Hogwarts: Don't call me the Staff Maker

Chapter 65 Challenge, Speedrun Version

Siren followed Dumbledore as they walked through the darkness-shrouded grounds in silence.

Hagrid didn't follow. He believed that now that Dumbledore had returned to the school, there was nothing to worry about. He estimated that it wouldn't be long before the guy who coveted the Philosopher's Stone would be dealt with.

Hagrid thought that Luca needed him more, and the poor little guy must be in a lot of pain. His heart clenched, and he couldn't help but shed tears again.

It's all because of that shameless, despicable thief. Once Professor Dumbledore catches that guy, he'll definitely teach him a lesson.

While Hagrid was taking care of Fluffy, Dumbledore and Sherren had already entered the castle and stopped in the foyer.

The castle was in complete chaos thanks to the three-headed dog. Twisted and deformed staircases hung precariously in mid-air, broken marble railings were scattered all over the floor, and the portraits on the walls screamed in panic, scrambling to get into the safer frames.

Hearing the commotion, all the professors came out, with Professor McGonagall being the first to approach.

"I know, Minerva." Before she could say anything, Dumbledore interrupted, "Are any students injured?"

"Thank goodness, no. I was really relieved to hear that," Professor McGonagall said, her tone unfriendly. "I told you long ago that letting Cerberus into the castle was bound to cause trouble sooner or later. Fortunately, no students were affected this time."

"In fact, it is," Dumbledore said.

"What did you say?" Professor McGonagall immediately tensed up, her voice trembling slightly. "Who was it? How is it now?!"

"It should be nothing serious, or you can ask him yourself." Dumbledore turned slightly to the side.

Professor McGonagall then noticed Celen following behind.

"Olivendine? You... what's wrong?" Her face grew increasingly pale. "Why aren't you in your dorm so late?"

"I didn't go out at night this time, Madam Pomfrey can testify!" Sirren said quickly. He glanced at Dumbledore and, seeing that the other man didn't seem to be in a hurry, decided to patiently explain.

"I went to visit Fred and George, but when I came back, I suddenly heard a noise on the fourth floor..."

Xilun recounted what had happened.

Besides Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore also listened very attentively.

"I must thank you, Mr. Ollivander," he said solemnly. "You lured Cerberus out of the castle and, together with Hagrid, subdued it, successfully preventing an even greater disaster."

"But it's still too risky; he's only a first-year student." Professor McGonagall said sternly, "The most foolish thing to do when facing a large beast is to run to open ground. You should use the castle's terrain to wait for the professor's support."

"That's when I saw Hagrid," Celen said.

Professor McGonagall's expression softened, and she also thought of something else.

"You just said someone went into that room on the fourth floor? Who was it?!"

"I don't know," Xilen shook her head. "I didn't see him."

"Professor McGonagall! Headmaster Dumbledore!"

Just then, a scream came from not far away, and two more people ran over.

"Granger? Weasley?" Professor McGonagall nearly choked on her words.

Two Gryffindors again?!

"Headmaster, Harry... he..." Ron gasped for breath, pointing upstairs.

"Harry went to keep an eye on him, didn't he?" Dumbledore asked.

The two nodded vigorously.

Dumbledore immediately ran up to the fourth floor, and Sirius quickly followed.

Professor McGonagall was talking to the other two people at the time and did not notice Siron's little actions, which allowed him to successfully follow Dumbledore to the fourth-floor corridor.

Most of the railings and stairs damaged by the three-headed dog have been repaired, but the door is still on the ground.

When they arrived, Professor Flitwick was preparing to jump through the trapdoor.

"Leave it to us, Philius," said Dumbledore.

Hearing Dumbledore say this, Professor Flitwick looked a little disappointed, but he nodded and left the trapdoor to continue repairing the railings and walls.

"How about you go first?" Dumbledore extended his hand, gesturing for him to proceed.

Siren immediately jumped into the trapdoor.

The passage was long, and the cold, damp air whistled past his ears. His descent began to slow, and his body became lighter, as if something was supporting him from behind. Finally, he landed lightly on the ground like a feather.

Beside it was a huge clump of vines, its thick tentacles wriggling gently, like a dozen octopuses entwined together.

Strangely, he didn't feel anything at all and just walked through the clump of plants.

"Devil's Web." Dumbledore appeared beside him. "I'm sure you can handle this little problem, but we're in a hurry."

"Alright, hurry up and catch up. This time it's my turn to lead the way." Dumbledore quickened his pace.

Push open the next door, and inside there are countless birds, as dazzling as jewels, flying around the room.

These birds are all keys, but only one can open the door on the other side.

However, Dumbledore showed no intention of stopping to search. He walked straight to the other side, took out a key, and opened the door.

"Felius just gave it to me," he said with a smile, showing off a large key in his hand. "Hurry up and follow me."

Then came the enormous magic chessboard, but when the two entered, the pieces had not yet been fully restored from their damaged state.

"How fortunate, I've never been good at Wizard's Chess," Dumbledore said, quickening his pace again as he crossed the room.

They came to another doorway, behind which was a checkpoint set up by Quirrell.

But inside the door was not the giant monster that Xilun had imagined, but several red-hatted creatures, all of them now motionless, lying haphazardly on the ground.

This time, Dumbledore said nothing and simply walked over.

He opened the next door, and as soon as the two of them stepped across the threshold, a purple flame rose up behind them, while at the same time, black flames shot up from the doorway in front of them.

"Want to decipher it?" Xiren glanced at the long table in front of him and the several bottles placed on it.

This is a challenge set up by Snape; only by drinking the correct potion can one pass through the flames.

"That's the correct procedure, but as I've been saying, we're a bit pressed for time."

Dumbledore suddenly had a wand in his hand and waved it gently.

The black flames instantly parted to both sides, creating a wide passage in the middle.

Siren didn't notice this magical scene; his gaze was fixed on Dumbledore's hand holding the wand.

[Laurel wood, dragon heartstring, 13 1/4 inches]

[Status: Broken, Stagnant]

【Characteristics: Spell range -10%; Mana gathering speed -10%; Fire magic effects +3%】