Training students, war. Can gain victory?
The exchange between them stopped abruptly, Harry and Ron both silently opened their mouths and their expressions became terrified, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads.
"Oh, of course!"
Seeing them both in this state, Hermione became a bit flustered, after all, her implication was equivalent to charging a professor with illegally using a young wizard as a soldier to train an army, the severity of this matter was tens of times greater than what he implied that students could violate the law at an appropriate time in a concealed environment!
"This is just my nonsense talk, you can ignore it!"
Hermione stared at them with wide eyes and said.
It was impossible to ignore, Harry's eyes narrowed gradually, the icy blood that he had felt moments ago had now turned into a burning heat. He still hadn't fully grasped what the implication in Hermione's guess was, but his heart was pounding heavily.
"You mean, Hermione..."
Harry leaned in, lowering his voice.
"Professor Bran may have realized, like Professor Dumbledore, that Voldemort would return one day, so. So, he wants to train us to fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters!"
"Don't say that name here, Harry!"
Hermione shook slightly, looking angry at Harry, and now, she felt a bit regretful for telling them her speculative guess with no evidence.
"Isn't that impossible?"
Ron laughed dryly a few times, but from the rigidness of his expression, it was completely evident that he was tense at the moment.
"Even if it were the Minister of Magic, they have no right to send a group of young wizards to fight against Death Eaters and the Dark Lord, we should be studying at Hogwarts and dealing with the Black Witch is the work of the Ministry of Magic!"
Hmm--
Harry pulled back slightly. It has to be said, Ron's argument was very reasonable. Professor Bran couldn't possibly send them to the battlefield. No one would support such an idea, especially as Dumbledore himself would firmly oppose it.
Harry leaned back against the sofa, biting his lip. Why did he feel a bit disappointed?
"Stop thinking about it, Harry—"
Ron gasped for a few breaths, and the pale complexion made his freckles on the tip of his nose more prominent.
"Just think about the things we saw at the orphanage during the holiday. Professor Bran privately cares for a group of homeless muggle children. He certainly wouldn't send the Hogwarts wizards to fight against the Dark Lord and Death Eaters, it's like saying, it's just asking for death –"
Harry moved his nose and didn't speak, but his expression seemed a bit unsatisfied.
He knows that Voldemort's henchmen are a pack of evil scoundrels, and he's sure that he wouldn't be able to stand up to them alone. But Ron hasn't seen the power of teamwork with them, and if he had, he shouldn't be so self-deprecating.
"Oh, I almost forgot –"
Hermione suddenly screamed, and then, under the confused gazes of Harry and Ron, she began to tidy up the books that had fallen on the sofa, as if she were going to leave.
"Oh—" Ron rolled his eyes, "at least, could you explain one thing to me?"
"So –" Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"I have some clothes, still new, just not fitting anymore. I plan to send them to that orphanage. And I've also written to my parents about that orphanage, of course, I didn't mention Professor Bran, only said it was a friend of mine who grew up there in school."
I asked them to pack up some clothes from home and send it over using muggle methods. My parents agreed, and they also seem to be planning to donate some money to the orphanage.
Harry and Ron looked at each other in amazement.
"But Professor Bran wouldn't allow it!"
Harry's emerald eyes flickered with approval, thinking Hermoine's idea was brilliant, but at the same time, he also had some misgivings.
"But they were going to do the same thing –"
Hermione seemed to have anticipated their question, she smiled happily, and her smile carried a hint of slyness.
"Oh, Professor Bran refused Sirius and Remus because they were planning to donate galleons to a muggle orphanage, which of course is not allowed. But my parents are also muggles, and they are just making donations through normal muggle social channels. Isn't that reasonable?"
Hermione strained to pick up the stacked pile of books, smiling and saying.
"And I'm just donating some old clothes, which is nothing significant, right? The school owls can't handle such a large package. It's the day when Hogsmeade is open tomorrow, so I can go through the post office in Hogsmeade. I even got a notice that there are some packages of mine there--"
Only after Hermione's trembling figure disappeared on the stairs of the girls' dormitory did Harry and Ron turn their gaze back to each other, looking at each other in amazement.
Splash——
A period of silence ensued, and then, the two boys simultaneously jumped up from the sofa, moving in perfect unison towards their dormitories!
"I really don't understand, why is her brain so practical!" Ron complained indignantly, "I didn't even think of it!"
"Ah, you should have gotten used to this, Ron, she's Hermione—"
Harry, huffing and puffing from climbing the stairs, said, "Most of my old clothes are from Dudley's, only a few are here at Hogwarts. But it doesn't matter, I can buy some new ones tomorrow in Hogsmeade, and pick up some candy from The Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes while I'm at it--"
"I'm afraid I don't have enough money to buy candy for those children, Harry--"
Ron sighed.
"But as for old clothes, I've got heaps of them; they're all left by Bill, Charlie, Percy, and Fred and George. They're at home. I need to write to my mom. There's only the sweater she knitted for me in the dormitory, and there's also that outdated formal dress; I'd be very happy to donate it if there's another idiot willing to wear it."
The first weekend of the new term saw the end of the cold winds howling through the mountains and waters.
In the nearly half a month, the light yellow sunlight broke through the layered clouds for the first time and bathed the earth. The wet snowy layers radiated light, everything in sight seemed pale.
Although there was no cold wind, the melting snow made the air even colder. However, this did not quench the enthusiasm of the young wizards. A queue formed outside the great iron gates as they awaited Filch to verify the list of students eligible to leave school.
Filch had no courage to let the two school vice-principals, two college deans, and the professor of the Black Magic Defense Course follow the students into the queue. With a stern expression, he saw them and immediately welcomed them warmly, with a smile on his face.
The melted snow made the road slippery and hard to walk. By the time the Amortas' group stepped into Hogsmeade, Florean Fortescue's entire pair of pants was almost wet through, and Professor Sprout, who had been holding him up all the way, was gasping for breath.
"Holy Merlin's beard--"
"Professor Flamel's beard--"
"Surely, someone is supposed to be maintaining this road?"
"That's exactly what we lack compared to the muggles--"
Amortas released his arm and leaned on a cane, walking on such a slippery road was even more difficult than Professor Flamel, who was still wearing his muddy pants.
"Years enough for the muggles to build a grand city on a barren land—"
Opening the door to The Three Broomsticks, he waved away the sultry barmaid who was staring at him with eager eyes, Amortas said casually.
"But for centuries, no one has ever thought about improving the basic infrastructure that is closely related to the lives of wizards. To be honest, wizards really need to seek change –"
There were already a few young wizards inside the Three Broomsticks pub, Amortas glanced around and found Harry, Hermione and Ron sitting at a small round table near the window. The three of them looked down and pretended to study a package on the table as soon as they saw him.
What trouble have you caused again?
Amortas raised his eyebrows, suddenly feeling a faint sense of unease.
However, he soon dismissed his doubts and smiled, returning his gaze.
Counting on these "leading characters" to not cause trouble is impossible. Even if they don't start anything, trouble will find them.
Amortas thought that, and followed McGonagall into the compartment.
(The end of this chapter)
