It didn't take long for the four of them to arrive outside Professor Slughorn's office, and a noisy and lively atmosphere rushed towards them.

The office here is larger than other professors' offices. The ceiling and walls are hung with emerald green, crimson and gold draperies, giving people the illusion of walking into a tent.

Harry, who had just entered the office, was caught by Professor Slughorn and dragged to meet other guests. Although Harry was bored by all this, he still didn't show much emotional change.

Looking at Harry's leaving back, Luna turned to Hermione and said, "Harry doesn't seem to like this?"

"I think Harry has a reason to do that. He has really changed a lot recently." Hermione also looked at Harry's back and said to herself, "Of course, I have changed a lot too. Prepare for the changes that may occur in the future, and have the awareness to face the difficulties.

With that said, Hermione looked sideways at Ron, who was still looking around.

"What's wrong?"

Ron, who was curiously observing the scene of the Christmas ball, was a little unnatural to be stared at by Hermione, so he turned his head and asked.

"nothing."

Hermione withdrew her gaze, changed the subject, and said, "Let's find a place to sit down and eat something. Harry may have to wait for a while."

After the three of them ate something on the table where the food was placed, they squeezed towards the empty space in the corner of the office.

"What were you trying to say just now?" Ron asked while eating.

Hermione glanced at Luna next to her, and said in a low voice, "You don't seem to have made up your mind yet."

"Be prepared?"

Ron's expression was stunned, and the food in his mouth almost fell out. He obviously didn't understand the meaning of the words.

"Awareness to participate in this wizard war."

Hermione frowned and looked at Ron who put the pie into his mouth again, "I suggest you finish eating before we talk."

"Oh, sorry." Ron quickly wiped out the food, "You continue."

"The last time I went home, I realized that this war is never a child's play. Harry and I have already made up our minds. What about you, Ron?"

"I?"

The expression on Ron's face froze again, not even thinking about how to answer Hermione's question.

Of course he also wanted to help Harry, but he really didn't think about Hermione's so-called enlightenment.

"Hi, Ginny!" Luna greeted her friend happily.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny walked towards this side.

"nothing!"

Hermione looked sideways at Ginny and asked, "Why are you alone?"

"Dean's off to get a drink." Ginny waved to the boy on the other side.

"Ron."

Dean was a little surprised to see Ron here, but when he saw Hermione, he knew why Ron was here.

"Give!"

After Andy handed the butter beer to Ginny, in order to avoid embarrassment, he took the initiative to find a topic: "I heard that a vampire came to the Christmas ball today."

"Rufus Scrimgeour?" Luna asked looking up.

"The Minister of Magic is a vampire?" Several people looked at Luna in astonishment, feeling a little absurd.

"Yes, he's a vampire," Luna said with certainty. "My father wrote a long article trying to expose it, but the Ministry wouldn't let him publish it. They obviously didn't want to reveal the truth!"

"Scrimgeour is not a vampire, but a real vampire. I saw it just now. Mr. Bloody over there is a vampire?" Harry appeared out of nowhere, interrupted Luna's ridiculous speech, and pointed Looking at the black-eyed man not far away, a tired man introduced to everyone.

"Is that a vampire? Why do I feel that he seems... hungry."

Hermione looked at the guy who was rubbing against the girls, and always felt that the guy had malicious intentions. It was obviously unreasonable for Professor Slughorn to invite a vampire to the Christmas banquet.

"We'd better stay away from him, in case that guy gets hungry and out of control."

"What's the situation with vampires, do they really live by sucking blood?"

"Certainly not, I just saw that vampire eating a pie."

Suddenly a familiar voice came from the side. Fred and George appeared out of nowhere and greeted everyone with smiles.

"I think he might need a **** lollipop." George looked at the vampire and said regretfully, "It's a pity I didn't bring that thing."

"Does that thing really work?"

Of course it works. It is said that the **** lollipop is a candy specially developed for vampires by the Honeydukes candy store.

"Speaking of which, you have also received an invitation from Professor Slughorn?" Harry looked at the Weasley twins and asked his doubts.

"No, we just came here to attend the ball instead of Albert." Fred shrugged and explained to everyone why the two of them appeared here.

"Albert doesn't really like banquets." George added, "So he let us come. He said that we are also very famous now, and we will definitely be welcomed by Professor Slughorn."

"What did Albert ask you to do?" Hermione asked.

"As expected of Hermione!" George gave Hermione a thumbs up. "Albert asked us to invite Professor Slughorn to join us and become our Potions Advisor."

"Potion consultant?" Everyone was stunned, obviously unable to understand what they wanted to do.

"You all know that many of our products contain potions. Although Albert has a high attainment in potions, he has been very busy and thinks that we need a potions consultant to help solve the problems in potions. . George did not intend to hide the purpose of the two of them appearing here.

"Like the Potions Advisor in the radio column?" Andy asked curiously.

"Similar." Fred nodded.

"However, it would be easier for us to be a consultant, because the main purpose is to provide us with information and consultation. There is nothing to do in itself, there are many benefits, and the salary is also very good." George introduced to several people: "It is a very suitable job for the elderly. work, for experienced specialists.

"Professor Slughorn agreed?" Ron also hoped to get such a job.

"He said it still needs to be considered."

Fred and George cast idiot glances at Ron one after another, "Albert said that Professor Slughorn can think about it slowly. Anyway, he will have served in the school for too long, and he can consider retiring. Where do we get a name?"

Of course, both Fred and George knew that what Albert valued was actually Professor Slughorn's contacts. If you spend some money to support them, they will definitely come in handy in the future, and you won't lose money after all. After all, Professor Slughorn He is a powerful potion expert himself, and can save Albert a lot of trouble.

The Christmas ball was still going on, and Harry was harassed by Professor Slughorn many times during the period, and was brought to meet a large number of guests, and made an appointment to meet famous people.

Harry wasn't interested in that at all, he was a celebrity in his own right. He is currently huddling in a corner with Fred and George and chatting about the Defense Association and their plans for the future.

Harry felt that Albert would definitely make reasonable arrangements for the next changes in the situation, but what Fred and George knew seemed to be limited.

"Harry, it's useless even if you ask us, Albert never tells us too much." George put the butter beer in front of Harry and reminded him kindly: "If I were you, I wouldn't make myself drunk."

"Also, don't tell our useless brother about something. I saw him drink several glasses of whiskey tonight." Fred reminded slowly while eating the pastry.

"Little Ronnie is unreliable and easy to leak secrets." George added.

"I am your brother!"

Ron glared at Fred and George dissatisfied, and made rude gestures at them.

"Of course we know." Fred took a sip of his butter beer, patted Ron on the shoulder unceremoniously and said, "We said that for your own good."

"Do not touch me."

"Look, you can't even control your emotions, you're like a cute little fool, look at Hermione and Harry, they drank a little butterbeer tonight, worried that they would talk nonsense when they were drunk."

Ron looked at Harry and Hermione, speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"Ron just hasn't realized the seriousness of the problem." Harry argued for Ron calmly.

"Is it a serious problem?" Ron asked stupidly, "I mean..."

"This is not a good place to talk," Hermione interrupted. "I think we need to have a good chat about this and go to the Room of Requirement."

"Then let's go first."

Harry got up and took the lead to go outside. He didn't like the Christmas banquet tonight, it was too noisy, and Harry didn't plan to dance on stage, sitting here was boring.

"Wait for me."

Ron drank the whiskey in the glass in one go, and quickly got up to follow.

The three of them went directly to the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor, and they also went to the bathroom to let Ron wash his face well and wake up his head completely.

"There seems to be someone in the Room of Requirement?"

Harry frowned at the closed entrance to the Room of Requirement, and moved it to let Hermione try again, but it still wouldn't open, obviously someone was using the Room of Requirement.

"what to do?"

"Go to the prefect's bathroom." Hermione resolutely gave up and used a backup plan, "No one would use it under normal circumstances, and Harry has the Marauder's Map, so be careful and don't worry about being overheard."

Harry agreed with Hermione's suggestion that when talking about some important matters, it is best to find a safe place to avoid being overheard, especially the news about Horcruxes needs to be kept secret.

"Harry, let's go."

"coming."

Harry frowned at the entrance to the Room of Requirement, then turned and walked with Hermione to the prefects' bathroom.

After confirming that there is no one in the prefect's bathroom through the Marauder's Map. Ron couldn't wait to ask, "What's going on? What you just said is very serious."

"The future situation will become very bad. You should have heard about Albert's unpredictable future, which should be next year." Hermione continued after casting a few protective spells on the door of the prefect's bathroom: "We can't stay at school and wait for this war to end, especially after Dumbledore gives Harry a lesson, and Harry may need to be tested next, and I..."

"What are you talking about?" Ron was still confused.

"Dumbledore is probably dying."

Harry said the frightening words calmly.

"Although I don't want to badmouth Dumbledore, but in the current situation, his injury is more serious than expected, so I decided to tell me about the Horcrux and let me take over the task of destroying the Horcrux."

"Can"

"We have had similar speculations before, but now we feel that the possibility is very high, very high." Hermione signaled Ron to listen quietly, "Once Dumbledore's deterrence is lost, the situation in the British wizarding world will be very fast." It will rot, even Scrimgeour can't do anything about it, this is the deterrent force of absolute strength, and Albert's prophecy will probably come true by then."

"I certainly wouldn't let Harry go alone," said Ron loudly.

"But you're not ready Ron," Hermione said softly.

"What kind of psychological preparation!" Ron felt inexplicably irritated.

"Being mentally prepared to die, you may suffer a lot because of it, and even fail and lose your life." When Harry said this, his tone was still calm, "I don't know what the future will hold, but I have put everything down and suppressed everything." Take your own life."

"I am the same as Ron. We are all prioritizing defeating the mysterious man now, and we are preparing for it." Hermione nodded and said, "You should have noticed that Fred and George are also mentally prepared. Prepared, but you haven't, we shouldn't have told you these things, but..."

Ron slowly opened his mouth.

"If you feel too much pressure, I can understand that everyone has their own choice." Harry reached out and patted Ron on the shoulder without forcing anything.

"Hermione, what about you?"

Ron looked at Hermione in puzzlement ~www.mtlnovel.com~ He couldn't understand why Hermione could do this.

"When my family members almost lost their lives because of the mysterious person, when I sent them away, I realized that I didn't have many choices."

Hermione looked up at Ron, and said calmly: "And, don't forget, we are all Harry's good friends. The Death Eaters must know this and will not let us go easily. We have to leave England to find a place Hide and live a life of fear, or help Harry kill the mysterious man and restore peace to the wizarding world."

"Now, my family has left the UK, and I don't have any worries." Hermione said softly, "I believe in Harry, I believe in Albert, and I believe that they can completely end this **** nightmare. I don't want to live in fear for the rest of my life." Get over Ron, You-Know-Who hates Muggle wizards, Harry and I have no choice, but you're fine."

"I won't bow my head like Voldemort." When Ron said about Voldemort, his face paled slightly, but he said in a very sure tone, "except for the traitor Percy, everyone in our family is bravely fighting against the mysterious man , I will not back down, never will. Tell me, what should I do."