Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 743 Reunion with Vincent Crabbe

In a tower room at Ilvermorny Castle, Hermione slowly sat up from the bed, fixing her hair as she looked out the window. She saw an owl leisurely strolling among the trees in the distance.

The clean clothes were neatly folded at the foot of the bed, and a silk Gordi knot was thoughtfully attached to them. In the morning light streaming through the window, the metal dots on the ornament overflowed with colorful hues, and the sunlight and metallic luster flowed between the surface textures.

"..."

In another guest room in the attic, Loren slowly opened his eyes.

Looking around, the unfamiliar decor and furnishings brought a slight sense of order. Observing the daylight outside the window, he estimated that it was still early. He closed his eyes and dozed off for a while, only getting up when he heard noises outside.

After getting dressed and washing up, I waved my wand to make the bed, pushed open the door to my room and went downstairs, only to find Hermione already waiting at the corner at the end of the corridor.

There was a Pucker waiter waiting nearby. Hermione had a faint smile on her face and would occasionally lean down and whisper to ask Ilvermorny about the details of Pucker's employment, such as salary, scope of work, and holiday arrangements.

Loren smiled unconsciously. Without interrupting their conversation, he simply walked over to her side, and the two walked forward side by side.

The waiter, Pucker, led the way to a side hall of the Great Hall for their meal, answering Hermione's questions from time to time with a measured pace and without the slightest impatience.

Many things about Ephamoni are inspiring. They live high in the mountains, far from the core of Muggle society, but because one of the founders was a Muggle, they do not reject Muggle ideas and technological achievements.

This centuries-old castle is renovated every now and then, with plumbing repairs, electrical wiring replacements, and stylish decorations. Some parts even have a Muggle vibe.

Hermione seemed to be greatly inspired by this model of wizards coexisting with different creatures, which helped her refine her plan to liberate house-elves.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the side hall, where several principals and professors were already waiting at the dining table.

They greeted each other with "Good morning" and then sat down to begin their meal.

Dumbledore and Mr. Fontana conversed quietly as they ate. Their voices were so low that only a few words could be heard if you listened closely: "Tips for writing effective replies," "Words that won't get you pressed for details," and "How to select a capable vice-principal." The atmosphere at the table was filled with the cheerful slacking off of their conversation.

Nancy and Pickley sat on the side, their eyes slightly dark and their spirits somewhat low, indicating they hadn't slept well the night before.

Loren chose to focus on eating.

"How did this year's graduates do in Potions for the NEWT exam?" Professor Snape asked.

Loren swallowed the bacon in his mouth: "Headmaster Dumbledore has been here for almost a month, haven't you asked him?"

"He said he only remembered that his grades were better than previous years, and he needed to go back to Professor McGonagall for a detailed report." Snape maintained his indifferent expression while eating breakfast, cutting the fried egg into small pieces, putting them in his mouth with his fork, and swallowing them without much movement of his lips or jaw muscles, as if he didn't need to chew.

"There are fifteen more students achieving excellent results than before, and I don't know about the rest," Loren replied.

Professor Snape's Potions Club was more practice-oriented, and the production process of breaking down steps and mass-producing potions subtly deepened the club members' understanding of the principles. Later, Slughorn formed the Slug Club, which focused on communication and answering questions, transforming the vague understanding accumulated in the early stages into organized knowledge.

The two professors worked together to make this progress possible.

"..."

Snape seemed noncommittal, lowering his head to cut the fried egg, still expressionless, but his chewing motions became more pronounced.

Loren continued to focus on his meal.

Warm food gradually filled my stomach.

Nine o'clock in the morning.

Mr. Fontana personally led the way, and the group headed towards the woods behind the castle.

Loren and Hermione were able to enter the mysterious Forbidden Forest of Ephemeral Moni, much faster than they had been a week after enrolling at Hogwarts.

The mountain forest was shrouded in mist in the early morning. The light, wrapped in the mist, brushed against my cheeks, cool and refreshing. As I walked along the forest path, my trouser legs were unknowingly soaked.

The grove of snake trees is located on the side of the summit of Greylock Mountain, next to the founder's stone house. Over the centuries, it has grown into a lush and dense forest. From a distance, the tree canopy outlines part of the mountain's contours, creating a vast and spectacular sight.

To protect the magic set up for the snake tree, the central section is enclosed by a fence made of vines.

Loren noticed a warning sign on the vine fence that only allowed the school clinic and researchers to enter, but he didn't know when it had been put up.

"Come with me."

Fontana tapped the fence with his wand, and the vines shifted and twisted, revealing an arched passageway.

Nancy explained to the two who were visiting for the first time, "When I graduated, these protective spells didn't exist yet. The snake tree was very resilient, and ordinary wizards could hardly cause any damage to it. Occasionally, a student would pick a leaf or two to treat the injuries or illnesses of their family members, and the school wouldn't pursue the matter."

"I see."

The group arrived at the foot of an ancient tree with lush, verdant branches and leaves.

The snake tree has been rooted here for hundreds of years. It is not an exaggerated or awe-inspiring ancient tree, nor is it as thick as a few people can hug. It seems to follow some kind of rule, strong yet restrained. Its bark is rough and its trunk is thick, but it does not occupy all the nearby land. Fungi can be seen sprouting on its uneven surface, and other plant branches are attached between its branches and crown.

The branches are gnarled and twisted, like a python coiled around, but they do not give off a sense of fear.

The emerald green magic is hidden inside the snake tree; just standing under it makes one feel refreshed and relaxed.

Looking at the lush, green snake tree before him, Loren's mind began to race. His first thought was whether the tree would obey Parsley's commands, since everything left behind by Slytherin was related to Parsley—the Chamber of Secrets, the Basilisk, and the locket…

According to "Ilfamoni: A School History", Gormley Gaunt used Parsley to command the Snakewood Wand to go into hibernation, but Aesop Thale could not speak Parsley, so he could not wake the wand. After the wand was buried, the Snakewood grew there.

If Parsleyan really works, could it restore the tree to its wand form?

Although he didn't know much about Parseltongue, Dumbledore next to him had studied it, and if all else failed, they could wait for Harry; maybe they'd get some unexpected insights...

Fontana seemed to see through his thoughts, and looking up at the snake tree, he explained softly, "To Iphamoni and the wizards of this continent, the snakewood wand is a more illustrious and real existence than the Elder Wand in the Deathly Hallows. Many people have coveted it..."

"Furthermore, while Parsley is rare, it is not exclusive to the Slytherin bloodline. Over the centuries, several students in Evamony have also possessed the talent for Parsley. They knew the history of Evamony and, upon discovering their own Parsley talent, all longed to wield the wand left behind by that legendary wizard."

"Iphamoni also hoped to bring back the Serpentwood Wand and did not stop them from trying, all of which ultimately failed."

"Two hundred years ago, there was a little witch from Pukch College, who seemed to be a distant relative of Slytherin. She sang a Scottish folk song in Parsleyan, which made the Snake Tree sway, but only sway. She later became an outstanding healer, and the Snake Tree remains here."

"As it turns out, the snake tree does have an influence on the snake-like accent, but only a slight one."

Fontana paused here, a hint of amusement in his voice: "Luckily, the snake tree has already taken root here, otherwise Voldemort would have taken it away."

Nancy added from the side, "Iphamoni once collaborated with the Longhorn Water Serpent clan to conduct a series of studies on Parsleyan. This research project is still ongoing today. When they encounter students with Parsleyan talent, the school professors record their voices and the corresponding translations of words... but it has not yet formed a systematic language."

Hermione looked thoughtful and set up a research topic to explore promising areas. In a way, Eva Morney really learned the Muggle University system and adapted it for use in magic.

Loren glanced at Professor Snape and sighed inwardly: The true line of Slytherin lies in Ephramone.

Hogwarts seems somewhat outdated. It's an old-fashioned magic school with a long history and a tendency to stick to tradition, while the other is a younger, more innovative, and ambitious school...

Fortunately, while the Hogwarts teaching model has a slightly lower lower limit, its upper limit is extremely high. Over the past century, it has cultivated many outstanding wizards, such as Tom Riddle, the most powerful dark wizard in the world since Helbo, which has greatly expanded the upper limit of Hogwarts' dark magic field.

Then there's Dumbledore, who greatly influenced another renowned dark wizard of this century. If we round it up, Grindelwald can also be considered a product of Hogwarts.

It seems that the true lineage of Slytherin still lies in Hogwarts.

"..."

Dumbledore, who was observing the snake tree, suddenly stopped, tilted his head and glanced at Loren beside him, feeling that the boy's gaze was rather impolite.

Several professors had already begun examining the snake tree. Fontana stroked the rough bark: "The staff of the Magic Congress detected strange, extremely evil magic inside the snake tree. They suspect that some dark magic artifact is hidden inside the trunk."

"We all know what that is, Gilbert," Dumbledore said softly, then gave Snape a look.

Snape stood directly in front of the Serpent Tree, pressed the tip of his staff against the middle of the trunk, unleashed magic, and unleashed an invisible blade that easily sliced ​​through the bark, slowly and resolutely cutting into the interior.

Milky white branches burst forth, carrying the unique fragrance of plants, revealing a light green and whitish inner layer.

Loren and the others stood to the side, quietly observing.

The invisible blade pierced through a few inches, and suddenly a stream of crimson liquid spurted out. Snape reacted quickly and dodged to the side.

Warm liquid splashed onto the ground, quickly seeping into the soil, leaving dark red and black marks, and emitting a slightly fishy smell.

The wizards nearby frowned slightly, their expressions gradually becoming serious. Loren and Snape were seasoned potions masters, while Dumbledore and Fontana were experienced. They easily recognized the source of this blood: the most numerous and widely distributed animal in nature—humans.

Fontana, Pickley, and Boot of Ephamony all looked grim, shocked by Voldemort's cruelty and enraged by the defilement of the Serpent Tree.

In the short time they observed the blood, the snake tree showed vigorous vitality. Its branches twitched slightly, and the crack began to heal. However, the Divine Sharpness was hindering the healing process, making the wound heal slowly.

Snape looked up at the snake tree, pressed his wand against the trunk again, paused for a moment, moved the tip of his wand half a body length to the side, estimated the distance, and began to split it open again.

Everyone stepped back two steps to give him room to maneuver.

Milky white plant sap splattered, and occasionally blood would still spurt out, but Snape would quickly recover, and the others were no longer surprised.

"..."

As the crack widened, more of the interior was revealed, and the two girls grew increasingly pale. Nancy clutched her chest with her right hand, seemingly feeling unwell in her stomach.

It was a male body with a broad frame, a large build, and plenty of muscle and fat. However, his original face was no longer recognizable because he had lost his normal skin and was instead covered with a dense layer of scales, like some kind of snake.

The body is curled up in a huddled position, with a fleshy umbilical cord extending from the navel and the other end connected to the core of the tree. The umbilical cord occasionally wriggles, pushing the life-bearing branch into the body. The branch is pink and tender. The bizarre scene inside the snake tree is unbearably disgusting.

The scene before me resembled a test-tube baby in a laboratory, except that the baby was a robust adult, and this adult was Voldemort's living Horcrux.

Horcruxes, the most important chapter in "The Secrets of Dark Magic," are regarded as a sanctuary from death and a weapon to overcome it. They can absorb the negative emotions of those they come into contact with to enhance their own power. Theoretically, they can even reverse the limitations of the soul and flesh, and achieve resurrection, or rebirth, through the Horcrux.

Loren could sense that evil black magic was attached to the chest of this body. This magic was the same as the source of the Horcruxes he had seen before, which was where the fragments of Voldemort's soul were attached.

Dumbledore, who had been observing quietly, seemed to have discovered something. He stepped forward and touched the face of the body covered with snake scales with his rough fingers.

The invisible transformative magic flowed like water, spreading across the bloody body. A faint, invisible ripple gradually spread, and in the next moment, everyone saw the snake scales gradually merge into the flesh and blood, transforming into normal skin.

Loren frowned. For some reason, when he saw that pale face, he felt a vague sense of familiarity.

He had never seen this face before, but the gloomy and violent feeling seemed familiar, yet he couldn't remember where he had encountered it before... In a daze, he gradually recalled it, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Hermione, standing nearby, exclaimed in surprise, "Vincent Crabbe!"

(End of this chapter)