Moody couldn't have imagined that Amost·Brane's suggestion of "getting something to eat" would actually turn out like this.
Amost calls a house fairy, letting it bring a barbecue and also, prepare some charcoal and grilled beef and lamb on skewers. House fairy's efficiency is extremely high, almost in the blink of an eye, asking for Dobby and Rijia's small fairies have appeared by the lake, placing all the things requested by Brene, inquiring whether to help being refused after, two small fairies bow respectfully and obediently disappear in the wind and snow.
"Please wait a moment, Professor Moody--"
Two wooden posts rise from the ground, and Amosta smoothly removes his dinner jacket, rolls up his sleeves, and sits down with enthusiasm. Next, he picks up the meat skewers and places them on the barbecue with curling smoke, expertly grilling them.
This disregard for appearance and the smooth, flowing movements made Professor Moody feel a moment of dizziness. He would bet that if someone else had seen this scene and recorded it, it would certainly become a point of humor that would be mentioned whenever people talked about Amost Brane.
The sky is filled with snowflakes, and the earth is clad in white.
The dream castle not far away, like a torch attracting all the eyes of the people in the dark, without noticing that, black lake shore a flickering fire is famous Amost·Brane personally grilled out.
Soon, a territory enveloped by the warmth of the burning charcoal on the grill began to fill with an enticing aroma. Moving his slightly malformed nostril, Professor Moody looked at the grilled meat on the rack, whose golden fat was glistening, and was astonished to find that he actually had a bit of an appetite.
"Really amazing, Brane--"
Professor Moody resisted the absurdity in his heart and a hint of urge to laugh, he finally sat down, looking at Amosta's handsome face across from him, which was reddened by the charcoal fire, he laughed.
People can't imagine that a great wizard like you would also be a master chef."
"This is nothing--"
Amosta was focused on grilling the meat. He squinted his eyes slightly and lazily said,
"You might not be aware, Professor Moody, before returning to Hogwarts to teach, I wandered around various countries in Europe for two years. To make a living, I occasionally did errands for people, and eating in the wind and sleeping under the stars was something common."
Professor Moody's lips tightened, as if he wanted to laugh, but in the end, he suppressed the laughter and nodded gently.
"That must have been a hard and grueling time, Brane."
Professor Moody said in a hoarse voice.
Huh--
There was a silence that lasted for about two minutes. The grilled meat emitted an incredible aroma as it was licked by the flames. After Amosta sprinkled some spices and salt, he turned the meat on the grill, rolling it over. After a while, he took the meat that was cooked to perfection, and using the firelight, examined it carefully.
"Here--"
Amosta passed the grilled meat over.
After a moment of dizziness, Professor Moody slightly hastily lifted his hand to accept it. For some reason, looking at the grilled meat made in a strange way in front of him, he felt a strange emotion. This emotion made him feel satisfied, but also accompanied by sadness and fear.
Bang--
Amosta opened two bottles of butterbeer and handed one to Professor Moody, then left him alone. He took a few meat skewers himself, roughly aimed the bottle at his mouth and drank a large gulp.
"Huh--"
With just one sip, the bottle in his hand was probably a quarter empty. Amost made a satisfied sigh, then, with eyes half-closed, looked at the bottle as if he still wanted more.
The graceful Professor Moody suddenly became elegant. He bit a piece of meat slowly and deliberately in his mouth, but the 'extravagant' behavior of Brane made him ignore the taste of the grilled meat. He looked at Amosta·Brane, who was burnished in the dim space behind the charcoal with amazement, almost unable to believe that Amosta·Brane, who was always elegant and courteous, had such an appearance.
or perhaps, this is the original image of Amost·Brane, but due to the burden of reputation, he had to disguise his true self?
"I still prefer Muggle beer."
Amosta said regretfully, "I still prefer Muggle beer." He saw that Professor Moody hadn't moved his hand, and raised an eyebrow.
"You have to drink beer when eating this kind of grilled meat, Professor Moody, then it's complete," Amost said.
"Oh yeah," Professor Moody hesitated, "I need a cup, Brane--"
"A cup? Oh, no, Professor Moody, you're ruining the mood of eating this grilled meat. Just come as you are!" Amosta said.
To be honest, Professor Moody was hesitant and resistant, but for some reason, he was now more reluctant to defy Brane's request. So, he reluctantly raised his head and aimed the bottle opening at his lips, taking a sip.
The butterbeer brought by Brane had not been warmed up. In this freezing weather, the foaming liquid was as sharp as a knife, sliding down the throat and into the stomach, causing Professor Moody to furrow his brow. But--
After the cold pain, there was a kind of strange satisfaction that made Professor Moody unconsciously emit some nasal sounds.
"Cough cough! A very strange feeling, Brane--" To cover his embarrassment, Professor Moody quickly turned his nasal sounds into a loud cough and asked, almost ostentatiously, "What is this custom from?"
Amosta didn't say anything, just casually smiled. He turned his head and looked at the world outside in a daze, when suddenly Professor Moody, who had been silent, moved his lips and followed suit, silently gazing at Hogwarts in the snow.
The fluffy snow layer extinguished all the noise between the white mountains and black waters. Although the ice castle was still lively and boisterous, the laughter of the students never stopped, and colorful fireworks occasionally burst into the sky above the square. But at the lakeside, only monotonous howling winds could be heard, and after listening for a long time, filtering out the wind sound, the world became peaceful as if only two people remained.
Though it was late at night, under the overcast sky, there were no stars or moon, but the castle did not seem particularly dark. The snow layer absorbed the brilliant lights from the ice castle and diffused them in all directions, adding a touch of color to the white and desolate mountains and dense forests.
"What do you think of life at Hogwarts, Professor Moody?"
Amosta retracted his calm gaze, after he stirred the charcoal with a skewer, he started to deal with those raw meats.
"Oh--"
This sudden question made Professor Moody momentarily unable to escape from the melancholic and bitter mood, and he unconsciously blurted out,
"Hmm, it's very good--"
Then, Professor Moody took a deep breath, his voice less harsh. He spoke in a more relaxed tone,
"This place is very nice, Brane, without so many dangers that can take your life at any time, without so many people eager to kill you like Minerva, Filius, Pomona most colleagues are very friendly. The work is also not complicated. As long as you show a bit of real talent, you can win a standing ovation in the classroom."
"You see only the surface, Professor Moody."
Amosta occasionally stirred the carbon fire, the bright sparks flying up into the air as they were carried by the upward-flowing hot gas. Before they were extinguished under the pressure of the cold, they bloomed with a brilliant light.
Amosta said quietly,
"In fact, for thousands of years, this ancient school has always been just a step away from collapse. The danger of destruction has been looming over this oldest magical school in Europe, and the number of enemies hidden in the shadows who hope for Hogwarts to disappear is countless."
Amosta's words were revolutionary, but Professor Moody did not react with astonishment, just blinked his eyes meaningfully and looked at the neighboring ancient castle.
"In a thousand years, the former Royal Society of Witches and Wizards has become the Ministry of Magic, the royal family was expelled from the magical world, we have fought numerous wars with goblins, werewolves, vampires, centaurs and even some ancient secret witches. Hogwarts won numerous times, rising from rubble each time, and those who lost in the wars had no choice but to accept that they couldn't destroy Hogwarts. Do you understand why this is, Professor Moody?"
"What is it?"
Professor Moody still looked at the old castle in a daze, asking in a trance.
"Because Hogwarts is no longer just a magical school--"
Amosta smiled, also looking towards the castle that had withstood the test of time, his voice filled with a faint sense of contemplation.
"Hogwarts, founded by four founders, has become a kind of belief. It will always exist in people's hearts. Countless people are willing to pay the price for this belief. Professor Moody, it doesn't have to rely on some practical organization to survive, and it doesn't necessarily have to be protected by power and authority."
Professor Moody had a thoughtful expression, and Amosta continued,
"An important point is also--"
Amosta turned his gaze from the castle to Professor Moody's. His lavender eyes were deep and profound,
"Hogwarts never remembers hatred."
(Chapter complete)
