ace;Thunder--a thunderous rumble filled the earth, as a deluge of rain enveloped the Brian estate in oppressive gloom.
Returning to the private drawing room, Amostha found Harry lost in thought, and the exquisite desserts on the coffee table before him appeared untouched.
"Brian Professor--"
Seeing Amostha walk into the room, Harry came back to life from his daze. He seemed curious about many things, but the serious expression on Professor Brian's face reminded him that he might not be exploring his secrets.
"Are we... leaving now?"
Under the pressure surrounding Amostha, Harry held back the desire to ask about the meeting's situation, making him look a bit uneasy.
Strolling to the window, Amostha gazed out at the dense rain curtains and pondered for a moment, "The old butler Lawrence has invited us to lunch. Hmm... such bad weather, I don't think it matters much to have lunch here. At least, we won't have to brave the heavy rain to find a car."
That's a lie—Harry saw through it at a glance.
Professor Brian was a powerful wizard, and if he wanted, he had plenty of means to avoid getting wet. Of course, Harry was not foolish. He did not burst the lie but simply nodded dumbly.
Amostha closed the window, brushed off the raindrops from his clothes, turned around, and sat beside Harry, examining the interior decoration of the room in detail—the crystal chandelier, velvet carpet, cedarwood coffee table, and even the teacups used for serving tea were fine porcelain from China.
"Gee, rich and luxurious people--"
Amostha glanced appreciatively over the furnishings in the room, whispering his approval. He thought that Harry Potter might respond with some words of agreement, but in fact he did not. Potter said nothing at all, only casting a secretive and restrained gaze at himself.
Amostha thought for a moment, leaned back in his chair, and asked with a smile,
"I guess, you must be curious about my relationship with the owner of this estate."
"I'm not quite sure, Professor," Harry hesitated and nodded, "You said you grew up in an orphanage, but it seems you have known... Well, you have a relationship with this estate?"
"This is because--"
Amostasthen picked up a tea point from the coffee table and threw it into his mouth, crunching and chewing on it nonstop, muttering as he said,
How can I explain it to you... Well, although I am not like you, who defeated the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, a terror to the magical world, at birth, Potter, I also have my own unique talent."
"A unique talent?"
Harry had no time to argue with Professor Brian's teasing words, and he curiously blinked his eyes.
"Yes--" Amostast nodded and said, "My memory is outstanding... Of course, saying so might make you wonder what talent it is. There are many people with incredible memories among Muggles, but they are definitely not like me. Since the moment I opened my eyes in this world, I remember every event that has happened to me..."
Harry took a few seconds to figure out what Professor Brian meant by his words, and then he was shocked and widened his eyes, a funny and incredible expression on his face,
"You mean you remember every single thing that has happened to you since your birth? I've never heard of anyone who has such a talent!"
"Ah, yes, this situation is indeed not common, but there will always be situations like mine." Amostast talked vaguely, and held out his hands to Harry, "So, it's not hard to understand why although I am an orphan, I know the relationship between the owner of this estate and me in terms of blood."
Harry took some time to digest the shocking news, and among all his friends, Hermione was undoubtedly the smartest one. She could memorize a textbook that looks hopeless from the very first glance within the shortest time possible, and long after that, she could still recite the contents of the book backward. But Harry believed that even Hermione couldn't remember what she looked like when she was born!
"So, that means you know... know why they would..."
Harry showed a hesitant expression.
"Abandon me?"
Amostha finished the words that Harry didn't say.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Professor!" Harry stood up, quickly expressing his apology, "I didn't mean to pry into your privacy."
Amostha waved for Harry to sit down, indicating that he didn't need to be overly tense, and then looked out of the window at the relentless rain, frowning and saying,
"All right, before lunch begins, perhaps we need a topic to pass the time... Actually, I don't think discussing my background is something that should be considered embarrassing. It's just that I find it boring and tedious... But since we need a topic..."
"That's another lie!"
Harry pursed his lips in his mind, thinking that Professor Brian just wanted to find an excuse to vent.
He is not an orphan, but it's pretty much the same. Sometimes, he really wants to tell others how difficult life with the Dursleys has been, and of course, he has shared these things with Ron and Hermione before; they were indeed shocked and angry, but Ron and Hermione couldn't really empathize...
Life is always lonely.
Harry suddenly remembered what Professor Brian had once said to Hermione, maybe, what he meant was... Some pain brought by experiences can only be endured by oneself?
"Your mother... oh, of course, and your father, they were killed in the fight against evil to protect the world, to resist Voldemort. Their brave actions are worthy of admiration. Even after more than ten years have passed since they passed away, people still hold them in great respect when they are mentioned--"
Amostha said in a soothing tone, "Your mother..."
"Compared to them, my mother isn't exactly a noble person. In fact, she was quite unlikeable due to her rebellious nature."
Professor Brian's evaluation of his parents made Harry happy but also difficult. He doesn't have the unique talent like Professor Brian, and his understanding of their appearance is still the photo album that Hagrid gave him at the end of his first year, as well as the Eris mirror that has disappeared.
"Rebellion may not be enough to describe my mother's behavior in her youth. She learned to smoke when she was ten years old and picked up a tattoo on her back when she was around the age of Hogwarts first-year students..."
She learned to steal things; of course, her family situation didn't require her to do such despicable acts, but she might have just found it fun... Then, hanging around with boys, fighting and brawling... In less than a year or two, the records she left at the Muggle police station might be thicker than your textbook on magical history."
Harry shocked his eyes at Professor Brian, completely unable to imagine a mother like Professor Brian, who was always polite and seemed to have nothing that could anger him, having such a...rebellious mother!
"You can imagine how much they cried, how they tried to educate her better. For that, they had to transfer her to a famous school, a school that specifically educated problem children."
But it was all in vain, even more so, the chaotic environment of the school only exacerbated her rebellious nature. After a few years there, she was expelled from school for being the leader of a violent gang fight and was detained for some time...
"This made her parents completely disappointed in her. When she returned home, they threw her belongings out the door and shouted that she was no longer their daughter."
Sighing heavily, Amostha seemed to also be disappointed with his mother's rebellious behavior in her youth,
"In fact, speaking of which, my birth was entirely the result of my mother's plan..."
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Reading Pavilion
