Hogwarts Homecoming

A thin layer of leaden clouds still hovered on the sky, making the earth drowsy.

The heavy snow had stopped, but as the bone-chilling cold wind passed, a layer of floating snow on the surface of the thick snow layer on the ground was lifted up, creating white waves on the silver ground.

Jasna stood at the door with a cane, looking at the frozen world with a dull expression.

Although the blizzard had stopped, the several feet of snow accumulated on the ground was still an insurmountable obstacle for her to leave this isolated village.

The anti-Apparition spell was always in effect, but the Aurors of the German Ministry of Magic never appeared.

Jasna didn't know whether she should be thankful or unfortunate for this.

The pupils in her eyes seemed to be frozen and moved, and Jasna looked at another boring scenery.

On the other side of the river, a few black spots were shaking in the pure white.

The heavy snow blocked the villagers' way out, and the shadows were clearing a passage to the frozen river.

The old Muggle had already completed this job.

He plowed the snow around the cabin, dug a road, and then pulled his human-powered sled through the glacier to the upper reaches. He had been away from home for half a day.

Thinking of this thin old Muggle who was always silent, a trace of helplessness flashed across Jasna's face.

Please forgive her for only calling him old Muggle in her heart.

She had been trapped here for a few days, and she still couldn't ask the old Muggle's real name. Without the means of a wizard, her questioning skills were not superb.

Wizard

Thinking of this, Jasna's heartstrings rippled slightly.

That night four days ago, the old Muggle did shock her once!

An old Muggle who lived deep in the mountains and seemed to have rarely left the house in his life actually knew that there were people like wizards in the world.

Jasna, who immediately became alert, asked hurriedly.

"Wand--"

Sitting in front of the fireplace, the old Muggle, whose cheeks were reddened by the flames, said calmly.

"You know the wand!"

Jasna tightened her cold lips,

"You have seen it before, or..."

The voice suddenly rose, and Jasna stared at him sharply,

"You are also a wizard!"

And then nothing happened.

In the past few days, she had tried many times to dig out from the old Muggle why he knew the secrets of wizards, and the result was self-evident.

Gradually, she also figured out a little bit of the old Muggle's temper.

He was not always silent, and when she asked about some topics that he was "interested in", he would also give a certain response.

So, in an environment where she couldn't get anything out of it, seducing the old Muggle to talk became her way of entertainment.

"How long have you lived here--"

Jasna lowered her eyes and stared at the burnt salted fish in her hand, which made her lose her appetite, thinking that the deliciousness of the bowl of potatoes and fresh fish was indeed her illusion.

But staying alive is the most important thing.

She frowned, took a bite of the salty roasted fish, and asked casually.

"Fifty years--"

Jasna looked up in astonishment, staring at the old Muggle who was chewing potatoes in front of the stove.

The reason for her surprise was that she didn't expect her question to be answered, and secondly, she was surprised that the old Muggle had lived here for half a century.

"Do you have... family?"

Jasna asked subconsciously.

The old Muggle fell silent.

Jasna sighed regretfully, and just when she thought he wouldn't answer, the old Muggle turned his head,

"Yes, you?"

This was the first question he asked her, and for this reason, Jasna was willing to say a few more words.

"I have a father and a grandfather, but I haven't seen him for many years. I have been following my father. Before I fell into the river, I stayed with him. Have you really never seen him?"

Then, that night, they didn't talk again.

A long sigh echoed in the warm cabin.

Turning around, Jasna caught a glimpse of the newly sewn mattress on the pile of sundries, and her eyes froze.

The old Muggle used almost all of his inventory to sew it, and also used all his time except for chopping wood, eating, and sleeping. I don’t know what he used it for.

Speaking of which.

Turning her head again to look at the pure white world outside the house, Jasna’s eyes showed a trace of worry.     The old Muggle was away from home for too long this time.

In the past few days, he would leave the house for a while every day, but at most after an hour or two, he would drag out half of the dead tree trunk from the forest and return to his work shed to separate it.

There has never been a situation where he left home for half a day.

Could it be that there was an accident. For example, he accidentally fell into the river?

The moment this thought came to mind, Jasna’s face changed.

“Ridiculous!”

In the pine house, Jasna shouted loudly.

In the frozen world, the only things that flashed in her sight were the snow foam that made the cold wind visible and the villagers on the other side of the river who were struggling to clear the road. The skinny and silent old Muggle never appeared.

Suddenly, Jasna's frown relaxed, and a bright light that had not appeared for many days flashed in her dark pupils.

She limped to the bed, took off the musk fur coat that served as a blanket and wrapped herself up, and then walked out the door with the crutches that the old Muggle made for her.

The distance of more than 100 feet to the river was the most difficult road she had ever walked in her life.

Every step she took had to be very careful. The temperature of more than ten degrees below zero froze the snow into ice, and she would slip if she was not careful.

It took her more than ten minutes to overcome this fatal distance.

"Weak Muggles"

Jasna thought breathlessly as she stood by the frozen river.

If her wand could still be used, then she could have many magics to help her broken leg recover.

If Apparition could be used, she could reach the other side in an instant, without having to walk over step by step so laboriously.

"Hey, this way!"

Jasna stood on one foot and waved her crutches at the Muggles on the other side of the river.

However, the distance of three or four hundred feet was not too far, but the rustling cold wind silenced her voice. No matter how she shouted, the villagers could not hear her voice.

Crossing the river requires more caution.

Although the ice surface is solid and there is no need to worry about falling into the ice water, the ice surface with floating snow is more slippery, which is too challenging for a wounded person who can only walk with crutches. In order to avoid risks, she had to crawl over.

After looking around for a while, Jasna made sure that the old Muggle was not nearby, and then she lay on the ground with a tense face.

The stinging pain in her palms could not move her, but thinking about her current situation, Jasna suddenly had the urge to cry.

Like a dog that has lost its home.

"Huh, sorry."

When Jasna stood in front of these Muggles, she was exhausted, and her right leg would inevitably touch the ground during the walk. Now, her broken leg began to ache again.

"Oh, who are you and where did you come from?"

No one wanted to stay in the ice and snow for longer. The Muggles who went out to remove the snow lowered their heads and worked attentively until Jasna spoke, and they stopped one after another.

Several plain faces looked at each other for a few breaths, and a Muggle in his forties with two ridiculous mustaches stared at her and asked in surprise.

"Hmm"

After organizing her words in her mind, Jasna was about to speak.

"She is wearing old Enma's cloak--"

Another young man with pale skin and freckles on his face squinted his eyes and looked at Jasna for a few times, and suddenly pointed at the cloak she was wearing and said.

Old Enma. Is this the name of the old Muggle?

For some reason, Jasna suddenly felt relieved.

"Yes, I came from the other side of the river--"

Jasna nodded.

"But."

The surprise on the face of the uncle with brown mustache disappeared, and he turned to stare at Jasna suspiciously,

"Old Enma has always lived alone, right? I haven't heard that he has relatives, you are..."

"I am just living with him temporarily."

Facing several pairs of inquiring eyes, Jasna suddenly had an idea in her mind, and this idea made her change what she originally planned to say.

"I am from Berlin. Because of this heavy snow, I was trapped here. I came to this village because..."

Jasna stared at the faces of these Muggles with a serious look,

"I heard that there are wizards here."