After passing through the portal, all around was pitch black and cold.
" Lumos." The tips of both wands lit up simultaneously, dispelling the darkness before them.
Hermione raised her wand and looked around, finding that they were standing at the top of a wide, spiraling stone staircase.
Be careful.
Draco gave a warning and then went ahead to scout the way.
The two carefully descended the spiral staircase.
At the end of the stairs was a huge circular platform, and in the very center of the platform stood a heavy, tightly closed stone door.
There were no handles on the door, only a huge Ancient Magic key pattern carved in the center.
Draco raised his hand and gently placed his palm on the mark.
A deep magical resonance resounded, and the stone door slowly opened to both sides. Passing through the passage, the sight before them made both of them gasp.
Beneath their feet was an ancient temple suspended in the endless void, enormous and spacious, with a narrow stone platform beneath them, and below lay an unfathomable abyss of darkness.
In the distance, only a few pale blue lights floated, and the light gray ancient stone walls were densely covered with runes and guardian reliefs, gleaming with a cold magical luster.
"Where am I?" Hermione's voice echoed in the empty hall.
"Only the person who built it knows," Draco said, looking at the broken suspension bridge before him.
Hermione raised her wand, pointed to the broken end, and said:
" Reparo!"
A flash of light, but the broken stone bridge remained motionless.
"It's no use," Hermione said, somewhat surprised.
"The magic mechanics here seem incompatible with ordinary spells. How do we get across?"
"I don't know." Draco stroked his chin.
With a quick glint in his eyes, he said, "Since magic isn't working, let's try something Muggle- like."
" The Muggle way?" Hermione turned her head in confusion, and before she could react, she saw Draco pull a folding ladder out of his robe pocket.
Hermione: "..." speechless.
"Ta-da!" Draco triumphantly propped the ladder against the edge of the broken platform. "I'm the all-powerful Doraemon!"
"Are you serious?" Hermione's lips twitched.
"We were in Ancient Magic Chamber of Secrets, and you pulled out a Muggle ladder?!"
Her expression practically screamed, "You want to explore ancient ruins with me? You want to play construction site renovation with me?"
"What? This is much faster than studying a spell for ages." Draco had already climbed the ladder, looking back at the other side. "Whatever, let's get over there first."
"What's up there?" Hermione had just opened her mouth when she looked up and saw a glowing blue rune sphere embedded in the suspended stone frame opposite her.
"Wait, Draco!" Hermione suddenly called out, "That ball up there... I think it's a trap."
She raised her wand and aimed it at the energy ball:
" Expelliarmus!"
A beam of light struck the blue ball. Instantly, a translucent blue magic bridge materialized out of thin air at the point where the void had been broken, stretching from the ground to the opposite platform.
"See?" Hermione put away her wand and smiled at Draco, "It's still easier to use your brain."
Draco stood dumbfounded on the ladder, awkwardly looking at the magic bridge below, and rolled his eyes, asking:
Are you implying something about me?
"No, no!" Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Our Draco is pretty amazing too! It's called... having multiple options."
Draco snorted, jumped down from the ladder, and strode onto the magic bridge. "Let's go."
Hermione chuckled and followed.
The two crossed the magic bridge and arrived at a much larger hall, several times larger than the previous platform. It was circular, with a towering dome overhead.
Ancient Magic star maps were painted on the dome, and guardian symbols were engraved on the ground. Just as they approached the center of the hall, the ground suddenly shook!
Click click click--
Two stone statues, kneeling on one knee and wielding spiked clubs, suddenly stood up, their empty eye sockets locking onto the intruders, and swung their massive stone clubs at the two.
"Careful!"
Hermione was about to cast the spell when Draco beat her to it.
" Depulso Charm!"
He didn't attack the statue itself, but instead pointed his wand and pulled the statue on the left to the right. In an instant, he lifted one statue into the air and slammed it into the other.
boom!
The two stone statues collided violently in mid-air, instantly turning into a pile of rubble. Hermione sighed and said:
"You're making the statue feel completely invisible!"
"Statues have no feelings, no need to give them face." Draco blew on the tip of his wand and pointed to the remaining two. "Here, the last two are for you."
" Incarcerous!"
Hermione tried a few attack spells first,
The stone statue was found to have an astonishingly high magic resistance; when the spell hit the statue, it only produced a few sparks.
"High magic resistance!" Hermione reacted quickly, aiming at the last two statues. " Accio!"
Despite some effort, the two stone statues still crashed uncontrollably into each other, shattering once more.
"So?" Draco raised an eyebrow.
" The Summoning Charm is so useful, I love using it!"
Hermione waved her wand triumphantly.
Draco shook his head helplessly, and just as he was about to say something, the door at the end of the hall opened automatically.
Passing through the gate, there is another hall.
The statues guarding this spot are two slow-moving but menacing figures wielding giant axes as they attack.
"One for each of us, let's see who finishes first."
Draco's interest was piqued.
"Good!"
Before Hermione could finish speaking, Draco had already moved.
" Expelliarmus!"
A beam of red light struck the axe in the stone statue's hand with pinpoint accuracy, sending the giant axe flying out of its grasp.
Immediately afterward, Draco flicked his wrist. " Summoning Charm!"
The giant axe changed direction in mid-air and cleaved back down onto the statue's head. With a crack, the statue shattered.
Hermione stared in disbelief and said, "I haven't even started..."
"Did you learn it, honey?" Draco turned around, giving her a smug look.
How much real-world experience have you had?
"Similar to you, except I have a wilder imagination and can use spells more flexibly," Draco said casually.
"Why don't you give it a try?" he gestured.
" Expelliarmus! Summoning Charm!" Hermione mimicked him, and her giant axe shattered another statue with equal precision.
"You have the talent to be Auror."
Hermione spoke to him from the bottom of her heart.
"Sure," Draco said with a smile, approaching her.
"When the time comes, my wife, you'll be the Minister for Magic, and I'll be your bodyguard."
"I'm not bad either... I don't need any bodyguards." Hermione proudly raised her chin.
"I can handle this myself!" she said, launching a runic energy ball at the other side. The blue magic bridge instantly rose, and she stepped onto it first.
Draco laughed and followed, "Really not?"
"Don't want!"
Haven't you watched TV dramas?
Draco followed behind her, and the two of them stepped onto the magical bridge leading to the next level.
"I've seen it. Is there a problem?" Hermione asked without turning her head.