Kapitel 115: Chapter 115
After the dueling club that night, it had been snowing at Hogwarts for several days in a row, with no sign of stopping until today.
But the snow still couldn't dampen the excitement of the young wizards. Today marked the beginning of the holiday break, which would last for two weeks.
Ethan and the others braved the heavy snow and boarded the Hogwarts Express, settling into a night carriage.
Cassandra, who had just put away her luggage and sat next to Ethan, suddenly said, "After we get off the train, you're coming with me!"
"Where to?" Ethan asked, confused. Even though the Order of Merlin's Badge award ceremony was in three days, there was no immediate need to go anywhere.
Was she inviting him to her house again?
Hermione and Cho Chang, who were sitting opposite them, also perked up their ears, eager to know what Cassandra had in mind.
"Didn't you say last time that you wanted to buy a house in the wizarding world?"
"You remember that?" Ethan was surprised. He had only mentioned it casually at the time.
The main reason was that Lucius Malfoy had given him a large sum of money. Ethan also had two other sources of income: the Baruffio's Brain Elixir at Hogwarts and Bruno's Potion and Alchemy Shop in Knockturn Alley, which covered his daily expenses.
He could also trade magical animal products from the Forbidden Forest for Galleons.
This had put Ethan in an awkward financial position. If it were a small amount, his savings exceeded 80% of wizarding families, reaching a level many could never dream of. But compared to the ancient pure-blood families, his wealth was still insignificant. He was far from achieving true greatness.
That's why Ethan had briefly entertained the idea of buying a house and had mentioned it to Cassandra and the others in the Ravenclaw common room.
Later, he had given up on the idea, thinking that he wouldn't live there long enough to justify it. After all, he could live in a Muggle house if necessary.
He had decided to wait and purchase an entire manor after graduation.
By then, with Voldemort's return, many pure-blood families would likely be wiped out. Ethan could acquire their centuries-old estates for next to nothing.
Unexpectedly, Cassandra had remembered his offhand comment and even found a house.
"Of course I remember! The house is in Godric's Hollow, in Devon, not far from my home."
When Cassandra had heard about Ethan's desire to buy a house, she had consulted her mother. While Cassandra didn't keep track of how many properties her family owned, she remembered that they had plenty of houses.
"Alright, I'll go with you then," Ethan agreed. He had no plans to buy a house at the moment, but since Cassandra had gone to the trouble, it would be hard to refuse. Spending a few Galleons wouldn't hurt.
Still, Ethan wasn't familiar with Godric's Hollow. (It was never explicitly stated where Godric's Hollow was, but both it and Devon were in the southwest of England.)
"Ethan, what do you think about the dueling club? What are your chances of winning?" Hermione asked, glancing at Cassandra as she spoke. This had been the most talked-about topic at Hogwarts lately.
She felt Gryffindor had no chance of winning the House Cup this year, and there was no point in competing. Everything depended on the performances of Slytherin and Ravenclaw. "The other two houses are just fighting for runner-up."
That's what most students thought.
But for Slytherin and Ravenclaw to decide the ultimate winner, it would come down to the dueling club.
Although Harry and Ron hadn't lost many points this semester, and Hermione had consistently answered questions in class, Gryffindor was still in third place.
The gap between them and the top two houses was huge—nearly 300 points.
The main issue was with Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions. The professors of these two subjects were too biassed.
One was constantly giving extra points to Ravenclaw, and the other to Slytherin. Ethan alone had earned over 100 points in Defense Against the Dark Arts from October until now.
Snape, seeing Lockhart constantly award points to Ravenclaw, had started giving out more points to Slytherin in response.
It was easy for professors to be biased and award extra points. Any simple question could result in points being given, which was why both houses now had over 600 points—far more than what was typically seen at the end of the year when the House Cup was awarded.
This situation had made the students of the other two houses furious, but there was nothing they could do to change it. The matter would likely remain unresolved.
Professor McGonagall had already shown favoritism by not deducting points from Harry and Ron at the beginning of the year. It would have been too much for her to add excessive points in Transfiguration just to boost Gryffindor.
Professor Sprout was different. She was an honest woman and would never do something as shameless as Snape and Lockhart.
"I feel that there's a lot of hope."
In the first year, Luna is very talented, and the possibility of her winning is quite high.
In the second year, there's no need to even mention it.
In the third year, Cho Chang and the others should have a good chance after drinking the potion Ethan gave them.
In the fourth year, unless something unexpected happens, Cedric will win.
There's really no one better than him in the same year from the other three houses.
The twins can do anything, but they spend too much energy on their experiments.
They're not like Ethan, who seems to excel in everything.
In the sixth year, Penelope is probably the strongest, followed by Percy Weasley.
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Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
"The ticket has been booked for you. It's with the driver. You know the license plate number. Go directly to the parking lot and get it from him. Then have him take you to the airport. The flight takes off at 8:30 pm.
When you get to the airport, find a phone and call your family."
Ethan was explaining things to Penelope, who had just returned from handling some tasks. He had originally planned to take her to the airport, but because he had to leave with Cassandra, she would have to go alone.
He had asked his mother to book the ticket earlier through the wizard address book.
"Okay, got it," Penelope said. She wasn't the type to insist on being seen off. She immediately grabbed her suitcase and headed towards the parking lot.
After sending Penelope off, there wasn't much to say. The rest of Hermione and the others were picked up by their parents.
"Are you ready?"
Belinda Vole approached with Cassandra, sighing inwardly.
She could only remind herself that excellent men are always so attractive to women.
"Yes, we can go now," Ethan nodded awkwardly. He was used to this in front of Cassandra, but it was still quite embarrassing in front of her mother.
"That's good. Cassandra told me you learned to Apparate?"
"Yes, I did!"
"How is it?"
"I'm quite proficient."
"That's great. You won't need me to bring you along then. You can Apparate directly to the manor later. I'll take Cassandra with me."
The more people you bring along with Apparition, the greater the burden. Plus, the distance from London to Exeter is more than 300 kilometers, not exactly close.
As for why Ethan had learned Apparition even though he wasn't of age, Belinda didn't ask. After all, her family wasn't from the Department of Magical Transportation, so why would they care?
This was information she had gathered from chatting with her daughter earlier. Otherwise, Amos, who was still at the Ministry, might have been pulled into the matter.
"I know the location, no problem," Ethan replied.
The last time he had been at the Weasleys' Burrow, Ethan had used Apparition to return to Surrey. The distance between the two was about the same, and he still remembered Cassandra's home's location.
"Alright then, let's take Cassandra first."
With that, Belinda Vole took Cassandra's hand and disappeared from in front of Ethan, Apparating away.
Ethan followed closely, and soon appeared again at the Vole manor.
By the way, Penelope was already in the sixth year and had turned seventeen. After returning to school after Christmas, she should apply for her Apparition license. With that magic, she wouldn't need planes or trains anymore.
"Master Adrian, this way please!"
Russell, the Vole family's house-elf, appeared beside Ethan with a 'pop.'
He had been instructed by Belinda to guide Ethan.
Following Russell, Ethan was led to a fireplace. It was obvious they were going to use the Floo Network.
"The address is Godric's Hollow, No. 77. Please make sure to say it clearly."
Belinda knew the location and could Apparate there directly, but since Ethan didn't, he had to use the Floo Network.
"I've used Floo powder before, there won't be any problems."
"That's good!"
Belinda stepped into the fireplace first, threw down a handful of Floo powder, and vanished in a burst of green flames.
Ethan and Cassandra followed.
After the familiar sensation of spinning and squeezing, Ethan found himself standing in what appeared to be a large living room.
The space was quite expansive. The first thing he noticed were the large and small magical animal specimens mounted on the walls—truly eye-catching. There were dragon skulls, winged demons, sphinxes, mooncalves, and fairy elves.
The floor was covered with fine carpets, and a bronze chandelier hung from the ceiling. The other necessary furniture was all in place, and the space was spotless, giving it a well-maintained appearance.
"This house was mortgaged to the Vole family by a pureblood wizard eleven years ago. He's been missing for years. According to the original mortgage agreement, the house now belongs to the Vole family," Belinda explained as she stepped forward.
"If you don't like this house, we have many others to choose from. Some were built by our family, some were acquired, and others were mortgaged, like this one."
This was a very good property. The pureblood wizard who had mortgaged it hadn't moved anything out, leaving everything behind as part of the mortgage.
He had planned to redeem it, but unfortunately, something happened. He disappeared a few years later, and it's likely he's gone for good.
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