Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 288 Chapter 287: The Fall of Dumbledore
The dusk permeated the forbidden forest like ink.

A damp mist carrying the scent of rotting leaves rolled through the forest.

The old man turned and faced the bronze door.

"Professor!" Hermione was extremely worried and hesitant. She wanted to rush forward, but was stopped by Snape. The Potions Professor rarely spoke in a low voice without mocking.

"Don't cause trouble."

His voice was filled with helplessness. There was no way, as a mature man, Snape knew that this was not something he could intervene to help.

To some extent.

He and the little witch beside him were wizards of the same level. If Dumbledore couldn't pass the test of the bronze door, Snape didn't think his soul was more qualified than Dumbledore.

In fact.

Because of his respect and admiration for Dumbledore, Snape understood that if there was anyone in this world who could bring Ian back, that person must be the Hogwarts headmaster in front of him.

If even the headmaster can't do it, then probably no one in the entire wizarding world can do it, even if it's just releasing the imprisoned Grindelwald.

under balance.

Snape knew that Dumbledore's decision was definitely the best one under the current circumstances - of course, giving up Ian was also an option, and even a more overall choice. However, judging from Dumbledore's look and his own wishes, this would not be a direction that would be adopted.

"Dumbledore is always right, trust him."

Snape said solemnly to Hermione.

Isn't this also a kind of psychological construction for oneself?

"But……"

Hermione suddenly realized that this might be the last time she saw Dumbledore. The thought made her throat tighten. She wanted to say something but all the words got stuck in her throat.

"Don't worry about me, Miss Granger."

Dumbledore seemed to see through her thoughts and turned to Snape: "Severus, please take these collections of my books back. You can also ask Nick Flamel to study the bronze door." He paused and looked at Hermione. "Of course, we have to arrange for our Miss Granger first."

"We can't let her sneak over here again."

Although the tone was slightly teasing.

But Hermione felt two pairs of sharp eyes looking at her at the same time. Dumbledore's eyes were gentle but unfathomable, while Snape's eyes were filled with his usual scrutiny.

"I didn't run away."

Hermione's voice sounded guilty.

but.

But no one cares about this.

"We can't go back to this forest..." Snape still remembered how he and Hermione wandered around in the forest that seemed to be pieced together.

"Someone will come to rescue you."

Dumbledore's tone was full of certainty.

Before Snape could ask who it was.

He looked at Hermione again.

"I believe you will not mention this matter to other students in the college?" Dumbledore asked Hermione softly with a faint smile on his lips.

"After all, Gryffindor's curiosity can sometimes be more dangerous than the Dark Arts."

It was well known that Gryffindors were big mouths, and as an old Gryffindor, Dumbledore felt that he should avoid this in advance.

"what?"

Hermione's face suddenly heated up.

"Of course not, Professor! I swear!" She was really a little embarrassed and annoyed. She didn't know who was spreading rumors about her. Even Dumbledore thought she was a big mouth.

"It has to be Ron! He's the one with the loud mouth!"

The little witch made this judgment in her heart.

And at the same time.

“Good girl.”

Dumbledore nodded, then turned to the bronze door and took a deep breath. "Then it's time. I think I should start a new adventure of mine."

As a Gryffindor.

He is certainly not afraid of dangerous adventures.

And this time.

Snape suddenly took a step forward.

"Albus, you should make some preparations, or wait--"

He hasn't finished speaking yet.

"Waiting is sometimes more dangerous than acting." Dumbledore did not look back, his voice was light but firm. He raised the Elder Wand, and the tip of the wand drew a series of complex runes in the air. When each golden symbol appeared, the corresponding rune on the bronze door would light up, making a low resonant sound.

The air was filled with the scent of ancient magic, as if history that had been sealed for countless years had suddenly been opened. This was actually a kind of retrospection, not that Dumbledore had really figured out how to open the bronze door.

how to say.

It was like a design bug. Dumbledore used his memory to recreate how the bronze door had worked before.

Otherwise, how can he be called the most outstanding magical genius in the world? Such an incredible thing, throughout history, I am afraid that the number of people in the whole world who can do it can only be counted on one hand.

of course.

With such means, the reason why Dumbledore spent so much time studying it was very simple. He had only seen the operation of the bronze gate when his wrong self walked out of the gate.

I haven't seen how Ian triggered the bronze door. Therefore, this is definitely an extremely risky behavior. After all, if Ian triggers it in a different way, things will be tricky.

“I always believe in my luck.”

Dumbledore's eyes were still deep, without revealing too much emotion.

"It's on! It's on again!"

Hermione held her breath as the runes lit up one by one. Some of the shapes reminded her of ancient runes but more complex, while others looked like a type of writing she had never seen before.

In short.

At this moment, the little witch has secretly made up her mind that she must study hard. Perhaps one day when she encounters a similar situation again, she will not be as powerless and confused as she is now.

"Boom!"

As the last rune was lit, the center of the bronze door began to rotate, forming a bottomless vortex. Star-like light spots flickered in the vortex, but they were deeper than the starry sky.

Dumbledore glanced back at them one last time, his blue eyes bright in the glow of magic.

"Remember, knowledge is like moonlight. It can guide those who are lost, but it can also expose those who walk at night. Use it with caution." This was obviously a reminder to Hermione.

"what?"

Hermione was shocked when her thoughts were seen through.

and so.

Did Dumbledore also use mind reading on himself?

The silent kind?
The thought made Hermione feel uncertain and confused.

Snape's expression remained unchanged, he just stared at Dumbledore in front of the bronze door.

"Remember, don't tell the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Keep an eye on him." Dumbledore looked back at Snape, then he stepped into the vortex without any hesitation.

"headmaster!"

Hermione rushed forward unconsciously, but was pulled back by Snape, and watched Dumbledore's figure being swallowed by the whirlpool. The moment the last piece of the robe disappeared, the bronze door made a deafening roar, and then -

Silence. Absolute silence.

The vortex disappeared, the runes dimmed, and the bronze door returned to the way it was when they first saw it, as if nothing had happened. Neither Snape nor Hermione had the ability to open it again.

Snape's hand was still tightly grasping Hermione's arm, so tight that it hurt. But at this moment, the pain made her feel a little bit real - proving that this was not a nightmare.

"Will he come back?" Hermione asked in a low voice, her voice trembling so much that it didn't seem like her own.

Snape did not answer immediately. He stared at the bronze door, his dark eyes unfathomable. After a long moment, he let go of Hermione's arm, his voice so low that it was almost inaudible.

"Dumbledore always knows what he's doing." That wasn't an answer, Hermione thought. But perhaps, it was the only answer they could get at the moment.

The night wind of the Forbidden Forest blew again, carrying the scent of soil and new plants. The bronze door stood quietly, silent as a mystery. The darkness of the Forbidden Forest seemed to have a substantial weight, pressing on Hermione's shoulders.

Oh.

It turned out to be Snape's big hand.

The Potions professor was also in a bad mood.

So the hand is a bit heavy.

"You're hurting me, Professor."

Hermione spoke quickly.

"..."

Snape quickly retracted his strength.

"Let's go."

He was ready to explore the surroundings.

"But didn't Headmaster Dumbledore say someone would come to rescue us?" Hermione was a little confused. Snape's black robe looked like a moving shadow under the dim wand light.

Without even turning his head, he spoke in a voice like a knife cutting through ice: "Rely on Nico Flamel? The old man is probably dozing off with his alchemy notebooks right now."

obviously.

Snape still felt that it was more reliable to rely on himself than to wait for rescue. Hermione bit her lower lip. She wanted to refute - Nico Flamel was, after all, the greatest alchemist in history and an old friend of Dumbledore - but Snape suddenly stopped and raised a hand to signal her to be quiet.

His movement was so abrupt that Hermione nearly bumped into his back.

"There's something." Snape's voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible, and his wand was already pointed at the bushes on the right. Hermione's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. She looked in the direction Snape pointed - the bushes there were shaking slightly, making sparse sounds. In this strange area, even insects did not exist.

Why is there such a noise?

Any movement means something weird!

"What will it be?"

Hermione's mind was racing, her fingers clenched around her wand until her knuckles turned white.

Is it Snape copied from the bronze door? Or myself? Or another Dumbledore? Or even a copied Ian? I have to say that Hermione's mental activities are indeed frequent enough.

Hermione continued to use her imagination, while Snape was extremely alert. The shaking of the bushes became more and more obvious. Hermione felt that her breathing was about to stop. Snape was as still as a statue, only the tip of his wand trembled slightly, ready to release a deadly spell at any time. He probably had the same idea as Hermione.

Snape thought to himself that he was afraid of meeting another Dumbledore, and even more afraid of meeting a copied Ian - Ian's magic was much more evil than Dumbledore's.

And at this time.

A blond boy came out.

"Lyrium?"

Hermione blurted out, recognizing the fourth year Ravenclaw.

He has signature blond curly hair and slightly pale skin, and his blue school robe is spotless, looking as neat as if he had just come out of the library.

"Ok?"

Snape showed no sign of lowering his wand.

"He can't be a student." Snape said coldly, his black eyes fixed on the boy, as if trying to see through his disguise. This was not a place where a student could just barge in.

It's impossible for there to be a new student as weird as Ian in the first grade every year.

"Professor Snape, who said I'm not a student? I am a student!" Lyrium pouted, revealing an aggrieved expression, just like a wronged Ravenclaw.

"Ah!"

See this.

Snape simply sneered.

"The Upside Down Golden Bell!"

He released the magic without hesitation. No matter what the opponent's situation was, he had to control it first. Just in case, he didn't use any magic that could cause great damage.

The spell shot out from Snape's wand, and the red light cut through the darkness and hit Lyrium's face. Hermione took a breath of cold air - although it was not a particularly dangerous magic, it was too...what? At this moment, Hermione did not realize that there was a reason why this potions professor was unpopular.

And facing the magic that attacks.

"You are so mean, Professor Snape." Lyrium sighed, raised his right hand and flicked it gently, just like brushing away the dust on his clothes. The red light drew an arc in the air.

He actually went back the same way and shot at Snape!

Snape dodged nimbly, his wand pointing in a new direction.

"Armor!" he shouted, and an invisible barrier unfolded between him and Hermione. "See, Granger? No student can do this."

"Okay, Professor."

Hermione pointed her wand at Lyrium as well, but her hands were shaking slightly. Indeed, the boy's actions just now were too easy, just like an adult wizard casting a prank spell on a first-year student.

"You were the first to make the move, right?"

Lyrium complained.

next moment.

"Turn."

He said something abruptly.

"what?"

Snape didn't react for a moment. Before he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a strong impact from behind. His spell was rebounded and hit his back! The next second, he was hung upside down in the air, hanging between trees in a miserable state, just like the students who were pranked in their school days.

"Damn it!"

Snape cursed loudly.

He struggled to wave his wand, trying to remove the effect, but found that the magic seemed to be disturbed in some way.

"Professor, how can I save you!" Hermione stood not far away, watching all this, her heart beating violently. She mustered up her courage, grasped her wand tightly and stepped forward to prepare for the battle.

"do not move."

Lirim suddenly looked at her, and said in a gentle but unquestionable voice, "You have to go back. I'll stay here."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lyrium raised his hand, and a faint halo appeared on his palm. Before Hermione could even react, she felt her body lighten, and the scene in front of her suddenly blurred.

The next moment, she and the upside-down Snape appeared in the hall of Hogwarts Castle, surrounded by familiar stone walls and burning fireplace flames, and the air was filled with the warm scent of candles.

"What is going on!" Hermione was shocked and looked around, completely unable to understand what had just happened.

"Put me down!" Snape shouted angrily, his body twisting in the air, "Granger, quickly cast a spell to remove this ridiculous spell!"

In the castle.

Snape's angry shout echoed to the sky.

He hoped this was just a nightmare.

(End of this chapter)