The Return to Hogwarts

Hermione, standing beside him, stared with her brown eyes almost bulging out of their sockets, her wide-open mouth both amusing and a testament to her astonishment!

"What's wrong? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost!"

Ron pressed her for an answer, but he didn't need Hermione to answer. The ensuing conversation had already given him a full understanding of the reason for Hermione's surprise and fear, and it had also put him in almost the same situation!

Good afternoon, Qiqi--

The middle-aged witch who entered the office first smiled and spoke in a voice as gentle as a spring breeze.

“I was looking for you, Kiki. I’ve come up with a few new recipes that I’m planning to incorporate into the kids’ daily menu, but before that, could you give me some feedback?”

"Good afternoon, Ms. Hufflepuff, Ms. Ravenclaw—"

The house-elf known as Kiki stood beside the chair, gave a slight bow, and spoke politely.

“It would be my pleasure to serve you, Ms. Hufflepuff, it’s my honor--”

Chapter 658 Great Love

2023-12-22

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at the middle-aged, slightly overweight witch who walked back to her desk, and the witch across from her desk who pulled out her wand and made herself a stool—a witch with a pair of dreamlike, icy blue eyes. They all looked as if they had seen a ghost!

"Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff—"

Hermione's steps faltered backward. She had recognized the two witches almost instantly upon seeing them; after all, even a thousand years later, portraits of these legendary witches were not uncommon. But she couldn't believe it—how could such an absurd thing have happened?!

Harry's head was buzzing. Having been at Hogwarts for over three years, it would be ridiculous if he hadn't heard of Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw. After all, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were names they heard every day in the castle, but—

Harry's mind went blank as only two of the four founding leaders of Hogwarts appeared alive before him. He thought that even if Voldemort suddenly appeared in front of him, he probably wouldn't be this shocked!

"I must be dreaming--"

Ron shook his head slightly, muttering to himself. His gaze inadvertently fell on Professor Blaine's expression, and he was astonished to find that Professor Blaine remained completely calm. These were Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw; it was impossible for anyone to remain calm under such circumstances, unless...

"Aren't they right, Professor Blaine!"

Ron blurted it out, but Hermione, startled, quickly covered his mouth and pulled him back.

"Shut up, Ron!"

Hermione spoke in a low, stern voice, giving Harry, who was staring at her blankly, a glare in between.

"Those are Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, show them respect!"

Illusion magic—that's Professor Blaine's explanation.

Hermione had figured it out: this office clearly belonged to Helga Hufflepuff. Although she didn't know why, Lady Hufflepuff had left this wonderful magic in her office, giving them the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the two legendary witches!

What a wondrous experience! Hermione gazed at the two witches before her with excitement and adoration, now incredibly glad she had insisted on exploring that terrifying secret corridor in the kitchen!

Amosta turned his head and glanced at the three little guys who had unconsciously retreated to the wall, as well as the two little elves, and smiled.

"These are them, Ron, as you all surely recognize. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I ask you to remain silent from this moment on, no matter what you hear later—"

“You look very tired, Ms. Ravenclaw--”

Before Hermione and her two companions could even make their promise to Professor Blaine, the house-elf named Kiki, who was standing obediently beside Hufflepuff, spoke. Immediately, the group from a thousand years in the future held their breath and watched quietly.

Would you like me to mix you a drink to lift your spirits?

Kiki spoke to Hufflepuff, whose face beamed with a warm smile, in a proud tone.

"That's Ms. Hufflepuff's latest recipe. It works very well and tastes delicious!"

Amosta looked at Kiki with a strange expression. This house-elf was truly extraordinary. It had completely broken free from the servility that Helpo had imposed on the soul of this race, which Amosta believed was extremely difficult to remove.

Dobby and Dom both looked at Kiki in disbelief.

They simply couldn't imagine that their ancestors dared to speak to the legendary witches Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw in such an 'equal' tone!

"I'd love to try Helga's new work, Kiki—"

Ravenclaw's icy eyes gleamed with a rationality bordering on indifference, which imbued her smile with a chilling coldness that even the blazing sun could not melt.

“Please wait a moment, Ms. Ravenclaw. Making this new drink takes a little time; I’m not particularly skilled at it—”

After saying that, under the watchful eyes of Helga and Rowena, Kiki strode away from everyone's sight with unrestrained steps.

Recalling the scene he witnessed in the underground temple on that small island, Ravenclaw fell silent for a moment, then looked at his like-minded friend, his tone tinged with emotion.

“That’s amazing, Helga. You’ve helped Kiki overcome her innate instinct to submit—”

“Every intelligent being possesses a soul that yearns for freedom, Rowena, something that magic cannot completely extinguish.”

Helga looked tenderly at the door that Kiki had closed.

"If we wipe the dust from their souls with 'love,' their souls can shine again—"

Love?

Amosta's lips twitched. His belief that love could conquer all was similar to one of Dumbledore's core tenets; however, he still didn't believe that simple love could overcome everything.

Hermione also noticed Kiki's extraordinary qualities. She was the most interested in the topic among the group. She glanced at Doom, and Kiki's presence and the words of the great Helga Hufflepuff seemed to greatly inspire her.

"Love"

Rowena repeated the sentence in a low voice, sadness showing in her icy blue eyes, which made Amosta's gaze even more focused.

This is very unusual.

The Rowena Ravenclaw he encountered during his time in Azkaban was the most rational witch he had ever met. Her emotions were almost entirely suppressed by her extraordinary wisdom. What could possibly cause such a dramatic fluctuation in Ravenclaw's emotions?

Hufflepuff was clearly aware of the situation, and Rowena's grief made her smile fade; she sighed softly.

"Aren't you going to tell Godric?"

Ravenclaw smiled sadly, a smile tinged with desolation, which, combined with her stunning beauty, was utterly heartbreaking.

"You and I both know how controversial Hogwarts is in the wizarding world, Helga. The only reason the Royal Wizarding Association and those ancient families tolerate its existence is because they fear the power of the four of us—"

Rowena Ravenclaw's tone was tinged with sadness.

"But they never gave up on destroying the school and taking the magic for themselves."

The radicals among them would go to any lengths to wage war and destroy Hogwarts, while the conservatives have been able to tolerate Hogwarts' existence for the time being, hoping that if Hogwarts does not have a suitable successor after the four of us are gone from this world, they will take concrete action.

Secondly, we've misled them by keeping their families in a state of antagonism. If the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw families were to forge closer ties, it would undoubtedly provoke their already tense nerves, and war could break out immediately.

Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

Harry and the others involuntarily opened their mouths as they listened to this conversation, especially Hermione, whose brows furrowed as she desperately tried to recall any historical records related to the two, but she couldn't find any record of them being lovers.

Amostah pursed his lips slightly. He wasn't particularly surprised by this; from the memories he'd witnessed during his journey in Azkaban, the subtle feelings between the two had already begun to surface. However, a sense of admiration still welled up within Amostah.

The magical generation a thousand years ago was far more deplorable and isolated than the generation that is now. Judging from Ravenclaw's words, she seems to intend to sever her emotional ties with Gryffindor in order to ensure that war does not break out and that Hogwarts, which passes on magic to Muggle-blooded wizards, can continue to exist!

“Godrick won’t care about these things—” Helga said in a deep voice.

"That's exactly what I was worried about--"

Rowena's sad smile held a hint of beauty.

“Godric will stop at nothing, even war, but that goes against the path we’ve always believed in. If war breaks out, we’ll be safe, but the descendants of those families in the school will be recalled, the persecution of Muggle-blooded young wizards will intensify, and Hogwarts will cease to exist. I can’t do it because of 'love'.”

Rowena's breathing quickened for a moment, and her expression stripped away some of the aura surrounding her, making her appear more human and more noble.

"Because of 'love,' Hogwarts was destroyed, and the future of countless gifted children who could have received an education was ruined."

Chapter 659 Future

2023-12-22

“You knew this couldn’t be kept secret forever, Rowena—”

Like a kind older sister, Helga left her seat, walked around the desk to Rowena Ravenclaw's side, gently stroked her hair, and looked down at Ravenclaw's lower abdomen with pity.

“Your child. You know Godric’s temperament, Rowena. You can’t hide it from him. When he finds out your love has blossomed into a child, he’ll be eager to announce it to the wizarding world—”

Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor's child?!

“Phew, I’ve never heard of that before,” Ron gasped in surprise.

Historical records indicate that Lady Ravenclaw had a daughter named Helena Ravenclaw, but there is no historical record regarding Helena Ravenclaw's father.

Hermione's voice trembled with excitement; they were unveiling the mysteries of history!

Rowena looked down at her lower abdomen, the maternal glow on her exquisite face almost destroying the calm aura that usually accompanied her intelligence.

“I intend to let the child stay inside me for a while longer, so as to dispel Godric’s suspicions—”

Ravenclaw said gently,

"--After that, I plan to give this child a fictional Muggle father."

"Why?!"

Despite being warned beforehand, Hermione still yelled indignantly. Even Harry and Ron frowned.

Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had a child, but Ravenclaw refused to tell Gryffindor, which was clearly unfair to Gryffindor. The three Gryffindor children felt indignant and angry about this injustice done to their 'grandfather'.

"Hasn't Ms. Ravenclaw already provided an explanation?"

Amosta didn't reprimand Harry and the others; he simply said calmly,