Time flew by and it was afternoon.
Herman went back to his dorm to change into a clean school robe, straightened the collar, and then took out a few Honeydukes chocolates he had bought near the Leaky Cauldron from his suitcase, wrapped them in paper, and stuffed them into his backpack.
He wasn't really sure what flavor Dumbledore liked, Flitwick only mentioned desserts, so he decided to bring chocolate; it couldn't be wrong.
Herman had walked the path from the Slytherin Common Room to Dumbledore's office on the seventh floor before.
Last time I went to the Room of Requirement, I passed by the seventh-floor corridor and saw a door, or rather a wall, guarded by gargoyles in the distance.
Walking this path again today felt different from last time; I felt Dumbledore.
Most of the portraits in the corridor were dozing off, and occasionally a few wizards in the paintings were chatting. They would only glance at Herman before quickly looking away.
The candlelight flickered quietly on the stone wall, illuminating the corridor with alternating light and shadow.
Herman stood in front of the wall, his heart still pounding, when he noticed the gargoyle beside it.
The creature was about half a person's height, perched on a square stone block, its wings folded to its sides, its two front paws resting on its knees, and its head tilted to the side, like an old man who had been dozing off but hadn't fully opened his eyes yet.
The stone's texture was similar to the walls in the corridor; it was grayish-white with fine veins on the surface and looked quite old.
Herman stared at it for a few seconds, then looked at the wall in front of him. One wall had guardian beasts and decorative pillars, which immediately raised suspicion.
I don't understand the purpose of this design. If the goal was to conceal it, there was no need to make it so conspicuous. It's obvious at a glance that there's a problem here.
However, if the goal is to design something unique, different from other professors, and to highlight the principal's status, then this design is quite reasonable.
No matter who comes, they must give the password first before they can enter.
Herman tried pushing the wall, but it didn't budge, feeling no different from the walls elsewhere.
Well, he should have realized it sooner. Dumbledore's office wasn't a place where just anyone could push the door open—no, it was more like someone could just push the wall open and walk in.
In the original books, Harry always knew the password beforehand. He would stand in front of the gargoyle, say it, and the gargoyle would nod in agreement, after which the stone wall would open.
The problem is, nobody told him what the password was.
Flitwick only said "go to the Headmaster's Office this afternoon," without mentioning how to get in. Could there be some kind of dwarf-only gate nearby, Flitwick Passage, where one can enter without a password?
Herman glanced at the gargoyle again; it was still squatting there with its head tilted, motionless, like a real stone statue.
But Herman felt that something was off about the position of its two eyes, as if something was moving inside them, scrutinizing him closely.
He hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and knocked twice more on the wall, as if knocking on a door.
The wall made a dull thud, just like a real wall.
Herman knocked twice more, this time with more force.
There's still no change, or rather, the only change is that my hand hurts a little.
He took a half step back and scratched the back of his head.
In the original books, Harry had to say a password every time he went to Dumbledore's office. Herman vaguely remembered it; it was something like " Sherbet Lemon " or " Cockroach Clusters," or something like that—some kind of candy name.
Dumbledore has a sweet tooth, so most of his passwords are related to desserts.
Herman thought for a moment, then tentatively asked the gargoyle, " Sherbet Lemon?"
The gargoyle didn't react at all, squatting there with its head tilted to the side, not even lifting its eyelids.
" Cockroach Clusters?"
Still no response.
Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans?
The gargoyle's stone head twitched slightly.
Herman's eyes lit up; there was hope.
He quickly continued guessing, " Chocolate Frog?"
The gargoyle's head twitched again, but it still didn't move aside.
Herman was a little unsure.
Was it responding to him, or turning around to mock itself?
He moved closer and stared intently at the gargoyle's face.
The gargoyle did indeed have slits around its eyes, and inside were a pair of eyeballs moving.
He decided to try a different approach.
Perhaps the password isn't candy, but something else entirely.
Flitwick said Dumbledore liked desserts, but he didn't say the password had to be a dessert name.
" Headmaster Dumbledore sent me," Herman said to the gargoyle, trying to sound as sincere as possible.
The gargoyle's eyes darted around, but it still didn't move aside.
" Professor Flitwick sent me."
The gargoyle's eyes shifted again, tilting slightly towards Herman.
Herman figured the gargoyle probably understood human speech, but it needed the right keyword. He mentally went through things related to Dumbledore: candy, phoenix, lemon, Christmas, honey...
" Honeydukes?"
The gargoyle's head turned back to face Herman, and the slits in its eyes widened slightly at the same time.
Herman felt he was half right, but still a little off.
Honeydukes is a candy store, Dumbledore likes candy, and the password was the name of some kind of candy, but he hadn't guessed it correctly.
He leaned against the wall and thought for a while, when a word suddenly flashed through his mind.
" Acid Pops."
The gargoyle's entire body began to move.
It jumped down from the stone pier, spread its wings for a moment and then folded them back, then turned sideways to make way for the doorway.
The original wall gradually narrowed to both sides, soon revealing a passage and a spiral stone staircase behind it, which extended upwards without end.
Herman looked at the gargoyle that had moved aside and silently rejoiced that she still remembered the " Acid Pops." If it wasn't this, she really couldn't think of any other candy. She had gotten this candy from Draco. As a young lady, she naturally had no shortage of all sorts of strange and wonderful snacks.
Herman then stepped behind the stone wall and went up the stone steps.
The stone steps were spiral-shaped. Herman held onto the wall as he climbed up, and after turning around twice, the view suddenly opened up before him.
It was a spacious, round room with the door open.
Sunlight streamed in through the high windows, spreading a warm yellow glow across the ground.
The walls were covered with portraits of past principals. Some of the old wizards in the portraits were dozing off, while others were talking in hushed tones. When Herman entered, a few pairs of eyes opened and looked at him curiously.
In the center of the room was a huge desk, on which were various silverwares, some spinning, some smoking, and some emitting a faint hum.
Behind the table was a high-backed chair, in which Dumbledore sat.