On the long staircase, students crowded together as they ascended.
Today’s active staircases were especially considerate, always sending them to higher floors rather than causing trouble for those in a hurry like they usually did.
A sob echoed in the crowd.
“I want to send a message to my mom… but I forgot to bring my Friendship Book when I left.”
A girl cried out, her words making several others sniffle uncontrollably.
“Don’t worry,” a senior student consoled, “The castle is sturdy, the flood will recede soon, and then we can all go back to the common room.”
Another student said, “I have a Communication Pea, and when we reach a safe place, I can lend it to you.”
The atmosphere among the crowd eased a little.
Just then, Fred suddenly let out a long sigh.
“What’s the matter, Fred?” George shouted.
Fred whistled and said, “George, I always thought the most we’d do in our lives was blow up toilets, but I never imagined we’d see the Black Lake explode one day!”
George understood immediately, and regretfully said, “What a shame, if this were our doing, just this feat could be written into ‘Hogwarts: A History.’
“Shut up, you two.” Hermione pretended to be stern: “Not blowing up the Black Lake, not even toilets are allowed!”
Fred complained: “Goodness, Hermione, you are definitely going to be the next Professor McGonagall.”
“Thank you for the compliment!” Hermione seemed delighted to hear this.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances and showed a wry smile.
Someone in the line gasped and asked, “I say, can’t you focus on escaping for real?”
Percy followed quietly in the queue, hearing the joking of the twins and classmates, he couldn’t help but grip his Magic Wand, instinctively feeling uncomfortable and wanting to chide them.
Then he remembered, he was no longer the Student Council President… Although it seemed more prestigious to be an official at the Ministry of Magic, reprimanding students over such trivial matters would be rather odd.
—Childish!
Percy silently commented in his heart, feeling that the laughter was somewhat jarring.
Students reached the third floor and then the fourth floor, the original laughter gradually disappearing, fear and anxiety weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts.
The walls were still leaking, the tapestries on the walls were damp, the people in the portraits were huddling together in unease, some even shouting:
“Hey, kid, would you take my portrait? I don’t want to become a fish underwater! Though I can’t become one anyway!”
The shout echoed between the walls, but there was no reply from the students.
“Professor McGonagall!”
At the back of the queue, Professor McGonagall, watching over the students, stopped in her tracks, turning to see it was Professor Snape calling her.
“The Black Lake cannot possibly cause such a large flood,” he spoke in a lowered voice: “It’s not the sea, it doesn’t have tides or endless water to rise to such heights.”
“I know.”
Professor McGonagall said.
Snape glanced at her, saying, “Then it should be someone… or something…”
“This is not the time to discuss this, Professor Snape,” Professor McGonagall said, “Settling the students is more important than anything.”
She turned around, about to continue on, when a figure squeezed through the crowd, quickly approaching them.
It was Linden Miller, who urgently said, “Professor McGonagall, with such a big incident, is Headmaster Dumbledore not going to address it?”
Professor McGonagall frowned: “Dumbledore went to Uagadou to attend the International Wizarding Union’s discussion on Human Transfiguration Technique, he cannot make it back in time.”
Linden appeared somewhat disappointed: “I see… I was thinking, if the Headmaster were here, the students surely wouldn’t be as frightened…”
“Even if Dumbledore isn’t here, we must protect this school ourselves.”
Professor McGonagall spoke, her gaze sweeping over the students holding each other’s arms for support.
“If everyone’s safety relies on the Headmaster alone, then what is the purpose of our existence?”
She looked at Linden and said sharply:
“And what about you—aren’t you here for the students’ safety? This is the time your strength is needed.”
Linden’s worried expression froze slightly and he said, “Of course, we will definitely give it our all.”
Professor McGonagall busied herself with attending to the students, while Linden slowed his pace, with Snape also falling behind at the last.
Once they were distanced from the others, Linden walked alongside Snape and whispered:
“Though I’m unsure of the reason, this is a good opportunity for us.”
“…A good opportunity?” Snape glanced at him.
“Precisely.” Linden’s lips curled slowly, “We can seize the chance to observe Hogwarts’ crisis management capabilities, its defense mechanisms and weaknesses, as well as…”
His gaze moved upward.
Above the spiral staircase leading upward, separated by roughly a floor’s distance, Harry Potter and his classmates were walking, and Linden could even faintly hear the red-haired voice called “Harry.”
He contentedly said, “Our master has the chance to obtain everything they need amidst the chaos.”
Snape watched those panic-stricken faces, his expression subtle.
He said, “Indeed, it is an opportunity… I can cover for you, but don’t expect me to make a move alongside you. The master’s order was for me to remain hidden at Hogwarts, which is most important to me.”
Linden nodded: “Understood, your cooperation is enough.”
If Snape really were to act jointly with him, Linden would be somewhat displeased—
On one hand, the Professor of Potions was too conspicuous, even dressed like a black bat, his presence was remarkable;
On the other hand, he doesn’t want Snape to take half of the assured credit.
The crowd reached the fifth floor, the gaps in windows and corridors finally stopped leaking, the ground was dry, and the air no longer seemed so humid.
Some of the younger students in front stopped, holding their knees and gasping for air, looking back at those behind them.
Even the stairs they climbed several times each day seemed exhaustingly taxing when escaping in panic.
A prefect’s voice came from behind:
“Keep moving up! To the sixth floor! Rest only after reaching the sixth floor!”
The crowd began moving again, weary legs dragging heavy steps, the pace unconsciously slowed, security and temperature rising slightly together.
Finally reaching the sixth floor, students opened long-unused empty classrooms to find dust-covered desks and uncleaned blackboards, air filled with the smell of dust.
They flocked into the classrooms, some collapsing heavily onto chairs, some sliding directly onto the ground leaning against the walls, some lying on the windowsill looking out—
The floods seemed to surge right beneath them, sometimes abruptly rising several meters, sometimes suddenly receding, revealing the upper halves of the courtyard statues.
“Oh my…”
A gasp echoed in the crowd:
“What is that?”
“Look! Look at the center of the water!”
“Merlin’s grace! Am I dreaming?”
More people moved towards the window, professors also walked over.
Outside the window, the entire Black Lake was churning, gigantic waves soared and crashed back down, the lake waters roared and howled, continuously assaulting the castle.
This scene was far more terrifying than what they envisioned while hiding behind walls.
But that wasn’t the reason why the students collectively gasped.
What truly shocked everyone was that amidst the surging waves, a huge beast was rolling.