The Hairy Heart of the Warlock

Harry and Ron returned to the common room entrance, crestfallen.

Since the portrait of the Fat Lady had vanished, leaving no one to open the door for them, the two of them leaned against the entrance, conversing in hushed tones.

"Hey, Harry, do you think she was telling the truth?"

"About what?"

"You know! That someone could actually study magic for seven years straight? Professor's experience sounds a bit like a story to me—God, I've got goosebumps all over."

"What is it, Ron? Don't scare me late at night!"

Harry couldn't help but glance at the dark corridor, a sudden unease creeping into his heart.

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard, have you heard the stories in it? Oh, you grew up in the Muggle world, you probably haven't.

This book is quite famous in the wizarding world. My mom used to read it to us as bedtime stories."

"What are you trying to say? What does Professor Li Wei have to do with fairy tales?"

"The Hairy Heart of the Warlock! Harry, Professor Li Wei is very likely the warlock from that story!"

"The Hairy Heart of the Warlock?"

For some reason, just hearing the title made Harry's heart skip a beat.

Facing Harry's question, Ron put on an expression like he was about to eat a child and began to narrate in a low voice.

"Once upon a time, there was a wizard who was solitary and arrogant.

When his friends fell in love, he disdained it, thinking his friends had become foolish because of love.

So he vowed to remain single his entire life, and to prevent himself from being moved by others, he used Dark Arts to place his heart in the dungeon of his castle, locked away in a large box.

Many years passed this way, and he became colder and colder, not even feeling pain when his parents died.

But one day—he fell in love with a girl.

The girl said to the warlock, 'Please let me see your heart. If your heart is smooth and bright, I will agree to marry you.'

The warlock took the girl to the dungeon, but when the warlock opened the box, the girl immediately screamed!

It turned out that the warlock's heart, having been in the cold dungeon for so long, unable to hear moving music, feel the love of family, or receive the caress of a lover, had become shriveled and was even covered in long, black hair!

The girl begged the warlock to put the heart back into his body, so the warlock complied.

She said she wanted to let this heart feel love again.

But the warlock's heart had already become completely fierce, brutal, and dark.

It controlled the warlock's body, causing him to lose his mind.

When the warlock heard the girl's warm heartbeat and felt her smooth, delicate skin, he did something insane!

He stabbed the girl's chest with a dagger, dug out her fresh, red, smooth heart, and intended to use magic to replace his hairy heart, but he was controlled by the heart and couldn't do it.

Finally, the warlock cut open his own chest with a knife, dug out his own heart, and died tragically."

"Don't you think the warlock in this story is very similar to Professor Li Wei?

Except one pursued magic, and the other pursued love.

Merlin's trousers! No wonder I felt something was off about Professor Li Wei from the first time I met him! He's a cold-blooded monster with no heart!"

"H-how could that be? It's just a story."

Harry was also getting scared by what Ron said. If that were true, then after this monster learned all the magic in the world and returned to Hogwarts, wouldn't it be equivalent to the warlock reattaching his heart?

Did Professor Li Wei really open the Chamber of Secrets and release the Basilisk?

Is he going to kill everyone at Hogwarts with the Basilisk?!

"Didn't everyone also think the legend of the Chamber of Secrets was just a story? But what happened?"

Ron almost stood up, clapping his hands excitedly.

"It all fits now! It all fits! Professor Li Wei sealed his heart away to study magic during his time at Hogwarts.

But after leaving Hogwarts, he wanted to get his heart back, so he returned to Hogwarts!

However, his heart has grown hair, and reattaching it would only drive him completely mad!"

Ron's teeth were chattering uncontrollably as he spoke.

"We have to tell Hermione about this immediately. She can't go to Professor Li Wei's study group anymore, it's too dangerous!"

Harry's expression was also filled with terror. Just as he was about to speak, a voluptuous voice suddenly sounded from behind them.

"Who is talking here?"

"Ah!!!"

Harry and Ron were completely unprepared for the appearance of this voice and screamed simultaneously.

"Eek!!!"

The portrait of the Fat Lady also screamed along.

Then, she saw Harry and Ron, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"You two troublemakers! How dare you scare me! Do you want to go back?"

"Sorry! Sorry! We didn't mean to!"

Harry and Ron apologized repeatedly, their heads occasionally glancing nervously down the corridor—their screams had been so loud just now, Filch must have heard them!

They had to get back to the dormitory before Filch arrived!

Fortunately, the Fat Lady, who had just returned from visiting friends, seemed to be in a good mood and didn't bother with the two of them. She just hummed and asked, "Not next time! What's the password?"

"Banana Fritters."

Seeing the door finally open, the two who had been waiting with bated breath quickly slipped inside—before leaving, Harry glanced back again at the dark corridor. Filch's figure hadn't appeared, nor had his loyal pet, Mrs. Norris. Oh, Mrs. Norris had already been petrified.

Recalling Professor Li Wei's terrified reaction that evening and the story Ron had just told, Harry's heart began to pound violently again.

For some reason, he had a feeling that Filch probably wouldn't be patrolling the night shift as diligently as before for a very long time.

That night, Harry had a nightmare.

He dreamed he was in Li Wei's office. No one else was there, just the two of them.

Professor Li Wei stood with his back to him, in front of a giant yellow treasure chest, saying something in that unchanging, emotionless tone, but Harry couldn't hear clearly.

Just as he subconsciously tried to get closer, Professor Li Wei suddenly turned around. Harry saw with horror that there was a hollow in his chest, dark and empty inside!

"Password, Potter, password."

Professor Li Wei's lips didn't move, but the voice still sounded—from the hollow in his chest!

Harry wanted to run but found he couldn't move.

At that moment, the giant yellow treasure chest began to shake violently, the chains rattling and falling off on their own, and the lid sprang open with a bang!

There was no heart inside, only a giant, brilliantly green snake. It slowly raised its head, fixing its deadly yellow eyes on Harry!

"Waaah!!!"

Harry suddenly leaped out of bed, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, as if it were about to jump out!

He instinctively clutched the bedsheet, his gaze drifting to the window—the sky had already brightened, and sunlight streamed through the window onto the dormitory floor, looking very warm.

His roommate, Seamus, grumbled discontentedly, rolled over, and continued to sleep. The others weren't woken up at all.

Everything seemed so peaceful and harmonious.

But it couldn't dispel the chill within Harry.