Chapter 546: Preparations
Chapter 546: Preparations (Please subscribe, favorite, and vote)
Harry was discharged from the hospital the next day, but he didn’t feel that Madam Pomfrey’s treatment was a good thing this time. Not only did he have a pile of overdue homework, but he also ran into Luna in the corridor, who handed him a note inviting him to a class with Dumbledore.
"Great, I haven’t even finished the homework Dumbledore assigned last time. I’m in for it this time", Harry groaned, scratching his already messy hair, making it look even more like a bird’s nest. At that moment, they were passing through a corridor on the Eighth Floor. A small girl was looking at a tapestry of a troll in a ballet dress. Seeing Harry’s exaggerated gesture, she seemed terrified and dropped a heavy bronze scale she was holding.
"It’s okay!" Hermione said gently, quickly walking over to help her. "Here..." she said, tapping the broken scale with her wand, "Reparo." But the little girl seemed frozen in fear, standing there silently.
"Am I that scary?" Hermione turned to Liam.
"No, you look adorable today", Liam said, brushing a strand of hair from Hermione’s face and tucking it behind her ear, looking into her eyes seriously. Seeing this, Harry and Ron chuckled, using the Gurdyroot Luna had given them to hide their faces.
Naturally, Liam and the others got a little revenge. By the time they finished their classes for the day and returned to do their homework, Harry had to beg Liam for a long time before he agreed to check his and Ron’s Herbology assignments.
When the clock struck eight, Harry nervously made his way to Dumbledore’s office for his lesson. The others continued with their homework. As they were writing, Hermione suddenly looked up and asked Liam, "Liam, have you been worrying about something recently? You can tell me."
"You noticed", Liam put down his quill and looked around. There weren’t many people in the Common Room, and the closest person, Ron, was writing homework with his sister Ginny and wasn’t paying attention to them. He leaned in closer to Hermione and said, "I’m worried about Rose Crystal and the others. This is their first mission in our world, even though they have all our memories. But we haven’t heard from them in a while, and I’m really worried—"
"What did you ask them to do?" Hermione asked. Liam then quietly recounted the whole story, from his initial fears about Rose Crystal finding out to the Miniature Dolls volunteering to protect innocent outsiders.
"Don’t worry", Hermione patted Liam’s shoulder, comforting him. "I believe they’ll be fine. I’ve seen their skills; I don’t think the Death Eaters can stop them all, even if the Dark Lord himself were to intervene. No news is good news. I’m sure they’ll return victorious soon."
"I hope so", Liam silently prayed, hoping they would return safely and on time.
While Liam was worrying about the Dolls, a few hundred kilometers north of the school, on an island that didn’t appear on any Muggle maps, Dementors were flying around in large numbers. In the center of the island, there was a tall mound of black earth, riddled with numerous holes like a beehive, from which Dementors would frequently fly in and out.
Due to the presence of the Dementors, the entire island was frozen at an extremely low temperature. The wild grass that grew there had withered, covered in a thick layer of frost. The sea near the island was frozen, forming various ice pillars.
Naturally, such a place was completely unsuitable for human habitation. Even though the Dementors had aligned with Voldemort, he hadn’t sent Death Eaters to monitor them, as he had with the Giants. Voldemort didn’t intend to send anyone to watch the Dementors; he only dispatched someone when necessary to deliver messages.
In this lifeless zone, a Silver Doll was flying low, her black wings spread out behind her. Even as she flew past the floating Dementors, they paid her no mind.
Her feet brushed against the frost-covered withered grass, and then she circled around a frosty mound of earth, making her way to the shore. She landed in front of a rock and tapped it rhythmically with her small hand.
Soon, a circular stone sank inward, revealing a ring of golden light. Once the gap was large enough, the silver-haired Doll quickly squeezed inside. The stone then popped back into place, seamlessly blocking the entrance, making the rock appear as solid as ever. An ordinary person, even if they lay on it, would never suspect the hidden space within.
The rock had been hollowed out, and inside was a long table. Two Lantern Plants provided light for the entire chamber. The table was also adorned with various snacks and drinks. The Miniature Dolls, who had been enjoying their midnight snack, turned their heads toward the door when they saw someone enter.
"Good work, Big Sister", a Doll in a red dress with golden hair said, holding a cup of tea. "Have a cup of hot tea to warm you up. This place is freezing."
"Thanks, Crimson", the silver-haired Mercury Lamp took the cup and sipped it. "And please, don't call me Big Sister anymore. It sounds so unimpressive. Remember to call me Lady Sister next time."
"Sure thing, Big Sister. No problem, Big Sister", the Miniature Dolls sitting at the table, still munching on their midnight snack, replied in unison. Mercury Lamp could only shake her head in resignation and then turned to look at Canary, who was sitting gracefully with a cup of coffee.
"The situation outside is much the same as yesterday. The number of Dementors entering and leaving the Island is about the same, but it's only a handful. It seems these Monsters are in the peak of their Breeding Season, so we shouldn't expect more to come."
"In that case, let's move tonight", Canary took a sip of coffee and placed the cup on the saucer. "I'm worried that delays could lead to unforeseen complications, and we've been out here for too long. If we wait any longer, Liam will come looking for us. Rose Crystal, how's your setup coming along?"
"No problem", Rose Crystal raised her hand. "My sisters and I have placed all the Array Plates Big Brother gave us at various locations on the Island, ensuring no spot was missed."
"Yes, yes. We've been all over the Island these past few days. Fortunately, these Monsters have no eyes and rely only on their souls to sense life around them, allowing us to set up the Array Plates right under their noses", Emerald nodded vigorously, then cupped her cheeks. "When we get back, we should make Liam treat us to a big meal. I feel like I've lost weight from all this work over the past two weeks."
"Alright, my dear sister, we won't starve", Azure said with a serious face. "Besides, Liam is a good person. If we tell him we want a big meal, he'll definitely treat us to the best food."
"So, what's the exact time for our operation tonight? This place is terrible, damp and cold. I want to leave as soon as possible and not spend another second here", Berry glanced at the arguing Azure and Emerald, took a bite of the Strawberry Daifuku in her hand, and looked at the Commander, Canary.
"Hmm, let me check", Canary said, pulling out a pocket watch she had modified from a wristwatch and glanced at it. "How about this: we relax for a bit, and then we all move out at 8:15 to completely annihilate these evil creatures."
With that, Canary put away the pocket watch and raised her cup. "To a successful mission!"
"Absolutely, it will be successful", the other Puppets raised their cups in unison.
(End of Chapter)
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