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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章 593: 0591 Sneaking

It was approaching ten o'clock, and under normal circumstances, the castle would not be this deserted at this hour. There were always some adventurous young wizards who loved to wander and explore the castle after curfew. But on this particular evening, perhaps due to the bitterly cold weather that seeped through even the thickest of cloaks, Hermione found the castle eerily deserted as she lingered for a while on the second-floor, and she did not see any young wizards or professors in the entrance hall below.

Thud, thud, thud - her footsteps echoed loudly in the hall as she hurried down the stone stairs. The howling wind whipped through the open front doors, puffing up her black wizard's robe so that it rose behind her like a flowing cloak.

Hermione clutched her clattering book bag tightly to her chest as she paused briefly in the entrance hall, her eyes darted left and right as she discerned which direction to take. Decisively, she turned and ran quickly to the left side of the hall where a heavy wooden door stood slightly open, leading down to the castle's basement.

As soon as Hermione crossed the threshold, she was enveloped by warmth which was a stark contrast to the chilly entrance hall. The underground passage leading to the cozy Hufflepuff common room had a completely different ambiance and style from the damp, gloomy one that led to the Slytherin dungeon.

Here, torches burned brightly in iron candleholders every few steps on both sides of the stone corridor, bathing the space in a warm, golden glow and chasing away the deep chill.

Hermione paused beneath one of the flickering torches, rubbing her hands together and stamping her numb feet until the feeling started to return. She took a moment to collect herself, then nervously took a deep breath and walked forward cautiously.

BANG!

A sudden, sharp noise from behind made Hermione nearly jump out of her skin.

Heart pounding, she turned around to look back the way she had come, her wand was already in her hand with a defensive spell on her lips. But the long stone passage stretched away behind her was deserted and still with no shadowy figure or looming threat to be seen.

After a moment of tense consideration, Hermione thought that the startling sound had most likely been caused by a strong gust of wind slamming shut the heavy wooden door she had left open at the top of the stairs. She hadn't latched it properly in her rush to get away from the cold gusts howling through the Entrance Hall.

This reasonable deduction allowed Hermione to heave a huge sigh of relief. The absolute last thing she needed right now was to run into a curious Hufflepuff student or patrolling professor; she wouldn't know how to explain her presence here.

In fact, she had considered borrowing Harry's invisibility cloak, but ultimately decided against it. The cloak Hagrid had hurriedly made for her use in the Triwizard Tournament was in tatters after the events of the competition, and to borrow Harry's, she would've had to explain to both him and Ron exactly what she needed it for.

And until she had some concrete results to show for her efforts, Hermione simply wasn't ready to bring them in on her plan. They would probably think she'd gone round the twist again.

The unsettling thud and resulting spike of adrenaline made Hermione realize she was dawdling, lingering too long in one place as her overactive imagination ran away with her.

Determined to carry on, she turned her back on the empty stone corridor and continued forward at as swift a pace as she dared, craning her neck and narrowing her eyes she studied the oil paintings that covered both walls, stretching as far as the torchlight illuminated.

The paintings depicted a bewildering range of strange and wondrous foodstuffs, some recognizable and delicious-looking, others so bizarre they twisted the stomach.

Hermione paid these unsettling paintings no more than a passing, distracted glance as she hurried by. Her gaze flicked from frame to frame, never resting on one for more than a heartbeat or two. Under her breath, she muttered a few words to herself,

"Silver bowl... fruits, then a large green pear, where could it be..."

It took another hundred and eighty feet or so of brisk walking, but eventually Hermione found the object of her search. Directly in front of her, illuminated by the blazing light of two wall candles, was an oil painting with the image of a silver bowl piled high with ripe, luscious-looking fruits.

Hermione ran over excitedly. She looked carefully for a few moments, then a smile blossomed on her flushed face,

"Okay, yes, this is it. Fred said I should..."

"You should tickle that pear with your finger-" A sudden, eerily familiar voice spoke up from right behind her left shoulder.

"Oh, you're right Harry, thank you. I need to just reach up and..."

It took Hermione's overclocked brain a full three seconds to realize she was conversing with empty air. She blinked once, twice, then turned her head around so fast she nearly gave herself stroke. Her huge, startled eyes scanned the seemingly empty corridor, then narrowed in suspicion. She reached out with both hands, groping at the air, then latched onto something silky and slippery and pulled it.

With that pull, the invisibility cloak slid to her hand, revealing a sheepish Harry and a smug-looking Ron standing behind her. The three friends stood locked in silence stared at each surrounded by nothing but the oppressively close stone walls and the faint crackling of the torches.

"YOU FOLLOWED ME!"

Hermione's shocked exclamation shattered the tense silence. In a fit of annoyance, she tossed her heavy book bag at Ron, who caught it awkwardly against his chest with a startled "oof." and glared at them furiously,

"I can't BELIEVE you two! you dare do this!"

"Hey now," Ron protested weakly. "We never thought you'd lie to us."

Ron flipped open the flap of Hermione's bag and searched around inside for a moment before withdrawing a round pin inscribed with the familiar abbreviation S.P.E.W. - Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare and he held it up in an accusing manner flipping it back and forth, and snorted,

"Going to the library to make up for lost study time over Christmas hols' indeed. Your ability to spin utter rubbish has greatly improved of late, Hermione. Luckily Harry was smart enough to figure out right quick that this passage leads to the kitchens, not the library!"

Hermione glared fiercely at the sheepishly smiling Harry with her eyes, finally realizing how she had been exposed.

"Well, since you two have already sunk to the level of creepy stalkers, you might as well make yourselves useful," Hermione snapped bossily after a moment. She latched onto each of their arms in an intensely tight grip and dragged them over to her side in front of the oil painting.

"Now come in with me. I'm going to have a chat with Reega, she's Freodom's mother. You two can help me promote our ideas to the house-elves in the kitchen-"

"Those are your ideas-"

Harry said in a voice full of grievance. He was starting to regret following Hermione now.

But Hermione completely ignored their complaints. She grabbed their arms and pulled them next to her. Then, swallowing, she reached out her index finger and tickled the green pear on the silver bowl.

Fred and George were frequent visitors to the kitchen, but Harry, Ron and Hermione had never barged into the kitchen before. Under their nervous gaze, the green pear squirmed and grunted, then suddenly turned into a large green door handle.

"Maybe we should put the cloak back on?" Harry suggested nervously as Hermione boldly grasped the knob and gave it a sharp twist. "There could be professors in there, not just House Elves."

But his warning fell on deaf ears. With typical Gryffindor recklessness, Hermione twisted open the hidden door and pulled her two reluctant co-conspirators over the threshold before they could utter another word of protest.

The trio huddled together just inside the doorway for a moment, blinking their eyes widely as they took in the massive, bustling space before them.

In a hurried glance, Harry only saw a high-ceilinged room as large as the Great Hall above. Many shiny copper pots and pans were piled up against the stone walls around. On the other side of the room was a large brick fireplace, with a row of brick stoves on either side. Just as Harry was scrutinizing the four long tables in the middle of the large kitchen, an excited scream suddenly came from the other end of the kitchen!

"Harry Potter, sir!"

The sudden shout made Harry, Ron and Hermione all tremble in fright. Harry even saw a small dark shadow rapidly approaching him. He quickly pulled out his wand from his pocket, which indeed made the small dark shadow rushing toward him restrain itself a lot. It braked with its heels on the ground. After a long braking distance, it finally stopped in front of them!

"Do...Dobby?"

When he looked at the face of this little creature, Harry's expression suddenly froze. He asked in a daze, and his inquiring voice also caused the nervous Hermione and Ron to look stunned.

'Dobby?' Ron mouthed incredulously at Harry over Hermione's bushy head, staring at the creature in front of him that might be the most oddly dressed he had ever seen.

'Wasn't this the completely nutters House Elf who had belonged to the Malfoys? The one who, in their Second Year, had charmed a Bludger to try to take Harry's head off during a match, and then proceeded to make it his life's mission to "save" Harry from apparent threats, even if it killed him? The one who had sealed the wall to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station in their second year, forcing him and Harry to come to school in his father's illegally enchanted car?

What in the name of Merlin's pants was HE doing in the Hogwarts kitchens?'

"It IS Dobby, sir, it is, it is!"

Now that Harry called out its name, Dobby suddenly became lively again. It was no longer afraid of the wand in Harry's hand, but rushed over and fiercely collided with Harry's abdomen, hugging him tightly.

"Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see his friend Harry Potter again! And now Harry Potter and his Wheezy have come to the kitchens at last! And they is bringing the great, the wonderful Miss Hermione Granger with them!"

Dobby let go and took a few steps back, looking at Harry with a big smile, his tennis ball-sized green eyes brimming with joyful tears.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then at Harry.

Harry never dreamed that he would see Dobby in the Hogwarts kitchen. He had even chatted with Crouch's house-elf Winky about Dobby for a bit on the night of the Quidditch final. Harry thought Dobby was still wandering homeless searching for work now!

"But... But what are you doing HERE?" Harry blurted, his voice slightly higher pitched than normal due to his lingering astonishment. He never in his wildest dreams (or worst nightmares, frankly) thought he'd ever see Dobby turn up in the Hogwarts kitchens, of all places! "How did you end up at Hogwarts?"

"Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, Harry Potter, sir!" The ecstatic Elf bounced up and down screaming excitedly. "Professor Dumbledore is giving Dobby and his friend Winky jobs!!"

"Winky?"

Hermione immediately perked up. She had a deep impression of this house-elf who had been kicked out by Crouch for an unjust accusation. It could even be said that it was Winky's painful experience that ignited the idea in Hermione's heart to fight for the rights and interests of house-elves.

Hermione raised her head to look at the house-elves who had stopped their work and were respectfully looking at the three of them. She searched for Winky's figure among them.

"Where is she?"

Dobby obviously recognized that the lady standing with Harry Potter was one of the Triwizard champions, a powerful figure who could handle dragons. It tilted its body and pointed to the other end of the kitchen, saying in a respectful tone,

"Right over there, respected Miss Granger. If you wish, Dobby can lead you to see her!"

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