Hogwarts Summoning Guide

Blake was even more excited than the students, and his eyes seemed to be glistening with tears. Bai Lin knew that he was thinking of his own student days.

Black recalled the happy times he spent with Moonface, Prongs, and Wormtail. Back then, he and Harry's father, James, were all Quidditch masters, dominating the field together and dreaming of competing for the world championship in the Quidditch World Cup. However, fate intervened, and neither of them could fulfill their childhood dream. But now, Black saw hope in Harry.

Suddenly, Bai Lin and Black both froze as a faint but malevolent aura crept in from the direction of the castle and arrived at the Quidditch pitch.

Suddenly, the two felt something in their hands. When they turned their hands over, they saw a card the size of a business card, on which was a sinister skull with a black venomous snake spitting out of its mouth.

"Watch out!" Bai Lin quickly threw the card on the ground, then slapped Blake's hand, knocking the card out of his hand as well.

Before the two cards even hit the ground, they turned into black smoke, which formed two small snakes. If they had been a step too late, the two people would likely have been bitten by the snakes.

"Frost Arrows!" With a wave of his hand, Bai Lin froze the two small snakes into ice sculptures, which fell to the ground and broke into several pieces.

Bai Lin stomped the ice sculpture into pieces, then exchanged a glance with a somewhat astonished Blake.

"It's a challenge from the Death Eaters; they're coming to deal with us!" Bai Lin whispered.

"But Hogwarts is Dumbledore's territory, the Death Eaters wouldn't dare come here!" Black said with some surprise.

"Think about Antonin and the other two guys posing as Aurors, and McNeil. They think that as long as they hide deep enough, there's nothing they wouldn't dare to do, and I suspect that something will soon lure Dumbledore away," Bai Lin said with some worry.

Sure enough, just on Tuesday, the Ministry of Magic sent a notice that Deputy Minister Umbridge requested that Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick travel to the Ministry of Magic to attend a three-day seminar on the education of young wizards.

The three professors looked at each other and finally agreed, but Professor McGonagall stayed behind citing illness, while Dumbledore and Flitwick Apparated to London.

The students attended classes as usual, but Bai Lin and Black were quite nervous upon learning that Dumbledore had left the school.

The day passed quickly, and night fell silently. The students happily finished their sumptuous dinner in the banquet hall and then returned to their dormitories. Black was neither a student nor a faculty member and could not enter Gryffindor Castle, so he transformed into a large black dog and patrolled around the castle.

Bai Lin had gathered his allies in advance, instructing Hagrid to guard the gates of Gryffindor while he himself hid in the shadows, keeping a close eye on Black. He had a premonition that Bella's hatred for Black far exceeded that for the others.

Because there were Death Eater spies in the Auror's office, Bai Lin did not notify the Aurors through normal channels, but Laut still maintained contact with him. At this time, he was hiding in the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade, so that if the Death Eaters really attacked Hogwarts, he could call for help immediately.

Lupin stood atop the tower of Hogwarts, observing his surroundings. A powerful magical barrier had been erected around Hogwarts, preventing the use of Apparition magic. If the Death Eaters wanted to approach, they could only fly over from the outside on broomsticks, allowing Lupin, with his superior vantage point, to spot them immediately.

But the Death Eaters didn't see it; instead, Lupin was targeted by Filch, who was grumbling and blocking the tower's stairs, holding a farmer's fork, as if Lupin might turn into a werewolf and attack him at any moment.

By midnight, the students were all fast asleep. Bai Lin took a sip of strong tea to perk himself up. Outside the castle, Blake, now a large dog, was still patrolling around the castle, not daring to let his guard down for a moment.

A large patch of dark clouds drifted in from the horizon, slowly obscuring the brilliant starry sky and the crescent moon. A chill crept into the air, and Bai Lin sensed it, secretly approaching Blake's figure.

Lupin ignored the menacing Filch and stared intently into the darkness outside the castle.

Suddenly a ball of dark green flame flew over from a distance, followed by a second and a third.

When Lupin saw this, he was so frightened that he almost lost his mind. He didn't care about Filch's reaction and rushed to the clock tower, striking it several times.

The booming of the bronze bells echoed throughout Hogwarts Castle, waking many students who were not sound sleepers.

Harry was the first to wake up. He jumped up, grabbed his wand and glasses from the bedside table, and rushed out. He had sensed something was wrong during the day. Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick had inexplicably gone to London, and Whitescale and Black were acting as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Even if Harry was naive, he knew that tonight was going to be unsettling, so he went to bed without even taking off his clothes, waiting to get up and fight if anything happened in the middle of the night.

A massive, dark green fireball hurtled towards the castle, but a blue light emanated from its perimeter, forming a dome-like protective shield. The fireball exploded against this shield, producing a deafening roar louder than a bell. The entire Hogwarts Castle seemed to shake, demonstrating the fireball's immense power.

"It's a magic cannon!" Lupin exclaimed in shock. This thing was a deadly weapon during wartime, a product jointly developed by wizards and Muggles. The Axis powers once recruited many dark wizards to help them conquer the world, but after World War II, magic cannons were basically destroyed. He never expected that they would be used to attack Hogwarts now.

Vice-Headmaster Professor McGonagall rushed out of her room in her pajamas and met Lupin (who was also a Gryffindor student) in the Gryffindor common room. Lupin briefly explained Bai Lin's guess that the Death Eaters might be attacking Hogwarts.

"Death Eaters? How dare they!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed sharply. For the past decade or so, Death Eaters had been like rats in the street. If even one or two were exposed, dozens of Aurors would usually surround and wipe them out. They hadn't been seen to take the initiative and cause any big news. However, with the remnant soul parasitizing the back of Professor Quirrell's head in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and the Basilisk in the second book, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," the signs of the Mysterious Man's return were becoming increasingly clear. The Death Eaters obviously wouldn't remain silent any longer.

Professor McGonagall, as the Head of Gryffindor, had been a powerful figure for decades. Of course, she wouldn't be frightened or at a loss by such a small scene. She simply repeatedly instructed the prefects to keep the students calm and not to go out on their own. She then led Lupin and several other teachers, wands in hand, and rushed out of Gryffindor Castle with a touch of the heroic spirit of stepping into battle.

Just as she stepped outside, she encountered Filch, who belatedly realized what was happening and came to deliver the news. "A dark wizard is attacking the castle with a magic cannon, Lady McGonagall!" Filch said breathlessly.