Although the trip to Diagon Alley was full of twists and turns, at least everyone returned safely.
The following days were the last carnival of the summer holidays. The breeze along the River Otter blew away the previous gloom, and sunlight poured like golden honey onto the roof of the Burrow.
A perfect summer afternoon!
Ron invited Harry and Rove to play a game of "Simple Home Edition" Quidditch.
> [Mission: Aerial Cavalry Training]
> [Objective: Intercept all enemy projectiles (Apples)]
> [Current Mount: Light Warhorse (Cleansweep Seven - Second-hand Edition)]
> [Weapon: Mithril Round Shield (Refined Cast Iron Skillet)]
> [Status: Riding Check in progress...]
"Heads up, Rove!" Fred shouted, holding a green apple freshly picked from the orchard, and hit it into the air with a bat.
The apple described a green arc in the air, whistling with wind, heading straight for Rove on his broomstick.
> [Warning: Catapult Attack Detected!]
> [Type: High-Explosive Incendiary Stone Shot]
> [Impact Countdown: 1.5 seconds]
> [Suggestion: Evade or Block]
Rove rode the broomstick in a very peculiar posture. While others leaned forward to reduce wind resistance, he sat upright as if riding a horse, his legs gripping the broom handle tightly.
"For the North! For Gondor!"
Rove roared, pulling up the broom handle sharply. The old Cleansweep Seven creaked, barely managing an emergency stop and ascent.
Immediately after, timing it perfectly, his right hand swept across his waist, and the frying pan was instantly in his hand.
CLANG!
The green apple was hit head-on by the frying pan, instantly exploding into a firework of jam, juice splashing everywhere.
"Nice shot!" George applauded from the grass below, letting out a loud whistle. "Though I don't understand why use a pan, I have to say, the impact is much more satisfying than a bat! Maybe we can develop a 'Frying Pan Quidditch'?"
"This is not a pan!" Rove shouted from mid-air, struggling to control the wobbling broomstick. "This is the shield of a Gondorian Guardian! Only the strongest Mithril can withstand the siege engines of Mordor!"
Harry glided gracefully nearby on his Nimbus 2000, like a free swift. Seeing the look of death-defying resolve on Rove's face, he couldn't help laughing.
"You're flying too stiffly, Rove. Relax! Brooms are sentient; you have to trust it!"
"Relax?" Rove's eyes widened. "Relaxing on the battlefield means death, Ring-bearer! Stay vigilant; Nazgûl could dive from the clouds at any moment! If you fall, there are no Great Eagles here to catch you!"
> [Scanning Airspace Safety.]
> [Sanity: Stable.]
> [Current Altitude: 15 feet (Lethal Height)]
---
The sun set in the west, dyeing the entire sky orange-red. Fun times always passed quickly.
Mrs. Weasley had prepared a feast to send them off.
The long table was moved outside, covered with a red and white checkered tablecloth. It was laden with giant meat pies, mountains of boiled potatoes, colorful salads, sizzling roasted chicken legs, and pitchers of chilled pumpkin juice emitting cold steam.
> [Event Triggered: The Last Supper / The Fellowship's Farewell Feast]
> [Buff Acquired: High Morale (All stats +10%), Duration: Until start of term]
Rove's eyes suddenly became a little moist.
"What's wrong, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked with concern as she shoveled a large piece of steak and kidney pie onto his plate. "Don't you like it? Or is it not to your taste?"
"No, my Lady." Rove sniffled. "This is too bountiful. In the wilderness, a Ranger can only gnaw on rock-hard Lembas and drink cold stream water. To see such vibrant food again is the greatest reward for a Ranger."
Mrs. Weasley's heart melted instantly. Looking at this child who was a bit strange but incredibly polite, her maternal instincts overflowed.
"Oh, you poor child." With tears in her eyes, she added three more potatoes and a ladle of gravy to Rove's plate. "You must have suffered a lot in that orphanage. Eat up, child, think of this as your own home. You can come for Christmas too if you like."
> [System Alert: Acquired 'The Matron's Protection']
> [Effect: Within The Burrow, hunger depletion rate halved, Mood locked at 'Joyful'. Mrs. Weasley's Affinity increased to 'Family'.]
Arthur Weasley sat at the other end of the table, enthusiastically asking Harry about the purpose of a "rubber duck."
"What exactly is that thing for? To make the water taste better?"
Ginny, blushing furiously, sat as far away from Harry as possible, stealing glances at him now and then, before accidentally knocking over the butter dish, causing a flurry of clumsy activity.
---
Night fell, stars dotting the sky.
Rove, Harry, and Ron lay on the grass in the orchard, feeling the cool evening breeze and listening to the rustling of gnomes beyond the hedge.
"School starts soon." Ron yawned, patting his round belly. "I really wish the summer holidays could last forever. I miss my bed, but I don't want to see Snape."
"Me too," Harry said softly. This was the happiest summer holiday he had ever spent. No cold stares from the Dursleys, no cramping space, only friends, Quidditch, and warmth.
Rove didn't speak. With his hands behind his head and a foxtail grass in his mouth, he gazed at the starry sky.
In his System vision, the stars were not arranged randomly.
> [Astrological Reading: The Red Star Shines in the East]
> [Omen: The Shadow is awakening. The Basilisk crawls in the pipes. Dark whispers are echoing.]
"Enjoy this peace, my friends." Rove suddenly spoke, his voice sounding somewhat ethereal. "But do not forget, the darkness has not vanished. It is merely biding its time, just as winter waits for the end of autumn."
Ron rolled his eyes, breaking the heaviness. "Please, Rove, don't say such scary things right now. You-Know-Who is gone, Quirrell is finished. We won, remember?"
"Evil never truly vanishes, Ron." Rove sat up. "It lurks in the shadows, gathering strength. When everyone lets their guard down, it will return. This is the lesson of history, and the law of war."
He turned his head to look at Harry.
"But we need not fear."
Rove reached out and pointed at the bright moon in the sky.
"As long as what we protect remains, as long as the Ring-bearer has not abandoned hope, the Beacons of Gondor will never be extinguished. Even if darkness shrouds the land, starlight will guide us forward."
Harry looked at Rove. Although he didn't quite understand what the "Beacons of Gondor" were, nor why Rove always called him "Ring-bearer," at this moment, he felt reassured and empowered.
It was as if as long as Rove was there, even if the sky fell, there was someone tall enough to hold it up.
"You're right, Rove." Harry sat up and said seriously. "We'll be ready. Whatever happens."
Rove nodded with gratification; this kind of pre-battle rally made him feel good. Immediately, he couldn't wait to take a bite of the meat pie in his hand, finishing it in two or three gulps.
> [System Settlement]
> [Chapter Mission Complete: Fireworks at the Burrow]
> [Reward: Constitution +1 (Permanent buff due to excessive intake of high-calorie food)]
> [Current Status: Stuffed]
> [Debuff: Agility -2, Movement Speed -10%, Duration 2 hours]
"Oof..." Rove suddenly clutched his stomach and lay back on the grass, letting out a groan. "I think I ate too much just now. If the Orcs attack now, I might not even be able to draw my sword; I can only be a meat shield."
"It's fine." Ron patted his shoulder with a grin. "I'll smash them to death with Mum's meat pies. Trust me, those things are hard as rocks when they go cold, way better than your frying pan."
The three boys laughed together under the starry sky.
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