The mastermind behind Hogwarts

Chapter 63 Senburg Hotel

After the party ended, the guests left one by one to begin their summer vacations. Three days later, when the last guest of the castle, Marcus, went to Romania, Moriarty also left the castle and arrived in London via Diagon Alley.

There are many ways to travel from London to Greece, but Moriarty chose the simplest and fastest one: by plane.

Although Moriarty was a first-rate broomstick rider, using a flying broomstick for long-distance travel was clearly not a wise choice.

Perhaps after old Flint expands his business to Greece, Moriarty can use Floo Powder or a Door Key.

But now, Moriarty stands in front of the gates of London's Heathrow International Airport, carrying a handbag, amidst the bustling crowd, where Lilith, wearing a sun hat, waves and smiles at him.

"I don't believe this is a coincidence. You deliberately waited for me here!" Moriarty walked up to Lilith. Today, the girl was wearing jeans and a white short-sleeved shirt, carrying a light yellow bag, and her face was beaming with a refreshing smile.

"I overheard what Leon said to you, and I suspect you're going to Greece to look for clues. Besides, you're not the old-fashioned, pure-blooded type; choosing a comfortable and quick way to travel suits your personality! As for this place—the largest international airport in all of London—I thought I'd try my luck!"

Lilith smiled and said cheerfully, her tone as joyful as if she had successfully transformed into an Animagus; she seemed about to jump for joy.

Finally, Lilith regained her composure. She gracefully circled Moriarty once, and asked, "So, Mr. Moriarty, would you mind having another companion?"

"Let's go, our flight is at 9:20, don't be late." Moriarty gave the girl a faint smile, strode into the airport, and Lilith followed with a giggle.

Once on the plane, Lilith excitedly looked around.

"My family never let me have any contact with the Muggle world; they wanted to turn me into some old-fashioned pureblood! But this time, when they heard I came out with you, they immediately agreed!"

When Moriarty first saw the chattering Lilith, he realized that no matter how mature Lilith was, she was still a girl at heart.

The rule that students are not allowed to use magic during the holidays seems to have been forgotten by the two.

Regarding the seating arrangement, Moriarty used a little magic to choose a window seat for Lilith, so she could look out at the blue sky and white clouds. Moriarty sat next to her.

The plane took off amidst Lilith's anticipation. Lilith felt a little dizzy and nauseous, and clung tightly to Moriarty's arm.

In the seat next to them, there was a four or five-year-old blond boy who was also flying for the first time. He was so nervous that he was about to cry, and his mother quickly comforted him.

"Mommy~ I'm so scared, can you tell me a fairy tale?" The little boy huddled in his mother's arms.

"Okay~ Today Mom will tell you the story of King Arthur..." His mother gently patted his shoulder and began to tell the story in a slow and melodious voice: "Legend has it that King Arthur was raised by the great magician Merlin, and he was as clever as you... Later, with Merlin's help, King Arthur pulled the sword of kings from the sacred lake..."

"Mommy~ Do you really think there are magicians?" the little boy asked, rubbing his eyes as he looked sleepy.

"Yes, yes, you'll see them when you grow up."

"Yes, I want to be a magician when I grow up!" The little boy sucked his thumb, rolled over, and started to sleep.

Seeing the boy's innocent smile, Moriarty and Lilith exchanged a smile.

"Do you think," Lilith leaned on Moriarty's shoulder, "that little guy will receive a letter from Hogwarts when he's eleven?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no."

"Alright! Let's make a bet!" Lilith sat up straight, held out one hand, palm up, "Dare to give me a high five? I bet that little guy will definitely go to Hogwarts!"

"Then I have no choice but to gamble that he won't go to Hogwarts." Moriarty shook his head regretfully. "Why should I kill a child's dream?"

"Smack!" The two hands clasped together.

Lilith snuggled up to Moriarty and whispered in a cat-like voice, "Moriarty, tell me a fairy tale too."

"Why didn't you let me find you a nanny?" Moriarty pushed Lilith away, glanced at the little boy, and laughed, "Perhaps next Christmas, I should give you a baby pacifier?"

Lilith smiled and shook her head. After a while of playing around, the two of them became drowsy and slept for five hours on the plane before arriving in Athens.

Moriarty led Lilith off the plane and out of the airport.

"Moriarty, do you know where Greek wizards are? I mean, is there a place like Diagon Alley in London here in Athens?" Lilith looked at the people on the street and felt that the two of them were out of place here.

"Leon told me that Bill Weasley's first stop in Athens was the Parthenon! Let's go check it out."

After Moriarty finished speaking, he cast an Illusion Charm on himself. Lilith whispered enviously, "You've already learned the Illusion Charm right after summer vacation started. You'll definitely surpass me by a lot this summer..."

"Don't be silly, get on!" Moriarty took out Nimbus 1700, pulled Lilith behind him, and rode his broomstick into the sky.

In just over ten minutes, they landed in the shade of the Parthenon. Moriarty stepped forward and searched the marble pillars for the switch to enter the wizarding world, while Lilith examined the Parthenon.

This temple, hailed as the "Seventh Wonder of the Muggle World," boasts magnificent jade steps, massive pillars, painted beams and carved eaves, and is adorned with numerous reliefs, making it a truly spectacular sight. The entire temple is surrounded by 46 fluted marble pillars, and at the center of the main hall stands a statue of Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

"Legend has it that the goddess of wisdom, Athena, and the god of the sea, Poseidon, fought over this city. Perhaps we can find some clues from the sculptures."

Moriarty pondered for a moment, and after some attempts, he finally found a small bump on the head of the seventh statue in the seventh row.

Moriarty noticed that it was a statue of a presiding priest wearing a crown with small protrusions hidden on it, making it difficult to spot.

"This place must have been cursed with a Muggle banishment spell." Lilith noticed that no one was looking at the statues.

After preparing with Lilith, Moriarty pressed the small protrusion, the statue moved, and a hole appeared behind it, the opening of which grew larger and larger.

Before long, a wide archway appeared before them, which Moriarty thought Hagrid could easily pass through.

This archway leads to a winding, seemingly endless marble-paved street.

Found it! The two exchanged a glance, nodded, and stepped inside!

As they entered, the archway disappeared, and the statues automatically returned to their original positions.

Inside, Moriarty felt the intense sunlight—Greek summers are incredibly hot.

"Welcome to Sosskis Ross Street~ Wow, a young couple, ha, still kids!"

Before Moriarty and Lilith could even take in the street, a warm male voice rang out, drawing their attention.

A middle-aged man with a thick beard stood in front of a building that resembled a temple and waved to them.

"What did he say?" Lilith asked Moriarty, glancing at the enthusiastic older man.

Moriarty, who was fluent in five foreign languages, only knew a little Greek, so he couldn't answer the question.

But it was a welcome message nonetheless. Moriarty noticed a stone tablet in front of the house with a string of Greek letters and a number: 1436.

"Hey, you're British, aren't you?" The middle-aged man rubbed his beard as he approached Moriarty and Lilith, asking in broken English, "If you need lodging, the Senburg Inn is your best bet! I've been running this place since 1436, and all the travelers come here!"

This time Lilith understood. She nodded and said to Moriarty, "I think it's a good idea. The hotel is in a prime location on the street. After all, not everyone can open a hotel at the entrance of a bustling street."

Think about it, isn't the Senburg Hotel similar to Old Tom's Leaky Cauldron?

"That's true," Moriarty said, glancing at the sky. "But there are still a few hours until dark, so let's wander around here for a bit."

Then he walked up to the bearded man and handed him a shiny ruby.

"We need you as our guide to show us around. Please don't have any bad intentions, or the history of the Senburg Hotel will come to an end."

(End of this chapter)