Chapitre 170: Chapter 170: The Slytherin Flood
Unlike the other houses, the Slytherin common room was located beneath the Black Lake.
This fact was a source of great pride for the Slytherins.
What, you're saying we don't get enough sunlight? But we can see the Black Lake!
What, you're saying our house is damp? But we can see the Black Lake!
What, you're saying our dormitories leak? But we can see the Black Lake!
Slytherin students always ended these conversations with envious or jealous tears streaming from their rivals' faces.
In reality, the Slytherin common room's location used to be part of Hogwarts' dungeons.
How luxurious could a dungeon environment be?
So, whoever proposed moving the common room here was a genius.
How did they know the Slytherins wouldn't care about morning sunlight, about airing out their bedding, or even about their moldy sheets?
But that wasn't the only concern. Every new Slytherin student inevitably asked the prefect the same question:
"Are the windows... strong?"
After all, the common room and dormitories were lined with windows, with even the ceiling featuring a skylight.
Outside, dark green lake water stretched ominously, occasionally accompanied by the sound of the giant squid bumping against the glass. It was enough to unsettle anyone.
Would the common room flood? Could the dormitories get submerged?
Whenever these questions came up, the prefects would proudly assure the first years:
"The Black Lake will flood the common room only when the chicken finishes its grain, the dog licks the flour clean, and the fire burns through the lock."
But they probably wouldn't say that anymore.
…
The deafening crash made Snape look up.
He saw, to his utter shock, that a giant toad had landed on the skylight above. That must have been the source of the collision.
Strangely, the toad was translucent. Through its belly, Snape could faintly make out the irritating Stark and the show-off Granger.
Was the lake water making him hallucinate... or had the two of them really been swallowed by the toad?
He wasn't the only one who noticed. All the Slytherin students were staring.
Draco Malfoy wiped his eyes in disbelief.
"Spending Christmas break diving in the Black Lake? Classic Stark, always making a statement!"
William himself hadn't expected the toad to crash onto the Slytherin common room skylight.
He waved cheerfully at Professor Snape with an amicable smile.
Just then, the merfolk chieftain, relentless in his pursuit, fired another brilliant golden beam from afar.
Mercury maneuvered the toad, spitting out a counter-spell to clash with the golden light.
Although it seemed like a duel, the toad spent most of the time defensively enduring the attacks. The trident's power struck the skylight again and again.
Mercury steered the toad, its left claw stomping with a thunderous crack. The next moment, the toad leapt high, diving deeper into the Black Lake to escape.
The glass, after enduring numerous magical impacts, finally gave way. Cracks spread outward like a massive spiderweb.
Drip. Drip.
Malfoy, standing directly beneath the skylight, touched his head.
"Huh, is it raining?"
Crash!
The glass shattered completely, plunging into the common room as lake water poured in, flooding the room like a scene out of The Tale of the Flooded Jinshan Temple.
"Run for your lives! The Slytherin common room is flooding!" Malfoy screamed as he bolted.
"My luggage!"
Professor Snape stood frozen in the corner, stunned for two seconds before shouting, "Quick, fetch Dumbledore—"
…
Devon is a county in the southwest of England.
Its unique feature is its two coastlines: one along the English Channel in the south and another along the Bristol Channel in the north.
Devon is an important county, home to many wizards.
The most famous location is the village of Ottery St. Catchpole, where the Weasleys, the Lovegoods, the Fawcetts, and the Diggorys live.
Far from Ottery St. Catchpole, near the Bristol Channel, there are no wizarding villages. The area is largely deserted.
Under the thick veil of night, a golden toad suddenly leapt out of the sea, skidding dozens of meters across the ground before coming to a stop.
A wooden door burst open, and a boy carrying a girl dashed out of the exit.
Thick smoke billowed behind them.
Hermione's face was pale as she fought the urge to vomit. She wasn't taking well to the motion sickness.
William pulled out a large bottle of potion from his pocket. Hermione grabbed it, downing it in one gulp. The nausea gradually subsided.
The toad, merely an alchemical creation, was meant to be a mode of transportation.
It had defense mechanisms, but who would have expected to encounter the merfolk chieftain—a member of a clan William had previously antagonized?
When enemies meet, tensions flare. The trident's attack had disrupted the toad's core mechanisms.
Otherwise, no wizard riding inside would ever suffer seasickness.
William patted Hermione's back, helping her catch her breath until she finally recovered.
"What a mess," Hermione muttered, looking at her dusty new robes. "We were supposed to attend a birthday party, right?
Are we sure this isn't a terrorist attack?"
"I'm wondering the same," William replied, feigning ignorance. "Why did the merfolk attack us? It's clearly Cedric—"
Hermione glared at him. "It's because you and Cedric cut their hair, William! I'm going to—"
"Tell Lyanna?" William gave her a wry smile.
Hermione's go-to tactic was threatening to report him to Lyanna. With her as backup, Hermione wielded this threat constantly.
William ruffled her hair. Before she could dodge, he pulled back with a grin. "Next time, I promise."
"Really?" Hermione asked, serious.
"Nope."
William stood and walked toward the toad.
Hermione dried her robes with a Scourgify spell and followed.
Soon, a house-elf appeared, coughing as it emerged. It wore protective goggles and carried a welding torch.
"Mercury, you can weld?" William asked, astonished.
"Just a little," Mercury replied with a respectful smile. "A versatile skillset is always useful. Even Mr. Flamel doesn't rely solely on alchemy.
"Sometimes magical items fail, and Muggle technology proves quite handy."
However, Mercury truly only knew "a little." After fiddling with the toad for a long time, it still couldn't fix it.
The toad's core power came from ancient runes, which Mercury didn't understand.
Frustrated, it kicked the toad's head. A spark flickered, and the toad shuddered violently before breaking down completely.
"What now?" William asked.
"Someone will come to pick us up soon," Mercury replied, maintaining its calm demeanor. "Oh, and don't forget to give me a five-star review. My year-end bonus depends on it."
"You… have a year-end bonus?" William was astonished.
House-elves didn't earn wages; they were servants.
"Mr. Flamel gives us salaries so we can freely buy what we like."
Before William could ask more, he looked up sharply toward the sky.
Dark clouds loomed, faint thunder rumbling within.
A giant bird soared through the storm, bathed in lightning as if it were the God of Thunder.
Atop the bird's head stood an old man in a knee-length coat, exuding an extraordinary aura. Thick bangs slightly obscured his eyes.
He tossed his hair with flair, revealing a piercing gaze.
William waved frantically, shouting, "Don't—"
Before he could finish, a bolt of lightning struck the old man.
He plummeted from the sky.
"—stand so high, Grandpa!"
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