Chapter 353: Engagement

The matter has been settled.

From now on, there won't be any special events.

Dumbledore told everyone to focus on their studies, and the adults would handle outside affairs.

Everyone was happy to have some peace and quiet.

Perhaps there had been too much good news lately, so everyone relaxed, and even the air felt lighter.

For a moment, the campus was filled with an early spring breeze, leaves rustling, owls swooping past the tower's peak, as if returning to the peaceful daily life of a few years ago.

One month after the Gringotts incident.

It was again the weekend when Hogsmeade Village opened.

Everyone had agreed to go together to the Three Broomsticks for a gathering.

Not only John, Titus and their few friends, but also Harry's group, Neville, Luna, and even Draco all went together.

Of course, Draco was brought along at John's initiative.

Harry and his friends were initially a bit hesitant.

They didn't exactly oppose it; they just thought being with Draco might be a little awkward.

But John insisted on bringing him.

"Draco is now one of us; rather than keeping him on the periphery of the group, it's better to let him truly integrate."

"Only then can he truly become our comrade-in-arms."

This is the reason John should give.

People's hearts are made of flesh.

After observing Draco's changes over this period, everyone also quietly altered some of their previous views of him.

They just couldn't bring themselves to do it, or rather they hadn't fully let go of their past reservations, needing a little time to get used to this new way of interacting.

And the punishment he deserved, Draco has mostly endured.

So John took the initiative to pull Draco into their group.

Just as I just said.

Rather than excluding him and leaving him on the group's edge, bearing the psychological pressure of possibly being kicked out at any time, which could lead to reduced future combat power or loyalty issues,

it would be better to bring him in early, let him truly take root in trust, and become a genuine comrade-in-arms.

In the fireplace of the Three Broomsticks, the firewood crackled.

John and about ten others sat around the oak long table, drinking butterbeer and chatting about light topics.

During this time, there were occasional reports of Death Eaters appearing.

But there was nothing major.

The Order of the Phoenix here likewise merely maintained its usual vigilance and intelligence-gathering work.

These students, meanwhile, returned to campus life, worrying about the final exams a few months away.

John and Hermione sat together.

Hermione seemed to really like drinking butterbeer.

Each time she would gulp down cup after cup.

Then she could naturally lean on John's arm, taking a light nap tipsy.

After this round, John and Hermione were officially a couple.

Harry and Ginny were in an ambiguous, hard-to-define phase, while Neville and Luna had an even more stream-of-consciousness way of interacting.

So the teasing topics naturally fell on the two of them.

Harry also drank quite a bit, his cheeks flushed slightly, and he smiled at the two.

"John, to be honest, I'm quite curious how you and Hermione got together."

"Because you only enrolled in our third year, and suddenly appeared beside Hermione."

"At first I just heard Hermione say there was a junior schoolmate who often came to her for advice, and I didn't think anything of it."

"Until I heard that Hermione was going to spend Christmas at your house, only then did I suddenly notice that Hermione seemed unusually close to you, that junior."

Harry had just opened the floodgate, while John, the person involved, hadn't spoken yet.

Titus then blurted out.

"That definitely couldn't have happened without my contribution!"

"Let me tell you, John back then was just a blockhead."

"Hermione (Senior) kept showing favor, but he didn't get it; it was all thanks to me giving her a push from the side."

Hearing this, the others curiously asked: "Was Hermione chasing after John?"

"It can't really be called chasing; Hermione (Senior) kept actively approaching John, but he didn't understand, and only with my prodding did John finally get it."

Titus explained solemnly.

John kicked him in annoyance, not that it was that exaggerated, but he couldn't help wanting to retort.

He then spilled a bunch of details about his past assists.

For example, when they watched the Quidditch World Cup, it was the first time their two groups teamed up for an outing.

Titus could have refused to team up with them, but to give John and Hermione more chances to be together, he reluctantly agreed to that team-up.

Likewise, during that team outing, when John was sleeping on the floor, he saw John and Hermione asleep in each other's arms, and he deliberately turned off the Insulation Spell so they could hold each other tighter.

All sorts of ambiguous moments before they got together were exposed by Titus in full detail.

The tipsy Hermione didn't know if she had heard it too; her face flushed to the base of her neck, but she stubbornly refused to lift her head, instead burying her face deeper into the crook of John's arm.

"Good grief, I was wondering why it felt a bit chilly that night."

"Turns out you turned off the Insulation Spell."

Ryan beside them directly retorted.

Could it be that only I noticed the blind spot? Back then they weren't even a couple—how did they end up sleeping together?

Ethan also retorted from the side.

But these are just old stories, said just to liven up the atmosphere.

John and Hermione didn't stop it, after all, the more they talked, the closer they became.

That's great... but John, you're two years below us, so when we graduate, you'll still have two more years of study, right?

Harry suddenly said at this moment.

John nodded, he had certainly thought of that as well.

But to him it wasn't a big deal.

If he were still the powerless first-year he once was, it might indeed be troublesome.

But now, if he wants to go back, he can easily make a trip.

Moreover, he doesn't have to complete sixth and seventh year to graduate.

As long as he passes the N. E. W. T. exams, he can still receive a Hogwarts graduation certificate.

But he still wants to finish sixth and seventh year.

Life only has one youth; he doesn't want to waste it hastily.

That's right, but it doesn't matter; it won't affect us.

John chuckled lightly and said: "As long as Hermione doesn't mind me being a bother, I can go back and forth between school and home every day."

Saying that, he also pinched Hermione's cheek buried in his embrace.

Hermione's ears turned red, she didn't retort, maintaining the pretense of being drunk.

At this moment, Ginny beside them, looking at the feigning-drunk Hermione, suddenly teased and asked.

What if, during these two years when Hermione is away, other girls try to take advantage of John?

The incident with Romida Vanni before is still fresh in memory.

As soon as those words were spoken, Hermione couldn't sit still, even forgetting her act of being drunk.

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Hermione suddenly lifted her head, the drunkenness gone at once, speaking like a protective lioness.

John wouldn't be seduced by those flirtatious tramps!

Moreover, once John turns sixteen I'll be engaged to him; then I'd like to see who dares to lure him away!

Hermione's reaction was no surprise to everyone.

But her words left everyone present, including John himself, stunned.

After a long while, someone finally reacted, uncertainly asking.

Engagement?