bacchusnovels Chapter 520 Hibiscus's Redemption
Chapter 520 Hibiscus's Redemption
Chapter 517 Hibiscus's Redemption (Part 2)
Have you thought this through?
"no."
"And now?"
"no."
"In this world, not everything needs to be explained clearly. Sometimes, pretending not to understand takes more courage and responsibility than speaking out."
The air was silent for a few seconds, and Harry lowered his head dejectedly.
"I'm sorry, Professor, I don't understand."
Sean smiled, as if he had already anticipated Harry's reaction.
"You'll understand later," he said casually. "Would you like a cup of honey lemon black tea?" she said, pouring herself a cup and taking a small sip, perhaps because she was thirsty, or perhaps to ease the rather heavy atmosphere in the infirmary.
He placed the teacup back on the table, his gaze returning to Harry, and continued speaking.
"Take this as an example."
"When faced with the threat of death, some people can face it calmly, while others choose to live a life of ignominy."
"These are all human choices. We shouldn't despise the latter; it's human nature, often driven by the survival instinct of humans as animals. As for the former, being able to face it calmly is because inner conviction has overcome human nature as animals."
"You'll understand someday that how you choose to face your fears at certain moments determines what kind of person you will become."
As he spoke, Sean pushed the teacup in front of Harry, then stood up, walked to the window, looked at the night view outside, and suddenly paused.
"Fudge made this choice because of the need to survive."
"If it were someone else, we might criticize his behavior. But because he is Fudge, I cannot be too harsh on him."
"Um?
"
Harry paused slightly in his teacup and looked up, puzzled.
"Isn't it precisely because he's the Minister of Magic that we should act this way?"
"At least not now." Sean turned to Harry, looking sincerely at him. "With the Man of Void about to return, the entire wizarding world is in chaos, and public confidence is low. Imagine what they would think if they knew their minister had already compromised before even starting the war?"
Harry didn't answer, but thought about it seriously for a moment.
"When a role model does something inappropriate, history tells us that it sets a bad example for others. People think, 'Even Fudge did it, so what's wrong with me doing it? Even Fudge did it.'"
"Harry, you don't want to see Vader take over the British wizarding world, do you? I have urgent business to attend to right now. You should rest and think about it some more."
'
""
Sean walked out of the infirmary with hurried steps toward the Astronomical Tower.
Two full hours had passed since the counseling session with Harry began. Now, it was nearing curfew, and Hogwarts felt unusually deserted. The only sound in the empty corridors was the clatter of his boots against the floor, adding to the sense of loneliness.
Three minutes earlier, Sean had caught a glimpse of that slender, frail figure on the Astronomical Tower while gazing at the night sky from his window.
The person stood on the edge of the rooftop, seemingly about to be blown away by the wind at any moment, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Like a fragile dandelion, its fate is determined by the direction of the wind; it seems that it would be blown away and disappear with just a gentle push.
It is a hibiscus.
Hibiscus de la Cour.
Furong had no idea how long she had been standing on the astronomical tower.
It might have been seven hours, or it might have been eight hours; in any case, it was a long time. When she arrived, the sun was still shining in the sky.
She watched as the sun gradually turned red from the high horizon, slowly dyeing the sky orange-yellow, then deep red, before slowly fading into darkness.
The last rays of the setting sun disappeared before her eyes, and the stars began to quietly climb into the night sky.
Is it beautiful? Maybe.
It's spectacular.
Isn't it spectacular enough that the sun burns its last rays, turning the entire sky red? If such a scene isn't spectacular, is it supposed to be tragic?
Perhaps, she too can be like the sun...
Thinking of this, Furong moved forward a little more.
To be honest, she had never stood at such a height before—and it felt wonderful—she could feel the cold night wind gently caressing her cheeks. The wind carried a hint of moisture, and the crisp air made her thoughts exceptionally clear, clearer than ever before, and indescribably exhilarating. It seemed that if she took just one step forward, her soul could slowly rise and be hung in the sky with the stars.
Maybe... perhaps...
Just as Furong was lost in thought, she heard a rustling sound behind her.
Upon hearing the sound, she leaned back slightly like a startled fawn, warily watching the entrance to the top floor of the Astronomy Tower.
Who could it be? she wondered.
"Good evening, Miss Delacour."
It's Professor Phillips.
Seeing the person approaching, Furong breathed a sigh of relief, but then tensed up again. What would he say if he saw her like this? Would he think she was a coward?
if-
He vanished from this world.
Can't you even leave a last bit of good impression on those who once took care of you?
"You also like to come here at night to look at the night sky?"
Surprisingly, Professor Phillips didn't seem nervous, strange, or confused by her actions, nor did he mistakenly assume she was there to enjoy the night view. Did he often come here to see the night view too? It was indeed beautiful. But... was it just carelessness? Or... "Uh... um."
After hesitating for a moment, Furong nodded hesitantly.
Sean walked over to Fleur's side with remarkable ease, even sitting down closer to her than she was standing, with half of his body dangling over the edge of the Astronomical Tower.
"Come, sit down."
Furong sat down, still somewhat bewildered.
Some people believe that humans are like blank star charts, blank canvases, waiting for the universe to bestow everything upon them.
"Thousands of years ago, some astronomers erected stone slabs known as observatories in the Scottish Highlands and looked up at the stars from there."
"It's hard to imagine that we are enjoying this starry sky together with people from thousands of years ago."
"Nothing in the world can be called eternal, except for this starry sky. No matter how humanity changes, the starry sky will always remain."
"It is so close to us, yet so far away."
"The stars we see today may have died, and their light has traveled through endless time to illuminate our eyes at this moment."
"6
""
Hibiscus was completely captivated by Sean's words.
Language is a power, and a person who is good at using language is a charm. She never thought that anyone could use language to make the starry sky so magnificent.
Very charming.
They say a man who takes things seriously is the most handsome. Maybe that's what her mother meant back then, she thought.
"Want to jump?"
Suddenly, Fleur saw Professor Phillips look up at her, addressing the very thing she had been hesitating about. "Do you want to jump? Perhaps you did before, but now that desire isn't so strong."
So she shook her head.
"Let's jump together. You'll always regret things you never did when you look back on them."
Before Fleur could even understand what he meant, she was astonished to see Professor Phillips take her hand and then leap away with a fearless air.
call-
The wind was whistling in my ears.
I have never felt so happy before.
At that moment, Furong understood something.
Nothing in this world is permanent, not just people, but also rumors and gossip. Thousands of years from now, when no one can find any trace of them in this world, why be so demanding of the present?
She is Fleur, Fleur Delacour. She has always been, the most unique being.
Driven by this impulse, she actually...
half a month later.
In the past two weeks, news of Voldemort's return has swept through the entire British wizarding world and even the European wizarding world like a whirlwind.
Every corner related to magic is filled with discussions and fears about Voldemort's return.
However, it was during this period that Sean Phillips, the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, rose to prominence.
The reason for this is naturally that the fact that Sean carried out an unprecedented manhunt for Voldemort and almost brought him to justice has strengthened the public's confidence.
This creates a cycle.
The more people fear Voldemort, the more they idolize Sean, who recently led the fight against Voldemort.
In addition, the Triwizard Tournament allowed the young wizards from the three European academies to gain a deeper understanding of Shaun during the academic year, and Shaun's reputation began to spread throughout the European continent through this series of events.
summer vacation.
This summer is going to be hotter than usual.
The sun seemed to hang in the sky from morning till night, scorching the earth with its blazing heat. A layer of heat permeated the air, and the distant horizon swayed, as if the whole world had been baked into a blur.
The stone pavement in front of the Ministry of Magic was scorching hot from the sun; walking on it felt like stepping on a red-hot iron plate with every step.
"It's so hot."
A voluptuous woman dressed in a black robe complained softly, but instead reached out and took the arm of the man next to her.
"Master, how will you reward me?" She turned her head, inadvertently rubbing her large breasts against the man. "I'll obey your orders and let Voldemort..." "Is everything ready?" the man interrupted her. "How many more hours will the Polyjuice Potion last?"
"Three hours." The woman patted a pocket inside her robe. "Just in case, I brought a few extra."
As they were talking, the two of them had already entered the phone booth.
The phone booths have been significantly renovated since Sean's last visit—two or three years ago, when he first took office at the Ministry of Magic and his first task was to rebuild the phone booths—it seems that the renovated phone booths have been carefully maintained ever since.
After a brief feeling of weightlessness, the two arrived safely at the Ministry of Magic's main hall.
"Director Phillips, Chief Jorgins!"
"Good morning!"
"Everyone has worked hard."
"It's no trouble at all, just serving the wizard!"
Along the way, many wizards greeted the two of them, expressing their respect.
What they knew was—
These days, the two of them have put a lot of effort into the matter of the mysterious man, working almost every day to check security measures in various wizard gathering places and to fill in any gaps in the prevention work.
What they didn't know was—
Sean was slacking off the whole time.
On the surface, he appears to be doing his best for the wizarding world, but he merely makes an appearance, checks in, and then turns around and returns to his residence, chatting with the witches who come to visit every now and then.
Today, Bella found an excuse to leave Voldemort and replaced Bertha, joining Sean at the Ministry of Magic. Ostensibly, it was to assist with their work, but in reality, it was a rare opportunity for them to walk side by side in broad daylight.
In the afternoon, the two were also preparing to go to a meeting at number twelve Grimmauld Place, which is the location of the Order of the Phoenix.
Today has been a rare busy day in the past month.
"The topic of today's morning meeting is a satisfaction survey."
"These days, our Aurors and strikers have been doing a good job. But this 'good' performance isn't something we can just say ourselves; it requires the approval of the wizarding community."
"Therefore, we will conduct a satisfaction survey to identify our problems and blind spots from the perspective of the public."
"To truly build trust in the wizarding world, we need to not only make people believe that we can fight, but also let them know that we are someone they can rely on."
The morning meeting ended in just a few minutes. People left one after another, and the corridor returned to its usual sounds of footsteps and the chanting of documents.
Sean didn't move, but simply gestured to Bella with his chin, indicating that she should stay.
Once the last batter left and the door closed, the office fell silent.
After locking the door, Sean sat back down at his desk and looked up at Bella: "How's Voldemort doing lately?"
He went straight to the point, without any pleasantries.
Bella took off her cloak and casually draped it over the back of a chair. She took a few steps closer before slowly speaking.
"He hasn't shown his face much these past few days, spending most of his time in some new hidden hideout," she said lazily. "From what I can get my hands on, he seems to be focusing on preparing some kind of ritual, or perhaps undergoing some kind of—soul-level consolidation."
"It sounds like he's not quite back to his usual self yet." Sean frowned. "Was he affected by his last encounter with Dumbledore?"
Bella shrugged. "He won't admit it himself. But he is indeed more cautious than before." Her tone shifted. "He's recently been trying to recruit Death Eaters. But the Death Eaters, led by Lucius, are all under Riddle's control. Riddle wanted me to discuss with you whether these Death Eaters should infiltrate Voldemort's ranks. What do you think?"
"Of course." Sean nodded. "As for the list of personnel, I'll have Riddle draft one for me later."
To be honest, it's been a long time since I've seen Riddle. I wonder how things are going on his end.
At this point, he suddenly stopped speaking, and the sight of pure white before his eyes made his Adam's apple bob slightly.
At some point, Bella actually...
During the battle, Sean pressed the bell on the table and unlocked the door. A moment later, Penelope, having received the signal, gracefully entered.
She was also holding a rope, handcuffs, a candle, and a blindfold.
Yes, Sean's summer vacation is as happy as today every day.
(End of this volume)