A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Chapter 495 The Guidance of Death

A dark red star hung in the sky, completely captivating William's attention.

The thin mist, tinged with a sinister red, made the stars appear larger, like a luminous wound.

William stared blankly, somewhat lost in thought, trying to process what he was seeing...

What was he doing before?

Memories slowly take shape... just like bubbling bubbles rising to the surface from the unfathomable depths of the sea.

William remembered.

He and Hermione traveled from Florence to Venice on the Express.

Why are you here?

Dream?

But... this place feels real, not like a dream!

Besides, who knows they're dreaming when they're dreaming?

The fog thickened, and a river appeared in the distance.

William was not surprised at all by the sudden appearance of the river.

It seems it has always been there!

Across the river,

Suddenly, a person appeared.

Across the churning river, he stood beneath the dense elderberry trees, facing William; he remained motionless, solemn and dignified, his large hood completely obscuring his face.

William did not cross the river; he instinctively sensed the pervasive presence of death in the water.

Isn't there a bridge?

Or does he still need to... build one?

William was about to touch his wand when the person opposite him suddenly spoke:

"Those who bear the crown of wisdom..."

Following in the footsteps of the Doge of Venice.

The man's voice was deep, and to William it sounded as if he were speaking directly into William's head.

"Who are you?" he shouted, but no sound came out.

He had lied before.

Cut off the horse's head.

"Take away the bones of the blind..."

The river churned and surged in response to his words.

"The flood will submerge the sky."

The Holy Grail burned at the bottom of the tomb.

Deep within the phoenix's rebirth,

The lagoon does not reflect the stars.

The monster waits in the darkness.

Merlin's prophecy will eventually come true.

"What do you mean?" William's mouth dropped open. "Who are you?"

He tried to get closer, but the river in front of him became even more turbulent and impassable.

William looked up again at the hooded wizard.

Without warning, he vanished into thin air. The tall elderberry branches rustled.

The river water was boiling, like a towering wave, crashing towards William.

William suddenly opened his eyes, waking up from his drowsy sleep.

After catching his breath, he realized he was lying on a huge, long, soft chair.

The train was speeding away from Florence, making soft, repetitive clicking sounds and a slight swaying motion.

Hermione had already sat up and was looking at the boy with a worried expression.

William slowly recalled that he and Hermione had been lying here, admiring the Italian scenery outside the train window.

It was probably the continuous patter of the rain and the slight swaying of the train that made him fall asleep.

The girl asked softly, "William, did you have a nightmare?"

William nodded slightly, then frowned and said strangely, "It seems... yes, I'm not sure if that counts as a nightmare."

Hermione sat cross-legged, gently cradling William's head on her pale legs, and massaged his temples.

William closed his eyes, still thinking about what had just happened.

He thought for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Do you remember the story I told you about Nico?"

Hermione stroked William's brow, her fingers not pausing, as she quickly recalled:

"I remember you said he had a dream about a wizard wearing a hood."

The man told him that there was a legendary alchemy book in a cave on the northwest shore of the Sea of ​​Arabah.

Simply take that book, study it diligently, and understand it thoroughly, and you will gain extraordinary knowledge…

William stared into Hermione's eyes and said softly, "I just dreamt of a hooded wizard too."

Hermione's fingers paused for a moment, and she pondered, "That doesn't prove anything... Maybe it was just a dream..."

Well, Nico was dreaming too.

But he believed it, and in just the time it takes to eat breakfast, he decided to sell all his belongings and set off immediately to search for it in a foreign land.

Without the slightest hesitation.

And... they actually found the alchemy book!

So, sometimes dreams are not just dreams, they can also be... a guide from the Grim Reaper!

"The wizard in your dream also pointed out the location of a Deathly Hallow?" Hermione asked, squinting.

"No, he said something that was almost prophetic."

William wrote the hooded wizard's words on a parchment.

Hermione read it twice, but still couldn't understand it. However, the passage clearly mentioned one word:

The Holy Grail!

According to Nico's speculation, the Holy Grail is a Deathly Hallows.

It first appeared in the hands of Jesus, and then after Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea buried him and brought the Holy Grail to Britain.

Galahad, one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, once used the Holy Grail's magical power to heal the dying deposed king.

Later, Galahad gave the Holy Grail to the wizard Merlin.

Merlin hid the Holy Grail in a memorial hall beneath Stonehenge, but it later disappeared again.

Did Death appear in William's dream to guide him to the location of the Holy Grail?

William suddenly remembered Merlin's proverb:

You don't need to go looking for the Holy Grail; the Holy Grail will come to you.

Now they've come to find him, haven't they? They've even given him the address, but William still doesn't understand.

After discussing it for a while, Hermione burned the parchment. Better safe than sorry; she had already memorized the contents.

"...I think we can look up 'Common Dream Interpretation,' perhaps the book will discuss the meaning of dreaming about death."

Hermione is still trying to characterize this as a dream.

However, she wasn't certain, given Nicole's example and the likelihood of finding the answer in a book.

William nodded without objecting. He shifted to a more comfortable position, resting his head on the cushions.

Hermione lay down as well, resting her face against William's chest, gazing out the car window with her bright, intelligent eyes.

The train continued to speed along, and neither of them spoke; they seemed to have fallen asleep again.

They have been in Italy for many days.

In fact, just a few days into the summer holidays, William and Hermione left England for Italy.

The International United Wizards Conference will be held on the 13th, and will last for a full ten days.

They arrived so early not because they were enthusiastic about the meeting, but because they had gone sightseeing in various parts of Italy.

Anyway, the Ministry of Magic will reimburse us, so why not have some fun? Along the way, we'll definitely stay in the best hotels, eat the most expensive food, and do the wildest activities.

They started in Pompeii, passed through several cities, and headed north towards Rome. At this point, they were leaving Florence for Venice.

The two were currently in a premium compartment on the train. It contained a double bed, two leather seats, and a folding table.

William turned his gaze to the car window, looking at the soft colors of the Italian countryside, which blended together to form a peaceful collage.

The foothills and hills of the Apennines gradually replaced the plains, and vineyards and farms became increasingly rare.

The train will soon wind its way through the mountain pass, then continue downhill, heading east towards the Adriatic Sea.

The closer you get to the sea, the heavier the rain becomes. This rainstorm, said to be a once-in-a-century event in meteorological history, has been falling for half a month.

William suddenly remembered Death's words:

The flood will submerge the sky.

The Holy Grail burned at the bottom of the tomb.

I hope this trip to Venice goes smoothly.

He clasped his hands together in his mind.

……

……

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(End of this chapter)