On Saturday, as the morning sun half-emerged above the horizon, Severus and his companions were already packed and ready to go.
They had spent the night in the small town nearest to the farm and even managed to learn the location of Patty's grandfather, old Polk's grave.
Early in the morning, the four of them, along with Patty, drove to the cemetery near the town and eventually found the tombstone engraved with Polk's name in a quiet corner.
Sanguini took it upon himself to clean the long-neglected grave on Patty's behalf, speaking many words of gratitude to the old man for giving Patty a wonderful childhood.
Afterward, they had breakfast nearby and returned to the farm run by the elderly couple.
The night before, Severus had negotiated a price with them to rent the farm for the entire day, and now, it was time for the handover.
"Remember, if we come back tomorrow for inspection and find that you've altered or damaged the crops inside the farm, the deposit won't be refunded!"
Before leaving, the old woman clutched the pounds in her hand and warned sternly.
Severus merely smiled in response.
"Haven't we already signed the contract? Don't worry, madam. We'll abide by every rule stated in the contract."
The old woman seemed satisfied with Severus's attitude. Finally, she climbed into the farm's pickup truck with her husband and left, planning to spend the day at their son's place in Oxford.
Once they were gone, Severus and the other three fully settled into the farm.
Sanguini carried out a single-person sofa from the house and placed Patty, who was still unconscious, on it, allowing her to bask in the gentle sunlight under the porch.
"Alright, lads, we've got a full day to prepare."
Severus, who had already put on a straw hat, a leather apron, boots, and gloves, pulled out his wand.
Sanguini and Worple, who were dressed in the same way, also took out their wands. Only the poor Harry, who hadn't yet learned magic, had a hoe on his shoulder.
"Dudley and Eldred, you two handle the windmill. Especially you, Eldred, make sure to clear all the weeds on it by noon because you'll still need to accompany me to Gringotts in the afternoon for the final preparations for the potion."
"Sanguini, you're with me. We'll clear out a patch of beet field… the one near the wheat field. We need to sow the tulip seeds before ten in the morning, or we won't make it in time."
Under Severus's task assignments, the four of them quickly got to work.
At this very moment, the Wizarding World was in an uproar. Today's major newspapers were filled with heated debates, and everyone was speculating whether the story's ending, set to be released at 8 p.m. in The Quibbler, would have any connection to the two recent cases.
The media seized this opportunity, publishing all sorts of interviews and stories… regardless of whether they were true or fabricated.
Even Scrimgeour, while continuing to search for traces of Severus, had assigned Aurors to keep a close watch on The Quibbler.
But despite being at the center of the storm, none of Severus's group paid any attention to what was happening in the Wizarding World.
They were busy with a full day of farm work.
Worple, who had finished writing the final manuscript the night before, was now waving his wand to clear the plants covering the windmill's surface. Meanwhile, Harry, dressed in an old pair of overalls and carrying a bucket of red paint, climbed a ladder to apply a fresh coat to the areas Worple had cleaned.
The painting had to be done manually by Harry because the windmill had weathered too much over the years, and even Mending Charm couldn't restore it to its original state.
Sanguini, following Severus's instructions, was busy using his wand to relocate the beets from the one-acre plot near the wheat field, gathering them all in one place.
As for Severus, he dripped some Rejuicing Potion onto the beets to ensure they remained fresh even after being uprooted, honoring the agreement with the elderly couple not to damage the farm.
Through their diligent efforts, they finally cleared the nearly one-acre plot by ten in the morning.
At this time, Worple had also finished removing all the plants from the windmill and volunteered to prepare lunch in the kitchen.
Harry had painted two walls by then. His task for the day was solely to paint the windmill, so he could rest whenever he got tired.
At the moment, he was sitting on the edge of the field, watching Severus and Sanguini sow the tulip seeds.
"Hey, Sanguini!" He shouted to Sanguini, who was about ten meters away, "Tonight is a great opportunity. You still haven't confessed your love to Patty, have you?"
Sanguini lowered his head, seemingly focused on scattering the seeds, but when Severus turned around at the sound of Harry's voice, he noticed Sanguini's face had turned an unmistakable shade of red.
Severus adjusted the straw hat on his head and said meaningfully, "When it's time to express your feelings, you should express them. Sometimes, you never know what might cause you to miss someone you'll regret losing for the rest of your life. Right?"
The last 'Right?' was spoken softly, almost as if to himself, but a certain ghost who overheard it visibly stiffened, his expression darkening.
"You definitely love her." Harry said confidently, "Just like she loves you. While neither of you has said it, but deep down, you both know."
Hearing this, Sanguini couldn't help but turn his gaze toward Patty, who sat on the porch, bathed in sunlight.
The light fell upon the young girl, making her appear serene and peaceful. From a distance, it almost looked as though she was smiling faintly back at him.
"Yes, Dudley." Sanguini said softly, this time without any trace of hesitation or bashfulness, "I love her."
"You're missing something." Severus remarked, looking Sanguini up and down, "But we still have time. Worple and I will bring it back to you from Diagon Alley this afternoon."
Sanguini lifted his head as if he wanted to say something to Severus, but at the last second, he held back, as though words would only cheapen the sentiment.
In the end, he simply nodded firmly.
Before Worple finished preparing lunch, Severus and Sanguini had finally sown all the tulip seeds.
Lunch consisted of steak paired with smoked fish and a creamy French soup, with cocoa shortbread cookies for dessert.
Apart from Sanguini, both Harry and Severus were amazed that Worple not only wrote books but also had such culinary skills.
In the afternoon, Harry continued to work as a 'painter', while Sanguini took the five bottles of Growth Potion prepared Severus had prepared earlier and spent the rest of the day carefully distributing it across the flower field.
"Make sure it's spread evenly. The accelerated growth will drastically shorten the blooming period. The amount I've prepared should keep this entire acre of flowers in bloom for exactly three minutes. But if it's uneven, some flowers won't bloom at all, while others will stay open too long."
After giving Sanguini his final instructions, Severus changed his clothes, disguised himself, and left with Worple to Diagon Alley.
They didn't encounter any accidents on this trip.
The entire British Wizarding World was eagerly anticipating tonight's issue of The Quibbler, and in Diagon Alley, almost everyone was talking about it. No one noticed that the very person at the center of the incident had just withdrawn a nearly completed vial of enhanced Wiggenweld Potion from Gringotts.
By the time dusk fell, Severus and Worple had returned to the farm.
The potion only needed two more hours to cool before the final step, and adding a single drop of thyme tincture at that time would complete it.
Harry had finished painting the windmill's exterior, giving it a fresh, new look, and Sanguini had diligently completed all his tasks.
Finally, the four of them worked together to reattach the repaired windmill blades, raising them high just before the last traces of sunset vanished.
When the first night breeze swept through, the red windmill began to turn slowly under the glow of the moon and stars.
Severus, Sanguini and Worple either had their hands on their hips or crossed their chests, looking up at their achievements with smiles on their faces.
Meanwhile, Harry cheered beside them.