Chapter 74: Second Year
In the next few days, Jon stayed at the Broken Cauldron Bar, feeling unwell due to illness.
He tried Hannah's half bottle of "Mrs. Scarlett's Healing Potion" and it seemed to be working, as his condition started to improve.
To avoid losing control again, Jon decided not to use magic and stored his wand at the bottom of his suitcase.
With nothing else to do, he frequented the Lihen Bookstore next to Mrs. Morkin's robe shop and casually read various wizarding books. However, he found that the quality of the writing in these books was generally poor, with unclear explanations and frequent errors. He especially noticed this in the book about the life and social habits of the British Muggle family, which seemed to have numerous inaccuracies. It made him feel like he could do a better job himself.
During his free time, Jon would occasionally visit the Florin cold drink shop to enjoy some ice cream, which he found to be delicious. He also greeted the neighbors at the Broken Cauldron Bar.
One of his neighbors happened to be Harry Potter, who lived in Room 11 of the bar. Harry spent most of his time at the open-air stand of the cold drink shop, working on his summer homework and enjoying the sun. They would exchange greetings before going their separate ways.
The presence of Mr. Potter in the bar led to increased security measures. Jon witnessed Aurors searching the area multiple times, causing him initial panic, fearing they were there to arrest him. However, the Ministry of Magic staff did not disturb the residents of the Broken Cauldron Bar.
In the final days of August, the Weasley family moved into the Broken Cauldron Bar, occupying a significant portion of the rooms. However, since Jon was only familiar with Ginny Weasley, there wasn't much interaction between them.
On the last day of August, Jon received a letter from Astoria Greengrass, delivered by a beautiful white owl. Astoria asked if they could meet up and travel together on the Hogwarts Express.
Jon replied with a note saying, "Okay, I'll wait for you tomorrow!" He tied the note to the owl's leg, which hesitated until Jon offered it a piece of bread before flying away.
Jon couldn't help but feel that owl communication was outdated compared to modern means of communication like telephones, cell phones, and emails. Even compared to telegrams and faxes, it seemed inferior.
Afterward, Jon went to a phone booth on Charing Cross Street as usual to make a call home. He spoke with his father, Eric, who confirmed that he would pick Jon up from the Broken Cauldron Bar the next day and take him to King's Cross Station.
The following morning, around eight o'clock, Jon finished his breakfast just as Eric's car arrived at the bar. Eric greeted Jon and assured him that they were on time. Jon asked about his mother, and Eric explained that he had convinced her to let him drive alone. The car set off, but it didn't head in the direction of King's Cross Station.
Curious, Jon asked where they were going, and Eric jokingly replied, "Don't ask, asking is going to Rome!" They continued driving while listening to "Let It Be" by The Beatles on the car stereo.
After about half an hour, Jon noticed they had arrived in Camden Town based on the roadside signs. He wondered why they were here until he spotted Mrs. Augusta Longbottom with her grandson waiting by the roadside. Eric parked the car, greeted Mrs. Longbottom, and opened the door for her and Neville. Mrs. Longbottom expressed her gratitude, and Eric mentioned that Jon had spoken highly of Neville during the summer. Jon realized that his father was trying to establish connections within the wizarding world to build his own "network" since he couldn't directly assist Jon in magical matters.
They resumed the journey, and Jon's eyes welled up with tears. He knew his father's efforts were to help him succeed in the magical world, where an ordinary person trying to get acquainted with wizards would face discrimination and obstacles.
Upon arriving at King's Cross Station, Mrs. Longbottom and Neville disembarked first. Jon thanked his father for the ride and expressed his appreciation. Jon then followed Neville and his grandmother, while Eric didn't join them.
Passing Platform 9¾, Jon overheard Mrs. Augusta Longbottom instructing and occasionally mentioning his name to Neville. He felt a sense of empathy for Neville, who had a difficult childhood. Witnessing his parents' tragic state, suffering memory damage from the Forgotten Charm, and struggling with magic, Neville faced numerous challenges. Even within his own family, he was often treated as incapable, not to mention using his father's wand instead of his own.
Mrs. Longbottom finished her reprimand and fixed Neville's collar before acknowledging Jon with an approving expression. Together, they boarded the Hogwarts Express.
When passing Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley's compartment, Neville entered timidly, while Jon politely declined Ginny's invitation. He continued on and finally arrived at the private compartment where he had agreed to meet Astoria.
As he pushed open the compartment door, he heard Astoria's lazy voice saying, "Sorry, someone's already here." However, her surprise turned into joy as she recognized Jon. They greeted each other, and Jon complimented Astoria on her appearance, comparing her to an angel. Astoria playfully snorted and asked about Jon's summer vacation.
Jon admitted that his vacation hadn't been great since he couldn't use magic for over two months. He mentioned the visit from Professor Dumbledore, which intrigued Astoria, as she considered it a great honor. Jon smiled and asked about Astoria's vacation.
Astoria shared that her mother had taken her and her sister to Alsace, her mother's hometown, for a month. They had encountered a group of moon beasts known for their cute dances and had seen Absolute Birds, whose feathers had high medicinal value. She had even received an Appaloosa velvet gift from a French friend, which she hadn't brought back to England.
As they continued their conversation, the Hogwarts Express train started moving.
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