Embarrassing Incidents

The following morning, the Infiltration Squad conducted their second group training session.

The location this time was a mountainous area in Scotland that had been requisitioned by the Confederation. Veratia used Portkey to send them there. The terrain and climate there were somewhat similar to the Andes Mountains, which allowed the team members to acclimatize in advance.

The training lasted six hours and included climbing ice walls, traversing snowstorms, dodging simulated lightning strikes, and maintaining magical stability in extreme environments.

Everyone was exhausted, but the gains were enormous.

Silva's wilderness experience was a great help; she taught everyone how to orient themselves in the snow, how to use the terrain to avoid wind and snow, and how to adjust their breathing in an oxygen-deficient environment.

Dyg then demonstrated the ingenious uses of his gadgets—a seemingly ordinary Quartz Bead, when held in the hand, could sense any magical fluctuations within a five-meter radius; a packet of powder that looked like dust, when sprinkled on the ground, could simulate anyone's magical traces, used to mislead pursuers; and a Silver Knife that could transform into any shape, which could be used for cutting or casting spells.

"These are all things I've collected from all over the world," Dyg said proudly. "Some come from ancient Egypt tombs, some from witch tribes deep in the Amazon Jungle, and some are my own inventions."

"That's amazing," Tonks exclaimed sincerely.

In the evening, the group returned to Grimmauld Place.

Ruby had prepared a sumptuous dinner, including a large pot of steaming stew—a recipe passed down from her grandmother, specially made for those traveling long distances to ensure a safe journey.

Ron ate three bowls and was so full that he could barely move while leaning back in his chair.

"How are you going to train tomorrow like this?" Hermione said helplessly.

"We've finished training today, we'll talk about it tomorrow," Ron said matter-of-factly. "Besides, Ruby's stew has to be finished, otherwise it'll be unfair to her."

Ruby moved that her eyes welled up with tears.

After dinner, Harry went out into the courtyard alone. He needed to practice that feeling of being in place again, to make sure he could use it freely in any situation.

The night sky was clear tonight, and the stars were exceptionally bright. He stood under the old tree, closed his eyes, and felt everything around him.

The earth beneath my feet is calm and warm; the dew on the grass is cool and moist; the sounds of London in the distance are faint and distant; the starry sky above is silent and eternal.

He slowly let these sensations permeate his body, synchronizing his heartbeat with the pulse deep within the earth, his breathing with the rhythm of the night wind, and his body temperature with the surrounding air.

Gradually, he stopped feeling himself.

He was no longer a person standing under a tree, but had become part of the tree, the grass, the land, and the air.

He could hear the sound of water running Ruby washed dishes in the Kitchen in the distance, the slight creaking of the bed as Ron turned over upstairs, and the gaze of Cassandra standing by the window watching him—that gaze, too, became part of his perception.

Then, he opened his eyes.

"You succeeded," Cassandra's voice came from upstairs.

He looked up and saw her standing by the window, the moonlight shining on her and gilding her silhouette with a silvery edge.

"Hmm," he said.

They stared at each other across the night, without saying a word.

But that feeling was more profound than any language.

During dinner, they chatted about the funny things they had experienced.

Ron told a story about the mischief he and the Twins caused at Hogwarts, how they turned Filch's office into a huge swamp, and how Filch struggled in it for a whole day before finally getting out.

Hermione listened and shook her head, but couldn't help laughing.

Bill told the story of his mission with Phoebe, where they encountered a grumpy Welsh Green dragon. Phoebe tried to calm it down with her charm, but the dragon wouldn't have it and chased them for dozens of miles.

Phoebe gave a soft hum, but her eyes were full of laughter.

Anne recounted a funny incident from her time at Hogwarts: once, while she was secretly playing with Leyes's Bludger, she accidentally threw it into Ominis's Pumpkin Juice, splashing it all over him.

Sebastian's ghost murmured from the side, "He deserved it."

Anne glared at him, but then she laughed.

"Alright, alright, who's next?" Tonks egged on.

Kingsley raised his hand. "I'll have one. But not my story, it's Alastor's."

"Once, when Alastor was chasing a Dark Wizard, he discovered that the guy was hiding in a Muggle shopping mall," Kingsley began. "You know Moody's style—better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free. He stormed into the mall, pointed his wand at the ceiling, and yelled, 'Don't move!'"

"And then?" Ron asked impatiently.

"He ended up being pinned to the ground by the mall security," Kingsley said expressionlessly. "Because the mall was Muggle- owned, and it happened to be Christmas sales, it was packed with people. Alastor's wand was treated like a toy, and he himself was mistaken for a mentally unstable old man—I ended up bailing him out."

"Bail?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Bail Mad-Eye Moody from the Muggle Police Department?"

"Yes." Kingsley nodded. "That was the most magical day of my life. Alastor sat in the Muggle police station's cubicle, looking quite dissatisfied, but he didn't dare move because the Muggle police told him that if he brandished that little stick again, they would handcuff him."

Everyone laughed so hard they were doubled over. Tonks ' hair had turned a cheerful bright yellow, Ron was slapping his thigh with laughter, Hermione was clutching her stomach, and even Cassandra couldn't help but cover her mouth with the back of her hand to suppress her laughter.

"And then?" Anne pressed.

"Then I pretended to be his nephew and said he suffered from paranoia and often thought he was a wizard," Kingsley said seriously. "The police were very sympathetic to us and even suggested we take him to see a psychiatrist."

Moody remained silent the entire way back to the Ministry of Magic. He stared at me for a full five minutes before saying, "Kingsley, if you dare tell anyone about this—"

"Did you say so?" Tonks asked.

Kingsley glanced around, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Aren't I saying that right now?"

Laughter erupted in the Living Room again.

Lupin shook his head and chuckled, "No wonder Alastor glared at you every time he saw you afterward. I thought it was a problem with his demonic eye, but it turns out it was because of this."

"That wasn't a glare, that was a threat," Kingsley said casually. "But it doesn't matter, he can't beat me anyway."

This remark drew another burst of laughter.

Bill, having finished laughing, rubbed his face and said, "I'll tell one too. But it's not mine, it's Charlie's."

"Charlie?" Ron's eyes lit up. "What did he do this time?"

"You know, when Charlie was researching dragons in Romania, he once received an urgent mission—"

"A Hungarian Horntail dragon wandered into the Muggle farm," Bill said. "Charlie led a team to deal with it, but the Tree Bee was extremely aggressive, spitting at everyone it saw. Charlie and his men were chased all over the farm and finally hid in the barn."

"Then what?"

"Then the Tree Bee set the barn on fire," Bill said expressionlessly. "Charlie and the others were trapped inside, with fire outside and dry hay that could explode at any moment. Guess what Charlie did?"

"Apparition?" Ron guessed.

"No," Bill said. "Charlie a plan—he had his teammates use water spells to put out the fire, while he rushed out, tied a rope around the Tree Bee's neck, jumped onto its back, and flew into the sky on it."

"Flying on Fire Dragon?" Tonks' eyes widened.

"Yes. Charlie said those were the most thrilling thirty seconds of his life," Bill said. "The Tree Bee did a dozen somersaults in the air, trying to throw Charlie off. Charlie clung tightly to its scales, being thrown around while it poured sleeping pills into his mouth—you know those dragon sleeping pills, one bottle can knock out ten cows, and Charlie poured five whole bottles into it."

"And then what happened?"

"The Tree Bee fell asleep and fell from the sky," Bill said. "Charlie fell with it, but luckily there was a lake below. He stayed in the lake for three hours before being pulled out. When asked why he did it, he said, 'What else could I do? Let it burn us to death?'"

Everyone laughed until they cried. Ron clutched his stomach, his hands churning, Hermione shook her head between laughs, and Kingsley, unusually, laughed so hard his shoulders shook.

"Charlie truly lives up to his reputation as Gryffindor from the Weasley family," Lupin chuckled. "He's got some nerve."

"That's right." Ron puffed out his chest proudly, but then added sheepishly, "However, I wouldn't dare do that."

"You'd better have the skills to do it, even if you want to," Hermione bluntly pointed out.

Ron was about to retort when he suddenly remembered that he had just been studying the Insulated Boots, so he reluctantly shut his mouth.

After dinner, while everyone was resting, Harry sneaked into Cassandra's room.

(The specifics of what happened are omitted here.)

As the morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, Harry was awakened by a strange sound—it sounded like some kind of animal humming, or like someone playing a trumpet.

He sat up groggily, listened for a while, and then realized that the sound was coming from downstairs.

That was Ron's cheering.

"It's done! It really is done! Tonks, come quick!"

Harry rubbed his eyes, and seeing that Cassandra was still sleeping beside him, he put on his clothes and left the room.

"What's wrong with Ron now?" Harry asked Kingsley, who was passing by.

"It seems his Insulated Boots finally worked," Kingsley said. "I just heard him say it was done."

1

The two went downstairs together, and the Living Room was already bustling with activity.

Ron stood in front of the fireplace, wearing his Insulated Boots that had been improved countless times, his face full of pride.

The boots had a faint blue sheen and looked much more stable than before.

Tonks stood beside him, clearly approving of the results.

"Look!" Ron stomped his foot on the ground. "This time it really didn't explode! And I poured in magic equivalent to about three lightning strikes, and the boot completely withstood it!"

Hermione poked her head out of the Kitchen, holding half a slice of toast. "Are you sure? Don't let it turn into a smoke halfway there like last time."

"This time it'll definitely be fine!" Ron said confidently. "Tonks and I tested until 2 a. m. last night, and we tried all sorts of extreme scenarios."

Kingsley emerged from the study carrying a teacup, raising an eyebrow at the words: "Two in the morning? No wonder your eyes were both red earlier."

Tonks yawned, his hair turning a sleepy light gray. "Worth it, worth it. These boots should be able to withstand thunderstorms like those on Tornador Peak now."

"That's good." Kingsley nodded. "But you two need to get some rest today, and no more staying up late."

"Yes, sir." Tonks gave a lazily salute.

Harry walked over to Ron and examined the boots closely. Indeed, compared to the previous versions that would smoke at the drop of a hat, these boots were much more exquisitely made, with very neat patterns on the surface.

"Tonks was a huge help," Ron said honestly. "Without her, I'd probably still be struggling with that pile of parts."

"It's because you were willing to learn," Tonks waved his hand. "At first, you couldn't even understand the instructions, but you gradually learned how to do it, didn't you?"

Ron scratched his head and chuckled twice.

At breakfast time, Ruby brought out hot toast, fried eggs, and bacon. Ron still had a big appetite, but today he ate a little less—probably because Hermione was watching him.

Bill and Phoebe arrived late, both looking like they hadn't slept yet.

Phoebe rubbed her eyes and mumbled that she had been woken up three times last night by an owl.

Bill added, yawning, that the owl was from France and had delivered a letter to Phoebe, but it flew to the wrong window and crashed into their room three times.

"Why don't you open the window and let it in?" Anne asked.

"It's open," Phoebe said helplessly. "It wouldn't go in, it just kept bumping into things outside, and after bumping into them three times, it flew away."

"Perhaps France owls are more polite?" Tonks guessed.

"It's probably rather stupid," Kingsley said expressionlessly.

In the morning, Kingsley went to the Ministry of Magic, Lupin went to Diagon Alley to buy some new books, and Bill and Phoebe went back to their room to catch up on sleep.

Dyg and Silva were studying a map in the backyard, occasionally arguing over a Dyg route, while Silva thought it was too dangerous and easy to be spotted.

Harry had planned to go back to the courtyard to practice, but Ron stopped him.

"Stop practicing, take a day off," Ron said. "You've been practicing every day lately, you're practically an ascetic. Come with me and test out how these boots perform in actual combat."

"How do we test it?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"Let's run a few laps in the backyard. I'll wear my boots, and you bombard me with all sorts of spells," Ron said eagerly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Are you testing the boots or Harry's aim?"

"Test them all, test them all," Ron said with a grin.

Harry thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, but are you sure? I won't hold back."

"Come on then!" Ron said, hands on his hips.