They went deep into the swamp along a path full of ears.

The old witches didn't seem to notice them.

The road is not long.

Soon the sound of children playing reached Harry's ears, and gradually, the sound of the nursery rhymes they sang reached Hermione's ears.

"My mom killed me."

"My dad ate me."

"Siblings sit down."

"Pick up leftover bones."

"Buried under cold marble."

The children's voices are crisp and innocent, but the content of their singing.

Take a turn.

From behind the ear tree, three dilapidated thatched huts burst into their view, and several children gathered around the firewood.

Deep in the swamp, shrouded in mist.

"It's a little uncomfortable." Hermione pulled out her wand and waved it slightly.

On the Isle of Mist, she was frightened by the creatures of the little fog demon, and when she saw the mist, she was worried that there would be such creatures inside.

The cold wind blew, sweeping away the light mist, and the sunset became clear.

"Someone's coming." A child speaks out.

They stopped singing.

Large and small, staring at this group of people in ignorance.

Watching them walk in, timidly took a few steps back.

"We don't know you, you go." A little girl was bold, raised her hand, grinned and pointed into the distance.

The baron looked at them: "How come there is still a group of children in the swamp?" ”

"It's all Anna's child." Harry replied.

The baron was incredulous, his eyes widened, staring at the children: "Oh, no, how long has Anna been gone, how can it be, so big?" ”

He stammered, stumbling haphazardly.

These children, seven or eight years old, Anna can't give birth

"We're not Anna's kids!" A little girl gritted her teeth, trying to muster up her courage, but she didn't dare to look up at Harry.

"Why are you here alone, parents?" Hermione asked, gently.

One child shook his head: "We are orphans. ”

"Both?" This answer was unexpected by Hermione.

They nodded.

This answer, which made Hermione feel complicated, was accepted by everyone present except her, including the children.

"Where there is war, there are orphans." The boy replied aloud.

The baron reacted at this time: "So they are orphans taken in by Anna?" ”

"To be exact, it should have been taken in by the old witch." Harry shook his head.

The little girl pulled her throat: "Grandma is not an old witch, although she is a little strict, she is a good grandmother!" ”

"Grandma won't let us go deep into the mire."

"The mud swamp is terrible, my brother Mick didn't see him before, and my grandmother said that he just ran into the mud, and my grandmother cried for a long time."

The children are naïve.

But adults, and people who are close to adulthood, are not so naïve.

Especially when these children were singing nursery rhymes like that.

A terrible thought was born in Hermione's mind.

"Harry?" Hermione looked up.

Harry nodded, "I'm afraid your brother Mick has been eaten by the old witch." ”

The little boy looked at Harry in surprise with his mouth wide open.

The other children didn't know what to say.

The sound of hurried and panicked footsteps came, and an elderly woman walked by, scolding in her mouth: "You guys, what are you talking about?" ”

"No communication with outsiders."

"And you, with swords."

She couldn't continue, and the footsteps stopped five feet away.

The Baron even had to turn his head faster than Harry.

The voice was all too familiar to him.

"Anna." The baron called out his wife's name affectionately.

Her face was a little flustered: "How did you find this?" ”

Anna was not a very beautiful woman, she was very old, and looked much older than the barons, and the flesh on her face was completely drooping, which made her look fierce and vicious, and her hair was gray, lifeless, and gray as withered grass.

"Looks like my guess was wrong." Harry whispered.

Hermione was not angry and gave him a light thump on the back.

The baron took a deep breath and calmed his voice as calmly as he could: "I met a very good witcher who knew you were here and brought me to you. ”

He turned to Harry, "Yes, that's him." ”

"Anna, come back with me."

"We can run an orphanage in the crow's nest for any amount of money."

"I also assure you that I have begun to quit drinking, and the witchers can testify for me"

Anna shook her head decisively: "No, I won't, get out of here, never appear in front of me!" ”

"You filthy"

The baron looked at her pitifully.

But his sincerity and assurances were not exchanged for any softness in the hearts of the people on the other side, and Anna cursed the baron with words that the children were stunned by when they heard it.

"It's not that she doesn't want to leave, it's that she can't." Just as the baron was about to melt into the mud, Harry spoke.

Just one sentence made Anna stuck.

She looked at Harry incredulously.

"She has a pact with the old witch." Harry continued, "If you leave the mire, you will be cursed by the old witch and die. ”

Anna looked flustered, looking left and right, opening her mouth, wanting to speak, but she was worried about something, and she didn't dare to open her mouth.

"How do you know?" After a long moment, Anna asked, in a low voice.

The little boy was pitiful, staring up at Anna: "Grandma, my brother Mick, was he really eaten by the old witch?" ”

Anna looked gloomy and did not speak.

"I'm a witcher." Harry's tone was calm, "I can take you out of the mire. ”

Anna shook her head: "No, it's useless, the witches took a bundle of my hair." ”

"Hair?" The baron thought of something, and he took off his hat, "Anna, you see, the witcher has a very useful recipe for hair growth. ”

"It's only been two days, I've only used one bottle, and now my hair is so thick."

"Don't worry."

Ciri interrupted him, "No, Philip, Anna didn't mean that. ”

"It's a kind of black magic, the old witch casts a spell on the puppet, and then ties the human hair to the puppet, so that you can manipulate the soul of the hair owner."

Anna's voice suddenly became soothing: "Young girl, you know a lot. ”

"But that's not all, I've become their puppet forever."

Harry shook his head and said, "There is no magic in the world that can be made 'forever'. ”

He drew his wand and aimed it at Anna.

"Witcher, won't it hurt Anna?" The baron was worried, and his hair stood on end.

Harry nodded, "Of course." ”

Hermione drew her wand as well.

The two of them chanted a mantra together.

Anna's movements stood still, time standing still in her.

Shrink quickly.

Harry uttered a final incantation, pulled the Sorting Hat open, and with a flick of Hermione's wand, the thumb-sized man fell into the hat.

Meanwhile.

In a room, there was a sudden tremble.

(End of chapter)