r18novel Chapter 88 They've come to pick you up
Chapter 88 They've come to pick you up
Chapter 88 They've come to pick you up
Lucas was stunned. It took him several seconds to understand what Professor Dumbledore had said.
Mermaid, have you come to pick me up?
But didn't I just come back from Black Lake? And what does it mean to pick me up? Where are you taking me? Why?
"Mr. McGregor, it seems you'll need to come with me," Dumbledore said. "And Professor Sprout, now that Mr. McGregor has become a member of Hufflepuff, you, as the Headmaster, will have to take on the responsibility as well."
Lucas stood up somewhat blankly, all the students were looking at him, accompanied by increasingly loud discussions as the freshmen told the older students about the story that had taken place on Black Lake.
"Lucas!" Ellie threw down her knife and fork. "I'll go with you."
Hannah was startled and was about to stand up, but Dumbledore had already said, "Miss MacFastie, please stay in your seat. You'll be fine. Everyone else, please don't move. Enjoy your opening banquet here. Professor McGonagall, there's only one here..."
But Professor McGonagall had already walked quickly to his side, clearly intending to go together, so Professor Dumbledore changed his mind: "Professor Flitwick, would you please take charge of the Great Hall?"
Professor Felix Flitwick nodded: "Of course, Professor Dumbledore."
The murmurs below grew louder and louder. Professor Dumbledore clapped his hands lightly. "Alright, I know you're all starving, so don't waste your energy discussing this. Enjoy your dinner."
As soon as he finished speaking, a huge pile of various foods suddenly appeared on the large golden plate in front of everyone!
Even as he followed Dumbledore outside, Lucas couldn't help but turn his head to stare at the dishes that had appeared out of nowhere, his neck almost snapping from the effort.
How did they do that? Was it created by magic?
So many big platters! All that food looks so plentiful!
I really want to try it! This is a banquet designed by Hufflepuff, the most lavish opening dinner ever! I'm so hungry!
Let me first see what dishes are available—
Roast beef, roast chicken, roast pork chops, roast lamb chops, roast steak... um.
Boiled sausages, fried sausages, grilled sausages, pan-fried sausages... Ah.
Boiled potatoes, baked potatoes, potato chips, French fries... oh.
Yorkshire pudding, pea shoots, carrots, gravy, ketchup, mint hard candy...wait, what?
No!
Lucas was so surprised that he stopped in his tracks without realizing it, and Professor Sprout quickly pulled him out of the banquet hall.
"Lucas, I know you're hungry," Professor Sprout said, "but there's no time for that now. We have to deal with what's in front of us. We'll get you something to eat when we get back."
Lucas shook his head: "Thank you, Professor, I'm not hungry anymore."
Why is the Hogwarts opening dinner not as varied as the 59.9 buffet?
Is the legend of Ganhechipachi true?
The Sorting Hat wasn't a joke, was it?!
Well, the variety may be limited, but the taste must be absolutely wonderful! You can't really tell without trying it yourself... After all, Old Tom said that Hogwarts' kitchen is the most magical kitchen in all of England.
Lucas was lost in thought when he heard Dumbledore say as he walked, "I didn't expect the mermaids to arrive so quickly. I thought it would be tomorrow at the earliest. I was planning to talk to them after the dinner."
Huh? So Professor Dumbledore knows what happened?
"Professor Dumbledore, what's going on? Why is the mermaid here to pick up Lucas?" Professor Sprout held Lucas tightly, as if he was worried that if he let go, he would be dragged away by some monster.
"Although I've heard Fox recount this story, it's not complete." Professor Dumbledore led the group to the main gate of the castle, paused, and looked at Lucas through his glasses with his light blue eyes. "Please tell us more, Lucas."
"Let's start with the boat we boarded on Black Lake, shall we?"
The mermaids' shrieks grew clearer and clearer; it wasn't just one mermaid, but a wave of sound from hundreds of mermaids together. The cries were sharp and mournful, like the wailing of a female ghost in the night, sending chills down Lucas's spine.
He nodded quickly and told them everything.
After hearing this, Professor Sprout gasped.
"Lucas, are you saying that you accepted what the mermen gave you without understanding what they were saying?"
Lucas also sensed something was wrong, and he quickly pulled out the two items: a tangled clump of grass resembling a rat's tail, and a stone whistle that controlled a Grindylo.
"It's gill sac grass!" Professor Sprout exclaimed.
"Mr. McGregor, you've been incredibly reckless!" Professor McGonagall suddenly spoke, her tone stern. "Do you know that you've made a pact with the merman?!"
Lucas was taken aback: "What agreement? I thought these two things were just simple gifts—"
"That's the problem," Dumbledore said very seriously. "Because of cultural differences, accepting gifts from non-human races requires careful consideration, especially when you don't understand what they're saying at all."
"Professor Dumbledore, what did the mermaid say?" Lucas was starting to panic.
"Fox told me. You agreed to become the mermaids' cook." Dumbledore poked the gill sac grass with his wand, then picked up the stone whistle and examined it. "The mermaids gave you the gill sac grass so you could breathe underwater. And this Grindylow is their reward to you, and also your protector underwater."
Lucas was stunned, but his first thought was—a chef? When do I start work? How many hours do I work each day? How many days off do I get each month? Are there any social insurance and housing fund benefits?
Fortunately, he stopped himself just as the question was about to come out, saying instead, "I didn't agree! I didn't understand what they were saying!"
Dumbledore sighed: "But the fact is, you reached an agreement in Fawkes's presence, you accepted the payment from the mermaid and agreed to become the mermaid's chef."
Lucas's mouth dropped open: "Then I'll explain everything clearly and return the payment, okay?"
Professor Sprout understood, and her expression turned serious: "Lucas, this is not what you think. Human culture and mermaid culture are different. You think this is just a misunderstanding, but to the mermaids, it is an ironclad agreement that has been reached and you must abide by it."
Lucas froze, looking at Dumbledore and carefully choosing his words: "Professor Dumbledore, you are the greatest wizard in the world and the headmaster of Hogwarts. These mermaids in the Black Lake should obey your orders. If you would be willing to lift this agreement for me..."
'
The mermaid's cries grew louder and more urgent.
But Dumbledore looked at Lucas and spoke slowly and solemnly.
"Lucas, I must point out many errors in your statement."
"First of all, I have never considered myself to be associated with 'greatness'."
"Secondly, although I am the headmaster of Hogwarts, I am only your headmaster and the manager of this castle. Ancient intelligent races such as mermaids and centaurs lived on this land thousands of years before Hogwarts was founded, and they will continue to live here in the future."
"The Serchi, the mermaid tribe of the Black Lake—I believe they are the true masters of the Black Lake. We respect each other, and I have no right to order them around."
"Third, how can we directly terminate the agreement? By relying on our wands and powerful magic to force the merfolk to leave? This arrogance of thinking that humans are the masters of the world and can conquer all races will only make things worse."
Lucas's lips moved, but he didn't speak.
The phrase "human arrogance" echoed in my mind. I had thought this way before.
I am inside Hogwarts Castle, and beside me is the world's most powerful "legendary" wizard... If the professors are willing to help me, the mermaid will have no choice but to back down! Besides, this is not my intention; I didn't understand what the mermaid was saying, it's all a misunderstanding.
But now, Lucas has many thoughts on this.
I thought of that ferocious, powerful black dragon, the Thestral that brought me peace of mind, the centaurs chasing the stars in the forest, the mermaids breaking through the waves, and their satisfied and blissful expressions as they savored sashimi...
We are simply a part of nature, one of many intelligent species.
Seeing Lucas deep in thought, Dumbledore nodded slightly.
"Furthermore, Lucas, if you breach the contract outright, it could have unpredictable consequences."
"Most mermaids don't have magical abilities, but the mermaid leader Mercus and the mermaid priests are different. Although they don't know spells or have wands, they possess strange mermaid magic, or rather, water magic."
Lucas had a sudden thought, recalling the vortex and the current of water that swirled with Mercus's will.
"Different tribes have their own legends, and the Serchi tribe says that their magical abilities come from the blessing of the lake fairy. They have a close connection with the lake spirits and can therefore control the power of the lake water."
"If you choose to break the contract, even if you hide in the castle, the mermaids can't do anything to you; or even if you go to the lake, they will be intimidated by the wizard's wand and dare not attack you."
"However, the mermaid's resentment may trigger the curse of the Black Lake, and many unfortunate things will happen to you from then on, especially when you come into contact with water."
"You wouldn't want to drown yourself while washing your face in the morning, would you?"
Lucas couldn't hold back any longer: "What's the principle behind this? What is the curse of the Black Lake?"
"The so-called lake nymphs and lake spirits—aren't these all just myths and legends? Professor, I've read many books and learned a lot about intelligent races other than humans, but I've never seen anything like this before!"
Although Lucas found the idea absurd, like a joke, he noticed that Professor Dumbledore looked serious, and both Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout were very serious as well.
"Others haven't written about it, they just haven't encountered it yet. In the magical world, anything is possible," Dumbledore said. "I've encountered far too many strange things in my life..."
"On the other hand, if you were already an adult wizard, from the perspective of strength, you might not be afraid of being affected by such a vague curse, but right now, you are just a child who has just entered school."
"Lucas, that's magic. There are no principles, no unexplainable magic," Professor Sprout added. "Even if there were no Lady of the Lake, no Lake Spirits, magic would still exist. Professor Dumbledore has only stated one possibility; there are actually other, even more fantastical possibilities."
"Therefore, you must be extremely careful with your promises and your vows, especially when dealing with intelligent races."
Lucas kept these warnings in mind, and then he suddenly remembered those two beams of light. The beams of light that emanated from the bodies of the first mermaid and the mermaid leader, Mercus, and entered his own body.
Could that be mermaid magic, the power of the lake spirits?
He quickly told them what had happened, and the three professors were all taken aback.
Professor Sprout was both surprised and puzzled, Professor McGonagall frowned, and Professor Dumbledore stared intently at Lucas, his light blue eyes, hidden behind his half-moon spectacles, gleaming.
A moment of silence.
Professor Dumbledore finally asked, "Lucas, did you really see two beams of light?"
“Yes. Vague and fleeting, intangible,” Lucas said. “Is that the magic of the mermaid?”
Dumbledore slowly shook his head and asked again, "Lucas, how do you feel in your body right now?"
"There's no professor. I don't feel anything good or bad, everything is normal. I even thought I was seeing things, but I can't be wrong twice."
Another silence followed.
Professor McGonagall asked anxiously, "Albus, what exactly is that? Will it affect Lucas?"
"Oh, Minerva, actually, I can't say for sure," Dumbledore said softly. "The magical world is so wonderful, there are so many things yet to be discovered, and I am just a student just beginning to explore it."
"Of course, after this matter is resolved, Lucas will go to the school hospital for a full check-up by Mrs. Pomfrey to ensure there are no hidden dangers."
"Don't worry, whatever Lucas sees or comes into contact with, he will naturally figure it out in the future."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Now, let's get back to the question of mermaids."
Dumbledore and his men moved again, and the merman's shriek pierced through the doorway.
"Lucas, as I just mentioned, breaking the contract outright is not advisable. But of course, we can't let you, a little wizard, waste your studies or even spend your whole life at the bottom of the Black Lake."
"To resolve the current issue, we have two options: first, both parties can negotiate, and the mermaid can voluntarily terminate the agreement; second, we can further supplement the agreement."
"Additional information?"
"Yes, your agreement with the Serchi tribe is that you will become their cook and they will pay you. But the duration of the agreement, your specific working hours, the number of times you will be paid, etc., are not specified. This is where we can supplement it."
"For example, the agreement has only just been established, and the mermaids have already come knocking on your door, calling you to work. This is truly unexpected. I thought it would be tomorrow at the earliest." Dumbledore smiled. "I think you should be allowed to refuse such unreasonable requests."
I see. If the agreement itself cannot be immediately terminated, it can be supplemented with more details to bind the rights and obligations of both parties within the framework, thereby maximizing the protection of one's own interests...
Seeing Dumbledore's smile, Lucas suddenly felt more confident.