Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 296 Chapter 295: The Truth of the Bronze Door

The moonlight is getting darker.

It poured into the ancient castle of Hogwarts through the windows.

Hermione Granger's footsteps were particularly heavy in the corridor of Hogwarts Castle. She had never expected that she would be blocked by Lockhart on her way back to the dormitory.

Simultaneously.

She had never expected that Professor Lockhart would ask her such a terrifying question right away.

"Ms. Granger, didn't you agree to go to my office?" Professor Lockhart's voice was like a heavy hammer, hitting Hermione's heart, making Hermione feel like her heart was about to beat out of control.

Why would the other party ask me this question?

Wasn't it Professor Snape who was agreed to go to this man's office - well, at least it was Snape played by Hermione, and it wasn't agreed to be tonight.

Professor Lockhart probably didn't go back after leaving his office, but stayed here all the time. Facing this handsome but vain Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Hermione felt inexplicably nervous. She tried to keep herself calm, but her heart was already in turmoil - did Lockhart discover something?
If not.

Why was the other party guarding here and asking her such a strange question? The little witch's fingers tightly grasped the corner of her robe, and her knuckles turned white.

"Why are you not talking?"

Lockhart stood right in front of her. His face, which always wore an exaggerated smile, looked unusually calm at this moment, and his blue eyes were flashing with an elusive light.

"I, I really don't know what you are talking about, Professor." Hermione's voice trembled unconsciously, "I have never met you in the library today."

This was the excuse Hermione found for herself. After all, she had already missed a day of school. If someone asked her about it, she would need an excuse to deal with other people.

Just like what Ron and Neville thought before, if Hermione said that she was sick, woke up late and didn't want to go to class, then neither the professor nor the classmates would believe it. These excuses might be reasonable for other Gryffindor students, but after all, she was a student who was eager to learn in everyone's eyes.

Anyone could use this reason to skip classes, except Hermione. This was the reputation built up by the top student, so Hermione could only find an excuse that suited herself.

That is, she found a super amazing book in the library, and because she was eager for knowledge, she accidentally missed the time in the library. She felt that such an excuse was definitely enough to fool most people.

however.

I haven’t even waited until tomorrow to face my professors and classmates.

Just tonight.

Hermione found that she seemed to have been exposed.

"Is that so?" Lockhart laughed softly, and the sound made the hair on the back of Hermione's neck stand on end. He took a step forward, his blond hair shining softly in the candlelight.

But it inexplicably gives people an illusion of danger.

"You said you had never met me before, but now we have." His voice was as light as a feather brushing past. "Come with me, Miss Granger."

These words.

This made Hermione even more nervous.

Was he going to be expelled from school because he pretended to be a professor? But it was clearly Snape who asked him to pretend to be a professor, and he might not admit it now.

"What do you want from me?"

Hermione couldn't help but speak with a worried tone.

She was really afraid of being expelled from school.

This is why first-year wizards often encounter threats like this from professors. Children who have been exposed to the magical world are most afraid of losing the right to have such contact.

This is especially true for children from Muggle families - it's almost the same as if a person has seen the prosperity of a big city, it would be difficult for him to return to his rural hometown.

Even more so.

"Hermione Granger." Lockhart walked closer with a smile, his signature confident smile on his face. "You are a smart student. I have always admired your talent."

It seemed like a compliment that came from the heart.

but.

Hermione still subconsciously shrugged her shoulders, with an awkward smile on her face: "Thank you... Professor."

Her voice was trembling, but her heart was still full of questions - why did he look for me alone? I had to find Snape and let Snape testify that I was not really a prank pretending to be a professor.

Thinking like this.

Hermione half wanted to turn around and run to the basement office.

Seeing this scene, Lockhart smiled again, and said in a relaxed tone: "Don't be nervous, I just want to talk to you. Come on, follow me to the office."

"I have no punishment for you."

Professor Lockhart seemed to see through Hermione's thoughts.

"Forehead……"

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

But I didn't completely relax.

Seeing Professor Lockhart take the lead, Hermione swallowed her saliva and followed him. The little witch's feet felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, but she had to follow Lockhart through the dim corridor. Countless terrible thoughts flashed through her mind: Did Lockhart find out that she was pretending to be Snape?
Was he spying on her? Or... A more terrifying guess emerged - could it be that the so-called invitation before was actually Lockhart's interest in Snape?

But Professor Lockhart actually has something else in mind for me!?

"If he had seen through my disguise as Snape, he might actually have been inviting me instead of Snape! Even Professor Snape might not have realized that!"

Hiss! Hermione was completely sick. She had only seen such sensational stories in newspapers, but now she suspected that she had become a victim?
Such a shocking idea came to my mind.

She panicked immediately and quickly cut off this ridiculous idea. The portraits on the corridor walls looked out curiously, and some even whispered to each other.

There are these portraits to witness.

Professor Lockhart wouldn't be so cruel, right?
Well, that's impossible! Professor Lockhart can't be a pervert. After all, all professors at Hogwarts have undergone rigorous background checks, which is also recorded in "Hogwarts: A History"!
to be frank.

It was before.

Hermione actually believed in "Hogwarts: A History" very much, but after what happened yesterday, she was not so confident about the records in "Hogwarts: A History". Professor Lockhart looked elegant and indeed had something to do with the perverts who disguised themselves in many novels.

About this part of the book.

The little witch has dabbled in this before.

There are similar cases in Sherlock Holmes' stories.

"What is he doing bringing that Gryffindor girl to his office?"

"Bet a Galleon, he must be showing off his new book again."

The portraits were whispering to each other.

They don't have the same imagination as Hermione.

"I hope it's to show off the new book."

Hermione also prayed sincerely that the portraits were correct.

Her heartbeat was getting faster and faster, almost bursting through her chest. When she turned the last corner, she saw Peeves floating on the ceiling and making a gesture to wipe her neck.

"Depend on!"

Hermione wanted to pick up a stone and throw it over, but how could there be such garbage in the Hogwarts castle? Helplessly, she could only glare at Peeves and ignore him.

Along the way, her heart beat faster and faster, and she could even hear her own heartbeat. Finally, they arrived at the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office.

The door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office slid open noiselessly.

Lockhart opened the door and invited her in. Hermione took a deep breath and walked in. It was surprisingly tidy inside. Lockhart's shiny medals and most of his self-portraits had been put away, replaced by a simple oak table and a few books that looked frequently read.

Of course, there was still a faint smell of perfume in the office, and there was still a photo of Lockhart himself hanging on the wall, but it was not as outrageous as the one Hermione had seen before.

"Sit down." Lockhart pointed to the chair opposite him and sat down gracefully. His movements were smooth, unlike the usual pompous professor. Instead, he had a kind of elegance that Hermione had never seen before.

Like aristocrats.

Hermione sat in the chair, her hands clasped together, her back straight, thinking about various possibilities. However, when Lockhart sat down.

His expression suddenly became serious, and his tone became steady. Lockhart crossed his fingers under his chin, looking directly at her with his blue eyes: "Where's Ian Prince?"

have to say.

Hermione thought of many possibilities.

I really didn't expect the other party to ask me this question.

"What?" Hermione blurted out, her mind going blank for a moment. She had thought of countless possibilities, but she had never expected this question. Ian Prince? Why did Professor Lockhart suddenly mention this name? For a moment, the little witch didn't know how to answer, so she could only open her mouth and try to organize her words.

no way.

Because of the promise she made to Dumbledore, Hermione certainly could not and did not dare to tell anyone what happened in the Forbidden Forest. But now, when she was asked to make up a lie, her mind went blank.

"I do not know."

After hesitating for a long time, Hermione could only respond with this.

however.

next moment.

Something even more terrible happened to her brain.

"You need to be honest with me."

Professor Lockhart spoke softly, and there seemed to be something shining in his eyes. Hermione felt her will begin to blur - and the next moment the sound of a door opening was heard behind her.

"Grandfather, Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't want to see you do this."

It was still Professor Lockhart's voice.

It immediately woke up Hermione from her trance.

She turned back sharply.

It was incredible to find that there was a Professor Lockhart standing at the door.

How is this going?

Hermione's breathing hitched for a moment.

Her lips trembled, but no sound came out. The air in the office seemed to freeze, with only the occasional crackle of the flame in the fireplace.

"Polyjuice Potion?"

After a long time.

Hermione's mind switched back and forth between the two Professor Lockharts.

she asked cautiously.

"Is Transfiguration such an inconvenient thing?"

There is a sneer in my mind.

I saw.

Professor Lockhart, who was sitting at the desk, began to change and turned into an old man with silver hair. The face that Hermione had only seen in some history books shocked Hermione.

"Grindelwald!"

She let out a terrified scream.

"You will forget what happened today, but before you do, you must tell me where Ian Prince and Albus Dumbledore went."

Grindelwald spoke softly.

……

Night falls.

The depths of the forbidden forest were shrouded in darkness. The towering ancient trees rustled in the wind, and in this environment that should have been full of life, no sound of any living creature could be heard.

There was only the sound of burning flames.

In a clearing deep in the Forbidden Forest, a bonfire crackled.

In this silence, the bronze door stood quietly, like an ancient relic. It was covered with complex runes and emitted a faint light.

As if waiting for a certain moment to be awakened.

In front of the gate, a figure was sitting cross-legged, holding a branch with a piece of barbecue on it, and the firelight was dancing on the boy's face.

It reflected his slightly lazy expression.

Lirium - or rather, the ancient being with a young appearance - was leisurely turning the barbecue grill. The fat dripping into the fire made an enticing "sizzling" sound.

This is probably the only movement in the forbidden forest now.

The boy has been waiting here all day.

“It’s so boring.”

Lyrium bit off a chunk of meat, grumbling incoherently.

"It's been a whole day, why is there no movement?"

As he spoke, Lirium looked up at the sky.

The moonlight shone through the dense treetops, casting mottled shadows on him. He casually threw the clean bones into the fire and wiped them on his robe with his greasy fingers.

Then he stood up, stretched, and dusted off his robe.

"Forget it, let's have some fun." Lyrium muttered to himself, walking towards the bronze door that stood quietly. "It should be fun to challenge the so-called 'Wizard King'."

His palm touched the cold door surface, and in an instant, the entire bronze door began to vibrate, and the runes flashed with dazzling light, as if responding to his magic input.

“I haven’t seen this legendary trial tower for a long time.” The ancient runes kept flashing a faint green light—a vortex slowly formed in the center of the door.

A figure gradually emerged in the distorted space.

An old wizard with gray hair and a sinister face stepped out of the door, his robe fluttering in the wind. When he saw the young man in front of him, his cloudy eyes suddenly widened.

"Damn it! Imposter! You imposter! I am right!" The old wizard suddenly roared, his voice hoarse and harsh, "I will become the king of all worlds!"

See this situation.

Lyrium wasn't surprised either.

He seemed to have known one of the functions of this gate for a long time.

"You are just a piece of fun, you are the king of all ages with a hammer." Lirium criticized his other self without hesitation, and with a rub of his hands, the terrifying ancient magic was ready to be unleashed.

The same goes for the opposite side.

The old man holding the scepter swung it violently.

The battle broke out instantly.

The feast of ancient magic disturbed this peaceful land.

(End of this chapter)