Chapter 8: The Howler Incident

Hermione stared speechlessly at the Teleportation Door in front of her. It had a frame, a door panel, and every other structure one would expect. Once installed on a wall, it would look no different from a regular wooden door. She remained silent.

Glenn, however, didn't seem to mind. He found it more convenient to carry this way and had no immediate intention of using it. Raising his hand, he stored it away using his black ring.

Dumbledore wasn't surprised either. He watched with interest as Glenn put away the Teleportation Door, likely already familiar with similar space-expansion spells from other countries.

Of course, he was. After all, he had lived for over a century and was a renowned wizard. According to Glenn's grandmother, Dumbledore seemed to have a close relationship with Glenn's great-grandfather, who happened to be the previous chairman of the Dragon Kingdom. Knowing about the sorcery of the Dragon Kingdom was perfectly reasonable.

"But... is this really okay? What about the Ministry of Magic here in England?" The excitement faded from Hermione's face, replaced by a hint of worry as she thought about the Ministry.

Dumbledore blinked and whispered, "Don't worry. As long as we don't tell anyone, no one will know. It's just to make it easier for two young wizards to visit their grandparents."

Glenn raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed Dumbledore didn't have the best relationship with the Ministry of Magic.

Hermione also appeared to be pondering something, but seeing Glenn's nonchalant expression, she decided to let it go.

If Glenn isn't concerned, then I won't worry either.

For now, I'll just leave the thinking to Glenn.

After delivering the Teleportation Door from Lin Yingqing to the two young wizards, the three of them began casually chatting about Glenn and Hermione's trip to the Dragon Kingdom.

Well, "trip" might not be the most accurate term. Most of their time had been spent learning various subjects, which nearly made Dumbledore lose his composure.

While it's good that you two love learning, there's no need to work so hard. It's better to play and enjoy your childhood while you still can...

Dumbledore thought to himself with a hint of helplessness.

Sometimes, he really felt that Glenn and Hermione weren't like children. They were both far too mature.

But then he glanced at Hermione, who was swaying sleepily as it grew late. She was trying her best to stay upright, her expression adorably dazed. Beside her, Glenn appeared lost in thought, yet he subtly adjusted his posture to let her lean on his shoulder.

Dumbledore was reminded of earlier moments.

Yes, indeed, at certain times, these two still acted like children.

Initially, Dumbledore had been eager to hear more stories about the unique knowledge they had learned in the Dragon Kingdom. However, realizing it was getting late, he said, "Let's call it a night. Glenn, Hermione, you should head to bed. We can chat more about your adventures another time." With that, he stood up and walked toward the secret passage leading to the eighth-floor corridor, opening the way.

"Goodnight, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione finally couldn't resist yawning. She nodded at Dumbledore and tugged Glenn toward the exit.

"Goodnight," Glenn echoed with a nod.

As they stepped through the wall, Glenn turned back and, as expected, found nothing there anymore.

As usual, Glenn intended to escort Hermione to the Gryffindor girls' dormitory. But this time, things were completely different.

Glenn discovered that he couldn't step onto the staircase leading to the girls' tower.

"What's wrong, Glenn?" Hermione asked curiously. Why had Glenn stopped at the foot of the stairs?

Glenn shook his head and explained, "The magical defenses here have been updated. Even with a Confundus Charm, I can't get through."

He had reason to suspect that this was Dumbledore's doing.

But why? Escorting Hermione back to her dorm shouldn't be an issue, right?

Naïve Glenn was still missing a certain basic understanding of social norms.

Dumbledore had actually done this for Glenn's own sake. While Hermione's roommates were used to Glenn walking her to the dormitory entrance every night, there was always the risk of another young witch wandering out at night and encountering Glenn in the girls' dormitory. If word got out, it could cause unnecessary trouble.

Even if Glenn himself didn't mind, Dumbledore, as a senior figure who cared about him, didn't want to see such a situation arise.

"You should head back, Hermione. I can't go any further. It's late; get some rest," Glenn said after a few unsuccessful attempts to bypass the defenses.

Hermione waved cheerfully at Glenn. "Alright then, I'll head up. Goodnight~"

"Goodnight," Glenn replied, watching her figure disappear around the staircase corner. He didn't try to force his way into the girls' tower and turned to leave.

I'll need to come up with another way to bypass the Gryffindor girls' dormitory defenses...

Glenn thought silently.

Is deception purely on a spiritual level no longer enough...?

...

It seemed he had decided on a new research direction. Glenn nodded slightly.

No, Glenn didn't think there was anything wrong with trying to enter the girls' dormitory. He simply wanted to personally ensure Hermione's safety in returning to her room. Beyond that, he had no other intentions.

As for Dumbledore...

Dumbledore, I'll remember this.

...

The next morning arrived quickly after Glenn paid a visit to the Acromantula colony he hadn't seen in a while, replenishing his stock of Acromantula venom.

Acromantulas: ?

Can't you bother some other magical creatures? Why do you keep targeting us?!

Glenn: It's profitable.

Acromantulas: ...

For breakfast, there was porridge with bread, eggs, and bacon (though there was also pickled herring, which Glenn and Hermione avoided unless absolutely necessary). By the time Hermione arrived at the Gryffindor table, Glenn had already prepared her breakfast.

Naturally, he also brought some fruit. Hermione was still growing, and a balanced diet was essential.

The young witch plopped down beside Glenn, and with a flick of her mind, their second-year Herbology textbook appeared on the table.

Since they habitually arrived early, and it was the first day back after the break, most students were still adjusting to their schedules. The Great Hall was relatively empty, and with plenty of time before class, the two quietly exchanged thoughts on the textbook content while sipping porridge and nibbling on bacon.

Gradually, other students began trickling into the hall, yawning as they went.

"Today should be the day the owls deliver mail, right? If my calculations are correct, then..." Hermione wiped her mouth and looked up.

Sure enough, as she predicted, a cacophony of noise erupted from the Great Hall entrance. Soon, at least a hundred owls swooped in, diving chaotically as they delivered packages.

As usual, Glenn and Hermione each received letters of blessings from their families, along with pocket money secretly sent by all four of their guardians.

Yes, in addition to their regular living expenses, these four doting adults had secretly given each of them extra pocket money without informing the others.

Hermione stared at the pile of packages before her, feeling overwhelmed. "Isn't this too much?!" Glenn didn't take any of it, pushing his share toward Hermione and quietly sipping his porridge.

Helpless, Hermione had no choice but to accept it all.

In the distance, a grayish lump crashed into Neville's bowl of milk with a loud splat, sending milk splattering everywhere and drenching Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean in white liquid.

This drew the attention of those nearby, including the observant Hermione. She squinted to see what had fallen into Neville's milk. It turned out to be a large owl, which Ron was now holding upside down by its talons, pulling it out of the milk. The poor bird seemed unconscious but still clung tightly to a red envelope in its beak.

"Is the owl alright? It looks like it's passed out," Hermione said, clearly more concerned about the owl than the milk-drenched boys.

From her distance, she couldn't hear Ron and Neville's conversation. But she saw the red envelope beginning to smoke.

Hermione's eyes widened. A well-read witch, she immediately recognized what it was.

A Howler! There was no doubt how deafening its voice would be.

"Glenn, cover your ears!" But Hermione's body acted faster than her mind. Though she was warning Glenn, she instinctively reached out to cover his ears.

Glenn did the same, gently covering Hermione's ears. But he instinctively felt that this wouldn't be enough to block out the noise.

So he added an extra measure.

"Muffliato," he silently cast, applying the spell to both himself and Hermione.

Sure enough, the letter suddenly unfolded. Glenn felt his chair vibrate, the milk on the table rippling. Around them, people covered their ears, their faces twisted in discomfort.

Hermione blushed slightly as she released Glenn's ears. In her nervousness, she had forgotten she was a witch. Turning her head, she looked elsewhere to hide her embarrassment.

The Howler's shouting continued for quite a while. Its volume was so intense that the tableware shook, and everyone in the hall turned to see which unlucky soul had received such a letter.

At the center of everyone's attention was Ron, whose forehead was bright red as he shrank into his seat in shame.

Finally, the Howler's shouting ceased. The letter, which had fallen onto the table, burst into flames and crumbled into ashes.

Glenn lifted the Muffliato spell, and Hermione sighed in exasperation. "What a memorable first day back at school."

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