Chapter 471
The mantis stalks the cicada
Chapter 471 The mantis stalks the cicada
Similar hillsides, with green grass just growing on the meadows; similar farms, with cows and sheep grazing on the grass, and chickens and ducks of all sizes turning over the gradually softening soil, looking for edible insects and grass seeds.
When Anne Johnson arrived in a strange place, she was a little panicked at first, but the familiar scenery made her gradually relax.
She sat on the wooden floor around the house, holding the fat cat with squinting eyes in her arms, its gray hair hanging down, seeming to glow in the sunlight.
The Oblivion Charm had a severe effect on her brain, but it seemed to have given her another kind of peace.
Wade looked at her, feeling very complicated.
Next to them, the farmer and his wife took the potion that Dumbledore handed to them, smiled and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, Mr. Dumbledore, we will take good care of her like a family member and let her take the medicine on time."
"She will be called Annie Bull from now on, and she is nominally your cousin," Dumbledore said. "As for the rest, since she has forgotten it, there is no need to remember it."
The couple smiled and nodded. On the grass not far away, their two young children were chasing each other and playing.
Anne Bull's empty gaze gradually moved to the two children. She looked at them intently, her gaze becoming softer and softer, and a tear slid down her cheek unconsciously.
……
"Both Mr. and Mrs. Bull are Squibs, kind and generous. The Nicholas Bull family has been running this farm since the generation of our great-great-grandfather."
On the way back to Hogwarts, Dumbledore told Wade: "Half of the meat Hogwarts usually eats comes from Bull Farm."
“So there are special farms?” Wade said, “I always thought they were purchased from ordinary people.”
"Sometimes, but we don't usually do that," said Dumbledore.
Wade asked, "Because it will increase the risk of exposing the school's address?"
"That's one thing." Dumbledore smiled and said, "And if we buy from here, we only need a snakeskin bag to bring everything back. But if we change to a Muggle farm, we have to hire a few trucks, otherwise it will be difficult to explain why the things disappeared in the blink of an eye."
"It's the same with trucks, right? There needs to be a transit warehouse, otherwise the drivers will feel strange," said Wade.
"Yes." Dumbledore sighed, "It is always easy for wizards to overlook these details, especially after cameras are installed in some places... Once they are exposed, they have to move in a hurry."
Vader nodded: "But we can't move the castle with us."
Thinking that everyone's mobile phone will have a built-in camera in the future and that reconnaissance satellites in the sky will monitor the earth at all times, Wade felt a chill for those wizards who insisted on keeping secrets.
He changed the subject and said what he had been thinking about for a while:
"Professor... Although Mrs. Johnson can basically take care of herself, her IQ is about the same as that of a child. It must be difficult for the Bull family to help take care of her. I would like to give them a monthly nursing fee... Do you think it's appropriate?"
Dumbledore looked at him gently and said, "Of course, you are very considerate...but I am curious, why do you want to do this? Is it because of your friendship with Mr. Johnson, or...guilt?"
Wade thought for a long time before saying, "... maybe it's sympathy? And... a feeling of sympathy for one's own kind? Everything that Khalil encountered could have very likely happened to me. It's just that I'm luckier than him..."
Even if he is a time traveler, he may not be able to see the truth of the world.
Fortunately, the people in this world are similar to those in the original book, which makes it easier for Wade to distinguish between good and evil and positions and control his own destiny.
But he had read some derivative novels before traveling through time. Although he didn't remember the specific plot, he had a vague impression -
For example, according to the conspiracy theory, Dumbledore is the scheming mastermind behind everything; for example, if Voldemort was not killed by Harry, Hogwarts under his rule became like the simple-minded Gotham City.
Dumbledore didn't know that Wade was constructing an image of a "sinister and vicious White Devil" in his mind, and he said with relief:
"I'm glad you're not drowning in anger and hatred, Vader... But if you were in my shoes, I believe you would have a more appropriate way to deal with it."
Wade smiled, but was thinking in his heart - is there really a more appropriate way?
If he were in Khalil's situation, perhaps he would only be faced with a choice between this and that.
The only difference is whether he is overwhelmed by a huge sense of guilt and makes a desperate choice to let his mother live, or he rationally accepts the tragedy that has happened and continues to move forward with the pain of losing his loved ones.
... "Ekoto Aroche——"
In the forest, Lockhart waved his wand, and an invisible wave spread out with a "bang", and the dead leaves and bushes on the ground shook twice.
"Good. This way the Aurors won't be able to track us easily."
Lockhart said happily, lowering his wand.
Gal didn't say anything. He sighed tiredly, walked to the stream, washed his hands and face with the cold water, and immediately felt much more awake.
Lockhart came over and squatted beside him, saying emotionally: "I really didn't expect you to come back to save me, Gal. When I was caught by those vampires, I thought I was finished..."
——I thought you were going to die too.
Gal thought.
The reason why he took Lockhart with him when he escaped and helped him steal a wand was because Gal thought that the cabin had been surrounded by Aurors, and Dumbledore himself might even be outside.
As a weak vampire, he had no power to resist those brutal and powerful wizards. Therefore, Gar had originally planned to throw Lockhart out as a target if he encountered any obstacles.
He himself was only smuggling some goods that were banned by the Ministry of Magic. His crime was far less serious than that of Lockhart, a criminal who manually caused more than a dozen wizards to lose their memory.
Unexpectedly, the two of them escaped so smoothly. Seeing Lockhart's gratitude, Gar naturally would not take the initiative to expose his sinister plan. He nodded to accept the gratitude and asked, "How do you feel about this wand?"
"It's definitely not as good as the old one, but it feels all right." Lockhart waved his wand and said, "It doesn't resist me very much."
"That's good." Gar stood up and said, "We are not completely out of danger yet. Maybe the Dementors will be summoned soon. Let's run first."
"Okay." Lockhart agreed decisively.
Ever since he nearly died at the hands of a vampire, Lockhart had been filled with a sense of urgency. Moreover, he had been carried by Gar for quite some time, and apart from the severe pain in his ribs, he did not feel tired at all.
The two simply drank some water and continued running deeper into the forest.
A few minutes later a large black dog, like a bear, followed, sniffing among the bushes and grass, then trotting after him, his paws making almost no sound on the ground.
Not long after, Locke, wearing a tattered cloak, walked along the same route. A small gray mouse jumped over the tree roots and ran very fast, stopping from time to time to look back and wait for him.
"Don't worry." Locke seemed to be talking to himself, or explaining to it: "If those two people know that Peter Petillo is dead, then I might be exposed as soon as I show up. So I have to find the right time... find an occasion where they can't explain themselves."
"Squeak--" The mouse stood on a branch like a human, with its front paws tucked in front of its chest, and said in a thin voice: "Are you going to let Sirius Black come into contact with them?"
"Well? Of course not." Locke said, "If he means that, you can lead him away."
"Got it!" the gray mouse responded, crawled into the bushes, and ran away like lightning.
Locke looked back in the direction of Hogwarts, then slowly followed.
It remembered that when it was first created, its master had a plan for it that would both cause the death of "Peter Pettigrew" and deal a huge blow to Voldemort.
But later, for some reason, the master never mentioned that plan again... Maybe it was because Voldemort had not shown up for a long time, and the master had to change his mind.
Before coming out this time, Locke did not receive more detailed orders, and could only think about what to do on his own.
Fortunately, this process is not unfamiliar, it just takes a little time... and it has never lacked patience.
Locke touched his eyes, his expression as calm as ever.
(End of this chapter)