Harry Potter and the Great Old Ones

Chapter 359 Formal Membership
Tierra led the way, holding Hermione's hands as they stepped through the portal. The next moment, Tierra and Hermione appeared inside a library on a desolate planet countless light-years away.

Tierra took Hermione for a short while inside the library. Tierra held Hermione's hand tightly, their skin touching, feeling how the same time imprints appeared on Hermione's left hand's five fingers as on her own.

Feel how these blessings called "time" are formed.

After that, Tierra opened another portal, and a large, thick book, shimmering with starlight, flew in. Tierra then led Hermione inside the book.

Stepping into the interior space created by Tierra using the "Inheritors," Tierra led Hermione to another library—

This is a library that is much taller and wider than the library of the great race of Is. Looking up, one sees an endless starry sky-like, dazzling tower top, and rows of bookshelves surrounding the curved tower walls, filled with all kinds of books.

“Open your eyes, Hermione,” Tyella said.

Hermione opened her eyes and saw Tyella with a mysterious smile. Tyella then took a step back and turned slightly, revealing a ruddy-faced, neatly dressed house-elf standing not far in front of Hermione, a richly dressed, greasy-smiling blond man, and a tall, unusually handsome half-human, half-snake man wearing sunglasses.

It was Dobby, Gilderoy Lohart, and Salazar Slytherin.

“Welcome to the Tarot Club,” Tierra said gently. “Please allow me to introduce myself.”

“My name is Tiera, number twelve, and I am the ‘Hanged Man’,” Tiera said, bowing slightly.

“Gidro Lockhart, number six, ‘The Lover’.” After Tyella finished introducing herself, “Gidro Lockhart,” who had transformed from the “Parasit,” stepped forward, smiled gently, and shook hands with Hermione. “Long time no see, Hermione Granger. No, I should call you ‘The High Priestess’ now. Welcome to the Tarot Society, welcome to this noble cause.”

"Lock, Lock, Lock, Professor Lockhart!" Hermione seemed flattered and surprised, and she grasped Gilderoy Lockhart's hand tightly. "This, this, this, this is my, my honor!"

Thanks to Tierra's maneuvering, Gilderoy Lockhart's reputation has not only not gone bankrupt but has even risen to new heights, and he has even been touted as Dumbledore's successor.

No wonder Hermione looked so excited.

After shaking hands with Hermione, Gilderoy Lockhart politely bowed and stepped aside.

“Home, house-elf. A free house-elf, Dobby, Ms. Granger,” Dobby said timidly, bowing slightly. “Number, number seventeen. 'Star'.”

"Hello, Dobby!" Hermione said with curiosity and excitement, then generously extended her hand and shook Dobby's hesitant little hand.

Dobby seemed a little unfamiliar with and didn't quite understand Hermione Granger's enthusiasm. After shaking hands with Hermione, he quickly took a step back and stood nervously to the side.

"Hiss—hiss hiss—hiss—hiss hiss hiss—" After Dobby finished his introduction, Salazar Slytherin glided over and also stretched out his hand.

However, facing the tall and strange Salazar Slytherin, Hermione seemed a little scared. She did not take Salazar's outstretched hand, but stood there nervously.

“Please allow me to translate.” At this moment, Tyella stepped forward and said with a smile, “Salazar Slytherin, founder of Slytherin House, one of the four great figures of Hogwarts, number five, ‘The Pope’.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Hermione Granger. I am so glad that after more than a thousand years, we can still see such a fine witch as you. It is an honor for Hogwarts to have such a fine witch as you enroll,” Tyella added. “That’s what Mr. Slytherin said.”

"Salazar!?" Hermione screamed in disbelief, her eyes wide as if she had seen a ghost. "Salazar Slytherin!?" Even though Tyella had already introduced him, Hermione's mind was still not quite there yet. She stared blankly at the half-human, half-snake figure in front of her, unable to believe it.

“Please allow me to explain.” At this moment, Gilderoy Lockhart stepped forward and said with a smile, “This is the real Salazar Slytherin. I can assure you that Mr. Slytherin transformed himself into this form in his later years due to a dangerous magical experiment, thus surviving as a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets for over a thousand years until I accidentally opened the Chamber of Secrets while teaching at Hogwarts, which brought Mr. Slytherin back to his senses.”

"Mr. Slytherin has now joined our Tarot Society; he is our comrade and has decided to dedicate his life to resolving the three major contradictions currently facing the wizarding world." After a pause, Gilderoy Lockhart continued, "And Miss Granger, please rest assured that Mr. Slytherin's remarks made more than a thousand years ago were not intended to discriminate against Muggle-born wizards. They were merely a temporary suggestion made during a period of hostility between wizards and Muggles, and this suggestion was later maliciously distorted by those with ulterior motives."

"Oh, oh, oh, oh." Hermione was still staring blankly at Slytherin.

“Hermione, it’s impolite to have someone a thousand years older than you holding their hand up all the time,” Tyella whispered in Hermione’s ear.

"Oh, oh." Hermione also reached out and grasped Salazar Slytherin's rough hand.

“Hiss—hiss hiss—hiss—” Slytherin said.

"What did Mr. Slytherin say?" Hermione asked Tyella, puzzled.

“Hmm,” Tyella’s facial muscles twitched slightly, then she said, “Mr. Slytherin said he is honored that you have joined the fold.”

But in fact--

“You’re really something,” Salazar Slytherin said. “Going to all this trouble just to fool some little girl.”

“Hiss hiss hiss—hiss hiss hiss—hiss—hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss—” Tiera replied—

“Everything is for a greater good,” Tiera said. “Everything is for godhood.”

“Hiss hiss hiss—hiss.” Salazar Slytherin said, “Aren’t you afraid she’ll run into danger if you bring her in now? She’s only fourteen.”

“I’m only fourteen,” Tiera replied in a Parsleyan accent.

“Heh.” Salazar Slytherin gave a fake laugh, then said in Parsleyan, “You’re a little monster, and she’s a little girl.”

Tierra shrugged, then said to Hermione, “Besides everyone here, three members of the Tarot Society are absent due to their own commitments and the Society’s mission: Xenophilius Lovegood, Luna Lovegood’s father, who is number nine, ‘The Hermit’; number fourteen, Temperance, named Nazan Olympia, thirty-one years old, a werewolf wizard who has lived in Knockturn Alley for ten years; and our Tarot Society’s Holy Father—”

Tierra paused for a moment before saying, "Mr. 'The World,' residing atop the cold, towering tower of Austria—"

"Gellert Grindelwald."

Thank you

The flowers have all fallen, leaving only bare branches. (June 1st vote)
The procrastinator, a snake, cast his vote for January.
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(End of this chapter)