章 88: 088 Celebration Banquet

A grand celebration banquet was in full swing in the Great Hall, where the original four parallel long tables had been rearranged into a square, forming a cozy circle of joy. The house-elves in the kitchen had outdone themselves, and the long tables were overflowing with all kinds of mouth-watering food, from roasted turkey and mashed potatoes to chocolate cake and pumpkin pie. The aroma of the dishes filled the air, tempting the taste buds of everyone present.

The professors did not hold themselves back, they mingled with the young wizards and happily chatted. Professor McGonagall pretended not to see the Weasley twins secretly changing the juice of the young wizards into butterbeer. Snape seemed to be comforting a gloomy Draco, who looked like he had swallowed a lemon. And when they were in the mood, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout even offered a waltz amid the laughter of everyone, their feet barely touching the ground.

"Actually, I noticed that something was wrong with that bathroom early on–"

Lockhart, who had not appeared in front of everyone for two months, showed up here despite Mrs. Pomfrey's dissuasion. He was pale and could only stand by leaning on the table, but he still tried to make his smile match the dazzling stars on the ceiling. His blond hair was combed back neatly, and his robes were as bright as ever.

"But I think breaking into a girl's bathroom is not a gentleman's demeanor!"

"He dares to say that!"

Hearing Lockhart's boasting words, Harry's face turned blue with anger, and Dean next to him made a vomiting expression.

"Where did Professor Watson go?"

Hermione, who was a bit sad about Lockhart's performance, looked around for the young and thin figure.

"He and Headmaster Dumbledore left halfway." Neville answered this question. He was holding a plate full of food, but he didn't seem to have much appetite.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, both feeling a bit bored. After a brief exchange, they took some food and left the Great Hall as well, heading to the hospital wing to look for Ron. They hoped he was feeling better after being bitten by the basilisk.

On the seventh floor of the castle, Bryan led Dumbledore to push open a smooth door embedded in the wall opposite a tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet. The tapestry was old and faded, and the trolls looked more confused than graceful.

"At that time, I often practiced magic or brewed potions in some secluded classrooms in the castle. From the second semester of my fifth year, you and Professor Snape kept an eye on me. Once, Professor Snape seemed to smell the potion I carried on me, but he didn't say it clearly. Out of caution, I wanted to find a safe place to store my potions. I wandered around here and accidentally found this amazing room."

Squeak!

The door opened with a creaky sound, revealing a room as big as a church, and the surrounding scenery looked like a city. The towering walls were made up of things hidden by thousands of students who had long been out of this world. Most of them were basically garbage–expired potions in broken bottles, rotten and moldy food in paper bags, collapsed shelves and boxes with dusty labels, old textbooks with torn pages and scribbled notes, and so on. There were also some odd items, such as a stuffed vulture, a tiara with fake jewels, a broken mirror, and a pair of roller skates.

Bryan led Dumbledore deeper and deeper into the maze-like pile of garbage until they came to an old cabinet with bubbles on its surface. The cabinet looked like it had been exposed to some corrosive substance, and its wood was peeling off. On top of the cabinet sat a bust of a wizard with freckles on his cheeks. He wore an old hat with gray fluff on it, which had a clear circular indentation on its top.

"Here it is–"

Bryan raised his chin and said to Dumbledore with a solemn expression. He pointed at the indentation on the hat, where a small object was hidden.

Dumbledore held in his hand the broken crown that Bryan gave him last night. It was made of metal and had four spikes with rubies on them. One of the spikes was missing, leaving behind a jagged edge. He only glanced at the statue and then moved his eyes away, looking at the room he was in.

"It's indeed a good place to hide things. I can probably guess when Tom hid the crown here."

Dumbledore murmured, his voice low and serious.

"To be honest, Bryan, you have helped me a lot. For many years, I have been suspicious that Voldemort had split his soul before, and I think he might have done it more than once. But I never had any evidence. And you confirmed two of my long-standing doubts in one day."

Dumbledore said so, but he didn't see any relief on his face. Instead, his shoulders were slightly hunched and his brow seemed to be crushed by heavy pressure and drooped halfway down. His eyes were dark and troubled, as if he was seeing something horrible.

Bryan understood why Dumbledore looked like this. This was indeed a very frustating problem. To destroy Voldemort, one must first destroy his Horcruxes. But who knows how many times this madman Voldemort split his soul? And where did he hide the other pieces?

According to theory, there is no limit to the number of times one can split one's soul. As long as your broken soul is enough to support your body's activities, then splitting dozens or hundreds of times is not a problem. But in reality, human souls are not that strong. Just like a piece of paper, theoretically it can be folded infinitely many times. But in fact, after only a few times it becomes impossible to operate.

"So–" Bryan ignored Dumbledore's frowning and thinking, and walked straight to the exit. His voice was cold and sarcastic.

"If you really think I provided some insignificant help, Headmaster Dumbledore, please don't stare at me all the time. That would make me very unhappy!"

* Scene Break *

Although his arm muscles had been ripped by the basilisk's venomous fangs, thanks to Fawkes' tears and Mrs. Pomfrey's professional treatment, Ron's arm wrapped in bandages like a mummy could move. He leaned on the pillow and listened to Harry recounting Lockhart's boasting words, and his nose was crooked with anger!

"Just ignore him, Harry!"

Ron gasped and said, "If it weren't for you, Harry, even if Hogwarts went bankrupt, he wouldn't be able to find the door to the Chamber of Secrets. By the way, didn't Myrtle get the punishment she deserved?!"

"The Ministry of Magic can't put a ghost in Azkaban, Ron." Hermione, who finally got some spirit, said rationally. "Professor Watson also thinks that judging a ghost is a very ridiculous and cruel thing."

I don't see what's so cruel about it!"

Ron twisted his nose and looked at Ginny outside the bed who drank a large glass of chocolate milk with sleeping pills and was in deep sleep. She looked peaceful and innocent, but Ron knew that she had gone through a terrible ordeal. This morning, his parents' worried and sobbing appearance beside Ginny's bed still echoed in Ron's head. He felt a surge of anger towards Myrtle, who had witnessed Ginny's suffering but did nothing to help her.

"Speaking of Professor Watson," Ron looked at Harry.

"He has decided to leave, hasn't he?" His voice was full of sadness and disappointment.

Speaking of this, Hermione's mood fell again, and even Harry sighed and looked gloomy. They both liked Professor Watson very much, and they felt that he was one of the few teachers who understood them and cared for them.

"Anyway, that's what Headmaster Dumbledore told me. He said to me that Professor Watson had completed his duty and he would leave the school soon–"

Harry said with a heavy heart. He wondered why Professor Watson had to leave so soon.

"This is really bad,"

Ron seemed to want to hug his arms, but he forgot about his right arm injury. As a result, he accidentally pulled the wound and was so painful that he grinned. He clenched his teeth and tried to ignore the pain.

"Hiss- Mom also asked me to invite Professor Watson to our house as a guest during the summer vacation. Dad also said that he almost saved our family. Come to think of it, it's true. He saved Bill and Charlie when they were in school. Now he has saved me and Ginny from You-Know-Who and the basilisk. It's really headache. This is not an easy favor to repay."

Ron said with admiration and gratitude for Professor Watson.

"I didn't save you for gratitude, Mr. Weasley."

Bryan walked in with a smile on his face and said to the three young wizards who were surprised by his appearance. He looked calm and relaxed, as if he had just returned from a pleasant walk.

"How do you feel, Mr. Weasley?" He asked Ron with concern.

"Oh, much better, Professor Watson!"

Ron said shyly with red ears. He also tried to gesture with his arm, but he was still weak and clumsy. Seeing that Ron was in good spirits, Bryan nodded with satisfaction. He sat on the bed next to them and smiled at them warmly.

"Actually, I have some gifts for you–" He said mysteriously.

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章 89: 089 Gifts

"A gift?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide with curiosity and disbelief. They glanced at each other, wondering why Professor Watson suddenly wanted to give them a gift on his last day at Hogwarts.

"On the one hand, it is my reward for your brave confrontation with the basilisk and memory of Voldemort as the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, on the other hand, it is to express my gratitude–"

Harry noticed keenly that since last night, when they had returned from the Chamber of Secrets with Ginny Weasley's limp body, Professor Watson began to call Voldemort by his name, instead of using terms like 'Dark Lord' or 'You-Know-Who'. To be honest, apart from them three, or Dumbledore, Harry only heard the name once from Hagrid's mouth, when he had told him about his parents' death. The rest of the wizards would scream in horror or shudder in fear when they heard the three words 'Voldemort'.

But for some reason, Harry didn't seem surprised, as if he knew that Professor Watson was not afraid of Voldemort.

'Think about it, this is a wizard who had the incredible 'ambition' to defeat Dumbledore when he was in fifth grade' - Harry told himself.

"–if it weren't for you three who took the lead and opened the Chamber of Secrets, I might have to spend a lot of effort to find it, in that case, Ginny might have been unfortunate. Dumbledore has decided to announce your efforts to everyone at the end-of-term feast and award you a special contribution award."

Bryan found that Harry, Ron and Hermione did not show much surprise or excitement, apparently, Dumbledore had already told them everything when he had visited them in the hospital wing.

"Then." Bryan reached into his pocket and pulled out a broken wand. It was snapped in half, charred at one end, and covered with dirt and blood.

"This is my wand!" Ron immediately exclaimed, recognizing it as his own. He had lost it during their escape from the chamber, when a rock fell on his head and knocked him unconscious. He had woken up later to find Harry holding him and Hermione crying over him.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley, I found it in a pile of rubble, apparently you lost it. Unfortunately, this wand is very badly damaged, even I can't repair it."

Looking at Ron who took over the wand and was both distressed and embarrassed, Bryan smiled slightly. He knew that Ron's wand was second-hand, inherited from his older brother Charlie. It was not very compatible with him, and often malfunctioned or backfired.

He took out a money bag and pulled out twenty pieces of golden Galleons in front of the surprised eyes of the three little guys. Ron's eyes widened and he almost stopped breathing. He probably guessed that this money was for himself, but he didn't dare to believe it. To be honest, let alone owning it, he had seen twenty pieces of gold Galleons only a few times in his life! They were more than enough to buy a new wand - they were enough to buy a whole set of new robes, books, and supplies!

"This money should be enough for you to buy a new wand, Mr. Weasley. Don't refuse. This is a reward for your courage."

Ron shivered and took over a handful of gold coins. He felt their weight and warmth in his palm, as if they were alive. He looked at Professor Watson with gratitude and admiration in his eyes. He wanted to say something to thank him, but he found that Professor Watson handed him another coin that was slightly larger than a Galleon. On the coin face was carved a delicate statue of Merlin, the greatest wizard of all time. He was wearing a long robe and a pointed hat, and holding a staff in his hand. Around the edge of the coin were engraved some words in Latin: 'Magia est ars vitae' - Magic is the art of life.

"This is a commemorative coin issued by the International Confederation of Wizards to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wizarding Secrecy Act, Mr. Weasley. I accidentally found it and bought it. It has some value. Your father Arthur Weasley drafted a Muggle Protection Act to protect Muggle rights and personal safety. I think it will have some different meaning for you."

Bryan smiled and looked at Ron who was holding the silver coin with love. He said, "But I hope you keep it and don't sell it for money!"

"I swear to you, Professor Watson!" Ron finally came back to his senses and took over the warm commemorative coin. He clutched it to his chest, as if it were a precious treasure. His excited voice was trembling,

"I will take this silver coin into my grave!"

Looking at Ron who loved the silver coin so much, Bryan's eyes flashed with deep laughter. Then he turned his gaze to Hermione.

Hermione was probably the saddest one about his departure. She had learned a lot from him during the year, not only about magic, but also about life. Professor Watson's few words about 'life and loneliness' gave her some insights that she had never thought of before. Although she was limited by her age and could not empathize with him for now.

She also admired Professor Watson's achievements in spell innovation, which had opened her eyes to a new realm of magic. Before that, Hermione's purpose of learning was to master more knowledge and get good grades. But she rarely thought about creating new knowledge herself or applying it in novel ways.

Bryan's gift to Hermione was not surprising. It was an old magic book with a worn cover. It looked like it had been through many years of use and abuse, and its pages were yellowed and stained. But Hermione didn't care about its appearance.

She took over the book eagerly, her green fingers brushing over the gold lettering on the cover: "Ancient Spell Simplification Theory". She felt a surge of curiosity and excitement as she read the title. She heard Professor Watson's explanation in her ear.

"This book may be a bit esoteric for you now, Miss Granger. But you can try to study it first. It will give you a deep understanding of the history of spell model simplification and evolution. If you want to achieve something in spell innovation in the future, I think it will help you a lot."

Hermione opened the cover and found a line of blue ink written by Professor Watson on the first page. It was a brief introduction to the author of the book, Uric Gamp, who was a famous wizard in the 17th century. He was known for his groundbreaking research on simplifying complex spells into simpler ones, and for creating many new spells based on his theory. The handwriting looked very new, as if it had just been written recently.

"Professor Watson–" Hermione didn't bother to figure out the meaning of this inexplicable date written by Professor Watson. She looked up at Professor Watson, her lips slightly pursed, and her expression looked sad.

"Are you really not considering staying and continuing to teach? I mean, many people think you are better than Professor Lockhart in teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."

She blurted out her question, hoping that he would change his mind. She knew that it was selfish of her, but she couldn't help it.

"Just better?" Ron rolled his eyes and muttered softly, "That guy is an idiot. He's only good at flattering and talking nonsense!"

Many young wizards already knew that Bryan was about to leave Hogwarts. They all expressed their reluctance to his departure. Some of them even asked him for autographs or photos as souvenirs. To be honest, facing these simple-minded young wizards, Bryan's heart was not calm.

But compared to staying at Hogwarts and teaching under Dumbledore's watchful eye, Bryan undoubtedly preferred to adventure in the vast world. His strength had already passed the point where he could improve by studying hard. Only by expanding his knowledge and experience and fighting with more wizards could he go further! Besides, the poor salary of teaching for a year really couldn't meet his needs. Of course, maybe one day, he would return to this land of memories for countless people, but that might be many years later.

Harry, who was already a little impatient, finally waited for Professor Watson to look at him. He looked eager and wondered what he would get.

'Maybe it will be a Nimbus 2001?'

He guessed excitedly, but then he thought that he already had a very good flying broomstick, the Nimbus 2000 that he had received from Professor McGonagall in his first year. It was fast and smooth, and he loved flying with it. There was no need to change another one. And while he was thinking wildly, the words that Professor Watson said surprised Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"About you, Potter–"

Bryan knew that what he said would disappoint Harry, but he still went on,

"I don't have anything to give you for now."

Hermione and Ron looked at Harry, who had obvious disappointment in his eyes. Why had Professor Watson singled him out? Harry had been the first to deduce the location of the hidden chamber, based on the clues from the basilisk's voice and Riddle's diary. He had also faced Voldemort and bought time for the professor to arrive. If anyone deserved thanks, it was Harry!

"Or rather, I do have something to give you, Potter, but it will take some days."

Harry blinked and didn't understand what Professor Watson meant. But suddenly, he exclaimed happily,

"Professor, do you mean that you will come back to Hogwarts, right?!"

Hermione and Ron also woke up. They held their breaths and looked at Professor Watson expectantly, hoping to get a positive answer!

"I guess so."

Bryan got up with a wry smile. He turned and walked towards the door. He raised his arm over his head and waved, "I'll probably stay for a few more days. I won't say goodbye to you separately then. Three of you, have a nice life!"

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