The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 191 The final decision
Ada couldn't believe that there was such a clean little house hidden in the Hog's Head Bar.

Ada had been here once with the twins. Compared to the sloppy wizard, Ada preferred Madam Rosmerta. At least this friend of her mother was a very hygienic person.

Ada was looking around the room, but Dumbledore was looking at Ada. He was troubled by Ada's performance today. He should have thought of the seriousness of his words and the consequences.

This girl who seemed to not care about what others said was actually very sensitive. My words hurt her heart, causing her not to participate in Hagrid's dragon incident as before, and also causing her to choose the most irrational way to solve the problem today.

Dumbledore looked at Ada's right arm. Since the headmaster's office, the girl's right hand had been in the pocket of her robe. Dumbledore knew without asking that her right hand must be tightly holding the wand.

Just because of this one sentence, such a huge rift was created between the two of them, causing Ada to distrust herself so much, which was something Dumbledore had not anticipated in advance.

Seeing Dumbledore observing her right hand, Ada still did not shy away and had no intention of taking out her right hand. Even when the owner of the Hog's Head Pub brought food over, Ada still did not take out her right hand, but stubbornly used her left hand to eat.

Ada was using such childish behavior to tell Dumbledore that she did not trust him and that every word he said now was not worthy of her trust.

Only by holding the magic wand in her hand can Ada feel a little safe when facing an unknown journey.

After serving the food, the owner of the Hog's Head Inn did not leave, but sat on a chair behind Dumbledore. He said, "Little girl, I have seen you."

"Yes, sir, I came to your bar a year ago." Ada said. She was still eating with her left hand. Fortunately, the bar owner prepared a sandwich and a bowl of soup, so it would not affect her even if she used her left hand.

"You were only a second year a year ago, and the school does not allow second year students to enter Hogsmeade." Dumbledore tried to start a conversation. He did not ask Ada who she came with, because she must have come with the twins; nor did he ask how she got here, because even if he asked, Ada would not tell him now.

"Little girl, if you want to stay alive, you'd better stay away from him, the farther the better." The bar owner said, "Just like you did today, always be on guard against this seemingly amiable principal."

Ada looked up at the bar owner, then she quickly glanced at Dumbledore. Ada suddenly found that there were some similarities between the bar owner and Dumbledore.

"You are still the same." Dumbledore said helplessly, "Can't you give me some leeway in front of my students?"

"If it weren't for this girl, you wouldn't have been able to walk into this bar." The bar owner said, "Where are you going to take this girl? Azkaban or St. Mungo's? As a prisoner, or to be studied by those lunatics in the Infirmary for the rest of her life?"

Both Dumbledore and the bar owner were looking at Ada, as if they saw past memories in Ada.

Dumbledore said slowly: "I will not send her to Azkaban, nor will I send her to St. Mungo's. I will just take her to see someone, someone who can help her grow, someone who can give her more choices."

The bar owner laughed disdainfully and continued, "Have you asked her who to take her to see and who not to see? You are still the same as always, never thinking about whether you have done anything wrong."

"It is precisely because I realized my mistake that I made this decision..." Dumbledore returned his gaze to Ada's right hand, "This is the final decision I made on her life."

The two men discussed Ada's life in front of Ada. After a few words, they stopped and the hidden room returned to silence.

In the open space behind the Hog's Head, Dumbledore was about to take Ada, who had just rested for a while, away. He said, "The place we are going to is a little far from here. It's better for you to follow me."

Seeing Dumbledore's raised left arm, Ada remained indifferent and walked to Dumbledore's right side and grabbed his right arm. In this way, Ada's right hand was still in her pocket, holding her wand.

Looking at Ada's actions, the bar owner said, "That's it. Don't believe him, and don't be fooled by his words." Dumbledore smiled and said to the bar owner, "I hope that when I come back, we can have dinner together after a long absence."

After saying that, Dumbledore and Ada disappeared from the spot. After a dizzying spin, Ada found herself at the seaside. Seabirds were circling in the sky, waves were beating against the cliffs, and the air was filled with the smell of the sea.

"This is the White Cliffs of Dover, the halfway point of the journey," said Dumbledore. "He hasn't arrived yet. We may have to wait here for a while."

The White Cliffs of Dover are located at Beachy Head on the English Channel. When looking at England from the European continent, the most eye-catching thing is the beautiful white cliffs at the feet of Ada.

On the other side of the sea is romantic France, the France of the Sun King, the France of Napoleon, the France of the baguette.

After about ten minutes of the sea breeze, an old man in tattered clothes and with a hunched back came over, holding a rusty bucket in his hand. He placed the bucket next to Dumbledore and Ada.

The hunchbacked old man said, "Two more minutes."

Dumbledore nodded. Instead of raising his left arm again, he grabbed Ada's shoulder with his right hand. As the old man's countdown ended, Dumbledore stepped into the rusty bucket.

Ada felt like she was flying forward like a gust of wind. All the scenery in front of her eyes became blurry. This inconspicuous bucket seemed to have magnetic force, attracting her around it.

When Ada's feet landed back on the ground, she could no longer hear the sound of the waves, and there was no salty taste in the air. Ada breathed in the dry air greedily. Sure enough, there was no normal vehicle in the magic world.

After finally getting used to Floo Powder and Apparition, Portkeys appear again. Wizards should really take a ride on an airplane to broaden their horizons, otherwise they will not improve their way of traveling.

"Where is this place?" Ada asked. This was the first time she took the initiative to speak to Dumbledore today.

Looking up, this place is surrounded by layers of snow-capped mountains. A cold, black, and intimidating castle stands on the cliff, and an exceptionally tall tower is built near the cliff.

"Inland Europe, Austria," Dumbledore replied.

What do you think of when you think of Austria? The Golden Hall in Vienna, the Habsburg dynasty, the love between Princess Sissi and Crown Prince Franz, or the young man with a mustache wandering the streets of Vienna pursuing his artistic dream?

Ada was thinking of Gellert Grindelwald, the Dark Lord who was imprisoned in Nurmengard in Austria after being defeated by Dumbledore. In fact, Nurmengard was built by Grindelwald to imprison his opponents, but after he was defeated, Nurmengard became the place where he was imprisoned.

Ada followed Dumbledore along the rugged mountain road. The tall walls in the distance made it impossible for anyone to climb over them. The towering castle looked eerie even in the daytime.

The two walked for a long time and finally came to a platform made of huge stones. This should be the entrance to the castle, but Ada couldn't find the door. It must have been hidden by magic.

"There are no guards here, and no one in the world can guard him," said Dumbledore.

Dumbledore waved his wand and chanted a long and complicated spell. As he chanted the spell, the castle gate finally appeared. The majestic castle told the past glory of its owner, and the mottled wooden door told the story that disappeared with the wind.

Ada looked up at the spot just above the castle gate, where a line of words was engraved: For the greater good.

(End of this chapter)