I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 576 The Blade of Prometheus

"I don't know." Ernie shook his head, his tone revealing a hint of helplessness and confusion: "The contents of the letter are shocking, because it seems that the Death Eaters came specifically to hunt goblins."

"Specializing in hunting fairies?"

Why?

"Who knows?" Ernie said.

Hermione frowned deeply upon hearing this. "The Death Eaters' actions are never without purpose," she said in a low voice. "Their former alliance with the Goblin Brotherhood may have been merely a temporary measure. Now, they are clearly willing to tear apart this fragile peace for some purpose. The goblins may indeed possess crucial information or items that they crave."

"We might try to contact Sirius," Hermione suggested, though there was a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Although Sirius is now in charge of the fairies' affairs, he's not exactly on good terms with them. Besides, you know how cunning the fairies are. Do you think they'd tell us about the 'important thing' that even Mystic wants?" Fred shook his head, not believing for a second that Sirius could get any useful information out of the fairies.

"I have to give it a try." With that, Hermione turned and walked toward her temporary room in the alchemy workshop.

She called Dobby and then told the little elf the news.

In the current situation, house-elves, with their stealth and agility, have become the best choice for delivering information. They shuttle between Hogwarts and the outside world like invisible messengers, ensuring the rapid and safe delivery of messages.

After conveying their guesses...

After delivering the message, Hermione's heart did not feel lighter; instead, it felt even heavier. So, she chose to stay in this relatively safe haven and devote all her attention to the relics left to her by Dumbledore—"Hogwarts: A History of the School" and Dumbledore's poetry collection.

She studied two books day and night, "Hogwarts: A History of the School" and a collection of Dumbledore's poems, repeatedly savoring every word, almost to the point of madness. She tried to dig out hidden clues from every detail in the books, but unfortunately, these seemingly ordinary books were like an unbreakable wall, keeping all her efforts out.

Time passes little by little.

There was a sudden knock on the door.

It was a little elf, Hermione recognized it; it was one of the Hogwarts kitchen elves.

Follow the little elf out of the room and head to the makeshift kitchen.

It's dinnertime.

The kitchen was filled with the warm and inviting aroma of food. Hermione went in and found that the twins had put down their work and were sitting around a long table with several other friends.

Hannah, Justin, Neville, Ernie, Seamus, and Cho Chang, whom Hermione hadn't expected to see at this moment, sat around the long table, each with a different degree of worry on their face.

They have all gathered in Hogsmeade Village these days.

The Death Eaters at Hogwarts Castle are becoming increasingly brutal.

The people secretly organized the young wizards in the castle, trained them, and taught them the necessary spells.

There's a secret passage inside the Requirement House that leads to the Pig Head Bar.

Fred and George dug another secret passage leading to the Hog's Head, which they used to travel to and from Hogwarts these days.

"What happened?" Hermione asked sharply as soon as she sat down, noticing the tense atmosphere.

The people were whispering among themselves, and words like Harry, the Mystic, and Godric's Hollow would occasionally drift out.

In an instant, Hermione realized something was wrong. Harry might be in some danger.

Qiu Zhang's voice rang out in the quiet air, tinged with a heavy tone: "Today, we received some worrying news from Tonks."

Unsurprisingly, she joined the Order of the Phoenix after graduation.

Previously, he defended several safe houses belonging to the Order of the Phoenix alongside Cedric.

"Tonks?" Hermione frowned upon hearing this.

She was well aware of Tonks's current situation—seven or eight months pregnant, a time when she should be peacefully awaiting childbirth, but forced away from tranquility by the shadow of war. To protect this future mother, the Order of the Phoenix placed her in the most secluded and secure location, hoping she could get through this period smoothly.

"Yes, Professor Lupin told her. I overheard—" Cho Chang said, deep in thought. "Harry and Ginny were attacked in Godric's Hollow; they encountered the Mysterious Man."

Hermione's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Harry, Vanderbilt, and Godric's Hollow.

"What?!" Fred's voice almost pierced the room. His pupils dilated suddenly, his face filled with astonishment and fear. He stood up abruptly, the chair making a screeching sound as it lost its balance. The air around them seemed to freeze, and everyone held their breath.

"Don't worry, Harry and Ginny are safe for now," Cho Chang reassured them.

"Mr. Grindelwald is also in Godric's Hollow. He should be able to protect Harry and Ginny."

"only--"

"Just what?" Hermione asked anxiously.

Suddenly, Zhang Qiu became hesitant and her face turned very pale.

None of the people present were actually very familiar with Grindelwald; the only one they had any connection with was Hermione.

Because of Irving, she can also call Grindelwald "Grandpa".

Cho Chang wasn't sure how Hermione would react to the news.

Although death is a normal occurrence in war, in just a few years, the number of people who have died because of Voldemort has probably exceeded one million, not including those non-human races.

If you add them all up, she can't even imagine how much the total would be.

But what if the one who dies is one's own family member?

No one will stay calm.

"But..." Zhang Qiu took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, her voice trembling slightly, "Mr. Ginny may have sent a message saying that he lured away the mysterious man by himself."

"You know, Mysterio is too powerful these days. In a one-on-one fight, the rest of the Order of the Phoenix think Mr. Grindelwald is probably in grave danger."

Hermione's face turned deathly pale. She jumped to her feet, the chair creaking loudly with her movement, but it seemed to go unnoticed. Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, yet she felt no pain.

"That's impossible." After a moment's thought, Hermione came to a conclusion, saying with absolute certainty, "These are just some speculations within the Order of the Phoenix. Mr. Gellert Grindelwald, he's a legendary wizard on par with Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, his power far exceeds our imagination."

Upon hearing the sound, the surroundings fell silent, and the other young wizards all lowered their heads.

Yes, Grindelwald is indeed very powerful.

But even Dumbledore is dead, so how could he possibly defeat Voldemort?

"I know the Mystic is incredibly powerful now, but I think Mr. Gellert can still manage to escape if he chooses to."

"Yes, that's right!" Fred immediately chimed in after hearing Hermione's words. "That's right, Hermione is right! He's a legendary wizard; escaping would be a piece of cake for him."

Hermione's firmness caused a subtle shift in the atmosphere, and the others nodded in agreement.

Just then, the kitchen door was suddenly pushed open, and with a sudden "plop," Dobby appeared in front of everyone.

"Miss Granger! Mr. Harry Potter is back!"

"What?" Everyone was shocked.

"Where?" Hermione asked almost impatiently, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"It's right in the store," Dobby said cheerfully.

"The shop! Oh! Right, Harry still doesn't know how to get into the workshop."

"I'll go get him," George said, getting up and leaving the kitchen in the blink of an eye.

Hermione followed, and the others took the opportunity to follow as well.

Soon, the group arrived at a secluded corner of the shops outside, where Harry and Ginny were removing their Invisibility Cloaks, revealing their slightly haggard faces and exhausted bodies. The long escape and battle had clearly taken a toll on them, leaving them feeling incredibly stressed and fatigued.

"Hermione—" Harry looked up and saw Hermione approaching. A complex emotion flashed in his eyes, a mixture of relief at seeing a friend and apprehension about the questions he was about to face. When his gaze met Hermione's, he unconsciously looked away slightly, afraid of revealing his vulnerability.

"Harry, relax." George walked over at the right moment, breaking the tense atmosphere with his characteristic relaxed tone. He put his arm around Harry's neck. "We've already discussed it. Mr. Grindelwald is so powerful, he'll definitely be able to escape safely. With his strength, escaping shouldn't be a problem."

Harry managed a wry smile upon hearing this, but his eyes still betrayed an undisguised worry. "It's just that the monster's power is getting stronger and stronger, and it feels like we're getting further and further away from victory."

Seeing this, Hermione gently stepped forward and gave Harry a warm hug. "There's always a way."

"Alright, don't think about it too much." Fred broke the heavy atmosphere at the right time. He clapped his hands and said, "You two probably haven't had dinner yet, right? Come on, let's go get something to eat."

The others surrounded Harry and Ginny and went back into the kitchen.

The kitchen was filled with a warm and familiar atmosphere, the firelight leaping and illuminating every tired yet hopeful face. Everyone sat around the long table, their eyes exchanging silent support and comfort.

"Harry, have something to eat first," Hermione gently urged again.

However, Harry's eyes were vacant, as if he hadn't heard her words, staring blankly at the fragrant stew in front of him. Being safely seated here felt like a boulder was pressing down on his heart; a wave of guilt surged over him, almost overwhelming him.

This time it was all his fault. He was the one who exposed Grindelwald and caused Ginny to suffer.

If he hadn't been possessed by Voldemort, if he had been able to properly practice Occlumency, none of this would have happened.

"It wasn't your fault that what happened to Harry." Seeing Harry's distraught state, Hermione naturally guessed that the incident might be related to him.

Harry looked up, his eyes filled with pain and self-blame. "You don't understand Hermione. This time it really was my fault."

His voice was low and dejected. "These things wouldn't have happened otherwise."

As he spoke, Harry recounted everything he had seen and heard in Godric's Hollow over the past few days, and detailed how his laziness had led to Voldemort's invasion of his mind.

"Wait, Harry, you said you saw the Mystic torturing goblins?"

Harry recounted the events in great detail, including the fragments of Voldemort's memories that he had glimpsed.

“That’s right.” Harry nodded. “He seems to be looking for something. That thing is in the goblin’s hands.”

"Hmm—it seems to be called [The Blade of Prometheus]."

"The Blade of Prometheus?" Hermione frowned upon hearing this, clearly both unfamiliar with and curious about the name. "It sounds ancient, Harry. Are you sure Voldemort is desperate for it?"

Harry nodded, a determined glint in his eyes. "Yes, I can sense Voldemort's longing and urgency from his memory fragments. That weapon must be extremely important to him, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to find it."

Hermione's brow furrowed almost into a knot as her thoughts raced. "Harry, if this is true, then this matter is far more urgent than we imagined. The Blade of Prometheus—being named after Prometheus means it's very likely related to a deity—it's probably some kind of weapon made by ancient wizards, or an item with some special power."

"We must find the mysterious man before any means necessary."

Prometheus was a Titan in Greek mythology.

A god who, according to legend, was eternally punished by Zeus for stealing fire from the heavens to help mankind.

Judging from the fact that it is given the name of a deity, it cannot be an ordinary thing.

"We need to investigate more about this blade." She picked up a few pies from the table, stood up, and prepared to leave the kitchen to look for information. "Perhaps there are relevant records in the Hogwarts Library; we can start there."

"I'll go with you." Harry stood up as well, his eyes shining with determination.

Hermione looked at Harry's determined eyes and shook her head. "No need, Harry, you should rest for a few days."

"By the way, lend me your invisibility cloak."

"No problem." Harry readily handed the Invisibility Cloak to Hermione.

"Be careful," Fred said.

Hermione had naturally entered the castle during these days; they had all entered it.

Despite the gloom cast by the Death Eaters over the castle and the unprecedented torment and fear the young wizards endured, the Death Eaters did not consider this "job" their top priority.

Their brutality was merely a facade; in reality, they were lax in their defenses, especially at night. Without the strict patrols of the former professors, the castle's defenses were much weaker. Therefore, as long as one acted cautiously and avoided the few Death Eaters still roaming around, infiltration was not difficult.

(End of this chapter)