Marietta Edgecombe and Senior Penelope didn't know when they would arrive, so Amanda and Hermione took Harry and the other two back to the villa first.
Entering the villa, Harry, who had lived in the Muggle world for more than ten years, was fine, but Ron Weasley and Cho Chang felt dazzled.
All sorts of unfamiliar things were placed in the villa, and what Ron Weasley was most concerned about was the black square object in the living room.
"Uh, what's this? Is it the motor you mentioned, Harry?"
Harry Potter was silent for a moment, then patiently corrected him, "This is called a television, Ron Weasley. You can watch shows on it. It's one of the Muggles' forms of entertainment."
"Sounds interesting." Ron Weasley nodded in understanding.
"Muggles are indeed full of wisdom." Cho Chang's eyes sparkled with curiosity. After speaking, she took her backpack off her back, pulled out a large box, and handed it to Amanda.
"This is a cake my mother made. She said she wanted you to try it."
Seeing this, Ron Weasley quickly took out a large box of similar size from his suitcase. "This is toffee my mother made. She said thank you for inviting us to spend the summer holiday at the villa."
Amanda and Hermione Granger accepted the "souvenirs" from their two friends. Hermione Granger smiled gently and said thank you, while Amanda politely thanked them with a calm expression.
Cho Chang sighed, reaching out to pinch Amanda's cheek. "After a summer, you still have that expressionless look."
Amanda stood still, letting Cho Chang pinch her cheek, her attention never leaving the villa's front door. Her mind remained highly tense, anticipating several Enforcement Agents forcibly breaking through the door at any second.
Not long after, the doorbell at the courtyard gate rang again. Amanda lifted her foot and walked towards the door, drawing her wand again as she walked.
Hermione Granger followed behind her, ready to greet the person together, looking at Amanda's stance with some confusion.
Even if Amanda was guarding against someone bad ringing the doorbell, she shouldn't be in this posture; it felt like she was going to fight for her life.
Shaking her head, Hermione Granger cast aside that unrealistic thought and followed Amanda to the front door.
Pressing the switch to open the gate, Amanda, as before, firmly blocked Hermione Granger, her eyes unblinking as she watched the gate slowly open.
Her wand was ready to be raised at any moment. Soon the gate opened, and Marietta Edgecombe, carrying a suitcase, waved at them. Behind her, a taxi was driving away.
"Good morning, Hermione, Amanda."
"Good morning, Senior Marietta." Both nodded simultaneously, politely greeting Marietta Edgecombe.
Walking forward with her suitcase, Marietta Edgecombe and Cho Chang, true to being best friends, also reached out and pinched Amanda's cheek, nodding with satisfaction after pinching.
"Good, you've gained some weight. You were too thin before."
Amanda nodded expressionlessly, reached out to take Marietta Edgecombe's suitcase, closed the gate, and walked towards the villa.
As she walked, her brain autonomously pondered. Gaining weight meant she was eating more, and it was even estimated that she might eat more and more in the future.
Amanda didn't care about being fat or thin, but gaining weight might lead to eating more, and eating more might cut into study time. Therefore, she should eat less for a while.
To return her stomach and body to their previous state.
I cannot relax, Amanda's brain frantically reminded her, even the smallest detail cannot be overlooked, as it could greatly affect her study efficiency.
Marietta Edgecombe also brought souvenirs for Amanda and Hermione Granger, but they weren't cakes or candies, but two small wooden carvings.
"My mother works at the Ministry of Magic. She had someone buy these from the Ministry of Magic's Department of International Magical Cooperation. They are Wizard products from Africa, said to bring good luck."
Politely accepting the souvenir and thanking her, Hermione Granger secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, it wasn't cake or candy. Those two large boxes of cake and candy sitting there, in Hermione Granger's opinion, were clearly an excessive amount of sugar.
One could only say she was indeed a dentist's daughter.
As soon as Marietta Edgecombe closed her large suitcase, Cho Chang, who had chosen her room upstairs and finished tidying her things, came down.
Seeing Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecombe's eyes immediately lit up, and she let out a cheer as she pounced.
Watching Marietta Edgecombe pounce on her, Cho Chang's pupils dilated in shock. She quickly steadied herself and firmly caught the pouncing Marietta Edgecombe.
"Cho, long time no see!"
Cho Chang gave a wry smile, reaching out to pull Marietta Edgecombe away. "What 'long time'? It's only been two weeks, and aren't you afraid we'd both fall to the ground if you pounced like that?"
"No way." Marietta Edgecombe waved her hand. "I believe with your strength, Cho Chang, catching me is no problem."
Cho Chang's mouth twitched slightly. Fine, at least she was complimenting her strength.
Marietta Edgecombe took her suitcase upstairs to choose a room and put away her luggage, where she happened to meet Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, who were just about to come downstairs.
After the three of them greeted each other, they went about their own business.
Meanwhile, Amanda was standing at the main entrance of the villa, looking at Senior Penelope, who was carrying a backpack and a large suitcase.
"Good morning, Senior Penelope." Amanda politely nodded in greeting, silently retracting her wand.
"Good morning." Senior Penelope's eyes curved into a smile as she nodded to Hermione Granger and Cho Chang behind Amanda.
Reaching out to ruffle Amanda's hair, Senior Penelope praised her, "Very safety-conscious, good."
"Thank you, Senior Penelope." Amanda spoke mechanically, ushering her through the front door, which then slowly closed behind Senior Penelope.
Receiving another small pendant from Senior Penelope, Amanda put it away without wearing it immediately.
Various small ornaments, dolls, and toys would distract her from studying; such things should not be on her body.
Her gaze, devoid of life, shifted to the living room window, from where she could clearly see the situation in the yard.
Amanda walked forward, standing rigidly still, her right hand always ready to exert force, ensuring she could draw her wand at the first instant.
Seeing Amanda spacing out by the window, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley exchanged confused glances but didn't disturb her, continuing to discuss Quidditch. Perhaps she was thinking about a problem?
Hermione Granger, Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecombe, and Senior Penelope, the four girls, began to arrange a "schedule" for everyone staying together in the villa.
Cooking and cleaning duties definitely needed to be arranged in advance, otherwise, Amanda would likely do everything herself.
Hermione Granger, who had a deep understanding of this, specifically explained it in detail to the other three girls and began making a list.
"Harry, can you cook?" Hermione Granger walked over to Harry Potter with the list.
Harry Potter, who was chatting with Ron Weasley, looked up and nodded, "Yes."
"That's good," Hermione Granger scribbled on the form. "You and Ron Weasley are a team. When it's your turn, you'll be responsible for cooking, and he'll be responsible for cleaning."
"No problem." Harry Potter and Ron Weasley answered simultaneously.
Even after Hermione Granger had finished listing everyone's "schedule," Amanda remained motionless by the window, staring intently outside.
Because Hermione Granger had said in advance that after arriving at the villa, they could only think about studying after the Owls delivered their book lists and they had bought their books.
So, Amanda's mind wasn't on studying right now; instead, she was simulating all possible intrusion routes for the Enforcement Agents over and over again, constantly thinking about how to effectively counterattack and block them.
"Amanda, go sit down for a bit. You've been standing for over half an hour."
Hermione Granger walked over and patted Amanda's shoulder worriedly. She had been standing for over half an hour without moving at all.
Just standing so rigidly, wouldn't she get tired?
Amanda turned her head, her face devoid of expression, "Okay."
After speaking, she stiffly turned around and walked to the sofa without stumbling, though her gaze remained fixed on the window.
Cho Chang, who was sitting on the sofa studying the TV remote, moved to sit beside her.
"Do you want to go out and play?"
Amanda shook her head indifferently, "I'm on alert for intruders."
Cho Chang paused, looking out at the courtyard. She had specifically checked when she arrived on her flying broomstick.
The villa was surrounded by a forest, with only one not-very-wide road leading to it; the rest were small paths.
Who would go to such great lengths to launch an attack or something similar here? Wouldn't that be a thankless task?
However, despite her confusion, it was still good that her junior had a sense of vigilance.
Just like Senior Penelope, Cho Chang reached out and ruffled Amanda's hair. "It's good to be vigilant, but you might not need to be so tense."
Hermione Granger sat next to Amanda and nodded in agreement, "Exactly, this villa has an alarm system. As long as it's not a Wizard, if someone sneaks in, the alarm will definitely go off."
"But I don't think any Wizard would secretly infiltrate such a remote villa, would they?"
Hermione Granger shrugged as she spoke, gently putting an arm around Amanda. "Want to watch cartoons? How about tom and jerry? Or Thomas?"
Amanda finally retracted her gaze from the window after hearing Hermione Granger's words, and shook her head with a plain expression, "Anything is fine."
This time should have been for studying, but Hermione Granger said she should rest during this period. Cartoons, which had no educational value, should have been strictly forbidden, but Hermione Granger told her to watch them.
Amanda's brain thought numbly, watching Hermione Granger turn on the TV and tune to the tom and jerry channel.
This humorous cartoon was truly suitable for all ages; even adults could watch it with great relish, let alone the children present.
Even Senior Penelope, the oldest, was deeply drawn to the cartoon's comedic content, and the six children watched it together, breaking into bright smiles.
Laughter filled the living room. Amanda sat calmly between Hermione Granger and Cho Chang, listening to their laughter from beside her.
Looking at Marietta Edgecombe, Senior Penelope, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley, who were laughing heartily, she felt a warmth in her chest and a throbbing pain in her head.
However, amidst this throbbing pain, her brain felt a never-before-experienced sense of ease and comfort. Unfortunately, before she could savor it, a violent pain erupted in her mind, shattering Amanda's faint and hazy feeling.
After watching tom and jerry for nearly an hour, the corners of the mouths of the six children, except Amanda, had not dropped.
After watching, Marietta Edgecombe reached out to rub her face, which was stiff from laughing, and said, "Muggles' ideas are truly admirable. This television is so amazing, and the shows on it are very interesting."
Senior Penelope beside her was also rubbing her stomach, a smile still on her lips. "Indeed, it's laughable that many in the Wizarding World still consider them foolish."
"Those people are truly narrow-minded." Cho Chang shook her head, only thinking of magic, but not realizing that Muggles had forged a path different from magic, yet in no way inferior to it.
"I'm thinking of taking Muggle Studies Class later." Ron Weasley looked at Harry Potter. After truly encountering these Muggle products, he developed a strong interest in them.
Senior Penelope, who had already completed her third year and taken Muggle Studies Class for one semester, opened her mouth, her expression complex.
"I think... it might be better if you let Harry Potter teach you."
Everyone present uniformly looked at her. Senior Penelope spread her hands, "I don't mean to say the Professor is bad, but Hogwarts' Muggle Studies Class is too outdated. They probably haven't updated their textbooks in nearly a century. In their textbooks, Muggles are still wearing armor and hacking at each other."
"Merlin's armor hacking!" Hermione Granger was utterly incredulous, and Harry Potter's eyes widened beside her.
"Hacking at each other in armor," Amanda heard the keywords and quickly made a judgment in her mind, "The Wizarding World's understanding of Muggles is still stuck in the Middle Ages."
"Then Ron Weasley, taking this class really isn't as good as asking me or Hermione Granger." Harry Potter looked at Ron Weasley sincerely. The Wizarding World's understanding of Muggles being stuck in the Middle Ages was quite something.
"Alright." Ron Weasley nodded, abandoning his plan to take Muggle Studies Class.
Not just him, almost everyone present gave up the idea of taking this elective course.
Only Amanda's thoughts remained firm in her mind: Hogwarts, as a school, must have a reason and significance for arranging Muggle Studies Class this way.
There are no meaningless or useless classes in school. If such a thought arises, it only proves that one's learning is inadequate, or simply that one has not studied seriously.
Therefore, she should still take this class later, or rather, she should take all classes seriously, not underestimate any class, and not give up on any class. This is the most basic requirement for a student.
Amanda's brain thought with such certainty. After watching cartoons for nearly an hour, it was almost lunchtime.
Standing up, Amanda instinctively walked towards the kitchen. Hermione Granger also quickly stood up and followed her. The others looked at each other but did not get up.
According to the "schedule," Amanda and Hermione Granger were responsible for cooking and cleaning today. Besides, they were guests, and it was their first day, so it wouldn't be good to rush to do chores.
However, after this... Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecombe, and Senior Penelope, the three more meticulous girls, exchanged glances.
Hermione Granger was an exception, but they would definitely compete to do Amanda's chores. That child needed to relax, and the more relaxation, the better.
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