CHAPTER 1397: ACTION

“Hello,” said Dumbledore cheerfully.

“Hello, sir!” The group approached Dumbledore.

“Don’t stand there. Sit down. The house-elves are always too enthusiastic and try their best to do something for us. They are really the most wonderful creatures in the world. We’d better not reject their kindness,” said Dumbledore with a smile. “What would you like to eat? I suggest trying these Toffee eclairs.”

They took seats beside Dumbledore. The surrounding house-elves immediately brought out drinks and desserts, covering most of the table. The scene looked like a party, but except for Dumbledore, no one present had the appetite for dessert.

“Sir, are we going to summon that demon now?”

“Oh, yes,” said Dumbledore. “I imagine the five of you wouldn’t want to spend Christmas in an empty Hogwarts. Molly also reminded me to send you all back, so it’s best to get this done quickly.”

“Did you find any leads?” Evan asked, “About the demon altar and Hufflepuff…”

“There is no direct evidence that Helga Hufflepuff left a demon altar within the school,” said Dumbledore softly. “We can only speculate. In the castle’s original design, this area was meant to be a Hufflepuff-exclusive space, accessible only to Hufflepuff herself and her students; much like Slytherin’s Chamber of Secrets. And the demon altar that appears here dates back to that same era, suggesting a connection between the two. What’s more, it is a demon altar related to house-elves. We all know that Hufflepuff had a good relationship with house-elves.”

“And the clue she left behind is also related to house-elves,” said Evan.

The clue to the secret treasure key left by Hufflepuff was: Kind-hearted Hufflepuff, from the open valley! She treated everyone equally, giving all a chance to receive her treasures. The key to unlocking the treasure is honesty and loyalty; all you need to do is trust your most humble friend!

The most humble friend here, as expected, referred to the house-elves.

After all, the creatures mentioned in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw’s clues corresponded to beings around Hogwarts.

Gryffindor’s proud follower’s recognition referred to the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, while Ravenclaw’s brilliant allies pointed to the Merpeople in the Black Lake. Evan had gained critical information about the treasure keys from these creatures that had lived around Hogwarts for generations.

Therefore, the clue left by Hufflepuff should correspond to the house-elves in the kitchens.

Evan had investigated before and found that the house-elves in the kitchens did not preserve anything from generation to generation like the centaurs or the Merpeople.

They knew nothing, and the only suspicious element was the demon altar.

That demon was also an elf, maybe he knew something.

“Everything can only be confirmed after the summoning,” said Dumbledore. “It seems that you don’t want to eat dessert, so let’s go. Take out your wands. Although the power of the demon altar below is not very strong, and I don’t believe any particularly powerful demon will appear, we still can’t take it lightly. Of course, there is no need to be overly anxious.”

Harry and Hermione seemed to want to ask something else, after all, they were about to face a demon.

This was an area they did not understand, and tension and uneasiness were inevitable, even with Dumbledore around.

But precisely because they didn’t understand, they had no idea what to ask.

Evan had already explained everything necessary. They came here today mainly to gain experience.

Even for wizards, witnessing a demon summoning wasn’t something one could encounter often.

The group walked through the kitchens and came to the cold storage at the back. Stars of golden light emerged from the ends of their wands, dispelling the darkness.

The surrounding shelves were piled with all kinds of food, and at the deepest part of the shelves was the green brick wall.

Passing through the brick wall, the walls of the back room were covered with the heads of house-elves, thousands of them. Their wrinkled faces were frozen in death, eerily lifelike yet terrifying under the cold temperatures. Their large, hollow eyes stared blankly ahead, an unsettling sight that sent a wave of unease through the air.

Evan heard Ron beside him gasp, and then quickly fell silent again.

Hanging the heads of deceased house-elves on the walls was an ancient custom. The elves themselves saw no issue with it; in fact, they took pride in the practice, believing it to be the highest honor and recognition they could receive.

A single wall separated two vastly different worlds.

On one side, Hogwarts’ kitchens and food storage, where meals for the students were prepared daily.

On the other, a grotesque display of house-elf remains, a corridor resembling something out of hell.

It was fortunate that Hogwarts students were unaware of this; otherwise, no one would be able to eat in peace.

To traditional house-elves, this place was a sanctuary. But ever since the demon altar was discovered, the elves had refused to go near this area.

The group made their way through the corridor lined with house-elves, and although the environment was not very suitable, Harry could not help but tell them the conversation he’d overheard last night.

He had been restraining himself since last night, and the fact that he hadn’t blurted it out the moment he saw Dumbledore was already impressive.

“Sir, I have something to tell you about Snape and Malfoy,” he said.

“Professor Snape, Harry,” corrected Dumbledore, who had just been giving them a brief account of the history of the house-elves at Hogwarts.

House-elves had been working here since the school was founded. Under the advocacy and influence of Hufflepuff, Hogwarts once became the last refuge for house-elves who had lost their hometown. It was the place with the largest number of house-elves in the whole of Britain.

“Yes, Professor Snape,” said Harry. “Evan, Hermione and I overheard them during Professor Slughorn’s party last night.”

“We followed them, actually. …” Evan added.

“Well, what did they say?” Dumbledore asked softly, not seeming very surprised.

Harry recounted everything, and Dumbledore listened impassively. When Harry had finished, the headmaster did not speak for a few moments, then said, “Thank you for telling me this, Harry, but I suggest that you put it out of your mind. Right now, the most important thing is summoning the demon. Well… I do not think what you told me is of great importance.”

“Not of great importance?” repeated Harry incredulously. “Professor, did you understand — ?”

“Yes, Harry, blessed as I am with extraordinary brainpower, I understood everything you told me,” said Dumbledore, a little sharply. “I think you might even consider the possibility that I understood more than you did. Again, I am glad that you have confided in me, but let me reassure you that you have not told me anything that causes me disquiet.”

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