The remaining two stone statues charged at the same time.
Draco flicked his wrist. " Depulso Charm!"
After saying that, he suddenly pulled one of the statues towards the other, and the two statues collided with a loud crash, shattering together.
But the next second, three more statues descended from the dome.
This time it seems to be a consistent three-person attack.
He held back no longer, sweeping his wand around. " Oppugno!"
The pebbles on the ground were swept up by magic and rained down on the stone statue, sending stone chips flying everywhere.
The three stone statues completely collapsed under the continuous bombardment.
Professor Babbling nodded in approval as she looked in the mirror. "Very calm, knows how to leverage opportunities, doesn't fight head-on. Draco's practical experience surpasses that of many seventh-graders."
Hermione looked at the composed young man in the mirror, feeling a mix of helplessness and relief. This guy was always like this; he looked arrogant, but he never actually made a mistake.
The third wave, the fourth wave, and the fifth wave all dropped six stone statues at once, surrounding the area.
Draco was too lazy to argue any further.
He flashed forward, standing in a straight line alongside the six stone statues, his wand pointing directly at the three on the left. " Confringo!"
With a deafening roar, a blinding light exploded, shattering the three stone statues. He then swung his wand again, aiming at the remaining three:
" The Sectumsempra!"
An invisible, sharp magical aura Cleansweep across, slicing the three stone statues cleanly from head to toe, causing them to shatter with a deafening roar.
Repository, things finally quieted down for the time being.
The scene shifts back to the hall filled with columns, where the tiny blue-white energy dots in the air once again guide the way, Depulso in groups towards the depths.
Draco followed closely behind, and soon saw a huge blue spiral-shaped Ancient Magic energy structure floating in front of him, its shape exactly the same as the Ancient Magic key.
In front of him was a stable energy vortex. Draco stepped to a stop and reached out to interact with the energy.
The next second, the giant key structure crashed down, turning into countless particles of light that then reformed and wove together again.
A Gothic-style pointed portal slowly took shape, its spire soaring high, with several translucent bands of light intertwining and swirling within. The interior was dimly lit, leading to a secret realm unknown to anyone.
On the other end of the Two-Way Mirror, Hermione exclaimed, "It's so beautiful... Is this the power of Ancient Magic?"
"As expected, the true Repository isn't so easy to reach," Professor Babbling said. "This door before us is the true final gate to the core of Ancient Magic."
Draco walked straight into the portal.
The space behind the door was serene and sacred, with an ancient and heavy Pensieve prominently displayed in the center.
"It's Pensieve!"
Professor Babbling's excited voice came from the mirror, "It must contain the memories of Ancient Magic master, otherwise it would never be hidden deep within such an ancient vault."
As soon as she finished speaking, the door to the outer vault opened automatically.
Hermione and Professor Babbling were both startled.
They, who were originally trapped in the outer vault, were teleported directly into the door and stood next to Draco.
The three of them walked together to the Pensieve, where the water rippled gently, shimmering with a soft, silvery-white light.
Above the rim of the basin floated a small crystal memory bottle, filled with countless silvery threads of memories.
"By pouring it into the Pensieve, we can see that sealed past," Professor Babbling said softly, carefully removing the bottle and uncorking it.
Silvery-white memories slipped down like soft silk, merging into the water of the Pensieve, creating ripples of light.
Professor Babbling was the first to bend down and immerse her face in the water, and Draco and Hermione exchanged a glance and followed suit.
Long-forgotten memories flooded my mind:
Two wizards dressed in ancient robes were discussing the construction of the vault and Ancient Magic trials inside.
Professor Babbling straightened up, her voice filled with reverence:
"I know them," Professor Babbling said, straightening up with reverence. "Percival Rackham and Charles Rookwood, professors at Hogwarts in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and the greatest inheritors of Ancient Magic."
"I understand!" Hermione's eyes gleamed.
"This entire space was a trial ground personally constructed by Percival Rackham using Ancient Magic."
"His purpose is to allow descendants who can sense Ancient Magic to pass through layer after layer of trials to arrive here, so that the essence of Ancient Magic can truly be passed on to worthy individuals."
"Absolutely correct." Professor Babbling looked at Draco.
"So you, Draco, your arrival here is not a coincidence, not luck— Ancient Magic chose you! It is destiny."
"So, from the Highlands ruins to the stone statues and mechanisms in Gringotts, it's all an entrance exam?" Draco asked.
"You could say that," Professor Babbling said with a smile. "Only those with Ancient Magic constitution, a steadfast mind, and the ability to cooperate seamlessly with their companions can reach this point."
"And there's no dark power in these memories, only protection, inheritance, and balance... Ancient Magic isn't as dangerous as the legends say," Hermione said.
Just then, a loud clang was heard.
Clear footsteps and the cold, hard sound of metal armor scraping against each other came from the outer warehouse.
"Why is this different from what was recorded before?"
It was the voice of the Goblin driver who brought them in.
A deeper, more husky voice rang out:
Who came here?
"I can't tell you, you don't have permission to enter here!" The Goblin driver seemed to be trying to stop him.
"Get out of the way." The footsteps grew closer, and the Goblin driver's attempts to stop him proved futile.
Bang--
The door to the secret room was forcibly pushed open.
The lead Goblin walked in slowly. It wore black shoulder armor and iron gauntlets. Its eyes were sinister and greedy, and its aura was far more powerful than that of ordinary Goblin.
Behind him stood the dark blue-uniformed guard who had stopped the train on the tracks earlier, and the bewildered driver, Goblin.
Following behind was another Goblin, also clad in Goblin, dressed exactly like it.
They appear to be its subordinates.
" Ranrok," Professor Babbling called to the leader of the Goblin, her face darkening as she drew her wand.
Draco's eyes turned cold as he looked at the trembling Goblin driver and said sneer:
"Is this all the security Gringotts has? Anyone can just smuggle money into their most confidential vault?"
He then looked at the guard. "You're so strict about blocking the tracks, but now you're just letting people in with the door wide open?"
The driver Goblin was so frightened that she trembled all over and quickly bowed:
" Young Master Malfoy, I'm so sorry, so sorry! I... I couldn't stop him!"
The guard remained expressionless, completely ignoring Draco.
Ranrok slowly stepped forward.
The armor rubbed together with a cold, hard sound, and in those narrow, scarlet Goblin eyes lay greed and ruthlessness, as well as a deliberate attempt to manipulate Pure-blood nobles.
He stared at Draco, a cold smile playing on his lips.
" Young Malfoy... truly Lucius's son. So arrogant, just like his father."