In Erina's memory, the last time she got lost in Hogwarts Castle was probably more than half a year ago.
Since the Provisions had loaded the Hogwarts map, and the house-elves had set up hidden guide points in the castle, she hadn't worried about getting lost for a long time.
Not to mention, in most cases, she was usually accompanied by one to three small wings, so there were hardly any opportunities to activate all those backup plans one by one.
But...
"Provisions! Navigate me – uh..."
Erina reached into her collar with her right hand, but found nothing.
She suddenly remembered that, in order to make it easier to sleep on her father's back, she had temporarily "dismissed" the Provisions when she left the Transfiguration classroom.
And because of the Parents' Day, Little Soy Sauce was patrolling around the Forbidden Forest today, not taking over the shift as usual.
"Ugh..."
Well, looks like she could only cast a spell.
As the great, lovely, and clever Hogwarts Head Chef, she had a specific code to summon "navigation elves".
According to her set workflow, when she issued the summoning command, the nearby on-duty elves had to put down their work and respond immediately.
Erina sighed, cleared her throat, and recited the spell clearly and steadily.
"I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm lost!"
The crisp and pleasant voice echoed in the Hufflepuff dormitory corridor.
Finally, it disappeared among the layers of vines, as if a cry had been swallowed up in a primeval forest.
And then...
Nothing happened.
Were these guys all asleep on duty? The little elves, that is?
Surely they wouldn't be on strike, right? Wait, wait—a collective...strike?
Erina looked at the quiet space around her, and a recent episode suddenly surfaced.
If she remembered correctly, in order to sanction the dark wizard Grindelwald, she seemed to have removed all the elf guides in the castle today in a fit of anger?
"..."
Erina looked at the intricate and almost indistinguishable underground tunnels in front of her, and couldn't help but feel a headache.
She didn't have Luna's intuition to walk out of the maze with her eyes closed. Wandering around randomly in this situation would definitely cause problems.
If it were normal, Erina could return the way she came, or stop in place and follow a passing student back to the Hufflepuff common room.
But...
The situation was obviously different now. That iron-headed guy had taken her parents directly to the dormitory.
If they accidentally triggered the surprise she had hidden in the closet, it might not be easy to settle with a simple apology.
"It seems you're encountering some small difficulties? Miss Kaslana?"
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out not far from her.
Erina turned her head and saw a translucent figure floating out of the wall on the right.
Hmm...
The Fat Friar?
Erina frowned slightly.
Gu Yao
"Yes, I forgot which way to go back to the dormitory,"
Erina said frankly, looking around thoughtfully, her eyes returning to the other party.
"So... are you lost too? Well, this area should all be girls' dormitories. I heard you rarely come here..."
In theory, the ghosts of Hogwarts can wander and roam in every corner of the castle.
However, just like school rules and social conventions, there are also some invisible agreements among the ghosts of Hogwarts, limiting the scope of each ghost's activities.
For example, only the "resident ghost" of each house can freely enter and exit the common room. Other ghosts generally need the permission of the resident ghost and the head of the corresponding house before entering.
For example, "The Grey Lady" defaults to not entering boys' dormitories or bathrooms, while "The Bloody Baron" stays away from girls' dormitories and bathrooms. Perhaps some ghosts occasionally can't resist their curiosity and sneak in, but most of them will hide to avoid being seen by students or professors, causing some unnecessary disputes—the official headmaster of Hogwarts has the right to expel ghosts.
"Cough, actually I came to find you—well, I think you can see that too."
The Fat Friar said a little unnaturally, a rare trace of awkwardness and nervousness appearing on his round face.
"The non-magical world and the magical world have been at peace for centuries. Since you have talent, and Mr. Benitez is from that side..."
"So, why would I become a witch instead of joining the Church side?"
Before the Fat Friar could finish speaking, Erina retorted, glancing at the Fat Friar who nodded slightly, her brain working quickly.
She didn't know much about the grievances between the non-magical world and the magical world. Neither "Nearly Headless Nick" nor "The Immortal Nicholas" were willing to talk too much about the stories of the dark ages of magic, so she could only rely on some fragmented information to piece together a few 'stepping stones'. She didn't expect the first one to take the bait to be the Hufflepuff Fat Friar.
Obviously, just as she had guessed before, there was some unknown "suppression" force in the non-magical world, at least it had existed in the past.
"Well, I am actually a nun—just officially certified this year, with formal documents."
Erina thought for two seconds, took out the "Hecate of the Night" made by the goblins from her arms and shook it, saying without changing her expression.
"At the same time, I am also a genuine witch. I don't know if you know, I came to Hogwarts Castle once before the official start of school—"
"To be precise, it should be twice. The first time, I talked to Professor Dumbledore alone, and the second time was with me, Professor Dumbledore, and Papa Benitez."
"...Well, I seem to have heard about these things..."
The Fat Friar pondered for a few seconds, nodding gently, and looked at Erina with some confusion.
"But, I still don't understand—"
"Fat Friar, my dear Fat Friar, don't you understand yet?"
Erina's lake-blue eyes sparkled with cunning, and she said faintly in a tone like a choir.
"I am a nun and a wizard, recognized by both sides—just as I am sometimes seen as a Gryffindor, sometimes as a Hufflepuff."
"Could it be—"
The Fat Friar was stunned for a few seconds, then his eyes widened suddenly, and he looked at Erina in disbelief.
"Oh, I can't tell you more. Don't make me make a mistake, okay?"
Before the Fat Friar could continue to ask, Erina blinked and gently made a gesture of silence with her index finger in front of her lips.
"This involves Professor Dumbledore, Papa Benitez, and the plans of many adults. I am just a relatively lucky exchange student, and I don't want to be expelled in advance—this content is already the limit I can reveal to you."
"Also..."
Erina paused for a few seconds, then said softly.
"Since I solved your doubts, can you also help me answer some small questions?"
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Yay!