Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

Chapter 360 Quiet

Thea, breathing in fresh air again, couldn't help but stop and linger among the rose bushes by the door.

Old Nott, hurrying along, interrupted the young girl's beautiful scene of admiring the flowers.

"Thea, Thea...you have to think of something—"

"He...he's lost his mind! Even Theodore is on the list of those to be deployed..."

Old Nott spoke in a low voice, even though Voldemort had already gone to the front lines to inspect the situation this morning.

The anxious and fearful resentment of old Nott filled the air, making Thea's indifferent demeanor all the more striking.

Old Nott wasn't in a hurry and continued to throw out his chips.

“Theodore is like that, and so are Draco, Zabini, Daphne, and those other kids… We haven’t heard from them since the day the war was declared—”

Old Nott was pleased to see Thea's expression soften, so he pressed on, lowering his voice even further:

"Nott, Malfoy, Greengrass...we have been waiting for your triumphant return..."

"As soon as you give the word, we'll immediately..."

Voldemort doesn't care about their offspring's lineage, so don't blame them for turning against him!

Seeing that old Nott had finished throwing out his chips, Thea finally relented: "Help me send out a few letters... Also, I need to see Gella."

Compared to Thea ignoring him, the fact that the other party was now giving him orders as if it were perfectly natural made Old Nott feel even more at ease.

He readily agreed.

Before leaving, old Nott, as if possessed, turned back to look at Thea, who was still standing by the flower bushes. At that moment, the direct sunlight was partially blocked by the shade of the trees, and Thea was admiring the flowers in the shadows. Old Nott suddenly felt that she looked exactly like a colorful venomous snake hiding in the grass.

That evening, heavy envelopes departed from Nott’s old house, owls scattered in all directions, and no one knew where they were headed.

Meanwhile, Thea quietly slipped out of the side door of Riddle's old house, moving cautiously, and the guards made no move.

"To Hogwarts!"

Thea spoke succinctly, and Gella understood immediately. After they both climbed into the carriage, she pulled an envelope from her bosom, and Thea's eyes flickered slightly.

"...It was sent from over there, it sounds like some kind of metal product..."

Resurrection Stone.

Thea had no doubt about the authenticity of the items; she was simply surprised.

Between Potter and herself, Dumbledore actually chose herself—especially after she cast a Killing Curse on Potter.

It's simply unbelievable.

She was prepared for Dumbledore to break the agreement, after all, that agreement... was simply ridiculous!

Thea fell silent, but Gella couldn't; she whispered to Thea about the latest intelligence.

Some things Thea knew, and some things Thea didn't know.

"Draco and the others are ready. We'll go in from Hogsmeade. The guards at Hogwarts aren't as strong as before, so we might be a little pressed for time..."

"Besides Black Lake, where else would you like to go? I'll have them prepare."

"No need for that, it'll be over after you see Black Lake."

Gella was puzzled. She vaguely knew that Thea had made preparations on the island in the middle of the lake. At first, she thought it was just a backup plan, but now it seemed that it wasn't.

After all, no matter how important a backup plan is, it doesn't need Thea to rush over and check it herself the night before the final battle.

"Bella, as the vanguard, arrived at Hogwarts this morning and launched the first charge at noon, but it failed."

Thea knew this, otherwise why would Voldemort have spent an entire day on patrol?

"The second wave is led by Barty Jr., and Mystic may also be in this wave, but it is also possible that he will not follow the time of the final battle, but will directly lead all the Death Eaters to charge into the fray."

"Within Hogwarts, Draco and his group are still managing to control the situation. While the other houses are taking a cold look, there haven't been any large-scale conflicts yet..."

Time passed quietly as Gellar gave his report.

They crawled through narrow tunnels, endured heart-pounding disguised patrols, and evaded patrolling professors and upperclassmen who seemed to appear out of nowhere…

The closer they got to Black Lake, the weaker the patrols became.

Until the two stood by the Black Lake.

Their tacit understanding goes without saying; with just a glance, Gella followed Thea and jumped into the Black Lake.

Draco, watching the two resolute figures from the shadows, clenched his fists, but ultimately left.

He needs to do a good job of inspection.

Gella lost count of how many times she choked on water, while Thea, who worried her even more, remained completely silent throughout, as skillfully as a swimming fish.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

After patting Gella's back until she recovered, Thea walked around the small island in the lake without stopping for a moment.

He walked around the edge as if assessing the situation, then turned to the center, interspersed with actions such as bending down to remove soil, burying it again, removing soil again, and burying it again.

By the time the check was finished, 20 minutes had passed.

Seeing that there was plenty of time, Thea took Gella along and walked together from the Black Lake to the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin.

It's more like a pipeline than a road.

What does it feel like to walk through a pipe filled with water?

The words "cramped" and "oppressive" became tangible at this moment.

Having finally climbed out of the pipe, Gella was already panting heavily, while Thea had already gotten up and completed a series of bloodline verification procedures.

"Come in!"

Thea's tone was triumphant, like a child showing off their treasure to a friend—

However, this is something to be proud of.

Over time, the ink and parchment fully blend together, eventually creating a unique, aged aroma.

It was under this smell that Gella saw the scene she would probably never forget for the rest of her life:

The room was spacious, but when rows of spiderweb-like, 4-meter-high bookshelves filled it to the brim, it became impossible to describe it as spacious.

“Gella, these are all my trump cards—”

"Exceptional wisdom is the greatest wealth of mankind."

"As expected of Ravenclaw..."

Thea's sigh didn't resonate with Gella, because at that moment, Gella understood the question that had puzzled her for so long.

Why does Thea always stay out all night?

Why is Thea always better than them?

Why are her fingers so much more twisted than theirs when she writes?

Gella remained silent, and Thea kindly gave her time to process it.

Suddenly, a warm embrace enveloped her.

Thea heard Gella give a short laugh, but then the warm liquid that hit her neck made Thea momentarily lose her composure.

"You... how can you be so amazing..."

“Clearly…clearly I’m the closest person to you here, but I only just realize how arrogant I was…”

You were so brave and quiet that I even forgot you were in pain.