Chapter 221 Strange Girl
When it comes to kisses and similar matters, one cannot afford to be too hasty.
The "protocol" normality should entail first making contact and then proceeding.
Under the Christmas tree, Evan's face was flushed and warm. He gazed up at the dark night sky and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.
Since "this" has become an established fact, he is now accountable for it and should assume the appropriate responsibilities. There is little sense in continuing to fight it.
However, there was a freshness, a softness, and a sweetness when he thought he had just touched Hermione's lips...
Evan's face reddened once more, pondering if Hermione would agree if he asked her.
If she were to accept, would it signify that he could do so with her again in the future?
Evan shook his head vigorously and could not dwell on it further.
He tried to regulate his breathing, ready to seek out Hermione in the Alleyway, and had only taken two steps before halting abruptly.
He heard a sharp and subtle sound coming from the dark corner where someone was softly humming a tune.
It was a very peculiar melody, not a Christmas carol, but a slow and beautiful tune. There was a hint of melancholy in the clear voice. Evan had never heard a song quite like it before.
He turned his head hastily, and in the faint glow of his wand, he saw a girl crouched in a dark alcove, humming a song.
The girl had long, slightly curly blonde hair.
Atop her head, she wore the pink straw hat that Evan and Hermione had been searching for, its brim so low that he couldn't make out her exact appearance.
Outwardly, she was very slender and thin, about the same height as Ginny and the same age, around eleven or twelve.
The girl wore a worn and tattered black wizard's robe. It was quite antiquated. It didn't fit her very well. It seemed to be an oversized adult wizarding garment. It had been slightly altered and draped on her body. The cuffs had been rolled up several times just to keep them from falling off.
On the ragged robe, red stains were scattered all over, everywhere.
It was unknown what kind of liquid left these stains.
They were striking, as if some potion or blood had left its traces.
Evan, squinting, cautiously took half a step forward.
He was on high alert. He didn't know if the red stains on the girl were magic potions or blood stains, but they were obviously not ordinary marks.
Following Dumbledore's method learned in the cave, Evan sensed danger emanating from the girl.
This seemingly delicate girl possessed great magical power, and the traces of powerful magic lingering around her were ominous.
Evan didn't know what magical marks remained. It must be a curse he had never comprehended.
Apart from the suspicious stains on the robe and the unusually potent magic incongruous with her age, it was irrational for a young girl of that age to be sitting alone in this remote and dark alley at night.
Despite tonight's Christmas party in Diagon Alley, with many people gathering there, it was still very unusual.
As the distance between them shortened, Evan noticed the girl's skin outside her clothing.
Her skin was very pale, but not the milky and healthy white of a normal person. It was the pallor of someone who hadn't seen the sun for a long time.
It was like that of the Inferi, yet it didn't seem overly repulsive.
Of course, this could also be because the girl was too beautiful.
Evan caught a glimpse of her face hidden under the brim of her hat, and her facial features were more beautiful than all the girls he had seen before, like a porcelain doll. She had a special, indescribable temperament.
The most striking feature were her eyes. The intelligent eyes of the girl were not of common colors, but a very rare wine red. The red was very pure and deep.
When Evan glanced at them, he fell deeply into them. He shook his head hastily and cleared his mind.
"Merry Christmas!" Evan nodded briefly and said softly, "I am Evan Mason, a second-year student at Hogwarts. Who are you and why are you here?"
As he spoke, he naturally placed his wand on his chest and looked at the girl vigilantly.
Upon hearing Evan's voice, the girl stopped singing. She did not respond, nor did she even move.
She simply gazed at Evan, with a slightly surprised look, as if she had not expected anyone to speak to her.
Then her delicate nose twitched a bit, as if she were smelling something.
"Tasty food!" She said softly, with a slight hoarse sound in her crystalline voice.
The unsettling words of the girl made Evan recoil.
He looked at his opponent in horror, concentrating his energy, and the magic of his whole body naturally converged into the wand in his hand.
Imagine you are not carrying any edible items, but when a stranger sees you, the first thing they mention is the taste of food, looking at you with dismay, as if you were the food itself in their eyes. How would you feel?
This was strange, unsettling, and terrifying!
The last time Evan heard something like this was when Greyback the Werewolf said it to him and Hermione.
Greyback had been obsessed with the taste of human flesh for a long time. To him, humans were just ordinary food. Even when he was not transformed, he had always enjoyed eating humans, especially children.
If the girl, like the werewolf Greyback, saw him as food in her eyes, then she probably wasn't human.
Upon seeing the bloodstains on her black cloak and the powerful magic, Evan felt a chill run down his spine.
That was not good news. It was still Christmas. He didn't want to complicate things and then find himself in mysterious situations again. However, Evan was not worried. It was different from Hogsmeade. There was a bustling crowd just outside the alley. If a fight broke out, help would be there soon.
Evan stepped back. He was going to go look for Hermione.
But the girl in front of him seemed to be interested in him. She wrinkled her nose and sniffed the air.
She repeated once more, "Tasty treat!"
There was hoarseness in her clear voice, which was very pleasant to hear, but what she said was absolutely abnormal.
She stood up and approached Evan, as if she hadn't seen the wand in his hand, nor was aware of his dangerous capabilities, like casting spells, performing transfigurations, and the like. In fact, her body seemed even thinner and weaker under her black cloak, and she didn't seem dangerous at all.
Evan hesitated and didn't know what to do.
If only the girl used dark magic to attack him, or said a couple more words, Evan wouldn't have been so bewildered.
He stood there with his wand, unsure of what to do. Should he communicate with her or directly use magical attacks?
At least the current situation should be clarified now!