Chapter 348 Hermione's Experience
Upon hearing her words, everyone was astonished.
This scene was far different from what Ron had seen in the illusion. Hermione was not in danger, there were no monsters attacking her, but instead, she returned to a classroom at Hogwarts.
She saw a professor she had never seen in the illusion. Who could it be?!
"In the illusion, I suddenly appeared in a classroom on the third floor of the school," Hermione recalled, "It was a room I had never been to. It was decorated in a strange medieval style, with thick curtains hanging on the walls and shining armor and weapons by the window."
"There is no classroom like that on the third floor," Ron interjected, "there is only the Charms Classroom and the Trophy Room on that floor. At the end of the dark hallway is the trapdoor guarded by the three-headed dog, Fluffy. It leads to the secret chamber where Dumbledore hid the Philosopher's Stone."
"But I'm sure I returned to the third floor of the castle. I saw the statue of the One-Eyed Witch outside the door. I was in the large round hall next to it," Hermione said.
"That statue is surrounded by walls, Hermione!" Harry remembered.
Behind the One-Eyed Witch statue, there was a secret tunnel leading to the Honeydukes sweetshop in Hogsmeade. Evan had used this passage this year because he was not old enough to go to Hogsmeade yet.
Therefore, he was very familiar with the area near the secret passage.
As Harry and Ron pointed out, there were no classrooms but walls.
But Hermione couldn't have been mistaken about the One-Eyed Witch statue. It was very peculiar. It was said to be of an orphan passed down when the school was established a thousand years ago, probably by the original owner of the castle, as part of the Slytherin family collection.
Now that Hermione saw the statue, she must have returned to the castle in the illusion, but it shouldn't be the real Hogwarts.
The Gryffindor's own proof of the illusion, the precious statue inherited since the castle's establishment, the hall decorated in a medieval aristocratic style...
Evan suddenly thought Hermione might have returned to Hogwarts a thousand years ago.
Seeing that everyone was still discussing the classroom's decoration, he hurriedly intervened. "Hermione, you just said there was a wizard who gave you a lecture. What was he like?"
"I still remember him. That wizard is very powerful, and he is hard to forget once you've seen him," Hermione closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then slowly described, "He is around forty years old, handsome, with fiery red hair, an indescribable temperament, dressed in an old-fashioned muggle aristocratic suit..."
"I fail to see what's so great about that!" Ron snorted and muttered. "Sounds like Lockhart, another charlatan!"
"He's not a charlatan, that wizard is very strong. All the magic he taught me is very profound and complex," Hermione retorted, "After listening to his lecture, I had a sudden sense of openness. There was so much knowledge that couldn't be found in the library."
"That's what you said about Lockhart last year," Ron stubbornly replied, "Although he can't even really cast magic, there are still many girls who adore him. You're always prone to be deceived by flashy appearances."
Their eyes followed Hermione's gaze and looked at Evan standing beside her.
Evan had been staring at Ron's hair. He was thinking about Hermione's evaluation of the wizard. A wizard with red hair was very rare. Among the people he had met, besides the Weasleys, only Godric Gryffindor himself had that hair color.
Hermione also wanted to argue with Ron, but she heard Evan say, "In addition to the red hair and the muggle aristocratic suits, the wizard had a thin scar on his left eye. He carried a long sword with him and placed it next to his wand."
"Yes, have you seen it too?!" said Hermione, surprised.
All turned their heads and looked at Evan in astonishment. It wasn't clear how he knew the mysterious wizard who appeared in Hermione's illusion.
"If I'm not mistaken, the wizard you met is Godric Gryffindor," Evan smiled bitterly. "Remember, I returned to Hogwarts a thousand years ago last year and saw the Four Founders of the school. Each of them had a very unique temperament, and it's hard to forget them once you've seen them."
There was a silence for a few seconds, and everyone reluctantly accepted this fact.
"This is incredible!" exclaimed Harry. "It's hard to imagine that you actually saw Gryffindor in the illusion. He even taught you magic in person."
"I don't know..." Hermione looked at Evan, appearing frightened.
"But all I encountered in the illusion were Acromantulas," Ron whispered. "Hermione, what did Gryffindor tell you, and why did you fail?"
"He taught me much about deep and esoteric magic. It was becoming increasingly challenging to learn, from the most common Transfiguration to the rare Alchemy," said Hermione. "I feel like I spent a lot of time in the illusion; every time I finished a spell, he would ask me questions. In the end, he posed a question about Alchemy. I didn't answer it. A voice told me I had failed, and then I returned here again."
It didn't sound like a test for Gryffindor in person to teach you magic.
Although Hermione failed in the end, it was a rare experience. If she could master all the magic she learned in the illusion, her strength would be greatly enhanced.
In any case, it was better than Ron's experience of just being scared.
Everyone was amazed, and Evan and Hermione whispered about the last question she didn't answer about Alchemy.
She had recently read many ancient books on magic and had some understanding in this area.
Since ancient times, Alchemy had been the cornerstone of magic, along with Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, etc. Because the knowledge involved was too esoteric and complicated, only students who had passed the Ordinary Wizarding Levels examination could participate. It was an optional subject for sixth and seventh years, and also had the lowest pass rate.
It was well known that Dumbledore was a famous alchemist.
His exposition of the twelve uses of dragon's blood was considered an inner study of magic, and as a result, he received the Order of Merlin, First Class.
"Remember, in fantasy, anything can happen, and it's entirely real," said Sirius. "There are many different ways to test. It's not impossible to encounter Gryffindor like Hermione did. James saw him there in that year."
"My father had also seen Gryffindor?!" asked Harry, surprised. "Sirius, was he taught by Gryffindor like Hermione?"
"Well, no," Sirius shook his head and said, "He told me that he and Gryffindor had a duel in the illusion, but he failed in the end."