Chapter 9: Warm Family Life
Seeing how pale their daughter looked, the Grangers hurried over to check on Hermione.
Noticing Ethan smirking to himself, Hermione stubbornly declared, "I'm fine, I'm just a little carsick."
Ethan quietly slipped away from the group and secretly pressed a small packet of potion into his mother's hand.
He stood on tiptoe and whispered in Sofia's ear, "Mom, I bought a few extra. You can give some to Professor McGonagall and Mrs. Granger to try."
Sofia gave him an approving look, then discreetly divided the potion into two portions and tucked them away.
Professor McGonagall asked, "How is Hermione feeling? If she's alright, we should be going."
"I'm fine, Professor," the stubborn girl answered bravely, though her face was still a bit pale.
"Then let's go."
The adults walked ahead while Ethan lingered behind to ask the clerk when the books would be delivered.
"Don't worry, sir, we'll have an owl deliver them right to your door tomorrow!" the shop assistant assured the young man who had just spent hundreds of Galleons.
Satisfied, Ethan followed after his parents, carrying the few textbooks that were easy to carry.
Passing back through the archway into the dim interior of the Leaky Cauldron, Ethan noticed the old hag who had disgusted him earlier was nowhere in sight.
"Alright, my task here is done. Here are your tickets, students. See you at Hogwarts on September first."
McGonagall pulled out two letters containing Hogwarts Express tickets and handed them to the two children.
"King's Cross Station, Platform 9¾. I'll be waiting for you at Hogwarts."
"Huh? Nine and three-quarters? Professor, you're not mistaken, are you?" They both looked up at Professor McGonagall in unison.
McGonagall smiled. "That's right, it is indeed that platform. It's the one reserved for the Hogwarts Express, between platforms nine and ten."
"Don't worry, if you really can't find it, you can ask the Ministry of Magic representatives on the platform for help. They wear Hogwarts badges on their coat pockets."
"Yes, Professor, see you at Hogwarts," they answered in unison, then exchanged a glance. Hermione quickly turned away, blushing furiously.
After dropping the six of them off on the street, McGonagall turned and went back into the Leaky Cauldron, though it was unclear whether she was picking up other students or simply planning to have a drink.
Hermione silently clutched her books to her chest and walked toward her car.
Ethan followed behind, carrying the birdcage in one hand and his books in the other.
The adults chatted and laughed, a stark contrast to the two children walking in silence beside them.
When it was time to part, Sofia handed several bottles of potion to Mrs. Granger, whose eyes lit up as she happily accepted the gift.
"See you Monday," Ethan said, poking Hermione's shoulder with his book.
Her face flushed red again, and she bit her lower lip, whispering, "Yeah, see you Monday."
Hermione rushed forward with her head down and quickly disappeared from Ethan's sight.
Once in the car, Ethan and Sofia both sat in the back.
"Son, do you like this girl?"
The question was so direct that Ethan was caught off guard. "Oh, Mom, no. I don't. That's not true."
He denied it three times in a row, shaking his head and waving his hands frantically.
Sofia remained noncommittal. "Really? I thought you liked her. Too bad. I've been putting in a good word for you with her parents."
Ethan glanced at her, at a loss for words. He was only eleven years old, so why was his mother already asking him about girlfriends?
Although he couldn't deny that the grown-up Hermione was attractive, the current Hermione was still too young, and he wasn't a creep, so he couldn't bring himself to feel that way about an eleven-year-old.
To keep Sofia from pressing the issue, he quickly changed the subject, striking up a conversation with Albert to keep him from getting too nervous and causing problems.
After a near crash, a shaken Ethan said, "Dad, I think you're tired from driving. Why don't you call the driver and have him take over?"
His mother wholeheartedly agreed.
So the three of them parked on the side of the road, found a small restaurant, called the driver, and ate a quick meal to settle their stomachs, which hadn't had anything substantial all day besides ice cream.
The driver arrived quickly, and the three of them got home safely.
"What a perfect day!" Sofia exclaimed, and Albert put his arm around her waist and nodded in agreement.
Ignoring his parents' public display of affection, Ethan burped and said, "I'm going upstairs now."
Carrying the books in one hand and the cage in the other, he trudged up to his room.
Once there, Ethan opened the cage to let the giant Eagle Owl out to stretch its wings.
He had named the owl Edward, after the long line of British monarchs who bore that name. There was no actual connection between British royalty and eagles, of course, but he still found it amusing.
Ethan filled the small bowl he normally used for stray cats with owl treats and set it before Edward. Then he tore the oiled paper off the books and pulled out the one that interested him most, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
This magical tome, written by Newt Scamander, was a book Ethan had longed to read in his previous life. He'd harbored a deep fascination for the various magical creatures from the films, and what he'd always coveted most was that briefcase that functioned as its own little world.
He devoured the pages, drinking in the animated, colorful illustrations.
He was so absorbed in reading that he didn't even hear Sofia calling him for dinner.
He only snapped out of his trance when she appeared beside him.
"I'm sorry, Mom. This book is so captivating that I lost track of time."
He placed the book facedown on the table, walked down the spiral staircase to the dining table, and ate his meal absentmindedly, his mind still wandering among those fascinating magical creatures.
Sofia was far from pleased with his behavior.
She had taken a beauty potion that afternoon and was waiting expectantly for her son's praise. She stood up, walked around the dining table, and gently tapped Ethan on the head.
"What's wrong, Mom?" Ethan hadn't even swallowed his food, and his blank stare and mumbled words only irritated Sofia further.
She simply scoffed. "Eat your food properly!"
Noticing his father sitting beside his mother, winking and gesturing at his own face, Ethan finally caught on and began to shower her with compliments.
"Oh, Mom! I was so distracted that I didn't notice, but you look absolutely stunning! You don't look like Mom at all, you look more like my older sister!"
Overjoyed, Sofia asked with a beaming smile, "Is the effect really that obvious?"
He swallowed his food and replied seriously, "How can you give all the credit to the potion? Mom didn't look old to begin with. The potion just made it a little more noticeable."
Sofia smiled and stroked her smooth face, satisfied at last. Albert, meanwhile, gave him a discreet thumbs-up.
Ethan smiled to himself, quickly finished his meal, said goodbye to them, and ran upstairs to continue reading the book.
I will not sleep tonight.