Hogwarts is finished.

Maca still couldn't read what was going on in her heart—the anger and surprise at first were gradually dissipating, and what remained was nothing but deep powerlessness and perhaps an inexplicable sense of frustration.

Although he didn't say it, he still had some conceit in his heart. From the beginning of the admission to Hogwarts, not to mention smooth sailing, at least every incident can be resolved safely in the end.

Even when he gave up on completely exterminating Voldemort halfway, for some reason that "seemed to be accidental, but in fact it was inevitable", he cautiously stabilized the situation after obtaining the "Book of Evil".

But this time, the first Dark Lord Gellert Greenwald taught him a good lesson with a thunderous trick after a period of lurking in the shadows.

Although Maca still doesn't know what Greenwald has been up to during this time. But when Greenwald took out the floor-to-ceiling mirror, he at least understood some of the reasons why he couldn't see clearly.

It turned out that from the very beginning, he had been misled by the guise thrown by Greenwald. This was true of the Silent Incident, as was the attack of Lord Voldemort, and even the series of events of the Greek refuge.

Maca thought that she had resolved these events in a timely and beautiful manner, but she didn't expect that it was not "everything was under his control", but "Greenwald made him mistakenly think that things were under his control".

And now that I think about it, Greenwald's inducement obviously began with the provocative letter left in the tower of Newmengard.

Maca finally understood that she didn't fall for his provocation, this is the real trick!

Trying to deceive a person does not mean that you will succeed by instilling a lie in that person. If you want the deceived person to believe the lie, you must let that person step on the trap himself.

Of course, at the end of the day, Greenwald's goal is not to get back to his old business at all. Now he has no nostalgia for power - this is the biggest reason why Maca was tricked.

The asymmetry of information made Maca, a former little liar, also deceived ruthlessly.

Greenwald's escape from Newmondard was really just looking for a way to meet his old friend.

Or rather, he wants to catch up with that former best friend again. Whether it's a real path or a magical journey, that's probably the case.

At this moment, there is still goose feather snow in the sky, and the ground is still covered with plain silver makeup. The snow curtain that spread all over the field of vision seemed to cover everything up, and the wind rushed down, but it couldn't hide the shocking gray in the air.

Standing outside the sphere of influence of the floor-to-ceiling mirror, Maca looked at Hogwarts Castle from afar, looking at the torrent of souls that meandered in the air and merged into a long river, and couldn't help but clench the staff in her hand.

There are many people in that long river of souls.

There are people who have been with him for several years, teaching him magic, giving him common sense, studying with him, and playing with him; Some of them had barely met him, but the potions bottles he used, the materials he used, the reference books, and even the robes and utensils on his body may have been closely related to them.

But now, he could only watch dryly, and he didn't know how to stop it. Not to mention stopping, even if he himself took another step forward, it wouldn't be long before he would follow in their footsteps.

At the moment, there was only one question in Maca's mind - could the other side of the misty mirror really be the space Dumbledore had been to?

“…… Next...... What to do? He stared at the tragic and spectacular scene in a daze, and his originally somewhat sluggish mind began to spin again, "I wonder if Harry and Ron have had time to leave?" ”

In fact, Harry's speculation was very close to the truth, and they were indeed only released when the time was up. The room that had trapped them for more than ten hours, the room where there was an event, but Maca had added a special setting first.

But Harry wasn't entirely right, because Maca didn't set any tests at all. He just found a reason to protect these two guys who came to Hogwarts in a hurry.

As I've said before, Maca will never be an indiscriminate gambler who throws any chips at the table, and he will not risk his friend's safety.

It stands to reason that Ariana's portrait should have appeared around the same time as the Round Mirror, perhaps even earlier, and Harry and Ron might have escaped this if they had gone faster.

In addition to Harry and Ron, Hermione and Luna, the two girls with whom he was most closely related, one accompanied his parents in his own Muggle family, and the other also enjoyed holidays in his own home.

And, of course, Willy, the cursed girl, is still far away in Paris! It was the one he didn't have to worry about the most.

It can be said that although this time it can be said that it was a complete defeat, at least the people he cares about the most should still be alive. If Harry and Ron were okay, it would be great.

It's a blessing in misfortune – so to speak?

Maca pondered expressionlessly, but the more he thought about it, the more unwilling he became. This idea of getting by may be similar to his personality in the past, but it doesn't mean that it is the same now!

Hogwarts is equivalent to Dumbledore's own hands, even if the process and method of delivery make him speechless, but after all, this is an old man's last entrustment. Moreover, it was the old man who brought all this colorful life to Luna, Hermione, Harry, and Ron...... and a series of other friends, gifted to him who had nothing.

He still can't forget the energy and hope that the initial letter of admission represents.

And now, can he really just ignore something so important? Even if he is completely helpless now, can he really let it go?

If you think about it more rationally, now Greenwald has left this world, Voldemort's remnant soul has been successfully released by him, and even the strange floor-to-ceiling round mirror only shows its horror in this uninhabited mountain.

Truth be told, aside from the victims at Hogwarts Castle, this ending is pretty good. If nothing else, if Greenwald had put this broken mirror in a city, it would have been a historic catastrophe!

In this regard, Maca had to admit that the "kindness" he had felt in Greenwald before was indeed not another deception.

Even if he didn't fully understand what the other party was thinking in the end, it was an indisputable fact that he no longer had the idea of making trouble in the European magical world again.

However......

"Is that really good?"

Maca reached out and rubbed it vigorously on the side of her head, a hint of fatigue on her face.

Whenever he was unwilling, everything in front of him seemed to remind him, knocking heavily on his heart. The long river of souls had already been swallowed up by the mirror, and even if he thought of a way to stop it now, it was obviously too late.

Not to mention, he simply didn't have anything to think about right now.

The silver floor-to-ceiling mirror stood silently in the snow, as if to tell him that accepting reality was his only choice now.

When the last soul was helplessly pulled into the mirror by the suction, he found that the effect of the mirror continued, as if it would never stop. He finally let out a long breath, and as the space distorted for a moment, he disappeared in place.

At this point, he had to go to Hogsmeade to find Harry and Ron, hoping they were alive and well.

……

Shortly after Maca had left with the portkey, there was a "crackling" sound on a hillside some distance from where he had left, and Harry and Ron fell into the snow with a thud, smashing into two shallow puddles.

"Harry, can't you be more careful when your apparition appears?" Ron grumbled as he clutched his head.

"I told you I haven't practiced yet, Sirius hasn't allowed me to use it outside!" Harry struggled to his feet, and then quickly looked left and right, "This is not Hogwarts yet, it seems to be in a different position...... But at least our heads and bodies are not separated, and we are not missing arms or legs, which is good. ”

Before he fully learned, he dared to show up with a human entourage, which was already an unprecedented nonsense. But the reason why they did this can only be said to be forced by circumstances.

"Ron, hurry up, we need to get back to Hogwarts as soon as possible......" Harry hurriedly grabbed Ron's hand and tried to pull him up, "I wish Maka was free now." ”

"He's got to be free this time!"

Ron also looked anxious, and with Harry's help, he rubbed his head and stood up. It seems that the fall just now was not light, and the taste of the phantom manifestation was not good, so he looked a little dizzy now.

"Are you alright?" Harry noticed his appearance and asked hurriedly.

"It's okay, even if something happens, it's not now!" Ron shook his hand, and he was able to stand still, and immediately asked, "Harry, can you do it again?" ”

"No, I'm afraid not......," Harry said, taking a step and running, "on two legs!" We're not far from Hogwarts! ”

The two who wanted to go back to school didn't know that what was waiting in front of them was a forbidden area of creatures that they couldn't cross at all.

"Stop!"

The two had just run far when they heard an abrupt voice behind them. The voice was cold and indifferent, but it made Harry and Ron feel an inexplicable familiarity.

“…… Don't go any further, if you don't want to die yet. ”