was only warm and not scorching.

As he stepped into the flames, many tiny, luminous green dots appeared in Loren's mind, like a map. The map was sparse on the outside and denser in a few places near the center, which was quite magical.

Loren paused, then called out softly, "The Burrow!"

The emerald flames suddenly surged, and a strange pulling sensation came from the soles of his feet. He seemed to be rapidly spun and sucked into some kind of passage. The wind howled in his ears, and even with his eyes closed, he could see the green flames dancing around him.

A few seconds later, feeling her feet firmly on the ground again, she opened her eyes to find George and Fred's identical faces grinning at her. "Welcome to the Burrow!"

Behind them were Ron and Ginny, Bill and Percy were nowhere to be seen; they probably hadn't returned yet.

"Don't block the fireplace!"

A loud reprimanding voice came from behind. Mrs. Weasley, wearing a printed apron, came over, pushed aside George and Fred who were blocking her way, pulled Loren out of the fireplace, and gently patted the soot off him.

"Honey, don't pick up their bad habits..." Molly, still smelling of cooking oil from the Kitchen, gave Loren a somewhat familiar scent. She muttered a complaint, "I really don't know what they're all doing. I should have gone to pick you up instead of staying home dealing with freshly slaughtered chicken... A whole afternoon, a whole afternoon! How many people do they have to pick up to take up so much time..."

Loren whispered in Arthur's defense, "Don't blame them, Mrs. Weasley... Our fireplace was sealed shut, which caused the delay."

"Don't I know him? He must have been so engrossed in those Muggle appliances that he forgot the time..." Molly pulled Hermione out of the fireplace as well, brushed the soot off her, and spoke in a tone that was nothing like the low voice she used when yelling at the Twins, "You're back just in time, darling. Go wash your hands. We need to get ready for dinner."

"Good evening, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione replied quietly.

This stark contrast of gentleness always made Loren and Hermione unconsciously lower their voices, and they became subconsciously obedient in front of Molly.

The Weasley family children led them to the sink to wash their hands and clean the soot off their clothes.

"In her eyes, we're all bad kids," Fred muttered. "Only Percy is a role model..."

George's eyes darted around, and he leaned close to his ear and began to whisper something. A strange smile gradually appeared on both of their faces.

Ginny held onto Hermione tightly, and the two girls whispered among themselves, saying things they couldn't let the boys hear.

As Loren walked through the living room and past the Kitchen, he took in the sights of the wizard's house.

The mantel was stacked with three layers of books, all of them magic books. The ones with the most obvious signs of being read were, "Magic for Your Cheese", "The Magic of Baking Bread", and "Conjure a Feast".

Loren was very interested in these books.

The not-so-spacious living room was filled with all sorts of things, but it was neat and orderly, not dirty or messy.

There was a strange clock on the wall. Instead of numbers, the dial was marked with locations such as "Home," "School," "Lost," and "Ministry of Magic," and there was a red area that read "Dangerous." The hands weren't for hours, minutes, and seconds, but rather nine gold hands inscribed with the names of Weasley family members.

At this moment, most of the pointers are stacked together, pointing to the "home" mark, while Arthur's pointer is in an unmarked area.

On the opposite wall, there is a clock with only one hand and no numbers. The clock face has words like "Brewing tea", "Feeding the chickens", and "You're going to be late" written on it.

The restaurant was small and quite crowded. The dining table was a clean wooden table, with several chairs neatly arranged around it.

It has a magical feel, but also a sense of everyday life.