The Wind and the Wings of Hogwarts

"Are you alright, Scott?"

Rimbaud peeked out from Horus's lattice.

Scott looked up at the "starry sky" above.

"I just hope that the Heart of the Sacred Tree wasn't destroyed by those terrible falling rocks."

"Probably not... right?"

Rimbaud was certainly unsure himself, but he still tried to comfort him.

"If the Heart of the Sacred Tree is so easily destroyed, it cannot be called a druid's treasure."

Scott nodded in agreement.

Although he felt there was no logical connection between treasure and sturdiness, that was the only way he could comfort himself at this point.

“Oh, why don’t you build an underground shelter?” Rimbaud said, “like you and Dumbledore did at the Quidditch World Cup.”

Scott looked around at the boulders that were almost entirely embedded in the ground and shook his head.

"The destructive power of falling rocks is too great. I'm afraid I would need to go down a hundred meters underground to ensure my safety, but such a large-scale deformation would require too much magic power."

"Anyway, thankfully my Animagus form is a peregrine falcon, so dodging falling rocks isn't too difficult, as long as I'm careful... Oh, never mind."

To prevent another "meteor shower" from happening, Scott closed the lid of the small wooden box and put it back in the deformed lizard skin bag.

The mechanism of this layer was as he expected. He didn't get to rest for long. About ten minutes later, the second round of "meteor shower" came crashing down.

Scott once again transforms into a peregrine falcon, darting through the rocks.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that this "meteor shower" lasted longer than the last one.

When the falling rocks stopped, Scott transformed back into human form to rest, feeling a wave of fatigue.

Especially the arms that had turned into wings, which were now sore.

He glanced at his watch; this "meteor shower" would last about fifteen minutes.

If he's not mistaken, his rest time will likely be reduced.

As expected, this time he only rested for about eight minutes before the "sky" started falling rocks again.

Scott had to transform into a peregrine falcon and take flight once again.

Having learned from his experience, he flew higher this time, and although he was closer to the falling boulder, he didn't have to dodge the flying rocks.

Even after increasing one and decreasing the other, some physical strength can still be saved.

When the falling rocks stopped again, Scott checked the time and found that this time the duration had increased to about twenty minutes.

Fortunately, Golza returned to the ground before the break ended and shook his head at Scott.

"Didn't find it?"

Golza shook his head again.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Scott drew his wand, shrunk its size, and sent it back into the small wooden box.

Rimbaud poked his head out again and asked, "Have you found the entrance to the next level?"

Scott looked up.

"If I'm not mistaken, the entrance to the next level is in that starry sky. I must take advantage of the rest time when the falling rocks stop to pass through that entrance."

The key point is that as time goes by, the time for rest will become less and less.

He must pass through this level during his next break, or he will have to use the key to leave the tower extending into the earth's core completely.

Soon, the meteor shower returned.

Scott, transformed into a peregrine falcon, flew at breakneck speed, unable to stop even as his wings ached.

This "meteor shower" felt particularly unbearable for him, and the loud noise of the falling rocks hitting the ground made him increasingly anxious.

at last……

When the falling rocks finally stopped again, Scott didn't rest at all and flew upwards in one go.

Fortunately, although that starry sky looked very realistic, it was actually not as far away from the ground as it appeared.

He quickly flew to the giant, floating rocks.

He passed through the group of floating, motionless rocks and plunged into a portal of light hidden behind them.

In a flash, Scott finally arrived at the next floor, which was the fifth floor.

But the scene before him left him somewhat bewildered.

The "starry sky" above and the rocky ground below were exactly the same as the previous level, with no difference whatsoever.

But this time Scott didn't land rashly. Instead, he transformed back into human form and, while falling, quickly took out his flying broom and climbed onto it.

According to the legend, "falling rocks" should correspond to "sinking ground".

Perhaps the danger on this level comes from the ground.

He rode his broom, carefully approaching the ground.

Sure enough, as soon as he got close, the ground immediately collapsed, and a bottomless pit appeared in an instant.

The pit was about 100 meters in diameter, the kind of size from which even if one reacted quickly enough, it would be impossible to escape by ordinary means.

As he flew over the deep pit, he felt a suction force coming from below.

Fortunately, his broom performed well and was not affected by the suction.

But to ensure safety, he took to the skies again.

Once he was far enough away from the ground, the black crater that had suddenly appeared on the ground disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed.

"It's your turn to step in again."

Scott released Golza again, enlarging its size as it fell.

Golza merged directly into the ground the moment he landed from the sky and disappeared.

Riding on his flying broomstick, Scott looked around and breathed a sigh of relief.

If the danger on this level really only comes from the sinkhole, then he can finally get some rest.

"How is it? How is it?"

Rimbaud then stuck his neck out of the grid again.

"Wait."

Exhausted, Scott didn't want to say much. He looked down at the alpaca skull hanging on his belt.

At this point, the red cracks spreading from the skull's eye sockets had increased in number and almost covered half of the skull.

In order to make the skull last longer, Scott took out the wooden block again and conjured four crows, which picked up the metal ball and re-erected the magic barrier.

After the magical barrier enveloped him, Scott waved his wand again.

"I don't know if it will work, but... Patronus Charm!"

A dazzling, ethereal silver light emanated from the tip of the wand, forming a silver peregrine falcon that circled and soared around him.

"Will this bird be of any use?" Rimbaud asked.

"I don't know if it's just my imagination..."

Scott looked at his guardian angel.

"Overall, I feel a bit more uplifted."

"The Patronus Charm is known as one of the most powerful and oldest defensive spells in the wizarding world, so perhaps it can also ward off curses."

"Ha, maybe."

Rimbaud didn't quite believe it.

It has always been resentful that Scott's guardian spirit and that the Animagus form is a peregrine falcon instead of a raven.

Animagus is Scott's own alteration, and it's difficult for him to express his displeasure.

But it has never been particularly fond of Scott's peregrine falcon.

Scott shrugged, making no move to argue with it.

“I have a feeling that what you’re looking for might be on the last floor,” Rimbaud began to change the subject.

“Why do you think that?” Scott asked.

“That’s usually how stories unfold,” Rimbaud said confidently. “Adventures always reward those who persevere to the end…”

"Um……"

Scott looked down.

“What you say makes a lot of sense, Rimbaud, but reality often does not always go as planned.”

"What……"

Rimbaud then peeked out and looked down.

Below, Golza's head emerged from the ground, a piece of glittering wood dangling from its mouth.

"Look, we found it!"

Scott laughed happily.

"Oh!" Rimbaud was dumbfounded. "This really caught us completely off guard."

Scott removed the magic barrier, lowered his altitude, and used a shrinking charm on Golza from a distance. Then he used a teleportation charm to move Golza and the golden wood to his side.

"correct."

Scott looked at the acorn hanging on his chest, which was beginning to emit a faint golden light, and reached out to grasp the wrist-thick piece of golden wood.

"This must be the [Heart of the Sacred Tree]!"

"So we can leave now!"

Rimbaud, having regained his senses, also became happy.