Chapter 45: Miracle of Life

Dumbledore sincerely felt that Chu Yang's fighting style was remarkably similar to that of Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts.

The great Godric Gryffindor had also once fought with a sword in one hand and a wand in the other, driving his enemies to flee in terror with a combination of physical and magical strikes.

Chu Yang had beaten his roommates into lying on the floor; while his "realm" was a bit lower, his combat results were no less impressive.

The more Dumbledore thought about it, the more of a headache it became. He sighed, "A single dormitory is a privilege reserved for prefects. I cannot break the rules, but at most, I can arrange a double room for you."

Chu Yang nodded in agreement, accepting the second-best option as a way to save Dumbledore some face.

He only wondered which unlucky Slytherin would have to be his roommate...

"Headmaster Dumbledore, you really must see this! It is truly miraculous—the Whomping Willow actually responded to me just now!" Hagrid greeted Dumbledore excitedly, gesturing wildly as he recounted the miracle he had witnessed.

"As you say, it is indeed a great miracle. Because of this, we must protect this secret, otherwise Chu Yang will be in danger!" Dumbledore looked up, his deep eyes gazing at Hagrid, appearing as though an endless starry sea were hidden within them.

Hagrid, who had been in the height of excitement, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. He snapped back to reality instantly and promised, "Please rest assured, I will keep all your secrets."

"Thank you, Hagrid." Dumbledore walked forward a few steps with Hagrid, reaching out a wrinkled hand to press against the equally wrinkled trunk. He felt the aura radiating from the tree, sensing the wonder of life itself.

This was the Whomping Willow he had personally planted in 1971 for Lupin.

Whenever a full moon arrived, Lupin would enter the Shrieking Shack through a secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow.

Howls of a werewolf often echoed from there.

Consequently, it had been known as the Shrieking Shack for many years.

After Lupin left, the shack was completely abandoned, but the secret passage led all the way to Hogsmeade Village. Therefore, Dumbledore was unwilling to expose the area and had used a spell to hide it before arriving.

Professor McGonagall, who had been on edge all day, naturally calmed down to feel the miracle of life before her eyes.

She finally understood on a personal level why Dumbledore had emphasized Chu Yang's importance time and time again; her attention toward him was now no less than that given to Harry Potter.

This was a magical power that defied common sense, even faintly touching upon certain ancient taboos of magic.

To study it, to refine it, to break it...

This process would propel current magic into an entirely new realm!

Professor McGonagall couldn't help but glance back at Chu Yang. In a sense, he was even more important than Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.

"Getting older makes one prone to dwelling on the past," Dumbledore said, patting the Whomping Willow with emotion. "It is no longer suitable to stay at the school; it might pose a threat to the students."

Thinking Dumbledore intended to destroy the tree, Hagrid hurriedly explained, "Chu Yang can command it!"

"Even so, it is not appropriate." Dumbledore shook his head slowly. While student safety was one concern, what was even more worrying was Voldemort.

Voldemort, whose return was unpredictable, was like an unforecastable bomb. He lurked in the shadows; if he sensed the anomaly of the Whomping Willow, he might follow the trail straight to Chu Yang.

Dumbledore could not let Chu Yang face such a risk. He was not like Harry Potter, who possessed the protection of his mother Lily's blood curse.

Given Voldemort's current state, Chu Yang's intrinsic value was no lower than Harry's, and he would be pursued at all costs.

Chu Yang suddenly proposed, "Why not leave the Whomping Willow in the Forbidden Forest and let Hagrid take responsibility for its care? That way, no one will know."

Chu Yang could not let the Whomping Willow go; it possessed untapped potential that would be of great help to him in the future.

Dumbledore hesitated for a moment before finally nodding in agreement. In fact, he was also very interested in the current state of the tree and wished to study it deeply.

The happiest of all was Hagrid, who found Chu Yang more and more likable the more he looked at him!

Watching Chu Yang's departing figure, the nearly ten-meter-tall Whomping Willow stood up and walked toward the Forbidden Forest. From a distance, it already possessed a somewhat humanoid shape, and with every step, the surrounding ground shook.

Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall brought Chu Yang back to Hogwarts. Since it was mealtime, the three of them headed straight for the Great Hall.

At the entrance, the "Detention Trio" and Neville were guarding the door with worried expressions. Having not seen Chu Yang return safely, they found it difficult to swallow even the most delicious food.

Fortunately, Chu Yang returned in time. When he stepped inside with Headmaster Dumbledore, Harry's dull eyes instantly lit up!

"Chu Yang!"

The group shouted his name happily and rushed toward him.

Harry was so excited that tears were nearly welling in his eyes; he was the first to charge at Chu Yang, wanting to give him a hug.

However, as a straight man, Chu Yang found it difficult to accept such emotional expressions between men, so he sidestepped Harry's hug.

Then he dodged Ron's hug, and subsequently dodged Neville's hug as well.

Under the aggrieved gazes of the three boys, Chu Yang opened his arms to Hermione. The two hugged tightly before letting go.

"Thank goodness! It's so good that you're back safe!" Hermione's eyes were red. Having waited so long, she had clearly assumed something terrible had happened to him.

"Fortunately, Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall arrived in time," Chu Yang said, looking relieved as if he had just survived a life-or-death escape.

Then, Ron, Harry, and the others crowded around. Ron said indignantly, "You actually dodged our hugs?"

Chu Yang replied sincerely, "My emotions weren't very stable just now, and you guys startled me when you rushed over. I dodged instinctively. If you try again, I promise I won't dodge."

"Forget it!" Ron immediately lost his momentum.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, how much longer are we going to stand outside the door? Aren't you hungry?" Professor McGonagall said unhurriedly, her authority instantly enveloping Harry and the others.

Hearing this, the young wizards dared not say anything more. They nervously pushed open the doors and entered the hall one by one.

Since it wasn't a special holiday, students generally left the hall immediately after eating, leaving it empty most of the time.

The first-year students from both Gryffindor and Slytherin had stayed behind. Most of them were waiting for news of Chu Yang, while some Slytherins wanted to leave but hadn't been able to.

Whether they had stayed willingly or were unable to leave, the moment they saw Chu Yang return safely, they erupted into intense cheers in unison!

"Due to Chu Yang's outstanding performance during the recent incident, Slytherin gets twenty points!"

(End of Chapter)