Mr. and Mrs. Brown exchanged glances, both seeing complex emotions in each other's eyes... They had forgotten that these two children had not grown up in the Wizarding World and truly lacked some common knowledge about it.
This time, Anthony spoke first: "Children, let's go to the living room. Would you like to hear us tell stories about the Wizarding World?"
"Of course!"
The Brown's living room was decorated very warmly, with several oil paintings depicting scenes of wizard life hanging on the walls, and a comfortable, soft sofa surrounding a small coffee table, adorned with several brightly colored throw pillows.
The group sat on the sofa, and Anne waved her wand. Four steaming cups of tea appeared out of thin air on the coffee table, alongside a plate of freshly baked, golden, and tempting pastries.
Anthony then cleared his throat and asked, "Thomas, Severus, why do you want to keep a snake as a pet?"
"It came to us on its own," Thomas replied, and he wasn't lying.
"Then, are you and Severus Parseltongue Speakers?"
Thomas frowned, 'Parseltongue Speaker' again.
He pondered for a moment and decided to be honest with these two kind elders: "I am a Parseltongue Speaker; Severus is not yet. But I don't consider myself a 'Parseltongue Speaker' in the traditional sense; this is my special ability, not inherited through bloodline."
"It seems you already know that all known natural Parseltongue Speakers currently derive from Slytherin's special bloodline." Anthony didn't notice Thomas saying 'not yet' and felt a little relieved about Severus.
He mused for a moment: "I believe you, child; you are not a descendant of Slytherin. But you must know that in the current Wizarding World, being a Parseltongue Speaker is not a good thing. I hope you will hide it, not tell others easily, and certainly not let it be discovered."
"Why?" Thomas, of course, wouldn't casually tell strangers such a thing: "Even if I were a descendant of Slytherin, wasn't Salazar Slytherin one of the founders of Hogwarts? Why would his ability be shunned by everyone?"
"Legend has it that Salazar Slytherin detested Muggles immensely. He opposed accepting Muggle-born young wizards into Hogwarts, which caused a huge disagreement with the other three founders. Ultimately, he left Hogwarts alone."
"In recent years, a wizard named 'Lord Voldemort' has emerged in the Wizarding World. He is powerful and ambitious. He claims to be a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, declaring his intention to inherit his ancestor's legacy and restore 'pure-blood glory.'"
"Many noble families in the Wizarding World, mostly graduates of Slytherin House, already view pure-blood status as supreme glory and privilege, and now they have all been recruited by Lord Voldemort."
"The recent frequent attacks on unknown Muggle wizards are privately speculated to be their doing, and some people are already calling him the 'Dark Lord' in private."
"And this 'Dark Lord' is a Parseltongue Speaker, which is why those nobles so easily acknowledge him as a descendant of Slytherin."
Anthony looked at Thomas with a serious expression, his eyes full of worry and admonition: "If it's discovered that you are also a Parseltongue Speaker, you will undoubtedly become a target. Whether it's people who hate Lord Voldemort or people who admire Lord Voldemort, both might misunderstand you and become hostile towards you because you possess this ability."
"Child, promise me that until you have sufficient power, you will remain low-key and cautious, not easily display your ability, and not tell anyone else, including our old friend Moody." The old man's gaze was very sincere; he was genuinely thinking of Thomas.
"I remember! I will certainly heed your advice and not easily let others discover that I am a Parseltongue Speaker," Thomas solemnly promised.
"Good boy." Anthony gently patted Thomas's shoulder, a relieved smile on his face.
After that conversation, Thomas and the Basilisk made an agreement: it could not easily show itself when people were around.
The Basilisk's perception ability was much stronger than a human's, and its gliding speed was extremely fast; if it wanted to, it could avoid most people's prying eyes.
Only after Thomas promised to provide it with an additional half-hour of Wood Element Ability every day did it reluctantly agree.
Anthony noticed that since Thomas and his companion arrived, the herbs in the field seemed to be growing faster.
Anthony, who had been studying it for some time with no breakthroughs, attributed this to the help of the two young wizards, which motivated him to work harder.
But in reality, it was because Thomas often used his Wood Element Ability to purify and nourish the Brown's land, so that even if they left, the herbs planted on this land would still grow faster and better than elsewhere.
Time flies like flowing water; happy moments are always fleeting.
After the last batch of dittany was harvested, the one-month fostering period was also over.
Moody appeared punctually at the Brown's doorstep.
They had arrived empty-handed, but when they left, Thomas and Severus each carried a small leather suitcase.
This suitcase was also a magical item; though it looked small, its internal capacity was very large, holding all sorts of items that Mr. and Mrs. Brown had bought for them during this time.
The distance between the Muggle World and the Wizarding World was like an unbridgeable chasm for them; they didn't know when they would meet again.
Severus was actually a very emotional child; his voice trembled slightly, and tears welled up, the crystal-clear teardrops falling like broken pearls, one by one, from his deep, obsidian-like eyes.
At this moment, all his composure and restraint vanished; he could no longer suppress his emotions and suddenly threw himself into Anne's warm embrace, clinging tightly as if to engrave this warmth in his heart forever.
At the same time, he softly uttered the address that had long been hidden deep in his heart, a most sincere and pure expression of gratitude and affection for Anne and Anthony: "Goodbye, Grandpa and Grandma."
"Goodbye, Grandpa and Grandma." Thomas also hugged Anthony, holding back tears as he whispered his farewell.
"Good children, good children..." The two elders stroked their hair, their eyes also glistening with tears.
For them, the invisible boundary between the Muggle World and the Wizarding World was an insurmountable chasm. They both knew that the day they would meet again might be many years later, when the two young wizards would be able to embark on their journey to Hogwarts independently.
Moody turned his head away, unwilling to witness this scene of parting.
Once the four had composed themselves slightly, Thomas, pulling Severus, walked over to him: "We are ready, Mr. Moody."
Severus was still wiping away tears.
Moody nodded: "Let's go."
This time, Thomas did not object to Moody taking them by Apparition; sometimes physical pain could alleviate mental suffering.
In an instant, they arrived across the street from Number 19, Spinner's End.
After the two young wizards finished retching, Moody said in a deep voice, "I'll leave you here. Your mother wouldn't want to see me."
"Thank you again for your help, Mr. Moody," Thomas expressed understanding.
Moody watched them walk to the door, then Apparated away from the Muggle neighborhood.
Little did he know, such events would unfold afterwards...