pertwk Chapter 295 The Journey Home and Sharing
Chapter 295 The Journey Home and Sharing
Chapter 295 The Journey Home and Sharing
The cool January morning sunlight pierced through the thin mist that shrouded London, casting its light on the old brick walls of King's Cross Station. The Hawthorne family once again stood before that seemingly ordinary stone wall between platforms nine and ten. Unlike the usual poignant farewells Cullen felt before departing for Hogwarts, the air was now filled with a reassuring and comforting sense of ease.
Lily, wearing her beautiful red wool coat, clung tightly to Karen's sleeve, chattering excitedly.
"—I almost succeeded yesterday, Karen! I managed to bend the biggest blue block just a tiny bit, just a tiny bit! And the sandbox too, I think I've figured out a trick. Next time you come back, I'm sure I can build a valley with a waterfall! And also, I've been practicing with the crystal ball every day, and Mom says I can make the little stars inside 'jump' faster!" Her big eyes sparkled, filled with fascination for the magic practice box and anticipation for her brother's return. "When you get to school, remember to tell me with your quill what fun things are in the castle!"
David looked at his children, a relieved and calm smile on his face. He reached out and patted Karen's shoulder firmly. "Alright, Lily, let your brother catch his breath. Karen, be careful on the road. Remember to write to us when you get to school. And remember to convey our sincerest gratitude to Mr. Nicolas Flamel and Professor Castor once again; their gift—exceeded our expectations."
Emily stepped forward and straightened Carren's collar, her eyes gentle yet proud. "Take care of yourself, darling. Study hard, but don't stay up too late. We know you're in a wonderful place, doing amazing things." She gently hugged her son and whispered in his ear, "Thank you for everything you've done for Lily; that space is heaven for her. We're so proud of you."
Karen hugged her mother back, then nodded earnestly to her father. "I will, Dad, Mom. Thank you. Lily," he bent down to look at his sister, "be good at home, keep trying, but don't overwork yourself."
I promise I'll come back to check out your waterfall valley next time.
"Mmm!" Lily nodded vigorously, then rushed over and gave her brother a tight hug. "Goodbye, Karen! I'll miss you!"
Karen picked up his suitcase, which had been enchanted with a Stretch-Without-Trace Charm but didn't look bulky, waved to his family one last time, then turned around and pushed the luggage cart with steady, practiced steps, seamlessly blending into the partition wall and disappearing into the bustling magical world of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Steam billowed from the platform, and the massive, deep red engine of the Hogwarts Express puffed out white smoke, emitting a long, reassuring whistle. The farewell crowds, students dragging their luggage, friends shouting hellos, owls darting about, and various pets created a familiar yet vibrant scene. After boarding, Karen's gaze swept across the crowd, quickly locking onto two familiar figures.
Wesley, his striking reddish-brown hair almost like a lighthouse, stood in the doorway of a private room, gesturing animatedly and talking animatedly to Fabian beside him, his face radiating the energy and sunny smile that comes with a wonderful vacation. Fabian, as always, wore his glasses, a gentle and slightly shy smile on his face, listening patiently, nodding occasionally. At his feet was a backpack that looked crammed full, with even a bunch of dried plants tucked into the side pocket, suggesting that his vacation had been quite fruitful.
"Karen! Over here!" Wesley spotted Karen immediately and shouted loudly, waving his hand vigorously, attracting the curious glances of several first-year students nearby.
Karen smiled and pushed the cart over: "Hey, Wesley, Fabian. Looks like you two had a good holiday."
"Not just good!" Wesley practically snatched Karen's suitcase, laboriously stuffing it along with his own luggage into the luggage rack at the back of the carriage. "Absolutely fantastic! I feel like this vacation has been more fulfilling than a whole semester of History of Magic classes—in every sense of the word! Come on in, the compartment is still empty!"
The three squeezed into an empty compartment and sat comfortably on the soft seats. Just then, the train let out a long whistle and slowly started moving, the platform outside the window beginning to move backward.
"Oh, right, here you go." Karen took two wrapped gifts from her small bag and handed them to the two of them. "Just a little something."
"Wow! There are gifts too? That's great!" Wesley exclaimed excitedly as he took the package and quickly unwrapped it. "442! It's the latest issue! And World Soccer! Merlin! Karen, you know me so well! I've been thinking about this since I was home! And a big bag of toffee! Thank you!" He immediately started flipping through the magazines as if they were priceless treasures, almost burying his face in them.
Fabian carefully unpacked the package. When he saw the classic black Parker fountain pen and the high-quality, unbleached sketchbook, he excitedly pushed up his glasses. "Oh, Karen! This—this is fantastic! This pen looks and feels wonderful, perfect for recording plant forms—and this sketchbook is perfect for sketching. Thank you so much!" He stroked the smooth pen and pages with obvious delight, clearly very satisfied.
"Hey, stop looking at the gifts!" Wesley quickly looked up from the football magazine, his excitement undiminished. "Tell me about your vacation! Karen, you go first! How was your trip home? Anything interesting happened? Your quill description was too brief!"
Karen smiled, her body swaying slightly with the rhythm of the train: "Actually, it was quite ordinary, mainly spending time with family. Christmas dinner, opening presents, watching TV, and going for a walk together when the weather was nice. It was very warm and relaxing. However, towards the end of the holiday, my advisors, Professor Nico and Professor Castor, sent me a..."
"Well, it's kind of a magical tool. It's quite interesting; it's a safe space for Lily to practice magic, and my parents can use it too. They love it, and Lily is absolutely obsessed with it. She's been thinking about it constantly these past few days."
"A magical practice space? That sounds amazing!" Wesley's eyes widened. "Like your alchemy workshop?"
"The principle is somewhat similar, but there aren't as many alchemical tools. There are many more props suitable for Lily, and it focuses more on enlightenment and safety," Karen explained. "There are some very interesting toys inside, such as bubbles that can float and change color automatically, a harp with light strings, and a sandbox that can change the terrain according to one's will. Most importantly, it can be activated and used without magic."
"Merlin's socks!" Wesley exclaimed. "They sound funnier than anything from the Joko's Joke Shop!"
Your sister is so lucky!
Fabian listened intently: "No magic is needed to activate it—that means ordinary people can use it too. Your mentors have made excellent preparations."
"Yes," Karen wholeheartedly agreed, "they've thought things through very well."
"Alright, your turn, Fabian!" Wesley eagerly turned the conversation to his friend, even more impatient than Karen. "Quick! Get your photo album out! I can't wait to see it! You were so vague in your handwriting before, the photos are definitely going to be even more exciting!"
Fabian's face immediately lit up with a radiance unlike any he'd ever shown before, as if the excitement he'd accumulated during the holiday had finally found an outlet. He carefully pulled a thick photo album wrapped in some kind of rough leather from his bulging backpack, his expression becoming lively: "Actually—I really did experience a lot of unforgettable things this holiday."
He opened the photo album, and the first page featured a striking photograph: an endless, dark green fir forest covered in thick snow, with huge icicles hanging like crystal swords from the branches and under the eaves of ancient wooden houses, reflecting a cold, dazzling light in the sunlight. The photo was dynamic, with occasional tiny snowflakes falling softly from the branches.
"This is the forest outside my grandmother's house, right at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains," Fabian said, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "Every morning when I opened the window, this was a world of ice and snow, the air was freezing cold, but incredibly clean."
Then he turned to the next page. The photo showed a bustling village square, where men, women, and children were all dressed in brightly colored traditional clothing embroidered with intricate patterns, and everyone's face was beaming with joy. They were gathered around a huge, unlit, ice-blue crystal pillar, holding wands aloft.
"This is the celebratory dinner after the Winter Solstice!" Fabian excitedly pointed to a close-up photo of a golden, crispy-looking pie. "Look at this! Take a bite, or even just take a deep breath, and the burp you produce is a snowflake-shaped bubble! It floats up slowly and takes a long time to dissipate!" In the photo, someone is taking a bite of the pie and then covering their mouth in surprise. A perfect little snowflake bubble floats out from between their fingers and rises slowly.
Wesley burst into laughter: "That's so cool! I really want to try that!"
Karen smiled and shook her head: "That's a really good idea."
The following photos captured the climax of the celebration: several spells of different colors shot from the tips of the wands of the surrounding wizards, simultaneously striking the ice-blue crystal pillar in the center of the square. The pillar instantly ignited, bursting forth with a massive, cold-colored flame, as dazzling and flowing as the aurora borealis, illuminating the entire night sky. The light shifted and changed, finally transforming into countless warm specks of light that gently drifted down, covering everyone present. The moving images perfectly captured that grand and dreamlike scene.
"They say this dust of light brings good luck for the whole year," Fabian said with a smile. "It requires many people to work together to ignite it; it's a tradition that's been going on for centuries."
Then, he flipped to the most precious part of the album. Some of the photos were taken from a great distance with a telephoto lens, and were slightly blurry, but you could still clearly make out several huge, winged figures circling and swooping down on the snow-covered mountain ridges in the distance, and occasionally you could see a small wisp of real flame shooting out.
"The Hehidari Black Dragon!" Fabian lowered his voice, with a hint of awe. "I saw it from afar once when I went out with my grandmother to collect medicinal herbs! It was definitely wild! We hid very well, and they didn't notice us."
"Merlin!" Wesley gasped, his eyes widening as he practically pressed his face against the photograph. "It's a real fire-breathing dragon! Flying outside! You actually saw a wild one! That's so dangerous! And so cool!"
Even Karen leaned forward, her eyes fixed on the blurry yet imposing figures: "Incredible—their flight looks even more powerful than described in the books. You're very lucky, Fabian."
"And these," Fabian turned a few more pages, revealing much clearer, closer-up photographs of dragons chained by massive chains and cared for by burly wizards in leather hats. "These are photos from a visit to the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, where you can see them up close, much safer. This is a Chinese Fireball Dragon, and this is a Welsh Green Dragon—look at the details of their scales and eyes—"
The two boys were completely captivated by the photos, especially Wesley, who kept exclaiming in amazement and asking questions. Fabian patiently answered their questions, sharing interesting anecdotes he had heard from his grandmother and the reserve guide about the habits, care, and even breeding of fire dragons.
Finally, Fabian closed the photo album and took out an oil paper package from his backpack: "Oh, right, I also brought some Romanian special magic candies, want to try some?" Inside were all kinds of strangely shaped and tempting candies, some of which were still wriggling slightly or making a soft popping sound.
Without hesitation, Wesley grabbed a handful and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling his praise, "Delicious! This is awesome!"
Karen cautiously picked up a quiet-looking, star-shaped blue candy and put it in her mouth. A cool, unique flavor, a blend of citrus and mint, exploded on her tongue, a truly wonderful sensation. "It tastes very unique," she commented.
The train continued its northward journey amidst laughter and chatter, the pastoral scenery outside the window gradually giving way to rolling hills and patches of snow. After sharing their wonderful holiday experiences, the atmosphere in the compartment calmed down a bit, and the conversation naturally turned to the upcoming new semester.
“Speaking of which,” Wesley said, licking the powdered sugar off his fingers and frowning, “we’re going to see Lockhart again soon. By Merlin’s side, after the Cornish elf disaster, the troll story session, and that ridiculous dueling club, I really don’t know what new tricks he’ll come up with to torment us when school starts. Do you think he’ll teach us how to ward off vampires with a smile?”
Karen and Fabian both gave a helpless smile. Karen said, "Based on the style of his previous books, I guess it'll be about having dinner with werewolves or scaring Hinkpunk away with an autographed photo. Anyway, don't get your hopes up too high; just getting through get out of class unscathed would be a success."
"I just hope he doesn't make us put on any more silly plays." Fabian pushed up his glasses, still shaken. "Playing Lockhart, the terrified guy being chased by a savage troll, was a stain on my magical career last time."
"Hahaha!" Wesley burst out laughing. "I remember! That look on your face!"
Amidst laughter and conversation, the train continued its northward journey, the scenery outside the window becoming increasingly desolate, and the sky gradually darkening. In the distance, the outline of a familiar, undulating black mountain range began to appear on the horizon.
"Look!" Wesley shouted, pointing out the window, "We're almost there!"
As dusk settled over the mountain peaks, a majestic and magnificent castle, its countless spires towering high, gradually revealed its clear and familiar outline. Warm, twinkling light shone from the windows of Hogwarts Castle, like a giant, magical lighthouse guiding returning students.
The train sounded its whistle, spewing out large amounts of white steam, and slowly pulled toward the familiar platform. The new school term was beginning, slowly unfolding with the crisp, cool air of the Scottish winter.