I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 340 Tavern and Siren

Just then, the tavern door was pushed open.

A handsome man walked in from outside.

A handsome man who can make other men drool.

He had a thick beard, long hair, bulging muscles all over his body, eight-pack abs, and a broad chest.

Oh my god—those abs—so sexy.

His right arm was covered in a large tattoo, with some kind of runic script vividly displayed on it.

Based on Irving's interpretation, it should be some kind of text about resisting spiritual charm.

Of course, what Irving cares about most is that muscular physique.

I feel like I could kill him with one punch.

He was completely soaked at that moment. If he had a pitchfork, he could totally cosplay Aquaman.

"Trident! Flame Whiskey."

The muscular man sat on the counter, casually scattering several silver coins with a wave of his hand.

Kyrie Irving was so envious he was practically drooling.

He'll probably never be able to develop muscles to that level in his lifetime.

He's strayed further and further down the wrong path of magic, and he probably doesn't have time to train his body anymore, plus he hates sweating.

"What? Didn't make any money today?" The counter owner, a middle-aged man with a long beard, wearing a leather apron, raised his hand and casually served a glass of strong liquor.

"Damn it—don't even mention it." The muscular man gulped down a mouthful of strong liquor, exhaled a mouthful of flame, and instantly his soaked body was evaporated.

"The underwater whirlpool across the Messina Strait is getting bigger and faster, and it's already three kilometers wide."

"Those sea monsters are all dead. If this continues, half of the island's industries will collapse."

"Industry? What industry?" Owen leaned closer, his admiration for the hunk, and ordered a shot of strong liquor for the man who resembled Aquaman.

"Um?"

The sudden appearance of the young wizard startled both adult wizards.

"Tresk? You're so poor you've started selling alcohol to underage wizards? I guess you're not going to keep your tavern open anymore!" The burly man suddenly stood up. He was really tall, easily over two meters, making him look like a small mountain. Unlike Hagrid, the half-giant, he didn't have Hagrid's big belly.

"What are you talking about?" Trisk took out a whole bottle of Flame Whisky and handed it to the handsome man. "Why would I buy alcohol for a little wizard? Look over there, that's his parents."

Triske pointed to Sirius, who was clinking glasses in the crowd.

The handsome man glanced back at the glass of lemonade in Irving's hand before sitting down.

"Don't let me find out, the Ministry of Magic is short of money! Don't mess with your wand, or you'll get fined and can't say I didn't warn you." The handsome man picked up the whole bottle of Flame Whiskey and downed it in one gulp.

Only then did the shop owner, Triske, breathe a sigh of relief. He forced a smile and said somewhat eagerly, "Of course, of course! I'm the most law-abiding citizen."

Then, almost unconsciously, he moved forward a little bit.

The handsome man might not have noticed, but Owen sensed a faint magical energy emanating from beneath the man's feet.

I guess they're some contraband from the Ministry of Magic.

"You still haven't told me what industries Sicily has!" Owen continued to ask.

The handsome man glanced at Owen after hearing his question and said, "Kid, don't ask questions! Go away."

"Hey, I'm not a nobody. Besides, since it's a property in Sicily, what's there to hide?"

"ha?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several snickers rang out in the auditorium.

Everyone stared at Irving as if he were a joke, their eyes darting up and down.

Then the smile faltered a bit.

Listen to the sound.

This must be a boy!

Hey!

It's rare to see someone look like that!

Indeed, she was wearing a long robe, with a small braid, long silver and black hair, bangs falling from her cheeks, a pair of bright green eyes like gemstones, and a high nose.

And then there are his lips. Irving inherited his grandmother's full lips completely. Most of the time, when he's not speaking, he deliberately purses his lips and pulls them back. But as soon as he opens his mouth, he gives himself away. And because he purses his lips, they are always moist, so they look very rosy.

Miss Granger sometimes gets confused by his face, let alone other people who don't know him.

"What an extraordinary little boy. If those sirens found out, tsk tsk—"

Suddenly, a lewd-looking male wizard approached. He was wearing a tattered wizard's robe, his hair was so greasy it could be used to stir-fry vegetables, and he smelled of mold. When he opened his mouth, his breath was so strong it could kill a rat, almost making Owen faint.

Too suffocating.

"A glass of whiskey!" he said.

"Deal!" Owen frowned, then tossed down a silver coin.

Although Italy does not use currencies like the Sicogalon, it still circulates without any problems as a fairy currency.

"That's great!" The wizard happily picked up the wine Trisk handed him, gulped it down, and then said leisurely, "Speaking of which, the sirens over there on the vortex love little boys like you the most. If you fall into their hands, I can't guarantee anything else, but you—they definitely won't want to drain you dry. They'll slowly raise you, keeping you locked up in their nest on the underwater ridge, and once you're on the ground, they'll—hehe!"

"."

"The enchanting island of Sicily." The man chuckled strangely and lewdly, then continued, "The siren is a must-experience for any adult male wizard who comes to the island. If you don't get hung up on their lower bodies, tsk tsk—that figure."

"Every year, a large number of sirens come ashore to seek out their desired men. They will mate with wizards for one to two weeks before returning to the sea before winter. This is their method of reproduction; this race has no males."

"."

Gan!

What the hell is this heaven on earth?!

Irving showed great interest in this, but of course, he wasn't interested in anything sexual!

His purpose was purely scientific research. You see, any magical creature that can mate with a wizard will inevitably produce a hybrid offspring.

According to the male wizard in front of him, the offspring of the Sirens would inevitably be Sirens, rather than witches with Sirens' blood.

This is interesting; strange races naturally arouse people's interest in research.

If we could catch ten or eight and keep them in the Black Lake at Hogwarts

Ahem—Scientific research! Pure scientific research!

That would absolutely increase the school's enrollment rate significantly.

Haha!

"There aren't as many sirens now," the handsome man suddenly spoke up. "I don't know what happened this year, but it seems like the sirens have moved away, maybe influenced by the underwater whirlpools. I've been wandering the seabed for over a month and haven't encountered a single one."

"The Ministry of Magic is in for a headache; they're going to lose more than half of their ticket revenue."

"Admission tickets?" Owen opened his round green eyes, used his cuteness to continue asking.

"The Italian Ministry of Magic has established a special protected area here to protect the sirens and operates tour boats specifically for visiting them," the handsome man said.

"6!" Irving gave a thumbs up, but then he thought about it and realized that it was indeed a brilliant idea to make money!

Human beings have three major desires: the desire to eat, the desire to sleep, and the desire for sex.

If managed well, it can definitely be a lucrative business that lasts a long time!

"It's a pity that there will be no more sirens this year, or even in the future," the handsome man sighed.

Owen instantly understood why such a burly man was searching for the sirens at the bottom of the sea—wasn't this a classic case of using a handsome man to seduce someone?

"What's going on with that underwater whirlpool? Did it suddenly start expanding this year?"

Irving wanted to know more.

"It's true that we only started expanding this year."

"What about the obelisk in the vortex? I read in the newspaper that there is an obelisk at the center of the vortex."

"Well, you do have a good eye," the handsome man said calmly. Although his face was flushed, he still looked quite composed.

"The Ministry of Magic dispatched a large number of spellbreakers and experts in ancient history. From the translation of the runes on the obelisk, we know that it was built by wizards more than two thousand years ago. Apart from that, we found nothing else."

He took another sip of his drink, looking rather unenthusiastic.

What he said wasn't a secret.

The tower is right in the center of the vortex, and anyone can get there. That's all the Ministry of Magic has researched about it, and everyone in the ministry knows that, so he didn't hold back and just blurted it out.

However, these words stirred up a huge wave in Irving's heart.

The timing is right.

All the divinely inspired towers were built two thousand years ago.

Could that really be a divinely ordained tower?

Owen wanted to know more details about that obelisk, and he planned to go and take a look after the Giants incident was over.

Unfortunately, he hadn't finished speaking.

A cold and authoritative voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"Irving!"

It's Sirius!

He walked over with a cold expression.

What are you talking about, you brat?!

How old are you! You're already thinking about doing this kind of thing.

Moreover—even a fool could see that the man in front of him was definitely an Auror from the Italian Ministry of Magic.

Asking about this kind of thing in front of an Auror? Do you really think you can't be exposed?

He walked over, grabbed Owen by the back of his head by the collar, and dragged him out of the pub.

"Hey hey—what are you doing?"

"Regarding that siren, I did it entirely for scientific research and for Hogwarts. If your own thoughts are so dirty, don't assume everyone else's are."

Irving struggled, vehemently denouncing the dark side of the Dog Godfather!

"Heh." Sirius didn't want to say a word. He led him around and into an empty corridor, then Apparated away.

Inside the tent, Irving was locked in his room.

Apart from Mrs. Maxim, which of the other two didn't know him?

Hagrid had something to say; the kid had messed with all the magical creatures near the castle.

After hearing about the Sirens from Sirius, he immediately concluded that the kid would definitely sneak out to find such creatures.

At that time, the trouble it causes will probably be no less than the whirlpool across the strait.

Stirring up trouble is one of his strengths.

Therefore, for the next few days, none of the adult wizards allowed Owen to leave the tent.

He was locked in a cage again.

Meanwhile, Sirius and his friends were busy inquiring about the giants' whereabouts.

Irving had originally planned to continue video chatting with Miss Granger—but he quickly abandoned the idea.

Everyone should have their own space, and besides, he's been playing for three days already.

So—he decided to write a letter to Hermione during his spare time while deciphering the spell.

Words are always more beautiful than spoken language.

The rustling sound of a quill pen rubbing against parchment can evoke countless daydreams.

Think about it, how many wonderful poems have been written on paper by ordinary people, accompanied by such voices.

So many souls are imprisoned, yet burst forth with dazzling, colorful brilliance.

So he pretended to start writing.

And then—besides a pile of waste paper.

He gained nothing.

He might be able to quote a few lines from Shakespeare's long love poems at will, but when asked to write a letter himself, his mind goes completely blank.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On the third day, early in the morning.

Irving was dragged out of his sleep by Sirius.

Then, in a daze, he vaguely saw someone dismantle his tent.

Then, another person handed him a backpack and urged him on toward a mountain in the distance.

Have you ever experienced this: you're walking along the street absentmindedly, your mind wandering, and when you look back, you suddenly find yourself at your destination, with no recollection of the journey?

Yes, that's exactly how Kyrie Irving feels right now.

When he came to his senses, he found himself standing on a mountain ridge.

In the distance, an endless mountain range stretched out. Snow-covered and the temperature was dropping, thick clouds and fog creating a dreamlike, ethereal atmosphere.

"Huh? I wasn't in bed with..."

"What the hell? Where are we going?"

Suddenly snapping out of his daze, Irving tightened his clothes, his blue eyes filled with confusion.

Upon hearing this, Sirius rolled his eyes at him.

You've been walking for almost two hours, and you're only just realizing it now?

"Heading to the Giants' Gathering Place," Hagrid announced loudly. He was a towering figure. Owen glanced back at him briefly, then silently stopped and walked alongside him, providing shelter from the wind.

"A gathering place for giants?"

Are you kidding me, or am I blind?

In the distance, billowing black smoke filled the air, turning the earth crimson, and flowing lava adorned the mountaintops, resembling the gates of hell.

That is—Mount Etna, an active volcano.

Located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, at an altitude of 3330 meters, it is the highest active volcano in Europe.

It is also one of the most active volcanoes in the world, constantly erupting, with lava constantly spewing out from its sides or the summit.

Although Irving doesn't know how long this eruption cycle will last, it's still erupting right now!

"Hmph—" Sirius, who was walking at the front, snorted lightly, and then said, "You'll find out soon enough."

He then fell silent and continued walking towards the volcano.

"Tch—" Irving didn't say anything, just kept walking forward with his head down.

The view from the summit was magnificent, and about an hour later they arrived at the edge of the volcano.

They continued at the same speed until all the snow had melted away, leaving the earth covered in obsidian, and the scorching heat in the air became increasingly unbearable.

They only stopped when it seemed as if the lava on the lakeshore was right in front of them.

"Glug glug"

It looked like a pot of thick soup.

"Do you know what we're going to do next?" Sirius suddenly looked at him mysteriously, as if he wanted to see him make a fool of himself.

"A suicide pact?"

Owen glanced at the lava in front of him. The magic emanating from it was almost overflowing.

He certainly guessed some of it. But that didn't stop Irving from slapping the Godfather of Dogs in the face.

"."

Sirius's lips twitched. This kid was really hard to tease.

A terrifying sensitivity to magic.

Since Irving has already guessed it.

Sirius Black stopped hiding it and leaped straight into the crater.

Then Hagrid, along with Owen and Mrs. Maxim, jumped down as well.

The scorching lava instantly engulfed them, but instead of the burning sensation, they felt a cool, refreshing coolness.

Before Irving's eyes, it was as if the world had turned upside down.

The world suddenly turned upside down, like sand in an hourglass.

They seemed to be descending.

But after truly feeling the flow of air around me, it felt as if I was rising.

A few seconds later, the feeling of rising became clearer; they were indeed rising.

Suddenly, Irving seemed to plunge headfirst into the water.

The sudden water pressure slapped directly against his face.

The group relaxed, and the feeling of being swept upwards vanished.

In the water, they exchanged a glance, and then began to swim toward the surface.

Half a minute later, Irving was the first to leap out of the water.

"Phew!" He spat out a mouthful of cold lake water, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Wow, that's a big deal! You can do that?"

It turns out that the entire volcano is in a mirror image.

There is no such thing as an active volcano, Etna, nor is there a volcano that spews out lava all day long.

This is a wizard's little trick; they created a huge illusion!

The mountaintop is actually a lake; only by jumping into the fake lava will one be transported to the real world, which is upside down.

"Magic is truly amazing," he exclaimed.

Although Owen could sense the intense magical fluctuations around him, he had no idea what the situation was or what kind of spell it was.

"It's pretty good." Sirius said listlessly, as if he had seen it all before.

Although a hint of shock flashed across Mrs. Maxim's eyes, her overall expression remained composed.

As for Hagrid, his expression was even more exaggerated than Owen's.

Who would have thought that the Italian Ministry of Magic would pull off such a massive undertaking?

That's right, this is clearly the work of the Ministry of Magic.

Ordinary wizards, unless they possess the power of Dumbledore, would not have the ability to conceal an entire mountain, or even an entire mountain range.

The high temperature emitted by sodium dissolution is real; otherwise, wouldn't the evidence be easily exposed just by images?

Irving and his three companions swam to the surface.

There is a small island in the center of the lake.

After drying his body with magic, Owen looked up and gazed at the enormous vines before him, which seemed to connect to heaven.

Yes—vines.

On the small island in the middle of the lake grows a vine as thick as seven or eight ancient trees in the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts.

The vibrant green vines stretched out large leaves, giving the impression that one could build a house on the leaves.

Significantly, these vines should be some kind of ladder.

But it wasn't intended for wizards.

"What? What kind of magical plant is this?"

"This is not a plant."

(End of this chapter)