RNP Chapter 27 A Letter from Home
Chapter 27 A Letter from Home
On Sunday morning, sunlight streamed through the tall stained-glass windows of Hogwarts Great Hall, gilding the tables of the four houses. Cullen was spreading blueberry jam on her toast, her grey-blue eyes shining brightly from a good night's sleep.
"Let me tell you, while Quidditch is exciting, football is the best sport in the world! The sight of thousands of people cheering is still breathtaking no matter how many times you see it!" Wesley waved his fork, his reddish-brown curly hair bouncing with his movements.
Fabian adjusted his glasses, a gentle smile spreading across his face. "Quidditch is exciting too, and you can even fly..."
"That's not the same at all!" Wesley was about to continue arguing when suddenly a huge black shadow swept across the table.
"Watch out!" Ernesto leaned back nimbly, his gray eyes narrowing warily.
A majestic snowy owl landed steadily on the dining table in front of Karen, clutching a large package and a thick letter in its claws. It held its head high with pride, its yellow eyes fixed intently on the smoked meat on Karen's plate.
"Phobos!" Karen exclaimed in delight, reaching out to stroke the owl's feathers. "You're back so soon."
Phoebus placed the package and letter on the table, then gently pecked Karen's fingers with his beak, his eyes still fixed on the smoked meat.
"Alright, here you go." Karen smiled and handed over the meat. The owl happily snatched it up, flapped its wings, and flew to the candlestick next to it to enjoy it.
"Wow, what's this?" Wesley curiously leaned closer, his reddish-brown hair almost touching the package.
Karen picked up the letter and found that there were two inside, one signed "David and Emily" and the other "Lily".
"It was sent by my parents and sister," Karen explained, carefully opening the first letter.
"Dear Cullen," he murmured, "we are not at all surprised to learn of your outstanding performance at Hogwarts..."
The letter was written in neat and warm handwriting. David and Emily inquired in detail about Karen's studies and life, told him that new roses had been planted in their garden, that Lily had started learning to paint, and specifically reminded him to feed Phobos more meat.
The letter ended with: "There are some snacks and drinks you might miss in the package, as well as a new camera. Lily has been begging to see pictures of Hogwarts ever since she read your letter. Remember to share these snacks with your roommates, especially that boy named Wesley, you always say he has an appetite like a bear..."
Karen couldn't help but laugh and read it aloud to Wesley, who puffed out his cheeks in feigned anger: "I'm not like a bear!"
Then, upon opening Lily's letter, the childish handwriting immediately brought to Karen's mind an image of her younger sister with her hair in a ponytail:
"Karen, I miss you so much! Mom said you're going to learn lots of amazing magic. Could you conjure up a dancing rabbit for me? And Hogwarts, is it really that magical? Please, could you take some pictures of the castle for me? Preferably ones that move like the Chocolate Frog!"
In the corner of the letter was a crooked castle drawn with the words "Hogwarts" written on it.
"Your sister is so cute," Fabian said with a smile. "My brother is always pestering me to do little tricks."
Karen carefully folded the letter and began to unpack the enormous package. As the wrapping was torn open, the brightly colored snack wrappers and drinks immediately caught the attention of the surrounding Ravenclaw students.
"Wow! Chocolate bars!" Wesley spotted his favorite snacks. "And potato chips! Oh my god, they're barbecue flavored!"
The package was filled with a dazzling array of Muggle snacks: chocolates of various flavors, colorful gummies, exquisitely packaged cookies, and at the bottom, a brand-new Polaroid camera and several boxes of special photographic paper.
Ernesto frowned and picked up a packet of popping candy: "What's this? Some kind of potion ingredient?"
"This is popping candy," Karen explained with a smile. "It pops and crackles when you put it in your mouth."
"Do Muggle snacks have magic too?" Ernesto asked in surprise, then continued to curiously look through the various packages.
Wesley had already eagerly torn open a bag of chips and started crunching them down: "Ernesto, you have to try this! It's really delicious!"
Fabian picked up a can of cola: "This drink is very popular in the Muggle world. Karen, I remember you know the Freezing Charm, right?"
Karen nodded in understanding, drew her wand, and tapped it lightly: "Frozen Ground!"
Several cans of cola immediately frothed with a white foam, emitting a pleasant hissing sound. Wesley eagerly opened a can, took a big gulp, and then let out a satisfied burp: "Awesome!"
Ernesto hesitated before taking the Coke Karen offered, then cautiously took a sip. His grey eyes widened instantly: "This...this feeling! It's like a thousand tiny bubbles dancing on my tongue!"
"Right?" Wesley said smugly, "We may not have magic where we are, so we can't make those fun magical snacks, but the taste of our snacks is absolutely amazing!"
Karen distributed some snacks to everyone, then picked up the camera: "Come on, I'll take a picture of everyone and send it to my sister."
The three boys immediately sat up straight, and Ernesto even straightened his clothes. As the flash went off, the camera slowly produced a photograph. In the picture, Wesley was grinning broadly, Fabian was smiling while pushing up his glasses, and Ernesto looked serious, with only the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.
"That's fantastic!" Karen exclaimed, looking at the photos. "Lily will love them."
"Doesn't this photo move?" Ernesto picked up the photo and looked at it.
"It won't move. That's Muggle technology. The photos are static. But I know of a developing solution that can make it move. I'll try to get some later," Karen replied.
"Can we film outside the castle?" Wesley asked excitedly. "The Black Lake! And the Quidditch pitch!"
"And the Astronomical Tower," Ernesto, who rarely showed enthusiasm, suggested. "Tonight is perfect for stargazing."
Fabian had already listed the shooting locations on a piece of parchment: "We can make a Hogwarts photo album so your sister can see every corner of it."
Karen looked at her roommates with gratitude: "Thank you. Lily will be so happy."
They spent the whole morning taking pictures all over the castle: the twinkling stars in the dome of the Great Hall, the giant squid sunbathing by the Black Lake, and even the friendly house-elves in the kitchen.
Back in the common room, Karen laid out the photos one by one, preparing to choose some to send to Lily. Wesley sprawled on the sofa, patting his stomach contentedly: "While the snacks in the wizarding world are fun, ours are definitely tastier!"
"I prefer that drink called 'bubble tea,' Karen. Where did you buy it? I've never seen it before." Fabian pushed up his glasses. "It tastes amazing, sweet but not cloying, and it even has pearls to chew on."
Ernesto, unusually, offered no criticism, instead focusing intently on the ingredient list on the Coke can: "Carbonated water, white sugar, caramel color... How did Muggles invent this drink?"
Karen was happy to see his roommates' interest in the snacks he shared. He remembered Lily's request in her letter, picked up his wand, and waved it gently.
She transformed a small stool into a dancing rabbit, though the movements were still a bit stiff, it still barely satisfied Lily's desire. Karen captured the moment with her camera, planning to send it back with the letter once she obtained the developing solution.
"Your sister is so lucky," Fabian said, looking at the photo, "to have such a caring brother."
Karen smiled as she organized the photos and her written reply, specifically instructing David and the others to be careful not to let Lily show off the photos everywhere.
As for the developing solution, Karen thought she could consult the professor tomorrow to see if there was any way to get it.