bioinnovel Chapter 250 The Flavor of Human Touch
Chapter 250 The Flavor of Human Touch
Chapter 250 The Flavor of Human Touch
"I really don't understand what's wrong with our education system."
Mrs. Weasley spoke to Belvina beside her as she placed the brass stew pot on the stove.
About half an hour ago, Belvina and Sirius temporarily shook hands and made peace, the two panting as they walked side by side toward the Burrow.
But at the entrance to their humble abode, the brother and sister once again refused to give way to each other, neither willing to let the other enter first.
Seeing this, the Weasleys had no choice but to each take one of their children away to separate the brother and sister, in order to prevent the two sworn enemies from getting together again before dinner.
Mr. Weasley led Sirius to the living room, while Mrs. Weasley pulled Belvina into the kitchen.
However, one problem after another arose. Belvina and Sirius were quiet and peaceful, but Fred and George were up to their old tricks. They had finally met their most respected seniors again, and they couldn't wait to present the results of their research over the summer to Sirius and Lupin like treasures, humbly asking the two seniors for guidance and correction.
Upon seeing this, Mrs. Weasley's anger was quickly ignited, and the loving mother almost struck the two "unfilial sons" with her cane.
At this moment, Fred and George were as quiet as quails, staying obediently in the living room, playing cards with their little sister Ginny.
Sirius Black, Mr. Weasley, and other adult men sat in a circle around the living room sofa, chatting. No one stopped them.
These people could probably talk about anything from outer space to the uterus.
Meanwhile, Belvina stayed in the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley, who was still furious.
The two claimed to be having a casual chat, but in reality, Mrs. Weasley was complaining about her twin sons, while Belvina listened patiently.
"It's not that they're not smart," Mrs. Weasley huffed, grabbing her wand. "But they've used their intelligence for the wrong things! There are more owls flying in from Hogwarts to tattle than my brothers and sisters combined!"
As the plump Mrs. Weasley spoke, she poked the stove with her wand, and then—
"They made another fake wand!"
Mrs. Weasley's wand suddenly let out a piercing scream and then turned into a toy rubber duck.
"Molly, I must admit, it's been a long time since I've seen such a realistic fake wand." Belvina suppressed a laugh, trying her best not to look at Mrs. Weasley's distorted face with anger.
Seeing that Mrs. Weasley was about to explode again, Belvina quickly added, "But—although the fake wands are very realistic, this is not what they should be doing. What's most important for them now is to study hard and get more certificates."
During the foggy time, the plump Mrs. Weasley looked like a deflated balloon.
She said tearfully, "If they could put their brains into studying, their grades wouldn't be so disappointing. All they do is find ways to cause trouble!"
Mrs. Weasley kept complaining about her twin sons, but her hands didn't slow down either. While stirring the cream sauce in the brass saucepan, she poked the knife drawer with her wand.
The drawer suddenly sprang open, and several knives came out in unison, slicing potatoes on the cutting board.
Amidst the glint of swords, Mrs. Weasley, still fuming, was worried about Fred and George's future, fearing they would one day be expelled from Hogwarts, that they would eventually be sent to the Office of the Prohibition of Misuse of Magic, and even more so, that they would not be able to find decent jobs in the future.
In the end, Mrs. Weasley didn't even spare Mr. Weasley.
She said, "Do you remember the Ford Anglia that could fly a couple of years ago?"
"I remember. I remember the department severely criticized Arthur at the time," Belvina said without hesitation.
How could such a momentous event be forgotten: an old Ford Anglia flying over London and heading north to the Scottish Highlands?
"Arthur liked to mess around in his little house, and the children followed suit, locking themselves in their rooms and messing around all summer long."
At this point, Mrs. Weasley slammed the knife into the cutting board with a murderous glint in her eyes.
The men in the living room looked over at the sound, then turned back at Mrs. Weasley under her disdainful glare.
The entire army was wiped out, including Sirius Black and Lupin. No one in the living room dared to utter a sound, not even daring to breathe. This was the power of a strict mother.
Mrs. Weasley ladled some cream sauce from the stew pot and continued, "For a long time now, there have been explosions coming from Fred and George's room, and they won't say anything when asked. If I hadn't found an order while cleaning the room, I wouldn't know what kind of magic tricks they were up to!"
Belvina, who was also intimidated by her "strict mother's" authority, pondered for a long time before finally managing to come up with a sentence.
"Molly, you can manage them for a while, but you can't manage them forever," Belvina said softly. "They'll be going back to Hogwarts soon."
Belvina paused for a moment, then continued, "They could hide it from you when they lived at home, let alone when they lived at school. Since that's the case, you and your son should have a heart-to-heart talk. This way, they'll understand your feelings, and you'll understand their attitude."
A win-win situation.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Weasley stopped what she was doing, and worry gradually replaced anger on her gentle face.
"I know you're worried about their grades, but Fred and George aren't focused on their studies at all right now. No matter how much you scold or beat them, it won't help."
Belvina continued to persuade them: "Instead of arguing endlessly, why not relax your expectations on them a bit? You can stop objecting to them playing with those little gadgets, but only if their grades improve."
As soon as the words were spoken, the twins who were playing cards with their little sister Ginny in the living room suddenly felt a chill down their spines.
At this moment, Fred and George know nothing, but they will soon find out what it means to be "grabbed by the scruff of the neck by fate."
Mrs. Weasley, sitting in the kitchen, looked thoughtful. She was seriously considering Belvina's suggestion that limiting the twins' "entrepreneurial" endeavors with "grades" should be more effective than simply throwing a tantrum.
It's burnt!
Belvina reminded her.
It wasn't that I won with mahjong tiles, but rather that the sauce in the stew pot had burned and was starting to smell pungent.
It wasn't that Belvina didn't want to help, but Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let her get involved; there's no reason to let a guest cook.
Moreover, the kitchen in the humble abode was far too small and quite cramped, with most of the space occupied by a spotless dining table.
With Belvina's reminder, Mrs. Weasley frantically tried to salvage the sauce in the stew pot, but her anger, which had just subsided, flared up again like a flame, and she glared angrily toward the living room.
"Stop chatting! Go outside and set things up. The kitchen can't hold fourteen people," Mrs. Weasley called towards the living room. "Fred, George, come and get the plates."
Although the Burrow was small, its small size had its advantages; if Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen, everyone in the living room could hear her clearly.
Bill and Charlie walked out of the living room with excited expressions and went first to the yard.
Mr. Weasley, however, seemed unhurried. He said to Sirius and Lupin, "Leave this to the children. I'll show you my collection!"
If someone else said that, their collection would likely be something amazing, but when Mr. Weasley said it, it didn't evoke any such thought at all, because his collection was definitely Muggle items.
Just then, a clanging sound came from the yard, and Mrs. Weasley sighed.
She explained to Belvina beside her, "It's Bill and Charlie; they're definitely having a duel over the dining table."
Belvina curiously walked out of the kitchen and leaned against the door to watch the commotion.
In the simple courtyard, Bill and Charlie stood facing each other, each pulling out their wands and manipulating two old, large dining tables to fly across the lawn.
The two dining tables collided with each other from time to time, each table trying to knock the other off the ground, and the clanging of the tables echoed continuously.
Fred and George stood by and cheered, while little Ginny was overjoyed, laughing heartily at the antics of her two eldest brothers.
Belvina, who had been leaning against the door, walked into the yard. She didn't think Bill and Charlie's behavior was childish or noisy at all; on the contrary, she was quite envious.
There was a time when the quiet Place Grimmauld was bustling with activity, with three children running around noisily, much to the annoyance of the adults in the family.
Sirius was also drawn to the commotion in the yard, but his attention wasn't on the two tables clashing violently; his slightly melancholic gaze was unmistakably fixed on Belvina.
Often, Sirius's "sharp tongue and mischievous hands" behavior isn't because he's bored.
Sirius Black is already a man in his thirties and has spent twelve years in Azkaban. Even if he hasn't changed his original intentions, he's no longer a teenager.
Most of the time, Sirius's antics are just to tease Belvina and stir up her emotions.
Just like what Bill and Charlie are doing now, it's all for their own family to entertain their younger siblings.
Sirius always deliberately acts cheeky, and Belvina knows it all but never points it out; the two siblings are quite well-matched.