[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-hogwarts-learning-panel":3,"chapter-hogwarts-learning-panel-hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-304":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Hogwarts Learning Panel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2250542,4210,"Chapter 304: The Heir","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-304",304,"\u003Cp>The corridor at night was empty, save for the faint sound of footsteps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasional rustling noises could be heard, as if some crawling creature was shifting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Headmaster’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was located atop a solitary tower, and like the common rooms of Hogwarts’ four houses, entry required the correct password.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A giant stone gargoyle guarded the office; now it leapt aside, revealing the spiral staircase behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean entered the Headmaster’s office; the portraits were all dozing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a slender-legged table lay many strange silver objects, spinning and emitting thin puffs of smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a shelf behind the table sat a tattered, wrinkled wizarding hat—the Sorting Hat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Wizard Sean picked up the Sorting Hat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Sorting Hat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean placed it on his head; the large hat obscured his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Proud and shrewd Ravenclaw, ah… they always say that. But the old hat says, wise Ravenclaw… possesses hard-won courage…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The folds of the Sorting Hat’s mouth opened and closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Undoubtedly, the old hat knows—the time has come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sorting Hat always spoke in cryptic riddles; the wisdom of the Founders made its words hard to decipher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the moonlight, Wizard Sean seemed to sense something—he gently removed the Sorting Hat and held it in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a nearby gilded branch, Fawkes lifted his gaze and slowly spread his wings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the doorway, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had widened their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could it be Wizard Sean… oh no, no other student could enter the Headmaster’s office like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron muttered under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But what is he doing with the Sorting Hat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione pressed against the wall, whispering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look, something seems to be inside the Sorting Hat…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry suppressed his strange emotions and focused intently on the young wizard bathed in moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His profile was sharper than usual; he grasped a long, hard object—and this time, there was no resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean drew the Sword of Gryffindor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The time has come, the time has come—to respond and appear promptly, to aid the one you recognize as heir…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sorting Hat’s voice grew faint, until it vanished entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a gleaming silver blade, hidden within the hat, its hilt set with a brilliant ruby the size of an egg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean held the Sword of Gryffindor, surprised by how easily he had obtained it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt a flicker of doubt, but time was running out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must go to the Chamber of Secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a flick of his wand, books flew from his bag and swiftly formed a scabbard, which he strapped to his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he looked like an ancient wizard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the International Statute of Secrecy, wizards freely mingled with Muggles, but using a wand to fight a Muggle’s sword was considered disgraceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, they often wielded swords in combat, as naturally as wands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many gifted wizards were also skilled duelists; Gryffindor was one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wizard Sean doubted he had any talent for swordsmanship—he didn’t even know if swordsmanship could be added to his panel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the doorway, Harry, Hermione, and Ron jolted awake from their frozen stupor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hurried away from the crack in the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron stammered, the first to dash up the spiral staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Sword of Gryffindor—if you’ve read *Hogwarts: A History*, you’d know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was forged by the greatest goblin silversmith, Goblin King Ragnuk the First.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Records say it possesses near-wand-like sentience, able to respond and appear promptly to aid its chosen heir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione explained urgently, the second to rush up the staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Wizard Sean isn’t a Ravenclaw, is he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry’s head spun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Sorting Hat hid a sword, then when we wore it…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were we nearly decapitated?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for courage…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione cut herself off as Ron shouted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Sorting Hat hid a sword inside! Oh, I mean—could it fall out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron trembled slightly; had the Sorting Ceremony always been a trial?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizards who failed would have their heads cut off by the sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts aligned, at least partially, with Harry’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione snapped in exasperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon they fell silent, as a young wizard descended the now-turning spiral staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moonlight illuminated his path; as he passed, he suddenly glanced back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry, Hermione, and Ron nearly lost their souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, he turned his gaze away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We almost got caught.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron, trembling with relief, felt his legs go weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron, Harry, Hermione…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean counted heads and paid it little mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being seen didn’t matter—as long as it wasn’t Voldemort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing Wizard Sean truly wondered about was Headmaster Dumbledore—he hadn’t seen the Headmaster in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since their last conversation, Dumbledore had appeared far less often in the Great Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girls’ second-floor bathroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curfew was approaching again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sssss (open).”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the serpent-headed faucet emitted a brilliant white light and began spinning rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the sink moved; it slowly vanished from view, revealing a thick pipe large enough for a person to crawl through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizard Sean put on his magical refractive glasses; Bai Yi and Ti La donned their custom versions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry, Hermione, and Ron paced anxiously; the person they were following had vanished in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know, Harry, the purpose of a sword is never to weed out grass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If something has driven Wizard Sean to rely on external force…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Weasleys always had uncanny instincts; now Ron’s face had turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go find Jia Jia Siting, Harry—he might know something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I remember—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry suddenly said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember the house-elf Dobby? He said Hogwarts would be in danger;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And my Parseltongue—Wizard Sean knows that. He asked me several questions about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione and Ron spoke in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were being pulled into another grand scheme again—each time, Wizard Sean quietly acted alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they wanted him to know: each time, they too wished to give their all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you hear? Not that—‘open’—it was ‘open’! Wizard Sean wants to open something!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry pressed urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>",1007,"2026-06-19T10:00:41.888Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","60ef85793fde034acee7a207894b2d723a89d86dbbfb322fb2fb09ff7c59f8d1","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-305","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-303",526,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhogwarts-learning-panel-cover.jpg"]