Harry Potter: Returning from Hogwarts Legacy

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After stepping out of Azkaban's fortress, Dumbledore glanced back at Harry and said, "Shall we return to Hogwarts first? Emerging from Azkaban is hardly a trivial matter. I think you should have a meal, take a bath, and then we can review Morfin Gaunt's memories—those concerning Tom."

"Alright, Professor," Harry replied with a nod.

Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Harry didn't head straight to his dormitory. Instead, he made his way to Newt's tent.

Newt had just finished addressing questions from Hufflepuff students, looking somewhat reluctant. Truth be told, Newt's greatest aversion was to anything resembling a job. He had repeatedly declined Dumbledore's invitations to teach at Hogwarts. If it weren't for Poppy, he would never have become the Care of Magical Creatures professor.

When he saw Harry enter the tent, Newt's expression turned awkward. His social anxiety urged him to avoid an enthusiastic greeting, but his burning curiosity about the Basilisk compelled him to want to pounce on Harry, shake the creature out of his wallet, and study it thoroughly.

"Professor Scamander," Harry greeted, glancing at the student beside Newt, clutching a notebook. "I'll head into the tent and wait until you've finished signing autographs for the students."

The students hadn't initially planned on asking for autographs, but Harry's comment sparked excitement in their eyes. They eagerly handed their notebooks to Newt. With a sigh, Newt accepted them, scrawling his flamboyant "Newt Scamander" signature on each one before practically fleeing back into the tent.

As Newt entered, Harry said mysteriously, "Professor, you'll never guess what magical creature I encountered."

Newt had been about to ask about the Basilisk, but Harry's mention of a "magical creature" instantly shifted his focus. In his mind, any creature Harry discovered had to be a rare species, something seldom seen.

"What is it?" he asked, curiosity piqued.

Harry grinned mischievously and pulled out his wallet. "In Merlin's Chamber, I came across a legendary magical creature. Guess, Professor Scamander—what kind of creature would challenge someone with riddles?"

"Riddles?" Newt froze for a moment, then his face lit up with shock. "No, it can't be… That's a creature of legend, isn't it?"

"Oh, it's real," Harry said, nodding with a grin.

"My goodness, Harry," Newt said, rushing forward with lightning speed, staring enviously at Harry's wallet. "You really have a knack for this! Not only did you get your hands on the Basilisk raised by Slytherin, but you also found a Sphinx—was it Merlin's Sphinx?"

"I didn't ask," Harry admitted, shrugging. "At the time, I thought if I couldn't solve its riddle, it would strangle me. So I opened my wallet and let it have a stare-down with the Basilisk."

"You did what?" Newt gaped at Harry, appalled. "It's a Sphinx—a kind of lion! And you, a Gryffindor… how could you treat it like that?"

"Turns out, a Basilisk's gaze doesn't kill a Sphinx," Harry said, shrugging again. "The last time I opened my wallet, it was chasing the Basilisk, pecking at its tail for fun. Though, it's got a bit of a temper."

"If I were inexplicably pitted against a Basilisk, my temper wouldn't be great either," Newt said, shooting Harry a glance. "You really live up to the Gryffindor stereotype—impulsive!"

"What can I say?" Harry replied, opening his wallet and giving it a shake.

To his surprise, a gray, petrified Sebastian Sallow floated out, not falling to the ground but hovering stiffly in midair. Before Harry could comment, the Basilisk's hissing voice followed.

"Sorry, little master," it said. "I forgot your friend can't meet my gaze. But don't worry—ghosts can't die. A bit of Mandrake Restorative Draught will fix him right up."

"You really know how to cause trouble," Harry said. "Where's the Sphinx?"

"Right here," the Sphinx replied, leaping out of the wallet.

Its massive form nearly hit the tent's ceiling. Newt gazed up at it reverently, murmuring, "My word, it's magnificent… I think it's a variant, a Hierocosphinx—an eagle-headed Sphinx."

"No, I'm just a Sphinx," it said, shaking its head as if dislodging something from its eagle-like feathers. "Before this young wizard attacked me, I had a lion's head."

"Sorry, Sphinx," Harry said smoothly. "But you can't blame me. All the legends I've heard about Sphinxes say that if you can't answer their riddles, they strangle you. I thought you were going to kill me."

"I forgive you, but I don't accept that excuse," the Sphinx said, sounding displeased. "By Hera, if I find out who spread that rumor about me, I'll strangle them."

"Hera?" Newt asked, intrigued. "Is Hera your deity?"

"I just happen to know Hera," the Sphinx replied, its eagle head breaking into a human-like smile. "That was a long time ago. She sent me to challenge Oedipus, but he was clever and solved my riddle, so I flew away."

"Didn't you jump off a cliff?" Newt asked tentatively. "That's what the Greek stories say."

The Sphinx flapped its wings pointedly, as if to say, Do these wings look decorative to you?

"Oh, so Hera actually exists?" Harry interjected. "I mean, Hera, Zeus, the Olympian gods?"

"Guess," the Sphinx said with a playful smirk.

"They might have been powerful wizards, Harry," Newt explained. "Many so-called 'gods' in myths were likely just exceptionally powerful witches or wizards, like Herpo the Foul."

The Sphinx's smile grew enigmatic, neither confirming nor denying.

"So, is the Sphinx a species?" Newt asked suddenly. "Or, as Greek mythology claims, are you one of the daughters of Typhon and Echidna?"

"There are three of us," the Sphinx said concisely. "I have two siblings. My brother in Persia is a winged bull with a human face, bearded and crowned. My brother in Egypt has a ram's head and a lion's body. I'm the youngest, here in Greece. My story differs quite a bit from the myths you've heard."

"So you've lived since ancient times?" Newt asked, incredulous. "From before the Common Era?"

"Of course," the Sphinx replied.

"Then why were you in Merlin's Chamber?" Harry asked. "Did you know Merlin?"

"I knew Merlin well," the Sphinx said, smiling humanely. "I helped him a great deal during his youth. The last person to enter the chamber before you was Ominis Gaunt, that blind boy. I told him, 'Answer my riddle, and I'll grant you a favor.' He asked me to wait for you. He didn't expect you to be such a reckless fool."

"What can I say? I'm a Gryffindor, lion and all," Harry said, spreading his hands.

The Sphinx shook its head and transformed back into its human-faced, lion-bodied form. Its face was far from friendly, and Newt instantly understood why Harry had unleashed the Basilisk on it.

Yes, it was a she.

"Change back to the eagle head, please," Harry said, grimacing. "You look like a strict schoolteacher like this."

"What do you plan to do with me?" the Sphinx asked, ignoring him. "I was dormant in Merlin's Chamber. You brought me out, so you're responsible for me, black-haired boy."

"How about staying at Hogwarts?" Harry suggested, turning to Newt. "I don't think Professor Scamander would mind having you in the tent."

Newt nodded eagerly, like a bird desperate for a treat.

"I refuse," the Sphinx said, yawning. "Any other jobs? I heard Merlin was a Slytherin student, so I'd like to stay at Hogwarts and do something."

Newt's jaw dropped. "Merlin? Merlin was really a Slytherin? But wasn't he from the fifth century? How could he be a Slytherin? My word…"

"Because Merlin time-traveled. It's that simple," the Sphinx said, waving a lion's paw dismissively.

Newt's mouth formed a silent "wow." He'd always thought the idea of Merlin as a Slytherin was just some Slytherin House propaganda. But it was true. Actually true.

"Hey!" Harry raised a finger, struck by an idea. "Why don't you replace the Fat Lady and guard Gryffindor Tower? It'd make Hogwarts safer."

It wasn't a random thought. A Sphinx would surely be a better gatekeeper than the Fat Lady. Not that she was bad, but she could be a bit… eccentric. Just the other day, she'd been so caught up practicing her soprano that she forgot to let the waiting students in until they were thoroughly annoyed.

"Guard a gate?" The Sphinx looked intrigued. She didn't see it as beneath her. After all, what Hera had asked her to do wasn't much different.

"Exactly, like the knocker at Ravenclaw Tower," Newt chimed in. "Only those who answer its questions correctly can enter the common room. I think Gryffindor could use something like that to make you lions a bit less reckless."

The Sphinx's brow had been furrowed, but at the mention of making "you lions less reckless," her expression hardened with resolve. As a lion herself, how could she let her fellow lions bear the stigma of recklessness?

"I think that's a fine idea," she said lightly. "The next challenge is convincing the headmaster."

"Headmaster Dumbledore is reasonable," Harry said with a grin. "But that's not our only problem. There's also… Sebastian."

He patted the petrified soul of Sebastian Sallow, shocked to find it solid, like stone under his hand.

"You could carry him," the Sphinx said, smirking mischievously. "And you should discipline that snake of yours to avoid petrifying anyone else. Hope you've got enough Mandrake Draught."

"I've got some left," Harry said, hoisting Sebastian over his shoulder and heading to Madam Pomfrey's hospital wing.

In the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was tending to a student with a sprained arm. She didn't pause as Harry walked in, carrying a gray, petrified ghost.

"Good heavens, Mr. Potter, has Slytherin's Chamber been opened again?" she asked.

"No, just a little accident," Harry replied. "Do you have any spare Mandrake Restorative Draught? My ghost friend's been petrified."

"There's some left. Leave him here," Madam Pomfrey said. "Come back tomorrow to pick him up. Depetrification takes time."

"Yes, Madam," Harry said politely, bowing slightly to Madam Pomfrey before placing Sebastian's ghost on a bed.

He patted Sebastian's shoulder and whispered, "I'll check on you tomorrow, mate."

With that, he left the hospital wing and headed for the headmaster's office.

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