"That's true..." Hermione nodded in agreement, "Forcibly touching powers that don't belong to you always comes at a price."
Without dwelling on it, Draco stroked his chin and said:
"It seems that if we want to continue deeper into the main hall, we'll have to deal with these obstacles first."
As he spoke, he looked at Hermione with great interest and asked:
"Honey, are you planning to take care of a few of these big guys yourself, or all at once?"
"I'm going to tear them all to pieces! This will be... revenge for Mr. Jackdaw."
Hermione's gaze swept over the towering stone statues, a hint of determination in her eyes to seek justice for Jackdaw.
"Fine," Draco readily took a half step back, crossed his arms, and adopted a posture of watching a good show.
"Then I won't interfere. I'll watch your performance. Be careful, these guys look sturdier than Gringotts '."
The statues here are indeed taller and heavier than those in Gringotts, and their movements seem more clumsy.
Hermione didn't choose a direct confrontation; she stuck to her old tactics.
With a flick of her wrist, she chanted, " Accio!" As the incantation ended, the massive stone statue was forcibly lifted up and slammed into the spiral stone pillar, or crashed into the ground, or collided with each other.
Immediately afterwards, she skillfully used the " Expelliarmus to precisely snatch the giant axe from a stone statue, and then used the " Depulso " spell to control the axe, turning it around to chop at the statue itself!
In a short while, all the stone statues were destroyed, turning into rubble. Having dealt with the statues, the two continued on their way.
After climbing a few wide steps, they arrived at a platform slightly higher than the floor of the main hall. In the center of the platform was a huge mark shaped like an ancient key.
In front of the mark was a familiar "spring" that continuously spewed upwards, emanating pale blue magical energy.
Draco and Hermione were already familiar with the route, standing together at the energy spring, resonating and connecting with ancient magic.
Gradually, a deep blue portal took shape, with flowing magical mist inside and icy blue light emanating from its edges. It was exactly the same as the portal they had seen deep within Gringotts, in the Restricted Section of Hogwarts.
"Let's go!" Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and dashed toward the portal, his cloak billowing high behind him.
Stepping into that flowing magical aura, the surrounding world suddenly changed its appearance.
They arrived at a completely new cave.
They passed through a narrow passage and came to a half-open stone door. Following the passage, they found themselves behind the door a dilapidated ancient stone bridge.
As soon as the two stepped onto the remaining section of the broken bridge closest to them, Hermione's ears perked up. " Draco, listen... what's that sound?"
Draco listened intently; a faint rumbling sound came from afar, growing closer. "It's the sound of water... and it's very loud!"
At first, only a few drops of water dripped from the rock wall overhead, striking the stone bridge and making a crisp sound.
But after Draco finished speaking, something unexpected happened!
In an instant, a huge torrent of water, like a beast breaking free from its restraints, gushed out from the rock walls on all sides!
The rushing water converged and, following the angle of the bridge's inclination, transformed into a raging torrent, violently cascading towards the gap in the broken bridge where they were!
"Oh no!" Hermione's face changed, and she instinctively tried to back away, but her retreat seemed to be blocked by the rapidly rising water.
"Don't panic!" Draco grabbed her hand, his tone calm and collected. "Your husband's here."
Hermione was taken aback by his words, which seemed particularly abrupt and full of absolute confidence at such a critical moment, but strangely, her wildly beating heart did calm down a bit.
The water level is rising at an alarming rate!
In just a few breaths, the water had risen above their ankles, then their knees; the underground river water rapidly engulfed their lower bodies, the powerful impact making them lose their balance.
Hermione couldn't help but gasp. The icy river water sent a chill down her spine. She gripped Draco's arm tightly, struggling against the force of the current.
Just as the water was about to reach their waists, Draco moved and whispered, " Bubble-Head Charm."
He held Hermione tightly with one arm, and raised his wand high with the other. Instantly, two transparent, round bubbles unfolded, enveloping the two of them and isolating them from the surging water.
Hermione, still shaken, stared at the flowing water and the bubble enveloping her, then looked at Draco inside the bubble beside her and asked in surprise, "This is... the Bubble-Head Charm?"
"I told you, your husband is capable of anything," Draco said proudly. "Now you know how lucky you are, right?"
"Yes, yes, Mr. Draco Malfoy is the best." Hermione's face flushed red in the reflection of the water and bubbles, and she gave Draco a reproachful glare.
But her tense body did relax.
She then began to observe the magical bubble and the surrounding cave that had transformed into an underwater world with curiosity. She knew that no matter how dire the situation, Draco would always find a way.
Even with the Bubble-Head Charm blocking their view, the two could still clearly feel the deafening roar in their ears—the thunderous sound of water crashing against the rock walls, surging and roaring in the narrow space.
Just as the lake water completely submerged his body—
The Ancient Magic surrounding Draco seemed to sense the ongoing environmental threat and reacted automatically.
A circular energy shield emitting a soft white light instantly expanded and took shape around him.
It not only enveloped his own bubble, but also the bubble containing Hermione, which was right next to him.
This white protective shield was more solid than the Bubble-Head Charm, radiating stable Ancient Magic fluctuations.
Looking at the dark, churning water outside and the occasional pebbles that crashed against the shield and bounced off, Hermione said with lingering fear:
"This design... is practically a death trap. Even if Mr. Jackdaw had managed to get past the statues and arrive here, he probably wouldn't have survived."
"Indeed." Draco nodded. "Drowning is far more painful and desperate than being beheaded. At least for him... he probably didn't even have time to realize what was happening before it was over."
This scene once again cruelly confirms that ironclad rule: without a compatible Ancient Magic physique, ordinary people are destined to never touch this inheritance and will only become sacrifices within it.
Despite the protection of Ancient Magic, Draco did not remove the basic Bubble-Head Charm as a precaution.
Wearing double protective gear, the two made steady progress through the turbulent and chaotic water. The stone bridge beneath their feet was faintly visible underwater, and the broken railings and thick stone pillars seemed as if they would collapse completely at any moment under the impact of the flood.
Protected by the powerful Ancient Magic shield, they successfully traversed the perilous area completely submerged by the flood and stepped onto the dry rock passage on the other side of the broken bridge.
At the end of the passage is a simple, pointed archway with several steps leading up to it.
The two exchanged a glance and quickly walked through the archway.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs and pushing open a heavy stone door, a breathtaking view unfolds before you.
They entered a circular hall that was even more magnificent than the previous hall, but with a completely different design.
Draco and Hermione stood on the stone platform at the entrance, facing a railing carved with exquisite bronze patterns.
They leaned against the railing, looking ahead.