The Death Knell

"Why? I want to go home for Christmas. I'm really tired this semester."

Hermione pouted and acted coquettishly, holding the professor's arm and swinging her around. It was okay to stay in school for Christmas last year. Why would she go to France this winter?

"There are a total of 11 ancient magic schools in the world registered with the International Federation of Wizards. Each school has its traditional superior subjects, and even has real secrets that other schools don't know. There are three of these eleven magic schools in Europe. ..."

The little girl understood and raised her hand: "I know, they are Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Durmstrang College. Are you taking me to Beauxbatons?"

"Remember what happened to Nico Flamel last year? The principal used the excuse that what he hid was his Philosopher's Stone, but it was actually the stolen Resurrection Stone. It was a trap to verify whether Voldemort was really alive."

Su Ming touched her head. She was a little taller than last year, but her front teeth were still a little bigger.

"I remember, but what does it matter?"

Hermione showed a helpless look. She felt that if it was really like what was written in the book, the Philosopher's Stone would be much more useful than the Resurrection Stone.

Su Ming pulled her to the troll tapestry. As soon as she saw the location, she knew what to do. She needed a confidential room to talk.

After taking a few steps back and forth, a door appeared on the wall, and she and the professor walked in. It was a heavily guarded secret room, like a prison interrogation room.

There wasn't even a sofa, just cold wooden stools.

She heard the professor close the door and a gentle voice sounded behind her:

"I have told Dumbledore a long time ago that Voldemort is still alive. But he didn't believe it at all before, and he didn't think about Horcruxes. He chose to steal the Resurrection Stone as bait just because it was the patriarch's ring of the Gaunt family. He felt that Voldemort If you were still alive you might want to get it back.”

Hermione pouted: "Then why did you tell me it was the Philosopher's Stone?"

"Because Dumbledore started acting unilaterally without telling me what happened. Although he and I were allies, he didn't trust me at that time. All the explanations he gave the professors were about the Sorcerer's Stone." Su Ming said directly Pass the blame to Lao Deng.

Hermione took a deep breath and sat on the stool. The torch cast a swaying shadow on the wall not far away: "Bragging, you always say that you are allies with Dumbledore, but he is the principal and you are just a professor. .”

"Still 'just' a professor? Are your wings stiff?"

Su Ming pinched Hermione's little face, causing her to grab her hands in the air. Then he lit a cigarette, sat on the bench opposite Hermione, and said in a deep tone:

"I wanted to get along with you as an ordinary person, but I didn't expect that what I got in exchange was doubt. Okay, I'm showing off. In fact, I also have my own magic academy, and I am also the principal."

"..."

The little girl tilted her head with an expression of 'disbelief'. She was used to him always saying all kinds of baseless things and regarded it as a genius disease.

She admitted that he did know a lot and was very strong, but sometimes his imagination was too rich and he couldn't distinguish between dreams and reality...

"Then principal, where is your school?"

"Not in this world."

"Haha, is that in the Kingdom of Dreams or the Underworld?"

"If I don't tell you, I'll take you to further study when you grow up. Are you willing?"

"If you really have a school, then I really want to go."

In this way, Hermione unintentionally booked a future journey and took a solid step towards becoming the Supreme Mage.

Su Ming achieved his goal and had no intention of proving himself to the little girl now. He brought the topic back to his trip to France: "Anyway, I talked to Dumbledore afterwards. He deeply realized his mistake and told me Apologizing and saying that Nico Flamel owed me a favor..."

"Wait a minute." Hermione waved her hand: "Why did the principal say that he was wrong, but Flamel owed you a favor?"

"Because Lao Deng and Flamel have a very good relationship, he originally said that he owed me something, but I didn't think it was enough, so I said that he should replace it with that of his good friend Flamel. In this way, Flamel owes me one, and he owes Flamel one, no. Is everyone satisfied?"

Su Ming shook the ashes from his cigarette and said matter-of-factly.

Hermione's eyes were a little numb: "So, can something like 'one debt' be used as a bargaining chip?"

"Huh? Haven't you ever seen war movies? In those soldiers, you save me during the battle, and I save you, and the words "I owe you once" are always there. Think about the people who survived after the whole world war. How messy are people’s debt relationships?”

"Okay...but you haven't said what my trip to Beauxbatons has to do with this?"

Hermione sighed cutely, like a depressed bunny from lack of food.

Su Ming crossed her arms and sat across from her with a cigarette under her arm. She smoked and said:

"Nicolas Flamel entered Beauxbatons to study magic in 1327, and met his future wife Perenal there. The couple was very affectionate to that school, even though Beauxbatons was just a few small shabby rooms at the time. A house, just a dozen students.”

"I thought it was a girls' school there...and then what?"

Hermione looked interested, if only the History of Magic professor could talk about the past with such vividness.

"Later, Flamel invented the Philosopher's Stone. He was able to convert large amounts of gold, that is, money, in batches. He used the money to build the Magic Castle for Beauxbatons, the largest garden square in Europe, and recruited a large number of teachers, so that My alma mater has suddenly become a place comparable to Hogwarts."

Su Ming paused, took out two bottles of soda for Hermione to drink together, and then continued:

"Although he is not the school director or the owner of the school, he has a very strong voice. I used the favor he owed me to get you the status of an international exchange student."

"Our school doesn't seem to have any exchange student system. Is this really okay?"

Hermione held the soda bottle and seemed a little hesitant. After all, the little girl was still a little afraid of strange places.

The professor just nodded, put out his cigarette, and took a big sip of soda: "I said it must be there, starting with you... After all, Dumbledore is not here, and Professor McGonagall cannot resist the school board's decision. And the directors headed by Mr. Malfoy are very supportive of you going to other schools to study and communicate more, which is definitely a good thing."

"Thank you, Professor."

Hermione was used to receiving special treatment. She didn't think much about it, let alone the game between adults. She was just touched that the professor used his precious favor on herself.

"Your magic courses have gone far beyond the scope of the second grade, so you will also be the best student when you arrive at Beauxbatons." Su Ming stood up and touched the student's head: "Go and prepare now. I will tell you when we get there. Goals for the new semester.”