novelraw Chapter 132 131 Hermione held Lynn's hand and looked at the gargoyle before them
Chapter 132 131 Hermione held Lynn's hand and looked at the gargoyle before them
Hermione held Lynn's hand and looked at the gargoyle before them, wondering curiously if it could move, and if it could, whether it could be used as a weapon.
"cockroach clusters."
Marietta spoke the password to the gargoyle, and for a moment, Penelope, Maranhao, and Hermione couldn't help but turn their eyes toward her.
"Are you sure you didn't get the password wrong, Marietta?" Maranhao felt like she'd heard enough just from that noun.
Penelope was about to speak when she heard a rumbling sound. Turning to look, she saw the gargoyle had already moved aside, revealing the spiral staircase behind it.
"Uh, it seems Marietta didn't get it wrong after all," she said with some difficulty.
"As expected of Headmaster Dumbledore... his tastes are so, well, unique."
Maranhao tried to find as polite a way to put it as possible.
As a Young Wizard from a Muggle family, Hermione, while holding Lynn's hand and following Penelope's group up the spiral staircase, asked a question out of curiosity.
"What exactly are cockroach clusters? Why are they called that?"
The three young witches from wizarding families all looked a bit sick.
Lynn, whose hand Hermione was holding, answered instinctively, "It is a type of magical candy in the Wizarding World, chocolate-flavored. Its appearance and movement are no different from actual cockroaches. Because they are very small, Wizards usually buy them in large quantities and arrange them in a heap, hence the name cockroach clusters."
"Oh, that's really..." Hermione wrinkled her nose, unable to quite accept it.
"Respect personal hobbies." Maranhao shook her head, expressing her understanding of Headmaster Dumbledore's fondness for cockroach clusters.
The spiral staircase slowly came to a stop, and a wooden door appeared before the five Young Wizards.
Penelope took a deep breath. This was her first time in the Headmasters Office, and she was inevitably a bit nervous. She stepped forward and knocked gently on the door.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, we've brought Lynn here."
The wooden door creaked open, and Headmaster Dumbledore's warm and cheerful voice came from inside.
"Come in, children."
Penelope walked in first, followed by Hermione holding Lynn's hand, with Maranhao and Marietta at the back; the five of them entered the Headmasters Office together.
Headmaster Dumbledore smiled and gestured for them to sit on the sofa.
Everyone took their seats, and a second later, five cups of black tea appeared before them.
Looking at the suddenly appearing tea, Lynn politely nodded to Headmaster Dumbledore in thanks.
"Thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore."
As she spoke, she picked up the tea and took a polite sip. An unbearable sweetness instantly bloomed on the tip of her tongue.
Setting the teacup down with no change in her expression, Lynn remained perfectly mannered.
"The tea is very good, thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore."
Headmaster Dumbledore stroked his beard quite happily. Rare indeed—finally, someone shared his taste.
Beside her, Hermione and the other three, who had also taken a sip out of politeness, forced the mouthful down, all looking at Lynn with complex expressions.
To drink such tea without flinching and even offer praise—one could only imagine how deeply Lynn had been damaged by those damnable parents of hers.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, may I ask why you wanted to see me?"
Lynn looked at Headmaster Dumbledore without blinking, waiting for him to speak.
"Indeed," Headmaster Dumbledore paused for a moment. "I know what I am about to say may be quite impolite, but as a Headmaster, and perhaps as an elder, please forgive me, for I must say it."
Lynn nodded. "Headmaster Dumbledore, please go ahead."
Headmaster Dumbledore was a Professor; whatever he said would be for her own good. There was no distinction between polite and impolite.
"Lynn, you are a clever child, the cleverest I have seen in my life. Yesterday, you were able to deduce the truth of the matter using only information from books."
"Your wisdom is beyond doubt. I know you have no such intention, but I still want to remind you—and ask you—not to trust or rely on the Dark Arts that would lead you to fall."
"If it is merely for the sake of knowledge, that is of no consequence."
Headmaster Dumbledore smiled as he spoke, his blue eyes full of the concern an elder has for a junior, a teacher for a student.
Lynn's wisdom and ability were undoubtedly superior to Tom's, and even to his own and those of his old friend in their youth.
It was precisely because of this that he wanted to warn Lynn, to remind her not to make the same mistakes their predecessors had made.
Some things, if done, leave you with no way back; some things, if done, will make you regret them for a lifetime.
Lynn nodded stiffly. "I will not trust or rely on the Dark Arts."
The Dark Arts were a violation of regulations. She could not possibly rely on magic that broke the rules, much less use such magic against anyone.
Looking at Lynn's expressionless face, Headmaster Dumbledore felt a wave of both sorrow and relief.
This child was stronger than him, stronger than all of them... Minerva said she had not yet recovered her emotions, but a child like this, even when she fully recovered them, would likely be a kind and gentle soul.
Moving his gaze to Hermione, who was holding Lynn's hand, Headmaster Dumbledore lowered his head and smiled subtly.
It was good. The children of the new generation were all better than they had been.
It was also because of them that he had changed his view and decided to speak directly and openly with Lynn as he just had.
Perhaps this way, it would be easier to avoid a situation like Tom's.
Closing his eyes, Headmaster Dumbledore was once again the reliable elder when he looked up.
"Miss Lynn, if you were to analyze it, how do you think the Basilisk moves about within Hogwarts?"
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