bacchusnovels Chapter 398 Hermione's Husband
Chapter 398 Hermione's Husband
Chapter 398 (Bonus Chapter) Hermione's Husband
"Are you alright?" Ron noticed the unusual look on Sophia's face and asked cautiously.
Sofia forced a smile, shook her head, and remained silent.
"Look—" Harry muttered, his eyes fixed on the Whomping Willow, "we're in."
He was referring to them in the timeline; those figures had already disappeared into the tunnel under the Willow Tree.
The branches started swaying again, as if nothing had happened.
Before long, they heard footsteps approaching.
Looking up, Dumbledore, McNeil, Fudge, and the old commissioner were talking as they walked toward the castle.
"We've just entered the tunnels!" Hermione exclaimed urgently. "If Dumbledore had been with us—"
"Then Fudge and McNeil will definitely be there too," Harry said through gritted teeth. "I bet Fudge will order McNeil to kill Sirius right then and there."
They watched the four figures ascend the castle steps and disappear into the grand portico. For several minutes, the area was deserted. "Lupin's out!" Harry suddenly exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the Whomping Willow.
Another figure hurriedly ran down the castle steps and dashed toward the Willow Tree.
Lupin lowered his head, picked up a broken branch, and skillfully poked at the knots on the trunk.
The man who had been hitting Liu immediately quieted down. He then crawled into the hole under the tree roots and quickly disappeared from sight.
Immediately afterwards, a muffled singing voice came from afar.
It's Hagrid!
They saw him walking toward the castle, singing loudly, his steps unsteady, and a large wine bottle dangling from his hand.
Hermione glanced down at Buckbeak beside her and said urgently in a low voice, "Don't move, Buckbeak!"
The hippogriff seemed to be agitated by Hagrid's voice and began to struggle restlessly, trying to charge at him.
It took four people pulling hard on the rope to barely hold it up.
They watched Hagrid's figure gradually disappear at the castle entrance, until the singing could no longer be heard, before Buckbeak stopped struggling, lowered his head, and let out a low whimper.
Before they could even catch their breath, the castle gates suddenly opened again.
A tall figure rushed out and strode toward the man-beating willow.
"Snape!" Harry whispered, his facial muscles tensing.
Harry clenched his fists, watching Snape's every move.
He saw Snape stop in front of the Whomping Willow, look around, then pick up the branch Lupin had used, expertly poking at the knots of the willow, then put on the Invisibility Cloak he had thrown on the ground, and his figure instantly disappeared into the darkness.
"I see," Hermione said softly, a look of sudden realization crossing her face. "We're all in the tunnel now, we just need to wait for us to come out from below."
She tightened the reins on Buckbeak, securing the rope firmly to a nearby tree, then sat down on the dry ground, hugging her knees, somewhat uneasy.
Sophia sat quietly next to Hermione and reached out to pat her on the shoulder.
Neither of them spoke, but Hermione turned her head slightly and gave Sophia a smile that could barely be called a smile.
In fact, Hermione, having gone through this experience, was pondering a question.
All along, she had been thinking about how to change the fact that she had been defiled that night.
But no matter what, the fact has already happened, and she can't change it.
After the Buckbeak incident, she had a new perspective.
Since the fact that this defilement has already been established cannot be changed, can the person who is defiled be changed?
After all, she didn't get a clear look at the other person's face that night.
If—she meant if—the person who came that night was her future husband, then... wouldn't this whole thing not be so terrible?
She could use the time-travel converter to plead with her future husband to go to the Ministry of Magic that night.
Everything will change.
Even from a different perspective.
This can also be described as a romantic gesture between husband and wife.
Of course, this perspective is simply to minimize the damage.
Ultimately, it is an incredibly painful thing.
This... cannot be washed away.
But since it has happened, we have to find a way to solve it.
Rather than giving your first time to a stranger, give it to the one you love.
This minimizes the harm to oneself and is the only way to redeem oneself.
So, after figuring this out and confirming the feasibility of the plan, Hermione's hope was rekindled.
However, she cannot wait several years to solve these problems.
This semester is almost over, and the time-space converter will soon be returned.
So, the question now is, who is her husband?
Hermione pondered this question deeply.
Therefore, she also secretly glanced at Sophia sitting next to her and Harry and Ron, who were talking in hushed tones not far away.
"He must be chasing Lupin now," Harry whispered, his gaze still fixed on the Whomping Willow. "We almost ran into him."
"Who knows? Snape always finds a way to cause trouble," Ron said, frowning and staring intently at Harry. "But I'm more worried about when we'll be able to rescue Sirius."
"Don't rush," Harry replied, "we need to wait for the right time."
Buckbeak, however, was not as calm as they were. The hippogriff, seemingly agitated by Hagrid's earlier song, began to struggle restlessly, emitting low growls as it tried to break free and rush toward the castle.
"It's about to break free!" Sofia finally spoke, standing up and grabbing the rope tightly.
It took four people pulling together and holding the reins tightly to barely bring the enormous creature under control.
Buckbeak finally stopped after their efforts, lowered its head, and let out a low moan.
It probably thinks Hagrid will come back and take it away.
Sofia, panting, said softly,
They watched Hagrid's figure disappear completely at the castle gate, the singing swallowed up by the night, and the only sounds around them were Buckbeak's panting and the occasional whistling of the wind.
"What do we do now?" Ron asked softly, wiping the sweat from his brow. "How much longer can we wait?"
"Once they come out of the tunnel," Hermione replied, regaining her composure from Buckbeak's sudden turn of events, "then comes the most crucial moment."
Sophia sat back down next to Hermione, this time fixing her gaze on the Whomping Willow.
A brief silence fell over the woods, the four people's breathing mingling with the rustling of leaves in the distance, sounding exceptionally clear.
Finally, after more than an hour, Hermione exclaimed softly, "We're out!" breaking the silence.
She and Harry stood up immediately, and Buckbeak raised his head alertly.
They saw Sofia emerge from the hole looking relaxed.
Then Lupin, Harry, and Peter Pettigrew awkwardly crawled out of the hole between the tree roots, followed by Ron carrying Snape, and Sirius Black.
Finally, Hermione and Professor Phillips followed behind, and the group headed towards the castle.
Harry's heart began to pound. He looked up at the sky; the clouds were slowly dispersing, and the moon could be fully revealed at any moment. He had a bad feeling.
"Harry," Hermione whispered, "we have to stay where we are and not be seen. There's nothing we can do—"
"Then let Pettigrew get away again," Harry retorted in a low voice, somewhat unwilling.
"How can you catch a mouse in the dark?" Hermione whispered anxiously. "We can only save Sirius! We can't do anything else!"
"Okay!" Harry reluctantly agreed.
Just then, the moon finally emerged completely from behind the clouds.
They saw the small group of people in the distance stop, and then things became chaotic.
"It's Lupin," Hermione said anxiously. "He's transforming—"
"Hermione!" Harry suddenly whispered, "We have to get out of here!"
"We can't interfere! I've been telling you this for a long time—"
"It's not interference! Lupin is about to charge into the woods; he'll crash right into us!"
Hermione gasped, realizing the danger was approaching.
"Quick!" she whispered, running quickly to Buckbeak and untying its rope. "Hurry! Where do we go? Where do we hide?"
The Dementors will be here soon—
"Back to Hagrid's hut!" Harry said immediately. "There's no one there now—hurry up!"
There was no time to argue anymore; the two of them took off running, sprinting as fast as they could towards Hagrid's cabin.
Buckbeak followed closely behind, taking steady steps with its strong limbs.
Behind them, the werewolf's howls echoed through the night sky, growing ever closer, threatening to overtake them at any moment.
The cabin came into view, and Harry rushed to the door and pushed it open. Sophia, holding Buckbeak's hand, slipped past him and went inside.
Hermione and Ron then entered the cabin one after the other.
Harry rushed into the house, turned around, and locked the door. The hound, Tooth, barked loudly.
"Shh, Toothpick, it's us!" Hermione quickly went over and scratched its ear to calm it down.
"That was close!" she said to Harry.
"yes-"
Harry looked out the window; it was difficult to see what was happening outside from here.
Buckbeak found himself back in Hagrid's house and seemed quite pleased.
It lay down in front of the fireplace, contentedly folding its wings, looking as if it was about to take a good nap.
In this quiet environment, amidst this tense atmosphere, Hermione continued to ponder the crucial question that had just been on her mind.
Who... is her husband?
When asked this question, Hermione's gaze involuntarily fell on the people around her.
She recalled reading a book about the structure of wizarding society, which mentioned that due to the limited number of wizards and their relative isolation from Muggle society, many wizards' marriage partners were usually friends or classmates they met at magic school, a trend that was particularly pronounced in Europe.
Could it be... Harry?
Hermione shook her head slightly.
Harry was more like family to her.
Over the past three years, the group has weathered so many life-or-death crises together that they can trust each other completely.
Just like... Harry's parents.
Moreover, he wasn't her type. Yes, Harry seemed a bit too reckless.
I was so reckless that I didn't review much material until a week before the exam.
Hermione simply couldn't accept someone like that.
So... is it Ron?
Hermione's gaze involuntarily fell on Ron, who was muttering complaints in the corner.
He was hugging his knees, trying to wipe the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. His face was still pale with fright from the sudden turn of events, but he kept muttering, "If only I could have some food."
just-
He was still complaining that Buckbeak had taken the warmest spot in front of the fireplace.
Thinking of this, Hermione sighed softly.
Ron, like Harry, might be a good friend, but she couldn't treat him as a lover.
The thought of the two of them having a child, and the other person's incompetent and lazy parenting style, drove Hermione almost crazy.
impossible.
It is absolutely impossible.
So, besides Ron and Harry, who else is there?
Hermione thought about it over and over.
At Hogwarts, she encountered very few men in her daily life.
Harry and Ron were the closest of friends, while other boys, no matter how outstanding, always lacked a certain attraction that could touch the depths of her heart.
If she really had to choose one of them, the one who could accompany her in the future, who would she choose?
Once such a thought popped into Hermione's head, it was like a floodgate being opened, and a tall and handsome figure involuntarily appeared in her mind.
Sean Phillips.
Indeed, apart from Professor Phillips, she couldn't think of anyone else who could make her heart race.
This goodwill didn't come out of nowhere.
Professor Phillips' wisdom, composure, and decisiveness in times of crisis had long been deeply etched in her mind.
His eyes, his voice, even his occasional unintentional smile, all gave her an inexplicable attraction.
Moreover, they had already had several close encounters. Especially—Hermione's face immediately flushed red—about the last time.
She tried to shake off the memories in her mind, but to no avail.
But then, reason pulled her back to reality. Her face flushed even more, because the idea was too absurd—their social status was so different, and the age gap was obvious. How could this be possible?
How did he become her husband?
But... is it really impossible?
Hermione unconsciously tightened the corner of her robe, then looked at Sophia, who was sitting there in a daze.
In that instant, countless thoughts rushed to mind.
She bit her lip, as if she had made up her mind.
"Sophia," Hermione whispered, patting her shoulder tentatively.
Sophia turned her head, her gaze somewhat blank, clearly pulled back from her reverie. "What's wrong, Hermione?"
"Let's go outside and talk," Hermione suggested in a low voice, her gaze unconsciously sweeping over the others inside the cabin.
Sophia paused for a moment, but didn't ask any questions. She simply nodded, got up, and followed Hermione out of the cabin.
The night air was crisp and still, and the moonlight spilled onto the ground, gilding the surrounding scenery with a silvery glow.
Hermione stood still in the open space next to the cabin, silent for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Sophia asked softly, looking at her with concern.
"I have a very serious question for you," Hermione began, her voice low and hurried, slightly nervous, "but I need your serious answer."
Sofia's expression became focused, and she nodded slightly. "Of course. What's the problem?"
Hermione took a deep breath, raised her head, and looked directly into Sophia's eyes.
"Do you, from the future, know... anything about me?"
[Bonus chapter complete. We've reached 1000 monthly votes this month, so we'll be adding an extra 2 words. Thank you for your support!]