After dinner, the sky gradually darkened, and soft moonlight spilled across the living room floor through the window.
Hermione pulled back Adelaide, who was just about to say her goodbyes, and firmly insisted she stay the night—Hermione had a little plan in mind. She knew Adelaide's parents were abroad, so she planned to have Adelaide stay until August 31st, so they could head to school together to start the new term.
Adelaide quickly sensed something wasn't quite right and hurriedly spoke up, "Hermione, I can't stay at your house for too long. Headmaster Dumbledore has assigned me other tasks—to monitor and assist the Hogwarts representative sent to invite a very special new student to enroll."
Hermione frowned, immediately firing off a series of questions: "Is this special student a boy or a girl? Have you met before? Why would the Principal give such an important task to you instead of someone else?"
With a look of distress, Adelaide frantically explained to Hermione: "That child known as the savior is named Harry Potter, he's a boy; I did happen to meet him once before, but it was just a passing glance, we didn't even speak."
"The reason Headmaster Dumbledore gave me this important task is entirely because he is my guardian, and among the student body, I should be the one he trusts the most. He hopes that after Harry enrolls, I can look out for him a bit more."
"Of course, considering he's a boy and has heavy responsibilities, I think he should learn to be independent early on; so once school starts, the new student I'll mainly care for and look after will definitely still be you, Hermione!"
Hearing Adelaide say this, Hermione felt a bit better, but a pang of jealousy still surged in her heart.
At this moment, Hermione could never have imagined that the person who would truly become like a mother to the savior in the future would actually be herself.
Hermione muttered somewhat dejectedly, "Then for this so-called task of yours, can I go with you to complete it?"
"Of course that's—"
Adelaide was about to blurt out a refusal, but she suddenly choked on her words halfway through.
She suddenly recalled that just a few days ago, when she and Dumbledore left St Mungos Hospital, Dumbledore had cheerfully told her that she could bring Hermione and Harry along to Diagon Alley.
Tsk!
That old fox, could it be he had planned this all along?
The exceptionally clever Hermione immediately caught Adelaide's suspicious silence. It was already too late for Adelaide to fabricate more excuses or explanations; Hermione's sharp eyes were fixed on her, as if she could see through any lie.
Facing Hermione's relentless questioning, Adelaide felt a wave of panic and eventually had to admit that Dumbledore had said Hermione was allowed to participate in the plan regarding the savior's enrollment.
An extremely excited smile instantly bloomed on Hermione's face, as brilliant and dazzling as a flower in spring, and she quickly left the room with light steps.
Hermione rushed through the hallway like a gust of wind, heading straight for her parents' bedroom, impatient to tell them the good news and work hard to get permission to leave with Adelaide.
Adelaide stood in place, inwardly lamenting her misfortune.
She knew well that given how open-minded The Grangers were, they would certainly agree to their daughter's request.
As she expected, only half an hour passed before Hermione's jubilant cheers came from the room next door.
Hermione successfully persuaded The Grangers, not only gaining permission to go to 7 Bauhinia Road with Adelaide but also, on the grounds that they hadn't seen each other in a long time and had much to talk about, successfully arranging for Adelaide to sleep in her bedroom tonight instead of the guest room.
Under the cloak of night, poor Adelaide was forced to become Hermione's body pillow, falling into a dreamland while physically and mentally exhausted.
In her dream, Adelaide was happily diving and playing in the azure sea.
The seawater was crystal clear, and colorful fish darted around her, a sight of incomparable beauty.
Just as she was immersed in this wonderful underwater world, a massive giant octopus suddenly lunged out from the darkness, pouncing at her with flailing tentacles.
Adelaide was terrified, trying with all her might to escape the octopus's thick, powerful tentacles, but it was all in vain.
The octopus quickly wrapped its countless slimy tentacles tightly around Adelaide, like an airtight cage.
She struggled violently, using both hands and feet to try and tear through the octopus's restraint, but the octopus's strength was simply too great; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape this nightmarish attack.
As time passed second by second, the octopus's tentacles tightened more and more. Adelaide felt her breathing become increasingly difficult, almost suffocating to death.
Just as Adelaide felt she was about to lose her life, she suddenly snapped awake.
Opening her eyes, Adelaide found that Hermione's limbs, like the octopus tentacles in her dream, were tightly constricting her body, clinging to Adelaide like an octopus that refused to let go.
Recalling that terrifying nightmare and seeing the scene before her, Adelaide couldn't help but feel a sense of despair.
At the thought that she might be entangled with this "octopus" for the rest of the summer vacation, Adelaide felt that life was no longer worth living—where was Voldemort?
And that damn Protagonist Cockroach, come out and cause some trouble, save me!
The morning sun spilled onto Hermione's bed through the gaps in the curtains. She released the blank-staring Adelaide, whose eyes seemed to have traces of crystalline tears, and quickly scrambled out of bed.
She impatiently began packing her luggage to go live with Adelaide—in reality, she didn't have much to pack. After all, most items to be taken to Hogwarts had to be purchased after exchanging money for Galleons at Gringotts. She simply picked out some daily clothes, a few essay collections for leisure, and essential toiletries to put into her suitcase.
Before the two left, Mr. Granger handed Hermione a thick envelope containing 3,000 pounds, meant for purchasing various items needed for school and as pocket money for her first year.
This sum was no small amount, roughly equivalent to two months' salary for an average Briton—however, for The Grangers, who graduated from King's College London, ran a private dental clinic in London's Ealing District, and had a combined pre-tax annual income exceeding 250,000 pounds, providing this money as pocket money for their daughter was no problem at all. They didn't want their precious only daughter to suffer even the slightest bit of grievance.
-------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 30 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon.
patreon.com/TLScarlet
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!