Having mastered Grindelwald's magic, Hoffa bid farewell to Joey and dashed toward the school at full speed, eager to share his discovery with Gosak and seek more information about Miller and Grindelwald.
However, when he arrived, panting heavily, he found the school eerily empty. He rushed to his Charms classroom, only to find it completely deserted.
Thinking he might find answers from other professors, he hurried to the third floor, where most of the faculty offices were located. To his dismay, not only was it empty, but Slughorn's office door was wide open, revealing a chaotic scene. Precious items lay shattered across the floor, creating a heart-wrenching mess.
Stepping over shards of glass, Hoffa peered inside but saw no one. Unease began creeping into his heart.
What's going on?
He quickly ran to the Great Hall. When he arrived, he finally saw one or two senior students hurriedly heading out.
Hoffa rushed to grab one of them, urgently asking, "Hey, where is everyone? The teachers and the other students?"
The student looked at him as though he were an idiot.
"Are you serious? It's the Quidditch finals today. Why would anyone stay here instead of watching the match?"
The finals?
Hoffa was puzzled.
He clearly remembered the date of the Quidditch finals; Aglaya had been reminding him nearly every day. It was supposed to be next week. Why had it suddenly been moved up?
"Professor Dumbledore rescheduled the finals. It's not surprising you didn't know," said a Hufflepuff girl standing nearby, who lightly hit the boy before turning to Hoffa with a kind smile. "Today is the Quidditch final—Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor. Want to join us and watch?"
The finals… Is Gosak watching the match too?
Following the older students, Hoffa quickly made his way to the Quidditch pitch. Sure enough, it was packed with people. Under the bright sun, blue eagle banners and red lion banners fluttered in the air.
He didn't spot Gosak or any of the other professors. Instead, he saw the tall, curly-haired Quidditch teacher, Palio, standing near two rows of players—Ravenclaw in blue robes and Gryffindor in red.
At that moment, Aglaya stood on the grass, holding a brand-new broomstick, her head swiveling as if searching for someone. The broom had golden lettering engraved on its handle:
"Oak Arrow – 79"
When she noticed Hoffa running over from the castle, Aglaya immediately stood on tiptoe and rushed toward him with the broom in hand.
"Hey! Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you," she exclaimed, her tone anxious and unbothered by the curious gazes of others around them.
"I need to find Gosak. Is he at the match?" Hoffa asked in return.
Aglaya stomped her foot in frustration.
"Forget about Gosak! All the house heads and the headmaster have gone to Romania today."
Hoffa's excitement from mastering the Shatter Grip magic instantly evaporated at this news. He had been so engrossed in studying spells and caring for Maya that he hadn't realized how quickly May had arrived.
"Could it be…"
Taking a deep breath, Aglaya said gravely, "Miranda has gone missing."
Hoffa's face turned pale.
Aglaya: "I haven't seen her since I got up this morning, but she left me a note."
She handed the note to Hoffa.
["I can't control it anymore. I have to go."]
Hoffa staggered, his eyes widening.
"Damn it! The professors just left, and Miller couldn't wait to make his move!?"
Aglaya remained surprisingly calm. She pulled a gray cloth pouch from her pocket and handed it to Hoffa.
"This is a pouch of magical recovery potions. Hurry, find her! I've already sent an owl to St. Mungo's. They'll send someone soon."
Hoffa took the pouch and opened it to find it packed with over a dozen vials of magical recovery potions.
Without pausing to thank Aglaya, Hoffa asked urgently, "What about Dumbledore?"
He knew that Headmaster Dippet had left Dumbledore behind to oversee the school.
Aglaya pointed upward and said quickly, "Dumbledore moved up the finals. I think he sensed something was wrong. He didn't want us scattered around the school, so he found an excuse to gather us outside."
Hoffa followed her gesture and saw Dumbledore high up in the stands. However, his expression was solemn, far from the usual excitement he displayed before a match.
Hoffa immediately understood Dumbledore's reasoning. Though he couldn't see Miller, he could feel Miller's presence. It meant something was about to happen.
I must find Miranda.
Hoffa grabbed the pouch and took off running.
"Be careful!" Aglaya's voice called after him, but Hoffa didn't have time to respond.
He sprinted back into the empty castle, his mental field fully expanded.
Within a fifty-meter radius, every object seemed to come alive. Streams of information flooded into Hoffa's mind, sharp and vivid.
There it was—the dark spiritual energy.
It was close and growing stronger.
It didn't take long before he followed the aura to the stairwell of Ravenclaw Tower. There, he saw Miller walking slowly, twirling a thick black staff in his hand like a pencil.
When Hoffa caught sight of the staff, his face turned grim.
Miller had stolen Schmidt Rutroff's wand from the dormitory.
Miller noticed him too and waved the wand mockingly, as if showing off.
No words were needed.
This time, Hoffa didn't hesitate. He charged forward.
After months of waiting, this was the moment he had been preparing for. With over a dozen recovery potions, he no longer feared Miller.
Miller, on the other hand, remained calm, casually tapping the banister with the stolen wand as he strolled through the castle.
Occasionally, he leaped over railings, using the rotating staircases to shift positions swiftly.
Hoffa followed, jumping after him, but Miller smirked mockingly and tapped the wall with Schmidt's wand.
Suddenly, the staircase that had been rushing to meet Hoffa froze mid-air, leaving him to fall straight down from seven stories high.
The abrupt turn of events didn't faze Hoffa. With a flick of his wand, it transformed into a long whip, which he used to latch onto a stone eagle statue on the castle wall. He swung to a stop, dangling mid-air.
With no solid footing, Hoffa narrowed his eyes. Guided by his mental field, the wall grew a stone hand that reached out to catch him. Standing on the castle wall, dozens of feet above the ground, Hoffa steadied himself.
The whip-like wand retracted smoothly as the enchanted portraits on the walls exclaimed in astonishment.
Miller tilted his head slightly, the only facial feature on his blank face conveying a faint hint of surprise.
Then, the corners of its mouth lifted slightly. It nodded toward Hoffa, turned swiftly, and departed.
Hoffa charged after it, sprinting along the castle walls. With each step he took, a foothold naturally formed beneath him, enabling his rapid pursuit.
Miller's pace quickened as well.
The scenery around them blurred, changing rapidly. Soon, Hoffa found himself in familiar territory—the school's club tower. It was here that Miller disappeared without a trace.
But Hoffa knew where it had gone.
Deep within the club tower, the door to the Violet Society's secret chamber stood wide open. What was Miller planning by leading him here?
Slowing his pace, Hoffa moved cautiously.
This was his second time entering the society's secret chamber.
The underground room was dark and square-shaped, its walls dimly lit by flickering fire bowls.
At the far end, Miller sat on a stone platform, watching Hoffa with a curious gaze.
"I'm growing more intrigued by you. In just a few months, you've made astonishing progress," it said softly.
Hoffa didn't respond, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
The room was different from the last time he'd been here. In addition to the paintings on the walls, large, broken iron chains were scattered across the floor. Dark brown stains—dried blood—marked the ground, evidence that several individuals had once been imprisoned here.
The chains, however, had been cleanly severed by sharp spells.
Clearly, the two dark wizards that the Ministry official, Albert, had mentioned were being held here in the Violet Society's chamber.
Now that the chains were broken, it meant the dark wizards had been set free.
"Miller!"
Hoffa raised his head and growled in a low voice.
"I'm glad you finally got my name right, Hoffa Bach."
Miller smirked mockingly. "But after your humiliating defeat that night, I'm surprised you still dare stand before me. Who gave you the courage?"
"Cut the nonsense. Where's Miranda?" Hoffa demanded grimly.
"She has more important things to do," Miller replied with a chuckle.
Hoffa had no interest in wasting time. In the blink of an eye, he vanished.
Phantom Stride!
His wand transformed instantly into a silver lion-headed gauntlet, wrapping around his arm. This time, the gauntlet was more menacing, its design even more exaggerated than before.
Hoffa held nothing back. He swung a powerful punch directly at Miller's head.
Boom!The punch sent the faceless Miller's head spinning 360 degrees before his body was hurled into the wall with a sickening thud. A stone hand extended from the wall, grabbing Miller and pinning him firmly in place.
"What are you trying to do?" Hoffa demanded.
"Fight? Now's not the time for that."
Miller's twisted head grinned. "You've chosen the wrong side, Hoffa Bach. Today, I'll show you just how powerful the right idea can be."
With that, he dissolved into black smoke with a loud whoosh, vanishing entirely.
Not good!
Hoffa turned quickly to see the doors to the Violet Society's chamber closing rapidly.
Activating Phantom Stride once again, Hoffa became a blur. The stone steps in front of him parted, and he narrowly slipped out through the entrance just before it sealed shut.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stay calm.
This was a diversion. Miller had lured him into the chamber, trying to trap him there. It was buying time for something else.
The release of the dark wizards confirmed that Schmidt Rutroff was nearby.
With Dumbledore occupied at the Quidditch field protecting the students, Hoffa knew he had to act quickly. He needed to find Miranda—she was at the heart of all this.
But where would she be?
The Astronomy Tower!
Of course!
It must be in the Astronomy Tower.
As Hoffa thought, he quickly moved through the empty castle, but this time, Miller was nowhere to be found.
With his mental field now developed, Hoffa could start sensing the emotions of his surroundings. A powerful, dark, and oppressive force hung in the air.
He ascended Ravenclaw's tower and passed through the high corridors, eventually arriving at the door of Professor Goshack's office.
The once serene and orderly space was now a scene of chaos. Broken astrolabes were scattered everywhere, the viewing glasses shattered, and glass shards and metal fragments littered the floor.
On the walls, Hoffa noticed frantic magical scratches, as if countless sharp nails had scraped across a chalkboard.
Just looking at these scratches, Hoffa could almost feel Miranda's internal struggle and madness. She had clearly lost control of herself.
Two paintings on the wall had been ripped in half, with Nimmon and Alice's painted figures lingering in the corner, sorrowfully watching Hoffa.
"Mars," Hoffa said softly.
The expected response didn't come. The painted Nimmon Goshack shook his head.
"Wrong."
Wrong? Hoffa's heart skipped a beat. Had Goshack changed the password?
"Order?"
"Wrong." The Nimmon in the painting continued shaking his head.
Hoffa pondered what passphrase Goshack might use.
"Violet?" he asked tentatively.
The painting remained blank.
Hoffa asked, "Who changed the password? Miranda or Adabe?"
The painting's Nimmon replied, "Miranda."
Hoffa stood still, massaging his temples. The two dark wizards had already escaped, and Schmidt was definitely hiding somewhere on the grounds. But Miranda had changed the password to Goshack's office, cutting off Hoffa's path to finding her.
"Miller?"
The painting remained blank.
Hoffa slapped his face twice, trying to calm himself. He sank into a sea of memories, reflecting on his moments with Miranda. But he realized that this girl had always kept herself shrouded in mystery, never allowing anyone to truly see her for who she was.
What was it?
What kind of passphrase would she use?
Suddenly, his mental search came to a halt.
He remembered the first time he met Miranda.
The faint scent of violet flowers in the train carriage, the girl reading alone.
(Muggle books? Do you read those?)
(Yes.)
Hoffa looked up. "War and Peace."
Nimmon smiled approvingly. "You're impressive. Keep going."
The torn painting opened, revealing a hidden passage.
Hoffa had succeeded. He quickly dashed into the empty office, racing across the spiral staircase.
With a loud bang, three months later, he pushed open the door that led to the Astronomy Tower.
(End of Chapter)
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