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Chapter 215 The Unicorn And The Stone Archway
🕑 Added 2025-10-23 23:16:42 +0000 UTC"Can it be blown now?" Lupin asked, looking at the seemingly unchanged whistle.
Severus, however, had no doubts about it.
"If Nicolas says it's repaired, then it's definitely functional now."
"Then what are we waiting for? Don't you want to find that legendary Fountain of Fair Fortune?"
Hearing this, Severus shook his head.
"The Fountain isn't the goal. The key is to find another person who is clearly interested in the Fountain, using the clues left in the underground ruin."
After his words, the research room fell into silence for a moment.
After a pause, Lupin looked at Severus with a furrowed brow.
"So, now that we're at this point, can you tell me what your real purpose is in choosing to come here?"
Severus didn't answer directly. He just looked into Lupin's eyes and said with a smile,
"You've already had your suspicions for a while, haven't you?"
The two looked at each other for a long time. Finally, Lupin took a deep breath.
"I didn't dare to believe you were really going to do that. And it's too bold. If you're trying to find him, you should have brought Dumbledore along."
"Dumbledore?" Severus chuckled lightly, "Trust me, the events happening here now have attracted so much attention. Even if he has other purposes, he would definitely observe everyone cautiously. If there's anyone he finds troublesome, he would flee without hesitation."
Lupin's gaze didn't leave Severus.
"You seem to know a lot about his current state?"
"Perhaps I know him better than he knows himself," Severus shrugged, as if making a joke.
"But what about Harry? Bringing Harry here to find him is like delivering Harry into danger!"
To this, Severus said calmly,
"You see, even you think that, that bringing Harry here is putting him at risk. Then don't you think he would think the same? Believing I am still that utterly loyal servant, bringing his mortal enemy right to him... would he still doubt my loyalty then?"
Lupin's tightly furrowed brow didn't relax.
"But what if Harry is truly in danger?"
"He doesn't have the ability to harm anyone right now," Severus said seriously, "At this point in time, he is at his weakest ever. If we can seize this opportunity, we'll never have to worry about his threat again. If we miss it, who knows how many people will die later."
"Among the dead could be you, me, that reckless mutt, and many more, younger or older."
Lupin just stared into Severus's eyes. Finally, he took a deep breath.
"My father chose to believe in you back then. He wasn't wrong."
"I think... I can trust you this once too."
Severus wasn't surprised by his answer. He just said teasingly,
"Back at Hogwarts, did you ever think there would be a day you could believe me?"
Lupin said frankly,
"Back then, I did think that if I actually bit you to death after transforming, even going to prison would be worth it."
"I suppose I should thank you for your mercy back then."
Severus said offhandedly, pointing his wand at the silver whistle. Lupin's gaze was also fixed on the whistle now.
"I have a feeling that once this thing is blown, something not simple will happen. That unicorn won't just appear out of thin air after the whistle sounds and then lead us away."
Lupin also gripped his wand tightly, prepared.
The next moment, a stream of wind blew from Severus's wand, flowing air passed through the whistle, and a clear sound rang out!
The whistle sounded like a bird's call, and its penetrating power was extremely strong. The sound quickly spread from the research room, out of the tent, out of the troll camp, almost echoing throughout the entire forest!
The wizards exploring the forest in search of the Fountain of Fair Fortune almost all heard this clear whistle sound.
Everyone looked up in confusion, trying to find the source of the sound.
However, no one found where the sound came from, but a golden figure suddenly appeared at the edge of the forest!
As that golden silhouette raced at high speed towards the center of the forest, many wizards saw it.
"It's the Golden Unicorn!"
"Merlin's beard! We've seen it! It appeared!"
"Quick! Quick, follow it! It will definitely lead us to the Fountain of Fair Fortune!"
Almost every wizard who saw this unicorn immediately thought of chasing it, following it to find the legendary fountain.
But the unicorn was simply too fast. Ordinary wizards couldn't keep up. Only those fully prepared, who had brought broomsticks, could follow its figure from the sky.
The Golden Unicorn didn't stop since its appearance. It raced all the way until it finally reached the troll camp where Severus and the others were.
The commotion outside also drew Severus and Lupin out of the tent. There, by the river, they saw the legendary Golden Unicorn!
Unlike the somewhat blurry figure in the photograph, seeing this unicorn in person, one could tell at a glance it was no ordinary creature.
Its pale golden fur was like a fairy's wings, shimmering even in the daytime. Its long, sharp horn seemed forged from pure gold, emitting a metallic-like radiance.
Just as this unicorn appeared, Harry and the others also heard the commotion and came out of the tent. Seeing the unicorn, both he and Draco's eyes lit up!
"It's the unicorn that can lead us to the Fountain of Fair Fortune!" Draco screamed, feeling the surreal sensation of a dream suddenly coming true.
Harry also widened his eyes, not even noticing the Puffskein jumping off his shoulder.
Above their heads, six or seven wizards who had chased them on broomsticks had also gathered. They all saw the unicorn finally stop at this place.
And just as everyone was watching the animal that looked so sacred from its appearance-
A brilliant light suddenly shone from the unicorn's horn.
The light was too dazzling, making everyone who was looking at it instinctively turn their heads away and close their eyes.
When the light faded and the people present looked back at the spot where the Golden Unicorn had been-
A rough, stone-stacked archway had quietly appeared there!
The Golden Unicorn stood beside the archway. After summoning this arch, it turned and walked through the doorway.
Strangely, whether viewed from the front or the back, the archway seemed completely open and passable, but the unicorn simply disappeared within it!
This scene instantly excited the wizards on broomsticks in the sky.
Two of them, without any hesitation, lowered their broomsticks the second after the unicorn disappeared and swooshed into the archway!
Just like the Golden Unicorn, their figures vanished without a trace the moment they passed through the archway, as if they had evaporated.
Seeing this, the other wizards no longer hesitated. They vied with each other to enter the archway.
Harry and Draco were clearly getting anxious.
It was they who had summoned the Golden Unicorn, who had opened the door, and now others were taking the lead.
But just as they tugged at Severus's sleeves, wanting him to take them through the door quickly, Severus held them back by their shoulders.
"Don't rush. Remember the original story of the Fountain of Fair Fortune? Even if the entrance is open, finding the fountain isn't immediate. There are many obstacles to overcome in between."
"What else do we need to prepare? Our wands? I already have mine!" Harry said impatiently, as if he couldn't wait another second.
Draco was the same, and if Severus weren't holding him back, he would have charged into the stone archway long ago.
At this point, Harry seemed to have thought of something. He looked suspiciously at Severus.
"Professor, you're not thinking of not taking us in, are you? You promised before! You said after we helped the trolls build their houses, you'd let us look for the legendary Fountain of Fair Fortune! Now it's right here, you can't not let us go!"
Severus looked at him helplessly.
"Since you've known me, when have I ever gone back on my word to you? Don't worry, I know that even if I don't take you in now, you two will find a way to sneak in later. Since you're determined to go anyway, I'll keep you by my side from the start."
"Then what are we still waiting for!" Draco cheered upon hearing Severus's words, "We can set off right now!"
"We're waiting for you two to understand and promise to follow the rules once we're inside as well."
"We promise we'll listen!" Harry hurriedly emphasized.
"And we won't run off!" Draco added.
Severus crossed his arms, stressing,
"Those two promises aren't enough. You also have to promise that no matter what unusual discoveries you find inside, you'll report them to the adults immediately. If you encounter any unexpected situations, you must ensure you stay with the adults and not act on your own."
"We promise!" Harry and Draco said in unison.
"Black will be following behind you, keeping an eye on you," Severus added another layer of insurance.
Sirius, who had been lying to the side, showing no interest in either the Golden Unicorn or the suddenly appearing stone archway, instinctively showed a look of disdain upon hearing Severus's words.
But then, after looking at Harry again, he hesitated for a few seconds and reluctantly stood up from the ground, positioning himself behind Harry.
After these preparations, Severus was finally ready to enter the stone archway.
Aside from their party of two adults, two children, and one dog, Nicolas, who had personally repaired the silver whistle, had not the slightest interest in the Fountain of Fair Fortune guided by Herpo the Foul.
After confirming the formation, with Severus and Lupin in front, Harry and Draco in the middle, and Sirius at the back, they finally stepped into the stone archway.
Nicolas watched their figures disappear, then shakily pulled a lounge chair out of the tent, sat down on it, and gazed leisurely as wizards from other parts of the forest, having received the news, continuously sought out the location, eventually calling friends and rushing into the stone archway one after another.
"So many people chasing after that elusive luck..."
He murmured, then looked up at the azure sky.
"Why not try to grasp this so-called fate in your own hands?"
The moment they stepped through the stone archway, Severus and the others felt as if they had passed through a membrane of water, experiencing a moment of dampness and cold, and then they arrived in a brand new space!
They were at the foot of a high mountain. It was unclear if they were still in the Albanian forest.
But the clear and sunny sky showed no sign of the sun. This observation led Lupin to a guess.
"We might have been pulled into a special space. I've read in some books that ancient wizards liked to leave their legacies in such spaces, waiting for later generations to discover them."
Severus was taking out some commonly used alchemical tools from his pockets, like Quick-Quotes Quills, but these items had already lost their effectiveness here.
"Most alchemical tools have failed. And before we entered, many people had already come in ahead of us. No matter how fast they walked, they couldn't be so fast that we don't even see their backs."
He looked up towards the densely wooded mountainside, where it was impossible to see what was inside.
"Either each group entering the stone archway is sent to a different location, or... where we are now is actually an illusion. That door transported us collectively to another place and then plunged us into such an illusion."
Just then, Severus suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder and a furry sensation on his cheek.
He turned to look at his left shoulder. The Puffskein Harry had adopted upon first arriving in this forest had, for some reason, jumped onto his shoulder.
Seeing that this nearly mindless magical creature had also entered, Severus immediately dismissed his second guess.
"This probably isn't an illusion. The setup for this Fountain of Fair Fortune has been in place for at least a thousand years. No wizard could maintain such a detailed illusion for a millennium without errors."
"Then should we set off now!" Harry and Draco were rubbing their hands together, their faces full of excitement.
For them, this was a real adventure!
Severus didn't want to dampen their spirits. He pointed towards the mountaintop.
"According to the legend, we must reach the summit."
