Chapter 34: Home for the Holidays!

To Unlock Bonus Chapters:

Reach 40/50/100/200/400 Power Stones! 3 Extra Chapters!

Reach 800 Power Stones to activate NP!

Resets Weekly! [Monday]

—————————————————————————————————————————

Glenn and Hermione had already sent out their Christmas gifts in advance via the Owl Post. So, early the next morning, they packed up Crookshanks and joined the group of students heading home for Christmas at Hogsmeade Station.

Crookshanks: Finally remembered me, huh?

Due to the tension between Hermione and Ron, Crookshanks hadn't had the chance to meet Ron's rat, Scabbers.

During class hours, Hermione would let Crookshanks roam freely around the castle. Neither she nor Glenn worried about him getting into trouble—Crookshanks was incredibly clever. He had already befriended many of the professors at Hogwarts and often visited their offices to scrounge for food. The professors, in turn, were quite fond of this peculiar yet intelligent feline.

Professor McGonagall, in particular, absolutely adored him, being a cat lover herself.

Crookshanks had some serious connections!

After a long journey, the Hogwarts Express safely arrived at King's Cross Station. Glenn and Hermione stepped onto the platform, but this time, no one was there to pick them up.

"So, how are we supposed to get home? It's quite far from here," Hermione asked, a hint of worry in her voice. Usually, her parents or an aunt and uncle would pick her and Glenn up, but now they had to figure it out on their own.

"Let me think. We have a few options… hmm, a bus, a taxi… not much else," Hermione said, counting on her fingers.

"There's another option—the Knight Bus," Glenn suggested, introducing a term Hermione had never heard before.

"The Knight Bus? What's that?"

In response to her curiosity, Glenn explained simply, "It's a magical version of a modern bus, created for wizards to travel."

Hermione's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? I've never taken magical public transport before!"

"When we get on, hold onto me," Glenn warned. "The Knight Bus isn't exactly a smooth ride."

He had taken the Knight Bus before when visiting Knockturn Alley to sell potions. Even with his exceptional physical balance and resilience, he still found the experience unsettling.

Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How do you know what it's like to ride the Knight Bus?"

As far as she knew, Glenn rarely left the house except to accompany her on outings or training sessions. When would he have had the chance to ride it?

Unfazed by her questioning look, Glenn replied calmly, "I read about it in a book. You can find it in the library—'Modern Magical Creations: Inspired by Muggles.' It has a detailed description of the Knight Bus, including its inventor and user experiences." Glenn wasn't lying; he really had read about the Knight Bus in that book.

However, he didn't want Hermione to know about his occasional trips to the dangerous Knockturn Alley. There was no need to worry her unnecessarily—she already had enough on her plate.

"There's a book like that? How did I not know about it?" Hermione exclaimed in disbelief. She had no memory of such a book existing.

Suddenly, she grew anxious, muttering something about her "purity as a bookworm" not being high enough. Glenn sighed and handed her a calming potion.

Hermione, forced to drink the potion as Glenn held her mouth open, kicked at him in protest, only to have her foot caught mid-air.

She promptly set Crookshanks down and launched herself at Glenn, engaging him in close combat.

How dare he pour a strange potion into a girl's mouth without her permission!

Over the years, Hermione had kept up with her combat training under Glenn's guidance. Of course, she still couldn't beat him.

Crookshanks, sitting on the ground, yawned and watched the two humans exchange blows with precise movements. He smacked his lips in exasperation.

These two humans… playing their weird games again?

Panting, Hermione eventually found herself pinned in Glenn's arms. She patted his hand, signaling him to release her.

"Not mad anymore?" Glenn asked, loosening his grip.

Hermione rolled her eyes, picked up Crookshanks, and decided to ignore him for the time being.

Glenn led Hermione to an empty street and raised his wand.

At that moment, a three-story purple bus appeared out of thin air with a dramatic screech, its rear end lifting slightly as it came to a halt in front of them.

The Knight Bus conductor, Stan Shunpike, greeted them enthusiastically. His eyes lit up when he recognized Glenn.

"Well, well, a regular customer!" he exclaimed.

Before Stan could say more, Glenn slapped one Galleon and thirteen Sickles into his hand, grabbed Hermione, and quickly boarded the bus.

No way was he giving Stan a chance to start chatting.

The bus was empty, and since it was nighttime, the seats had been replaced with beds. The interior was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Neat rows of beds with brass railings filled the dimly lit space, illuminated by flickering candlelight.

"Crookshanks, inside you go," Glenn said, opening his enchanted bag and gesturing for the cat to climb in.

Crookshanks strutted inside with his signature bow-legged gait. He trusted his humans—they wouldn't harm him. Obedience was the way to go.

Glenn lay down on one of the beds and patted the space beside him. "Hermione, come here."

The calming potion's effects had worn off, and Hermione's face turned bright red at Glenn's straightforward invitation to share a bed.

Seeing her shy reaction, Glenn explained, "The bus is about to start moving. Lying down will make the ride less uncomfortable."

"Oh, oh!" Hermione stammered, climbing onto the bed awkwardly. She instinctively wrapped her arms around Glenn and buried her face in his chest, too embarrassed to look at him.

Glenn, however, had no time to enjoy the moment. He sprinkled a handful of dirt into the air, activating his alchemy.

Sturdy yet flexible ropes materialized and wrapped around them, securing them tightly to the bed. Glenn positioned himself over Hermione, letting the ropes press into his back to shield her from discomfort.

"Passengers, fasten your seatbelts! We're about to depart!" Stan Shunpike's voice echoed through the bus.

What seatbelts?!

The next moment, the bus lurched forward. The two of them were pressed into the bed by the sudden acceleration as the Knight Bus leapt into the air and sped off, bouncing and jerking wildly.

Hermione finally understood why Glenn had tied them down and positioned himself to absorb the impact.

She clung to him in terror as the bus soared and dropped, her head spinning from the relentless motion. Above them, the sounds of objects crashing and strangers cursing filled the air.

Oh, Merlin's lacy stockings, this was worse than a roller coaster.

What kind of "public transport" was this?! Even amusement park rides didn't dare to be this extreme!

Her flushed face turned pale, and all traces of embarrassment vanished. She wanted to scream, but all she could manage was a single tear, which promptly flew off into the void thanks to the bus's erratic movements.

After what felt like an eternity, the bus finally came to a halt outside 444 Lily Street in the Stone District of Manchester.

Glenn helped the pale and trembling Hermione off the bus. She clung to him for support, unable to take another step. As Stan cheerfully bid them farewell and invited them to ride again, Hermione's voice quivered with desperation.

"Glenn, please… I never want to take that awful Knight Bus ever again."

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Too much excitement. This so-called public transport was a nightmare. Whoever wanted to ride it could go ahead—she was done!

Once inside the Granger household, Glenn settled Hermione on the sofa and managed to soothe her before heading to the kitchen. He retrieved fresh ingredients from his enchanted bag and began preparing dinner.

It was going to be a hearty and delicious meal. After nearly half a day on the Hogwarts Express, Hermione must be starving. The snacks on the train could only tide her over temporarily. Thankfully, Glenn had a potion for everything, and the soothing draught he'd given her earlier had calmed her stomach enough to restore her appetite.

As the aroma of freshly cooked food filled the house, Hermione and Crookshanks wandered into the dining room, drawn by the smell.

"Is it Chinese food again?" Hermione's tired brown eyes lit up with excitement. At school, whenever Glenn cooked Chinese dishes during their sessions with Hagrid, she found them absolutely delicious and completely different from anything she'd ever tasted.

"Yep," Glenn replied, placing the final dish—a plate of vegetables—on the table.

With their stomachs growling, Hermione and Crookshanks obediently took their seats, waiting for Glenn to join them.

It's worth mentioning that Crookshanks, being part Kneazle, was half a magical creature and perfectly capable of eating Glenn's cooking.

As Glenn set the table, he glanced at the one human and one cat sitting primly at the table and couldn't help but smile. A warm feeling rose in his chest.

"Let's eat," he said with a chuckle.

"Yay!" "Meow!"

The three of them began their meal.

Hermione, now adept at using chopsticks, occasionally praised Glenn's cooking skills.

So unfair—why didn't she have this kind of talent?

Faced with Glenn's delicious food, Hermione abandoned all pretense of decorum, stuffing her cheeks like a chipmunk.

She couldn't help it. She was famished, and Glenn's cooking was just too tempting!

Watching Hermione devour her food, Glenn smiled softly.

He loved this atmosphere. He loved this girl. And in that moment, he thought to himself, It's good to be alive.

"Hmm? What are you smiling at? Stop laughing and eat your food!" Hermione scolded, her cheeks flushing as she assumed Glenn was teasing her eating habits. She swatted at him playfully.

"Alright," Glenn replied with a grin.