#491 - Strict inspection, almost all of them carry contraband! (5K subscription required)

The scholars arrived at the main gate of Hogwarts on the Thestrals with all kinds of thoughts in their minds.

Even if you arrive at the main gate, you can't just enter Hogwarts casually.

Before entering, visitors must sign the Hogwarts Confidentiality Agreement, violators of which will trigger the Forgetfulness Charm and be permanently banned from entering the school.

After signing the contract, all visitors must enter through the main stone steps. Other entrances are only open to faculty and staff.

For example, secret passages and the Floo Network. Although Hogwarts has large-scale protective magic and Apparition cannot be used, the Floo Network can be used.

Some faculty members have teaching duties at school and also receive additional tasks from the Ministry of Magic, all of which they travel back and forth through the Floo Network.

After passing the stone steps, you must show your wand in front of the bronze eagle head statue in the foyer to check the core material and usage record of the wand.

At the same time, the Bronze Eagle Head will also check whether the scholars who come here are carrying any prohibited items, such as truth serums, cursed props, offensive items, etc.

Scholars lined up one by one. The bronze eagle head statue at the main entrance of Hogwarts was covered with frost. The snow dripping from the eagle's beak condensed into ice crystals on the stone steps, reading "Visitors' Registration Office".

As soon as Ivanova, a scholar from Bulgaria, stepped onto the stone steps with her dragon-skin boots, her eagle eyes suddenly emitted a blue light, illuminating the "memory-tampering crystal bottle" in the secret pocket of her sleeve.

"Privately carrying level 4 prohibited items." Snape walked out from the shadow of the hallway, his face as gloomy as a venomous snake baring its fangs at people.

"According to Article 37 of the International Magical Education Security Act, the student protection law, the items you carry are prohibited and are subject to supervision and accountability by the Ministry of Magic."

"Wait, this is just a souvenir. I want to give it to Lin Xia. You——"

Before Ivanova finished speaking, the "Memory Tampering Crystal Bottle" in her hand was knocked down by an invisible force, then thrown into the air and finally fell into Professor McGonagall's hands.

Mag just touched the crystal bottle, and an image was projected outside the bottle mouth. It was the scene of Ivanova accepting a bribe.

Ivan held the gold Galleons in one hand and put the memory-altering crystal ball into his sleeve pocket with the other hand with a smile on his face.

McGonagall said seriously, "This item can cause memory loss in young wizards, and can even turn them into idiots. Even adult wizards may be affected."

She turned to look at the Auror who was waiting beside her: "Take her away and ban her from Hogwarts forever."

The reason why Aurors appeared in Hogwarts was that they received orders from the Ministry of Magic to cooperate with Hogwarts faculty and staff to maintain order.

Although the Aurors were a little puzzled as to why this student named "Lin Xia" had held several paper press conferences but only needed the assistance of the Ministry of Magic this time.

But when the transfer order came down, they didn't say much, but came to Hogwarts early and underwent a round of strict examination.

And they did not enter Hogwarts, but just guarded the door to prevent any accidents.

Originally the Aurors thought that they had nothing to do with it, but now everyone knew what was going on.

Hogwarts specifically asked the Ministry of Magic for their assistance in order to immediately detain scholars who violated the rules.

As for how these scholars are going to get out after being taken into the Ministry of Magic, that is none of their business.

On one side is a well-known magic school, and on the other side is an internationally renowned scholar. The captain of the Auror team quickly made a judgment.

They were transferred to assist Hogwarts, and the scholars were indeed carrying prohibited items. The leading Auror captain immediately arrested Ivanova.

Ivanova wanted to say something, but the sharp voice only uttered one word before it was immediately sealed by the spell.

When the others saw how strict the inspection was, they couldn't help but get a little agitated, and there was a whisper in the crowd.

Some looked panicked and took a few steps back, not wanting to enter Hogwarts again.

But the scholar who wanted to leave was soon stopped by Professor Flitwick, who was standing at the end of the queue.

Although Flitwick is short in stature, he is a powerful magician and is the champion of the Hogwarts Dueling Club. He has also won championships in fighting competitions outside. This is far beyond the reach of a weak scholar who often stays in the laboratory.

Flitwick said seriously, "To ensure secrecy, you cannot leave the steps."

They dared not go in, nor could they go out. Some scholars boldly asked: "I feel a little dizzy, can I go somewhere else to rest first?"

He had long disliked this Egyptologist.

How can you enter the solemn and dignified Hogwarts with such a dressing style?

He sternly rejected the Egyptian scholar's request and said: "All scholars can only rest on the stone steps and cannot go out.

Once you go out, you will be regarded as carrying prohibited items. Not only will you be disqualified from attending the press conference, but you will also be permanently banned from entering Hogwarts."

As soon as the news came out, the scholars who were originally a little "awkward" could no longer sit still and protested strongly.

A scholar who thought he did not carry any prohibited items took the initiative to stand up and said: "I was also a member of the jury for Lin Xia's paper release conference last time, but when I attended last time, Hogwarts's screening of visitors was not so strict."

Professor McGonagall's face showed no expression. Even though the scholar protested, she remained calm and said calmly:

"Last time is last time, this time is this time.

There were a lot of unpleasant things at the last press conference, and Hogwarts learned its lesson, so the scrutiny this time is more stringent."

The scholar said, "But you are so strict that almost half of the scholars cannot enter Hogwarts. Lin Xia's paper conference will not pass without a member of the jury."

Snape said sarcastically: "Since you already know that you are carrying contraband and cannot enter Hogwarts, why do you still carry it? Do you think Hogwarts is a soft persimmon?"

He sneered, but did not forget his duty, and said in a serious tone:

“For scholars who are carrying prohibited items that are not serious, we will only confiscate the prohibited items and allow them to enter Hogwarts.

However, once the prohibited items carried exceed the security regulations, not only will the prohibited items be confiscated, but the scholar will also be permanently banned from entering Hogwarts.

We will not wrongly accuse good people. All serious prohibited items will be supervised and managed by the Ministry of Magic. If you have any grievances, please tell the Commissioner of the Ministry of Magic!"

As Snape finished his speech, the scrutiny of the scholars continued.

The inspection at Hogwarts was really strict this time.

Even after passing the bronze eagle head, you can finally step into the gate of Hogwarts.

But the gate is still some distance away from the magic elevator, and along this road, the professors deliberately hung tapestries on the walls and let the Bowtruckle hide behind the tapestries to conduct smell analysis on visitors.

-

Today is the weekend, and the little wizards who can't go to Hogsmeade have nothing to do.

Some people gathered in the hall and looked out at the scholars who came to be examined one by one.

If there is any latest news, just run and report to Lin Xia.

George and Fred, the twin seniors who always go wherever there is excitement, naturally did not miss the excitement and brought Lin Xia the latest news.

George: "The professor actually hid the Bowtruckles behind the tapestries in the hallway and formed a sniffer team to specifically smell the visitors. Many contraband items that were not detected by the bronze eagle were sniffed out by the Bowtruckles."

Lin Xia asked with interest: "Where did the professor find so many Bowtruckles? Could they have been transferred from the Forbidden Forest?"

She recalled the appearance of the Bowtruckle in her mind. This magical creature was extremely small, only about eight inches high, or 20 cm.

Its body is made of bark, twigs and vines, and it looks like a dead branch or a miniature tree man. It has two small brown eyes on its head, and its fingers are long and sharp, like daggers.

This magical creature almost blends into the trees when it is still, making it extremely difficult to spot. It is mostly green or brown in color.

She seldom entered the forbidden forest that often. When she did, she was only searching for things and did not discover this little creature.

George and Fred had seen a Bowtruckle before.

When they were in the lower grades, the two were full of energy and would often run to the Forbidden Forest to play with Hagrid, asking him to take them to explore the magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid was fed up with them, as the two of them were making too much noise in his cabin, so he took them out a few times.

But Hagrid didn't dare show them magical creatures that were too dangerous, fearing that he couldn't protect them, so he took them to see some more gentle creatures, including the Bowtruckle.

George said, "Hogwarts usually deploys Bowtruckles in the Forbidden Forest wand wood protection area and potion material planting area to prevent students or outsiders from stealing rare resources."

Fred went on to say: “Despite their small size, they have a keen sense of smell and are actually quite shy.

It is a magical creature that loves people and is very loyal to trees. Many wizards use Bowtruckles to protect various planting areas.

George said with great delight: "The professors did a great job. Bowtruckles have an excellent sense of smell and can definitely smell the contraband carried by scholars.

When we returned, we heard Snape mocking us, saying that these scholars were not here to discuss academic matters, but to make poisons, bringing with them African tree snake skins and fox venom. "

Fred's eyes rolled around, and he said, "I don't know what I was thinking of."

"The things that Bowtruckle found from those scholars are all rare magical plants. I guess Snape will not hand them over to the Ministry of Magic, but will keep them all in his own pocket."

Wow!

George also thought of something at this time, and said in perfect cooperation with Fred:

"With so many rare magical plants, it would take years for Snape to consume them all by himself. We should share the burden with the professor."

Fred grinned: "We are twins after all. You and I think alike."

Just as the two were about to leave, George suddenly turned around and looked at Ron: "Don't say that your brother doesn't want to play with you. Do you want to go on an adventure with us?"

Ron was getting a little restless.

But at this time, without Hermione's reminder, he knew that as Lin Xia's assistant, he should stay in the auditorium, so he could only refuse.

Although he felt regretful in his heart, his face showed righteousness.

"I won't offend Professor Snape. If you two want to steal those rare magical plants, don't let him find out, otherwise Gryffindor will be deducted 100 points again!"

The twins ignored Ron's words and quickly slipped away, disappearing from sight in a moment.

Harry kept thinking about the news the little wizard brought back, and couldn't help but feel a little confused. Was the school also so strict when Lin Xia held press conferences in the past?

Lin Xia could answer this question without asking the professor: "No, the previous examinations were very simple, as long as you passed the bronze eagle head.

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Moreover, the inspection of the bronze eagle head was not as strict as today. Although contraband was found in those few times, it was only serious and could not be brought in. No one took the minor ones seriously. "

Draco asked, "Why is it so strict this time? And the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic didn't come in the previous times."

The inspection was strict this time, even the Aurors were dispatched... Draco's eyes suddenly flashed, and a thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

Could it be related to the pollution in Hogsmeade? !

Is the professor worried that some of these scholars will bring contaminants into the castle?

As soon as this thought came to Draco, he found it a little outrageous and couldn't believe it.

He is a scholar!

How could a scholar like you associate with those hateful, dirty, despicable and corrupt wizards like the Death Eaters?

But when he thought about the Death Eaters' style of doing things - using any means necessary to achieve their goals - Draco felt that perhaps the scholar might really do that.

As long as the Death Eaters want to accomplish something, whether it is through coercion, bribery, or directly killing the scholar, it is not a bad idea to use a compound potion instead.

Lin Xia also had some guesses, but her guess was more comprehensive than Draco's.

The reason why Hogwarts conducted such strict inspections this time was not only because of the incident in the nearby village, but it was probably also related to her research items this time.

The usefulness of the binding wand is not big, but also not small.

The Ministry of Magic has never had a good tool to arrest Death Eaters, and often the outcome cannot be determined unless the fight comes to a life-and-death struggle.

However, once a powerful binding wand like the "Binding Wand" appears, it is easy to capture Death Eaters by catching them off guard.

With a wand that is so targeted, it is only natural that the corrupt wizard lurking in the shadows would want to come and cause trouble.

In addition, the Ministry of Magic has placed a huge order for binding wands. Although her previous academic papers have achieved significant results, they may not be able to command the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic.

This time she invented a weapon for the Aurors to use. In order to protect the press conference from being disrupted, once Hogwarts applied, the Ministry of Magic naturally sent additional personnel.

As for other people's concerns that the prohibited items carried by these scholars would cause harm to Hogwarts students or destroy the castle, Lin Xia was not worried.

As long as they are inside Hogwarts, even Death Eaters or contaminants cannot cause any trouble.

She didn't dare to guarantee it before, but this school year, as her attainments in magic became higher and higher, Lin Xia could sense that Hogwarts was becoming stronger and stronger in blocking pollutants.

Starting this semester, she saw more and more unfamiliar professors who had never shown up on campus before. This was a signal.

Hogwarts is constantly recalling professors who are out on missions or hiding in the other world to strengthen the defense within the school.

However, Lin Xia secretly hoped that the Death Eaters could make some noise.

If they don't make any noise, she won't have the chance to take advantage of the situation.

Although he got Lin Xia's explanation, Harry was still very worried and his thoughts kept wandering.

He didn't know what was wrong with him, and he always felt anxious and uneasy.

It was clear that the inspection was not strict before, and some scholars were able to bring in prohibited items, but this time the inspection was strict, and a lot of prohibited items were found... But he felt that this press conference was very unsafe.

But this was Hogwarts, and the professors were there to support him even if the sky fell, so Harry tried hard to suppress his anxiety.

Although he suppressed it in his heart, it still showed in his actions.

Harry sat for a moment before standing up and walking around the podium.

Now, not to mention everyone else, even the thick-skinned Ron noticed that something was wrong with Harry.

His figure walking back and forth made Ron feel a little dizzy.

Hermione observed and found that Harry's anxiety came suddenly, as if he had been given a hint that he had to do something to relieve this anxiety.

Hermione guessed that Harry was probably trying to do something privately to save the unsafe press conference?

Hermione said, "Harry, why don't you take a few chill pills and calm down first. Lin Xia is the main speaker of this press conference, and she's not worried about any problems. Why are you more scared than her?"

Harry took a few deep breaths and said hesitantly, "I don't know, but I'm just a little nervous."

He took the chill pills and felt his mood calm down a bit.

However, at this moment, he felt a sharp pain in his brain!

Harry couldn't help but lower his head and hugged his head, his face suddenly turned pale.

“I, I…”

Before Harry could finish his words, he fainted on the ground.

-

When Harry woke up again, it was already afternoon.

There was a daze in his eyes at first, and he stared at the white ceiling of the infirmary for a long time before he gradually came to his senses.

Harry was no stranger to the surrounding scene, as he would stay in the infirmary for a few days every semester.

He thought of Lin Xia's press conference and was anxious to get up, when suddenly a voice came -

"Does your head still hurt? You don't have to get up. George and Fred are already there to help. Ron and Draco are also here. There won't be any problems with the press conference."

Harry asked hoarsely, "What time is it?"

"2pm," Hermione said.

Harry was stunned. "Isn't the press conference over yet?"

He remembered that the press conference was scheduled for 10 a.m., with two hours of explanation and Q\u0026A.

Hermione shook her head: "Because the inspection became strict, almost every scholar brought contraband, and the registration took a long time, so it was not until 2 pm that everything was done.

The press conference has just started, and I came to see you because I saw that Ron and Draco were coping well. "

Hermione asked tentatively, "Harry, does your head still hurt?"

Harry couldn't help but reach out and touch the lightning scar on his forehead, and said hesitantly: "It hurt when I fainted, but it doesn't hurt now."

Hermione pressed, "Did you hear or see anything besides fainting?"

Whenever Harry had a headache before, he would hear some strange noises or see something unusual.

Harry pursed his lips.

Hermione noticed it and pointed out bluntly: "Harry, we are one, you should learn to trust us, Ron and I will not hurt you!"

Harry sighed and raised his hands, looking helpless.

"Well, I did see something."

He recalled, "There was something that mixed in with the scholars and observed everything in Hogwarts. I didn't know what it was. It just watched quietly without making any noise."

Hermione asked sharply: "It, or him?" (End of this chapter)