Hogwarts Wasteland: The Witch from the Borderlands

"So you really are Tianmu!" Ron said with certainty.

"Hindsight is 20/20! Even though I can't predict the future, it's still pretty cool!" He spread his arms and twirled around, like the king of the world.

"So, the bell you heard yesterday must have been someone playing a trick on you!" Harry frowned, unable to understand who would do such a thing.

"Could it be that Voldemort has broken in again? We're so close to Albania!" He was startled by his own thought.

"Professor McGonagall has arranged for more patrols, and I'll also be wandering around the castle more often to see if I can trigger the Eye of Heaven again." Hermione put away the paper she had just finished writing and slapped away Ron's hand that was quietly reaching out.

"Write it yourself first! Come find me if you really can't handle it!"

Hermione was unusually troubled. She couldn't understand where this third eye ability came from. Was it because of her powerful sensory attributes? Unlike the Borderlands, this world didn't allow for clear viewing of one's own abilities. She still didn't know her various attributes. However, sensory attributes were usually related to the soul. Even if this girl named Hermione herself had average sensory abilities, she herself, from the Borderlands, was an excellent Finger Witch with high sensory attributes. The combination of the two made it plausible that she would have some kind of special talent.

In that case, maybe we could try magic that accumulates various abnormal statuses? She's been eyeing the Bleeding Dual Blade style of the Faded One for a long time.

Despite the major incident at the Halloween dinner, apart from the terrified Draco and the unfortunate Badger boy, no one else was harmed, and everyone quickly turned their attention to Hermione's heroic entrance.

In every corner of the school, people were discussing what her pale, scorching flames were, where the ghosts usually hid, and what kind of work they did.

However, the professors were tight-lipped about the ghosts, and no matter how much the students inquired, they didn't get any useful information. In addition, Dumbledore's phoenix began to roam around the school, which made the students less nervous and instead they continued to discuss the spirit fire.

Even the brothers George and Fred quickly created a knock-off version of the Pale Flame, which, apart from having the same color and brightness, had no lethality whatsoever. But that didn't stop the students from carrying it and running through the corridors.

The only thing that got worse was Lucius's Anti-Witchcraft Defense Techniques class. He was like a crazed viper, spewing venom indiscriminately. Apart from ignoring Hermione as usual, he launched a saturation attack on everyone, and even the little snakes of Slytherin could not escape it.

Professor McGonagall did indeed increase the number of patrols, forcing professors to give up more of their free time to patrol the corridors in pairs, and even increasing the frequency at night.

On their way to find Hagrid, the trio had to frequently dodge the professors on night patrol. If Hermione hadn't been so alert, they would have been caught long ago.

The only thing that hasn't changed is Hagrid, who is still sitting in the cave at the end of the secret passage, munching on a rock-skin bread and rubbing his teeth.

Hermione couldn't hold back any longer and asked him, "Hagrid, how long have you been recovering? Why don't you feel any better?"

Hagrid, who was listening to Ron's boasting, was taken aback and didn't know how to respond.

Hermione then asked, "And Aragog, I really want to see it, but it's been so long, hasn't it come back yet?"

Hagrid scratched his head in frustration: "Sorry Hermione, but there are many things I can't tell you yet. You just need to know that I'm fine, and Aragog is fine too. That's enough."

"What about the ghost? You must know something about it, right?" Hermione asked curiously.

Ron and Harry nodded as well, looking at Hagrid with anticipation.

The latter looked annoyed: "I told you, don't ask! I can't tell you!"

The big man looked furious. Even sitting down, he was as intimidating as a rockery. Harry and Ron were both frightened and dared not ask any more questions, but Hermione was not afraid. She could tell that this half-giant was just putting on a brave front and trying to make them back down.

"Professor Sprout said that those ghosts carry a heavy mission," Hermione said earnestly.

"Hagrid, I just found out that I have a rare third eye. How many people have seen one? I'm the only one in the last fifty years since the war." She said this innocently, as if she didn't understand anything.

"Even if you don't tell me, maybe one day I'll be walking in the castle and suddenly see something, then turn a corner and be led into some dangerous ghost's lair, and die without knowing why."

Hermione looked at the big guy with concern: "So, you have to tell me something, at least let me know what's safe and what's not to look at."

Hagrid was completely bewildered by her words and stood there for a long time, seemingly trying to find a way to persuade her, but not knowing how to begin.

"This... I don't think that's possible. Those ghosts... they're all good, at least normally!" Hagrid said loudly and awkwardly.

"What happened on Halloween was an accident. The professors are investigating the cause. You can all relax and focus on your studies!"

"Oh, right! Christmas! You can look forward to the next holiday. You've never celebrated Christmas at school before, have you? It's a different experience!" Hagrid tried his best to change the subject.

"Ah! Right, the corridor on the right-hand side of the fourth floor is a restricted area. I think I should go there and take a walk. I'm sure I'll find something new!" Hermione clapped her hands as if she had just realized something, completely unaffected by Hagrid's antics. Hagrid's forehead veins throbbed with anger, and he was panting like a boiling teapot.

Of course, she wouldn't actually do anything reckless; she was just trying to scare the slow-witted Hagrid. She wasn't one of the Weasley twins, who were full of adventurous spirit.

Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly stopped: "Quiet!"

The others were taken aback. The next moment, Hermione had already lifted her invisibility cloak, covering all three little ones.

"Someone's coming!" They immediately panicked. At this time, only the professors would come looking for Hagrid. If they were caught wandering around during curfew, they would definitely be put in solitary confinement.

"If it were your mother who came, things would be even worse," Ron said to Harry.

Hagrid realized what was happening, coughed twice, and waved his hand to signal the three invisible men to quickly find a place to hide.

Just then, as footsteps approached, the lamplight illuminated a figure walking out of the cave.

"It's Mom! And Professor McGonagall!" Harry whimpered in a dying voice.

Professor Potter, with his long, deep red hair, carrying a basket, and Professor McGonagall, pulling a lantern, entered.

The first thing they noticed was the three small bowls in front of Hagrid, which had been placed there when they had entertained the three little ones. In his haste, Hagrid hadn't thought to put them away.

Hermione pulled the two boys along slowly, trying to hide behind the rock pillar behind Hagrid as quietly as possible. The light was dim there, so even if they gave themselves away, they wouldn't be easily discovered.

"The three of them are here again?" Professor Potter said, as if he knew it all along.

"Ah... haha, yes, I had some tea and some rock cakes." Hagrid scratched his head awkwardly.

"They knew all along!" Ron mouthed in surprise.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. Even she knew that Hagrid had a hard time keeping secrets and was a weak point. How could she expect Hagrid to keep the secrets from the professors? Fortunately, the professors didn't seem to care much about it.

"This is against school rules after all, so you should make sure they come less often in the future." McGonagall looked tired, and her tone wasn't as serious as usual.

"I already told James not to give the Invisibility Cloak to Harry!" Lily's eyes flashed with a vicious light. "I'll deal with them properly during summer vacation."

Hermione and Ron gave Harry a "good luck" look.

"Is everything alright outside?" Hagrid quickly changed the subject, wiping non-existent sweat from his brow.

"The professors have been very tired lately, but everything is normal for now." Lily took out several kinds of medicine from the basket and handed them to Hagrid in order: "Drink this first, then finish this one in one go, and finally this bottle. Drink it after you eat."

"Oh~" Hagrid skillfully took the potion, then opened it and gulped it down: "There's also the fourth floor restricted area. We need to patrol that area more closely. I heard some students are very interested in it."

McGonagall nodded: "Don't worry about things inside the castle, it's more about what's going on here..."

Hagrid let out a hearty laugh: "What could possibly happen to me? I'm a half-giant, look at my physique! Really, it won't be long before I'm back to working for Dumbledore!"

Lily sighed, "The outside world is a mess. Now someone has infiltrated the school. Halloween was so close. If it had been any later, the ghosts would have completely gone out of control..."

"It's alright, Lily!" Hagrid quickly interrupted, not wanting the three little ones to hear any more. "We're prepared now, something like this won't happen again, right?"

McGonagall nodded and said, "Hagrid is right. We are the best magic school in the world. No matter what, Lily, have faith."

Lily nodded emphatically: "At least Dumbledore is still at school, which is reassuring."

"Alright, it's getting late, you should all go back and rest, you have class tomorrow!" Hagrid said loudly, clearly not only speaking to the two adults, but also instructing the three children.

Seeing that she couldn't eavesdrop on anything useful anymore, Hermione grabbed the two boys whose legs were trembling and they secretly slipped out.

They didn't fully relax until they returned to their dorm room, collapsing into their chairs.

"Good heavens, that was close! Luckily Hermione has good hearing!" Ron patted his chest, sounding relieved.

"But the professors already know we went out at night to see Hagrid, and my mother won't let me off the hook during the summer vacation!" Harry said with a mournful face.

Hermione, meanwhile, was deep in thought, analyzing the little bit of useful information the professors had revealed.

"First, the forbidden area on the fourth floor has nothing to do with the Halloween event, or rather, it's not directly related; second, outsiders have infiltrated the school; finally, the ghost is probably a good person who was influenced by bad people and lost control..."

Therefore, combining the previously known bell sound that only one can hear, it is reasonable to deduce that the bell sound should represent outsiders, the influence of the bells caused the ghosts to lose control, the ghosts should be gathered in a certain place to undertake an important task, and the outsiders achieve their own goals by causing the ghosts to lose control.

The good news is that, so far, the outsiders have not succeeded, and the professors have increased their vigilance.

The bad news is that the outsider has not yet been found, and he possesses the crucial bell that can influence the ghosts, leaving the professors in a constant state of defensiveness.

"For now, it seems there's not much I can do except passively wait for the bell to ring again," Hermione thought.

"Then go to sleep! You have class tomorrow!"

After chasing away the two annoying boys, Hermione finally climbed into her own bed.