The car drove for more than ten hours, and they arrived at the terminal. Over the next few hours, they reversed several more trips and eventually stopped in a small town.

According to the map, the town was the closest Muggle gathering to Hogwarts, only a dozen miles away, and in this large area around Hogwarts, there were forests and wilderness with Muggle banishment spells, and there were fewer Muggles than wizards, and she had to walk to Hogsmeade.

With a map in hand, cloaked in invisibility, and Lockhart in her arms, Hermione navigated the woods, rolling hills, and watery river-filled wastelands. There were no terrifying magical creatures in the woods, the hills were only one or two hundred meters high, and there were no crocodiles in the puddles and swamps.

There is nothing magical about this land, and the reason why the environment is so untouched is simply because of the dense Muggle expulsion spell set up here by the successive Hogwarts administrators. No matter how powerful a wizard is, the banishment spell cannot be permanently enforced, and every ten years, the headmaster and professors of Hogwarts will re-cover the wilderness with an expulsion spell, and the old and new spells overlap, and the banishment ability of Muggles is terrifying. Any Muggle would feel like hell if they walked into it, and if they were forced to cross it, they would have to suffer a nervous breakdown and coma, and even if they didn't die, a wizard would have to get them out.

"We won't be in Hogsmeade before eight o'clock tonight, and we may have to camp out for the night one last time. Hermione said, "I don't dare break the curfew spell, let's go in tomorrow morning." ”

"Well, let's pitch a tent right here, don't get too close to Hogsmeade. Lockhart agreed, "Don't bleed today, hold on and you may recover tomorrow." ”

――

No Death Eaters patrolled here, and after the crown in the Hogwarts Requirement Room was taken away, there was no reason for either Voldemort or the Order of the Phoenix to have control here. The reason why Dementors and Death Eaters were arranged in the school and nearby villages was only to control the future masters of the wizarding world. Don't let them be used by the enemy.

After a peaceful night, the magic alarm clock woke Hermione up and it was time to enter Hogsmeade.

They climbed over the last hill and saw Hogsmeade, surrounded by forest at the foot of the mountain, which they both knew very well, most notably the railway and the platform, where students would normally get off through the Hogwarts train if there was no war - but Hermione had made it here this time from the nearest Muggle settlement across the moor.

Looking up a little farther away, Hogwarts Castle is majestic on the edge of the Black Lake. Like a giant dragon entrenched on the mountainside, after so many years, the scenery of these two places has not changed at all.

"It's probably not time yet, so let's wait outside the village for a while. Hermione put on her cloak of invisibility and crept down the hillside, approaching the wizarding village at the foot of the mountain.

I couldn't get any closer, and I could even feel the magic of the curfew spells that spread throughout Hogsmeade. They hid behind a large rock a little higher up on the hillside outside the village, and from this position they could even see the tall chimneys of each of Hogsmeade's houses. Some of them were already in the light of day, and Hermione found the pavement of three broomsticks. The toy store that the Weasley twins had given to Lupin had closed due to the owner's departure.

Because of Snape's ban on student gatherings of more than three people and any informal student societies, many Hogsmeade shops were less open - even if they came to Hogsmeade together. Even buying something in a store is a "rally".

Of course, even if it was for the dozen or so Death Eaters who lived in Hogsmeade, all the shops here would have to be open as usual.

――

"What time is it?"

"It's six o'clock, according to Ginny. They're about to lift the curfew. Hermione glanced at her watch under the invisibility cloak.

They waited for a while, and the curfew spell was touched by a Hogsmeade villager, and a scream pierced the cold morning air. Sharp as if some young witch was being tormented by the Hearts Curse, the door of the three broomsticks suddenly opened, and a cloaked and hooded Death Eater burst into the street with his wand in hand.

After a few more moments, several disheveled Death Eaters rushed out of it, and together they grabbed the villager who had set off the alarm.

They couldn't hear what they were saying from this distance, but it seemed that after arguing with the poor villager for a while, and checking their identity, they soon discovered that it was a misunderstanding, possibly caused by the Death Eater on duty dozing off and not lifting the curfew on the required schedule.

They let go of the villager, and after arguing, the other Death Eaters returned to the house, probably to continue sleeping, while the one who rushed out at first walked around and began to revoke the curfew spell.

"Alright, you can get over, be careful, don't show your feet under the invisibility cloak. ”

"Don't worry, I'm not as careless as Harry. Hermione said, and she stepped out from behind the rocks and walked lightly towards Hogsmeade along the roadside gutter.

"Don't go over the wall, walk along the road, I guess there's alarm magic on the wall. Lockhart reminded Hermione.

Fortunately, there was no snow or rain in April, and walking did not leave any traces, and Hermione quietly walked along the main road of Hogsmeade in the morning light. I passed by the station, three brooms, a post office, a teahouse, a stationery store, and ...... Arrived at the door of the pig's head bar.

When she passed the three brooms, the door of the shop suddenly opened, and Hermione almost jumped up in fright, it turned out that the owner, Ms. Rosmerta, was about to open the door, and after securing the door, she entered the house. Through the wide open door, Hermione could see a few early Death Eaters sitting at the table eating breakfast, as if they were going out to work or have fun after eating, and she quickly quickened her pace and walked over.

――

"Should I knock?"

"Just open the door and go in, I don't know if Aberforth is an early riser. Lockhart said. "If there's a resistance charm on it, knock on the door. ”

Hermione carefully lifted the corner of the invisibility cloak in the direction of the entrance to the pig's head bar, hugged Lockhart tightly with one hand, and stretched out with a wand in the other: "Alaho Cave Open!"

Without the Resistance Charm, wizards would not normally be so bold, probably the Death Eaters asked the inhabitants of Hogsmeade to do so, so that they could be searched at any time.

With a "squeak", the door opened, and Hermione quickly withdrew her hand, flashed sideways into the store, and turned around to close the door.

As soon as the door closed, the only light was gone, and the store was so black that it was impossible to see anything, and Hermione lifted the corner of her invisibility cloak and lit her wand. In the faint light of a single fluorescence, she saw the tattered, dirty, sawdust-smelling bar of the Hog's Head Bar.

"Who? Say it before you come in, you guys, you guys, you are so rude, and you want me to help you sell potions and drugs to make extra money!" An angry voice came from upstairs, and an old wizard with white hair and white beard came down from the stairs, and Hermione quickly extinguished her wand and retracted her hand.

But the other lit the wand.

"Humanoid manifested!" Aberforth waved his wand, but still couldn't see anyone. "Potter, is that you?"

Hermione didn't know whether to speak or not, and hugged Lockhart tremblingly.

"Don't be nervous, your own people. Lockhart comforted her in a voice that only she could hear, "Lift off the Cloak of Invisibility." ”

Hermione slowly lifted the cloak of invisibility with one hand, exposing herself to Aberforth's eyes.

"Mr. Dumbledore...... Hello, I'm Hermione, a friend of Harry. ”

"Granger, where's Potter?"

"I'm not Granger now, I'm Lockhart, and Harry and his godfather are hiding in a safe place. Hermione whispered, "I'm—"

"All right, poor girl...... Since you've decided to be a widow for him, I don't care, just go upstairs first, and the guys may come to check at any moment. Aberforth walked past Hermione and re-inserted the latch.

Hermione followed Aberforth to the back of the counter and through a door where there was a rickety wooden staircase, and they climbed up. At the top of the staircase was the living room, with its worn carpet, and a small fireplace, above which hung a large oil painting of a blonde girl looking blankly but tenderly.

"Is this Ariana?" asked Hermione, hugging Lockhart tightly, looking at the painting.

"I've read Rita Skeeter's book, haven't I? Little girl, will you leave the affairs of other people's houses alone, tell me what you are here for, and hold a child?" Aberforth walked to the window and looked out uneasily, then drew the curtains tightly, turned and lit a lamp with his wand, and finally sat down in a rickety chair. "The child is yours, born to Lockhart?"

――

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――(To be continued......)