Reunion After a Long Separation

"Good morning, Bell. What's wrong? Today is the first day of your holiday, why do you look so unhappy?"

Hermione sat down next to Bell; the Little Witch was now able to sit at Ravenclaw's dining table and eat normally.

"I was planning to go home early, but that damn Filch dared to stop me from leaving, insisting that I couldn't leave school until 8 o'clock!" Bell said irritably.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh when she saw Bell pouting like a little kid.

No, it shouldn't be said that he acts like a child; Bell is indeed a child. However, Bell usually acts very mature, as if he can calmly face anything, so Hermione always subconsciously overlooks Bell's age.

"Alright, today's the day we go home. Haven't you been looking forward to it for days? How can you not be happy? There's less than an hour left. Have some breakfast, and it'll be over quickly."

An hour is indeed a very short time under normal circumstances. You can easily open a magic book, immerse yourself in magical knowledge, and it will pass in the blink of an eye.

But today, no matter what he was doing, Bell couldn't concentrate. While chatting or eating, Bell would check the time every one or two minutes, like someone with ADHD.

Finally, it was time to leave school! Bell barely managed to suppress a cheer. After the professors finished taking attendance, he and Hermione walked quickly to the Hogwarts platform.

"Goodbye, Hermione. See you next semester," Bell said to Hermione.

"Huh? Aren't you taking the train?"

"No, the train is too slow."

Bell hid behind a sign and first cast a Banishing Charm on himself to make sure no one would notice him.

Goodbye, take care on your journey.

Bell waved his hand, and then with a soft 'snap', he disappeared from the spot.

"..."

"Wasn't it said that we'd learn that in 5th or 6th grade?!"

Hermione felt like she'd been tricked by Bell again. Why "again"? Because she often had similar feelings, but so far she hadn't been able to find a flaw in his deception.

The Menethil Family's castle was also protected by an "Anti-Apparition Jinx" and an "Anti-Disapparition Jinx," so Bell could only Appear outside the castle gardens in Apparition.

After Bell appeared, without pausing for even a second, he rushed into the garden and shouted towards the castle, "I'm back—!"

"Boom--!"

Two large doors flew past Bell on either side, creating two small mushroom clouds in the distance...

"Hmm... Shanna's Curses is even more powerful now, very good!"

A dark figure rushed out of the castle at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye and plunged headfirst into Bell's arms.

"Gege! Gege! Shanna misses you so much!"

Shanna clung tightly to Bell, nuzzling her head against Bell chest, enjoying the long-lost feeling of her Gege's presence.

Bell hugged Shanna tightly in return, trying hard not to let his tears spill out.

"Your Gege misses you too!"

After Shanna rushed out, William and Elena followed closely behind and came out of the castle.

Elena looked at Bell with teary eyes, while William stared at the empty castle gate with a black eye, helplessly ordering the House-elf to go far away and find the remains of the gate to repair it.

"Bell, why are you back so soon? We were planning to pick you up at King's Cross Station at noon," Elena said happily, her voice slightly choked with emotion.

"The train was too slow, so I Side-Along Apparition back directly."

"Side-Along Apparition!? When did you learn Side-Along Apparition!? How can you learn such a dangerous Curses at your age!? And why didn't you tell us!?" William exclaimed in shock.

"Just last year. I talked to Shanna about it. It's not some difficult Curses. With Shanna's help, it's enough. It'll be fine," Bell said casually.

Side-Along Apparition, a standard skill for adult wizards in the Magical World (according to Bell's standards), isn't actually that difficult once you overcome your psychological barriers. Of course, Bell did feel a little apprehensive when he first learned it. After all, it's instant teleportation! Doesn't the name sound impressive? So Bell felt that this Curses couldn't possibly be learned so easily, and he was just trying it out.

However, in reality, with Bell's exceptional control over magic and his heightened senses, he learned it so easily. There wasn't even a single instance of him splitting into Splinching.

"Alright, let's not worry about the details, let's go inside."

Seeing William and Elena still wanting to say something, Bell had absolutely no interest in listening to their rambling. It was just a basic Curses; they'd already learned it, so what was the point of saying so much?

Bell carried Shanna back to his long-lost home with great joy. The moment he stepped through the castle gates, he felt as if he were a fish that had finally returned to water, and he felt an indescribable sense of comfort.

Shanna, on the other hand, clung to Bell like a koala, refusing to get down. Her clinginess was comparable only to when they first met. Of course, Bell didn't mind at all; in fact, he was overjoyed. As for the resentful looks from the two people nearby, the two little ones tacitly ignored them.

Lunch and dinner were exceptionally lavish. Ever since Bell taught the family how to use magic to promote digestion and absorption, although William and Elena gave up after using it a few times because they found it troublesome, Shanna, who always followed her Gege's lead, undoubtedly practiced diligently every day.

So a common scene at the Bell Family's dining table is this: William and Elena quickly finish their meal and then sit to the side, watching their two siblings wolf down their food (dining etiquette is superfluous in the face of delicious food), devouring the entire table piled high with food, bit by bit. And what's most amazing is that neither of their bellies bulge.

As a result, both Bell and Shanna are much taller than children their age. Bell, who is 11 years old this year, is already close to 1.7 meters tall.

After dinner, Bell carefully reviewed Shanna's progress in her classes and was pleased to find that it hadn't slowed down. He patted his sister's head and praised her profusely, then the two chatted until very late before falling into a deep sleep. Even in their dreams, smiles lingered on their lips.

Although the two video chatted daily using their Personal Terminal, seemingly no different from face-to-face conversations, this might be true for casual acquaintances. However, for two people who were close, it couldn't fill the void of longing in their hearts.

When you can't feel the other person's presence or touch their warmth, feelings of loneliness will accumulate in your heart.