Hogwarts: Harry Returns from Water Margin

Chapter 197 A Heart Fluttering with the Scarred Man

Chapter 198 (4k long chapter) A Heart Fluttering with Springtime Affection for the Scarred Man

Picking up where we left off, Black said that the Marauder's Map could reveal souls. Harry and his two friends were shocked by this mysterious statement.

Harry clasped his hands and said, "Harry is dull-witted, I beg my godfather to explain the mystery."

Blake nodded and recounted the whole story in detail.

Listen carefully, dear reader: the origin of this Marauder's Map doesn't lie with the four raiders. Its source lies in the Invisibility Cloak.

It should be known that this item not only has no risk of ever failing, but it can also conceal the soul, making one seem to transcend the Three Realms and be outside the Five Elements.

Such a treasure, which wizard with any skill would not want to unravel its mysteries?

The ancestors of the Potter lineage were the same; they used their divine eyes to observe the magical script, and read ancient books to comprehend the spiritual essence, which was truly dazzling and mesmerizing.

It's a pity our ancestor spent his entire life scratching his white hair, only to find it all a blur. At his death, he left behind only a few pages of notes for posterity.

From then on, every generation of Potters who received this item would inevitably study the writings left by their ancestor. If they gained some insights, they would add a few more strokes to the book.

This century-old tradition was passed down to James, who often studied it together with his three sworn brothers from the school.

Unfortunately, the four of them were still apprentices, and the demonic script was as mysterious as a celestial book, with many key points they had not yet mastered. Although they had studied it by lamplight for months, it was like a mosquito trying to bite an iron ox, with no way to get started.

Just when he was at his wit's end, James suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Following the spell he deciphered in the notes, he did the opposite and drew a "reverse spell" on a piece of parchment.

The righteous incantation can conceal the physical form and prevent prying eyes, while the wondrous use of the reverse incantation is to make all living beings and things in the vicinity have nowhere to hide.

Thus, the invaluable treasure, the Live Point Map, came into being.

Blake's account was brief, but fortunately Lupin was there to explain the ins and outs, detailing every aspect.

After the two finished speaking, Harry suddenly realized the origin of the map and how it could reveal the whereabouts of the person hidden under the invisibility cloak.

Because they both originate from the same source, their magical powers are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining, much like how braising water can be used to make tofu, with one thing subduing the other.

He thought to himself: If what my godfather and second uncle said is true, this map really can recognize souls. How come I couldn't find Moody's soul when I used the Soul-Stealing Curse that day?

But now his spiritual light is shining brightly on the picture again. Could it be that the scoundrel was not lying and really placed some kind of restriction to counter the Soul-Stealing Curse?

Just as he was pondering, Ron scratched the back of his head and spoke in a muffled voice.

"Professor Lupin, Mr. Black, I have a question."

"If the runes on the Invisibility Cloak are truly so obscure that countless generations haven't been able to decipher them, then how did Harry's father create the anti-spell?"

Upon hearing this, Lupin shook his head and sighed, "Mr. Weasley, didn't the Rune Arts professor ever deduct points from your grades?"

After speaking, he took a deep breath and suddenly exhaled towards the fireplace. A burst of red flame shot up and condensed into a string of shimmering red incantations in the air.

Alohomora Charm

"The Arahomon Opens, also known as the Unlocking Charm."

Before he finished speaking, he spat out a wisp of green smoke, adding a crooked red character to the beginning of the incantation.

Anti-Alohomora Charm

"Anti-Aramean Cavern, the reverse of the Unlocking Charm."

"You don't even need to understand the meaning of the spell itself, you just need to add a stable and accurate prerequisite key incantation."

Lupin's few words of guidance enlightened Ron.

He nodded and clicked his tongue, saying, "So countering a curse is that simple."

Lupin's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. "Ron, don't try this. This is no joke."

Even Blake, who was usually fearless, abandoned his laziness and nodded heavily:

"That's right, counter-curses are extremely dangerous."

"When Jaime first created the anti-spell, he overlooked the difference in properties between the Invisibility Cloak and the parchment. As a result, the parchment malfunctioned the moment the anti-spell was completed and began to decompose on its own."

"And once the parchment has decomposed, everything it touches also begins to decompose—like an infection."

Blake's words, though brief, sent chills down Hermione's spine. She rubbed her arms and couldn't help but say:

"And then what?"

Hermione asked a question, and Black and Lupin immediately became serious, their brows furrowing with worry.

Even the flames in the fireplace seemed to have a mind of their own, suddenly shrinking by three inches.

"Then Professor Dumbledore arrived," Lupin began slowly. "The four of us underwent a year of labor reform."

Blake's face twitched as he recalled the incident. "I'm telling you, that was the first time in my life I had ever truly empathized with a house-elves."

"Those jobs are inhuman."

Seeing his displeasure, Lupin joked, "You might not know this, but Sirius's final paper for his Magical Creatures Conservation class was titled 'On the Importance of Liberating House-Elves (excluding Klee)'."

These words were like the sudden breaking of spring ice, instantly dispelling the heavy atmosphere in the room. Harry clapped his hands and laughed, all his previous fear vanishing with the wind.

After chatting for a while, Lupin and Black took their leave to investigate the villain who had plotted against Harry outside the school.

Just as the two were about to dispel the spell and leave, Harry suddenly called out, "Father, Uncle, wait!"

"I still have one question on my mind: is the invisibility cloak truly, as rumored, a gift from Death?"

Upon hearing this, both Lupin and Black were taken aback. They looked at each other for a moment, then nodded in unison in the flickering candlelight, saying:

I think so.

After listening to their conversation, Harry's mind was filled with doubt, and he thought to himself:

Grindelwald clearly stated that the Deathly Hallows had nothing to do with Death, yet his adoptive father and second uncle were so certain. Could it be that these three Hallows are not of the same origin, but rather each has its own source?

Harry pondered the matter, but still couldn't grasp the crux of it. He could only suppress this thought for now and wait for another day to unravel it.

The next day at dawn, before the morning bell had even rung, the Daily Prophet and other tabloids had already spread the news of Hogwarts' fourth champion to great acclaim.

The front page was covered in ink, with headlines such as "A Fourth Warrior Emerges" and "The Three-Way Battle Takes Another Turn."

Those three warriors were never mentioned again.

Within Hogwarts, many students, including Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, were dissatisfied, and several old-timers in the former noble club were secretly gritting their teeth.

A few days later, the students of both schools thoroughly studied the books Lockhart had highly recommended and learned about Harry's past deeds, and their expressions changed one by one.

Upon entering school, he slew a giant monster; the following year, he killed a serpent monster in a secret chamber; and in his third year, he cleaved a villain in two. This year, several months ago, he even beheaded more than ten people and built a mound of heads!

This constant bloodshed and death-taking is clearly the reincarnation of a murderous star.

Upon closer examination, however, those who perished under his blade and those who died by his staff were all heinous criminals, yet none of them suffered any injustice. Such a clear distinction between gratitude and resentment is truly admirable.

Moreover, this scarred man was seven feet tall, with sharp features that hinted at a wildness. Every gesture he made possessed the grace and elegance of a dragon and a phoenix.

With such looks and charm, how could it not make the hearts of young women from other schools flutter?

Seeing that not a single woman at Hogwarts was flirting with Harry, they assumed he was too ashamed to approach, and each of them felt an itch to get closer.

At three quarters past noon that day, Harry summoned Ron and Hermione to fish in the Black Lake, speculating about what the first event of the Triwizard Tournament would be.

"I think it might be Bogut."

Ron was scattering bait with a "splashing" sound, splashing water everywhere as he stirred the bait, muttering to himself:

"Although the Boggarts are weak, what if Hagrid manages to create some kind of hybrid?"

"Think about the Blasttail. It can pair a turkey-sized human-headed lion-bodied scorpion with a palm-sized fire crab. The probability of Hagrid creating a new breed of Boggart is not zero."

Hermione remained silent, squatting beside Harry, holding the Marauder's Map and a notebook in her hands, examining them intently.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he finally let out a long sigh and said with a sudden realization:

"Lupin and Black may not be wrong; the invisibility cloak is indeed a gift from death."

"The Marauder's Map doesn't contain runes or similar variants of runes, but rather a much older form of runes I've never seen before—"

Before he could finish speaking, Colin suddenly appeared out of nowhere, shouting joyfully:

"Harry! Mr. Bagman is calling you!"

He said he wanted all the warriors to take a picture together!

Upon hearing this, Harry quickly nodded to Ron and Hermione, then followed Colin away in a flash.

The two had walked only a dozen or so steps when they suddenly saw a woman from Beauxbatons, dressed in a tight-fitting blue robe, rushing toward them.

The woman staggered, her chest bulging, her movements causing the students on both sides to turn their heads in disbelief.

The path was wide, about three zhang in length, and there were no other people around.

But the woman seemed determined, and kept bumping into Harry's arms.

But with a cry of "Ouch!", the woman fell to the ground, raised her exquisitely beautiful face, feigned anger, and scolded in a coquettish voice:

"Mr. Harry Potter."

"You're being far too reckless."

"Didn't you see me?"

It should be known that the bright path Harry walked was one that the woman herself stumbled upon. Now she's turning around and accusing him of being blind and no different from that rogue Niu Er who provoked the Blue-Faced Beast.

An unnamed rage instantly erupted within Harry. He grabbed the woman by the collar, drew his Gryffindor sword with a "whoosh," and pressed it against her throat, roaring:

"Where did this penniless wretch come from, daring to try and rip off your Grandpa Harry! Do you think I'm someone to be trifled with?!"

The woman was terrified when a sword was placed against her neck. Her earlier flirtatious thoughts had long since vanished, and she hurriedly shook her head and begged for mercy.

"Yes, I'm sorry!"

"I didn't mean to!"

Seeing that she had given in, Harry released her grip, sheathed his sword, and said coldly:

"Since you are guests from afar, I will spare your lives today!"

Having said that, he drew his sword and left, leaving the woman slumped on the ground, her face ashen, unable to move for a long time.

Colin led the way into the castle and soon arrived at a small classroom next to the entrance hall.

Krum was seen leaning against the corner of the wall, lost in thought. Fleur was talking to Cedric, occasionally flicking her full head of silver hair, which seemed to flow like moonlight, dazzlingly bright.

But the liveliest spot was on the opposite side. Rita, holding a pen and paper, tried to move forward, but Lockhart blocked her way.

The two engaged in a fierce verbal battle, one wanting to explore the tiger's den, the other wanting to guard the brocade screen. Neither would give way, making for a dazzling spectacle.

When Naruto saw Harry, he leaped forward and exclaimed, "Ah! Our fourth hero has arrived!"

"I must hurry and fetch Mr. Ollivander to examine your wands!"

Rita, who was standing nearby, caught sight of Harry. Her body trembled slightly, her eyes gleaming. She smacked her lips, took small steps closer, and said with a fawning smile:

"Mr. Potter? Would you be willing to do an interview?"

"Please rest assured, I will report the facts truthfully."

"Of course he doesn't want to, Ms. Skeeter!" Lockhart said before she could finish, stepping forward to block her path.

Seeing his behavior, Rita gritted her teeth in anger. Seeing that no one was watching, she suddenly grabbed his collar and hissed:

"Lockhart! You hypocritical liar!"

"You used to call me 'Dear Miss Rita,' but now you call me 'Ms. Skeeter'?!"

"Do I need to remind you of all those glorious and great deeds you've accomplished?"

Lockhart's eyes darted around, avoiding direct eye contact, but he still stubbornly argued:

"I'm just afraid you'll get stabbed to death by Harry."

"Ha! I'd be willing to be hacked to death by him! Get out of the way!"

"Absolutely not! Don't force me to take action!"

"Pah! You think you can beat me?!"

The two were wrestling and cursing at each other when suddenly the door burst open. The three headmasters and Ollivander strode in.

Rita caught sight of Dumbledore, and her eyes lit up instantly.

He quickly released his grip on Lockhart's noodles, slipped something into his robe, turned around with a broad smile, and hurried forward to greet him:

"Long time no see, Dumbledore!"

"Did you read the article I published this summer about the International Confederation of Wizards?"

"That's wonderful." Dumbledore smiled warmly, his eyes shining brightly. "I especially loved the part where you described me as a rigid old madman."

As the saying goes, petty people fear power but not virtue, and mediocre people respect evil but not good. Seeing her change from arrogance to obsequiousness, how could Harry possibly contain himself?

He strode forward, grabbed Rita by the collar, slammed her against the wall, and shouted:

"You wicked woman, how dare you speak so rudely! Professor Dumbledore isn't someone you gossip about!"

When Rita taught Harry to shout "Thunderclap," he felt as if his three souls were fading and his seven spirits were drifting, his legs feeling as if they had been cramped, making him weak and unable to stand. A cold wind whistled behind his neck, like a ghostly hand caressing him.

When Dumbledore saw Harry stand up to protect him, a warm feeling welled up in his chest. He thought to himself that the three years of bitter medicine had not been in vain, as it had actually produced someone who cared about his well-being.

Unexpectedly, Harry glared at him and shouted, "You can't curse this old man! Only I can curse him!"

The old headmaster's heart skipped a beat, and he almost choked. He took a deep breath and said, "Alright, let's hurry up and proceed with the wand inspection."

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Ludo cleared his throat, jumped forward hastily, and said gruffly:

"Four warriors, you should all understand that a challenge must be fair and just, so I must ensure that your personal weapons have not been tampered with..."

The moment the words "fair and just" were uttered, both Kakarov and Maxim snorted, and two blasts of cold air shot out from their nostrils.

"Fair and just?"

Maxim sized Harry up and down, then said coldly, "Dumbledore, don't go too far!"

(End of this chapter)