It took a long time for Hoffa to get used to his short vacation. It was as long as a year, or perhaps a whole four to five years. He was either f * cking someone, or he was being f * cked. Or he was on the way to f * ck someone.
But for the past few days, he could eat and sleep whenever he wanted, as long as he wasn't afraid of nightmares. He could even stay in bed the whole day without getting up.
But he still didn't want to have nightmares, so he would use meditation to replace sleep almost every day. Because he had died once before and was saved by the God of Night, he could barely see the sun. So he would usually meditate during the day and go out at night to shop and buy some food at a 24-hour convenience store.
Fortunately, London was an international city, so the nightlife was quite rich. But don't get it wrong, in the area around Downing Street, there were many Muggle officials. There was no red-light district, nor was there a dirty and messy district.
Because it was wartime, it was normal for those officials to work overtime until late at night. When a senior official worked overtime, it meant that his subordinates had to work overtime as well. So the nights here were unexpectedly lively.
He could often see cars going in and out of Downing Street, back and forth, behind the closed iron gates. He even saw the big-bellied Fatso wearing a black top hat and holding a scepter, coming out of a black Daimler DB18 and going in and out of Downing Street.
When he first saw him, he was very curious. This was a figure on par with Stalin, Roosevelt, and Hitler. In the past, he could only see him in history books and photos.
But after a few days, he got used to it. Because of his excellent hearing, sometimes in the middle of the night, he could even hear Churchill shouting into the phone from 10 Downing Street. After shouting, there was the sound of his secretary typing on the printer. Sometimes, he could also hear the toilet flushing and the sound of him smoking while cursing.
On the street in front of Big Ben, there were many hidden but very high-end restaurants and bars. They were open 24 hours a day. Even if no one went in, there were elegant and soft orange lights inside.
However, after trying it once, Hoffa was intimidated by the prices on the menu. He felt that he had to kill himself and then sell his head to the prostitutes in exchange for money. Only then would he be able to spend money here.
Of course, there were also many clothing stores here, all of which were very high-end custom-made suits. Hoffa didn't know if it was because he was used to it or because he wasn't old enough, but he didn't like those very formal suits. Those kinds of clothes might fit Tom Riddle very well.
His favorite was still the simplest work clothes or casual suits. Perhaps he was born a socialist, but those well-ironed suits always made him feel a little breathless.
On the second night of his temporary stay at Miranda's house, he asked Miranda to take him to London's Portobello Road Market on a motorcycle. There, he changed into a clean and tidy set of clothes. Miranda put in a lot of effort to help him choose, but because of his ear studs and hair color, no matter what he wore, he looked like a gangster. In Miranda's words, he was simply a wandering artist who couldn't go to formal events.
When he stayed, Miranda vowed to make breakfast for him every day. However, the truth was that she wasn't a diligent girl. She usually slept until late in the morning before waking up. When she woke up, she would find that Hoffa's door was tightly locked and couldn't be opened at all.
In fact, she rarely saw Hoffa in person because the two of them had completely opposite schedules. During the day, she would carry out the patrol and protection tasks arranged by the Hogwarts. She would only come back at dinner time and talk about some of the things that happened during the day. Sometimes, they would go shopping together, buy some things, eat supper and so on.
Hoffa didn't tell Miranda what happened to him. He felt that most people couldn't accept what happened to him. Fortunately, Miranda didn't ask why he always slept during the day. Perhaps she was just wishful thinking that Hoffa was tired out because he had been running around outside all the time.
The short and pleasant holiday flew by like a rocket. Before Hoffa could savor the taste of it, Christmas came in the blink of an eye. This made him suspect that Manse wasn't dead and was secretly manipulating time to pass a hundred times faster.
On Christmas Eve, Hoffa deliberately didn't meditate during the day. Before the first snowflake fell on the windowsill, he came downstairs early because he heard another man's voice in the living room.
When he squinted and came to the dining room under the sun, the old professor, Adbe Ghoshak, who he hadn't seen for three years, was already sitting at the dining table reading the newspaper.
He was tall, wearing a gray robe and holding a newspaper in his hand. His short gray hair looked a little bald under the sun.
Adbe Ghoshak, the former vice-principal of Hogwarts, the dean of Ravenclaw, and also Miranda Ghoshak's grandfather and the only living relative. He was his first year's Magic Spells teacher, and he had taught him Grindelwald's spell, Shattering Grasp. However, during his second year, he temporarily handed over the position of dean to Dumbledore because of the war. He went to the Soviet Union to carry out an unknown mission. This was the first time Hoffa saw him after four years.
"Professor Ghoshak."
Hoffa quickened his steps and came to the dining table.
"Bach, you're up so early today?"
Adbe didn't show the slightest surprise at his arrival. It was so calm that it didn't seem like they hadn't seen each other for three years. Instead, it seemed like they hadn't seen each other for three days. "I heard from Miranda that you sleep until the afternoon every day."
"That's not true …"
Hoffa covered his head with his hand and smiled awkwardly.
Compared to the old professor's calmness, he was much more nervous. After all, he was a guest, and he was the actual owner of the house. He stayed in his house for so many days and didn't even get to say hello to him. He was really embarrassed.
"Are you used to living here?" Professor Ghoshak asked.
"Very good," Hoffa said, "Miranda is very good, Pettie is also very good."
"That's good," Professor Ghoshak nodded expressionlessly. He picked up the magic wand in his hand and waved it slightly. The chair under the table automatically ran under his butt.
"Sit."
Adbe put down the newspaper and said briefly.
Hoffa sat at the dining table. The Christmas sun shone on his face through the snowflakes on the glass, making him feel a burning pain.
At this time, Miranda also woke up. She walked upstairs in her slippers, still wearing the obsidian earring and her newly learned dark lips.
When she saw Professor Ghoshak, she didn't greet him. She just sat at the corner of the table facing the sun and said good morning to Hoffa. Seeing her like this, Adbe Ghoshak frowned.
Hoffa was very grateful that Miranda inadvertently blocked the sun for him, but at the same time, he felt that the atmosphere in the dining room was a bit tense. He already knew that the two of them had different personalities. When Miranda was in the first grade, she didn't hesitate to skip a year of magic classes in order to not see Professor Ghoshak. Hoffa thought that the reason Professor Ghoshak left in the second grade was that he couldn't do anything about his granddaughter and took the initiative to let her go.
Hoffa knew that Ghoshak's family was actually a German family that migrated to England after the First World War. The old professor more or less retained some of the rigidity and seriousness of German men. Sometimes, he also felt that the German people were very strange. On one hand, they would give birth to people who were very rigid, very proper, and very strict, just like Professor Ghoshak.
But at the same time, they would also give birth to very rebellious bands and singers. They would rebel all day long, but the core of their rebellion was difficult for an outsider like Hoffa to understand. Perhaps it was also difficult for the more elegant and traditional English people to understand. But he felt that Miranda had the tendency to develop in that direction.
At this time, the house elf, Petty, came out of the kitchen with a big tray and diligently placed food on the table. The breakfast was much more sumptuous than usual. There was bread, bacon, orange juice, milk, and oatmeal.
"You must have suffered a lot running around outside."
Adbe took the initiative to stand up and put the bacon on Hoffa's plate. "I see that you look a bit pale."
"No, I'm fine … No need, I'll do it myself."
Hoffa was flattered and quickly stood up to take the plate and took two slices for himself.
"Okay."
Adbe sat back in his seat and looked at Hoffa from head to toe. "I've heard about what happened to you. You've improved a lot in the past two years. I'm very pleased."
Hoffa chewed on the bacon and his eyes fell on Adbe's newspaper. The newspaper was the one Miranda showed him about Bournemouth. There was no doubt that he also thought that it was Roland's doing, and from the appreciation in his eyes, he thought that it was a kind of improvement.
"It's okay."
Hoffa said politely. He took the milk from the elf and asked in a friendly manner, "By the way, why did you go to the Ministry of Magic?"
"This is also the arrangement of the higher-ups. Just like when I went to the Soviet Union, I was just following orders," Adbe said lightly. "But when the matter with the Ministry of Magic is over, I still have to go back to Hogwarts."
The old professor said and lowered his head to drink the fruit oatmeal on his plate without making the slightest sound. His poker face was the same as when he first entered the school. It could make anyone who saw him feel fear.
So he stopped talking and lowered his head to drink the oatmeal.
Suddenly, he felt a chill on the back of his feet.
Hoffa couldn't help but glance at Miranda, only to discover that she was spreading jam on her bread with a serious expression. Although she was expressionless, her feet were not obediently stepping on his feet. She used her toes to draw circles on the back of his feet, tickling him and playing tricks.
He stepped on Miranda angrily and did not let her move.
But she kicked both her feet over. Hoffa could not help but laugh. He put his knees on the table and curled up to eat the porridge with his feet in the air. When she could not kick him.
Adbe Ghoshak glanced at the two of them and shook his head slightly. After breakfast was finished in silence, Ghoshak wiped his thin lips and said to the distance, "Petty."
The well-dressed Zizi house elf poked her head out of the kitchen with gloves on. "What's wrong, master?"
"Prepare more vegetarian food. I have a few political friends coming tonight," Ghoshak said.
The elf was surprised. "But Miss said that there would only be three people."
Miranda also raised her head and said in surprise, "Yes, there will only be three of us."
"Things have changed." Professor Ghoshak's eyes softened. He looked at Hoffa. "You don't mind, do you?"
"I don't mind." Hoffa immediately said with a smile on his face. "If it's not convenient, I can leave early."
"No."
Adbe Ghoshak said firmly, "You have to stay."
Hoffa's expression froze for a moment, then he nodded.
"Then … Okay."
Professor Ghoshak nodded with satisfaction. "Miranda, take him to Anderson and Shepherd and get his clothes back. Also, clean up your third-world gangster outfit. Don't embarrass me at night." He stared at Miranda's ears and mouth with displeasure.
Creak!!
The silver spoon in Miranda's hand was crushed into a fried dough twist, accompanied by an ear-piercing sound. She raised her head and pushed her glasses up.
"Look at others, and then look at yourself."
Professor Ghoshak completely ignored his granddaughter's displeasure. He sighed and stood up. "You're a grown-up now. You have to think about your future." After that, he went upstairs.
Hoffa slowly raised his head from the dining table until the door of the study closed with a bang. He was not sure who Ghoshak's last sentence was directed at. Was it for himself, Miranda, or both of them at the same time? After all, he also had an earring on his ear.
"Despicable old thing."
Miranda wiped her mouth. The fried dough twist spoon returned to its original shape in her hand. She threw the spoon into the bowl. "We agreed that it's only for our family, but now we have to find a bunch of outsiders to celebrate Christmas Eve at someone else's house. I don't know who's the crazy one."
"I'm the crazy one." Hoffa said sullenly.
"Oh, I'm not talking about you." Miranda quickly held his hand.
"I think Professor Ghoshak is doing it for your own good." Hoffa said as he pulled his hand away.
"Yes, it's for my own good. That's a great reason."
Miranda leaned back in her chair unhappily. "Do you want to go shopping with me at Savile Row?"
"I don't want to go out …"
Hoffa thought that this was probably a one-time thing. He was going to leave tomorrow, so it was almost meaningless to spend money. Moreover, he really didn't want to go out during the day at all.
"Then I'll just find a store and buy a suit to fool them," Miranda said. "Anyway, those people from the Ministry of Magic don't know anything about Muggle clothes."
"That's good."
Hoffa cheered up a little.
.....
.....
Twelve hours later, he stood in front of the mirror in his room. With the help of the house elf, he tied the elegant gray bow tie around his neck. He felt that he had silently fallen into a trap. This suit was not bought casually, but it was completely designed for him. He knew the rules of Savile Row. If it was not booked in advance, it was impossible to send a set of completely close-fitting clothes to him so quickly.
"It really suits you, Mr. Bach."
The house elf, Pettie, stood in front of the mirror in his room, holding a stack of dark gray suits. She praised him endlessly. She was a completely different elf from when she first saw him. She walked around Hoffa and praised him. Her big eyes were full of little stars. "If you ask me, you really should wear this every day. It's so decent."
"Thank you, Pettie."
Hoffa, who was wearing a white shirt, said, "I'll wear the clothes and pants myself. Is it convenient for me to go out for a while?"
"Of course, but Mr. Bach's shy look is very cute." The house elf said in a sharp and thin voice. She put the clothes on Hoffa's hand and walked out of the door in her pink slippers.
After sending the house elf away, Hoffa did not wear clothes. He slowly sat back on the bed, his fingers deep in his hair. He thought of the past again. He thought of the same girl in England. One day, the girl's housekeeper also asked him to take off his plain clothes and put on a well-made suit.
Although the time was different, the two images could not help but intertwine. As he thought about it, a strong sense of self-blame welled up in his heart. His fingers scratched from his scalp to his cheeks. He scratched himself so hard that his nails sank deep into the flesh of his cheeks, as if he wanted to tear his entire face off.
Again and again!!
He looked at his bloody face in the glass mirror and made some kind of silent roar. His expression was as ferocious as a dragon.
"That kind of thing will not happen again." A voice spoke in his mind.
"How do you know!?" The bloody face in the mirror suddenly turned its head and stared at the glass ball he put on the bedside table.
"You are not a person who will fall in the same place twice," the glass ball said. The monster inside the glass ball said: 「 According to my observations, you have some sort of strong self-reflection mechanism. Although you might overdo it at times, this is a rare advantage 」
"You have given me countless nightmares."
Hoffa, with ten claw marks on his face, stood in front of the glass ball. "If you ask me, I have fallen on you several times."
"Those are all projections of your own uneasiness. I only let you see your heart." The little monster in the glass ball communicated with him calmly. "Just wait and see. One day, you will be grateful to the nightmare and take the initiative to look for it."
"Only a ghost will do that," Hoffa said angrily. Under the moonlight, his bloody face quickly healed. He obediently put on his suit and trousers in front of the mirror.
The God of Nightmares looked at him from the glass ball, quietly watching him take off his trousers, put on his clothes, tie his tie, comb his hair, and dress up.
"Tell me, do you also know what will happen in the future?" After putting on his suit, Hoffa asked while combing his hair.
"I don't know. I am not a madman who needs to see the future. I have long lost the ability to interfere with reality. It is just that the long river of time is merciless. There is nothing new under the sun. What I rely on is nothing more than experience, "the God of Nightmares said in his head with a calm voice.
"Then according to your experience, what does Adbe Ghoshak want to do by keeping me here?"
"You underestimate your own existence, Bach. You are a rare force in the World of Adepts, and you are his proudest disciple. Though he doesn't say it, I think that if he could keep you by his side, I'm afraid he would agree without hesitation even if you asked that little girl who was walking around outside to marry you. "
Crack!
Huo Fa almost pressed the comb into his skull. For some reason, his first reaction was disgust when he heard that Miranda was going to marry him. He was sure that he had a lot of love for her, but there was no love between a man and a woman. Besides, there was a dark male personality in that woman's body. Some things, just thinking about it, made his scalp tingle.
"Are you done?"
Miranda asked outside. Her voice was a little nervous.
Damn it …
He took out the wooden comb stuck in his scalp. "Done."
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