Chapter 86 Birthday Gifts from Friends
"How did you get here?" Ian looked at Cassandra, raising his eyebrow slightly. "Did your aunt and uncle send you?"
"They originally wanted to come in and say hello to Hermione's parents, but when they heard they weren't around, they headed back first." Cassandra walked up to Ian's side and casually explained, "Draco was sent by Aunt Narcissa, as for Ron..."
Speaking of this, the expression on her face suddenly turned a bit subtle.
Draco picked up the conversation and curled his lips in disdain. "Ron was brought by Mr. Weasley. They drove that flying car rumored to be modified from a Muggle car."
"Whoa, cool!" Harry's eyes lit up instantly.
Ian also became interested. "A flying car? A modified car should also count within the scope of Alchemy, right? Given the chance, I'd actually like to see it with my own eyes."
"A flying car?" Hermione seized directly on the main point. "Weren't you discovered by others?"
The three of them spoke almost simultaneously, and Harry, Ian, and Hermione all cast their gazes toward Ron at the same time.
"Relax, it's fine." Ron scratched his head, smiling somewhat smugly. "My dad cast a Disillusionment Charm on the car, Muggles can't see it at all. But if you guys are interested, when you come over to my house to play in the future, I'll have my dad take us out for a spin."
"Alright." Ian agreed without even thinking.
As soon as those words fell, he sensed two icy gazes drifting over from behind. Looking back, Hermione and Cassandra were staring at him with thoroughly displeased faces.
"Ahem..." Ian gave a light cough and immediately corrected himself, "I mean, I'll just take a look. Just take a look is fine."
Hermione and Cassandra let out a simultaneous snort, turning their heads away in unison.
"Tch, henpecked." Draco muttered in a low voice.
The next moment, two warning-filled gazes fell onto him once more. Draco shrank his neck, immediately clamping his mouth shut, not daring to say even a single extra word.
Ron certainly didn't let this opportunity pass. He made suggestive faces at Ian, the teasing on his face almost overflowing.
Cassandra didn't continue pursuing the matter from just now, instead looking back toward Ian with her brows slightly furrowed. "Let's talk about business first. What on earth is going on with you three? Why didn't you reply to a single letter this month?"
"Clearly Draco, Ron, and I all wrote letters to you, and more than one." There was obvious dissatisfaction and worry in her tone. "Yet we kept failing to receive any replies, and thought something had gone wrong at your homes."
Ian, Harry, and Hermione exchanged a glance.
In the end, it was still Hermione who stepped forward to explain the situation. "It's not that we intentionally didn't reply. All the letters you sent were intercepted by someone else, we never received them at all."
"What?" Ron widened his eyes. "Someone intercepted our letters? Who is it?"
"It's a House-elf." Ian's expression was somewhat peculiar.
Draco's expression immediately sank. "A House-elf? Whose family does it belong to? Its nerve is far too big."
"I don't know." Harry shook his head. "We haven't seen it. Even if we had, we wouldn't necessarily be able to recognize which family it belongs to."
He paused for a moment, then added, "However, it doesn't seem to be targeting us specifically. That elf doing this seems to be for the purpose of protecting me and Ian."
"Protecting you?" Cassandra's brow knitted even tighter. "Could someone be preparing to make a move against you?"
"It said that very terrible things will happen at Hogwartsthis year." Ian deliberately put on a look of not quite understanding. "That's why it intercepted your letters, wanting Harry and me to gradually lose expectations for our friends. That way, we wouldn't want to return to Hogwarts."
"Not return to Hogwarts?" Ron scratched his hair. "Then where else could you go? Ilvermorny or Durmstrang?"
The more he spoke, the more wrong it felt. "Besides, we're your friends. If it uses this kind of method to make you not want to return to school, isn't it just helping by making things worse?"
"It probably thinks that as long as Harry and I don't go to Hogwarts, we won't run into danger." Ian shrugged. "But it didn't leave zero clues either."
Cassandra immediately pressed, "Clues? What clues?"
"It accidentally let it slip." Hermione took over the conversation, her expression somewhat reluctant. "It said this news was heard inside its master's house. But before we even had time to continue asking, it started punishing itself."
"Punishing itself?" Ron's expression changed slightly.
"It kept banging its head against the wall." Hermionepressed her lips together. "Harry and I tried to stop it, but couldn't."
Cassandra let out a soft sigh. "That really sounds like something a House-elf would do. They are far too loyal to their masters; as long as they feel they've done something wrong, they will actively punish themselves."
"Yet it didn't even say who its master is." Draco frowned tightly. "That way, the scope of the clues is still too large, and it's completely impossible to lock onto a target."
Harry spoke up, "We've already listed out the remaining twenty-six pure-blood families. Since someone wants to harm me and Ian, the other party is very likely a subordinate of Voldemort."
"But we don't know which family it actually is." The more he spoke, the more hesitant his expression appeared. "Unless we search them one by one. But if we directly go to their door to ask, it might instead make the other party aware and alert the enemy."
"It really is tricky." Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest and lowered her head in thought.
Draco thought for a moment and spoke up first, "The Abbott family, the Prewett family, the Longbottom family, the Ollivander family, as well as the Macmillan family and the Shacklebolt family—these six can be ruled out first."
"They have never defected to You-Know-Who, so they shouldn't suddenly make a move against you."
"The House of Black, the Crouch family, and the Vane family can also be ruled out." Cassandra added, "Those three families died out long ago, and there is no one left who could plot to harm you."
"The Lestrange family can likewise be crossed off." Iannodded. "Although that family was Voldemort's most loyal supporters, right now all the family members are locked up in Azkaban, so they shouldn't have any way to continue passing messages."
"Shafiq, Slughorn, and Greengrass are also unlikely." Dracoextended three fingers. "Those three families are famously neutral, neither side is in a rush to take a side. Before they decide who to back, they won't rashly make a move against you."
Ron counted on his fingers and couldn't help sighing, "After ruling out this many, there are actually still thirteen families left. Thirteen families can't exactly be considered a small number either."
Harry looked at Draco and said hesitatingly, "Ianmentioned before that Parkinson and Nott are also pure-blood families. But Pansy, Theodore, and our relationship is pretty good, I feel like they shouldn't..."
"Harry." Cassandra unceremoniously interrupted him. "Pansy and Theodore might not have any thoughts of harming you, but the people who truly decide family matters are not little Wizards like us."
She stared at Harry, her tone turning serious. "If it really is the Parkinson family or the Nott family scheming in secret, do you think Pansy and Theodore would necessarily know?"
Harry opened his mouth, but failed to utter a word of rebuttal. He lowered his head, the radiance on his face dimming along with it.
"Cassandra is right." Draco looked at Harry, earnestly advising him, "You can't just rule out those two families based on your own judgment."
Speaking of this, he used himself as an example once more. "Just like me and the two of you. We're friends who protected the Philosopher's Stone together, our relationship is deep enough already, right? But if my father wanted to do something unfavorable to you, he would never tell me in advance."
The room suddenly grew quiet for a split second.
Except for Harry, all the rest of the people cast eerie glances toward Draco.
Ian was especially speechless. He had clearly tried his best to avoid mentioning Dobby, yet Draco had brought up this exact example all on his own.
This was going to be troublesome now. Could the plot of the second year really be cleared in advance just like this?
Draco felt somewhat uncomfortable being looked at by them, and raised a hand to scratch his head. "What's wrong? What I said isn't right?"
"No, what you said is extremely right." Ian took a breath, staring at him as he said word by word, "If it really is Mr. Malfoy who wants to harm me and Harry, you certainly wouldn't know in advance. After all, who would tell a child what they are preparing to do?"
Draco thought about it seriously and nodded in agreement. "Right, that's exactly what I mean."
Ian: [...]
He suddenly felt his heart was very tired.
Just let it all be destroyed already.
"Regardless of anything else, we can't just rely on guesswork to determine which family it is." Hermionelooked at Harry and Ian, her tone sinking. "The most important thing right now is to think of a way to protect you guys and ensure your safety."
Cassandra also nodded: "Right. What we should be discussing is how to protect Harry and Ian, not sitting here guessing who might have made a move."
"Alright, don't make things out to be so serious." Ian looked at the solemn expressions of the two young witches and comforted them, "That person is planning to make a move against me and Harry at the school. With so many Professors in Hogwarts, especially with Dumbledorearound, nothing will easily happen to us."
"Ian makes sense." Draco immediately chimed in, "If we pay a bit more attention at school, it'll be hard for the other party to find an opportunity."
"Let's hope so." Cassandra still hadn't completely put her mind at ease, "Still, being careful can't hurt. We can't pin all our hopes on the Professors. No matter how thorough a plan is, there can still be oversights, what if—"
"There won't be a 'what if'." Hermione clenched her fists, her gaze frighteningly firm, "We will definitely figure out a way; absolutely nothing will happen to Ian and Harry."
Seeing her serious look, Cassandra finally cracked a slight smile: "You're right. They'll definitely be safe and sound."
Seeing that the atmosphere had finally eased, Ian smiled along: "Alright, let's stop scaring ourselves here. Today is for celebrating a birthday, after all."
"That's right, hurry up and look at the gifts I prepared for you." Draco seemed to have remembered something, and quickly took out two packaged gift boxes from his suitcase, handing them to Harry and Ian respectively, "I specially had someone prepare these."
Harry and Ian glanced at each other and smiled as they accepted the gift boxes.
"Thank you, Draco."
"What's there to thank me for?" Draco waved his hand, "Hurry up and unwrap them to see if you like them."
The two opened the boxes as told, each containing a delicately crafted pocket watch.
Ian picked up the pocket watch, glanced at the wristwatch on his wrist, and couldn't help laughing: "Looks like I won't have to worry about forgetting the time from now on."
"That's no ordinary pocket watch." Draco deliberately kept them in suspense, smiling mysteriously.
Ian looked the pocket watch over back and forth twice: "Stop beating around the bush and just say it, what's so special about it?"
"I had this specially customized." Draco announced proudly, "A warming magic has been cast inside. As long as you carry it with you, no matter how cold it is outside, you won't feel cold."
He pointed at the dial again: "And it can also display the weather and temperature of the day. How about that? Pretty impressive, right?"
Ian looked down, and sure enough, the pocket watch clearly displayed today's weather and temperature.
"Indeed impressive." He put away the pocket watch and said earnestly, "Thank you, Draco, I really like it."
"I like it a lot too." Harry added with a smile, "Thank you, Draco."
Seeing the smiles on their faces, Draco was clearly even happier than receiving thanks: "Hahaha, as long as you like them. We're friends after all, isn't it completely normal to give friends gifts?"
Cassandra and Ron weren't idle either, pulling out the things they had prepared one after another.
The gifts Ron gave to Harry and Ian were two identical sets of gifts: a set of mini Wizard's Chess. He had made the chess pieces himself, and each piece was modeled after each of them, looking more honest and adorable than the last.
The gift Cassandra prepared for Harry was a quill that could automatically write homework. After all, Harry really didn't like doing homework, so this gift could be considered hitting the spot where it was needed most.
As for Ian, what she gave him was a brooch.
Cassandra lowered her eyes, placing the brooch into Ian's hand, her voice much softer than usual: "Th-This is something I made myself. It's my first time making something like this, maybe... it doesn't look very good. Don't look down on it."
Ian lowered his head to look at the brooch in his palm.
It was a little green snake flicking its tongue, crafted very vividly. Its workmanship couldn't be considered all that refined, but it made up for it with an abundance of spiritual charm, especially its eyes—the inlaid green gemstones made the little snake look as though it might blink at any moment.
Of course, the most important thing was that this gift was made by Cassandra's own hands.
Ian's lips curved up: "It looks great, I really like it. Thank you, Cassandra."
"As long as you like it." Cassandra raised her head, and upon meeting Ian's smiling face, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief, "Then should I help you put it on?"
"Okay." Ian nodded, cooperatively bending down.
Cassandra carefully pinned the brooch on him, then took a step back to inspect her handiwork. She pursed her lips in a smile: "It looks very nice."
Ian looked at her as well: "Mm, it really does look nice."
Hermione, standing nearby, saw this scene crystal clear and secretly gritted her teeth.
Just a brooch, what's so great about that? The gift she had prepared for Ian was definitely better than this.
"Harry, this one is for you." Hermione took out a gift box and handed it to Harry.
Harry took the box and thanked her with a smile: "Thank you, Hermione."
"Hurry up and open it," Hermione urged.
Harry unwrapped the package, and a beautiful Golden Snitch pendant lay inside the box. Attached to the bottom of the pendant was a small plaque engraved with the letter "H".
Hermione pointed at the Golden Snitch: "We bought this last time when we went to Diagon Alley, I hope you'll like it."
Harry weighed the pendant in his hand and said in surprise: "It feels heavy in the hand, and to the touch, it really is just like a Golden Snitch. Hermione, thank you, I love it."
"As long as you like it," Hermione replied with a smile.
At that moment, Ian looked at Hermione and raised an eyebrow: "Hermione, where's my gift?"
Didn't she say before that he would have a gift too? What on earth could it be?
Hermione didn't answer, merely taking a small box from her pocket, the smile on her face growing even more mysterious: "Of course I prepared one. Ian, hold out your hand."
After the box lid opened, a silver-green ring lay quietly on the velvet cushion.
The main body of the ring was Slytherin's signature green, with a lifelike little snake carved onto it in silver. Strangely enough, the little snake's eyes weren't green, but Gryffindor's gold and red.
Ian stared at the ring, his eyes flickering slightly.
Hermione really was thoughtful.
As soon as this ring was put on his hand, wasn't that a disguised declaration of ownership?
Ian could see through Hermione's little scheme, and Cassandra naturally saw it just as clearly.
Their gazes collided mid-air, and the surrounding air seemed to instantly grow tense.
Ian's heart skipped a beat.
Good grief, here it comes again. This breath-choking Shura field.
Cassandra spoke up first, her tone full of provocation: "You actually made a ring? Gryffindor's lioness, you certainly have quite the nerve."
Hermione immediately retorted: "To each other. That brooch made by you, a Slytherin she-snake, surely you didn't have any other motives?"
"Y-You, you, you..." Cassandra was choked up by her words.
Hermione lifted her chin: "What about you? I'm going to put it on Ian with my own hands right now."
Holding the ring, she looked at Ian with a beaming smile: "Come on, hand out."
Ian looked at Hermione, then glanced at Cassandra, feeling somewhat helpless in his heart. Still, as Hermioneinstructed, he held out his hand.
Hermione grasped his hand, her gaze pausing for a moment on those distinct-knuckled fingers, before carefully sliding the ring onto his middle finger.
The ring slid on smoothly.
"The size is just right." Hermione looked at her handiwork and nodded with satisfaction.
Ian looked down to examine the ring on his hand, feeling somehow that something wasn't quite right no matter how he looked at it.
If this scene were a proposal, how come it felt like he was the girl having the ring put on her?
Cassandra stared at the ring, a trace of sourness inevitably welling up in her heart. But when she saw that the snake-shaped brooch she gave was still safely resting on Ian's chest, that uncomfortable feeling dissipated slightly.
She cursed grinding her teeth in her heart.
Merlin's stinky shoes! She did not feel any better at all! Granger, that belly-full-of-trickery girl, was far too good at seizing the initiative!
"Ahem."
Realizing that the atmosphere between Hermione and Cassandra was growing increasingly bizarre, Ian could only give a light cough, forcefully pulling their attention back: "Stop just standing there, hurry up and tidy things up. Uncle Granger and Aunt Granger should be coming back soon, right?"
Hearing him say this, everyone suddenly remembered that there were still two parents in the house who could return at any moment.
The few of them hurriedly set about tidying up the room.
Fortunately, they had only taken out gifts to give to Ian and Harry and hadn't made a total mess of the room, so it didn't take long before everything was cleaned up.
Chapter 87: Two Kisses After the Birthday Dinner
After the room was tidied up, several people sat down around the fireplace.
The conversation had just opened up when the sound of a key turning suddenly echoed from outside the door.
"Mum, Dad!" Hermione stood up immediately and waved towards the door.
Mr. Granger and Mrs. Granger pushed the door open and immediately saw their daughter and the other children sitting in a circle around the fireplace.
The firelight reflected on them, making the entire living room look exceptionally warm.
"Oh, children, you are all here." Mrs. Granger took off her coat and smiled as she greeted everyone.
"Uncle Granger, Mrs. Granger, good evening."
Several people also stood up to greet them.
Mr. Granger closed the door and asked casually, "Good evening. How long have you been here? You haven't waited very long, have you?"
"No, we just arrived a moment ago." Cassandra smiled and replied.
"Then I can rest assured." Mrs. Granger hung her coat on the coat rack, turned back to look at the children, "Today is Ian and Harry's birthday after all. For this party, we specially invited a chef over to cook, and you must have a good taste of it later."
As soon as her words fell, everyone's eyes lit up.
"There's really a chef?" Ron instinctively swallowed his saliva, almost unable to stay seated, "That's naturally great! I really want to know just how delicious the food made by the chef invited by the Granger family is."
"Of course it's true." Mrs. Granger checked the time, "He should be here very soon. Sit down first, and dinner will be served in a little while."
Everyone nodded and sat back down by the fireplace.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger also sat down and began to ask about the lives of Cassandra and the other two at Hogwarts.
The three took turns answering questions about things at school, and the atmosphere in the living room quickly became relaxed and cordial.
Not long after, another sound of unlocking came from outside.
Immediately following that, a man wearing a chef's uniform pushed a dining cart in.
"Sir, Madam, good evening." The man pushed the dining cart to the center of the living room and said with a smile, "I am the chef you invited, Leon."
"Good evening, we'll be troubling you from now on, Leon." Mr. Granger stood up and shook hands with him.
"This is my job." Leon smiled, and then looked at the six children including Ian and Harry, "Dear little guests, do you have anything special you want to eat? I can prepare it for you right away."
Ian stood up and replied, "We're not picky at all, anything is fine."
"Alright, then I'll make a few of my signature dishes." Leon nodded and turned around to get busy.
The few sat down again, their eyes all falling on the dining cart.
Leon took out the ingredients one by one with very skilled movements, and quickly began to process them.
Draco watched for a while, and suddenly remembered the topic they hadn't finished chatting about earlier.
He nudged Ian beside him with his elbow and asked in a low voice, "Ian, take a guess, who do you think the Defense Against the Dark Arts class Professor will be next year?"
"How would I know?" Ian shrugged, "You should ask Professor McGonagall about this kind of thing, or ask Headmaster Dumbledore directly. Little Wizards like us aren't qualified to appoint Professors."
He certainly knew that next year's teacher would be Gilderoy Lockhart, but this matter absolutely must not be spoken from his mouth.
Draco looked at him strangely, "Aren't you curious at all?"
"Nothing to be curious about." Ian curled his lips, "Anyway, I guess the new Professor will probably only be able to work for a year, and then have to leave."
"Why?" Hermione heard this sentence and immediately asked a follow-up question.
Draco immediately took over the conversation, deliberately putting on a mysterious look, "Because there is a rumor that You-Know-Who once applied for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts class Professor at Hogwarts, but Dumbledore rejected him. So You-Know-Who cursed this position, making every Professor who teaches this class only able to stay in the post for a year."
"There is indeed such a saying." Cassandra nodded, but didn't state it as absolute, "As for whether it's true or not, no one knows."
Ron widened his eyes, "Voldemort has this kind of ability?"
"It's just a rumor." Cassandra reminded him again, "It's not necessarily true."
But Draco looked completely earnest, "I asked seventh-grade students. Before we entered school, the Defense Against the Dark Arts class Professor really did change every year, and almost none of them got a good ending. So I dare say, this rumor must be true."
The water Ian had just drunk almost choked him directly.
He wasn't clear about what the previous Professors were actually like, but he remembered the people they met in these years very clearly: five were already dead, one had permanently lost his memory, and another had been locked up in Azkaban. Carefully counting, indeed not many of them ended up well.
Harry folded his hands in front of his chest and made a praying motion, "I hope next year's Defense Against the Dark Arts class Professor doesn't turn directly into a pile of black ash."
Ian burst out laughing immediately, "Harry, don't put this kind of curse on the new Professor the moment you open your mouth."
"That's right." Hermione couldn't help laughing either, "As long as they don't turn into black ash like Quirrell, it shouldn't be too hard for the new Professor. After all, there isn't a second Philosopher's Stone."
"That's not necessarily true." Draco shook his head in rebuttal, "Don't forget, You-Know-Who hasn't been caught yet. Who knows if he'll stir up trouble again? That House-elf, maybe it has something to do with You-Know-Who as well."
Hearing Voldemort's name, the originally relaxed atmosphere suddenly sank, and several people's expressions turned serious.
Harry patted Draco's shoulder and quickly said, "Alright, stop always thinking about the worst. Let's go to the dining room instead, I can't wait to try the food Leon made."
"Right, let's eat first!"
Draco, who was just talking about Voldemort, threw that name to the back of his head the moment he heard about delicious food, stood up and walked towards the dining room. The others also followed one after another.
The long table in the dining room was already covered with all kinds of dishes, just looking at it made people eager to pick up their chopsticks.
Just at this moment, Mr. Granger and Mrs. Granger turned off the dining room lights and walked over pushing another dining cart.
On the cart was a three-layer chocolate cake, with twelve candles neatly inserted on top of the cake.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." Mr. and Mrs. Granger pushed the dining cart, singing the birthday song as they walked.
Hermione and the other four hurriedly applauded and joined in singing.
Amidst the singing, the cake was pushed in front of Harryand Ian. Mr. and Mrs. Granger said with a smile, "Ian, Harry, happy twelfth birthday to you both."
"Thank you."
Ian and Harry exchanged a glance. From each other's eyes, they both saw that unexpected warmth and emotion; clearly, neither of them had expected Mr. and Mrs. Grangerto specially prepare such a surprise.
Mrs. Granger urged with a smile, "Make a wish quickly, and then blow out the candles."
"Thank you, Uncle Granger and Mrs. Granger."
Ian and Harry clasped their hands together, closed their eyes at the same time, and earnestly made their own twelfth-birthday wishes.
The wishing ended, and the two blew out the candles on the cake together.
"Happy birthday, Ian, Harry!"
Applause rang out immediately, and everyone offered their blessings one after another.
"Thank you everyone." Harry and Ian opened their eyes and smiled as they thanked everyone.
Mr. Granger clapped his hands, "Alright, everyone hurry up and eat, the food will get cold if left out too long."
Everyone sat down in their respective places and began to enjoy the dinner in front of them. Leon's culinary skills were truly beyond reproach; every dish served made people full of praise.
Halfway through the meal, Harry leaned over quietly to Ian's side: "Ian, what wish did you make just now?"
"Wishes aren't effective if spoken aloud." Ian shook his head.
The wish he made could of course not be spoken. It was hoping that Hermione, Cassandra, and future Alicia could live together in peace.
If he were to actually say such words out loud, estimatedly the two little witches could strangle him to death on the spot right then and there.
"Fine." Harry shrugged and didn't continue asking.
Afterwards, everyone ate, chatted, and laughed, and the whole dinner ended in a harmonious atmosphere. After finishing the meal, they played games for a while longer until it was getting late, and the few of them successively said their goodbyes.
When Cassandra walked to the door, she suddenly quietly pulled Ian aside.
"What's wrong, Cassandra?" Ian looked at her, "You..."
Before he finished speaking, Cassandra suddenly leaned forward and gently kissed him on the lips.
Ian was completely stunned, his eyes widening instantly.
"This is another birthday gift." Cassandra's face blushed intensely, and after dropping these words, she turned around, "I'm leaving first, goodbye."
Finishing her words, she ran out without looking back.
Ian raised his hand to touch his own lips, looking at her departing back, unable to recover his senses for a long time.
Just a kiss? This was way too fast, he hadn't been prepared at all!
What kind of day was today anyway? Hermione and Cassandra actually both gave him a special birthday gift, and the gifts were even the same thing—a kiss.
When Ian returned to the house, he was still somewhat absent-minded. Hermione called out his name several times, but he didn't hear.
"Ian Potter!" Hermione shouted with an increased volume.
Ian finally snapped back to his senses: "Ah? What's wrong?"
Hermione looked at him suspiciously: "What's wrong with you? You've been absent-minded all this time. What did Cassandra say to you just now?"
"N-Nothing." Ian shook his head, his gaze drifting aside, not daring to make eye contact with her.
Seeing him like this, Hermione instantly felt a rather ominous feeling rise in her heart. She reached out and grabbed Ian's collar, pulling him down to lower his head.
"You have her perfume scent on you." Hermione glared at him, her tone turning unfriendly all of a sudden.
Ian blurted out: "Is it a crime committed by my nose?"
Hermione was stunned for a moment, then laughed out of anger: "You actually still have the heart to joke? Quick, what on earth did she give you?"
Ian rubbed the tip of his nose and said softly: "Really nothing. She just gave me a very special birthday gift."
Hermione immediately reacted: "She didn't kiss you too, did she?"
Facing Hermione's increasingly dangerous gaze, Ian could only nod gently.
Hermione took a deep breath, and then fiercely leaned in close.
"Hermione!" Ian looked in surprise at the little witch who was inches away.
What kind of development was this? Someone else kissed him first, so she had to kiss back?
"Shut up." Hermione glared at him fiercely, though her cheeks turned uncooperatively red, "I won't allow you to go to sleep carrying her kiss."
Ian wisely shut his mouth, reached out to wrap his arms around Hermione's waist, and closed his eyes as well.
A few minutes later, Hermione let go of him, panting, her face as red as if it were burning up.
"You're going to sleep with my kiss." She said softly, and then added another sentence: "I'm sleepy, good night."
The little witch turned around and ran off.
Ian touched his slightly swollen lips and couldn't help chuckling foolishly.
Could this be considered... enjoying the blessing of multiple women?
That night, Ian had a wonderful dream. In the dream, he had beauties in his arms on both sides, thoroughly enjoying the blessings of multiple partners.
Chapter 88: Merlin's Moving castle
When he opened his eyes the next day, Ian was still immersed in the wonderful dream of last night, and the smile on the corners of his mouth couldn't be suppressed no matter what.
Harry watched him all morning and finally couldn't help asking: "What's wrong with you today? You've been smiling ever since you woke up, did you find a Galleon or something?"
"It's nothing." Ian hurriedly shook his head.
So he said, but that silly grin showed no signs of fading at all.
Seeing that he didn't want to talk about it, Harry didn't continue to press him, but instead told him what Ron had instructed before leaving yesterday.
"Ron said that in a few days he and his dad will come to pick up the three of us and take us to stay at The Burrowfor a few days."
"Really?" Ian's eyes lit up instantly, "That's fantastic!"
Going to The Burrow meant he would soon be able to see Ginny.
He wondered what the real Ginny actually looked like.
Would she be as pretty as written in the original book, or like the Ginny in the movies, whose appearance completely didn't match his aesthetic preferences?
If it really was the latter, it didn't matter.
Considering she was Harry's future girlfriend, he would definitely treat her like a future sister-in-law.
No matter how you looked at it, the Ginny in the movies was much more suited to stand beside Harry.
As for a mega-hunk like himself, when appearing side by side with Ginny, they wouldn't look like a couple at all no matter how one looked at it.
"We can look around together then." Harry also smiled, "Come to think of it, we haven't carefully explored Diagon Alley yet."
Ian nodded: "This time we can't just walk around casually and call it a day, we must explore to our heart's content."
As the two were talking, Hermione also walked over and sat down on Ian's other side.
"I want to go to Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour." She said, "I heard they recently came out with a new item, cherry jam and cream ice cream, I want to try it."
"Then let's go together." Ian smoothly took her hand and agreed with a smile.
Hermione's cheeks immediately flushed, but she didn't pull her hand back.
Harry, standing beside them, glanced at their intertwined hands and felt that he was really a bit redundant, so he could only give a couple of dry coughs: "Ahem, ahem."
His younger brother and future sister-in-law were always being so intimate right in front of him, couldn't they at least show a little consideration for the feelings of a single person like him?
Hermione looked like a little rabbit suddenly startled, quickly pulling back her hand, keeping her head down, her face blushing almost to the point of smoking.
Seeing this, Ian quietly squeezed the palm of her hand, signaling her not to mind.
Harry: "..."
For this display of affection, he could only give a full score.
The next few days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day agreed upon with Ron.
Early in the morning, Ron and Arthur Weasley came to the Granger family's house together.
"Hello, I'm Arthur Weasley, Ron's father." Arthur Weasleyintroduced himself to Mr. Granger, "Today I'm here to pick up Ian, Harry, and Hermione, and take them to stay at my house for a few days."
As he spoke, his gaze was still quietly appraising the furnishings in the room.
This was a Muggle house, and this time was also his first time truly stepping into a Muggle home.
"Of course, they've been waiting for a long time." Mr. Granger said with a smile.
His first impression of Arthur Weasley was quite good.
Perhaps because his fondness for Ian extended to those around him, knowing that the other party was the father of Ian's friend, no matter how he looked at it, he found this gentleman very pleasing to the eye.
Not long after Arthur Weasley entered the house, he completely lost control of his curiosity.
Looking here and touching there, he would speak up and ask whenever he encountered something he didn't understand.
Hermione and Mr. and Mrs. Granger didn't find it annoying either, patiently explaining his questions one by one.
Ron's face grew redder and redder, and finally he couldn't help shouting: "Dad!"
He felt that his father was simply too embarrassing.
"Oh, sorry." Arthur Weasley scratched his head awkwardly, "I'm just rather curious about Muggle things."
"It's fine, Mr. Weasley." Mr. Granger waved his hand, "In fact, we are equally curious about the Wizarding World."
As soon as these words came out, Arthur Weasley's eyes lit up instantly.
The Wizarding World was his home turf after all!
The next moment, he began to speak with great enthusiasm.
From life in the Wizarding World to various magical items, his speaking speed became faster and faster, and the content became richer and richer.
Mr. Granger listened with relish, uttering an exclamation from time to time, obviously completely captivated.
Ian, Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat to one side, watching helplessly as the two fathers chatted more and more congenially, the expressions on their faces gradually becoming quite complex.
"Are we being forgotten?" Harry asked in a low voice.
"Looks like it." Ian nodded seriously, then turned his head to ask Hermione, "Strange, didn't we talk to Uncle Grangerabout things in the Wizarding World before? How come he's listening to Mr. Weasley talk about it so intently, as if he's never heard of it at all?"
Hermione looked equally baffled, thinking for a long time before hesitantly replying: "Maybe... this is what Mum calls friendship between men?"
Ian pointed at himself: "But I'm a man too."
Hermione rolled her eyes: "You aren't even sixteen yet, you're not an adult at all, what kind of man are you?"
She looked Ian up and down and added: "You're just a boy, and a little boy at that."
Ian instantly fell silent.
Little boy?
He was not little at all, okay!
This was definitely contempt from his girlfriend.
Looking at Ian's expression, Harry almost couldn't help laughing out loud.
To prevent his younger brother from suddenly uttering dangerous remarks like "Am I a man, do you want to try", he hurriedly pulled the topic back.
"Let's not discuss this for now." Harry said, "We should figure out a way to remind Mr. Weasley that he's here to pick people up today."
Ron cautiously raised his hand: "How about... I go remind my dad?"
Ian, Harry, and Hermione turned to look at him at the same time.
The meaning on the three people's faces was very obvious: Go!
Ron had no choice but to bite the bullet and stand up, interrupting Arthur Weasley who was in the middle of talking with great zest.
"Ahem, shouldn't we be setting off?"
If he let his father keep talking, they probably wouldn't need to go to The Burrow today.
"Oh, right, we should go." Arthur Weasley only then stopped.
He still looked at Mr. Granger with some lingering eagerness: "Next time there's a chance, we'll continue chatting."
"Of course." Mr. Granger nodded with a smile, "Arthur, you're welcome to come anytime."
After Ian and the other two said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, they followed Arthur Weasley and Ron out of the house.
Parked in the yard was a flying car that looked quite old.
Hermione stared at the car, the surprise on her face almost impossible to hide: "Are we going to ride in this?"
In her view, no matter how one looked at it, this car wasn't very reliable.
If it fell halfway down, wouldn't they fall to their deaths directly?
"Rest assured, Hermione." Arthur Weasley patted the car's hood and said with full confidence, "I modified this with my own hands, it's safe as can be."
Hermione's complexion instantly turned even paler, forcing a stiff smile from the corners of her mouth.
Ron quickly opened the car door and added on behalf of his father: "Although it really looks a bit old, it's genuinely not a problem, Hermione."
"Don't worry, I'll be with you." Ian reached out and touched the car body, but his expression was completely occupied by curiosity, "Mr. Weasley, how on earth did you make it fly? And it doesn't even need gasoline. Relying solely on an ordinary Levitation Charm shouldn't be able to achieve this level, right?"
Arthur Weasley beamed with smiles.
He loved most when others asked him questions about magic, especially questions related to Muggle items.
"Haha, Ian, you really are clever." He said proudly, "This isn't a simple Levitation Charm, but a Hover Charm. I also added thrusters, a steering wheel, and a stealth device to the car..."
Ian listened attentively and suddenly asked again: "Does this have nothing to do with Alchemy?"
He originally thought that making a Muggle car fly into the sky would definitely involve Alchemy.
"Of course it does." Arthur Weasley nodded and explained, "To make Muggle items truly have magical effects, some Alchemical methods are still needed to some extent. To modify this car, I even specifically visited a few alchemists and learned some related knowledge from them."
"So that's how it is." Ian nodded thoughtfully.
Having learned only some basic content, yet being able to transform the car into a flying car, Arthur Weasley could indeed be considered a talent.
Ian raised his head and said seriously: "Mr. Weasley, if you don't mind, after we get to The Burrow, I can help you readjust it. This might make it fly more stably and more perfectly."
He was far too curious about the structure of the car and really wanted to see firsthand how Arthur Weasley had managed to modify it.
"Of course I don't mind!" Arthur Weasley agreed immediately, then patted his own forehead. "Look at my memory, I almost forgot you are Nicolas Flamel's apprentice. When it comes to Alchemy, your skill is definitely much higher than mine; my little bit of ability is really showing off before an expert."
"You are too polite, Uncle Weasley." Ian smiled modestly. "Let's hurry up and set off; I can't wait to go and see The Burrow."
"Good, then let's set off!"
Arthur Weasley let out a loud laugh, took the lead in sitting in the driver's seat, and waved at Ian.
"Ian, come sit in the front. Ron, look after Harry and Hermione."
"No need, it's fine for Hermione, Harry, and me to sit in the back." Ian quickly waved his hand, then pulled open the back door and hopped in first.
What a joke?
Let him sit in the passenger seat and leave Ron, Hermione, and Harry in the back?
If Harry sat in the middle, he could barely accept it. But if Hermione or Ron sat in the middle, he absolutely could not accept it.
That was his girlfriend!
His!
Seeing that he was already seated, Arthur Weasley didn't think much of it and could only rearrange: "Then let's do it like this. Hermione, Harry, and Ian, the three of you sit in the back together."
Since Ian had grabbed the spot first, Harry and Hermionecould only sit on his left and right sides respectively.
Hermione looked at the flying car, took a deep breath, and as if she were about to march to an execution ground, bit the bullet and climbed in.
Ian held her hand and said softly, "Don't be afraid, Hermione, I'm right beside you."
"Everyone fasten your seatbelts, we're setting off!"
Arthur Weasley shouted, and the flying car immediately let out a roar.
The car surged forward abruptly, its speed as fast as an arrow shot from a bow string. Immediately after, the rear of the car swung around neatly, and the entire vehicle darted straight up into the sky.
"Ah!"
Hermione was frightened into screaming by the sudden acceleration.
Once the car ascended into the air, she still gripped Ian's hand tightly, not daring to move her body around randomly, for fear that she might accidentally fall out of the car and be smashed to pieces.
Ian, however, appeared extremely calm. He even had the mind to turn his head and look out the window, observing the clouds flashing past rapidly.
This car was much more stable than he had anticipated.
"Uncle Weasley." Ian looked at the scenery outside, his tone carrying a hint of eager anticipation. "Do you have a way to make it go a bit faster?"
"Faster?" After hearing this, Arthur Weasley immediately laughed. "This is already its limit. If we keep increasing the speed, I'm afraid the whole car will fall apart before we even reach our destination."
"Is that so." Ian sighed with some regret.
Hermione slowly turned her head and looked at him gloomily, "You actually wanted to make it even faster?"
Ian's smile instantly became stiff, "Haha, I was just saying it casually, just saying it casually."
"Oh no."
He had been so caught up in his own enjoyment of the ride that he had completely forgotten his girlfriend was still terrified.
This was a mistake that couples must absolutely never make when arguing.
Hermione let out a soft huff, turned her face to look out the window, making it clear she didn't want to bother with him anymore.
Ian could only give a wry smile.
Well, he had managed to anger the young lady again.
The flying car sped along all the way, and in just over an hour, it arrived at The Burrow.
"We've arrived, let's get out of the car." Arthur Weasleygot out of the car first, then opened the car door for them.
The car landed next to a dilapidated garage. Around it was a small yard, and Ian, Harry, and Hermione all looked curiously toward Ron's house.
That house looked like a large pigsty piled out of stones, with rooms subsequently added on everywhere, stacking up layer by layer to several stories high. The entire house was crooked, as if it relied entirely on magic not to collapse.
Four or five chimneys stood upon the red roof, and a wooden sign was slanted in front of the house, with the words "The Burrow" written on it.
A few pairs of high boots were tossed casually by the front door, and beside them was a rust-covered cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking for food with their heads lowered in the yard.
Seeing his three friends' gazes, Ron felt somewhat embarrassed, "Is it... not very good?"
"No, it's very nice here." Harry said happily, "It looks especially cozy."
Ian was also carefully observing the house before him.
It involuntarily reminded him of Howl's Moving castle from the movie.
"I think it's great too." Ian said, "Actually, I've thought before about whether Alchemy could be used to build a movable castle."
Once it was truly successful, that castle would be named "Merlin's Moving castle".
"A moving castle?" Arthur Weasley was stunned for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter. "Ian, you really are a genius! A moving castle, that idea is simply fantastic!"
"I wouldn't dare claim to be a genius, I can only say it's a bit fanciful." Ian said modestly.
"No, this is definitely not day-dreaming." Arthur Weasleyturned serious, "I think a moving castle is entirely possible to realize. When you really build it, you must definitely invite us to go sit inside."
"Of course." Ian nodded in agreement, then looked toward the door of The Burrow. "Let's not talk about this for now, let's hurry inside. I'm really eager to see what it looks like inside."
"Let's go."
Arthur Weasley smiled and pushed the door open to go in, with Ian, Harry, Hermione, and Ron following closely behind.
After entering The Burrow, the few of them discovered that the inside was much more spacious than it looked from the outside. Everywhere inside the house were traces left by daily life, and just like the exterior, it carried a lively family atmosphere.
"It is a great honor for you all to grace our humble home, His Royal Highness the Prince of Slytherin."
"And also the Savior of Gryffindor."
"As well as our all-knowing Miss Know-It-All."
Hearing this familiar and exaggerated tone, Ian didn't even need to look to know who was speaking.
He helplessly raised his hand to rub his brow, "George, Fred, can't you guys speak in a slightly more normal way? My goosebumps are almost coming up."
Sure enough, standing right in front of them were the Weasley twins, George and Fred.
"Haha, Ian, you are quite the big celebrity in our family." George said with a smile.
Fred also added, "Someone has wanted to see you with their own eyes for a long time."
Ian was slightly stunned, "Someone? Who?"
"Of course it's..."
The twins dragged out their voices intentionally, preparing to reveal the answer, when a woman wearing a pink long dress, plump in figure yet kind in face, suddenly rushed over.
She grabbed Ian, Harry, and Hermione all at once and pulled them into her embrace.
"Ian, Harry, Hermione! It's truly been a long time, children!" Mrs. Weasley said excitedly, "Why have you all lost so much weight? You definitely haven't been eating properly!"
Hugging the three of them, her tone was full of the joy of reunion, "To be able to see you all again, I am just so happy."
Ian and the others were squeezed somewhat out of breath by her, yet they could feel that this care was sincere, so none of them struggled.
"Aunt Molly, long time no see." Ian said with a smile, "I'm also very glad to see you again."
Ron, standing to the side, couldn't bear to watch any longer and could only helplessly remind her, "Mum, let go already. If you keep hugging them like this, they're really going to be squeezed to death by you."
"Ah, sorry, I was just too excited." Mrs. Weasley quickly released the three, smiled awkwardly, "Breakfast will be ready soon, follow me to the kitchen to eat first."
After speaking, she took the lead and walked toward the kitchen.
Ian, Harry, Hermione, and Ron quickly followed behind as well, leaving only George and Fred standing in place, looking at each other.
"Mum just said Ian and Harry have lost weight." Georgesaid.
"She also said Hermione lost weight too." Fred reminded.
"So they definitely haven't been eating properly."
"Mm, that's right."
George suddenly frowned, "Didn't we still have words left unfinished with Ian just now?"
Fred thought about it, "Seems like it."
"However, is that important?"
"Not important."
The two looked at each other and high-fived simultaneously.
"Right, not important, let's go eat breakfast first."
Chapter 89: The Gnome-Clearing Plan, Ginny's Scream, and Ian's Jealousy
The kitchen of The Burrow was terribly small, and with too many people around, there was hardly enough room to turn around. Right in the middle stood a wooden table polished to a mirror-like shine, surrounded by a few crookedly placed chairs.
Harry perched only on the edge of his chair, his eyes stealthily sweeping across the entire room — apart from his old home, this was the first time he had ever stepped into another Wizard's house.
Hanging on the opposite wall was a clock with only a single hand. The clock face bore no numbers, but instead had phrases written on it like "tea time", "feeding chickens", and "you're late".
The books on the mantelpiece were stacked three layers high, all of them being Spells for Your Cheese, Bread-Baking magic, and Conjuring a Feast — a collection entirely made up of magic books!
Harry almost thought there was something wrong with his ears when the old radio by the sink suddenly blared out a sentence: "Next up is "magic Hour", performed by the famous witch singer Celestina Warbeck."
Molly Weasley was busy at the table handing out plates, knives, and forks. While tossing sausages into a frying pan, she casually pointed her wand at the large black iron pot on the stove, and the stew inside began to stir itself with a bubbling sound.
"Ron, Fred, George, you lot go outside later and clear the gnomes out of the garden."
Molly Weasley spoke up, "The gnomes at home have grown like crazy, there are countless numbers of them. Arthur and I keep catching and throwing them out, but they always manage to find their way back."
"Oh my goodness, I forgot to get the bread!"
She covered the stew pot and hurried out of the kitchen. Harry heard the front door close with a thud.
"Gnomes?"
Harry looked completely baffled.
"Those little things in the garden."
Ron explained, "They're terrible, living in holes underground, chewing on plant roots, and making a mess of everything."
"That's right, gnomes are really bad!"
Molly Weasley came back carrying two long loaves of bread, tossed them onto the table, and continued, "Gnomes will steal radishes, chew all the cabbage roots away, and leave patches of land where nothing can grow."
"So every time we catch them, we have to throw them over the fence so they don't come back."
"Then, are they animals?"
Harry found it quite strange.
"Pretty much."
Fred shrugged, "Though they're really annoying, basically pests."
"Exactly, annoying as hell."
George chimed in, "Always trying to cause trouble, cunning, and terribly hard to catch."
"Even if they're hard to catch, you still have to go."
Molly Weasley glared sternly at her three sons, "Who made your new invention from last night almost blow up the house?"
"Today you must clear the gnomes out of the garden completely, not a single one is allowed to remain."
"Oh, Mum, we didn't mean to—"
Fred muttered quietly.
George also nodded, "Yeah, not on purpose."
"You say that every time!"
Molly Weasley interrupted unceremoniously.
"Mum, their invention blew up the house, why do I have to go too?"
Ron complained, "That's not fair!"
"Hey! Little Ronnie!"
"How can you say that."
"Your brothers' hearts are completely broken by you."
The twins flanked Ron on the left and right, putting on wounded expressions as they sang in unison.
"Because all three of you have to go, end of story."
Molly Weasley didn't budge at all, "Now, finish your breakfast quickly, and then get going."
"Aunt Molly, let's all go help catch gnomes later too."
Ian forked a piece of sausage, speaking as he put it into his mouth.
He hadn't seen this peculiar creature with his own eyes yet, and checking them out in the garden sounded pretty good.
Hermione and Harry nodded along, "We'll help too, Aunt Molly."
"Oh, Ian, Harry, Hermione, you truly are such sensible and good children."
Molly Weasley looked at them with a smile, then glared at her own three sons, "Unlike certain people who argue as soon as they eat, why don't you learn from Ian and the others!"
The three boys whose names were called obediently lowered their heads to eat, not daring to talk back.
"Good children, clearing gnomes is a particularly tedious task."
Molly Weasley's tone softened, "Come, let's see what Lockhart has to say."
She pulled a thick book from the mantelpiece, and Georgeimmediately let out a groan.
"Mum! We know how to clear the gnomes out of the garden."
Ian glimpsed the cover of the book, where embossed golden calligraphy read: Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests.
Beneath the title was a large photograph showing an extremely handsome Wizard with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
Photographs in the wizarding world could move, and the Wizard in the picture was winking audaciously at them.
Ian secretly rolled his eyes, muttering inwardly: "That buffoon Lockhart is all looks, though he's quite slick with his Memory Charm."
"Oh, he is simply extraordinary."
Molly Weasley looked down at Lockhart with a beaming smile, "He knows everything there is to know about household pests, this book is truly wonderful..."
"Mum worships him."
Fred leaned into Ian's ear and whispered, his voice quiet, yet everyone heard it crystal clear.
"Don't talk nonsense, Fred."
Molly Weasley's face turned red, "But he really is very handsome, isn't he?"
"Mr. Lockhart is indeed very handsome."
Hermione sat to the side, nodding in agreement.
Ian looked at Hermione in absolute shock, "What's wrong, don't you love me anymore?"
"Am I not handsome?"
Hermione pretended not to see Ian's gaze, "Hmph!"
"Who told you to be a flirt, just teaching you a little lesson."
"Lockhart!"
Ian stared gloomily at the photograph of Lockhart grinning, calculating the possibility of ruining his reputation before making him forget all his memories, "Hypocritical fraud, it's one thing to fool ignorant little girls and married women, but how dare you try to trick the girlfriend of Ian, the smartest, bravest, and wisest person in all of Hogwarts!"
"Ian, your expression is so scary."
Harry watched Ian staring grimly and "viciously" at Lockhart's photo, and couldn't help saying, "Are you alright?"
Ian tucked away his expression in a second, turning back into his usual gentle self as he said, "I'm fine, Harry, you must have seen wrong."
Harry gazed at Ian's gentle smiling face and fell into self-doubt, "Little brother is a good kid, he definitely wouldn't lie!"
"I must have seen it wrong!"
"Don't be like that, Ian."
Hermione watched Ian change his expression and tilted her head, "I just think Mr. Lockhart is very handsome, that's all, it's nothing."
"Then do you think he's handsome or am I handsome?"
Ian leaned close to Hermione and asked in a low voice.
Hermione looked at Ian's close-up face, her cheeks blushing instantly as she whispered, "You're more handsome."
Ian nodded with satisfaction, sat back down in his seat, and continued eating.
"Oh, I really like his advice on dealing with slugs."
Molly Weasley read the book for a moment, looked up at Ian and the others, "Oh, he is so entertaining, and an unmarried handsome man to boot..."
"Mum!"
Fred interrupted loudly, "I've got a good idea! Shall we try using explosives to blast the gnomes out?"
"No explosives allowed!"
Molly Weasley said sternly, "If you dare do that, don't expect to keep any of your inventions."
She swept her majestic gaze over her three sons, then looked down at the book in her hand: "Lockhart says the most crucial thing is to find the gnomes' favorite food, use food as bait, and lure them out..."
"Is he an idiot?"
Ron whispered to Ian, "Who doesn't know that gnomes love eating bugs and earthworms? Does he even need to say that?"
Ian shrugged and didn't say anything; he agreed with Ron's view.
"A garden needs regular gnome clearing, which means grabbing a gnome by its ankles, spinning it around a few times to make it dizzy, and then throwing it out of the garden."
"Gnomes are very stupid, so when they realize gnome clearing is happening, they will rush out of their holes in a hurry to see what's going on, a trait that makes them very easy to catch."
"Aunt Molly, what do gnomes look like?"
Ian asked curiously.
"They look like little dwarfs with tough skin, topped with a bare, big round head, and eyes bigger than their heads."
Molly Weasley explained, "Extremely ugly, you'll see for yourselves in a moment."
"Alright, now let's finish our breakfast properly."
Molly Weasley said as she closed the book, "Ian, especially you, you're too thin, you need to eat more."
"Look at Ron, he's shorter than you, but much fatter than you."
"Mum!"
Ron flushed red, "Ian only looks thin because he's tall, this is a normal weight for me!"
"Ron is right, Aunt Molly, being tall makes one look slender."
Ian swallowed his last bite of food and explained, "Actually, I do have some muscle on me."
As he spoke, he stretched out his arm and flexed his rather prominent biceps.
He was slender in clothes and muscular out of them.
"You still need to eat more."
Molly Weasley said, placing a large piece of meat onto Ian's plate.
Ian stared at the meat on his plate and wailed inwardly—he really couldn't eat anymore!
"Mum, have you seen my slippers?"
At that moment, a little red-haired figure wearing a long nightgown came trotting down from upstairs.
"Saw them on the cat, sweetheart."
Molly Weasley said gently.
Ian looked at the pretty little red-haired witch running down — a thick mane of fiery red hair, sparkling brown eyes, just the right amount of freckles on her delicate face, making her look altogether like an exquisite little cake.
Ian's eyes lit up instantly, "What a pretty little witch!"
"Sister-in-law, I am my brother!"
"Open the door!"
"Hello."
Ian flashed a handsome, gentle smile as he looked toward the little witch — Ginny Weasley.
The moment Ginny saw Ian, her eyes widened abruptly, her cheeks flushed bright red, and then—
"Ah!!!"
The little witch covered her face and ran back upstairs.
Ian looked at the fleeing little witch with a blank expression, "What's wrong?"
"Was his smile that terrifying?"
"I'm pretty handsome, right? Is she..."
Ian turned to look at Ron.
"Ginny, my sister."
Ron said to Ian in a low voice, "She's been chattering on about you and Harry all summer, but she obviously likes the much more handsome you."
Harry: "What do you mean!"
"You bet, she even wants your autograph, Ian."
Fred laughed, but as soon as he saw his mother's gaze, he immediately buried his head in his food and stopped making a sound.
Hermione gritted her teeth and glared at Ian, "Being too handsome isn't necessarily a good thing either!"
"Too popular!"
Ian smiled helplessly and turned to look at Hermione, only to see the young girl staring at him with a resentful look, and he instantly understood where he had gone wrong.
He reached out his hand under the table, gently squeezed Hermione's hand, and then gave her a gentle smile.
Hermione was dazzled by Ian's smile and lowered her head with slightly red cheeks.
"Forget it, who told him to be so handsome, forgive him then, one just can't stay angry facing such a handsome face."
Hogwarts: As the Savior, I Wildly Smash Ships!
Chapter 90: Gnome-throwing is also a skilled trade, and Harry took a massive loss.
After finishing breakfast, Ian and the others strolled out into the garden.
The grass here grew so tall it could almost bury a person, and numerous old tree roots coiled haphazardly at the base of the walls.
The three of them had never seen any of the plants sprouting from the flower beds before, and right next to them was a large, brilliantly green pond with a row of frogs squatting by the edge.
As they crossed the lawn, Harry reached out and patted Ron on the shoulder.
"Ron, let me tell you, there are actually gnomes in Mugglegardens too."
"Ah, I've seen the thing Muggles think is a gnome."
Ron bent at the waist, plunging his head into the peony bushes, his voice muffled.
"Chubby, like a mini Santa Claus, and carrying a tiny fishing rod..."
By the edge of the flowerbeds, Ian squatted down, searching carefully right in front of a gnome hole.
"Over on the Muggles' side, there are quite a few gnome statues, all shaped like little dwarves with pointy high hats and long beards."
"Yeah, I wonder what a real gnome actually looks like."
Hermione squatted down as well, peering into the hole.
"Mrs. Weasley said gnomes are extremely ugly."
The peony branches shook violently with a considerable commotion of struggle, and Ron straightened up with a grinning face.
"Hey, see that? This is a gnome, ugly enough, right?"
"Let me go! Let me go!"
The gnome shrieked in a high-pitched voice.
"You're the ugly one! You're the ugly one!"
It had not a single penny's relation to Santa Claus; its body was pitifully small, its skin as rough as tree bark, with a bald, large round head—it looked for all the world like a potato that had turned into a spirit.
Ron stretched his arm out long, holding it up in mid-air. Its small feet, covered in calluses, were still kicking wildly, so Ron had no choice but to grab it by the ankles and hold it upside down.
"It really is quite ugly."
Ian nodded honestly.
"It doesn't look nearly as endearing as Muggles think."
"Did you hear that! Let me go right now!"
The gnome struggled and shouted.
"You red-headed lout!"
"You dare curse at me!"
Ron swung his arm, making a motion to hurl it away. The gnome immediately cowered, its small face plastered with a flattering smile.
"Handsome, handsome man, can you put me down?"
Ron snorted from his nose, lifted it over his head, wound his arm around, and swung it in a large circle like twirling a lasso.
Harry's eyes widened completely.
"This... isn't this a bit much?"
"Harry, this is just how it's done."
Ron showed him his technique.
"It won't hurt them, just spin their heads dizzy so they can't find their way back to the gnome hole."
With that, he loosened his grip, and the gnome flew twenty feet out, landing with a thud in the dirt behind the hedge.
"Lousy!"
Fred caught another one and gave it a vigorous fling with his hand.
"I can throw it past that tree stump, want to bet!"
That gnome really was thrown past the tree stump by him, flying quite neatly.
Following their example, Ian picked one up as well, imitating Ron and Fred's method of spinning it dizzy first before flinging it out.
"Well done, Ian!"
George was also holding one in his hand and praised him.
"To be able to fling it this far on your first time throwing a gnome, not bad!"
Harry had originally intended to go easy on these gnomes, but after a short while, he had no intention of sympathizing with them anymore.
At first, he planned to gently place the first one he caught outside the hedge, but the gnome sensed that he was soft-handed and sank its sharp teeth straight into Harry's finger, refusing to shake off, and finally—
"Wretched dark-haired brat!!!"
Ian looked at Harry in astonishment.
"Whoa! Harry, since when did you get so strong!"
Harry flung that gnome far away, watching it scramble in a flurry across the lawn before turning his head back.
"Maybe it's strength brought on by the pain."
"Harry, that toss you just did was at least fifty feet."
Ron's tone was full of admiration.
"It's all my fault for thinking too well of gnomes."
Harry sighed.
"They aren't friendly at all."
"They were never friendly to begin with!"
Fred said, as the one in his hand was heavily flung out once more.
"These little scumbags love biting people the most!"
"Good thing there are a lot of us."
George added.
"If it were just one person, who knows how long we'd be catching them."
Before long, gnomes were flying all over the sky in the garden.
"Look, their brains aren't too bright."
George grabbed five or six of them in one go.
"Hearing that we're clearing out gnomes, they all ran over to watch the commotion, and still haven't learned to be smart by now."
Ian looked in the direction of George's gaze—quite a few gnomes were poking their heads out of their holes, stretching their necks and curiously staring at them busy at work.
Before long, all the gnomes in the garden were thrown out. George even came over carrying a shovel, scooped up a large chunk of dirt for those still poking their heads out, and slapped it directly over the hole entrance.
A few of them were still coherent when thrown out, cursing at the top of their lungs while flying.
Shortly after, that group of gnomes in the fields formed a sparse line, shrugged their little shoulders, and walked away.
"They're finally all driven away."
Hermione raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
"These gnomes are far too troublesome."
"They'll be back."
Ron watched those gnomes disappear behind the hedge at the other end of the fields.
"They like it here... Dad is way too polite to them; he thinks they're quite fun."
"Fun?"
Harry shook his right hand, where a bite mark was still clearly visible.
"I certainly don't think there's anything fun about it."
The back door of the house opened at that moment, and Mrs. Weasley walked out carrying a bag of potatoes.
"Children, come inside and rest. I've prepared some desserts. You can pad your stomachs a bit before lunch."
Mrs. Weasley looked at the garden with a smile on her face.
"Mum, we drove all the gnomes out."
George spoke up eagerly.
"That's wonderful!"
Mrs. Weasley was overjoyed.
"These annoying little creatures always wreck my garden. You lot have done a wonderful deed."
As she spoke, she led them toward the house.
"Mrs. Weasley, where is Mr. Weasley?"
Ian muttered to himself inwardly.
He was still thinking about going to see that flying car and wanted to improve it further.
"Oh, Arthur went to the Ministry."
Mrs. Weasley placed the potatoes on the kitchen table.
"He's been working overtime lately; there are too many things going on at the Ministry of Magic."
Ian nodded thoughtfully and didn't speak again.
Mrs. Weasley took a plate of freshly baked cookies out of the kitchen cabinet, and the fragrance went straight into their noses.
"Come, have a taste."
Mrs. Weasley handed the cookies over.
"Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies."
Ian picked up a piece, blew on it, and stuffed it into his mouth.
The cookie crust was crispy while the inside was soft, and the sweet aroma of chocolate blended with the scent of wheat—it tasted exceptionally good.
"Wow, Mrs. Weasley, these cookies you baked are really delicious."
Ian praised from the bottom of his heart.
"Really?"
Mrs. Weasley smiled from ear to ear.
"Eat more if you like them."
Several of them sat around the kitchen table eating cookies and drinking the tea brewed by Mrs. Weasley, the atmosphere warm and exceedingly comfortable.
"Mrs. Weasley, can we go take a look at that flying car later?"
Ian asked with a cookie still chewing in his mouth.
"Ian, my good boy, whatever made you think of looking at that old broken car?"
Mrs. Weasley thoroughly despised the flying car.
"I promised Mr. Weasley to help improve the flying car a bit further."
Ian replied with a smile.
"I study under Nicolas Flamel, so I'm particularly interested in magical items that bear traces of Alchemy."
"Yes, yes, yes, Ron mentioned it. You were taken in as an apprentice by Nicolas Flamel—what a truly gifted child."
Mrs. Weasley affectionately patted Ian on the head.
"Since you promised Mr. Weasley, of course you can go take a look. But be a bit careful; that car is somewhat dangerous."
"Okay, I'll be careful."
Ian nodded, a gleam of anticipation flashing in his eyes.
The group chatted for a little longer and then decided to go check out the flying car.