jdhmnovel Chapter 113 Salt Cave Exploration
Chapter 113 Salt Cave Exploration
Because of the dance the night before, the students got out of their beds very late on Christmas Day, and they were yawning when they greeted each other.
Hermione returned to her usual self, her hair was no longer smooth but became messy again, and she was listless when reading.
Harry received a Christmas gift from Sirius, along with a letter, which reminded Harry to stay vigilant and not to slack off. Harry put the letter in his arms with some dissatisfaction.
"I survived the dragon's blockade, but I didn't get a single compliment from him?" Harry said petulantly, "Or does he think it's not worth mentioning?"
"He is more worried about your safety than your achievements," Aeris said, "After all, in Sirius' heart, you are his only real relative."
Two more days passed. After breakfast, Harry and Ron played Thunderbolt Tower in the common room. Aeris and Hermione were reading beside them and watching the game from time to time.
Fox flew in from the window, and Ron, who was about to win, was distracted and failed.
Fox brought a small roll of parchment, threw it in front of Aeris, and flew away in a hurry.
Aeris unfolded the parchment, and Harry leaned over to see Professor Dumbledore's strange yet beautiful handwriting on the parchment:
Aris, I sincerely hope that you have a happy holiday, but I have to interrupt your leisure time. I have found a place where the Horcrux is suspected to be hidden, and I hope you and Harry can go with me to take a look.
I have also found an outside helper, and Harry will be very happy to meet him. Please go to the principal's office on the eighth floor with Harry. The password is: Lemon Sherbet.
Yours faithfully
Professor Dumbledore
Hermione and Ron also saw the contents of the parchment. Ron looked excited, while Hermione was worried. She said anxiously:
"Isn't Professor Dumbledore a little rash? The place where that man hid the Horcrux must be very dangerous. How could he take you two with him?"
"It's not like we haven't been through more dangerous situations before," Harry said unconvincedly, "I survived a dragon a month ago. Have you forgotten so quickly, Hermione?"
"Don't worry, Hermione!" Ron said heartlessly, "Professor Dumbledore is here, and we've also invited an outside helper. Aeris's ability is obvious to all. It shouldn't be a problem for three people to take care of Harry alone." Ron couldn't hide the sarcasm in his tone.
"You mean I'm the worst of them?" Harry asked unhappily.
"Aren't you?" Ron asked back with a smile.
Harry gnashed his teeth in anger, but there was nothing he could do because Ron was stating the facts.
"Don't worry, Hermione," said Aris. "If you want to defeat Voldemort, you have to destroy his Horcruxes, including the Horcruxes he carefully hid. I think this is a good opportunity to practice."
Aris and Harry came to the headmaster's office on the eighth floor. In addition to Professor Dumbledore, there was an unexpected person in the office: Sirius Black.
Sirius was in the headmaster's office, eating heartily without caring about his image, which caused dissatisfaction among the former headmasters in the photo frames. One of the photo frames was signed: Portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, and he did not hide the disgust in his eyes at all.
"Sirius?" Harry shouted in surprise.
Sirius stopped his overeating and looked at Harry in surprise, "Hahaha... Harry James Potter..." Sirius laughed and walked towards Harry with open arms.
The godfather and godson hugged each other tightly. After a while, Sirius let go of Harry, put his hands on Harry's shoulders, and kept looking at Harry.
"You're great, Harry," said Sirius, "James would be so proud of you."
When Harry and Sirius were reminiscing about the past, Aries told Professor Dumbledore about how he accidentally obtained the inheritance of Lady Rowena Ravenclaw in the library.
"I think I can try to use Mr. Hat as a medium to get the remains of Ms. Ravenclaw," said Aris. "You can take a look and see if it has been made into a Horcrux."
"Of course, child!" said Professor Dumbledore gently.
Aeris walked over to the shelf where the Sorting Hat was placed, and on the shelf also lay the Gryffindor Knight's Sword.
Aesus fumbled in his hat for a while and took out a luxurious crown with a huge gem inlaid on it. The whole crown was shining, and a line of small words was engraved on the edge of the crown: Extraordinary wisdom is the greatest wealth of mankind.
After putting the Sorting Hat away, Aris took the crown to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Dumbledore's pupils shrank, and he carefully took the Ravenclaw crown from Aris' hand.
Sirius and Harry also came over curiously. Professor Dumbledore carefully examined every corner of the crown and finally sighed helplessly.
"I'm afraid so," said Professor Dumbledore in a heavy voice, "this diadem has also been made into a Horcrux."
The atmosphere in the office was silent for a while. The former principals in the photo frames were discussing with each other in a low voice, but they could not hide the anger in their tone.
Professor Dumbledore carefully put away Ravenclaw's diadem and took out a newspaper, not the Daily Prophet, but a newspaper from the non-magical world. Aris noticed the date, which was today's.
"Mentos~" Professor Dumbledore pointed his wand at the newspaper and said, "Are you ready? Aeris, Harry, Sirius."
"I'm not sure if that's a wise thing to do, Dumbledore," said Sirius. "I think it's enough for the two of us to go. There's no need to take the two children with us."
"I'm going," Harry said stubbornly, "You can't protect me forever, Sirius."
"I think I have to insist, Sirius," said Professor Dumbledore. "After all, this is related to whether we can completely defeat Voldemort. Aeris and Harry should also experience the horror of the dark magic."
Sirius sighed and did not refute. "Eris, Harry, when you arrive at that place, you can use magic without worry. I have temporarily covered you up. Now let's touch the newspaper together," said Professor Dumbledore. "I'll count to three, one... two... three..."
The four men pointed their fingers at the newspaper at the same time. A pulling sensation came from his belly button, and Aries felt dizzy.
Feeling the landing, Aeris managed to stand firmly, and instinctively helped Harry beside him, who also staggered to stand firmly.
The cold and damp sea breeze made Aries' cheeks hurt, and the fishy and salty smell of the sea water penetrated into Aries' nose, making him sneeze several times.
They were on a cliff, with the sea water below hitting the cliff again and again, and a steep cliff stood a few dozen yards away on the other side.
Professor Dumbledore walked up to the cliff and groped the stone wall inch by inch with his fingers.
The other three also walked over and examined this inconspicuous stone wall together.
After a long while, Professor Dumbledore said, "I feel something is wrong here. This place must have been covered by magic..."
"What's so difficult about this?" Sirius said, "Everyone stay away, thunder explosion~"
Sirius waved his wand and a violent explosion was heard. After a cloud of dust, the stone wall remained intact.
"How is this possible?" Sirius said in disbelief, "It should be able to explode easily..."
Sirius didn't believe it and used the Crushing Spell, the Cutting Spell, the Destruction Spell... After using several kinds of magic, the stone wall was still intact.
"Okay, Sirius," said Professor Dumbledore, "You must weaken yourself before you can enter here. Voldemort was once my student. I know him. He would think that the loss of vitality is a weakening of a person, so blood is needed to open this place."
"That's easy," said Sirius, "I'll do it..." As he was about to cut his palm, he was stopped by Professor Dumbledore.
"Let me, an old man, do it," said Professor Dumbledore. "Your youthful vitality has more important uses."
"Let me do it..." Harry also said.
At this moment, Eris raised his magic wand and caught a struggling sea fish. Eris cut the fish into two pieces and poured the fish blood on the smooth stone wall.
The stone wall began to twist and deform, turning into a salt cave. Aeris threw the carcass of the sea fish into the sea. Looking at the people who were lost in thought, Aeris smiled and said, "I just think that we don't have to use our blood."
"It seems that my thinking has become rigid." Professor Dumbledore shook his head and smiled bitterly.
Professor Dumbledore was still in the lead, followed by Aeris, then Harry, and Sirius at the end.
After walking along a wet and slippery road, they stopped by a large lake. The cave was very large, but the lake alone occupied 99% of the flat space, leaving little ground for people to walk on.
There seems to be a small island in the center of the lake. If Voldemort really hid the Horcrux here, it could only be on that small island.
Sirius was on guard. Professor Dumbledore first observed the lake, then felt something in the air. "Any magic will leave traces of its use," Professor Dumbledore said, "especially dark magic, ahaha..."
Professor Dumbledore's big hand grabbed a place out of thin air. He tapped his hand with his wand. The sound of chains sliding was heard, and a chain appeared in Professor Dumbledore's hand.
Professor Dumbledore held the chain tightly, Sirius hurried over to help, and Aries and Harry also pulled the chain back hard.
The other end of the chain was connected to something under the lake. That thing was quite heavy. The chains kept piling up on the shore and soon formed a small pile.
Something under the lake was also pulled out, it was a small black wooden boat.
The moment the small wooden boat came out of the water, the mirror-like calm lake surface did not have the slightest ripple. The small wooden boat that was pulled out was quietly moored on the shore, and there was not a single drop of water in the boat.
Professor Dumbledore observed the boat again, and finally said, "The boat is loaded with magic power, and can only carry one or two adult wizards at a time. Considering the current quality of Aeris' magic power, we can only cross the lake in two trips..."
Aeris walked up to the boat, put one hand on the side, closed his eyes and sensed for a while, then pointed his magic wand at a large rock on the shore.
The big stone twisted and deformed, turning into another identical boat. Following the guidance of Aesius's magic wand, the stone boat floated on the lake.
Professor Dumbledore nodded and said, "Then we can cross the lake together and go to the island in the middle of the lake."
Aeris and Professor Dumbledore boarded the stone boat, while Harry and Sirius boarded the wooden boat.
Two small boats were sailing on the quiet lake, and there was still no ripple on the lake. After sailing for a while, the four people finally landed on the small island in the middle of the lake.
In the center of the island stood a stone pier with a stone basin on it. Four people gathered around the basin and looked at it. Sirius looked at the other three people in confusion.
"What's wrong with you?" Sirius asked.
The stone basin was full of an unknown liquid, the color of which looked quite dangerous. At the bottom of the basin lay a locket, a locket that was exactly the same as Slytherin's locket.
"Does Lord Slytherin have two lockets?" Aeris couldn't help but ask Professor Dumbledore.
"Perhaps," said Professor Dumbledore. "We cannot rule out this possibility. Anyway, we must first get the potion out and get the locket."
Sirius reached out to grab the locket from the potion, and Professor Dumbledore was too late to stop him. But when Sirius' fingers touched the potion, it was like touching a mirror, and his hand could not get into the potion.
Professor Dumbledore glanced at the large stone spoon next to the stone basin. He said helplessly, "I wonder if you have any other ideas, Aris, or you will have to drink this potion."
Aeris rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a small machine, a small hand-operated water pump.
Seeing the others' puzzled looks, Aris explained, "This is a little gadget my father made by hand. He gave it to me as a Christmas gift to share his joy."
Aeris put the tube into the potion and encountered no obstacles this time, as if the potion could isolate it from detection by living substances, while non-living substances could be easily put into the potion.
Aris took out another jar from his pocket. He was very glad that he had cast a sophisticated traceless stretching spell on his pockets, so he could put a lot of things in them just in case.
Aeris placed the jar on the faucet of the water pump and began to press the pumping button. "As long as you keep pressing this button," Aeris explained, "the potion can be transferred from one place to another..."
After a while, all the potions in the stone basin were transferred into the jar through the tap of the push-type water pump.
Seeing more potion slowly emerging from the bottom of the stone basin, Professor Dumbledore quickly took the locket out of the basin.