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"What should we do now?"
After Harry left, someone asked a soul-searching question. To be honest, they were feeling somewhat lost at that moment.
While they knew there were threats lurking in the night on this island, they couldn't just stand around, dumbfounded, waiting all night, could they? Harry had a clear objective, while they seemed to be stuck in a passive state of waiting.
"If we don't know what to do, let's first focus on what we should be doing," suggested Chris Sosa, the Hufflepuff captain and keeper. He stood up and moved toward the edge of the wall, waving his hand to signal the other Hufflepuff students to rise.
"I don't know what you can do, but I know what Hufflepuff can do."
"We are the Academy of War Logistics. Since there's a chance that monsters might disturb the camp tonight, it's our duty to prepare for any potential battles."
"Cedric! Have you studied the construction of wartime defenses on your own? I heard you excel in Transfiguration. Is that covered in Professor McGonagall's club?"
"Yes! I've already covered some of it in fourth-year classes. Although I haven't had much practice, I've memorized the theoretical models."
"Great!"
Chris waved his hand. "Let's redo the outer fortifications. Who built this wall? It looks nice, but it's utterly useless; even a boggart could knock it down with its nose. What good is a foundation that's only thirty centimeters deep?"
"Sorry, Captain," someone meekly interjected. "I was too focused on the castle this afternoon and couldn't manage the outer wall."
"Then we'll tear it down and rebuild it. Cedric, you and Rahul will be responsible for creating the temporary defenses using Transfiguration. You have fifteen minutes; I want to see a spiked barrier that's over five meters wide. Make sure to stagger the layout to avoid large gaps when the Transfiguration wears off. After that, we need to set up basic protective spells like trigger spikes, sound dampening, vibration detection, and beast repelling."
"Everyone else, come with me. We're rebuilding the semi-permanent defensive wall surrounding the castle and constructing three fifteen-meter watchtowers."
"Did anyone take the elective on magical trap construction? I need three standard sets of ringing traps outside. They're much more effective than warning spells."
Cedric and Rahul quickly transformed their wands into shotgun forms and began their setups. While Transfiguration is convenient, the defenses created through it are one-time-use and only suitable for temporary protection. Behind them, the sound of collapsing walls echoed throughout the area.
The illuminated spheres of light hovered above them, casting brightness on their industrious forms. As Hufflepuff diligently took on their tasks, the rest began to awaken to their own roles.
Just as Grindelwald had remarked at the start of the term, the team competitions at Hogwarts had become abysmal. The four houses, now fractured, lacked any synergy, causing them to create more trouble for each other. They had forgotten what the traditional four-member team at Hogwarts was meant to be.
Yet now, it seemed they were beginning to understand something. While it was impossible to immediately grasp the concept of working together, fulfilling their individual responsibilities wasn't too difficult.
The first to come to this realization was a Ravenclaw student. As part of the team responsible for tactical planning and intelligence analysis, they may have lost their status as the core strategists, but they knew exactly what needed to be done.
"Everyone follow me! We need to prepare the feedback nodes for sensory perception, and then construct a three-dimensional magical sand table for the castle's defensive perimeter. Relying solely on warning spells and alarm traps won't provide us with accurate real-time feedback."
"Once Hufflepuff completes the defensive magic construction, we must integrate their defensive alert spells into the magical sand table. It would have been ideal to lay out the feedback nodes during the day, but time is tight. Let's move quickly!"
"Qiu, you haven't studied this part yet, so you'll be responsible for aerial reconnaissance to fill the gap while the defenses are being constructed. Fortunately, you're our seeker."
"I understand, Captain."
As the only second-year student in the battle group, Qiu's knowledge of magic was still somewhat limited. Completing third-year studies was just the end of basic learning; true mastery of magic began in the fourth year.
"What about us?"
Seeing Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw busy at work, Fred and George turned to Oliver.
"Of course—"
Oliver shot the twins a glance before responding curtly, "The three of us will keep watch. The rest of you, go to sleep. We'll switch shifts at three in the morning. Don't sleep too deeply, and keep your wands close."
"Uh???"
The twins gaped in confusion.
"Truly fitting for Gryffindor. Sleeping seems to suit your lot well," Marcus mouthed the words, having learned to behave after a few encounters with Harry's strength.
Although the battle group hadn't had many conflicts, that was mainly due to the rigorous training they received at Hogwarts, which left them too exhausted to argue. They tended to gather only during training sessions.
However, on this island, where they were constantly in each other's sights, previously ignored tensions began to surface. While several Slytherins had withdrawn, many remained, including Marcus, the Slytherin captain, who appeared somewhat dim-witted.
Perhaps due to his simplistic nature, Marcus had chosen to submit to stronger forces after Harry had put him in his place a few times. He had endured the grueling training, and sometimes being simple-minded was a blessing.
"Oh, is that so?"
Oliver sneered at Marcus's mocking expression and replied stiffly, "Then you should be in charge of the outer patrol. Isn't that what Slytherin is for—sneaky scouts? Can you build defensive fortifications? Can you create an intelligence-gathering system? You can't! You can't even handle basic intelligence gathering!"
"Originally, reconnaissance and warning tasks were your responsibility as Slytherins. But do any of you actually know how to do this? Ravenclaw turned away; they knew from the start that you lot wouldn't be capable."
"Maybe some do. I know that some Slytherins are indeed clever and capable. After all, it takes a certain skill to catch Charlie off guard during the Triwizard Tournament. But unfortunately, none of those so-called smart ones are on the Quidditch team."
In the extreme hierarchy of Slytherin House, the internal divisions were more pronounced than in the other three houses.
They could roughly be divided into three categories: the first group consisted of 'elite' students who were both intelligent and capable. They were primarily responsible for the house's consecutive seven-year wins of the House Cup. The points from Quidditch championships contributed, but if their baseline was too low, even fifty points wouldn't keep them on top.
The second group was those muscle-bound gorillas who appeared on the Quidditch pitch. With their simple minds and strong physiques, they were reckless brutes who enjoyed causing chaos. Slytherin used this group to disrupt the plans of other houses, as a mop dipped in filth is something no ordinary person dares to approach.
The third group consisted of utter failures, nothing at all, and surprisingly, there were quite a few of these characters in the pureblood families obsessed with cousin marriages.
The first two groups were Slytherin's weapons for dominating Hogwarts. However, the most crucial elite wizards, the true backbone of Slytherin, were absent. If they had been present, perhaps Hogwarts' traditional four-member teams could have been formed.
Oliver turned away, dismissing Marcus's ugly, dark face. Gryffindor's strength lay in its direct combat; although they might not outmatch Slytherin's brutes in physical fights, they held a significant advantage in magical duels. Years ago, Professor Flitwick almost joined Gryffindor; after all, Charms was truly Gryffindor's primary subject, while Transfiguration was Ravenclaw's forte.
After nearly an hour of intense activity, the revamped camp returned to silence. The dark castle stood lonely under the cover of night, and in the island's dense forest ahead, rustling noises grew increasingly dense.
"Seems like they're ready; they're not slow at all."
Standing atop the treetops, Harry pulled his gaze back. He lightly dropped from the branches, landing on a patch of blood-soaked, muddy ground. The massive creature, its five legs forcibly ripped away, had completely lost its heartbeat. After shedding its magical resistance, the five-legged monster was merely a fragile shadow assassin. When faced with a wizard who possessed the abilities of a raging warrior, its fate was sealed.
Known as "Little Hagrid," Harry was not equipped to handle thick-skinned magical beasts like the chimera or the mountain troll, but dealing with a five-legged monster was well within his capabilities. Simple physical attacks were ineffective against magical creatures, but every punch a wizard delivered carried magical enhancements.
In the nighttime jungle, a commotion erupted. The frantic screams were muffled by the dense woods, while fleeing shadows quickly converged. Behind them, a figure emanating a terrifying aura of darkness rampaged through, forcing them from their cozy nests. The creature, released by Harry, now revealed its true, horrifying form.
(End of Chapter)