bacchusnovels Chapter 378 Saving lives is the top priority!
Chapter 378 Saving lives is the top priority!
Chapter 378 Saving lives is the top priority!
As Liu, who was attacking people at the door, stopped attacking, several dark figures suddenly appeared at the doorway.
They seemed to be whispering something, but because of the distance, the people hiding under the invisibility cloaks inside the room couldn't hear them at all.
Suddenly, one of them called out towards the door, "We're here to pick up Miss Granger."
Harry frowned instinctively, about to speak, when Hermione reached out and gently pressed his shoulder, signaling him not to act rashly.
After a long silence from inside the room, the person continued, "Blueberry and chive dumplings."
Upon hearing the code, Hermione immediately relaxed and whispered to Harry, "They've come to pick us up."
Then she stood up, emerged from the invisibility cloak, and whispered, "General Tso's Chicken, Fortune Cookies."
Once the code was matched, the other party immediately came out, and the leader revealed herself—Bertha.
Jorkins, dressed in a dark cloak, looked somewhat agitated.
This was the first time Sean had directly assigned her a task since leaving the Ministry of Magic.
Therefore, she felt very excited and honored.
After counting the number of people, Jorgins and Hermione discussed the plans for tonight's operation in a small corner.
After confirming the mission time and completion, she immediately pulled open her cloak and took out a pair of seemingly ordinary old boots. "Stay close to me, we need these to leave. The door key has been activated."
Harry frowned in confusion. "Port key? What's that?"
"You must have heard of Floo Network and Apparition, right?" Bertha turned to Harry and explained, "Port Keys are also a form of magical teleportation, but they work differently—they are enchanted objects that can teleport anyone who comes into contact with them to a designated location at a set time."
"Sounds like a simplified version of Apparition?"
"That's true, but the advantage of the Portkey is that it can teleport multiple people at the same time, and the user doesn't need to master complex spells," Bertha explained, gesturing for the others to gather around. "More importantly, it doesn't leave a clear trace like the Floo Net, which is crucial for covert operations."
"Is that why the Ministry of Magic often uses it to handle emergencies?" Hermione immediately chimed in as a supplement.
"That's right," Bertha nodded. "But because the magic for activating and maintaining the key is complex and costly, it's only used under specific circumstances."
Ron stared at the old boot, a hint of unease in his eyes. "So, we're going to use this to instantly appear around the Ministry of Magic?"
"That's right," Bertha answered crisply, urging, "We don't have time to waste, grab it quickly."
The group exchanged glances, then placed their hands on their boots one by one.
Bertha tapped her wand lightly and whispered a spell: "Portus."
The boots vibrated slightly, followed by a powerful pulling sensation that surged from their abdomens. The surrounding scenery blurred rapidly, time and space were torn apart, and amidst the interplay of light and shadow, they felt themselves moving at an unimaginable speed in an unknown direction.
"This doesn't feel good!" Ron couldn't help but shout, his voice sounding muffled and distant in the distorted space.
Just when the group felt the pulling sensation was almost unbearable, they suddenly felt a solid touch under their feet.
They fell heavily onto a flat marble floor.
"We're here." Bertha quickly steadied herself, turning to look at Harry and the others who were still somewhat disoriented. "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic at night."
Screaming Shack
Five minutes earlier, while Hermione and Bertha Jorkins were whispering to each other, the atmosphere inside the wooden box was completely different.
Qiu Zhang huddled in the narrow space, feeling the air around him growing thinner and thinner.
The rotten smell inside the wooden box mingled with the damp, musty odor, creating a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, like a thick curtain pressing down on her chest, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
"It's so stuffy..." Cho Chang complained under his breath, glancing at Sean beside him. "How much longer are we going to have to stay here?"
"Wait a little longer, it'll be here soon."
"And now?"
"Wait a little longer."
"And now?"
"We'll have to wait a little longer."
7
"Now--"
Sean turned to look at her, intending to make a few casual jokes, and even had a metaphor in mind—comparing the incessantly flapping Cho Chang to an owl waiting for its meal.
He even smiled smugly to himself, thinking the metaphor was brilliant.
However, when Sean's gaze actually landed on Cho Chang's face, all the jokes were instantly swallowed back down his throat.
Her face was so pale it was almost bloodless, and a thin layer of sweat was breaking out on her forehead. She looked like a branch bent under the weight of its weight, swaying precariously.
"Choo Chang," Sean's tone instantly turned serious, and he quickly reached out to put his hand on Cho Chang's shoulder.
He kept shaking her, "What's wrong with you?"
Qiu Zhang's head drooped limply, his breathing became intermittent, and he did not respond at all.
Sean's brow furrowed sharply, realizing something was wrong. He quickly leaned closer and whispered, "Choo Zhang? Can you hear me?"
There has still been no response.
The situation was now obvious: the air inside the wooden box was too stuffy, and Qiu Zhang was on the verge of suffocation.
Without a moment to hesitate, Sean quickly adjusted her position, letting her lean against him, and then without hesitation, he lowered his head and kissed her soft, delicate red lips.
A sweet aroma wafted from Qiu Zhang's mouth, as refreshing as the crisp morning dew.
Sean greedily inhaled the oxygen and then passed it back to the girl through his lips.
Qiu Zhang's lips were as soft and moist as flower petals, carrying a sweet fragrance unique to young girls, and Sean was instantly captivated by them.
He stuck out his tongue and gently licked her rosy lips, feeling the coolness and sweetness on the girl's skin.
However, no matter how hard Sean tried to breathe into Cho Chang, Cho Chang still had difficulty breathing, and his body began to convulse due to lack of oxygen.
Sean was startled. Indeed, he had many ways to help Cho Chang get out of danger.
But the most direct thing to do was to quickly take off his coat and wipe Qiu Zhang's sweaty hair.
Then, with trembling hands, he unbuttoned the top two buttons of Qiu Zhang's shirt, letting the cool air directly touch the girl's delicate skin.
Taking off clothes when it's hot is perfectly reasonable.
Immediately afterwards, Sean reached between Qiu Zhang's long, slender legs, where they were completely soaked with sweat.
He gently removed Qiu Zhang's trousers, leaving him in only a pair of white cotton trousers.
Thus, all of Qiu Zhang's clothing that might hinder heat dissipation—his coat, robe, trousers—were carefully removed by Sean.
Qiu Zhang's skin felt slightly warm inside the dimly lit wooden box, and the damp air still left her face with an unnatural flush.
"I'm sorry, Cho Chang," Sean murmured, but his hands didn't stop moving.
This is not the time for hesitation or shyness; saving lives is the top priority!