Entering the Forbidden Zone, Part 2

Although she understood what the room intended for her to do, Lin Yue had no intention of doing as the designer of the room wished.

Just now, at the three-headed dog Fluffy's place, she had seen the harp left behind.

The moment she saw it, her mind analyzed that it couldn't possibly have been conjured by Hermione and the others; even Hermione didn't possess Transfiguration skills of that caliber.

Therefore, that harp could only belong to one person: Professor Quirrell, the one who wanted to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

So, she could deduce that Professor Quirrell had already entered the forbidden area. Thinking further, Hermione and the other two might have also entered the forbidden area... The feeling of her heart fluttering wildly and her mind buzzing returned instantly.

Raising her head indifferently, Lin Yue strode through the room, her Wand pointed directly at the wooden door in front of her.

"Explosion Charm."

BOOM! Accompanied by Lin Yue's continuous output of magic power, the wooden door instantly flew backward. However, before it flew back, it visibly held its ground against Lin Yue for two seconds, clearly protected by a safeguarding charm.

As soon as she entered the next room, Lin Yue saw Hermione and Ron. Ron was lying on a giant chessboard, having fainted, while Hermione was beside him, trying to wake him up.

Hearing footsteps, Hermione looked up in a panic. Seeing Lin Yue, she breathed a sigh of relief, only to immediately become even more anxious.

"Lin Yue! What are you doing here? Go quickly, go find a professor, hurry!"

Hermione shouted anxiously. However, Lin Yue acted as if she hadn't heard, stepping onto the chessboard with a blank expression.

As if sensing a new person entering the board's area, the previously shattered chess pieces immediately reassembled, and soon both sides' pieces were rearranged.

Hermione and Ron were trapped between the chess pieces, yet the pieces completely ignored them.

Although Hermione still wanted to shout at Lin Yue to go back, it was clearly impossible now. The chess pieces were ready, and no matter what, Lin Yue had to play this game.

What brought her some comfort was that Lin Yue's Wizard's Chess skills were quite good. She had heard from Harry and Ron before that Ron had played ten games against her and lost all ten.

Lin Yue's emotionless gaze swept over the chess pieces on the opposite side, which were standing ready, and then over Hermione and the unconscious Ron beside her.

Hermione had no obvious external injuries and was conscious, so she seemed fine.

Although Ron had fainted, Hermione didn't seem overly anxious, suggesting he was likely alright too.

Hermione had just told her to go find a professor, and with Harry not here, it meant Professor Quirrell had gone to a room further inside, and Harry had chased after him, leaving Hermione to seek help from a professor.

Lin Yue's mind processed the most likely scenario in an instant.

Harry against Professor Quirrell, survival rate: extremely low.

Lin Yue automatically listed this conclusion in her mind and then, with vacant eyes, walked towards Hermione and Ron.

Just as she was about to walk through the middle of the chessboard, CLANG! The chess pieces lined up in the front row quickly drew their swords and blocked her path.

Indifferently raising her Wand, Lin Yue spoke without emotion, "Wingardium Leviosa."

All the chess pieces on the board were lifted into the air by the force of the Levitation Charm. Hermione watched the scene in front of her blankly, her mind recalling the day Lin Yue had forcefully pulled up a wall.

Waving her Wand forward expressionlessly, the chess pieces floating in the air were instantly sent hurtling towards the wall behind Hermione and Ron, shattering amidst the sounds of impact.

Lin Yue walked to Hermione, crouched down, and pointed her Wand at Ron's chest. "Enervate."

With a sudden gasp, Ron's eyes snapped open.

The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was Lin Yue, and he asked the same question as Hermione.

"Lin Yue?! What are you doing here?"

Lin Yue's voice was flat and mechanical as she replied, "I was worried about you, so I came."

Hearing Lin Yue say the word "worried" herself, Hermione looked at her with disbelief and a hint of joy.

Sensing Hermione's gaze, Lin Yue looked back at her and paused for a second when she saw the tear streaks on her face.

Then, unsure how to comfort her, she reached into her robe pocket, pulled out a tissue, and handed it to Hermione.

"Wipe your face."

Although Lin Yue's voice was still mechanical and stiff, Hermione still heard warmth in it.

Smiling emotionally, Hermione took the tissue, wiped her face haphazardly, and whispered a thank you.

Ron, lying on the ground, silently averted his gaze, feeling that he might be more comfortable if he were in a bed in the Medical Wing.

If not... he'd be willing to play another game. He felt truly awkward right now.

Fortunately, his awkwardness didn't last long. After seeing Hermione wipe away her tears, Lin Yue stood up without hesitation.

Seeing her about to move forward again, Hermione quickly spoke up, "Lin Yue! It's dangerous ahead. The person who wants to steal the Philosopher's Stone is up ahead. Come back with us to find a professor!"

Hermione's gaze and words were almost pleading. Although she knew Harry was ahead... the thought of Lin Yue going there too made her heart ache as if being cut by a knife.

She didn't want Lin Yue to go. This thought was presented with utmost clarity in her mind. As for the fact that the potion that allowed one to advance in the other room had already been drunk, she had, in her anxiety, forgotten about it.

"Harry against Professor Quirrell, survival rate: extremely low," Lin Yue repeated the conclusion in her mind.

Then, looking at Hermione, she added, "Hermione... wouldn't want Harry to die."

Lin Yue stumbled over this sentence. Although she could analyze the conclusion it represented, she couldn't fully grasp the influencing factors within it.

Her deficiency in understanding emotions was still severe, preventing her from perfecting her analysis.

Hermione stared at her blankly, watching as she blasted open the wooden door and stepped through without hesitation.

I really don't want Harry to die... but I don't want you to die either! You fool!

However, Hermione also knew that rushing over would be futile. Lin Yue's previous words had already rejected her, and she couldn't force her to go back. Moreover, with Lin Yue's strength, her going there would only be a hindrance.

Now, her only option was to find a professor. Once the professor arrived, Lin Yue and Harry could be truly safe.

Clenching her teeth, in this emergency, Hermione unleashed a strength she never knew she possessed. She pulled Ron up from the ground, then, without any preamble, slung one of his arms over her shoulder and supported him as they walked out.

Ron felt the pain in his body, forcing himself not to let his voice tremble. "Hermione, just leave me here. It's too slow for you to take me with you. You need to go find the professor quickly."

"Don't talk nonsense, Ron!" Hermione retorted loudly. If she left Ron here, he would have no resistance against danger in his current state. If anything happened to him, it would be over.

Meanwhile, as Lin Yue blasted open the door and stepped into the next room, a foul stench assaulted her.

On the floor of the room lay a massive troll, considerably larger than the one she had killed last time.

Her expression unchanged, Lin Yue stepped over the troll and headed directly for the entrance to the next room.

However, this time there was no door at the entrance. Instead, purple flames blocked the way.

Without hesitation, Lin Yue's mind bypassed the purple flames and chose the wall to the side.

"Explosion Charm, Explosion Charm, Explosion Charm..."

A continuous barrage of Explosion Charms shot from the tip of Lin Yue's wand. The wall, which had some defensive enchantments, gradually began to buckle, and shattered stone fragments started flying in all directions.

Finally, after a full eight Explosion Charms, the wall in front of Lin Yue was completely pulverized, leaving a large hole. Stepping through the hole she had blasted, Lin Yue found herself facing yet another wall.

Without even glancing at the table with potions nearby, Lin Yue continued to blast at the wall with Explosion Charms in a detached tone.

Accompanied by violent explosions, Quirrell, who was forcing Harry to look into the Mirror of Erised in the innermost room, and Voldemort on the back of his head also couldn't help but freeze.

That sound... could it be Dumbledore?

BANG! As the final explosion echoed, a girl's figure emerged from the gap in the wall.

Harry's pupils dilated in shock when he saw Lin Yue, and his tension vanished. Worry for his friend now filled his heart.

"Run! Lin Yue, run!"

Hearing his shout, Quirrell and Voldemort on the back of his head finally reacted. "Catch her!"

A sharp, hoarse voice rang out. Lin Yue's gaze locked onto the back of Quirrell's head; the voice was coming from there.

Upon receiving the command, Quirrell immediately raised his wand. "Impedimenta!"

Lin Yue watched the spell beam hurtling towards her with an incredibly calm mind. She sidestepped, and the spell beam struck the ground behind her.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

Hearing her incantation, Quirrell instantly tensed, gripping his wand tightly, ready to defend. He hadn't forgotten how adept this little girl was with the Levitation Charm.

Last time in the Forbidden Forest, he had almost died from her Levitation Charm. If his master hadn't saved him, he would have been dead then and there.

However, contrary to his expectations, Lin Yue's Levitation Charm wasn't aimed at him but at Harry beside him.

Before Harry could recover from his surprise and worry about how Lin Yue had arrived, he felt himself being lifted into the air. The next moment, Lin Yue pulled him behind her.

"Catch her! Catch them! The Philosopher's Stone is in that boy's pocket!"

The sharp, hoarse voice sounded again. Lin Yue's eyes were fixed on the back of Quirrell's head.

Quirrell, receiving the command, no longer hesitated. He raised his hand and sent a series of Killing Curses straight at Lin Yue.

"Wingardium Leviosa." She pointed her wand at the ground and then swept it upwards. The bricks on the ground instantly floated up, forming a wall in front of Lin Yue that solidly blocked Quirrell's Killing Curses.

If it were just Lin Yue alone, she could certainly engage Quirrell in a spell duel. But with Harry tied up behind her and unable to move, she had to prioritize defense.

Continuously using the Levitation Charm to raise new bricks to repair the "wall" in front of her, Lin Yue turned and spoke to Harry with a blank expression.

"Untie yourself and run with the Philosopher's Stone."

Harry looked at Lin Yue, who was blocking in front of him, gritted his teeth, and struggled with all his might to break free from the ropes. He got up and ran towards the gap Lin Yue had blasted in the wall.

He understood that only if he wasn't here could Lin Yue counterattack without restraint. If he were here, Lin Yue would still have to worry about his safety and would be held back.

Tilting her head slightly, Lin Yue glanced out of the corner of her eye as Harry escaped through the large hole in the wall. She then forcefully swung her wand forward, and the "wall" in front of her immediately disintegrated into countless bricks, which were hurled at Quirrell.

Quirrell scrambled on the ground, rolling several times to dodge the incoming bricks, and was then struck by a powerful blow.

Seeing her successful hit, Harry immediately retreated behind the large hole in the wall. Letting him escape the room was fine, but completely abandoning Lin Yue to flee was something he absolutely could not do.

Dodging two green lights, Lin Yue cast four Fire-Making Spells around Quirrell, forcibly engulfing him.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

She uttered the Levitation Charm again. The flames produced by the Fire-Making Spells instantly surged higher and, under Lin Yue's control, began to spin madly around Quirrell, forming a fiery vortex that engulfed him.

The temperature in the room rose sharply. Even Harry, standing in another room, could feel the scorching air coming through the hole in the wall.

Quirrell, at the center of the fiery vortex, screamed in pain as he was burned. He unleashed various curses wildly, but when he could see, he couldn't hit Lin Yue. Now, trapped in the fiery vortex, unable to see anything, how could he possibly hit her?

Lin Yue dodged left and right with a blank expression, maintaining the fiery vortex's burning and spinning. Quirrell's screams reached her ears without evoking any emotional response.

There was no thrill of defeating an enemy, no unease or panic about about to kill someone, and no pity.

In Lin Yue's view, she had not violated the rules that required her life to be taken. Therefore, her life should not be taken.

Now, if Quirrell intended to break the rules and take her life, she could resist in any way possible.

Within the fiery vortex, Quirrell's spellcasting gradually slowed. His body was severely burned, even beginning to char.

Voldemort roared loudly from the back of his head, breaking free from Quirrell's body and flying outward. Lin Yue's gaze shifted to the black smoke that had detached from the fire tornado, and within the black smoke, a human head could vaguely be discerned.

Voldemort. Lin Yue's mind quickly confirmed the other party's identity and made a judgment: the opponent could break through flames, so he wasn't afraid of physical attacks. She couldn't inflict effective damage on him for the time being.

Retracting her gaze, Lin Yue fiercely swung her wand downward. The flames of the fire tornado poured down, and Quirrell screamed as he was burned to ashes from head to toe.

Listening to Quirrell's screams from the room behind him, Harry unconsciously swallowed. As expected of Lin Yue...

Looking up, he happened to see the black smoke that had just passed through the wall. He immediately recognized it: Voldemort!