20demayo Chapter 190 There's no need for such a spirit of inquiry.
Chapter 190 There's no need for such a spirit of inquiry.
During this Christmas holiday, Snape nominally returned to his old house in Spider's End.
However, only a few people knew that he hadn't actually gone there.
Moreover, Snape did indeed spend Christmas at Hogwarts in previous years, so his departure this time was somewhat unusual—of course, few people would still pay attention to where he went in previous years.
Just as Ron said, Professor Snape returned before the holidays were over.
Moreover, not long after returning, he "sneaked" to an abandoned classroom.
This scene was witnessed by Ron, who was lost and searching for his missing mouse, Scabbers.
Ron wasn't particularly curious about Snape's whereabouts—at least not enough to make him risk being discovered by following this Potions teacher who looked like a troublesome opponent.
So Ron quickly left with Scabbers, who had been a bit restless that day.
After he left, Professor Snape met the person who had invited him in that classroom.
"Why do we have to meet here?" Snape asked first, somewhat puzzled.
“If you go straight to my office as soon as you get back, it will be too obvious,” the man said with a relaxed smile.
“Hmm…” Snape agreed with this reasoning, then said with a hint of disappointment, “I didn’t gain much this time; they were unwilling to talk to me about many things.”
“It’s alright, it’s alright! I think they don’t really know what to do until their master returns completely.” Unlike Snape, the man was not disappointed and spoke casually.
"Yes, I can sense that some people aren't that determined, they don't have any goals... Of course, some are still quite crazy, even more obsessive than before."
After saying this, Snape paused for a moment, then continued, "I only know some information about the Blood of the Witch God. It seems they have obtained this thing from GA through other means. Its specific use is likely related to resurrecting that person. However, they have not yet found any trace of that person—or they may have found them but have not easily revealed it."
"That's a fairly important piece of information... Speaking of which, it was Qin who discovered the matter of the Blood of the Witch God, around Christmas last year. I have to say, that kid is quite adept at encountering things." As the man spoke, he spoke as if he were chatting about something trivial.
"People who love to cause trouble always have a lot of problems around them," Snape commented in a detached tone.
"Haha, don't let him hear that. But don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut." The man couldn't help but laugh. Then, he changed the subject. "By the way, Professor Swinton has been spotted in North America. Let me tell you, he might be in some kind of trouble."
"Didn't he just go to Egypt for a trip? Why is he going to North America now?" Snape frowned upon hearing this.
"I don't know the specifics, but he made a public appearance as a member of GA, so like I said, something must have happened to him." The man's tone became more serious as he spoke.
"GA? How did he get involved with these people?" Snape's brow furrowed deeply.
"Yes, I'm very curious too. I've already tried to investigate and see if I can get in touch with him... When Mr. Lemaître introduced him to the school, he specifically mentioned that Professor Swinton had some secrets of his own. Perhaps it's related to this."
"...Anyone who can hang out with that kid Qin must be someone who loves to cause trouble."
"It seems like the three of you are together quite often?"
"..."
"Haha, look at you, you're in such a hurry again. Don't look at me like that... and don't reject having friends. The past is certainly hard to forget, but the present and the future are where hope lies."
"...Thank you for sharing your wisdom about life."
"Alright, I won't ramble on any longer. If there's nothing else, this meeting is over. You can leave now."
"Okay, see you later!"
See you later!
The door to the abandoned classroom opened, and Snape walked out leisurely, his gaze somber, as if he were lost in thought as he walked.
And after a long time, no one else came out of that classroom, as if no one else existed.
……
Since the heavy snowfall at Christmas, there hasn't been any snow this holiday season, and the few remaining snowdrifts on the streets have become filthy.
Just like the air here—London's air pollution index is exceptionally high in winter.
If it weren't for the Granger family having a "trendy" air purifier, Qin Yu would probably have frequently used magic to purify the air.
In short, he avoids going out as much as possible. Staying at home is a very pleasant thing, and with the little witch by his side, occasionally teasing and playing with him, he certainly won't be bored.
Of course, the holiday has come to an end before they knew it, and tomorrow is the day they have to return to school.
After Hermione finished packing her luggage, she went upstairs and helped Qin Yu pack as well.
"Do we need to pack all these clothes?"
"Yes, these are the ones that are definitely going to be packed. There are a few more to pack tomorrow."
"Ugh, what a mess."
Qin Yu had haphazardly folded his clothes and placed them on the bedside table, but Hermione looked at them with disgust and climbed up to mess them up and rearrange them.
Watching her carefully folding clothes, Qin Yu felt a sense of déjà vu. After a quick search of his memory, he realized that she had helped him like this more than once.
So it turns out that being familiar with something means doing it repeatedly.
However, even though it was a repetitive task, Qin Yu was still deeply moved after seeing it.
Of course, it's not just some wild fantasy like "the future Minister of Magic kneeling on the bed and folding my clothes by hand." It's more about the heartwarming feeling of being "cared for" by someone close to you. This kind of warmth is what makes people feel real and at ease.
You know what, the little girl's clothes-folding skills have improved a lot, and they're already comparable to the effect of Qin Yu using the tidying spell.
Looking back, her six months of boarding school life has undoubtedly helped her develop a lot of skills.
"Look, you should fold a sweater like this, first fold it like this, then like this... You should fold pants like this, pay attention to the crease and waist..."
Hermione kept working while explaining the methods and techniques, all based on her own experience and insights.
Qin Yu listened as he pleased, after all, Hermione wasn't necessarily there to teach him; she was more interested in showing off her "professionalism" so that her only audience member would look on with admiration.
Qin Yu naturally cooperated, praising Miss Granger for working so quickly and well, and patting her head as encouragement.
Miss Granger, on the other hand, wore an air of pride befitting a chosen working woman.
“Next up are the smaller items of clothing, underwear and socks… Hmm? Your boys’ underwear is quite unique, it has a pocket here.” Hermione commented seriously, pulling up a pair of boxer shorts.
Qin Yu was speechless for a moment.
Really, there's no need to be so inquisitive, my dear know-it-all!
Then, he wanted to say that when you grow up you will wear clothes with two pockets, but he held back in time.
After all, his mental state has returned to normal recently.
This was thanks to the guidance in Professor Dumbledore's letter and the stone he gifted her.
It seems that my mental training these past few days has yielded some results. I feel that if I use that method to communicate with Snape's alchemical sword again, the effect will definitely be even better.
After school starts, I'll borrow the longsword from the Stankov sect for a while.
Hmm, I also need to tell him about my second brother, Swinton.
Thinking about it this way, I'll be quite busy when I get back.
"Qin?!"
Hermione's voice came over, and she even stuck out a foot to poke his leg; this time she was wearing light yellow socks.
"Hmm?" Qin Yu looked at her.
Hermione saw that he looked completely bewildered and knew he hadn't listened to her, so she pouted in dissatisfaction.
"Sorry, Hermione, I was thinking about something and didn't hear what you said." Qin Yu quickly bent down and cupped her angry little face in his hands to apologize.
Well, he wouldn't admit that he wanted to take the opportunity to pinch the little witch's soft cheeks.
"Hmph, I'm talking about Crookshanks! You, as his father, no, as his uncle, don't care about him at all!" Hermione, her face held firmly by two hands, voiced her accusation.
When the two returned from their holiday, they didn't bring the kitten with them, leaving it in Hagrid's care again—Uncle Hagrid had already made a simple cat house for it to rest in.
“Okay, as Crookshan’s father…” Qin Yu began.
“It’s Uncle!” Hermione corrected seriously.
“Oh, Uncle, as Crookshanks’ uncle, I have indeed not been concerned enough! Well then, I am very apologetic and sincere in asking the beautiful Miss Granger, what insightful opinion did you just share about that kitten?”
"Hmph, seeing how serious your attitude is, I'll say it again."
So the little witch generously repeated her suggestion, which turned out to be that she wanted to bring some cat treats for their kitten.
Qin Yu readily agreed: "Great idea. We should also buy Hagrid something to thank him for taking care of Crook Hill."
So, before it got dark, the two asked Mr. Granger to drive them to the nearby supermarket.
Then, they bought a bunch of things that Hermione said Crookshanks used to love to eat, and for Hagrid they bought a large tablecloth with hollyhock patterns and fringed edges to replace his old, unwashable antique tablecloth.
Upon returning home, Qin Yu stuffed some of the heavier items into the "storage bag" that Swinton had given him.
I've almost finished packing my luggage. I said goodnight to the little girl, ending a busy day, and now I'm just waiting to take the train back to school tomorrow.