Chapter 443: A Child

After sobering up that day, Slughorn never mentioned this topic again, and Snape would never express his feelings, so school life returned to a kind of deathly silence.

For two full weeks, except for Ma Erfu challenging Luo En beyond his ability from time to time, Harry almost forgot about Kamen Riders. He and Zhang Qiu were tireless in exploring new dating methods, and in addition to that, they took some time to train Quidditch. Until one day, Jin Ni and Eve brought OWL exam questions to ask for advice, and Harry was surprised to find he couldn't understand what it was talking about, so he could only refuse helplessly. Out of guilt, he spent a little more time on classes and homework.

When the smile on Harry's face became increasingly bright and sweet, he somewhat helplessly found that the relationship between Edith and Nicola had become not so good. Nicola would no longer come to watch training, and Edith would no longer run to the library.

Time flowed slowly, and some changes that were originally invisible started to settle and manifest. Although Edith's performance on the field was getting better and better, the smile on her face was getting fewer and fewer.

In early April, Gryffindor, with an absolutely strong lineup of players, showed suffocating suppression, crushing Ravenclaw with a luxurious record of 270:10, and booked the House Cup in advance with a hearty victory. All of them gathered in the common room, and the students' cheers, laughter, and applause intertwined, making the entire tower shake because of this victory.

Harry and Luo En were surrounded by lower-year students, who chattered about their admiration. Jin Ni was passed around by the crowd; it was Demelza and Katie who lifted her up first. McLaggen also found his own fan group; he laughed wantonly in front of a group of girls, constantly shaking a bottle of champagne that had long since lost its fizz.

When Jin Ni finally landed and, together with Eve, carried a large tray of treacle fudge, doughnuts, and chocolate cake, squeezing into the center of the crowd happily to share with all the players, they just noticed that Edith's expression was somewhat wrong.

"What's wrong with you? Are you okay?" Jin Ni, who was unaware, laughed and stuffed a doughnut into her hand. "And you, Nicola, come try this pumpkin pasty."

The two sat together somewhat restrainedly. Edith took a bite of the doughnut and chewed mechanically. Harry suddenly remembered that vampires wouldn't have an appetite for human food—last time, they used kissing to avoid this link, but this time both seemed to have lost the passion for kissing.

"Give them some private space," Harry said while laughing to help them out, while moving the crowd away to make a passage.

They smiled awkwardly and left without saying a word, not even holding hands. Harry looked at the figures one after another with some worry. He reached out and pulled a little fatty from the crowd—Nicola's good friend in the same dormitory, Quinn.

"What's wrong with him recently?" Harry asked in a low voice.

"Don't know, we guess he was traumatized by McGonagall," Quinn said in a low voice.

"I'll go out and see," after a short hesitation, Harry still put down the revelry. The bell of responsibility in his heart was ringing.

The two didn't go far, just leaning on the railing on the other side of the corridor, not entering the Room of Requirement either. They were silent, looking forward with unfocused eyes, until Harry appeared, and then they barely rippled.

"Mr. Potter," Edith said somewhat dejectedly, "I feel like I've become a monster."

"Sorry," Nicola lowered his head deeply.

"This isn't your fault either, Nick," Edith comforted him palely, but he still couldn't lift his head.

Harry looked at them quietly. Suddenly, he thought of a pretty good topic.

"Do you know, there was once a person whose situation was almost exactly the same as yours," he also leaned in front of the railing, clasping his hands, and told slowly, "He was bitten by a werewolf when he was very young and almost lost the qualification to go to school. It was also the then-Headmaster Dumbledore who helped him hide his identity and gave him a chance to go to school."

"That period was equally agonizing for him. Every full moon, he had to sneak out of the castle and come to a deserted corner to spend a difficult night, constantly scratching and biting himself. This was a very painful thing. What made him feel even more painful was that he had to hide this matter from his good friends; he worried that after his friends knew, they would think he was an alien."

"Paper couldn't wrap fire; his friends eventually knew, but they didn't exclude him, instead thinking of ways to reduce his pain—that was practicing Animagus. Every full moon night, they accompanied him in the way of animal friends. Thus, he spent the most beautiful seven years at Hogwarts, learned a lot of magical knowledge, but more importantly, this experience healed his whole life."

When the story reached here, Harry noticed Hermione and Aliana came, but they didn't speak, just listening quietly on the side.

"When he was blocked everywhere and excluded by almost all wizards, he still retained a kind heart and a positive and optimistic attitude toward life. Finally, the situation ushered in a turning point, his friend..." Harry paused and summarized, "thought his friend had sacrificed on the battlefield, but he was still alive, of course, only one was left."

"This friend found him, just like deciding to violate school rules many years ago. He said, 'Hey, how about we do something cool?' Then, he agreed with a smile," speaking of this, Harry raised his head somewhat proudly. "They drew a circle in the forest in Albania, and thus this place became the Werewolf Kingdom. Every werewolf could live there without discrimination, earn a living by labor, and stand up straight to talk to the Ministry of Magic and all human wizards equally. They have always been legal residents of the Wizarding World, but only now have they finally enjoyed the rights that residents should have."

"This is the story of Remus Lupin. He was our professor. It's a pity you didn't meet such a great professor, so you can only listen to my retelling," Harry turned his head to look at the two children. "But you are as lucky as him; you have each other, and of course, you can have more friends. There are Headmasters and professors who care about you, and we senior students are also very willing to provide any help."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter, Hogwarts also healed me," Nicola raised his head and said very seriously. "Perhaps in many years, I can also become a gentle person."

"No wonder Professor Snape would say things like carving out a place for us to build a country," Edith also laughed. "Perhaps, we will also usher in that day."

"Yes, sister said, as long as the Queen Project succeeds, the vampire clan will truly have the capital to talk to wizards equally. We can cooperate friendly with the Ministry of Magic and use our advantages to provide help to wizards. Perhaps then there will be wizards who voluntarily donate blood to us," Nicola's eyes were sparkling.

"This is a bit distant," Harry rubbed his head. "You just need to study hard now, and then, cherish each other more."

"I am not alone," Edith grabbed Nicola's hand. "Can I meet that Professor Lupin? It sounds like you seem to know him."

"Yes, if we're lucky, we can go find Easter eggs at his place during Easter," Harry agreed first. As for the feud between werewolves and vampires, he decided to leave the problem to Lupin—of course, if it really didn't work, he could also ask Lupin to come back once.

The two children held hands again, and they leaned on each other and walked downstairs, seemingly wanting to take a walk on this beautiful night.

"Is he... also a werewolf?" Hermione asked with somewhat complicated feelings.

"I can't say," Harry spread his hands.

"Everyone is trying hard to live," Aliana revealed a strange, miserable smile.

"Why, are you unhappy too?" Harry felt good at the moment; he wanted to take this opportunity to untie another person's heart knot.

Aliana was silent for a moment. She wanted to look at Hermione, but couldn't help but look away. Finally, she spoke slowly: "I once thought that hard work could change everything. Yes, when I tried my best to defeat all my peers and stood on the stage of the Triwizard Tournament for the first time, I thought I would shine brightly. I didn't expect things to muddle into a duel between two old men. This was the first time I was a clown; I lost to power."

"Then someone threatened me with student loans, forcing me to give up the person I loved. This was the second time I was a clown; I lost to capital. Then someone, for some ulterior motives, willfully locked us in prison. I was a clown for the third time; I lost to authority."

"Finally, I bet my life to gain power, but still couldn't beat anyone. Someone told me the Herrscher has no future; blame it on me for not choosing to be a Rider. But where do I have the qualification to touch the belt? This time I lost to fate. I finally understood: how high a person can stand and how much scenery they can see depends on fate. I can only grab the things at hand; I have no qualification to covet more."

Harry understood what she meant. This girl actually didn't suffer much misfortune; she was just worn down by the high-flying spirit she originally had in setbacks again and again. He really didn't know how to persuade her. After all, Harry was actually more willing to live a peaceful and happy life in his heart, rather than being a leader or a hero.

"Who threatened you to give up the person you loved?" Hermione frowned and asked. "Is there another hidden reason for you and Luo En breaking up?"

"I can only say, Hermione," Aliana gathered great courage and pushed her gently, "don't go to Miskatonic, go to a school in the Celestial Empire." ===== CHAPTER 444 =====