From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

Words can be spoken in an instant. The room where the flying keys stayed wasn't particularly large, and it only took a few seconds to fly back and forth. Even though Harry and Malfoy were at opposite ends of the room, the time it took for them to meet in the middle of the room was only a blink of an eye.

Harry stretched out his arm as far as he could, trying to catch the key before Malfoy could, while Malfoy kept trying to grab the target right in front of him.

Neither of the two flying opposite each other intended to collide with the other, so they tacitly planned to turn at the last moment.

Malfoy's outstretched finger had already touched the key handle. With a forceful push, the large silver key, trapped between the two with nowhere to hide, broke its flight and began to spin in the air.

Seeing that Malfoy had already touched the key, Harry panicked and, as if by instinct, leaped off the broom. This was the second time he had jumped off the broom on his own, as if he only saw victory and was oblivious to the potential dangers.

Malfoy's first attempt broke the key's flight, but he immediately tried a second time, this time determined to succeed.

The spinning key suddenly stopped in mid-air, because it had been firmly grasped by the two of them.

Yes, Harry and Malfoy both grabbed the key. Harry grabbed the teeth of the large key, while Malfoy grabbed the handle.

"Let go!" Malfoy's broom, bearing the weight of two people, was completely out of his control and was tilting to one side.

"Hold on tight, Harry! Otherwise you'll fall!" Ron exclaimed, but before he could finish speaking, the two men who were holding onto the keys had already fallen off the broom.

"Yugadimm Leviosa!" Cassandra, who had been pointing her wand at the door, turned around and caught them with a beautiful levitation spell.

The Levitation Charm wasn't meant to slow the fall, so the two rivals from Gryffindor and Slytherin ended up crashing into each other in a completely unseemly fashion.

"You damned scarhead! Get your foot off my face!" Malfoy shoved Harry's leg hard.

“Lift your ass up first! You’re pressing down on me!” Harry, who was below, also complained.

It took quite a while for the two of them to get up from the ground.

"Let go! I got the key first!" Malfoy glared angrily at Harry.

The latter retorted, "Don't even think about it! I got it first! I even jumped off the broom!"

That's right, they're still holding the keys tightly in their hands right now.

Before the two could finish their argument, Cassandra stepped forward and tapped their wrists with her wand.

Immediately, the two young wizards, as if stung by bees, simultaneously let go of the keys and dropped them on the ground.

"Hey!" Malfoy complained, annoyed. "Whose side are you on anyway?"

Cassandra picked up the keys from the ground, glanced at him, and went to open the door.

"You're something else, Harry!" Ron jumped over and patted Harry on the shoulder. "I never thought you'd do it a second time! So, it's a tie, right? That means Gryffindor is still one point ahead, isn't it?"

"Hurry up, you two!" Hermione urged Harry and Ron from the doorway. Cassandra, who had already opened the door, was already there, the key struggling to pull itself out of the lock. "There are still many rooms ahead! We've already gotten through Professor Sprout's Devil's Web, Professor Flitwick's Flying Key, and I'm afraid there's at least Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration, Professor Snape's Potions class, and then the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's challenge..."

"So there are still three more tests?" Ron asked optimistically. "Since they are all compulsory courses, why aren't there any tests on the history of magic and astronomy?"

“Can you imagine Quirrell drawing star charts here, or answering the question, ‘What year was the automatic cauldron invented?’ I wish we had those classes!” Harry chuckled. “We have Hermione with us, we’re sure to win!”

"Enough, you two!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's too early to be happy. You should be thinking about how to deal with the Defense Against the Dark Arts and Professor Dumbledore's challenges!"

“Dumbledore?” Harry gasped. “Yes, he put the Philosopher’s Stone here, so he should have his own challenge…”

Ron's optimism remained unchanged: "Cheer up, buddy. It's not that I look down on Malfoy, but if we can't get past Dumbledore, neither of them has a chance. Think about it, Dumbledore is a Gryffindor too!"

The three of them chatted and laughed as they entered the next room, which was pitch black. After everyone had crossed over, the room became brightly lit, illuminating a shocking scene.

They stood around a huge black and white chessboard, with black pieces in front of them, all taller than themselves, seemingly carved from black stone or something similar. At the other end of the room, facing them, were some white chess pieces.

“It must be Professor McGonagall’s Transfiguration!” Hermione whispered, a little scared, because none of the pieces had facial features.

"What does this mean?" asked Malfoy, who had come in first.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Cassandra said. “Just play one more game of chess.”

"Wizard chess?" Malfoy's features scrunched up, because he wasn't good at it. "Isn't there any other way?"

"What? Young Master Malfoy doesn't know how to play Wizard's Chess?" Ron mocked.

“Alright! Let’s see how Gryffindor plays chess!” Malfoy immediately helped Ron up.

Although Ron was always a force to be reckoned with in Gryffindor's common room, he always felt somewhat insecure in front of his opponents. At this moment, he took a half step back, his mouth slightly agape, at a loss for what to do.

“You can do it, Ron!” Harry encouraged him. “Think about how badly you slaughtered everyone in the common room! If we’re going to find a wizard chess master at Hogwarts, it has to be you!”

“Alright…” Ron swallowed hard, walked to the chessboard, and examined the faceless pieces. “Perhaps we need to replace these pieces…”

He reached out and touched the Black Knight's horse, and the stone chess piece came to life. The horse pawed at the floor with its hooves, making an unpleasant scraping sound. The knight turned his helmeted head and looked at Ron.

“Professor McGonagall brought them all to life! What brilliant magic!” Hermione seemed less frightened and began to wonder how the professor had managed to do it.

“Harry, Hermione,” Ron suddenly asked after thinking for a moment, “do you believe me?”

"Of course!" the two said in unison.

“Alright, Harry, you’ll take the bishop’s place; Hermione, you’ll stand beside him and take the castle’s place,” Ron immediately gave the order. “And I’ll be a knight!”

Before Harry and Hermione could even step onto the chessboard, a crackling red energy beam suddenly shot out from the side—it was Cassandra's magic burst.

The crimson lightning bolt lunged at the white pieces, striking the white king and queen standing in the very center of the board. Under the powerful force, the pristine white stone pieces shattered into pieces, also damaging the pawn in front of the king and the bishop beside him.

The white piece stops moving immediately after losing its king.

The red lightning bolt that Cassandra fired grazed Ron's cheek as he rode the Black Knight's black stone horse.

"...What are you going to do?" Ron asked, his face pale and trembling.

“Never mind,” Cassandra said with an elegant smile. “I just wanted to try out the spell.”

Judging from her expression, she was clearly satisfied.

Ivy, who had been following behind invisibly the whole time, was very dissatisfied. Cassandra's Mana Burst was a level 0 spellcasting, but as a level 0 spellcaster, she didn't have any spell slots. It was only by consuming the third-circle spell slot that Ivy had left on her through the Black Magic Mark that she achieved this effect.

Not to mention that Dumbledore was right next to Ivy, which completely exposed what Ivy least wanted to reveal.

Ivy sensed the questioning look in Dumbledore's eyes and could only nod with a dark expression.

Chapter 133 The Dead Giant

Take Ivy's current spellcasting ability as an example; the old, frail, and soft-hearted Dumbledore might no longer be a match for him.

Ivy could certainly defeat him, but what then? Would Dumbledore yield? Would an old gambler who stakes his life submit to a younger Dark Lord?

Ivy expressed doubt: what if he were killed? Could Ivy do it perfectly, without anyone knowing? If not, then Ivy would be destined to confront what Dumbledore left behind in the wizarding world. For the entire British wizarding community, and even the international wizarding community, Dumbledore was a pivotal figure.

Despite the fact that many people looked down on Dumbledore while he was alive, calling him crazy and eccentric, it's not a simple matter.

But Ivy could assure him that once Dumbledore truly died, the entire wizarding world would begin singing his praises. Just like after the fall of the Roman Empire, the world was filled with its devoted followers. For some, a dead Dumbledore was the best Dumbledore.

His vast political legacy will be coveted by countless people, and his followers and ambitious individuals who have moved from behind the scenes to the forefront will spare no effort in hunting down the murderer. At that time, Ivy will face countless troubles.

The world cannot be decided by fists alone. What is Ivy doing hiding in the magical world, being a good student in Hogwarts Castle?

Of course, it was all about enjoying everything in the castle: the various magical books hidden in the forbidden library, the castle's many mysteries, the delicious treats served by the house-elves... and most importantly, the free time he could have at his own pace. In this school, where the academic atmosphere might not be so intense, he could focus wholeheartedly on researching the world's greatest mystery—magic.

The Grimoire of Destruction that Ivy possesses has already demonstrated limitless potential; he will inevitably become more powerful over time. Therefore, he has absolutely no need to create trouble for himself; he can simply act on instinct.

“Miss Worley’s magical abilities are truly astonishing. What do you have to say about it, Professor Victor?” Dumbledore watched as the young wizards debated whether Cassandra’s use of a spell to blow up the White King constituted cheating.

“To be precise, that was my magical power,” Ivy explained simply. “The child’s parents were killed by one of Voldemort’s dark wizards, and her only goal was to take revenge on Voldemort, so she came to me.”

Ivy revealed her wrist, slightly activating her magic, and a thin, red rune, like a flame, immediately appeared: "We have made an unbreakable vow. With my modifications, this rune no longer needs a witness, but the vow's power has become two-way. I will do everything in my power to help her crush Voldemort, and she will serve me for the rest of her life."

Ivy lowered her arm, and the thin red chains vanished without a trace: "It was through this oath that I was able to transfer a portion of my magic to her."

Dumbledore frowned. "Vorley... I don't recall seeing this name on the Ministry of Magic's victim list..."

“Her father was a Muggle, and her mother didn’t seem to have any magical talent.” Ivy walked forward, casually casting a Bubble Head Charm on himself. If he remembered correctly, the next room was Quirrell’s troll. “In general, the Volley family was one of the targets of Voldemort’s theories. Given the Ministry of Magic’s usual carelessness, it’s not surprising that one person was missing from the victim list.”

“Sigh…” Dumbledore sighed. “Voldemort has indeed harmed hundreds of people over the past few decades for his own ambitions. House Volley is just a small example.”

"Bound by that oath, you're probably completely caught up in this war, Ivy." Dumbledore no longer referred to Ivy as "Professor Victor," but instead used a more intimate form of address. Judging from the results, Ivy should have passed the persuasion and bluff test.

The short scream abruptly stopped, immediately turning into an unpleasant sound of vomiting, "Ugh..."

Very well, it seems these young wizards have all been attacked by the troll's bio-weapon. Ivy remembers using her eyes as a spellcasting organ to deliver an "Avada Kedavra" to that unfortunate troll. The corpse has been sitting there for so long, it should be rotting by now, right?

It seems that Dumbledore accessed the Philosopher's Stone through a secret passage in the Headmaster's office; otherwise, he shouldn't have missed the troll's corpse.

Before Dumbledore could make any move, a transparent bubble was already placed over his head.

The two walked through a messy chessboard (mostly white marble shards scattered everywhere) and entered the room arranged by Quirrell.

The five little wizards were all huddled by the door, probably having thrown up their dinner from last night.

Nausea is a very common status condition in D&D, and Ivy knows that many spells or spell-like abilities can achieve this effect. Creatures afflicted with nausea will be unable to defend themselves or attack for a considerable period of time, enough for mages to take their lives.

The only problem is that these kinds of spells usually don't work on constructs and undead creatures.

Ivy and Dumbledore stepped over the suspicious puddle of liquid on the floor and entered the room.

Seeing that the young wizards were about to run away, Ivy mischievously closed the door to their return.

“…Ugh…That old madman Dumbledore!…How could he allow such a treacherous thing to be kept in the school!” Malfoy had almost vomited up his stomach and was now standing next to the Hogwarts headmaster, cursing Dumbledore.

“Look…” Harry tried to turn the doorknob, but to no avail, “the door is locked… which means this stench is the test for this…”

“I’m afraid not… Harry!” Hermione’s voice trembled as she pointed to the mountain of rotting flesh in the middle of the arena. “…That’s a troll! This must be Quirrell’s challenge!”

"Thank God!" Ron pressed himself against the wall, trying to stay away from the vomit. "I've never heard you say that stuff stinks like that! Luckily you already have experience dealing with it. Hermione, quickly show them the might of the Gryffindor Cannon Queen!"

“It seems to be dead…” Hermione cautiously tiptoed to take a look, then quickly looked away. Due to the effects of the microorganisms, the monstrous creature, which was already like a mountain of flesh, had become even larger. “It has been lying motionless ever since we entered this room.”

“That’s great,” Cassandra chimed in. “Let’s get out of here right now. Every nerve in my body is screaming: Get out of here right now!”