Chapter 117, 115. A Cult! This must be a cult!
"Steamed buns, four for a dollar, hehe!"
Ian's expressionless, emotionless voice, coupled with the eerie incantation, sent chills down Cedric's spine.
Meanwhile, Harry and Ron, peeking from behind the door, also shuddered, goosebumps rising all over their bodies.
Only Lynn was unusually excited, patting Ian's shoulder happily.
"That's right, did you feel the aura?"
"I want to crawl into a hole."
"Don't think like that, Ian! You were incredibly powerful just now!"
For some reason, Harry and Ron, looking at Lynn comforting the traumatized Ian, felt he was a villain!
And that eerie incantation, that arrogant smile—he acted like a complete villain.
Lynn let go of the little white wolf, who was in a state of extreme embarrassment, and turned to Cedric.
"Your turn. Come on, just like I taught you, make sure to say it out loud."
Cedric's chosen spell wasn't as bizarre as Ian's, and it did sound powerful when recited, though he didn't understand its meaning.
"Who the hell wants to buy Xiaomi's!"
Cedric shouted, taking a deep breath and yelling the spell as Lynn had instructed.
He didn't know what it meant anyway, and there was no one else around except Ian and Lynn, so he wasn't ashamed.
"Hahaha…"
Lynn laughed, hands on his hips, patting Cedric's shoulder heavily like a mob boss.
"That's right, that's it! You've got the hang of it. Now we can officially begin!"
Harry and Ron, hiding behind the door, couldn't stand it anymore.
They quietly closed the door again and tiptoed away from the classroom.
Only after running all the way to the Gryffindor common room did they dare to catch their breath and sit by the warm fireplace, discussing what they had just witnessed.
"That was so weird! Lynn's behavior just now made me feel like he was even more evil than Snape!" Ron said in horror.
Harry clutched his chest, a sudden chill running through him, unsure why.
"And those strange spells they were chanting, 'steamed buns,' 'hehe,' and stuff like that—those are definitely dark magic spells!"
Harry's tone was certain, though he had no proof; it was just a feeling, a feeling that Lynn was up to no good.
"Have you heard of cults, Ron?"
"What's that? Evil sects?"
"Yes, supposedly these sects are full of lunatics who believe in evil gods. They gather to perform evil rituals! I feel like Lynn and the others were doing that! They were summoning evil gods!"
"Cults! This must be a cult!"
...
"What cult?"
Hermione returned to Hogwarts the day before Christmas ended. She hadn't even entered the Gryffindor common room when Ron and Harry cornered her, saying they had top-secret information to tell her.
These two brats actually told her that Lynn had founded a cult at Hogwarts.
"It's true! Ron and I saw Lynn and his two friends chanting weird spells and laughing horribly in an empty classroom. They were definitely summoning an evil god!"
Harry was trying his best to convince Hermione.
Hermione just thought they were joking.
"What did you two do this Christmas? Follow Lynn around all day, saying he started a cult? And then you used the Invisibility Cloak to wander the castle at night, just to see that ethereal mirror? Have you forgotten what you said before the holidays?"
Harry and Ron lowered their heads guiltily.
"So, do you know who Nicolas Flamel is?" Hermione crossed her arms, looking at them with annoyance.
Ron and Harry avoided eye contact.
"I guess he might be a ghost."
"Yes, that explains why we can't find him in the modern wizarding world; after all, he's a ghost, he must have died a long time ago."
They were completely making things up, trying to change the subject of their Christmas inaction.
Hermione was utterly disappointed in Harry and Ron. She turned and left the Gryffindor common room.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked behind her.
"I'm going to see Lynn. He's read way more books than I have; he should know who Nicolas Flamel is."
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance.
Ron whispered, "We can't let her go alone. Lynn will lead her into a cult."
"Then we'll go with her."
Finally, the Gryffindor trio found Lynn by the Black Lake.
Lynn, Cedric, and Ian were having a picnic by the lake.
He had tormented the two of them for the entire Christmas holiday, so of course he wanted to reward them properly on the last day before it ended.
Although the ingredients came from Hogwarts' kitchen, Lynn cooked everything himself.
Having lived alone for many years, his cooking skills were naturally quite good; he could make both Chinese and Western dishes, but more Western, since not all Westerners could stomach Chinese food.
When Hermione and the others arrived, Lynn had just finished eating and was leisurely enjoying dessert.
Seeing Hermione, Lynn seemed somewhat surprised.
"Hermione, you're back today? Did you eat anything on the train? We've almost finished all the other food, but we haven't touched the candy yet. And you two, why are you so reserved?"
He spoke the last sentence to Harry and Ron, who were hiding behind Hermione, watching him warily.
Lynn was completely bewildered; he didn't think he'd bothered these two kids much lately.
Hermione was still a little annoyed with Lynn, but when she saw the neatly wrapped scarf around his neck, all her anger vanished.
"No, I ate on the train before I arrived,"
she asked directly.
"Do you know Nick Flamel?"
Lynn was opening a box of chocolates. He took out the chocolates and a magic card from them.
He handed Hermione the Dumbledore card.
"You mean Nick Flamel on this one?"
Hermione stared wide-eyed at the card Lynn handed her, and Harry and Ron couldn't help but lean over as well.
They spotted the name they'd been searching for all day:
...a man who had been remarkably successful in alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.
________________________________________
Can't wait for the next chapter?
30+ advanced chapters are already available on Patreon!
👉 patreon.com/Horizons685
______________________________________
(End of Chapter)