Chapter 200: The Tunnel of the Mind Snail
Professor McGonagall could no longer tolerate Grindelwald and Lockhart's public shenanigans in front of all the students and teachers. She walked up to the lectern, gave them both a withering look, and forced them back into their seats before beginning the introduction of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Remus Lupin!
Compared to the Boggart-turned-Grindelwald, who had forced 'Dumbledore' to resist the urge to cast a spell, Lupin didn't seem to have any connection to refinement or elegance.
He looked rather destitute.
His hair was a mess, that kind of unkempt chaos that appears even after you've tried your best to comb through frizzy and uneven locks.
His face was grey and weary, with a tired pallor that seemed to have lingered for years, as if he hadn't had a good night's sleep in ages.
He wore a robe with several patches, looking more like a vagrant.
In the past, let alone boys like Draco Malfoy, even Harry would have wondered if this man was unreliable.
However, after a year of Lockhart's teaching, the young wizards had learned to observe others from a "wizarding" perspective. Lupin's appearance now made them wonder if he might be another powerful wizarding figure.
As Professor Lockhart would put it—some wizards are so powerful they don't need their appearance to define them; in fact, even a seemingly dreadful image is a means of walking their magical path.
In Lockhart's past life, internet users called these people "sweeping monks," the highest-level individuals, masters of "playing the pig to eat the tiger."
Well, although Lupin was indeed very skilled, he really was a vagrant.
Due to the monthly transformations of his lycanthropy, he found it difficult to hold down a good job and support himself. And because some people had suspected he was a spy for Voldemort during the Order of the Phoenix's battles, he hadn't received much help from his former comrades.
For all these years, he had been a wanderer, weathered and worn by life's hardships.
Everyone was trudging through their own difficult journey—this was a thought Lockhart had after meeting Lupin before the feast.
Lupin's life had truly been a struggle.
This gentle, almost shy wizard, while pleasant to be around, always maintained a clear sense of distance.
He had been infected with lycanthropy at a very young age, and this distance was almost a form of self-preservation for him, let alone after over a decade of wandering.
McGonagall clearly felt great pity for the boy she had watched grow up, so she made an arrangement.
She decided to have Lupin and Lockhart live together in the Forbidden Forest, hoping that the two young men, close in age, might positively influence each other. Perhaps Professor Lockhart would become more sensible, and Lupin might become more cheerful.
Having made this arrangement, she naturally began to consider more possibilities. She figured she might as well use Dumbledore's absence to banish Grindelwald to the Forbidden Forest as well, to prevent him from secretly stirring up trouble on school grounds. Dumbledore had said as much—he had put Lockhart in charge of keeping an eye on Grindelwald.
And so, after the feast, the three of them began walking towards the pitch-black Forbidden Forest with their respective trunks. Grindelwald, still disgruntled about being Lockhart's assistant, walked ahead in silence.
Lupin was a quiet person, and when someone spoke to him, he would only respond with a word or two.
As a result, Lockhart had no choice but to fall silent as well.
Fortunately, a new member joined them shortly.
Professor Kettleburn, with only one and a half limbs, was on his way to inspect the adventure course at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. When he saw Lockhart and the others, he excitedly asked the reason and said he wanted to join.
"This place is much closer to the adventure course than the castle. Since I'm in charge of it now, living here is a great choice."
Professor Kettleburn discussed his plan to expand the adventure course with Lockhart, which quickly caught Lupin's attention. As it concerned his upcoming teaching, he began to listen carefully and take notes on the professors' conversation.
"A child's game?" Grindelwald sneered, interrupting their talk. "Do you really think this can cultivate true warriors?"
Lockhart shrugged. "The purpose of the school's adventure activities isn't to send young wizards on adventures, but to cultivate the habit of an adventurous life, to include everything life has to offer, and give them more possibilities."
"The adventure drills are still very useful," Professor Kettleburn countered. "We've truly seen the growth of the young wizards. It's an excellent way to improve their overall abilities."
Lupin looked thoughtful but offered no opinion.
As they talked, they arrived at the corner of the Whomping Willow, where Hagrid was waiting for them.
When they arrived, Hagrid was covered in mud and looked tired. He was standing on a large rock, holding a shovel as big as an excavator, breathing heavily.
"This is—"
Lockhart looked at the giant rock beneath Hagrid's feet, gauged the location, and suddenly said, "The path to the Shrieking Shack is blocked?"
"You know?" Hagrid was surprised and nodded. "Yes, it's blocked. Professor Dumbledore told me to seal all secret passages leading out of the school."
Oh-ho, this was a change Lockhart had not anticipated.
With the secret passages leading out of the school being sealed one by one, Hogwarts' security would be greatly enhanced. It was clear that Dumbledore's attitude had changed.
Lupin watched the scene with a sense of nostalgia. This secret passage and the Shrieking Shack were both created by Dumbledore for him during his school years at Hogwarts.
Even the name "Shrieking Shack" came from the howls he would let out as a werewolf during the full moon, making many residents of Hogsmeade believe it was haunted and too afraid to go near.
The Marauders often used this passage back in the day.
Dumbledore instructing Hagrid to seal this passage was probably also due to Sirius Black's recent escape.
"Just blocking it with a stone is enough?" Lockhart curiously looked down at the large rock. It was indeed a massive stone, but there was no spellwork on it; it seemed to be a purely physical seal, not a magical one.
"This is a 'Tunnel of the Mind Snail'," Grindelwald said suddenly. Seeing everyone looking at him with curiosity, he casually explained, "You've all seen snails, haven't you? They constantly extend their feelers outwards. Those feelers are covered in all kinds of sensitive nerves that help them analyze information like air, water, humidity, and temperature. They are, in fact, an extension of its mind."
"An extension of the mind causes the body to change shape, and so the feelers grow?" Lockhart pondered aloud.
Grindelwald raised an eyebrow and nodded.
No wonder Dumbledore thought so highly of this young man; he was truly a clever person who, with just the beginning of an explanation, knew what he was going to say.
"The characteristic of the 'Tunnel of the Mind Snail' is that it is created by walking. It is an extremely advanced form of permanent Transfiguration. A person within a group walks beyond the rules, and the path naturally extends before them."
Grindelwald stomped on the rock beneath his feet. "When it is blocked, and more people within the group believe it can no longer be walked, the passage loses its support and collapses and disappears."
Matter affecting mental perception in reverse, which ultimately causes magic to take effect or dissipate. This was undoubtedly at odds with Lockhart's own magical theories, yet there seemed to be a shared principle.
But why was Grindelwald explaining all this? Lockhart's expression turned strange. He suddenly remembered that Dumbledore had promised to have Grindelwald teach him about the magic and knowledge needed to repair Nurmengard Castle. He didn't expect the old man to actually be teaching him.
It was quite interesting that Grindelwald, who seemed like a mysterious and prophetic figure, was following a magical path that was more focused on existence and reality.
This was, without a doubt, a philosophy that was at odds with Lockhart's, which focused more on mental experience.
Lockhart suspected that Grindelwald was deliberately teaching him things that went against his own magical philosophy.
That old coot was truly trouble.
He was indeed troublesome, but he was also a man of his word. Grindelwald was actually teaching Lockhart how to build such a magical secret passage.
The incantation was very long and complicated, using Ancient Runes with various complex and nested intonations. It sounded almost like a song, and the strange and unique overlapping sounds made Lockhart think not of a snail extending its feelers, but of a loach slithering through mud.
"Castle-based magic requires talent," Grindelwald said, watching Lockhart silently reciting the incantation, a mocking look on his face. "It's simple for those who have it, and very difficult for those who don't. Young man, take my advice, you are not suited for this magical path, you—"
Before he could even finish, a very unique light appeared on both young men at the same time.
It was like the light of a torch, flickering and illuminating the damp, dripping stone tunnel, reflecting strange patterns everywhere.
"!!!" Grindelwald looked at Lockhart in shock, and then at Lupin, whom he had almost ignored.
This young man?
He could also cast this kind of castle-based magic so easily?
For a moment, he seemed to start understanding Lockhart's point about this being a more wonderful era. Perhaps the future of wizards and Muggles wasn't really about fighting?
Grindelwald fell into a deep thought, his heterochromatic eyes flickering as if trying to glimpse a possible future.
When Lupin saw Grindelwald looking at him, he quickly relaxed his wand and sheepishly dispelled the magic. His actions could be considered a form of eavesdropping, even though Grindelwald hadn't hidden his teaching from them.
He hadn't done it on purpose. This secret passage and the Shrieking Shack always brought back fond memories of his school days, and the things Grindelwald was talking about reminded him of the wonderful experience of the Marauders working together to create the Marauder's Map.
He had simply become so engrossed in listening.
He was always burdened by a sense of morality.
Lockhart, on the other hand, had no such burden.
He was so excited, he waved his wand, feeling the unique magical power surging through him, and shouted excitedly, "Let me try!"
Lockhart's attempts at using magic were never simple.
Magic is life, and magic blooms in adventure. This had almost become his magical philosophy, and he always followed this line of thought when casting spells.
And now, what they needed to do was find a suitable place to live in the Forbidden Forest.
He had originally planned to just conjure a Soul Bonfire and make do for the night, but with this new magic, he suddenly had another idea.
So he looked around for a moment, his eyes lit up, and he gestured for everyone to follow him into the tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow.
They walked along the previously blocked half of the passage, came to the large rock Hagrid had used to seal it, and Lockhart waved his wand to continue forward.
It was truly interesting. A shimmering glass corridor, embedded in the original stone passage, appeared before them. Not far ahead, it curved and seemed to be vaguely sealed by dirt.
"Where are we going?" Hagrid asked anxiously. "Dumbledore doesn't want any secret passages leading out of the school."
"The Forbidden Forest—" Lockhart thought for a moment, an eyebrow raised. "Our destination is the Acromantula's nest!"
Boom!
The passage trembled, and it seemed as if the entire secret passage had become completely open.
..........
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