Chapter 26: The Storm Approaches

Indor grabbed Hofa's school robe, the faint flames in the tavern's fireplace crackling and casting flickering shadows on the walls, creating an eerie pattern. The two of them were at an impasse. 

Finally, Indor let go and said sorrowfully, "If that's the case, then go. Pretend we never met." 

"What do you mean by that?" 

Hofa narrowed his eyes. 

"You care more about yourself than anything else. Do you know what's happening outside?" 

"Don't pin this on me," Hofa said, displeased. "If you told any sane student about this, they'd say the same thing. 

And if you really want to get into the school, why not find some older students? Didn't you say you had some former partners…" 

"Dead! They're all dead!" 

Indor waved his hand irritably. 

"You're the only Hogwarts student I know. The rest are dead." 

Hofa was shocked. 

"Are you that unlucky?" 

"Enough. Will you help me see Dippet or not? Give me a straight answer." 

Indor began pacing the room in agitation. 

"No," Hofa said. 

"I'm just here to see a friend." 

With that, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began meditating to restore his magic. 

Hofa knew better than anyone how strict Hogwarts was in this era. Newt Scamander, Rubeus Hagrid—these outstanding students weren't given special treatment because of their character. They were expelled for breaking school rules. 

Indor tugged at his ears in frustration, sighed, and flopped onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow. Muffled, he said, "You're so self-centered!" 

"Hmm, I'm a Ravenclaw," Hofa replied. 

The Ravenclaw goblin seemed to think of something and let out a bitter laugh. 

Then he got up from the bed. "Alright, alright. Rest up and get back to school before it gets dark. I'll find another way to see Dippet." 

Leaving Hogsmeade still required invisibility. With the help of the Milarepa meditation technique, Hofa's magic quickly began to recover. 

The Disillusionment Charm's consumption was astonishing. 

His limited magic could only sustain it for about half an hour. 

Hofa had never overused his magic before, and he didn't know how long it would take to recover. 

He could only focus on his breathing. 

Indor didn't disturb Hofa. He lay on the bed, and time passed minute by minute. 

Outside, the sky gradually darkened. 

The streets of Hogsmeade grew quiet, the pedestrians thinning out. The students had long since returned to Hogwarts. 

But Hofa still hadn't woken up. 

Suddenly, Indor's long ears twitched as if he'd heard something. 

He quickly reverted to his true form, hurried to the window, and peeked through a small gap in the curtains, looking out at the dark night. 

He let the curtain fall and glanced at Hofa, pacing the room anxiously. 

At that moment, a faint wisp of smoke began to seep in. It seemed to come from nowhere, gradually rising through the streets of Hogsmeade. 

Slowly, it drifted into the room where Hofa was. 

Indor's expression changed. He couldn't wait any longer. 

He rushed to the bed and shook Hofa's shoulders urgently. 

"Wake up, wake up, Hofa!" 

Hofa was jolted out of his meditation by Indor and asked irritably, "What is it?" 

Indor said nervously, "I didn't tell you, but a group of German dark wizards is tracking me. They're probably nearby now." 

Hofa was horrified. "Dark wizards in Hogsmeade? Are you kidding me? Aren't they afraid of…" 

Just then, a thin stream of milky white smoke drifted in through the window crack. 

Hofa caught a faint whiff of something burning. 

The goblin clamped his hand over Hofa's mouth and nose, whispering in extreme panic, "Don't breathe! Water, quick!" 

With that, he tore off two strips of bedsheet and handed them to Hofa. 

Hofa's expression turned grave. He pulled out his wand and tapped it. 

"Aguamenti!" 

A clear stream of water gushed from the wand. Indor soaked the cloth and tied it around his and Hofa's faces. 

Hofa asked in a low voice, "How many are there?" 

Indor pulled Hofa to the window and peeked through the curtain. 

"Three," he whispered. "This smoke is from a Nundu's venom. It causes fatal neurological diseases. Just a little is enough to knock out the entire village. The only weakness is water." 

His words sent a chill down Hofa's spine. 

Outside, the sky was completely dark. 

The small town was eerily quiet. 

Hofa looked out the window and saw thick fog rising from the ground. In the mist, three tall figures moved slowly. 

They wore pointed black hoods and carried old lanterns. 

Two streets away from the Two Broomsticks. 

With a flash of light, an owl screeched and fled. 

The post office was blown to pieces by a spell, rubble flying everywhere. 

German: "Er ist hier." (He's here.) 

German: "Sucht ihn getrennt!" (Search separately!) 

Strange words drifted through the fog, their tone cold and mechanical. 

It sounded like a robot issuing commands in code. 

Hofa had no idea what they were saying, but he knew one thing—this was bad. 

The residents here didn't react, and there was no sound from the tavern below. 

On the street, the three figures split up. One slowly approached the Two Broomsticks, while the other two headed in different directions. 

Indor whispered in Hofa's ear, "Schmidt Rotruf. A dangerous dark wizard wanted by the British Ministry of Magic. Grindelwald's right-hand man. 

He's especially skilled in magical biology. Whatever you do, don't breathe in this smoke." 

Before Hofa could respond. 

A hooded man stood in front of the Two Broomsticks, holding a lantern and inspecting the area. 

Peeking through the window crack, Hofa saw a large red swastika tattooed on the man's arm. 

Hofa's face was expressionless, but inside, he was panicking. 

Indor, this jinx, had actually brought such people here. 

Dark wizards were no joke. 

Only those with real power dared to call themselves dark wizards. 

These three had already taken down all of Hogsmeade without lifting a finger. Their strength was far beyond what a first-year student and a scammer goblin could handle. 

"Do you have any ideas?" 

Indor asked anxiously. 

"Can't you Apparate away?" 

Hofa whispered. 

"No, the magical fluctuations from Apparition are too obvious. They'll definitely sense it." 

Indor said in a low voice. 

"I came here by boat, not daring to Apparate. 

Because they can track magical fluctuations and follow me. If they find out, you won't be able to escape either." 

"What the hell did you do!?" 

Hofa grabbed Indor's collar, his voice a low hiss. "Did you do this on purpose!?" 

"On purpose?" 

Indor headbutted him back. "Me? On purpose? 

On purpose to scam Gringotts, on purpose to be hunted by German wizards? How low do you think I am!? 

The world's about to fall into chaos, and you're saying I did this on purpose…" 

"Enough, shut up!" 

Hofa rubbed his forehead, glancing out the window at the tall man approaching. 

His head felt like it was splitting. 

Gritting his teeth, he said, "We can't stay here. We need to leave now." 

"Where to?" 

Indor asked. 

"The secret passage is in Honeydukes. We have to get there."