Ron and Malfoy reacted the fastest, immediately forming a defensive line.
"Impedimenta!"
"Protego!"
Goyle roared as he took the front, his massive frame braced firmly. The Shield Charm he cast let out dull thuds as it blocked the first few mummies that lunged at them.
But there were simply too many enemies, and the defensive line quickly became unstable.
At that moment, Hermione stepped forward again, taking the lead in attack.
She took a deep breath, her wand like a conductor's baton as it moved at a dazzling speed.
"Reducto!" A burst of white light blew apart the mummy at the very front.
"Incendio!" Flames engulfed a cluster on the right.
"Stupefy!" A flash of red light froze a mummy mid-lunge, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Diffindo!" Bandages and withered limbs were shredded by the cutting spell.
She even had the presence of mind to target a mummy raising a rusted weapon and calmly added, "Expelliarmus!"
Spells of different colours and effects poured from her wand like a storm, each strike landing with precision.
For a moment, the roar of explosions, the crackle of flames, and the thuds of collapsing bodies filled the chamber without pause.
Her casting left almost no gaps. With her powerful magic reserves and astonishing speed, she created overwhelming suppressive fire, forcing back the advancing tide of mummies.
Ron and Goyle stood frozen, mouths slightly open, even forgetting to cast their own spells.
Harry and Malfoy also had to halt their attacks, dealing only with the occasional enemy that broke through while casting incredulous glances at Hermione, who had become a veritable "spell machine gun."
With Hermione's relentless suppression and the support of the others, they successfully cleared out the mummies and reached the altar at the deepest part of the temple.
As they stepped into the altar area, the giant Sphinx statue at its center awakened from its slumber.
Stone ground against stone with a heavy rumble as it shifted, letting out a deafening roar that made the ground tremble.
Yet it did not attack immediately. Instead, it fixed them with its large, gem-encrusted, human-like eyes.
"It's a Sphinx! Should we answer its questions?" Hermione quickly asked.
"Does it make a difference?"
"Perhaps… if we answer everything correctly, we might not have to fight," Hermione replied uncertainly.
"Then we definitely have to answer!" the four boys said in unison, their voices so perfectly synchronized it was as if they had rehearsed it.
"Suit yourselves," Hermione said indifferently.
The group cautiously approached the stone statue. Its massive eyes slowly turned, locking onto them.
A deep, eerie voice echoed from the statue's mouth:
"What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?"
The four boys instantly froze, as if turned to stone.
Harry: "Uh…"
Ron: "Hmm…"
Malfoy: "This…"
Goyle: "That…"
Hermione: "A human!"
Hermione gave the answer without hesitation.
"Correct answer!"
"Wait, why a human?" x4
"I don't remember walking on four legs this morning?" Goyle looked down at his legs, completely confused.
Hermione rolled her eyes and explained impatiently, "It represents different stages of life. 'Morning' refers to infancy, when people crawl on hands and knees; 'noon' represents adulthood, walking upright on two legs; and 'evening' represents old age, when one needs a cane to walk."
"Oh~" x4
The four of them immediately let out exaggerated sounds of realization, as if they had just heard the most profound truth in the world.
"Next question!" the statue's voice rang out again.
"Two sisters, one gives birth to the other, and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are they?"
The four boys once again fell into a shared silence, as if collectively stunned.
"Uh…" Harry looked up at the sky.
"Hmm…" Ron stared at the ground.
"This question…" Malfoy pondered, arms crossed.
"A bit complicated…" Goyle tried to look thoughtful, though it seemed more like he had drifted off.
Hermione: "Day and night!"
There was already a sharp edge in her voice.
"Oh!!!"
"Brilliant!"
"So that's it!"
Though it seemed none of them actually understood what "that's it" meant.
"Next question!"
"What is it that you want to share when you have it, but once you share it, you no longer have it?"
"Oh dear…"
"Mm-hmm…"
"Heh heh…"
"Haha…"
The quartet chimed in again, this time adding exaggerated gestures of scratching their heads, stroking their chins, and exchanging baffled looks.
"It's a secret!"
Hermione cut off their "thinking" impatiently.
"Oh!"
"Makes sense!"
"Exactly!"
"I was just about to say that!"
Hermione was utterly speechless.
"Next question!"
"I have nothing, yet I am as rich as a king. I am empty, yet everyone has me. What am I?"
Harry: "Uh, let me think…"
Ron: "Hmm, almost got it…"
Goyle: "This one's simple…"
Malfoy: "I know the answer, but you should say it, Granger…"
Hermione: "…"
Hermione finally snapped.
The veins on her forehead throbbed visibly.
She knew the answer was "nothing."
But looking at the four blank faces beside her, a surge of frustration rose within her. Asking them to answer these philosophical riddles was like casting pearls before a Nogtail.
(Having nothing, yet as rich as a king: possessing the abstract concept of "nothing" means having no debts or worries, which is a form of wealth in itself. Empty, yet everyone has me: everyone possesses a state of "nothing," whatever that may be.)
Such simple questions, yet not one of them knew the answer, and they still pretended to think. She was so angry she was practically fuming.
"I—don't—know!"
She enunciated each word, her voice forced through gritted teeth, laced with obvious fury. "Prepare to fight!"
"Alright!"
The four boys immediately felt relieved and, with remarkable synchronicity, drew their wands at the same time.
Their movements were perfectly coordinated, as if they had been waiting for this moment all along.
And just as Hermione declared she didn't know, the giant Sphinx lunged at them with savage force.
"Attack its joints! Restrict its movement!" Harry shouted decisively.
"Goyle, left! Potter, right!" Malfoy immediately assigned targets.
"Hermione, Ron, keep its head occupied!"
The five of them displayed astonishing teamwork.
At the moment the Sphinx's lunge missed, Hermione seized the opening. A powerful freezing spell struck its relatively vulnerable neck joint with precision.
Frost spread rapidly, and the Sphinx's movements began to slow.
"Target its eyes, use the Full Body-Bind Curse!" Malfoy shouted.
Several Full Body-Bind Curses struck its head in quick succession. The Sphinx's movements grew slower and slower until it reverted to a stone statue, collapsing onto the ground.
A golden light, symbolizing completion, lit up, and the group was instantly returned to the arena.
"That's enough for today," Hermione said, waving a hand. "I still have a History of Magic essay to write."
She left without looking back.
Malfoy opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end said nothing, simply turning away with Goyle.
"Alright," Ron said, breaking the silence, "I have to admit, today's teamwork was… better than I expected."
Harry nodded, glancing at the increased points on his badge. "At this rate, we'll all be able to get what we want before the end of the school year."
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