Chapter 115 Fall Of Darkness
Outside the Hogsmeade Post Office, Evan successfully persuaded Hermione and shared his plans for the following night.
It was still too early to return to school. He had planned to take Hermione back to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop and finish what he had started.
The atmosphere there is quite pleasant; perhaps he could also seize the opportunity to make his declaration.
But Hermione didn't give him more chances, she kept avoiding going to that place. Every time Evan mentioned it, she quickly changed the subject.
She was visibly very nervous.
She felt as if there was a torrent of boiling blood in her body, burning her, and making her cheeks flush in the cold.
She bit her lip gently, avoiding Evan's burning gaze that made her heart race.
Things unfolded in a way she had never imagined. When she first researched about Animagi in the library, she had planned to give Evan a good lesson if he turned out to be that wicked black cat.
Now she knows for sure. On the last day of summer vacation, she was not only holding this mischievous boy in her arms, but also... facing him...
Her face flushed, and she didn't know what to do next. What happened at the Tea Shop and at the Post Office had scared her. She was afraid that Evan would make another move that would make her heart beat again, or perhaps confess his feelings; she had never thought of a response.
Although deep down she felt something for him, wasn't all of this too fast?
Furthermore, how would she tell Harry and Ron about the matter? She felt strange and very embarrassed at that idea.
She really liked Evan, but she wasn't sure if she should start a relationship with him so quickly.
Perhaps it would be more appropriate to wait a year or two, until the fourth or fifth year.
She had heard from Angelina and Alicia that girls at Hogwarts generally start having relationships at that age.
In short, she couldn't accept Evan so quickly.
She took a deep breath and clenched her fist.
She glanced into his eyes and suddenly realized how confused she was in matters of the heart.
If Evan asked her to be with him, she didn't even know how to reject his request.
Perhaps she should go to the library to look in the books there, or maybe she should ask Ginny.
In addition to the Evan problem, the fact that Peter Pettigrew was Ron's rat also worried her.
Incredible, a wicked murderer lurking near them for so long!
For three whole years, no one noticed anything!
From a sensible point of view, Hermione believed that this information should be reported to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall as soon as possible, to seek their help. This was the wisest choice.
However, she promised Evan that she wouldn't.
She wasn't sure if Evan and Black's plan would succeed. She had a strong sense of unease. Perhaps things wouldn't turn out as well as they thought.
Seeing Hermione's demeanor, Evan knew what she was worried about.
He knew what to say to divert her attention and ease her nerves.
As for the confession, there was no need to rush, as the mood had been ruined. He will look for opportunities later.
"Hermione, don't you think about buying Christmas gifts? We can go to the store across the street to have a look," Evan said. "By the way, what are you going to give me?"
"It's a secret, Evan, and you will know when you receive it," Hermione felt relieved to see Evan steer away from the confession topic. He seemed happy and smiled. "I'm not going to buy your gift here; I've been preparing it for a long time, and I'm sure you will be pleased."
Upon seeing Hermione's gaze, Evan suddenly panicked. He remembered he hadn't thought of giving Hermione anything.
Originally, he had considered gifting her a "Practical Spellbook," but now it seemed inappropriate.
Given that she had clearly put much thought into her gift for a long time, it was evidently too meager to just send a simple spellbook.
Evan pondered, what do girls like? Sweets? Stuffed animals or something cute like that?
Knowing Hermione, she would love a book. If that's what it was to be, he just needed to find a better one.
Later, Evan and Hermione wandered through Hogsmeade and bought many things.
Time passed, and night fell early.
After four in the afternoon, the sky began to darken. The young wizards returned to Hogwarts one by one, and the shops on both sides of the street lit up.
At the entrance of Gladrags Wizardwear, away from the main road, Evan slipped out of his cloak.
In this alley, there were only the two of them, so there was no need to worry about being discovered.
"Evan, it's time. We should head back to school," said Hermione contentedly. It had been a lovely day spent in Hogsmeade.
"Yes, I'm quite hungry. I should return for dinner," Evan looked up and saw a huge full moon peeking through the sky.
He didn't know what had happened to Harry, Ron, and Professor Lupin. He must be holed up in his own office.
"See you in the Great Hall. I'll go through the secret passage from Honeydukes..."
Evan suddenly stopped upon seeing the unkempt and fierce silhouette of a man appearing in the alley, about ten meters from him and Hermione.
He immediately became alert and felt a dangerous aura emanating from that person.
Through the dim candlelight in the shop, Evan noticed that the man's slender limbs were in front of him. His gray hair and beard were tangled. A tight-fitting torn black robe clung to him, and his dirty fingers had long yellow nails.
He looked extremely thrilled. He lifted his head and growled.
His voice was strange, one Evan had never heard before. Moreover, he detected the strange scent of the man's body. It smelled of mud, sweat, and... undoubtedly, there was also a scent of blood!
"Delicious children, what a great pleasure!" The man spotted Evan and Hermione, and suddenly grinned revealing his sharp teeth.
As he gazed into his eyes, Evan sensed danger. He and Hermione were his prey. He quickly drew his wand.
"Be careful, Hermione!" said Evan.
"What?" Hermione blinked, unresponsive.
"This guy seems a bit odd, quickly get your wand out," Evan placed Hermione behind him and shouted, waving his wand. "Stupefy!"
A thick beam of red light shot out from his wand, and the other person remained in shock. He hadn't expected Evan to attack so swiftly.
The next moment, he was thrown into the air by Evan's spell and fell to the ground.
He quickly got up, dodging Evan's next spell, and let out a fierce roar.
Seeing the man's reflexes, Evan's pupils constricted. Not only did he not pass out when hit by Evan's Stunning spell, but he also had enough strength to dodge the next one.
Evan was sure his spell was by no means weak.
This merely meant that the man's body was too resilient to it.
Steadfast beyond imagination, far more than ordinary people, even beyond the limits of a human being!