Capítulo 295: Dog Thief Blake! Damn You!(2)
When Aberforth saw Blake walk into his bar in Hogsmeade, he quickly glanced at the group of girls following behind him. With a raised eyebrow, Aberforth remarked, "Glad to see your... orientation is normal. But don't tell me these are all just your best friends."
Blake blushed and responded, "They're all my good friends. Men shouldn't be calling them girlfriends, right?"
Aberforth smirked. "Alright, come in with me. It's not exactly safe for you lot to be out here in the open."
The Hog's Head Inn wasn't exactly known for being a welcoming place for young students. It had a reputation for attracting dark wizards, and Aberforth didn't want any trouble. He led Blake and the others into a small, private compartment inside the bar.
"Celebrating the end of exams, huh? I suppose each of you could use a butterbeer," Aberforth offered as he began preparing drinks.
"But we're not old enough to drink," Hermione started, but Blake cut her off.
"Uncle Aberforth, we'll have the largest butterbeer you've got!" Blake said, flashing a grin.
Aberforth chuckled. "You better have enough to pay for it, then."
Blake's playful nature reminded Aberforth too much of Albus, which was sometimes a bit much to handle. Still, Aberforth enjoyed Blake's lively spirit.
As the drinks were being prepared, Cassandra asked, "Blake, do you have any plans for the summer break?"
Blake thought for a moment, counting on his fingers. "Well, first, I'm planning to visit Mrs. Marian. I wanted to go last Christmas, but something came up. Then, I'm planning to spend some time with Mr. Scamander—he's got some 'cute' magical creatures that I'd like to see. And after that... I might go exploring a bit."
Though Blake kept it vague, he couldn't mention his real plans. He had a secret adventure awaiting him, thanks to a certain item in his system's inventory, but that wasn't something he could tell Cassandra or the others.
Before long, the butterbeer arrived. The golden drink, topped with a foamy white head, had a rich aroma that reminded the group of Muggle beer, but with a deeper, maltier fragrance. Hermione, along with the others, quickly found herself enjoying the taste of the famous wizarding drink.
As everyone relaxed and chatted about their plans for the holidays, an owl swooped in through the window and landed in front of Blake. The bird carried a small note in its beak, which Blake took and opened. The message contained only one word: "Tonight."
"Who's looking for you?" Cassandra asked, curious.
Blake casually folded the note and pocketed it. "Oh, nothing important. Just a small matter."
Cassandra, sensing Blake didn't want to discuss it, didn't press further. She sipped her butterbeer but couldn't help stealing glances at him from time to time. After a few moments, she mustered the courage to speak.
"Blake, if you're going to be traveling this summer, maybe I could..." But before she could finish her sentence, another owl flew in, interrupting her. Blake gave Cassandra an apologetic smile as he took the new note from the owl.
The message read, "I'm going to the Ministry of Magic today. They seem very interested in me. Could you look after Harry for me?"
Blake sighed, feeling a wave of annoyance wash over him. He had just finished his exams and was looking forward to relaxing, but now someone wanted him to babysit Harry?
Blake glanced at the girls chatting in the private booth, then at the owl, before shaking his head. "I'm not doing this. Watching over Harry is not on my to-do list." He muttered to himself.
Reluctantly, Blake called out, "Uncle Aberforth?"
Aberforth, carrying a tray of dessert, stopped in his tracks. "What is it, Blake? Need more drinks?"
"No, I need to know something. You know that spell—what's it called—that lets you send a message with a Patronus?"
Aberforth blinked. "You mean the Patronus Messenger Spell? Dumbledore invented it. You could ask him later."
Blake pressed, "Can you teach me now? It's urgent."
Aberforth scratched his beard, hesitant. "It's not that simple, Blake. You need to be able to cast a Patronus first. And even then, the Patronus Messenger is tricky. Are you sure you can even manage the Patronus?"
Before Aberforth could finish, a brilliant white phoenix Patronus appeared, standing elegantly in front of Blake.
Aberforth froze, momentarily mistaking it for his brother Albus's Patronus. "Wha...?"
Blake pointed at the phoenix Patronus, feigning innocence. "Is this what you meant?"
[Ding! Shocked emotion detected!]
Echoed a robotic voice in Blake's head.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving a silver treasure chest!]
Aberforth, still stunned, rubbed his beard and muttered, "Well, yes... except for the fact that your Patronus is a phoenix…"
Despite his internal shock, Aberforth tried to maintain his composure. "Alright, Blake, since you already have a Patronus, I'll show you how to use it to send a message. Just don't be surprised if it doesn't work right away."
Blake grinned. "Thanks, Uncle Aberforth."
Aberforth continued, "Even after you record the message, your Patronus might fail to deliver it if you haven't practiced enough."
Blake nodded as Aberforth walked him through the process. "Whoosh!" The phoenix Patronus flew through the wall, heading towards its destination.
Aberforth stood speechless, his mouth agape as the white phoenix vanished from view. After a long pause, he finally muttered, "That kid…"
Blake leaned back, a smug smile on his face. "Yeah, Uncle Aberforth, that spell was a bit harder than learning the Patronus itself."
Aberforth blinked, confused. "Wait… how long did it take you to learn the Patronus Charm?"
Blake shrugged. "About a minute, I guess?" He hadn't kept track of time when he first learned it. In his previous life, he'd read about the spell and, after some trial and error, managed to cast it right away. He figured saying it took him a minute sounded less like bragging than admitting it worked on the first try.
Aberforth stared at him, stunned. A minute? It had taken Aberforth months to master the spell. Feeling overwhelmed, he grabbed a bottle of Firewhiskey and took a long drink. "I'm fine… really," he mumbled.
[Ding! Autistic emotion detected!] the voice echoed again in Blake's mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving a silver treasure chest!]
Meanwhile, far away in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts, a white phoenix Patronus passed silently through the walls…
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