Chapter 292: A Giant Pit
Chapter 292: A Giant Pit
As night fell, snow and wind enveloped the Smith Manor, and a light still shone from the study window. Gerber Smith sat at his desk, perusing envelopes he had received some time ago.
On a cabinet next to the desk lay countless glass bottles, filled with silvery strands of memories.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the study door.
A house-elf pushed open the door and bowed to the wizard sitting at the desk. "Master, your visitor will arrive in five minutes."
The entire manor was well hidden, and aside from a few important individuals, not even the Smith family was aware of its existence, let alone its location.
"I know," Gerber Smith said, finishing his now-cold tea and pushing himself up from the table. He ambled toward the manor's grand hall.
As he entered, the marble fireplace suddenly blazed with emerald-green flames, and Bud Blodd stooped to step out of it.
"What's happened that you've used the Floo Network?" Gerber Smith asked, puzzled, as he looked at Bud Blodd.
Nowadays, the Floo Network was controlled by the Floo Network Management Department of the Ministry of Magic, and using it would be difficult to hide from the Ministry. However, there were still places that weren't monitored by the local Floo Network, such as the interior Floo Network of Hogwarts and the fireplaces in the secret manors of Gerber Smith and the others.
"Aren't the others coming?" Bud Blodd brushed off the fireplace ash from his black robe and looked around.
"No, you're the first," Gerber Smith said, guessing the reason. There weren't many things that could bring them together, and just then, the fireplace blazed once more.
"Good evening," said Tiberius Ogden, stepping out of the fireplace and greeting the other two.
Morg MacDougal didn't keep them waiting long either, soon emerging from the fiery fireplace.
"Now that everyone's here, let's get to the important matter at hand," Gerber Smith said, leading them to a comfortable room within the manor. A house-elf respectfully served tea and snacks before swiftly exiting the room.
"Regarding Rowena Smith," Bud Blodd frowned and looked at Gerber Smith. "How much does she know?"
The other three furrowed their brows as well. They could be certain that none of the four present would divulge their secrets to others. Each Wildsmith would keep their unique secrets closely guarded.
Bud Blodd placed a letter on the table and, picking up his wand, tapped it lightly. The envelope opened by itself, and he began to read its contents. If Albert had been there, he would have recognized it as the letter he had written to Professor Blodd, informing him of his mastery of the more profound uses of ancient runes. It also included details of what he had discovered in the Ravenclaw secret room and his speculations about Rowena Smith.
"Rowena couldn't possibly know much," Gerber Smith continued. "She probably inferred what she knows from a few Smith family documents. She's not stupid, and she must have guessed something. Moreover, she entered the Ravenclaw secret room and learned about the Wildsmith surname. I even suspect that Albert Anderson and Isabelle MacDougal know something as well."
"The question now is, what does Rowena Smith intend to do?" Bud Blodd frowned and reminded them, "Don't forget about her persistent curiosity about this matter, and remember what happened to Blair."
Blair MacDougal was Isabelle and Katrina's father. When Blair was still young, he had died mysteriously in a magical experiment gone wrong.
Blair, as a former candidate, had been eliminated but was still part of their loose circle. At that time, they had suspected that Rowena might have had something to do with Blair's death.
The four of them fell silent, each knowing why Bud Blodd had gathered them. There were two qualified candidates at Hogwarts, and if Rowena Smith suddenly went berserk and did something to harm them, the next generation of Wildsmith heirs would be in peril.
The selection of candidates was usually highly confidential, but Rowena had once been a candidate herself, and with her determination to investigate, it wouldn't be difficult for her to find some clues.
Although the probability of her going berserk was small, it was enough to warrant their attention.
They had no choice but to take Rowena Smith seriously, as her obsession with this matter and certain negative personality traits were the main reasons she hadn't been chosen in the first place.
"In a few months, Rowena will likely leave Hogwarts on her own," Morg MacDougal volunteered. "I'll keep an eye on them during this period."
"If anything unpleasant happens, I'll take care of it," Gerber Smith said calmly. Even if Rowena Smith was his grandson, he wouldn't allow any line-crossing behavior.
To the Wildsmiths, only those who shared the same surname were considered true family.
"As for the Bronze Book, let's have Albert put it back after Rowena leaves Hogwarts," Tiberius Ogden suggested.
The gathering didn't last long, and they soon parted ways.
Gerber Smith stood by the window, gazing at the wind and snow outside, and murmured, "Rowena, what are you planning?"
...
Unaware of these developments, Albert was in the Room of Requirement, wearing earplugs and earmuffs as he worked on the Mandrake roots. He was in the process of completing the Banshee's Wail.
The roots had been soaked in salt for so long that they had completely transformed.
Dehydrated by the salt, the Mandrake roots had become exceptionally hideous. If one had to describe it, it would be that they looked like they had died a terrible death.
Albert poked the dehydrated Mandrake roots with a Veritascope, and as expected, it reacted strongly. There was no doubt that these roots had died with a deep grudge, truly becoming a Dark artifact.
The nearby mouse, which had fallen into a coma when the Mandrake roots were first removed from the salt, showed no signs of waking up, and it was uncertain if it had perished.
Albert placed the Mandrake roots into a bag made from Bogrod's skin, which had been expanded with the Imperturbable Extension Charm, and then put it into a pre-prepared silver container. Everything went very smoothly.
It wasn't until the Banshee's Wail was completely sealed that Albert slowly removed his earmuffs and earplugs, relieved that the container he had made could effectively suppress the artifact.
If he had failed, he would have likely fallen into a coma. His roommates, finding him missing, would have come to the Room of Requirement according to his instructions. Albert had even left instructions on a piece of parchment detailing what to do if he were to be found unconscious.
However, those contingency plans were now useless, so Albert tossed them into the fireplace to burn.
Albert poked the Banshee's Wail with the Veritascope, but surprisingly, there was no reaction at all, perhaps due to the multiple layers of insulation.
Of course, the Banshee's Wail was not technically a qualified Dark artifact, so it was natural that no panel skills would appear.
Nevertheless, Albert was quite satisfied with his creation. The next step was to find an opportunity to test its power. He recalled that Fred and George had seemed eager to try it out, so he decided to lend it to them first.
(End of Chapter)
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