Ancient Wizards Return to Hogwarts...

Chapter 424 Helga: We can't just put her back, can we?!

"So what are you trying to say?" A sense of unease crept into Rowena's heart.

"This staircase magic is pretty fancy, but in my opinion, it's just a nuisance and completely impractical!" Aries concluded based on his analysis.

Rowena suddenly stopped talking.

Aries descended the stairs to a platform.

"Senior, where do we go next?"

Rowena did not reply.

"Ouch!" Aries felt a sharp, throbbing pain, like being pricked by a needle, on the back left side of his head.

Now she knew where to go.

"Senior, please give directions in the normal way. This method is too painful," Aries said with a bitter face.

Rowena ignored her, only subtly reminding her when she needed to turn. Meanwhile, she was also quietly observing this Hogwarts Castle a thousand years in the future.

Yes, it's very well maintained. The castle walls have withstood a thousand years of wind and rain, and the interior has been completely upgraded and updated. Except for a few armor paintings that are filthy, the overall condition is very respectable.

Looking at the castle, which could be described as luxurious, Rowena's good mood returned.

Guided by her, Aries turned several corners and arrived at the office of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"Hey, senior, there seems to be someone in here..." Aries glanced worriedly at the tightly closed door, feeling uneasy.

Aries can spot someone in the office at a glance, not because of her exceptional perception, but because Helga is making a lot of noise inside—a lot of crackling and popping—and anyone with hearing can tell someone's there.

As for why Helga was still "working overtime" in the castle during the summer vacation, it wasn't because of a surge in doll orders. Although Helga did receive many orders from all over the world after the World Cup, she postponed them all. Her highest priority now was to maintain the Ministry of Magic's automated combat dolls.

In the great battle against Voldemort, although Rice was the main force, the Ministry of Magic's puppets were also involved. Many puppets suffered more or less damage, and one puppet was completely burned.

Having offered a lifetime warranty, Helga naturally has to fulfill its contractual obligations.

"No problem, you just need to lend me your tongue." Rowena made the request directly to Aries.

"Oh, okay." Aries was taken aback at first, then readily relinquished control of his body. However, once Rowena took control, Aries felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Rowena respected Aries' choice and didn't have to know all the secrets.

After taking over the body, Rowena knocked on Helga's office door.

"Who is it?" Helga's confused voice came from behind the door, which opened the next moment.

Helga was sitting at the back of her office, a doll on her desk and doll parts scattered on the floor. In a corner of the office, a dozen or so dolls were piled together, giving off an eerie feeling.

"You are... um? Who exactly are you?" Helga looked at Aries's face, initially confused, then alarm bells immediately went off in her mind.

Helga could tell that something was wrong with the person in front of her; it was as if he were possessed by something unclean.

"It's me," Rowena said calmly, using the Aries dough.

Although she still looked like an Aries, she exuded an extraordinary aura from head to toe, and even her facial features had undergone subtle changes, becoming somewhat similar to Rowena's original appearance.

"This feels so familiar..." Helga was startled, then suddenly realized something.

"You, could it be that you are—" She stood up hesitantly, a bold guess already on the tip of her tongue, but she dared not draw a conclusion easily due to a lack of decisive evidence.

A gentle breeze brushed against Helga's hair, and it seemed as if a thousand whispers were ringing in her ears, but when she truly listened to the message the wind carried, all those sounds vanished without a trace.

"You don't look too good lately. Is the work pressure at school that high?" Rowena continued.

Helga: ...

It wasn't just the work pressure from school, but also the pressure from the orders for the automatons! My biggest regret was creating the automatons and then promoting and selling them extensively.

However, none of these matter compared to what's happening right now; the most important thing is what's happening now.

"Royna, why did you run away—I mean, you finally found a way to break free of the seal!" Helga forced a smile.

"Thanks to Tossalazar, he gave me a very good body," Rowena cracked his knuckles, "It fits me perfectly."

Helga: ...

"So it was the old viper who did this." Her smile remained unchanged, but her voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between her teeth.

The fact that Rowena emerged from the dungeon's seal is something we can only let happen; we can't just put Ravenclaw back in, can we? Although putting her back would certainly save my future self a lot of trouble.

This is why Helga has always maintained strict neutrality, neither offering assistance nor obstructing progress.

But to everyone's surprise, the old viper actually offered a helping hand first, which was something Helga had not anticipated: Why would Salazar do this?

"I was surprised too, but this isn't the first time Salazar has brought me experimental subjects." Rowena's voice rang in Helga's ears, causing Hufflepuff to have a somewhat absurd thought: Could it be that the old viper is doing this because he feels guilty towards Rowena and is trying to make amends to her? This doesn't seem to fit the old viper's style, but considering that his personality has become much more cheerful after his molt and rebirth, it's not impossible.

"Although I've heard about it from you all, I'm still quite surprised by how Hogwarts looks now. The descendants have done a really good job." Rowena took a few steps forward and came to Helga's desk.

She casually picked up a part from a doll, looked into Helga's eyes, and asked, "Can this old relic, pulled from the riverbed, still find a place to shine on this little boat these days?"

Helga understood that Rowena wanted to continue working at Hogwarts.

She would certainly welcome it, but it seemed there were no vacancies available lately. But that didn't matter, because even if there weren't any, she'd create them; Helga couldn't afford to let someone like Rowena Ravenclaw sit idle.

"How about we persuade one of the professors to resign?"

Persuade Professor Flitwick of Ravenclaw to resign, and then hand over the position of vice-principal to Rowena, leaving her trapped in a multitude of miscellaneous matters with no time to attend to anything else!

Helga even had such thoughts.

This is obviously unrealistic.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Update delivered, goodnight~

(End of this chapter)