There are several secret passages between the Hogwarts campus and Hogsmeade......

Although due to the recent state of emergency, most of them have been shut down by the Aurors and are being kept under strict guard.

However, there are still a few paths that can enter the campus, such as the Screaming Shack and the basement of the "Duke of Honey" candy store......

Although these paths could help Jon Hart sneak into Hogwarts in the middle of the night.

But the instinct in his mind told Jon that choosing the Pig's Head Bar would bring him good luck.

So, without hesitation, Jon took Astoria's hand and walked in the direction of the pig's head bar.

......

Pass the post office on Central Avenue and turn onto a side road with a small bar at the intersection......

A tattered wooden sign hung from a rusty stand on the door, on which was painted a severed pig's head, blood seeping through the white cloth that encased it.

The tattered wooden sign bears the name of the bar, "Pig's Head Bar".

"It looks so dirty in here...... Astoria whispered, "It's the first time I've been here in years." ”

“...... There seems to be a smell of mutton......" Sniffing vigorously, she added, a look of disgust on her face.

"It's okay, bear with me for a while. Jon reminded lightly, then walked over to the greasy bar door and knocked hard.

"Hmm!" Astoria nodded behind him.

"Such a big night's ......," a somewhat tired voice sounded from inside the bar.

Ten seconds later, with a dull sound of footsteps, the door of the bar was opened......

The man who opened the door was the waitress at the pig's head bar, an old man with a strange temper, tall and thin, long hair and beard grayish.

"Who the hell came to me at night and knocked on my door...... "The waitress complained in a loud voice, with a hint of impatience in his voice.

However, when he saw the "uninvited guest" outside the door, the expression on his face was suddenly stunned.

"Hart?" Aberforth-Dumbledore asked in a low voice, "How did you come to me?"

"Hello, Mr. Dumbledore. Jon said politely, "Can you borrow a word, I want to go back to Hogwarts Castle!"

"Borrow?" Aberforth Dumbledore's face, which was covered by long, rope-like hair, was even more puzzled.

He pushed his glasses, and the sharp, intelligent blue eyes hidden behind the dirty lenses blinked in confusion.

"Honestly, I don't quite understand!" he said in a deep voice, "It's such a big night, the doors of Hogwarts must be closed...... If you're going to stay with me for one night...... Room rate 6 silver west can be ......"

"No, I just wanted to excuse myself!" Jon shook his head, and then made his way into the Leaky Cauldron.

"Wait!" Aberforth-Dumbledore looked a little annoyed, but then, when he saw the girl behind him standing outside the door with an embarrassed face—

His slightly old face was stunned for a moment, and then there was a rare softness.

"Hello...... Sir...... Astoria raised her hand timidly and greeted the waitress at the pig's head bar.

"Come in, girl!" Aberforth-Dumbledore coughed lightly, then moved out of the way.

......

"Hello, sir...... Are you a friend of Jon?" Astoria asked softly.

"No......," Aberforth replied, "but my brother is on good terms with him, so I know him." ”

You look so old, how old must your brother be...... Astoria thought to herself.

But she didn't say anything......

And Aberforth treated her very politely, or politely, or even a little too politely.

"Are you going to spend the night with me?" Aberforth continued.

"No...... Jon said he wanted to go back to Hogwarts from your side......" Astoria replied.

"Back to Hogwarts from me?" Aberforth snorted, "What are you kidding...... It turns out that the Hog's Head has a secret passage back to Hogwarts...... How did I not know?"

Astoria didn't know how to answer, so she smiled awkwardly.

One old and one young, entering this small, dark, very filthy room, Astoria could smell it, and there was an even stronger smell of mutton in the room.

Several bay windows were covered with a thick layer of dirt that barely allowed the light outside, and some candles were lit on the rough wooden tables. At first glance, I thought the ground was compacted mud, but when I stepped on it, I realized that the ground was originally paved with stone and had accumulated dirt for centuries.

"Do you need a drink...... Mead, butterbeer, or Bordeaux wine!" Aberforth-Dumbledore asked softly, very attentive.

"Count...... Forget it......" Astoria quickly shook her head: "That...... Where's Jon?"

"Hart......" Aberforth's face changed suddenly, and he glanced at the living room, but found no trace of Jon: "Damn...... He shouldn't ......?"

Aberforth-Dumbledore hurriedly ran in the direction of the basement.

"Sir!" Astoria exclaimed, and she hurried after the hog-headed barman.

......

They ran behind the counter, through another door, and quickly climbed down a wooden staircase to the basement.

The basement is covered with a sturdy carpet, and the furnishings are much neater than the scruffy outside...... Above the small fireplace, hangs a huge oil painting.

But the oil painting was empty, there was nothing.

Jon Hart, sitting in front of the painting, seems to be waiting for something.

"What did you do!" Aberforth strode over to Jon, grabbed him by the collar, and growled, "Where's Ariana...... Where did you get her?"

"Wait a minute, Mr. Dumbledore!" Jon hurriedly raised his hand and pointed to the portrait, "Look, she's back!"

On the empty painting, a small white dot appeared at the end of the painting—a very beautiful girl with curly blond hair, walking towards them step by step.

She does not simply walk into the frame from one side, as in a typical portrait, but follows a long passage behind her......

Ariana Dumbledore walked towards them step by step, looking bigger and bigger.

The passage behind her was getting longer and longer, and it was bottomless.

"This ...... How could it be......" Aberforth stood there dumbfounded, looking at the empty hallway behind his sister.

At this moment, Ariana had already walked in front of them.

She smiled sweetly at Jon, and there seemed to be a hint of "invitation" to her smile.

"Thank you, Miss Dumbledore......" Jon said softly, bowing gracefully to her.

The girl's face suddenly turned red, a little shy, and seemed to want to turn away...... But she squinted at another "stranger" on the side......

Ariana was stunned on the painting, and then she raised her hand and greeted Astoria.

"Hello...... Miss...... Dumbledore...... Miss Dumbledore...... Astoria was stunned for a moment, then smiled politely at her.

"Let's go, let's go back to Hogwarts!" Jon grabbed Astoria's hand before making a final goodbye gesture to Ariana.

Then, the whole portrait opens like a small door, revealing the entrance to a real secret passageway.

Jon and Astoria burrowed into the secret passage together.

"Wait a minute, Hart!" Aberforth Dumbledore's roar came from behind him, "Why did you know that Ariana's portrait leads to Hogwarts...... Don't even know that I'm an older brother?"

"Goodbye, Mr. Dumbledore!" Jon didn't answer his question head-on, but said goodbye, "Farewell!"

......

"Luminos!"

A faint light illuminated the pitch-black secret passage, illuminating their path.

Jon...... You just called them ......" Astoria asked with some incredulity, pacing forward cautiously, "Mr. Dumbledore and Miss Dumbledore...... Then they and our principal ......"

"That's right...... They are the brothers and sisters of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore!" Jon replied simply.

"Oh my God...... Unbelievable......" Astoria said in surprise, "I've never heard of it...... Professor Dumbledore still has living relatives......"

"There's a lot more you don't know!" Jon said jokingly, "for example, where we're going to be next, you've probably never heard of it......"

"Yes, then I expect you to surprise me!" Astoria smiled sweetly, and then whispered, "Miss Dumbledore...... She looks a little like me!"

"Oh?"

"That's it...... We both have curly blond hair......" Astoria looked a little embarrassed: "So just now little Mr. Dumbledore may have mistaken me for his sister for a moment, and then he was very kind to me......"

"So Aberforth let his guard down on me, too, so I could break into the room where Ariana's portrait was!" Jon thought to himself.

It has to be said that the effect of the elixir can be said to be amazing.

But I don't know what kind of good luck what happened to him at the pig's head bar......

At this time, the passage begins to rise upwards, and the road becomes more and more difficult to walk.

Turn a corner, and the end of the passage is right in front of them. There is also a short staircase that leads to a door similar to the one behind Ariana's portrait.

Jon opened the door, and then said in a loud voice:

"Welcome to the Room of Need!"

......

"Room of Requirement?" said Astoria Greengrass, repeating the slightly unfamiliar name softly.

She walked through the door in front of her, and then couldn't help but exclaim:

"Oh my God...... It's beautiful!"

That's right, the room becomes very beautiful -

On the dark wood-inlaid windowless walls are brightly colored brocade curtains, a pink hammock against the ceiling, and a bathtub surrounded by curtains.

In addition to this, there is a cauldron for making potions, and a crafting table for making magical items...... On the workbench, there are still a lot of black books.

Jon walked over and picked up the top one—the title of the book, The Study and Defense of the Dark Arts.

The other books are basically related to black magic...... Maybe there's something useful for crafting Horcruxes.

"You say, this is the Room of Requirement...... I've never heard of it before......" Astoria sat happily in her hammock and asked with some curiosity, "We're at Hogwarts now?"

"That's right...... It's a magical house, also known as the 'House of Comings and Goings', which comes and goes, and only comes in when one needs it. Jon nodded, "It's on the eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle across from the tapestry of the troll stick beating the silly Barnabas." ”

"It's incredible...... Astoria exclaimed, "If only there could be a pillow in the hammock!"

As soon as Astoria finished speaking, a soft pillow suddenly appeared next to her, almost startling her.

Jon lowered his head and examined the workbench and cauldron to make sure there was anything wrong.

"Jon, what do you mean......" Astoria on the side looked up and asked in a low voice, "Are we here, starting to make Horcruxes?"

"That's right!" Jon nodded, as he had taken the materials used to make the Horcruxes, as well as the hallucinogenic herbs that could split souls, out of his suitcase and placed them on the workbench and by the cauldron.

He's already started!

......

I learned the scene I saw from the memory of the giantess with "Regent Thoughts...... Jon added wormwood, kava root, Payot cactus, and other herbs to the cauldron and patiently pounded them into a juice.

Then he carefully collected the juice and collected it into a crystal bottle.

Turning back, he and Astoria explained, "Let's start with the first step...... I first need to make the contours of your soul silky......"

Astoria's face turned red...... In a small mosquito-like voice, she said, "Are you going to smear those things all over my body......

"It should be......" Jon nodded a little awkwardly.

Astoria looked around, finally focusing on the bathtub that had been covered by a curtain.

"That...... No peeking is allowed later......" She lowered her head and whispered, "Did you hear that?"

"I swear!" Jon said quickly.

Astoria slipped into it and climbed into the tub.

Jon turned around as well, trying not to listen to Soso's voice inside......