Hogwarts Lion Girl

In the dim principal's office, the meditation basin was emitting a faint green light.

Harry and Dumbledore stared at the memory in the basin. The young Tom Riddle, handsome and evil, was respectfully asking Professor Slughorn something.

"...Horcruxes, Professor," Riddle's voice was as smooth as velvet, "I have been studying...some academic issues about the soul..."

Professor Slughorn's voice sounded hesitant and uneasy.

"Horcrux... that's... that's a container used to store... the fragments of the soul..." He swallowed, "As long as the Horcrux is not destroyed, the soul will not die... the caster... will not truly die..."

He seemed to realize that he had let something slip, and quickly added: "Of course, this is just...some academic...hypothesis..."

The corners of Riddle's mouth curled up into a barely perceptible smile. "Of course, Professor," he said softly, "This is... a secret... between the two of us..."

……

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair tiredly. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the stained glass windows, casting mottled light and shadows on his face, making him look even older.

Harry's figure had just disappeared at the end of the spiral staircase, the office door closed silently, and the room fell into silence.

The silence was soon broken when a figure slowly walked out from the shadow behind the bookshelf, as silent as a ghost.

Salina slowly raised her head, revealing her delicate but slightly pale face.

Her eyes were fixed on Dumbledore's right hand, which was as smooth as jade and had no scars at all.

"Do you really want to go ahead with that plan?" Dumbledore asked softly, with a hint of hesitation in his tone.

"Principal, do you have a better plan?" Salina asked back, with a hint of helplessness in her tone.

The room fell silent again, with only the sound of the wind whistling outside the window, as if foreshadowing the coming storm.

After a long while, Dumbledore's old voice came, "I understand."

……

At dinner time, Harry mechanically stuffed chicken legs into his mouth, his eyes were dazed and he was indifferent to everything around him.

The noise of Ron and Hermione's bickering drifted into his ears like the buzzing of a mosquito, but he didn't react at all.

"Mashed potatoes! Hermione, you took all my mashed potatoes!" Ron complained, with a hint of grievance in his tone.

Hermione rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Come on, Ron! It's public, anyone can eat it!"

Normally, Harry would immediately intervene to smooth things over, persuading Hermione to share some of her mashed potatoes with Ron, or persuading Ron to eat less mashed potatoes and watch his figure.

But today, he just stared blankly at the food on the plate, as if it was an unsolvable puzzle.

"Harry, what's wrong with you?" Hermione noticed Harry's abnormality and asked with concern, "You don't look well."

Harry looked up blankly, his eyes empty: "Nothing, just a little tired."

Ron was still upset about the mashed potatoes, and muttered, "Quidditch training must be too tiring. I think we should reduce the amount of training..."

Hermione shot him a glare and Ron immediately shut up.

She turned to Harry again and said softly, "Harry, if you have anything on your mind, you can tell us and we will help you."

Harry managed a forced smile. "It's nothing, Hermione. I was just...thinking about something."

Of course he couldn't tell them what he was thinking. Horcruxes, Voldemort, these words were too heavy, too dangerous, and he didn't want to involve his friends.

At the same time, at the other end of the castle, Malfoy, who had recovered from his injuries, sneaked into the Room of Requirement.

In the dim room, the broken disappearing cabinet stood quietly.

Malfoy carefully pulled some tools and materials from his pocket and began to repair the cracks on the cabinet.

Fine beads of sweat oozed from his forehead and his eyes flickered with nervousness and excitement.

He knew that if he could fix the Vanishing Cabinet, he would be able to complete his plan and prove his worth to the Dark Lord.

……

The afterglow of the setting sun shines through the castle's stained glass windows, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground, rendering the corridor a warm orange-red color.

The air is filled with a unique scent mixed with ancient stone walls and wooden furniture, and it is so quiet that you can almost hear the sound of dust falling.

Harry leaned against the wall, pretending to flip through the Potions textbook in his hand, but his eyes were fixed on the furtive figure not far away - Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy wrapped himself tightly in his dark green robe embroidered with the family crest, and looked back vigilantly from time to time. His pale face looked even gloomier in the dim light.

He walked hurriedly, almost jogging, as if he was in a hurry to reach some destination.

Harry calmly put down his textbook and followed quietly.

The corridor was empty except for them, one in front and one behind, keeping a subtle distance.

Harry tried to walk as quietly as possible to avoid making any noise, while also keeping an eye on Malfoy's movements.

The corridor twists and turns like a maze, and the light gradually dims as you go deeper.

Harry's heartbeat began to speed up and an inexplicable feeling of nervousness surged in his heart.

Finally, after passing a wall with a portrait of a one-eyed witch, Malfoy's figure flashed and disappeared.

Harry walked quickly forward and came to the place where he saw Malfoy disappear last time - the entrance to the Room of Requirement.

He took a deep breath, and the last time Malfoy disappeared here appeared in his mind.

"What is that guy doing there?" Harry whispered to himself, frowning, his heart full of doubts.

……

In the dim corridor, Harry held his breath, pressed against the cold wall, his heart pounding.

A deep shadow swayed before his eyes, like a giant beast lurking in the deep sea.

Not far away, the door of the Room of Requirement creaked and slowly opened, revealing an unsettling light through a tiny gap.

Draco was the first to walk out, with a smug sneer on his pale face, and his platinum hair reflected a metallic luster in the dim light.

Following closely behind was a group of figures wearing black cloaks with hoods covering their faces, leaving only their chins and mouths exposed, like ghosts from hell.

Harry recognized them at a glance - Death Eaters, Voldemort's most loyal minions, exuding a suffocating evil aura.

They walked out of the room one by one, like a black poisonous snake, slowly wriggling and spreading into the corridor.

There was a peculiar, fishy-sweet smell in the air that made Harry feel nauseous.

He involuntarily shrank back, his back pressed against the wall, as if this would allow him to blend into the darkness and avoid being discovered.

"Damn it!" Harry cursed in his heart. Fear was like a cold poisonous snake, tightly wrapping around his heart.

He clearly remembered Dumbledore saying that Hogwarts had powerful magical protection and outsiders could not invade.

So, how did these Death Eaters get into the school?

Suddenly, an idea flashed through Harry's mind like lightning.

He remembered what he had seen in Knockturn Alley: Malfoy was furtively fiddling with an old cabinet - the Vanishing Cabinet! Could it be...?

Harry took a deep breath and everything became clear.

The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement is connected to the one in Borgin and Burke's shop in Knockturn Alley!

Malfoy used this repaired magical item to secretly teleport the Death Eaters into Hogwarts!