425: Chapter 412 Are you a ghost?

There were no classrooms on the third floor of the Main Teaching Building.

Climbing the stairs from the second floor to the third-floor corridor, the furthest point was a public restroom, with doors distributed at equal intervals along the left and right sides of the hallway.

Every floor of the main building had restrooms, but usually, few people made a special trip to the third floor to relieve themselves. Consequently, the magical lamps fixed to the walls were rarely maintained, leaving most of them broken and extinguished.

The few that were still working flickered with a light so dim it seemed they might go out at any second, leaving the entire corridor shrouded in gloom.

Misha stared at the restroom door at the very end and couldn't help but swallow hard. "I never knew the teaching building had such a creepy place."

"Hurry up, let's go," Lyon urged, taking the lead. The others followed in sequence, with Ryan and Wino bringing up the rear.

Ryan did this intentionally, worried about potential danger and staying alert at the back of the group. Wino had originally planned to scout ahead, but seeing Ryan lag behind on purpose, he also slowed his pace to walk alongside him.

"Is something the matter?" Ryan asked, sensing his presence.

"Are you really not considering joining?"

"I have no such thoughts for the time being."

"You possess the qualities to change the world; if only we joined forces..." Wino didn't care at all about being rejected, continuing to chatter away as he peddled his 'dream'.

Perhaps annoyed by the persistence, Ryan stopped in his tracks. "Do you want to know the reason why I'm unwilling to join?"

"Of course!"

"Because you will fail."

Wino was stunned for a moment, then asked with great interest, "May I ask the reason behind that judgment?"

"I don't deny that you are an elite among humans. In any aspect—work, running a business, handling trouble, learning magic, and so on—you do excellently."

The string of compliments didn't make Wino happy; he knew the main point was coming next.

Sure enough, Ryan continued, "But you lack a certain... power to persevere. I'm not belittling you, nor am I saying your dream is hypocritical."

"You are a smart man. Calmness and rationality are the sharp tools you use to overcome difficulties, and you believe they are enough to realize your dream."

"However, to realize something like a dream... rationality and calmness alone are not enough."

"What else is needed?"

"A bit of passion, a bit of impulse, and a bit of persistence."

Wino tilted his head. "Those things would only lead me to my death."

Ryan turned his body, gazing at him by the dim lamplight. "Let me ask it another way: do you remember the philosophy of Hogwarts? The part the Headmaster led us in swearing."

"That passage is quite long, but I think the part you want to emphasize is 'Saving the weak is glory, and glory is life'." Wino met his gaze without flinching.

"Can you do it?"

Wino thought seriously for a moment. "As long as it's possible."

"Exactly. If it's not possible, why waste your own life for nothing? That is your code."

"Is there a problem with that?"

"That in itself—"

"Uncle Ryan, hurry up!" During the few minutes the two had delayed, the three ahead had already reached the restroom door. Seeing they hadn't followed, Misha turned and shouted.

"On the path to realizing a dream, one must face death countless times," Ryan said one last thing before lifting his foot and walking toward Misha.

"Who can do that? You?"

"Even Misha can."

Wino watched his receding back, his heart feeling little emotion.

Fearing no death, sacrificing oneself for something... he had heard it all too many times. Colleagues, subordinates, superiors—they had all thumped their chests and declared they would rather give their lives for certain things.

Their expressions were so brave, and the hands thumping their chests so powerful. Yet when death actually appeared before them, that self-proclaimed courage either vanished or had never existed in the first place, as every single one of them would beg for mercy while weeping bitter tears.

Wino admitted that such people certainly existed in the world, but they weren't many—they were pitifully few. And most importantly, they would never stake their lives on something as pale and powerless as a 'school philosophy'.

In his view, Ryan's conviction wasn't a boast, but rather an overestimation of himself born from never having faced death or understood that bone-deep terror.

"Fine, I still have time. I can wait for the day you recognize reality," he shrugged and chased after them.

Misha looked at the approaching Wino and whispered to Ryan as he reached her, "What did he say to you?"

Ryan thought for a moment and asked a question in return: "Would you charge at an invincible enemy to save me?"

"Yes!" Misha didn't understand why he asked so suddenly, but she nodded her head firmly. "As a student of Hogwarts, protecting the weak is glory!"

Ryan laughed. He didn't emphasize that he wasn't 'weak' and simply reached out to pat her head.

"What are you all doing at the door? Go in," Wino urged as he reached the entrance.

"Blehh~" Misha made a face at him and turned to enter the restroom. Ryan and the other two followed. Wino was dazed for a split second, then shook his head dismissively and walked in as well.

Passing through the door, the five arrived in an entrance hall. To the left was the boys' room, and to the right was the girls' room.

The entrance hall was even more lifeless than the corridor, exceptionally silent, such that the breathing of the five was clearly audible.

Misha crossed her arms and rubbed them. "That upperclassman... why does she stay here so often?"

Lyon was also a bit tremulous. "I suddenly remembered the one mentioned in the original work..."

"Myrtle?" Wino took over.

"Right!"

Misha took a step back, shrinking behind Ryan and clutching both sides of his coat tightly. "No, it can't be. Why would the Senior recommend a ghost to us?"

"Who are you calling a ghost?"

A hollow voice rang out beside them. The five instinctively looked over to see a young girl wearing a Hogwarts uniform, with long black hair over her shoulders and a cold expression, standing there at some unknown moment.

Misha nearly screamed, but fortunately, remembering what the girl had just said, she suppressed her fear and asked, "Se-Senior, so, well, you're not a ghost?"

The young girl was expressionless. "No, I am."

"Aaaaah—" A delayed, sharp scream echoed through the entrance hall.

The girl stared at the five. Ryan felt a bit awkward and covered Misha's mouth. "Calm down, she won't hurt you."

After a long while, Misha finally regained a bit of her senses. She looked at the calm Ryan and Wino, as well as Lyon and Klaisi, who looked calm on the surface but were actually pale.

She patted Ryan's hand to signal him to let go. Once his palm moved away, she asked, "Aren't you guys... scared?"

Lyon clenched his fists and tried to speak, only to find he couldn't make a sound. He dug his fingernails hard into his palm to regain control of his body. "Cough... I, I figured since the Senior said so, there shouldn't be a problem."

Klaisi nodded his head frantically. "Yes, exactly!"

Wino, annoyed by how slow they were being, stepped out from the group and said, "Senior, we have some questions we'd like to ask you."

"Questions?" The girl tilted her head. "Why should I answer?"

"Senior can answer after finishing your story," Ryan said, hitting the nail on the head.

Seemingly moved, her solid body suddenly became transparent, and a hint of shyness appeared on her cold face as she slowly lowered her head. "Re... Really?"

"They all say my stories are boring."

"No, how could they be? We are very willing to listen, even if you talk for an entire day," Wino said with a gentle smile.

"Then, then I'll..." The girl put her hands behind her back, fingers twisting together, her thighs fidgeting under her long skirt.

Madam Louisa's life was in danger, and Ryan didn't want to waste any more time. "Begin, Senior, we can't wait any longer."

Encouraged by the two in turn, the shy girl seemed to make up her mind. She raised her head and slowly opened her mouth.

Ten hours later.

The five were squatted in a row on the floor of the entrance hall, chins resting on their hands, their faces blank and eyes vacant, as if they had suffered inhumane devastation.

The Senior opposite them was spinning her body, her skirt fluttering, eyes slightly closed, and cheeks flushed as she reached the climax of her story.

"The boy finally believed that the girl was actually a man just like him. He rejoiced, cheered, and embraced her tightly..."

Hearing this, a flicker of emotion appeared in Ryan's numb eyes. Was it this part again?

Snapping back to his senses, he quickly covered Misha's ears beside him.

On the other side, Wino didn't notice the movement next to him at all, constantly asking himself why he had to endure such cruel torture.

So, did creatures like fujoshi actually exist in Hogwarts too?

Next, the young girl described the original activities of the two protagonists in detail—every movement, every second of sensation.

The four of them closed their eyes in pain, trying to escape reality.

"What's wrong? Is it not good?" She saw their expressions and asked in confusion.

"No, it's wonderful," Ryan praised with a strained tone, going against his true thoughts.

The girl realized, then crossed her fingers over her chest with a look of intoxication. "They lived happily ever after, for eternity."

"Is, is that so?"

"Yes!"

Her desire to talk was apparently satisfied, as she didn't continue with another story of the same core theme. She asked, "What do you want to know?"

It's over?

The five slowly looked up, light shining in their dark eyes.

It's over!

Wino pushed himself up with his hands on his knees. "Senior, I'd like to ask: do you know how to open the lock on the basement door?"

"If not, who has the key?"

"Hmm?" She tilted her head, scanning the faces of the five in turn. "Why are you going to the basement?"

The group didn't hide anything and gave a truthful account of what had happened.

The girl fell silent.

This reaction confused Ryan. The answer was either "know" or "don't know"; what was with saying nothing?

Just as he was about to press further, the girl said, "You're lucky. I happen to have the password to break the seal, but... are you sure you want to go?"

"You'll die, you know."

"It doesn't matter, please tell us."

"Since you insist..." the girl said, making eye contact with Ryan.

In the next second, he felt a piece of information enter his mind.

After closing his eyes to feel it for a moment, Ryan understood. He expressed his sincere thanks to the Senior: "Thank you for your help, Senior. We have things to do, so we'll be going now. We'll come back to listen to your stories when we have time."

Having said that, he led the four as they ran out of the entrance hall like refugees.

The girl's gaze followed them through the door, watching the five silhouettes disappear into the darkness. She sighed, "What a pity, I've lost five loyal listeners forever."

...

Did she say something?

Having escaped the public restroom and jogged to the stairwell, Ryan paused with one foot on the step, turning to look back with a confused expression.

Misha, jumping three steps at a time, reached the landing and looked up to see him standing still. "Uncle Ryan, what are you looking at?"

"Nothing, let's go."

They had spent so much time listening to the Senior's story that the day's classes had long since ended. Surely the teachers were searching everywhere for the five of them who had skipped class.

Wary of being caught and taken to the discipline office for a lecture, the five didn't dare move out in the open. After leaving the teaching building, they quietly approached the basement along the shadows of the walls cast by the streetlights.

On the way, several Academy Guards passed by. Fortunately, they reacted quickly and hid in the flowerbeds, allowing them to sneak into the Storage Building without further incident.

The Storage Building was deserted at night, with all magical wall lamps extinguished. It was pitch black, so dark they couldn't see their own hands, allowing the five to finally relax their tensed nerves.

Misha fumbled in the small backpack on her back for a while, pulled out a flashlight prepared in advance, and pressed the switch.

Just as the bright beam appeared, Ryan stepped quickly in front of Misha, pressing his hand over the glass cover while simultaneously turning off the switch. "Don't turn it on now."

She realized the light would shine out the window and attract the Academy Guards, so she quickly stuffed it back into her bag. "Sorry, Uncle Ryan."

Ryan shook his head dismissively, then waved his hand, signaling the four to continue moving.

Unable to use lights, the corridor was pitch black. The five could only slow their pace and feel their way along the wall.

Ryan led the way, stretching one foot forward as far as possible to probe for any potential obstacles.

In the darkness, Wino's voice suddenly rang out.

"I recall the original work seemed to mention a basement."

Ryan didn't stop. "That wasn't a basement, just a cellar."

"Ms. Rowling's memory is mostly sealed, after all. Some discrepancies are understandable."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that the enemy in the basement might not just be kidnappers."

Lyon, who was the most familiar with the original work among them, took over: "The Three-headed Dog?"

"Yes." Wino fell silent for a moment after responding. "I don't think we are a match for it."

"Uh... isn't it the academy's guardian? It shouldn't attack students, right?" Klaisi said hesitantly.

"The male lead almost died by its... never mind, let's hope so."

The five fell quiet, their pace quickening slightly. Half an hour later, they successfully reached the stairs leading to the basement.

On the first basement level, there was no need to worry about light leaking out. Misha pulled out four flashlights and distributed them, then held one herself and clicked on the light.

With visibility restored, the group immediately sped up, and within a few minutes, they were standing before the basement door once again.

Wino looked at Ryan and gestured with his chin toward the shackle lock. Ryan nodded, stepped forward, and placed his right hand lightly on the lock. Following the information in his mind, he released a specific pattern of mental fluctuations.

As time passed, a piercing blue light shone from between the lock and his palm, and the five instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes.

After about five minutes, the light gradually faded. They lowered their hands and saw that the shackle lock had vanished without a trace.

Misha was a bit dazed. "How did it disappear?"

"We'll talk about that later." Ryan pushed the heavy door open with force. "Now, first, we save the person."