The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 398 Seeds Again

Dreams generally do not affect the alternation of day and night.

But it can affect the rhythm of life.

Upon waking up in the morning, the castle is filled with a happy and warm atmosphere throughout the day.

Even the harsh castle keeper Filch didn't keep a close eye on the students.

Today, Filch saw students casting spells in the hallway and even went over to listen.

He even gave a serious explanation when he saw that a first-year student couldn't cast the Levitation spell.

A miraculous thing happened: with Filch's theoretical support and detailed instructions, the young wizard actually cast the Levitation Charm on the spot.

Upon seeing the success, Filch smiled with satisfaction, as if it were all meant to be this way.

But the amazing things didn't end there. As classes started at nine in the morning, everyone noticed the changes in the professors.

Professor Snape, who rarely washed his hair, surprisingly washed it and even put on a new robe.

Although the robe is still the original dark black color, its fabric and texture make it immediately apparent that it is expensive.

Other professors have also changed. For example, although Professor McGonagall still has a serious and tense face all day long, the slight curve at the corner of her mouth seems to be silently telling her feelings.

Everything seemed perfect.

……

9:30 a.m.

Ino slowly opened her sleepy eyes.

Actually, after sixth grade, the number of courses at Hogwarts is significantly reduced. In fact, for many compulsory courses, if you're not confident about passing the final exam, you can choose to skip them.

Even the usually strict Professor McGonagall turned a blind eye to this.

That's roughly the tradition of castles.

After all, it's better to save time from subjects he can't grasp and use it on subjects he's good at. This also avoids the situation where he could have passed NEWT but failed due to unforeseen circumstances.

This is why Ino also enjoyed the happy education in England.

After getting out of bed, a letter on the table caught his attention.

Unlike Ravenclaws, Slytherin dormitories, located underground, don't have their own dedicated towers. Therefore, breakfast in the Great Hall is often the time to receive mail and packages.

There are only two possibilities for the sudden appearance of letters in the dorm room: either they were left by Draco, or the dorm room has been broken into.

Ino leaned towards the latter, because in the castle, only a phoenix could possibly sneak into Slytherin's bedroom so silently. Besides, given the unusual circumstances of last night, her conversation with Dumbledore was only brief.

After a quick wash, Ino opened the letter.

The conversation was short; it only involved arranging one meeting.

He knew the reason for the invitation without even thinking, considering that in yesterday's dream, only Dumbledore acted rationally.

This rationality is not a sign of heartlessness, but rather a long-term perspective.

Ino smiled and put down the letter; it was enough to prove that the old headmaster had thought far ahead.

As the weaver of beautiful dreams, he doesn't intend to refuse if he can.

……

After a brief delay, Ino changed her clothes and left the dormitory.

At 10 a.m., there weren't many people in the Slytherin common room. A few students were scattered around, and although there were few people, everyone was filled with a sense of fulfillment and joy.

This atmosphere permeated the entire castle after leaving the common lounge.

Every brick, every portrait, every suit of armor...

Perhaps he was the instigator of the whole thing, or perhaps his name was accepted and written into the principal's book.

For the first time, Ino truly felt the emotions of the castle.

"No one knows all the secrets of Hogwarts..."

In the corridor, he thought of the words Dumbledore had said in the original story.

This is not an exaggeration; it is probably true.

This doesn't mean the castle has endless secrets, but rather that it's a castle with "emotions," which may never be fully understood.

As a faint thought stirred within her, Ino stepped onto the moving staircase.

……

The principal's office on the eighth floor.

On an early autumn morning, the bright sunshine not only dispelled the drowsiness after waking up but also brought warmth and vitality to the room.

"Professor! I can't answer your question right now. There are many things I don't even understand myself..."

Ino spoke calmly, but there was always a hint of helplessness in his expression.

Half an hour earlier, he went to the headmaster's office and, unsurprisingly, received Dumbledore's request—would Ariana be able to be resurrected?

Frankly speaking, if this request had been made before today, the answer would have been obvious without even thinking about it.

He is not Teacher Hans. Compared to the almost infinitely magical stories he has, his small valley of only 70,000 square kilometers has very limited capabilities.

There were neither golden apple trees nor snake leaves in the valley... only a red windmill.

At the same time.

After Ino made his stance clear, Dumbledore didn't seem too disappointed.

"I was too impatient! I've waited almost a century, but I still seem to lack patience. However, there's something I can give you in advance, and I hope it will be of some help to you."

Dumbledore sighed softly, then stood up and walked to the cabinet beside him.

Ino turned his head in surprise. To be honest, of all the things in the castle, what intrigued him most was this dark beechwood cabinet.

It seems that all of the principal's good possessions have been collected here: candy, snacks, Horcruxes, Pensieves... It's like a child's large storage box, where he puts in anything he cares about, whether it's a big or small thing.

……

After a brief delay.

This time, Dumbledore took out a small, square box from the cabinet. One side of the box not only had a Honeydukes pattern printed on it, but also a line of small print below: Custom-made Super Bubble Gum.

Seeing Dumbledore's cautious manner, Ino couldn't help but purse her lips. She thought it was something interesting, but it turned out to be just a box of candy.

Soon, as the box was opened, the expression on his face changed from boredom to shock.

Inside the two-inch-sized box, a bright red gemstone was prominently displayed.

The gemstone is small, about the size of a pea, but its overall shape resembles an unprocessed rough stone, exhibiting an irregular polyhedron shape.

Crystal clear, as dazzling as blood.

Although it was carelessly placed in a bubble gum box, Ino already had a guess at a glance.

"That's right! This is the Philosopher's Stone that Nico entrusted to me. As an alchemy enthusiast when I was young, I simply couldn't bear to see it destroyed..."

Dumbledore reached out and pushed the box forward.

Nearby, Ino, upon seeing the magic stone in the box, had a strange thought.

As mentioned before, Hans's story is full of miracles, but his valley also has its own unique miracle, which is a certain thing.

Whether it's the magic beans from Grimm's brothers or the pebbles from Rohan, everything in the valley is grown.

At this moment, he really wanted to bury the magic stone in the valley and see what would grow there.

After all, a gem the size of a pea looks like a seed, and it would be a shame not to bury it in the soil.

Wishing everyone happiness every day! It's early autumn now, with a gentle breeze and cool evening air—don't forget to take a walk!

(End of this chapter)