bacchusnovels Chapter 377 The Enchanting Scene in the Wooden Box
Chapter 377 The Enchanting Scene in the Wooden Box
Chapter 377 (Bonus Chapter) The Enchanting Scene in the Wooden Box
After walking for about ten minutes, the secret passage gradually widened, the walls began to look rough, and the humid air carried a faint mineral smell.
The stalactites hanging down overhead resembled countless pairs of cold, dangling fingers, sending chills down one's spine.
"Won't these things suddenly fall down?" Ron looked up at the stalactites and muttered to himself, taking even more careful steps.
"Unless you accidentally touch them," Hermione replied without turning her head.
"I better not fall," Ron muttered, glancing at the slippery ground beneath his feet. "This place is too slippery; I don't want to become a stalactite dinner."
Sofia couldn't help but laugh. "Dinner? Ron, I think you're more like a dessert, considering how damp it is in here, like a gummy candy stuck to the floor."
Harry smiled and glanced back at them: "Be careful, there's really no room for a fall here."
F2
“I mean,” Ron muttered, a little annoyed at being the subject of ridicule, “am I the only one who finds this kind of passageway creepy? It’s damp, and there’s all this—” He pointed to the stalactites overhead, “who knows if anyone lived here, or—”
"Or were you imprisoned in something?" Sophia asked with a smile, deliberately drawing out the last few words, her voice low and deliberately creating a sense of dread.
"That's enough." Hermione rolled her eyes, her tone becoming stern. "Are you here on an adventure or to watch a farce? Quiet down and focus on the map."
"Sorry, Hermione," Sophia blinked, but her tone was anything but apologetic. "We were just adding a little fun to this gloomy journey."
"Fun?" Hermione scoffed, handing the map to Harry and walking ahead. "You'll see what it means to not need fun when we get to the real problems."
"She's always so serious," Sophia said to Harry in a low voice.
Harry shook his head slightly. "Hermione's just worried we'll make a mistake. She has her reasons."
"That's true." Ron nodded in agreement. "However, I'd feel more at ease if we could get to the Screaming Shack sooner. To be honest, I'm already missing the fresh air outside."
"Don't overthink it," Hermione's voice came from ahead. "The secret passage is fine; we'll be there soon."
Her words calmed the atmosphere somewhat, and the group continued along the secret passage.
As the terrain gradually rises, the stone steps underfoot become drier, and the mineral smell in the air fades considerably.
"Looks like we're almost there." Harry looked up ahead and could vaguely see a faint light coming in from the end of the secret passage.
"It's the exit." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, quickening her pace. "Get ready, the Screaming Shack is just outside."
As the group approached the end of the secret passage, the light gradually brightened.
The exit was a low wooden door.
"Alright," Hermione stopped, glanced back at everyone, and whispered, "Listen, the exit should lead directly to the Shrieking Shack. Remember, stay quiet and make sure no one's outside before you move."
Harry nodded, tightened his grip on the Invisibility Cloak, and pushed open the wooden door first.
The wooden door made a slight "creak" sound, seemingly a protest from years of neglect.
Admittedly, this secret passage was last used many years ago.
The space outside the door was more spacious than they had expected—it was the basement of the Screaming Shack.
The atmosphere here carries a sense of old-fashioned oppression, with the air filled with the smell of dust and decay.
The mottled wooden planks on the walls and the broken wooden beams on the ceiling all testify to the great age of this house.
"This is the Shrieking Shack?" Harry asked in a low voice, his tone filled with barely concealed curiosity. "I didn't expect it to be so dilapidated."
"Don't underestimate it." Hermione cautiously scanned the area. "There have been too many rumors circulating here; we don't know which are true and which are false. Don't let your guard down."
"I always felt there was something unusual hidden in this place," Ron said in a low voice, carefully avoiding the wood chips on the ground.
The group slowly walked through the basement and went up the stairs.
The stairs creaked and groaned, as if they might break at any moment.
Hermione tapped the floor lightly with her wand, sending the firelight into the space above.
The room at the end of the stairs was noticeably dilapidated.
The furniture was overturned and crooked, thick dust covered every corner, and half of the window glass was shattered, leaving gaps that made a low whistling sound as the wind blew through them.
"This atmosphere really lives up to the legends," Harry said softly, glancing around.
"I agree," Sophia said with a smile.
For some reason, she always felt a sense of familiarity about the surroundings.
Is it that huge wooden crate from the room just now?
In wooden box.
The cramped space was filled with the smell of rotten wood and a faint dusty odor, making it suffocating.
Sean and Cho Chang huddled together, moving carefully to make as little noise as possible.
A few dim rays of light pierced through the gaps in the wooden planks, barely revealing their blurry outlines.
Qiu Zhang hunched over, trying to take up as little space as possible.
Her breathing was light, but she couldn't control the rapid beating of her heart.
Besides his own heartbeat, all he could hear was Sean's relatively steady breathing, which made Qiu Zhang feel much more at ease. Sean leaned against the inner wall of the wooden box, his arms crossed, his expression calm.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, peering through the crack to observe the situation outside, while lowering his voice to reassure Qiu Zhang beside him: "Don't worry, they won't find us here."
Qiu Zhang nodded, but she was still too nervous to fully relax. She asked softly, "Are you sure? What if they open the box—"
"No," Sean replied softly, a calm smile playing on his lips. "No one would just open an ordinary wooden box, especially in a place like this."
Outside the box, footsteps and whispers could be faintly heard, mixed with the occasional sound of wind, as if the entire room was silently watching them.
Cho Chang's fingers gripped the corner of his cloak tightly, his fingertips turning slightly white. "Why are Harry and the others here?"
"It might have been an accident," Sean said in a low voice.
Qiu Zhang's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of unease in her voice: "What if they find out about us? What if they find out we're here too?" Her voice trailed off, her fear so palpable that even mentioning the possibility might make it a reality.
The thought of such consequences sent a chill down Qiu Zhang's spine.
She couldn't imagine what kind of headlines would appear in the Daily Prophet the next day, especially about that reporter named Rita Skeeter.
Even now, Cho Chang could almost hear Rita using her signature gloating and sarcastic tone to describe the whole incident in a dramatic and sensational way.
A comical yet suffocating headline flashed through her mind:
Shocking! Hogwarts professor and female student were caught doing this in a wooden box!
Qiu Zhang subconsciously tightened his cloak, and the blush on his face quickly spread to his ears.
She lowered her voice and said to Sean in an almost trembling tone, "We absolutely cannot be found out—absolutely not!"
Sean glanced at her, a helpless smile playing on his lips, seemingly amused by her excessive nervousness. "You think Rita would easily let go of any story that might grab attention? But don't worry, even if that kind of thing really happens—"
He paused, his expression turning serious. "I'll handle it."
Just as Qiu Zhang was about to say something, footsteps suddenly came from outside the box.
Accompanied by a few mumbled whispers, several familiar voices clearly reached their ears.
"Are you sure the Ministry of Magic people will really come here?" It was Ron's voice, carrying his usual uncertainty and a hint of complaint.
"They'll come," Hermione's voice followed. "It's part of our plan, isn't it?"
"But how long will it take them?" Harry said in a low voice, a hint of anxiety in his tone. "If they're too slow, we might waste this opportunity."
Inside the wooden box, Qiu Zhang held his breath, his body stiff with tension, almost afraid to move.
She looked to Sean for help with her eyes, as if asking what to do.
Sean sensed Cho Chang's tension.
He moved closer and gently took her hand in his. The warmth of his palm traveled through her slightly cold fingertips. Sean's large and strong hand calmed Qiu Zhang's pounding heart a little.
"Don't be afraid," Sean whispered in Cho Chang's ear.
Qiu Zhang trembled slightly, looked up at him, her cheeks began to flush involuntarily, and her ears also quietly became suspiciously hot.
She tried to tell herself that this was a crucial moment and she couldn't afford to be distracted, but Sean's actions gave her a feeling of shame and reassurance she had never experienced before.
Qiu Zhang lowered his head, not daring to look Sean in the eye, and only nodded slightly, but did not pull his hand back.
The warmth from her palm gradually relaxed her trembling fingertips.
She felt her breathing become erratic, each breath carrying the faint, cool fragrance of his breath.
"I—I'm fine," Qiu Zhang said in a low voice, trying to hide her unease, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her true feelings.
"When we get to the Ministry of Magic, everyone listen to me."
"We understand, Hermione," Ron said with a hint of exasperation. "You've repeated yourself three times now."
"It's four times," Sophia couldn't help but interject. Outside the box, the group was still discussing in hushed tones, but Qiu Zhang's attention was no longer fully focused on their conversation.
She felt as if time was stretching out infinitely, each second making her cheeks burn even hotter.
The warmth of her palm pressed against Sean's remained the center of all her senses, and even the surrounding air seemed to heat up because of it.
"What are you thinking about?" Sean's voice came softly, interrupting her reverie.
"No, nothing!" Qiu Zhang replied almost instinctively, her words so fast that she herself was startled. She hurriedly looked up at him, then quickly lowered her head, her eyes fixed on the wooden crate on the floor, unable to meet his gaze.
Sean raised an eyebrow slightly, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.
He didn't press further, only slightly loosening his grip on her hand, but not completely letting go. "The people outside will leave soon," he said softly. "We'll act after they're gone."
"Hmm." Qiu Zhang nodded gently, trying to regulate his breathing, but the irregular throbbing in his chest could not be calmed down for a long time.
Harry's voice came from outside the wooden crate, clear and deep: "Which floor is the file on?"
"The second level, the Wizengamo administration," Hermione replied quickly, her tone as calm and methodical as ever.
“My dad used to work there, I’ve been there once,” Ron added, his voice tinged with barely suppressed excitement. “I know the way!”
"Then you'll lead the way," Hermione added calmly. "But remember, be quick, we don't have time to waste."
Just as the group was discussing in hushed tones, a series of hurried footsteps and hushed conversations suddenly came from the screaming shack.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Sophia instantly became alert, stopped talking, and held their breath.
"Someone's coming," Hermione said in an almost inaudible voice, quickly pulling her Invisibility Cloak tighter to completely conceal her figure.