The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 364 Using a shelter as a token: the best solution

Ghosts are the last traces left in reality by deceased male and female witches.

They can continue to talk, walk, and move freely.

But because they have chosen the most impoverished way to continue existing, ghosts cannot enjoy anything, whether it be delicious food or beautiful decorations.

……

Hermione was in ghost form at this moment, her entire body appearing as a translucent pearly white.

Upon hearing the call, Hermione stopped wandering and floated to Ino's side:

"You shouldn't have acted impulsively. Now that it's happened, he will be punished by the Ministry of Magic!"

Her voice was somewhat cold, but the concern in it was unmistakable.

"Speaking of impulsiveness, you're the most impulsive one." Ino looked up, her eyes also containing concern, but also revealing a hint of reproach.

"Oh dear! I didn't think too much about it. It was just the two of us, and you didn't have a wand... Otherwise, I would have had a necklace, but you didn't have anything."

In her ghost form, Hermione's perception seemed to remain stuck at the moment before her death.

half an hour.

"Ino, can you help me?" Hermione lowered her head sadly.

"Please help me cast the forgetfulness spell on my parents. I don't want them to be sad..."

"I have a way to bring you back to life! Trust me!" Ino interrupted.

"Although there are strict conditions, even harsh ones, I can indeed bring you back to life."

"Resurrected?" Hermione looked somewhat astonished. She had never heard of anyone being able to be resurrected, not even by magic.

But after seeing Ino's serious expression and realizing that this was no joke, Hermione's astonishment turned into surprise and disbelief.

"Is it really possible?" Hermione's voice became choked with emotion.

Most witches and sorcerers who become ghosts do so because they are unwilling to let go or lack the courage to continue, and thus choose to continue existing in this impoverished state.

Now, upon suddenly hearing of her resurrection, Hermione felt her emotions were truly indescribable.

"I'm serious! But I need to tell you about the demanding conditions beforehand."

As Ino spoke, she glanced around, and after confirming that the pristine white ward was empty, the shadows beneath her feet began to spread.

In the blink of an eye, Boggart's black mist had already enveloped the entire ward.

……

"Hermione, we were the first people to meet at Hogwarts, in the primary school at Cheltenham House..."

In just one sentence, time seemed to have returned to the summer of four years ago.

Hermione floated quietly to the side, and the scene from that summer seemed to appear before her eyes: under the shade of a tree at the school gate, a small stool, a piece of starched linen...

"...Magic creates miracles. For many Muggle children, a letter delivered by an eleven-year-old owl is a miracle, but on top of that miracle, I have another miracle..."

In the hospital room surrounded by Boggart, Ino recounted her past and various interesting stories.

"Old John is irresponsible! He's no father!" Hermione angrily expressed her dissatisfaction upon hearing the story of the town.

"That princess is so pitiful!" Hermione felt a pang of sympathy upon hearing the story of the tower.

"So... the White Witch was the first person you resurrected?"

Finally, when Hermione heard Lina's name, both her expression and tone were strange.

"I wasn't the one who was resurrected; she was the one who smuggled herself in!"

Listen carefully to the underlying meaning; faced with that sarcastic tone, Ino immediately chose to tell the truth.

"Smuggling?" Hermione's eyes widened. She had only ever heard of smuggling between countries, and this was the first time she had ever heard of smuggling between worlds.

"Yes! Smuggling!" Ino nodded seriously.

"But undeniably, the White Witch did provide me with a great deal of help, and that ice flower was also the key ingredient in this resurrection..."

Ino spoke slowly, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of the shelter, and even the limitations after resurrection.

……

The sun gradually rose higher.

More than two hours had passed from dawn to morning.

The wards at the university hospital were shrouded in black fog, which prevented many people from entering.

Feeding on fear, the black mist emanating from the Boggarts can evoke terrifying memories in anyone whose mind is not strong enough, even with just a glance.

Fuji belongs to this type of person.

Standing outside the school hospital, Fudge kept wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief; heaven knows where he got all that sweat in the dead of winter.

"Actually...it doesn't have to be like this! Mr. Swinburne had his reasons..."

Standing at the doorway, the man who was nominally the most powerful in England appeared somewhat flustered.

Unable to express his grievances, this perfectly describes Fudge's inner state. The very strategy he had devised one moment now puts him on the opposing side...

He really couldn't understand why old McGonagall insisted on a trial.

Professor McGonagall was equally upset; she would have preferred to let it go if she could. But to ensure Ino's future remained untainted and to prevent criticism from others, going through the motions was the right thing to do.

This is a classic example of what is meant by "final judgment." With the Ministry of Magic's ruling, Wizengamor was left to handle everything from then on.

Moreover, the more Fudge behaved like this, the more reassured she felt.

Conversely, if Fudge takes a harsher stance, she will stand up to stop Ino from being taken away.

"So we'll just wait here? Or maybe we should wait a few days..."

Fudge's gaze wandered down the corridor, and he glanced at the black mist that sealed off the room before looking away.

……

Ino had no idea what was happening outside the door.

But inside the room, after he finished speaking, he waited quietly for Hermione's reply.

Time passed quietly, second by second.

After a long pause, Hermione's voice rang out in the room:

"Will you abandon me in some unknown world, just like she did?"

"How could that be!" Ino shook her head decisively. "Although I'm currently confined to the sanctuary after my resurrection, I've already come up with a solution! We can use magic..."

"Magic?" Hermione raised an eyebrow with interest.

She is very happy now, not only because she can be resurrected, but also because it seems that she can go on adventures with Ino in the future and enter the place he mentioned—a bizarre and fantastical world.

But no matter how happy she is, a girl should still maintain a certain level of reserve, at least to show it a little, which is why she had the question earlier.

Although Ino hadn't guessed Hermione's thoughts, that didn't stop him from speaking his mind:

"Blood Pact!"

Compared to the Unbreakable Curse, the Blood Pact is undoubtedly a magic that eliminates the gaps between people, and it is also a complex and profound connection.

Most obviously, it is not just a vow, but a magical bond based on blood and emotion.

And this was the best way Ino could think of to eliminate the gap.

"...I intend to use the sanctuary as the token of the blood oath, so that it will be unbreakable."

After explaining the blood oath, Ino also revealed his initial plans.

Blood oaths are perhaps the most profound form of covenant magic in the magical world.

Its lack of fame is simply because it possesses a token that can be deciphered in reverse.

By using shelter as a token, this absolute balance is achieved.

The sanctuary possesses binding power and control, but above it lies the blood alliance's inability to harm each other. If one wishes to break the blood alliance, one must first find a way to destroy the sanctuary.

This is the true cycle with no solution, an unbreakable impasse.

……

In Newt's story, Dumbledore destroyed the token, thus breaking the blood pact in reverse, which led to the confrontation and the big fight.

Frankly, unlike Lina's smuggling, this was Hermione's first autonomous resurrection, and he hoped she could be independent, not become a vassal.

Therefore, using a blood oath as a bond and a sanctuary as a token is the best approach.

Even if one day they really go their separate ways, Hermione will still be the independent Hermione and will not be affected in any way.

Under the blood oath, the two would at most be like strangers, not interfering with or harming each other.

However, the concepts of vassalage and control also disappeared.

Xiao Di's sharing today: Blood Alliance (Blood Pacrt)

Definition: A blood oath is a more complex and profound magical connection. It is not merely a simple vow, but a magical bond based on blood and emotion. It emphasizes "not attacking the other," meaning that the two parties cannot harm each other.

Features:

While the consequences of breaking the blood oath are not explicitly stated, it is generally believed to prevent direct harm between the two parties.

Blood oaths have tokens that can be destroyed, but the destruction process may result in physical or psychological harm.

Blood oaths place greater emphasis on the mutual restraint of emotions and spirits, and are usually only formed between two people with a close relationship.

(End of this chapter)