After saying that, he quickly hugged Hermione tightly around the waist and, just a second before the dragon flames erupted, precisely used Apparition.
The two figures instantly transformed into a pale golden aura of magic and vanished without a trace from the falling carriage.
No sooner had the two left than the raging dragon flames slammed into the half of the carriage with a deafening roar.
The carriage was instantly blown to pieces, with wood chips and sparks flying high in the air, turning into a rain of fire that fell from the sky.
Professor Babbling shuddered as she looked at the carriage reduced to ashes, her face growing paler, but she also breathed a sigh of relief; at least Draco and Hermione had escaped.
Before she could even react, the black dragon had already changed direction, its scarlet eyes fixed on the other half of the carriage where she was, and its massive body swooped down.
As it drew near, the dragon opened its gaping maw, revealing sharp fangs, and pounced with a devastating aura.
Professor Babbling dared not delay in the slightest.
With a solemn expression, he gripped his wand tightly and rapidly chanted the Apparition incantation. Just as the dragon lunged at him, his figure instantly transformed into a glimmer of light and vanished completely from the spot.
The next second, the black dragon's massive jaws slammed shut.
With a "crack," the remaining half of the carriage, along with the startled Thestral, was torn to pieces by its jaws. The wreckage and fragments plummeted from the sky and disappeared completely beneath the clouds.
Draco landed steadily with Hermione on soft, damp earth and gravel. He lay on the ground, tightening his arms around her and holding her tightly in his embrace.
Hermione was still in shock from the dragon's attack and clung to Draco.
His little hands were still tightly clutching his adventure suit, and the roar of the dragon and the deafening explosion of the carriage still echoed in his ears.
"It's alright, honey, don't be afraid." Draco gently patted her back, his voice exceptionally soft.
Hermione snapped back to reality, realizing she was still on top of him. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she hurriedly braced herself against his chest, frantically trying to get up.
Draco laughed out loud, pushed himself up from the ground, dusted himself off, and glanced around.
This place turned out to be a deep, dark cave, with thick, dark green moss covering the rock walls. A damp mist filled the air, and the distant roar of waves crashing against the cliffs could be heard continuously.
"Let's go out and take a look." Draco took Hermione's hand and led her out of the cave.
The moment I stepped out of the cave, my view suddenly opened up.
Below them was a sheer cliff, with deep blue seawater churning with white foam. Giant waves crashed against the cliff face time and time again, splashing water several meters high.
Directly opposite, on the horizon, stood the ruins of a massive medieval wizard's fortress.
The crumbling walls and ruins stand askew on the rocky ground by the sea, the towering, dilapidated tower is covered with cracks, the walls are covered with withered green vines, and the stones have long since turned black, revealing a scene of desolation everywhere.
The fortress stood alone by the sea.
"This... must be the ancient wizarding ruins Professor Babbling mentioned." Hermione exclaimed in amazement as she gazed at the fortress ruins.
Draco nodded, his sharp gaze sweeping over every inch of the ruins to confirm that there was no immediate danger.
But the next second, Hermione's expression darkened. "I wonder how Professor Babbling is doing. The dragon went towards her carriage. Will she be able to escape safely...?"
Seeing Hermione's anxious expression, Draco gently patted the back of her hand and softly comforted her:
"Don't worry, Professor Babbling has explored countless ancient ruins and faced more dangers than we have ever experienced. She will definitely get out safely."
Hearing his words, Hermione's anxiety eased slightly, and she replied, "Yes, you're right, the professor will be alright." However, her worry hadn't completely dissipated.
Just then, a relieved voice came from the cave behind them. "It's so good that you're all alright."
The two turned around at the same time.
Professor Babbling slowly walked out of the cave, her clothes somewhat disheveled, but she was completely unharmed.
Hermione's eyes lit up instantly, her worry vanished, and she rushed forward with delight. " Professor Babbling, you're alright! That's wonderful!"
Professor Babbling looked at the two unharmed individuals and a relieved smile appeared on her face, "Thanks to you two, that black dragon didn't harm me in the slightest. It was a close call after all."
" Draco, your Apparition is truly masterful. You can teleport precisely to your destination using only a coordinate. No one else could do that with such precision."
Professor Babbling praised him lavishly.
"This is all thanks to my Ancient Magic constitution. My perception of spatial coordinates is much sharper than that of ordinary wizards, which is why I was able to teleport here so easily," Draco explained.
Upon hearing this, Professor Babbling was not surprised. Instead, she seemed to suddenly understand. "I see. Ancient Magic has an extraordinary ability to enhance space."
Hermione then remembered the crucial question and looked at the professor with suspicion, "Professor, didn't you Apparition here? How come you arrived later than us and came out of the cave?"
Professor Babbling gently shook her head and explained:
"This highland ruin has been imbued with Ancient Magic, and the surrounding space is chaotic, making it impossible to use Apparition. Forcing it would only result in being swept away by the magical turbulence. If I could teleport, I wouldn't be any later than you."
"So, Professor, how did you get here?"
Hermione grew increasingly puzzled.
Professor Babbling smiled, took the ancient key inlaid with a blue magic crystal from her pocket, and handed it to the two of them:
"It's thanks to this; this object that looks like a key to the Gringotts is actually a Portkey."
Hermione seemed to awaken from a dream.
After Professor Babbling finished speaking, she turned around and gazed at the ruins of the fortress standing opposite on the beach, her eyes becoming distant.
"This is a secret stronghold of ancient wizards from a thousand years ago, hiding many secrets of Ancient Magic."
"At first, all I found on the outskirts of the ruins was an Ancient Runes and that box."
"After several more searches, nothing else was found, until they encountered Draco."
Draco nodded and said to Professor Babbling, "Let's go, Professor. Now that we're here, let's search more carefully; perhaps we can find some clues we missed earlier."
The three nodded to each other and slowly approached the ruined fortress along the narrow and rugged stone path along the cliff edge.
The sea breeze howled, making the hem of my clothes flutter.
Hermione gazed at the magnificent yet dilapidated ruins of the fortress before her and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"To be able to build such a magnificent fortress atop this seaside cliff, the owner of this place must have been a powerful and extremely wise ancient wizard."
Upon hearing this, Professor Babbling responded with a smile:
"You're right. According to ancient records, this was once the residence of an Ancient Magic master who was proficient in various magics, including spatial magic and runes. This fortress was both his residence and his secret laboratory for researching Ancient Magic."
They continued onward, but before they had gone far, their path was completely blocked by a thick wall of ice and tumbling rocks.