[138] The Unspoken Name

Hall and Harry, meanwhile, had been transported by Portkey to an unfamiliar place.

As the surrounding light faded, Harry stared wide-eyed at the castle hidden deep within the Forbidden Forest. His mouth fell open. He slowly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over every corner of the fortress. He had never imagined such a mysterious building existed so deep in the forest.

The spires soared into the clouds. The walls were ancient grey, covered in vines.

"Wow, where is this?" Harry looked around with curiosity.

"Harry, you must keep this a secret," Hall said seriously.

Harry turned to look at Hall, sensing that Hall was very familiar with this place. He pressed his lips together and nodded solemnly.

Seeing Harry's promise, Hall turned and led him towards the castle gates. Harry was curious. He felt as if he had glimpsed one of Hall's secrets — and frankly, he was glad.

The castle gates were tall and heavy, carved with intricate magical runes, exuding an air of mystery. Hall pushed them open; the hinges groaned, as if no one had opened them in a long time.

Harry swallowed nervously. "Hall, is it alright to just go in like this? Won't we disturb the owner?"

"It's fine."

Light filtered in from high windows, casting dappled shadows in the hall. The castle was empty but clean — clearly maintained. They walked down a long corridor, footsteps echoing in the silence.

Finally, Hall stopped before a wooden door. It was unremarkable — if anything, more dilapidated than the others in the castle. Hall raised his hand and knocked three times.

A weary voice came from inside. "Come in."

The door creaked open on its own.

The room was sparse — a bed, a table, and a chair with only three legs. A faint smoke hung in the air. Seated in the chair was an old man dressed in worn but clean clothes. His white hair was stark, his face thin and resolute, giving him a powerful and imposing presence.

The old man did not look up. He was rapidly flipping through the books on his table.

"Sit wherever you like," he said calmly.

Hall smiled helplessly and pulled Harry to the next room to fetch two chairs. This happened every visit. He muttered to himself, wondering if Gellert had something about it — there were never any extra chairs in the room, and he had to move them back after each use.

The thick stack of books beside Gellert was enormous. He sighed, looked up, and rubbed his temples.

"You brat. You always get me into trouble."

His tone held reproach, but also a hint of indulgence.

"Is Teacher looking for that symbol?" Hall had already guessed.

"Yes." Gellert opened his eyes. Weariness showed in them. "I've searched every book I have. Nothing."

Misty appeared silently, moving the books from the table and bringing in a new batch.

"It's not in any Hogwarts library book either," Hall said with certainty. He had memorised the public library and the restricted section. "Nothing in the Malfoy or Black libraries either."

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Gellert raised an eyebrow at Hall, approval flickering in his eyes. "Not bad, kid."

"This symbol is very unusual," Grindelwald continued, his voice deep and resonant. "I've never seen one like it. But judging from its patterns and magical aura, it must contain powerful forces and secrets."

"Could it be a runic array? Or some kind of writing?" Hall offered.

After all, if both Dumbledore and Gellert had not seen it before, it was truly rare.

"The Headmaster said it looked familiar. He must have seen it before, or something similar."

The night wind rustled through the Forbidden Forest.

Hall moved quickly through the castle corridors, Harry following close behind, his steps hurried.

"Hall, slow down! I can't keep up! Where are we going —" Harry gasped, his eyes darting around, worried about Filch appearing at any moment.

They arrived at the dungeon — Snape's office. Hall did not have time to brew Veritaserum. The simplest way was to get it from Professor Snape. Knowing the password, he opened the door and headed straight for the private storeroom.

"If Professor Snape finds out, we'll lose so many points," Harry said helplessly.

Hall simply smiled. "He'll understand. Let's go."

As soon as they pushed the door open, a tall figure appeared beside them. Harry and Hall instinctively huddled together.

In the dim light, Snape stood silently watching them, a vial of potion in his hand.

Harry stammered, "Professor Snape..." His voice trembled. He gripped Hall's arm tightly.

Hall was taken aback — Snape had been waiting there.

"Professor. I was just — checking your inventory," Hall offered a rather lame excuse.

Snape merely frowned, his dark eyes fixed on Hall.

Hall remained calm, meeting Snape's gaze without flinching.

"A few rats have sneaked into my herb storage area." Snape took out a vial of Veritaserum. "If it weren't for the rules, I'd only need three drops to know everything about you. So you'd better be careful. One day I might accidentally spill a few drops into your pumpkin soup."

Snape's voice was low and threatening.

Hall simply smiled. "Professor, I believe that day will never come —"

"Recently, some rats have appeared in my storage room. Chewed up quite a few African snakeskins. Lacewings too." Snape's face showed anger, his eyes filled with disgust. "Get out of here now. I don't want to see you!"

Snape slammed the door — but not before shoving a crystal bottle into Hall's hand.

Hall was overjoyed. Veritaserum. Snape had understood.

The rats Snape mentioned — stealing African tree snake skin and lacewings — those were essential ingredients for Polyjuice Potion. And Barty Crouch Jr. was the only one at Hogwarts who needed it.

This was good news. Polyjuice Potion required a substance from the person being imitated — usually hair, sometimes toenails, dandruff, or worse. Retrieving those items required the original person to remain alive. So Barty Crouch Jr. needed the real keeper alive to keep producing Polyjuice.

The first rays of morning light shone over the castle. Hogwarts filled with noise.

Hall lay in bed, his mind racing. As an injured competitor, he had the day off. He could sleep until late morning without any problem. But he had something on his mind, and he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Hearing footsteps outside, he remained lying in bed until Helena returned and said the Headmaster had gone back to his office. Only then did he get up quickly, change his clothes, grab the Veritaserum, and rush to the Headmaster's office.

On the way, his thoughts churned. Would Dumbledore allow him to use the Veritaserum? He had been so confident last night, but he could not gamble on Dumbledore's opinion. What if the old man had sobered up and calmed down by morning? Veritaserum was a strictly controlled potion. The Ministry had regulations.

Arriving at the Headmaster's office, Hall took a deep breath.

"Sherbet Lemon."

He spoke the password to the gargoyle — one Helena had given him. A moment later, the gargoyle jumped aside, revealing the slowly ascending spiral staircase hidden behind it.

Headmaster Dumbledore sat behind his desk. A knowing glint flickered in his eyes when he saw Hall.

"Hall, my child. What brings you here?"

Both of them knew it was a rhetorical question. Dumbledore waved his hand. A chair opposite the desk pulled out automatically, revealing breakfast on the table.

"Don't rush. I don't suppose you've eaten yet."

Hall did not stand on ceremony. He sat down, picked up a sandwich, and ate quickly. He finished in a few bites, drained the milk beside it, and wiped his mouth.

"Headmaster. Can we get down to business now?"

Dumbledore watched Hall wolf down his food with a gentle expression. He nodded.

Hall took the bottle of Veritaserum from his pocket and placed it on the desk.

"Headmaster. I want the truth."

Dumbledore paused. "Hall, I understand your feelings. But using Veritaserum requires caution. We should wait for the Ministry of Magic to handle this."