章 591: 0589 Changes
The twists and turns of the long, eventful night finally drew to a close as the first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon. Dumbledore's astonishing words about potentially absorbing the Druids into Hogwarts was ultimately brushed off as a joke by Horn and even Bryan didn't take them seriously. Even if one day they could really absorb these Druids into the Wizarding world, it would at least have to wait until after they had defeated Voldemort.
As the group prepared to part ways, Horn's curiosity got the better of him and he still tried to pry for more information to understand why both Dumbledore and Watson had acquiesced to Cliodna lurking within Hogwarts under the identity of Mad-Eye Moody. But they couldn't possibly tell the centaurs the truth now. Even Dumbledore sternly warned Horn, not allowing him to reveal that they already knew her identity.
"It seems to me that Horn places more trust in those Druids than he does in us," Bryan said abruptly as he and Dumbledore entered the Hogwarts grounds and made their way towards the castle.
"I assure you, Bryan, I do not underestimate the significance of this matter," Dumbledore replied calmly. "However, it is important that you learn to have faith in others. Relying solely on magic to ensure others keep your secrets is, quite frankly, a rather sad state of affairs."
To a certain extent, Bryan's vigilance and caution exceeded even his own. Dumbledore had initially anticipated that it would require more persuasion to bring Bryan around to his point of view. Much to his surprise, though, Bryan did not refute his perspective. Instead, he simply nodded in silent acquiescence.
"Bryan?" Dumbledore suddenly called out as he watched Bryan quietly ascend the stairs in the dimly lit hall. His blue eyes twinkled with an inscrutable light and he smiled saying. "As I mentioned just now, it is crucial that you learn to trust others. If you ever find yourself in need of guidance, whether in matters of magic or life itself, you should know that in terms of age and experience, I daresay you have little hope of surpassing me."
Bryan raised his eyebrows in surprise at Dumbledore's words. After a moment, he too smiled. "I am truly grateful for your offer, Headmaster Dumbledore. But I fear the confusions I currently face are not ones that anyone in this world can provide answers to... not even if you were to live to see the dawn of the next century."
With those cryptic parting words, Bryan turned and continued his climb, disappearing into the shadow of the castle.
As November slipped away quietly and December strolled in with its usual festive air, the atmosphere within Hogwarts also began to shift gradually.
The buzz surrounding the recently concluded first task of the Triwizard Tournament, which had dominated the headlines for a fortnight, started to fade. In its place, a growing sense of anticipation for the approaching Christmas holidays took root in the hearts and minds of the young wizards.
On a clear Tuesday evening, the first in nearly half a month where the stars graced the sky with their twinkling presence, Professor Aurora Sinistra made an abrupt urgent announcement. She temporarily switched the Astronomy class schedule, calling the young Gryffindor and Hufflepuff witches and wizards to the top of the Astronomy Tower for a spontaneous stargazing session.
This unexpected change in plans elicited a flash of irritation from Hermione. She had meticulously planned out her evening, intending to spend hours in the library searching for clues about the perplexing sound emanating from the golden egg that was the clue for the tournament's second task.
Moreover, she had other pressing matters to attend to, the details of which she kept close to her chest. As she climbed the stairs to the tower, Hermione vented her frustrations to Harry and Ron lamenting the disruption to her carefully laid plans.
"Oh, come off it, Hermione," Ron said brightly, his tone revealing a distinct lack of concern. "You've got a good three months until the next task, and there's the Christmas holiday tucked in there too. Plenty of time to suss out what that blasted screeching from the egg is all about."
He tilted his head as his eyes narrowed focusing on the bag Hermione clutched tightly to her chest. "Hang on, what's that jingling noise coming from your bag? Definitely not more of those barmy fan letters, is it?"
Since the end of the competition, the several champions participating had become the darlings of the European Wizarding world. Each of them received countless letters, most expressing admiration for them, but quite a few also used sharp words to satirize their methods of getting past the dragons. While these letters did initially bring some distress to Hermione, as she read more, she became calm.
"Oh, no, it's not that," Hermione stammered, her grip tightening on her bag as if to shield its contents from prying eyes. "It's just... well, I won't be able to make full use of the Christmas break for research, Ron. I'm planning on going home for the holidays, which means no access to the library to look up for information."
"Going home?" Harry interjected, unable to cover the surprise in his voice. A moment later, he realized his reaction might inadvertently reveal his own hope that his friends would choose to stay and accompany him at Hogwarts for the holidays.
But embarrassingly for Harry, Hermione had clearly picked up on the reason of his surprise. She looked at Harry with an apologetic expression and took a deep breath before saying. "Yes, I've decided to spend this Christmas with my parents. If something were to happen to me during the second task... well, ... I mean, I would have spent the last Christmas with them."
The old Hermione would never have been able to utter such words with the level of composure and acceptance she now showed. Becoming a champion had brought no small change to Hermione too—Harry and Ron, looking at each other uneasily, and both saw what the other was thinking.
"Don't you worry about it, Harry," Ron took the lead in breaking the awkward silence. He had obviously also seen the reason for Harry's surprise just now. "I'm planning on sticking around Hogwarts for the Holidays. Won't make much difference with or without me at home anyway. Plus, it'll give you plenty of time to help me with all this extra training. Maybe by the time term starts up again, I'll be ready to have a go at that second training exercise... blimey, I still can't wrap my head around how you lot managed to dodge and endure all those dungbombs!"
"You're making great progress, Ron," Harry knew Ron was saying this to comfort him, but a warm current rose in his heart. He was grateful again that their friendship was saved. "I reckon by the time the holidays roll around, you'll be more than ready to start working on your evasion skills. With most of the castle emptied out, we should be able to make good use of the gaps in the schedule for PE class."
One by one, Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the final few steps to appear onto the Astronomy observation deck. Designed to offer an unobstructed view of the sky, the deck was completely open on all sides, without even a wall to provide shelter from the biting winds that whipped across the exposed space and the remaining pillars obviously couldn't shield them from the cold wind.
As the chilly air sliced through their cloaks and robes, eliciting involuntary shivers from the gathered students, Harry wished he could learn from Quirrell in the first year's Defense Against the Dark Arts class and wrap his head tightly with a scarf.
Just as he was burrowing deeper into his cloak in a vain attempt to hide from the chilly wind, a piece of conversation drifted over to him from the direction of one of the stone pillars.
"I'm terribly sorry, Bryan, but I really must start the lesson."
Harry glanced over curiously, to see Professor Sinistra addressing none other than Professor Watson. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Hermione, Ron, Neville, and several of their classmates also staring in the pair's direction, and they were also similarly surprised.
Bryan, who was bending over with his face pressed against an astronomical telescope, came back to his senses. He straightened up, looked back at the young wizards staring at him, and smiled apologetically,
"Oh, sorry, Aurora, I... um, got a bit engrossed—"
"No worries at all, Bryan. The allure of the stars has ensnared many great minds over the centuries."
Professor Sinistra said beaming at Bryan, not minding at all. On the contrary, she looked positively delighted by his apparent enthusiasm for her subject.
"You weren't so interested in my class when you were studying at Hogwarts, perhaps you've finally come to appreciate the true importance of astronomical study!" Her eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement. "You know, if you'd like, you're more than welcome to stay and observe with us. I'm sure these students wouldn't mind in the slightest."
Bryan smiled at the offer but shook his head. "Thank you, Aurora. But I have some rather pressing matters to attend to." He nodded gratefully to Professor Sinistra. "Perhaps another time."
With that, he turned and walked towards the stairs and disappeared from view, leaving a group of students looking at his back in confusion.
Professor Sinistra turned her attention back to the class, and her expression became solemn.
"As some of you may have already noticed, even a wizard as accomplished as Professor Watson is utterly captivated by the subtle laws of planetary motion. It is my sincere hope that each and every one of you comes to appreciate the magic of astronomy. As I said to you all during your very first Astronomy lesson, Astronomy is the most mysterious and incomprehensible of all the magical subjects. Only through diligence, dedication, and a keen eye will you begin to unravel the secrets of the cosmos."
"Funny, I seem to recall that old fraud Trelawney spouting something similar about Divination," Ron muttered under his breath, earning himself displeased looks from Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, they were the two people among Gryffindor students most infatuated with Professor Trelawney.
Hermione, meanwhile, was frowning thoughtfully, and her eyebrows were furrowed. "You know, now that I think about it, Professor Watson's behavior has been a bit odd lately. Maybe you two haven't noticed, Professor Watson's hardly been seen in the Great Hall for meals, and even in Physical Education last week, he seemed rather distracted. He's usually not like this."
"Really?" Harry blinked, somewhat taken aback by Hermione's observation. He tried to recall if he'd noticed anything amiss himself, but found... he hadn't noticed anything.
Hermione let out a small, exasperated sigh at Harry's apparent obliviousness, before turning her worried gaze back to the stairs down which Professor Watson had vanished. "Well, whatever it is that's troubling him, I do hope he manages to sort it out soon."
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章 592: 0590 Thoughts
After returning to his office, Bryan was unable to focus on any further work. Instead, he simply stood there, leaning against the rough stone wall beside the crackling fireplace, holding a steaming cup of tea in his hands. His weary eyes stared blankly out the frosted window at the crisp winter night sky stretching across the horizon.
As the world continued its constant rotation, those ancient constellations remained fixed in their everlasting positions unmoved by the passage of time. The glimmering light had occupied the same stations for countless millennia, perhaps even since the very dawn of creation itself.
Gazing up at the timeless sky often aroused a deep sense of insignificance in those who observed it, and tonight was no exception for him.
"Sigh..." Bryan exhaled heavily, his breath fogging in the chilly air.
Only when the brightest moon in the night had gradually arced across the sky to the other side of the stone castle did Bryan finally woke from his thoughtful reverie.
Blinking away the haze of deep thought, he withdrew his unfocused gaze from the window and glanced down, suddenly aware of his surroundings once more. The cup of tea clutched forgotten in his hands had grown stone cold and was almost frozen solid.
Turning to the fireplace, he observed with a small frown that the pine logs had long since burned down to faintly glowing embers and ash, allowing the outdoor chill to seep into his gloomy study until the room was nearly as cold as the frosty grounds outside.
With a small shrug, Bryan made no move to rekindle the dying flames in the hearth. Instead, he returned to his desk, and looked at the old woman smiling at him in the photo frame on the table, and his mind once again began uncontrollably wandering.
In his previous life, Bryan lived for more than twenty years. In this life, he had already spent more than twenty years in the Wizarding world. If he was being completely honest with himself, this world of magic in which he now lived, with all its fantastical charms and oddities, felt immensely more tangible and real to him than that hazy previous life he ever had which seemed more like a fleeting dream. The wizarding world was his home, his reality, and given the choice, he would clearly want to remain here forever. And yet...
The journey home...
The things he experienced were the most mysterious and incredible even in the world of magic. As a great wizard like him who had already reached the top of the magical path and was waiting for an opportunity to advance further, how could he not pursue the secrets behind all this?
Thinking about taking the next step, a few traces of worry appeared between Bryan's brows.
As he understood it, the next step up the ladder of ultimate magical attainments after one reached his current level of power and skill would be to transcend the shackles of mortality and climb to the ranks of the Magi/Magus or the legendary Saints.
And yet, if the centaur elder Horn was to be believed, in the chaotic aftermath of the catastrophic confrontation between King Arthur, Merlin, and Morgan le Fay all those centuries ago, as that Magical land accelerated its departure from their world, no one could reach that legendary level anymore.
No witch or wizard in living memory had successfully breached that final threshold to touch the Legend.
Bryan pondered over Horn's statements, picking them apart and examining them from every angle. He couldn't fully accept Horn's claims, as there were simply too many inconsistencies and holes in the old story.
After all, the Four Founders of Hogwarts, while undeniably mighty, had not been Magi or Saints - of that he was quite certain. At the very least, the power of the four founders of Hogwarts was definitely not on the same level as his. In other words, the four founders could still leave their mark on that wonderful magical world by relying on their own powerful soul strength. But after all, that was already a thousand years ago.
In today's Wizarding world, the one with the highest power was undoubtedly Albus Dumbledore. Bryan originally thought that Dumbledore, who was the pinnacle of this generation, had already reached that level. But now it seemed uncertain. Dumbledore was indeed a bit stronger than him, but his power still seemed to be quite a distance from the legendary Saints.
As for the likes of Voldemort and Gellert Grindelwald who stayed in Nurmengard for more than half a century, they were merely on par with him. It was just that their paths were different, so there were some differences in their displayed attacking power. If it was a life-and-death battle, whether it was Voldemort or Grindelwald, Bryan would not be afraid. After all, Grindelwald is already quite old.
But then again, a wizard as talented as Dumbledore had failed to cross that threshold in his entire life, so what about himself?
Bang--
Just as Bryan was envisioning the future, the dead silent air in the office suddenly rippled. A house-elf suddenly appeared in front of Bryan.
It was Reega!
This little elf seemed to have encountered something terrifying. After landing, it had a panicked expression, completely lacking the usual respect and humility in front of wizards. Instead, it rushed to Bryan's desk in a flurry, its tennis ball-sized eyes brimming with tears, stammering,
"Mr.-Mr. Watson, please, please... please—"
Bryan's expression, lost in thought, immediately turned serious. He abruptly stood up from his seat and said in a deep voice,
"Calm down, Reega. What happened?"
"Kind Mr. Watson, please save Freodom-"
Reega's large nose was covered in a string of clear snot. She said this instinctively, but at the end of her plea, she seemed to regain some sense.
"Kitchen—huff... The famous Harry Potter, a school champion, and a red-haired boy, they're in danger. They asked me to find you!"
...
Professor Sinistra's use of Professor Watson to inspire the students, hoping they would invest more enthusiasm in Astronomy class, did have some effect. But the young wizards' ignited passion quickly extinguished in the howling, knife-like cold wind on the Astronomy observation deck.
Even Hermione the most dedicated student in their year, couldn't seem to muster her usual focus in the face of such miserable conditions. Like her less academically-inclined classmates, her mind was fully occupied with the thought of escaping this cold and seeking out the comforting warmth of her cozy four-poster bed in Gryffindor Tower.
The only cheer in the entire class was when Professor Sinistra announced the end of the lesson. The young wizards shivered as they wrote down the homework that needed to be handed in before the next class on their parchment for recording planetary positions. Then, one by one, they rushed down from the observation deck.
"Oh!"
The Hufflepuff students needed to return to their basement. Ron waved goodbye to Ernie, then casually wiped under Harry's nostril. The unexpected pain made Harry jump up. He covered his nose and glared at Ron angrily, not understanding what trick he was playing.
"Your icicles—"
Ron innocently shrugged and showed Harry an icicle.
"I was just helping you take it off—"
"Thanks!"
Harry said irritably.
"But I could've just found a torch to warm my nose!"
Hermione was so amused by this scene that she couldn't stop giggling clutching her stomach even after their Gryffindor classmates had passed them.
"There's nothing funny about this, Hermione—"
Harry said annoyedly. His nostrils were burning with pain, as if Ron had torn his upper lip while peeling off the icicles there.
"Blimey, feels like it gets colder every year," Ron muttered, jamming his hands into his armpits and hunching his shoulders against a particularly nasty gust howling past. "The professors are mental, making us go up there in the dead of winter. It's not enough to freeze our bums off in Potions, oh no, got to turn our bits into icicles too!"
"Maybe next term we can petition the Board to relocate Astronomy somewhere south of the Arctic Circle," Harry said wryly, tucking his scarf up over his abused nose with a grimace.
"Everyone's gone. Let's hurry back and warm up in the common room before Ron takes something else off your nose!"
"Oh, yeah. Let's hurry up"
Ron was still grinning, when he heard Harry's call, but Hermione stopped laughing and her eyes flickered.
"Ahem, you guys go back first without me. I have something to do—"
"Don't tell me you're planning to go to the library now?"
Ron tossed the slightly melted icicle out of the corridor, wiping his hand on Harry's robe. He said in surprise,
"Forget it. You'll freeze to death out there."
"I've already told you the reason—"
Hermione had no intention of listening to their advice. She pulled her heavy schoolbag up on her shoulder, stuffed her stiff hands back into her sleeves, and said firmly,
"I plan to go home for Christmas break. That means I won't be able to look up any information for several weeks. And I can't research the strange sound in the golden egg at home. It would scare my parents. So, I must seize the time now, otherwise my progress will fall too far behind!"
After saying that, without waiting for Harry and Ron to speak, Hermione hurried downstairs, following the same steps the Hufflepuff students had just taken.
Watching Hermione's rapidly retreating figure, for some reason, Harry felt a strange feeling in his heart. As he pondered what exactly was wrong, a gust of cold wind blew in from the corridor beside him, instantly freezing his thoughts. Ron also shivered violently.
"Tsk, she's simply crazy—"
Ron's voice trembled from the cold. He gave Harry a look, then the two hunched over and quickly walked towards Gryffindor Tower.
"I say, she doesn't need to work so hard, right? This isn't the final exam where she must get first place. As long as she figures out what the clue is before the second task, there's no problem at all—"
"At least she can have more time to prepare, in case they want her to face something as dangerous as dragons—" Harry said objectively. "Obviously, Hermione has always thought she cheated in the first task. You know, Ron, that thought must be tormenting her badly. So, she's eager to prove herself—"
"That's why I say she doesn't need to—"
Turning a corner, Ron shook his head in disagreement.
"If finding out beforehand that we had to face dragons counts as cheating, then Cedric, Krum, and Fleur, none of them are clean either. Didn't Professor Moody tell her? Gathering intelligence is also part of the competition—"
"Hermione probably isn't concerned about the dragons, but Freodom... Wait, Ron!"
Harry was about to tell Ron that Hermione was concerned that Freodom had drugged over the Chinese Fireball she was originally supposed to face. However, the instant he mentioned Freodom, a lightning bolt flashed through Harry's mind. He froze in place.
"What's wrong?"
Ron stopped and asked in confusion.
"Hermione told us she was going to the library?" Harry furrowed his brows heavily.
"That's what she said—" Ron blinked. "Aren't we just discussing this?"
"But the way to the library isn't that way. She followed the Hufflepuffs. That's the way down to the first floor Entrance Hall."
Harry said blankly. In the drafty corridor, the two boys stared at each other. Then, suddenly, at the same second, they both jumped up and rushed back in the direction they came from.
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