socalfunplaces Chapter 82 Late-Night Heart-to-Heart Talk
Chapter 82 Late-Night Heart-to-Heart Talk
Chapter 82 Late-Night Heart-to-Heart Talk
After the joyous dinner, Karen returned to her familiar bedroom. Three months had passed, yet the room was spotless, and the sheets smelled fresh, like they'd been sun-dried.
Outside the window, it had begun to snow. Karen yawned, preparing to put the notebooks she had brought back from Hogwarts into a drawer, when she suddenly heard a soft knock on the door.
"Karen, are you asleep?" David's voice came through the door, lower than during the day.
Karen was a little surprised. She glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table; it was almost eleven o'clock.
"Not yet," he replied, and quickly walked over to open the door.
Standing outside the door was not only her father, but also her mother, Emily, who was wearing a bathrobe and holding something in her hand.
"Can we come in and talk?" Emily asked softly, though her tone left no room for refusal.
"Of course." Karen stepped aside to let his parents in, feeling a sudden tightness in his chest. He noticed that his father closed the door behind him and gently locked it.
David sat in the chair at the desk, while Emily chose to sit on the edge of the bed. Karen suddenly had a strange feeling, as if he were being interrogated. He cleared his throat: "What happened?"
Emily took a deep breath and unfolded the scroll in her hand—it was a copy of the Daily Prophet. She pointed to a report in the bottom right corner: "We want to ask you about this."
Karen glanced at it and instantly recognized it as the report about the Selwyn family's apology. The article detailed the Selwyn family's apology to a Hogwarts freshman for "inappropriate remarks and behavior," and directly named him: Karen Hawthorne.
Karen felt his mouth go dry. He hadn't expected his parents to subscribe to the Daily Prophet, much less that it would be exposed in this way. He carefully observed his parents' expressions: "You—how did you get this?"
"When your mother was looking at the books about the wizarding world that you left at home, she suggested we subscribe to a newspaper every day." David's voice was unusually calm, but his knuckles were already white. "She said it would help us understand what's going on in the wizarding world. We never expected it to come in handy for the first time like this."
Emily's hand trembled slightly: "We wanted to ask you about it in our letters before, but you never mentioned it. This time, we want to talk about it face to face. What exactly happened, Karen?"
Karen's mind raced. He certainly couldn't tell his parents the whole truth, couldn't mention Darendall's threats to harm them, couldn't describe Professor Castor's use of the Cruciatus Curse. But he couldn't lie completely either; the newspaper had already revealed too much.
"It's just some prejudice from pure-blood students," he said, trying to sound as relaxed as possible, as he sat down next to his mother. "There was a Slytherin student who didn't like that Muggle-born students were performing well, so we had a little conflict."
"Conflict?" David seized on the word. "What kind of conflict?"
Karen carefully chose his words: "He ambushed me in the fifth-floor washroom with some friends. They used some evil curses, but I managed to fight back." Seeing his mother's face turn pale instantly, he quickly added, "I'm not hurt! Really. Everyone at school is on my side."
Emily's fingers gripped the newspaper tightly, crumpling it. "The newspaper says the Selwyn family was forced to issue a public apology. Although I've never been to the wizarding world, this definitely doesn't seem like the result of a typical school dispute. Karen, is there anything else you haven't told us?"
Karen felt a pang of guilt. He remembered Professor Castor's words: "Sometimes concealment is for protection, not deception." He took a deep breath: "Professor Victor, my alchemy mentor, has some influence in the Ministry of Magic. He believes this pure-blood supremacy ideology must be publicly condemned, and that's why he pushed for this."
"Why is Professor Victor so concerned about you?" David looked directly at his son. "Just because you're his student?"
Karen considered his words carefully. He couldn't say definitively, "He values my talent." That was at least part of the truth. "And he particularly abhors pure-blood discrimination. I heard he suffered similar persecution when he was in school."
Silence fell over the room. The snow outside was falling even harder, and the sound of snowflakes hitting the windowpane was clearly audible.
Finally, Emily reached out and gently stroked Karen's cheek: "Darling, you know you can tell us anything, right? We may not understand magic, but we'll always be on your side."
Karen suddenly felt his eyes welling up. He remembered Darendall's vicious words and how terrified he had been. Although Professor Castor had temporarily defused those threats, the shadow remained. To get rid of them, he ultimately had to strengthen himself.
"I just didn't want you to worry," he replied to Emily. "This matter has been resolved, and Hogwarts is safe most of the time."
David stood up and paced back and forth in the cramped bedroom. "We'd heard about pure-blood prejudice before sending you into the magical world, but we never expected it to be this—direct." He stopped in front of Karen. "What punishment did the student who attacked you receive?"
"He went to the infirmary, and their college lost fifty points because of it," Karen answered selectively. "And his family was forced to issue a public apology and pay a large sum in compensation, just like the newspapers reported. Professor Victor made sure they wouldn't cause any more trouble."
"This Professor Victor sounds very powerful," David said thoughtfully. "What kind of person is he? Is he trustworthy?"
Karen thought of Professor Castor, of his words during the blood oath ceremony that "knowledge must be passed down," and of the cursed scars on his left arm.
“He was a powerful and learned wizard,” Karen said sincerely. “He was very strict with me, but never stingy with his guidance.” He then added, “And he made me promise that if a similar situation occurred again, I should tell him immediately.”
Emily and David exchanged a glance. Finally, David sighed and sat back down in his chair: "Karen, we're not trying to interfere with your life in the wizarding world, but as your parents, we need to know if you're safe."
"I understand." Karen nodded, then suddenly thought of a solution. "Actually, I originally wanted to demonstrate some magic to put your minds at ease."
But—" He pointed helplessly to his wand, "Underage wizards are not allowed to use magic outside of school; the Ministry of Magic is monitoring them."
"Traces?" Emily frowned in confusion.
"It's a tracking magic that can detect the spellcasting of underage wizards," Karen explained. "Violations will result in warnings, and in serious cases, even expulsion."
David nodded thoughtfully: "So you can't demonstrate the magic you've learned at home?"
"Yes!" Karen strode towards the suitcase. "But I can show you the alchemical items I've made."
Karen pulled out a spyglass she had made herself from her suitcase: "This is a self-made early warning device that can detect malice within twenty meters."
"This is amazing!" Emily took the viewing mirror and looked in amazement at the little glass top lying in her palm.
"How does it work?" David's engineering mind was immediately stimulated, and he carefully examined the structure of the endoscope.
Karen pointed to the inside of the scope: "A sensory network woven from unicorn hair, combined with moonflower dew to form the core, and runes on it are responsible for stabilizing the detection function."
"So if someone nearby wants to hurt you, this will give you a warning in advance?" Emily carefully observed the viewing mirror.
“That’s right.” Cullen nodded. “And I’ll be carrying it with me from now on. Hogwarts is safe. This was just an accident, but having this makes me feel more at ease.”
David's expression softened slightly: "It seems you really did learn how to protect yourself at school."
Emily, holding the viewing mirror, asked again, "You learned all of this at school? In just three months?"
Cullen nodded. "That's not all. Hogwarts has the best professors. Professor Flitwick is a dueling champion, Professor McGonagall is a master of Transfiguration, and Professor Victor—" He paused, "his mastery of alchemy is unfathomable."
This statement seemed to finally break the tension somewhat. Emily put the viewing mirror back in its box, her worry easing a little: "We were just worried about you facing that world alone. Magic is wonderful, but obviously it's also dangerous."
"I understand," Cullen said softly, "but please believe me, I'm no longer the little boy who needs your constant protection. Hogwarts is teaching me how to protect myself and when to ask for help."
David suddenly stood up and gave his son a firm hug: "We're so proud of you, son. Just don't forget, no matter how strong you become, you'll always be our child in our eyes."
Emily joined in the hug: "Promise us that if you encounter danger again, you must tell us, okay?"
"I promise." Karen nodded on his mother's shoulder, his heart filled with both warmth and sorrow. He couldn't tell them the whole truth, but his promise at this moment was genuine.
When the hug ended, Emily smoothed out her wrinkled nightgown and suddenly asked, "Will Professor Victor be staying at the school for Christmas? Perhaps we should send him some gifts to thank him for taking care of you."
Karen recalled the miniature Christmas tree adorned with alchemical artifacts in Professor Castor's office, and the citrus-scented Christmas tea: "He—he should stay at Hogwarts. In fact, I've already made him a special gift."
Emily suddenly suggested, "We should prepare some gifts for Professor Victor to express our gratitude. I can bake some Christmas cookies."
You could give him some; besides cookies, maybe he'd also like jam? My raspberry jam was very popular at the church fair last year.
The atmosphere finally relaxed. David yawned and glanced at his watch: "It's already midnight. We need to decorate the Christmas tree tomorrow; you should get some rest."
Emily kissed Karen on the forehead, just like she had when he was a child: "Goodnight, darling. Remember, no matter what happens, this home will always be your safe haven."
After his parents left, Karen gently closed the door, leaned against it, and let out a long sigh. The snow outside had stopped, and moonlight was once again shining on the snow-covered garden, creating a silvery landscape. He walked back to the bedside, took out the finished amulet from under his pillow, and the array of runes on the inside of the silver bracelet shimmered faintly in the moonlight.
Putting the bracelet back, Cullen drew back the curtains, letting the moonlight flood the room. At Hogwarts, the Ravenclaw Tower must be bathed in moonlight like this too, right? He thought of the late-night research in the Eagle's Nest, the lively conversations of his roommates, Professor Flitwick's encouraging smile, and Professor Castor's stern yet expectant grey eyes.