Miranda sank into her memories, "I vaguely remember that in the Dreamland, there were still some Magi who were extremely clear-headed. Those clear-headed Magi were split into two factions. One faction, led by Dumbledore, advocated killing the source of the Dreamland and destroying it.
However, the other faction, led by Grindelwald, believed that killing the source of the Dreamland was useless, because they didn't know if the Dreamland you saw was the real Dreamland. Thus, the only way was to die. Dying in the Dreamland and waking up in reality was their method. "
Hoffa thought for a moment and remembered that Nicole Lemay had said something similar to him.
Miranda continued, "Amongst them, I naturally chose Dumbledore. He told us to face reality and wake up from our fantasies to take on the responsibilities of a Magus. Some of them listened and did as he said. Of course, most of them didn't wake up, because the Dreamland was truly wonderful.
After waking up, we wanted to help those who were still in the Dreamland. We wanted to force them to wake up, but when we did, a large-scale battle broke out.
Those who were wearing cages began to attack the remaining clear-headed Magi, and even wanted to put the cages on those who were still clear-headed.
Although those people were Muggles, after putting on the cages, they were like machines, tireless and unafraid of death.
After we took off the cages, those who left the cages would quickly die.
Gradually, we realised that we were no match for them. Their numbers were too great, and they couldn't be negotiated with. Thus, we could only retreat.
Right now, they seem harmless, as if they were sleepwalking. However, they are actually searching for us on a large scale. As soon as we go out, those people in the cages will turn into the most ruthless killing machines. "
Miranda's words didn't fluctuate much, but Hoffa could still hear the austere and bloodthirsty tone of her words. In the year that he had been away, the Magus World had really been filled with one major event after another.
"The remaining people hid underground, and this is one of their strongholds."
As they spoke, Miranda brought Hoffa to the lowest level of the Mysterious Affairs Department. This place was empty and broken. With the help of the silver light spots dancing around Miranda, Hoffa once again saw the huge wreckage of the Arrow of Time, which was Fatir's amazing creation. Looking at it now, Hoffa still remembered that crazy and soul-stirring moment a year ago.
He couldn't help but cover his chest with his hand. That was where Chloe's soul crystal was.
In the dream, Chloe had reminded him more than once to destroy her soul crystal, but Hoffa knew that he would never do that.
He swore that he would never lose to Silby again.
"Come, here."
Miranda held onto the railing and jumped down skillfully. After falling for more than ten meters, she glided gracefully on the broken pipe like a cat. It was obvious that she was very skilled. Finally, she landed lightly on the dusty ground and waved at Hoffa.
Hoffa jumped down and followed her to the base of the Arrow of Time machine.
Miranda activated a small and almost imperceptible control mechanism at the base of the Arrow of Time. The ground sank, revealing a hidden passage.
"Please come in." Miranda greeted Hoffa.
"There are no riddles here. I'm not used to it." Hoffa made a joke that only Ravenclaw could understand.
"There's also a stronghold in Hogwarts, but there are fewer people there." Miranda didn't laugh.
"Why don't you hide in Hogwarts?" Hoffa mumbled.
"Idiot, I've already graduated." Miranda pushed him lightly. "You've graduated too."
"Oh …" Hoffa was slightly stunned. He realized that a full seven years had passed, maybe even more. It was just that he had left school earlier. Subconsciously, he still thought that Miranda was the little girl on the train. But she was no longer the little girl.
He took the lead and went underground. Miranda followed behind him.
The two of them, one in front and one behind, took seven or eight turns in the tunnel. Finally, they walked into a small house. A raised underground passage stood in the middle of the small house. The door was made of two black stone slabs. Two yellow-green diamond-shaped gemstones were inlaid on them. They were the size of a fist.
Miranda walked to the door and lowered her head to take out her wand.
"Kassakara." She whispered.
With a creak, the stone door slowly opened inwards. A staircase leading to the underground was revealed. On both sides of the staircase, there was a pair of burning torches at regular intervals, illuminating the entire passage.
Miranda walked in lightly. Hoffa followed closely behind.
Just a few steps in, the sound of the stone door slowly closing came from behind.
The passage was made of palm-sized gray stone bricks. The walls looked old. Some of the bricks were chipped. The floor was also made of the same gray stone bricks. It was very smooth to step on.
Hoffa thought to himself. No wonder he couldn't find Silby in the beginning. He also couldn't find any other living wizards.
It turned out that they were all hiding a few thousand meters underground.
The two of them walked in the passage. The torches on the wall reflected the whole passage into a flickering yellow. Waves of warm air continued to blow from below. There was a strange smell. It wasn't unpleasant, but it didn't smell good either. It was a bit like water plants mixed with burning ashes.
After walking for a while, Hoffa heard the sound of running water coming from the depths of the passage. There was also a faint sound of talking.
Miranda spoke again. "You're not very lucky. We've been cleaning the safe house for the past few days. Maybe the investigators won't be nice to you."
"Investigators? Who are you looking for?" Hoffa was a little nervous.
Miranda said, "Sleepwalkers. If someone sleepwalks in the colony, we have to isolate them."
"Can I be infected by hiding here?"
"As long as you fall asleep, you may be infected," Miranda said. "It's a test of willpower."
The two of them stopped talking and continued to walk forward with their heads lowered. After passing through the brick passage, they took a left turn for a distance. They walked past two forks. Finally, they came to a dark corridor full of pipes. At the end of the corridor, it suddenly opened up.
The sound of water came down from the top.
The sound of water came from the pipes above. The rainwater outside fell into the pipes and slanted down the pipes, forming an artificial waterfall underground. It looked spectacular.
Some green moss and water plants grew on the pipes. On the other side, a few wizards in tattered robes were standing by the pipes, throwing some wood and debris into a burning tin bucket. That was the source of the smell Hoffa had smelled earlier.
"The three people who went out to collect herbs didn't come back. I'm afraid they were attacked by sleepwalkers," a wizard by the fire said.
"The obituary can only be published in a week. Don't jinx it," another wizard said.
"Come on, Charlie. Have you really seen someone who can survive five days outside? The result will be the same whether it's a day earlier or a day later, "a wizard said very dispiritedly.
"Maybe Dumbledore has to change the time of the obituary."
"He doesn't have time to deal with these things. The lack of herbs and the inability to synthesize a tranquilizer is enough to make him anxious … Wait, who's that?"
As they spoke, the wizards by the fire took out their wands and pointed at Miranda and Hoffa who had appeared in the depths of the corridor.
"Miranda, who's that beside you? He looks unfamiliar."
"Do you think he looks unfamiliar to you?" Miranda replied loudly.
"He does look unfamiliar."
"Then call Dumbledore over. He definitely won't look unfamiliar," Miranda said solemnly.
"This …" A few of the vigilant wizards on night duty hesitated.
Suddenly, a wizard put away his wand and widened his eyes in surprise. "Wait a minute, isn't that Hoffa Bach?"
"What, it's him?"
The other wizards put away their wands and whispered to each other, "They do look alike, but didn't Hoffa Bach in the legends have grey hair?"
"His eyes aren't either. His eyes are golden and very eye-catching."
"I'm afraid it's not an imposter."
"This …"
The wizards became more and more hesitant as they spoke. Finally, they raised their wands again. "Hey, Miranda, we suspect that the person beside you is a sleepwalker in disguise."
"Hey, brother, I don't have a cage on my head!"
Hoffa said unhappily. "Also, I just changed my hair and eyes. Is there a need to make such a fuss?"
"I don't believe it. If it's really you, where have you been before?" The wizards still did not relax.
"I've been traveling because of fear." Hoffa spread his hands and said frankly, "Now that I'm back, I'll help you solve your problems and bring you out of the underground to see the sun again."
His words convinced the three wizards.
They put down their wands and one of them said, "Even if you're really Hoffa Bach, you have to be checked before you can come in."
"That's for sure."
Hoffa did not let Miranda speak for him. Instead, he stepped forward and opened his arms, allowing the three Magi on duty to search his body.
The three wizards first checked his belongings and held the glass ball with the little monster in it for a long time. Then, they used their wands to cast a fluorescent spell and checked Hoffa's pupils. Then, they used a small pin to pierce Hoffa's earlobe and shook his blood in a small test tube. Hoffa did not know what they were checking. Perhaps they were checking for hormones related to sleep such as melatonin.
After giving him a thorough check, the three wizards finally confirmed that he was not a slave of Sweet Dreams. They let down their guard and smiled. "Welcome back, Mr. Bach. You've been missing for a long time."
"Believe me, I've been missing longer than you think," Hoffa said.
"Do you really have a way to bring us back to the surface?"
"I do," Hoffa said confidently. "Give me some time, and I'll definitely bring you back."
The three wizards swept away their previous depression and excitedly talked to each other.
Miranda rolled her eyes. "I say, the three of you should be on duty. Do what you're doing."
"Yes, Miss Ghoshak."
A few of the wizards joked.
For some reason, Hoffa saw Ravenclaw in Miranda. Of course, it was not because she was a student of Ravenclaw Academy, but because he had seen Ravenclaw once in Silby's dream. At that time, she had said something similar to him.
After passing through the edge of the pipe, at the end of the corridor.
Following the waterfall was a thick spiral of a huge vine plant. Hoffa, who had taken herbal classes, knew that it was the Devil's Web, a plant that liked dark and damp places.
Miranda pulled Hoffa onto the Devil's Web, and the two staggered up. The Devil's Web was covered with moss and was a little slippery. A large number of roots crisscrossed like the veins of a patient with terminal cancer.
The waterfall behind them was turbulent, and bursts of white foam appeared, rushing down with a roar.
"Don't tell me you're making a false promise." After walking on the Devil's Web, Miranda whispered in Hoffa's ear. "It's good to give them confidence, but they can't take too much disappointment."
"How can that be," Hoffa said seriously. "Am I that kind of person? I'll definitely do it. "
"Then what are you going to do?" Miranda asked seriously.
"Professor Dumbledore is here, right?"
"You want to see him?"
"Yes, I have some clues now. It's about the location of the Origin of Dreams and his goal. But to completely defeat him, I still need some other clues. "
Miranda covered her mouth and laughed.
"What are you laughing at?" Hoffa was confused. "You don't believe me?"
Miranda shook her head. "I don't know what happened in the past year, but you're much more confident than before. If you can really do what you promised them, maybe you can become the next Ministry of Magic Minister, the youngest Ministry of Magic Minister in history. "
The Ministry of Magic Minister … Hoffa thought about it and felt that he was not that interested. If he could deal with Silby, he would find a way to go back in time 50 years.
.....
Not long after, the sound of water faded. They followed the Devil's Web to the bottom of the waterfall, where there was a spectacular underground lake. The lake was dotted with sparks of fire, and a small group of wooden buildings built along the lake.
Those buildings were built with magic, and there were hyacinth lamps hanging from each building for illumination. The ground was damp stone, and some of the buildings had wooden signs hanging. They were probably shops or bars. From the outside, it looked like it had traveled back in time to the 18th century. It seemed that this underground lake had existed for a long time, but it was now being reused.
Without stopping, the two walked along the slippery path. Finally, they arrived at a red wooden building with a dome, which was slightly more orderly than the surrounding buildings.
Miranda led Hoffa to the innermost room of the wooden building and knocked lightly on the door.
"Is it Miranda?" A hazy voice came from inside.
"It's me, Professor. Guess who I brought."
"Come in."
With a click, the door opened by itself.
Miranda pushed the door open and led Hoffa into the room.
It was a study that was similar to the headmaster's office in Hogwarts. In the middle of the room, beside two large bookshelves, a man in a wide gray robe had his back to the two. He wore a hood and was flipping through a thick dictionary in his hand.
"Seems like a rare guest," the man said as he flipped through the book.
Miranda said, "Yes."
The candlestick on the table flickered.
The gray robed wizard had already turned around and slowly raised his head.
Of course, this was the first time Hoffa saw Dumbledore after three years.
The Eight-legged Pope Gregory VII that he had seen in the Chaos Dreamland was an exception. He felt that the similarity in appearance between Gregory VII and Dumbledore might lie in the fact that they had the same goal. So in the dream, they gave Hoffa the same subjective feeling.
However, when he saw the real Dumbledore, he realized the absurdity of the dream.
His hair was much whiter than before, and his cheeks were abnormally thin. It should be the busy work that made him age rapidly. However, his eyes were as bright as before.
Miranda closed the door for them, leaving them some space.
Dumbledore closed the book and stared at Hoffa with his blue eyes under the glass. "You may not believe it, but I knew you would come back to me."
"I'm sorry, Professor." Hoffa sighed.
Dumbledore shook his head and opened his arms. "A long journey, right?"
"Yes, a long journey."
Hoffa said casually. He stepped forward and hugged Dumbledore. Then he let go. "Long time no see, Professor. If possible, I hope I came to see you with red wine."
"If possible, I would rather exchange all the red wine in the cellars of all the wizards in England for your help. I hope they are willing," Dumbledore replied humorously.
Hoffa pulled a chair and sat down in front of Dumbledore. "Professor, the situation is urgent. Let's not talk about other things first. How much do you know about the source of this dream? "
"Very little." Dumbledore frowned. "At first, I thought it was Grindelwald who caused this crisis. But soon, I found out that it was not at all. He was obsessed with the Sacred Weapon of Death and the power of the Grim Reaper. He did not dabble in dreams at all. I am the same. I think there is some kind of power that is beyond the normal wizards surging in this world. "
"The Half-Human King." Hoffa said with certainty.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "It really is him!"
Dumbledore's expression made Hoffa excited. He straightened his back. "You also know it is him?"
"No, I don't know much about him." Dumbledore shook his head. "Since the big explosion five years ago, he has completely disappeared. I said this because a distant friend has been reminding me to be wary of the pure power in the Dark World. "
"I see …."
Hoffa's excitement faded. He grabbed the quill on Dumbledore's table and wrote a spell on a piece of parchment. He handed it over. "Take a look at this first."
Dumbledore took a look and frowned behind his glasses. "This is …?"
"The Mind Flow Spell. This is the strongest spell created by the Half-Human King Silby a thousand years ago. It can draw out the power in all wizards. Therefore, I think that he used the dream to link the consciousness of all wizards together. His purpose should be to use this spell to gather the magic power of all wizards into one. "
"Ten Thousand Spells Return to One … How bold." Dumbledore looked at the parchment in his hand and was a little confused. "Can he draw out the power of all wizards with just a spell? This is not very realistic."
"I don't know his specific method of operation." Hoffa said with certainty. "I only know that if we let him carry out this plan, the consequences will be immeasurable. If we leave him alone, the situation will not be better than it is now. It will only be worse. I must stop him."
Dumbledore looked relieved. He crossed his fingers and sat down. "Then, what can I do for you?"
"Can you break this spell?" Hoffa immediately said. "If you can, breaking it is the same as breaking Silby's plan."
"Ten Thousand Spells Return to One … Ten Thousand Spells Return to One …"
Dumbledore repeated the spell a few times and shook his head. "No, I can't break this spell. It's too simple and too stable. It's almost like the most basic elements that make up the world. I really don't know how the Half-Human King created it. However, I instinctively feel that this spell is not complete. "
"Oh? You have such a feeling? "
Hoffa asked in surprise. When he was in the dream, due to the collapse of the dream, he only read half of the spell in the slip of paper. There should be the other half that he did not see.
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, it's too simple. It's almost as simple as a vertical line. However, if there is no horizontal line as a reference, a vertical line would not be a vertical line and would be meaningless. "
Hoffa shook his head regretfully. He was so close.
However, he quickly shook off his regret. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Then can you help me find Silby's specific location? As long as I find the source of the dream, I am confident that I can defeat him. "
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