The Scolding They Couldn't Escape

The next day, in the Great Hall.

Many students were whispering among themselves. Under the envious and jealous gazes of the others, Harry and Ron sat proudly but also embarrassed at the Long Table, ready to enjoy their breakfast.

They escaped punishment last night, though Professor Snape desperately wanted them to receive the punishment they deserved, such as expulsion.

However, Harry and Ron were Gryffindor House after all, and Professor McGonagall didn't want to expel them because of this. In addition, Dumbledore pleaded on their behalf, so the two were only punished with solitary confinement, without even losing any points.

Moreover, many people thought that being able to drive a flying car to school was a pretty cool thing, and after the news spread, the two unexpectedly gained a group of fans.

"Look at how arrogant they are! If you didn't know better, you'd think they saved the Magic World!" Draco said indignantly at the Slytherin Long Table.

"It only looks glamorous now," Aaron sighed. "The fame they enjoy right now is nothing compared to empty fame. In a few days, everyone will forget about it."

"I know, but I just feel unconvinced."

Harry Potter seems to attract attention no matter what he does, even when he's wrong.

"It is true that they did something wrong, but the suffering they endured was extraordinary."

Actually, I spotted them on the train yesterday and even brought them some food.

Draco paused for a moment, then turned to look at the herring and Abei being eaten on the table, as if he had figured something out.

"So you went out yesterday because of... the two of them?"

"What? Do you really think driving is easy?" Aaron said with a meaningful smile. "Ron drove for more than eight hours with hardly any food in the car. Plus, the sun was shining and the temperature was rising quite a bit. He was exhausted, hot, thirsty, and hungry. Anyone who could persevere was Champion."

And do you think this matter will be over so easily?

Don't forget, they put it in the newspapers, and Mr. Weasley. Arthur Weasley is the Minister of Ministry of Magic.

"Oh! I see."

Draco's mood instantly brightened as he thought about the miserable state the two of them had in the car and the punishment they would face for being late.

"But how did you find them on the train?"

"Uh... this was an accident."

Draco didn't ask any more questions, glanced disdainfully at Harry and Ron, and started eating his breakfast.

Aaron shrugged, piled his half-eaten food in front of Abei, and then sat down at the Gryffindor long Long Table.

"You two seem to be in a good mood!"

I became famous by accident.

"It's alright!" Harry said with a slightly smug smile. "It's just that Ron suffered a bit of a loss."

"The losses were devastating."

Ron reluctantly took out his old Wand, which was barely usable before Wand, but was now on the verge of being obsolete.

The cane was almost completely broken at one-third of its length. Although it was tightly wrapped with tape, the wood chips inside could still be vaguely seen.

Aaron gave him a sympathetic look. "That's amazing. Nobody would want this wand even if it were given away for Wand, and you actually think you can turn something rotten into something magical."

"Can you repair it?" Ron asked earnestly.

"Ha!" Aaron shook his head. "Take my advice, you should get a different Wand."

Believe me, even Ollivander couldn't fix this thing.

Hearing this, Ron looked bitter. "Then I'm doomed."

He didn't have the money to buy Wand, so he thought of settling for something else.

It seems there's no possibility of repairing it now. Aaron is Ollivander's great-nephew, so his words are more valuable than those of ordinary people.

"Good morning!" Hermione came over carrying a book. She greeted Aaron with a smile, then glared at Harry and Ron with displeasure.

The two immediately lowered their heads guiltily, knowing that Hermione was unhappy with their way of returning to school.

"Aaron, are you busy during this holiday?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Extremely busy, you can't even imagine how busy he is."

"No wonder." Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "I was just saying that I wrote you several letters and you didn't reply. When I went to Diagon Alley, the shop assistant also said you didn't know me."

Aaron smiled awkwardly but politely, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to, but my family's discipline is just too strict."

"Exactly, Aaron was even forced to leave home," Harry interjected.

"Run away from home?" Hermione was taken aback, then turned to look at Aaron. "What happened?"

"That's all in the past, it shouldn't happen again," Aaron said somewhat guiltily, though he himself didn't believe it.

It's estimated that after this school year ends, he will still be forced to study those courses until he truly graduates.

"Are you really alright?" Hermione was still a little skeptical.

"It's really nothing."

You'd be more worried about these two than me.

"We?" Harry pointed to himself, swallowing hard. "We should be alright, right?"

Driving back to school was justified, Professor McGonagall had already punished us, and Headmaster Dumbledore had said that the laws against underage Warlock would not hold us responsible.

In other words, this matter is over.

Ron nodded repeatedly. He had already lost a Wand and a car. If this wasn't the end of it, his heart couldn't take it.

"You've managed to evade the laws and school regulations, but..."

Before he could finish speaking, an owl flew in from outside.

This owl is Errol from the Weasley family. He's one of the old, weak, sick, or disabled owls, so it must have been quite a feat for him to fly this far.

"They're here."

Aaron muttered something, then pulled Hermione up from her seat.

The next moment, Errol crashed into the dining table and fell right into Hermione's plate, splashing milk and feathers everywhere.

"Ron." Hermione's lips twitched. "You really need to get a new owl."

"I wish I could! This bird is really stupid." Ron picked Errol up and saw a wet envelope in its beak. His face immediately fell.

Oh no!

"Howler," Aaron said gleefully. "It's clear that Mrs. Weasley is really angry, otherwise she wouldn't have sent you such a letter in public."

"What is Howler?" Harry asked, somewhat puzzled.

You'll find out soon enough.

Ron was extremely nervous, his hands trembling involuntarily. Looking at the envelope that had begun to smoke, he still mustered up the courage to tear it open.

The red envelope, along with the letter inside, was folded into the shape of a mouth, from which came Mrs. Weasley's angry roar, many times louder than usual.

"Ron Weasley, how dare you steal a car without permission?"

"I'm absolutely furious."

"Your father is now under investigation by the Ministry of Magic, and it's all your fault."

"If you dare to cause trouble again, we'll bring you back right away."

After he finished speaking, the red envelope burst into flames and turned to ashes in an instant.

However, those who were nearby still felt a buzzing in their ears, and Ron was slumped in his chair, stunned and unable to come to his senses.

Harry stared blankly at him. He was also involved in the car incident, but it seemed like only Ron was getting scolded.

"The thing I was most worried about is that it's still going to happen," Aaron said, shaking his head. "You still couldn't escape this scolding."

However, neither of you deserves sympathy. If I absolutely must comment... you deserve it.

Harry and Ron turned to look at him simultaneously; those two words truly made them feel heartbroken.

This is incredibly embarrassing. The first day of school was so stressful that the two of them felt so guilty that they couldn't eat.

"That's a good thing," Hermione murmured. "You've received the appropriate punishment, and this matter is over now. You don't have to worry about it anymore."

"That's hard to say," Aaron said, pursing his lips. "I'm not exaggerating, but their ability to cause trouble..."

Hermione felt a little insecure upon hearing this, after all, they had already proven their abilities in this area last year.

"Sigh! Let nature take its course!"

Hermione opened a thick book and started reading it by herself at the dining table.

Voyage with a Vampire

Aaron looked at the book cover and couldn't help but complain, "When did you start liking this kind of book?"

"This is a textbook!" Hermione said, somewhat surprised. "Didn't you know?"

"What?" Aaron was taken aback for a moment, then carefully examined the book's contents. "The content is rich, the colors are vibrant, the writing flows smoothly, and most importantly, the portrayal of the protagonist, Gilderoy Lockhart, is witty, humorous, powerful, kind, and full of wisdom..."

After reading two chapters, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily. "I admit this book is pretty good, but..."

"Right!" Hermione completely ignored the word "is". "This book is definitely good. It sold like hotcakes when it was at Flourish and Blotts. Its sales are probably in the top ten in the Magic World."

"No, I mean, is this book related to what we're going to learn?"

This book contains no magic spells, no specific knowledge; it's less of a textbook and more of an autobiography. But if it is an autobiography, then I truly admire the author.

"This is my autobiography," Hermione said with some pride. "All the stories in it are true. The main character of this book is our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."