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Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Complete Recovery, Reborn Vitality

Knowing the contents of the prophecy didn't have much of an impact on the lives of Amanda and the others, especially Harry.

He was still inseparable from Ron every day, bickering and playing together.

It was as if he didn't know what he would have to face in the future, or perhaps he was practicing what he said, experiencing an entire lifetime in advance.

When the last day of the school year arrived, all the Young Wizards gathered in the Hogwarts Great Hall to celebrate the successful conclusion of their academic year.

No matter what the situation was in the outside world, at least they could still enjoy this peaceful life at Hogwarts for now, couldn't they?

"Another school year has passed," Headmaster Dumbledore stood at the Staff Table, looking kindly at the students below. "Your little heads must be filled with knowledge, just waiting to be forgotten during the summer holidays."

"We have experienced much during this school year; some students fought against themselves and successfully made progress."

"Some students fought against the Ministry of Magic and successfully allowed us to see the truth; some students fought against Voldemort and successfully preserved a light for the Wizarding World."

"But regardless of what you did this school year, or how you did it."

Headmaster Dumbledore's voice suddenly rose, his sharp blue eyes looking warmly over all the students.

"I believe we have all come to understand that unity makes us invincible, while division will lead us to destruction."

"No matter the storms outside," Headmaster Dumbledore's demeanor at the Staff Table suddenly shifted as he gave the Young Wizards a sly smile, "we must always keep laughing."

"The darker and more difficult the times, the more important the existence of joy and smiles becomes."

After speaking, he clapped his hands toward the Great Hall doors, and two cheerful shouts quickly approached from a distance.

The vast majority of the Young Wizards in the Great Hall stood up curiously, peering toward the entrance.

"We heard someone needs joy!"

"So we came!"

"To bring you smiles!"

"To bring you all sorts of prank items!"

"At Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley!" ×2

Fred and George charged into the Great Hall on flying broomsticks. Under Headmaster Dumbledore's gratified gaze, the Young Wizards' admiring looks, and Professor McGonagall's incredulous stare, they drew their wands and set off countless fireworks beneath the ceiling of the Great Hall.

Using wands wasn't enough; they also reached into their pockets, pulled out various uniquely shaped Weasley fireworks, and threw them in every direction.

A variety of firework effects exploded in the Great Hall, and the laughter of the Young Wizards quickly spread throughout the room.

In an instant, not a trace of the heavy atmosphere remained within Hogwarts.

"It won't do to have no smiles on your faces," Fred remarked from his flying broomstick, shaking his head at the Young Wizards and Professors below.

"We absolutely cannot allow such a thing to happen," George added, following his brother's lead by wagging a finger.

The two looked at each other, sped toward one another on their flying broomsticks, and swerved away at the last second, their palms meeting in a high-five in mid-air.

Bang!

Accompanied by a loud firework explosion, a magnificent display erupted above the high-fiving Weasley brothers, depicting the entirety of Hogwarts.

Even the Shrieking Shack, the Forbidden Forest, and Hagrid's hut were not forgotten.

"Happiness is not fleeting," Fred said, looking at his twin brother.

"It is eternal," George raised an eyebrow, finishing the sentence with perfect rapport.

Beneath the brilliant fireworks, Amanda looked up at this firework show—one she had proposed, and which the Weasley Twins and Headmaster Dumbledore had fully agreed with and supported.

A sense of relief washed over both her heart and mind simultaneously.

She felt as though the world around her had changed; she could feel it—the joy of those around her, the heartfelt laughter of everyone.

And of course, she could feel her own heart. Turning to look at Hermione and placing a hand on her chest, Amanda curled her lips into a smile and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Hermione! I love you!"

Her body stiffened for a moment. Hermione, who had been looking up at the fireworks released by the Weasley Twins, slowly turned her head toward Amanda.

Did she just hear... her eyes gradually reddened, and Hermione's voice choked up in a rare display of emotion.

"Amanda, say that again. Say it again, okay?"

Say it again, let me confirm that you have grown back your own flesh and blood, replacing the steel of rules that others shaped upon you.

"I can say it for the rest of my life," Amanda leaned in toward Hermione, her eyes twinkling with life. "I love you, Hermione. I love you every second, every moment."

"Merlin, you finally..."

Hermione raised her hands to cover her face, then suddenly lowered them, throwing her arms around Amanda's shoulders and lunging forward to kiss her forcefully.

Under the momentum of their combined weight, they fell backward while locked in an embrace. Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore, sitting nearby, quickly drew their wands, and two Cushioning Charms successfully prevented their two juniors from hitting the floor and getting a nasty bump on the head.

Looking at each other with a mix of helplessness and excitement, both Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore saw tears glistening in each other's eyes.

Amanda had finally recovered, and Hermione had finally received a response; the two juniors had successfully gotten on the right track and attained the happiness they deserved.

How could they, as their seniors, not be happy?

Penelope, with Luna's arm around her waist, also looked on with a gratified expression at the two juniors kissing on the floor, indifferent to the crowd around them. She then looked down at Luna beside her.

"The things trailing behind Senior Lin Yue have disappeared," Luna said with a misty gaze, pointing toward Amanda. "They've all flown away, gone."

"Yes, they're gone, gone forever." Penelope gently stroked her lover's back. That mechanical, rigid Amanda was gone forever.

Besides them, the other Young Wizards and Professors of Hogwarts were also watching the 'interaction' between Amanda and Hermione with great excitement.

The Professors clapped vigorously for the two young witches; even Professor Snape was clapping lightly.

At this moment, nothing could disturb their happy mood, not even Voldemort.

Breaking the kiss while panting for breath, Hermione looked down at Amanda. Her long black hair was spread across the floor, and her moist lips were slightly swollen from the kiss.

"There are a lot of people here," Hermione said with a smile, leaning closer to Amanda. "Do you want to keep kissing?"

"Why not?" Amanda reached out to wrap her arms around Hermione's waist. "Everyone seems to be enjoying the show too."

Laughing happily, Hermione lowered her head again, muffling her laughter with her lips.

The public kiss at the End-of-Term Feast let everyone know that Amanda had completely recovered.

That night in the Hogwarts Great Hall, the original End-of-Term Feast took on an additional meaning: celebrating Amanda's recovery.

After a night of joy and excitement, the Young Wizards embarked on their journey home.

As the hogwarts express sped past various landscapes, Amanda leaned in Hermione's arms, leisurely reading a book in her hands.

"Even after recovering, you still love reading so much."

Hermione spoke with a smile in her voice, her right hand gently stroking Amanda's hair.

"Aren't you the same, Hermione?" Amanda rubbed against Hermione's hand coquettishly, gesturing to the open book on her own lap. "We both know that knowledge makes us strong."

"Quite right." Hermione chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss Amanda's forehead.

After reading a few more pages, the hogwarts express pulled into King's Cross Station.

Pushing their luggage through the platform, Amanda saw Mr. and Mrs. Granger waiting outside and walked over with Hermione.

"Mom, Dad, let me introduce you properly," Hermione smiled as she took Amanda's arm. "My partner, Amanda."

Amanda looked down at Hermione's hands on her arm and smiled, then looked up at Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Auntie, Uncle, I'll introduce myself again as well. I am Hermione's partner, Amanda."

Mr. and Mrs. Granger understood everything from the scene before them. Mr. Granger gave his daughter a nod of approval.

Mrs. Granger, more emotional, stepped forward and hugged her daughter. "Oh my God, Hermione, you did it."

"Yes, Mom," Hermione smiled happily and closed her eyes. "I did it."

Releasing Hermione, Mrs. Granger tightly hugged Amanda. "Good girl, good girl, you've finally recovered."

"Yes, Auntie, I've recovered," Amanda used her free hand to pat Mrs. Granger's back. "I also have to thank you and Uncle for the care and warmth you gave me before."

"There's no need for such formalities between family."

Mr. Granger stepped forward and, just as he had in previous years, naturally took over Amanda and Hermione's suitcases.

"Let's go, let's go home."

"Home!" the two girls cheered simultaneously, just like two ordinary children.

As the summer vacation officially began, Hermione started taking over more of the Ministry of Magic's affairs.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger expressed pride in their daughter taking over the Ministry of Magic at just fifteen, but they also felt some heartache that she had to work so hard before even reaching adulthood.

"Mom, Dad, I don't find it tiring because I can feel the Wizarding World becoming better because of my work."

"Besides, I have Amanda to help me," Hermione said.

When she and Amanda arrived at the Ministry of Magic for her inauguration ceremony, Hermione looked up at the oversized photograph of herself hanging in the Ministry atrium and fell into deep thought.

Beside her, Amanda covered her mouth, hiding in Hermione's blind spot and laughing hysterically.

Merlin's qipao, these Ministry Wizards are way too good at sucking up to their leaders, hanging such a massive photo of Hermione.

Hahahaha... it's probably a habit carried over from the Fudge era.

Thinking back to the large photo of Fudge she saw when she 'uprooted' the Ministry that night, Amanda made an educated guess.

However, knowing Hermione as well as she did, she knew Hermione wouldn't like this at all. These Ministry Wizards had completely miscalculated their flattery.

Sure enough, after a brief moment of contemplation, Hermione's face filled with disapproval.

Was this a joke? She was the Minister for Magic, which simply meant she was a Ministry employee working for the people of the Wizarding World.

What was the point of hanging such a large photo? She wasn't some high-and-mighty Minister.

However, Hermione chose not to bring it up right then. Instead, once the inauguration began, she first smiled and welcomed the Wizarding and Muggle reporters who had come to cover the event.

Yes, considering the Wizarding World had been completely exposed to Muggles, Hermione simply invited Muggle reporters to her inauguration ceremony.

Those television stations and newspapers, hearing they could get first-hand news from the Wizarding World, felt that ratings and sales were beckoning them and agreed to the invitation without hesitation.

The inauguration ceremony officially began. Hermione, wearing a tasteful women's suit, stood on the stage and first welcomed everyone's arrival.

"I am very grateful to everyone for coming to attend and report on my inauguration. It is my honor."

She nodded with a slight smile to everyone present.

"Now, first of all, I think our venue needs a small change."

Hermione turned toward her giant photograph, drew her wand, and gave it a gentle wave. A burst of flame consumed the massive picture.

In the next moment, the giant photo of Hermione transformed into a painting of Wizards, Muggles, Centaurs, and various other creatures standing together in harmony.

Stowing her wand, Hermione spread her hands to the crowd. "That looks much more comfortable."

During the rest of the ceremony, Hermione re-emphasized the importance of opposing Voldemort and announced plans to intensify the daily training of Aurors to enhance their combat capabilities.

At this point, Amanda, who had been standing behind Hermione, took a step forward in cooperation. Hermione glanced at her before making an announcement that left the Aurors below feeling both excited and apprehensive.

"Going forward, daily Auror training will be assisted by Amanda as an external instructor. I hope all Aurors will work hard to become the security guarantee of the Wizarding World."

Looking at Amanda on stage, who wore a faint smile yet still commanded an aura of authority, the Aurors' hearts skipped a beat.

Why did they suddenly feel like they were going to be trained very harshly? It must be an illusion, right? Yes, definitely.

As the ceremony neared its end, Hermione scanned the crowd once more. "I have said more than once that if power cannot serve the people, then both the power and those who possess it are meaningless."

"Therefore, the first decree after my appointment to the Ministry is as follows."

Hermione's gaze swept across the various Department Heads of the Ministry. "Starting with myself and including all Department Heads, from this year onward, a year-end work summary must be presented to the people of the Wizarding World, followed by questioning by the Chief of the Wizengamot."

"Before the questioning, Veritaserum must be consumed to ensure the truthfulness of the report and the answers provided."

The room suddenly fell silent. Everyone was stunned, staring blankly at Hermione.

This decree... how should one put it? It was quite, quite strict.

More importantly, Minister Granger had said it would start with her; she was leading by example. Since she was the first to do it, the other Department Heads couldn't possibly raise any objections.

"Please be prepared, Department Heads," Hermione said with a smile to the various Ministry officials. "Starting today."

Her voice suddenly rose, "Let us work together toward a better future for the Wizarding World, for its people, and for the happy lives of all its citizens!"

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