Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 715 Conjugate Horcrux

Two hours after the starting whistle blew, the game entered a stalemate. Both teams were exhausted and their offensive frequency began to slow down, but the intensity did not decrease. The whistle to score was blown from time to time.

"Gryffindor has a slight lead, but Ravenclaw is keeping a close eye on them. The score is now 190 to 200! The key to victory lies with the two Seekers..."

The commentator's voice was already a little hoarse, but no one cared; the focus of the entire audience was on Harry and Cho Chang.

"Harry Potter slowed down; it seemed his stamina was waning—a beautiful stop and turn! Oh! The Golden Snitch! Harry caught the Golden Snitch with a brilliant Prenton Rewind!"

"This also means that the two-hour match has finally come to an end!"

The audience didn't hold back their applause and cheers. When the final whistle blew, Gryffindor won by a margin of 160 points.

Amidst cheers that resounded throughout the stadium, the two teams landed back on the ground and exchanged greetings in the presence of Mrs. Hodge.

"..."

In the end, he failed to live up to Roger Davis's expectations and did not win the Silver Cup.

The final match was over, and her life at Hogwarts was coming to an end.

Cho Chang's eyes were slightly red, but she still pretended to be nonchalant as she said goodbye to Harry, giving him a polite hug before parting ways.

"Happy graduation," Harry said softly.

Qiu Zhang smiled and said, "There's still a month until the year-end banquet."

"Then I wish you a happy graduation in advance."

"May you keep winning."

"Thanks."

Goodbye, Harry.

"goodbye……"

Ginny stood nearby, her face full of vigilance, her eyes wide and fixed on the two of them, practically spitting fire.

The mixed feelings of melancholy vanished in an instant. Seeing the girl's concern for him, Harry felt a surge of joy and put his arm around Ginny's shoulder: "Don't be jealous, it's just a farewell between Seekers, and Cho Chang has Cedric!"

Ginny looked up at him suspiciously. "You mean, if it weren't for Cedric, you'd have ideas—well!"

……

Ignoring the onlookers of the entire school, he kissed the prettiest girl on the team in public. As a result, the girl's brother, who was also the team captain, stayed behind to organize the equipment, put away the brooms and send them to the equipment room, while the others went back to the common room early to have a celebration party.

"Ginny, really, she didn't even speak up for me..."

As Harry muttered to himself, he took a linen handkerchief from the cupboard and dipped it in tung oil to coat the broom handle.

With the end of this academic year's season, barring any unforeseen circumstances, these competition-specific brooms will remain out of the sun for the next few months. It's best to give them thorough maintenance before locking them in the cabinet, otherwise they'll be hollowed out by moths when taken out next semester.

Maintenance complete, sealed and stored in the cabinet, inventory checked again...

After confirming that there were no oversights, Harry left the equipment room, locked the door from the inside, and cast a Reverse Lock Charm.

"If Voldemort or the Dark Wizard were to infiltrate the castle again, they certainly wouldn't be able to touch the broomsticks."

Harry shook his head smugly, then turned and leisurely returned to the castle.

"In fact, Professor Quirrell was casting a spell on you on the field, remember?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore?" Harry's face lit up with surprise.

Ever since his conversation with Loren, he had wanted to continue the topic of living Horcruxes with Dumbledore, but with final exams approaching and too many things to do, plus the Apparition exam and the Quidditch final, he had been delayed until now.

It's all Ron's fault!

If it weren't for that insane training program, he wouldn't have gone straight to bed every night when he got back to his dorm.

"The match was fantastic, especially that last Plenton backflip, it definitely deserves a spot in the top ten of the year." Dumbledore walked beside him, his grey wizard robes billowing in the wind, his bushy beard ruffling. "Have you ever considered becoming a professional player and taking your talent to a bigger stadium?"

"..."

Harry paused, feeling he had grown a lot, especially in terms of patience. A few years ago, he certainly wouldn't have bothered with this small talk with the headmaster: "Thank you for the compliment, Professor, but I'd much rather be an Auror."

"Given the Ministry of Magic's expansion plans, your chances are very good."

"Speaking of the Ministry of Magic, sir, I'd like to talk about Voldemort." Harry felt he had mastered the art of steer the conversation in. "After leaving the Headmaster's office that night, I thought about many things clearly. Loren told me..."

Dumbledore listened quietly to his story, his blue eyes sparkling with satisfaction, and the wrinkles on his face smoothing out.

"Sir, is there any news regarding the other living Horcrux?"

"Severus wrote back to me last week. Nothing unusual was found in the snakewood in Ifamoni, except that the branches and leaves were not as lush as in previous years. Gilbert invited me to visit during the summer vacation, and I will take a closer look then."

"If the Serpentwood is truly fine, how do we find the remaining Horcrux?"

"Then we can only rely on wisdom or the favor of Lady Luck."

Harry frowned, looking at the old professor suspiciously, wondering if he wasn't telling the truth.

Dumbledore winked at him: "Don't worry, I know a friend who's friends with Lady Luck."

"..."

Harry fell silent, realizing he wasn't that patient either.

Shaking his head, Harry temporarily set aside his question about finding the Horcrux and looked up at the professor: "Sir, I'd like to know, what is the safest way to destroy the soul fragment in my scar? Loren said it's too complicated to explain, so he told me to ask you..."

Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, Dumbledore's expression became somewhat complicated: "Harry, do you remember the amulet your mother left you?"

“I remember,” Harry nodded and said softly, “that ancient magic deflected the Killing Curse, destroyed Voldemort’s body, and made me the Boy Who Lived…”

"That is the power of love, a power that surpasses any magic."

Later, Dumbledore continued this protection through blood ties and kinship, which is why Harry returns to the Dursleys' house every year.

"But I'll be 17 this year," Harry said in a low voice, revealing a gentle longing.

"I'm telling you now, this power will continue to protect you," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Remember when Voldemort was resurrected, he took your blood, believing it would make him stronger. But Voldemort knew nothing of love; he never understood love."

"I do not understand."

"That spell was supposed to dissipate when you came of age, but Voldemort absorbed a small portion of the spell your mother left behind when she sacrificed herself for you. The spell that was originally meant to protect you now flows within him. This near-paradoxical conflict caused the spell to undergo an incredible transformation. His body makes the spell immortal, and as long as that spell exists, you will not die."

"It sounds like..."

Harry was completely stunned, his eyes widening in horror: "A Horcrux!"

(End of this chapter)