Archaeologists at Hogwarts

The Christmas vacation is finally over, and Hermione returns to school on the Hogwarts Express.

She couldn't wait to find Harry and Ron, wanting to know if they knew who Nick Flamel was.

"What?! You haven't found out anything? Are you still wandering around the school every day? What if Filch—oh, no, what if you get caught by Professor Hemmer?!"

Hermione subconsciously thought of another, more terrifying possibility.

"Well..." Harry hesitated to tell him about Professor Heimer turning into a devil, even though he was very sure that it was just Professor Heimer's prank.

There was no other way, so Hermione had no choice but to continue fighting in the library with the two useless boys. Harry always believed that he had heard this name somewhere, but he couldn't remember it.

Hermione also knew the reason for the abnormal voting results at the Teacher Appreciation Meeting. Principal Dumbledore also announced the truth about the "farce" at the dinner on the first day of school, but he did not mention Toby. This was Toby's request.

He pursues ancient magic, but not this kind of well-intentioned type of praise. Only a few people know the deeper reasons, including Hermione today.

This made her feel complicated on the way to the Ancient Magic Office. She had never thought that Professor Heimer had such a pitiful experience - no one gave him a gift on Christmas when he was in school.

She lightly buttoned the door and pushed it open after receiving the answer.

Soon, Hermione realized that she was thinking too much.

Professor Heimer looked like he was in a good mood. He was humming an unknown tune softly, holding a valuable silver plate in one hand and waving his wand in the other hand, causing the water droplets in the silver plate to flow toward

It was sprinkled on the rotting wooden door - Hermione remembered that this was also one of Professor Heimer's collections, and it appeared in the office together with the pharaoh's coffin.

Mr. Al is not idle either. He is sitting on a flying carpet and constantly flying around the wooden door, occasionally sprinkling down some fragrant powder.

They seemed to be trying to plant wooden doors, but Hermione always felt that the wooden doors were decaying faster.

"Hello, Miss Granger."

"ah."

"Hello, Professor Heimer, hello, Mr. Al."

Hermione walked to her desk with doubts in her mind, and a new batch of first drafts automatically flew in front of her. However, she did not read it immediately, but quietly glanced at Professor Hemmer and his assistant - just for a moment,

The wooden door became more decayed.

"Hai...Professor Heimo?"

"Is there a problem?"

"What are you doing?"

"Are you asking about watering the Mason door?"

"Oh...what?" Hermione was stunned.

"Mason Door." Toby patiently explained: "This door is very magical. It needs to be cultivated with ice water and pollen. When it is almost decayed, it can be restored to its original appearance, and then you can get into the door and enter another world.

A wonderful world. It can also be said to be the other side of the real world."

"This door is my most interesting collection, bar none."

Hermione was confused when she heard it, but she was still yearning for it.

"Then when you walk through this door, can I come with you?"

"Of course - no!"

Toby suddenly strengthened his voice, startling Hermione for a moment.

"Only wizards who are emotionally mature enough can pass through the Mason Gate. Otherwise, not only will they be confused by the scene in another world, and they will never be able to return smoothly, the Mason Gate will also be destroyed. Students cannot enter casually, your emotions

It's not enough to support your ability to survive on the other side of the Mason Gate. Now is the time for you to learn how to correctly control your emotions, which is magic."

"Okay... okay." Hermione said frustratedly. Although the Mason Gate sounded dangerous, Professor Heimer's decisive refusal was still a bit difficult to get used to.

After a while, Cedric also rushed to the office - he had been absent for a long time due to Quidditch training, and now that school has just started, he finally has time to continue studying the magic circle.

There was still a smile on the young man's fair face. Although the smile froze for a second after seeing Toby and Al's strange behavior, Cedric still said happily: "Mr. Al, I am

You brought a gift, but it was too late for Christmas, so it was successfully made today."

Hermione quietly raised her ears and turned her head again. She saw Cedric take out a sparkling glass ball from his pocket. It was hollow and had a bunch of flames dancing inside.

This is really a nice gift.

Hermione thought.

Xiu Xiu likes this kind of shiny things the most, and Cedric is Mr. Al's assistant, so he is obviously very concerned about this gift.

Al took the glass ball and fiddled with it twice in his paws - Cedric suddenly became uneasy. He did not see the cheerful expression on Mr. Al's face as he expected - but he probably didn't remember it.

Wrong? Xiu Xiu likes shiny things the most.

Al threw the glass ball upwards and suddenly made a short sound: "Cut."

"Huh?" Hermione blinked. Did she hear it wrong? Can Mr. Al make any sounds other than "yeah"?

"Um..." Cedric looked more confused than Hermione, and at the same time a little worried. Did Mr. Al think his gift was not sincere enough...or was it precious?

At this time, Toby suddenly said after sprinkling the last drop of water: "You two, don't think too much. Al is not an ordinary sniffer. It's not easy to impress him."

Cedric didn't know what to do - so Mr. Al really didn't like his gift?

He suddenly saw Mr. Al fumble in his belly pocket and take out another object that shone in the light, then flicked it and Cedric quickly caught it.

It's a gold galleon.

"But this time it looks pretty good." Toby said quietly: "It seems that Al is very satisfied with this gift, so he will give you such a return gift..."

After a pause, he added: "The first gift I got in return was just a silver Sicor, not a gold Galleon."

Al also flew to Cedric, patted the young man's shoulder with solemn eyes: "Yeah!"

"It allows you to keep up your efforts." Toby continued to translate: "Don't embarrass it, after all, you are its assistant."

"Oh." Cedric finally came to his senses. He looked at the gold galleons in his hand and said excitedly: "This is too expensive. The flame glass ball is not worth so much money. At most, it will cost more."

It’s just thoughts.”

Hermione looked at this scene with envy.

"What Al values ​​​​is your thoughts." Toby waved his hand and said: "And there is nothing worth rejecting. This gold galleon was dug by us in the Forbidden Forest. It is probably left by a rich man who disappeared before.

of."

"Missing...missing?" Cedric suddenly felt that the gold coins in his hand were a little hot to the touch.

"It's possible he's dead."

Toby said calmly: "This can be regarded as an alternative inheritance. The connection between students for hundreds of years. Maybe the students who died were also from Hufflepuff House."

Hermione quietly turned her head back, and all the envy in her heart suddenly disappeared.

Cedric sat uneasily in his seat. He raised his head and glanced at Professor Heimer and Mr. Al. He sighed silently and put away the gold galleons, preparing to never spend them.

He glanced at the only person in the room who could communicate normally: The professor really hasn't changed at all.

Hermione quickly closed her eyes after responding to avoid being noticed by the professor.

You still have to say it.