HP Nocturne and Evening Bell

Chapter No.16

On a rainy spring morning, the Watson family learned the news of adopting Tom.

"Hermione, I know you...but..." Mrs. Watson hesitated to speak.

"I know what you're trying to say. I'm mentally prepared. In two years, I'll be sending him to boarding school. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I have to."

"I know you must have thought everything out. But Hermione, if there's anything I need help with, please let me know."

"Oh, I think I need your help with something important right now. How the hell are waffles made?"

"God, I've shown you three times!"

The mother's hearty laughter caught Virgil's attention. He walked around anxiously, wanting to step forward, but he never took any action.

"I think I've taken up some people's time." Mrs. Watson couldn't help laughing.

"No, it's not what you think..."

"Okay, I'm going to get some wheat flour. Hermione, do you want me to bring some for you?"

"No, thank you ma'am, I just bought thirty pounds last time."

"Thirty pounds? Hermione, can you handle it?"

"Oh, it's okay, isn't there still Tom? He's a little man." Of course, Hermione would not tell Mrs. Watson that she used Apparition to bring the flour back. Although Tom firmly refused Apparation, but that After that time, he stopped talking about the stupidity of flying on a broomstick.

"I think I'll write you my waffle-making tips when I get back. Jill, come here, I'm leaving."

Virgil was a little embarrassed, but he finally walked to Hermione's side under his mother's narrow eyes.

"How are Penny and the others doing? I haven't heard anything since I went to see them last time."

"That's all I have to say, Hermione, Brough is gone."

"gone?"

"He left a letter for Penny, saying that he was going to the United States to pursue his dream, and told Penny to go back to Ireland or join his friends in Manchester."

"Where is Penny going?"

"She said she wasn't going anywhere, she wanted to stay here."

"Blau just left? Isn't he worried about Penny? What if she stays here alone?"

"Penny is much stronger than I thought. She is now working as a cleaner at the Telegraph Company."

"The Telegraph Company? That's where you work."

"Yes, yes." Virgil blushed a little, "In fact, I have been secretly teaching her to use a typewriter, and she said that she wants to be a secretary in the future. These days, I may come back later, if mother asks, Please don't tell her, after all, she was impressed by Blau's taunts growing up, and I don't think she wants me to have anything to do with them."

"I won't tell Mrs. Watson, Jill, I think Penny cares about you too."

"What, what, don't talk nonsense, I just want to help her, she is a..."

"Okay, I see." Hermione couldn't help laughing seeing Virgil's flustered look, "Tom is still waiting for me at home, today I'm going to experiment with raspberry cake, it looks better than waffles."

"Raspberry cake? You think this is easier? Oh, that's a good idea, so good luck."

Before Virgil showed a more terrifying expression, Hermione turned and left first.

The empty room on the second floor was cleaned up and turned into Tom's bedroom. Hermione didn't bother to decorate it. It didn't take long before it almost became a second study room. There were three stacks of books neatly placed on the desk. There are two unfinished books on the small table.Tom finally stopped Hermione from buying him a Quidditch broom, and replaced him with a cat with long black fur and blue-green eyes. Hermione felt very similar to Crookshanks. Sillet is a beauty pageant winner compared to her flat face, yet Nagini refuses to be on the same occasion as this beautiful cat.

"So there are timid snakes too." Hermione laughed out of breath.

"I think you've misunderstood something. It's not cowardice. Sillet is a powerful magical creature, and Nagini is just playing it safe."

As expected of a Slytherin, Hermione cursed in her heart.The longer she spends with Tom, the more Hermione feels that he is a Slytherin. This is not because of the simple identity of the heir, but because of Tom's standard of value judgment and attitude towards others.She had seen shallow shadows in little Malfoy, but little Malfoy was just a clumsy performer, while Tom was a natural actor.

She has been trying to avoid certain value conflicts, but Tom is too smart, he has learned to explore the world by himself, and some problems are inevitable after all.

"What is a Muggleborn?" When Tom's slightly shifted voice sounded in the back of her head, Hermione seemed to hear a broken heartstring, and those bad words about blood came to her mind again, and she needed a lot of effort to understand Control yourself and stay calm.

"I think you understand what that word means." Hermione tried not to look unusual.

"But why is it called mudblood? I don't know how to explain this word."

MUDBLOOD.If this was a nerve-piercing curse, Hermione would have learned how to be immune to it all these years ago, but she still felt the naive cruelty when she saw this word being spoken from the mouth of a boy who knew nothing about it.Deep-rooted ideas, branded from the beginning, she couldn't find anyone to blame.

"That's a very dirty word, Tom, and it would never come from the mouth of an educated wizard. But you know, there are all kinds of prejudice and discrimination in this world, and the wizarding world is no exception. Talk about racial origin is no more benevolent than the Muggle world. But I hope you have your own criteria for judging value, instead of arbitrarily labeling people based on blood origin."

"Don't be like those people who make fun of Watson because he's Jewish?"

"Yes. Do you think Virgil is a greedy and despicable Jew? In the same way, in the wizarding world, besides Muggles, there are also half-blood and pure-blood wizards. Although pure-blood wizards think highly of themselves, they also have A lot of stupid, mean people. And half-bloods and Muggle-borns, there are a lot of good and great people who have never been easily defined by others because of their blood. Some of them are the bravest and most optimistic people I have ever met. One day, you learn to see them for what they are rather than their origins and lineage."

"Then you're Muggle-born, right?"

"Yes."

"I didn't find your surname in "The Millennium Wizard Family". In fact, I didn't find Riddle's surname either." Tom lowered his head.

"But I dare say, Tom, you are the smartest and most talented wizard I have ever met, far surpassing even many wizards who are much older than you."

"really?"

"Would you let your blood stop your talents and pursuits?"

"of course not."

"I think that's the best answer, Tom."

Tom raised his head, his curly black hair grew a little longer, covering his eyebrows, his dark eyes were shining brightly, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Hermione, I don't understand why you stay in the Muggle world , living with some people who don't understand magic, you can obviously go to the Ministry of Magic to better demonstrate your ability."

"Because the Ministry of Magic does not allow witches to serve as officials. Besides, some things I encountered in France prevented me from appearing in the wizarding world with a high profile. I feel at ease living with Muggles, and I can't leave Watson behind." Family. Most importantly, there is still you here, and I will wait until you go to Hogwarts to study."

Tom seemed a little surprised by this answer: "I am not someone of yours, and the Watson family is not your relatives. You have the ability and strength, why waste it on these things?"

"Oh, let me accept your praise for now. There is a man who I think is great once said: It is not his ability that determines a person's fate, but his choice. Tom, we have been together for nearly a year , I don’t think you are someone I can leave at any time, it’s not just because of spells and contracts. Similarly, the Watson family is also, I do this entirely out of my own choice.”

Tom became more and more confused. From the first meeting, he knew that there were countless stories hidden in Hermione's body. He knew that she was knowledgeable and magical.The more he spends with her, the less he can underestimate the girl in front of him. She should have the ambition to turn the clouds upside down, but she lives an ordinary and even anonymous life.Every time she goes to Diagon Alley, she appears mysterious and cautious.She was doing boring work, earnestly and patiently instructing him on the problems he didn't understand, just like an ordinary teacher.But her scarred fingers, restless dreams and whispers in the middle of the night all tormented his heart.Those years in France, Tom knew, were probably harder than his years in the orphanage.Who is it that has invaded her peaceful dreams and her supposedly carefree girlhood?And those friends that she said from time to time, where are they, and what happened?During this year, no one except the Watson family took the initiative to contact Hermione.

She seems to have lost everything.But she was still smiling.