Harry Potter and the Candy Factory

“Good afternoon, Grandpa Duru… Why are you here? Isn't it usually Russell's job to pick up Mr. Black?”

Slightly calming the pounding in his chest, Peng Peng wore a stiff and forced smile, his voice lacking confidence as he softly questioned Duru, who was slowly retracting his cane.

Duru ignored his greeting, instead narrowing his eyes, a hint of dissatisfaction in his gaze.

Charlie raised an eyebrow. After a brief moment of surprise, Peng Peng's odd behavior naturally didn't escape his notice. The flushed cheeks, the listless spirit, the alcoholic fumes emanating from his body… Without much thought, he pieced together what the other had been up to not long ago.

“I thought you'd be with Russell and the others at this hour.”

Charlie said thoughtfully, then subconsciously turned his head, glancing, intentionally or unintentionally, at Duru beside him…

Duru straightened his hunched back slightly, taking a deep breath, but he didn't say anything. However, his already displeased expression towards Peng Peng gradually turned unkind.

Standing opposite him, Peng Peng, having experienced over a decade of Grandpa Duru's 'loving education,' naturally understood the meaning behind that look. Instantly, his scalp began to tingle, and the remaining alcohol fumes completely dissipated by seventy or eighty percent.

A wave of immense regret washed over Peng Peng. Had he known Russell wasn't around, he wouldn't have rushed to find Mr. Black… Now, things were likely to turn ominous. Heaven knows if the cane that didn't fall just now wouldn't soon be smashing down on his head… No, it might even become more brutal.

“I… I took leave with Russell…”

His voice trembled, uttering the words softly, like a mosquito's buzz, as he explained to the two men before him.

“Took leave…” Duru twisted the cane on the ground a few times, the tip scraping against the concrete floor, making a rustling sound.

The atmosphere between the three immediately became quiet. Behind the silence, a storm was brewing.

However, in the end, it was Charlie who broke the terrifying silence… He glanced helplessly at Peng Peng, reached out and removed the hood from his head, then resumed his pace, walking towards the office.

“Let's go, we'll talk about it when we get back.”

Upon hearing this, the invisible pressure weighing on Peng Peng's head immediately dissipated a lot.

A drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He shrank his neck, cautiously glancing at Duru's face.

The other only coughed twice and didn't say anything more, only giving Peng Peng a deep look before moving his feet and walking forward with Charlie.

Only then did he finally exhale a long breath. After patting his chest with lingering fear, he hurriedly waddled his short legs, quickly following behind the two men.

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

Inside the office, Charlie took off his heavy windbreaker, hung it aside, and returned to his office chair.

Duru also sat down on the sofa, his eyes lowered, quietly looking at the ground, not knowing what he was thinking.

Only Peng Peng, lifting his hood, still wore the oversized cloak that drooped to the ground, standing in front of the desk, nervously looking at Charlie before him.

“So, Peng Peng…”

After a moment, Charlie spoke.

“Is there something you wanted to see me about?”

“Yes, Mr. Black.”

Hearing Charlie's question, Peng Peng nodded hastily. However, the intertwined fingers beneath him were enough to show his current entanglement.

He slowly raised his head, glancing at the boss before him. Seeing that his face was still the same as before, still calm and gentle, the anxious beating in his heart finally settled down, allowing him to muster the courage to speak.

“Not long ago, I made a friend on the Muggles' production line, his name is Dursley…”

“Dursley?!”

He had barely finished speaking when Charlie's expression already showed a hint of surprise. He repeated the familiar name, which he had recently seen more than once, his tone also carrying a slight change.

Along with him, Duru, who had been looking at the carpet on the sofa, also raised his head, scrutinizing the 'child' before him in disbelief.

Peng Peng was a little embarrassed, and could only scratch his head, continuing to say,

“Yes, Dursley. After spending some time together, I discovered that humans don't all seem to be so bad and stupid… At least those Muggles are a hundred times better than the wizards I've seen… Of course, you are an exception, Mr. Black.”

Charlie and Duru turned their heads in unison, looking at each other. Unsurprisingly, they both saw a hint of inexplicable expression in each other's eyes… It was hard to say whether it was strange or happy.

“You continue…”

Fortunately, when he turned back to look at Peng Peng again, Charlie concealed it very well, still nodding calmly, gesturing for him to continue.

“Then today, he invited me out to play, to that bar called the Leaky Cauldron…”

Speaking of this, seemingly afraid of Charlie misunderstanding, he quickly explained,

“Originally, I actually didn't want to go, but I couldn't resist his flowery descriptions, saying something about a paradise on earth, a land of bliss. I didn't believe it, so I planned to take a look with a critical eye… As a result, as a result…”

“As a result, did you criticize it or not?”

Duru stroked his beard, put his cane aside, changed to a more comfortable position, leaning leisurely against the soft sofa, his face looking much better than before, his words even carrying a hint of teasing.

“No…” Peng Peng's head suddenly dropped, shaking his head in shame.

Seeing him like this, the corners of Charlie's mouth couldn't help but curl up in a smile.

He propped his elbows on the table, interlacing his fingers, and continued,

“And then? I guess you stopped me halfway, not just to tell me how you had fun at the bar, right?”

“No, no, no, no… not that!”

Hearing this, Peng Peng waved his hands hastily, quickly denying it.

Then, after a moment of hesitation, he mustered his courage and looked up at Charlie.

“In the bar… Dursley told me something.”

Charlie's expression shifted slightly, as if he had thought of something, but he didn't interrupt him, waiting for Peng Peng's next words.

“He once angered you with ignorance and contempt, causing you to inflict punishment, turning his child into a pig's head…”

Peng Peng's intertwined hands tightened a little, and after his Adam's apple twitched uneasily a few times, he said,

“Now that so much time has passed… Dursley hopes that I can express his apology and regret to you on his behalf, hoping to gain your forgiveness.”