Hermione thought this was the happiest birthday she had ever had. The food, the fun, everything was top-notch.
A birthday party with four powerful wizards present, where magic was freely allowed, felt like something straight out of a fairy tale—dreamy and beautiful.
Whether it was a starry sky, a magnificent palace, misty ethereal landscapes, or dazzling fireworks shooting into the sky, with a mere wave of their hands, Dumbledore and Lin Molin could change the scenery at will. The small siheyuan seemed to contain countless breathtaking views. Not only was the young girl enchanted, but even the parents of the two youngsters got to fully indulge in the wonders of magic.
After dinner, everyone started chatting casually. Naturally, the lively young girl joined in on the conversations and listened with great interest. Glenn, however, felt indifferent. Lacking much interest, he chose to head to the rooftop alone to enjoy the breeze.
Once there, he discovered that Crookshanks, who had already finished eating, was also on the rooftop, lying down and digesting.
Glenn picked him up, cradling the cat in his arms, and began to gently stroke him while falling into deep thought.
Did Glenn enjoy this birthday party?
Of course, he did. The warm and peaceful atmosphere calmed his mind. Such days were something he had never imagined or experienced in his previous life.
He had attended many birthday parties before, though they were always someone else's. As an outsider, Glenn would either find an opportunity, don a black cloak, and assassinate the party's protagonist during the candle-blowing and wish-making moment, leaving blood splattered within five steps, or target someone specific at the party, lurking in the shadows around the venue, waiting for the right moment to strike like a venomous snake—swift, deadly, and vanishing into the darkness.
Now, Glenn didn't think there was anything particularly abnormal about that kind of life. It was simply a matter of walking on a tightrope every day, constantly confronting and battling death. Looking back now, he even felt a tinge of nostalgia.
And yet, if someone were to ask him to give up his current life—his family, Hermione, everything—and return to the past, Glenn would be a thousand times unwilling.
Perhaps this was what people meant by "easy to adapt to luxury, hard to return to simplicity."
Only those who had truly lived through the brutal life of his past self, Number Thirteen, could understand the value of Glenn's current life.
Priceless.
"Is this what they call sentimentality?" Glenn muttered to himself, closing his eyes.
These thoughts, so different from his past life, made him feel a bit unsettled. In his previous life, when he was alone, he never had the leisure to contemplate life like this.
It was a strange experience—a chaotic feeling in his heart, hard to put into words.
It was boredom.
Glenn identified the cause and decided to erase all these meaningless thoughts from his mind.
He glanced at the lively scene below, where his family and friends were still enjoying themselves. Focusing his mind, he committed this moment to the deepest recesses of his memory.
After some thought, he set Crookshanks down, retrieved a magical camera from his black ring, and took a few photos.
"Glenn, what are you doing up there on the roof?" The young girl's voice called from below, interrupting his meditative state. "Come down and chat with us!"
Putting away the camera, Glenn stood up. "Should we go down?" he asked Crookshanks. The cat stretched its body, let out a meow, and leaped onto Glenn's shoulder.
Glenn jumped off the roof.
Sometimes, chatting with family and friends wasn't such a bad choice.
Even if it was just small talk, casual chatter.
It was a wonderful experience.
Glenn felt as though he had changed.
Or perhaps, he hadn't.
---
The birthday party lasted until midnight. Everyone had a great time, even Professor McGonagall, who had initially been a bit reserved, eventually got swept up in the atmosphere and joined the lively conversations.
Dumbledore and Lin Molin, the two elderly gentlemen, especially hit it off. Their conversation somehow shifted from casual topics to work, and then to the subject of magical exchanges and cooperation between Longguo and England.
"On behalf of Hogwarts, I propose a magical exchange with the School of Sorcery in Longguo. What do you think, Brother Lin?" Dumbledore sipped his tea, his bright blue eyes gazing at Lin Molin, though his thoughts remained inscrutable.
"Oh? That's certainly no problem," Lin Molin replied, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Dumbledore to make such a proposal, especially given the current state of affairs in England. "I can assure you there won't be any issues on our side. The real question is whether you can manage things on your end."
"I'll make it happen," Dumbledore said earnestly. "The wizarding world on our side has been stagnant for too long. It's time for a force to push things forward. Some matters, and some people, need to face reality."
Hermione and Professor McGonagall both raised their eyebrows simultaneously, falling into thought.
It seemed they had overheard something rather intriguing...
"It's getting late," Glenn suddenly interjected. Using magic, he conjured a clock in mid-air, showing that it was nearly midnight. "We should head to bed."
"Only Hermione needs to sleep, doesn't she?" Perhaps influenced by the festive mood, Dumbledore made a rare joke, hinting at Glenn's habit of staying up late every night.
Glenn: ...
Old bee, if you can't speak properly, don't speak at all.
Sensing a slight tension between Glenn and Dumbledore, Lin Yingqing stepped in to smooth things over. She nodded, acknowledging that it was indeed late and time for the two youngsters to rest. "Let's wrap up for today. Alan, you can stay here tonight. Glenn, Hermione, you both have school tomorrow, so you should return to Hogwarts with Uncle Dumbledore."
With that, everyone stood up, watching as Glenn, Hermione (carrying Crookshanks), Dumbledore, and McGonagall made their way to the teleportation door leading back to Hogwarts.
"Glenn, Hermione, come visit us often!" Lin Molin, still in high spirits, waved to the four of them, standing beside Lin Yingqing.
"We will, Great-Grandfather!" Hermione beamed, then activated the teleportation door with Glenn.
The four of them passed through the door.
"Wait! The kids' gifts!" Antin suddenly remembered, his expression changing as he rushed toward the dining table. Earlier, he had arrived late to the birthday dinner because he was preparing gifts for the two children, but he had forgotten to give them to Glenn and Hermione.
"Glenn! Hermione! Don't close the door yet!" Lin Yingqing called out, her face anxious as she saw the light from the teleportation door beginning to fade. She didn't want her grandson and granddaughter-in-law to think they wouldn't receive any presents this time.
Fortunately, the door had only closed halfway before reopening. Glenn stepped back out.
Why did it feel like the adults in his family were still somewhat unreliable?
Facing Glenn's calm and impassive gaze, Antin thought he detected a hint of disdain.
Was the child thinking something unpleasant about him?
He twitched the corner of his mouth.
It must be an illusion! It had to be!
"Goodnight," Glenn said, taking the gifts and nodding to the adults before stepping back through the door.
The teleportation door closed automatically, marking the end of this birthday celebration.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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