https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-632-A-New-Beginning-the-Seventeen-Runic-Script-Laws/13462920/
Chapter 631: Detention
Chapter 631: Detention
In the Dark Magic Defense class, the students began to move around.
Desks were piled up in the corners, clearing a large space in the middle. For the next few minutes, the classroom was in chaos. No one wanted to be the one with a wand pointed at the back of their head. Harry and Ron pushed each other around for a while, but in the end, Ron's height and strength gave him the upper hand, and Harry was pushed to the front. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Neville standing beside him, his mouth pursed as if he were heading to an execution.
"Prepare—students in the front row cast the Sensory Enhancement Charm on yourselves—"
Harry didn't have time to look around. He pointed his wand at himself and quietly recited the spell. Instantly, his senses became incredibly sharp, and countless details he had previously overlooked flooded in. Harry was familiar with this spell and quickly filtered out the unnecessary details, focusing on the threat from behind. Gradually, he 'saw' something—a faint light appeared behind him, which was Ron's wand, with a misty substance swirling around its tip.
Harry suddenly remembered how Professor Bashir had mocked them in previous classes, saying their casting was "as obvious as shouting in someone's ear."
Harry involuntarily gripped his wand tighter, his nerves taut. He was afraid that Ron would forget the professor's instructions and cast the spell.
This wasn't an unfounded worry. Some students had already lost control of their magic, causing their classmates to suffer. The arcs of spells looked like fleeting sparks in the dark to Harry. "Failed groups, switch places", Grindelwald said calmly, ignoring the students who exchanged threatening glances as they switched positions. Seamus was frantically apologizing to Dean in a low voice, saying it wasn't intentional, but Dean, who smelled of burnt hair, only sneered at him. Draco Malfoy stood stiffly with a furrowed brow, looking guilty as Blaise Zabini limped over to him.
For the next few minutes, the classroom was in turmoil. Students who had been hit earlier retaliated, and various minor curses flew around, causing pained grimaces and yells. "Maintain order, a few minor injuries are no big deal", Grindelwald said lightly. His eyes were sharp, and except for a pair of students with bizarrely shaped heads who were sent out, the others continued to practice nervously.
So far, only Harry and Ron, as well as Neville and Hermione, remained in place. Hermione's control over magic was well-known; if the professor didn't stop them, she could maintain it until the end of class. It was tough for Neville, who was so nervous that his hair stood on end, and he had used the Shield Charm in vain several times due to overreaction.
Ron turned his head and laughed when he saw Draco Malfoy hit by a Petrification Curse, falling face-down on the ground. "Watch out, Harry!" Ron suddenly shouted. Without needing his warning, Harry had already noticed the change in the magic swirling around Ron's wand tip. At this moment, he completely forgot about his half-practiced Silent Spell and yelled, "Armor Shield!"
An invisible wall instantly formed.
Harry's Shield Charm was so powerful that it pushed back seven or eight students, causing a chaotic scene in the classroom. Harry opened his eyes and saw Neville pinning Justin down, both of them groaning. He hurried over to help them up. Only then did Grindelwald slowly walk over and remove the various curse effects from the students.
"Take a ten-minute break and then continue", he said calmly.
"That was intense", Ron said an hour later as the students left the classroom, wincing. "The class was so chaotic, and the professor didn't even try to maintain order." His arms still bore strange bruises, as if they had been lashed with a whip, the result of Ernie Macmillan's Stinging Jinx.
Harry didn't say anything. His walk was a bit odd, as if he couldn't muster the strength. After the break, Professor Bashir had them switch partners. Harry's Sensory Enhancement Charm worked well, and he managed to defend against several spells from behind. However, in the last five minutes of class, before Draco Malfoy could make a move, a spell came out of nowhere and hit Harry. Draco also 'accidentally' lost control, and the two Leg-Locker Curses combined to make Harry's legs as weak as noodles.
Hermione angrily fixed her hair, which now resembled Devil's Snare, tangled and fuzzy. Even after looking in the mirror she conjured, she couldn't straighten it out.
"I think Professor Bashir wanted it that way!" she said sharply.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Think about it", she said. "What does he want?"
"To train us to use the Sensory Enhancement Charm to detect danger from the dark", Harry said, then began to understand. "You mean he did it on purpose? Deliberately not maintaining order? How could that be?"
"Practice isn't as effective as real combat", Hermione retorted. At that moment, a few younger wizards passed by, covering their mouths and pointing at her, which only made her mood worse. In the end, she left Harry and Ron to head to the girls' dormitory.
"Don't you have an Arithmetic Divination class?"
"Make me walk around with a ball of yarn on my head? No way!" Hermione angrily exclaimed. "I hate Daphne Greengrass!" With that, she ran off, leaving Harry and Ron staring at each other in confusion. Ron candidly told Harry, "She described it pretty accurately. It does look a lot like a ball of yarn. I think Crookshanks gave her the idea."
"What are you guys talking about?" Ginny suddenly appeared.
She reached out and gently pulled Luna, who seemed lost in thought, to prevent her from wandering off. "Hello", Luna greeted in her ethereal voice, her eyes following Hermione's retreating figure with evident interest.
Harry's face flushed as he suddenly remembered his time with Ginny at Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop. It felt like it had happened ages ago, and he was already looking forward to the next Hogsmeade weekend.
"Um", Ginny's voice was barely audible, her cheeks turning red, "H-Harry, Luna has something to say to you, Luna?"
Luna was chatting with Ron. "I like Hermione's new hairstyle", she said. "I wonder if it's easy to maintain."
"Oh, it's pretty simple. You just need to master the Knotting Charm", Ron replied.
"Luna!" Ginny called out.
"Oh", Luna snapped back to reality and said straightforwardly, "I need your help with something."
"Sure", Harry said, looking at Luna and noticing that the quirky girl had a new set of accessories. Her hair, neck, and wrists were adorned with colorful stone hair clips, bracelets, and necklaces. Harry thought these items only looked natural on Luna because her unique personality already drew attention.
"I want to learn a sentence in Parseltongue", Luna said.
"Wh-what?" Harry shouted, and Ron, who had been questioning Ginny about her blushing, suddenly turned his head, his neck stiff as if he had been hit by the Knotting Charm. He looked incredulous, while Ginny seemed calm, as if she had known about this all along, her eyes darting around.
"Snake... speech", Luna repeated, thinking Harry hadn't heard her clearly, enunciating each word slowly and clearly.
"Oh, Luna, I know what Parseltongue is", Harry said, his head aching. "I mean... okay, which sentence do you want to learn?" As he asked, he had a premonition.
"Open", Luna said, her speech slow and deliberate.
Harry's heart sank.
"Open." This was the key to the Chamber of Secrets. They must want to go to the Chamber! Harry felt sure he wasn't wrong. He stared at Ginny, who had already turned her head away, glancing at Harry out of the corner of her eye, looking guilty.
Harry was torn. More importantly, he didn't understand why Luna suddenly wanted to go to the Chamber of Secrets. Was it because of something Ginny said? He decided to stall, "Um... I need to think about it. I have Ancient Runes this afternoon... I mean, Potions Class..."
Luna stared at him for a moment. "Okay, how about this weekend?"
Harry nodded numbly.
Luna skipped away, and Ginny tried to slip away as well, but Harry stopped her. He needed to know what was going on. Ginny looked dejected as they walked back to the common room. "We tried everything. We asked Fred and George Weasley about secret passages, consulted Centaur Firenze for divination, and even placed an ad in the Quibbler—Luna's stone accessories came from that. She actually likes them!"
"Don't change the subject", Harry said.
Ginny rolled her eyes and whispered, "Alright... to find the Resurrection Stone."
...
When Hermione returned from her Arithmetic Divination class, she found Harry, Ron, and Ginny sitting together, their faces serious. Confused, she asked, "What's going on?" She thought about the events of the past few days and said, "You're not still obsessed with Carlotta Pinkstone, are you?"
"It's worse, Hermione", Ron said solemnly. "We probably won't see Carlotta Pinkstone in person, unless you count the three Chocolate Frog Cards at the bottom of my trunk. Honestly, I had forgotten about her."
"What's going on, then?" Hermione asked curiously.
As Ginny quietly recounted her and Luna's efforts to find the Resurrection Stone, Harry, who had already heard this once, found his mind wandering. He began to consider the feasibility of the plan. Initially, he had been angry because he, Ron, and Hermione had nearly lost their lives there in their second year—though they had been perfectly safe with three professors standing nearby.
Additionally, the Basilisk was dead, and its remains had likely been used up by the professors. The Rune Club's Ouroboros Ring was made from Basilisk scales, and Snape had published several high-quality research essays on the subject.
As for hidden dangers—Harry trusted Professors Hup and Headmaster Dumbledore to keep things under control, so the Chamber was theoretically safe.
Harry's stance began to waver.
After Potions Class, Harry politely declined Slughorn's invitation again. "I have to go to Professor Bashir's office for extra tutoring tonight", he said, feeling a bit glum. He hoped Professor Slughorn would stand up for him, so he deliberately didn't use Quidditch practice as an excuse.
But Professor Slughorn only rolled his eyes. "It's him. I don't know him well; he just seems..." He stared for a long time, unable to find the right word. Fidgeting with the gold buttons on his vest, he muttered uneasily, "What a pity, isn't it? We'll have to find another chance."
So at eight o'clock that evening, Harry, seething with resentment, knocked on the door of the Dark Arts Defense professor.
"Come in, Harry", Grindelwald said.
"Sir, I've come to explain the mistakes in my essay", Harry said, looking away from Grindelwald. By chance, he spotted an open gift box on the desk, which seemed oddly familiar.
Grindelwald grinned.
"Think I'm heartless, Harry? I didn't intend to criticize you. Yes, your essay did have some... naive points, but that's not your fault. I'll never forget that afternoon when you offered me a helping hand. Not everyone would help a lonely old man. I'm grateful, Harry."
Harry was clearly taken aback.
"I, well, I just..." he stammered.
"Kind", Grindelwald said softly. "I visited you a few times, partly out of self-interest... to gather information for my interview. But I overheard how your aunt and uncle treated you. They were cruel, and there were times I wanted to burst in and confront them. How could they treat their own family like that just because you're a wizard?"
Harry's eyes welled up.
"Sir", he whispered, "I've gotten used to it. When I turn eighteen, I'll move out."
Grindelwald patted Harry's shoulder. "I completely understand your predicament. Even if I encouraged you to stand up for yourself—your right—you chose not to because of your kindness."
"I can't use magic outside of school", Harry murmured, suddenly thinking of Dudley.
"We all know that's just an excuse. If a wizard wanted revenge, there are countless ways to make them suffer. It's your kindness that forgave them, even though they don't appreciate it. But that's not your fault", Grindelwald emphasized. "It's not your fault."
Harry wiped his eyes.
"I was once an Acolyte, my boy", Grindelwald said.
"An Acolyte? Sir?"
"Acolyte", Grindelwald repeated. "Do you know Grindelwald? His followers were called Acolytes, but the term 'follower' isn't quite right. We were united by a dream to change the wizarding world."
"I, I haven't heard much about it..." Harry said, feeling ashamed. He suddenly widened his eyes. "Wait! Grindelwald? I remember." He strained to recall a passage. "Dumbledore's well-known achievements include: defeating—"
"Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945", Grindelwald said, baring his teeth in a cold smile. "That's the impression he left on the world. Recorded in Chocolate Frog Cards, not as a separate entity, but as one of the greatest wizard's triumphs."
Harry didn't know what to say, his mind reeling. He tried to process the explosive information: Professor Bashir was once an Acolyte, a follower of Dark Wizard Grindelwald... no, a believer in his ideals. So that's why Professor Bashir despises Muggles? He felt he had found the answer.
Grindelwald observed Harry impassively. Then he took out his wand, pressed it to his forehead, and pulled out a thin silver thread.
"Professor?" Harry asked softly.
"Shh." Grindelwald raised a finger. He flicked his wand, and the silver thread floated into the air, forming a scene in the office.
It seemed to be a gathering. A middle-aged wizard walked onto a stage, looking more like a rock star than a wizard, Harry thought. The scene was filled with wild, enthusiastic cheers. Harry was reminded of his Quidditch victory.
In the scene, the crowd quieted, and the person on stage began to speak. Harry was shocked to see that one of his eyes was silver.
"They say I hate non-wizards, Muggles, Mudbloods, No-Majs", Harry glanced at Grindelwald, not understanding the last term. "Different terms for non-magical people", Grindelwald explained briefly. Harry nodded and looked back at the scene.
"I don't hate them. I don't hate."
"I didn't fight out of hate. I don't think Muggles are an inferior group, but a different one. Not worthless, but of different value. Not to be disposed of, but to be treated specially."
The person paused and continued.
"Magic flourishes in only a few souls. It is granted to those who pursue higher ideals. What a world we will create for all humanity! We seek freedom, truth—" He suddenly looked out of the scene, directly at Harry, as if speaking to him.
"—and love."
Harry was speechless, swallowing involuntarily. The scene faded, leaving him wanting more.
"Is there more?" he asked.
"Sorry", Grindelwald said. "I shouldn't have shown you this. I promised Dumbledore... it could get me into trouble. But an old friend visited me last week, stirring up some memories." He glanced at the gift box Harry had noticed.
A moment of silence.
"The person in the scene was Grindelwald?" Harry asked, thinking.
"Exactly", Grindelwald smiled. "Now, forget about him, child. I must warn you, he is a Dark Wizard who has organized many demonstrations, and people have died... Let's get back to your essay. Once we sort out those little issues, we can talk about magic."
"It's clear you have a lot of talent."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
