Letter from Poland

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To Ethan of Toussaint, Master Hunter

Our village has been attacked by many monsters recently, causing several tragedies. These crazed creatures attack our villagers, destroy our farmland, and kill our cattle and sheep.

Unfortunately, our local wizards have been unable to cope with this crisis, so we would like to hire you, a professional witcher, to help us. Please come to the village of Oshtin in Poland to discuss the details. If you can resolve this crisis, we will reward you generously.

—Sir Alma Sapkov

Initially, Ethan had no intention of traveling so far for what seemed like a vague commission. However, something fell out of the envelope that caught his attention.

A gold emblem with a longbow engraved on it had slipped out. Intrigued, Ethan delved into the Hogwarts library and found a book detailing ancient European magical pureblood families. There, he found information about the Sapkov family.

The book mentioned that the Sapkov family was once a prominent and old Wizard family in Poland. At their peak, they controlled numerous magical medicinal plantations and even gold mines. Although the family later declined for unknown reasons, they had left a significant mark on the history of Polish magic.

Convinced that the reward must be substantial, Ethan decided to accept the commission. As the saying goes, even if a broken ship had 3,000 nails, Ethan did not believe that a family that had once controlled iron mines would have no savings left.

Tonks froze as she read the letter Ethan handed her.

"So, you're planning to go to Poland for this commission?" she asked curiously.

"Yes," Ethan replied with a nod.

"I've heard about the Sapkov family," Tonks said, siping the sweet tea before her.

"What news?" Ethan asked.

"They're rumored to be under some strange curse," Tonks recalled, frowning.

"It's said that this curse led to the family's decline. I don't know the specifics, though—I heard it from a colleague who returned from a business trip in Poland."

"Looks like this could get troublesome," Ethan sighed.

"I'm coming with you!" Tonks suddenly announced.

"I've wanted to visit Poland for a while and saved up some vacation time. This is the perfect opportunity."

"Tonks, hunting monsters isn't a holiday. It's dangerous!" Ethan said with a frown.

"Please, I'm an Auror!" Tonks retorted, feigning anger.

Under Tonks' persistent winks, Ethan finally agreed to let her accompany him to Poland.

Meanwhile, Hermione, listening intently to their conversation, sipped her tea quietly.

Mrs. Padiff handed her a fresh cup of black tea, and Hermione nodded politely in thanks.

Suddenly, a "clack-clack" noise came from next door. Hermione turned her head curiously toward the sound and was startled to see an elderly couple kissing across the wall.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, unable to believe these couples would be bold enough to engage in such outrageous acts in public. As she glanced around, she noticed that almost every corner of the teahouse was occupied by couples from Hogwarts engaged in various intimate acts.

Then, Hermione noticed the decor—lace trims and little Eros decorations. Realization dawned on her, and her face turned red. This was a couple's teahouse, and she finally understood why Mrs. Paddyff had looked at her so strangely.

Mortified, Hermione quickly wrapped her head tightly with her scarf, left money for the tea on the table, and hurriedly escaped from Madame Paddyff's Tea House.

Outside, she bumped straight into Ron's chest, almost knocking him over. The eventful Hogsmeade Open Day was ending, and the three friends had enjoyed many experiences.

Sirius had given Ron a new pet as a thank-you for Ron's brave help to Harry and to compensate for the loss of Scabbers. Ron carefully selected a horned owl in the pet store, naming it Mr Peekers. The owl quickly bonded with Ron, pecking his ear affectionately whenever called by name.

Life returned to normal, and Harry's improved status, thanks to his Firebolt, made him a Gryffindor star. However, Snape's relentless revenge on Harry, Ron, and Hermione marred this happiness. Snape's vendetta meant constant point deductions for Gryffindor, often for the smallest infractions like stained notebooks, dropped quills, or momentary distractions.

During Potions class, Snape stood menacingly behind Harry and Ron, waiting for the slightest mistake to pounce on. For each error, Snape deducted five points from Gryffindor. Snape's psychological pressure caused Harry and Ron to make even more mistakes, turning Potions into a daily black hole for Gryffindor's points.

The relentless bullying left a deep psychological impact on the boys, with Ron frequently waking from nightmares about Snape. When Sirius learned of this, he was furious and wanted to confront Snape, but Harry and Ron managed to dissuade him, knowing it would only worsen their situation.

Snape's hostility extended to Ethan as well. Once polite to each other in passing, now Snape would only sneer and ignore Ethan completely.

However, Ethan had more pressing matters to attend to before his journey to Poland. He needed to visit the Black family's Manor to retrieve an important item. 

This trip would be crucial for the upcoming mission, and Ethan knew he had to be fully prepared. Despite the tension with Snape and the challenges ahead, he focused on his immediate tasks, knowing the journey to Poland could be the key to resolving the crisis for the Sapkov family.