I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 326 Awakening - Underwater

Hermione stood there, stunned.

He seemed to have lost his soul and fell into the same dazed state as usual.

She held the handbag, lost in thought.

The fact that Gemini mentioned Professor McGonagall's name twice warmed her parched heart.

And just as she was lost in thought.

Justin, Hannah, and Luna left one by one.

They all said goodbye to her before they left.

But Hermione, who was distracted, didn't seem to notice.

Inside the castle, they were the second longest-staying group in the school infirmary.

Hannah was terrified.

Of course, after learning about Irving's accident, I was gripped by a sense of fear.

The fear that had been buried deep in her heart since last summer vacation—the thought of dancing with death and ultimately being swallowed by it—suddenly spread through her mind.

It took her a long time to recover from that fear.

Besides.

Cedric walked past Hermione, patting the witch on the shoulder in an attempt to offer her some comfort.

Then he strode away and quickly disappeared into the bright sunlight outside the door.

Gradually, fewer and fewer little wizards appeared in the foyer.

When only a few people remained, Hermione numbly got up.

As if she had made a firm decision, she tied her handbag around her waist, then left the hall, the gate, and the castle with a determined look in her eyes, heading towards the Black Lake.

Down the lawn, the stands that covered the open space last year have all been moved to the lake. The tiered structure is quite spectacular. Under the sunlight, the lake surface glistens, and people's reflections are mirrored in the water. They move merrily with the waves, and from a distance, it looks like there are people everywhere, creating a lively scene.

The stands were now packed, and joyful shouts filled the air.

------

On the other side...

In the hazy dreamscape, Owen is saying goodbye to his Miss Granger.

The sculpture Hermione vanished as starlight, and the world around her began to change dramatically, sometimes stretching out and sometimes shrinking infinitely.

The space was convulsing wildly, a sign of the spirit's revival.

As dawn broke through the sky, stars fell, and through the gap, he seemed to see the ceiling of a medieval castle.

"Yay!!"

"Dude, you're a genius!"

The blue sky began to crack more and more, and the countless shards of glass coalesced into a meteorite.

Stars shone as they miraculously fell from the sky.

The next second, these stars appeared in Irving's hands.

Then he opened his mouth wide and swallowed the stars whole.

The light faded, and so this false world vanished.

Next—open your eyes.

In the school clinic, Irving suddenly opened his eyes.

In the distance, countless rings were interlocked, and a shooting star pierced through all the rings and reached the center.

He blinked again, and everything returned to normal, except this time, his pupils seemed to have changed color, with emerald green making up most of them.

Her hair also changed from a mix of black and silver to predominantly silver with black accents.

"Ha! I'm back again!"

Irving did a somersault and jumped off the hospital bed.

At this moment, the entire school clinic was empty, and the door was tightly closed.

The warm sunlight streamed in through the window, casting golden rays on the ground, making everything feel cozy and warm!

"Huh? The weather's cleared up?"

The sudden rise in temperature naturally aroused Irving's suspicion.

He had no idea how long he had been asleep in the illusion.

But referring to Harry Potter, although the illusion lasted for quite a long time, reality should only be a moment.

"Whatever, who cares!"

Anyway, it's impossible for me to wake up seventeen years in the future.

I rubbed my neck, and a wave of soreness washed over me.

It seems he's been lying down for quite a while.

Turning his head, Irving looked at Koyatl, who was in the next hospital bed.

The girl opened her eyes.

His expression, however, showed a hint of pain.

The next second, Irving walked up to her.

As agreed, he slowly cut his index finger, a drop of blood fell, and then the silvery magic enveloped it.

Magic weaves countless links, symbolizing the regressive principle of ancient magic.

His drop of blood, like a primordial meteor, carried original magic as it passed through the ring and dripped onto Koyatl's brow.

"Alright, our agreement is fulfilled."

Irving said this casually, then turned and left.

Behind him, as Koyatl's blood merged into her body, it felt as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and his whole being felt lighter.

She sat up.

Exquisitely sculpted feet, soft and supple as they stepped on the ground.

The coldness traveled from her nerves straight into her brain.

"call--"

This is a feeling of ease I've never experienced before.

Meanwhile, Irving had already put on his shoes and reached out to push open the door to the school infirmary.

His small bag was by his bedside, containing all the usual things he had prepared in advance, including changes of clothes, his own and Miss Granger's.

There are also tents, blankets, beds, and other amenities. It's very complete.

"Oh! Right." The door slowly opened, and Owen seemed to suddenly remember something, turning his head sharply. "I just remembered something."

"What?" The girl was stretching out her hand, looking at herself blankly. Before this, she always felt that there was more than one person in this body. Now, she truly felt that this was hers, something that belonged only to her.

"I forgot about your connection with the Outer Gods for too long. The power of the Outer Gods has profoundly altered certain qualities of your body. Now, your individual soul is like an outsider to this body."

"What do you mean?" Koyatl's gaze darkened.

"It means you don't have much time left," Owen said calmly, as if discussing what he would eat later. "About six months left."

"Six months?"

"Yes," Irving nodded. "Enjoy the rest of your life!"

Have fun!

He waved his hand, then turned and left without a second thought.

He walked quickly down the corridor, a faint smile always on his face.

Six months?

Heh—go to hell! You idiot!

You dare to lay a hand on your father.

They've eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard!

Irving makes no secret of his disgust for that woman, but as a positive character, at least for now, he will not betray his promise.

So—my buddy saved me!

She's alive!

But I didn't say how long I would live!

Six months—tsk tsk, just in February, summer vacation was approaching, and by then she had already been back in North America for over a month.

Then, if he died suddenly, it would have nothing to do with Hogwarts.

Ha ha!

Irving descended the spiral staircase.

I felt more relaxed than ever before.

Ah! This real air.

A real mural.

A real staircase.

A real castle.

Everything felt so real.

That's right—that's right—damn it, where are they?

After running all the way to the gate, Owen suddenly realized, as if in a daze, that he hadn't seen a single wizard along the way.

I've never seen a ghost.

The auditorium to his right was also completely empty.

The place was brightly decorated and looked brand new, as if they had just been celebrating some festival, but the next second everyone had disappeared.

Something felt strangely eerie.

What the hell?

Has Hogwarts been breached?

When did the Death Eaters become so powerful that they could agree to Dumbledore's request?

impossible!

Unless Old Man Dumbledore is the mastermind behind the Death Eaters, there's no way the Death Eaters can break into the castle!

"Damn it! Could I really be lying here seventeen years in the future?!" Owen quickly touched his body.

Hmm—I didn't suddenly grow up!

She wasn't a child before she fell into a coma; she woke up to find herself a mother of two.

"Um—the pant legs seem a bit short."

Irving pulled up his pants; they were indeed a bit short.

He knocked—how long had he been unconscious?!

Could it be that the outside world has already been conquered by the Outer Gods?

That would be great fun!

Directly—the book is finished, and everyone is overjoyed.

Unfortunately, such a beautiful dream will never be reality.

Irving quickly calmed down and heard cheers and jubilation coming from outside.

Stepping out of the gate, he immediately saw the stands on Black Lake.

"Hmm? Is this already the third match?"

Irving stroked his chin, looking at the lush greenery around him, and reflecting on the changes in his own body.

It was roughly possible to deduce that he had been in a coma for one or two months.

This should be what it looks like in April.

"So long?" Irving was somewhat surprised.

He thought it would only last for a moment or at most a few days.

However, this outcome is not entirely unacceptable; at least it doesn't happen seventeen years later.

In the distance, Dumbledore's voice became exceptionally loud.

He must have used the "loud voice" spell.

The thunderous sound swept across the dark lake and reached Hogwarts.

"Listen up, everyone! Our warriors are in position. When I blow the whistle, the third event begins. They have a full hour to reclaim what was stolen from them. I'll count to three—one, two, three!"

A sharp whistle blew in the warm afternoon sun, and cheers and applause erupted from the stands.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The sound of splashing water rang out, and the young wizards screamed even louder.

Meanwhile, a gust of wind suddenly swept past Irving. He looked closely and saw—oh—a girl with long, straight black hair had just run past.

"Irving!"

The girl walked quickly down the mountain, then turned back and gave Owen the middle finger.

Although Irving didn't hear (selectively ignored) the word she followed, judging from her lip movements alone, it should have started with an F.

It's okay.

They're barely alive, can't they even be allowed to curse at us?

Thinking to himself, Irving also raised his middle finger and said a word that started with B.

However, he would never suffer a loss.

Standing on the shore, Owen watched Koyatl's figure.

Her hair turned black.

I didn't see the eyes just now.

In just a moment, you could tell that her entire demeanor had changed drastically. She seemed more cheerful?

The previous Koyatl would never have given him the middle finger.

But it's more likely that they knew they were nearing the end of their lives.

So they become reckless. Just like those who know they have cancer and are about to die, they might choose to throw a tantrum.

But judging from her anxious look, oh my—could she be preparing to participate in a competition?

Is it possible to join halfway through?

Irving followed.

The third match should be the same as in the original story. It will involve rescuing hostages from mermaids underwater.

The professor definitely didn't prepare Koyatl as a hostage, so even if she joined in halfway, she probably wouldn't be able to finish the match.

And—this hostage-finding competition is so boring!

There's no challenge at all.

Look at his second challenge, the Hogwarts sewers. It's a brilliant design. With Victor's help, he used ancient magic to strongly enhance organisms, and managed to cram an entire aquarium inside.

The venue, traps, and maze were all meticulously designed by him.

Apart from a shortcut he and the deans knew, no one who went in could come out in less than an hour or two.

Now look at it!

Without him, the professors' imaginations would be severely lacking; what's so fun about underwater treasure hunting?

"How about we go down into the water and add some seasoning for them?"

Irving's lips curled up slightly.

His eyes seemed to pierce through the dark lake water, staring intently at the surface.

I wonder—how is Miss Granger doing?

I haven't seen her for two months. How is she?

—And beneath the Black Lake, unseen by Irving.

It was a dark, hazy place, full of aquatic plants.

Hermione was struggling to swim underwater, waving her arms.

There was complete silence around her, and she could only see within a radius of ten feet. Therefore, with each glide in the water, a new scene would suddenly emerge from the darkness before her.

She was wearing a mask, a magical gadget, a diving contraption invented by the Weasley twins. She had asked the twins to make it two months ago after she learned that the competition would be underwater.

Because neither spells nor anything else that allows you to breathe underwater are stable enough, and this mask is also waterproof and sandproof, which is much more useful than a simple underwater spell.

"Whoosh—" Miss Granger exhaled many bubbles.

The surrounding environment was not friendly to her; she didn't like this dark place.

Especially the undulating, tangled jungle of black aquatic plants, and the wide, flat mud and sand scattered with glittering pebbles, all evoke images of confinement and death.

Moreover—Gemini's concerns are valid.

Three months of chaotic living had completely destroyed her body.

She was no longer as energetic as when dealing with dragons.

In the lake, her body heat was being rapidly dissipated.

My arms ached after just a few swings.

My head was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open.

Now, she can only rely on her perseverance.

Driven by the determination not to embarrass Hogwarts, he swam forward step by step.

She swam deeper and deeper, heading towards the center of the lake.

Summoning his strength, he opened his eyes wide, his gaze piercing through the gray, eerie lake water, looking at the dark figure in the distance, where the lake water was gloomy and indistinct.

The little fish swam nimbly past her, like silver darts.

On one or two occasions, Hermione seemed to see a large thing moving in front of her, but when she swam closer, she found that it was just a big, dark log or a clump of dense, tangled seaweed.

There were no other warriors, mermaids—thankfully, there were no giant squid either.

Hermione strained to see into the distance, where a patch of lush green water plants, two feet deep, resembled a very dense lawn. She stared intently ahead, trying to make out any shapes in the shadows… just then, without warning, something grabbed her ankle.

"Bang!"

A flash of golden light, and the Silent Imprisonment Spell was instantly cast.

After hearing the sound of something being hit in the water, she turned around. It turned out to be a Grindelwald, a water monster with long horns on its head. It was sticking out of the seaweed with its mouth wide open, revealing a row of sharp teeth.

After dealing with this one, the activity didn't stop in the deep weeds; many more Grindelwalds continued to swim in.

"Strength has slackened!"

Another silent spell was cast, and the magic spread outwards like ripples.

After hitting the water monsters, their green skin turned bright red, and then, as if slowed down, they struggled in the water at a snail's pace, even lunging at her.

Hermione ignored them.

Instead, it turned and swam in another direction.

After swimming for more than ten minutes following the directions on the map in her hand, Hermione stopped. She turned 360 degrees in the water. There was silence all around her, except for the water pressure that imprisoned her eardrums. She knew she must be at the bottom of a very deep lake, but there was nothing moving around her except for the water plants.

Hermione had hoped she might see Lady Hufflepuff's resting place in the water, but as expected, there was no light at all.

She was certain that the outer light barrier was protected by an illusion spell, but she couldn't locate it, nor could she confirm it herself.

"Oh my god! Those things have escaped."

The sudden sound nearly gave Hermione a heart attack. She turned around abruptly and vaguely saw Moaning Myrtle crying as if she were hiding from something. She was swimming towards her, looking at her through her thick, pearl-colored glasses.

"Ugh—" Hermione didn't speak, of course she couldn't speak. She pointed to the water plants next to her, indicating that she should hide inside.

"It's you, Hermione." Myrtle seemed to have seen a savior. She swam quickly past Hermione and then plunged into the seaweed.

Then Hermione waved her wand slightly, and a muffled sound suddenly came from the depths of the Black Lake, followed by the spread of dust and mud.

The grapevine wand glowed faintly as it controlled the stones at the bottom of the lake, hurling them at the monster chasing Myrtle.

A huge lobster.

After she finished, Hermione turned and left.

They didn't even care whether the lobster was killed by the impact.

"Oh! That was a close call!" Myrtle popped her head out from the seaweed. "Look at those big pincers, they could have snapped a wizard in two."

"?" Hermione waved to her.

"I know what you're going to ask, why am I here? Right?" Myrtle crossed her arms and circled around Hermione. "Staying in the castle is too boring. I often run away."

"But I don't come to Black Lake often. It's too dark here, unless it's for the competition—and those mermaids don't like me either. As soon as I get close, they come and chase me," Myrtle said somewhat indignantly.

(End of this chapter)