94 hp Diagon Alley

What about other things? "

"Because Horcruxes are just the opposite of human souls."

Seeing the puzzled expressions on Harry and Ron's faces, Hermione hurriedly continued, "For example, Ron, I'll pick up a sword and pierce your body now, but your soul is still safe."

"That's a blessing in disguise," said Ron.

Harry laughed.

"Indeed! It should be! But what I want to say is that no matter what happens to your body, your soul will continue to live without damage," said Hermione, "but the Horcrux is just the opposite. The soul fragment in it Its survival depends entirely on its container, on his enchanted vehicle, otherwise it cannot survive."

"I stabbed that diary and it seemed to die." Harry screamed as ink spurted like blood from the punctured pages and the fragment of Voldemort's soul vanished.

"Once the diary is completely destroyed, the soul fragments locked in it cannot continue to survive. Before you, Ginny also tried to get rid of this diary, throwing it in the toilet and flushing it, but apparently it was intact. came back."

"Don't know how Dumbledore ruined that ring," said Harry. "Why didn't I ask him? I've never really..."

His voice dropped.He remembered how much he should have asked Dumbledore about, how since the Headmaster's death he felt he had wasted so many opportunities while Dumbledore was alive, not to find out more...to find out everything...

"Maybe I have a way." Hermione's eyes rolled, and she rushed to grab the beaded packet, thrusting her whole arm into it, right up to the armpit this time.

"I found... I found it..." She gritted her teeth and tugged at something that was obviously pressed deep.Slowly, the edge of an ornate picture frame was revealed.Harry rushed over to help her, and she kept pointing her wand at it, ready to cast a spell, as the two dragged an empty portrait out of Hermione's pouch.

"What's this?" Ron said.

"Sirius' great-great-grandfather," said Hermione, "he was free to move between the two picture frames in Grimmauld Place and the headmaster's office. Remember? The Gryffindor sword that Dumbledore left Harry, he His portrait is next to the sword case. I was going to get news of the sword from him—it must be of some special use."

"Great." Ron gave a thumbs up. "Now we can ask him to ask Dumbledore's portrait and tell us where to find the Horcrux."

"I guess there's another benefit." Harry blinked. "Guess who Voldemort will let run Hogwarts?"

Both Ron and Hermione thought of a candidate who sent shivers down their spines.

"Thank goodness," said Ron, "thankfully Cedric pulled us away from Grimmauld Place, otherwise Snape would have caught all three of us alive in no time."

"Snape can send Phineas Nigellus to Grimmauld Place to inquire about the situation." Hermione was also frightened for a while, "Let him inquire now, Phineas Nigellus can only watch Here's what's in my handbag."

Hermione decided not to waste any more time, knelt before the empty canvas, pointed her wand at the center of it, cleared her throat, and said, "Uh - Phineas? Phineas Nigellus?"

"Phineas Nigellus?" said Hermione again. "Professor Black? Could you please talk to us? Excuse me?"

"'Please' always helps," said a cold, sarcastic voice, as Phineas Nigellus slipped into the portrait.Hermione immediately yelled, "Cover your eyes!"

A black patch covered Phineas Nigellus's alert black eyes, and he slammed into the frame, screaming in pain.

"What—how dare you—do what—?"

"I'm sorry, Professor Black," said Hermione, "but it's a necessary precaution!"

"Remove this filth at once! Remove it at once, I say! You're destroying a great work of art! Where am I? What's going on?"

"Never mind where we are," said Harry, and Phineas Nigellus froze, not tugging on the painted blindfold.

"Could it be the voice of that classmate Potter who is erratic?"

"Perhaps," said Harry, knowing it would keep Phineas Nigellus interested. "We have a few questions for Dumbledore, could you send us a message?"

"Ha," said Phineas Nigellus, now tilting his head from side to side, trying to see Harry, "to let the noble Black be a mouthpiece for a few students? Even if I decided to help you out of kindness, I probably would." not."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Who else is here?" he asked, turning his head from side to side. "Your tone offends me! Silly boy, because Dumbledore's portrait is empty."

"Empty?" The three of them didn't expect this answer, and Ron asked hurriedly, "Where did he go?"

"Who knows," Phineas began pulling on the blindfold again, "maybe it's on some chocolate frog card, you can't keep him in the office all day."

Ron slumped his shoulders in disappointment. "Hey, do you guys think we should get a big box of Chocolate Frogs?"

Harry and Hermione ignored him, but if Dumbledore knew what Ron was thinking, he would definitely give Gryffindor twenty points.

"And the sword of Gryffindor?" Hermione asked.

"Where am I?" Phineas Nigellus did not answer, but asked again. "Where did you take me? Why did you remove me from my ancestor's house?"

"Professor Black, we're actually wondering if anyone has ever - um, taken that sword out? Maybe it's been taken out to be cleaned - or something?" Hermione asked cautiously.

Phineas Nigellus stopped trying to free his eyes again and smiled.

"Muggle-born," he said, "goblin-made weapons don't need to be wiped, simple girl. Goblin silver repels dust and absorbs only what strengthens it."

"Don't call Hermione simple-minded," said Ron.

"I'm tired of rebuttals," said Phineas Nigellus, who seemed to lose interest in their conversation when he couldn't hear Harry's voice. "Maybe I should go back to the headmaster's office?"

"Professor Black," said Hermione, "please tell us, please, when was the last time that sword was taken out of its case?"

Phineas snorted impatiently.

"I believe that the last time I saw Gryffindor's sword leave the box, Dumbledore cleaved a ring with it."

Hermione turned sharply to look at Harry.None of them dared to say much in front of Phineas Nigellus.Phineas finally touched the exit.

"Well, good night to you all," he said a little bitterly, stepping back from the portrait, leaving only a cloudy background.

"Harry!" Hermione called.

"I know!" Harry said loudly.Unable to restrain himself, he punched the air: more than the best he could have dared hope for.He strode around the room feeling like he could run a mile without even feeling tired.Hermione was stuffing the portrait of Phineas Nigellus back into the beaded pouch, and when the clasp was fastened, she tossed the pouch aside and looked up at Harry with a shiny face.

"That sword destroys Horcruxes! A goblin-made blade absorbs only what strengthens it—Harry, that sword is drenched in basilisk venom!"

"Dumbledore didn't give it to me because he still needed it, and he wanted it to destroy the locket—we've got to get the sword."

"Calm down, buddy." Ron reassured Harry, but he looked just as agitated himself. "Calm down. We don't have a Horcrux in our hands right now, and according to what you said, the Mysterious Man is likely to let the Death Eaters control Hogwarts."

"So?" Harry asked impatiently for the sword.

"You said before that the mysterious man doesn't want others to know his secret." Ron swallowed, hoping that his thoughts were correct. "Then his Horcrux might not be guarded instead."

"But it's guarded by Inferi," Harry retorted.

"I think what Ron means is that if we want to avoid attracting the attention of You-Know-Who, it's safer to find the Horcrux first than go to Hogwarts to steal a sword." Hermione helped explain, "In case he also What about knowing the importance of the sword? He will understand at once what we are doing, and then it will be over."

Harry calmed down, thinking carefully about what his friends had just said.

"You're right, Hogwarts should be the last stop." He thought carefully about the remaining horcruxes, "After we find the horcruxes, we'll go back to school and destroy as many as possible before he finds them." Horcruxes."

"Oh!" Hermione screamed suddenly, pulling a hot gold coin from her jeans pocket.

This gold coin was actually given to them by Cedric two days ago, and they were all too familiar with it, because it was a fake Galleon made by Hermione in the DA assembly in fifth grade.

"I got it from Chonna," said Cedric cheerfully. "She's got two of them—one of which she wanted back after Marietta tipped off. After all, I can't always send a Patronus back, Weasley's telescoping ears have been closely monitored by the Ministry recently. You can only be contacted in this way." At that time, he explained to three people like this.

"What's the news about Cedric?" Harry was a little nervous, looking at the fake Gallon in Hermione's hand.

Hermione squinted her eyes and read the golden serial number: "He said... he will bring an acquaintance back later.