A Wise Mother

At the very moment Lin Yue was tasting her dessert, Hermione also received the gifts delivered by the owls.

Although she had looked forward to her presents every Christmas in previous years, she had never gotten up as early as she did this Christmas.

This Christmas was more eagerly anticipated than any before, because she knew very clearly that she was about to receive a gift from Lin Yue.

The gloves she had knitted for her herself... even though Hermione had learned beforehand what Lin Yue would be giving her.

Yet when she opened the blue package and saw the exquisite pair of gloves inside, Hermione still could not help but feel a surge of intense excitement.

She was more excited than she had ever been upon receiving a Christmas gift.

She eagerly put on the gloves. They were slightly larger than her hands—just the right size, not so loose that they would fall off, yet not so tight that they would make her hands uncomfortable.

Feeling the warmth around her hands, Hermione did not feel the slightest bit overheated, even indoors with the heating on.

On the contrary, her hands felt indescribably comfortable. Even at home, she wanted to keep the gloves on.

But when she imagined wearing gloves in front of her Parents when she went downstairs for breakfast, Hermione still shook her head and reluctantly took them off.

In her heart, she sincerely hoped she would get to go out. Merlin bless her, please let her mother, Mrs. Granger, make full use of her.

Have her make several trips to buy ingredients needed for the Christmas Banquet, so she could wear the gloves a few more times.

Kind Merlin seemed to have heard her prayer, or perhaps he simply did not want a little wizard's wish to go unfulfilled on Christmas Day.

After Hermione finished breakfast, Mrs. Granger gently beckoned to her.

"Hermione, come here."

Hermione quickly cleared away the tableware and eagerly walked over to her mother.

"What is it, Mum? Do you need me to buy something?!"

Hermione looked at Mrs. Granger with sparkling eyes, and Mrs. Granger paused slightly.

What was going on with her daughter today? Although she often asked Hermione to go out and buy things, Hermione had never been unwilling.

But today... why was she being so proactive, so excited?

"Yes..." Mrs. Granger nodded with some hesitation. "I'd like to ask you to buy some spices and sugar for me."

"Okay!" Hermione nodded vigorously, then dashed upstairs full of energy. In no time at all, she had put on her thick coat and eagerly pulled on her gloves again.

Then she rushed downstairs just as quickly. "Hermione, slow down!"

Watching Hermione charge down the stairs made Mrs. Granger's heart leap into her throat. What was wrong with her daughter? She was acting so reckless and overexcited today. What if she fell running down the stairs like that?

Hermione came back to herself and hurriedly tried to suppress her excitement. She stood obediently before Mrs. Granger and reached out to take the money her mother handed her.

As Hermione accepted the money, Mrs. Granger's gaze naturally fell on the gloves she was wearing.

The gloves looked very exquisite. It was clear that the person who made them was skilled and had put a great deal of care into them. Most importantly, Mrs. Granger did not remember ever making or buying this pair of gloves for Hermione.

"Hermione, these gloves are lovely. Were they a Christmas gift from a classmate?"

Mrs. Granger looked at Hermione thoughtfully as she asked.

At Mrs. Granger's question, the emotions Hermione had just managed to suppress instantly broke through her defenses.

A broad smile spread across her face. Hermione nodded, her face full of happiness as she said, "Yes, Mum, Lin Yue gave them to me!"

"Lin Yue?" Mrs. Granger looked at Hermione in confusion. It was a name she had never heard before.

"Yes!" Hermione nodded forcefully. "Her grades are especially good! She's much better than me, and she studies incredibly hard too! She hardly ever has any time to rest."

"But that's exactly what worries me, so I always try to get her to take breaks with me. Even so, I still feel like she puts far too much pressure on herself..."

Seeing that Hermione had opened the floodgates and was about to keep talking without end, Mrs. Granger hurriedly interrupted her.

"Alright, alright, Hermione. If you continue describing your friend in such detail, I'm afraid there may not be enough time left for you to go shopping."

"Oh... alright. Sorry, Mum." Hermione closed her mouth somewhat reluctantly and pressed her lips together. She had not said nearly enough yet.

"I'm going shopping." Hermione nodded to Mrs. Granger, went to the door, changed into her shoes, and opened it to leave the house.

Mrs. Granger stood at the kitchen doorway, watching the front door Hermione had closed.

She murmured softly, "Lin Yue... the way Hermione is acting, if she hadn't just said 'she,' I almost would have thought..."

Mrs. Granger stopped halfway through, because she suddenly realized that lovers did not have to be a man and a woman.

Then her daughter... could it be? Mrs. Granger shook her head, shaking the jumbled thoughts from her mind.

What was she thinking? Hermione was still so young, and that young girl named Lin Yue surely was too.

They probably just saw each other as best friends... as for things like lovers, that would have to wait until they were a little older.

Forget it. Mrs. Granger shook her head and turned back into the kitchen. Hermione would find her own happiness.

She had been a clever child since she was young. She knew clearly what she wanted and how to strive for it.

As long as she truly liked them, it did not matter whether she brought home a boy or a girl. What mattered was her happiness.

Besides... two daughters meant twice the thoughtfulness. Just thinking about it made Mrs. Granger unable to stop the corner of her lips from lifting.

But there was no need to tell Hermione's father about this for now, considering how utterly devoted he was to his Beloved Daughter.

She'd better not make something that ended up scaring that young girl named Lin Yue.

Unknowingly, Hermione's perceptive mother had discovered the budding feelings between the two girls even earlier than Hermione and Lin Yue themselves.

While Hermione happily went shopping in gloves, Lin Yue carried her schoolbag to the Library, preparing to continue reading.

However, she had not been reading for long before Harry and Ron walked in, each carrying their own homework.

Ron said to Harry with a pained expression, "Mate... are we really going to study on Christmas Day? On the actual day?"

Harry sighed and pointed at Lin Yue, who was reading in the Library.

"Hermione told us to take Lin Yue out more often so she could relax and have fun. Then we should at least make sure she can enjoy herself and relax."

"Think about it. When we take her out to have fun and relax, if we haven't finished our homework, all we'll be thinking about is homework."

"Then Lin Yue notices and takes us back to study..."

Harry did not need to say anything more. Just hearing that was enough for Ron to make up his mind to finish his homework now!

"Good morning, Lin Yue. Can we sit here?" Harry bent down and quietly greeted Lin Yue.

Lin Yue looked up and stared expressionlessly at Harry and Ron. "Sure. Sit."

Harry and Ron breathed a sigh of relief, then sat opposite Lin Yue and began doing their homework.

After giving them a bland glance, Lin Yue returned to her studies.

The three of them studied until noon. As lunchtime approached, Ron clutched his stomach and looked at Lin Yue across from him, who was still studying with unwavering focus.

A little embarrassed, he said, "Um... shouldn't we go eat? I'm a bit hungry. Sorry..."

Hearing this, Harry also looked up at Lin Yue. Since she had not heard them call her name, she remained bent over her book without any reaction at all.

Ron sighed helplessly and was just about to lower his head and continue his homework when Harry realized something and quickly spoke up.

"Lin Yue, how about we go eat first?"

Only when she heard someone call her name did Lin Yue slowly raise her head. She glanced at Harry and Ron. "Alright. Let's go."

After standing up and packing her schoolbag, Lin Yue quickly walked out of the Library.

Harry and Ron followed behind her. Ron covered his mouth and spoke quietly to Harry.

"I didn't offend her, did I? Why did she ignore me when I talked to her, but answered when you spoke?"

Harry cautiously glanced at Lin Yue walking ahead of them and answered in an equally hushed voice.

"It's not that you offended her, and it's not that she doesn't want to answer you. It's just that if you don't call Lin Yue by name, she won't realize you're talking to her."

"Jeez..." Ron couldn't help clicking his tongue. "She really is a bookworm..."

The three arrived at the entrance to the Great Hall. By then, the Hogwarts Great Hall had already been decorated anew.

Upon entering the Great Hall, they could see countless Christmas crackers. Pulling one open would earn them small gifts after a harmless burst and puff of smoke.

Ron, who had just been complaining about being hungry, dragged Harry over to play enthusiastically with the crackers.

Lin Yue did not spare the crackers even a second glance. She walked straight to the dining table and began eating at top speed.

Because most students had gone home for Christmas, only a small number of students and professors remained in Hogwarts Castle.

So Headmaster Dumbledore had simply moved the four long tables in the Great Hall to the sides and replaced them with a large round table in the center.

That way, everyone could sit at the same table, making the atmosphere livelier.

But that also meant... Lin Yue's rapid eating once again caught the attention of the professors.

Professor Flitwick had originally wanted to speak with Lin Yue about this issue, but various matters had always delayed him, and he had accidentally let it slip his mind. This time, he had finally "caught her in the act."

Sitting at the same dining table, he watched Lin Yue eat from close range for the first time. While even more shocked, he also felt even more heartbroken.

Even professors who wanted their students to study hard would feel upset when they saw a student pushing themselves so desperately to study that they raced against time even while eating, disregarding their health.

"Miss Lin Yue, Miss Lin Yue..." Before Professor Flitwick could speak, Headmaster Dumbledore gently tapped the goblet before him with his fork, interrupting Lin Yue's frantic eating.

Hearing the Headmaster call her, Lin Yue immediately put down her knife and fork and looked up at him.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, what is it?"

Looking at Lin Yue's expressionless face and emotionless eyes, Headmaster Dumbledore fell silent for a moment before offering a kindly smile.

"You can eat a little more slowly during meals. It would be healthier, and you could enjoy the delicious food as well, wouldn't you?"

Lin Yue paused. "Sorry, my mealtime is fixed. I can't take time away from studying."

Headmaster Dumbledore felt as if he had been choked off. Were Ravenclaw students these days really so devoted to studying? Everything out of their mouths was about studying...

Even Ravenclaws had not been like this in his day.

If the many Ravenclaw students heard that thought, they would probably protest loudly: No! Lin Yue was the only one like that! Even if they loved studying, they would not study themselves to death, much less cut into their mealtimes for the sake of studying!

"Today is Halloween," Professor McGonagall said with a smile, placing a full glass of Pumpkin Juice beside Lin Yue's hand. "Miss Lin Yue, why not let yourself relax for one day? Just today—don't think about studying."

Lin Yue stared fixedly at the Pumpkin Juice Professor McGonagall had placed before her as two thoughts clashed in her mind.

She should not stop studying, but she should listen to her professor. Her professor had told her to rest for one day and not think about studying.

But... her studies could not stop... she could not rest... could not...

"Miss Lin Yue!" Headmaster Dumbledore spoke up in time, interrupting Lin Yue's thoughts before they could spiral into another cycle of conflict.

Lin Yue raised her head and looked at Headmaster Dumbledore without emotion. "Sorry, Headmaster Dumbledore. I was distracted just now."

"It's all right." Headmaster Dumbledore smiled and shook his head. "Just for today, give yourself a day off, all right?"

Lin Yue looked at Headmaster Dumbledore. His face remained as kind as ever, yet his voice and the aura he gave off made people unable to resist doing as he said.

"All right. Thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore." At last, with the help of "external force," the thought of following her professor's instructions, taking the day off, and no longer thinking about studying gained the upper hand.

With a face as still as water, Lin Yue nodded. She mechanically lowered her head and began trying to slowly eat her Christmas lunch.

Seeing that Lin Yue had finally slowed down while eating, every professor present let out a sigh of relief.

Professor Flitwick looked gratefully at Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.

Headmaster Dumbledore was good at persuading others and guiding them with kindness, while Professor McGonagall was more attentive. The outcome of the two of them speaking with Lin Yue this time would certainly be better than if he had spoken up and talked to her himself just now.