"...it's time to go home."
"To be precise, it's time for 'you' to go home."
Maka waved her hand at Hermione and others.
"Get in the carriage and I'll accompany you to the train station. Today I'm leading the team... Well, I think Hagrid is already waiting for us on the platform with his handkerchief!"
Hagrid would burst into tears almost every time when sending his students home during holidays, so Maka joked about it.
Perhaps as old students, Hermione and others had seen Hagrid's red eyes too many times, so everyone was amused by his joke.
But soon, Hermione, who also smiled, elongated her face again, returning to the reluctant look she had at the beginning.
"Maka, if... I mean, if you are willing, my parents and I don't mind if you... uh, don't mind if you come to our house to spend this Christmas vacation..."
Most of her words came from an impulse, so the more she spoke, the softer her voice became, and she might not even be able to hear her clearly.
As for Maka, although he could hear it, he knew it was better for him to pretend to be confused now!
"Of course, of course I am willing -" he said quickly, "I will find time to visit your home. Remember to prepare more delicious food then!"
Naturally, Maka couldn't really go and stay. Let's not talk about anything else. He had too many things to do during this long holiday this year. Not to mention that he couldn't stay at Hermione's house, even he himself might not be able to spare much time to sleep.
And after he hurried through the conversation, he immediately said:
"Okay, everyone, get in the car! I'll go over there and urge you again, and I'll be back soon..."
As she spoke, Maka turned around and walked towards the other carriages. Luna and others who were already seated in the carriage waved to Hermione when they saw that she hadn't gotten on yet.
Hermione stood there and glared at Maka from a distance, then returned and got into the car.
"What were you talking about just now?" Harry was a little curious.
"I'm talking about whether there is meat between the Thestral's skin and bones!"
Hermione pursed her lips first, and then said angrily after a moment.
…
Not long after, the Yeqi carriage team set off quickly under the organization of Maka.
Originally, the journey from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade Train Station would have taken at least a little over half an hour, even if we walked faster. But under the tireless Yeqi's tow truck, everyone quickly arrived at the slightly crude pit entrance.
Watching everyone board the Hogwarts Express one by one, and then watching them stick their heads out of the car window and wave vigorously. Not only did Hagrid blow his nose again as if he had installed a small trumpet, but even Maka was somewhat emotional.
Parting is always a bit sad, not to mention that he originally planned to resign this time, but he stayed after all because of an accident.
If he had successfully completed the "Reach for the Stars" step before, he would now be forcing Haier Bo to run around the world instead of staying on the train platform and silently waving goodbye to the little wizards.
"Maka, the train has gone far, we will go too..."
"Oh, no, I still have something to do—you go back first!"
After Hagrid slowly left with his already soaked handkerchief, he turned his head and glanced behind the pillar not far away, and said casually:
"Miss Miriam, why did you come with me? Didn't I say that you may not be safe yet and can't show up in crowded places easily?"
After finishing his words, there was silence for a few seconds. After following the pillar, a jagged figure stepped out.
She walked along the train's track extending into the distance for a while, and then whispered:
"That girl likes you, doesn't she?"
To be honest, Maka didn't expect that the other party would suddenly say such a sentence, so she couldn't help but be stunned for a while. By the time he reacted, the other party had already turned back to look at him.
"Yes, you are right." Maka nodded.
"Then why did you—"
"You want to ask... why didn't I respond to her?" He shrugged, "Actually, I responded a long time ago, but she chose to stick to her own idea... "
In fact, it is not difficult to see that due to Hermione's persistence, Maka has already been trapped in this emotional dilemma.
It seems that he did not clearly establish a relationship with Luna at the beginning, and even deliberately distanced himself from her. Perhaps it could also be said that he wanted to protect Luna from Voldemort and Grindelwald.
But until the two Dark Lords were defeated, that period should be the best time for him and Luna to officially get together.
However, he somehow didn't do that.
It is said that "emotional matters are mostly unreasonable", but in fact there are often traces to follow. Maka's hesitation proved that Hermione's hard work and not giving up still had an impact on him.
After that conversation in the library, he, Hermione, and Luna seemed to have a subtle tacit understanding.
And today, with the intervention caused by Hai Erbo's sudden appearance, he finally made a temporary decision that was not a decision.
"... You know what? I really admire her persistence and confidence, so I choose not to make a choice."
"Choice?" Miriam was startled when she heard the words, and then said silently, "Sorry, I clearly don't know the cause and effect of the matter, but I still talk too much..."
Maca shook his head immediately, and then chuckled.
"You didn't say anything wrong? You said she likes me - you are right. You asked me why I didn't give her a response - this is also right." At this point, he suddenly said as if he was joking, "If If there is something wrong, then it is probably the world that is wrong, right?"
If he had done something wrong, it would ultimately be the fault of some force in the world - if he had not come here, everything would have gone on as planned and led to a certain ending.
"Well, that's right." After a slight pause, Maka suddenly changed her subject, "You followed me all the way here, obviously you didn't just want to relax, right? Tell me, what's wrong?"
When Miriam saw him asking, she immediately felt a trace of hesitation, and some kind of confusion mixed with worry occupied her heart again.
"Mr. MacLean," she said quietly, recalling her heart palpitations in her sleep last night, "do you know anything more important has happened recently? It's about me..."
"Well?"
Maka raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Actually, what I want to say is that I had a very confusing nightmare last night, and then I woke up with an indescribable uneasiness. It was as if... it was as if I suddenly lost something very important. Normally, I—”
"It's Yoon who died."
Maka didn't let her continue, but suddenly interrupted her words.
"…that is, your 'Grandpa Raven'."
"La-" Miriam opened her mouth, and then changed her words, "Ah, I mean... 'He'... is dead?"
"Yes, dead." Maka said calmly, "It can be said that he committed suicide, it can be said that Haierbo killed him, or he was killed by me. But no matter what, he is indeed gone... I think this is The reason why you wake up!"
"No, this... No, why?" Miriam shook her head repeatedly and said, "He is dead when he is dead. Why do I have to wake up in my dream because of his death?"
Maka didn't pay too much attention to her slightly unreasonable question.
I saw him turning his face sideways and looking at the vigorous cedars on the other side of the track, still tall and tall under the year-round snowfall in Hogsmeade Town. The frost-white tree crowns reflect the dazzling light in the setting sun.
After watching for a while, Maka said calmly:
"All feelings thrive under the turns of giving and receiving...and once it grows into a towering tree, no matter how good the lumberjack is, it's impossible to cut it with just a few axes. Knocked down."
He did not mention what Old Yoon said to him before, because what Old Yoon did was not correct; and he also did not mention some of his speculations, such as Miriam's nightmare, maybe it was not true at all. It was just related to the bloodline transformation that Old Youn had done for her.
Ewan Ravenclaw is dead, dead as hell. And since he no longer exists, some so-called truths can actually go with him.
The organization marked by the raven had caused Miriam to suffer too much, and Maka felt that there was no need to let her continue to live in pure disappointment and pain.
"Think about it!" He finally waved his hand and said, "Everyone is thinking and living while thinking. I don't think there is anything wrong with this... Just as I am also thinking now, will there be a problem after I die? What about going to another world? Is it filled with high-rise buildings, or is it just a blank space?"
There were too many puzzling things, and Makata just gave Miriam one more question. Rather than living with certainty, perhaps the rest of your life in doubt will be more meaningful.
After that, he took Miriam back to the school gate with the door key, and then walked towards the castle step by step.
Feeling that life can only be done occasionally, and if you think about it too much, you don't have to work... After chatting for a while, Maka went straight back to his office and continued to do some of his preparations.
There wasn't much time, and once he had finished sorting out the information he needed, it was time to go to the Muggle world for a long time.
"Oh, maybe we can drop by there for a visit then..."
Maka, who was busy writing at the desk, suddenly raised his head, as if he thought of someone, and after muttering something like this, he continued to work.
Behind him, the setting sun filtering through the window was still warm, silently spreading all over his back.
It's a pity that not long after, the red sun lying on the mountainside in the distance and refusing to let go will reluctantly sink below the horizon. I don’t know if the sky tonight will be as cloudless as it was during the day.