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Chapter 74: The First-Year Textbooks Don't Teach the Aronia Charm
Chapter 74: The First-Year Textbooks Don't Teach the Aronia Charm
"So that's why I always tell you to review and read more books!" Hermione said angrily, but she still waved her wand and cast the Aronia Charm on both of them.
But the first-year textbooks didn't teach that!
Harry silently complained in his mind but didn't dare to say it out loud, as he and Ron were the only ones who didn't know the Aronia Charm.
"Go now, charge!" Ivan saw his chance and temporarily restrained a few of the nearest Stone Soldiers before taking the lead and rushing forward.
These enchanted chess pieces didn't move very fast, but they had the advantage of numbers and were scattered everywhere. Even though Ivan tried to avoid them, he couldn't help but encounter a few.
Fortunately, Ivan's wand was no mere decoration. A few well-timed Obstacle Charms and Dissendium Charms handled these nuisances, temporarily restricting the movements of the stone pieces.
But it was much more thrilling for Harry. A Stone Soldier swung a massive sword at him, almost hitting him. Thankfully, the Aronia Charm took effect, slightly blocking the blow, allowing him to barely roll out of the way in a clumsy manner.
Hermione, being clever, had stuck closely behind Ivan from the start, so her journey was relatively smooth. She even had time to use an Obstacle Charm to block a knight's lance attack for Ron.
The four of them rushed out of the chessboard's magical range, and the stone pieces stopped their attacks, sheathing their weapons and returning to their original positions to await repair.
Everyone except Ivan was drenched in cold sweat. The feeling of dancing on the edge of a blade was truly exhilarating.
Turning around, Ivan realized they had reached a different place. There was a small platform ahead, with a barrier of Black Flames burning at the entrance.
The ground around them was inscribed with complex Runes, some of which Ivan had seen in Ancient Magic Literature, but he didn't understand their meaning.
When Hermione, Ron, and Harry joined him, the Purple Flames suddenly rose, sealing the entrance and trapping them inside.
It seems the test here wasn't destroyed by Quirrell, Ivan thought, feeling a mix of relief and frustration.
Hermione was already looking at the items on the platform. There were seven transparent Glass Bottles, each containing a different colored liquid, and a Parchment was placed at the front. Hermione read it aloud in a low voice.
Danger lies ahead, safety behind,
Among us, two can aid your way.
Drink one to move forward,
Another to return to where you came from.
"This should be a logic puzzle! We don't need to use magic to solve it", Hermione said in surprise, then turned around confidently. "Why don't we see who can solve it first?"
"Maybe we should skip that", Ron said, looking at the long, headache-inducing riddle, his mind a mess. Harry, on the other hand, was deep in thought.
Hermione didn't expect them to figure it out and turned to Ivan.
"Seven bottles, three poisons, two wines. The smallest bottle contains the potion that allows you to pass through the Black Flames, and the one on the far right will let us return."
Time was short, and Ivan had no interest in playing guessing games. After confirming that the Parchment matched his expectations, he revealed the solution.
Hermione couldn't believe it. To her, Ivan had only glanced at it casually. Hermione quickly used the information Ivan provided to reverse-engineer the riddle from the Parchment, and the result was correct.
But that was too fast, Hermione thought, feeling frustrated.
"In any case, Harry and I will go forward. You can stay here; the flames provide good protection", Ivan said.
"How can we let you leave us behind?" Hermione glared at Ivan angrily.
"The potion in the smallest bottle is too little to let all of us through", Ivan pointed to the small bottle, which contained only a little potion.
"I'll go alone. This potion is only enough for one person!" Harry snatched the potion bottle, not waiting for them to object before continuing.
"Voldemort killed my parents, and I defeated him when I was just a baby. If Voldemort truly comes back, he won't let me live, so I have to stop him no matter what!"
"And maybe I can defeat him again!" Harry touched the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. In the room, he was the only one who couldn't back down.
"Alright, but you probably don't even know how you defeated Voldemort back then. I have an idea, though. If it works, we should be able to get through this safely."
Ivan admired Harry's courage, but considering that Quirrell's state might have changed drastically due to his influence, he didn't want Harry to go alone. Besides, he wanted to complete the mission.
Harry nodded reluctantly. Although he had spoken boldly, he didn't actually have a reliable plan; he had just been thinking of charging in recklessly.
Since Ivan said he had a plan, Harry naturally decided not to go in headfirst.
"But how will you get in?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"I have my ways." Ivan took out a bottle of Fire-Resistant Potion from his robes and drank it all in one go.
Ivan hadn't expected that the potion he had casually picked up in the Room of Requirement would come in handy now.
Life is full of surprises.
"What did you drink?" Hermione asked.
"Fire-Resistant Potion, homemade. It should work well and last for a few minutes." Ivan closed his eyes, feeling his body become cool but still able to move freely.
"That's clearly not just one person's dose!" Hermione glared at Ivan, clearly upset.
"Sorry, but we have nothing left now. I'll be more careful next time." Ivan smiled and turned the bottle upside down to make sure he had drunk every last drop. He didn't want to have to protect Hermione and Ron while dealing with Quirrell or Voldemort; that would turn a difficult mission into a true nightmare.
Hermione stepped forward, her lips trembling, and clenched her fists, ready to punch Ivan.
But in the end, she didn't hit him. Instead, she suddenly hugged him.
"Make sure you protect yourself until I come back!" Hermione held Ivan tightly for several seconds before letting go, blushing. She thought Ivan must have done this on purpose to avoid putting her in danger.
But she wasn't about to just wait around.
Hermione snatched the empty glass bottle from Ivan's hand and ran to the platform as fast as she could, filling it halfway with the potion on the right. She handed the other half to Ron and drank her portion.
"Quick! We need to find Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione stared at Ron, pulling his collar as soon as he drank the potion and running out.
"But what about those stone soldiers outside?" Ron shouted as he was dragged along.
From a distance, Hermione's angry voice echoed back.
"Of course, we'll use magic to smash them all!"
At this point, Hermione didn't even care about the Ministry of Magic's patrols. She planned to drag Professor Dumbledore over as soon as they got out.
Ivan and the others were about to face the Dark Lord. What did it matter if the Minister of Magic was there or not?
Let him deal with it!
(End of Chapter)
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