Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 920: The Stone Guardians' Joy - Novel Cool

Chapter 920: The Stone Guardians' Joy

Chapter 920: The Stone Guardians' Joy

As apparition was not possible within Hogwarts, Sirius, Lupin, Mrs. Weasley, and their group had no choice but to first arrive at Hogsmeade and then make their way to the castle.

To avoid being ambushed by Death Eaters who might be lying in wait, they intentionally chose a relatively secluded spot—a depression to the left of the Screaming Cauldron.

This place used to be the Shrieking Shack, but Sirius had renamed it after taking over a year ago. Although the name was a bit odd, it had become somewhat familiar after hearing it repeatedly.

After all, one couldn't expect someone who had lost eight thousand Galleons in a year to come up with a great name.

The group concealed themselves and quickly made their way towards Hogwarts.

During this time, Sirius also took the opportunity to tell Harry and Lupin about how he had switched Regulus's Slytherin amulet and fooled Voldemort, his expression filled with pride.

He felt proud of this brave young wizard from the decaying Black family.

"That's amazing," Harry whispered. "I can hardly imagine that a Death Eater would betray Voldemort because of a house-elf. He must have had a death wish to drink those potions."

"Kreacher is just one of the reasons," Sirius said. "Regulus fundamentally disagreed with the Dark Lord's methods; that wasn't what a pure-blood wizard should do in his mind."

"He was a true Slytherin," Harry said sincerely. "So, the thing in that cave was a Horcrux, and you've taken it?"

"That's right," Sirius nodded. "That was a few years ago. When we were cleaning up Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Kyle found the Slytherin Amulet Case on the display shelf in the entrance hall.

"That was the real one, and Regulus replaced it with a fake in the cave."

"No wonder Voldemort was so angry," Harry thought of the extremely distorted face in his memory and suddenly felt like laughing.

This was probably the first time Voldemort had been played like this. Not only had he been deceived by Regulus for over a decade, but he also seemed to have been mocked.

More importantly, Regulus had sacrificed himself willingly, leaving Voldemort without even the chance for revenge, forcing him to endure it.

As they walked and talked, they soon entered the area of Hogsmeade Village.

Unlike the bustling scene in Harry's memory, the entire village was now completely deserted, and even the shops had closed early.

Except for one place.

The Goblet of Fire Pub, a gathering place for all sorts of people, faintly emitted a glimmer of light.

Harry subconsciously glanced in that direction and then paused, rubbing his eyes vigorously.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing..." Harry replied.

He must have had a bad dream and not rested well, as he thought he had seen Dumbledore's figure in the window just now.

But this was impossible; he had personally attended Dumbledore's funeral not long ago... It was a fact that Dumbledore was dead, no matter how unwilling he was to accept it.

Perhaps it was the owner of the pub; he looked quite similar to Dumbledore.

Harry recalled the last time he had been to the Goblet of Fire Pub and the appearance of the owner.

Silver hair, long beard naturally hanging down, and those distinctive blue eyes; if not for the differences in appearance, he would be a second Dumbledore.

Harry couldn't help but wonder if there was some family connection between them... As he thought this, he also averted his gaze.

The three continued walking and soon disappeared at the end of the path.

At this moment, the door of the Goblet of Fire Pub suddenly opened, but no customers entered, and no one came out. It was as if the wind had blown the door open.

If Harry had still been there, he would have seen through the open door that the owner, who resembled Dumbledore, was standing in the middle of the bar.

In front of him, three people lay motionless on the table, as if they were asleep.

"Damn Dumbledore, why do I have to do this kind of cleaning work?" Aberforth waved his wand with some disdain, and the three people disappeared.

Unfortunately, Harry had already entered Hogwarts and didn't see any of this.

By now, Hogwarts had also completely transformed, as if it had become a massive greenhouse.

Harry couldn't find the words to describe the bright light barrier above the castle. The first thing that came to mind was the windbreak board covering the top of the greenhouse.

Some magical plants couldn't withstand the wind, like the umbrella-shaped jumping mushrooms. Even the slightest breeze, or a slightly heavier breath, could blow them away.

Therefore, Professor Sprout not only required students to be fully equipped during class but also specifically added a Wind Barrier Charm to the top of the fifth greenhouse.

It was just like what they were witnessing now, as if the entire Hogwarts had become a giant greenhouse.

Several professors stood on the grounds, holding their wands high and chanting:

"Super Armor Defense... Impregnable..."

"Super Armor Defense... Impregnable..."

...

With their voices, beams of light flew from the tips of their wands and merged into the topmost layer of the light barrier.

"It's a Mega Shielding Charm..." Sirius whispered beside them. "I've never seen a Solid Shield Charm of this scale before. It seems like the professors are prepared to fight with all they've got."

"Filius, old buddy, I'll help you out!" he shouted and walked over.

As a former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, calling Professor Flitwick 'old buddy' seemed perfectly fine.

Sirius quickly found his position and joined the team setting up the protection spells.

Lupin did the same. As a werewolf, he possessed a sense of smell and adaptation to darkness far superior to ordinary wizards, making him the best choice for scouting the surroundings.

There was just one problem.

Remus Lupin looked up at the bright moon in the sky... It was a full moon, and that wasn't a good day for werewolves.

His legs began to lengthen uncontrollably, and hard, dark brown fur sprouted from his body.

But Lupin seemed prepared, and as soon as his body started to change, he took out a bottle of potion and gulped it down.

In the moonlight, the werewolf's orange irises seemed to fade slightly.

"Remus, oh Merlin? How are you?" Mrs. Weasley rushed over to ask, as the werewolf's transformation was so sudden that she hadn't even reacted yet.

Harry followed, but she blocked him behind her.

The werewolf didn't respond; at this point, he had basically lost the ability to speak, but due to the Wolfsbane Potion, he still retained some sanity.

To avoid accidentally harming his own people, Lupin subconsciously took a few steps back, and his long snout twitched.

After transforming into a werewolf, his sense of smell became even more sensitive, and he could even smell the cheap alcohol scent coming from the Goblet of Fire Pub.

Damn, those drinks must be really cheap.

Werewolf Lupin quickly shifted his attention to the unfamiliar wizard scent.

"Professor Lupin, are you okay?" Harry cautiously approached and asked again, with Mrs. Weasley's arm always in front of him.

To reassure them, Lupin took a few more steps back. He shook his hideous wolf head, which was his way of answering.

Perhaps only today, the full moon wasn't such a bad day for him.

After that, Lupin in his werewolf state didn't stay in the school any longer. He turned quickly and disappeared into the night after a few leaps.

Harry continued walking towards the castle with Mrs. Weasley, and they had the same goal in mind.

Ron.

Although Sirius had told him that the Hogwarts students had already been evacuated to another location, he had also mentioned that adult wizards were an exception.

Harry believed that Hermione and Ron would definitely stay, just as he would have chosen to remain at the school if given the choice.

"Horace, you'd better remind those remaining Slytherins again..."

In the castle, Professor McGonagall was looking at Professor Slughorn with a serious expression. "If any of them want to take up arms against us inside the castle, I'm afraid we'll have to fight to the death."

"Minerva, you..." Professor Slughorn's body trembled slightly.

"Slytherin needs to decide which side they're on," Professor McGonagall interrupted. "After this choice, I won't treat them as students anymore."

Professor Slughorn heaved a heavy sigh.

Harry was a bit puzzled as to why Professor McGonagall was saying these things to Professor Slughorn; wasn't Snape the Head of Slytherin?

Speaking of which, where was he?

With such a major incident happening at Hogwarts, why hadn't the headmaster shown up yet?

Harry looked around and noticed signs of a clear battle; a huge floor-to-ceiling window had been shattered, and there was a vague human-shaped gap.

"Molly, it's so good to see you... Oh, Potter, why are you here!"

At that moment, Professor McGonagall spotted him and quickly approached. "Do you know they've been looking for you everywhere? This is foolishness."

"I know, but I had to come," Harry said. "I'm a part of Hogwarts, Professor, and I'm of age now. You have no reason to make me leave."

Professor McGonagall's lips moved slightly, showing a mix of helplessness and relief... She silently approved of Harry's decision.

It was just like when she had tried to convince Kyle to leave, but to no avail.

Even during the evacuation, some of the younger students wanted to stay at the school using various means... Each of them had their own ideas.

Harry went to find Hermione and Ron.

Professor McGonagall took a few steps forward, positioned herself in the middle of the corridor, raised her wand, and shouted in a slightly trembling voice:

"Stone Guardian Mobilization!"

All the statues and armor on the upper and lower floors jumped off their pedestals, and the sound of loud crashes reverberated throughout the castle.

"Hogwarts is under threat!" Professor McGonagall shouted. "Defend the boundaries, protect the students and staff, and fulfill your duty to the school!"

Countless stone statues and armor marched out of the castle in a uniform and steady pace.

Feeling the vibrations from both sides, Professor McGonagall rubbed her hands excitedly and whispered to Mrs. Weasley beside her:

"I've wanted to use this spell for a long time."

Mrs. Weasley stared blankly at the huge stone statues holding giant axes and chain wolf balls in front of her, Merlin above, she had always thought they were just decorations when she was a student, never imagining they could move!

"Wait, Professor!"

At that moment, Kyle ran over from upstairs. "Professor McGonagall, can you make those statues stop for a moment?"

He had just heard the commotion and rushed downstairs, but he still missed the most exciting part, although he made it in time.

"Stop?" Professor McGonagall looked at Kyle in confusion. Although she didn't understand what he meant, she still waved her wand.

The stone statues and armor on both sides stopped simultaneously and stood in perfect formation, like soldiers ready for inspection.

"Can I try?" Kyle asked, rubbing his hands.

"Stone Guardian Mobilization?" Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

"Mhm."

"No." Professor McGonagall seemed less tense than before and joked, "Only the headmaster or deputy headmaster can use this spell; even if a professor knows the incantation, it won't work."

Kyle immediately looked disappointed.

What a useless spell.

Professor McGonagall smiled and raised her wand again, ready to continue.

"Wait a moment," Kyle quickly stopped her.

"Never mind, I'll add some power to them, so at least I can feel involved."

Kyle waved his wand, and a dozen glass bottles the size of wine bottles floated out of the chameleon lizard's leather bag.

These bottles were filled with a beautiful blue liquid. Under Kyle's control, the liquid dispersed into numerous blue spheres, covering the blades of the giant axe, the double-handed sword, and the wolf-toothed ball.

Professor McGonagall's mouth twitched, and her voice was dry, "What is that?"

"Oh, it's Eight-Eyed Spider Venom," Kyle said, "Good stuff, at least it can double the lethality of those weapons."

"Clink!"

Just then, Slughorn, who had rushed back, happened to hear Kyle's words, and he stood there in shock, his wand falling to the ground uncontrollably.

Damn, what had he just heard?

The liquid that could fill at least twenty cauldrons was Eight-Eyed Spider Venom?

Venom that costs a hundred Galleons per pint?

What a waste, what a waste!

Slughorn's face contorted, and he had barely collected a small bottle, but Kyle was splashing it around.

"Enhancing the power of the stone statues... Do they deserve it? What a waste!" Professor McGonagall also rubbed her forehead, she could understand Slughorn's feelings very well. Those venoms looked like they were worth at least thirty pints... Three thousand Galleons, just to increase the lethality of the stone statues' weapons a little?

Should she say something? Kyle was indeed a bit wasteful.

But...

"Where did you get so much Eight-Eyed Spider Venom?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Friendly neighbors in the Forbidden Forest offered it," Kyle said, "They insisted on doing their part to protect Hogwarts, even if it meant squeezing themselves dry and then squeezing their companions dry too. I couldn't refuse."

"Is that so?" Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes, wondering how she didn't know about these friendly neighbors in the Forbidden Forest, and they were the notorious cruel and cold-blooded Eight-Eyed Spiders.

Friendly?

"Just listen to what I say," Kyle waved his hand nonchalantly, "Anyway, they can't possibly come over to complain, and besides, they've lived in the Forbidden Forest for so long, isn't it right for them to pay some rent?"

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and remained silent.

And she suddenly realized that Kyle's actions were actually quite good.

The stone armor statues already had strong resistance to magic, and soaking them in Eight-Eyed Spider Venom was like having a weapon with the Killing Curse added to it, and a touch could mean death.

The only drawback was that it might be a bit slow.

But in a large-scale war, this drawback was practically non-existent, and there was no need to worry about it.

Professor McGonagall waved her wand, and the stone statues continued walking towards the edge of the castle, their weapons glowing with a faint blue light in the moonlight... along with the venom, there was also a bit of Slughorn's resentment.

He still couldn't accept Kyle's wasteful behavior, and he was pounding his chest in frustration.

On the other side, Harry had also found Ron and Hermione.

As expected, they hadn't left the school and were planning something with more students.

Kyle saw many familiar faces here... Oliver Wood, Angelina Johnson, and Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Cho Chang, and Cedric.

It seemed that not only the adult students had stayed, but many graduates had also returned.

"Oh, Harry!" Ginny ran over and hugged him, causing the Weasleys to frown in unison.

But that was all.

Hermione also came over, "I was going to say that you shouldn't have come back, but I know you wouldn't want to hear that, right?"

"Of course not," Harry smiled, "But how did you find out about this?"

"Cedric told us about it," Fred stepped forward, "and we told others, and no one wanted to miss out on the fun, so we all came."

"But will that person really come to Hogwarts?" George whispered.

He was afraid that this was a mistake, and if that was the case, it might not be possible to gather such a large group when Voldemort truly attacked Hogwarts later.

Harry guessed his concern and couldn't help but want to check on Voldemort.

As this thought came to mind, the scar on his forehead seemed to respond, and a sharp pain immediately followed.

Harry covered his head and held Ginny's arm tightly to keep from falling.

"Oh, Harry, what's wrong?" a concerned voice came from beside him.

"I'm fine," Harry shook his head first, then looked at George and smiled slightly, "Don't worry, he'll definitely come."

He had just seen Voldemort rushing towards Hogwarts with boundless rage.

"Oh, that's a great ability," Fred looked at the scar on Harry's forehead with some envy, then quickly added, "Sorry, Harry, I didn't mean that."

"I understand."

"That's good." Fred smiled, "By the way, have you seen Kyle? I just saw him sneaking out of the Forbidden Forest, and then he disappeared when I turned around, and I've been looking for him."

"I saw him on the third floor," Harry thought for a moment, "By now, he should have reached the gate."

"Thanks."

Fred and George exchanged a glance and quickly headed outside.

They both agreed that it would be more fun to be with Kyle at this time.

...

(End of Chapter)

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