Chapter 188: The Journey to the Cave

Only one week remained until the end of the term. Snow had fallen all through the night, and by morning, the castle's grounds were blanketed in white, with the Forbidden Forest in the distance also covered in snow. Students walking on the snowy ground made crunching noises with each step. This weekend was a Hogsmeade weekend, a cherished opportunity for older students to visit the village to play. Michael and others were all eager and ready for the outing early in the morning. Although they occasionally snuck off-campus using the vanishing cabinet, most students feared breaking school rules. Besides, if they were the only school-aged kids in the Hogsmeade village, shopkeepers would easily recognize them as truants. Some shopkeepers might turn a blind eye, but most would either urge them to return to school or coldly send them on their way. In short, Hogsmeade weekends provided the most enjoyable and worry-free outings. When Wade stepped out after breakfast, he saw Michael and Padma, wrapped in green scarves, holding hands. Upon noticing him, the two instinctively let go. "Hi, Wade!" Michael greeted him with an overly enthusiastic voice. "Looks like you're ready to head out too!" "Huh?" Anthony Goldstein emerged from behind Wade, and looked at them curiously:. "Heading out for what?" "Ah, well..." Michael, having accidentally spilled the beans, quickly laughed it off and tried to recover. "Just heading out for a walk, of course. The snow looks fantastic today!" Anthony eyed him suspiciously. "You're not thinking of sneaking off during the Hogsmeade weekend, are you? Let me tell you, that's a terrible idea! Filch has already caught several students." "Oh?" Michael chuckled. "Who would be so foolish?" "A few first-year Gryffindors," Anthony said. "They thought they could avoid Filch by bundling up warmly in this cold weather." "Gryffindors, huh... no surprise there," Michael said earnestly. "But I wasn't planning on breaking the rules. I just wanted to admire the snowy scenery." "Of course, of course. The snow really is enchanting these days!" Suddenly, a cheerful voice, almost bouncing with excitement, interrupted their conversation. Both Michael and Anthony instinctively tried to hurry away, but someone had already spread their arms and clamped down on their shoulders. "Well, well, who do we have here... Michael and Anthony! Two of my favorite students!" Lockhart grinned as he draped his arms around the two boys, then turned to Padma nearby. "Oh, and Padma! Were you worried you wouldn't see me over Christmas?" "No need to worry! No need at all! Even though I have an important engagement in France over the holiday, I assure you I'll be back to teach in January! I promise, my dear students!" The three of them forced smiles and politely said, "Good morning, Professor." "Yes, yes, good morning, everyone," Lockhart replied absentmindedly, and his gaze scanned the surroundings. At last, he spotted the person he was looking for. "Come here, Creevey! Let's take a photo!" "Right away, Professor," Colin Creevey, who always carried a camera, jogged over eagerly. Michael and the others looked like they wanted to flee. Michael turned to Wade for help, only to realize his friend had vanished at some point. "That cunning guy must have cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself!" Michael grumbled to Padma. Padma nodded vaguely but instinctively put on a charming smile in front of the camera. Click! Colin snapped the photo. "I'll develop it and send you all copies later," Colin said, then turned to Lockhart. "Professor, can I take a picture of you with Harry Potter too?" "I was just about to suggest that!" Lockhart exclaimed, delighted. He quickly let go of his "favorite" students and expertly spotted Harry in the crowd. "Come here, Harry. You must want a photo of me to look at during the holidays, right? Don't be shy, my boy—you know I'll always indulge a little bit of your admiration!" Lockhart grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him over, flashing his trademark dazzling smile. Harry looked at Michael and the others with a mix of despair and accusation. His expression seemed to say, What on earth are you doing? Why are you letting Lockhart drag me into this photo fiasco? Michael and the others guiltily avoided Harry's gaze. Lockhart kept instructing Harry to strike a more "charming" pose, but Harry had zero interest in cooperating. Only Colin enthusiastically clicked away on his camera. Michael felt a pang of sympathy for Harry but quickly stifled it. Nudging Padma, he signaled that it was time for them to slip away. The two of them squeezed through the crowd of onlookers. Suddenly, Michael froze mid-step. In a shadowy corner, Draco Malfoy stood with his arms crossed, coldly watching the commotion. Michael suddenly realized that Malfoy hadn't been strutting around, harassing Harry lately. It wasn't just Harry—even Neville hadn't been bullied by him in a while. Ever since Crabbe and Goyle had stopped following Malfoy around like stone statues, this Slytherin's presence had noticeably diminished. Michael shook his head and decided it wasn't worth dwelling on, and continued down the stairs with Padma. Not long after, Crabbe and Goyle wandered through the corridor, looking lost. Goyle was clutching several pieces of cake, stuffing them into his mouth as dessert. Beside him, Crabbe mimicked Malfoy's tone as he scolded him: "You need to act smarter, Gregory!" Crabbe said irritably. "It's all because of your stupidity that Tracey and the others laughed at us..." Goyle nodded absentmindedly, not listening to a word he said. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over them. "Vincent. Gregory." Malfoy stood in front of them, and his expression was dark and brooding. "Oh, Draco." Goyle stopped eating, stared at Malfoy with a vacant expression, and then walked toward him and asked, "Have you had breakfast yet?" Crabbe yanked Goyle back and glared at Malfoy. "Don't think we're still your lackeys, taking your orders, Draco! You and your father are just rich. I'm way better than you!" Malfoy looked at his dull-witted former companion, and his anger turned into a bemused smile. "Better than me? Are you sure about that?" He stretched out the words, and raised his wand as he spoke. Further away, a senior Slytherin student leaned against a railing, and watched the scene below with an amused expression. --- Waves crashed against the black rocks below, and foam gathered on the sea near the cliff's edge, drifting with the ebb and flow of the water. The air carried the salty tang of the ocean. On the steep cliffside, a flash of crimson light appeared, and two figures materialized there. "Oh, so this is the place..." Dumbledore surveyed the surroundings as his long hair and beard billowed in the strong wind. He had to hold onto his prized beard, which was adorned with a gold-and-red bowtie. Wade also pressed down his hood to keep his hair from whipping about like a madman's in the wind. A second burst of phoenix fire flared, and this time, Lupin and Sirius appeared on the cliff. "Good morning, Dumbledore, Wade," Lupin greeted. "Good morning," Dumbledore replied, and his tone turned warm as he asked Sirius. "How are you feeling, Sirius?" "Much better!" Sirius held up his wand and flexed his arm, which now sported a bit of muscle. "For me, moving around is the best medicine! But Lupin keeps trying to shove me into a ward at St. Mungo's!" He said, half-jokingly complaining to Dumbledore. Lupin ignored the remark, and crouched down to examine the jagged rocks protruding from the sea below. He glanced at the desolate surroundings and asked, "Where is this?" "The outskirts of London," Wade replied. "There's a small village nearby, but it's practically deserted." Sirius's expression turned serious, the salty breeze stirring memories of his time in Azkaban. Suppressing his discomfort, he took a deep breath and asked, "Are we heading to the village?" "No," Wade said, pointing to the rocks below. "We're going down there." "Down there?" Sirius stepped closer to the cliff's edge, and gazed at the steep walls and the endless expanse of dark water below. "Apparition, then. Let's hope the rocks aren't too slippery." Lupin extended his hand to Wade. "Let me take you, Wade." "No, I'll take all of you instead," Wade replied. He opened his backpack, tapped it with his wand, and several old broomsticks shot out, zipping toward the group. These brooms had originally been stored in the Room of Requirement, with Zoe and the others gifting Wade the best one. Wade had meticulously prepared for this outing, including bringing four flying brooms to avoid the risks of Apparating onto the rocks below or climbing down the slick cliffside. Sirius quickly grabbed a broom and was the first to mount it. As he hovered in the air, he heard Wade explain: "Our destination should be nearby—a narrow crevice near the waterline. It's not very wide and could be submerged during high tide. Inside, there are steps and a large cavern." "So our first task is to find the crevice?" Lupin asked. "Exactly," Wade nodded. As he spoke, Wade glanced at Dumbledore's expression to confirm that the old headmaster hadn't yet uncovered the cave where Voldemort hid his Horcrux. Sirius looked slightly surprised. On one hand, he realized that Wade was indeed leading the group, even with Dumbledore present. On the other hand, Wade's vague description puzzled him. He knows about this place, but he hasn't been here before? Who told him about it? Sirius wondered. Seeing that neither Lupin nor Dumbledore questioned Wade, Sirius suppressed his curiosity, kicked off the cliff, and swooped down on his broom. Wade, Lupin, and Dumbledore followed shortly after. The four of them darted like swift swallows, weaving through the crashing waves and jagged rocks. Sunlight glinted off the cliffside, its smooth stones reflecting like mirrors, only to leave deep shadows hidden behind them. Before long, Lupin's voice rang out. "Over here!" he shouted. The group turned to see a red beam of light shooting from the tip of Lupin's wand, pointing straight at the cliffside before vanishing into a dark crevice. They all flew over. The crevice was barely over a meter wide, and from above it appeared like a narrow black scar in the stone. Waves lapped at the rough rocks on either side, and slimy algae clung to the walls, glistening in the light. The beam of light extended deep into the cliff, as though piercing the very heart of the rock. Wade hovered at the entrance, and wondered how Lupin had discovered the crevice so quickly. He also couldn't fathom how much effort Dumbledore must have invested in the original timeline to determine that Voldemort had hidden a Horcrux here. In the end, all of that effort had come to naught. The sound of crashing waves filled the air, leaving everyone unusually silent. They leaned low over their brooms and flew slowly into the narrow crevice. Their shoulders and arms occasionally brushed against the slimy algae clinging to the walls. The deeper they went, the wider the crevice became until rough stone steps emerged in their field of view, leading to a massive cave ahead. "Lumos Maxima!" (a modified version of the Wand-Lighting Charm) Sirius raised his wand high, and its dazzling light spread across the cavern, illuminating it entirely. "Doesn't seem like there's anything here," he muttered. His voice echoed off the rocky walls, louder than he'd expected, startling him momentarily. Lupin carefully examined the surrounding stones but found nothing noteworthy. He glanced at the other two. Dumbledore's expression was one of pure elation. It was as if he had forgotten the others were there, wholly absorbed in inspecting the walls and ceiling of the cave. He slowly circled the cavern twice, and his fingers brushed against the walls as he softly muttered spells in a strange language. Occasionally, he would pause to probe specific spots. Clearly, Dumbledore was not like them, who found nothing. What truly surprised Lupin and Sirius, however, was Wade. The twelve-year-old student had clearly noticed something too. Unlike Dumbledore, Wade didn't pace around, but his gaze carefully traced the walls as if searching for a hidden pattern. His eyes seemed to flicker with an unusual light. Lupin and Sirius exchanged a glance, both feeling a mix of astonishment and a twinge of inadequacy. Still, they didn't interrupt. Instead, they brightened the light further, and remained silent so as not to disturb the two engrossed figures. After what felt like a long time, Dumbledore finally stopped. He turned to glance at the group before addressing Wade. "Wade, what have you discovered?" Wade approached the wall, and placed his palm against the surface. "This should be the entrance," he said. Dumbledore regarded Wade with a mixture of surprise and delight, and then nodded in agreement. "Indeed. This is merely the antechamber. Someone has concealed the entrance with magic." "But who would do such a thing, Dumbledore?" Sirius couldn't help but ask. "Who would enchant such a remote and hidden place?" "I do have my suspicions, Sirius," Dumbledore said, pointing his wand at the stone. "But I don't believe it's necessary to reveal the answer just yet—inside, we'll surely find everything we're looking for." -------------------------------- ????????Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!! Your support is greatly appreciated! Available on my P@treon page for just $4!! Early access to the following translations:- ⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +172 Chapters & 2 Chapters/Day ⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460 ⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters ⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450 [email protected]/Lightreaper457 --------------------------------