novelcrest Chapter 375 Cho Chang's Hogsmeade Journey
Chapter 375 Cho Chang's Hogsmeade Journey
Chapter 375 Cho Chang's Hogsmeade Journey
Hogsmeade.
Hogsmeade was unusually quiet at the end of April.
Although the sun is starting to warm up this season, there is still a chilly feeling in the air.
The town's flagstones were damp, and occasionally you could see patches of snow that hadn't completely melted, hiding quietly in the dark crevices, unwilling to be swallowed up by the approaching spring.
A sign that reads "Open" hangs at the entrance of Honey Candy Duke Candy Shop, but through the window, you can see that the counter is empty and no one is visiting. The chocolate frog and colorful sugar feathers displayed in the window sit quietly in their place, also sinking into the desolate atmosphere, seemingly having lost the magic to attract children's attention.
A wisp of white smoke rose from the smoked meat, which could be held by three brooms, and slowly dispersed in the gray-blue sky, revealing that there was still some life inside.
Ms. Rosmerta is thirty-nine years old this year.
Time has left a few faint marks on her face, but she still retains that unique and captivating charm.
Of course, this is inseparable from her voluptuous figure and graceful curves.
At that moment, she stood behind the bar, wiping an old crystal glass while occasionally glancing out the window.
His eyes held a hint of nonchalant boredom.
For the past few weeks, her bar has not had any decent customers.
Those familiar faces from the past—students and professors—are rarely seen nowadays.
Occasionally a few people would come, order a hot butterbeer, sit silently for a while, and then leave after finishing it.
This is also related to the upcoming final exams at Hogwarts.
These past few weekends, as the exam dates have drawn closer, fewer and fewer people have chosen to come to Hogsmeade on weekends.
In mathematics, this is a direct proportional relationship.
Of course, in the British education system, learning this part requires a certain academic qualification.
Rosmerta was clearly not included; she was wiping the glasses while pondering a rather serious question.
How many pans of butter should I order next time?
As we all know, butter beer is called butter beer because it contains butter, and the proportion must be just right.
Too little, and the taste will be bland; too much, and it will be so cloying that it will be impossible to swallow.
As customer traffic decreased, the amount of butter used also decreased significantly. In addition, as the weather gradually warmed up, fewer and fewer people chose to drink butter beer.
Therefore, how much butter to order became the question Ms. Rosmerta was considering today.
Just as she was contemplating using up all the remaining butter in her stock before ordering new butter, she suddenly saw a familiar figure flash past the window—Sean Phillips.
He was walking down the street side by side with a little witch.
Rosmerta froze, her hand holding the cup stopped moving, and she rubbed her eyes in disbelief to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
The other little witch's name, if she remembers correctly, should be Cho Chang.
Asians are extremely rare at Hogwarts, the magic school.
Perhaps there won't be an Asian student for several years, and as an Asian, or even white, student with exceptionally high looks, it's hard not to remember this little witch's name.
Qiu Zhang and Professor Phillips walked hand in hand, seemingly quite harmonious as they chatted and laughed.
Qiu Zhang wore a simple long coat, her hair swaying gently in the breeze, making her look fresh and elegant.
Professor Phillips—the charming and witty man—was wearing a dark gray robe, carrying a brown leather briefcase, and wearing a gentle smile.
What are those two doing here?
Qiu Zhang was extremely nervous at this moment.
Although she tried to appear relaxed, the slight trembling of her hand as she gripped Sean's gave away her feelings.
She kept her head down, secretly glancing at Professor Phillips beside her a few times out of the corner of her eye.
The professor remained as composed as ever, with a faint smile on his face, as if everything was under control.
This composure made Qiu Zhang feel both relieved and increasingly uneasy.
Recalling the events of yesterday morning, Qiu Zhang still felt like he was dreaming.
Professor Phillips suddenly approached her and said in his usual deep voice that could make her weak in the knees, "Cho Chang, I remember I owe you a promise. This weekend, we can go to Hogsmeade together and spend an afternoon alone."
At that moment, Qiu Zhang was stunned, and could hardly believe his ears.
She checked it several times until the professor smiled and nodded, and only then was she completely convinced that it was true.
The sudden feeling of happiness made Qiu Zhang feel like she was floating on air. She tried hard to suppress the smile on her face, but the corners of her mouth still couldn't help but turn upwards.
"He actually agreed!"
Qiu Zhang's heart was filled with a sweet shock.
If Shakespeare described sweet love as food in the mouth of fate, then for her, the embodiment of happiness was Professor Phillips' invitation to a date.
From yesterday until now, Qiu Zhang has been immersed in this anticipation.
However, as the appointed time drew closer, her anxiety grew day by day.
Qiu Zhang stood in front of the mirror, repeatedly choosing clothes, agonizing for a whole hour, before finally selecting a simple yet elegant long coat.
She worried that her performance might seem too forceful, yet she was also afraid that she wouldn't appear special enough.
What will he think of me?
Do you think I'm too naive?
Now, walking the streets of Hogsmeade, Cho Chang's mind was still a mess.
The shops lining the streets, the owls hovering in the air, the bacon at the Three Brooms Bar—all the familiar sights she knew seemed blurred at this moment.
The only thing she could clearly sense was Professor Phillips beside her.
"Cho Zhang," Sean suddenly turned to look at her, smiling as he asked, "Where would you like to go first today?"
Qiu Zhang glanced at it briefly, then hurriedly brushed a stray hair from her forehead, her voice barely audible: "Anywhere is fine."
She felt her cheeks begin to burn, yet a sweet anticipation rose within her.
Upon hearing Cho Chang's reply, Sean chuckled and said, "Anywhere is fine? That puts me in a bit of a bind." He pondered for a moment, then pointed to a hillside shrouded in mist not far away and slowly said, "How about we go check out the Screaming Shack?"
Qiu Zhang suddenly raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
The Screaming Shack is one of the landmarks of Hogsmeade and is also known as "the most haunted house in all of Britain".
She had heard her classmates mention the terrifying legends about the place many times, especially at night, when it was said that chilling screams could be heard coming from inside the shacks.
Although there was no activity during the day, it still took a lot of courage to get close to the place.
"A screaming shack?" She hesitated slightly, but not wanting to appear cowardly, she quickly added, "If you think it's interesting, I'm all for it."
Seeing this, Sean couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry, nothing will happen if we go during the day. Besides, I've always thought that the so-called ghost stories are just exaggerations. Don't you think it'll be more interesting to actually go and see for yourself?"
Qiu Zhang nodded reluctantly, but his heart began to pound.
She had expected today to be a relaxing date, like going to Three Brooms for a butterbeer or buying some candy at Honeydukes, but she never imagined that the first stop would be the Screaming Shack.
Despite some reservations, she also felt that this plan seemed more in line with Professor Sean's character—as he wrote in his book, he was a true explorer.
My mother often says that if you love someone, you should learn to accept everything about them... or try to like their hobbies, which will make it much easier for the two of you to get along.
Indeed, Qiu Zhang listened to his advice.
The two walked slowly up the hillside along the path.
Along the way, Sean would occasionally chat with her about interesting anecdotes from the history of Hogsmeade, trying to ease her tension.
Qiu Zhang forced a smile in response, but his gaze kept drifting towards the dilapidated little house.
The Screaming Shack gradually came into view. It was a dilapidated little house with moss growing on the exterior walls and the window frames sealed shut.
There was no one else around, only a cold wind blowing from the slope, bringing a strange chill.
"How was it?" Sean stopped and turned to look at Qiu Zhang, a smile playing on his lips. "Was it more terrifying than you imagined, or not as scary as you thought?"
Qiu Zhang forced herself to remain calm and answered, "No, it's not that scary." She stared at the shack, but her heart was pounding like a deer.
Sean's smile deepened as he listened to Qiu Zhang's stammering reply.
He tilted his head slightly, a hint of teasing in his voice: "Since you don't think it's that scary, why don't we go in and take a look? Exploring is always more interesting than just watching from afar, isn't it?"
Qiu Zhang's eyes widened, and she was momentarily speechless: "Go in, go in?" Her voice was noticeably higher, and her tone revealed her panic.
"Don't worry, I'm here with you," Sean said with a smile. He gestured for Cho Chang to follow, then walked ahead towards the dilapidated wooden door.
The door panels are covered with the mottled marks of time, and in some places even the decayed wood grain is exposed.
"The door is completely blocked by wooden boards, how are we supposed to get in?"
No sooner had Cho Chang finished speaking than Sean gently raised his hand, lifted his wand, and began to chant a spell.
The next second, the sight before Qiu Zhang's eyes widened in surprise.
Sean's figure seemed to transform into a wisp of translucent smoke, passing through the door that was tightly sealed with wooden planks without any hindrance, and completely disappearing on the other side of the door.
The entire process was incredibly quiet; only the slightest fluctuations in the air proved that it was not an illusion.
Cho Chang stood frozen outside the door, wand in hand, his heart pounding.
Her voice was so low it was almost a whisper: "He...he just...went in like that?"
This was the first time Qiu Zhang had witnessed such superb magical skills firsthand, and he was shocked, but also felt a mix of nervousness and admiration that he could hardly hide.
A moment later, Sean's slightly mocking voice came from inside the door: "What are you still standing there for? Come in! Or do you need me to teach you how to pass through walls?"
"Of course I don't need it!" Qiu Zhang bit his lip, took a deep breath, and replied calmly, though his voice was still trembling slightly.
"Then give it a try," Sean's voice came through the door, carrying a hint of encouragement.
Qiu Zhang stared at the rotten wooden door, his palms already sweating.
She tried to recall the incantation Sean had just recited, and the deep, clear syllables vaguely appeared in her mind.
"Okay," she whispered to herself, "I can do it." She murmured, "phasarius."
1
The wand did not respond.
Qiu Zhang took a breath, trying to calm himself down, and recited it again: "Phasarius - still no change."
By the third time, her tone was much firmer: "Phasarius!"
Finally, a warm light emanated from the tip of her wand and enveloped her body.
Immediately afterwards, Qiu Zhang felt a strange sense of weightlessness, and at that moment the surrounding matter became soft.
With her eyes closed, Qiu Zhang involuntarily took a step forward. When she opened her eyes again, she was already standing on the other side of the door.
"I did it!" Qiu Zhang looked at her hands in disbelief, then looked around and saw Sean leaning against the wall, giving her an approving smile.
"Very good. To use the wall-penetrating technique so cleanly and efficiently on your first try," Sean praised, then raised his eyebrows.
He added jokingly, "Looks like I have a genius student."
Qiu Zhang blushed and retorted softly, "It's not too difficult. I was just imitating you."
Sean didn't refute her, but simply raised his hand and pointed ahead, indicating that she should continue looking at the room.
The room was dimly lit, filled with a damp, musty smell. The floor was covered in dust, and several spiders crawled silently between the cracked wooden beams.
Sean lit his wand, and the warm light dispelled some of the darkness, allowing Cho Chang to relax a little.
“You know what,” Sean said casually, looking around the room, “most of the rumors here are fabricated. Those screams are just the sound of the wind blowing through certain special beams. Simple natural phenomena, but they’ve been exaggerated into something supernatural.”
Cho Chang breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing Sean's explanation, but her gaze still swept warily around her. "So, there's really nothing special about this place?" she asked, a hint of doubt in her voice.
Sean shook his head slightly, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Not entirely. While the screams are a natural phenomenon, the layout here is rather unusual." He pointed to a staircase to the side, where only a few steps could be vaguely seen in the darkness.
Qiu Zhang followed his gaze and immediately felt a chill creep up his spine.
The staircase reeked of damp decay, shrouded in darkness, like an entrance to hell, sending chills down one's spine.
"Are you going to take me there?" Qiu Zhang's voice trembled slightly, but he did not back down.