Chapter 155: Repaying Snape's Favor

Diagon Alley during the summer holidays is always bustling with activity, and sometimes this liveliness continues late into the night.

Today, however, is an exception.

As night falls, Diagon Alley seems to be shrouded by the gown of Nyx, the goddess of night. The entire street is not only dark but also chilly, and there are hardly any people in sight.

Even if one or two people pass by occasionally, they always look hurried.

The Leaky Cauldron.

Although other shops have closed early, Old Tom's pub is still lit.

He stands behind the bar, wiping a counter that has been there for countless years with a rag of indeterminate color, while his eyes occasionally glance toward the two well-known figures in the hall.

The moment Harry saw Fudge, he became visibly nervous. He couldn't understand why inflating his aunt would alarm the Minister of Magic. It all seemed rather bizarre.

"Minister! I didn't mean to use magic outside of school, I..."

"Thank goodness you're okay! Thank goodness." Fudge interrupted Harry, clearly relieved.

If something had really happened to Harry, it wouldn't just be about his position as Minister; avoiding trial by the Wizengamot would already be fortunate.

"Harry, what did you say? Inflated your aunt? Don't worry, that's a minor issue."

"A minor issue? Then why are you here?" Harry's eyes showed confusion. If it's a minor issue, why come here specifically at night?

"Oh... haha! I'm just here for a routine check. I'll be leaving soon!" Fudge lied smoothly.

"By the way, for your safety... I mean, since you inflated your aunt, you'll stay here at the Leaky Cauldron for now. I'll arrange a room for you until you go to Hogwarts."

As if in a hurry, Fudge turned and walked towards Old Tom after finishing his sentence.

In the pub hall, Harry was somewhat incredulous and confused. However, this scene seemed to be a good sign? Perhaps his mistake would just be glossed over lightly?

Once he calmed down, he realized that everything that happened today was bizarre and strange. First, his inflated aunt flew away from home, then he mysteriously boarded a bus, and finally, he met the Minister of Magic, who personally arranged a room for him...

Various events flashed through his mind, but somehow, he kept thinking about the black dog he encountered while waiting for the bus by the roadside.

...

Harry eventually stayed at the Leaky Cauldron as arranged by Fudge.

As the first rays of dawn rose from the northern hemisphere's horizon, the entire magical community of the British Isles was in an uproar.

The front page of the Daily Prophet featured the news of Sirius Black's escape. In the center of the page was a ten-inch photo of Sirius in prison attire, looking deranged as he roared within the frame.

"Time flies! Truly in the blink of an eye..."

Ino sighed, putting down the newspaper.

He hadn't felt much before, but after spending nearly a year and a half traveling through two major worlds, coming back felt like a lifetime had passed.

"Do you think to repay a favor, I should capture his enemy and deliver them to him, or give him the known clues?"

Ino leaned back on the sofa, staring at the light blue ceiling.

After a moment, a voice came from the ceiling:

"Haven't you already made up your mind?"

"Yes, I have. Hahaha..." Ino laughed heartily. Today's Daily Prophet gave him an idea on how to repay Snape's favor.

Gratitude should be repaid, whether it was for Sectumsempra or the little lessons afterward; Snape had been kind to him.

"How's your research on that flame? Don't tell me you just used it to light a lamp and then ignored it." Lina's cool voice sounded.

"What else could I do? The book you read, Newt Scamander's 'Fantastic Beasts,' only mentions the phoenix briefly. Without information, what else can I research?"

Ino's tone was somewhat helpless. The lamp hanging on the maple tree contained a flame he had magically ignited.

The Flame of Redemption and Hope, an attempt to hatch a phoenix, although it hadn't worked, at least served as a psychological comfort.

"You should visit and study! I once... forget it! I just want to tell you that some knowledge won't be found in public books, especially ones meant for the public."

Lina's tone carried a hint of nostalgia. Before Ino could respond, she continued:

"Some thoughts, insights, and even unverified guesses, these kinds of knowledge will never appear in public books, and what you need is precisely these non-public things."

"You're right!" Ino nodded affirmatively. "I'll write a letter now and find someone to introduce me! There's still time during the summer holidays."

With that, he decisively stood up and walked slowly to the desk by the window. Wanting to visit Newt Scamander, finding the old headmaster for an introduction was undoubtedly the best choice.

Half an hour later.

A carefully worded letter was written, and with a wave of his hand, the owl in the corner of the room flew to the desk.

Ino increasingly liked the transfigured owl Professor McGonagall had given him. It didn't need feeding, didn't get sick, but could perfectly complete its job as a messenger.

As the owl's figure gradually disappeared, Ino slowly withdrew his gaze.

"Lina, have you ever thought about living independently? I mean finding a world you like..."

Halfway through the sentence, Ino stopped, unsure if Lina could survive in a fantasy world after he left.

Similarly, Lina, on the spider web on the ceiling, fell silent upon hearing this.

After a while.

A faint sigh came from the ceiling: "I don't want to lie to you, but let's talk about it later! If you can, buy me some books on blood curses."

"Okay!" Ino said firmly.

For Lina, or rather the White Witch, he always felt a sense of gratitude. Although she had imprisoned him for half a year, she had always treated him with respect, and her parting gift of the ice magic inheritance had opened a path to legend.

Gratitude should be repaid, that's a simple truth, especially with the experiences in the fantasy world making him value his inner growth more.

"If possible, pay more attention to that flower, connect with it, resonate with it, perhaps you'll have unexpected gains."

"And... the last spell, use it sparingly if you can! With your current state, it's really a bit early."

Listening to these heartfelt instructions, Ino smiled silently and sighed softly: "Thank you! Although I don't plan to use it, it seems to have already manifested."

This time, after returning from two worlds, the third spell, the final spell recorded on the petals, had appeared in his mind.

Perhaps it was due to the accumulation of magic, or some other reason, but the once vague spell was now clear.

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