Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil

Chapter 133 Guardians of the Stars

Ravenclaw's common room is often filled with diligent upperclassmen studying magical theories and spell notes late into the night. Puni knows that if the tower doors were to open by themselves when no one was around, it would seem particularly strange and would be more likely to arouse suspicion. In comparison, being seen by upperclassmen who were studying early in the morning returning to their dorm late at night is just a harmless little thing.

Most students within the academy are well aware that prefects, even those of the same or higher year, rarely deduct points from their own academy students for going out at night. In the eyes of most students, occasional nighttime outings are not considered serious violations; at most, they are just casual, unauthorized actions. Of course, there are a few exceptions in the Weasley family.

But the moment Puni stepped into the lounge today, he immediately sensed that something was wrong.

In the spacious and bright rest area, all the other seats were empty except for a slender figure sitting on the sofa by the window. Qiu was sitting quietly with a book in her hands. The moment she looked up, her eyes met those of Puni, who had just entered the room.

Her originally clear and gentle eyes were now subtly clouded with a faint anger, her gaze fixed on Puni without shifting even slightly.

Puni's mind raced, and he instantly understood her situation. She was clearly not studying there by chance, but had deliberately stayed there, waiting for his return.

Puni scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly, sat down next to Qiu with a hint of apology, and took the initiative to speak tentatively.

"Have you been here all this time, waiting for me to come back?"

Qiu did not respond, but simply gazed at him silently, her quiet gaze concealing unspoken dissatisfaction.

Puni couldn't stand such a quiet gaze, so he could only lower his head and admit his mistake first.

"I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have gone out all night and stayed out until dawn, making you wait so long for nothing."

Puni understood that Qiu's displeasure wasn't about him breaking school rules by going out at night without permission, but rather about his being out of contact all night and not returning home, leaving her worried and anxious.

Hearing his words of admitting his mistake, the anger in Qiu's eyes subsided slightly. She stopped staring at him with a look of grievance and reproach. She turned to the side, picked up a cup of black tea that was sitting quietly on the table, and spoke softly.

"I asked the house-elf to prepare it in advance, and I specially added goat milk, but it has been sitting for too long and has gone cold."

"It's alright." Puni immediately smiled and took the teacup, her tone relaxed and reassuring. "I can handle warm drinks, and cold ones are even less of a problem."

As soon as he finished speaking, he tilted his head back and raised his hand, preparing to drink the tea in his cup in one gulp.

But the moment the first sip of tea slid down his throat, Puni's movements suddenly froze. A violent burning sensation instantly swept through his mouth and throat, causing him to cough repeatedly. The scalding sensation spread across his tongue.

Puni looked up, his eyes filled with innocence as he gazed at Qiu beside him, his face full of confusion.

At this moment, Qiu had already let go of all her displeasure. Seeing him cough awkwardly from being scalded by the hot tea, she couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her mouth and chuckle. At first, it was just a light chuckle, but in the end, the laughter became more and more intense. She leaned back on the sofa and laughed heartily without restraint, her eyes full of lively and cheerful laughter.

Puni immediately realized that he had been tricked.

He felt inwardly helpless. He had always been cautious and meticulous, yet in the end he had been tricked by such a simple trick. It was truly a case of being caught off guard and losing his life.

Taking advantage of Qiu's deep smile and lack of time to dodge, Puni quickly reached out and gently cupped her soft cheeks, leaning down slightly to bring his own face closer, deliberately closing the distance between them.

The sudden closeness silenced Qiu instantly, all her laughter vanished, and she froze on the spot.

At this moment, the only feeling in her heart was that of Puni's lips and breath after drinking hot tea, which were still hot and burning, making her heart feel slightly hot.

Sensing the increasingly intimate and heated atmosphere, Puni quickly composed himself and gently released Qiu from his embrace to prevent her from feeling awkwardly suffocated.

He smacked his lips lightly, his heart filled with a sweet aftertaste.

On the other hand, Qiu, who had been taken the initiative to get close to him, had already lost control of her state. Her entire face was flushed, the tips of her ears were tinged with a warm color, and even her neck was slightly warm. She looked extremely shy. The intimate touch had disrupted all her thoughts, her mind was blank, and her mental consciousness was almost scattered. She was unable to come back to her senses for a long time.

After a long while, Qiu slowly calmed her disordered breathing and regained her clear thoughts. However, the intimate scenes that kept replaying in her mind made her feel embarrassed and angry. She immediately raised her hand and gripped the wand beside her. Taking advantage of her embarrassment and anger, she raised her hand and cast a special white spell that she had been working hard to hone.

A large amount of fine silver mist instantly spewed from the tip of the staff. The hazy mist churned and gathered rapidly in the air, eventually condensing into three independent solid light orbs. The three light orbs formed at different speeds, with one of them being the fastest to solidify and take shape in an instant.

It was a miniature knight doll, about the size of a palm, wearing neat standard armor, holding a finely crafted spear in its hand. It had a tall and straight posture, a sharp aura, and an exceptionally handsome appearance. If you looked closely, you would find that the miniature knight's facial features were exactly the same as Puni's, a perfect replica.

The moment the doll took shape, it activated its battle stance, propelling itself forward with its legs and charging straight toward Puni, spear tip pointing forward with the momentum of a direct thrust.

The sudden magical attack left Puni stunned, completely unprepared for Qiu's anger and embarrassment, who would unleash a high-level white magic spell.

"Qiu, calm down!" Puni quickly said, trying to soothe her emotions.

However, his words of dissuasion had the opposite effect. Upon hearing his voice, Qiu's mind was filled with the intimate scene from before, and the blush on her cheeks deepened. Her embarrassment and anger intensified. Without hesitation, she waved her wand, adding magic power, which caused the knight doll's charging speed to surge again, and its attack became even more ferocious.

Faced with the magical doll that was a replica of his own face charging at him with a gun, Puni did not have the thought of dodging. Instead, he stood still and let the doll attack him.

The next second, the tip of the knight doll's spear struck Puni's body. The expected impact and damage did not come. The doll suddenly disintegrated and exploded the moment it touched Puni, turning into countless silver specks of light that instantly dissipated into the air and disappeared without a trace.

No defensive spells were triggered on Puni's body, and his flesh was not impacted in the slightest. This high-level magic attack seemed to be completely ineffective against him at its source.

The unusual scene calmed Qiu Xin's restlessness slightly, and her chaotic emotions subsided temporarily. She stared at the scene before her with a puzzled expression.

Puni raised his hand and gently touched the spot where he had just been hit, a gentle smile in his eyes, and asked softly.

"This is the Star Guardian spell, isn't it? I didn't expect you to have secretly mastered this move. When did you start practicing it?"

"I practiced during the holidays." Qiu's anger had subsided considerably. She had only attacked out of momentary embarrassment and had never intended to actually hurt Puni. Now, her emotions had calmed down.

"You've improved so fast, you're really amazing." Puni walked briskly forward, reaching out to pull Qiu into his arms again, his tone teasing. "That doll just now looked exactly like me. It seems you've always had me in your heart, even using me as a template for your magic. Does that count as your feelings for me?"

"Don't talk nonsense! That's not you at all!" Qiu was embarrassed by his blunt teasing and quickly retorted.

"If it's not me, why is it only ineffective against me? Why does it just vanish the moment it touches me?" Puni put his arm around her shoulder, his smile undiminished, and continued to press her for an answer.

Qiu was speechless for a moment, stammering and unable to find any words to refute. He could only lower his eyes in embarrassment and not utter a single word.

Seeing her flustered appearance, Puni felt a surge of pleasure and was about to continue teasing her with more questions.

Without warning, a tremendous force suddenly struck his chest.

The sudden impact was extremely powerful, sending him flying several meters into the air before he crashed heavily to the ground.

Puni steadied himself and looked up. He saw that where he had just stood, another silver misty doll had quietly appeared. The doll was in a clenched fist stance, clearly indicating that the sudden, heavy punch had come from it.

The doll's facial features were remarkably familiar, and the expression in its eyes and brows was exactly like that of Qiu's father.

A sudden, heavy blow struck his chest. Puni slowly rose, supporting himself on the ground. His brows furrowed in pain, and his face showed undisguised agony. This powerful punch was no mere feint; the real force penetrated his body, bringing a dull ache. The puppet formed from mist had struck with extreme decisiveness, showing no mercy and pouring its full power into the blow.

The puppet had stopped moving and ceased its pursuit. Puni knew perfectly well that Qiu had suppressed the magic's subsequent operation in time, forcibly ending the attack. This magical phantom, symbolizing Qiu's father's will, carried intense anger. If the secret technique had been allowed to unleash its full power, the subsequent attacks would have been far more than just a simple punch; the impact would have been far more intense.

During the brief respite, Puni calmed down and began to sort out the special white magic called Star Guardian. It was a high-level white magic with extremely high thresholds and profound foundations. Its visual effects and casting form were somewhat similar to Patronus Charm, both using pure silver-white mist to construct physical protective units. However, the core casting mechanisms of the two were fundamentally different.

The core of the Patronus spell relies on the beautiful memories treasured in the caster's mind, using the ultimate joy to drive the magic to take shape. The triggering conditions of the Star Guardians are particularly special. It does not rely on the caster's own positive emotions, but requires the caster to capture and perceive the love and goodwill projected from the outside world, relying on the emotional energy given to them by others to construct the magic system.

From the perspective of magical principles, this secret art has extremely high plasticity. Just like the countless stars in the sky, there are millions of acts of kindness and love in the world. Theoretically, this magic can rely on different emotional energies to summon countless guardian phantoms with different forms and characteristics, forming a multi-layered system of protection and attack.

However, it is precisely this special mechanism that makes the Star Guardians extremely unstable, and very few wizards are willing to devote themselves to their training.

The amount of love a person can perceive and receive in their lifetime is always limited and cannot be endless. More importantly, external emotions are never constant. They fluctuate in strength and even disappear quietly as time, circumstances, and relationships change. The dynamic fluctuations of emotions directly cause magical power to be sometimes strong and sometimes weak, and its form and effect are completely unpredictable, making it extremely difficult to control in actual combat.

This is why almost no one among young wizards studies this magic; it's not because they lack talent, but because most children lack the ability to perceive and empathize.

From childhood, the care, tolerance, and sacrifices from relatives and friends are mostly unpaid and selfless. This normalized love makes them take it for granted, never knowing how to cherish or reciprocate, nor actively perceiving or remembering this kindness.

This is also the root cause of the immaturity of many teenagers. They are blind to the kindness of others, but feel grateful for a stranger's accidental act of kindness. They put the cart before the horse and judge people's character in a way that is neither good nor bad, lacking basic judgment about emotions.

Qiu was completely different from ordinary children.

She is naturally sensitive and perceptive, possessing an extraordinary ability to sense the emotional fluctuations and feelings of those around her. From childhood to adulthood, she has always been able to perceive the gentleness and favoritism shown by those around her, knowing how to accept love and be grateful. Her character is far more insightful and mature than that of her peers.

It was this unique quality that allowed her to perceive Puni's sincerity towards her. She could discern the kindness and care behind all of Puni's actions, and see through his genuine heart without any malice. Naturally, she was attracted by this pure treatment.

According to Qiu's previous mentions of family matters, this keen empathy is not accidental, but rather stems from the family's innate qualities. Their family has been kind-hearted for generations, naturally adept at perceiving the warmth of the world, treating others with gentleness and kindness, which can be considered a special talent unique to their clan.

Knowing that her daughter was pure of heart and had an empathy far beyond that of ordinary people, Qiu's mother specially taught her the difficult white magic of Star Guardian.

When Qiu first attempted to cast a spell, she successfully conjured two complete guardian phantoms with distinct faces, corresponding to her parents. The phantoms were full and solid, and their magical power was far more concentrated than that of a beginner, which made her mother very gratified and sincerely acknowledge her daughter's talent and character.

However, along with the phantoms of the parents, another special humanoid figure of light and shadow was also born. That figure was modeled after Puni, with a three-dimensional outline and an overall size several times larger than the guardian puppets of Qiu's parents.

Recalling the scene she witnessed, Qiu's mother's ability to restrain herself from sending a scathing letter was already an act of extreme self-control.

Such patience would have been met with disregard for any reason from others, who would have immediately taken action to punish the offender without any leniency.

At this moment, having personally experienced and witnessed everything, Puni felt no displeasure whatsoever; on the contrary, he was filled with joy.

The tangible form of the Star Guardians directly reflects the emotional weight in the caster's heart. The fact that the caster's illusory form is much larger than Qiu's parents is enough to prove that in the depths of Qiu's heart, he occupies a very important and special position, and his weight is far greater than that of others.

For the first time, Puni truly felt that this kind of magic, which relies on human emotions and sincerity, has a unique value. It is not only a means of offense and defense, but also a direct reflection of the most authentic emotions in people's hearts, witnessing the sincere intentions hidden in the hearts of others.

With her secret thoughts exposed, Qiu's shyness intensified, her face remained flushed, and she became timid and awkward. When Puni reached out and pulled her into his arms again, she did not resist at all, obediently letting him embrace her.

Even though Qiu tacitly approved of Puni's closeness, she did not raise her hand to dispel the magical phantoms in the field. The two small figures resembling her parents floated quietly to the side, their eyes locked on the two embracing, their posture full of vigilance, watching Puni's every move.

This state made Puni suppress all his playful thoughts and dare not make any further moves. The protective posture of the elder's phantom made him maintain his sense of propriety and restraint.

Even so, Puni's heart was filled with Qiu's pure and sincere love, and warmth kept welling up in his heart. He felt this heavy favoritism, and the thought of wanting to repay her and do things for her naturally arose in his heart.

His thoughts raced, and a suitable idea suddenly took shape in his mind.

"Autumn, I'll take you somewhere."

Qiu looked up and blinked, a hint of curiosity and doubt in her eyes, and asked softly, "What place is it?"

Puni smiled brightly, his tone tinged with mystery: "You'll find out when you come with me. You'll need to do me a favor."

As soon as he finished speaking, he took Qiu's hand and ran quickly towards the door of the common room, leaving the area behind.

At this moment, Hogwarts' curfew rules had not yet been lifted, and going out at night was a clear violation. Qiu had never wandered out during curfew hours, and as she watched the gate approaching, she instinctively felt some apprehension and resistance.

The warm touch from his palm, and Puni's excited and enthusiastic appearance, soothed her hesitation and allowed her to abandon all her worries and go out with him with peace of mind.

The senior students who remained in the lounge silently watched the entire interaction between the two. Seeing the two first-year students boldly breaking the rules and going out at night, they felt a mix of emotions and didn't know how to comment.

Deep down, they even felt a secret envy. The feelings of youth are pure and passionate, and actions are free and unrestrained, without too many constraints and pressures.

As students progress to higher grades, various assessments and career planning come one after another, and the pressure of finding a way out and getting a job piles up, making it hard to breathe.

Whether in the wizarding world or the Muggle world, the pressure of survival and development that accompanies growth is never absent; it is a normal state that no one can avoid.

The older students who remained in the lounge watched the two figures leave, a sense of melancholy rising in their hearts. They secretly envied such unrestrained and vibrant youth, still having the energy to pursue pure feelings without being burdened by complicated pressures.

The moment she stepped out of the Ravenclaw common room, a thin, invisible cloak suddenly enveloped Cho from head to toe, obscuring her figure. Penny, who was previously visible beside her, also disappeared from sight.

Her vision suddenly went blank, and Qiu's heart tightened instantly. She almost couldn't help but cry out in surprise. Fortunately, the warmth and touch from their tightly clasped hands instantly calmed her down, and she forcibly suppressed the panic in her heart.

Puni carefully checked the cloak's concealment effect, making sure that neither of them had any visible figures or shadows and would not be detected by any magical institutions or personnel patrolling at night. Only then did he and Qiu lower their profiles and quickly move through the corridor.

This was the first time Qiu had stepped into the public corridors of Hogwarts during curfew. The castle, quiet and solemn after nightfall, had shed its daytime hustle and bustle. The moving staircases, which usually rotated and rose and fell constantly, were all frozen in place, and the portraits on the walls were also quietly resting with their eyes lowered, no longer moving or talking. The entire castle was shrouded in silence.

These static steps are arranged in a staggered pattern, seemingly blocking the way and making it impossible to pass through. However, they are no challenge for Puni, who knows all the hidden routes in the castle. He has memorized the pattern and dead ends of every step and leads Qiu through them nimbly, going up and down and around the area smoothly without any pause or hesitation.

After several detours and twists and turns, the two successfully arrived at the corridor area on the fifth floor of the castle.

Puni led Qiu to a corner of the corridor and stood in front of an empty portrait. The portrait was completely empty, without any figures or scenery. It looked unremarkable and was the most inconspicuous decoration in the castle.

He lowered his voice and whispered a secret code to the portrait. The moment he finished speaking, a translucent light emanated from the surface of the ancient portrait, and the thick canvas instantly became clear and transparent, revealing the dark entrance to the passage behind it.

Without pausing or hesitating, Puni strode towards the transparent portrait, his body crashing directly into the wall.

Qiu's heart tightened at the sight, and she wanted to speak up to warn and stop him, but she was too late. Puni's upper body had already disappeared behind the portrait.

Their hands remained tightly clasped together. Qiu couldn't break free in time and could only step forward with Puni's force, facing the solid stone wall. She nervously closed her eyes, preparing for the collision, but after taking several steps, the expected hard sensation never came.

She slowly opened her eyes, filled with doubt, only to find that the scene before her had changed. The two of them had successfully passed through the barrier and were now in an old room marked by the passage of time.

This house has been untouched for years and has not been maintained. Fine dust floats in the air, and the tables, chairs, and floor are covered with a thin layer of dust. It exudes an atmosphere of desolation and silence, and looks like it has been idle for several years.

Puni slowly loosened his clenched fists, turned to Qiu beside him, and softly explained, resolving the doubts in her heart.

"This is an extremely secluded secret room at Hogwarts. The rules for entry and exit are very special. There are no barriers to restrict people from leaving, but the passage can only be opened during curfew hours to enter from the outside."

Qiu looked around at the old furnishings with interest and asked curiously, "You didn't come home all night and stayed at school. Were you hiding in this secret room?"

While Qiu was taking in her surroundings, Puni reached up and took off the Ravenclaw tiara from her head, carefully putting it into her pocket before turning to answer her question.

"No, that's not it."

"As I told you before, Hogwarts has countless hidden areas. Tonight, I'm actually exploring the underground chambers. I brought you here specifically because I need your help with something."

Upon hearing this, Qiu immediately stopped looking around and stopped curiously examining the surrounding furnishings. She quickly walked to Puni's side and waited earnestly for instructions.

"What do you need me to do? I can do anything you ask."

Puni raised his wand, pointed it at the dusty ground, and softly chanted a cleaning spell. A clear magical light swept across the ground, and the surface dust instantly vanished, revealing a smooth wooden floor underneath. After confirming that the environment was clean, he smiled and said, "Just follow me and you'll see."

Puni has already materialized the entrance and exit of his Enlightenment Sanctuary.

In other words, he can bring Qiu directly into it!

"Don't be afraid, come with me!"

Puni grabbed Qiu's hand and instantly lifted into the air.

The sudden restraint caught Qiu off guard, causing her to let out a short gasp. When she regained her composure and looked around, she realized that she was already in Puni's arms.

Seeing the playful smile that he couldn't hide in his eyes, Qiu was both angry and embarrassed. She raised her hand and gently patted his shoulder to vent her emotions from being frightened.

After calming down, Qiu looked around at the unfamiliar space. In front of her was a small wooden house with a simple layout, about the size of an ordinary bedroom, with simple and empty furnishings. A clear look of doubt flashed in her eyes, and then she spoke with a hint of disappointment.

"Isn't this still the same room we were in before?"

Puni saw through her thoughts at a glance, smiled and explained softly, dispelling her disappointment.

"Of course it's not just this small area. This is just the outermost transit and buffer space, not the real inner area."

He gently helped Qiu to her feet, took her hand again, and led her to the wooden door deep inside the room, where he grasped the rustic doorknob.

"Next, I'll give you a proper tour of my world."

After saying that, Puni exerted a little force with his wrist and pushed the wooden door open directly inward.

Glitter.

Holy light descends! "Wow!!"

She looked up at the sky above this small world. The blazing sun hung high in the sky, adorned with the bright moonlight and stars. She could tell that the celestial bodies here were not real celestial phenomena; they did not follow the laws of motion of real celestial bodies. But it was these magical structures that provided a continuous source of light for this enclosed secret realm, keeping the entire world bright and clear.

The pure and natural scenery before her eyes filled Qiu Xin with heartfelt admiration.

"How could this be? Where am I?"

"Yes, I am my own world, you can think of it as the foundation of our family."

Puni didn't intend to give Qiu too much detail.

"My God, it's so beautiful, so magnificent and sacred. This is truly another world."

Autumn's beauty is dazzling.