Harry Potter: This senior is pretty strong

Chapter 188 Why Didn't I Dodge This Time?

"Aguamenti!"

With a wave of her wand, Mrs. Weasley cast a Cleansing Charm, washing the blood off the pieces of meat she had cut.

What? You can't freely use magic in front of Muggles?

Don't you even look at her? In this desolate wilderness, can a petite girl who can catch a large lizard with her bare hands be an ordinary person?

As expected, Mrs. Weasley observed the girl's reaction to the magic and found that she did not show any particular surprise.

The young girl, Pussy, was quite observant. She ran to a nearby spot and broke off many thin twigs, then worked with Mrs. Weasley to skewer the pieces of meat one by one.

The fire had just been lit, and Mrs. Weasley took out some simple seasonings she carried with her and sprinkled them on the skewers.

After being roasted over the fire for a short while, the aroma of roasted meat wafted out, making Pusi's mouth water.

"Is it okay? Is it okay?" the girl asked repeatedly.

"It's still early, and it needs to be baked slowly so that it heats evenly and tastes better," Mrs. Weasley said patiently.

"Ugh... this is so troublesome," Pusi said, frowning his handsome brows.

"It'll be ready soon, don't rush... Let's chat while we wait, we'll be able to eat it in no time."

So, in order to distract Pusey and also to satisfy her own urge to talk to someone, Mrs. Weasley started chatting with the girl she had just met.

She asked where Pusi lived, and the girl pointed in a certain direction and said it was over there.

Mrs. Weasley thought that area seemed to be a dangerous zone, while the girl said that it was good that she had never encountered any danger before.

Mrs. Weasley then asked what monsters lived in the mountains, and Pussy gave names like mountain trolls, bird-snakes, horse-shaped water monsters, and eagle-headed man-eating beasts.

"Thank goodness, you're lucky, you probably haven't encountered them!" Mrs. Weasley felt relieved for the little girl.

"I've encountered them before, but by the time I got there, they were gone," the girl replied honestly.

"Oh, dear, you mustn't provoke them. You might not have been discovered before, but if you were, you'd be dead," Mrs. Weasley warned hastily.

“It’s okay, I’m very good,” Pusi said earnestly.

“No matter how powerful you are, don’t take risks easily… In short, these monsters are very ferocious, and there’s no need to provoke them,” Mrs. Weasley said, looking at the girl with equal seriousness.

"Yes, I'll try my best," the girl nodded in response.

Although her tone was somewhat perfunctory, Mrs. Weasley could only assume that she had indeed taken it to heart.

"Haha, the meat's ready! Come and taste it!"

While they were talking, the skewers were already cooked, and Mrs. Weasley sprinkled some more seasoning on the sizzling, oily skewers, making them smell even better.

Pusi eagerly took the skewer of meat, ignoring that the meat was still hot, and hurriedly put it into his mouth, hissing and blowing air as he ate.

Mrs. Weasley felt incredibly satisfied watching the young girl eat so enthusiastically, while inwardly complaining about how picky her sons were; her cooking was so popular, yet they always complained.

Mrs. Weasley also took a small bite and found the taste quite unique.

"Eat slowly, there's still plenty left..."

Not long after she said that, she realized how naive she had been. Despite her small size, the girl had a huge appetite and soon finished most of the lizard kebab.

"Uh, you look like you're starving."

As Mrs. Weasley spoke, she took out her handkerchief and reached out to wipe the girl's oily face.

The girl did not flinch and cooperated throughout, only blinking her eyes as if she were looking at Mrs. Weasley's face, or as if she was thinking about something.

"Oh dear, it's getting late, I have to go back."

As the sun began to set, Mrs. Weasley bid farewell to the young girl.

Before leaving, she looked at the girl's thin and worn-out clothes and said that she would knit a sweater for her when she got back.

The girl did not refuse.

The two also agreed to meet here at this time the next day.

……

"Look, this red sweater is the one I promised to knit for Pusi."

After recounting her encounter with the young girl Pussy, Mrs. Weasley finally pointed to the nearly finished sweater and spoke to her husband and son.

However, due to time constraints, this sweater is not very finely knitted, but it will definitely be very warm.

Charlie, who had listened to the story the whole time without saying a word, was now staring blankly into silence.

From the moment he heard his mother describe how the girl smeared mud on the lizard, he felt as if his heart was filled with his mother's pickled cucumbers—a very strong, bittersweet feeling.

Clearly, Pusi was imitating his earlier "Beggar's Chicken," which Qin had taught him and which he then made for Pusi.

He was happy that he had left some mark on that girl's life; at least she remembered the food and tried to make it.

However, this happiness made him seem ridiculous. He thought wildly to himself: maybe, if he hadn't messed everything up, they could have left a more lasting mark on each other's lives.

This idea was wonderful, but it was torture for him.

It's all my fault...

He lowered his head in dejection once again.

“Charlie? It’s your turn to talk to us,” Mom’s gentle voice rang out.

There was no urging; rather, it was as if the father was patiently waiting to listen to his son's troubles, and he sat quietly with concerned eyes.

Seeing his parents' expressions, Charlie forced a smile, then shrugged and said with a hint of self-deprecation:

"Actually, my story with Pusi is very simple."

So Charlie began to tell this simple story.

From the first time he saw the girl beating up the dragon in the wild, to the time he bravely brought her back. Then came their simple yet somewhat peculiar relationship—he cooked, and Pusi ate. And finally, because he showed fear, she chose to leave.

"Because I was afraid of her, I actually scared her away..."

Charlie finally shared his conclusion after much reflection on the matter.

This statement is contradictory, yet also accurate.

After listening to their son's story, the Weasleys exchanged glances, and the mother spoke first:

"Charlie, what do you think of Pussy? Do you like her?"

"I like it!" Charlie answered without hesitation.

When they were together before, he might not have been able to see his own heart clearly, but since the day Pusi left, Charlie realized what he had lost.

"She is the most special girl I have ever met; she is one of a kind in this world..."

He couldn't express his feelings in fancy words; he could only convey them through the most straightforward thoughts in his heart.

"Snapped!"

His mother slapped him on the shoulder, the force not too light, not too heavy, startling Charlie who was caught in a dilemma.

"You silly boy, if you like her, just go for it! I think Pussy is a really nice person. She loves my roast meat and eats it all up," Mrs. Weasley said irritably.

"Mom, your evaluation criteria..." Charlie was speechless.

"Ha, isn't this standard enough?" Mrs. Weasley glared at her son.

“Okay, whatever makes you happy.” Charlie didn’t dare to argue.

Mrs. Weasley shook her head, her tone becoming serious, and said earnestly to her son:

"You're really getting stuck on this. Have you ever considered that we wizards are also a very dangerous group of people to Muggles?"

Upon hearing his mother's words, Charlie suddenly looked up, seemingly understanding the meaning behind her words.

If Pusi is a somewhat dangerous person, then isn't he, as a wizard, also regarded as a terrifying monster by many Muggles?

Then aren't I and Pusi the same kind of people? What am I afraid of?

Thinking of this, Charlie cast a questioning look at his mother, and Mrs. Weasley nodded firmly at her son.

"When judging a person, the most important thing is to see if she has a kind heart, rather than what she has the ability. You also said that although Pusi does things simply, she has always been very principled. This is also my feeling when I get along with her."

This is what it means to have a clearer perspective from an outsider's point of view. Mrs. Weasley certainly understands that young men and women caught up in emotional problems are prone to overthinking and overlooking many things.

"Mom, can I go with you tomorrow?" Charlie asked.

“Of course, to be honest, I’ve actually forgotten the way a bit and need you as my guide,” Mrs. Weasley said with a smile, winking at her son.

Dad also said he wanted to go, but Mrs. Weasley vetoed the idea, saying that with so many people going, what if it scared the little girl?

……

So, the next afternoon, Charlie, acting as his "guide," took his mother to the riverbank she had described.

Mrs. Weasley wasn't entirely lying; it really was difficult to find there.

Even Charlie, a staff member at the Dragon Farm, spent quite a while determining the location.

When they arrived there, the girl in the red dress was already waiting.

Charlie was initially a little awkward and embarrassed, but after seeing the girl's still calm and clear eyes, he smiled and waved to her.

"Hi, Pusi, long time no see."

The girl nodded in response: "Hi, Charlie, long time no see."

"...I thought I'd never see you again. I looked for you in the neighborhood, but I thought you'd already left." Charlie felt it was best to be direct, after all, that was Pussy's style of communication.

"Yes, I know, I deliberately avoided it." Pusi was even more direct than him, his tone still calm.

"Then why didn't you dodge this time?" Charlie asked seriously, looking into her eyes.

“I want the clothes Molly gave me,” Pussy said, glancing at Mrs. Weasley, who was quietly eating a melon while holding a sweater.

"Hmm? Oh, clothes, hahaha, the clothes are finished!" The latter laughed and came over, handing the sweater to the girl, and then said, "Here, Pusi, try it on and see if it fits!"

Pusi nodded and put the sweater on.

She touched her brand-new sweater, a faint smile appearing on her face—a smile that was subtle yet gentle.

"Thank you, Molly!"

You're welcome. I'm just happy that you like it!

"Yes, I like it very much!"

"Then, you talk to Charlie for a few more minutes, and I'll go check if there are any lizards, pheasants, or anything like that."

Mrs. Weasley slipped away at the opportune moment, leaving the two of them alone.

……

“Pussy, I’m not afraid of you!” Charlie chose to continue being direct.

"You're afraid of me!" the girl said calmly.

"No, I'm not afraid!"

As Charlie said this, it was as if he was going all out. He took a step forward and opened his arms to hug the girl.

"I'm not afraid of you, I'm afraid of not seeing you, I'm afraid I'll never see you again in this lifetime... I miss you, Pusi! I miss you so much!"

The girl let him hold her like that, without struggling or saying a word.

After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke in her usual nonchalant tone, "Charlie, how do you manage to cook meat so well? I followed your method, so why doesn't it taste good?"

"Want to learn?"

"Ah."

"I teach you."

(Please give me a small gift)