Chapter 520

Harry, they can finally get out of the car. Seriously, they've had enough! The car shook like a roller coaster, and there was still no fixed pole and seat belt.

When they had to move a lot of luggage out of the car, they said goodbye to Mr. Weasley who sent them. They struggled to drag large and small suitcases to Hogwarts castle.

Most of the driveway from Hogsmeade village to the school has been cleared and has no snow cover. But from time to time, they will encounter icy ground on the road. They have to walk carefully to avoid falling in all directions.

After a while, they came to the front door of the school.

"Oh, Harry -" Hagrid waved happily as soon as he saw their children. "Good morning! Come on, children, come here!"

"Hagrid!" Harry hurriedly dragged the suitcase and trotted two steps to the door. "Hagrid, why are you standing here? Who are you waiting for?"

"Hey, that's what everyone asks when they pass by," Hagrid shrugged. "Forget that. I have something to hand over to you - someone just asked me."

As he spoke, he took out several rolls of parchment from his coat pocket. They were all neatly rolled and tied with a bunch of purple ribbons in the middle.

Harry took a look. One of the volumes had his name on it, and the other volumes also had the names of others he knew.

He left his roll of parchment, and the remaining rolls were handed back to Hermione, Ron and Neville behind him.

"Invitation?"

When Hermione and the three of them had just received it, Harry had already opened his share first. The above content is just a sentence, saying that he hopes to invite him to breakfast or something, and the signature is Slughorn, the seemingly unreliable old man.

"Me too?" Ron looked at the parchment he had given himself and wondered. "I don't remember our family having a friendship with him... Well... Maybe a little?"

"Let me see, he didn't invite us because of our parents' friendship..." Hermione said disapprovingly. "Otherwise, what do I say? Did my parents mend his teeth or something?"

"Who is this Mr. Slughorn..." Neville asked with a puzzled face.

"Horace Slughorn, a professor of potions at Hogwarts a long time ago, was also the dean of Slytherin college at that time. It is said that he has a high level of potions." Hermione explained casually, but then continued, "but what does he come back to do? And he gave us an invitation?"

Hagrid shook his head when he saw her looking towards him.

"Just now Marca and I stood here and talked for a few words, and he came over." Hagrid said, "he invited Marca first, and Marca quickly agreed. Then he handed these parchment rolls to me and asked me to hand them over to you when I saw you."

"Marca has come?" Hermione said in surprise. "I thought he would be late! He just left the hospital today..."

"He looks in good spirits. He should be all right," Hagrid said with emotion. "I didn't expect that the man who couldn't even mention his name would die..."

"Now you can mention it!" Ron said happily. "Isn't it... Well, Voldemort... How do you feel when you say it?"

"I think you're just not used to it," Hermione said. "Let's go first! Didn't the gentleman invite us to breakfast? Marca is there too..."

"To tell you the truth, I don't really want to go," said Harry awkwardly. "I don't like him very much."

"Mr. Slughorn is actually a good man and willing to make friends," Hagrid seemed to have a different view. "Few Slytherin can make friends like him, regardless of origin. Of course, sometimes he is a little too enthusiastic!"

Hagrid is a typical old man. He always depends on intuition when looking at people and things. Although this usually makes him ignore a lot of details and see people on the surface, it is not much worse than those smart people.

After all, everyone's mind is difficult to guess. It's better to directly rely on the surface to judge a person's character than to worry and work hard for those ambiguous so-called true faces.

You know, the character people show is usually the part they want others to know. In the vast majority of cases, that is, their principles of life will not be easily changed. If you don't intend to have in-depth contact with someone, it's more than enough to know the surface.

For the old man Slughorn, Maka made friends with him with this mentality. As long as you don't be too credulous, Slughorn is enough to be a good "ordinary friend", especially he has been addicted to interpersonal communication all his life. Useful friends can be said to be all over the world of magic.

Generally speaking, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of being friends with him.

It's just that Marca would think so, but Harry wouldn't. Most of the cubs like to act based on their intuition and preferences. Sometimes even Hermione, who has always been smart, is no exception.

After saying goodbye to Hagrid for a while, everyone dragged their luggage to the Gryffindor tower first. Even if they are willing to go to the party, they have to put down their luggage first, don't they?

"Really not?"

In the bedroom, Ron asked Harry behind him as he made his bed.

"Well... I don't know if I should go..." Harry hesitated without stopping. "It's just Marca. He seems to have gone... Since Slughorn sent the invitation in front of him, I think maybe we should go and see it."

"I think so too," said Ron, who nodded as they were packing back-to-back. "Have breakfast... Hey, it sounds cool!"

Ron, who has lived a little shabby since childhood, is always curious about such activities that sound classy and emotional. Maybe before, he had always imagined that he was invited to some high-level private banquets. Now he really has a similar opportunity. He really doesn't want to miss it.

……

I don't know how Slughorn did it. At least he did find a decent place for the "breakfast" plan. Hogwarts had a lot of empty rooms, and Slughorn chose a side hall on the first floor that was almost unused.

Those domestic elves who live in the kitchen are always diligent. Even where no one goes, they will conscientiously clean every corner and keep them available at any time.

Now, when Harry opened the side hall door, some slightly chaotic voices came out of it and went into their ears.

Slughorn was the loudest of them. At the moment, he seemed to be talking happily with a Slytherin student. The seemingly straightforward laughter echoed gently in the small side hall.

But when Harry and they followed the voice and looked to Slughorn, they saw a figure they didn't want to see at all.

"Malfoy?" Harry frowned. "I don't want to join him as soon as I see him."

However, they have come here, and it is obviously impossible to turn back. In fact, Slughorn had turned his eyes this way since the door opened.

"Oh! Isn't this our Mr. Potter? And Mr. Weasley..."

He stood up as he said hello. Perhaps it was because his contact with Harry was not smooth several times. He also specially adjusted the title of Harry to try to control the sense of distance so as not to be too abrupt.

"Of course, this must be Miss Granger - you are very famous in Hogwarts. Everyone knows you. Your academic performance is always the first!"

"Hello, Mr. Slughorn!" Hermione nodded politely. "I'm glad you know me, but my grades don't represent too many things. I need more efforts."

"You're so modest, charming young lady." Slughorn's polite words seem a little boring. At least for a young girl, it's easy to get goose bumps. "This must be Mr. Longbottom?"

When Neville heard Slughorn greet him again, he nodded his head like a chicken pecking rice. For this over enthusiastic bald old man, he seems to be a little frightened.

Slughorn glanced at Neville's face, a glimmer of disappointment flashed in his eyes, and then raised his high interest again like a cover up.

"Come on, come on! Young ladies and gentlemen, please take your seat!" he said loudly. "You can sit anywhere. Just be careful not to sit on other people's thighs - my parties are always very relaxed and free. You don't have to be too formal."

Yes, but Harry and Neville seemed hesitant. One of them was not very interested in the sudden dinner from the beginning, while the other didn't know where to put their hands.

Even Hermione, who was quite normal at the beginning, had more concerns after seeing the girl around Maka.

As for Ron, he should have enjoyed it on this occasion, but the existence of Malfoy made him feel uncomfortable at once. Because he found that today's Malfoy looked very different. What he had to say was that he was too "honest" - he didn't make any provocations when he saw them.

Even if Marca was there, he wouldn't dare to stare. In Ron's impression, Draco Malfoy was the kind of guy who had to show disdain.