bookbashuk Chapter 135 Granger Develops Riddle
Chapter 135 Granger Develops Riddle
Chapter 136 Granger Develops Riddle
Meanwhile, Lupin asked Harry if his tongue was nimble. Upon hearing this, Harry muttered to himself that the spell was difficult to pronounce.
His brows furrowed, and he replied, "Second Uncle, what makes you say that? Is it because the Animagus incantation is as convoluted and difficult to pronounce as the Thames River?"
"Ah, this spell is indeed a bit convoluted, but that's not the reason. It's just that the preparation stage is a bit troublesome."
"You need to hold a mature mandrake leaf in your mouth between one full moon and the next, and you must not let it leave your mouth during this time."
Having said that, Lupin walked to the desk, opened a drawer, rummaged through it for a moment, took out an old book with frayed edges and curled corners, and handed it to Harry, saying:
"This is the experience your father gained while practicing Animagus during his school years."
"For example, which type of liquid food can prevent swallowing the leaves, and how to speak more clearly while holding leaves in your mouth, etc."
He said, his eyes glazed over, "Don't lose it, Harry, it's priceless."
Harry took it, flipped through a few pages, and then put it in his pocket, laughing, "This book is wonderful, but for me it's like a dragon-slaying skill. I'll just keep it as a memento from my late father."
Lupin frowned. "Oh, Harry, you probably don't quite understand the value of this notebook..."
Before he could finish speaking, Harry pulled out five Galleons from his robes, popped them all into his mouth, and then downed the liquor in one gulp.
But his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the strong liquor, while the gallon remained safely hidden in his mouth.
Harry chuckled, "Second Uncle, watch and see how my tongue works!"
Suddenly, it opened its mouth again and spat out five Gallon coins, which jingled and fell into its palm.
Lupin stared in disbelief. He took the gallons for a closer look and found that each one was dry and without a trace of alcohol, which startled him so much that he took three steps back.
"How...you...I...how did you do that?!"
Harry laughed loudly, "Second Uncle, you don't know this, but I have a brother who's a master of ventriloquism, and he's already passed on all his verbal skills to me!"
Do you know the origin of this hero Harry is talking about?
It was none other than Yue He, nicknamed "Iron Whistle" from Liangshan Marsh. Yue He was born with a beautiful voice, was proficient in all kinds of musical instruments, and could imitate anything perfectly.
With a single breath, he could conjure wind, rain, thunder, and lightning; with a turn of his tongue, he could produce the cries of a hundred beasts and the flapping of a thousand birds. If given a megaphone, one man could mimic the sounds of a massive battle, a truly divine skill.
After Liangshan defeated Grand Marshal Gao three times, the imperial court sent envoys to offer amnesty. It was Hali and Yuehe who were ordered to go to the capital to meet the emperor. The journey was long, and Yuehe had nothing to do, so he taught him all his skills in hiding objects and imitating sounds.
Lupin stared at Galon for a long while before shaking his head and laughing, "Alright... This problem troubled Jaime and the others for several months back then, I didn't expect you to have already solved it."
Harry laughed and said, "As the saying goes, 'It's never a bad thing to have many skills,' and today I've truly seen the truth of that. In that case, when the full moon arrives this month, I'll be able to start practicing Animagus."
"No, Harry, you'll have to wait until April or May next year."
Upon hearing this, Harry's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Second Uncle, you must be joking! Why do we have to wait another year for no reason?"
"Oh, Harry, even though you've figured out how to live on mandrake leaves, it's not mandrake harvest season yet."
"You should know that mandrakes only mature in late spring and early summer, and they cannot be stored for long periods of time. They usually die completely within twelve hours of being unearthed."
Harry thought to himself: No wonder Professor Dumbledore was so grateful when Flint's mother presented him with mandrake in early spring last year; it turns out that this herb is so difficult to grow.
He considered that he would need to wait more than half a year to master Animagus, how could he possibly wait? He immediately cupped his hands and exclaimed:
"Does it have to be fresh leaves? Can't we use dehydrated, dried leaves?"
"Absolutely not! Harry, you must follow the steps strictly." Lupin suddenly said seriously, "No one knows what will happen if you change the steps randomly."
"Once upon a time, a wizard ground his teeth in his sleep, chewing up leaves, but he didn't try to start over. When he finally transformed, he became a phoenix and rose from the ashes—but he didn't get reborn, and he died."
Seeing the seriousness in his words, Harry had no choice but to put aside his thoughts for the time being, and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Since you have given such instructions, Uncle, I will obey."
Having finished speaking, still preoccupied with how Flint's mother obtained the mandrake, he took his leave.
As soon as he stepped out the door, his footsteps moved with lightning speed, as if carried by wind and fire.
Lu Ping remained alone in the room, stunned for a long time, before finally letting out a long sigh and slumping into his chair.
He picked up the strong liquor from the table and took several sips, but the liquor only added to his sorrow, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.
"I've been a terrible uncle."
"It's completely useless..."
The flower blooms at two ends, each telling its own story.
Meanwhile, Harry left Lupin's place and rushed to the Rune Arts classroom. Because of the earlier conversation, by the time he pushed open the door, class had already started for half a cup of tea.
After apologizing to the professor, she slipped away and sat down next to Ron and Hermione, only to find the two of them whispering to each other.
It was common knowledge that Ron neglected his studies, but even Hermione had abandoned her proper learning, which surprised Harry, who asked in a low voice:
"My eldest sister is usually the most diligent student, she even uses that time converter, why isn't she paying attention today?"
"We were discussing why Professor Lupin is afraid of the moon," Ron said, tilting his head. "You know, he didn't tell the whole truth on the train."
Harry asked hastily, "Have you found out anything?"
Hermione's face turned pale as she shoved the Death Journal in front of Harry. "Pick one of the reasons out there."
When Harry looked closely at the Death Diary, he saw the words "Why do wizards fear the moon?" written at the top, which took up four or five lines.
Below, dozens of reasons were listed in tiny print, covering the entire page. They included all sorts of reasons, such as moon phobia, werewolf disaster, and moonlight allergy, making it quite dazzling.
Harry exclaimed, "Big sister really knows how to use this cursed book! It has such wonderful uses, she's practically a know-it-all!"
Hermione smiled, but spoke modestly, "It's nothing. In fact, it's thanks to the school library's collection of books, which spans thousands of years and is quite extensive."
It should be known that this magical hybrid has no intelligence; it only recognizes written words. Hermione, being the most clever of them all, had already given it a decree, ordering it to search the library for documents related to "Fear of the Moon" and present all the records on paper.
This creature is incorporeal; it memorized everything in a single glance, surpassing even the ability to search on one's own.
Harry listened with astonishment, exclaiming with delight, "Brilliant! Entrusting this demonic book to my elder sister is truly a stroke of good fortune; if it had remained in my hands, wouldn't it have been a waste of a gem!"
Hermione, though pleased, frowned and sighed, "But it's not very useful. There are dozens of reasons listed here; we don't have time to try them all."
Harry pushed the book back, and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "Elder sister, please don't be impatient. Everyone has secrets. I do have a request, though. Elder sister is well-versed in the wonders of this item, so please ask her for me."
"no problem."
Hermione didn't hesitate at all. She immediately took two bottles of magic potions from her bosom and swallowed them. Her complexion regained its rosy hue before she picked up her pen and began to write:
"Harry, you speak."
"I have only one question: where can I find ripe mandrakes at this time of year?"
After saying this, he recounted the Animagus cultivation methods he had heard from Lupin, leaving Ron speechless with astonishment.
Harry learns really fast.
They've just started learning the Patronus Charm, which Harry already learned in his second year, while Harry is already learning the extremely dangerous Animagus Charm.
Upon hearing this, Hermione bit her lip, and the stars in her eyes dimmed slightly. She immediately picked up her pen and scribbled Harry's question onto the page.
Before long, the ink on the paper surged, forming a dense mass of black characters.
Harry took it and examined it closely. The paper was covered in ink stains, but all that could be written was the phrase "groundless accusation"!
Ron advised from the side, "Harry, you should wait until next year. Mandrakes that are out of season are hard to find."
Hermione chimed in, "That's right. Otherwise, Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have insisted on waiting until the end of the semester when Colin and the others were first petrified last year."
She hesitated for a moment, then took a breath and said, "How about the three of us practice together next year?"
The two men tried to persuade him, but Harry remained silent, only lowering his head in thought.
But his brows were furrowed, his eyes darting around, and after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he suddenly clapped his hands and said:
"Ah! There's still one method we can try!"
Having said that, he looked at Hermione and then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "However, this matter will require your assistance, elder sister."
As the saying goes: A hero is not bound by the constraints of fate; wisdom often springs from the most desperate situations. Don't underestimate the power of plants and trees; they too possess ingenious ways to defy the natural order. But what method did Harry actually devise? We'll find out in the next chapter.
(End of this chapter)