Chapter 543

Harry didn't know what to say.

"It's too expensive," he said.

"What's so valuable about it? Do we need to talk about this between us?" Ron waved his hand.

Next was Anne, who gave her a handmade photo frame containing several pictures—one of her and Harry, one of Hogwarts scenery, and an old photo of Lily and James, whose source was unknown.

"This is... thank you." Harry's voice was somewhat somber.

Cassandra gave her a book, with no words on the cover.

"What is this?" Harry asked curiously.

"The Notebook," Cassandra said calmly, "The one you took and then gave back to me. Now I'm giving it to you."

Despite his words, Harry noticed that her earlobes were a vibrant, luscious red.

This is her diary from back then!

This gift was more precious than anything else to a proud and arrogant person.

He opened his arms and hugged Cassandra tightly despite her resistance, then kissed her hard on the cheek.

Cassandra didn't kick him because it was his birthday.

Kingsley gave Harry a set of exquisite Auror badges, while Lupin gave him a book he had personally signed—a detailed account of Werewolf and other dark creatures, with the inscription on the title page. "To Harry, may the moon always light your way."

Tonks gave her a scarf and gloves she had knitted herself; the colors were a bit odd, but they were very warm.

Bill and Phoebe gifted her a pair of wristbands, supposedly to prevent the wand from slipping out of her hand.

Dyg gave her a talisman from his collection, saying he found it in an ancient Egypt tomb and that it could ward off evil spirits.

Silva gifted her a magical dagger made in Brazil, with a small emerald set in the hilt, which looked both beautiful and deadly.

Finally, it's Veratia.

She walked up to Harry and gave him a gentle hug.

"Happy birthday, Harry," she whispered. "We're all so proud of you."

Harry didn't know what to say, he just nodded vigorously.

Next came the birthday party. Ruby a huge birthday cake—a three-tiered chocolate cake with "Happy Birthday Harry" written on it in cream. Ron stared at the cake, his eyes practically popping out of his head.

"Make a wish first!" Anne shouted.

Harry closed his eyes and silently made a wish—that everyone would be safe and sound.

Then he leaned forward and blew out the candle.

Everyone cheered and began cutting the cake.

Ron grabbed the biggest piece and ate it, getting cream all over his face. Hermione laughed as she wiped it off for him.

In the afternoon, they played various games.

Kingsley suggested playing Wizard Chess, but Ron utterly defeated him.

After all, being able to reach a level of 2-16 in the professional group in his first year would be more than enough to deal with an amateur like Kingsley.

Lupin and Tonks teamed up to play cards. Tonks ' hair changed color with the game, from tense red to excited yellow, and finally to gray from losing.

Bill and Phoebe were being all lovey-dovey in a corner, which Anne complained was an eyesore. Sebastian's ghost floated nearby and said eerily, "So you and Harry aren't an eyesore?"

"Shut up," Anne glared at him.

In the evening, Ruby cooked another big meal.

The main course this time was roast turkey, accompanied by various vegetables and mashed potatoes.

Ron ate to his heart's content, and finally slumped in his chair, unable to move.

"Ron, you'll get fat like this," Hermione said helplessly.

"What's there to be afraid of? I have a girlfriend anyway," Ron said matter-of-factly.

Hermione blushed, glared at him, but didn't argue.

Harry watched all this with a warm feeling in his heart.

This was the most lively birthday he had ever had.

The next day, the weather became extremely hot.

London experienced a rare heat wave, and although the windows of Grimmauld Place were open, the interior was still as stuffy as a sauna.

Ron was the first to lose it, pacing around the Living Room in his short-sleeved shirt and shorts, muttering, "It's so hot! It's so hot!"

Hermione was annoyed by his spinning around, so she casually cast a Cooling Charm, but the spell went slightly off-target and froze Ron's hair into ice crystals.

"Hermione!" Ron called out, his head covered in ice crystals, sounding aggrieved.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Tonks suggested going to the beach, Kingsley thought for a moment and said they could apply for a temporary beach resort. The Confederation had a secluded beach specifically for people on high-risk missions to relax.

"Really?" Ron's eyes lit up.

"I'll ask," Kingsley said, making the contact.

Half an hour later, good news arrived: it was possible.

Everyone quickly packed their things. Ruby prepared a large basket of food, Bill brought a beach blanket, and Phoebe brought sunscreen—although there were sun protection charms in the Magical World, she insisted that "physical sun protection is more reliable."

Ron brought his new swim trunks, a pair of shorts with a lion print, which Hermione supposedly bought for him.

That lion can roar; it's way more awesome than an elephant's underwear.

The Portkey led them to a secluded beach, where there were no Muggle, only pristine white sand, azure waters, and warm sunshine.

"That's awesome!" Ron was the first to rush into the sea, splashing water everywhere.

Hermione shook her head helplessly, but still changed into her swimsuit and slowly walked into the sea.

Her swimsuit was a conservative one-piece style, but Ron was still stunned for a moment when he saw it, and then his face turned bright red.

Ah, Xiao Chunnan.

Tonks wore a bikini and pulled Lupin into the water. Lupin was a little reserved at first, but under Tonks ' encouragement, he eventually took off his robe, revealing his fairly muscular physique.

Kingsley, dressed in loose beach shorts, sat on a beach chair, a cocktail in his hand, leisurely watching the sea.

Dyg was next to him, also holding a cocktail, and the two chatted casually.

Bill and Phoebe were strolling on the beach. Phoebe was wearing a beautiful white dress, and Bill had his arm around her waist. The two looked like models in a magazine.

Anne was building sandcastles on the beach, with Sebastian's ghost floating beside her, occasionally offering pointers like, "This tower should be taller," or "That wall isn't sturdy enough."

Anne glared at him fiercely as she piled the food up.

Harry and Cassandra sat a little further away, looking at the sea.

The sunlight fell on Cassandra's profile, making her features appear exceptionally soft.

She wore a light blue dress today, her hair casually draped over her shoulders, looking completely different from her usual self.

"Is it pretty?" she suddenly asked.

Harry paused for a moment, then realized what she was asking and nodded, "Beautiful."

Cassandra smiled slightly, but did not continue the topic.

The two sat quietly, listening to the sound of the waves.

In the distance, Ron's cheers, Hermione's laughter, and Tonks ' screams mingled together, becoming the most beautiful background noise.

"If only every day could be like this," Harry suddenly said.

Cassandra turned to look at him.

"No fighting, no intrigue, no Voldemort," Harry said. "Just this: the beach, the sun, friends—how wonderful."

"That day will come," Cassandra said.

"How did you know?" Harry asked, turning his head.

"Because you have so many people willing to help you achieve it." She looked at the distant sea, "So many people are willing to walk with you to that day."

Harry was silent for a moment, then gently placed his hand on her waist.

Cassandra stiffened slightly, but did not push away. The two watched as the sunset slowly sank into the sea.

In the evening, they had a barbecue on the beach.

Ruby took out the prepared ingredients and used magic to conjure up a grill and charcoal.

Ron volunteered to be the head chef, but ended up burning the first batch of sausages to a crisp. Tonks laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight at his embarrassing moment.

In the end, Silva took over. She had many picnics in the Amazon Jungle, and the meat she grilled was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with an irresistible aroma.

Ron ate with gusto, his mouth greasy, completely forgetting his earlier embarrassment.

"Silva, you're a genius!" he said between chews.

"Just experience," Silva smiled slightly.

As night fell, Kingsley lit a campfire. The group sat around the fire, roasting marshmallows and chatting.

Anne leaned on Harry's shoulder, drifting off to sleep.

Sebastian hovered behind her, protecting her as always.

Cassandra sat on Harry's other side, watching the campfire and occasionally sipping hot cocoa.

As night deepened, they returned to Grimmauld Place using the Portkey, each with a satisfied smile on their face.

This is a perfect day.

After relaxing on the beach, everyone returned to training.

Today's training involved simulating a thunderstorm. Dyg used his gadgets to set up a small thunderstorm field in the backyard—of course, much less powerful than a real thunderstorm, but enough for the team members to experience what it felt like to be chased and struck by lightning.

Ron put on his Insulated Boots and stood in the center of the field to receive the first wave of lightning.

Dyg controlled the device, and a tiny bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking Ron.

The Blue Light shimmered on the surface of the boots, allowing them to withstand the pressure steadily.

"Excellent!" Kingsley noted down from the side.

Next up is Tonks.

Instead of using Insulated Boots, she tried to turn herself into a rock using the Weasley twins ' new product. Lightning struck her, but she was unharmed.

"This thing is just too incredible," Ron exclaimed in astonishment.

"You can use it too," Tonks said with a smile.

"Me? Forget it." Ron waved his hand. "I can't even use the Disillusionment Charm properly. What if I don't come back after using this?"

When it was Silva's turn, she moved like a nimble leopard, dodging lightning with pinpoint accuracy each time.

Dyg increased the frequency of the lightning, yet she remained calm and composed.

"That's amazing," Tonks exclaimed sincerely.

Finally, it's Harry.

He didn't dodge, but stood still and closed his eyes.

The lightning struck—it stopped abruptly half a meter above his head, then vanished.

"What's going on?" Ron's eyes widened.

"He used magic to disrupt the trajectory of the lightning," Dyg explained, "Neutralizing it before it struck him."

"This works?"

"Okay." Harry opened his eyes, smiled, "It's effortless."

Cassandra did not participate in the training; she simply stood by and watched.

Her strengths lie not in adapting to such environments, but in soul magic and detection.

But she also needed to maintain her condition, so she kept meditating.

In the afternoon, after training ended, everyone returned to the house, Ruby had already prepared chilled lemonade and snacks.

Ron downed two glasses in one go, then collapsed onto the sofa.

"I'm exhausted," he muttered.

"You've only trained for two hours, and you're already this tired?" Hermione glanced at him sideways.

"Two hours wasn't enough? I almost got struck by lightning!"

"That was fake lightning."

"Even a fake one is lightning!"

Hermione shook her head, too lazy to argue with him.

Bill poked his head out of the study and beckoned Harry over.

Harry entered the study and saw several Crystal shard Leviosa in front of Bill, slowly rotating.

"We've made a new discovery," Bill said. "These Crystal shard contain a sealed message."

What information?

"I haven't fully deciphered it yet, but it's probably related to Voldemort's past." Bill frowned. "If I'm not mistaken, this information might be some kind of trap he deliberately left behind, or some kind of hint."

Harry paused for a moment, then asked, "Can it be cracked?"

"It will take time," Bill said, "And it might require some special tools. I've contacted a few old friends to see if they have any ideas."

"Thanks a lot."

Bill waved his hand. "Why are you saying all this? Go on, don't worry too much."

Harry left the study, his feelings a mix of emotions.

Did Voldemort deliberately leave a message? What was he trying to do? Was it to mislead, or a real clue?

Cassandra noticed his strange expression and came over to ask, "What's wrong?"

Harry repeated Bill's words.

Cassandra thought for a moment and said, "Whatever he's up to, we need to be vigilant. But we don't need to worry too much; Bill is experienced and can tell the difference between truth and falsehood."

"Hmm." Harry nodded.

In the evening, Anne dragged Harry and Sebastian along to play a new board game—a Muggle version of Monopoly.

She somehow got her hands on a set and insisted that everyone play with her.

"What's this?" Ron asked curiously, leaning closer.

"Monopoly!" Anne exclaimed excitedly, "You can buy land, build houses, and collect rent! It's so much fun!"

So everyone sat around in the Living Room and started playing Monopoly.

At first, everyone behaved well. Ron bought the first piece of land and was very proud of himself.

Hermione bought several railroads, calculating the rate of return.

Kingsley played it safe and bought some cheap land.

Tonks has bad luck; he keeps ending up in jail.

But soon, the situation spiraled out of control.

First, Ron went bankrupt—he was too greedy, bought too much land, but had no money to build houses, and was eventually drained dry by Hermione's high rent.

Then there's Tonks —she's been to prison so many times she's missed out on several good properties.

Next up was Kingsley —who had terrible luck, stepped on Bill's land, and paid several thousand dollars upfront.

Finally, it was down to Anne, Hermione, and Bill to face off.

Anne was incredibly lucky; she landed a good spot every time she rolled the dice.

Hermione was shrewd and managed to hold onto several railroads, while Bill relied on a few high-priced plots of land to survive.

"Hurry up, you guys!" Ron said anxiously from the side. "I'm about to fall asleep!"

"Quiet down, this is a strategy game." Hermione said without turning her head.

"Strategy? What's the big deal? Isn't it just rolling dice?"

"Rolling dice is also part of the strategy!"

Ultimately, Anne's incredible luck drove Hermione and Bill into bankruptcy.

"I won!" Anne jumped up excitedly.