dmims Chapter 81 Arriving Home
Chapter 81 Arriving Home
Chapter 81 Arriving Home
The Hogwarts Express, billowing white smoke, passed through the snow-covered Scottish Highlands. Karen leaned against the window, admiring the scenery.
"Want some Pepper Scoundrels?" Wesley's voice came from the side, holding up a sizzling bag of candy with pictures of tiny peppercorns tap-dancing on the wrapper. "Just bought them from the shopping cart. They say eating them will make your ears smoke!"
Fabian looked at Wesley with a helpless expression: "I advise you not to eat random things, especially since you're going home for the holidays soon. A while ago, a Hufflepuff student ate both Hiss-Hiss-Hiss Bee and Pepper Sprite at the same time, and ended up burping and shooting out a fireball that burned a hole in his dorm curtains. Have you forgotten about that?"
Ernesto peeked out from behind the Daily Prophet, his eyes gleaming mischievously: "Wesley, I bet you can't eat three."
"What are we betting on?" Wesley immediately perked up, his eyes fixed on Ernesto.
"If I win, you have to wear that 'I Love Trolls' T-shirt to Potions class the first week after the holidays; if you win," Enesto said, feigning deep thought, "I'll give you my limited edition Chadli Cannons trading cards."
"Deal!" Wesley eagerly tore open the packaging, grabbed a bright red candy, and popped it into his mouth. Three seconds later, his face turned bright red at a visible speed, and a wisp of white smoke drifted out of his left ear.
Karen couldn't help but laugh out loud, and pulled a small bottle out of his pocket: "Try this, frozen lemon syrup, it can neutralize the spiciness." He had made it after reading some magical drink books, and originally intended to give it to Lily as a small gift.
Wesley gratefully accepted it, gulped it down, and let out a long sigh: "Merlin's Beard! This is ten times spicier than George and the others said!" He wiped away the tears from the spiciness, then suddenly pointed out the window and exclaimed, "Look!"
The train was passing over a frozen lake, sunlight piercing through the clouds and refracting into rainbow-like halos on the ice. Even more magical, a group of silver mermaids could be vaguely seen beneath the ice, holding instruments made of coral and waving to the passing train.
"The mermaids migrate in winter," Ernesto explained, his voice carrying the intellectual superiority typical of pure-blood families. "They swim south to warmer waters during this season. My father said that seeing winter mermaids brings good luck."
Karen quickly pulled her camera out of her bag and snapped a picture of the beautiful scene. Soon, a photo was ready. Karen dripped some developing solution onto it, and the photo instantly came to life. In the picture, the figures of several mermaids were slowly swimming under the ice.
"Great! Karen, could I have a copy of this photo?" Fabian asked Karen.
Just then, the cubicle door opened, and a Slytherin girl with long black hair poked her head in: "Ernest, your father asked me to tell you that the carriage will be parked in the usual spot." Her gaze swept over the others, lingering on Karen for a second longer, before she quickly closed the door and left.
"That's a distant relative of the Selwyn family," Ernesto said, pursing his lips, clearly displeased with the incident. "Even though her grandmother was Muggle-born, she always hung out with those purebloods."
"Ignore them," Wesley waved dismissively, popping another jelly bean into his mouth. "It's holiday time, I just want to get home right now."
The train continued south, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from snowfields to fields covered with a thin layer of frost. When the witch pushing her cart passed by for the second time, Karen bought several bags of chocolate frogs and a large box of jumping jelly slugs to bring to Lily.
"We'll arrive in half an hour!" a gentle female voice announced over the train's loudspeaker. "Please check your luggage and prepare to disembark."
A commotion immediately broke out in the carriage as students rose to retrieve their suitcases from the overhead racks, exchanging farewells. Karen carefully placed the weather forecaster into his inner pocket, then checked the other gifts again. The magical gardening tool set for his mother, shrunk by a shrinking charm, lay quietly in the pocket of his robe; the Hogwarts pop-up book for Lily was carefully wrapped with ribbon and placed on top of his suitcase.
The train gradually slowed down, and the familiar brick-red facade of King's Cross Station came into view outside the window. Karen's heart began to race; her family, whom she hadn't seen for three months, was waiting for her on the other side of the platform.
"Platform 9¾ has arrived. All passengers, please disembark in an orderly manner." The announcement sounded again, and the train let out a long whistle before coming to a smooth stop.
Four boys, dragging their luggage, squeezed into the aisle and slowly moved towards the train door with the flow of people. The platform was already full of parents waiting to pick up their children.
The various colored hairs stood out in the crowd—the Weasleys with their fiery red hair, the Malfoys with their platinum blonde hair, and several other pure-blood family representatives that Cullen had seen in the Ministry of Magic newspaper.
"My mother is over there!" Fabian suddenly shouted, pointing to a woman in the distance wearing glasses and with her hair in a ponytail. Standing next to the woman was a man in a suit, presumably Fabian's father, a dentist.
"My dad should be in the parking lot outside," Wesley said, craning his neck and looking around.
Ernesto straightened his collar and suddenly became reserved. "My father has arrived," he said in a low voice, nodding to a dignified man standing beside a gilded carriage.
Karen followed his gaze and saw a wizard in a dark green robe with a meticulously manicured gray beard walking towards them. Mr. Griffith's eyes were just like Ernesto's—a scrutinizing gray.
"Ernesto, where's your luggage?" Mr. Griffith's voice was deep and powerful.
"I've already had the house-elf send it back, Father," Ernesto replied, his voice much more serious than usual.
Mr. Griffiths nodded, then turned to Karen. "You must be Karen Hawthorne? Ernesto often mentions you in his letters." He extended a hand. "Thank you for your help to him at school!"
Karen shook his hand with some surprise: "It's just mutual help between classmates, sir."
"Humility is a virtue." Mr. Griffith nodded slightly, then turned to his son, "The carriage is ready, we should go."
Your grandfather and mother are still waiting for you at home.
Ernesto waved to Karen and left with his father. Fabian had also reunited with his parents, and it was rare to see him so excited. Wesley patted Karen on the shoulder: "I have to hurry and find my dad; I can't keep him waiting. Merry Christmas, Karen!"
"Merry Christmas, remember not to get too excited when you open your presents," Karen replied with a smile, watching the red-haired boy drag his suitcase toward the exit.
The platform gradually thinned out. Karen took a deep breath and pushed her luggage cart toward the Muggle exit. As she passed through the seemingly ordinary brick wall, the familiar noises of the Muggle world instantly flooded her ears—car horns, announcements, and conversations—all of which felt somewhat foreign to Karen, who had just returned from the magical world.
"Karen! Over here!"
A clear, childlike voice cut through the noise. Karen turned and saw Lily bouncing and waving, her two little brown braids flying up and down with her movements. Her mother, Emily, stood smiling beside her in the beige trench coat Karen was familiar with, while her father, David, held up a sign that read "Welcome Home" with a mischievous grin on his face.
"Lily!" Karen put down his luggage and crouched down to catch his sister who was running towards him. She bumped into him and almost knocked him over.
"You've grown taller again!" Lily looked up, her eyes wide. "And your robes move! I saw them straightening the wrinkles by themselves!"
Karen chuckled and patted her sister's head. "That's wizard magic. I also ordered a Madam Malkin outfit for you before my vacation; it should have similar functions to this one. It should arrive in the next couple of days. How have you been these past three months? Have you been listening to Mom and Dad?"
"Of course!" Lily puffed out her chest proudly. "I also help Mom take care of the garden, watering them every day."
Emily walked over and gently hugged Karen: "Welcome home, darling." She still smelled faintly of disinfectant.
It has a scent mixed with jasmine perfume.
David put down the cards and patted his son's shoulder hard: "Alright, let's go home."
David then took the luggage cart and, as Emily and Lily got in, asked in a low voice, "Is everything alright? Did you encounter any danger at Hogwarts?"
"Everything is fine, Dad," Cullen reassured him, concealing the conflict with Selwyn. "Hogwarts is very safe, with Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in the wizarding world, there."
On the way home, Lily was like an excited little bird, constantly asking questions: "Can you make me fly now? Did you see any dragons at Hogwarts? Do the stairs in the castle really move by themselves? What do ghosts look like? Can they pass through walls?"
Karen patiently answered each question, while taking out a beautifully wrapped long box from the trunk: "Speaking of flying, I brought you a gift."
Lily eagerly tore open the packaging and screamed, "It's a flying broom! A real flying broom!" She held up the children's broom, the handle of which was engraved with the words "Lily's Little Rocket".
"This is a toy model. It won't fly very high or very fast, but it'll be enough for you to play with in the backyard," Karen explained, looking at her sister's excited, flushed face.
Emily glanced in the rearview mirror: "Honey, remember you can only play on the lawn, and only when Dad is there and there are no other people around."
"Of course, Mom!" Lily hugged the broom tightly, as if afraid it would suddenly fly away.
As David drove, he asked, "How's the school food? Are you hungry? Your mother is so worried. She keeps saying that those house-elves can't cook a balanced diet."
Karen couldn't help but laugh, recalling the wide variety of food and unlimited drinks at the Hogwarts feasts: "There's so much food we can't finish it all, Dad. You should be more worried about me gaining weight than going hungry."
As the car entered the familiar neighborhood, Karen's heart was filled with a warm sense of satisfaction. The houses on both sides of the street were decorated with Christmas lights.
Their front yard was no exception; David's annual elaborate light show was upgraded this year, with an inflatable Santa Claus swaying comically in the breeze.
"We're here!" Lily was the first to jump out of the car, grabbing a broom and rushing towards the gate. "I want to try this! Now!"
"Let Karen put her luggage away first, darling," Emily said gently but firmly, taking the key out of her handbag.
Karen stood at the door, taking a deep breath of the familiar air of his homeland. Even after witnessing the miracles of magic, this ordinary brick house still gave him the deepest sense of belonging. A newly made Christmas wreath hung on the porch, a photo of the family's holiday in Cornwall last year was displayed in the entryway, and the aroma of cinnamon and gingerbread wafted from the kitchen. Everything was exactly the same as when he left, yet it felt especially precious because of the long-awaited reunion.
"Here, I've prepared your favorite gingerbread and hot cocoa." Emily helped Karen take off her robe, and was surprised to find that it automatically folded up and floated into the closet. "Oh! This is so convenient."
"I also have something for you." Karen took two boxes out of the trunk. "This is for Dad, and this is for Mom."
David unwrapped his gift and unfolded the dark blue waterproof jacket: "It looks well-made, but what's it for?" He wondered as he noticed the runic characters embroidered on the inside of the cuffs.
"It's waterproof and windproof, and the garment itself was made by Madam Malkin," Karen explained proudly. "I consulted Professor Victor to complete the runes. I mentioned him to you in a previous letter; he teaches me alchemy. Moreover, this garment can resist a certain degree of sea salt corrosion."
David immediately tried on the jacket and was amazed to find it surprisingly lightweight and well-fitting: "It's amazing! Perfect for the next time we go out to sea."
Emily's gift was an exquisite silver set, including a small brush and a bottle of liquid that shimmered with a pearly sheen. This set wasn't made by Karen herself; it was a purchased cleaning kit. "A cleaning kit?" she wondered, picking up the brush with curiosity. It immediately spun automatically in her palm.
"Just drop a drop of liquid on the area that needs cleaning, dab it with a brush, and it will clean itself," Karen demonstrated, placing a drop of liquid on a coffee stain on the kitchen counter. With a gentle touch of the brush, the stain vanished instantly, leaving the surface spotless.
"This is simply incredible!" Emily's eyes widened, then she happily put away the gift. "This will make cleaning so much easier from now on."
Lily couldn't wait any longer, tugging at Karen's sleeve: "Karen, and my broom! You said you'd teach me!"
"Go ahead," David said with a smile and a wave. "I'll go to the backyard and keep an eye on things for you."
A thin layer of snow covered the lawn in the backyard. Lily, wearing a thick red coat, awkwardly scrambled onto her broom. Karen stood behind her, one hand on the broom handle. "Remember," she said, "the key is balance and confidence. Say 'rise,' but say it very gently."
"Upwards?" Lily asked timidly. The broom trembled slightly and floated about two inches off the ground.
"You did it!" Karen exclaimed in surprise. "Keep this feeling, don't be nervous."
Lily's little face was scrunched up with concentration, but the broom hovered steadily, carrying her slowly along the edge of the lawn. David stood to the side recording, his pride barely concealed.
"I can fly! I can really fly!" Lily cheered, almost losing her balance, and Karen quickly steadied her.
"That was great for your first time," he encouraged. "With a few more practice sessions, you'll be able to fly a lap by yourself before Christmas."
At dinner, Emily prepared Cullen's favorite roasted lamb chops and Yorkshire pudding. Candles were lit on the table, and everyone listened as Cullen recounted interesting stories about Hogwarts—such as his performance in his first flying lesson, exploring the interesting things in Hogwarts Castle, and his and his roommates' renovation of the Eagle's Nest.
"—Then Wesley was suddenly grabbed by the Devil Vines, and we used the Illumination Charm to rescue him," Karen said, cutting a lamb chop. "But he's been much more cautious since then, and he's not so careless anymore."
"Your roommates sound so warm and friendly!" Emily served each of them a bowl of hot vegetable soup. "You should definitely invite them over sometime."
David took a sip of beer: "Speaking of Christmas, your mother has already prepared the tree, and we're just waiting to decorate it together tomorrow."
Lily immediately raised her hand: "I want to hang the top star! Last year, Daddy and Karen hung it together, and this year it's my turn. I can ride my broom to hang it!"
"Of course, little angel." David ruffled his daughter's hair. "But you'll have to practice broom flying first, right, Karen!"
Karen, realizing what David meant, immediately exclaimed, "Dad's right, you should practice properly first!"
Outside the window, snowflakes began to fall again, gently covering every corner of the garden. Inside, the fireplace crackled, illuminating the family's joyful figures.