"Weasley, two tents, reserved two days ago, for one night, right?" Mr. Roberts asked, looking at a form stuck to the door.
"That's right," Mr. Weasley replied.
After confirming it, it was time to pay. It was a very strange situation: Mr. Weasley, who claimed to be very interested in Muggles, didn't recognize Muggle currency and needed the help of a real Muggle to complete the transaction.
He turned red and took a step back, thinking of calling Harry. Mr. Granger, who had spent the whole night talking to him about various topics, knew very well Arthur Weasley's actual knowledge of Muggles, so he voluntarily offered to communicate with Mr. Roberts.
"We'll pay together, Granger, for one tent, again for one night."
"No problem," Mr. Roberts responded immediately, though Mr. Weasley's actions raised his suspicion.
While Mr. Granger paid, Arthur crossed his arms and muttered to himself, "Is this a five? Oh, I see the numbers on it, it's fifty. Why are you giving two fifty-pound notes...?"
"Oh my goodness, that's a five-pound note!" Mr. Granger quietly corrected him, confused. He wondered if Arthur really couldn't see the numbers on the money. Although it was true that the colors of the old and new five-pound notes were similar.
This has to do with the history of British money. In simple terms, the Bank of England began issuing a new type of banknote in 1928, which they called "series A," and then iterated, introducing series B, series C, and so on.
The year 1994 coincided with the rotation of the D and E series of pounds, the old pound had not yet been abolished, and the new one had just been issued, so there was some confusion about the currency.
Everyone at the scene felt uncomfortable realizing that Mr. Roberts had heard every word of their conversation.
Mr. Weasley's comments didn't sound like something an adult would say.
"Is this your first time in the UK?" Mr. Roberts asked as he handed over the change.
Mr. Weasley: ??
"You're not the first to confuse the amount of money. Two people tried to pay with coins a moment ago. What's stranger is that this year there are too many tourists, hundreds of them..." Mr. Roberts said thoughtfully. "It's very strange, it seems like people from all over the world are gathering here, and there are many strange types... it feels like they're attending a big event."
At that moment, a wizard suddenly appeared and landed behind Mr. Roberts.
"Obliviate," he pointed his wand at Mr. Roberts and shouted loudly.
Mr. Roberts's gaze instantly became vacant. Soon, he released his furrowed brow, and his expression became absent. His memory had been altered.
He handed over the campsite map and change to Mr. Granger calmly, and then they all proceeded to the campsite accompanied by the intervening wizard.
The Granger couple, who had witnessed the entire process, fell silent. During the journey from the stone house to the campsite, they didn't say a word until the wizard disappeared.
"So, do you... treat non-magical people like that? Erasing their memories?" Mr. Granger asked Mr. Weasley after a moment of silence.
Tom: ...
Shivering, he realized things didn't seem quite right. He had witnessed a wizard, in front of Mr. Granger, using the Obliviate Charm on a Muggle. Upon closer examination, it was difficult to accept.
"Well, yes," Mr. Weasley nodded. "Due to the Secrecy Law, but don't worry, the Ministry has chosen Obliviate experts who are highly competent and won't cause any harm."
The Obliviate Charm is a very dangerous spell, and wizards who cast it must have strong control, or it can have very bad consequences.
In the original timeline, Bertha Jorkins fell victim to Barty Crouch Sr.'s Obliviate Charm, which caused severe mental issues and led her to go on vacation for recovery. Lockhart, on the other hand, cast his own Obliviate Charm and ended up in the hospital, spending the rest of his life in a state of confusion.
Spells involving memory require a wizard with advanced skills to cast them.
Mr. Granger didn't trust Arthur's words very much. Though he was just a dentist, he was also a medical doctor and had a more comprehensive knowledge of the human body than anyone else present. He felt that, even though his new friend solemnly promised that the spell wouldn't cause harm, the frequent alteration of memories couldn't be a good thing.
Perhaps magic was different. He comforted himself by thinking that with non-magical technology, it was nearly impossible to selectively modify a person's memory. Though during conversations, everyone enjoyed making jokes about the "Great Memory Restoration," they all knew it was forced.
Even if you beat a bear until it admitted to being a rabbit, deep down in its heart, it would still know it's a bear. But magic was different; magic could make you sincerely believe you were a rabbit.
That's magic!
Mr. Granger shivered and looked at Mr. Roberts standing in front of his little house, gazing at the sky. That was a Muggle who had affected the interests of wizards!
His calm expression made Mr. Granger deeply uncomfortable. But when his eyes fell on his daughter, that discomfort was greatly dispelled; he still had his daughter.
That feeling was like getting a boat ticket just before a flood hit. He stood on the deck of the boat, watching people on the shore being swept away by the waters. Though he had a sense of sadness for those drowning, at least he had "reached safe land."
He hadn't carefully considered what would happen if his daughter wasn't present in a situation like this. Overthinking it would only make him feel uneasy.
"So..." Mrs. Granger said after hearing Mr. Weasley's explanation, also lost in thought. "Why don't they kick them out? Why not send Mr. Roberts somewhere else for vacation?"
Mr. Granger's breath caught. Yes, it seemed quite easy to send that poor camp guard on vacation, didn't it?
"Who knows? Maybe the Ministry has its own ideas about it," Mr. Weasley said, his thoughts not really focused on that. He was busy looking for the exact location of his own campsite.
Mr. Granger fell into despair again.
"Perhaps it's a matter of scale," Tom interjected, unable to bear it any longer and decided to help cheer up Mr. Granger, or at least find a good excuse for him.