Chapter 80 - 80: A Brief Holiday

Words : 2086 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Chapter 80 of "HPxLOTM: A Wizard's Path to Divinity" opens showing developments: Dumbledore shook his head. "You, you…" Edward chuckled. "Then I'll be heading off." As soon as he stepped... Keep reading!

Dumbledore shook his head. "You, you…" Edward chuckled. "Then I'll be heading off." As soon as he stepped out of the headmaster's office, he was surrounded by dozens of students. Leading the group, naturally, was Cedric. "Edward, did Professor Dumbledore give you a hard time? He's not going to punish you over Umbridge, is he?" "Yeah, we were just trying to save her." "That's right! We were standing up for justice!" Edward quickly assured them, "Don't worry, my friends. Professor Dumbledore sees things clearly. He won't wrongly accuse anyone. None of you will face any punishment for this. Go get some rest." Everyone finally relaxed and began to disperse. Only Cedric stayed behind, leaning in to whisper, "You're not lying, are you? I heard that old hag was sent here by the Ministry of Magic." "Then why did you encourage everyone to go for it?" Cedric immediately replied, "I...I was trying to save her!" Edward patted him on the shoulder. "Exactly. Stick with that story. No matter who asks, we were saving her." "Oh, and by the way, this afternoon—or tomorrow at the latest—I'll be leaving school for a while. The headmaster…has assigned me a few tasks." "What kind of tasks?" "Secret ones." Cedric gave him the finger. ——— Edward found Audrey just after she finished Defense Against the Dark Arts—taught by none other than Professor Snape. Back when Lupin was still around, Snape had filled in for a few classes too, but the presence of his sworn enemy had put him in a rather foul mood. Now, it was different. That disgusting werewolf had been driven away by the pink toad, and the pink toad was now hospitalized. If it weren't for the need to maintain his usual persona, Snape would have let off a couple of fireworks in celebration. So when he saw Edward, he actually gave him a rare, stiff smile. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but it eventually turned into a mumble, "I've acquired another batch of herbs. If you need them…you can help yourself." "...Thank you, Professor!" His smile vanished just as quickly. With a swish of his robe, he walked off. "Do use your brain. Don't waste my herbs." As soon as Snape left, Audrey came over with the Golden Trio. Ron and Harry were both brimming with excitement. "Edward, I heard you really gave that old hag a beating! Nicely done!" "Ahem, I warn you not to spread false rumors. We were trying to save her, alright? Otherwise, Professor Umbridge might've died from the venom." Ron muttered under his breath, "Wouldn't that have been better? "Ron!!" Hermione glared at him. Edward smiled. "So, how did it feel having Professor Snape teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Harry was the first to respond. "Honestly? Not much better than Umbridge. But at least Snape is actually teaching us defense against the dark arts, not just making us memorize and copy textbook passages." Audrey laughed. "I quite like Professor Snape's teaching style—no nonsense, straight to the point." Ron groaned, clutching his head. "Of course you like it. Snape practically gives you a point every time you wave your wand. It's so unfair." Hermione hugged a massive black leather-bound book and huffed. "Well, maybe if you studied more, you'd earn points too. I just got some for my answer." Ron muttered, "Aren't you impressive." At this point, Edward clapped his hands. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I need to speak with Audrey alone. Off you go, time for lunch." "See you!" The trio waved as they left. As Edward and Audrey walked side by side through the corridor, students passing by gave Edward thumbs-up and even whistles. The Weasley twins took it a step further—linking arms and dancing in a circle around him. Umbridge had truly managed to offend everyone in the school. "Ahem." Edward coughed strategically. "Audrey, Professor Dumbledore asked me to take you out for the next few days—do a bit of sightseeing." "Why?" She blinked in confusion. "I thought we weren't allowed to skip class without permission?" "Dumbledore said…forget her." "Ohh~~" Understanding dawned on Audrey's face. "So Dumbledore wants you to…what's the phrase…lie low for a while?" "Something like that. So—where do you want to go?" She spun around, walking backward with her hands behind her back. After thinking for a bit, her eyes lit up. "How about skiing? It's a pain to find decent slopes back home—I've never even tried it." "But it's only October. Most of the ski resorts don't have snow yet." "Hmm…then let's go see the snowy mountains instead. I've never seen those either." "Alright." Edward took a step back and gave a gentlemanly bow. "Your wish is my command, my lady." She grabbed his wrist and pumped her fist. "Let's go!" Lilith poked her head out from Edward's robes and waved a tiny paw. "Let's go!" ——— [Mount Titlis—Switzerland] This mountain boasted Switzerland's longest ski season. From late October to early May, countless ski enthusiasts from around the globe would flock here to enjoy the thrill of skiing. However, it was only early October now, and the ski resort hadn't opened to the public yet. The upside? They had the entire snowfield to themselves—just the two of them and one cat. The downside? The snow layer wasn't quite thick enough. Still, it was good enough for a bit of fun. Creak—crunch, creak—crunch… Bundled up in thick clothing, the two of them trudged through the snow, each step sinking deep or shallow into the ground. An hour later, Audrey was beginning to tire. Lilith, on the other hand, had no such trouble—she darted around the two of them deliberately, like a small lump of coal dancing across a white canvas, leaving trails of paw prints behind her. "Are we…still climbing up?" Audrey hesitated, glancing up at the seemingly endless mountain peak in the distance. "Huff…let's not. Even if we walk until sunset, we probably won't reach the top." "Good, I was waiting for you to say that." Edward promptly scooped up Lilith as she darted past once again, then grabbed Audrey's hand. With a sharp crack, the three of them vanished on the spot—only to reappear high up on Mount Titlis. From this vantage point, the entire town of Engelberg stretched out before them—snow-covered terrain in the foreground, mountain ranges all around, forests nestled in the valleys, and a quaint little town resting at the foot of the mountain. Everything was breathtaking, like something out of a dream. The two stood in stunned silence, exhaling puffs of white mist as they gazed out at the landscape. Even Edward had never seen such a sight before. After a while, Audrey broke into a smile. "In a lot of stories, this is the part where the characters shout into the distance, right?" "If you want to shout, then shout." She opened her mouth, but seemed a bit embarrassed. Edward stepped forward, cupped his hands around his mouth, and yelled, "Ahhhhhh!!!" His voice echoed out into the vast expanse. He turned to Audrey, grinning. "Like we say back home: 'Since we're already here,' who knows when we'll get the next chance?" Audrey took a deep breath and copied his pose. "Ahhhhhh!!! THANK YOU, EDWARD!!!" "THANK YOU!!!" A golden ray of sunlight pierced through the mountain peak, casting its warm glow across the vast snowy landscape. It lit up the side of Audrey's face, as she looked up at the crimson sun atop the peak, breathing heavily with excitement. "Look, the sun's coming out." "Yeah." Edward's gaze lingered on her face. "It's beautiful." Chirp-chirp-chirp! A sharp screech broke the moment. Lilith had somehow managed to catch a snow-white rabbit. Despite being larger than her, the poor thing couldn't break free. "Gotcha!" She planted a paw triumphantly on the rabbit's back and shouted, "Edward! I caught a huge rat!" "....." The two exchanged a helpless glance. "That's a rabbit." Lilith blinked in confusion, then looked down at the terrified rabbit and declared firmly, "It's a big rat." "That's a snow hare, it lives in—" "In the snowy mountains. So, a mountain rat." "…Whatever makes you happy." ——— Next, the two found a decent snow-covered slope, took out their ski gear, and began skiing. It was Audrey's first time, and Edward…well, he'd only done rollerblading before. So, they were both complete novices. Fortunately, when Edward advanced to Trickmaster, his physical agility had improved significantly. Within half an hour, he was managing to wobble his way down the slope without falling. Audrey wasn't so lucky. She remained trapped in an endless cycle of: climb up – ski down – fall flat. Lilith couldn't understand why anyone would willingly throw themselves onto the ground over and over again. Edward tried skiing while holding her hands. The result? Both of them fell into a heap and tumbled downhill like a snowball. So much for that bright idea. "This time, I'll definitely make it!" Audrey repeated the phrase for what felt like the hundredth time, lightly pushing off with her ski poles. She started off slowly but gradually picked up speed. This time, she seemed to have figured something out—her glide looked much smoother than before. Edward stood waiting at the bottom of the slope and clapped encouragingly. "Awesome, Audrey! You did it!" A second later, Audrey's skis slipped, and she crashed headfirst into Edward. The two of them tumbled across the snow again, skidding several meters before coming to a stop. Audrey didn't even bother getting up. She just lay there in Edward's embrace, staring at the clear blue sky and muttered, "Skiing is so not fun." ——— Over the next two days, they visited every major attraction in the area. From alpine meadows, rivers, and lakes to cultural landmarks like monasteries, museums, and tourist towns. They sampled local cheeses and cuisine, soaked in a hot spring, and watched both sunrise and sunset. Time passed gently and quietly. When the stars returned to the night sky and silver moonlight bathed the world, the two of them sat by the floor-to-ceiling window of their hotel, staring into the distance. Lilith was curled up by the fireplace, sound asleep. After three days of wandering, neither of them spoke. They simply enjoyed the peace and quiet. "Edward, I'm sleepy." Audrey yawned. "Good night." "Good night." They had rented a suite with a spacious living room and two separate bedrooms. "Oh, right—where should we go tomorrow?" She blinked, already walking toward her room. "We'll figure it out tomorrow." Edward stood up, stretched, and returned to his own room. "Sleep time." The moment he closed his eyes, he drifted off into a deep sleep. He didn't know how long he had slept when he was suddenly shaken awake. He opened his eyes to see Audrey sitting at the edge of his bed, dressed in her pajamas, her golden hair draped over her shoulders, holding onto his arm and shaking it. "Edward, wake up." "Huh…? What's wrong?" She frowned deeply. "I…I think I can feel something…calling to me from the forest." "…Huh?" ——— Deep in the pitch-black forest, the wind howled as it whipped through the branches. The two of them had cast Disillusionment Charms and were flying low on magical brooms. Lilith was nestled safely in Edward's coat pocket. "Can you still feel it?" Audrey squinted into the distance, using the moonlight to guide her. "Yes. It's closer now." "What could it be?" As someone from another world, how could something here be calling to her? If his divination hadn't confirmed that the danger was minimal, Edward wouldn't have brought her out at all. HOOOOOWL!!! A mournful, drawn-out cry echoed through the trees. Moments later, tongues of fire shot up into the sky like fireworks, lighting up a section of the forest. "There!" ROOOAAAAR~~!!! A massive black silhouette burst from the forest, wings spread wide. But thick chains were wrapped around its body, and just as it tried to fly, the chains yanked taut. The creature let out another cry of agony before crashing heavily back down, shaking the ground. "That's…a fire dragon!" ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.

Chapter 80 - 80: A Brief Holiday

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