great-warnovel Chapter 143 The Return Journey and the Trials
Chapter 143 The Return Journey and the Trials
Chapter 143 The Return Journey and the Trials (Part 2)
Stepping out of the medical wing again, Hermione felt that this Christmas night was exceptionally long.
Lockhart needed to continue recuperating, and Narcissa took her son back to his dormitory. The matter ended vaguely due to the victim's own attempts to smooth things over.
She, on the other hand, was heading to the Pyrostone Hall on the fourth floor.
When he said goodbye to Dumbledore, his words were clearly meaningful. There were indeed spiders crawling on the fourth floor, but that was not something that could be solved by simply fixing the ceiling.
Hagrid, familiar with the place, arrived at the front hall, where he was using a huge bathtub to boil a pot of soup of unknown ingredients.
Aragog was drooling with envy, while the other little spiders around him were also making a clattering noise. His teeth were pushed aside, and when they saw Hermione, they came over to cuddle affectionately.
"Hey Hermione, Dumbledore has been waiting for you for a while," Hagrid greeted her warmly.
"I'm cooking a Christmas feast for Aragog and his children, but you can't eat this."
Hermione pushed Tooth away with difficulty, thanked Hagrid, and went through the side door into the heart of the castle.
She saw Dumbledore and McGonagall there, sitting in front of the Brilliant Stone, with a small round table in front of them, on which were some desserts and drinks that she had seen at the dinner party.
"You're really quick. I've only been at the school hospital for less than half an hour," Hermione retorted.
Dumbledore followed Crouch Jr. from the moment they left the castle until they returned to sit here for tea, which probably took less than half an hour in total.
"Ha, magic is always so convenient, isn't it?" Dumbledore laughed.
"I suppose you've been running around all night, maybe you'd be willing to have some late-night snacks?"
Hermione approached the small round table, and an exquisite chair automatically jumped behind her, with a menu appearing on the table.
She glanced around: "Ginger salamander biscuits and hot cockroach milk!"
With a snap, a small plate of cookies and steaming hot cockroach milk appeared on the table.
"Good choice. It seems you've adapted well to your role as a school board member," McGonagall said with a smile, sipping a glass of eggnog.
"This is quite an unexpected Christmas present," Hermione shrugged.
"Your ghost meal was amazing too," Dumbledore said, his face full of reminiscence.
"I've almost forgotten what food tastes like. Thank you. This sentiment is more precious than any clever idea."
"I'm glad you like it. I thought you wouldn't have time to try it today." Like her, Dumbledore was still dealing with troublesome matters even at night.
"Young Crouch just wants an excuse to find out the secret of my recovery. He suddenly abandoned his passion for the Brilliant Stone and turned to this instead. Perhaps old Crouch's health isn't so good either," Dumbledore guessed.
"Him? He's still very young, isn't he? Has he been cursed by some political struggle? If he falls during the Speaker's term, Malfoy Castle will probably continue to be in chaos." McGonagall shook her head. These nobles had finally managed to reach a new balance recently.
"No wonder you came back so quickly." Hermione picked up a cookie and put it in her mouth.
"But what do you think about Professor Lockhart's matter?" She didn't think that her invisibility could evade Dumbledore's perception; it was just that he seemed more willing to pretend he didn't know.
They probably had some guesses about Lockhart's curse as well.
"Could you tell us more details? I only guessed part of it from Narcissa and Draco's expressions." Dumbledore couldn't eat normal food, so he could only watch the two ladies chuckle longingly.
"We were already suspicious of Lockhart's sudden fall into a deep sleep, until Albus told me that you took a panicked Narcissa and Draco to the university hospital." McGonagall's face was solemn.
Although the parties involved had agreed to keep it a secret, they clearly underestimated the wisdom of the two principals.
Hermione disagreed with their ideas to begin with, so she naturally chose to tell them everything. However, she only mentioned that Lockhart had two personalities, which made the curse difficult to detect. She did not specifically mention the painful memories, as those involved the professor's privacy and Mrs. Lockhart's reputation.
"Unbelievable! We let two Death Eaters and a basilisk follow us for so long!"
"But how did they manage to let the basilisk evade our search? Such a large dark magic creature must have left some clues!"
"And then there's Draco..." McGonagall said, her brows furrowed in thought.
"Lucius's mark on him is too heavy."
Draco has gone too far down the wrong path in his upbringing, driven by his family, bloodline, and honor. The very things he pursues are pushing him off course.
"But he's back on the right track, isn't he?" Dumbledore chuckled, clearly as optimistic as Lockhart.
"But if he hadn't realized it any later, Gilderoy might never have woken up." She put on a stern face, and like Hermione, she didn't think the matter could be left unresolved.
"Who doesn't make mistakes when they're young?" Dumbledore remarked.
"For the greater good—I even came up with this slogan for Gellert." He shook his head with a smile, for becoming a ghost makes it easier to get caught up in memories of the past.
"Never mind, let's put this aside for now." He glanced at Hermione, who was engrossed in eating her biscuit.
"The reason I called you here so late is because there's something else I wanted to ask for the opinion of our junior board members."
Hermione immediately raised her hands: "Please spare me! Just tell me what you're thinking, don't put me on the spot like this!"
Dumbledore laughed heartily: "Minerva and I disagree on this matter, but we think you might have a different perspective."
He looked at McGonagall and said softly, "I think it might be time to move Hogwarts back to the Scottish Highlands."
Hermione, surprisingly, Dumbledore suddenly had this idea.
However, upon closer examination, it makes sense. Hogwarts now has a stable supply of Brilliantstone, which can clear away the radiation left by the nuclear explosion. Its status in the wizarding world is also exceptional, and various forces are willing to associate with it. If the Perfumery's business continues to expand, the share of profits alone could become an important industry for Hogwarts, enough to cover all basic expenses.
All these factors give Hogwarts the confidence to return to its former glory, and Dumbledore, who was over a hundred years old in his lifetime, is certainly more nostalgic and more willing to let the castle return to its rightful place.
I doubt any principal would want a prestigious, long-established school to be in perpetual wandering during their term.
But McGonagall didn't quite agree. She pursed her lips and said, "But after all these years, the situation in the Scottish Highlands is not optimistic."
"More than one nuclear bomb was dropped on Hogwarts. After we took control of the school and left, the Muggles dropped several more high-yield nuclear bombs to completely destroy any possibility of rebuilding. Compared to Chernobog, Rome, or even Godric's Hollow, the original Hogwarts site is in far worse condition!"
"Even with Hermione helping us control the luminous stone, I'm still very worried—"
She didn't finish her sentence, but Hermione could guess that if the Brilliant Stone went out of control at the crucial moment, there would be no way to escape from the entire castle.
"Moreover, it is said that the area is now occupied by werewolves, vampires, and mutated beasts that once came from the Forbidden Forest. They have survived for decades under such high radiation, and are probably even more difficult to deal with than those from the outside world."
"And those mad centaurs, some say they've gained forbidden powers—"
She carefully chose her words: "I don't object to Hogwarts going back, but perhaps we're not ready yet."
"We need to prepare in advance all the war munitions that may be needed, organized air cavalry units, a sufficient number of wizard troops, and post-war reconstruction materials."
She shook her head: "We only have one castle, and not many powerful professors. As for the students, I think even if that day comes, they should stay at home until we finish all this."
"That's not all," Hermione replied calmly.
"Even if we successfully clean up the pollution and drive out the monsters that are entrenched in our homeland, what awaits us is a long and protracted tug-of-war."
"As Professor McGonagall said, we can't possibly wipe those monsters out completely. For a long time, the students may have to face the threat of mutated beasts. If I remember correctly, the Forbidden Forest is right next to Hogwarts, right? What has it become now? A scorched wasteland where monsters lurk even beneath the earth?"
She said seriously, "There's no need to worry about powerful enemies who dare to show themselves, nor about the stability of the pyroxene. I can guarantee that. The energy source is reliable enough for us to destroy any overt threat."
"But what about those lurking in the shadows? Professors can't possibly have a thousand eyes watching every single student, can they?"
"It's not so much that I'm worried about the school not being prepared, but rather that the students aren't prepared and whether they'll be able to face the prying eyes outside the school in the future."
"Hermione is right. The Forbidden Forest used to have a pact with Hogwarts, and the creatures inside were not allowed to harm the students, but now—I'm afraid that pact has expired," McGonagall said.
Dumbledore sighed, "Very well, if you all disagree."
"No, Professor," Hermione interrupted, and the two elderly people looked at her in surprise.
"Let me describe it another way." She shifted her posture in the chair, looking less like a student and more like a real school board member.
Her stance seemed to shift abruptly with the change in her actions.
"Professor McGonagall's subtext is less about worrying that the students aren't prepared, and more about worrying whether future wizards will be able to shoulder this responsibility," she said, looking directly at McGonagall.
"If the status quo is maintained, even if your generation passes away, Hogwarts can continue to wander the continent peacefully. But if everything changes suddenly, are you worried about those who grew up after the war?"
"Can the young wizards lead Hogwarts to continue its legacy?"
McGran seemed to want to find the right words to refute, but after thinking about it, she gave up in dejection.
Indeed, deep down, she couldn't let go. She had too many worries and too much responsibility. She was always worried that the children wouldn't do well and that they would make mistakes, so she was hesitant to let go, which made the students think she was a rigid old lady with an overbearing desire for control.
"Indeed, you've said everything I wanted to say." McGonagall raised her eyebrows noncommittally.
Dumbledore watched with great interest as Hermione continued to analyze her headmaster.
"As the generation that experienced the apocalypse, everything we have now is something you have rebuilt bit by bit from the rubble."
"Hogwarts used to walk a tightrope every day, with scarce resources and having to beg for help everywhere; the strongest students were trapped in their critically injured and dying bodies, and also suffered a terrible betrayal; the pen of acceptance was flowing out, and the student body was almost exhausted; it is no exaggeration to say that it was beset by internal and external troubles and was on the verge of collapse." Hermione said seriously.
"And Dumbledore, you, and the other old professors, together weathered the most difficult years, nurturing so many wizards into talents who now shine in every corner of the wasteland."
Wizards who have truly experienced change may not appear much different from ordinary wizards in terms of magical skill, but they are far more capable of surviving and dealing with crises.
"You're not really sure, after all, these are the first generation to grow up after the war. Can they take on that heavy burden? And when faced with perhaps even more brutal threats in the future, can they, like you, persevere until the dawn?"
Hermione continued, "Not just the first batch, but also the second, the third, Professor Lily, Professor Lockhart; and Percy and the others, and later still, Harry, Ron, and even Ginny,..."
Can we ensure the continuation of this ancient school and the civilization of wizards?
If another war like the one back then were to break out, nuclear weapons and fairy curses would rain down from the sky, leaving the land scorched and devoid of clean drinking water. Even the most docile Puffy creatures would mutate to the point of suffocation.
She then looked at Dumbledore: "You and Professor McGonagall disagree, and I'm afraid it's not that you can't persuade her."
But deep down, you and she share the same concerns, don't you?
Dumbledore smiled and looked at McGonagall: "Minerva, this child sees us all quite clearly."
McGonagall shook her head and chuckled, "I'm afraid I don't even realize what I'm really worried about."
"In that case," Hermione said with a smile.
"I have a suggestion."
Dumbledore gestured for him to proceed.
"Professor Lockhart's incident is an opportunity." She raised the corners of her mouth, seemingly having a wicked idea.
"A test, a trial, for the professor, and for us."
"It just so happens that the Carol siblings are planning to lie low for a while, which is just enough time for me to give Harry and the others a special training session."
She stared intently at McGonagall: "Eagles must eventually take flight. If you're bold enough, why not turn the castle around tomorrow? After all, the journey back is long."
"This journey home shouldn't be so boring, and Voldemort's attempts to murder me and Professor Lockhart have just become a splash of entertainment along the way."
"Leave the basilisk to Professor Lockhart, and as for the Carol siblings, let's leave them to the second-year students. Of course, I won't participate." If she alone could easily defeat these two dark wizards, then it wouldn't be a trial.
How should young professors and young students face powerful enemies and confront their own shortcomings?
Even conquering oneself?
"Isn't this interesting? We can stand a short distance away and quietly observe to make sure things don't get out of control."
If the final result is positive, then Hogwarts can then publicly announce its upcoming return.
As she said this, McGonagall's eyes widened; this was a path she had never imagined.
Dumbledore laughed again: "Minerva, we've all underestimated the kids these days."