Hogwarts Advanced Guide

Chapter 451 The Death of Hera Lestrange
"How do you know?" Malfoy's breathing was a little short, and there was a sudden strange noise downstairs, which made him nervous again.

Hera looked in the direction of the voice, "There are only two of us here, if you have any help, it's another matter."

"Of course I've got help," Malfoy said quickly, breathing heavily, as if irritated. "It's right under your nose."

"How ingenious," Hera said indifferently, "but... may I ask... where are they at the moment? You seem to be alone and helpless."

"They're off to deal with your guards. Fight down there. It won't take long. I'll come up first myself. I—I have a job to do."

"They really trust you and think you can stand up to an adult wizard." Hera reluctantly stood up against the wall, and the dark night shrouded his face, making Draco unable to see his face clearly. "I even wonder sometimes if you are an unlucky guy who is being used by them."

The conversation on the rooftop was deadlocked. Draco couldn't answer Hera's topic for a while, but he was not in a hurry. He didn't think Hera who had lost his wand was any threat to him.After all, not everyone has mastered the ability to cast spells without a wand like Dumbledore.

At the bottom of the stairs, Harry was in the Invisibility Cloak, and he was terrified that he was incapacitated by just one glare from Tom's eyes, and wanted to go upstairs to help Hera, who had kept him from him.It cannot be denied that Hera is still his friend, teacher, and a guide for him to step into the magic world.

He kept winking at Tom, but Tom just stared at him, as if frozen.

"Let me up!" Harry yelled inwardly, "I can't watch Malfoy kill Hera."

Tom seemed to know something, shook his head slightly, turned his head and stared deeply at Draco's back.

"I've always had a question, how did you know that the other Vanishing Cabinet is in Hogwarts? As far as I know, it has been damaged, hasn't it?" Hera said as if chatting.

Malfoy swallowed, took a deep breath, as if trying not to yell or gag, and gave Hera a hard look, pointing his wand at her chest.Then, he seemed to say freely: "Last year, Montague was locked in the disappearing cabinet. He told me that during the period of his disappearance, although he couldn't move his whole body, he could sometimes hear the movement in the school, and sometimes he could hear what happened in the Bojinbok shop. It seemed that the cabinet was running back and forth between these two places, but no one could hear his voice."

"So, you thought of it?"

"Yes, only I realized the meaning of it - not even Borgin - only I realized that as long as I fix the cabinets, I can enter Hogwarts through the two disappearing cabinets."

"Very well," murmured Hera, "so that the Death Eaters can enter the school from the Bojinbok shop to help you with a clever plan, a very clever plan."

"Your arrogance and stupidity have killed you!" Malfoy poked Hera's chest vigorously with his wand, "Same as you were before, arrogance!"

"Oh? Really?" Hera stood up vigorously, which made Malfoy take a big step back in horror, as if Hera was about to fight back, "You don't have to worry too much, I just want to figure everything out. Even before I die, at least let me know how it all happened."

Malfoy swallowed, "Of course, you have the right."

"Well, let me think about it," Hera nodded. "That necklace, you thought of a stupid way, didn't you? You knew it would fall into someone else's hands, and poison the mead."

"Yeah, but you still don't know who planned it, do you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Actually, I already knew," Hera shrugged indifferently, "I believe you did it."

"Then why didn't you stop me?" Draco asked.

"I tried, Draco. Over the past school year, I've given you countless opportunities to be honest with me about this." Hera said, "And, Professor Snape has been trying to persuade you, hasn't he? You don't think he told me anything, do you?"

"He's on my side, he and my mother used the Fidelity Charm," Draco said loudly.

"But the spell has loopholes after all, he only needs to do what he thinks is in line with the rules." Hera said.

"He's on our side, always has been, you idiot, he's never been on your side or Dumbledore's side, you're still kept in the dark!" Draco said stiffly, but his heart was already a little shaken.

Hera propped her hands on the fence, and looked sideways at the Forbidden Forest in the distance. There were bursts of light flashing there, obviously a fierce battle was going on.

"How did you hand over the necklace to Katie? As far as I know, you were in confinement in Professor McGonagall's office at that time." Hera asked, "Is it Rosmerta? How long has she been under the Dementia Curse?"

"You figured it out at last, didn't you?" Malfoy sneered.

There was another cry from below, louder than the previous one.Malfoy looked away again uneasily, then back at Hera.

Hera went on: "So poor Rosmerta had to hide in her own toilet and give that necklace to any Hogwarts student who went to the bathroom alone? And that bottle of mead that was poisoned... of course Rosmerta could have poisoned that bottle for you and sold it to Slughorn thinking it was going to be given to me for Christmas... Yeah, very ingenious... very ingenious... Poor Filch would never have thought of checking what Mrs. Rosmerta sold... so Tell me, how do you communicate with Rosmerta? We will strictly check all communications in and out of the school."

Magic coin," said Malfoy, who seemed compelled to go on and on, his wand-holding hand shaking violently, "I have a coin, and she has one, and I can send her a message—"

"Is it the secret contact method used by the group that called itself 'Dumbledore's Army' last year?" Hera asked, his voice was easy-going and calm, as if he was the one who had the chance to win.

"Yeah, I learned from them," Malfoy said with a smirk. "I got the idea of ​​poisoning the mead from Mudblood Granger, and I heard her say in the library that Filch couldn't recognize the potion—"

"Please don't use that insulting word in front of me." Hera said angrily, "Every child with magical talent is a gift from God, and the light of magic blooms on them."

"Since I'm about to kill you, do you still care if I say 'Mudblood'?"

"Yes, I am very concerned." Hera said, "I don't want to hear such slanderous words in my life. It has nothing to do with you wanting to kill me. Besides, several minutes have passed. There is no one around. I am unarmed now. You would never dream of such a few times, but you still didn't do it."

Malfoy's lips twisted involuntarily, as if he was tasting something very bitter. He and Hera had never had a good relationship, whether it was in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class before or after Dumbledore died and he took over as the headmaster.

But he just couldn't do it. Malfoy didn't know if it was because he had never killed a person himself, or because he didn't want to see the power against Voldemort crumble again.

Draco couldn't say why, his hands were shaking.

"My dear child, let's stop acting. If you really wanted to kill me, you would have done it after unarming me just now, instead of stopping and talking to me happily about these measures and methods." Hera stood up suddenly, and he took a big step forward, resting Draco's wand on his chest.

"I don't have a choice!" said Draco, suddenly pale - though he'd always been known for being a pretty boy - but never so pale. "I've got to! He's going to kill me! He's going to kill my whole family!"

"I understand your situation," Hera said, he really didn't think Draco would be the one who could do it, in fact, the one he had been waiting for hadn't appeared yet. "Otherwise why didn't I meet you before? I knew you would be assassinated if Voldemort found out that I was suspicious of you."

Draco twitched in fear at the name.

"Let me think about it, who would do it? Your dear aunt Bellatrix?" Hera smiled lightly, and he stared into Draco's eyes, which were full of fear, "I know you accepted that mission, but I dare not talk about it with you, for fear that he will use Legilimency on you." Hera changed a comfortable posture and leaned against the wall, and continued:
"Go back to the right path, Draco, there is still time, you are not a murderer, we will protect you, the Phoenix Society will protect you and your parents—"

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps stepping up the stairs, and in the blink of an eye, Draco was pulled aside, and four men in black robes broke through the door and crowded around the wall.

"Let's see, who is this?" An exaggerated female voice sounded, the leading man in black robe took off his hood, and she took out the wand that looked like a bent branch.

"Bellatrix, it's so sad to see you." Hera said disgustedly. "Frankly, you have always made me sick."

"Oh? Really?" Bellatrix yelled in manic rage, pointing her wand at Hera, but she restrained herself. "Draco should do it—"

"What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that the child you abandoned will kill you?" Hera sneered, "I'm really incompetent. Even though I'm unarmed, I still dare not come forward. How could Voldemort have taken a fancy to you? Voldemort will never have a crush on a woman like you!"

"Shut up and don't say that name!" Bellatrix yelled. "Crucio!"

Hera fell to the ground in pain, twitching, but there was no scream.After Bellatrix finished his torture, he stood up quickly, struggling to hold himself up, though reluctantly, not allowing himself to show his timidity in front of Bellatrix.

Harry and Tom downstairs watched all this, clenched their teeth, but couldn't make a sound.

Suddenly, there was a sound of slight footsteps. It was Snape. As if he could see Harry's position, he put his fingers in front of his mouth in a hissing gesture. Harry hoped that he could save Hera's life, even the most hated Professor Snape.

As long as it keeps Hera alive.

Snape's black beetle-like eyes flickered for a moment, he took a look at Tom and Harry, and then walked slowly up the stairs.

The door to the balcony was knocked open again, and Snape stood there clutching his wand, his black eyes rapidly scanning the scene before him, from Hera on the wall to the four Death Eaters and Malfoy.

"We've got plenty of time, don't we?" Bellatrix said with a twisted smile, "I don't think the Dark Lord would mind if I tortured him a bit more, as a betrayal—"

"Who did he betray? He eliminated Albus Dumbledore for my lord." Snape said softly, but all the wizards present held their breath and dared not speak out, as if he was the leader.

"He betrayed—" Bellatrix tried to find an excuse, but she opened her mouth for a long time, but couldn't utter a word.

"My lord wants his life," gruffly said a fellow behind Bellatrix, "that's enough."

"Yes, that's enough!" Bellatrix said loudly, lifting her head proudly. "Even if he killed Albus Dumbledore."

Downstairs, Harry was cold all over. He looked upstairs in despair, and he was hit by painful blows one after another, whether it was Snape's betrayal or his words.All this proved to Harry how stupid he had been in the past year: he had believed the words of Hera the liar.

At this moment, the sound of many people fighting came from below, and one of them shouted: "They have blocked the stairs--to pieces! To pieces!"

"We've run out of time," said Snape coldly. "Or do you want me to do it?"

Bellatrix tossed her hair irritably, "I won't give you the credit, Severus." With that, she raised her wand and pointed it at Hera.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A flash of green light shot from the tip of her wand, hitting Hera squarely in the chest.Harry downstairs could only watch all this happen, watching Hera being shot into the air.Hera stayed under the shining skull for a second, and then, like a big tattered doll, slowly fell on her back, fell from the crenel of the fence and disappeared.

　Well, it's not over, it's not over, it's not over!It's not bad!It's not bad!It's not bad!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)