Explosive Thunder - The deafening roar of thunderous explosions echoes throughout the earth, while the pouring rain plunges Bray Castle into an oppressive darkness.
Ammostar returned to the private lounge and found Harry daydreaming, and the exquisite pastries on the coffee table in front of him looked untouched.
"Professor Bray--"
Seeing Ammostar walk into the room, Harry finally snapped out of his trance. He seemed curious about many things, but the serious expression on Professor Bray's face made him realize that he might not want to delve too deeply into his secrets.
"Do we leave now?"
Under the pressure surrounding Ammostar, Harry bit back his urge to ask about the meeting's details, looking rather uneasy.
Ammostar, walking to the window, gazed out at the dense rain curtain for a moment and said, "Old butler Lawrence invited us to have lunch together. Hmm--, this terrible weather. I think it's fine to have lunch here. At least we don't have to find a car in the rain."
This is a lie--Harry saw through it at a glance.
Professor Bray is a powerful wizard. If he so chooses, he has plenty of ways to avoid getting wet. Of course, Harry isn't stupid. He didn't burst the lie, but only nodded weakly.
Ammostar closed the window, wiped the raindrops from his clothes, and turned to sit next to Harry. He began to examine the interior decoration of the house - crystal chandelier, velvet carpet, cedar coffee table, and even the tea cups served with tea were precious porcelain from China.
"Zzz, what a lavish bunch of wealthy people--"
Ammostar glanced around the room with appreciation, whispering his praise. He thought that Potter beside him would say something in agreement, but actually he didn't, Potter said nothing, only with secretive and restrained gaze peeped at himself.
Ammostar thought for a moment, leaning back in his chair, and casually asked,
"I guess, you must be curious about my relationship with the owner of this estate."
"I don't quite understand, Professor," Harry hesitated and nodded, "You said you grew up in an orphanage, but you seem to have known...well, your relationship with this estate for a long time?"
"It's because--"
Ammostar picked a tea point from the coffee table and threw it into his mouth, munching on it continuously, grumbling as he spoke,
"How can I explain this to you? Hmm, although I am not like you, defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort, a black figure that strikes terror in the wizarding world, when I was just born. But, Potter, I also have some unique abilities."
"Unique abilities?"
Harry didn't have time to mind the Professor's joke at his own expense. He blinked curiously.
"Yes--" Ammostar nodded and said, "My memory is excellent... Of course, this will certainly confuse you. Excellent memory is what ability? Even among muggles, there are many who have remarkable memories, but those people are definitely not like me. Since the first time I opened my eyes in this world, I have remembered every event that has happened to me--"
It took Harry several seconds to understand what Professor Bray was saying, and then he stared wide-eyed, looking comically incredulous.
"You're saying that you remember every event since you were born? I've never heard of anyone having such a talent!"
"Ahh, yes, this situation is indeed uncommon, but there are bound to be others who are similar to me." Ammostar evaded the question, spreading his hands towards Harry. "So it's not hard to understand why I'm an orphan but know the relationship between myself and the owner of this estate in terms of bloodline--"
It took Harry a moment to process the stunning news. Among all his friends, Hermione was undoubtedly the one with the sharpest mind. She could memorize an entire textbook that would make anyone despair at just a glance, and she could recite its contents backwards long after. However, Harry believed that even Hermione couldn't remember what she looked like when she was born!
"So, you mean... you know... you know why they--"
Harry showed a look of wanting to say something but holding back.
"Abandon me?"
Ammostar completed what Harry had left unsaid.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Professor!" Harry stood up, hastily expressing his apologies. "I had no intention of prying into your privacy."
Ammostar waved his hand to indicate for Harry to sit down, assuring him not to be too nervous, and then, looking out at the relentless rain without any letup, he said with a furrowed brow,
"Well, before lunch starts, perhaps we need a topic to pass the time... actually, I don't think it's particularly embarrassing to discuss my background. I just find it dull and boring... but since we need a topic, then..."
This is another lie!
Harry bit his lip, thinking to himself that Professor Bray was just trying to find an excuse to vent.
He wasn't an orphan, but it was much the same. Sometimes, he was eager to tell others how unbearable life with the Dursleys had been. Of course, he had told Ron and Hermione about it before, and they did show disbelief and anger. But Ron and Hermione couldn't really understand...
Life is always solitary.
Harry suddenly recalled what Professor Bray had once said to Hermione, perhaps he meant... some of the pain brought by certain experiences can only be endured alone?
"Your mother... oh, of course, and your father, they sacrificed themselves to resist the evil that was corrupting the world, to fight against Voldemort. Their unwavering bravery is admired by people, even though they have been gone for more than a decade. When people mention them, they still maintain a sufficient level of respect--"
Ammostar spoke in a soothing tone.
"Compared to them, my mother can't be said to be noble at all. In fact, she was rather unlikable because of her extreme rebelliousness."
Professor Bray's comments about his parents both pleased and saddened Harry. He didn't have the unique talent that Professor Bray possessed, and his knowledge of their appearances came from the photo album Hagrid gave him at the end of first year, along with the mirror of Erised that had since disappeared.
"...rebelliousness may no longer be enough to describe my mother's behavior as a teenager. At ten years old, she taught herself to smoke with some boys from the streets, and by the time the first-year witches at Hogwarts were just starting school, she had a tattoo on her back..."
"She learned to steal, of course, but her family had no need for her to resort to such despicable behavior. She did it probably just for fun... and then, mixed up with boys, fighting... it took less than a year or two for her record at the Muggle police station to be thicker than your magical history textbook--”
Harry stared at Professor Bray in shock, unable to imagine that someone like Professor Bray, who was always courteous and seemed to have no reason to be angry, could have had such a rebellious mother!
"You can imagine, the things she did really upset her parents. In order to better discipline her, they had to send her to a prestigious, specialized school for problematic boys."
But it was all for nothing. It could even be said that the chaotic environment of the school only fueled her rebellious nature. After a few years there, she was expelled from the school for leading a serious brawl and was detained for some time..."
This also led her parents to be completely disappointed in her. When she returned home, her parents threw her luggage out the front door and shouted that she was no longer their daughter."
At this point, Ammostar heaved a sigh, seemingly also feeling helpless about his mother's younger years' behaviors.
"In fact, my birth was completely planned by my mother..."
