The Return to Hogwarts

"So, that means you know... you know why they would—"

Harry looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Abandon me?"

Amostella finished speaking for Harry before he could finish.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Professor!” Harry stood up, hastily expressing his apology. “I didn’t mean to pry into your privacy.”

Amosta waved for Harry to sit down, indicating that he didn't need to be too nervous. Then, looking out the window at the unabated rain, he frowned and said...

"Okay, before lunch, maybe we need a topic to pass the time. Actually, I don't think discussing my background is anything shameful; I just find it boring and tedious, but since we need something to talk about..."

This is yet another lie!

Harry pursed his lips, thinking to himself that Professor Blaine was just looking for an excuse to confide in someone.

He wasn't an orphan, but it was practically the same for him. Sometimes, he desperately wanted to tell others just how unbearable his life with the Dursleys was. Of course, he had told Ron and Hermione about these things, and they did react with disbelief and anger, but neither Ron nor Hermione could truly empathize with him.

Life is always lonely.

Harry suddenly remembered what Professor Blaine had once said to Hermione. Perhaps what Professor Blaine meant was that some experiences bring pain that can only be borne by oneself.

"Your mother. Oh, and of course, your father. They sacrificed themselves to resist the evil that was corrupting the world, to fight against Voldemort. Their fearless act is admirable, and even more than a decade after their passing, they are still remembered with great respect."

Amosta said in a soothing tone

"Compared to them, my mother was hardly a noble person. In fact, because she was too rebellious, she was quite unlikable."

Professor Blaine's assessment of his parents both pleased and saddened Harry. Unlike Professor Blaine, he didn't possess such unique talents; his perception of their appearance came from the photo album Hagrid gave him at the end of his first year, and the Mirror of Erised, whose whereabouts were now unknown.

"Rebellious is perhaps an understatement to describe my mother's behavior during her teenage years. She learned to smoke from some bad boys on the street when she was ten, and she had a tattoo on her back when she was just starting out as a first-year wizard at Hogwarts."

She learned to steal, of course, her family's wealth meant she didn't need to resort to such despicable acts; she probably just did it for fun. Then, she started hanging out with boys, and within a year or two, her record in the Muggle police department was probably thicker than your history of magic textbook—”

Harry stared at Professor Blaine in shock, completely unable to imagine that someone as always polite and seemingly incapable of anger as Professor Blaine could have such a... rebellious mother!

"You can imagine how many tears her parents shed because of her behavior. In order to better discipline her, they had to transfer her to a famous school that specializes in dealing with troubled teenagers."

But it was all in vain. In fact, the chaotic environment of that school fostered her rebellious nature. After a few years there, she was expelled from school and detained for a period of time because she was the ringleader of a serious brawl.

This completely disappointed her parents. When she returned home, they threw her luggage out the door and yelled that she was no longer their daughter.

At this point, Amosta sighed heavily, seemingly feeling helpless about his mother's behavior in her youth.

"Actually, to be honest, my birth was entirely due to my mother's planning."

Chapter 137 Those Stories (Part 2)

A series of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. Amusta paused his recounting of the past, listened intently for a moment, his expression somewhat somber. The torrential rain continued to fall outside the window, dazzling flashes of lightning occasionally streaking through the dense, layered clouds, the air heavy and oppressive.

Harry held his breath, remaining silent but with an urgent look in his eyes. Clearly, he desperately wanted to know why Professor Blaine had said that his birth was entirely his mother's doing.

"Where was I, Potter?" Amosta asked, frowning, his brain suddenly blank.

“You mentioned your mother being kicked out of the house, um, and there was a plot,” Harry said quickly.

“Oh, thank you—” Amosta muttered, rubbing his temples.

“My mind is a little muddled. Well, so, cutting ties with my parents didn't bring my mother to her senses. Instead, it provoked her and made her angry. She believes the root cause of their disapproval is that they look down on her for being unsuccessful, and that if she became successful, she could earn a lot of money.”

But we all know that this matter is not so simple, especially for a young woman who is not highly educated, has a lot of bad records, and has just come of age. There are not many opportunities for her to change her life and make things difficult, because given her personality, she probably cannot tolerate those boring jobs that rely on physical labor for meager income.

A clanging sound came from the corridor, as if someone was pushing some kind of equipment while running. Harry briefly took a break from Professor Blaine's story to think about what that noise might be, and then easily came up with an answer.

Harry looked at Professor Blaine's profile. Judging from the sudden increase in the speed of Professor Blaine's speech and the pace of his story, he clearly knew what might have happened outside.

Having spent some years mingling in society, she knew all sorts of people. From those friends, she learned about a cocktail party hosted by business celebrities. Then, she dressed herself up beautifully and pretended to be a well-bred lady from a wealthy family.

I snuck into a cocktail party, immediately spotted the most charming man in the crowd, had a brief but beautiful romance, became hopelessly infatuated, secretly got pregnant, and when I went to confront him, I discovered that the old master of the manor had thoroughly investigated my identity. To find out what happened, I practically traveled all over London that summer during my third grade!

Amosta gave Harry a self-deprecating smile as he stared in astonishment, mouth agape.

Let's go back to February 28, 1971.

This winter has been exceptionally long and cold. At this time of year, the gentle spring breeze would normally be caressing the large, neatly manicured lawns of Blaine Manor, but now, everything is buried under a blanket of white snow.

On the straight road leading from the large iron gate to the magnificent manor, a dozen servants were clearing the accumulated snow and ice. However, their work was not as efficient as usual. They whispered among themselves, their curious eyes all fixed on what was happening at the large iron gate of the courtyard.

Clang!

"You have made me feel humiliated like never before, Belina!"

The young and handsome owner of the manor slammed the door shut, glared angrily at the woman outside the iron gate, and said viciously, "Get out of here and never show your face in front of me again!"

Hearing these heartless words, the manor butler Lawrence looked on with pity. He gazed at the lady at the iron gate, hesitant to speak—she was a young and beautiful woman with delicate features, but unfortunately, her disheveled hair, the dust on her cheeks, and the dried bloodstains on her inner thighs marred her beauty.

Amidst the swirling snow, even the servants working on the estate were bundled up in thick cotton-padded coats, while this lady wore only a thin wool sweater, because her coat was wrapped around the one-day-old baby in her arms.

It was a very strange baby. In such cold weather, even though his lovely cheeks were blue from the cold, he did not utter a single cry. Moreover, his light brown eyes had a clarity that only a person with a clear mind would have, but a one-day-old baby obviously could not have a clear mind.

The young woman seemed stunned by Kurard Blaine's behavior; she looked at him helplessly and fearfully, murmuring softly.

"But you said you would marry me."

"How dare you bring that up!" Kurad roared. "Despicable, vile! You've made me a laughingstock; this shame will haunt me for the rest of my life!"

"But."

Tears welled in Bellina's eyes as she looked at the baby in her arms, her expression growing even more terrified. "This child...he's yours."

"Shut your mouth!"

Kurad interrupted her, staring at the baby with utter disgust. A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but it was quickly crushed by a surge of anger. He gasped for breath as he spoke.

"After being exposed, he disappeared. A few months later, he showed up with a child. Oh, where did you get him? I think this must be another clumsy lie, right?"

After saying this, Kurard Blaine turned and left without a trace of regret.

"Miss Dett--"

Looking at Bellina, who was staring blankly and desperately at the baby, Lawrence hesitated for a moment. He took a check out of his pocket and handed it through the gap in the fence. "Perhaps this can help you through some difficulties—"

Bellina didn't even glance at the check. She simply hugged the baby in her arms tighter, turned around, and silently left amidst the swirling snowflakes.

The scene shifts, and another equally merciless door slamming sound echoes through the street.

We have no obligation to be responsible for your actions!

The cold sound coming from inside the room made Bellina Dett shiver, but in fact, her frozen body could no longer feel the cold.

She carried the baby, who was on the verge of fainting from hunger and cold, and left again, wandering aimlessly and quietly down the deserted street.

The snowflakes falling slowly from the gloomy sky draped her in a white coat, and the occasional passerby glanced at her with pity, but she did not react.

The baby in her arms finally cried. The cry was faint, but it was the only sound Bellina could hear. She looked at the baby, whose features resembled her father's, and a ripple appeared in her lifeless eyes, but in the end, she returned to lifelessness.

She walked for a long time, from the suburbs to the densely built commercial center, and then through the commercial center to the other side of the city. She wasn't going to ask anyone for help; she simply didn't want to stop.

In the courtyard of a dilapidated orphanage, Ms. Ferrena stopped shoveling snow and looked at a woman in tattered clothes carrying a baby as she walked past the gate, her eyes filled with worry.

In fact, she had been watching the woman ever since she came into view.

For Ferrena, an experienced woman who had worked at an orphanage her entire life, this was a scene she had witnessed countless times. Often, a young man or woman, or a group of young people, would sneak up to the orphanage gate, hurriedly drop off a package and a cardboard box, and then turn and run away.

She had assumed the woman would do the same, but the reality surprised her.

However, this did not reassure Ferrena; instead, it made her even more worried. After thinking for a very short time, Ms. Ferrena leaned the broom against the wall and carefully stepped out of the orphanage through the slippery ground.

"Hello, ma'am—"

Ferrena called out to Bellina's retreating figure, "Do you need any help?"

Bellina didn't turn around. In fact, she was lost in a hopeless and utterly desolate world, unable to hear anyone's calls.

Chapter 138 Good and Evil

The young woman holding the child did not respond at all, nor did she even stop walking. Ferrena, who was nearly seventy years old, pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then followed the woman's footprints as fast as she could.

"Miss--"

Ferrena grabbed Bellina's arm, intending to ask again if she needed any help, but when her gaze fell on the baby in Bellina's arms, she gasped.

"Oh, this child!" Ferrena glared at the blank-faced Bellina and said angrily, "Haven't you noticed, ma'am, that this child is almost frozen to death! And how long has it been since you fed him?!"

Bellina stared indifferently at the 'meddlesome' old woman. When she noticed the orphanage sign hanging on the dilapidated low building beside her, her lifeless gaze flickered, but in the end, she didn't say a word.

Bellina's strange behavior made Ferrena frown. She looked at the young woman who seemed to have suffered a great blow, and she kept clutching her clothes tightly.

"Alright, you wait here—"

After waiting for a while without any response, Ferrena sighed heavily. She looked at the baby with pity and said, "You wait here, I'll go get some clothes and food for this poor little guy!"

With that, she let go of his hand and turned to leave.

However, Bellina did not follow the old woman's advice. The moment her arm was freed, she took another step and continued walking forward.

"Hey, wait a minute, what's going on with you?"

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Ferrena shouted and then followed after them.