radicalducati Chapter 229 Harry Sees the Crown, Leaking a Flaw
Chapter 229 Harry Sees the Crown, Leaking a Flaw
Chapter 229 Harry Sees the Crown, Leaking a Flaw
Picking up where we left off, Liu Tao suddenly spoke up, saying that Harry was not from England.
Hermione, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly.
Lockhart was talking non-stop when this sudden remark struck him like a lump in his throat, rendering him speechless for a long while. He could only glance sideways at Harry.
Ron, being the straightforward guy he is, nodded eagerly and replied, "That's right, sometimes I do feel that Harry doesn't seem very British."
Before he could finish speaking, Hermione had already lifted him up by the tip of her elbow and delivered a sharp blow to his ribs, nearly knocking him over.
Harry neither admitted nor refuted it, but instead asked, "What brings you to this conversation, sir? Is it because of my burning of paper money to commemorate the deceased?"
Liu Tao shook his head and said, "Maybe you're just interested in Chinese funeral culture."
"Could it be because I revere Guan Yu and value brotherhood among the outlaws?"
"Maybe Guan Yu is quite well-known worldwide."
"That must be because I've mastered fist and spear techniques, and am proficient in all kinds of martial arts?"
"Bruce Lee is quite famous, isn't he? There are quite a few kung fu fans around the world. Dumbledore even learned how to practice Tai Chi from me back then."
Seeing that his questions had all gone unanswered, Harry clapped his hands and sighed, "In that case, I have no idea what you were thinking, sir!"
Liu Tao didn't answer, but suddenly changed the subject and asked a strange question.
"You exercise every day, so you definitely need to make sure you get enough protein, right?"
How many eggs do you eat a day?
Harry found the seemingly random question quite strange. Though unsure of Liu Tao's true intentions, he still clasped his hands and replied, "At least ten."
Liu Tao nodded slightly, then abruptly turned the conversation to Ron beside him.
"Mr. Weasley, you've got some muscles too."
"How many eggs should you eat a day to ensure you get enough protein?"
Upon hearing the compliment on his muscular physique, Ron grinned and said, "At least a dozen!"
After saying that, Harry remained outwardly calm, but several thoughts were running through his mind.
As he was pondering this, a flash of inspiration struck him, his heart sank, and a storm raged within him!
Liu Tao saw through it all and it became clear.
Reader, please listen to the explanation: It turns out that the English lands have their own rules and regulations, and the measurement and weights follow the ancient system, with twelve as a unit, which is called the English system.
Although the government implemented a new system in the year of Bingwu, adopting a decimal system, the old rules passed down for generations remained unchanged, like a firmly rooted bluestone, impossible to move.
Just like the eggs sold in the market, they are always sold by the "dozen," and a dozen always consists of twelve eggs, without fail.
Even the Muggle region, which is under the jurisdiction of the government, has not been able to completely eradicate this old custom, let alone the wizarding world, which has its own governance.
Harry was struck dumb, thinking to himself: This old man is really something!
If I were truly raised in England, whether I grew up under the roof of a Muggle or among wizards, I would immediately say "a dozen".
Unexpectedly, he blurted out "ten," truly missing the point and allowing this meticulous person to see right through him!
Although Harry's heart was in turmoil, he simply composed himself and bowed to Liu Tao, saying, "Sir, I really don't understand what you're saying. I hope you can enlighten me."
When Liu Tao heard him say that, he simply shrugged, found a comfortable spot on the dragon's spine to lean against, and chuckled, "If you didn't understand, that's fine. Actually, I was just making things up on the spot, an old habit from underground work."
"Always trying to gather random information, and always trying to scam everyone he meets."
"Back in the day, I tricked Dumbledore out of his little secret like this—"
Harry was taken aback by this and asked, "Sir, do you also know that Professor Dumbledore and Grindelwald were a couple?"
Liu Tao's smile froze. "I meant he has a sweet tooth syndrome."
Poems as proof:
To know what you know, and to not know what you don't know.
Whether one is mistaken or not, one will eventually understand the history of homosexuality.
Liu Tao's old eyes widened, his face filled with horror. He abruptly sat up from the dragon's back, grabbed Harry's arm, and exclaimed in surprise, "Wait, what do you mean they're a couple?!"
Harry realized his mistake and, inwardly cursing his error, quickly waved his hands, saying, "Oops, oops! It was just some nonsense I uttered. Don't take it seriously. I won't say it! I won't say it!"
Liu Tao refused to believe his excuses and held Harry's arm tightly, determined to get to the bottom of the matter.
Normally, Lockhart would have been so excited upon hearing such a shocking secret that he would have wet himself.
But at this moment, he was lost in thought, his mind already wandering to the topic of "Harry is not British".
The rumor about the cut sleeve just now passed by like an autumn breeze, not taking it to heart at all.
Do you think he believed that? Well, Lockhart had trained with Liu Tao for quite some time and knew the old man's methods well.
In the span of just one meal, Liu Tao had uncovered all the details of his family's wealth and income. He had even nearly managed to find out the password to the Gringotts vault.
If such a person has already declared that Harry is not from England, then it is absolutely certain and there is no doubt about it.
Lockhart's eyes darted around as he pondered: Ron eats a dozen eggs a day, and Harry eats ten a day—what does that have to do with Harry not being British?
This only shows that Harry's body needs to consume relatively little protein.
Huh? But does this mean Harry's health isn't very good?
Oh, right, Harry said his aunt and uncle treated him very badly, probably because he lacked nutrition when he was young, which caused his illness.
Oh wait, no matter what, they're relatives, we can't not even let them have enough to eat, can we?
Yes, yes, Muggles also have child protection laws — then why is Harry's physical condition worse than others?
It can't be because he grew up in ancient times with very poor living conditions, right?
No, no, this is ridiculous. The Ministry of Magic has such strict control over the Time-Turner—
Lockhart's mind raced, his head spinning with thought, yet he remained completely lost, unable to find a way out.
Just as their noodles were swelling and turning purple, a thunderous shout suddenly rang out.
"Time to get down, my conman teaching assistant—what are you plotting?"
Without thinking, Lockhart blurted out, "Ah, I was wondering about Harry's origins."
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly came to his senses. Looking around, he realized that Norbert had already folded its wings and landed on the ground.
Ancient trees tower all around, and a castle stands in the distance; it is clearly the depths of the Hogwarts Forbidden Forest.
Looking down, he saw Moody standing at the base of Norbert's neck, his single eye staring intently upwards at him.
"Ah! Aratos? Did you come here specifically to pick me up?"
"Yeah! I stayed up all night here just to pick up that fraudulent teaching assistant! Don't you think it's ridiculous to say that?"
Moody yawned lazily and gave a perfunctory bow to Liu Tao, who had just leaped off the dragon's back.
"Mr. Liu, let me take you to the principal's office. Professor Dumbledore has been waiting for you."
"If possible, I hope we can set off now so we can have breakfast together later."
"Yes, with both of you here, I feel much more at ease having breakfast—"
Upon hearing the name Dumbledore, Liu Tao's wrinkles deepened even further. He simply nodded heavily and strode away.
Moody took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, turned his head and called to Harry, "Oh, one more thing, Mr. Potter."
"Remember to go to the library; that ghost lady who discriminates against Ravenclaw students is looking for you."
After saying that, he caught up with Liu Tao and they went together to the principal's office.
"He must be talking about Lady Ravenclaw, right?" Hermione, as if catching Moody's yawn, rubbed her eyes and said, "Harry, I'll go with you."
Seeing that both she and Ron looked exhausted, Harry clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "My dear sister and brother have stayed up so long for my personal matters, their eyes are even swollen. How could I possibly trouble you two any further?"
"Go back to your room and rest well. I'll go find Sister Rowena to talk to."
Seeing his resolute tone, Ron and Hermione said nothing more and went off to look at the Gryffindor Tower.
Lockhart strained with all his might to climb down Norbert's back, his feet still feeling weak when they landed.
He said goodbye to Harry and walked away, lost in thought.
After walking only ten steps or so, Lockhart couldn't contain himself and turned around to jog back.
He leaned close to Harry's shoulder and whispered, "Harry, are you really not British?"
Harry didn't answer him, but laughed loudly, "If the professor says I am, then I am; if he says I am not, then I am not!"
Having said that, he picked up his knife and cane, and without looking back, strode confidently toward the library.
The sky was dark and the library doors were not yet open.
Harry didn't look for the key; he simply used a lock-picking spell to slip inside and head straight for the forbidden book section.
As soon as he stepped into the forbidden book section, he looked up and saw Rowena suspended in mid-air, holding a trembling, blind demon book.
Harry cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards the air and said with a smile, "Ever since that Christmas ball, my sister seems to have grown up surrounded by books, and even the library has taken on a strong ink fragrance."
Rowena snapped the blind book shut in her hand and nodded, saying, "That's normal, after all, many students ask me to correct their homework."
Mentioning this, she became angry again, angrily cursing, "Those Ravenclaw students are dumber than trolls! How dare they call themselves smart!"
"Tomorrow I'll go see Dumbledore and have him remove the eagle-shaped knocker from the door of our house's common room so I can do it myself!"
"If you can't answer my question, then get out and sleep on the floor!"
As Rowena spoke, she grew angrier and angrier, her curses never ceasing. Her soul suddenly sank onto the desk, and she began to kick wildly with her bare feet.
There was a loud crash as three or four ink bottles were kicked over, spilling black ink all over the table. The parchment scrolls flew up and spun around like snowflakes.
The books, which had come to seem to have come to life, slammed their covers shut and stumbled back into the bookshelf.
After she vented her anger, only a few ink stains and footprints of varying depths remained on the desk.
The old master was scolding his unworthy grand-disciple, but Harry couldn't respond. He could only change the subject, clasping his hands in a fist and saying, "I wonder what urgent matter sister has summoned me here for?"
Upon hearing this, Rowena's anger vanished instantly.
Without saying a word, she simply waved her hand through the air, and seven or eight crescent-shaped blue crystals flew out from the crack in the bookshelf. They varied in length and were edged with gold thread, heading straight for her palm.
These crystals shimmered with a pale blue light. In an instant, hundreds of strands of light emerged from them, intertwining like snakes and gradually coalescing into the shape of a crown, hovering ethereally in mid-air.
Rowena held the crown in his hand, glanced at Harry, and said with a smile, "Guess what this is?"
"Here's a hint: it's not a sword, not a locket, and not the Holy Grail."
Harry's heart skipped a beat when he saw the crown-like shape, and he exclaimed, "Oh my! Could this be my sister's crown? They've already made it?"
Rowena shook her head and said softly, "No, I found it."
Now, listen carefully: It turns out that once Rowena decided to make a crown, he buried himself in old papers all day long, painstakingly studying the function and style of the crown.
Despite pondering for a long time, my mind remained blank, without a single clue.
Then, she changed her mind and decided to take a different approach. Instead of thinking about how to create a crown, she decided to use an existing crown as a model in the "future" years. It was truly a case of: "I searched high and low without finding it, but it came to me effortlessly."
At that very moment, Rowena and her three friends, who were in their late twenties in the past, were building Hogwarts Castle.
Herga, with her ingenuity, created a remarkable place that she called the "House of Response".
This room requires the user to concentrate and meditate, to go through what they seek in their mind three times, and then to walk past the corresponding wall three times before it will manifest.
The world inside the house can change, and it can know people's intentions. Anything that conforms to the laws of magic and numerology can be conjured out of thin air.
Rowena was a very clever man, and in an instant he guessed that if Voldemort was hiding the crown, he was most likely here.
She immediately went to the location where Hermite had hidden the house, keeping the matter of the "crown" in her mind. After walking for only three turns, the stone wall in front of her suddenly opened up, revealing a door.
Pushing open the door and entering, one indeed saw one's own crown displayed inside.
After rambling on and on, Rowena held the crown firmly in both hands, shaking her head in admiration and saying, "I must say, this crown is perfect in both function and aesthetic design. It will never be out of style, even a thousand years from now."
"Tsk tsk, this is the first magical item in my life that has truly amazed me. I never imagined I would create it myself—"
She praised the crown again and again, just like a peddler selling melons.
Harry, impatient with all this, stamped his foot and said, "Oh! Sister, stop teasing me! Just tell me what's so special about this crown!"
Luo Yina smiled slightly. "Alright! Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll mercifully tell you!"
"When a wizard performs a spell completely in front of you, you can instantly learn that spell."
Rowena's eyes shone brightly as he raised the crown high, saying, "If you want to use it, you only need to say one sentence."
"Crown, add points!"
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