Hogwarts: Harry Potter's Return from the Witcher World

Gryffindor Common Room.

The Gryffindor students were uneasy, their conversations buzzing nervously about Lockhart.

Though he wasn't particularly well-liked, he had earned them plenty of house points.

Now, seeing him in such dire straits, they couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him.

The Aurors were rummaging roughly through their dormitories, using magical mirrors to check every corner—despite Professor McGonagall telling them the mirrors wouldn't be of much use in identifying dark magic items.

Still, they clung to the mirrors stubbornly, unwilling to let go. When it came to detecting dark magic, they trusted these tools more than their own instincts.

Hermione and Ron were on edge, worrying about Harry, who hadn't yet returned.

Amid the tense atmosphere—POP!

The sound of Apparition startled everyone. The Gryffindor students froze, and McGonagall and the Aurors immediately raised their wands, aiming at the source of the sound: a trembling house-elf that had suddenly appeared.

"Professor McGonagall!" the house-elf cried, its voice panicked. "Professor Snape and Mr. Potter are in the Great Hall! They encountered the basilisk and told me to fetch you. They need your help!"

McGonagall's face changed instantly. She gave Percy a quick instruction to stay behind with one Auror and hurried down the tower toward the Great Hall.

The Gryffindor students' whispered discussions grew even more frantic.

Ginny peeked out from the dormitory, her face blank. The house-elf glanced at her with a look of pity before Disapparating.

In the Great Hall.

Two figures were still in the midst of a heated negotiation. Basilisks were rare, magical creatures, and their remains were priceless in the wizarding world.

Even Snape hadn't had much experience with their materials. Just a tenth of a pint of basilisk venom could fetch hundreds of Galleons, and the basilisk's eyes—those were so rare that even thousands of Galleons might not suffice to buy them.

After much haggling, they finally agreed: they would split the eyes, venom sacs, and fangs equally.

Scrimgeour, unwilling to stoop to such mercantile bargaining, ended up with a modest share: a palm-sized piece of basilisk skin, over a hundred pounds of basilisk meat, and two ribs (both of which Snape had cut in half).

The Sorting Hat's voice quivered, "Harry, no! Absolutely not!"

"The Undetectable Extension Charm inside me is only meant for storing the Sword of Gryffindor. Those few books you stuffed in already push it to its limits—I can't hold anything more."

"You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to me, would you?"

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "I get it. We'll leave the materials here for now. Maybe later I can have the house-elves..."

He abruptly trailed off, his expression turning serious. He raised his wand and sword, his gaze fixed on the grand staircase.

Snape turned sharply, his wand already raised.

Scrimgeour, confused by their sudden change in demeanor, felt compelled to follow suit—though he didn't understand the reason.

"It's Professor McGonagall," Harry murmured, frowning. "And a group of Aurors."

As he finished speaking, one of the Aurors charged recklessly into the room. A large hand conjured by a Transfiguration spell followed closely, grabbing the Auror's head and shielding his eyes before yanking him back out of the room.

"A Gryffindor?" Snape sneered.

Scrimgeour buried his head in his hands, silently vowing to conduct stricter training for his team after this fiasco.

What kind of idiot charges at a basilisk like that?

"Professor McGonagall, the hall is secure. The basilisk is dead," Harry called out loudly.

No response.

Two enchanted rabbits hopped cautiously into the hall, sniffing and circling before bouncing back out unharmed. Only then did McGonagall and the others dare to enter.

Harry glanced at Snape. "Clearly, that's a true Gryffindor."

Snape didn't respond.

Scrimgeour, standing awkwardly to the side, turned various shades of red and green.

"Professor, why are you here?" Harry asked, stepping forward. "Did something happen in the common room?"

"The house-elf told me you encountered the basilisk and needed help," McGonagall replied quickly, her eyes scanning the dissected basilisk carcass and the phoenix perched smugly atop its head like a nesting bird. She hesitated before adding, "It said you called for help."

"We didn't," Snape interjected coldly, his tone dripping with derision. "It's just a basilisk."

Harry's face darkened, and without another word, he sprinted toward the Gryffindor common room. "I knew it! You can never trust house-elves!"

"Ginny!"

McGonagall blinked in surprise, belatedly understanding the urgency. Clutching her side, she hurried after Harry.

Scrimgeour glared at the remaining Aurors, his voice seething with frustration. "You all came here with Professor McGonagall? Think, for Merlin's sake! What good could you possibly do against a basilisk?"

One of the Aurors mumbled timidly, "We left one person in the common room to protect..."

Scrimgeour's face turned an even deeper shade of green.

One? What good is one person?

This 'Tom' character is dangerous. He can silently cast Unforgivable Curses, and every move he makes screams cunning and malice.

Scrimgeour picked up his pace, following closely behind McGonagall and Harry.

In the Gryffindor Common Room.

Ginny, clutching a book tightly to her chest, moved silently through the crowd of students. She headed straight for the portrait hole, crouching as if to crawl through.

Percy jumped up, wand in hand, and took a deep breath. "Ginny, you can't leave right now. If you're hungry, Ron has snacks."

Ron fumbled through his bag, pulling out bread, sweets, and even a few rock cakes.

But Ginny didn't respond. She kept moving, ignoring them completely.

An Auror grabbed her arm, his tone firm. "I know you Gryffindors, but this is not the time to break the rules."

"You're safer here in the common room—"

Ginny turned around, her face twisted into an eerie, unnatural smile. Her lips curved high, but there was no joy in her eyes.

The Auror suddenly felt a small, hard object press against his abdomen.

Looking down, he saw a wand—yew wood.

"Bombarda!"

Ginny's voice was soft, sweet, and melodic, yet the spell she cast was anything but.

A deafening explosion followed.

The Auror was thrown backward, his abdomen torn apart by the blast, blood gushing uncontrollably from the charred wound.

"Stupefy!" Percy didn't hesitate. He fired a stunning spell at Ginny.

"Ginny" dodged swiftly, sidestepping the spell.

"Everyone, back to your dormitories now!" Percy shouted, turning to the panicked crowd.

The students scattered, racing toward safety.

Percy turned back to face the person wearing his sister's face. "Who are you? Are you Tom?"

"Ginny's" expression twisted. She waved her wand, and the furniture in the room contorted into sharp, wooden tendrils that lashed out at Percy.

"Protego!"

Percy cast the Shield Charm hastily.

Though the spell deflected the damage, it couldn't stop the force behind it. He was flung backward, crashing into the wall.

The Weasley twins tried to cushion his fall by Transfiguring a nearby chair into a soft mat, but they didn't have the chance.

Shk-thunk!

The mat twisted midair, transforming into jagged, skeletal branches that pierced Percy's hands, pinning him to the wall in a crucifixion-like pose.

"Stupefy!"

Ron, his hands trembling, raised his wand and cast a spell at "Ginny."

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Powerstones?