From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 234 Easter

The Easter holiday finally arrived, and those students who were hoping to relax during the holiday were greeted with a huge amount of homework from the professors. It seemed that the professors believed that this method could prevent knowledge from being lost from the students' minds so that the overall transcript after the Hogwarts final exams would not look so ugly.

While the library was packed with students marking on parchment to fill in the gaps in their brains, Harry and Ron witnessed Hermione ticking all the elective subjects on her third-year course selection list.

"Muggle Studies?" Ron asked incredulously. "Aren't you just a Muggle-born witch?"

"I think it will be interesting to look at Muggles from a wizard's perspective..." Hermione looked at the list of elective courses that she had already ticked with satisfaction.

Harry also couldn't quite understand this. He was eager to get rid of his Muggle relatives, so why would he go to a Muggle Studies class?
Since Care of Magical Animals became a compulsory subject in the next term, Harry and Ron only checked the box behind Divination.

Although the Easter holidays were not going well, especially when faced with a pile of homework that almost drowned you, Harry's mood was getting better and better.

After giving Harry a few dueling lessons, Sirius left Hogwarts. On the one hand, Professor McGonagall, the vice-president, could no longer tolerate the presence of someone who had nothing to do with schoolwork in the castle. On the other hand, Sirius needed to return to his home, which he had been away from for many years, to prepare for Harry's return, such as cleaning the house.

Before Sirius left, Hogwarts welcomed the second Nimbus 2077 as Harry's early birthday present.

Even though Harry said that the Nimbus 2000 given by Professor McGonagall was still great, Sirius still signed his own stylish name on the owl shopping list of the Quidditch boutique.

"We have to take turns flying!" Sirius smiled generously, "Minerva will be happy too! She's counting on you to defeat Slytherin!"

The design concept of Nimbus 2077 is undoubtedly advanced. Even though wizards are already very accustomed to all kinds of magical spells, their knowledge of other knowledge in the world is pitifully little, and they basically remain at the stage of "birds can fly only because they have wings."

Using magic to give a broom aerodynamic shape when flying is beyond the cognition of wizards. In addition to the pneumatic spell metal carrier cast in the shape of wings, other parts of the Nimbus 2077 also adopt a very unique aesthetic style.

The broom maker of the Nimbus Company painted the wooden pole of the broom with a layer of silver metallic paint, and in order to prevent the reflection of the metal from affecting the seeker at high altitude, it was specially matte-finished. Before Harry got his hands on it, he thought it was a full-metal broom! Its seat cushion is restrained black, and the footrest is a foldable style. It doesn't take up any space even if it is placed in the dormitory. The branches tied together by the matte hoop look very neat, and the color of the tail is even gradient-colored. No matter which color of Quidditch uniform is placed together, the color of Nimbus 2077 will not appear too overwhelming.

As for why the Nimbus 2077 Harry got was the second one in Hogwarts, it was because the first one belonged to Ivy. Before the Nimbus Company's advertisement appeared in the newspaper, he had already received a custom model made by Devlin Whitehorn himself.

However, this Easter, Ivy has been busy with another matter. The qualification exam for Apparition is in early May, which happens to be the first week after the Easter holiday.

He needed to resist the urge to create an explosion, flash, or a bunch of ice fog after Apparating, which was not easy for Ivy. Just like driving a car, once you try driving fast, there is no going back. The same is true for Apparition.

The Apparition test wasn't that difficult; it was just a matter of disappearing from outside Hogsmeade and then reappearing in a noisy tavern.

It seemed that the examiners all thought that the noisy environment would make the exam more difficult, or at least make the students less determined to move themselves. Of course, the civil servants of the Department of Magical Transportation still made good medical support to prevent possible splitting accidents.

But for Ivy's first test, things went perfectly. There were no fire or explosions, no one was injured, and he could legally use Apparition anywhere.

Just as Ivy was about to eat something to celebrate getting his wizarding license, a shiny phoenix patronus found him in an alley in Hogsmeade.

"Passed the test? I knew you could do it. Come to the Hog's Head, Ivy."

no doubt.

It was Dumbledore's voice.

So Ivy could only buy two extra-large ice creams, sprinkled a lot of hazelnuts on them, and stood in front of the Pig's Head Bar.

The Pig's Head Bar has no sign... To be more precise, there are no words on its sign. Instead, there is an oversized pig's head hanging on it, and the pig's eyes roll around, and its arched mouth opens and closes, making strange noises.

It was not much different from when Ivy came here more than a hundred years ago. Ivy remembered that there were two other different pig head signs in the back kitchen of the Pig's Head Bar. The owner would change the pig head on the door from time to time.

Maybe the first wizard to open this shop in Hogsmeade was a werewolf, who killed the three pig-blooded orc brothers and finally decided to use their heads as his own signs.

"The Three Little Pigs" is a British fairy tale. It might just be a boastful conversation between wizards that was overheard by a Muggle writer.

Ivy ended his unfounded associations and walked into the unpopular pub.

Even during the day, the interior of the Hog's Head Pub was dark, lit only by an oil lamp hanging from the ceiling. There was a bad musty smell in the air, as if it had not been ventilated for a long time.

The few drinkers sitting at the shabby wooden tables covered themselves tightly, and had no intention of taking off their hoods even in the tavern where nothing could be seen clearly.

This is a place where transactions not regulated by the Ministry of Magic often take place. It is also an important channel for Dumbledore to gather intelligence. His brother Aberforth Dumbledore is the owner of the pub.

The old wizard sat at the bar, chatting with the bartender, and didn't even notice that his long white beard fell into the wine glass.

Today he was wearing a black traveling cloak, and it seemed that he was ready to go on a long journey. Every time he stood with this flamboyant old wizard, Ivy couldn't help but make the snake emblem on his Slytherin relic robes shine a few shades brighter. Seeing him wearing a plain cloak today really made Ivy breathe a sigh of relief.

"Come and sit here, Ivy!" Dumbledore also saw him, stretched out his hand to wave him over, and at the same time used magic to dry his white beard inconspicuously.

"Is this for me? How thoughtful!" Dumbledore took the large ice cream from Ivy's hand and said with a smile, "We'll leave after we finish this. Would you like a butterbeer?"

"No." Ivy waved his hand to refuse because he saw a stain on Dumbledore's glass. "Ice cream is fine."

Dumbledore said nothing more and concentrated on the ice cream in his hand.

"Where are you going?" The old man behind the bar was an old man. Apart from having a pair of blue eyes like Dumbledore, he seemed to deliberately make himself look not like a brother.

"Visiting an old friend." Dumbledore said with cream on the corners of his mouth, his tone relaxed and cheerful.

Aberforth was obviously not satisfied with this answer. He snorted, put down the wine glass in his hand and walked behind the door.

At this time, Dumbledore had finished eating the ice cream that Ivy brought, and the two of them walked out of the Hog's Head Inn together and came to the streets of Hogsmeade.

As it was not Hogsmeade weekend at Hogwarts, the only students on the street were the sixth and seventh years who were here to take their Apparition exams.

Therefore, Dumbledore and Ivy were not particularly conspicuous.

Dumbledore handed Ivy a photo of a cave by the sea.

"I chose this day on purpose, after you obtained your permission to Apparate." Dumbledore still had a smile on his face. "No young person doesn't like to play with their newly acquired toys."

Ivy understood at a glance that it was the cave where Voldemort planned to store the Slytherin locket, and it was also where he scared the children in the orphanage.

"I'll wait for you there." As soon as Ivy finished speaking, he disappeared.

Standing on the gray-white cliff, below is the surging black sea, white waves smashed on the rocks. Except for the sound of wind and waves, there is no trace of any human activity here.

As far as confidentiality is concerned, Voldemort did a pretty good job, at least he didn't put the Horcrux on the counter of the Leaky Cauldron.

Dumbledore appeared behind Ivy with a slight bang, took a few steps forward, and looked down at the sea below with him.

"I believe the place where Tom hid the Horcruxes is right under our feet, in a cave by the sea. When he was still living in the orphanage, he once came to play in the nearby village, perhaps to see the sea and listen to the sound of the waves. But Tom has always been restless. He took the two children to climb up the reef opposite, and only then did he discover the cave under our feet." Dumbledore loudly explained Voldemort's past story, letting his voice be blown away by the sea breeze.

"Have you figured out how to get down?" Ivy asked. "Perhaps we can Apparate to the reef below and then swim across the fjord." Dumbledore squinted at the cave below, but in fact he could not see anything from this angle.

"Let's fly over." Ivy made a few gestures and gently touched Dumbledore's shoulder, and the old wizard immediately gained the power to fly into the air.

"I never thought wizards could fly so easily without the help of a broom!" Dumbledore's traveling cloak fluttered in the air as he rushed down the cliff first.

Ivey followed suit.

At first, the entrance was just a crack under the cliff, with seawater flowing in along the crack. Dumbledore held up his old wand, emitting light to lead the way. Under the illumination of the fluorescent spell, Ivy found that as the two went deeper, the crack became wider and wider.

Finally, the sea water below reached the end, and a spacious cave appeared in front of the two.

Dumbledore landed on the ground again and circled the cave with his wand raised: "It should be here... Tom's magic left traces on the stone wall."

"And it's dark magic," Ivy continued. He immediately noticed that there was something wrong with the most protruding rock wall. "He covered up the entrance and set up a trap that was superfluous."

Ivy snapped his fingers lightly, and the ancient wizard magic power in his body surged immediately. In the blink of an eye, the entrance that Voldemort had tried so hard to hide appeared.

It was a white archway. The stone wall that originally blocked the path had disappeared, and only endless darkness poured out from the door.

"What a brilliant magic..." Dumbledore said in amazement, "Voldemort seems to want those who enter here to be weakened first. According to his logic, someone must pay a certain amount of blood and magic power to pass through."

"I won't follow his pace." Ivy took the lead and stepped into the darkness behind the door.

"Even if it's to confuse the enemy?" Dumbledore followed Ivy and asked with a smile.

Ivy didn't answer, his spell illuminating a wide expanse of water.

The water was very dark, with a green glow floating on the surface.

"Voldemort is almost abusing the Dark Arts." Ivy sighed, "Why make himself so gloomy and dark?"

The cave was shrouded in Voldemort's dark magic, and light was difficult to propagate here, but it was not like Ivy's dark magic that completely blocked the line of sight, and the impact of this spell was also very small. It seemed that Voldemort was not trying to prevent his Horcrux from being taken away, but just wanted to add some atmosphere to his nickname of the Dark Lord.

"Long-term use of dark magic has changed him..." Dumbledore looked carefully at the black lake, trying to find something left by Voldemort. "It made him lose his sense of awe."

"There are Inferi under the water," Ivy reminded. "And the water will continue to transform the people who die in it into Inferi. Apart from scaring Muggles who have never seen a ghost, I can't think of any use for this kind of protection."

More than a hundred years ago, when the Forbidden Forest was full of dark wizards, Ivy could always see all kinds of strange-looking corpses near the swamp. They were pale and staggering, and looked full of horror elements. But compared with the dark wizards who could cast the Unforgivable Curse, those corpses were as harmless as teddy dogs.

Ivy is a ruthless character who can slaughter dark wizards like chickens. Dealing with some Inferi is too easy for him, so in his opinion, the protection that Voldemort set for his Horcruxes is simply too childish.

The silver lime tree wand emitted a soft light, and Ivy chanted the spell aloud: "Expecto Patronus!"

The golden patronus of light once again revealed its power. After only one circle on the empty and dark water, the dark magic that Voldemort had added to the cave had disappeared. Without the invisible mist blocking it, the golden dragon holding its head high in the air showed endless golden light.

Accompanied by a silent dragon roar, the golden dragon dived into the lake.

The animals formed by the Patronus Charm should be phantoms, and they should pass through the water like a ghost passing through a wall, but this is not the case.

The black lake surface surged up and down, and countless foul-smelling bubbles emerged from the bottom of the lake. The entire gloomy lake surface seemed to be boiling suddenly, roaring and screaming.

As more and more bubbles emerged from the lake, the bottomless black in the lake began to dissipate. Muggles used fire to boil water to disinfect the water, while Ivy used the Radiant Patronus to boil the lake to remove the dark magic left by Voldemort.

When the lake surface completely turned into a clearer green color, many bloated corpses floated to the surface of the water. Without Voldemort's dark magic, these corpses were finally no longer trapped at the bottom of the lake.

Along with the corpse, there was also a small boat tied with iron chains. It was a way for Voldemort to cross the lake for himself or the Death Eaters who were ordered to take away the Horcruxes.

Ivy's silver lime wand no longer glowed, and the only light source in the cave became the Old Wand in Dumbledore's hand.

"You always open my eyes, Ivy." Dumbledore looked carefully at the bodies in the lake, as if looking for a familiar target. "Once we have taken away Voldemort's Horcruxes, we should bury them."

"Come on, Ivy, let's cross the lake and see Voldemort's final move."

The effect of the flying spell had not yet ended. Dumbledore tapped his feet and flew lightly across the lake.

There was only a small island in the middle of the lake, which was very flat, like a black slate. On the island stood a stone basin, which was not much different from the meditation basin in the principal's office.

The green fluorescence that was previously diffused above the lake surface was emitted from here, but after being washed away by Ivy's Guardian of Light, only a half-dead fluorescence remained.

Ivy walked over to the stone basin and looked inside, an emerald green potion filling it.

Dumbledore poked it with his finger. Although there was no sound, his finger could not touch the surface of the liquid, as if there was a layer of transparent glass between them.

"I think... Voldemort wants the people who come here to drink it..." Dumbledore stared at the green potion in a trance, and looked into his own eyes reflected in it.

"Let me drink it." Dumbledore looked at Ivy. "In addition to providing you with the location where Voldemort hid the Horcrux, my old bones can finally be put to use. It may paralyze me, cause me extreme pain, and make it impossible for me to concentrate, but you have to make sure I drink all the liquid in it, Ivy."

"Have you forgotten what I said, Dumbledore?" Ivy shook his head and held out his fist. "I never march at the enemy's pace."

A giant translucent hand gleaming with magical light appeared above their heads, and in line with Ivy's movements, the giant hand clenched into a fist.

Bigby's Diamond Fist's damage type is noble force field damage, and it can deliver a critical hit to man-made objects like stone basins without hindrance.

So Ivy swung his arm violently, and the translucent fist in the air smashed down fiercely, completely shattering the stone basin containing the emerald green potion with just one blow.

Without the dark magic container created by Voldemort, the emerald green potion quickly disappeared without a trace on the black ground of the island, leaving only rubble on the ground and the Slytherin locket inside that had rotted beyond recognition.

"This... doesn't seem right..." Dumbledore hesitated and looked at the locket in the rubble, "Or did you use too much force with your magic fist?"

"I think it's probably because it's a fake." Ivy picked up the broken locket on the ground and found the folded parchment inside.

"To the Dark Lord:
I will be dead before you read this, but I want you to know that I discovered your secret.

I stole the real Horcrux and planned to destroy it as quickly as possible.

I am willing to die in the hope that you can be killed when you meet your opponent.

RAB"

"It seems that even in places we don't know, there are still people willing to sacrifice their lives to fight Voldemort." Dumbledore sighed and looked back at the bodies still floating in the lake. He knew very well that the person who left the note was most likely among them.

(End of this chapter)