Chapter 335: The Final Boss
Chapter 335: The Final Boss
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were filled with disbelief as they watched Albert emerge from the eerie mist on his broomstick.
While the trio didn't immediately understand what had happened, Albert's emergence on his broomstick proved that his idea had been a useful one.
The three boys surrounded Albert, bombarding him with questions about what had just transpired.
Albert didn't hide anything and candidly shared his experiences and observations from within the mysterious mist.
Upon hearing his story, the three fell silent, counting themselves lucky. If they hadn't waited for Albert and had instead blindly rushed into the mist, they would have been in deep trouble.
"So, what do you guys want to do now? Do you want to enjoy the thrill of navigating this magical mist, or shall we just fly over it on our brooms?"
"Let's not waste any more time; let's fly over it!" Fred declared righteously.
"I agree," George quickly chimed in.
"Why don't you give it a try? It's quite exhilarating," Albert suggested with a smile.
"Hey, why didn't Gryffindor consider the issue of flying brooms?" Lee Jordan changed the subject.
"Haven't you read 'Quidditch Through the Ages'? It has an introduction to flying brooms," Albert shook his head with a smile.
"Ahem, I think we should just get going! I don't really want to use the Silver Arrow. How about we swap brooms? I feel like that antique broom is really unsafe!" Lee Jordan suggested.
Albert rolled his eyes but didn't refuse the offer to swap brooms with Lee Jordan. It didn't really matter to him which broom he used.
"It's your lousy flying skills, not the broom!" George muttered.
"You're the one who won't shut up!" Lee Jordan glared at him.
As it turned out, Lee Jordan's flying skills really were lacking. As he tried to fly backwards, he fell right off his broom. Thankfully, Fred grabbed him in time, and the four of them managed to fly smoothly past the misty area.
"You almost scared the pants off me!" George laughed at the disheveled Lee Jordan, but a glare from Albert quickly silenced him.
"Are you okay?"
"I thought I was going to be impaled by those stone spikes," Lee Jordan muttered.
"But you're still in one piece, aren't you?" Albert patted Lee Jordan's shoulder reassuringly. "It's thrilling, but you'll get used to it after a few more tries. This inverted corridor is quite something."
"I don't want to do it again," Lee Jordan said.
"Don't be silly, we'll have to do it again on our way back," Fred said with a mischievous smile.
"Alright, let's go!"
As they turned a corner, Albert felt that they were descending. They didn't encounter anything particularly exciting until they reached a spacious room.
As they entered, blue torches suddenly lit up along the walls. The room was spacious and empty, except for a tall statue in the middle. As Albert and his friends stepped into the room, the massive statue began to move, giving them the feeling of entering a boss room in a video game.
"Hey, this isn't a joke! Are they expecting us to defeat this giant?" George exclaimed in disbelief.
There was no denying that each step the giant statue took caused the ground to tremble.
Albert's expression turned grim as well. After all, being hit by this massive creature was no laughing matter.
"Don't just stand there!" Albert scolded himself inwardly and pulled the dazed group back into the corridor. Fortunately, the room wasn't enclosed, or else these daydreaming friends of his would have been in serious trouble.
"What are you guys doing? Do you want to die?" Albert snapped at them.
"Forget about the inverted corridor, but this... this is no joke! If that thing hits us, we'll be flattened!" Fred said, eyeing the motionless giant statue.
"Can't we use a Disillusionment Charm or fly on our brooms...?"
"Quiet!" Albert shouted, realizing that none of the three wanted to face the enormous statue in the room.
"Any bright ideas?"
"This challenge is also a test for Gryffindors. Do you see that door on the other side? I think we have to defeat that huge statue to open it," Albert continued.
The three boys exchanged glances, hesitating. While they loved adventure, it didn't mean they wanted to die. Being stepped on by the giant statue would likely turn them into pancakes.
"I won't force you," Albert said calmly. "But I'm definitely going in to see what treasure Gryffindor has left behind."
"Let's take it down!" Fred gritted his teeth.
"Yeah."
"What do you suggest?"
As friends, they wouldn't let Albert face the giant statue alone.
They had used clever tricks to get through the first challenge, but it was clear that this one would require a different approach. If they couldn't pass the test set by Gryffindor with their own strength, how could they deserve the treasure within?
After a brief explanation of the strategy, the four of them re-entered the room. The giant statue resumed its movement, and the loud stomping created an intense sense of pressure.
Albert waved his wand and cast an Exploding Spell directly at the statue's legs, aiming to disable its mobility. This was the simple tactic they had devised, as the giant didn't seem to have a brain.
The Exploding Spell detonated on the statue's leg, but the power of the curse wasn't enough to sever it.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan then cast Impediment Curses together, forcing the other leg of the giant statue to stop abruptly. This loss of balance caused the statue to topple over with a thunderous crash, shaking the entire room.
"It's just a statue, even if it looks scary," Albert commented.
A few minutes later, Albert used the Exploding Spell again, blowing the statue's head and limbs to pieces. Finally, the giant was completely immobilized.
"It's just a bit bigger, but it's surprisingly easy to deal with!" Fred breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the fallen statue.
"No, this challenge is actually very difficult," Albert analyzed. "The body of this giant statue is extremely sturdy, and it's probably enchanted. My Exploding Spell is powerful; it can take down an Acromantula with one hit. But it took multiple casts to stop that statue completely."
"You mean..."
"Ordinary spells probably won't affect it much," Albert explained to Fred. "If you don't believe me, try a Cutting Spell or a Blasting Curse and see for yourself."
The three boys tested their Blasting Curses on the giant statue, and just as Albert had said, its body was incredibly durable, rendering their curses ineffective.
In unison, the trio turned to Albert and said, "Teach us the Exploding Spell!"
"Let's master the basics first. That spell is quite advanced," Albert neither refused nor agreed. He didn't want his roommates to get ahead of themselves, and the spell was a bit dangerous. He didn't know what would happen if it was casually used on another student.
"Let's go and see what treasure Gryffindor has left behind." Albert led the way toward the door.
After the four of them defeated the guardian statue, the door had automatically opened.
By the way, that stone door would have been impossible to pass through without defeating the guardian statue, unless one used powerful magic to blast it open. However, that would have been even more challenging than defeating the guardian.
(End of Chapter)
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