It was the first day of December, a weekend, and Bryan woke up to a pleasant surprise. He pulled open the curtains with a smile and gazed at the clear sky. The drizzling rain that had been falling for almost half a month had finally stopped, and the clouds parted, revealing a dazzling blue sky that contrasted with the white snow. However, the temperature had dropped sharply, and the muddy field outside the castle was covered with white frost that sparkled in the sunlight.
He could see his breath as he exhaled, and he felt a shiver run down his spine. He quickly put on his warmest robe, and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. Since it was the day to go to Hogsmeade for the weekend, the school hall was almost empty, except for a few students who had not received permission from their guardians, or who had other plans.
Fluffy snowflakes drifted down from the sky, creating a soft blanket of white, which covered the roofs and the grounds of the castle. The snowflakes melted on the enchanted ceiling of the hall, which reflected the clear sky, and created a beautiful contrast with the four long tables, which were decorated, according to the colors of the four houses.
Bryan sat at the table, and helped himself to some bacon and eggs, and a cup of hot chocolate.
"I have an appointment with Harry to practice the Patronus Charm for a while in the afternoon-" Lupin said to Bryan, sitting at the same table with a few professors. "Do you want to come and watch?"
"Today?" Bryan frowned and muttered. "Harry didn't go to Hogsmeade with his friends?"
"He didn't get the signed permission from his guardian." Lupin's eyes flashed a trace of gloom, but then he smiled and said, "I'm using a boggart to teach Harry this spell, and he's making some progress now. According to his progress, I think Harry might be able to master the Patronus Charm by the end of this school year."
Bryan was not too surprised by this. A third-year wizard who could touch the edge of the Patronus Charm, a profound white magic, with just a few practices, was impressive, but as he had said before, the protagonists are cheaters.
"However, I have other plans for this afternoon." Bryan put down his silver spoon and rubbed his hands. "I'm going to Hogsmeade with Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, and have a chat with the Minister of Magic about the Dementors."
Lupin obviously knew about this too, and nodded without saying anything.
For the whole morning, Bryan didn't go out again, but stayed in his warm office reading books, newspapers, drinking tea, and occasionally standing up to look out at the quiet world outside the window.
He sneezed comfortably, staring at the snow-covered playground, and muttered, "Why do I feel like I've already stepped into retirement life?"
In fact, this was not Bryan's illusion. Thinking about it, the age of his past and present lives added up, and Bryan was not far from retirement. Moreover, after the new dormitory building of the orphanage was built, and his magic power had passed the stage of rapid progress and entered the stage of dripping water, the comfortable homely atmosphere of Hogwarts made Bryan feel lazy for a while.
"Get some energy, Black-" Feeling that it was almost time, Bryan changed his robe and muttered dissatisfiedly, "You only failed once, are you giving up?"
By the time Bryan returned to the hall, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick had been waiting there for a while. Bryan helped them walk down the slippery marble stairs and walked along the stone path that could only vaguely see a little outline towards the school gate. The cold wind blew on their faces, but they were wrapped in thick cloaks and scarves that kept them warm.
On the lawn near the Black Lake, Ginny, Colin and some younger wizards were having a snowball fight, and the cheerful laughter brightened the quiet world.
The three of them walked a little further, and Bryan, who had sharp eyes, saw Hagrid dragging a huge fir tree towards his hut. Bryan blinked and realized that Christmas was approaching.
"Hey, Hagrid!" Bryan waved his arm at Hagrid and shouted, "Do you want to go to Hogsmeade for a drink?"
"Oh, I'd love to!" Hagrid, who had a thick layer of snow on his mole skin coat, shouted happily when he saw who was greeting him. He dropped the fir tree and ran towards them, making the ground shake with his heavy steps. He hugged Bryan and the professors, nearly crushing them, and then followed them to the school gate.
Hogsmeade already had a bit of a festive atmosphere, the thatched cottages and shops were covered with a layer of fresh snow, the doors were hung with holly wreaths, and the trees were dotted with strings of candles enchanted with magic.
In addition to the students of Hogwarts, the local residents, and the children who had not yet reached the age of enrollment, also shuttled through the lively streets, and the whole ancient village was immersed in joy.
Under the Christmas tree that had not yet been hung with lights, the powerful figure in the wizarding world, the famous Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, stood shivering. He wrapped himself in a fine-striped cloak, but his face was still frozen blue. He looked like he was about to catch a cold. When he saw the four people from Hogwarts approaching, his face immediately became rosy. He smiled and waved his hand, trying to look cheerful.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he greeted them warmly.
"Indeed-" Bryan walked up quickly, shook Fudge's hand and smiled. "How have you been lately, Minister?"
"Don't mention it!" Fudge wanted to complain about something, but then a cold wind blew, and Professor McGonagall, who was thin and not resistant to cold, interrupted him. She pulled her cloak tighter around her and frowned. "Let's talk somewhere else, Minister, unless you want us to freeze to death outside."
The group walked past the post office and Zonko's joke shop, and headed for the Three Broomsticks. Along the way, many students who recognized them greeted them, and many residents bowed respectfully to Fudge, who was the Minister of Magic. They looked curious and excited, wondering what brought the Minister to their village.
"Oh-" After sending away a few villagers, Fudge said happily. "It seems that they are enjoying their peaceful life, don't they?"
"You're right, Minister-" Hagrid, who was honest and straightforward, said sincerely. He was not bothered by the cold at all, and his beard was covered with snowflakes. "Ever since Professor Watson locked up the Dementors wandering around, the villager's enthusiasm has risen a lot!"
"Ahem!" Fudge immediately became embarrassed and couldn't speak. Bryan looked at Hagrid approvingly, and by the way helped Professor McGonagall, who was shrugging her shoulders constantly.
Anyway, except in Hogwarts, a magical elite military training base in the wizarding world, the name of the Minister of Magic was still quite impressive in other places. When the group pushed open the door of the Three Broomsticks, Mrs. Rosmerta, who was busy spinning around, immediately dropped her hands and walked over.
"What wind brought you here, Minister?" she asked with interest. She winked at Bryan and the professors, who were her regular customers and led them to the private room.
"Some things. Let's have something to drink first, dear." Fudge glanced at the young man who smiled silently across from him, and said hesitantly. He was not sure how to start the conversation with Bryan.
Everyone ordered alcoholic drinks for themselves, except for Bryan, who usually didn't choose to make his head dizzy at non-meal times.
"A cup of green tea will do-" Bryan said to Mrs. Rosmerta.
Mrs. Rosmerta obviously cut the queue for them, and in less than two minutes, the drinks they ordered were all served. She placed them on the table with a flourish, and then left them alone. The group held their cups and chatted casually, but Fudge seemed to be absent-minded all the time.
"I thought you would come earlier. I mean, after I locked up the Dementors of the Ministry of Magic, I thought you would come to me right away." Bryan said. He took a sip of his green tea and looked at Fudge with a calm expression. He wanted to know what Fudge had to say to him.
Professor McGonagall and the others quieted down.
"I wanted to do that, Bryan-" Fudge said awkwardly. He avoided Bryan's gaze and stirred his drink nervously. "But some more important things held me back."
Hearing this, the faculty members of Hogwarts showed a certain degree of surprise. At the moment, for the Ministry of Magic, there was nothing more important than catching Sirius Black, the notorious mass murderer who had escaped from Azkaban.
"An event, probably landing next year!" Fudge's happy voice revealed a clear sense of superiority. He leaned forward and lowered his voice, as if he was sharing a secret. "Don't ask me, gentlemen, the project is still not out of the fundraising stage. The Ministry of Magic needs to keep it secret. What I can tell you is that Dumbledore and I have been actively promoting this event to proceed smoothly. Some time ago, we two in the International Confederation of Wizards(I.C.W) persuaded a party that was ready to participate in the event to put the venue in Ho-, Uh, in Britain!"
The professors looked at each other, and finally, Professor Flitwick squeaked. "If you mean the World Cup, Minister-"
"It has nothing to do with that, Filius, it's. Oh, anyway, in a few months, there will probably be news coming out. I guarantee, you will be surprised!"
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