From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

The young wizard who remained above watched him being swallowed by darkness and grew tense. After a long while, Ron's shouts came from inside the cave: "It's a soft landing! Jump!"

Harry jumped without hesitation.

"Really?" Malfoy looked utterly disappointed. "I thought Dumbledore would set up some spears down there, but this is all?"

"Stop making sarcastic remarks, Malfoy!" Hermione glared at him, then jumped down after Harry.

Then came Cassandra, who said nothing and continued to hold up the gleaming wand.

Malfoy was the last one.

Watching the young wizards disappear through the trapdoor, Ivy removed the Disillusionment Charm from his body and stared silently at Dumbledore beside him.

"What an interesting wizarding adventure, isn't it, Professor Victor? I don't recall ever seeing Slytherins and Gryffindors together before," Dumbledore said with a smile.

“That’s because you haven’t lived long enough,” Ivy retorted. “So, why won’t you let me stop them? Are you seeing this as a test or a training exercise?”

“I think it might be both.” Dumbledore walked into the room where Fulvi the Cerberus had once stayed, his hands behind his back, and peered into the trapdoor. “Or perhaps it’s just my old curiosity that’s getting the better of me. I’m very curious about how they’ve spent their time.”

Ivy rolled his eyes. He was tired of this cryptic way of speaking, but he didn't really want to be frank with Dumbledore. Most of Voldemort's Horcruxes were treasures, and he was hoping to turn them into legendary items like the Ravenclaw tiara. Or, like with that diary, he could enhance his own spellcasting abilities by consuming the fragments of Voldemort's soul within the Horcruxes.

Therefore, Ivy was determined to obtain Voldemort's Horcruxes, especially since she knew their locations very well.

However, Ivy's methods of disposing of Voldemort's soul fragments might have been seen as cruel and vicious by Dumbledore. Therefore, after Ivy used the sixth-ring spell Soul Cage to dispose of Voldemort's soul fragments for the first time, she never tried to reveal any information about Horcruxes to Dumbledore again.

Chapter 131 Seeker Showdown

"Perhaps I can get Dumbledore to help me collect the Horcruxes instead of destroying them as soon as I get them," a sudden inspiration struck Ivy.

The most skillful lies are not about creating a false impression, but about selectively stating the facts.

At this point, Dumbledore's understanding of Voldemort's Horcruxes was not yet deep, and with a little misguidance, Dumbledore could perhaps become an ally rather than an obstacle.

Ivy pondered for a moment, considering what kind of words she should use to mislead Dumbledore.

“Professor Victor?” Dumbledore’s voice startled Ivy from her daze. “The young wizards have passed through Professor Sprout’s devil’s net and are now facing Professor Flitwick’s challenge. Aren’t you curious about what they’ll do?”

"Hmm... going down to take a look is fine too." Ivy replied casually, still lost in thought.

So the two wizards, both over a hundred years old, used the Disillusionment Charm to conceal their forms once more and floated down from the cave entrance.

Dumbledore used the flight technique he developed himself. Including Voldemort and Snape, there aren't many wizards in the HP world who can fly using only their magic.

However, to a D&D wizard, this spell is merely a third-level spell.

They hovered silently above the heads of the young wizards like two ghosts.

With Malfoy's mockery above, Hermione didn't panic and frantically search for firewood when faced with the sweeping Devil's Web. Instead, she simply conjured a handful of blue bellflower-like flames.

The tentacles of the devil's web avoided the light and warmth of the flames and slowly retreated back into the wall.

"You're really something, Hermione!" Harry praised. "It's good that you paid attention in Herbology class!"

"Gryffindor is now one point ahead. What do you think, Malfoy?" Ron didn't miss any opportunity to taunt his opponent.

Malfoy curled his lip and said to Cassandra, who was squatting on the ground, "Miss Worley, aren't you supposed to be good at herbalism? How come you were outdone by that Muggle-born Granger?"

Cassandra ignored him and continued squatting on the ground, busy with something.

"What are you doing?" The magical trio, who had already reached the next door, turned around and looked at the Slytherin who had stopped.

“I’m collecting seeds of the Devil’s Web…” Cassandra muttered to herself, her hands never stopping. Of all the courses at Hogwarts, her favorite was Herbalism. “…I wonder how Professor Sprout managed to grow it so big…I want to take some back and try it out…”

The devil's web is a plant that, like the night-blooming cereus, blooms at night. Its flowers are very short-lived, withering immediately after pollination. It seems Professor Sprout, who planted this giant devil's web here, hasn't forgotten it; she must have been the one who helped pollinate it.

Cassandra was able to find the seeds on the Devil's Web plant thanks to Professor Sprout's diligence and meticulousness.

Cassandra's seed-collecting activity quickly came to an end, and the haphazard team reunited.

“Do we really need to wait for them?” Ron shrugged.

“Even if you don’t wait for us, we’ll catch up quickly.” Malfoy, determined not to lose to the Weasleys, glared at Ron.

"Come on, we Gryffindors are known for our uprightness and honesty. We're not like the shameless Slytherins who only know how to play dirty tricks," Ron mocked again, believing he had the upper hand.

"Look! There are so many little birds!" Hermione exclaimed as she pushed open the door.

Behind the door was a brightly lit room, with countless tiny, shimmering birds fluttering their wings and flying around under the high arched ceiling.

"Will they attack me if we walk through the room?" Harry asked worriedly.

“I heard Professor Victor taught the Ironclad Charm to sixth-year students. If we knew that spell, we might not have to worry,” Hermione sighed. “Unfortunately, we are too young, and many advanced spells are not available to us.”

"So, this is a challenge set up by Professor Victor?" Ron asked. "That doesn't make sense. He only started teaching us this in the second semester. Even if the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was setting up a challenge here, shouldn't it be Quirrell?"

"Ha! You guys really need to get your eyes checked! Especially nearsighted Scarface Harry!" Malfoy walked over with a key in his hand. "Look closer, those aren't little birds flying up there, they're keys!"

“This must be Professor Flitwick’s challenge. He used a spell to make the keys grow wings and then placed a flying broom by the door,” Cassandra deduced after glancing at the broom by the door.

"Let's have a go, Potter!" Malfoy was already taking off on his broomstick. "Slytherin's Seeker is leaving next year, and I'm going to take his place. But for now, I don't mind handing you a defeat first."

"Let's see who finds the key that opens the door first!" Harry hopped on a broomstick. "Malfoy, you're not Ivy, you can't beat me!"

"Your boasting won't change your status, Potter, you Slytherin loser!" Malfoy, already airborne, casually grabbed a flying key and tossed it down. "Try this!"

But no one picked up the keys that had been left on the ground.

Hermione rolled her eyes: "There are a thousand keys in the sky! There can only be one correct one."

She ran to the other side of the room and carefully examined the door lock.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Harry pushed off the ground and flew up as well.

The keys in the air weren't as easy for Harry to catch as he'd imagined. With the help of magic, those winged keys always managed to make turns that defied the laws of physics, startling Harry several times.

In order to join the Quidditch team next year, Malfoy had already started training with the Slytherin Quidditch team. Because of the well-known broom donation incident, the seven trolls of the Slytherin team, number one through seven, had no reason to refuse Malfoy. Therefore, after receiving Malfoy's request, troll number one Flint (the captain) allowed him to do specialized training with the Seekers.

That's why Malfoy was able to catch an unsuspecting little key.

"Harry!" Hermione had finished examining the lock. "You're looking for a large key! It should be silver! Perhaps with some antique patterns on it!"

"Understood!" Harry trusted his teammate completely, so he steered his broomstick into the vortex of colorful wings.

"Thank you for the information, Granger!" Malfoy, sitting high up, also heard it and greeted Hermione with a grin.

Chapter 132 has been exposed!

Finding the exact key among hundreds of flying keys is no easy task, not to mention Malfoy constantly interfering.

Harry ducked to avoid Malfoy's broom tail, but several haphazardly placed branches grazed his head, nearly leaving another scar on his forehead.

"I'm sorry~" Malfoy apologized in a strange tone, but anyone could tell he was being sarcastic. "Professor Flitwick's brooms are too old; they're even a bit unreliable when turning."

Although reluctant to admit it, Harry also misses his Nimbus 2000. The broom he rides now is a Sweeper from the Hogwarts Broomhouse, but due to severe wear and tear, Harry can no longer recognize its specific model.

But Harry would never agree with anything his rival Malfoy said: "That's because your flying skills aren't up to par! If Slytherin's Seeker next term is like you, then Gryffindor can celebrate their Quidditch Cup victory early!"

"What!" Malfoy was furious, as if he'd been slapped in the face, his anger mixed with surprise. "How dare you! You Muggle-raised bastard!"

Malfoy twisted his broom in mid-air, heading straight for Harry.

Harry cried out and jerked his broom high, a move he often used on the Quidditch pitch to fend off Slytherin trolls charging at him. But now they were in a closed room, so Harry's head naturally hit the ceiling.

"Ouch!" Harry clutched his head, and the broom stopped rising.

Malfoy only intended to scare Harry; having been a spectator in the stands for a year, he knew Harry could easily dodge the attack. But then Harry bumped into the ceiling and was forced to stop, making it Malfoy the one dodging Harry.

Malfoy abruptly changed direction, wobbling as he stumbled into a swarm of tiny, flying keys. Fortunately, those keys with their colorful wings were magical creations, possessing unparalleled turning abilities; otherwise, being grazed by such a mass of metal would have turned Malfoy's robes into rags.

"Bump him! Harry! Bump him!" Ron cheered Harry on, jumping up and down.

"Enough! You bunch of childish brats!" Hermione yelled, standing on the ground. "If we can't get through here before dawn, we'll all get points deducted!"

“I’ve had enough of these boys.” Cassandra wasn’t a witch who was good at flying broomsticks, but she had other solutions. She drew her wand and said to Hermione, who was standing in front of the door, “Get out of the way, Granger.”

"What are you doing?" Ron quickly stepped between the two.

"I'm going to blow the door up." This is of course the simplest and most direct way. As Ivy's sorcerer, Cassandra has mastered the 0-ring trick, Magic Blast. Although its ring rank is not high, its damage type is a noble force field damage, which has unparalleled destructive power against various material entities.

Although it's unclear whether Professor Flitwick actually cast a protective spell on the door, it's never a bad idea to give it a try.

“This door is protected by Professor Flitwick’s spell, you can’t do it!” Hermione advised. “As long as Harry and Malfoy in the sky don’t interfere with each other, they’ll definitely be able to get the key to the door lock soon.”

"I see it!" Harry's voice suddenly came from above. He had been rubbing the large bump that had just appeared on his head, but an unusual flash of light suddenly caught his eye. The three people on the ground stopped arguing and all looked up.

"Where?" Malfoy, who had narrowly avoided Harry, adjusted his flight attitude and was about to curse when he heard Harry's voice. In his anxiety, he forgot about cursing and quickly began searching in the air.

What Harry saw was a large, gleaming silver key with a pair of sky-blue wings, hidden among the surroundings.

"You think I'm going to tell you where it is?" Harry laughed twice and flew off on his broomstick toward the large silver key.

Although the key was quite large, it was incredibly flexible. Harry thought he could easily catch it, but the key actually managed to slip away from Gryffindor's only Seeker.

"With a Seeker like you, no wonder Gryffindor lost!" Although Malfoy started late, Harry, who went first, also failed to catch the key, so he taunted him and sped towards the silver key.

Malfoy, unsurprisingly, also failed. Several times, his fingers touched the key's blue wings, but he couldn't catch it.

"Damn it! It's all because this broom is so lousy!" Malfoy angrily pounded the broom handle beneath him, his complaints echoing throughout the room.

The silver key bypassed Malfoy and flew to the other side of the room. Harry circled around and turned around as well, urging the broom under his bottom to move in the direction of the key.

Malfoy cursed under his breath, not daring to delay any longer, and focused his attention on chasing the exhaust fumes of the silver key, determined to get the key before Harry.

The Seeker and the Seeker fly towards each other, with the large silver key sandwiched right in the middle.