Will You Stay with Me Forever?

Hermione and Silan were so immersed in the world of overachievers that they could not pull themselves out. Before they knew it, it was time for dinner.

The two packed up their things and headed toward the Great Hall.

The rumor about the apology from that morning was still spreading, and it was even growing more outrageous by the telling.

But Silan did not care much.

These students were at the age when they brimmed with energy and loved to fantasize. The slightest scrap of gossip could become an earth-shattering event once it passed through their mouths.

Compared to them, even Lockhart's storytelling skills would probably fall short.

As soon as Silan and Hermione entered the Great Hall, many people looked up at them. Some even whispered to their companions.

"What are they saying?" Hermione asked.

"Ignore them." Silan looked at the food on the tables. "Where should we sit?"

Hermione felt a little uncomfortable under all those stares. "How about we take some food and eat outside? We could go by the Black Lake. The scenery should be nice at dusk."

"Sure."

The two took some food from their respective House tables and left the Great Hall.

"A Gryffindor hanging around with a Slytherin." Ron looked at Hermione's retreating back and said mockingly, "Maybe the Sorting Hat put her in the wrong House."

"Slytherin students aren't all that bad." Harry lifted his head from his plate.

Ron jerked his chin toward Malfoy, who had shoved someone aside. "I really wish you'd take another look at Malfoy before saying that."

"Don't you think Silan is different?"

"Since when were you two close enough to call each other by your first names?"

With the carefree air of people who could not care less about anyone else, Silan and Hermione brought their food to the shore of the Black Lake and made sandwiches.

Hogwarts was located in the Scottish Highlands, where the weather was unlike London, with its year-round fog that never seemed to lift. It was dusk now, and the sunset lit the outlines of the nearby low hills. The Black Lake was as still as a sheet of ink-black glass.

They found a spot with a good view, sat down, and made sandwiches for each other.

Then, with green hills, sunset clouds, and the Black Lake before them, they ate slowly.

A breeze rolled over the low hills, raced down the slopes, and swept across the Black Lake. After stirring up ripples, it raised wave upon wave through the grass.

After finishing their sandwiches, Silan and Hermione did not hurry back. Instead, they lay together on the grass by the lake and chatted.

"Do you know, Silan? I'm really happy that I came to Hogwarts with you."

"So am I."

"We go to class together, do homework together, eat together, chat together, just like before."

"It'll stay that way from now on."

"So you'll stay with me forever?"

"Of course."

The sun sank behind the hills, and the sunset glow gradually faded.

After finishing a day's work, Arthur Weasley returned home.

He was a thin man.

Though he was a little bald, his remaining hair was as red as his children's. He habitually wore a somewhat old green robe and looked rather travel-worn.

Arthur carried his briefcase in one hand and held a paper bag against his chest with the other.

Inside were Muggle items he had brought back from the Ministry.

They were supposedly meant to be disposed of, but in truth, he had taken them home to study himself.

Though Arthur was the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, he was a Muggle enthusiast who loved studying Muggles and Muggle objects.

When he pushed open the door and entered, Arthur found the room rather dim.

His wife, Molly, sat silently beside the table.

No lamps had been lit. There were only a few faint candles.

A quiet, oppressive atmosphere pressed down on the room. Perhaps it had lingered for too long, because it had even become thick and sticky.

"What is it, Molly, my Little Trembles?"

It was Arthur's pet name for Molly when they were alone, a name known only to the two of them.

Normally, Molly would blush a little whenever she heard it. Today, however, she did not react at all. She merely sat in her chair, holding a letter.

The candlelight illuminated only half of her body, so Arthur could not even make out her expression.

"Oh, you're back, Arthur."

Molly snapped out of her daze, tugged at the hem of her clothes, and wiped at the corner of her eye with the back of the hand holding the letter. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll make you something."

"No, no. I'm more worried about you. What happened? Can you tell me?" Arthur sat beside her.

Molly handed him the letter Professor McGonagall had sent.

Arthur took it and glanced over it. His wrist could not help trembling.

The contents were simple. It asked Molly whether her brother, Fabian Prewett, had ever had a Muggle girlfriend.

It was strange enough to suddenly ask about someone who had died more than ten years ago.

And asking a question involving personal privacy made it even more baffling.

Arthur knew Professor McGonagall to be a very serious person. She would never ask such a question without reason.

"It's my nephew..."

Molly finally spoke. Her hoarse voice carried a pain she could barely suppress. "Yesterday, when I took the children to Hogwarts, I met a child named Silan Prewett at the station."

"Oh, Arthur. You don't know... you really don't know..."

At that point, Molly could no longer suppress her emotions. Her sobs squeezed out through clenched teeth.

"That child... he looks so much like my brother Fabian..."

"I never thought, never thought I would still have a nephew alive! Oh, Merlin! Prewett... I saw another Prewett!"

By then, Molly had tightly gripped Arthur's hand. Her tear-filled eyes glimmered in the candlelight.

A wave of surprise rose in Arthur's heart, followed by disbelief.

Fabian Prewett and Gideon Prewett had died resisting Voldemort during the First Wizarding War.

To other wizards, they might have been heroes. But to Arthur, they were not only his brothers-in-law, but also his comrades in the Order of the Phoenix.

But he had never heard that Fabian had a child.

Arthur drew Molly into his arms and gently patted her back. "If that child really is your nephew, then this is wonderful news. You should be happy."

"It still hasn't been fully confirmed. I've already asked someone to investigate. But I feel there's a very good chance that he is my nephew. I could never forget what my brother looked like."

"He looks far too much like him."

"All right, Molly, my Little Trembles, don't cry. Once it's confirmed, we'll bring him home." Arthur was genuinely happy for Molly. "Our family will be bigger again."

"But that will put even more pressure on you," Molly choked out.

Arthur looked unconcerned. "We already have so many children. One more won't matter. At least we won't have to raise this one from infancy."

He made a small joke at the end.

Though he worked at the Ministry of Magic and had even become a department head, they simply had too many children.

His modest salary was barely enough to make ends meet.

But the boy was not only his wife's relative. He was also the orphaned child of his fallen comrade.

Arthur would never let the child remain out there on his own.

Molly lightly punched his shoulder, then waved her wand and began making dinner.

After dinner, Silan and Hermione each returned to their own House common room.

Silan took out The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 3, which he had borrowed from the library, flipped through it, and began practicing the new spells recorded inside.

Although the spells recorded in The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 3 were not particularly advanced, it offered plenty of them and covered many different types.

It could be said to contain the greatest number of spells of all the textbooks in the series, enough to keep him learning for quite some time.

[Spell Inspiration: Proficiency +1]

[Spell Inspiration: Proficiency +1]

[Spell Inspiration: Proficiency +1]

Silan practiced until he was completely exhausted before stopping. Looking at his battered dormitory, he waved his wand.

"Reparo."

Every damaged item was restored in the blink of an eye.

Although he had tried his best to control the power while practicing, he had still made some noise. The young wizards next door were so annoyed that they began banging on the wall.

"This won't do. I still need to find somewhere to practice."

"Where should I go? The Room of Requirement?"

"That'll do. I need to look for it next time."

After thinking for a while, Silan cast the Scourgify spell he had just learned on himself, removing the stains from his body before getting into bed.

Friday would be Professor Snape's Potions class.

It was time for the [Potion Prodigy] trait to show what it could do.