A day at Hogwarts.

Chapter 687 Prepare for Action
For Hogwarts students, the October monthly exams were not particularly noteworthy, except for the Transfiguration, Alchemy, and Potions exams, which used special parchment that automatically uploaded answers. They spent most of their time anxiously waiting for the results.

Regardless of how Harry did on the test, he felt he had done well, at least he had answered all the questions.

That very evening after the exam, he couldn't wait to drag Ron and Hermione to Charles's dormitory to discuss their plans for an adventure.

Simo was curled up in his bed, engrossed in a lively conversation with someone on his laptop.

Charles sat at his desk, seemingly writing or drawing something.

Harry brought over chairs, and everyone sat down next to Charles.

He said excitedly, "Have you heard? There's more FLORS on the market lately, and it's cheaper. Let's buy some!"

"Felix Felicis?!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise. "That's a very high-level potion, and the process of making it is extremely complex and difficult!"

"How could there suddenly be such a large supply of goods on the market? This is very abnormal. Could they be counterfeit or substandard products?"

Her brows furrowed tightly, her face filled with suspicion and wariness.

She's been getting a little paranoid lately because the twin brothers have been selling strange potions in the common room.

Her words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing Harry's enthusiasm.

Harry scratched his head, unsure, and said, "I heard it from Dobby. He said the Dancing Grass Restaurant bought a lot of it, planning to use it as points gifts."

"Charles, the Felix Felicis you bought should be fine, right?"

He was a little worried that Charles and Dobby had been scammed.

Charles continued writing, suppressing a laugh, and slowly said, "Don't worry, the source of this batch of Felix Felicis is very reliable, and the quality is also very good. We bought quite a lot as free gifts."

Hogwarts now needs a large sum of money, and this heavy burden ultimately falls on Snape's shoulders.

He helped Hogwarts make money on conditions: in addition to the traditional profit sharing, he also had to use the Merlin System to help him complete his monthly exams so that he could squeeze out time to brew potions.

Charles was surprised by Hogwarts' move, but he still agreed.

Hearing Charles's affirmative reply, Harry and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. If Charles said it was alright, then it really was alright.

"but!"

Charles's voice suddenly rose without warning, startling the three people in front of him and Simo, who was chatting on his laptop in bed. They all turned to look at him.

"Felix Felin is good, but don't overindulge," he said earnestly. "Effective drugs can become toxic if taken in excess!"

"It has been proven that excessive consumption of FLORS can have side effects, such as dizziness."

Hermione nodded repeatedly, recalling that it had been said in the book.

Harry abandoned the idea of ​​buying Felix Felicis and said, "Alright then, let's not get Felix Felicis. Now let's discuss the detailed plan for the expedition."

Then, Hermione opened her notebook and said, "I consulted several old biographies, which mention that the current covered bridge was built around the fifteenth century by a powerful wizard whose name is unknown."

“I found a crucial piece of information. It is said that a stone that looks like a gate was found on a deep cliff below the bridge, but it was covered by vines and other plants, so it was not clearly visible.”

“I believe that’s the entrance to the strange place on the cliff that Myrtle mentioned.”

This is very important intelligence, confirming that there are indeed unnatural traces there, making it worthwhile to explore.

However, a new problem arose.

Harry asked, "The entrance is on a cliff. How are we going to get down? Climb down?"

This is a very real problem; they can't fly. Harry knows a little about rock climbing. The steep, smooth rock face behind the castle is more difficult for someone without professional training to climb than to jump down.

Not to mention, they didn't even know the exact location of the rock entrance.

Hermione asked Charles, "When is Ruby coming back?"

She suggested the optimal solution: having the ruby ​​help would be the most convenient, but Hedwig and the others didn't have that level of intelligence.

However, the timing was wrong.

Charles shook his head and said, "It went to Wuzhou to buy a large new gem for Hogwarts, and it probably won't be back until December."

Hermione was at a loss; this path was blocked.

Harry stroked his chin thoughtfully and came up with another idea: "It seems we can use flying brooms. My broom and Charles's brooms can take us down."

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was a good idea.

“No!” Hermione immediately shook her head in disapproval. “It’s too conspicuous; we’ll be discovered.”

Students who go on private adventures or similar activities will likely lose a lot of points if they are caught, so they should try to keep a low profile.

"How about we ask Dobby for help?" Harry immediately thought of another idea. "Dobby's Apparition isn't restricted by Hogwarts, so maybe he can take us there directly."

Hermione objected again: "If there is a barrier against ghosts in that place, it's hard to say whether there are other unknown defensive measures."

"The fairy's magic system is unique, but it may fail near unknown magic barriers, or even trigger unpredictable reactions, which is too risky."

Harry thought for a moment and then came up with a new idea: "Then I'll wear the invisibility cloak and ride the fire bolt to scout ahead, and then make a decision based on the results."

Hermione thought it was a good idea for him to ride a flying broomstick while wearing an invisibility cloak, as he wouldn't be discovered.

“I say,” Ron suddenly said, “have you forgotten that you yourselves can turn into animals?”

Harry and Hermione were taken aback; it was indeed true.

Last year, under Charles's guidance, they learned animal transformation, which allows them to transform into the corresponding animal using its fur. Ron even transformed into a giant owl.

In this situation, transforming into an animal is both concealed and convenient.

“It should be possible,” Harry said.

Because Peter turned into a mouse, they weren't very interested in the Animagus and other animals' behavior of turning into animals. They learned it out of curiosity but never used it in their daily lives.

Therefore, this point was not considered at the beginning.

“I’ll go scout ahead tomorrow at noon,” Ron said seriously. “We’ll go to the owl’s house together, then I’ll turn into an owl and fly away, so no one will suspect anything.”

"I think the lunch break should be enough."

Harry and Hermione felt that this method was safer and more reliable.

With the widespread use of laptops these days, owls have gotten quite fat, and fewer people go to owl enclosures anymore.

They just need to find some excuse to stay there and wait for Ron to come back; that won't be a problem.

Harry asked Charles, "Charles, what do you think?"

Charles replied, "You decide for yourselves. I will fly on my own."

(End of this chapter)