Chapter 773
Companions 2
Chapter 773 Companions 2
Michael's arrival seemed to have flipped a switch; the next morning, when they went downstairs for breakfast, the hotel's delicate tranquility was shattered by a burst of energetic noise.
"Look at that chandelier!" Hermione exclaimed in amazement as she stood beneath it, looking up. "They didn't use candles! Was it electricity, or magic?"
"...I bet Fred and George will figure out where the joke shops in America are by tomorrow morning!"
That was Ron's booming voice. He dragged his luggage and looked around excitedly: "Merlin, this is my first time in America!"
“Don’t act like a country bumpkin, Ronald!” Fred said, raising an eyebrow. “And you underestimate me! I’ve already found out everything I needed to before we set off! I won’t waste a single second on this trip!”
Identical twins walked in from outside, and George said with a grin, "Wait a minute, everyone in front, let the sponsors go in first!"
Ginny, who was following behind, blushed, partly because of Harry walking behind her, and partly because of her brothers who made her feel somewhat ashamed.
“Hat—Ginny, you forgot your hat!” Mrs. Weasley ran up from behind and put a hat with wavy lace trim on her daughter’s head.
The wheels of his suitcase rattled, but Arthur Weasley ignored the noise behind him and went straight to the front desk: "Check-in... Arthur Weasley, from England... I booked a room in advance..."
Sirius Black and Harry were a step behind when they entered the door. Harry looked around at the White Bridge Inn's decor and asked his godfather in a low voice:
"Sirius, do you know anything about the wizarding world in America? I've heard some things from Ilvermorny's students, but I don't know much about it..."
"I don't know much about it either, but isn't this better?" Sirius said cheerfully. "A brand new map, doesn't it feel good, right?"
A noisy chatter echoed through the hall, unnoticed by the excited group, but a few scattered guests cast disgruntled glances from behind their newspapers and teacups.
Facing the noisy group of guests, the hotel owner frowned, his finger resting on Arthur Weasley's ID. His gaze swept over them sternly, and just as he was about to speak, a slightly amused voice came from above the nearby stairs—
Good morning, everyone! It seems everyone has arrived.
His voice wasn't loud, but it miraculously reached everyone's ears, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Wade stood in the middle of the stairs, smiling as he looked down at the bustling crowd in the hall. Michael Conner stood beside him, one hand casually in his pocket, the other waving happily down below.
"Vade!"
Several people called out in unison, and Harry and the others quickly came over to greet them.
The anger that was about to erupt on the hotel owner's face vanished instantly, as if wiped away by magic. He glanced down at the Weasley family's identification and wrote the information down in his notebook.
"Yes, you have a reservation... Welcome to the White Bridge Hotel. Here are your keys. Have a pleasant vacation in the United States."
Arthur Weasley picked up the key, looked at the hotel owner's seemingly standard, staff-like smile, scratched his head, and felt a strange unease.
Immediately afterwards, the new certificates were placed on the front desk.
"Sirius Black," the dark-haired man said with a half-smile, "Check-in."
At the same time, the guests in the lobby also calmed down, burying themselves in their newspapers again or leisurely sipping their tea. The previous restless atmosphere had vanished, leaving only a deliberately maintained, overly normal quiet.
“I can’t believe it, America! New York!” Harry exclaimed excitedly. “I mean… this is my first time traveling abroad! And flying! This is amazing!”
“You’ll have plenty of opportunities to go abroad after you graduate, until you get tired of it all,” Lupin said with a smile, then walked past Wade and the others toward Sirius. “How’s it going?” Sirius, leaning against the front desk, turned his head to look and smiled, “You’ve arrived so many days early, do you have any ‘travel tips’ to share with us?”
Lupin gave Sirius a brief hug and said, "There's so much to say. Let's make some coffee and chat later."
“What about Alastor?” Sirius asked. “I heard he’s with you.”
Lupin said, "That guy didn't sleep well last night and is catching up on sleep now!"
Sirius nodded slightly, immediately understanding—
The situation was more tense than he had imagined. Moody must have been up all night.
His gaze swept over the guests in the lobby, his nostrils twitched briefly, but he quickly regained his indifferent expression.
On the other side, the teenagers huddled together, their voices barely stopping:
"I recently finished reading 'The Fundamentals of Modern Alchemy,' 'The Essence of Mystery,' and 'Higher Symbolic Alchemy'!"
Hermione said quickly, "I mean... although many parts are so profound and difficult to understand, they are absolutely fascinating! I really wish I could see those masters doing it in person!"
"Then why don't you go watch Vader's alchemy?" Ron said, puzzled. "He's one of the most famous alchemists these days!"
“Wade’s skills are something most people can’t learn. He even livestreams himself making magic puppets during matches. How many people can imitate that?” George said.
“But one day, we’ll stand on that field with our heads held high! We’ll show everyone the unique charm of Weasley’s jokes!” Fred said confidently.
"Has your joke shop opened yet?" Michael asked curiously.
The twins perked up at the mention of this, while Ron and the others rubbed their foreheads and muttered, "Oh, no..." as if they were already fed up with the nagging.
Fred said, "Oh, since we haven't found suitable staff yet, we'll start by setting up a stall..."
"Needless to say, the products are a huge hit!" George gave a thumbs up: "Not a single kid who comes to Diagon Alley leaves our stall empty-handed!"
"I made a little money..." Fred said with a smile, feigning humility, "All the expenses for this trip were generously sponsored by the Weasley Joke Shop!"
"This is the first time I've heard my mother say this..."
George clenched his fists and placed them on his chest, then said in a high-pitched voice, "Oh... Fred... George... I'm so proud of you all..."
Fred said sadly, "Sigh... This sudden kindness from her makes me feel like I have a different mother... I still prefer the way she slept with our fat toffee in the trash..."
Before he could finish speaking, Fred suddenly noticed that the expressions on the faces of the people in front of him were strange. Some were looking down, some were looking up at the sky, some were touching their eyebrows, and some were tugging at their sleeves. No one was looking at him, and no one showed a knowing smile.
He blinked and said softly, "Don't tell me... Mom is right behind me..."
Immediately afterwards, Mrs. Weasley's familiar roar rang out:
“Fred! George! You two…”
(End of this chapter)