Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil

Chapter 177's focus isn't on gold, but on the elixir of immortality.

As the Christmas holidays drew to a close, Hogwarts became lively again.

The train carrying students back to school took them back to the castle.

When Draco stepped down from the carriage, he was carrying a dueling record in his hand.

He spent the entire holiday practicing with Lucius, and the first thing he did upon returning to school was to go find Puni.

As soon as Puni came out of the Ravenclaw Tower, he saw Draco standing in the corridor.

"You're back just in time."

Draco said, "Fight me."

"Now?"

"Now."

Puni glanced at him and noticed that Draco was standing more steadily than before, and his hand holding the cane was not moving.

"it is good."

The two went to an empty classroom.

Draco bowed first, and Puni returned the bow.

A red light flew out, and Draco no longer focused solely on launching an attack as he had done before.

He dodged the first spell, turned to the side, and then swung his staff at Puni.

Puni blocked it.

Draco was not discouraged and followed up with the second and third rounds.

Ten minutes later, Puni took his wand away.

Draco, panting, watched as his wand fell into Puni's hand.

Have I made progress?

Puni returned the wand to him.

"have."

"where?"

"You knew to hide."

Draco's face darkened.

"That's it?"

"You even know when to hide."

Draco put his wand away, and his expression softened somewhat.

"My father said the same thing."

"That means his teaching wasn't in vain."

"You didn't teach for nothing."

Draco turned and walked away after he finished speaking, but stopped at the door.

I will win next time.

Puni leaned against the windowsill.

"Then keep practicing."

Meanwhile, Harry and his two friends finally found out all the information about Nicolas Flamel.

Hermione rushed into the common room with her book in hand and told Harry that the Philosopher's Stone could turn stones into gold and grant immortality.

Ron's first thought was gold, but Harry's first thought was the trapdoor on the fourth floor.

Snape wanted to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

Hermione nodded.

Harry recalled Penny's words, "Many answers were in your hands from the beginning," and suddenly felt a little unconvinced.

"He could have just told us directly."

"That way we won't have to investigate ourselves."

Hermione said.

"But he knows."

Ron flipped through the documents.

"Puni knows a little bit about everything."

Harry looked out the window at the snow-covered castle and said nothing more.

He didn't know why Penny was giving them a hint, nor did he know what Dumbledore was thinking.

But at least this time, he didn't want to just stand in the hallway waiting for someone to tell him the answer.

The purple-horned beasts on the edge of the Forbidden Forest have adapted to their new sheds.

Hagrid wrote that it now follows him around begging for food and sometimes drags Tooth's blanket into its den when no one is looking.

Ya Ya didn't dare to snatch it, so she could only sit at the door and hum.

Lou Williams was not hungry.

After Hagrid finally remembered it, he carried two large buckets of meat to the fourth floor, and even brought a wooden flute with him.

After eating its fill, the three-headed dog lay on the trapdoor and slept all day. Passing students could only hear three different snoring sounds coming from inside.

After reading the letter, Puni handed it to Qiu.

When Qiu read the part about the purple-horned beast stealing the blanket, she couldn't stop laughing.

"Is it called purple sweet potato?"

"Hagrid got it."

"It suits you very well."

"You think so too?"

"Otherwise what?"

Puni sighed and put the letter away.

Snow fell on the forbidden forest outside the window.

The new semester hasn't even started yet, but people in the castle are already practicing duels, studying the Philosopher's Stone, and writing their first letter to France.

The holiday is over, but many things are just beginning.

When Hagrid came to the auditorium during his first week back at school, he had three new scratches on his face.

Ron was spreading jam on his bread when he saw this and was startled.

"What's wrong with you?"

Hagrid touched his face.

"It's nothing, the purple sweet potato doesn't like people touching its food bowl."

Harry looked up.

"Purple sweet potato?"

"A purple-horned beast."

When Hagrid talked about it, he immediately forgot the scratches. "It's very beautiful, its horns even shine. It's just a bit temperamental. Yesterday, it knocked down half of the top of my newly repaired fence."

Hermione put down her spoon.

"You're keeping dangerous magical animals near the forbidden forest?"

"It's not dangerous," Hagrid said. "It's just shy."

Ron glanced at the injury on Hagrid's face.

"It sounds like it's quite strong when it's shy."

Hagrid tried to explain for the violet-horned beast, but in the end he just sighed.

"It's been hurt before, so it's normal that it doesn't trust people. Tell it quickly, but we need to take it slowly."

Puni, who was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, came over with tea when he heard his name mentioned.

Why did the fence collapse?

Hagrid was a little embarrassed.

"Yaya ran over there last night, and they called out twice through the fence, which made Purple Sweet Potato anxious."

"I told you not to let Ya Ya get close."

"It just wants to make friends."

"I don't know about purple sweet potatoes."

Hagrid scratched his head.

Puni didn't press further, only asking him to take him to see it after lunch.

In the afternoon, Qiu followed as well.

She was worried when she heard that the purple-horned beast had crashed into the fence.

Hagrid explained that the little guy hadn't hurt anyone; he had just locked himself in his shed and wouldn't let anyone near him.

The snow at the edge of the forbidden forest was trampled into a mess.

There was a large patch of new wood on the fence, and the nails hadn't been driven in completely yet.

The purple-horned beast huddled in the corner of the shed, its single horn a dull gray.

It heard footsteps and immediately raised its head.

Hagrid stopped outside the door.

"I didn't bring my teeth."

The purple-horned beast did not move.

He quickly came out of the tent, clutching a handful of fruit in his hand.

"It didn't eat last night."

Qiu looked at the shed, then at Puni.

"Can I try it?"

Hagrid wanted to say no.

Puni asked first, "How do you want to try it?"

"I'm not going in."

Qiu said, "I'll just sit outside for a while."

Puni nodded.

Qiu sat down on the hay at the entrance of the shed, took off her gloves, and put them aside.

She didn't call the purple-horned beast, nor did she hand over the food; instead, she took out the book she always carried with her and slowly turned the pages.

Hagrid stood at a distance, watching.

About ten minutes later, the purple-horned beast moved out a little from the corner.

It first sees autumn, then smells the aroma of fruit.

Autumn still didn't look up.

After a while, it walked to the food bowl, lowered its head, and ate a piece.

Hagrid's shoulders trembled with joy.

Quickly grab his sleeve.

Don't go over there.

The purple-horned beast ate a few, then looked up at Qiu.

As Qiu turned to the next page, her hand was touched by a warm breath.

She didn't dodge.

"Hello there."

she says.

The purple-horned beast's horn flashed briefly, then it lowered its head and continued eating.

Hagrid rubbed his face vigorously.

"It likes autumn."

"It just felt she posed no threat."

Puni said.

"That's good too."

From that day on, Hagrid stopped rushing to adapt the purple-horned beast to everyone.

He left Ya Ya in the hut and no longer circled the shed when delivering food.

The purple-horned beast gradually became willing to walk around inside the enclosure, and sometimes it would even follow Qiu's footsteps for a few steps.

That day, Hagrid discovered that Lou Williams was missing.

The trapdoor in the fourth-floor corridor was ajar, the lock bent crooked from the claws of the three-headed dog.

There were a few pieces of uneaten bone on the ground, which were dragged all the way to the stairwell.

Hagrid's face turned pale.

"It won't go far."

Puni stood by the door and glanced at the footprints.

"It has already run far away."

Louie walked down the stairs and finally stopped outside the kitchen.

It smelled the roasting meat inside, and its three heads blocked the corridor, while its tail swept over a row of armor.

The students in the vicinity had all run away, leaving only two Hufflepuff first-years hiding behind the tapestry, trembling.

When Hagrid arrived, Lou Williams was about to break down the kitchen door.

"LuWei!"

All three heads turned around at the same time.

Hagrid held up the wooden flute, but his hands were trembling slightly.

He blew the first note, and the tune went very far.

Louie wasn't asleep; instead, he leaned the middle head closer, as if complaining that Louie's playing was awful.

Puni stood next to Hagrid.

"It's hungry."

"I fed her this morning."

Did it eat before it ran out last night?

Hagrid fell silent.

The little elf peeked out from under the kitchen door, carrying a large plate of roasted lamb leg.

Upon smelling the aroma, all three of Louie's heads stretched forward.

Puni took the plate and placed it not far from the trapdoor.

"Let it follow along on its own."

Hagrid understood.

He stopped playing the flute and stopped trying to pull Lu Wei; he simply backed away slowly.

Lou Williams stared at the lamb leg, hesitated for a moment, and finally took a step.

The floorboards creaked with every step the three-headed dog took.

Hagrid followed behind, like he was driving a car that was about to overturn.

When Lou Williams returned to the fourth floor and locked the door again, Hagrid sat on the floor for a long time without getting up.

"I shouldn't have forgotten," he said.

Puni shoved the wooden flute back into his hand.

"Then don't forget."

Hagrid looked down at the flute and nodded.

This matter did not spread widely.

Dumbledore instructed Professor McGonagall to deduct two points from each of the students who saw it, saying they shouldn't have lingered in the corridor.

The two Hufflepuffs were so upset they almost cried, but in the end Hagrid gave them a big bag of candy.

When Harry heard that a three-headed dog had appeared outside the kitchen, his first thought was the trapdoor on the fourth floor.

"What it was guarding is still there."

He said.

Hermione spread Nicolas Flamel's information out on the table.

"That further proves that the Philosopher's Stone is down there."

Ron swallowed hard.

"Are we really going to go down there?"

"Of course not."

Hermione spoke very quickly.

Harry looked at her.

"At least not now."

The three sat in a corner of the library, none of them finishing their sentence.

Mrs. Pince glanced at them from a distance, and Harry immediately pushed the documents inside.

Puni just came out from behind the bookshelf.

He held a history of alchemy in his hand, his gaze sweeping over it without stopping.

Harry called out to him.

"Puni".

"Um?"

"What would you do if someone tried to steal the Philosopher's Stone?"

Puni put the book back on the shelf.

"Tell the professor first."

Ron looked disappointed.

"that's all?"

"Otherwise what?"

Harry stared at him.

"Can't you go by yourself?"

"Why should I go?" Puni asked. "I'm not a gatekeeper's dog, nor am I the principal. If I know there's danger, I should find someone who can handle it."

Hermione seemed to be deep in thought.

"But what if the professor doesn't believe me?"

"Then let him have reason to believe it."

After finishing his sentence, Puni took the book and left.

Harry watched his retreating figure, but his mind became even more confused.

Puni neither gave them the answer nor told them to give up.

He was simply shifting all the blame back onto them.

That night, Harry lay in bed for a long time without sleeping.

He thought of Hagrid, of Fulwei, of Snape's injured leg, and of the words on the back of Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog card.

He suddenly realized that if he continued his investigation, he might actually stumble upon something he shouldn't have.

But then he thought, someone is already trying to steal it.

The next day, the French branch delivered an owl.

A thick letter and a photograph were tied to its foot.

The toy store in the photo is packed with children.

A dozen or so people were gathered around the card table, and the store manager stood behind the counter, holding up a piece of parchment covered with the names of those who had signed up.

Gabrielle was sitting at the front, holding a unicorn card above her head.

Furong stood behind her, her words seemingly expressing disdain, but her hand shielded her from someone bumping into her arm.

Qiu pasted the photo by the window.

"They look like they're having a lot of fun."

Puni opened the letter.

The store manager wrote very directly.

I didn't make any money in the first week, but I didn't lose any either.

The second week of the competition saw even more registrations, and two nearby shops proactively inquired about potential collaborations.

Also, there aren't enough exclusive cards, send another twenty.

Puni laughed when he saw the last sentence.

"He's very good at pushing his luck."

"Will you send it?"

Send ten sheets.

Qiu looked at him.

"Why not twenty?"

"Let him know that we can talk."

Qiu smiled and shook her head.

She took out the letter written by Furong.

The letter was short, only a few lines in French.

Autumn reads slowly, and when she encounters a word she doesn't know, she asks the dictionary.

Puni leaned over and took a look.

"What did she write?"

"She said Gabrielle lost the unicorn card and suspected that Madago from the store stole it."

"Anything else?"

She said, "Don't bring that hiccuping fluffy girl next time."

Puni raised an eyebrow.

"That's all?"

Qiu turned the letter over.

There is also a line of very small text on the back.

Next time I come to Paris, I'll write to you in advance.

Qiu didn't read the letter aloud; she simply folded it and put it into her book.

The first snowfall after the start of the school year was heavy.

The students were talking about their holidays and the new cards from France in the hallway.

Draco grew increasingly impatient while practicing the Disarming Charm, while Harry, Harry, and the others were still looking through materials in the library. Hagrid would feed Fulwei first every day before going to see the purple sweet potato.

Puni stood by the window and saw Qiu running towards him from a distance.

She was holding a book in her hand, and a hair clip in her hair was the blue feather that Furong had given her.

"You're here."

"Looking for me?"

"I found a word."

Qiu turned to a certain page in the book, "The Veela bloodline has another meaning in French. I want to know what exactly happened to Hibiscus that day."

Puni took the book.

"Are you still thinking about this?"

"She's a friend."

Autumn said.

Puni looked at her.

We've only known each other for a few days.

"You can like someone even if you've just met them."

She returned Gabrielle's words to him verbatim.

Puni closed the book and smiled.

"Okay, let's investigate."

The two walked toward the library.

Outside the window, the snow weighed down the Forbidden Forest, and the purple-horned beast's hut was hidden behind the shadows of the trees and could not be seen.

But Hagrid's light was still on, and Lu Wei remained quietly under the trapdoor.

Every storyline within the castle is never-ending.

Some have already taken a step forward, while others are still waiting for the next knock on the door.

That afternoon, Puni and Qiu really found several old books they had brought back from France in the library.

The book wasn't in the restricted area, but no one borrowed it, and it was covered in a layer of dust.

When Mrs. Pince saw Qiu carrying books to register, she first glanced at the titles of the books.

"A Record of Miraculous Bloodlines in Europe"

"These kinds of books are usually only read by students in the third grade and above."

she says.

"I was just checking up on a friend's situation."

Autumn said.

Mrs. Pince looked her over for a few seconds before finally writing down the registration date.

"You are not allowed to bring books to the dining table, and you are absolutely not allowed to put candy in the pages of books."

"No, madam."

Qiu returned to the corner with her books.

Puni spread out another stack of documents and first turned to the Veela section.

The book contains a variety of accounts. Some say that the Veela bloodline becomes stronger with age, others say that when they lose control of their emotions, they can affect those nearby, and still others blame all the troubles on the Veela.

Qiu frowned as she looked at it.

"These people wrote very unfairly."

"Where is the unfairness?"

"They only wrote that Veela would make people do stupid things, but they didn't write that those people should have been responsible for their own actions."

Puni paused in his flipping through the book.

"you're right."

Qiu found a very short note in the margin of the page.

The note mentions that the magic of a very small number of wizards can have a "silencing" effect on Veela. This is not necessarily a suppression, but may simply be that the two types of magic do not want to get close to each other.

"Doesn't this sound like what Furong said?"

Puni read it once.

"picture."

"What if she thinks I hate her?"

"You did nothing."

"But her magic is useless when she's next to me."

Puni closed the book.

"Qiu, just because others are uncomfortable because of you doesn't mean you have to change yourself to make everyone comfortable."

Qiu did not answer immediately.

She flattened the pages and after a while said, "I know, but I still want her to know that I didn't do it on purpose."

"Then write a letter."

Qiu wrote for a long time after returning to the lounge.

She didn't explain any complicated magic, nor did she mention the annotation she found. She only told Fleur, "I don't know why this is so, but I don't hate you."

If you don't mind, we can find the answer together later.

After sending the letter, she waited for a reply.

On the third day at breakfast, a gray owl crashed into the auditorium window.

It fluttered its wings and landed in front of Qiu, dropped the letter, and flew away.

When Qiu opened it, Puni was sitting right across from her.

"Did she reply?"

Qiu nodded and handed over the letter.

There was only one sentence on the paper.

I don't dislike you, don't overthink it.

There was also a very ugly fluffy creature drawn in the back.

Puni stared at it for a long time.

"Is that me she drew?"

"She drew the one from the toy store."

I don't believe it.

Qiu snatched the letter back and couldn't stop laughing.

During this time, Harry also started going to the library more frequently.

They no longer asked him directly about the Puni Magic Stone, but only took the pages to him when they encountered books they couldn't understand.

On one occasion, Ron rushed into the Ravenclaw common room door carrying an alchemy book, sweating profusely.

"This says the magic stone can turn all metals into gold, is that true?"

Puni leaned back on the sofa.

"In theory."

"Wouldn't Nicolas Flamel be even richer than Gringotts?"

"If he's willing, he certainly can."

Ron stood there, his face filled with shock.

Hermione rushed up from behind and snatched the book away.

"The key is not gold, but the elixir of immortality."

Harry didn't say anything.

He stared at the illustrations in the book, recalling the days he had spent at the Dursleys' house.

If someone lives long enough, will they see everyone leave? Would that be a good thing?

Puni noticed his expression.

"What are you thinking about?"

Harry shook his head.

"It's nothing."

Puni didn't press further, only saying as Harry left, "Knowing something is valuable and knowing whether you should take it are two different things."

Harry turned to look at him.

"Who do you think shouldn't have gotten their hands on the Philosopher's Stone?"

"It shouldn't be obtained by people who want to use it to escape death."

These words stayed with Harry for a long time.

Over the weekend, Draco came to Puni for practice again.

This time he didn't ask for a duel, but simply handed over his notebook.

Lucius said I was always in a rush to win.

He's right.

"Can you please stop saying that every time?"

Puni opened his notebook.

Draco remembered every practice session in great detail, noting which spell he was slow in, which footwork he messed up, and even his stance when he was disarmed.

"You wrote well."

Draco was stunned.

"real?"

"real."

"So when do you think I'll be able to beat you?"

Puni thought for a moment.

"When you stop asking this question every day."

Draco glared at him, then snatched the notebook back.

"I will win sooner or later."

"Okay, I'll wait."