"It doesn''t matter if you haven''t heard of it. You can go back and ask that Weasley, and he will tell you what a ''wizard''s duel'' is. In short, if you two are brave, thene to the trophy room at twelve o''clock tomorrow night. We can have a fair duel to decide the winner - today''s game has not yet been decided. "
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46- I want you
46- I want you
Everyone''s destiny is different. When Harry and Malfoy epted Mrs. Hooch''s "judgment" with depressed expressions, Daphne was in the spotlight.
The story of her flying directly into the sky has spread throughout the academy, and everyone wants to know how she did it.
Ask around from the little girl, maybe you might have a chance to learn this spell too?
You can fly up to the sky with a broomstick, but after all, it is a broom that is almost as tall as your height, so it is not suitable for carrying around. It would be great if you could learn the magic of flying - astronomy sses, divination sses, and other sses where the ssrooms are located in the tower. You can fly up directly!
These were some of the popr topics among the students.
After separating from Professor McGonagall, Daphne met Rhys who was waiting for her in the corner.
Recalling the rhetoric that Rhys taught her, Daphne revealed to the school that the spell came from a scroll found in her attic. Miraculously, after reading the contents recorded on the scroll, the scroll was automatically destroyed, and Daphne also automatically mastered the spell.
Since Daphne''s bloodline and origin are among the best in Slytherin House, even if she said that this spell was taught to her by the portrait of Slytherin, everyone would believe it.
Isn''t it normal for an ancient magic family to have some collections that no one understands or has heard of?
Some "understanding" students also jumped out and said that in ancient times, earlier than the Middle Ages, ancient wizards would indeed use this method to pass on the magic spells they invented. The scroll Daphne mentioned is most likely the flying magic inheritance of an ancient wizard. The ancestors of the Greengrass family obtained an inheritance scroll by chance, but due to various reasons it was not used as the scroll didn''t find a suitable person andter generations forgot its existence, so it was passed down from generation to generation, and was finally opened by Daphne, a destined person.
Listening to the clear and logical analysis of the little wizards, Rhys couldn''t help scratching his head: the performance of these little guys made him doubt that even if Daphne said that Slytherin taught her this spell, they could find a reasonable exnation. exin.
[Slytherin uses magic tomunicate with the gods, and it is unusual for him to be able to do this]
[Isn''t it normal for a pure-blood family like Greengrass to be favored by Slytherin?]
[Gryffindor can leave the Sorting Hat, so why can''t Slytherin leave the flying inheritance?]
"That''s what happened, Albus." At the staff table on the other side, Professor McGonagall told Dumbledore everything she had witnessed this afternoon.
"Oh? I didn''t expect Harry to be so talented in flying a broom on his first try." After listening to Professor McGonagall''s words, Dumbledore immediately put down the spoon in his hand with a serious expression: "I think he can be specially recruited to join the Gryffindor Quidditch Team."
McGonagall fell silent.
She didn''t expect that Dumbledore''s focus was so strange. Also, this serious expression obviously didn''t match the topic he was discussing!
"I''ve decided on this, Albus, the child Daphne -"
"Everyone has their own secrets, including me. I don''t think it''s necessary to get to the bottom of everyone''s secrets. What''s more, isn''t it normal for the children of the Greengrass family to be able to do special magic?"
Professor McGonagall sighed. Since Dumbledore was willing to think so, she was also willing to trust Dumbledore''s judgment. As long as he knew about it, it was enough.
But there is onest question.
"What about those brooms? I don''t understand why they all got out of control."
"I tend to think that this is a burst of magic from the young wizard. Minerva, you should know that there are many types of bursts of magic." The look in Dumbledore''s eyes turned dark for a moment, but then returned to normal. As for McGonagall who was sitting next to him, she didn''t even notice his changes. "Some little wizards will make a lot of noise, while others will just silently make the ss disappear and let the withered flowers bloom. Maybe this time the cause of the ident was caused by one of the children. They had just entered school for less than two weeks. This is normal.
This is not a bad thing. By this, we can ask the school board to allocate funds to rece the broomsticks in the school that have not been reced in decades. "
Professor McGonagall curled her lips, "This is difficult. I think they are more likely to find a broom ''expert'' and issue a quality certificate for these brooms to prove that they can still be used safely."
The incident in the flying lesson was over again. The culprit of the ident sessfully hid himself in the shadow under Daphne, like a snake waiting for an opportunity, making it impossible to detect its traces.
"We except the challenge!" After hearing Malfoy''s invitation to Harry for a duel, Ron didn''t even hesitate for a second and directly made the decision for Harry.
"A real man cannot refuse a duel. I will be your assistant." Said Ron.
Harry nodded. Even without Ron''s persuasion, he would have agreed, because he didn''t want to miss the opportunity to beat up Malfoy - he didn''t understand wizard duels, but he knew about muggle duels.
"What is a wizard''s duel? Are there any rules?"
After listening to Ron''s exnation, Harry frowned.
"You can only use the wand? After I die, you will take my ce and continue to fight?"
"Don''t panic, you two know too little magic to really hurt each other - Malfoy can only use his little stick to shoot sparks, and his fists are more effective than your wands." Ron Calmly analyzed Malfoy''s sinister intentions for Harry.
"He must have thought that you would refuse, so that he couldugh at you everywhere." Ron analyzed Malfoy''s thoughts very thoroughly. "Fortunately, you don''t know much about wizard duels. If it were me, I would have dueled him then and there!"
"Then I will ept his invitation?"
"Certainly!"
Ron''s analysis was correct. After Potions ss the next day, Malfoy was obviously a little surprised when he knew that Harry had epted the decision invitation he sent. After two seconds, he said: "Very good, let''s go to the Trophy room tonight. You see, the door is never locked there."
He left in a hurry before he and Harry could confirm the candidate for his assistant.
"I envy you, Harry. You finally got a chance to beat Malfoy upright." Ron showed an envious expression.
Thinking of that scene, Harry couldn''t suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.
Under the trainingehmBullying of his cousin Dudley, he is quite good at fighting (Blocking punches). The reason why he was always at a disadvantage was because Dudley was several weight sses ahead of him.
Instead of turning to his minion for help, Malfoy found Rhys in the library.
"Rhys, I want you!"
"What"
"I mean I want you to be my duel assistant." He directly exined his purpose before Daphne next to Rhys could speak.
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47- No one knows school rules better than me
47- No one knows school rules better than me
"Duel assistant? Me?!" Rhys was in a daze for a moment when he heard Malfoy''s request. Thest time someone asked him to be a duel assistant was a thousand years ago.
"Malfoy, you-" Daphne wanted to refuse on behalf of Rhys, but Rhys raised his hand and told her not to rush.
"Draco Malfoy, are you sure you want to participate in the duel?" Rhys''s interest waspletely lifted by Malfoy.
Duel, this is a duel!
But with whom did Malfoy have such a big hatred that he had to fight to the death?
Malfoy swallowed, nodded, and added: "But it''s not a life-or-death duel. It''s just that I n to resolve some personal grudges with the Gryffindor''s Potter."
Rhys nodded: This is in line with his spection. It is reasonable. It would be strange if Malfoy had to fight to the death with others. Moreover, it is very difficult for wizards of this age to use magic to kill people.
"One hundred galleons, give me one hundred galleons and I will be your dueling assistant."
"You want a hundred galleons for this?!" Malfoy''s eyes almost popped out of his head.
One hundred galleons! This amount of money is almost as much as the annual expenses of an ordinary wizarding family of three and is enough to drain Draco''s small pouch dry.
"This is already a preferential price." Rhys spread his hands, indicating that the price is already extremely favorable and cannot be more favorable.
A thousand years ago, could you hire him as a duel assistant for a hundred gold coins? What are you dreaming about?
Of course, one is fighting a life-and-death fight with a powerful dark wizard, while the other is supporting children. The difficulty of the tasks is very different. But his identity was here, and his rtionship with Draco Malfoy was not very close. Afterprehensive consideration, Rhys decided to charge a fee of one hundred galleons.
If Malfoy could afford it, he would just go through the motions. If Malfoy didn''t have the money, there would be no need to talk.
Malfoy''s facial muscles twitched twice, indicating if it could be cheaper? After being rejected, he gritted his teeth and agreed to Rhys''s offer.
"But I will pay afterwards!"
Rhys again tly rejected him because it was against the rules.
"Then, can I pay half of the money first? I''ll give you the rest after the duel." Malfoy''s voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth.
Rhys thought for a moment and suddenly remembered that the ancestor of the Malfoy family had paid half of the deposit before when he asked him to be a witness to his marriage. He suddenly felt a sense of intertwined fate, so he agreed to Malfoy''s request.
When fifty golden Galleons were ced on the table, Rhys could even hear Malfoy''s heart bleeding.
Looking at Malfoy''s back as he staggered out of the library, Rhys couldn''t help feeling a little emotional: The ancestors of the Malfoy family gave him money a thousand years ago, and the descendants of the Malfoy family are still giving him money a thousand yearster! This family has always been the same.
Looking at the dumbfounded Daphne sitting across from him, Rhys smiled: "You can earn a hundred galleons by spending time with a child. It''s so easy to make money."
"No, I just think your soothing candles and evil spirit fruits are sold cheaply." Daphne shook her head, feeling like she was missing something.
"There is no need to make too much money on life-saving medicinal materials. The few hundred Galleons were enough for me at that time."
Daphne: "Dad is very rich, there is no need to be polite to him - I don''t know how much money has been wasted on those quack doctors who treat my sister over the years."
Rhys: "tsk", he didn''t know how to answer this.
"Sorry to bother you." Hermione''s voice suddenly came from behind the bookshelf next to her.
"Rhys, I didn''t mean to eavesdrop, but I have to remind you that you must not wander around the school at night. Think about it, how many points you will lose if you are caught!" Hermione came in front of him hugging a stack of books.
"The points deducted are from Slytherin House... What does it have to do with you being a Ravenw?!" Rhys was stunned. What kind of broad and loving mind is this?
"I kindly remind you as a friend that this is against school rules!" Hermione looked a little angry.
Rhys raised two fingers and said to her seriously: "Two things. One, I won''t be caught, they can''t catch me, and two, this special situation is allowed by school rules."
"Huh???" Hermione was stunned. She subconsciously ignored the first point of Rhys and put all her energy into the second point.
"Hogwarts School Rules Article 479, Point 3, Supplementary Regtions stipte that the school protects students'' rights to participate in duel invitations. If the duel time coincides with the curfew time, the duelist can ignore the curfew. This is the rule made by Godric Gryffindor himself." Rhys is very familiar with the school rules. No one in the entire Hogwarts knows the school rules better than him. After all, he and his friends made them while drinking.
After Hermione heard this, everyone was stunned.
A few secondster, she hurriedly left, and after a while, she ran back with a very thick book in her arms. Judging from the dust on the book, no one had borrowed the book for a long time.
This book is called "Hogwarts School Rules Detailed", which records the school rules in detail. Hermione flipped through the pages of the book quickly, and then she really found the one that Rhys said.
"Look, I didn''t lie to you." Rhys shrugged.
"Yes.. you didn''t lie.."
He is really lying!
He was relying on his knowledge of school rules to fool Hermione. The prerequisite for using a duel as an excuse to break the curfew was that the headmaster or the Head of the student''s house must know about the duel, and Snape would not be so corporative if he knew about such a duel.
Rhys''s truth, which concealed some of the facts, deceived Hermione, and she left with the feeling "I don''t understand, but I was shocked."
At half past eleven in the evening, Rhys rolled over and sat up in bed. Draco had already set off. He said he wanted to go to the duel location in advance to familiarize himself with the terrain.
Rhys put on his robes, picked up his wand, and quietly walked out of themon room. He climbed the stairs and walked through a corridor that shielded the trophy room.
Malfoy isn''t here.
There was a sound of footsteps behind Rhys. He looked back and saw that it was Harry and Ron.
Rhys''s face darkened instantly, and he probably guessed what happened.
"Is it you, Rhys?!"
"Why isn''t Malfoy here?"
Seeing Rhys standing alone in the trophy disy room, Harry and Ron also looked shocked. The two of them didn''t have a deep impression of Rhys. They only remembered that he was good at potions and had a good level of studies.
"Let''s wait for a while, I think Mr. Malfoy has diarrhea." Rhys took a deep breath to calm Harry and Ron.
Time passed by, and Malfoy did not appear, but the voice of the castle''s caretaker Filch rang next door.
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48- No one is allowed to tarnish the glory of wizards
48- No one is allowed to tarnish the glory of wizards
"Sniff around, dear, where they might be hiding."
It was Filch talking to his cat, Mrs. Norris. Harry and Ron were frightened, but before they could react, Rhys walked up to them and tapped their heads with his wand.
Harry felt as if someone had cracked an egg on his head, and he couldn''t help but shudder.
"Shh!" Rhys said softly: "I have cast a disillusionment spell on you two, keep quiet!"
As he spoke, he suppressed his inner emotions and pulled the two of them to stand in the corner of the Trophy room.
Harry looked down at his hands and saw that they had be transparent.
''This is an extremely mysterious experience. I am clearly standing here, but I can''t see my body.''
"They''re here somewhere, probably hiding." Filch''s mutter became clearer. Soon a light came at the door and Filch came in with his cat.
Harry''s heart began to beat faster, but Rhys''s Disillusionment Charm worked very well. Filch''s eyes passed through him several times, but he didn''t notice his existence at all.
Filch carefully checked every hiding ce in the trophy disy room, but the result disappointed him: it was empty, not even a ghost.
Unlike people with dull senses, Mrs. Norris noticed something unusual. She wandered near the corner - where Rhys and the two little wizards were hiding - looking a little confused.
Harry''s heart was already in his throat. If Mrs. Norris continues to look this way, her unusual behavior will attract Filch''s attention to this corner sooner orter. Even if they had the Disillusionment Charm cast on them, they would probably identally bump into Filch. And got caught.
Just as Harry was sweating profusely, Rhys took action: he stretched out his wand and turned a medal in the corner into a big rat.
The rat swooped out of the corner, startling Filch.
"Damn rat, damn it! Mrs. Norris, please wait a minute!" Filch shouted because as soon as she saw the ck figure of the rat running, Mrs. Norris rushed out after it.
Filch, who loved his cat eagerly, ran out without hesitation and stopped searching the trophy room. In fact, based on his many years of night patrol experience, he had already seen that there was no one in the small room. He insisted on searching just to find psychologicalfort for himself.
After the voices of Filch and Mrs. Norris faded away, Harry and Ron breathed a sigh of relief, and then Rhys''s voice rang out from beside them.
"Arranging a duel, then breaking the appointment, and leaking the matter to the castle''s caretaker. This is really what a member of the Malfoy family can do!" Rhys''s voice turned cold, "The child from the Weasley family and the Potter family! Everyone came as promised! But only the son of the Malfoy family broke the sacred agreement. It is indeed a fundamentally impure family."
Someone really dares to treat dueling as a child''s y? At this moment, Rhys was filled with shock and anger. Draco Malfoy''s stereotype of the Malfoy family was reinforced through his efforts.
"I''m really sorry for letting you see such a shameful side. But Malfoy is a Slytherin after all, so I have to give him a chance to correct his mistakes." Rhys said to Ron and Harry very seriously, "So can you guys wait here for a moment? I''ll call him, the duel must go on tonight."
Harry and Ron hesitated: Malfoy had already revealed this ce to Filch. Although Filch had left here, who could guarantee that he wouldn''te back to expel them? It''s no longer safe here.
Rhys could see the concerns in the two people''s hearts, and he couldn''t help but sigh.
"Then you go back first, and I will try my best to persuade Draco Malfoy toplete the duel agreed with you. By the way, this disillusionment charm can stillst for a quarter of an hour. You can go back to the lounge while it is still in effect, no one will find out." After saying these two words, Rhys hurriedly left the prize disy room and returned to the Slytherinmon room.
Rhys''s anger was ignited when he returned to his dormitory - he saw Malfoy sleepingfortably in the bed.
If he were still the Head of Slytherin, he would definitely expel such people from the house. Students of Slytherin House can be shrewd, cunning, and lustful for power, but they cannot be unscrupulous and despicable.
In Rhys''s view, Malfoy''s behavior had exceeded the wizard''s bottom line.
In the name of a sacred duel, he deceived his opponent and then reported it to the caretaker. Not just that, he also deceived his dueling assistant?!
Draco Malfoy really refreshed Rhys''s understanding. Medieval wizards, even dark wizards, demons, magical lifeforms, and cunning goblins, would honestly duel with their opponents.
He walked to Malfoy''s bed, waved his wand twice to iste this space from the outside world, then lifted Malfoy''s nket and pulled him up from the bed.
"Who?!" Malfoy suddenly woke up and saw Rhys''s face.
"Ah! Rhys, it''s you!" After seeing Rhys appear in the dormitory safe and sound, Malfoy immediately knew that something was wrong. While he was yelling at Filch for his ipetence in his heart, he forced an ugly smile on his face: "Thank you for your hard work. I will settle the remaining fifty galleons for your hard work now"
"It''s not necessary, you don''t have to give it." Rhys interrupted him directly. He put a hand on Malfoy''s shoulder, which made Malfoy tremble.
"A wizard''s duel is an extremely sacred matter. Since you initiated the duel, you mustplete it. Now, immediately, write a letter to Potter and Weasley to reschedule the duel time."
Malfoy avoided Rhys''s cold and piercing eyes and did not dare to look directly at him. But as time passed, he gradually realized: Rhys and I are both first-year Slytherin students. Why should I be afraid of him?
After figuring this out, Malfoy instantly became more courageous, and he confidently stated that he had not arranged a duel with Harry at all.
"Duel? With that Potter? Heh! Did you see me arrange a duel with him? Are there any witnesses? Don''t talk nonsense without evidence." Malfoy''s voice returned to its original sloppy and glib tone.
Rhys was quite emotional. Some people are really good at spouting nonsense with their eyes open, but Draco seemed to have overlooked one issue. This is the magical world.
Rhys could find five or six ways to make people tell the truth.
He originally wanted to extract Malfoy''s memory from his mind, but then he changed his mind.
"*Sigh* You don''t deserve to be a student at Hogwarts." Rhys took out his wand and said softly. Two balls of light emerged from the tip of his staff one after another and flew into Malfoy''s body.
"Reflect carefully, and you can be a wizard only after I think you can be a wizard." After leaving such a strange sentence, Rhys left Malfoy''s bed.
____
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49- Squib Malfoy
49- Squib Malfoy
Malfoy was startled when a ball of light drifted into his chest. But after he recovered, he found that nothing had happened. He touched his body and found nothing unusual.
Malfoy instantly judged that Rhys was bluffing.
''What? isn''t he just a little talented in potions? Does he really think of himself as someone special?''
He looked in the direction of Rhys''s bed and cursed in his mind. At the same time, heforted himself in his heart: Yeah, I am a pureblood! No one can deprive me of my right to be a wizard.
After he calmed down, Malfoyy back on the bed and fell asleep.
When he woke up early the next morning, Malfoy felt refreshed after a good sleep. Looking around the dormitory, he found that Rhys had gone somewhere, and his mood couldn''t help but get better.
Rhys was as annoying and unwanted as the small bones in Malfoy''s chicken soup.
Malfoy was so annoyed after being targeted several times that he simply found it pleasing to not see him after waking up and didn''t care.
As if he had heard Malfoy''s thoughts, Rhys had really left early and hade home these two days, leaving Malfoy unable to see him for most of the weekend.
Malfoy had a happy weekend. But this joy came to an abrupt end during the Transfiguration ss on Tuesday.
"Before today''s ss starts, I need to check on your learningst week."
Ignoring the disdainful nces from Harry and Ron, Malfoy calmly ced his wand on the table and waited for the arrival of Professor McGonagall to his table.
The content of the test is very simple, turn a match into a needle. Professor McGonagall even rxed the requirements, as long as the appearance of the match can change significantly, because this is a qualitative change from scratch, and the rest is just a matter of practice.
When she walked in front of Malfoy, Malfoy picked up his wand and looked at the students around him very proudly.
"Look, I''ll only demonstrate it once!"
He mastered this transformation techniquest week, which allowed him to perfectly transform a match into a needle shape. He had just observed that no one in the ss could do it, and that was his chance to shine.
He pointed his wand at the match, and a momentter it was still the same match.
Malfoy: "Eh?"
''What!? The spell failed?''
Malfoy, who did not believe what he was seeing, tried once or twice more. The match on the desk still looked like a match, without even a trace of metallic luster.
Cold sweat broke out on Malfoy''s forehead, and he said in a trembling voice: "Professor, that''s not the case...I, I..."
Malfoy, who had always been smooth-talking, was at a loss for words. How could he exin to Professor McGonagall that he could transform before, but now he couldn''t do anything?
"Mr. Malfoy, you should work more on Transfiguration. There will be another section on Transfiguration this Thursday. If your Transfiguration Spell has not improved by then, I will take further measures." Naturally, Professor McGonagall didn''t have time to waste on Malfoy today. She is taking a test. If she lectured each student for a minute, she wouldn''t do anything else in this ss.
After Professor McGonagall left, Malfoy''s face turned pale, andrge drops of sweat emerged from his forehead and dripped on the table. Rhys'' voice suddenly sounded in his heart.
"You are not worthy of being a student at Hogwarts"
He looked up suddenly, just in time to see Rhys turning the matches on the table into needles perfectly. After the transformation was sessful, Rhys even yawned, as if he was not interested in what was happening in front of him.
Malfoy''s breathing suddenly became heavy. Then he forced himself to calm down and said to himself over and over again: Rhys was just bluffing. How could he deprive me of the ability to cast spells? How could such magic exist?!
But what made Malfoy feel like he was in an ice cer was that during the entire Transfiguration ss that followed, he could not make the slightest change in the props in front of him.
"Mr. Malfoy, I think you should learn from those ssmates who have made rapid progress, such as Miss Greengrass and Mr. Lint. They bothpleted today''s transfiguration teaching perfectly." Professor McGonagall noticed that Malfoy looked constipated and distracted in her ss and he was very bad at transfiguration, so she went to him after ss and gave him some advice.
Malfoy opened his mouth but didn''t know how to respond.
Draco Malfoy''s nightmare was not over, for Transfiguration was followed immediately by Charms. In the Charms ss, he desperately discovered that he could not cast any magic. No matter how hard he tried, he could only produce a few sparks from the tip of the wand.
Malfoy, who was filled with fear, blocked Rhys who was exining the secret of the Severing Charm to Neville Longbottom after ss.
"What''s the matter?" Rhys asked with a gentle smile, and his kind attitude even made Malfoy think that what happenedst Friday night was his dream.
"You understand, I have a little problem here..." With Longbottom present, Malfoy was unwilling to expose his embarrassment, so he could only give vague hints.
Rhys chuckled to himself and told Malfoy that he should keep his ''appointment''.
"Maybe after the ''appointment'', the magic power wille back with a ''whoosh''?"
After hearing what Rhys said, Malfoy''s face turned as red as pig''s liver, and he left the Charms ssroom angrily.
Duel? In his current state, he couldn''t participate in a wizard''s duel. He couldn''t even produce sparks. If he went to duel with Harry, wouldn''t he be beaten one-sidedly?
Malfoy went straight to the school hospital wing, believing that Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, would be able to cure his "illness".
"So you said you suddenly couldn''t perform magic? Have you encountered any changes recently?" Madam Pomfrey looked at Malfoy with suspicion.
The wizard''s ability to cast spells is innate. This is the first time Madam Pomfrey has heard of the situation where a kid after undergoing his magic riot and being dered to be a wizard loses his magical ability and bes a squib.
Malfoy opened his mouth, wanting to tell what Rhys had done to him that night, but he was horrified to find that his tongue seemed to be stuck in his mouth with glue and he couldn''t make any sound at all.
"It''s unprecedented for wizards to suddenly be squibs -"
"I''m not a squib!" After hearing the word "squib," Malfoy protested angrily as if someone had whipped him.
"Okay, okay, you''re not a Squib." Madam Pomfrey''s patience was finally exhausted when she was interrupted while speaking, and Malfoy was misunderstood by her as a prankster or a little wizard who wanted to fake a sick note.
This is really not the first time she has seen this situation. Compared with the symptoms of other magical diseases, pretending to have lost all mana is obviously easier for a childish brain as it does not cost anything.
"You can go now and attend your sses, don''t think about what you have and what you don''t have." Madam Pomfrey began to drive Malfoy out.
"I''m really sick!" Malfoy shouted anxiously.
"Okay, then I''ll give you some medicine." Madam Pomfrey took a bottle of potion to promote digestion and restore strength and energy directly from the cab and stuffed it into his hand, and then pushed him out of the infirmary.
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50- Harry vs Malfoy
50- Harry vs Malfoy
"So what did you do to Malfoy?" After Neville left with a notebook full of writing, Daphne couldn''t help asking Rhys about Malfoy''s situation.
The way Malfoy looked just now, even a fool could tell that he had something to do with Rhys.
"He became a squib."
Daphne: "!"
Her eyes widened in shock.
"How is this possible?" She couldn''t believe her ears.
"How is it impossible? Do you want to try it?" A small light appeared from the tip of Rhys'' wand.
Daphne thought about it for a moment and agreed to Rhys'' proposal. She felt that this might be her only chance to experience being a squib.
When the faint light entered her body, Daphne felt something strange that she couldn''t describe. She tried to cast a cleaning charm but found that she couldn''t use this super simple charm.
She tried two more times, and then found that the magic power in her body always turned back when it reached her wrist, as if there was something blocked there.
"So that''s it! You used your magic to block the path of my mana, making it impossible for me toplete the spell!" Daphne understood immediately.
"That''s it, I interfered with the operation of mana in your body. However, this blockage cannot exist for long. A witch like you who understands the operation of mana flow can easily understand what''s happening and force the flow of your mana to shatter this blockage after a few more attempts. The same goes for Malfoy, but he doesn''t know how to operate mana flow. I input more magic on his blockage, so it will take longer - I estimate it will take about one to two weeks." Rhys couldn''t help but admire Daphne''s talent again.
"Then he must have suffered a lot in today''s sses." Daphne covered her mouth andughed.
People''s joys and sorrows are not connected to each other, and Malfoy is already on the verge of despair and copse.
As the future heir of the Malfoy family, he could not ept the fact that he had be a squib. Madam Pomfrey''s potion has no effect, and judging from her appearance, she doesn''t even believe a punctuation mark in her own words, ''So what should I do?''
Malfoy''s first thought was telling his father, and then he immediately gave up the idea. He did not dare to let his father know the fact that he had be a squib. Then the name Snape appeared in his mind, making Malfoy grasp at straws like a drowning man.
But as soon as he took two steps into Snape''s office, he realized a problem: he couldn''t say anything about the incident with Rhys.
''If I can''t say it, why don''t I try and see if I can write it?''
Malfoy immediately took action, but he soon discovered that he couldn''t even write about it. Whenever he thought about it, the quill in his hand would lose control and draw a bunch of garbled characters on the paper.
If he couldn''t exin why and how, would Professor Snape believe what he said? Malfoy thought hard about it for a while and finally gave up on asking him for help.
In fact, he is also afraid of Snape, and usuallymunicates with him as little as possible, because he can feel that Professor Snape does not favor him as much as his father said. Rtionships cannot be inherited like wealth, or in other words, passing it on to the next generation requires paying a higher proportion of "tax" than inheritance tax.
There seems to be only one solution left.
Although Malfoy had never heard of the saying "The one who could tie a knot, can also untie it ", but he also understood that if he wanted to return to normal, it was best to do what Rhys said.
So after lunch, Harry and Ron received Malfoy''s duel invitation again.
Harry and Ron: "Right now?"
"Right now!" Malfoy didn''t want to dy for a minute, and said bluntly that he would go to the duel now, and you can decide the location.
Harry and Ron looked at each other. They didn''t expect that Rhys would actually seed in persuading him.
''How did he do it?'' Both of them had question marks on their foreheads. But now that they have reached this point, the two of them can only bury their doubts in their hearts and decide on the duel location first.
"History of Magic ssroom, no one is there at noon."
"Okay." Malfoy agreed happily, and by the way, called Rhys, the dueling assistant who he feared and hated.
"Look, wouldn''t it have saved so much trouble if we had done this earlier?" The expression on Rhys'' face was half-smile, which made Malfoy''s heart tremble.
"There are many established rules among wizards, and it''s best not to break them." What Rhys said next made Malfoy think deeply: Was the method he used wrong? But isn''t this the academic spirit of Slytherin?
Draco Malfoy didn''t have long to think about life, as they quickly arrived at the History of Magic ssroom.
After clearing a wide enough space in the ssroom, this duel, which had gone through many twists and turns, finally began.
Harry and Malfoy stood in the middle of the ssroom, first bowing to each other, and then assuming themon dueling postures.
"Three, two, one, start!" After Rhys and Ron counted down three times, the duel began.
Harry was a little nervous at first. He was worried that Malfoy, who came from a pure-blood family, had mastered some strange spells. But to his surprise, at the beginning of the duel, Malfoy threw his wand aside and moved forward with an indomitable spirit.
The momentum rushed towards him.
Harry had the same concerns as Malfoy, and unlike Harry, Malfoy really couldn''t use magic, so he chose to use physical attacks.
The experience gained from fighting against his cousin for many years made Harry subconsciously duck to the side and avoid Malfoy''s attack. Seeing Malfoy taking action directly, Harry simply threw away his wand and struggled with Malfoy.
What followed was a mixed martial arts fight. Harry, who had seen how to punch and dodge, quickly gained the upper hand. He rode on Malfoy and suppressed him condescendingly. Malfoy alsopletely let go of his reserve as a wizard and punched him to counterattack. As he swung his fist, the fear, worry and other negative emotions deep in his heart caused by bing a squib were also vented.
After a few minutes, both of them were exhausted, and theyy on the floor panting heavily. Their noses were broken, and blood flowed from them.
Harry was very happy because he really beat Malfoy hard many times. However, he felt a little regretful. When Malfoy pounced, he should have dodged a few more times to consume his energy, so that he would probably win more easily.
Malfoy felt pure regret: What was the purpose of asking Potter to duel in the first ce? Not only he was unable to trick them into being punished by Filch, but he also got himself beaten up. However, he didn''t suffer too much because he also taught Potter a good lesson. What he didn''t know was that while the two were fighting each other, the magic power that interfered with the flow of mana in his body had quietly dissipated.
"I''m willing to use all my pocket money to buy this duel spot from Harry, really." Ron, who was watching the battle on the side, whispered to Rhys.
Before the duel started, he was still worried about Harry, but after seeing the duel between the two, he really hoped that Harry would just admit defeat and then he''ll go as Harry''s assistant and beat Malfoy.
Rhys almostughed.
He came to Harry and Malfoy''s side, helped them stop their nosebleeds, and restored the duel venue to its original state. After doing this, he, Harry, and Ron left the ssroom together.
Malfoy silently picked up his wand and waved it nervously, and a string of sparks emerged from the tip of the wand.
Looking at the sparks on the tip of the staff, Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief: he could finally be a wizard again!
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51- Practical Training
51- Practical Training
After encountering the first setback in his life, Malfoy''s arrogance became much more restrained. He even spoke less frequently in the auditorium, let alone took the initiative to trouble Harry and Rhys.
He didn''t take the initiative to provoke Rhys and didn''t look for trouble with Ron either, and the campus life at Hogwarts suddenly became calm and harmonious.
Taking sses, reading, and teaching while enjoying delicious food and desserts became Rhys'' daily life at Hogwarts.
His life is sorted now. He skips sses on Mondays, attends professors'' sses from Tuesday to Friday to learn more about the modern magical world, and teaches Daphne magic on Saturdays and Sundays.
Although he was enjoying life, Rhys did not lie down doing nothing. He did two major things: First, he cleaned the corridor outside the secret chamber. Second, he added a seal in the sealed area of ????the dungeon to prevent any monster from actually breaking through the seal and running out.
Adding a new seal is a helplesspromise, simr to knowing that the bottom of the ship is leaking, but due to limited conditions, we can only add a watertight door to the bilge.
Anyway, it''s better than doing nothing.
"Your talent amazes me." Looking at the feathers floating in mid-air, Rhys couldn''t help but praise his deskmate.
Today Professor Flitwick taught the levitation charm to the little wizards. This is a magical spell that can make objects levitate through specific gestures. The spell can drive everything from feathers to human bodies to float.
But Rhys dared to bet with all his honor that Daphne did not rely on this spell to make the feather in front of her float. "You didn''t even listen to the incantation, did you?"
"That''s not it, I know the incantation - Wind Garden Sephosa!" Daphne muttered a spell while ying with the feathers in the air.
Rhys: ""
"I''m begging you, please keep your voice down. Even if you can''t remember the pronunciation, at least remember the spells correctly!" He said in a dumbfounded voice: "It''s Wingardium Leviosa."
Daphne: "Just tell me whether the feathers are floating or not?"
Rhys felt that Daphne seemed to have been led astray by him. She had stronger shadows of ancient wizards than modern wizards.
Fortunately, Professor Flitwick didn''t notice Daphne''s version of the levitating spell, otherwise it would have been so much fun.
"Modern magic still needs to be learned. Only by reflecting each other can we gain more." Rhys advised her.
"Oh." Daphne nodded, not sure if she heard it.
"By the way," after getting tired of ying with feathers with her mana control, Daphne changed the subject, "I''ve almost mastered the attack magic you taught me. What are you going to teach me next?"
After learning flying magic and defensive magic, Daphne learned a powerful attack spell from Rhys. In the Middle Ages, a wizard of her level could already be used as cannon fodder on the battlefield.
"You have learned a lot," Rhys rubbed his chin twice, "It seems it''s time to arrange a practical examination for you. A wizard who has not experienced actualbat is just a potted nt in a flower pot."
During the teaching process, Rhys once made the snake-shaped sculpture in the secret room move and act as a target for Daphne, but this obviously did not belong to the category of actualbat.
''Should this child go to the Forbidden Forest or go to the dungeon to experience it?'' Rhys was a little confused. Going to the Forbidden Forest is a waste of time because as long as you don''t go deep into the Forbidden Forest, the risk is not high. On the other hand, the sealed area of ??the dungeon is too uncertain. If you are not lucky, you may encounter dark creatures that are too powerful as soon as you enter.
When she heard that she was going to participate in actualbat, Daphne showed an expression of eagerness to try. She also wanted to know what her current strength was.
"Don''t worry, let me think about it carefully."
This consideration started from Tuesday to Halloween.
After the flying lesson, Rhys sniffed his nose when he returned to the castle. He smelled the sweet and tempting smell of roasted pumpkin.
"What a tempting aroma!" He sighed from the bottom of his heart.
The aroma of roasted pumpkins reminded him that Halloween wasing.
"Do you know the origin of Halloween?" Rhys asked a question without thinking much.
Daphne, who was following him, was stunned for a moment. She really hadn''t thought about this issue deeply. She only knew that Halloween was a holiday for wizards and witches. On Halloween, her father would light jack-onterns at home and prepare a sumptuous dinner and gifts for her and her sister.
Rhys looked around and saw the clear stupidity in the eyes of the students around him. It seemed that no one else knew the origin of Halloween.
"This is a Celtic festival." Rhys patiently told the students about the original appearance of Halloween.
In the beginning, the Celts celebrated the harvest with celebrations on New Year''s Eve, both for the living and the dead. On New Year''s Eve, under the influence of celestial phenomena, the boundaries between the underworld and the human world will be blurred, and the souls of the deceased will return to the human world.
Therefore, the Celts would light bonfires and lights and celebrate all night to drive away evil spirits and spend time with their loved ones. After being reunited with their rtives for the night, the souls would return to the underworld at dawn.
This festival did not disappear with the demise of the Celts. The Roman Empire and the Christian Churchter inherited this tradition. It was not until the boundaries between the human world and the underworld were artificially drawn that Halloween gradually changed beyond recognition and became a " Trick or Treat" entertainment festival.
The underworld mentioned by Rhys aroused the interest of the students. They chattered about whether the underworld existed, but Rhys, the instigator of the topic, returned to silence, huddled aside, and smiled.
Halloween became what it is now due to various hardships, and the four of them also made a small and insignificant contribution back then.
The Halloween dinner at Hogwarts did not disappoint Rhys. The entire auditorium was decorated with a very atmospheric feel. Thousands of bats were pping their wings on the walls and ceilings. Thousands of dark clouds were hovering above the dining table. The wind brought pumpkins into the air. The mes of the candles in themps flickered, giving the auditorium a somewhat less scary and gloomy atmosphere.
As for the food, it was as good as ever, and Rhys was desensitized to it.
Just as Rhys picked up a bowl of sweet coconut milk corn, Professor Quirrell suddenly rushed into the hall with a look of horror on his face. He stumbled to Professor Dumbledore''s chair, leaned on the table, and gasped: "Troll -- in the dungeons -- thought you ought to know"
After yelling that loudly, he fell to the floor and passed out.
Troll?
Everyone heard it, and the hall suddenly became a mess. Professor Dumbledore had to use a spell to make several piercing fireworks explosions before everyone fell silent.
"Prefects," he said in a low voice, "lead the students from your houses to their respective dormitories immediately."
Well-trained prefects immediately organized the evacuation of students from the hall to theirmon rooms.
Listening to the noisy sounds, Rhys raised his eyebrows.
"Hmm~ What a great timing!"
Regardless of how the giant monster came in, he smelled a great scent of experience.
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52- Hunting a Troll
52- Hunting a Troll
After sharing his thoughts with Daphne, aplicated emotion shed in Daphne''s eyes.
Naturally, she had heard of magical animals like trolls.
It has a huge body, rough skin and thick flesh, and extremely low intelligence. To say it is as stupid as a pig is an insult to a pig. The worst score in the wizard exam is even represented by its name.
To fight a monster that''s twelve feet tall and weighs over a ton, you''d be lying if you said you weren''t afraid. ''But isn''t it that I learned such useful and magical spells from Rhys just toe in handy at this moment?''
Daphne took a deep breath, nodded vigorously, and was ready to participate in the actualbat trial.
The two of them followed Prefect Gemma silently, but gradually slowed down their pace, falling to the end of the crowd little by little. Then they found an opportunity to break away from the crowd and hid in an uninhabited corner.
"The question is, how do we find the giant monster?" Daphne was mentally prepared and realized that Hogwarts Castle is so big, where would they find the giant monster that broke in?
If you blindly walk in circles in the castle, the probability of encountering a professor is much greater than the probability of running into a troll, and you will be caught by the professors as a ''little troll''.
"This is simple." Rhys took out his wand, and in the next second dozens of small snakes as long as his index finger emerged from the tip of the wand, fell to the ground, and started twisting around.
Looking at the scene in front of her, even though she was a student of Slytherin House, Daphne couldn''t help but get goosebumps all over her body.
"A very practical spell. If you want to learn it, I will teach youter."
"No need!" Faced with Rhys'' "kindness", Daphne frantically shook her head.
Rhys was silent for a second and then defended his magic: "The spell has much more to offer. The conjured creature doesn''t have to be a snake, you can also turn it into a sparrow, a crow, etc."
Daphne reluctantly epted Rhys''s spell.
Momentster, Rhys found the troll that had broken into the castle. However, while searching for the troll, he also made some interesting discoveries, such as what he saw at the entrance of the corridor on the right side of the third floor of the castle.
It seemed that there was something unusual hidden behind that corridor, otherwise, his head of the house would not have rushed to guard it. Rhys narrowed his eyes slightly.
He originally thought that the corridor was closed because something had happened inside, and he thought about repairing it one day in the future. Unexpectedly, Headmaster Dumbledore actually used it for some other purpose.
Shaking his head and forgetting about the third-floor corridor, Rhys took Daphne and headed straight towards the troll.
After arriving on the first floor, a foul smell prated their nostrils, and then they heard heavy footsteps and low grunts. Rhys looked toward the source of the sound and saw a huge creature holding a thick wooden stick and walking at the end of the passage on the left-hand side.
The monster was more than twelve feet tall, and Rhys recognized it as a mountain troll by its granite-grey skin. This kind of troll has a higher defense in a group of trolls.
The first time he saw it, Rhys was sure that it was a very good trial material. It was powerful and suppressive enough for Daphne, but it also had the ability to kill Daphne with one blow.
This stupid guy didn''t notice Rhys and Daphne at the end of the corridor and got into the girls'' bathroom next to the corridor.
"Did you know? When their weakness was not known at first, Trolls were often called wizard killers. Due to their excellent defense, countless wizards suffered misfortunes after being approached by them." While the troll was wandering in the bathroom, Rhys started educating Daphne in a low voice and today''s lesson was about ''Troll characteristics''.
In the end, he added something that made Daphne''s hair stand on end: "Trolls like to eat fresh food, so after catching a living person, they will start eating from the limbs, then eat the arms and thighs, and then start eating from the stomach. This process oftensts for ten minutes or even half an hour. During this period, the troll will be very careful and try to keep the food alive.
The captured wizard will hear the sound of his bones exploding and his muscles being torn apart. After his limbs are eaten, the Troll will tear open his belly, pull out the internal organs, and devour them. At that time, even if you fainted due to pain before, you will be awakened by pain again, but fortunately, after this step, the pain will slowly start to go away..."
Under Rhys''s vivid description, Daphne felt a chill on her back.
"Okay, please stop." She interrupted Rhys, trying to get what she just heard out of her mind.
"By the way, I have to remind you beforehand that this is your actualbat training, so I won''t take action. Even if you are caught by that troll, do you understand what I mean?" Rhys inadvertently said something extremely cold.
The color on Daphne''s face suddenly disappeared, and what Rhys had just said crowded into her mind. She nced at Rhys and found that his face was expressionless. Daphne couldn''t tell whether this sentence was true or false.
"It''s not toote to fall back now."
"..."
The troll, who found nothing in the bathroom, dragged its heavy steps back into the corridor, and then it saw a little silver-haired thing standing in front of it.
Looking at the white and tender skin, the troll couldn''t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva: This little thing looked really delicious. He must pick her up and peel off the outer skin that affected the taste and taste it slowly.
It reached out its hand toward Daphne but before it could touch her, Daphne flew away.
The giant monster looked around nkly on the ground. It didn''t understand why the delicacy that was here just now disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"OOOggghh!"
At this time, a condescending sh of light hit the giant monster''s broad back, leaving a wound that almost ran across the back but was no more than two inches deep. The smelly blood oozed from the wound apanied by the monster''s scream.
The wounds looked horrifying, but to the troll, they were really just flesh wounds.
The troll suddenly raised its head, and its small head the size of a cocoa bean looked at Daphne floating in the air, its small eyes shining with hatred.
*Roar* *Swish!*
The next moment, the wooden stick in its hand swung towards her, making an explosive sound that pierced the air. Daphne narrowly avoided the blow and then left another wound on the troll''s body.
Unfortunately, the wound left by this attack was not as big as the first one.
The giant monster waspletely enraged and its attack became even more violent.
Rhys watched the battle between Daphne and the troll without any emotion. In his opinion, Daphne still has a long way to go. If the first shot had been aimed at the troll''s head, the battle would have been over long ago. Daphne, who was fighting for the first time, still performed abnormally due to nervousness.
But to be fair, Daphne has done quite well. How many young witches and wizards have the courage and ability to confront trolls at her age? Not to mention that Daphne seemed to have the upper hand.
"!!"
Suddenly, the battle situation changed, and Rhys''s hand hidden in his robe couldn''t help but grasp the handle of the wand.
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53- Professor McGonagall’s Judgment
53- Professor McGonagalls Judgment
A sudden turn of events - this is the most appropriate word to describe the battle situation.
The crazy troll no longer dodges Daphne''s attack and ps Daphne with the big stick at the cost of an extra wound on his chest. If she hadn''t been good at flying, she would have suffered a big loss.
But even if she dodged the blow, the negative impact of this mistake was not eliminated, and she suddenly lost the initiative. The troll''s attack became more and more fierce, and Daphne was struggling to survive.
At this time, the disadvantages of using flying magic were exposed. In order to avoid the troll''s attack, Daphne could only focus all her attention on controlling the flying magic, leaving almost no time to fight back.
However, such a violent attack was naturally unsustainable. The speed of the giant''s swinging stick slowly decreased. Daphne finally found a chance to distance herself from it and pointed the wand in her hand at it.
Who would have thought that the slowed-down wooden stick in the troll''s hand would suddenly elerate, forcing Daphne to hastily cast defensive magic. Several hexagonal transparent shields emerged in front of her, forming a barrier in front of her.
Daphne''s aplishments in defensive magic were obviously not as good as flying magic. The barrier she deployed was shattered by the giant monster, and she also hit the wall of the corridor.
The next moment, the troll''s free hand grasped her ankle and lifted her head down.
"Save me!" Daphne subconsciously looked at the corner where Rhys was standing, hoping to be rescued by him, but found only indifference in his eyes amidst her panic and anxiety.
Rhys stood there quietly, his hands wrapped in the sleeves of his robe, like a spectator.
Stand by and watch - the term could not be more appropriate here.
After meeting Rhys'' cold gaze, Daphne instantly regained herposure as if she had been sshed with ice water.
"Wind de!"
The troll''s head, the size of a cocoa bean, was directly opposite her. Daphne took advantage of the troll''s sess and when it was rxed, raised her wand and cast an attack spell on its head.
The wind de formed by the spell shed across the giant monster''s face and hit the bridge of its nose. The wind de cut off the bridge of its nose, scratched two eyeballs, and almost cut off half of the monster''s head.
The same two-inch wound had apletely different effect on the head than on the back.
*RooOOOArrr*
The troll threw away the wooden stick from his right hand and Daphne from his left hand, held the wound on his head in vain with his hands, and let out an earth-shattering scream.
Daphne, who was in shock, immediately used all her strength to maintain her bnce after being thrown out and then flew back dozens of feet to distance herself from the troll. Standing in the distance, waiting for this dying giant to drain out thest bit of life in its body.
"RooOOaar"
"Ro..oar... Oooa..r.."
After seeing Daphne getting out of danger and injuring the troll, Rhys also let go of the wand hidden under his sleeve. But on the surface, he still maintained his indifferent appearance.
*Thud!*
The troll hit the floor like a copsing hill, making a deafening noise.
"Congrattions, you passed this practical training." Rhys apuded Daphne.
''I.. I really managed to kill the troll..? Or was it Rhys who killed it..?'' Daphne froze in ce for a while, and then she realized: Did Rhys really not save her just now?! She really did kill the monster on her own!!
"You really weren''t going to help me..?"
"This was your actualbat exercise. I told you toplete it independently." Rhys spread his hands and said that he had already said it clearly before. Why would you ask such a question?
Daphne sighed. Even though he had made it clear beforehand, she still had a bit of hope in her heart, thinking that she had a special status in Rhys''s heart and that he would not really let her be eaten by the troll.
result...
This truth was cruel to her. Maybe it was just a matter of convenience that Rhys taught her the spell.
"It''s time to go." Rhys''s expression changed, he took out the wand from his sleeve, cast a disillusionment spell on himself and Daphne, and then trotted away from the "crime scene" with her. Before leaving, Rhys also used his wand to blow out a stream of smoke, destroying the traces they left on the scene.
Looking at Rhys''s actions, Daphne suddenly narrowed her eyes: Where did this guy take out the wand just now?
Less than a minute after the two left, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick arrived.
"Minerva, I heard"
"I heard it too, look over there."
The two professors easily discovered the corpse of the troll, and they both frowned as they looked at the situation at the scene.
"This monster was just killed, not more than five minutes have passed." Professor Flitwick squatted beside it and observed the state of its corpse, as if he wasn''t bothered by the filthy blood the stench of the giant monster.
From the temperature of the corpse, he concluded that the giant monster was very "fresh".
"Revelio!" Professor McGonagall made a prompt decision, trying to reveal hidden objects, people, or clues that might be useful to know what happened here a few minutes ago.
There was a faint phantom floating in the air, but when the phantom was about to take shape, a puff of smoke suddenly appeared in the corridor, disturbing the formation of the phantom.
"I was disturbed." Professor McGonagall sighed. The wizard who killed this giant monster was indeed no ordinary person. She carefully observed the corpse of the troll, hoping to analyze some useful information from it.
From the size and shape of the killed Troll, it is not difficult to tell that it was an adult Mountain Troll. It was killed by someone using a cutting curse or other spells, and the fatal wound was on the face. But the depth of the wound on its body is too shallow. Only a blow to the head can give the troll a fatal blow with such deep trauma. Hitting other parts of the body willpletely irritate it.
Professor McGonagall was lost in thought.
She kept thinking, trying to make sense of the situation. Slowly, a blurry image of the wizard who killed the giant monster emerged in Professor McGonagall''s mind: Facing the approaching giant monster step by step, the man was not nervous, but instead casually cast a few magic spells for fun, leaving several wounds on the giant monster''s body. The man was ying with it. When it was enraged and rushed towards him, the man casually used a cutting spell to kill the giant monster.
He is an opponent worthy of attention!
After sharing her spection with Professor Flitwick, Professor Flitwick also narrowed his eyes.
"Using a Mountain Troll as his ything, he must not be an ordinary man, he could have killed it with just a spell but he tortured it before draining all the blood. This kind of person is lurking in Hogwarts only for that thing." Flitwick reminded Professor McGonagall that there is still something hidden under the corridor on the third floor.
For the stone!
Professor McGonagall''s expression suddenly became solemn.
"How this mountain troll came inside Hogwarts is also very suspicious. It has never happened like this in so many years. If it was put in artificially, it means that there is more than one force coveting the stone and sneaking into Hogwarts."
The worry lingered in Professor McGonagall''s heart. She was actually a little dissatisfied with Dumbledore''s arrangements.
When the Philosopher''s Stone was stored in Gringotts, someone tried to break into Gringotts to steal it. But predicting that to happen, Dumbledore had already moved it to the school even though he knew that someone was concerned about the Philosopher''s Stone.
This act of Dumbledore was like inviting the other party to Hogwarts for the stone. This action endangered the safety of the students.
Professor McGonagall decided to have a good chat with Dumbledore.
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54- I swear in the name of Lint
54- I swear in the name of Lint
Rhys and Daphne hurried along and finally made it back to the Slytherinmon room before anyone else noticed.
Themon room was packed with students, students gathering in groups of twos and threes, enjoying Halloween meals from the kitchen and discussing the troll that had broken into the school.
Malfoy''s condition had recovered somewhat. He held a ss of iced pumpkin juice in the same manner as a champagne ss and sat by the fire in the lounge to talk.
"It''s so depraved that a troll sneaked into the school! I''m going to write a letter to my father and ask him to strengthen the security of the castle-"
For the sake of Lucius Malfoy, most of the senior Slytherin students did note to trouble this young master and even cheered him up.
As soon as Rhys entered the door, he heard Malfoy''s words, and his eyes suddenly lit up: Huh? If you say something like this, I can''t help but feel gratefull! Draco Malfoy, although you are timid, despicable, and have no bottom line, and I am very sorry to say - not a good pick to be a student of Slytherin House, but if you can persuade the talking walletI mean your father to make more contributions to Hogwarts, that will be considered a sess. The merit has been redeemed.
Malfoy suddenly felt something furry on his back. When he looked back, he found that Rhys was looking at him with a strange look. He couldn''t help but shudder, closed his mouth, and ate the dinner at the table.
Seeing that Malfoy no longer talked about donating money to the school, Rhys could only find an empty seat to sit down angrily and continue to enjoy the interrupted Halloween dinner.
"So, you really didn''t n to save me just now?" Daphne couldn''t suppress her curiosity and asked reluctantly. She could have sworn that she saw Rhys pull the wand out of his sleeve with her own eyes. He would not normally put the wand in that position, right?
There is only one reason for his abnormal behavior, and that is that he was actually ready to take action at any time. Daphne believes that she has discovered the truth.
"Of course, do you want to try this pudding? There''s a lot of extra caramel in it." Rhys really didn''t want to dwell on this topic, so he tried his best to change the subject.
"Then you swear on yourst name!" Daphne used her trump card.
"Okay, I swear on the name Lint that I, Rhys Chas Lint, had no intention of intervening in your fight just now."
Daphne frowned.
''He actually dares to swear by his family name? Could he be telling the truth?''
"Y-You swear on the honor of Slytherin, and I will believe you." Daphne suddenly remembered that Rhys opened the chamber and imed to be the heir of Slytherin, so she added.
"Eh? I think I just saw vani ice cream. I''m going to get some." As if he didn''t hear her, Rhys got up from the table and ran to the big table to get the ice cream.
Daphne: "Hey, you-"
In the same castle, more than one man was being "tortured".
Albus Dumbledore, the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, was also blocked by Professor McGonagall.
"Dumbledore, I think we need to talk."
"Oh? Of course, I''ll ask the kitchen to send some cake up." Dumbledore winked and said that Professor McGonagall could go to the Headmaster''s office with him to discuss this in detail.
Professor McGonagall took two deep breaths to calm down and gave up the idea of ??confronting Dumbledore in front of several other professors. She felt that questioning the headmaster''s decision in the presence of them would damage Dumbledore''s prestige, so it was better to find a ce where no one was around to talk.
The two arrived at the headmaster''s office one after another.
After entering the office, Dumbledore moved a cushioned armchair for Professor McGonagall, and summoned arge silver te with a stack of small cakes and a pot of honey pumpkin juice.
"Please sit down." Dumbledore poured a ss of pumpkin juice for Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall sat on the chair and summoned up the courage to speak: "Albus, I don''t think it is a good idea to hide the Sorcerer''s Stone in the school."
Dumbledore''s eyes shed with admiration, and then he asked her why.
Professor McGonagall told him her spection.
"It''s too dangerous. There are at least two groups of people with malicious intentions lurking in the castle. This is unfair to the students. It''s too dangerous!" Professor McGonagall looked extremely serious. "Today''s Mountain Troll, if it encountered any students, the consequences would be disastrous."
"The coveting party even breached Gringotts. Hogwarts is not as professional as Gringotts in the safekeeping of valuables. So unless you carry the Philosopher''s Stone with you personally, I don''t think we should keep it here " Professor McGonagall finished her thoughts.
Professor McGonagall did not blindly follow him but had her own ideas. This made Dumbledore extremely satisfied, but he still had to stick to his own approach.
"Believe me, Minerva, I naturally have my own reasons for doing this," Dumbledore responded calmly.
That was Dumbledore. If anyone else had dared to reply to her with such a lousy answer, Professor McGonagall would have scolded him until he lost his mind.
"I need an exnation."
"This has something to do with ..Voldemort."
Minerva McGonagall was silent.
After a long time, she picked up the pumpkin juice and took a sip, suppressing her inner surprise with the sweet pumpkin juice.
"Do you think..." She asked immediately after her emotions calmed down a little.
"He was never dead, Minerva. There is no point in deceiving yourself." Dumbledore took the silver pot and poured himself a ss of pumpkin juice. He discussed the whereabouts of the Dark Lord as if he were discussing a trivial matter in life with a close friend.
This time, Minerva McGonagall remained silent for longer, and finally, a smile that was uglier than crying appeared on her face.
"You''re right." She epted this cruel reality calmly. There is no point in lying to oneself. Wizards who have experienced that dark moment all understand that the mysterious man only temporarily lost power. Sooner orter, the terrible devil will make aeback.
Fortunately, they still had Dumbledore. The old man led them to defeat Grindelwald and survive the Dark Lord''s most rampant days. Even if the mysterious manes back, he will definitely be able to lead the members of the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry of Magic to defeat him again.
"So the Philosopher''s Stone is the bait to catch him?"
Dumbledore nodded.
Professor McGonagall felt relieved.
If it was to deal with a mysterious man, she was willing to unconditionally believe in Professor Dumbledore''s arrangements.
After Minerva left, Dumbledore ate the rest of the cake alone. He was hiding something from Minerva. The bait hanging on the hook was not only the Philosopher''s Stone, but also Harry Potter, who entered school this year and reappeared in the wizarding world. Otherwise, why didn''t he borrow the Philosopher''s Stone from his good friend Nics mel this year, sooner rather thanter?
But the problem is not big, everything is under control, and Dumbledore can even use the existence of the Sorcerer''s Stone to conduct an interesting and harmless little trial.
But there are variables.
Who is the person who killed the troll? Dumbledore fell into thinking. Minerva said that it was an external force that coveted the Philosopher''s Stone. This was certainly possible, but he was more likely to think that it was a bold little wizard who did it.
What a courageous kid!
Dumbledore secretly praised the child.
A/N: Can you guess who Dumbledore is praising?
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55- In the name of Slytherin
55- In the name of Slytherin
The young wizards of Slytherin House enjoyed delicious food and chatted with friends untilte at night.
When the hands on the clock jumped to "eleven", most of the students in the lounge had dispersed, and only a few scattered couples were still chatting in the corner.
"Good night."
"Sweet dreams."
Rhys and Daphne said good night to each other and returned to their respective dormitories. About half an hourter, Rhys returned to themon room - tonight was Halloween, and he couldn''t sleep at all.
In Rhys''s time, there was no obvious barrier between the world of the sun and the underworld as it is now. Every Halloween was a bitter battle between the living and the undead. Over time, Rhys also developed the habit of staying up all night on Halloween. Now that he was suddenly asked to go to bed on time, he couldn''t sleep.
Rhys, who was suffering from insomnia, wanted toe to the lounge and read for a while. But after walking out of the dormitory door, he suddenly remembered that every Halloween, the dark creatures imprisoned in the dungeon would be active and be more hostile.
Although no monster has broken through the seal in thousands of years, he should go to the seal to fulfill his obligations. Even if it is just to clean up a few monsters that escaped from the cell, it would be great.
At this time, the lounge was empty, only the fire in the firece was crackling.
After making the decision, Rhys did not set off in a hurry, but first used the remaining fire of the firece to boil a pot of tea. After drinking the tea as quickly as possible, Rhys used the remaining tea leaves to do a divination for tonight''s itinerary - this was something he learned from divination "Looking Through the Fog to See the Future" Tea Fortune Telling.
Looking at the divination results in the teacup, which symbolized "ominous", Rhys raised his eyebrows: Ominous? Then it is even more necessary to go there.
The poor divination results did not dampen Rhys''s interest but made him even more excited.
''If the divination result is urate, it means that there is a big mess within the dungeon''s seal, and it is my duty as one of the founders of the school to suppress the seal.''
But before going to the dungeon, Rhys felt he needed to leave something behind.
He spread out a piece of parchment on the table, and after writing a few paragraphs, he felt that it was a bit verbose, so he simply balled it up and threw it into the firece, and rewrote a very brief note.
After putting the note into his own purse and sealing the purse containing all his wealth with a spell, Rhys left the purse on the table and left themon room.
The Slytherin Housemon room was very close to the dungeons, but instead of going directly to the dungeons, Rhys headed upstairs - he wanted to bring a few helpers with him.
The current headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore, is very capable, but Rhys has no intention of calling him over. The reason is simple. Dumbledore has a very special meaning to Hogwarts and the wizarding world. If an ident urs in the dungeon, Dumbledore''s sudden disappearance will also have a very bad impact and make the situation out of control.
Hogwarts needs a headmaster, and the wizarding world also needs such a g. The most important thing is that with himself as the founder, it is not his turn yet.
[My dear Basilisk, show up and obey my instructions]
Standing in a hidden corner, Rhys summoned the basilisk he kept in the secret room. At the same time, he pulled out his wand and pointed at several stone beasts serving as decorations in the corner of the corridor.
These stone beasts are the oldest stone sculptures in Hogwarts and existed since the school was founded. They are part of the school''s defense system, and only headmasters recognized by Hogwarts have the authority tomand them.
Of course, so can Rhys as a founder.
"In the name of Slytherin, Stone Dun, obey mymand."
Several stone sculptures came to life, walked with heavy steps to Rhys, and epted hismand. At the same time, Rhys heard a faint hissing sound, and he knew that the snake king had also arrived.
After gathering his assistants, Rhys headed straight to the dungeon.
Outside the dungeon''s seal, Rhys broke through the wall of the corridor and sted arge gap in the pipe buried inside, allowing the basilisk to crawl out.
The terrain within the seal is just right for it to function.
After thinking that he was fully prepared, Rhys opened the seal of the dungeon, used the stone beasts as the vanguard, let the basilisk behind him, and drove them in with big strides.
After the basilisk''s bodypletely stepped into the seal, the walls that formed the seal reappeared, sealing the corridor leading to the ground tightly.
After walking into the seal, Rhys noticed something strange: the magic power inside was much more active than thest time he came here, and it also had a cold air unique to the underworld.
Sure enough, there was trouble within the seal.
Without any hesitation, Rhys walked directly towards the depths of the dungeon.
...
The deeper you go, the lower the temperature bes, and eventually white frost even appears on the walls. This is the favorite environment for dark creatures.
Plop! Plop!
Several gray wolf-like creatures were cut in half by Rhys and quickly turned into handfuls of ashes. Behind him, traces of ashes were everywhere in the corridor.
Put the stone beast in front of you as a human shield, and then use the basilisk''s gaze to exert strong control on the monster.
With this two-pronged approach, most of the monsters that encounter Rhys were killed instantly.
However, this guy in front of him is a little bit tricky - unless the core of the Ash Demon is defeated, it will be useless to destroy any number of clones. At this time, the Ashes on the ground are already showing signs of regrouping.
Rhys closed his eyes and carefully sensed the magic fluctuations in the air, trying to find clues left by the monster''s core.
Soon, he thought about it and caught the key clue from the chaotic magic fluctuations. He immediately drove the stone beast and the basilisk in the corresponding direction.
Before taking action, he waved his magic wand violently, and a whirlwind immediately rolled up in the corridor, and the ashes that were slowly merging were scattered again.
However, when tracking the core of the ash, Rhys had a strange sense of familiarity in his heart. He stopped and carefully identified it, and then he really found a familiar magic rhythm.
It was the feeling of wind.
Specifically, Rhys felt a sense of an old friend from it.
A trace of surprise shed in Rhys''s eyes, and he couldn''t help but speed up his pace.
The closer to the hiding point of the ash magic core, the more obvious this familiar magic fluctuation became. Finally, when Rhys came to an underground cave, the familiar feeling reached its peak.
When Rhys and his three friends had built the dungeon, they did not use 100% artificial mining, but cleverly used part of the naturally formed underground caves and the naturally formed cracks between caves. They widened these narrow passages and reinforced the caves to build a huge dungeon.
So when you really go deep into the dungeon, you will asionally encounter a very open space, and this is one of them.
Rhys raised his wand and stepped into the cave in front of him with the stone beast and the basilisk, and then he felt shocked from the bottom of his heart.
A/N: They weren''t the big stone guardians we saw in the movie but other smaller statues.
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56- Ravenclaw? …Ravenclaw!
56- Ravenw? Ravenw!
Rhys had a very colorful life, and the scenes that can shock this old grandpa are indeed extremely shocking.
What appeared in front of him was a cavern the size of a Quidditch pitch, filled with gray mist that asionally twisted and formed into dark creatures or magical beasts, rushing towards the center of the cave.
Dragons, giants, thunderbirds, goblins...
Rhys initially thought the Ash Monster or the Ashen Demon was nothing extraordinary based on the intensity of their earlier battle. However, upon entering this vast space, he realized he was gravely mistaken. The Ashen Demon hadn''t even been focusing on him before; it hadn''t used even a tenth of its power. Its full attention was here, attempting to crush the monster in the center of the cavern.
But things weren''t going as the Ashen Demon wished. Those powerful creatures made of ash were torn to shreds by several wind des before they could even get close to the center of the cave.
The one who released the windde was a mummy standing in the middle of the cave. The mummy was covered with a tattered blue robe. From the sparse hair remaining on the top of the corpse and the essories on the robe, it was easy to tell that this was a witch''s remains.
Next to the mummy, stood a haggard ghost of a witch. Unlike the other ghosts of the castle, this ghost''s body was much more solid, as if she was alive. The essories on her robe were exactly the same as those on the mummified corpse next to her.
It was this ghost that had shocked Rhysdespite her ghostly state, Rhys recognized her at a nce. "...Rowena.."
It was Rowena Ravenw.
Rhys''s arrival caught Ravenw''s ghost''s attention. While she continued to manipte the wind des, forcing the Ashen Demon into retreat, she looked up towards where Rhys was standing.
As she raised her head, her crimson eyes were revealed, eyes that had once been so familiar to Rhys but now seemed utterly foreign.
Only the instinctive emotions of beasts remained in the once smart and gentle eyes - bloodthirsty, madness, violence...
The moment Rhys saw those eyes, he didn''t hesitate.
He turned,
And ran.
He knew very well that something was wrong with Ravenw after she turned into a ghost. She had lost her mind, but her strength was still there. If he stays here any longer, he will really be killed by her.
Even if Ravenw loses her most powerful weapon, wisdom, and is left with only Gryffindor-like brute strength, it is not something that Rhys, who is only eleven years old in physical form, can handle.
Rhys left decisively, but his brief appearance still caught Ravenw''s ghost''s attention.
The ghost stopped her battle with the Ashen Demon andmanded Ravenw''s mummified corpse to raise its wand and spin in a circle, summoning a violent tornado within the cavern. The tornado obliterated the Ashen Demon''s protective gray mist, exposing a core that looked like a transparent ss ball.
A wind de struck the core, leaving a crack.
The injured Ashen Demon went berserk, desperately trying to gather the remaining ashes to rebuild its defense around the core. However, the earlier storm had scattered the ashespletely. Despite its efforts, it could only form a thinyer of ash around the core.
Given time, it could have regained its formidable presence, but Ravenw''s ghost didn''t give it that chance. Continuous wind des struck the core, shattering it. With the core destroyed, the powerful Ashen Demon was annihted. Its remnants might take millennia to recover.
The poor creature had the misfortune of encountering Ravenw, who excelled in wind magic. If it had faced Rhys instead, its fate might not have been so grim.
Rhys heard the roar of the wind behind him. He bit his lip and ran even faster.
From the sounds behind him, it was clear that the gap in power between Ravenw''s ghost and her living self wasn''t significant. Rhys felt a deep gratitude towards the Ashen Demon; without it buying him some time, he wouldn''t have escaped.
Ravenw''s ghost floated out of the cave, her crimson eyes fixed on the direction Rhys had fled. Compared to the ghost, the movements of the mummy were much slower. It took several seconds after the ghost floated out for the mummy to reach her side with stiff steps.
Under the ghost''s control, the mummy slowly raised its wand, and in the next moment, dozens of wind des swept down the corridor.
After sending her "greeting" to her old friend, Ravenw''s ghost seemed to feel that this gift was too meager for a friend she hadn''t seen in a thousand years.
Just as she was about to send another wave of wind des at Rhys, the ground of the corridor heaved.
The ground suddenly surged, and a huge mouth emerged from the feet of Ravenw''s mummy, swallowing it instantly.
The sudden attack by the unknown creature disrupted the ghost''s ns. She shifted her target,manding the mummy to cast spells from within the creature''s stomach. By the time she dealt with the creature and emerged from its belly, Rhys had already run out of her attack range.
However, the "gift" from his old friend still gave Rhys quite a "surprise," making him feel Ravenw''s passionate wee.
When the wind des were still nearly a hundred meters away, Rhys sensed something was amiss.
Familiar with Rowena''s magic, Rhys knew running was pointless. He stopped and had the stone beasts line up in front of him, quickly casting protective spells.
Compared to Daphne, Rhys''s protective spells were much more robust. If Daphne''s spell was a shield, then Rhys''s was a wall.
Looking at the stone beasts and the seemingly thick protective spell in front of him, Rhys frowned and silently brought the basilisk in front of him for additional protection.
Having made these preparations, the wind des howled toward him, leaving deep gouges on the corridor walls, floor, and ceiling. The stone beasts were swept into the storm created by the wind des, instantly shattered into pieces. The wind des, mixed with the debris, crashed into Rhys''s magical barrier like a tsunami hitting a seawall.
Rhys took a deep breath and channeled as much magic as he could into the barrier.
After a brief stalemate, Rhys''s protective spell shattered. However, the windde storm was also exhausted, leaving only numerous small andrge cuts on the basilisk. Rhys himself was only lightly injured, with a few small cuts on his arms.
"Ok, Ok~ Everything is all rightOuch!"
The basilisk, in pain, let out a series of hisses, its tail thrashing wildly and striked Rhys in the chest, making him see stars. He estimated that at least two of his ribs were broken.
Ironically, the most severe injury Rhys suffered in this attack was caused by the basilisk.
_______
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57- Ravenclaw’s Prison
57- Ravenws Prison
Under the stimulus of pain, the basilisk became less obedient. Rhys had to give severalmands before it calmed down.
After soothing the basilisk, Rhys didn''t take time to treat its or his own wounds. Instead, he continued to retreat towards the surface.
Knowing Rowena as well as he did, Rhys was certain that she would not let her target escape this easily and would strike again. The second or third waves of attacks were likely on their way.
Without the stone beasts to buffer the blows, Rhys would have to use magic that would severely damage both his body and soul to block the attacks. He could always find a way to break through, but he wouldn''t be able to protect the basilisk.
It was only at this moment that Rhys understood the source of the "ill omen" his tea leaf reading had predicted. A crazy Rowena Ravenw was indeed a lethal threat to him in an 11-year-old body.
However, after running for a while with his injuries, the anticipated second wave of attacks never came.
Had she changed after bing a ghost, or was she dyed by something? Rhys leaned towards thetter.
That was fortunate.
He silently thanked the unknown dark creature for its sacrifice. Otherwise, facing off against Rowena Ravenw, who was nearly at the peak of her magical prowess, would have been a death sentence.
Having shaken off Ravenw''s ghost, Rhys had time to carefully review the recent events.
As he treated the basilisk''s wounds, extracting the embedded stones, he analyzed the information he had gathered.
Seeing Ravenw''s ghost, Rhys finally understood why the seal in the dungeon hadn''t deteriorated significantly over the past thousand years: Rowena had been guarding it from within. Periodically, she would clear out the powerful dark creatures that escaped confinement, like cutting down overgrown weeds.
Even death couldn''t stop her in preventing any creatures from breaking through the seal.
Judging by her current state, she didn''t show any signs of exhaustion. This dynamic equilibrium within the seal was likely to continue: dark creatures would proliferate, Ravenw would suppress them, and the dark creatures would then lie dormant to regain their strength...
Before her death, Rowena must have performed some special treatment on her body and voluntarily gave up the possibility of rebirth, bing a ghost instead.
Unlike other ghosts, Rowena Ravenw could stillmand her physical body to fight, retaining herbat prowess from when she was alive.
Unfortunately, her body now looked like a rotten mummy and the frequent and prolonged contact with these evil beings had inevitably tainted her soul, ultimately transforming her into that terrifying form.
"You have been performing your duties for 1000 years huh... Making this ce your own prison..."
Thinking about it, Rhys felt a heavy weight settle in his heart.
He hadn''t expected that the one among the original four who most cherished freedom would end up choosing to stay within the seal, silently guarding it and enduring a thousand years of confinement.
Rhys felt that he should do something for Rowena.
"Rowena, just hold on a little longer. I will definitely find a way to help you escape this wretched state," Rhys resolved. However, before taking action, he needed to make the necessary preparations.
Although not as skilled as Helga, Rhys had some knowledge of healing magic.he easily mended his own broken ribs and then started treating the Basilisk.
But he encountered trouble when it came to stitching up the wounds. As soon as he sewed them up, they would split open again, thanks to the remnants of Rowena''s magic lingering in the wounds. This added a lot of work to Rhys''s healing efforts: he first had to carefully eliminate Rowena''s residual magic with his own, then use magic to stitch the wounds back together.
A few hourster, Rhys finally finished treating the basilisk''s injuries. Given the basilisk''s resilient vitality, these superficial wounds would heal in a few days of rest in the Chamber of Secrets.
Rhys led the basilisk out of the seal, letting it return to the Chamber on its own, while he, after a night of toil, returned to his dormitory in Slytherin House.
Lying down on his bed, feeling the soft mattress beneath him, Rhys felt all his fatigue being absorbed by the bed. A smile crept onto his face as he drifted into a dream.
In his dream, he saw his old friends again. Godric sincerely apologized to him, Helga prepared avish feast for him, and Rowena enthusiastically discussed the strange and wonderful spells she had invented during his absence from the school...
The next day, despite the professors'' efforts to contain the news, word got out about the troll that had been killed after infiltrating the school, sparking intense discussion among the students.
Theories and spections abounded.
Some believed the professors had taken action, while others thought there might be some defensive mechanisms hidden within the castle. The more oundish theories credited the castle''s "spirit," iming that the "soul" of Hogwarts had killed the intruder.
Eventually, the Halloween Eve incident gradually faded from the conversation, and the students'' attention shifted from the troll to the uing Quidditch match.
As November arrived, the weather turned exceptionally cold.
The mountains surrounding the school were nketed in snow, and a thickyer of ice formed over the surface of the ck Lake.
The fish in theke began to frequently gather outside the windows of the Slytherinmon room, seeking the warmth there.
Some curious young wizards spected that the plump fish might attract the merpeople from theke, allowing them a rare sight. However, they were disappointed; no matter how dense the fish shoals were, neither the mermen nor the mermaids appeared, as if they didn''t exist at all.
Someone, whose identity remained unknown, sent Harry Potter thetest model of the Nimbus 2000. This instantly made him a sensation in the school.
The Nimbus 2000 was akin to a supercar in the non-magical world, and many people were green with envy over Harry receiving such a gift.
However, the school''s buzz had little to do with Rhys. These days, he was busy brewing potions. He had sent a letter to Lupet in Diagon Alley,missioning her to purchase arge number of potion ingredientsthanks to a generous donation from young Malfoy.
Using the materials sent by Lupet, Rhys was concocting a series of potions soplex that merely exining the steps could give one a headache. Rhys believed that his potions would be able to cleanse Rowena of her taint, even in her ghostly form.
Moreover, if this potion worked on Rowena, it might also cure Daphne''s sister of her illness.
Astoria Greengrass''s curse bore some resemnce to Rowena''s affliction; both involved the soul being tainted by darkness. The differencey in Rowena''s ghostly form and stronger soul, allowing for more aggressive treatment, whereas Astoria required a gentler approach.
However, Rhys still had a long way to go before his potion wasplete, as he was missing a few rare ingredients.
Time slowly passed, and the year''s first Quidditch match quietly approached.
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58- Magical Waves in Quidditch Match
58- Magical Waves in Quidditch Match
"Gryffindor versus Slytherin?" Rhys put aside the maple cake in his hand. Daphne''s words sessfully aroused his interest.
Daphne looked at him like she''d seen a ghost.
"Did you just hear about this?! Everyone has been talking about this game for a long time!"
"Uh..." Rhys has been very busy recently. He listens to lectures during the day and goes to the secret room to prepare potions at night. He also teaches Daphne on the weekends.
He was excited to see Professor Quirrell''s Defense Against the Dark Arts but..
It would be nice if Professor Quirrell who taught the ss was really as good as he appeared to be in his stories of defeating a vampire or aiding the prince, but unfortunately, he wasn''t.
Rhys was very sure that Quirrell was pretending to be a weakling fool in front of the world, as Rhys detected some dark aura concealed in his turban.
However, there is one thing to say, Quirrell''s teaching in this ss is really bad! What makes Rhys even more dissatisfied is that Quirrell is not a bad teacher, he deliberately messes up. The attitude problem is more hateful than the ability problem!
In Rhys'' view, with a teacher like Quirrell teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, how could the young wizards be able to defend against the Dark Arts?
However, judging from the looks of the students, it seemed that they didn''t have much objection to a bastard like Professor Quirrell.
This also made Rhys sigh secretly: The environment was still toofortable. A thousand years ago, such a teacher would be kicked out of the castle by none other than the students.
Because students at that time were very concerned about whether they could learn useful magic from school that could help them settle down and their decision would be supported by the headmaster.
Today''s students only care about whether the professor gives a lot of homework and whether it is difficult to pass the exam.
This is a sign of peace in the wizarding world and a sad fact.
But it will pass if you endure it for a while. After all, a person like Quirrell who is carrying a secret will most likely not stay at Hogwarts for a long time.
In addition, because of the jinx that Rhys thinks is a bit outrageous, he believes that the school will rece him with a new one next year.
I hope they appoint a reliable Defense Against the Dark Arts professor next year!
Based on Quirrell''s various abnormal behaviors, Rhys determined that he should be plotting what Dumbledore had hidden in the corridor on the third floor. He was also a little curious about this and decided to go find out after he was done with the things at hand.
"....I said, you should at least pay attention to the recent major events in the school." Daphne also wanted toin about Rhys''s state of being "blind to the outside world."
Fortunately, she is here to share thetest gossip with Rhys!
Daphne, who felt that she had yed a positive role, raised her chin proudly and told Rhys that she had heard that Potter had be the Seeker of the Gryffindor team.
Gryffindor House obviously wanted to use Harry as their secret weapon. Wood decided to keep Harry''s participation strictly secret, but the news that Harry was going to be the Seeker still leaked out. And in the end, Slytherin house knew everything they shouldn''t know.
Rhys: "Oh."
Isn''t this quite normal? Potter flew very well that day, and it was reasonable for him to be selected for the Quidditch team. But why wasn''t Malfoy chosen for the Slytherin team? Is it because the team''s current seeker is better?
The point to note here is that Rhys had just invented the game and it wasn''t popr before he left the school.
Seeing Rhys who didn''t understand the essence of the news at all, Daphne felt as if she had been punched in the stomach.
"This is the youngest Seeker in a century!" she said through gritted teeth.
"A century, so there were seekers like him or even younger than him a hundred years ago, right? Is this something worth making a fuss about?" For Rhys, one appears every century, so Hogwarts has produced more than ten in history, which is not unusual at all.
Daphne froze.
When most people discuss this topic, they will marvel at the fact that Harry has be "the youngest Seeker in a century." Only Rhys is different and puts forward such a point of view. Thinking about it this way, it seems that Harry being recruited into the Gryffindor team is not a big deal.
"So where is Gryffindor''s original Seeker?"
After learning that the previous Seeker, Charlie Weasley, had graduated and the team''s Seeker position was temporarily vacant, Rhys showed a "Sure enough" expression.
Harry''s ability to make the team mainly depends on being in the right ce at the right time and with the right people. When the opportunityes, he will go up. If his and Malfoy''s situations were reversed, Draco Malfoy would also be the youngest Seeker in a century.
A person''s destiny, of course, depends on self-struggle, but the process of history must also be taken into consideration.
Daphne was silent.
Prefect Gemma heard the conversation between the two and was inspired. She analyzed the game situation with the juniors with a smile.
"This match is a guaranteed win for our house," said Gemma, with a wide smile.
"Slytherin has three wins while Gryffindor has three losses. Our team''s yers are battle-hardened and nearly perfect in their coordination. That Potter kid just joined the team a few days ago. How could he possibly coordinate with his teammates? Our yers grew up riding broomsticks, whereas many in Gryffindor learned how to fly for the first time when they were eleven years old. Plus, with our superior equipment, I can''t see how we could lose."
After listening to Prefect Gemma''s speech, Rhys couldn''t help but feel happy: Godric, I admit that you are slightly better at ying this kind of sport, but my students are better at flying than your students. This time it''s my turn.
It seems I''ve already won!
"No matter what, it''s always good to beat Gryffindor on the field," Rhys said, feeling quite pleased.
Game day arrived soon, and the stands around the Quidditch pitch were filled with students. Many students even brought their own binocrs to see the game better.
"Here, I have one more." Seeing that Rhys didn''t bring a binocr, Daphne nned to lend him her spare one.
"No need, Eagle Eye Charm is enough."Rhys pointed his wand at his eyes, significantly enhancing his vision. With the charm, he could even read the lips of the Gryffindor students across the pitch.
After the game started, as expected, the Slytherin team had the upper hand and used the Quaffle several times to score.
Just as Rhys was apuding goalkeeper Bletchley for a wonderful save, something unexpected happened - Harry''s broomstick suddenly shook violently, as if the broom was trying to throw him off.
Rhys stopped pping and narrowed his eyes.
He discovered that someone was casting a spell on Potter''s broom!
despicable! The Slytherin team does not need to rely on such underhanded tricks to win. Such dirty methods tarnish the glory of the house.
Rhys immediately started searching for the source of the curse and quickly identified it asing from Professor Quirrell. During this process, he also noticed that Professor Snape was trying to use a counter-charm to stabilize the broom in the sky.
This is the real Slytherin! After giving Snape a thumbs up, Rhys took action without hesitation.
His magic and Quirrell''s spell collided in the air, instantly defeating Quirrell''s curse and restoring stability to the broom. Having learned the lesson from the flying lesson, he restrained the intensity of his spell this time and did not use too much force, but he still defeated his opponent and made the broom stable.
However, as soon as Quirrell''s spell was defeated, it came back again, and this time there was an extremely evil aura attached to the magic power.
Oh? Is he showing his true skills now?
Rhys raised his eyebrows and boldly took action with all his strength. However, just as the two magic powers met, the magic power from Quirrell suddenly disappeared.
The sharp broom was now firmly fixed in the sky.
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59- Professor Snape takes the blame
59- Professor Snape takes the me
Faced with Quirrell''s sudden retreat, Rhys felt a bit puzzled. Why didn''t he continue the attack? Did he give up because he sensed he would surely lose? Or was he afraid of being discovered and thus stopped? Perhaps he realized it was pointless; even if he threw Harry off the broom, it wouldn''t affect the match or Harry''s health significantly? But why is he trying to help Slytherin?
He looked towards Quirrell and then burst outughing. The reason was not asplicated as he thought. Quirrell was knocked down.
The straightforward reason was that Quirrell had been physically defeated by a collision.
The person who knocked Quirrell over was a familiar faceHermione, a first-year from Ravenw. She had also keenly noticed that Harry''s broom was having problems and identified the culprit in the crowd... Severus Snape.
Snape stared closely at Harry in the sky, his expression gloomy, and the way he muttered words looked so much like a viin who was doing bad things that Hermione did not hesitate to regard him as an enemy.
Once she spotted her target, Hermione hurriedly headed towards Snape, intending to expose his viiny in public. Fortunately, as she navigated the crowded stands, she identally knocked over Professor Quirrell, unexpectedly achieving her goal.
Her method was correct, and her algebra was wrong, but the ident led to the correct answer. This was an urate description of Hermione''s actions.
Snape had no idea he had taken the me. All he knew was that Harry''s crisis had been resolved.
He quickly closed his mouth and pretended he hadn''t done anything.
He couldn''t be discovered casting a spell on Potter''s broom.
If it were known that the Head of Slytherin House had cast a spell on the Gryffindor Seeker''s broom during a Quidditch match, especially a Slytherin versus Gryffindor match, it would be an unshakeable scandal. Even though proving his innocence would be easy, but the damage to his reputation would be severe because the students wouldn''t believe it.
Meanwhile, Harry found himself in an awkward predicament in the sky.
Rhys and Snape''s spells stabilized the broom, but theirbined magic had an unexpected effectHarry''s Nimbus 2000 "froze," stuck in the air, and wouldn''t move no matter how Harry tried to control it.
The two culprits, Rhys and Snape, soon realized the situation. Snape''s face darkened, while Rhys couldn''t help but facepalm.
Rhys didn''t attempt to restart Harry''s broom with another spell. He knew the problem was the threepeting spells on a single broomstick, causing it to temporarily fail to receive external signals. The best course of action was to do nothing; in a minute or two, the broom would reset itself.
They had to hope the referee noticed the anomaly and stopped the match.
Where was the referee? Madam Hooch, do something!
At that moment, Madam Hooch''s attention was elsewhere, not noticing Harry''s predicament.
Then, a golden glint shed before Harry''s eyes, making his breath catch. He was certainthat was the Golden Snitch!
Unfortunately, his broom wouldn''t respond, keeping him pinned in ce and unable to move.
The next moment, the Slytherin Seeker zoomed past Harry on his broom, grasping the Snitch tightly in his hand. After catching it, he gave Harry a puzzled look, not understanding why Potter was just floating there, watching.
Harry: !!!
Rhys: "..."
Snape: "..."
Both Rhys and Snape were stunned by the unexpected end to the match.
What could they say? Harry''s luck was indeed unfortunate, as the mishap urred during that brief window of a few minutes.
Snape thought: I was helping him. Without me, Potter would have been thrown off his broom. Isn''t it normal for there to be a bit of an ident during a rescue?
Rhys thought: The reactions of magic are truly fascinating, haha!
Both of them quickly rationalized the situation andfortably basked in the victory.
By the time Hermione reached Snape, the match was over, and she naturally had no evidence against him. Snape, while pping for the Slytherin team, nced down at her.
"Miss Granger, why are you here? If you want to celebrate the victory with Slytherin, you''re wee to join us."
Hermione stared at Snape for a while, then stormed off in a huff.
Although she didn''t have the evidence to expose him now, she silently vowed that she would eventually catch him. She decided to immediately find Rhys and tell him what she had seen.
Harry, surrounded by his teammates,nded back on the ground and handed his Nimbus 2000 to Professor McGonagall, who arrived quickly. She was going to conduct a thorough inspection of the broom.
Thus, the first Quidditch match of the school year came to a rather absurd end.
After the match, Rhys didn''t join the celebratory Slytherin crowd. Instead, he nned to take advantage of the professors being upied with lunch to explore the third-floor corridor and find out exactly what Dumbledore had hidden in the school.
As soon as he stepped out into the corridor, someone blocked Rhys'' path.
"Hey Hermione, is there something you need?"
"Hi Rhys, I have something I must tell you." Hermione looked around to make sure no one else was nearby before lowering her voice.
Rhys motioned for her to go ahead.
Hermione recounted everything she had seen during the Quidditch match.
"Rhys, Snape tried to kill Harry!" She looked anxious. "I need your help to gather evidence."
Rhys sighed: Tsk Tsk. Professor Snape, see what happens when you don''t manage your image well?
He could understand, if he were in her shoes and didn''t know the truth, he would also think of Snape as a viin.
"Hermione, it''s not what you think. Professor Snape is innocent."
And so am I, Rhys silently added in his mind.
"Rhys!" Hermione became agitated when she saw that Rhys didn''t believe her.
"Snape was helping Harry, not harming him. If you don''t believe me, you can ask Professor Flitwick. He can verify the truth for you."
For Professor Flitwick, such an investigation would be a simple matter of casting a spell.
Rhys'' suggestion made Hermione''s eyes light up, but then they dimmed again.
"But I don''t have any evidence..." Reporting a professor without evidence was an extremely dangerous act in Hermione''s mind, so she had instinctively sought out Rhys, whom she considered the most reliable ssmate, hoping he could help gather proof of Snape''s guilt.
"Then write an anonymous letter. Seriously, I can''t believe you didn''t think of that." Rhys was genuinely concerned about the modern little witches and wizards''ck of decisiveness.
He took out a piece of parchment, and with swift, fluid strokes, quickly wrote a letter detailing what Hermione had seen.
After showing it to Hermione to confirm that it urately described the events, Rhys tapped the letter with his wand. The letter transformed into a small paper bird and flew off toward the staff table.
"Professor Flitwick will provide an answer. Snape really is innocent."
___
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60- Dumbledore’s game is well planned
60- Dumbledores game is well nned
The atmosphere at the staff table was quite tense.
Professor McGonagall wore a stern expression, exuding a strong aura of unapproachability.
The other Heads of Houses understood why: Gryffindor''s loss to Slytherin due to external factors had left her very displeased.
At that moment, a small paper bird flew in,nding directly in front of Professor Flitwick. He opened it, and his expression changed immediately.
He handed the parchment to Professor McGonagall, then cleared his throat. "Severus, Minerva, I believe you two need to see what''s written here."
Professor McGonagall took the parchment, and after a quick nce, she narrowed her eyes, throwing the parchment down in front of Snape.
"Severus, don''t you think you owe us an exnation?"
"Yes, I did cast a spell on Potter''s broom." To everyone''s surprise, Snape admitted it after reading the letter.
In fact, if he had just denied it outright, there wasn''t much the other Heads could do.
But if he admitted it...
Professor McGonagall coldly stated that Snape owed them an exnation.
"I was using a spell to protect Potter, ensuring he wouldn''t fall off his broom,nd on his head, and get an excuse to act like a troll in my potions ss. I was battling someone who was cursing the broom. You can check the residual magical traces on the broom; they will attest to my actions." Snape spoke calmly.
Hogwarts professors were different from those little wizards whose heads were full of dung. They couldmunicate and understand themselves.
A simple check of the magical traces left on the broom would reveal the truth.
"Another magic trace in favour of Potter? It seems there was another person protecting him" Flitwick''s focus was slightly different.
"Wasn''t it you? Pomona?"
Professor Sprout, Head of the Hufflepuff house, shook her head.
"This is a bit strange." Snape frowned. ''Whoever saved Harry, could they be rted to the one who killed the troll on Halloween?''
...
Rhys had managed to send Hermione away with a random excuse. He only offered her some advice because she was hardworking and smart, hoping to correct her stereotype of Slytherin House.
After this small incident, Rhys made his way to the third floor of the castle alone.
Pressing his ear against the door, he listened carefully for a few seconds and confirmed that there were somerge creatures behind it.
For this type of guard, Godric would undoubtedly throw open the door and engage in an honorable battle. But Rhys saw no need for that. The noise from the fight could alert others in the castle, exposing his presence. So, Rhys chose a more cunning approach.
He took out a small crystal bottle from his pocket, unplugged it, and a stream of smoke with dreamy and blurred colors escaped from it, and drifted toward the crack of the door Guided by Rhys, and got inside through the crack beneath the door. After about a minute, the breathing behind the door became heavy and evenwhatever creatures inside had fallen asleep. They would remain in a deep, sweet slumber for the next few hours.
This sleep potion, made from the essence of a Dream Demon''s desires, was something Rhys was very confident in.
It could even put a dragon to sleep.
Rhys took out his wand and tapped on the lock of therge door. With a click, the door unlocked.
The torches in the corridor illuminated the hallway beyond.
Upon seeing what was behind the door, Rhys couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow: Dumbledore had really outdone himself by finding such a rare magical creature!
Behind the wooden door was a gigantic three-headed dog!
Even a thousand years ago, this type of magical creature was extremely rare.
Rhys admitted his judgment had been slightly off.
He had sensed three breaths and three distinct magical presences through the door, assuming there were several magical creatures guarding it. It turned out to be one creature with multiple heads.
Judging by its massive body and shiny coat, this three-headed dog was well-cared for, which was quite unusual.
Like the Runespoor, the three-headed dog was notoriously difficult to maintain because each of its three heads had a separate consciousness and would sometimes even attack each other.
To keep this dog in such good condition, its owner must have put in a lot of effort.
Stepping through the door, Rhys closed it behind him, waving his wand to lock it automatically. He didn''t proceed immediately but instead circled around the three-headed dog.
''Hmm, it''s a bit degenerate, not as strong as the ones from before, but still quite effective as a guard.'' Rhys conceded. Even for a wizard of the Head of House caliber, encountering this creature in such a confined space without prior knowledge would be a deadly challenge.
Dumbledore was right, anyone who didn''t want to encounter an unexpected, painful death should indeed stay out of here.
Rhys easily found a trapdoor beneath the dog''s paws. As he opened it, he couldn''t help but remark: ''Too easy, it should be hidden. At least put a Disillusionment Charm on it or something to make it less obvious.''
Casting a levitation charm on himself, Rhys leisurely floated down through the trapdoor.
"Tsk." Seeing the mass of tangled vines below, Rhys clicked his tongue in annoyance.
''Devil''s Snare here, really? Is this supposed to be a shock absorber? What kind of defense mechanism is this?''
The further he went, the deeper his frown became.
He initially thought that the three-headed dog was just the beginning, but it turned out to be the peak of all the defenses. The final obstacle, with its distinctly Snape-esque ir, amused Rhys to no end.
You use a fire-protection potion as the antidote and a diarrhea potion as the poison???
Only first-year wizards and those with a lost sense of smell would be stumped by this barrier, Severus Snape!!!
Rhys couldn''t even take these obstacles seriously.
As he stepped through the fire door, a sudden realization hit him: were these simplistic defenses really intended to prevent theft?
Beyond the fire door was the final room.
Rhys conducted an extremely thorough search, expending considerable effort, only to reach one conclusion: it was empty.
There were no traps, spells, or secret doors; it was empty in the literal sense.
Dumbledore hadn''t set up any mechanisms here, nor had he hidden anything.
Rhys''s exploration of the corridor ended there.
Regarding the security measures behind the door, Rhys''s assessment was: Dumbledore''s obstacle course was quite the fun game.
Indeed, in his opinion, apart from the guard dog, the following barriers were akin to simple puzzle games. Even a regr first-year student, as long as they followed the rules, could safely reach the final stage.
This was very unusual.
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61- Thank you, Dumbledore.
61- Thank you, Dumbledore.
Rhys silently left the secret space beneath the third-floor corridor and returned to themon room of his house.
Leaning back in an armchair, Rhys fell into deep thought.
In Rhys''s view, most of the obstacles seemed deliberately easy. If it were up to him, the lethality could easily be increased tenfold. For instance, instead of cing the Devil''s Snare below the trapdoor, he would rece it with sharpened stakes and line the passage walls with hallucinogenic magical nts.
The hundreds of flying keys would be enchanted to attack intruders on sight, with the correct key not mixed among them but carried by the person who designed the barrier.
Simrly, the giant wizard chess pieces should attack intruders instead of ying by the rules. Why negotiate with a thief, right?
Rhys easily thought of several improvements that would significantly increase the difficulty of protecting that mysterious item. He couldn''t believe Professor Dumbledore wouldn''t think of them.
Combined with the empty room at the end of the level, the answer is obvious.
Dumbledore likely never hid that item in the secret room beneath the third-floor corridor. He probably carried it with him. Those puzzle-like obstacles seemed more like a game maze for the children to y. If Dumbledore truly believed these shy obstacles could stop intruders, Rhys would seriously consider whether he had dementia.
A game for children... a test for the students!
Rhys''s thoughts suddenly paused on this idea.
If we follow this conjecture, the levels in the secret space are very reasonable. Moreover, if we think about it carefully, the design of this secret space is really good, with moderate difficulty and guaranteed safety. It is very suitable for children to y a game of courage.
Dumbledore may have other purposes. After all, it is very time-consuming andborious to build such a space. Rhys thinks it is probably used to catch "fish".
''Which child does Dumbledore want to cultivate after spending so much effort? ''As soon as this thought came up, Rhys had the answer.
The Boy Who Lived, the savior of the wizarding world, Gryffindor''s rising starwho else could be more suitable?
Rhys put himself in Dumbledore''s shoes and gradually dispelled the fog obscuring the truth.
Dumbledore first made people with ulterior motives believe that he had hidden a treasure in the school, and then designed a bunch of puzzle levels for this treasure - the difficulty was just suitable for first-year wizards. The three-headed dog at the entrance was intended to keep the viins at bay, preventing them from seeing the mechanisms below the trapdoor prematurely, which would ruin Dumbledore''s nurturing game.
As for the suspicious viin, it''s most likely Mr. Quirrell.
Rhys felt that with his current state and frequency of contact with Quirrell, he could sense something was off. How could Dumbledore, who sat at the same table with Quirrell every day, not notice?
Rhys didn''t believe Dumbledore was in the dark.
Dumbledore''s next move might be to gradually guide Harry into discovering the item hidden in the school, uncover Quirrell''s plot, and at the crucial moment, allow Quirrell to breach the defenses of the three-headed dog, officially beginning Harry''s trial.
Regarding safety, Rhys spected Dumbledore had likely already made arrangements.
The information Rhys had gathered painted a picture of Dumbledore''s n.
Seeing through all this, Rhys couldn''t help but feel a bit sentimental: the old man really knew how to y the game from the shadows! It''ll be like a reasoning test for Harry to develop decisiveness and confidence.
"Why didn''t I see you in the dining hall just now?" As Rhys was contemting these thoughts, Daphne appeared before him with a small bag of food.
"I had something to do." Rhys narrowed his eyes at Daphne as she sat down opposite him.
"What kind of thing?"
"Secret."
"Oh, then I guess I''ll just eat this finger millet myself."
"Huh?!"
After the two chatted and fooled around for a while, Rhys gradually began to guide the topic in the direction he desired.
"So, what do you think is hidden behind the third-floor corridor?"
"I don''t know. It should be something dangerous."
"I know~"
Daphne''s eyes sparkled with curiosity. "So you went exploring just now? And you didn''t take me with you!"
''There have been plenty of explorations without you. Not every adventure is suitable for children.''
Rhys smiled. "That''s right. Since you know what I just did, does that mean I can"
"In your dreams!" Daphne quickly grabbed the remaining finger millets for herself. "Tell me what you found in there first."
Rhys described to Daphne the three-headed dog he had seen behind the door.
"Behind the door is a very rare three-headed dog!" Rhys said, almost boasting.
A three-headed dog... Daphne chewed over the news Rhys brought, then frowned. Why would Dumbledore and the school professors keep a three-headed dog in a corridor room on the third floor?
Following this line of thought, Daphne came to a conclusion: Professor Dumbledore must have hidden something in the corridor on the fourth floor and ced a three-headed dog to guard it.
Her curiosity was piqued.
"Is it just the three-headed dog?"
"I didn''t really check. I just satisfied my curiosity and then left," Rhys said, a statement that fits perfectly with the image Daphne had of him.
"Hey, wait, three-headed dogs are very dangerous magical animals. You--" Daphne remembered something, but she closed her mouth halfway. In her opinion, even if there is a dragon behind the door, a wizard like Rhys can escape unscathed.
"It''s this, a ''calming'' potion" Rhys showed her the bottle of desire potion. "Just one breath of this, and even a three-headed dog would fall into a beautiful sleep."
Daphne looked at the potion, thoughtful, but too embarrassed to ask directly.
"Can... I mean, um, can this potion be used on people?"
Rhys looked at her.
Daphne quickly added, "My sister often has nightmares at night. If this potion can help her sleep..."
Rhys shook his head. "This potion is too strong. It''s hard to control the dosage for humans. If you need, I can make a suitable calming potion for Astoria."
"Thank you." Daphne closed her mouth embarrassedly.
Her sister indeed had suitable calming potions at home. Daphne, knowing she couldn''t handle a three-headed dog, simply wanted to get her hands on Rhys''s potion.
The girl wanted to find out what the three-headed dog was guarding very much. If she knew something Rhys didn''t, he wouldn''t look down on her, right? In future adventures, she surely wouldn''t be left behind!
Rhys saw all of Daphne''s expressions clearly. He took arge gulp of pumpkin juice, using the cup to hide his slightly upturned mouth.
Now he has an obstacle course for his little student.
Dumbledore, thank you, Rhys offered his heartfelt thanks to Dumbledore.
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62- Meteor Shower
62- Meteor Shower
After mentioning the corridor on the third floor and the three-headed dog inside that day, Rhys never took the initiative to bring up the topic again.
Daphne didn''t mention it again either, but she began paying attention to books and materials about three-headed dogs while studying in the library.
Hermione was of great help in this regardthe young girl spent almost all her free time in the library, making her more familiar with it than most graduates.
"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, this book definitely has records on three-headed dogs, and Magical Creatures and nts of the Mediterranean Coast also mentions themthey are magical creatures native to Greece."
"Thank you!" Daphne said with genuine gratitude.
"So why are you suddenly interested in looking up information about three-headed dogs?"
"My family wants to raise one," Daphne lied as naturally as she breathed.
Hermione fell silent.
In her understanding as a muggle born, three-headed dogs are the creatures used to guard the gates of hell. But thinking of those Middle Eastern tycoons who kept lions and leopards as pets, she found it understandable.
The rich among Muggles raise lions, and the rich among wizards raise three-headed dogs. This is reasonable.
The young girl wisely refrained from asking if this was against wizardingws.
Watching Hermione, who was sitting at a nearby table with a stack of books, Rhys remarked, "She really is diligent. I feel like the chances of finding her in the Ravenw tower are much lower than running into her in the library."
This remark seemed to spur Daphne into action, and she stubbornly studied until the library closed.
Watching her, Rhys mused that while educational books often suggest using encouragement, asionally praising a child''s peers can also have a remarkable effect.
As he stepped out of the library, a snowke carried by the cold windnded on Rhys''s hand. Feeling the chill in his palm, he realized that winter had arrived.
With winter came Christmas and the eagerly anticipated Christmas holidays for the young wizards.
Rhys was also looking forward to Christmas. Although Christmas is not like the Halloween it''s still a holiday that; what mattered were the festive atmosphere and the break. If Hogwarts celebrated Holi, Eid, or Lunar New Year and gave holidays for them, Rhys would be just as excited for their arrival.
The biting cold wind arrived even before the Christmas holidays. Although the castle was filled with roaring fires, the corridors were still cold enough to chill one to the bone.
Almost constantly, the wind would rattle the windowpanes.
Surprisingly, the worst ssroom environment wasn''t in the dungeons where Potions ss was heldthere, at least, the heat from the cauldrons provided some warmth.
The most dreaded ss during the winter was Astronomy. Students had to climb the Astronomy Tower at night, exposed to the freezing wind, to observe the stars.
This session couldn''t be canceled due to the weather because the Geminid meteor shower, one of the three major meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere, urred in mid-December.
ording to Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher, "Even if you have to go to Madam Pomfrey for a potion after ss, you can''t miss this meteor shower."
"I wonder what the founders were thinking, choosing to build the castle in this wretched ce."
Rhys nced at the Hufflepuff boy named Justin Finch-Fletchley.
What, you got a problem?
"This is already one of the best spots in the Scottish Hignds. If you prefer a more pleasant climate, like Beauxbatons, you can ask Professor Dumbledore to write you a transfer letter," Rhys retorted as he assembled his telescope, giving the cheeky young wizard a piece of his mind.
The environment at Hogwarts was actually quite favorable. Further north, it was even colder.
His friend, Nerida Vulchanova, had founded Durmstrang Institute in the icy Nordic region of Scandinavia, where it was as cold as this for three-quarters of the year.
''I wonder how Durmstrang is doing right now.''
The school strictly followed his principles for admissions and focused heavily on martial magic, and Rhys sincerely wished it well.
Despite his sharp words, Rhys conjured a small basin of magical fire, making the surrounding area a bit warmer.
"Oh, it''s just that I am not good at French. What proper Englishman would bother with French anyway?" Justin wasn''t upset at all. Seeing the fire Rhys had conjured, he happily brought his telescope over to warm himself.
"You learned French?" Daphne asked, slightly surprised that this seemingly ordinary person had such a skill.
"I learned a little when I was a kid, just enough to say ''hello,'' ''thank you,'' ''croissant,'' ''goodbye,'' and things like that," Justin replied with an embarrassed smile.
"That''s quite impressive."
"I only know Latin."
As they chatted, the meteor shower began. Hundreds of stars streaked across the night sky, as if the north wind had blown them down from the heavens. The phrase "stars falling like rain" became a reality in that moment.
"It''s said that the origin of magices from the stars. A few stone tablets fell with a meteor shower in the Nile region of North Africa, giving ancient Egypt the first wizards in human history. The splendid and prosperous ancient Egyptian civilization was born from this. The night sky truly holds infinite secrets and possibilities," Rhys remarked, deeply moved as he watched the meteor shower, unchanged from a thousand years ago.
A thousand years ago, he and his friends had stood there gazing at the night sky, the brilliant starlight reflecting on their faces.
Now, returning to the same spot, his friends were nowhere to be found, leaving only the meteors to traverse the cold, empty sky....
"Hmm. Rhys, are you going home for Christmas this year?" Daphne interrupted Rhys''s thoughts. The legend about the origin of magic hadn''t captured her attention. She was more interested in knowing whether Rhys would be going home this year.
"No, I''m staying."
"Great!"
"Hm?"
...
A few dayster, when Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall beganpiling the list of students staying at the school over the holiday, Rhys was surprised to see Daphne''s name on it.
"Why aren''t you going home for Christmas?"
"Going home means being dragged around by my dad to meet all sorts of random rtives like a puppet. I''d rather stay at school and learn magic. Come on, think of some spells you can teach me over Christmas!" Daphne dered.
Rhys had no objections to a student eager to learn.
He had an abundance of spells to share. Daphne had already mastered her control over magic and had practiced the most basic offensive and defensive spells to a proficient level.
Rhys thought it was time to teach her some potion recipes and let her practice potion-making.
After all, she was a Slytherin student; it wouldn''t do for her not to excel at potion-making.
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63- Christmas Gift
63- Christmas Gift
During Christmas, there are fewer students in the school, which makes it much easier to grab the best seats by the firece.
With his back to the firece, Rhys prepared Christmas gifts for the little witches and wizards he had met and gotten to know over the past few months.
At Hogwarts, you only need to put the gifts in themon room before going to bed at night, write the name of the recipient on it, and the recipient will receive the gift the next morning. It is much more convenient than the Muggle world.
The next morning, when Rhys woke up, he saw a small pile of gifts piled outside the bed curtains.
"Gifts, it''s been so long since I''ve received any. Let''s see what we have here," Rhys said, drawing back the bed curtains and sitting on the edge of his bed to open the presents.
Gift-giving is an art, and Rhys had put considerable thought into his gifts.
First was Lupet. For the first witch he met upon awakening, Rhys prepared a pot of sunflowers. These flowers resembled sunflowers but emitted a faint sunlight after blooming, perfect for nighttime illumination. More importantly, ording to legend, sunflowers could lessen the pain werewolves experienced during their transformations on full moon nights. Though Lupet no longer had to bear this curse, having a pot of these flowers in her room would certainly lift her spirits.
Of course, Daphne was also on his list. He prepared a pure silver ne for her. The pendant was shaped like a snake, coiled into the shape of the letter "G," representing the Greengrass family name, with two emeralds set into the snake''s eyes.
While wearing a pure silver ne might seem beneath the status of a Greengrass, the ne Rhys gave was no ordinary piece of jewelry.
It contained three carefully prepared spells for Daphne: two could be triggered multiple times and one, a passive spell, could be used only once.
The actively triggered spells on the ne could cast an attack or deploy a defensive barrier once a day.
The passive spell was more sophisticated; when triggered, it would create a shield that absorbed and reflected spells back to the attacker. However, due to the ne''s ordinary material, even one use of this high-level spell would cause the ne to break apart, and Rhys would be notified.
This ne was an alchemical tool Rhys prepared for Daphne, ensuring she wouldn''t meet an untimely end while growing up.
This kind of thoughtful gift was a tradition dating back to the founding of Hogwarts, with the other founders asionally giving simr gifts to their favored students.
For Hermione, Rhyspiled his notes and reflections from the past few months into a booklet and gave it to her. He believed the studious young witch would appreciate it and hoped she would gain some insights from it.
Rhys also prepared gifts for other familiar young wizards like Neville, even though they didn''t interact much. The goal was to be thorough and considerate.
Christmas morning was the time for opening presents.
After unwrapping the gifts in the corner and taking stock, Rhys found he had received a few greeting cards and some candy, gifts from less familiar friends. Neville''s gift was simple but interestinga bag of herbs meant to hang by the bed to repel mosquitoes.
Hermione''s gift was arge box containing a manual water flosser set, useful for removing que. There was also a box of sugar-free lollipops, a new product from America that Mr. Granger had obtained, said to prevent cavities.
Daphne''s gift particrly delighted Rhys. She had given him a palm-sized silver snake sculpture! The craftsmanship was excellent, making it look almost lifelike. The details indicated it was hand-carved, not magically shaped, and Rhys grew more fond of it the more he looked at it.
Lupet''s package was bulky. When Rhys opened it, he found a hand-knitted scarf with a silver-green base. It featured a wolf''s head design, with arge snake emerging from the wolf''s mouth.
As Rhys stepped out of his dormitory, he noticed Daphne wearing the ne he had given her.
"Good Morning and Thank you for the ne!???????????"
"And your snake sculpture is beautiful."
"By the way, your ne has two special functions," Rhys added, exining the two actively triggered spells embedded in the ne.
(Ѧء`)
Daphne covered her mouth in surprise.
"This is too valuable. I can''t"
"Shh, it''s no big deal."
Rhys waved his hand dismissively, indicating it was of no consequence. The ne''s materials were inexpensive, and the effort involved was minor in his eyes.
He thought back to Helga''s extravagant gifts to her favored students. Her alchemical gear could grant wearers incredible defensive and evasive abilities, making them nearly impossible to catch even for other founders.
''Inparison, the equipment I gave is really nothing.''
When the two came to the great hall together, the Christmas dinner was already on the table.
Hundreds of plump roast turkeys, mountains of roast meats and boiled potatoes, heaps of delicious little sausages, bowls of buttered peas, and tes of rich gravies and jams adorned the tables.
Alongside the food were heaps of wizard crackers. Rhys and Daphne drew a lottery firecracker together, and a hat decorated with flowers and a brand new set of wizard chess exploded from it.
Gryffindor had the most students staying over the holidays, with Harry, Ron, and three of Ron''s brothers all present.
After the meal, Rhys found a sheltered corner on the first-floor corridor, watching Harry and the others having a snowball fight in the courtyard.
He couldn''t help butugh when he saw Ron''s twin brothers charming snowballs to chase after Professor Quirrell.
''Quirrell, this is what you deserve. People with ulterior motives deserve this fate, being a professor at Hogwarts and not taking the teaching job seriously!!''
He made a fist-sized solid snowball with the snow by the window, and then controlled it to hit Quirrell''s turban hard, making him stagger. "Ah! Oh, c-children ying s-snow b-ball, g-good good!"
"Great shot!" cheers echoed from the courtyard, and Rhysughed gleefully.
''Consider this a bit of interest, Quirrell.''
Rhys had no mercy for someone harboring ill intentions towards Hogwarts. He hadn''t taken more direct action yet, primarily out of consideration for Dumbledore''s developmental n.
He thought this kind of teaching project was excellent and believed his own student should participateconsider it a cross-house coboration between Gryffindor and Slytherin.
While Rhys amused himself with Quirrell, Daphne seemed troubled.
He had given her such a valuable ne, and she had been continuously epting his gifts and kindness without reciprocating.
This imbnce didn''t sit well with her.
Feeling increasinglypelled to help Rhys, she finally couldn''t hold back and asked,
"Rhys, is there something I can help you with?"
______
End of Chapter!
______
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64- Daphne was implicated
64- Daphne was implicated
"Hmm?" Rhys withdrew his gaze from the yground and looked at Daphne.
The little witch was wearing a thick winter cloak, a silver-green scarf around her neck, her face flushed, and aplex look shing in her eyes, as if she owed him a lot of favors and a lot of money.
"I mean, we are friends, right? But I feel like I have been asking for benefits from you unterally, whether it''s magic, medicine for my sister, or that ne - I-I''m wondering what I can do to help you?"
Rhysughed dumbly.
Does he need help?
Indeed.
He wanted to dispel the pollution attached to Rowena Ravenw''s soul, he wanted to know the whereabouts of Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff, he wanted to suppress those dark creatures, let Hogwarts and the wizarding world survive well, he wanted to reverse the reputation of the Slytherin House...
He wanted to do too many things, but how could a young witch like Daphne, who had just entered school, help with these things?
"Helping me with my homework assignments is enough." After thinking about it, he felt that this was the most reliable favor.
As for Daphne''s thoughts, he also roughly understood that the child was well-educated, even though sometimes childish - as a child should be - she had a sense of shame, and knew how to repay a favor, which was a good thing.
However, the ne was a gift from him as a teacher and friend, and Astoria''s medical materials were bought from him by her father with real money.
He taught her magic just because he couldn''t bear to waste her talent - her family background also yed a veryrge role.
Rhys had a natural affinity for hardworking and diligent students, but he wasn''t as invested in Hermione as he was in Daphne. This was something deeply ingrained in him; he found it difficult topletely trust Muggle-born witches and wizards, though he wouldn''t go as far as the pure-blood families with their obsessive discrimination.
Moreover, when Daphnepleted her studies, she was expected to contribute to Hogwarts, Slytherin, and the magical world atrge. Magic wasn''t learned without purpose.
Listening to Rhys, Daphne rolled her eyes.
"I''m already helping you by writing your papers! Do you think those History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts essays grow on trees? Pick something else."
Daphne''s words sparked a twinge of guilt in Rhys. How old was he, making a young girl write his assignments?
But writing those pointless things was a waste of life!
"Daphne, for subjects like this... next time, have someone else write your papers too. You''re different from them; don''t waste your time on these useless assignments," Rhys decided.
Assignments were important, but not every subject held equal weight.
Daphne was stunned and nodded instinctively.
She hadn''t thought of that. Having seniors write her papers? It made senseshe also felt that writing History of Magic assignments was a huge waste of time.
But she put the assignment issue aside; there was something more important!
Seeing Daphne''s persistence, Rhys felt a headacheing on. Fortunately, he had a sudden sh of inspiration, thinking of a brilliant idea that could solve two problems at once.
"Actually, there is something I need your help with."
"Tell me!" Daphne felt a surge of excitement.
"I have a feeling your theory was correct the other day. There''s likely more than just a three-headed dog behind the corridor on the third floor. Can you help me investigate what Professor Dumbledore might be hiding at the school? I really don''t have the time to look into it myself. You know how busy I''ve beentely."
Daphne nodded enthusiastically, her entire demeanor brightening: if she could uncover what Dumbledore was hiding, it would definitely be a huge help to Rhys, right?
However, her good mood didn''t evenst until sunset, as she soon realized a significant challenge in exploring the third-floor corridor: she couldn''t find a way past the three-headed dog!
The books she consulted didn''t document any weaknesses of the creature.
What was she supposed to do?
Frustrated, Daphne considered asking Rhys to teach her how to brew a calming potion, but that seemed absurd! ''Rhys wanted me to explore because he hasn''t got time but asking his help for brewing that potion...''
The thought that she might be useless in helping Rhys without Rhys'' help left Daphne feeling so distressed that she couldn''t sleep.
Late at night, unable to rest, Daphne got out of bed and left her dormitory.
She wasn''t nning to recklessly storm into the three-headed dog''s territory and defeat it with the spells Rhys had taught her and the ne he had given her. She just wanted to take a walk.
After wandering aimlessly for a while, Daphne found herself standing in front of the library.
She blinked, internally mocking herself for visiting the library so frequently.
Just as she was about to turn around and leave, a blood-curdling scream suddenly erupted from within the library.
The sound pierced through the quiet night and was not a brief shriek but a high-pitched, continuous, deafening scream.
Daphne: ?!
What was happening?
She was stunned by the sudden turn of events. The next moment, she had no time to stand there in shock, as she heard the chaotic sounds of footstepsing from both sides of the corridor.
The castle caretaker and the night-watch professors!
The blood drained from Daphne''s face. She regretted deeply that in the three months of learning magic from Rhys, she hadn''t learned his Disillusionment Charm.
With no way out and both ends blocked, Daphne had no choice but to enter the library, hoping to find a hiding spot inside.
She had barely taken a few steps after opening the door when she collided with something.
Daphne: ???
Suddenly, Harry''s head appeared out of thin air. Before Daphne could scream, his entire body materialized.
"Shh!" Harry gestured for silence and then threw a very strange-feeling cloak over her.
Daphne felt like her brain had shut down, but Harry didn''t have time to exin. He mustered unprecedented strength, practically dragging Daphne as they ran.
At the library entrance, they brushed past Filch, whose furious pale eyes looked straight through their bodies.
Harry and Daphne carefully evaded the enraged Filch and ran down the corridor like headless chickens.
Harry''s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Snape''s shadow, spurring him to run even faster.
After a wild dash, the two finally skidded to a halt in front of a locked door at the end of the corridor, gasping for breath.
"Harry... Potter... what are you up to?!" Daphne, having caught her breath, almost shouted in a mix of shock and anger.
"Uh... I opened a book in the library and then..."
Daphne''s eyes went ck. "Why on earth were you messing around with books in the Restricted Section?"
"Curiosity."
Daphne: "..."
She felt a throbbing pain in her temples.
____
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65- Harry is led by the boss
65- Harry is led by the boss
"Books in the restricted area need the professor''s written permission to be opened, otherwise it will trigger the rm. I thought it wasmon sense." Daphne said faintly.
Harry was silent.
Is this reallymon sense? Why has no one ever told me?
Then Harry thought about which ssmates he often yed with, and he was relieved.
Whether it was Ron, Seamus, Fred, or George, they didn''t have the habit of hanging out in the library, so it was normal that they didn''t know somemon sense about the library.
Daphne sighed. She was really tricked by Harry. She actually broke a sweat in winter.
At this time, a low conversation came from a distance.
"Professor, I''m sure someone broke into the restricted area of ??the library just now."
"I know, but it doesn''t matter."
Damn, Filch is chasing him! And judging from the sound, Snape is also with him!
Harry and Daphne''s faces changed at the same time.
Harry subconsciously turned his head and looked at the door and the lock on the door. An idea appeared in his mind.
"ho--"
Daphne was quick to press down his wand.
"Is your head for a decoration?" Daphne felt that she was about to faint from the idiot beside her.
Not to mention whether there would be danger behind the door, what would you do with the door lock after you went in? Filch and Snape would have to be blind to avoid the click sound or the unlocked lock.
"Is your invisibility cloak pay-per-use? Put it on!" She quickly picked up Harry''s invisibility cloak from the ground, and the two of them wrapped the cloak around themselves.
Less than ten seconds after the two put on the cloak, Filch and Professor Snape appeared together.
Filch ran to the locked door in two steps, and said to Snape loudly as if to take credit: "The door lock is intact, professor, don''t worry!"
Daphne and Harry huddled in the corner together, holding their breath, fearing that they would be discovered by the two because of their loud breathing.
Snape looked at the locked door gloomily and nodded.
The three-headed dog behind the door was a very good guard, and even he could not get over it and enter under the trapdoor.
"It seems that I''m overthinking it, but I really think that a spell should be added to the lock, so that once it is opened, it will emit a sharp explosion or something like that. I don''t understand why Professor Dumbledore rejected my proposal."
"He may have his considerations."
The two left.
Harry and Daphne didn''t poke their heads out from the invisibility cloak until the footsteps ofSnape and Filch could no longer be heard. Harry felt that his back was soaked with sweat.
"Fortunately, you didn''t open the door rashly, otherwise we would both be dead." Daphne was d from the bottom of her heart that she stopped Harry''s stupid operation, otherwise they would be locked in a room with the three-headed dog. Compared with the three-headed dog, Snape was not so scary.
Only then did Harry realize that this was the right corridor on the third floor that was forbidden to enter. He and Daphne almost broke the rules set by Dumbledore.
"Yes, Snape will definitely find out." Harry was also a little scared, but fortunately, Daphne was calm enough.
Seeing that Harry seemed to have no idea of ??the seriousness of the problem, Daphne decided to open Harry''s eyes.
"So you''ve never wondered what''s behind that door?"
Harry had no interest at first, but when Daphne asked him this, his heart suddenly itched.
"What is it?"
"Do you want to open the door and take a look?" Daphne felt that with the defensive spell attached to the ne, it was more than enough to block the three-headed dog''s attack. They could take a quick look and then close the door.
Of course, her biggest confidence was that the three-headed dog was the guard here, and the guard would not leave the post at will, so at most the two of them would just run away. Based on the information she found, Daphne was sure that a trained three-headed dog would not rush out of the room to chase them.
Harry swallowed his saliva and admitted that he was tempted.
After the two reached an agreement, Daphne took Harry to the door. Just as she was about to use her wand to unlock the door, she suddenly had an idea.
"Harry, let''s put on the invisibility cloak?" She made a suggestion.
Although Harry didn''t quite understand Daphne''s intention, he still put the invisibility cloak on the two of them out of trust in her.
Daphne put her wand against the keyhole, and a stream of magic flowed out. The lock tongue made a crisp sound and the lock was opened.
The door slowly opened, and the three-headed dog behind the door was instantly alert. Its three big noses twitched quickly, and its six small eyes rolled around, looking at the position where Harry and Daphne were standing.
It felt that someone was standing outside the door, but it could not see the existence of this person. For the first time in its life, the three-headed dog was so confused.
In the end, it remembered the owner''s instructions and decided to stay put and never leave this ce.
Of course, if the smell came close to here, it would attack without hesitation, even if there seemed to be nothing there.
Harry was stunned by the scene in front of him: the three-headed big dog filled all the space from the ceiling to the floor, and the saliva was like a sticky rope, hanging from the yellowed dog teeth and dripping on the ground. Its six eyes stared straight in the direction where they were standing, and its eyes almost pierced their chests.
Harry now even wanted to kneel down to Daphne - she really saved his life.
Daphne gently closed the wooden door and locked it again. During this time, the three-headed dog did not move.
For the three-headed dog, the strange guy outside the door leaving tactfully was the best choice. It did not want to cause trouble. It just wanted toplete the task left by its master.
"Now you know what''s inside, right?" Daphne looked at Harry with great pride. The shocked look on his face made her very happy.
More importantly, she had just observed that the three-headed dog was standing on a trapdoor. Obviously, the secret that Rhys wanted her to investigate was under the trapdoor.
"So why did Dumbledore keep such a thing in the school?!" After Harry came to his senses, he could not help but confide in the only intelligent creature around.
Daphne was silent for a moment, and could not suppress the desire toin in her heart: "Didn''t you see what it was standing on? It was standing on a trapdoor. It was obviously guarding something."
She was sure that Harry''s head was a decoration, and his eyes were also decorations!
After hanging out with Rhys for a long time, Daphne was no longer able to adapt to the stupidity of other little wizards.
"Guarding something... Oh!" Harry''s eyebrows twitched suddenly.
His expression change did not escape Daphne''s eyes, and she immediately smelled the clue.
"You know what is hidden in there, right?" She asked, staring into Harry''s eyes.
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66- Sorry Snape!
66- Sorry Snape!
"I..." Harry hesitated.
His expression almost showed that he knew what he was saying.
"Please tell me, I really want to know what''s hidden underneath!" Daphne almost couldn''t wait to ask her question.
It''s a rare opportunity to get the answer to the puzzle without forcing through the three-headed dog!
But Harry didn''t answer her right away. Daphne''s behavior puzzled him: "Why do you want to know what Dumbledore has hidden in the castle?"
"Because I''m curious too!" Daphne tried to act like a curious baby.
But Harry still felt suspicious.
Daphne''s various actions were really suspicious. Coupled with her identity as a Slytherin and her performance in the first flying ss at the beginning of the school year, Harry thought he couldn''t tell her what he knew - before figuring out her motives.
"Did you know that there was a -"
"Three-headed dog."
"Yes, a three-headed dog." Harry was also carefully studying Daphne''s face, hoping to see a clue from her face.
"I actually had a simr experience before, and by chance I knew what was locked inside."
"Ah?" Harry was stunned.
"Well, it''s not a coincidence that you can meet me tonight. I often sneak out of themon room at night to wander around." She paused and added: "Night walks are not the patent of Gryffindor."
Daphne''s words eliminated the gap between Harry and her, and she gained Harry''s trust.
"Is that so, but I don''t know what''s in it. I only know that it is a small package that was previously in Gringotts and was moved out by Hagrid on the same day Gringotts was invaded!"
Daphne had some impression of this news. The invasion of Gringotts was widely circted among pure-blood families, which brought Gringotts a lot of trouble. Many pure-blood wizards chose to extract the treasures in their vaults.
Although Gringotts kept announcing that nothing was stolen from them, there was still a crack in the trust between the two sides.
Although, Harry also provided her with a very useful clue.
"I''ll find a way to investigate itter."
"That''s great, thank you!" Daphne smiled brightly, and prepared to go back to the dormitory on the pretext that it was gettingte.
When the two walked to the stairs and were about to separate, Daphne suddenly said, "I heard that you beat Malfoy in the duel before? Well done!"
Harryughed, very happily.
"Is he not popr in Slytherin House?"
"Of course, I''m tired of him!" After saying this, Daphne walked down the stairs. Her heart was pounding, because she felt that she was finally one step closer to solving the mystery behind the trapdoor.
And Harry suddenly felt that not all the people in Slytherin House were annoying.
...
"Oh? An invisibility cloak with a special texture?" While listening to Daphne''s story about her adventurest night, Rhys noticed a detail.
Although the invisibility cloak is expensive, it is not rare in the magic world. The simpler ones are cloaks with an illusion spell, and the more luxurious ones are cloaks woven with the hair of invisible beasts.
But ording to Daphne, Harry''s invisibility cloak was as smooth as water, which was very interesting, because Rhys knew that the hair of the Invisibility Beast didn''t feel that way, and there were very few fabrics in the wizarding world that felt like water.
He thought of meeting Harry and borrowing his Invisibility Cloak to study.
When someone is sleepy, someone sends a pillow. Before Rhys could put his idea into practice, Harry took the initiative to find Daphne.
"Would you like to go to Hagrid''s Hut to celebrate Christmas this afternoon?"
This was a very good suggestion, and Daphne agreed.
Rhys sat aside, looking at the letter sent by Lupet.
For him, since he had already assigned the test, he would not interfere with the students'' problem-solving process.
"There are several potion ingredients that are simply not avable." He narrowed his eyes.
Lupet has been trying her best to search for medicinal materials, and even used her connections in Knockturn Alley, but many potion ingredients are in a state of being short in supply, and she can''t collect them in a short time.
These materials were nothing to Slytherin back then. He was a wizard who had thergest and mostprehensive potion storage room in the world. However, times have changed. Even if some raw materials were left unused byter generations, a thousand years would be enough for the magic in the materials to be lost.
''My descendants used my potion ingredients, which means that they didn''t treat me as an outsider. So why should I be polite to those who inherited my potion storage room?''
Rhys figured it out.
So during dinner time, Daphne noticed that Rhys had a faint smile on his face.
"Rhys, you seem to be in a good mood."
"That''s natural. I''m proud of the heirs of Slytherin House. They have kept the fine traditions of the house very well." After opening Snape''s potion storage room, Rhys was sure that Snape had inherited at least part of his spirit.
The raw materials for potions there were all amazing. Except for those that require specific dark creatures, other potion materials can easily be found there!
Snape''s efforts for this moved Rhys. So he took some of each to show his respect.
Interestingly, Rhys found that Snape was using the potion storage room he left behind, but it seemed that he didn''t know the various anti-theft mechanisms inside. The kind-hearted Rhys opened a few less damaging mechanisms before leaving, so that Snape would understand that there were still many secrets in this storage room that he had not discovered.
Daphne was confused by Rhys''s incoherent words. She scratched her head and took herself a piece of beef kidney pie.
She also gained a lot today. Harry was good at getting Hagrid to talk, and Hagrid identally revealed part of the truth - the item was rted to Nics mel.
This name was unfamiliar to Harry, but it was a household name for Daphne.
Nics mel, the owner of the Philosopher''s Stone!
Now she knew what was hidden under the trapdoor.
Both of them were in a good mood.
No one noticed that Snape was absent from today''s dinner.
However, when the young wizards of Hogwarts and other professors who stayed in school saw him the next day, they were all shocked by the murderous intent on his face.
"Severus, you seem to be in a bad mood?" After a moment of hesitation, Professor McGonagall took the initiative to ask about Snape''s condition.
Click! The fork in Snape''s hand was broken by him.
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67- A Gryffindor Did It!!
67- A Gryffindor Did It!!
Theft!
And leaving traps in the storage room while at it!!!
Snape swore that if he could catch the potion thief, he would hang them by their limbs from the ceiling of the Potions ssroom.
He had already narrowed down the suspects to a certain groupthose mischievous Gryffindors!
Snape, a master in Potions, could deduce the thief''s intentions based on the missing ingredients.
For instance, if African tree snake skin were missing, the culprit was likely trying to brew Polyjuice Potion. However, this time, a bit of every ingredient was missing! ording to his calctions, each type of ingredient was reduced by roughly the same proportionabout a third.
Clearly, the thief wasn''t stealing to brew a specific potion. This was a tant act of provocation!
Someone had leisurely removed a third of every ingredient from his storeroom, as if treating it like their own kitchen.
Snape considered his reputation within the school. He was quite unfriendly, scary, and gloomy*ehm* the fact remains that every student is somewhat afraid of him.
So this act required extraordinary nerve, boldness, and foolishness, traits synonymous with Gryffindor students. And only those Gryffindors, with their uncontainable energy and troll-like mind, could pull off such a daring prank.
Moreover, this wasn''t just any Gryffindorit had to be those troublemakers
"Ug.. wow, I suddenly felt cold.."
"Yeah, me too.."
Fred and George Weasley, feeling a sudden and inexplicable chill, shivered as they sensed a wave of malicious intent directed their way.
After Snape suppressed his anger and shared his experience with Professor McGonagall, she was taken aback.
"Every single potion ingredient was stolen by exactly one-third?"
"Yes, indeed. From unicorn stomach stones to ordinary ox bezoars, every item is precisely one-third gone, and now I wonder who might be the culprit?" Snape responded, a cold smile ying on his lips.
Professor McGonagall was at a loss for words.
Just hearing the description of the problem, she knew this had to be the work of someone from Gryffindor!
The sheer brazenness of the act suggested an utter disregard for Severus Snape''s authorityas if the thief were raiding their own mother''s refrigerator.
"By the way, Professor Minerva McGonagall, do you have any ideas?" Snape inquired icily.
Professor McGonagall broke into a sweat.
So, shortly after lunch that day, as Fred and George were about to leave the Great Hall, arms slung around each other, looking for some fun, they found themselves cornered by Professor McGonagall.
"You two, what were you doing during dinnerst night?" she demanded, her gaze stern and unyielding.
"Uh, Professor, we were eating in the Great Hall," Fred answered truthfully, utterly confused.
"Very well, and what were you doing before dinner?"
Fred and George didn''t even need to look at each other before they responded in unison, iming they had been ying wizard chess in themon room.
Snape appeared, holding a small vial.
"Ehm, Minerva, this is my newly formted Veritaserum. Just one drop"
Fred and George: "?!"
They had only set a dungbomb outside Filch''s office door. This reaction seemed a bit extreme, didn''t it? They had done simr things before, so why were the two professors reacting so intensely today?
Not wanting to challenge Snape''s potion-making skills with their own bodies, they obediently confessed their actions before dinner. Under Professor McGonagall''s intense questioning, they also recounted their entire day''s activities.
"Oh~ So you two were on night walks every day, and the ones who threw those dung booms in his office... truly an act from the Gryffindor house, or is it not Menerva?"
After hearing Fred and George''s "confession," Snape''s scoffed but the frown in his heart deepened.
It wasn''t that the twins were lying; the problem was that Snape realized they were telling the truth.
"It''s.. Ugh... Fred! George! You two, very well, very well indeed!" Professor McGonagall was fuming, her face flushed with anger from their confession.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor. Mr. Fred, Mr. George, you''ll be spending the rest of your Christmas holiday in detention," she dered, sentencing the twins.
...
As the twins left, dejected, Professor McGonagall felt slightly better. At least Fred and George''s suspicion had been cleared.
Excluding those two troublemakers, McGonagall couldn''t think of anyone else in her house who had the nerve and audacity to y such a prank on a professor.
Stealing from Snape''s potions storeroom, of all ces!
"It''s possible that the person who killed the troll or led it into the castle did this for profit," she suggested.
Snape agreed with her on this point.
He had already contacted several potion shop owners he was acquainted with. If those rare potion ingredients appeared on the market, he would make sure the culprit spent some time in Azkaban.
The potion shop owners had to give him some respect; after all, Severus Snape was a master potion maker, capable of creating highlyplex potions, and had a favorable position in the society of the pureblood families as the head of the Slytherin House which had their children.
"Cheer up, look on the bright side, you still have two-thirds left," McGonagall said, her posture straightening with newfound confidence now that her students were cleared of suspicion. She even felt bold enough to tease Snape a little.
Snape''s face darkened so much it was almost as if he had been cheated by his wifenot that he had one.
Late at night, as Snape meticulously organized and counted his remaining collection in a mood of bitter resentment, he suddenly noticed a very shallow snake-shaped relief at the bottom of a shelf he had never paid attention to before.
''Was this always here?'' Snape thought back but found no memory of such a detail. He had never bothered to examine the bottom of his storage shelveswho would?
He gently stroked the small snake relief, and something magical happened: his storage shelf "grew" an additionalyer.
Snape, having taken precautions, cautiously opened the newly appeared drawer at the very bottom. Inside, he found several small boxes, their surfaces shiny and new, as if they had just been ced there yesterday.
He opened the boxes, each containing seeds. The inside of the lids was inscribed in Latin, detailing the names and uses of the seeds.
Snape''s breath grew heavy. It seemed like he was having an orgasm.
The boxes contained seeds of extremely rare or long-extinct magical nts!
This was very likely a treasure trove left from the era of Szar Slytherin!
Suddenly, Snape wasn''t as distressed about the stolen potion ingredients.
In the Slytherin first-year dormitory, Rhys was happily inventorying his "harvest" in the empty room.
"Mutual exchange fosters mutual progress!" he thought with a smile.
"Look at these African tree snake skins, sitting idle in your cab. Better for me to put them to use. And my seeds, they''re of little use to me, but they might be invaluable to you."
As for certain mechanisms in the school, Rhys thought it might be beneficial to remove the "Parseltongue required" restrictions, making them essible to everyone.
For the two Potions Masters of Slytherin, today had been a day of great gain!
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68- An Unprecedented Invisibility Cloak
68- An Unprecedented Invisibility Cloak
The potions master after finding out about Slytherin''s cupboards was very pleased.
But there were two joys in one morning: As Daphne was also very happy while she reported her findings to Rhys.
"The Philosopher''s Stone?! Are you sure?" Rhys was extremely shocked to learn that Dumbledore was going to hide such a stone in thest empty room after all the hurdles.
The Philosopher''s Stone, or the Sorcerer''s Stone, represents the pinnacle of alchemywithout a doubt.
This was a technique that none of the four founders had mastered in their time.
Any alchemist who managed to create the Philosopher''s Stone would instantly be regarded as the greatest alchemist of their era, regardless of any other aplishments.
It is the brightest gem on the crown of alchemy.
Many alchemists imed they could make the Stone, but Nics mel was the only one who had actually proven he could do it.
Rhys had considered searching for Nics mel when he had the time, but he abandoned the idea after learning that mel had long since retired. Finding a wizard who had decided to live in seclusion was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Knowing that the treasure Dumbledore was hiding with himself and was going to ce in thatst level of his game was the Philosopher''s Stone made Rhys admit that he was tempted.
He desperately wanted to get his hands on the legendary Stone to study it.
Perhaps I can reverse-engineer the method to create it?
Rhys wasn''t just boasting; he genuinely believed in his ability. If he could get his hands on a real Philosopher''s Stone, he was certain he could uncover some significant results.
"That''s the Philosopher''s Stone, granting eternal life," Daphne said, her eyes filled with longing. If she could get a Philosopher''s Stone, her sister''s illness could be cured.
The Philosopher''s Stone could turn any metal into gold and produce the Elixir of Life, making the drinker immortal. However, to Daphne, the former seemed almost like a joke.
Gold? Do I really need that?
Her only priority was her sister.
"Immortality isn''t necessarily a good thing. It only ensures you won''t die; it doesn''t guarantee anything else," Rhys said calmly.
To him, the Stone''s two abilities were quite mundane. He wasn''tcking in gold and could achieve immortality by other means. The Stone held value only for research.
Rhys had a gut feeling that immortality might not be a blessing.
It didn''t promise eternal youth, did it? That thought alone was terrifying.
A wizard who drank the Elixir of Life could continue to age indefinitely, never dying but continuing to wither away, until their flesh dried out and their soul was exhausted, living in perpetual suffering.
Rhys had done some ''insignificant'' research on immortality and was certain that all methods had their drawbacks.
The mostmon one, Horcruxes, required splitting the soul, leading to an eternal curse and the loss of the chance to be a ghost or move on to the afterlife.
His own invented potion required a thousand-year sleep, eventually reducing the body to that of a ten-year-old, which made it more fragile, but the advantage was the absence of obvious side effects.
The "immortality" brought by the Philosopher''s Stone surely had its drawbacks, just not yet discovered by the world.
"(?<>?) Rhys, do you want to explore the third-floor corridor? After all, we are talking about THE Philosopher''s Stone ced in there!" Daphne looked at Rhys with hopeful eyes.
She resembled a hummingbird guiding travelers to nectar, hoping to use Rhys''s strength to gain some benefit, like acquiring a potion made from the Philosopher''s Stone for her sister....
"Sorry, I have more important things to do."
Rhys refused her request, causing disappointment to sh across Daphne''s face.
If Rhys hadn''t already explored the third-floor corridor, he would have eagerly gone there, as the Philosopher''s Stone was one of the few alchemical creations that intrigued him.
But Rhys had already delved deep into the corridor and knew there was no Philosopher''s Stone inside.
"That Gryffindor, Potter, asked me if I wanted to go on an adventure in the castle tonight. What do you think? Should I agree?" Daphne sighed softly and changed the topic.
She decided she would try her luck there someday anyway. The third-floor corridor wasn''t going anywhere.
She didn''t consider whether Dumbledore had really hidden the Philosopher''s Stone there or if he would keep it there permanently.
She was childish and simply assumed the Stone would always be hidden in the third-floor corridor, waiting for a fated person to find it.
"Why not?" Rhys replied with a question of his own. He was curious to see the "water-like" texture of the Invisibility Cloak that Daphne had described.
"Then I''ll tell him." Daphne''s enthusiasm was reignited.
As night fell, Rhys and Daphne stood quietly at the entrance of the dungeons, waiting for Harry to arrive. To avoid unnecessary interruptions, Rhys had cast the Disillusionment Charm on both himself and Daphne.
"Later, I want to learn this spell," Daphne remarked, recalling the unpleasant memory of that night. She decided to learn the Disillusionment Charm from Rhys. This way, even without an Invisibility Cloak, she wouldn''t be worried about being caught by Filchwait, why didn''t she just ask her father for an Invisibility Cloak as a birthday present?
"Sure," Rhys agreed.
While Rhys was being amodating, Daphne was still pondering whether to ask her father to send an Invisibility Cloak. However, after simting the conversation between her and her father, she decided against it.
Asking for an Invisibility Cloak would make it obvious that she intended to sneak out at night, something her father would never allow.
It was better to learn the Disillusionment Charm; it was more practical than an Invisibility Cloak.
Standing still, Rhys, who was feeling a bit sleepy, suddenly squinted his eyes.
Although he couldn''t see anything, he could still sense the presence of people nearby.
For those who are sensitive to magic, the effectiveness of an Invisibility Cloak is limited. However, with the evolution of modern magical education, such individuals had be increasingly rare.
Rhys concentrated his magic in his eyes and looked towards the source of the disturbance. Two clusters of magic appeared in his vision, and a whispered conversation reached the ears of both him and Daphne.
"Do you think that Greengrass will be like Malfoy? Agreeing on the surface but secretly snitching to Filch..." Ron''s voice made Daphne clench her fists.
"Daphne isn''t like that," Harry whispered in her defense.
He simply believed that anyone who disliked Malfoy couldn''t be a bad person.
At that moment, Rhys lifted the Disillusionment Charm from himself and Daphne, startling Harry and Ron with their sudden appearance.
"Rhys, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, surprised as he pulled off the Invisibility Cloak. He had only invited Daphne, after all.
"I caught her daydreaming outside themon room," Rhys replied casually, using an excuse to brush off the question.
Daphne raised her fist at Ron, "Weasley, how dare youpare me to Malfoy?!"
Ron gave a sheepish smile, realizing he was caught talking behind someone''s back.
Quickly changing the subject, Ron asked Rhys, "Was that the Disillusionment Charm you used just now?"
"Not quite," Rhys replied, "I took a shortcut, borrowing an alchemical tool." He didn''t want to reveal too much in front of the other little wizards.
After some casual conversation, Rhys, seemingly offhandedly, expressed his interest in seeing Harry''s Invisibility Cloak.
It was a reasonable request, and Harry handed over the cloak without hesitation.
The moment Rhys touched the Invisibility Cloak, he could sense its extraordinary nature.
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69- Ravenclaw’s Dressing Mirror
69- Ravenws Dressing Mirror
The cloak looked like shimmering silver in his hand, truly feeling as if he were holding a handful of water. This material reminded Rhys of the robes worn by those pseudo-gods in the Nordic regionsrobes with a simr texture.
However, it wasn''t the material that amazed Rhys the most; it was the enchantment imbued within the cloak.
It wasn''t enchanted with something as "ordinary" as a Disillusionment Charm, but rather aplex set of spells that even Rhys found somewhat challenging to decipher.
What puzzled Rhys was that this intricatebination of spells ultimately only achieved an invisibility effect, and one that he could see through.
It was like assembling a top-tierputer only to use it for ying poker.
At first nce, the Invisibility Cloak seemed unimpressive. To uncover its secrets, Rhys would need to study it over a longer period, but he wasn''t close enough to Harry to make such a request.
Trying it on, however, was still an option. With Harry''s permission, Rhys draped the cloak over himself.
Yet, even with the cloak on, Rhys didn''t discover anything extraordinary about it; it seemed no different from a regr Invisibility Cloak, except perhaps morefortable to wear.
Using rare materials andplex magic to create a mere piece of art? Rhys felt there was something off about it.
Now wasn''t the time to delve into the mystery. Dying any longer might make Harry think he was running off with the cloak. Rhys took off the Invisibility Cloak and handed it back to Harry.
"It''s different from any other Invisibility Cloak I''ve seen before."
Harry smiled, "Indeed, Ron also said it was quite unusual."
Ordinary Invisibility Cloaks typically lose their effectiveness within months to a few years, but Harry''s cloak, said to be his father''s relic, hadsted at least eleven years.
Perhaps its extraordinarily longsting enchantment was one of its special attributes, Rhys mused, while also nning to look up information on Harry''s father.
After some casual conversation, the unusualbination of two Gryffindors and two Slytherins began their exploration of the castle.
"Come on, let''s squeeze in; the cloak is quite big," Harry said, spreading the cloak and motioning for them to join.
To be honest, the cloak clearly couldn''t amodate four peoplefortably, even if they were first-year students. Daphne tried to control her expression but couldn''t hide her disdain. She didn''t want to squeeze under the same cloak with those two.
The airtight cloak would block air cirction, meaning she''d be breathing in their exhaled air. The thought of their warm breaths on her neck gave Daphne goosebumps.
Harry felt a bit awkward, unsure of what to do. He couldn''t exactly kick Ron out from under the cloak, could he?
Fortunately, Rhys, unfazed, eased the tension.
"Let''s do it this way, Harry, you and Ron take the cloak. Daphne and I will use the tool I mentioned."
He suggested that it would be easier for him and Daphne to use the Disillusionment Charm instead of squeezing four people under the cloak. Rhys then casually took out a small trinket, turning it with a flourish to cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself and Daphne.
Harry was curious about the tool Rhys used, but since he wasn''t very familiar with Rhys and Ron was urging him to get moving, he suppressed his curiosity for the moment.
"So, where are we going?" Daphne''s patience was wearing thin as they wandered the corridors. She didn''t want to waste her time on aimless wandering, so she asked directly.
"I''m looking for a tall suit of armor. There''s a magical mirror in a nearby room," Harry exined.
Daphne felt her frustration rising.
How many suits of armor were there in Hogwarts Castle? This question might stump even Headmaster Dumbledore. Rhys wasn''t sure either; during their time, they used stone beasts.
While she didn''t know the exact number, Daphne was certain that Harry''s approach was unreliable. Trying to find a specific suit of armor in the castle was like trying to buy cold medicine but only remembering that it had "capsule" in the name.
As they continued their search, Rhys nced at Harry. "What kind of mirror are we looking for, exactly?"
"It''s a magical mirror!"
"How magical?" Rhys was curious about the uniqueness of the mirror Harry mentioned.
"The mirror can show the viewer''s family. You cane with me to see it," Harry said.
The previous night, he had ventured out alone under his Invisibility Cloak. Unfortunately, he ran into Filch again and identally stepped on Mrs. Norris''s tail, leading to a long chase through the castle corridors.
He had finally hidden in an abandoned ssroom to escape.
In that room, Harry had found a mirror that left a deep impression on him.
Through it, he saw his parents for the first time.
Harry''s words made Daphne fall silent.
After a while, she took the initiative to help Harry recall the surroundings of the armor he mentioned.
Pooling their efforts, the four of them soon found the ssroom.
It wasn''t difficult. They brought Harry to the ce where he had encountered Filch and then analyzed his escape route, prioritizing the locations with abandoned ssrooms.
When they opened the door and saw the mirror inside, Rhys froze.
He felt an extremely familiar sensation emanating from it.
Unable to resist, he walked up to the mirror and ced his hand on it.
Memories flooded back like a tidal wave....
...
A carriage ambled along the road, the four upants reclining in the mostfortable positions they could find.
"Is there a way to see how clothes would look on us without actually wearing them?" Rowena suddenly posed this question.
The other three people in the carriage were speechless.
"How troublesome can wearing clothes be?" Godric frowned. Why was Rowena always thinking of ways to bezy? First, she invented a spell to make the carriage drive itself, then she came up with the idea of capturing candlelight in containers to automatically illuminate at night.
"Some formal attire is reallyplicated to put on!" Rowena exined.
"You could make a magic mirror. The mirror could read your thoughts and then disy them on its surface," Szar Slytherin suggested. "That way, you could imagine the outfit in your mind, and the mirror would show how you look after wearing it."
"Great idea! I''ll make such a mirror right away."
When Rowena Ravenw showed the framework of her mirror, even her friend Helga Hufflepuff couldn''t help but tease her for having a few screws loose.
They had thought that Ravenw would just make a simple vanity mirror, but she ended up crafting a massive copper te that could reflect a full body, and then polished it into a giant mirror.
"Polishing it myself saves money!" she said, confidently.
However, Ravenw''s magic mirror didn''t achieve the effect she had envisioned....
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70- Effortless
70- Effortless
Looking at the new clothes she had just bought and put on, Rowena Ravenw frowned deeply.
"This outfit doesn''t look as good as I imagined..." she murmured, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She fell into deep thought.
When she used the magic mirror to simte it earlier, it looked great. So why did it look so awful now that she was actually wearing it?
Godric Gryffindor and Szar Slytherin came over and both agreed that the outfit didn''t suit her.
Rowena rubbed her chin with her fingers, contemting for a moment, and then asked Godric and Szar to try the mirror.
The two stood in front of the mirror, and mysterious smiles appeared on their faces.
"What are you two thinking?" she asked.
"Hey, this armor looks really cool," Godric replied.
Rowena: "..."
Szar didn''t say anything, but his expression indicated that he saw something simr to what Godric didpleasing and satisfying scenes.
After seriously pondering the issue, Rowena figured it out: the mirror reflected what they wished to see in their minds, but the images in their brains were automatically beautified. This led to a huge discrepancy between reality and imagination.
Her magic had a w; the mirror couldn''t achieve the effect she desired.
However, Rowena couldn''t help but suspect that these two guys had discovered an additional use for the mirror.
She couldn''t believe that just trying on clothes could make them this happy.
After a thorough interrogation, Rowena was astonished to find that the mirror could simte not only scenes of oneself wearing clothes but also other visions.
For instance, by imagining it, she could see herself surrounded by a pile of magical scrolls in the mirror.
Magic worked in mysterious ways. By a stroke of luck, Rowena had designed a mirror with a more wonderful function than intended.
Following this line of thought, Rowena modified the mirror repeatedly, eventually making it capable of reflecting the deepest desires of one''s heart.
She even added a rather formidable anti-theft curse on it.
"Hey, Rhys, are you okay?" Daphne and Harry''s soft calls and a few pats on Rhys''s shoulder broke his reverie.
"I just spaced out for a moment," Rhys quickly regained hisposure.
The mirror had stirred up many memories, and he had made a small mistake just now, inadvertently falling for the curse Rowena had left on it. Fortunately, it wasn''t a big problem.
He examined the mirror in front of him carefully again: it was very grand, reaching up to the ceiling, surrounded by a luxurious golden frame, and supported by w-shaped feet at the base.
It was clear that subsequent generations had extensively modified the mirror.
They had added the ornate frame, meaningful inscriptions, and even reced the mirror surface with an opulent ss one.
But these changes hadn''t altered the mirror''s essence; it was still Rowena''s mirror, just given a makeover.
Only she could add such powerful magic to the mirrorit could directly read the deepest desires of a person''s heart! In front of this mirror, everyone was like a child without clothes.
"Did you see your family in the mirror too?" Harry asked from the side, peering into the mirror.
"Really? Let me see!" Daphne moved closer as well.
But all they could see was Rhys standing in front of the mirror, wearing his wizard robes, his expression calm.
"Only the individual can see it..." Harry and Daphne were a bit disappointed. However, once they stood in front of the mirror, their disappointment quickly vanished.
The mirror reflected their deepest desires, mesmerizing them.
Rhys''s expression changed, and he immediately pulled the two away from the mirror.
"Hey!"
"Rhys!"
Ignoring theirints, Rhys gently touched the mirror''s surface, deactivating the protective mechanism left by Rowena before stepping aside.
The curse Rowena had left on the mirror was terrifying.
It wasn''t a direct, harmful spell but a very subtle mental suggestion. It would gradually deepen the mirror-gazer''s obsession with the scene in the mirror, eventually leading them to neglect reality, losing interest in food and drink.
The more one desired the scene in the mirror, the stronger this suggestion would be.
Without external intervention, one''s mind would be utterly destroyed, leaving them unable to find any joy in real life.
However, with the dangerous spell deactivated by Rhys, they could now enjoy the "beautiful scenes" in the mirror without developing an unhealthy dependency.
Rhys stepped aside, quietly watching as Harry and the others took turns standing in front of the mirror, indulging themselves. This process was somewhat dull from an observer''s perspective, as those standing before the mirror appeared merely infatuated with their reflection.
People tend to find something to upy themselves with when bored.
Then Rhys made a remarkable discovery: judging by the traces, the mirror had been moved here recently, and someone had added additional spells to it.
A very interesting spell.
Rhys was willing to bet this mirror was Dumbledore''s handiwork. He couldn''t help but marvel at Dumbledore''s ingenious ideas.
If he were alone, he would certainly apud Dumbledore for the cleverness of this final protective measure.
He quietly joined the queue with Harry and the others, waiting his turn to look into the mirror.
When his turn came, Rhys took a deep breath and cleared his mind. He knew the operation he was about to attempt would be challenging, as it involved trying to deceive the enchantment left by Rowena.
The scene in the mirror shifted rapidly, twisting and changing. After five or six seconds, the image stabilized, revealing Rhys''s reflection.
In the mirror, Rhys was standing next to a tableden with various desserts.
Seeing this scene, Rhys smiled contentedly; he had sessfully concealed his true desire.
Then, he began to fabricate his inner thoughts based on the characteristics of the newly added enchantment on the mirror.
''I am a pure person.''
''I have no extraneous desires.''
''I want the Philosopher''s Stone, but I do not wish to use it.''
The image in the mirror gradually changed.
The tableden with desserts faded away, leaving only Rhys.
At this moment, the magic mirror seemed to lose its power, appearing no different from an ordinary dressing mirror.
Suddenly, the Rhys in the mirror moved.
It was a rather eerie sight, but Rhys felt nothing but joy.
The Rhys in the mirror reached into his pocket, took out a bright red stone, then blinked and put the stone back into his pocket.
At that very moment, Rhys felt a heavy object fall into the inner pocket of his robe.
The pinnacle of alchemical achievement nowy quietly in his pocket.
He gently rubbed his fingers over the stone.
After a moment, the Rhys in the mirror reached into his pocket again and took out the Philosopher''s Stone.
Rhys''s pocket felt lighter and the Philosopher''s Stone was put back in ce by him.
________
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71- War Potion: Polyjuice Potion
71- War Potion: Polyjuice Potion
After Rhys took the Philosopher''s Stone out of the mirror and put it back, he gave up his ''seat'' and walked aside obediently, no longer joining the queue.
Although Harry behind him felt a little strange, he immediately threw away this emotion and stared at the mirror intently when he thought that he could see his family again soon.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Rhys took out a small crystal bottle and shook off the red dust in the cracks of his nails into the crystal bottle.
He even had time to use a spell to clean every nail.
Now is not a good time to move the Philosopher''s Stone.
''After all, the gun that appeared on the wall in the first act of the y must be fired in the third act.''
Adhering to this concept, Rhys believed that this mirror would definitely be moved to the secret space under the corridor on the third floor to serve as thest level of the level-breaking game.
That means Dumbledore will definitely touch this mirror again, so it would be unwise to take the Philosopher''s Stone in the mirror.
How big of a heart does Dumbledore have to have to send it into the secret space without even looking at it?
It is impossible for this headmaster who was born in Gryffindor to inherit Gryffindor''s thick nerves, right? It''s not as long as a thousand years for the intergenerational inheritance!
''So I can take some "samples" to study first, and it won''t be toote to take it away in the future.''
''It''s a coincidence that Dumbledore chose to put it in Rowena''s mirror. No matter where it is moved, I can find it.''
....
[So why do we learn this spell]
[In case someone steals this mirror one day, we can take it back]
[Heh, look! I''m ''convinced'' by you - does anyone really dare to steal your things?]
.....
After doing these things, Rhys was idle again.
Harry and the other three were diligent, taking turns to look at the picture in the mirror, and there was no intention of stopping.
When they all finally walked out of the room where the mirror was ced, the faint sunlight could be seen on the horizon.
"So what did you see in the mirror?" Even after staying up all night, Harry still looked energetic.
"I saw myself grow up a little, be the Head Boy of Hogwarts, and hold the house cup and the Quidditch cup in my hands." Ron was excited when he talked about himself in the mirror.
Daphne curled her lips: Dream on, the Quidditch cup and the house cup will eventually belong to Slytherin!
"I saw my father get the potion and cure my sister''s illness." Daphne only told half the truth.
The part she said was naturally that her sister recovered, and the part she concealed was the person who provided the potion.
Three pairs of eyes fell on Rhys.
"I saw that there were endless ice creams around me, all kinds of them, from all countries - Britain, France, Turkey..."
As Merlin knows, there was not a single word in Rhys''s words that was false. He really liked the desserts of this era, which were so delicious that he could not even dream of them before.
Rhys'' words were a little unexpected, but considering that everyone present saw different scenes, they also believed what Rhys said.
When they returned to the lounge, the sun was about to rise outside the castle. Fortunately, it was Christmas vacation now, and they could sleep until they woke up naturally.
"Here, this is your History of Magic paper." Daphne found Rhys who was sitting in the lounge and handed him a finished paper.
Rhys looked up at her and Daphne blushed: "I bought it from a senior."
Rhys smiled with relief: he didn''t want Daphne to waste her time on something as abstract as a History of Magic paper.
If she didn''t understand anything before the eleventh century, she could ask him. For things after the eleventh century, she can just look it up in the book.
In addition to the History of Magic paper, Daphne also asked someone to help her and Rhys with the holiday homework for Defense Against the Dark Arts.
As for other subjects, Rhys thought they were all worth doing, so he didn''t ask her to find someone to help write them.
After putting the two papers and Daphne''s homework on other subjects into his pocket, Rhys took Daphne to the Chamber of Secrets.
Recently, Rhys has been thinking about making a new entrance to his Chamber of Secrets.
The current route is still a bit far, especially in the cold winter, the distance from themon room to the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets seems so long against the cold wind.
He knows that there is a kind of dark creature. If he can meet one, he can make a very convenient portal. Unfortunately, the dungeon is not suitable for entering for the time being, so he can only find another way.
Finally, he found that the new generation of wizards invented a teleportation method called the Floo Network, and he instantly had an idea.
Although various materials show that the fireces in Hogwarts are usually not connected to the Floo Network, Rhys feels that it is not a big problem.
He can find two fireces in private to connect them together. If he wants to do it more secretly, Rhys can even imitate the Floo Network to build awork himself, but it takes more energy.
The Floo Network invented by wizards also opened Rhys''s eyes. Space magic is a very advanced spell, but the Floo Network has poprized this advanced magic. Even the most crappy wizards can use the teleportation magic easily with the help of the Floo Network.
This is the progress of the times.
Rhys chose the firece in an empty dormitory. Because no one lives there, the firece has been abandoned, but you only need to light the fire to connect to a firece in the secret room and achieve teleportation.
After sprinkling a handful of homemade Floo powder into the fire, Rhys and Daphne were teleported to the secret room one after another.
"Today I n to let you get in touch with something different." After Daphne stood firm, Rhys revealed his teaching n for the day.
He felt that while teaching her spells, he should also try to cultivate her ability to make medicine.
It happened that the kind-hearted ''little'' wizard Severus Snape donated some raw materials for the potion, so he could start his own n.
"Have you heard of the potion called Polyjuice Potion?"
Daphne nodded.
She had heard of this magical potion that could turn a person into another person.
"Tell me briefly."
Daphne told Rhys about her understanding of Polyjuice Potion.
After listening, Rhys nodded. Daphne was right in general, and there was nothing wrong with it.
"Do you know what the Polyjuice Potion was used for when it was first invented?"
"To change into someone else''s appearance?"
Rhys smacked his lips.
"The Polyjuice Potion is a potion created for war. It is (or should I say was?) used very frequently in wars. The Shredded Boomng skin is so hard to find now because this potion has been used too much."
12 Advance Chapters-
72- Wizards Have No Faith
72- Wizards Have No Faith
In Rhys''s time, African tree snake skin was not as hard to find as it is now, and wizards circted some spells and potions to break this potion privately.
But in modern times, African tree snake skin can only be found in the storage cab of the potion master, and the potion to break the spell and restrain the polyjuice potion has beenpletely lost.
Why is this?
Because the use of polyjuice potion was too frequent before, and the main ingredient African tree snake was almost extinct. After the main ingredient was difficult to obtain, the frequency of use of polyjuice potion was forced to decrease.
Over time, the means to counter polyjuice potion were also lost.
"I understand, wizards in the past would use polyjuice potion to pretend to be characters from hostile forces, and then sneak in to steal intelligence?"
Seeing that Rhys called the polyjuice potion a war potion, Daphne felt that she had grasped the key point of the problem at once, and hurriedly spoke up in an attempt to get Rhys'' praise.
Unfortunately, she was wrong, and Rhys shook his head.
"This situation is rtively rare."
If you want to pretend to be someone else through the Polyjuice Potion, you need to know that person very well, otherwise you may be exposed as soon as you open your mouth.
For example, someone pretended to be Rhys, and when Daphne pushed the door in, she found that "Rhys" was writing a paper on the history of magic.
Wouldn''t this expose the other party instantly?
"The sole purpose of the Polyjuice Potion was to mimic another person - initially, pharmacists wanted to achieve more than just bing another person''s appearance, but also to imitate the magic that the person is good at."
"How can such a potion be made?!"
Daphne eximed.
If there is such a potion, wouldn''t it be better to directly batch-copy the strongest wizards on your side before the war?
She even had dozens of Dumbledores fighting side by side in her mind.
Rhys''s mouth curled up.
He really knows a potion form that can simte the spell that another person is good at.
It''s just that the materials required were too precious even for him a thousand years ago, and it was a bit wasteful, it also required the cooperation of the person being imitated.
"During the process of making this potion, the Polyjuice Potion appeared. It can really turn you into another person. If you dare to take risks and are willing to pay the price, you can even turn into a non-human or half-human.
Do you know how meaningful it is for a wizard to physically turn into another person? This is extremely effective in improvingbat effectiveness. For example, if you get Gryffindor''s hair and drink the Polyjuice Potion containing his hair, you will turn into Gryffindor. Although you don''t inherit Gryffindor''s powerful duel magic, you also have his healthy body."
Daphne subconsciously touched her arm. If she turned into Gryffindor, how thick would her arm be!
"This means that you will gain his reaction speed, speed, and strength, which can support you to dodge the opponent''s spell in a duel and fight back at the fastest speed."
At this point, Daphne understood what Rhys meant.
In ancient times, in addition to being able to turn into the appearance of other people and cause chaos, the Polyjuice Potion can also be used as a physical enhancer. A healthy and agile body can obviously help wizards win in duels.
"Okay, now you know something about Polyjuice Potion, then take a look at this." Rhys took out a parchment with words written on it from his sleaves and handed it to Daphne.
"This is..."
"The form and key points of making Polyjuice Potion. I hope you can make a pot of Polyjuice Potion within three weeks. Of course, I will also help if necessary - after all, the skin of the African snake is very precious." Rhys had high expectations for Daphne, and she also showed good talent in the previous potion ss, so Rhys chose Polyjuice Potion as her first potions test.
Daphne''s eyes widened: Polyjuice Potion is an extremelyplex high-level potion. Can I really make it myself? But Rhys seemed to say that there were key points for making it on it?
She took the parchment and read it carefully, but theplicated steps on it made her feel dizzy.
After reading the form of Polyjuice Potion, Daphne couldn''t help but sigh: This is not a form that a human cane up with. I really don''t know how those potions masters in the magic world came up with such a recipe.
She sighed like this, and Rhys actually exined it to her in detail.
"Originally, potion science was just a study of the effects of various magical substances - such as the detoxification effect of bezoar and fecal stone. Later, because some magical substances were too expensive, wizards began to look forbinations of substances with simr properties as substitutes, and eventually formed a variety of potion forms.
Of course, potion science is not invented by humans alone. Some other intelligent magical creatures have also created many forms. Because they are more sensitive to natural herbs, the prescriptions they created are even more exquisite and amazing."
Daphne was stunned by these words.
"So how do you have all this knowledge?"
"I said, my family has collected a lot of letters from ancient wizards."
Daphne: "..."
Rhys'' words made her half-believe and half-doubtful.
She was a little hesitant.
Should she ask her father to get some letters from ancient wizards?
The next pharmaceutical process was boring - before starting to make the polyjuice potion, a lot of repetitive preparations were required. Daphne was doing these tasks with her hands, and she kept chatting with Rhys.
"Will you stay in Hogwarts until graduation in the future?"
"Probably? I haven''t thought it through yet, but I can go out and find a job after the fifth year."
"It''s not easy to find a job with only an OWL certificate - but I can ask my father to give you a letter of introduction, which will be much easier."
"Then I really thank you."
"So.. The big snake in Slytherin''s memory before, was it a god? That kind of creature is almost beyond the limit of human imagination."
Hearing Daphne''s question, Rhys frowned.
"I guess so. ording to the Muggle standards, that big snake can indeed be called a god."
"It''s amazing. I didn''t expect those legendary gods to actually exist!" Daphne''s fascination for that era was almost written on her face.
"That''s not bad," Rhys said with a nonchnt look, "There have never been any gods in the world. Gods are just stronger people or creatures."
Wizards have no faith, or their faith is themselves.
Muggles will shout "God" when they are in danger and extremely shocked, but wizards never do that. If they are forced to choose a name, wizards choose Merlin, the name of a legendary magician.
Rhys'' words would sound very rebellious in the ears of a little wizard from a Muggle family, but they sound likemon sense in the ears of a little witch from a noble house like Daphne, because real witches and wizards will not have faith in gods, only respect for the legend Merlin and a strong believe in themselves.
Listening to Rhys'' words, Daphne nodded.
12 Advance Chapters-
73- We personally opened the prelude to Ragnarok
73- We personally opened the prelude to Ragnarok
"Indeed." Daphne agreed with Rhys'' words from the bottom of her heart.
"Such a big snake," she rubbed her hands, shook off the powder of the two-horned beast''s horn on her hands, and began to imagine: "There must be a lot of meat on its body, right?"
"Huh?"
Daphne''s thoughts were so jumpy that Rhys couldn''t even react to what she was saying.
"I mean, in my memory, its head alone was as big as a small ind. If such a snake is ughtered, the meat after ughtering is probably enough for the entire British wizarding world to eat for a year."
Rhys subconsciously calcted that if there were 10,000 wizards in the entire British wizarding world, and each person ate one pound of snake meat every day, it would only be more than 3 million pounds a year, but only 3,600 tons.
Little-known fact is that a blue whale can produce 50 tons of meat and 25 tons of oil, and it is only a little guy with a body length of more than 30 meters, not even as big as J?rmungandr''s head.
Daphne''s estimate is conservative. If the meat from that snake is really taken out, it will be enough for wizards all over the world to eat for several years.
Rhys: "!"
Wait, why did I start calcting this ridiculous thing seriously? That thing is really not edible for humans!
"Forget it, its meat must be very old. Even a siege crossbow can hardly pierce its skin, and the meat underneath is harder than stone."
"Yes, but it must be valuable for potion research, right? The various parts of the snake must be valuable for research - didn''t Slytherin take something from it after the battle?"
"That''s right." Rhys looked at Daphne with a "teachable" look.
After the battle, he did take away J?rmungandr''s brain nerves and used it as the core to make a very powerful wand.
That wand inherited J?rmungandr''s magic power and its brutality. Even Slytherin at that time was unwilling to keep it by his side, otherwise he would be affected and his brainwould be distorted by the wand sooner orter.
The other old friends were simr. They all gained some benefits from those false gods and used their bodies to make extremely powerful magic props.
"Why did Slytherin fight the big snake?" After getting the answers to several questions in her mind, Daphne asked thest question.
After asking, she smiled yfully: "Are there any records in the letters you collected?"
Rhys blinked: It seems that the old letter is no longer a good excuse. Should I find a new reason?
However, although he thought so in his heart, he still agreed with Daphne''s statement: "Yes, a medieval letter did record the reason for their war. It was one of the most dangerous crises encountered by the magic world."
Although wizards have no faith, other species and factions do.
There is a church on the European continent in the east, and there is a simr existence on the Scandinavian Penins in the north: the Nordic gods. In the eyes of wizards headed by Gryffindor and Slytherin, the false gods of Northern Europe are more annoying than those lunatics in the church.
Thetter is at least still in the category of "human", but the former no longer considers themselves human. They believe that their tribe is naturally superior to humans and is the shepherd of the world, which is uneptable to wizards.
No wizard is willing to change from a human to a sheep - the church asionally talks about shepherding on behalf of the master, but that is pure talk, and it is still people managing people. The Norse gods are going to y for real, and the nature of the two is fundamentally different.
Wizards will not regard ascending to a certain ce after death to serve a certain group of people as a lifelong pursuit.
In order to spread their beliefs, the false gods began to expand to the British Iles in the south. If their plot seeds, then the British Isles will be shrouded in the shadow of Asgard, and the status of wizards may be only slightly better than that of the current house elves.
The fuse for the outbreak of the war was the arrival of J?rmungandr, the snake that devours the world.
He stirred up trouble in the North Sea, which made the magic world unsettling, so the four wizards of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenw and Slytherin went north.
They set sail from the North Sea, heading north, and joined forces with the strong men of other races to break through Asgard in one fell swoop, personally opening the prelude to Ragnarok.
J?rmungandr, who was chasing the waves in the North Sea, eventually became the core of Slytherin''s wand.
Thor, the gatekeeper of Asgard, who is said to control thunder and lightning, storms, wars, and agriculture, was cut into pieces by Ravenw''s wind magic, proving that if you im to control a certain field, it is just a im.
Balder, the god of light, who is known as the incarnation of light, died after being pierced through the chest by a spear made of mistletoe by Hufflepuff.
As for Odin, the king of gods, he did not have a good end: he was killed in Asgard, and his Valha was wiped out by magic, and his body parts were made into various magical ornaments - anyway, no one thought of them as [humans], so everyone had no psychological burden to use the ornaments made of thm.
The medieval wizards'' cognition of the world is a little bit out of touch with modern society.
The four people used the blood and flesh of the false gods to prove that the so-called gods are just a stronger species.
"It was essentially a duel on arger scale." Rhys told Daphne about some past events that happened a thousand years ago as if he was talking about something insignificant.
Daphne nodded nkly. Born in a wizard family, she didn''t have so many filters for "God". She was not surprised by the feats of the four founders.
From her perspective, it felt like a wild boar from the next vige tried to dig up the cornfield of this vige, but was hunted by the righteous vige chief.
"Where did the wand made by Slytherin from J?rmungandr''s brain nerve go?" Daphne asked to herself. She didn''t expect to get an answer from Rhys.
I''m afraid only Slytherin himself knows the whereabouts of this kind of "artifact" level treasure.
Rhys smiled but said nothing.
When you grow up, I will take you to see it. Now this thing is not suitable for children to touch.
"Tell me, which one is more powerful, Slytherin''s wand or the elder wand?"
"What is the Elder wand?" Rhys was stunned for a moment after listening to the adjective "elder" in front of the wand. It was the first time he heard such a name.
Daphne was even more shocked than Rhys: You haven''t even heard of the legend of the three brothers, are you sure you are a wizard?
This is as absurd as a child from a Muggle family who has never heard of Sleeping Beauty or Snow White.
"The story written by Beedle the Bard, collected in The Tales of Beedle the Bard!" Daphne couldn''t help but wave her hands, unable to hide her inner shock.
The only response she got was Rhys''s deafening silence.
12 Advance Chapters-
74- The Strongest Wand
74- The Strongest Wand
Looking at the silent Rhys, Daphne frowned: This guy always gives people the feeling that he came out of an isted mountain vige.
However, considering his usual behavior, Daphne felt that this seemed to be possible.
A wizard family that has been in seclusion since the Middle Ages?
Then why did he return to the magic society?
Considering that he was so concerned about the seal deep in the Hogwarts dungeon, Daphne felt that she had figured it out.
It is very likely that there was something wrong with the seal underground, so he "came out of seclusion" and returned to Hogwarts to reinforce the seal, solve the problem inside the seal, and get in touch with the modern magic world.
During the silent time, Rhys quickly recalled, and then remembered that he seemed to have seen the book called "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" in Flourish and Blotts Bookstore.
I didn''t read it because it was a story collection.
Thinking of this, Rhys couldn''t help but feel helpless: I have been cramming knowledge of the modern magic world for the past few months, but I still made a fool of myself on somemon sense issues.
But it is understandable that a person who was active in the eleventh century would find it incredible to hear stories from the fifteenth century.
"So can you tell me this ''legend of the three brothers''?" Rhys chose to let Daphne tell him the story directly.
"Huh?" Daphne was a little surprised, because the narrator of the interesting stories before was always Rhys.
"t( ?o?)r Of course!"Naturally, she didn''t want to miss this precious opportunity!
Daphne put the tools in her hands aside, wiped her hands and robes with a handkerchief, and found a stool to sit down.
She seemed not to be telling a story, but to be performing a sacred religious ceremony.
After everything was ready, Daphne cleared her throat and began to tell the legend of the three brothers in a vivid way.
[Once upon a time, there were three brothers who were traveling on a secluded path. It was almost midnight]
Rhys raised his eyebrows: They were traveling near midnight, why didn''t they stop to camp somewhere? Were they in a hurry? Then why didn''t they use teleportation magic or flying brooms? Could they not?
[As they walked, they came to a river. The water was too deep to wade through, and it was too dangerous to swim across. However, the three brothers were proficient in magic, and with a wave of their wands, a bridge appeared over the treacherous water.
Everything was going well until they reached the middle of the bridge, and a hooded figure blocked their way.
It was Death.
And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratte the three brothers upon their magic and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him
Rhys finds another w in the story: Can a wizard who can create a bridge with a wave of his wand really drown in the river? This doesn''t make sense unless there is something wrong with the water in the river. But since it is a children''s bedtime story, there is no need to dwell on it too much.
Later, the three brothers ask Death for the most powerful wand in the world, the stone that can resurrect the dead, and the invisibility cloak of Death.
The eldest brother, who received the Elder Wand, had his throat slit in his sleep. The second brother, who got the Resurrection Stone, went mad because the person he brought back wasn''t truly alive and ended upmitting suicide. Only the youngest brother, who had the Invisibility Cloak, met a peaceful end, eventually greeting Death as an old friend and leaving this world as equals.]
After hearing this story, Rhys stroked his chin.
Ignoring some minor ws, the whole story is pretty good and very educational.
It is not sustainable to rely solely on powerful force, and it is not feasible to try to break thews of nature. Only low-key and humbleness are the wealth that people can hold for life.
As for Death, he also knew that he was the master of peopleing and going in the living world, responsible for suppressing those dark wizards who could not reincarnate because of their broken souls, and responsible for maintaining the normal operation of the reincarnation order.
Rhys didn''t believe that Death would act as described in the story because, to Death, every wizard would eventuallye to him, whether sooner orter, it was just a matter of time. If he didn''te today, he woulde in the future, just wait and it would be over, why should he be angry?
Of course, these are all fairy tales, and trying to find rationality in fairy tales is irrational behavior.
"So is the wand made by Slytherin stronger than the Elder Wand?"
"Probably?" Rhys was also a little uncertain.
ording to the setting in the story, the Elder Wand is the strongest. But if you look deeper, the Elder Wand was made by the Death God, while his own snake wand was made with the brain nerves of J?rmungandr as the wand core and the mistletoe branches that killed the God of Light Balder as the wand body - the materials alone consumed the lives of two false gods, so it should not be weaker than the one made by the Death God, right?
However, the wand I made does have a big negative effect. If the Elder Wand of Death has no negative effect, it is indeed more suitable for daily use than my own snake wand.
"Cool!" Daphne didn''t think too much about it, but was simply very excited. Compared with the illusory old wand in fairy tales, the wand left by Slytherin is much more real.
"Then do you have any record of where Slytherin hid his wand before he died?"
Rhys''s face turned ck: How can you talk like that, little girl?!
He cleared his throat and pointed out the facy in Daphne''s words: "The whereabouts of the four founders, except Rowena, I mean Ms. Ravenw, are unknown, so it is not rigorous for you to conclude that Slytherin is dead. On the contrary, I am more inclined to believe that the ...four founders have continued their lives in some special way. After all, as long as you want to live, there is always a way."
For a powerful wizard who is proficient in magic, continuing life is not a very difficult thing, but how to continue life decently is the difficulty. If you really don''t want your face, you can still make a Horcrux. However, this is the lowest form of longevity, and Rhys sneered at it.
For those wizards who seek immortality through Horcruxes, Rhys simply despises them.
"How can someone live for a thousand years? Nics mel invented the Philosopher''s Stone and has only lived for more than six hundred years." Daphne didn''t believe what Rhys said, but she soon noticed that Rhys did not deny her question.
"Do you really know the whereabouts of that wand?!" Daphne was shocked: How could Rhys know everything?
Could it be that, as he said, he was the true heir of Slytherin, and the Gaunt family was just a lineage of an adopted child?
"It''s not something you can touch now." Seeing that Daphne seemed to have some bold ideas, Rhys quickly poured cold water on her to wake her up.
If she rashly touched the snake wand now, she would definitely go crazy.
"When you grow up, I''ll take you to find its whereabouts." Rhys wrote a check for the future.
Daphne: "!"
Read 12 Chaps ahead at
75- Hagrid’s Little Secret
75- Hagrids Little Secret
Daphne felt like she was in a dream. She just asked casually, but who would have thought that Rhys would actually agree to take her there?!
If she could get that wand... Daphne couldn''t help but start to fantasize.
"But don''t have too high expectations. A wand is just a wand after all. What will happen in the end depends on the wizard who holds the wand." Rhys felt that Daphne seemed to have overestimated the role of the wand. What she had in mind was not a wand, but a wishing machine.
"Now that the small talk is over, it''s time for you to continue your preparations!" Rhys''s two words brought Daphne back to reality from her fantasy.
She began to continue to prepare the Polyjuice Potion.
While Daphne was struggling with the bicorn horn, Rhys narrowed his eyes and thought about the three Deathly Hallows that Daphne had just mentioned. He had never seen the Elder Wand or the Resurrection Stone, but didn''t he have seen the Invisibility Cloak?!
"Daphne, do you know where Potter came from?" He nned to ask Daphne before checking the files.
Daphne recalled her father''s introduction to Harry''s family.
"The Potter family had been settled in Godric''s Hollow before that incident. Later... you know, Harry was raised by his Muggle aunt until he was eleven years old."
"Godric''s Hollow?" Suddenly hearing a familiar name here, Rhys felt a little sad. That was where Godric was born. Whether Godric''s Hollow was named after Godric Gryffindor or Godric Gryffindor was named Godric because of the valley, even he didn''t know. This was already an unverifiable history.
I don''t know if that Potter is a descendant of Gryffindor, maybe? It''s normal for a long-standing magic family to have some rtionship.
"Why are you talking about him suddenly?" Daphne felt a little strange because of the jumpiness of the topic.
"Don''t you think that Harry''s invisibility cloak fits the description of the invisibility cloak in The Deathly Hallows?"
"Not really?"
"But his invisibility cloak is indeed unusual, isn''t it?"
"But the story of the three brothers is just a legend."
"Legends always have prototypes, don''t they?" Rhys has decided to investigate Harry''s life experience.
...
At the end of the Christmas holiday, Fred and George were finally released and regained their freedom. Professor McGonagall was very "generous" and gave them a day to "breathe fresh air".
The twins were very angry about the Christmas holiday being ruined by detention. They spent some time to find out the real reason for their detention - Snape''s storage room was robbed and many precious potions were lost.
After hearing this news, the angry twins suddenly calmed down. In their own words, "If two weeks of detention can cause Snape to lose one-third of his potion ingredients, then please put me in detention for two months. I am really uneasy that such a good thing can happen after only one and a half months of detention."
Although the little wizards of Gryffindor were very happy after hearing about Snape''s experience, they still made sufficient preparations before the first potion ss after the start of school.
If he didn''t take out his anger on the Gryffindor students when he was angry, would he still be Snape?
Surprisingly, Snape didn''t really make things difficult for the Gryffindor students, as if his potion storage room had not been robbed.
This made Fred and George confused: Did Snape''s brain shutdown because of anger?
Daphne''s n to make the Polyjuice Potion was proceeding in an orderly manner. Even if there was any mistake in the middle, Rhys could save it with him watching, so the overall progress was rtively smooth. In the process of making the potion, she even had time to learn the Disillusionment Charm from Rhys.
On the twenty-first day, Daphne''s polyjuice potion was finally ready.
Looking at the thick potion, Rhys nodded with satisfaction. He took out a small ss, dispensed a cup of polyjuice potion, and added a strand of his hair into it.
The potion made a loud noise, like a pot of boiling water, and it was bubbling vigorously. A secondter, it turned into a cup of silver liquid with a metallic luster.
"Please." Rhys handed the cup to Daphne.
Taking the cup, Daphne drank the polyjuice potion in it and shuddered.
She felt that the potion in the cup tasted like a cup of iced mint water.
The polyjuice potion took effect very quickly.
Bubbles began to appear on Daphne''s fair skin like hot wax. As her hair became shorter, the color was also changing...
Soon, two Rhys appeared in the secret chamber.
"Congrattions, your potion was sessfully prepared." Rhys pped his hands lightly to show encouragement.
A young witch who can make a polyjuice potion at this age should be proud of it, even if she is being guided by me.
Daphne''s transformation also shows that her body has really turned into Rhys'' body.
Daphne, who has be Rhys, looks at her hands, then lifts her feet and looks at her heels, as if she is extremely curious about everything that happens to her. This is indeed a novel experience for her.
After wandering in the secret room for half an hour, Daphne turned back to her own appearance.
"The amount of potion you take will affect your transformation time. You really need to pay attention to this. And this is the remaining of your polyjuice potion. Take it." Rhys poured the remaining polyjuice potion that Daphne had used into arge jar and handed it to her.
"Eh? Can I keep it?!" Daphne was quite surprised.
She knew very well that it contained extremely precious magic ingredients. To put it bluntly, if this potion is put on the market, the money earned will definitely fill up this jar.
"Of course, keep it safe."
After the two left the secret chamber, Rhys went straight to the library. He needed to investigate the legend of the Potter family and the three Deathly Hallows.
While searching for information, he passed by the school''s gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid. Rhys noticed that the gamekeeper was holding several books in his arms.
After noticing Rhys''s gaze, Hagrid covered the books in his arms with his moleskin coat.
Hmm?
This suspicious action piqued Rhys''s interest.
He remembered that he had just glimpsed that the outermost book was called "A Guide to Raising Dragons", so it was obvious what the gamekeeper wanted to do.
Raising dragons seems to be illegal now, but Rhys didn''t care, because in his time, it was still a legal operation, and some young wizards at Hogwarts would even bring their pet dragons to school.
This is why the schoolter stipted that only owls, cats, and toads were allowed toe to school.
12 Advance chapters-
76- Yes, this wound was caused by a dog bite
76- Yes, this wound was caused by a dog bite
"What''s wrong with him?" Daphne also noticed Hagrid''s odd behavior: he seemed to be avoiding Rhys and her, looking quite sneaky.
"Hmm.. He wants to raise something that''s not allowed in the magical world."
"What?"
"A dragon. The book he was holding just now is rted to dragon care. If you''re curious, you could investigate the books he''s borrowed. You might find more evidence."
Daphne immediately got up and dashed out. A few minutester, she returned with Hagrid''s borrowing list.
", , just by reading the titles on Hagrid''s borrowing list, Daphne confirmed that Hagrid was indeed nning to raise a dragon.
Regarding Hagrid''s desire to raise a dragon, Daphne''s reaction was: oh.
The Greengrass family had raised dragons centuries ago; it wasn''t a big deal. The Ministry of Magic now banned wizards from raising dragons only because they were too easily spotted by Muggles, viting the Statute of Secrecy.
Hagrid living on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, raising one shouldn''t cause too much trouble. But could he really handle such a big creature?
Daphne and Rhys had remarkably simr attitudes towards Hagrid''s n to raise a dragon: if he wants to, let him.
Rhys was even a bit excited: no need to buy dragon blood and other potion ingredients anymore!
To this end, he eagerly prepared a few potion recipes, all dragon nutritional supplements, aiming to get on good terms with Hagrid and obtain some dragon materials.
After this brief interlude, Rhys finally found the book he needed amidst a pile of dust-covered volumes.
"''An Examination of Medieval Fairy Tale PrototypesEvery Legend Has Its Source,'' this book looks reliable." Rhys opened the book and quickly found what he was looking for.
Daphne leaned in and read the title: *The Origin of the Three Brothers The Peverell Family from Godric''s Hollow.*
"Godric''s Hollow?!" she eximed, immediately thinking of the Potter family living in Godric''s Hollow and the invisibility cloak Harry possessed.
If it were just one clue, it might have been a coincidence, but with all this information lining up, calling it a coincidence seemed far-fetched.
Rhys turned to the relevant page and began reading the text.
[The origin of the Three Brothers legend, ording to the author, is highly likely to be the Peverell brothers: Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus, who were active in the mid-tote 12th century in western Ennd.
The three were masters of Transfiguration and Alchemy and were highly respected in their local area (Godric''s Hollow). Their rtionship with the legendary wizard Godric Gryffindor is uncertain. Some believe they received Gryffindor''s inheritance. The author considers this unlikely because the timeline between the three brothers and Gryffindor is at least a century apart, and Gryffindor was not known for alchemy.
The eldest brother, Antioch, possessed a powerful wand, the prototype of the Elder Wand, characterized by its inability to be passed down except through dueling, giving it a notorious reputation. Many wizards imed to have possessed the Elder Wand throughout history; for further details, please refer to "Dark Wizards in History: Volumes Four and Five."
Cadmus, the second brother, was highly skilled in alchemy and is the prototype for the Resurrection Stone owner. It is said that he created a stone capable of summoning the apparitions of the dead. The Gaunt family, descendants of Slytherin and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, imed to possess the Resurrection Stone.
Ignotus, the youngest brother, owned a cloak of invisibility with an exceptionally long duration. The symbol of the Deathly Hallows on his tombstone is the strongest evidence that the Peverell brothers were the originals of the Three Brothers legend. His granddaughter, Inthe Peverell, married the wealthy Hardwin Potter. Inthe rarely discussed the invisibility cloak, stating it lost its power upon her grandfather''s death, suggesting that the cloak''s existence might be exaggerated.]
"You see, the book records it very clearly."
After reading the article, Rhys was almost 100% certain that the cloak Harry possessed was one of the Deathly Hallows.
Inthe inherited her grandfather''s wisdom, sessfully diverting public attention, and since the cloak''s effect wasn''t as dazzling as the other two Hallows, it had been passed down through the Potter family.
Of course, seeing the book use terms like "descendants of Slytherin," Rhys was also quite angry.
He could guess what his good godson, Gaunt, had done after he fell into slumber. He was sure he wouldn''t "rise from the grave," and after the other founders gradually passed away, Gaunt had taken the wand and other relics Rhys had left him to Hogwarts, falsely iming to be Slytherin''s heir.
Due to theck of knowledgeable people, Hogwarts actually believed it!
Luckily, he hadn''t told Gaunt the location of his slumber; otherwise, how could he have ever woken up?
It seemed like it was time to visit the Gaunt family.
Since they had taken on his name, it wouldn''t be too much for an ancestor to ask for a stone from his descendants, right?
"Merlin!" Daphne eximed, expressing her deep inner astonishment. "That Potter is actually a descendant of the Three Brothers, and the cloak he holds is one of the Deathly Hallows!"
However, after the brief astonishment, came the shattering of the filter.
"But that cloak doesn''t seem all that specialI admit it has near-eternal magic imbued in it, but so what? When an ordinary invisibility cloak loses its effectiveness, you just buy another one."
To Daphne, the Invisibility Cloak was far less appealing than the other two Hallows.
If she wanted to be invisible, she could either buy several invisibility cloaks or use the Disillusionment Charm that Rhys had taught herit wasn''t that she couldn''t afford a lot of invisibility clocks, but the Disillusionment Charm was simply more cost-effective.
The Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone, on the other hand, were in apletely different league; you couldn''t just buy those with money.
"Any alchemical artifact that involves eternity can''t possibly be mediocre," Rhys had a broader perspective than Daphne.
He knew that the invisibility effect of the cloak might be its most insignificant function. Just like a wizard''s wand could be used to roast meat skewers, but that was obviously a secondary function.
The two began to discuss Harry''s Invisibility Cloak, almost forgetting about Hagrid''s little antics until someone came to remind them...
"So you''re saying this was caused by a dog bite?"
Rhys looked at Ron with a "Are you kidding me?" expression.
Ron''splexion shifted, his ears turning red. He stubbornly insisted that the green-tinged wound on his hand was from a dog bite.
"Oh, then there''s no cure. Just wait to die. Goodbye, I have to write my History of Magic essay," Rhys responded with a three-hitbo, dealing a critical blow to Ron''s spirit.
Ron: Huh?!
____
Read 12 chapters ahead of everyone at
77- Nutritional supplements
77- Nutritional supplements
Hearing Rhys''s words, Ron''s face turned a color simr to his wound. He shakily raised his hand, nearly pushing the wound under Rhys''s nose.
"Rhys, take a closer look. It''s just a bite, how can you say there''s no hope?" Ron''s voice trembled.
"If it''s a rabid dog bite, there''s indeed no hope. Seems like this wound has been left untreated for a while?" Rhys calmly pushed Ron''s hand away. Anyone with eyes could see Ron''s condition was dire; the bitten hand had swollen to twice its normal size, and the flesh around the wound had turned green.
"It was yesterday, but it''s only been a day!" Ron''s face contorted with distress, on the verge of tears.
"Rabies, or what they call ''mad dog disease,'' have you heard of it? If bitten by a rabid dog and not treated promptly, it''s certainly fatal," Rhys said tly.
In the non-magical world, rabies is incurable once symptoms appear. In the magical world, it''s also a highly troublesome disease. Rhys believed that Hogwarts'' medical facilities alone might not be enough to handle it.
However, Ron wasn''t infected with rabies. His wound was a dragon bite, which had nothing to do with rabies.
Daphne chimed in, agreeing that it was a very difficult condition to treat.
Ron''s face turned the color of liver.
After a minute of hesitation, he lowered his voice and said, "Can you keep the cause of my injury a secret?" Trusting Rhys and Daphne, given their shared disdain for Malfoy, Ron decided to confide in them.
If it weren''t for his prior interactions with Rhys and Daphne, during which he found them to be among the more reasonable Slytherins, Ron wouldn''t have sought help from them.
But he was out of options.
Among the people Ron knew, only these two exhibited exceptional talent in Potions. He and Daphne were the only duo who had never been criticized by Snape in Potions ss. If they couldn''t help, he''d have no choice but to go to the school nurse.
But once he was in the hospital wing, how would he exin the origin of the wound? If he couldn''t provide a satisfactory exnation, Madam Pomfrey would escte the matter to Professor McGonagall, and that would be disastrous.
So, Ron decided to confide in Rhys, trusting they would keep his secret.
"Of course, we won''t tell anyone."
With Rhys''s assurance, Ron admitted, "Alright, it''s actually a dragon bite, from a Norwegian Ridgeback. Is there anything you can do to help?"
To Ron''s surprise, Rhys and Daphne didn''t seem shocked by this explosive revtion. Instead, they remained remarkably calm, as if he had merely been bitten by a stray dog.
Rhys nodded, indicating that Ron''s wound indeed showed the standard signs of a dragon bite. Treating it, he assured, wouldn''t be too difficult.
Growing impatient, Ron couldn''t help but ask, "Aren''t you curious at all about why I"
"Why you were bitten by a dragon at Hogwarts Castle? It must be Hagrid''s dragon, right? I suspected as much and didn''t bother to ask. Hagrid''s knowledge and resources are insufficient for him to be apetent dragon handler. If he insists on keeping a dragon in his hut, I can guarantee that more serious incidents are bound to happen," Rhys replied in one breath.
He was somewhat displeased with Hagrid''s actions. Could Hogwarts amodate a dragon? Certainly, but the handler needed to be well-prepared. If Hagrid''s preparation consisted solely of those books, Rhys was firmly against his dragon-keeping endeavor.
Raising a dragon is a highly advanced skill. Masters of this craft can tame dragons to be as docile as sheepdogs, but Hagrid clearly wasn''t one of those masters.
Ron''s eyes widened in shock.
"How do you, um, know about that?" Ron stammered, too stunned to form a coherent sentence.
"He''s too conspicuous!" Daphne recounted the day they encountered Hagrid and pointed out that with a bit of observation, anyone could figure out what Hagrid was up to.
Ron broke into a cold sweat. Thankfully, it was one of their own who noticed Hagrid''s activities. If Malfoy or another Slytherin had discovered it...
Illegally keeping a dragon could result in a sentence in Azkaban!
"Alright, we''ll talk about Hagridter. Let''s first take care of Mr. Weasley''s wound." Now that Ron was finally telling the truth, Rhys was willing to help treat his injury.
They led Ron to an empty ssroom and began preparing the necessary potions for his treatment.
"It''s not a big problem; you don''t need to worry." Rhys said, as he deftly added ingredients to the boiling cauldron with his wand.
"You just said"
"So you were bitten by a rabid dog?"
Ron closed his mouth.
Daphne snorted, "You can''t hide that wound. Anyone can tell it''s a dragon bite at a nce."
As Rhys spoke, his potion was ready.
Knowing that Ron wanted to see how he would treat the wound, Rhys diluted the potion slightly and had Ron drink it.
Shortly after drinking the potion, Ron realized he couldn''t feel his limbs.
After Ron had ingested the pain-relieving potion, Rhys pointed his wand at Ron''s wound and used a precise cutting spell to remove the necrotic tissue. Once the dead tissue was removed, he applied ayer of salve to the wound.
The white salve quickly turned green upon contact with the wound.
When the salve turned green, Rhys removed it with a wave of his wand and applied a freshyer. He repeated this process until the salve turned blood-red. Finally, he poured a few drops of Dittany on Ron''s wound and bandaged it.
Ron''s wound was treated.
"Good, the toxins in the wound have beenpletely removedhere, eat this." Rhys molded some of the salve into a ball and indicated that Ron should eat it.
Ron was puzzled.
"This will help draw out the toxins from your body. You didn''t think the toxins stayed just near the wound, did you?"
Seeing Rhys''s seriousness, Ron obediently ate the ball of salve.
"Thanks, Rhys, you''ve really helped me out a lot," Ron expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Rhys.
"You''re wee. Lead the way."
"Huh?"
"I want to meet Hagrid."
"What do you want to see him for?" Ron asked, feeling a bit guilty.
"I want to see if he''s interested in some nutritional supplements for dragons."
Ron was once again bewildered; Rhys had thoroughly confused him.
Do dragons even need nutritional supplements?
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12 Advance Chapters-
78- I’m actually quite knowledgeable about dragons
78- Im actually quite knowledgeable about dragons
To Rhys, this was a perfect opportunity to strengthen his rtionship with Hagrid. Once their bond was strong enough, he could freely obtain materials from Hagrid''s dragon and even share some tips on dragon carebenefiting both parties.
Moreover, as the gamekeeper, Hagrid must have umted a lot of valuable items over the years. With a good rtionship, Rhys could ess these items, expanding his potion ingredient collection.
Truly precious potion ingredients are hard to find on the market, like African tree snake skin for Polyjuice Potion. These items are quickly snapped up by potion masters and rarely make it to the open market. They can only be acquired through trades with other potion masters.
Thinking of these benefits, Rhys quickened his pace.
No potion master can refuse the chance to expand their materials collection. If they do, it means they aren''t passionate enough about potion-making.
Led by Ron, Rhys and Daphne soon arrived outside Hagrid''s hut.
All the curtains were tightly drawn. After Ron knocked on the door, Hagrid first confirmed his identity before opening it.
He was stunned to see Rhys and Daphne behind Ron.
"Hagrid, they can be trusted!" Ron quickly vouched for Rhys, seeing Hagrid''s hesitation. He raised his bandaged hand, indicating that Rhys had helped treat his injury.
With Ron''s assurance, Hagrid allowed Rhys and Daphne inside. Once they were in, he promptly shut the door tightly behind them.
Rhys walked into Hagrid''s hut and was immediately struck by the overwhelming stench of blood. The floor was littered with feathers and empty bottles.
Rhys immediately saw the culprit: a dragon about the size of arge dog, furiously tearing at something under Hagrid''s bed. Judging by its scales and tail fin, it was indeed a Norwegian Ridgeback.
Once he confirmed the dragon''s status, Rhys began to observe Hagrid''s living conditions.
Hagrid''s hut was rather cramped. The small wooden house had only one room. The ceiling was adorned with ham, pheasants, and rabbits. A firece was built into the wall, with a kettle hanging above it where Hagrid usually boiled water. His bed was in a corner of the room, and the patchwork quilt had been shredded by the dragon.
The magical energy in the room was strong, even slightly stronger than that in Snape''s potion storeroom, which made Rhys secretly rmed.
He looked around and was eventually drawn to something hanging among the ham and pheasants. It was a tuft of silver hair, hidden among the smoked meats and easily overlooked. Rhys took a closer look and his pupils dted: it was arge bunch of unicorn hair!
This bundle of unicorn hair, which could fetch a bag of Galleons, was casually hung from the ceiling, almost ignored by Rhys himself.
Rhys scrutinized the room''s setup more carefully and made more astonishing discoveries: the straw ced next to the firewood in the corner looked increasingly like phoenix feather straw; the basket used to hold misceneous items seemed to be made ofurel wood; among the stones used to build the firece, there appeared to be several pieces of firestone; and the stick used to hang the prey from the ceiling seemed to be a three-hundred-year-old oak core...
Rhys took a deep breath, thinking that if Hagrid didn''t sell these "burial items," he would probably be wealthier than himself.
"Sit down, sit down. Would you like some tea?" Hagrid warmly invited the three of them to sit and brought over a gigantic teapot.
"Hagrid, about the dragon..." Rhys tried to get straight to the point.
"It''s called Norbert, haha, I didn''t expect you to find out so soon." A trace of embarrassment shed across Hagrid''s face.
"Yeah, I knew. I guessed it the day you borrowed those books." Rhys epted a steaming cup of tea from Hagrid.
"Really?" Hagrid scratched his head. "I thought I hid it pretty well."
"What preparations have you made for raising a dragon, Hagrid? Did you just read those few books?" Rhys put his cup back on the table and asked very seriously.
"Well, I checked as many books as I could." Hagrid became serious as well.
"Your preparations are far from enough." Rhys''s words were quite blunt. "Ron''s injury is just the beginning. If you keep this up, sooner orter there will be a more serious ident. This time he was only bitten; next time he might lose an arm."
Ron''s face turned a bit pale, remembering the stories his brother Charlie had told him.
Rhys nced at Norbert, who was gnawing on the bedpost. "It needs training. You need to teach it what is right and what is wrong."
"Norbert is just a baby. It''s still small"
"It will be toote when it grows up." Rhys felt his patience gradually wearing thin.
"You know what will happen if it grows up and still behaves like this."
Hagrid fell silent.
Rhys''s words were harsh, but they reflected reality. If Norbert grew into an adult dragon and remained disobedient, it would likely be killed. Even dragon reserves wouldn''t ept a dragon that was too aggressive.
"Besides, raising a dragon is illegal right now."
Hagrid pursed his lips, and the room fell into a long silence, broken only by the sounds of Norbert and the crackling firece.
"I, I..." Hagrid opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.
"I can contact my brother Charlie. He researches dragons in Romania and would surely be willing to take Norbert," Ron quickly interjected to defuse the tension.
Rhys nced at him. He had initially intended to suggest that Hagrid release Norbert into the Forbidden Forest. Given its size and resources, the forest could easily amodate several dragons.
"Training a dragon isn''t that difficult," Daphne added. "My family has some old records on it. I''ll bring them to youter."
"That''s great, that''s great!" Hagrid''s spirits lifted, and he thanked them repeatedly, though his excitement left him at a loss for words, repeating himself over and over.
"Good." Rhys smiled and looked at Hagrid, asking if he minded if Rhys gave Norbert a checkup.
"To be honest, I actually have quite a bit of experience with dragons."
Rhys wasn''t lying.
When they had first moved here, the Forbidden Forest next to Hogwarts was home to many dragons. These energetic creatures often came out to attack the livestock that Helga kept. To expand the potion storeroom and protect the livestock, Rhys had dealt with the dragons in the Forbidden Forest thoroughly.
Through this process, he had indeed gained a deep understanding and knowledge of dragons.
"Really? That''s great, go ahead!" Hagrid, unaware of these old stories, waved hisrge hand and agreed to Rhys''s request.
"Thank you." The smile on Rhys''s face sent a sudden chill down Hagrid''s spine.
He was a bit puzzled: had he forgotten to close a window? It seemed the fire needed to be stoked more.
As for Norbert, the dragon lifted its head alertly, sensing something unusual.
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Read 12 Chapters ahead of everyone at
79- Holding the Wings of Destiny
79- Holding the Wings of Destiny
"Roar!" Norbert, who was enveloped by an inexplicable sense of crisis, chose to use roars to dispel his inner fear and possible danger. But this could not scare Rhys away. In his eyes, adult dragons were just potion materials. How could he take a dragon cub that was only a few weeks old seriously?
He quickly moved to Norbert''s blind spot, seized the opportunity, and grabbed the roots of his wings, lifting him up.
Hagrid was shocked.
He jumped up, intending to stop Rhys to prevent him from being bitten by the dragon.
To his surprise, the usually aggressive and unruly Norbert was now as docile as a chicken, allowing Rhys to handle his wings without resistance.
"Although dragon hatchlings stay in their mother''s nest until they reach adolescence, adult dragons sometimes need to move or relocate their young. During such times, they grab the young dragons by the wings and carry them in their mouths. This habit creates a ''switch'' at the base of the wings. Touching this spot can calm even the naughtiest dragon hatchling." Rhys exined as he held Norbert, giving Hagrid a mini "dragon taming guide."
Hagrid was intrigued by Rhys''s exnation.
Watching Hagrid''s eager expression, Rhys sighed inwardly: How could he dare to hatch a dragon without knowing these basic facts?
"Alright, it''s time for a check-up." Given Hagrid''sck of expertise, Rhys took over his role, thoroughly checking Norbert''s health.
Fortunately, the little dragon was quite healthy with no major issues, except for one thing...
"So why did you give her such a masculine name?" Rhys asked, puzzled.
The dragon in his hands was clearly female, yet she had a boy''s name. Considering Hagrid''s situation, he had a pretty solid guess.
"What? Norbert is a girl?!" Hagrid''s eyes widened in shock.
"What?" Daphne and Ron eximed in unison, equally taken aback by Hagrid''s reaction.
"Hagrid, you''ve had her for over three weeks..." Ron struggled to articte his feelings, and Rhys and Daphne felt simrly at a loss for words.
Hagrid chuckled awkwardly, running his scarred, half-burnt beard through hisrge hand. "I wanted to check, but Norbert wouldn''t let me. I didn''t want to force her, so I kept putting it off."
Rhys sighed, exasperated by Hagrid''s unreliability.
He walked over to Hagrid''s bed and tossed Norbert under it.
The bewildered young dragon rolled under the bed, then quickly huddled in a corner, eyeing the feet of the people outside with caution.
"I''ll go get you all something to eat. Rhys Linth, right? We can have a proper chat about dragon care while we eat." Hagrid said, stepping out of the room to prepare lunch, humming a cheerful tune.
Hagrid nned to make a potato, mushroom, and chicken stew. To ensure Norbert had enough chicken blood brandy, he had been ughtering chickens frequently, so there was plenty of chicken meatmore than vegetablesin his pot.
Carrying a few defeathered and blood-drained chickens back into the hut, Hagrid began preparing the chicken.
He chopped the whole chickens intorge chunks and threw them into a pot to nch.
As the raw chicken pieces rolled in the boiling water, the smell of cooking chicken filled the room, causing Ron''s stomach to churn.
He struggled to suppress the urge to vomit but ultimately failed, and with a loud retch, he threw up.
"Ron, are you okay? Did you eat something bad?" Hagrid immediately rushed to Ron''s side. When he saw the pile of green vomit, his face changed dramatically.
That color didn''t look normal at all!
"It''s nothing serious," Rhys answered for Ron, "just a normal detox reaction."
He gave Hagrid a brief exnation of the treatment he had administered to Ron, leaving Hagrid a bit bewildered.
Hagrid didn''t fully understand, but Rhys seemed very professional.
"Impressive!" He gave Rhys a thumbs up and then made an apologetic gesture to Ron.
"Make sure to eat plenty of meat at lunch today to build your strength back up. These chickens were raised on bugs, so they taste great."
While Hagrid was apologizing to Ron, Rhys drew his wand and cleaned the floor that had been dirtied by Ron''s vomit.
Hagrid''s stew-making skills were quite good. After nching the chicken pieces, he set them aside, poured a generous amount of oil into the pot, and added chunks of potatoes, onions, eggnts, carrots, green beans, and freshly picked wild mushrooms.
He sprinkled in some salt and ck pepper, then returned the chicken to the pot, covered it, and let it simmer over a low heathe wanted to have a longer chat with Rhys.
Before Hagrid added the mushrooms to the pot, Rhys carefully inspected the types he had gathered.
Just by looking at Hagrid, Rhys could tell he had giant blood, and giants have a remarkable resistance to toxins.
Mushrooms that are harmless to giants might not be safe for ordinary wizards, so Rhys made sure to check them thoroughly.
Fortunately, Hagrid was reliable in this area; all the mushrooms he had gathered were safe and edible.
With the stew simmering, Hagrid invited Rhys, Daphne, and Ron to sit at the table. He poured each of them a cup of tea and served a te of rock cakes.
Ron kept his eyes downcast, pretending not to see the te of rock cakes.
Rhys and Daphne, unaware of the hidden dangers, each took one. After taking a bite, they quickly understood why Ron had avoided them.
The cakes were as hard as rocks! Daphne nearly chipped her perfect teeth on the cake.
Hagrid, oblivious to their difort, sat down at the table and started munching on a rock cake himself.
Rhys: ...
Giant blood, truly terrifying!
"Hmm..." Hagrid chewed on the rock cake, seemingly deep in thought. Eventually, he spoke up, not to reflect on the hardness of his cakes but about Norbert.
"Since Norbert is a girl, it''s not suitable to keep calling her Norbert. How about renaming her Norberta?"
Rhys and the others naturally had no objections.
When it was time to eat, Hagrid made sure not to neglect his little dragon. He picked up a bottle filled with chicken blood brandy from the floor, preparing to feed Norberta.
Seeing the suspicious-looking mixture, Rhys frowned, "Hagrid, you feed her this?"
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12 Advance Chapters-
80- Let’s exchange the local specialties from the Forbidden Forest
80- Lets exchange the local specialties from the Forbidden Forest
"What''s wrong? The book says to do it this way," Hagrid replied, a bit nervous.
Rhys demonstrated through his actions that he was indeed the expert in dragon care. Hagrid took Rhys''s advice seriously, determined not to miss a single word.
"A three-week-old dragon can already start eating meat, raw or cooked. Chicken blood is just a transitional food for when their teeth haven''t fully developed," Rhys pointed to Ron''s hand. The fact that Norberta had bitten Ron that badly indicated she was more than ready to eat meat.
"Also, your ratio is off," Rhys said, frowning as he looked at the mixture in the bottle.
"The purpose of mixing brandy with chicken blood is to knock out the newly hatched dragon, making it easier to transport. So you need to choose a high-proof brandy, and the ratio to chicken blood should be at least three to one. The amount of brandy you have in there will only make her tipsythough it does help her breathe fire."
Hagrid suddenly realized, "So that''s why they mix it that way, to make transportation easier!"
In medieval times, dragon traders would give young dragonsrge amounts of high-proof alcohol, sometimes even sleeping potions, to keep them docile in boxes, making them easier to transport and sell.
Hagrid didn''t need to do that.
Norberta''s irritable behavior could be rted to being perpetually tipsy.
Following Rhys''s advice, Hagrid cut up some chicken meat and tossed it under the bed for Norberta.
She sniffed at the chicken, then started gobbling it up, clearly enjoying her meal.
"Ha, she even roasts the meat herself!"
Hagrid watched his little dragon eat with the joy of a child. Ron and Daphne couldn''t resist joining him, taking chicken strips from Hagrid and tossing them toward Norberta.
When Norberta was full, Hagrid''s stew was ready as well.
Thebination of chicken and vegetables filled the air with a mouth-watering aroma.
Not a drop of water had been added to the pot; the ingredients'' juices alone made the broth exceptionally vorful.
Hagrid wasn''t wrong; the chicken he raised tasted excellent, so much so that even Daphne ate severalrge pieces without concern for her image.
Even better, the rock-hard scones softened after being soaked in the stew for a while, making them chewable!
Hagrid, Rhys, Ron, and Daphne finished off the entire pot of stew, along with the te of scones.
"Norberta''s diet seems a bit unbnced, eating only these things," Rhys said suddenly while Hagrid was gnawing on arge drumstick.
"Oh?" Hagrid immediately put down his drumstick. He couldn''t be careless about Norberta''s healthy growth.
"For a dragon, just eating chicken isn''t enough. Also, the environment here is very different from a dragon''sir. Living here might be fine for a short while, but over time, it''s not ideal."
Rhys wasn''t exaggerating; it was the truth. In the wild, baby dragons would be well-fed by their mothers. Their diet wouldn''t consist solely of chicken, and a dragon''s nest would have much higher temperatures and higher concentrations of substances like sulfur. For a dragon raised in captivity, the caretaker needs to artificially provide these conditions to ensure healthy growth.
"I''ll get some wild rabbits, boars, ferrets, and other things to feed her," Hagrid suggested with a wave of hisrge hand.
"Not bad, but how do you n to solve the temperature problem, Hagrid? Just lighting the stove won''t be enough," Rhys gently prompted, encouraging Hagrid to think more deeply.
"Ah, what should I do about that?" A hint of anxiety shed across Hagrid''s face. "Do you have any good ideas?"
Hagrid instinctively turned to Rhys for help.
"Of course, there''s an old potion recipe recorded in one of the ancient books in my collection. It can serve as a nutritional supplement for raising dragons," Rhys revealed his n.
Daphne narrowed her eyes: this time it wasn''t an ancient wizard''s letter?
"Oh? Can... you provide me with the recipe? I''ll find someone to make it," Hagrid asked, feeling quite embarrassedafter all, this was a family heirloom potion recipe, and asking for it directly felt inappropriate.
But this was all for Norberta''s healthy growth!
Hagrid was genuinely concerned about his dragon.
"Hagrid, you don''t need to find someone else. Rhys is an excellent potion maker himself," Ron said, swallowing the food in his mouth and introducing Rhys''s prowess in potion-making to Hagrid in a muffled voice.
"That impressive!" Hearing that Rhys could single-handedly make a potion to treat dragon bites, Hagrid''s eyes widened even more.
"Not really, not really, just a bit of talent in potion-making."
Listening to Rhys''s modesty, Daphne struggled to resist the urge to roll her eyesthis guy clearly had ulterior motives!
Amid Hagrid''s heartfelt thanks, Rhys agreed to provide Norberta''s nutritional supplement.
However, in exchange, he needed Hagrid to prepare some "specialties" from the Forbidden Forestsuch as unicorn tail hair and other rare items.
As the sun set, Rhys left Hagrid''s hut carrying a bag filled with Hagrid''s collections from the Forbidden Forest over the years. The bag even contained a vial of fresh dragon blood!
"A substantial harvest!" Daphne couldn''t help butment as she looked at the bag in Rhys''s hand.
"It''s mutually beneficial, isn''t it?" Rhys''s lips curved into a slight smile. "These items would just gather dust in his ce, but in my hands, they can be turned into valuable potionseven if Gryffindor himself rose from the grave, he couldn''t me me."
In Rhys''s view, Hagrid hanging valuable potion ingredients alongside smoked meat was a clear waste of resources.
Rather than letting them gather dust and rot in a corner, it was better to give them to him, allowing them to be used to their full potential.
With Rhys''s knowledge and supplements, Norberta grew up healthy and strong, but this didn''t change the fact that she had to be sent awaya consensus reached by everyone, including Hagrid.
Ron sent a letter to his brother Charlie, arranging a time for the handover.
The day finally arrived.
Under Hagrid''s reluctant gaze, Norberta was given the sleeping potion Rhys had prepared, ced into arge wooden crate, and then taken by Harry, Ron, and Daphne to the agreed-upon meeting ce mentioned in the letter.
Daphne''s involvement in this was due to the bond she had formed with Norberta during the rearing process. On the day Norberta was to be sent away, she felt quite reluctant to see her go.
Rhys, on the other hand, had less emotional attachment to Norberta. Before she left, he collected some more of her blood. As for the farewell, he left that to Daphne and the others; he had other matters to attend to.
12 Advance Chapters-
81- Daphne is extremely unlucky
81- Daphne is extremely unlucky
Watching Charlie and his friends riding on brooms, carrying the box where Norberta was, rising into the night sky, and gradually turning into a few small ck dots, Harry and Ron suddenly felt relieved: the burden on their hearts finally disappeared.
Keeping a dragon in secret was against thews of the magical world. If they had been caught, Hagrid would undoubtedly face imprisonment. Although they hadn''t been discovered so far, it had always been a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.
Now that this time bomb had been defused, they could finally breathe easy.
The three of them walked down the spiral staircase from the Astronomy Tower, with Harry and Ron in high spirits. They were so rxed that they even forgot to take the Invisibility Cloak. Daphne, with her sharp eyes, noticed it and took it along.
She was curious to see when they would realize they had left the cloak behind.
"So how did Hagrid get that dragon egg?" Harry asked.
"No idea, we''ll have to ask him when we get back"
"What are you two doing here at this hour?!" A voice full of anger rang out from below, making the three of them freeze.
Professor McGonagall appeared, her face flushed and breathing heavily as if she had been running for a long distance. Behind her were Professors Flitwick and Sprout, both in their nightclothes. Professor Flitwick held his wand tightly, and Professor Sprout had her wand in one hand and a pot with a bizarre nt in the other.
As the duty professor for the night, Professor McGonagall happened to see Charlie and his friends'' dark silhouettesnding in the castle courtyard.
Mysterious individualsnding at Hogwarts at night?
This was no small matter. She immediately connected this incident with the Halloween troll incident, suspecting that these were dark wizards trying to infiltrate Hogwarts to get the Sorcerer''s Stone.
Concluding this, Professor McGonagall hurried towards the Astronomy Tower where the unknown individuals hadnded, summoning her Patronus to wake up Professors Flitwick and Sprout.
She believed that with the three of them working together, they could capture these intruders.
Instead of finding dark wizards, they encountered Harry and Ron wandering the castlete at night.
"Minerva" Professor Flitwick tugged on McGonagall''s sleeve, reminding her of the more pressing matter. The crucial task was to find out where those intruders had gonethey might have hidden upon hearing Harry and Ron''s voices.
With her wand in hand, Professor McGonagall cautiously headed upstairs.
Harry and Ron stood by, not daring to utter a word, let alone ask why McGonagall was acting so unusually.
Daphne, upon hearing McGonagall''s voice, had quickly covered herself with the Invisibility Cloak. Luckily for her, McGonagall had only seen Harry and Ron at first and did not notice her.
Professor Sprout guarded Harry and Ron, while Professor Flitwick stood still, secretly keeping an eye on them. He was wary that the two could be imposters, ready to stun them at the slightest sign of suspicious behavior.
Professor McGonagall ascended the Astronomy Tower, meticulously searching for any signs of intruders. However, she found no trace of them.
She narrowed her eyes.
Disillusionment Charm? Or perhaps some other trick? No matter!
"Aparecium! Revelio!" She raised her wand high above her head, casting a revealing spell and an unmasking charm in all directions.
In the next moment, traces left by previous individuals began to appear in reverse order on the tower''s floor tiles: first, three sets of footprints leading downstairs, then the shadows of four people riding broomsticks
Standing silently aside, Daphne, who had thought she had escaped detection, felt the blood in her veins turn cold as she saw the three sets of footprints.
Instinctively, she used a flight spell, wrapped herself in Harry''s Invisibility Cloak, and flew toward the tower''s exterior. But it was toote. If she had fled the moment McGonagall arrived, she might have escaped, but now she was trapped.
Sensing the abnormal number of people, Professor McGonagall swiftly waved her wand, instantly sealing all the windows of the Astronomy Tower. A gust of wind then swept through the tower.
Before Daphne could react, the wind blew off the Invisibility Cloak, exposing her to the three professors and two ssmates who all turned their gaze toward her.
Daphne: ""
She forced an awkward smile. "Professor McGonagall, please allow me to exin."
Exin? Not a chance!
Professor McGonagall, almost losing her temper, conjured a rope with her wand, pulling Daphne from mid-air and making her stand with Harry and Ron.
The three of them huddled in a corner of the tower like frightened chicks, trembling as they awaited Professor McGonagall''s judgment.
After using magic toplete her investigation, Professor McGonagall ruled out the possibility of intruders at Hogwarts. There had indeed been outsiders, but they had quickly left with arge box.
Suppressing her anger, Professor McGonagall addressed the most pressing issue before turning her gaze to the trio.
Following this, Professors Flitwick and Sprout had the feeling they were witnessing the opening of a Howler. McGonagall''s furious roar echoed throughout the Astronomy Tower.
After about three minutes, Professor McGonagall regained herposure.
"I can hardly believe this. It is one o''clock in the morning, and instead of being in your dormitories asleep, we have two Gryffindors and a Slytherin up in the Astronomy Tower. Exin yourselves." Professor McGonagall''s question was followed by her own puzzled thought: since when did Gryffindor students start acting together with a Slytherin?
Harry and Ron were stunned, and even the usually sharp and clever Daphne had no idea how to respond.
Seeing the three of them silent as mutes, Professor McGonagall felt her anger rising again.
"If you can''t answer that question, then tell me who you met. And don''t tell me it was a coincidence."
"It was my brother, Charlie, and his friends," Ron said in a very low voice.
Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes.
Charlie Weasley, a name she was very familiar with. She knew that after graduating, he had gone to Romania to study dragons. Putting together a few key pieces of information, a shocking truth emerged.
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Daphne Greengrass were very likely hatching a dragon inside the castle!
There was no other way to exin why the three of them would be meeting Charlie Weasley at the Astronomy Tower in the middle of the night and having him take away arge box.
It was certainly not because Ron had made some pies for his brother, right?
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Read 12 Chapters ahead-
82- Don’t hang out with some questionable students, Miss Greengrass
82- Dont hang out with some questionable students, Miss Greengrass
Hearing Charlie''s name, Professor McGonagall felt a sudden realization. She nced subtly at Professors Flitwick and Sprout, then decisively changed the subject.
She couldn''t allow the matter of "someone raising a dragon inside the castle" toe to light.
If the issue of illegally keeping a dragon were investigated thoroughly, someone would surely end up in Azkaban, and that was not what Professor McGonagall wantedwhether it was a student present or some other reckless individual.
Detention would be punishment enough. With the most crucial risk eliminated, the remaining issues were inconsequential, and she trusted that her two colleagues would also remain discreetly silent on the matter.
"Regardless of your intentions, wandering the castle at night is always a mistake," Professor McGonagall dered, glossing over the reason for their outing.
Hearing this, Daphne felt her courage and wisdom returning. She boldly said, "But the four founders actually encouraged students to patrol the castle at night. I believe if they were alive, they wouldn''t me us."
Rhys''s words echoed in her ears, and though his evidence was little more than whimsical "ancient wizard correspondence," Daphne firmly believed him.
"The era of the four founders had its unique circumstances, but times have changed. The founders'' era has passed with them, and the rules should change ordingly," Professor McGonagall said, looking at Daphne.
She had a strong impression of this childhighly talented without the generally annoying traits of most Slytherin pureblood students.
Her opinion of Daphne was even better than of many Gryffindor students.
Quiet, gentle, elegant, with excellent academic performance, respectful and polite to teachers, she had never seen Daphne argue or fight with other students. In her free time, unlike other mischievous young wizards, Daphne spent her time reading in the library.
With so many admirable qualities in one person, Professor McGonagall liked Daphne even though she was a Slytherin.
However, seeing her at the same "crime scene" with Harry and Ron today caused a small crack in McGonagall''s favorable perception of her.
To "save" this good girl, Professor McGonagall decided to offer some advice.
"And Miss Greengrass, I advise you not to associate with certain unsavory students. Behave like a properdy and don''t break school rules every day like some students do."
Harry and Ron: "..."
The unsavory wizard Professor McGonagall mentioned must be Rhys Chass Lint, right? We are students from your own house! How can you call us unsavory?!
Professor McGonagall red at them: Yes, I am talking about you two! You''ve picked up none of your brothers'' good traits but learned all the bad ones!
In her eyes, Ron''s image was merging with Fred and George''s instead of Bill and Charlie, well, percie is something....ehm*. To prevent this rming trend, she decided to impose severe punishment on them.
Of course, Daphne would also be punished.
"I''m really angry," Professor McGonagall said. "Breaking curfew and wandering around the castle, all three of you will serve detention, and that is just part of your punishment. Gryffindor will lose fifty points for each of you, and the same goes for Slytherin."
Professor McGonagall''s decision not to dig deeper into their activities made Harry and Ron slightly relieved, but her punishment immediately made them feel like they were drowning.
Harry opened his mouth wide like a fish out of water, taking a few futile breaths, feeling a dizzying sensation: Gryffindor''s chance at the House Cup was now in serious jeopardy. How would he face his housemates tomorrow morning?
"Professor"
"You can''t"
Harry and Ron spoke simultaneously, trying to get Professor McGonagall to retract her decision.
"Are you trying to tell me how to do my job? Enough, Potter, Weasley! Off to bed with you, and you too, Miss Greengrass!" Professor McGonagall waved her hand, sending them back to their dormitories.
On the way back to themon room, Harry and Ron gradually regained theirposure. They even felt a bit fortunate that Daphne had been caught too, meaning that while Gryffindor lost a hundred points, Slytherin also lost fifty.
The two houses, originally in first and second ce, were now overtaken by Ravenw and Hufflepuff, but not by too much, leaving hope for aeback.
Unexpectedly, Ravenw emerged as the new frontrunner, bing the biggest winner in this scenario.
The next day, news spread quickly about Harry, Ron, and Daphne being caught by Professor McGonagall while wandering the castle at night.
Losing a hundred points at once!
For the young Gryffindors, this was a shocking blow, but whatforted them a bit was that Slytherin had also lost a significant amount of points. In their distress, just thinking about the state of Slytherin made them feel a lot betterthey had only dropped from second to fourth ce, while Slytherin had fallen from first to third, with the potential to lose the House Cup they had held for seven consecutive years.
With this perspective, it didn''t seem so bad after all. Fred and George even came up with a theory of "it''s not a loss" to alleviate the public pressure on Harry and Ron.
Surprisingly, the idea of "bringing Slytherin down with us" resonated with many Gryffindor students, and given Harry and Ron''s generally good rtionships, the public opinion about them started to improve.
In contrast, Daphne''s situation was much worse. Gryffindors could console themselves with the notion of dragging Slytherin down, but there was no such constion for Slytherin.
Daphne had truly brought them a lot of trouble.
In this case, even her prestigious background was of no use. The students of Slytherin suddenly didn''t want to talk to Daphne, and some girls would even make sarcastic remarks when they encountered her.
Seeing Daphne looking so haggard, Rhys took out a piece of chocte, broke it, and handed it to her.
"Eat this, it''ll make you feel a bit better."
"No, thanks..."
Rhys didn''t withdraw his hand, so Daphne reluctantly took the chocte and began to eat it in small bites.
To her surprise, as the chocte melted into sweet syrup, some of the gloom in her heart began to lift.
"Don''t take these things too seriously. The House Cup and the like are insignificant. Slytherin would also agree with me if he was here." After a little thought, Rhys prepared a draft tofort Daphne.
"I have a story here, do you want to hear it?"
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83: Rhys’ Little Story
83: Rhys Little Story
Hearing that Rhys was about to tell a story, Daphne perked up immediately. She couldn''t help but tease, "Is it one of those stories mentioned in the old letters?"
"Not at all," Rhys said, keeping a straight face. "It''s a tale I heard from a little snake yesterdaythe snake told me it''s a story passed down through its family for generations." Without waiting for Daphne to say anything else, he began his tale.
"Long, long ago, even before Hogwarts was established, in the western wilderness of the British Isles, there was a swamp. In that swamp, there was a small vige made up of a few wizarding families..."
Such an ancient story, rarely told even by her father, immediately captured Daphne''s attention. She listened intently, savoring the chocte as she focused on Rhys''s words.
~Life in the swamp was difficult, and to make matters worse, there was an evil dragon deep in the swamp.
A group of goblins served the dragon willingly, acting as its minions, causing trouble andmitting misdeeds under its banner.
The vigers both hated and feared the dragon and its goblin minions, but they were powerless against them.
As the wizarding families grew in number, the goblins feared that one day they might unite, kill the dragon, and settle ounts with them for theirplicity.
So the goblins came up with a sinister n and suggested it to the dragonthey proposed that the vige should offer a person to the dragon each year as a sacrifice.
If they failed toply, the dragon would fly over the vige, drying up their fish ponds with its fiery breath and ughtering their livestock with its sharp ws.
The goblins believed this would keep the wizard poption in check, ensuring they remained under their oppressive control.
But the wizards had their own methods.
They decided to capture passing travelers and offer them as sacrifices to the dragon.
One day, a sturdy young man with red hair passed by the swamp, just as the time for the annual sacrifice approached.
The vigers weed him warmly, got him drunk, and locked him in the vige chief''s cer. He was destined to be the dragon''s lunch, but his eloquence during the feast had impressed the chief''s son.
Believing such a person shouldn''t meet such a grim fate, the chief''s son seized the opportunity while delivering food and freed the red-haired youth.~
Daphney: "Then what!?"
~His actions were discovered, and the angry vigers wrapped him in a cowhide sack and delivered him to the dragon''sirhe would take the ce of the red-haired youth as the sacrifice.
The goblins carried him, sack and all, to the dragon. Just as the dragon was about to devour him, a spell hit the dragon''s right eye with precision, blinding it. It was the red-haired youth who had been released; he had secretly followed andunched a surprise attack on the unsuspecting dragon.
While the dragon roared and thrashed in pain, the youth cut himself out of the sack and, using a prepared dagger, blinded the dragon''s other eye.
The dragon went berserk, turning its entireir into an inferno, burning all the goblins to a crisp. However, the two youths managed to escape.
After getting out alive, they regrouped and decided to return to their to finish off the dragon. After much struggle, they finally killed the blinded dragon in its den.
After ying the dragon, the two boys did not return to the vige. Instead, they set out on further adventures together.~
"The red-haired youth in the story was named Godric Gryffindor, and the vige chief''s son was Szar Slytherin."
Rhys finished his story, and Daphne''s eyes widened, her mind abuzz with wonder.
"Do what you believe is right, boldly and without hesitation. If Slytherin hadn''t released Gryffindor from the cer that night, he might have spent his entire life in that small vige, living in obscurity and, like most ordinary wizards of the Middle Ages, regretting his unremarkable existence for the rest of his days."
Daphne nodded, feeling the clouds of gloom lift from her heart.
A few dayster, Daphne''s punishment for detention was announced. During breakfast, she, Harry, and Ron each received identical notes instructing them to meet in the entrance hall at eleven o''clock that night, where the caretaker Filch would escort them to their detention location.
Daphne frowned; she was not looking forward to this, but there was no way around it. If you make a mistake and get caught, you have to face the consequences.
At eleven that night, Daphne arrived at the entrance hall, where Filch was already waiting. A few minutester, Harry and Ron joined her.
As the three young wizards gathered before him, Filch''s face twisted into a sinister smilethis was his favorite moment.
No matter their background or family, they all had to bow their heads and ept their punishment before him. Punishing these little ones brought him a deep, soulful pleasure.
Filch lit amp and motioned for the three to follow. However, when he brought them to their destination, both Harry and Ron''s faces lit up with genuine smiles: Hagrid was in charge of their detention tonight!
This felt like ast-minute reprieve, and the trio''s spirits were lifted.
Filch seemed to notice their shift in mood, so he warned them a few more times and even tried to berate Hagrid, but Hagrid quickly retorted, "I''m in charge here."
Filch left sullenly.
Looking at the three small figures standing before him, Hagrid''s face showed a hint of guilt.
"Sorry, I got you into this mess," he said, scratching his head awkwardly. They were in this situation because of him, and Hagrid couldn''t help but feel remorseful.
However, even though Hagrid was in charge of their detention, Daphne, Harry, and Ron''s punishment would not be lessened in the slightest. There was a certain dark humor in this, as Professor McGonagall had specifically chosen Hagrid to enforce the punishment for the trio...
After briefly apologizing, Hagrid began exining the background of their detention.
Due to being preupied with Norberta, Hagrid had neglected his patrols of the Forbidden Forest, and as a result, something terrible had happened: he discovered a dead unicorn in the forest.
A unicorn, such a rare and magical creature, had been hunted and killed by an unknown entity in the Forbidden Forest.
This was a significant incident, and after sending Norberta away, Hagrid couldn''t afford to be negligent any longer.
He immediately began searching the Forbidden Forest for the culprit responsible for killing the unicorn. Though he didn''t find the culprit, he did discover another unicorn with signs of injury.
Their detention task was to enter the Forbidden Forest, find the injured unicorn, and help it.
This was undoubtedly a challenging detention. The Forbidden Forest was inherently dangerous, and now there was a creature within it preying on unicorns, making the mission even more perilous.
Professor McGonagall''s intention was clear: the trio liked wandering around at night, so she was giving them a chance to explorethis time in the Forbidden Forest. She hoped this detention would cure them of their habit of nocturnal wandering.
After exining the task, Hagrid led the three young kids into the Forbidden Forest.
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84- Daphne the blood collector
84- Daphne the blood collector
Hagrid, apanied by his dog Fang and three little friends, led them into the Forbidden Forest. After they disappeared into the woods, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows near Hagrid''s hut.
Rhys watched the group of four humans and one dog from a distance, raising an eyebrow in surprise. Minerva McGonagall had some nerve sending first-year students into the Forbidden Forest.
Even a thousand years ago, such a move would have been incredibly bold. First-year students were not equipped to handle the various dangers lurking in the Forbidden Forest.
However, with Hagrid, an experienced gamekeeper, apanying them, it was unlikely that anything too serious would happen.
Rhys cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and quietly followed them. After all, it was the Forbidden Forestthey needed someone to watch over them to prevent any idents.
Additionally, this would give him an opportunity to observe Daphne''s performance in the forest and evaluate her abilities.
Daphne maintained a calm exterior, but her heart was racing with anxiety.
Unlike the clueless Harry and the straightforward Ron, she was well aware of the risks involved in venturing into the Forbidden Forest.
Rhys had often told her stories about the four founders of Hogwarts and their efforts to clear the Forbidden Forest when they first established the school.
This vast forest, adjacent to the natural water source of the ck Lake, was a haven for magical creatures.
Although Hogwarts was situated on a cliff, it was not geographically isted from the Forbidden Forest.
So why had no magical creatures ventured from the forest into the Hogwarts castle over the past thousand years?
The answer was that all magical creatures bold enough to attempt such a move had been eradicated by the four founders and their students.
Not only were the aggressively territorial magical creatures eliminated, but also those with a strong territorial instinct that could pose a threat to the castle were killed.
Even intelligent beings were not exempt from this purge: the goblin tribes at the edge of the Forbidden Forest were exterminated by Slytherin, Ravenw destroyed the merpeople kingdom in the ck Lake, and Hufflepuff eradicated the werewolves near the castle.
Only the centaur tribe was somewhat fortunate, as they encountered Gryffindor, who, after a few duels, made them swear never to step out of the Forbidden Forest proactively.
Thanks to the founders'' efforts, Hogwarts Castle had remained peaceful for a thousand years.
As the saying goes, a single preemptive strike can prevent a hundred retaliatory blows. In this case, the founders didn''t just deliver one preemptive strike; they cut off all potential threats in the vicinity.
However, they deliberately left some less dangerous magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest to provide a training ground for students.
Daphne''s concern was precisely about these retained creatures. Now, it seemed that a powerful magical creature capable of killing unicorns was on the loose in the Forbidden Forest. Facing such a creature, she had to be on high alert.
"Fred and George always said they sneaked into the Forbidden Forest to y. Now I can say I''ve been to the Forbidden Forest too," Ron said proudly to Harry.
In the future, when Fred and George bragged, Ron could puff out his chest and im he had also been there and that it wasn''t a big deal.
Hearing Ron''s words, Hagrid couldn''t help but snort: those Weasley twins had indeed caused him quite a bit of trouble. Hagrid had spent a lot of effort to chase the twins out of the Forbidden Forest.
Harry felt somewhat helpless, not understanding why Ron would mention this in front of Hagrid. If it weren''t for Hagrid''s good rtionship with them, he might have lost his temper by now.
"You know, it''s said that there are werewolves in the Forbidden Forest, along with all sorts of other magical creaturesHogwarts sometimes ims that students transfer schools, but actually, it''s rumored that every one of them had mentioned wanting to venture into the Forbidden Forest to their friends," Daphne said with a hint of mncholy.
Most of what Daphne said was made up.
Hagrid raised an eyebrow. It was the perfect moment to announce the "little surprise" he had prepared for Ron.
"What?! We''re splitting up?!" Ron was stunned upon hearing Hagrid''s n.
It took him about a minute to process this information before he stammered, "But, splitting up could be risky, right?"
Hagrid chuckled.
"This is a detention, Ron. It''s meant to punish us," Daphne sighed.
In the end, Hagrid decided that he and Ron would go one way, while Harry, Daphne, and the hunting dog Fang would go another way.
This arrangement satisfied everyone present, including Rhys, who was trailing the group.
He thought this was the safest way to split the group. If Daphne had been paired with Hagrid, he would have had to follow Harry and Ron instead.
"Alright, if anyone finds the unicorn, shoot green sparks with your wand. If anyone gets into trouble, shoot red sparks, and we''lle find you. Be careful, everyonelet''s go." With a wave of hisrge hand, Hagrid set the Forbidden Forest group into two teams.
Harry and Daphne walked quietly along the dark path, with the faint glow of their wand tips and the moonlight illuminating their way.
Finding the light from the Lumos charm too dim, Daphne extinguished it and instead summoned a small ball of fire, simr to what Rhys had shown her.
"It''s brighter and warmer," she exined sinctly.
Harry had no objections.
As they ventured deeper into the Forbidden Forest, they both stopped simultaneously: a beam of moonlight shone through the branches, illuminating a patch of silvery-blue blood on the grass.
"Is that...?" Harry hesitated.
"Unicorn blood," Daphne said with certainty, having learned about this magical substance from Rhys.
"What kind of creature would attack a unicorn? Is it the werewolf you mentioned?"
Daphne shook her head. "I made that up to scare Ron. Werewolves are mostly like ordinary wizards, except during the full moon when they transform. And it''s not a full moon tonight. Even if it were, why would a werewolf attack a unicorn?"
"Plus, unicorns are intelligent creatures and have very powerful magic... Whatever can injure or kill a unicorn is not something to be taken lightly."
After hearing what Daphne said, Harry felt goose bumps all over his body.
"Let''s, let''s go quickly." He couldn''t help but urge her, but Daphne not only didn''t move, but squatted down in front of the bloodstain.
Under Harry''s puzzled gaze, she pointed her wand at the bloodstain and patiently used magic to "extract" it from the bushes.
The silver-blue blood floated in the air, giving people a metallic texture. Afterpleting this operation, Daphne took out a crystal bottle from her arms and put the blood in it.
After collecting the blood smoothly, Daphne carefully sealed the mouth of the crystal bottle with a stopper, and then put the bottle back into the pocket lining of her robe.
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85- The Battle in the Forbidden Forest
85- The Battle in the Forbidden Forest
Harry felt his mind struggling to keep up.
After Daphne put away the crystal vial and took a few steps forward, he finally snapped out of his daze and caught up to her. "What are you doing?" he asked.
Daphne gave him a strange look. "This is unicorn blood. It''s very precious and rarely seen. Now that we have the chance, of course we should collect some."
Perhaps sensing Harry might want to follow her lead, she added, "Unicorn blood obtained through hunting carries a terrible curse. Drinking it is a heinous crime, and those who do will be forever cursed."
Harry suddenly understood. "So, because you didn''t hurt the unicorn, you can use this blood without being affected by the curse, right?"
Daphne paused for a moment, then shook her head.
"When a unicorn is harmed, the curse seeps into its blood. So, the blood in that vial is already cursed, regardless of who hunted the unicorn."
"Then why..."
"There are ways to remove the curse, but they''re veryplicated." With that, Daphne refused to say more. Harry figured it must involve some secret method passed down in the Greengrass family.
He couldn''t help but feel a bit envious. Daphne was about the same age as him, yet she knew so much more and had mastered advanced magic far beyond their peers.
''Is this the depth of a pure-blood family?''
Harry instinctively attributed Daphne''s sess to her privileged background, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
After all, not all pure-blood students were as exceptional as she was. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were perfect examples, even his friend Ron and Hufflepuff''s Neville Longbottom.
They all came from pure-blood families but weren''t any different from him, a wizard raised in a Muggle family.
Some, like Crabbe and Goyle, might even be worse off, with their "pure" bloodline potentially linked to trolls.
After exining her reasons for collecting the blood, Daphne and Harry continued deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
The bloodstains grew thicker as they went, and Daphne''s movements became more skillful, allowing her to collect the blood into the vial as they walked.
"What spell is that? Professor Flitwick never taught us anything like it," Harry said, his eyes filled with envy.
Honestly, he wanted to learn it too, though he wasn''t sure if Daphne would be willing to teach him.
"It''s not a spell," Daphne exined. She wasn''t using any incantation but was simply manipting her magic to gather the unicorn blood from various spots.
This highlighted a key difference between ancient and modern wizards. Ancient wizards did have spells, but they focused more on the flow of magic during casting. Modern wizards, on the other hand, emphasized the precise pronunciation of spells and hand movements.
As a wizard trained by Rhys, Daphne''s casting style resembled that of a sorcerer from a thousand years ago.
"Not good," Daphne muttered, stopping in front of arge bloodstain.
The spread of the blood indicated that the injured unicorn had stayed here for some time, showing its strength was nearly depleted. Considering the freshness of the blood, Daphne believed they were close to finding it.
"Get ready to shoot the green sparks," she instructed Harry, but secretly she tightened her grip on her wand.
The injured unicorn was nearby, so the creature that attacked it couldn''t be far either.
After walking a few more steps, an open clearing appeared before them. Daphne didn''t enter it right away; she stopped in the shadow of the trees and held out her arm to stop Harry as well.
They saw a white form lying on its side in the clearing, its fur glistening in the moonlight. It was the unicorn they were searching for, but it was already dead.
The dead unicorn, bathed in moonlight, created a beautiful yet tragic scene. Its long legs were positioned as if it had fallen, its mane spread over the dark leaves, with pearl-like drops of blood scattered around.
Suddenly, Daphne yanked Harry to the side, narrowly avoiding a spell that flew past them.
The misfired spell hit a nearby tree, shattering its trunk. A hooded figure emerged from the shadows of the forest, moving in a strange, almost crawling manner.
"Send up the sparks!" Daphne shouted. She cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself while activating the defensive magic stored in her ne to protect Harry.
Her form quickly vanished from sight, while Harry stood frozen, clutching his forehead instead of sending up the sparks as nned.
The appearance of the hooded figure had sent a piercing pain through his head, making his scar feel as if it were on fire. The pain blurred his vision, causing him to stumble backward.
Daphne couldn''t worry about that now. Under the cover of her Disillusionment Charm, she rose into the air andunched a counterattack against the hooded figure.
A spell shot down from above, but the hooded figure quickly cast a Shield Charm to deflect it. At the same time, the tip of its wand produced a ck rope that fell to the ground, transforming into ck beads which then morphed into sharp ck spikes aimed at the source of the attacking spell.
All the ck spikes missed their mark because Daphne had already changed her position after casting her spell. She lightlynded on the ground, her wand pointed at the hooded figure.
It was as if the hooded figure could see through her Disillusionment Charm. As soon as Daphne''s wand pointed towards it, it turned and conjured a shield in mid-air.
The ground beneath its feet rippled like liquid, forming a defensive earthen wall beneath the shield.
In the next moment, the shield shattered with a thunderous explosion as a powerful spell struck it, tearing it apart and slicing through the wall behind it.
The weakened spell continued through the defenses, hurtling towards the astonished hooded figure. In a desperate attempt to dodge, it twisted its body, but the spell still struck its right arm.
The spell severed the arm cleanly, causing it to fall to the ground with a smooth, mirror-like surface where the arm had been.
As the attack spell broke through its defense, the blood of the unicorn scattered on the ground seemed to be reborn, and shot towards the hooded man like bullets - this was Daphne''s attack.
The powerful attack spell just now was the spell stored in Daphne''s ne, and these dozen blood bullets were her real killer move.
Daphne''s original n was to use the attack magic in the ne to attract the hooded man''s attention, and then take the opportunity tounch a sneak attack with the unicorn''s blood.
However, the power of the attack magic that Rhys left for her exceeded her expectations, and the feint attack turned into the main attack.
Bullets made of blood hit the hooded man, sshing a few blood flowers. After being injured many times, it no longer wanted to tangle here.
With a bang, a thick ck fog emerged from the open space. When the fog dissipated, the hooded man had disappeared, and even the broken arm that fell on the ground disappeared.
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86- It’s a complete slander!
86- Its aplete nder!
The hooded figure fled.
After it disappeared, Daphne remained on high alert. She sent a burst of red sparks into the sky and swiftly changed her position several times, wary that the hooded figure might be feigning retreat to prepare a sneak attack.
While Daphne was cautiously outmaneuvering the air, Harry gradually recovered. His headache had been so intense during the fight between Daphne and the hooded figure that he could barely keep his eyes open.
Only after the figure fled did the pain in his scar begin to subside.
At that moment, the sound of hooves pounding the ground echoed nearby. Harry sprang to his feet and pulled out his wand from his robe.
Though he knew only a few spells, holding his wand brought him a sense of security.
Daphne also gripped her wand tightly, silently praying for Hagrid to arrive quickly.
However, amidst the anxious waiting, a question popped into her mind: Why were the approaching beings riding horses? This seemed highly unusual. It was the twentieth century, not the twelfth, and cavalry had be ceremonial.
Even the traditionally conservative wizarding world no longer used horses.
So who were these riders?
Soon, Daphne''s confusion was resolved.
Two centaurs, armed with bows and arrows, charged into the clearing. From the waist up, they resembled humans, but from the waist down, they had the bodies of horses,plete with tails.
Two centaurs stood before them. One had a head of ck hair and a pure ck horse body, while the other had tinum blonde hair and the body of a silver-maned horse, appearing younger than the ck-haired centaur.
Daphne''s eyes widened as she observed every detail of the centaurs. This was her first time seeing these magical creatures, who were said to possess intelligence equal to that of humans, much like house-elves and goblins.
After circling the clearing to ensure the danger had passed, the two centaurs stopped running.
The ck-haired centaur examined the unicorn''s corpse and the surrounding battle marks with a grim expression. The tinum-haired centaur approached Harry to check on him.
"Are you alright?"
"I''m fine, thank you"
"You don''t look fine," the blonde centaur remarked, his gaze lingering on Harry''s prominent scar.
Harry''s paleplexion made the scar even more noticeable.
"You''re the Potter boy, aren''t you?" The centaur recognized Harry. "Why are you here? This is not a ce you should be. Go back to the castle! Do you know how to ride? It will be faster." The centaur bent his front legs, lowering himself so Harry could climb onto his back.
The ck-haired centaur erupted in anger upon seeing this.
"Firenze! How can you let a human ride on your back? Do you think you''re a mule?!"
It was then that Daphne and Harry learned the blonde centaur''s name: Firenze.
"Bane, he is the Potter boy. He needs to leave here quickly."
Upon hearing the name "Potter," Bane snorted, still looking displeased but acknowledging Harry''s need to ride on Firenze.
If Voldemort were to regain power, the centaurs'' situation would be ten times worse than it is now. Thus, the centaurs owed Harry, the one who defeated the Dark Lord, a debt of gratitude.
At this moment, Hagrid appeared with another centaur, one with red hair and a red horse body.
"By Merlin, Harry, are you alright? Where''s that little girl, Daphne?" Hagrid, holding a giant crossbow in one hand and several spear-sized arrows in the other, ran to Harry in long strides. After confirming that Harry was fine, he remembered that Daphne was also missing.
"I''m here." Daphne, having removed her Disillusionment Charm, emerged nonchntly from her hiding spot, petting Fang''s head as he ran to her.
Upon Daphne''s appearance, both Bane and Firenze frowned simultaneously. They had not noticed the little girl just moments before.
Exchanging a look, they confirmed with each other that neither had seen her, which was quite unusual.
Centaurs had excellent vision, and it was almost impossible for them to overlook something. Thus, the girl must have used magic to hide herself.
Invisibility spells were not simple, and the fact that this silver-haired girl could use one indicated she was no ordinary witch.
Considering that the creature that attacked the unicorn had already fled when they arrived, Firenze and Bane reached a seemingly absurd conclusion: the battle marks on the ground were left by this seemingly frail little girl.
With this realization, the two centaurs shifted their focus from Harry to Daphne.
"This is Ronan, that is Bane, and this is Firenze," Hagrid introduced the three centaurs to the young wizards present, then introduced the wizards to the centaurs in turn.
"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Daphne Greengrass."
"The descendant of Adrian the ''Dragonheart'' Greengrass!?" Upon hearing the name Greengrass, the three centaurs were visibly taken aback.
Hagrid and the others, including Rhys, who had been hiding, were stunned.
Hagrid and the others hadn''t expected Daphne to receive additional attention from the centaurs.
The overlooking Rhys chuckled hearing a familiar name after a thousand years.
"Yes, he was one of my ancestors," Daphne nodded.
"That exins it. As expected of Dragonheart''s descendant," Firenze praised.
"Dragonheart?" Harry looked puzzled. This was the first time he had heard such a strange title.
"The ancestor of the Greengrass family, who was once a student of Szar Slytherin, famously tore out a dragon''s heart with his bare hands during a battle with the creature. Hence, he was honored with the title Adrian Greengrass the ''Dragonheart''. Even after a thousand years, his legend is still passed down in this forest," Ronan exined to Harry.
Daphne added a few more details, giving everyone a deeper understanding of this Greengrass ancestor.
Adrian Greengrass had once studied magic under Slytherin. However, unlike his teacher''s nature, he was hearty and straightforward, disying traits more akin to Gryffindor.
When Hogwarts was first founded, the four founders had cleared the Forbidden Forest.
But over time, some powerful magical creatures were attracted to the richnd and migrated here.
Among them, a ck dragon was the most powerful and savage, causing significant trouble for the inhabitants of the forest and the staff and students of Hogwarts.
Upon learning of its existence, Slytherin, aiming to provide training, sent his student Adrian.
In the end, Adrian lived up to his teacher''s expectations and sessfully dealt with the dragon in the Forbidden Forest.
"It wasn''t training at all," Bane interjected disdainfully.
"It was because Slytherin had a conflict with the other three founders. They were so busy with their infighting that they didn''t care what was happening here. So they sent this little guy, who didn''t fit the Slytherin mold, to his death. But who would have thought, he seeded."
Rhys, who secretly listened to the whole process, was so angry that his eyes turned ck: This is aplete nder!!!
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87- I use necromancy ≠ I am a dark wizard.
87- I use necromancy I am a dark wizard.
Listening to the centaur Bane, Rhys felt his blood pressure rising: What do you mean by "busy with infighting" and "sent to his death"?
Slytherin''s reputation is ruined by people like you!
The worst part was that Hagrid and the others seemed to think the centaur made sense!
This centaur is ndering me!
Rhys was quite displeased.
As for the truth of the matter...
Adrian had actually sneaked off to hunt the ck dragon on his own.
By the time Rhys found out, Adrian had already returned to the castle with the dragon''s heart.
He paid a heavy price for it, and Rhys gave him a month''s detention. However, the reason for his detention was posted on the castle''s notice board.
"Adrian''s descendant achieving this isn''t surprising," the centaurs concluded, giving Daphne a few curious nces: this little witch had the courage to fight such an evil creature and the strength to do so without getting hurt. Her future was boundless.
The centaurs chatted a bit more with Hagrid, and inevitably, the conversation shifted to the night''s significant event.
"The injured unicorn is dead," Firenze said with a tone of regret.
Upon hearing this news, Hagrid and everyone else present fell into silence.
"Did you find, or do you know what did it?" After a long pause, it was Hagrid who broke the silence.
The three centaurs, led by the red-haired Ronan, did not directly answer Hagrid''s question. Instead, Ronan looked up and pointed at the sky above them.
"The Mars is very bright tonight."
Hagrid: ?
He didn''t understand what Ronan meant. Despite repeated inquiries, Ronan''s only response was, "The Mars is very bright." Ronan was unwilling to directly share his thoughts, and Firenze and Bane remained silent as well.
"Alright, alright!" Hagrid waved his hand impatiently,ining, "You lot always act this way, knowing so much but keeping it all to yourselves."
The centaurs, being very familiar with Hagrid, didn''t take his words to heart.
"If we were to blurt out everything we know, we wouldn''t have survived this long," Bane exined gruffly.
With Bane making things clear, Hagrid couldn''t help but let out a heavy sigh, realizing that it was impossible to get any useful information from the centaurs tonight.
While Hagrid and the others were left bewildered, Rhys, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, suddenly had a spark of insight.
Rhys knew that centaurs possessed strong prophetic abilities, deriving their predictions from the stars. This meant that their foresight was often urate. Thus, Ronan''s words warranted serious consideration.
He wouldn''t dismiss Ronan''s statement as mere star talk like Hagrid did.
''Mars? Could it signify war?'' Generally, Mars is associated with war.
With the centaur''s prophecy involving Mars, Rhys''s interest was piqued.
After further contemting Ronan''s words, Rhys arrived at a startling conclusion: Mars is bright, and war is imminent.
War...
Rhys couldn''t help but squint his eyes. He had never feared war, but if possible, the current wizarding world should avoid it, considering the times were different from a thousand years ago.
However, this was just his spection. Only Ronan knew the specific content of the prophecy. There was a one in a million chance that he genuinely wanted to show his half-giant friend the sparkling Mars.
"Alright, we should head back. Tonight''s detention is over." With the unicorn dead, there was no point in continuing the detention. Moreover, it was already thetter half of the night, so Hagrid decided to take Harry and the others back.
The centaurs had a minor disagreement: Firenze wanted to escort Hagrid and his group out of the Forbidden Forest, while Ronan and Bane insisted on dealing with the unicorn''s corpse first.
Thus, the centaurs split into two groups. Firenze left with Hagrid and Harry, while Bane and Ronan stayed behind, preparing the wood to burn the unicorn''s body.
Due to the presence of that evil being, the centaurs didn''t want to bury the unicorn, fearing it would not rest in peace even after death.
Hagrid and his group departed, while Bane and Ronan started collecting branches.
Two spells hit the centaurs from the left and right, precisely knocking them out.
They copsed without a sound, their eyes rolling back, producing two dull thuds as they hit the ground.
After knocking out the remaining centaurs, Rhys''s figure emerged from the shadows.
Looking at the unicorn''s corpse lying on the ground, Rhys squinted his eyes. This was an exceptional biological material!
Unicorns, as powerful magical creatures, were extremely rare. Even a thousand years ago, they were animals of legend, with many wizards never encountering one in their lifetime.
Rhys was sure that Mr. Ollivander must have had a close rtionship with Hogwarts, or specifically with Hagrid, otherwise, there would be no way he could use unicorn tail hair so abundantly as wand cores the same applied to phoenix feathers.
Rhys had heard that Dumbledore kept a phoenix, which was likely the source of all the phoenix tail feather wand cores Ollivander used.
However, tonight''s focus was not wand making, but the necromancy Rhys had once delved into.
He had conducted some research in this area, although most of his findings had likely been lost over time.
While the results were gone, the knowledge remained. With the right materials, Rhys could naturally recreate his necromantic magic.
''If Gryffindor and the others saw this, they''d probablybel me an evil wizard again.'' Rhys couldn''t help but mock himself as he drew his wand.
The disagreements between him and his friends, besides their students'' family backgrounds, also included his research into magic.
Gryffindor and the others were strongly against his studies, citing the simple reason that they believed dark magic would corrode one''s soul, causing a gradual but significant change in one''s nature.
They thought it best for Rhys to stay away from such things.
But Rhys held an opposing view. He believed that the notion of ck magic was nonexistent.
Magic was merely a tool for wizards; tools themselves are neither good nor evil. The key lies in the user.
Muggles can use a fruit knife to cut fruit or to kill someoneshould fruit knives then be categorized based on their use? The same logic applies to magic.
Does using necromancy make me a dark evil wizard?
Rhys didn''t think so.
All magic, all spells, are potentially useful; some spells just require extra caution in learning and usage.
It''s like certain ingredients used by alchemists, which require proper safety measuresming the materials as "evil" for injuries sustained due tock of precautions is quiteughable, isn''t it?
Without any psychological burden, Rhys began preparing the ritual to cast spells on the unicorn''s corpse.
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88- Nightmare
88- Nightmare
In Rhys''s eyes, not all corpses are suitable for casting necromancy - first, they must be "fresh" enough, second, they must be strong enough, and finally, they must conform to his aesthetics.
The troll that Daphne had killed before was quite fresh, but it was so dirty and ugly that Rhys didn''t even like it.
Plus, trolls were not rare creatures, and several professors from the school were on their way. Time was running out, so he gave up on the troll''s body.
The situation today is different.
What is in front of him is the corpse of a unicorn, which has just died. This perfectly meets Rhys''s requirements.
He took out his magic wand and ced it against the unicorn''s heart. With a push of magic, the magic wand sank into the unicorn''s body.
Next, he cut his palm, letting the blood drip onto the ground. He used his blood to outline an equteral triangle magic circle with a simple pattern and the unicorn''s corpse as the center.
From the perspective of others, Rhys''s behavior is pure ck magic, but in Rhys''s eyes, isn''t this a sacred spell that gives the dead a new life?
There is no magic brighter than this!
It didn''t take long to draw the magic circle. Rhys''s face turned pale due to blood loss, but his eyes became bright with excitement.
Rhys now has light in his eyes.
After treating the wound and stopping the bleeding, Rhys began to look carefully for traces left by the hooded man in the open space. Fortunately, the hooded man fled in a hurry and only took away the broken arm, without cleaning up the blood on the ground.
Rhys waved his hand, and the dirt stained with the hooded man''s blood floated up from the ground and gathered into a ball.
Rhys ced the blood ball on one corner of the triangle. At the other two corners, he ced some dirt stained with the unicorn''s blood and some dirt stained with his own blood.
At this point, the three key elements: the enemy''s blood, one''s own blood, and the caster''s blood are all ready, and the most important preliminary preparations for necromancy have beenpleted.
In order to ensure the sess rate, Rhys took out some essential oils and potion materials that he had prepared earlier from his small bag and ced them next to the unicorn''s corpse.
When everything was ready, Rhys stood next to the unicorn''s body and chanted a spell to it.
This time he did not use English, but chanted the spell in Latin.
[Starting from Anubis, the guide of the underworld, to Hades, the master of the underworld, from Thanatos, the god of death, to Arnu, the king of the underworld]
[Death, Lord of the Underworld, God of Darkness and Death, Ruler of the Underworld]
[No matter who you are or where you are in charge, I, Szar Slytherin, ask for a soul from you]
[Whether it is guilty or innocent, virtuous or evil, it should return to the world of the living, and I will give you its flesh as your reward]
[The blood of unicorn''s enemies, its own blood, and my blood as the caster are all in ce. Its recovery should be as natural as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.]
After chanting a long spell, the triangr magic circle drawn earlier suddenly ignited with blue mes.
The mes roared, burning all the magic materials prepared by Rhys. The fire reached its peak where he ced the three blood clots.
The three mes each extended a me as thin as a rope, which wrapped around the unicorn''s head, heart and crotch, and then expanded little by little.
Rhys watched expressionlessly as the blue mespletely devoured the unicorn''s body.
The magical thing is that although the unicorn''s body was covered in mes, it did not emit any burnt smell. It was like a candle, burning silently.
About a quarter of an hourter, all the flesh and blood on the unicorn''s body had burned out, leaving only a ck skeleton, and the mes gradually shrank to the position of its four hooves.
The next second, a whirlwind blew up out of nowhere in the open space, blowing away all the ashes on the ground, and a pure white figure appeared in the woods.
The shadow gradually grewrger and clearer, and finally, a unicorn-shaped shadow appeared at the edge of the clearing.
It walked towards Rhys cautiously, and when it reached him, it rubbed its head against his arm, then turned its head to look at the skeleton on the ground.
"Wee back to the world of the living. I hope you can get used to your new body." Rhys said, pointing at the skeleton.
The unicorn''s shadow no longer hesitated. It raised its front hooves and leaped onto the skeleton. The entire shadow waspletely immersed in the skeleton on the ground.
After the phantom and the skeleton merged, two small balls of white mes appeared in the empty eye sockets of the unicorn''s skull. The mes flickered for a moment, and the skeleton stood up from the ground, kicking the ground a few times with its hooves emitting blue mes. The resurrected unicorn still needed to adapt to its new body.
At this point, Rhys''s undead magic was considered sessful.
Rhys patted the unicorn''s bony head and said to it, "After being reborn, you naturally need a new name. What do you think of the name ''Nightmare''?"
To be more precise, Nightmare is the name of its race, but looking at the unicorn''s appearance, it doesn''t seem to object to being called "Nightmare".
After Nightmare adjusted to his new body, Rhys took out a crystal ball from his bag. This crystal ball was very simr to the ones sold in Muggle gift shops, with a small tform inside and some small decorations on it. The decoration in Rhys''s crystal ball was a small forest.
He pressed the crystal ball on the nightmare, and the nightmare''s body began to shrink gradually.
When it became smaller than the crystal ball, it was sucked into the crystal ball and continued to shrink inside the crystal ball until it became half the size of the decorative trees.
Looking at the nightmare walking in the crystal ball, Rhys smiled with satisfaction.
He cleaned up the scene a bit and then left.
After a while, the two centaurs who were knocked unconscious by Rhys gradually woke up. They hurried to the open space, only to find that the unicorn''s body that was originally lying there was gone.
Bane and Ronan''s expressions suddenly turned ugly.
"Damn it, that guy came back! Why didn''t I think of that!" Bain angrily stomped his hoof twice on the ground, feeling annoyed by his carelessness. Bane believed that the demon who killed the unicorn stole the unicorn''s body. As for the purpose, it was probably for dirty money and to prolong the life that was destined to be cursed.
Ronan looked at the night sky worriedly, sighed, and said, "The dark clouds are about to cover the stars."
After hearing what Ronan said, Bane also raised his head and looked at the starry sky. He remained silent for a long time, and finally just shook his head.
Remember this necro horse, he''ll appear in future chapters.
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89- Dumbledore shouldn’t set the levels alone
89- Dumbledore shouldnt set the levels alone
What is the culprit who killed unicorns and stole unicorn bodies ording to the centaurs doing now?
Professor Quirrell is crawling in the dark corner of the Forbidden Forest.
Daphne and Rhys'' pendent''s spells caused him severe damage. After he managed to run for a distance, he waspletely exhausted and couldn''t even walk upright.
"Waste!" A muffled roar came from Professor Quirrell''s turban. "If you can''t even handle such a small matter, what use are you?"
Although the turban somewhat blocked the sound, the anger and hatred in the voice were still clearly exposed.
No one who heard this voice would in their right mind think that the one shouting like a child who was punched in the face and had their candy taken was the once-feared Dark Lord. If they had known that the source of the voice was the infamous Voldemort, one can only imagine how terrified many people would have been.
Quirrell shuddered and tried to defend himself: "Master, I..."
"Let me do it!" Without giving Quirrell a chance to speak, control of Quirrell''s body was taken away by Voldemort behind his head.
Voldemort used this body that did not belong to him without any mercy. After Quirrell was injured, many of his movements became cautious, fearing that he would aggravate his injuries, but Voldemort did not have such concerns, and his movements were wide and open, as if he was not injured at all.
Pain? Voldemort had long been ustomed to it. Every minute and every second after bing a wandering spirit was like a thousand cuts of torture. This little pain was nothing at the moment.
As for what would happen to Quirrell''s body, what did that have to do with him? Ever since he possessed Quirrell, Quirrell had been a living dead.
All the promises Voldemort made to Quirrell, all the beautiful visions he had drawn for him, were lies. Quirrell''s ending was no different from those of the poisonous snakes and rats he had possessed. When he drained the nutrients from this body, Quirrell would die, and any action he took would only dy the arrival of that day.
Under Voldemort''s efforts, dozens of drops of silver-blue blood slid out of the wound. Although Daphne''s act of turning unicorn blood into bullets also injured Quirrell, it identally provided him with some unicorn blood, prolonging his life.
After taking the blood, hisplexion improved a lot.
"Unfortunately, we have attracted too many people''s attention. We can no longer hunt unicorns in the Forbidden Forest." Voldemort said with regret.
Since possessing Quirrell, Voldemort has been nning to seize the Philosopher''s Stone hidden in the castle by Dumbledore.
He did not notice the abnormality in this matter. Putting himself in his shoes, Voldemort thought that Dumbledore''s time wasing, so he hurriedly went to his friend Nics mel to ask for the Philosopher''s Stone in order to prolong his life. The desire for the Philosopher''s Stone and the weakness of his soul defeated Voldemort''s reason and made him ignore all unreasonable things.
Through a series of means, Quirrell finally found a way to crack those guard levels. He just needed to wait for Voldemort on the back of his head to recover enough strength, and then he could take action.
ording to Voldemort''s estimation, in order to regain enough strength, he needed to hunt down at least two unicorns and suck their blood. Originally, everything went smoothly and they could go to get the Philosopher''s Stone after tonight, but now they were interrupted and the n to seize the Philosopher''s Stone could only be dyed further.
"Master..." Quirrell stammered, as if he wanted to say something.
Ignoring Quirrell''s voice, Voldemort made a new n on his own: "You can''t rely on the unicorn''s blood. What you need to do next is to prepare the potion every day using the potion form I gave you, and then take the medicine on time. When I recover some strength, we will start again..."
His voice gradually became lower, but before falling asleep, Voldemort reattached Quirrell''s severed arm and healed his other wounds.
Looking at the wounds that healed quickly and the broken limbs that were reattached, Quirrell was overjoyed: With such profound magical power, what could he not do? When he took the Philosopher''s Stone and his master regained his life, he would get a reward he could never dream of!
How could he know that everything in front of him was obtained by overdrawing his vitality. At this moment, Quirrell looked very healthy, but the body under that good skin was almost hollowed out by Voldemort.
"An interesting experience." After Daphne finished telling him about what happened in the Forbidden Forestst night, Rhys picked up a silver pot and asked Daphne, "Would you like some ck tea?"
Daphne curled her lips: She thought her experience would surprise Rhys, but she didn''t expect him to remain calm from beginning to end, as if he had experienced all these thingsst night.
"The spell was your ne is quite useful. Without it, I''m afraid the stalemate would have continued for a while." Daphne did not forget to praise the birthday gift that Rhys gave her. It really helped a lotst night. "
Rhys smiled slightly: Of course it is useful. This ne is very difficult to make. He spent a lot of effort to make it.
While chatting with Daphne, he was also thinking about his next n.
''Quirrell has started to hunt unicorns, which means that the thing in his body is already umting strength.
I just don''t know when he will go to steal the Philosopher''s Stone? Will the interruption of the hunting activity by Daphne affect Quirrell''s n?''
All signs indicate that Quirrell, or the thing inside him, can''t bear it any longer, and Rhys thinks he should do something before him.
After all, it''s not just Harry Potter who''s taking part in the "game", there''s also Daphne, and Dumbledore shouldn''t be the only one setting the "levels".
"By the way, shall we go to the libraryter? The finals are in a few weeks, shouldn''t we make a review n?"
Rhys stared at Daphne as if she were a strange creature until she lowered her head.
''Final review? Me?! Miss Greengrass, are you even listening to what you are talking about?''
For Rhys, there is no difference between getting full marks in all subjects and getting zero marks in all subjects. If it weren''t for the fact that his absence was too conspicuous, he wouldn''t even want to take the exam.
If only someone could take the exam for him... Eh?!
Rhys narrowed his eyes.
"I have something to do in the afternoon, so I''ll leave first. You go do your thing." Rhys pushed the te aside and left the hall straight away, and at the same time stopped Daphne who was trying to follow him - he wanted to act alone this time.
Acting alone, Rhys returned to the Chamber of Secrets and entered a secret room within the Chamber of Secrets. This was his own makeshift potionboratory, where some potions that he didn''t want Daphne to know about were prepared.
If Quirrell identally stumbled into this ce, he would be shocked, because at this moment, there were five stones that looked very much like the Philosopher''s Stone on Rhys''sboratory table!
In the crucible on one side, there was a pot of blood-red liquid boiling, and in the liquid there was a stone that looked exactly like the real Philosopher''s Stone floating up and down.
Rhys walked into hisboratory, took the stone out of the crucible, then squinted his eyes and observed it carefully.
In Rhys''s opinion, this stone cannot have any ws.
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90- Different Levels, Different Tests
90- Different Levels, Different Tests
Rhys took out a piece of wiping cloth and gently wiped off the remaining red liquid on the surface of the stone, revealing a blood-red stone.
Visually, it was no different from the Philosopher''s Stone Rhys had obtained that day, but it was far from enough to just look the same. He had to make a replica that could deceive Dumbledore''s eyes.
As the strongest wizard he had met after waking up, Rhys would not take Dumbledore lightly.
He was willing to treat this junior who was born nearly a thousand yearster than him as an equal. In other words, he needed to make a replica that even he himself could hardly distinguish.
There are many counterfeiting methods popr in the Muggle antique world. For example, making a te of ancient style and putting a mark of the corresponding era on the bottom is the most crude imitation method; a slightly more advanced method is to use physical or chemical methods to make it look old; the most powerful method is tobine and splice antiques from different eras to create a counterfeit with a longer historical background and high value, or simply split an antique into two pieces.
Rhys is going to use the most advanced counterfeiting methods.
The reason why he took such great pains to imitate the Philosopher''s Stone was naturally because Rhys wanted to get the real Philosopher''s Stone for research but did not want Dumbledore to find out.
He had previously obtained some fragments from the Philosopher''s Stone, and although the sample was notrge enough for research, it was enough for him to make a sufficiently realistic imitation.
Rhys used his magic power and found nothing unusual about the fake in his hand. After failing several times, he finally made a fake that was good enough to deceive his own eyes.
After selecting the magic stone in his hand, Rhys began to make further imitations.
He evaporated the liquid in the crucible until only a lump the size of a fingernail remained. He then used magic to control the gummy substance and evenly spread it on the surface of the fake Philosopher''s Stone. Finally, he waited for it to dry naturally and the job was done.
The fake in Rhys''s hand was so good that even he couldn''t tell it apart: the real Philosopher''s Stone powder was evenly dispersed inside the stone, and even if he used magic to detect it, he would never find anything unusual.
What''s even better is that Rhys used the real Philosopher''s Stone as the raw material and coated the fake with a very thin film, which made the fake even have some of the functions of the real Philosopher''s Stone - if the real Philosopher''s Stone can extend life for a year, then this one can probably extend life for a few hours.
This operation ensures that even if the counterfeit is really used to make the elixir of life, it can still pass for sale.
Putting the fake in his arms, Rhys left the secret room and headed straight for the corridor on the fourth floor.
It was still a puzzle game, but along the way, Rhys had made some changes to the game levels. These were the tests he prepared for Daphne - how could the same test paper be used for students of different levels?
As for whether his changes would be discovered, Rhys had his own n.
When he arrived at thest level, he found that it had changed a little from before: the Mirror of Erised that he saw that night had been ced here.
Rhys used the same method to take the Philosopher''s Stone out of the mirror, then changed the shape of the one he made so that the two Philosopher''s Stones were exactly the same in appearance before putting the fake one in.
After putting the imitation Philosopher''s Stone in, Rhys thought for a moment and added one more thing in. After doing this, Rhys left the examination room that Dumbledore had prepared for Harry.
As the days passed and the final exams approached, Harry, Quirrell, Daphne, Rhys, and Dumbledore all began to get busy with their own affairs.
The Voldemort behind Quirrell''s mind finally umted enough power, prompting Quirrell to break into the closed corridor on the fourth floor, and the candidate Harry finally realized that something was wrong.
It was a sunny afternoon, and as the end of the semester was approaching, the professors no longer taught sses but allowed students to review freely. If they had any questions, they could go to their offices.
Harry threw the notes aside in annoyance and rubbed his forehead hard.
Ron, who was sitting next to him, sighed. He knew that Harry had been in poor condition since he came back from the Forbidden Forestst time, and the approaching final exams in recent days seemed to have exacerbated his symptoms.
"Why don''t you go to the infirmary? Maybe Madam Pomfrey can prepare a painkilling potion for you, or talk to Rhys? He really knows potions."
Harry waved his hands. His intuition told him that the painkilling potion would not work. What Ron didn''t know was that he had been awakened by a nightmare recently. In the dream, a hooded figure with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth kept approaching him.
Harry thought it was a warning, meaning that some danger wasing. At the same time, he had a vague feeling in his heart that Ron''s second half of the sentence made sense, and it might be a good idea to find Rhys.
"Perhaps I forgot to do something, something very important," Harry said to Ron.
"It''s probably the exam that''s to me. I really don''t understand. The professors taught us the knowledge, and we studied it seriously. But why do we still have to take an exam? This is simply ack of trust in us!" Ron had greatints about the final exam.
Harry didn''t want to talk to Ron for the time being, so he stood up and decided to go find Rhys and Daphne and have a good chat with them. To Harry''s surprise, when he found Daphne, he discovered that Rhys, who always stayed with Daphne in Library, was gone.
"Where''s Rhys?"
"I don''t know, he said he had something to do, so he asked me to review here alone." Daphne pouted. Of course she knew that Rhys was going to tinker with his extremelyplicated potion, but what obligation did she have to tell Potter?
You can''t take him to the Chamber of Secrets to find Rhys. That''s the territory left by Slytherin for his heir. What does it have to do with him, a Gryffindor?
Harry was getting more and more upset because he didn''t see him. Suddenly, a sh of inspiration came to Harry, and he felt that he had grasped the truth.
He pressed his palm against Daphne''s notebook and took it away from her.
Faced with Daphne''s shocked and angry eyes, Harry just begged her to go with him to see Hagrid.
Calling the bored Ron, the three of them went straight to Hagrid''s hut.
"You''d better give me an exnation." Daphne followed the two men with a dark face. She swore that if Harry couldn''t give a reasonable exnation, she would definitely teach him a lesson.
"Don''t you think some things are too coincidental?" Harry counted on his fingers and told Daphne the doubts he was aware of one by one.
"Hagrid is the owner of the three-headed dog on the third floor. Then, when he was ying cards, he met a wizard with a dragon egg. What kind of wizard would bring a dragon egg to y cards?! The key is that he lost the dragon egg to Hagrid in the end! Add to that the Halloween trolls and the monsters in the Forbidden Forest. No, I have to go find Hagrid to verify some things."
Harry''s face turned pale: "If it''s consistent with my guess... that''s terrible!"
12 Advance Chapters
Rhys Vs Voldy is going on!
91- Daphne’s Anger
91- Daphnes Anger
When the three found Hagrid, he was sitting at the door of the hut processing the prey he had shot from the hunting ground. It was obvious that he was in a good mood, humming an unknown little song while he was gutting the rabbit.
After seeing Harry and the other two, Hagrid was surprised. "Howe you have time toe here? Don''t you have to review for the final exam?"
Harry didn''t exchange pleasantries with Hagrid. He got straight to the point: "Hagrid, I have something to ask you. Do you remember the details of the night you won the Norberta at cards? For example, who lost it to you?"
Hagrid frowned and searched his memory carefully.
"A weirdo who refuses to take off his cloak and hood, but almost everyone in the Hog''s Head Inn behaves like this. Guys like me who show up in public are the weirdos there, haha!" Hagridughed heartily.
Hearing the words "cloak" and "hood", Harry felt his scar begin to ache again.
He hurriedly asked, "Then how did you two... uh, get to know each other? He can''t just go around shouting about the dragon egg and looking for someone to gamble with, right?"
Speaking of dragon eggs, Hagrid became even more interested. He threw the rabbit in his hand aside and told Harry and the other two the story of that night.
"After a day''s work, ordering a mug of hot beer and ying a few cards in the bar is the ultimate enjoyment for adult wizards. That''s how I met the dragon vendor."
When Harry heard the word "dragon vendor", he almost fainted: Hagrid was good in every way, except that he was too careless sometimes.
Hagrid exined as if he was not talking about a unique ''profession'' such as Dragon Vendor but a Dragon Fruit vendor.
Not realizing how outrageous his words were, Hagrid continued to tell his story: "We yed a few games together, drank a lot of wine, and ordered some barbecue. At that time, the mood came up. You know, ying cards and gambling are inseparable - don''t learn from me - then I was lucky and won several times in a row. In the end, he got angry and bet a dragon egg, which is Norbeta, on the gambling table..."
As if to keep people on suspense, Hagrid paused for two seconds before announcing the answer that everyone knew: "And he lost again!"
"After losing, he became more sober and regretful. He hoped that I would give him some time to raise some money. He was unwilling to hand over the dragon egg to me because he felt that I could not control the dragon well. If the dragon got out of control and caused trouble, it would bring him trouble. I couldn''t let this godsend opportunity slip away from me, so I told him that I was the gamekeeper of Hogwarts the hunting ground''s caretaker, and I could even control the three-headed Fluffy. A dragon was nothing..."
Harry felt as if a basin of ice water was poured on his head.
"And then? Was he very interested in Fluffy"
"That''s right, everyone would be interested in a dog with three heads! I told him that any animal has a way to deal with them, for example, Fluffy only needs to--" Hagrid mmed the brakes and a look of horror appeared on his face.
"Damn it, I shouldn''t have said this to you. That''s enough, you should go back and review for your final exams!" Hagrid pushed and drove the three little wizards out of his yard.
"Hagrid, Hagrid!" Harry shouted in vain, but Hagrid went straight back into the house and no one answered him no matter how hard he shouted.
Harry felt himself being swallowed by despair.
Daphne, who had been watching all this, finally understood what was happening. She hesitated for two seconds and made a decision: "We must go find Rhys."
"We must go find Dumbledore."
She and Harry said in unison.
Daphne: "..."
Harry, Ron: "??"
The three of them were silent for a moment, and then Daphne said awkwardly: "Ah, indeed, it seems that Dumbledore can also be found."
She thought about it carefully and realized that she should contact Dumbledore first in this situation, after all, he was the Headmaster of the school. What was wrong with her? Why did she subconsciously want to find Rhys to solve the problem?
"Well, you can find Rhys, but we still have to find Dumbledore first - let him know that Hagrid told a stranger how to subdue Fluffy. I''m sure that the guy in the cloak is either Snape or Voldemort. In addition to this matter, we have to tell him what happened in the Forbidden Forest that day. I believe Firenze will testify for me. I hope Dumbledore can believe us. In this way, maybe we can stop Snape before he steals the Philosopher''s Stone..... Um.. Where is Dumbledore''s office?"
Harry realized at the end that he didn''t know where Dumbledore''s office was.
"Wait, how is it rted to the You-Know-Who and Professor Snape?" Daphne shuddered subconsciously after hearing the name. She didn''t understand why this matter was rted to the You-Know-Who and how Professor Snape was involved?
Harry and Ron then remembered that Daphne was a Slytherin.
"It''s like this..." Harry told Daphne the basis of his spection. In his opinion, as long as Daphne listened to his exnation, she would definitely believe him and recognize Snape''s true nature.
Daphne''s face was full of question marks.
"You don''t have any evidence at all?" Facing Harry and Ron''s constant nder against Professor Snape, she couldn''t help but say, "You think Professor Snape is going to steal the Philosopher''s Stone based on your subjective conjecture? Also, I need to remind you that the You-Know-Who was wiped out ten years ago!"
Harry and Ron looked at each other, their eyes full of helplessness.
"But think about it, Snape has been targeting Harry for a whole semester" Ron also joined the ranks of trying to persuade Daphne.
"So what? Where is the evidence?!" Daphne raised both of her long eyebrows, and the mes of anger in her eyes almost burst out.
"At the end of the previous game, I saw him talking with Quirrell and it seemed he was threatening him..." Harry repeated to Daphne the conversation between Snape and Quirrell that he had overheard.
"See! He is threatening Professor Quirrell. He wants Professor Quirrell to help him get the Philosopher''s Stone!"
Daphne: "???"
"A professor threatening another professor appointed by Dumbledore to get the thing Dumbledore is keeping safe in the castle, is that what you are saying?! Do you really think Professor Quirrell doesn''t know where Dumbledore''s office is any more than you do?!"
""
Sure enough, it''s impossible to reason with a Slytherin.
It turns out that it''s impossible to reason with two Gryffindors.
The three of them sighed in unison.
"So what? What are you going to do? Go to Snape and report us?" Harry looked at Daphne with a rather unfriendly look.
Daphne nearly jumped up like a cat whose tail was stepped on: "Who do you think I am?! I will go to the corridor on the third floor with you right now! I will not stop until you see with your own eyes who the intruder is!"
At this time, Daphne, who was angered by Harry, had made up her mind to intervene in this matter, and the three of them ran towards the castle together.
Read 12 Chaps Ahead
92- Rhys fainted from poisoning?
92- Rhys fainted from poisoning?
The three of them ran for a while, and after they rushed into the castle, their blood gradually returned to normal, and they calmed down. Harry thought that he must go to Professor Dumbledore first, rather than rushing into the corridor on the third floor.
But the question is, where is Dumbledore''s office? The little wizards stood at the corner of the corridor on the second floor, confused.
Daphne also had no idea where the principal''s office was, and they had never seen any students being taken there.
At this moment, Professor McGonagall''s voice suddenly rang out: "You three, make way. If you have time to stay here, you might as well go back and review for the final exam!"
Professor McGonagall appeared with a serious face, she walked hurriedly, and a stretcher was floating behind her. When she saw Harry and the other two, she frowned and gave Daphne an extra look, as if ming her for hanging out with Harry and Ron again.
It''s rare to see Slytherins hanging out with Gryffindors every day.
"We want to see Professor Dumbledore." Courage surged from Harry''s heart. He looked into Professor McGonagall''s eyes and stated his request.
Professor McGonagall was surprised by his idea. She was stunned for a moment, then told Harry that Dumbledore had received an urgent letter from the Ministry of Magic and was no longer in Hogwarts.
"He''s gone?" Harry asked anxiously. "At this time?"
He felt like the sky was falling.
Professor McGonagall was obviously dissatisfied with what Harry said: "Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard -"
"Rhys?!!!" an exmation interrupted Professor McGonagall''s words.
While Professor McGonagall was talking to Harry, the stretcher slowly floated over, allowing Daphne to see the face of the person lying on the stretcher clearly, and then she couldn''t help but scream.
It was no wonder she was so surprised, because the person lying on it was actually Rhys!
This really shocked Daphne.
At this moment, Rhys''s eyes were closed and his face was ashen. If it weren''t for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he would be no different from a corpse.
"Someone found him in an underground ssroom. Judging from the potion residues scattered around him, Mr. Lint tried to make potions to enhance memory and luck in an attempt to get good grades in the final exam. However, the difficulty of making these two potions was beyond his imagination..." Professor McGonagall nced at Rhys lying on the stretcher and sighed, "I''m afraid Mr. Lint will miss his final exam."
Daphne: "??"
Absurd emotions filled her mind and she couldn''t understand what was happening in front of her at all.
How could Rhys have fallen down from mixing the wrong two potions? But the facts were there, as real as the marble floor she was standing on.
Looking at Daphne who waspletely stunned, Professor McGonagall felt a little sympathy in her heart, and she patted Daphne''s shoulders gently twice.
"You often study with him, right? You should give him more guidance in the future and not put too much pressure on him. Now please move aside. I have to take Mr. Lint to the school hospital wing." After saying that, she no longer paid attention to Harry and directly pulled the stretcher towards the infirmary.
When the stretcher turned the corner of the stairs, a small crystal bottle slipped from the pocket of Rhys''s robe and fell to the ground. Everyone present had their own thoughts, and no one noticed it except Daphne who picked it up subconsciously.
Professor Dumbledore left, Rhys fell ill, and Professor McGonagall was toozy to listen to their exnations. The backbone of the three people''s hearts was wiped out, and the three young wizards fell into confusion at the same time.
"We...we..." Harry stood there at a loss, like a frozen program.
He had never been so desperate: Snape was breaking through the protection of the Philosopher''s Stone.
When he got the Philosopher''s Stone, Voldemort woulde back and Hogwarts would cease to exist.
What would he do then?
Go back to the Dursleys?
"The Philosopher''s Stone is going to be stolen, and we don''t even have a ticket to go in and stop him," Harry said in a desperate tone.
"There is a way to get through the three-headed dog." Daphne''s voice suddenly interrupted Harry''sints.
Harry looked up at Daphne, who was now examining a crystal bottle in her hand.
"The bottle contains a very powerful sleeping potion, which is powerful enough to put the three-headed dog into a deep sleep. I think as long as we have it, we will have no problem entering there."
"How do you have this kind of potion?" Ron couldn''t help but ask.
"Rhys made it."
"Why did he make this kind of potion?"
Daphne nced at him, refusing to answer the question.
Her attitude made Ron a little unhappy, but he couldn''t do anything to Daphne.
When Harry heard Daphne say that she could deal with the three-headed dog Fluffy, he felt that Daphne was emitting holy light all over her body.
"Great!" He almost jumped up, his eyes sparkling, "Let''s go to the fourth floor now and stop Snape!"
Daphne: Huh?
Her reason told her that there seemed to be a lot of things toin about this operation.
Although she had just shouted that she would take Harry and the others to prove Professor Snape''s innocence, it was just an angry remark when she was angry. She felt that it was not a good idea to directly break into the forbidden area on the third floor.
What if they run into the guy who wants to steal the Philosopher''s Stone? Although the encounter in the Forbidden Forest made Daphne feel that she was very good at fighting, she was not sure of winning if she fought again. The same move would be much less effective the second time. And Potter has no substantial evidence! He thinks someone went in to steal the Philosopher''s Stone, but where is the evidence? It can''t be based on pure spection!
"Have you guys finished your review?" Snape''s voice sounded behind the three of them, causing Harry and Ron to gasp.
The three of them turned their heads and saw that Snape was really standing behind them.
Daphne smiled: "Potter, Professor Snape''s suspicion can be cleared now, right? He didn''t steal the Philosopher''s Stone!"
"Professor, Rhys--"
"I know." Snape showed a strange smile on his face. "He still overestimated his own pharmaceutical skills, but I admire his courage and talent for challenging such a difficult potion in his first year. Well, I have to go treat Mr. Lint. I just happened to have developed a new antidote."
He pushed aside the three people and walked towards the school hospital wing. After walking two steps, he turned around and looked at Daphne and said, "Miss Greengrass, I have a piece of advice for you. It would help if you didn''t get along with people who are not your friends. You need to be cautious when making friends."
After saying this, he flicked his sleeves and left in a daze.
Daphne turned and looked at Harry, and said proudly: "I told you, Professor Snape is definitely innocent!"
Read 12 Advance Chapters
93- Feeling Targeted
93- Feeling Targeted
"Great! Snape is not ready to steal the Philosopher''s Stone yet!" After Snape walked away, Harry was excited.
Daphne: "?!"
Her eyes widened with anger and shock.
She felt that it was really difficult tomunicate effectively with someone like Potter - if Potter didn''t see Professor Snape, it meant that Professor Snape had gone to steal the Philosopher''s Stone, and if Potter saw Professor Snape, it meant that he was not ready to steal the Philosopher''s Stone. So Professor Snape must be a viin no matter what?!
She felt herself getting angry again.
"Can you please stop being unreasonable!" Daphne didn''t want to y house with these two kids anymore. She just wanted to go to the school hospital wing to check on Rhys''s condition.
She thought it was ridiculous that Rhys was poisoned by the potion she had prepared. The probability of Dumbledore choking on a mint candy and entering St. Mungo''s was greater than this!
There must be some hidden secret, and she wants to find out.
Seeing that Daphne seemed about to leave, Harry quickly ran up to her and blocked her way - if she left, he and Ron wouldn''t even be able to get past Fluffy.
"Wait a minute, Daphne, please believe me!" Harry said earnestly, "I am very sure that Voldemort is nning to get the Philosopher''s Stone. I must enter that room. I can''t watch him take the Philosopher''s Stone away from me."
"Daphne, if the Philosopher''s Stone falls into Voldemort''s hands, he will definitely make aeback. By then, all the prosperity of Hogwarts and even the entire wizarding world will be destroyed. Voldemort and hisckeys will raze the school to the ground, or turn it into a school dedicated to teaching dark magic. In the process, countless people will die - if you want to survive, you must kneel down for him and be his servants and dogs! If I fail, I will just be killed by him. If I didn''t stop him, wouldn''t I be killed by him? I''ll just die a littleter than now, because I will never go to him. Voldemort killed my parents! Can you understand this hatred? I must go through that trapdoor. I will bear any responsibility alone!"
Daphne couldn''t help but be moved. Harry''s words really touched her and made her rationality waver a little.
Thest bit of her rationality drove her to ask, "What if you get the Philosopher''s Stone, but that person intercepts you and steals it? It is now under the protection of Professor Dumbledore and is very safe."
"Then I will guard thest level of the checkpoint. Voldemort will have to step over my body if he wants to get the Philosopher''s Stone." Harry said in a decisive tone.
Harry''s determined look sessfully convinced Daphne, and she felt that she should help Harry - since he had made up his mind, she should not waste his awareness.
"Daphne, you don''t have to get involved. I only ask you to do me two favors: First, lend me this bottle of potion - if it''s hard to exin to Rhys, I can offer a price for it. My parents left me arge sum of money, ten times or a hundred times the market price. Second, when Professor Dumbledorees back tomorrow, please tell him that Ron and I entered the third-floor corridor room. Please, just these two things. Do these two things for me, and I can repay you with anything in the future!"
Daphne pursed her lips, and after a few seconds of hesitation, she gave her answer.
"Harry, I''m sorry, I can''t do either of those things."
Harry''s eyes dimmed, but they regained their brilliance the next second because Daphne said -
"This potion needs to be used by a professional, so I can''t lend it to you. Let me do it myself. As for tipping off Dumbledore, I can''t do it because I have to cross the trapdoor with you - we Slytherins can''t let you Gryffindor students show off all the time, can we? If we don''t show some real skills, we will appear to be viins."
"Daphne, you..." Harry felt as if his throat was choked by something. He didn''t expect that Daphne would actually be willing to run under the trapdoor with him to guard the Philosopher''s Stone.
''There are still good people in Slytherin House!
For example, Daphne, Rhys, and... uh, I can''t think of it, but there must be good people!''
"Let''s go." Daphne urged.
"Walk!"
The three of them went all the way up to the corridor on the fourth floor.
...
When they arrived at the door on the right side of the third-floor corridor, the three little one''s expressions changed at the same time - the tightly closed door now opened a crack.
Seeing the half-open door, they clearly realized what was about to happen to them, and even Daphne was now convinced that someone was trying to steal the Philosopher''s Stone.
"Well, see," Harry nced at Daphne and whispered, "Snape, well, ehm, I mean the one who coveted the Philosopher''s Stone has sessfully passed Fluffy...."
After receiving a re from Daphne, Harry chose to change his tone.
"Move aside, stay away from me." Daphne pushed the two little boys who were in the way aside, and then opened the crystal bottle left by Rhys.
Driven by magic, the sleeping potion prepared by Rhys floated in through the crack of the door. Fluffy''s breathing behind the door gradually became long and steady, and he soon fell asleep.
After waiting for a few seconds, until all the remaining potion in the room was inhaled by Fluffy, Daphne opened the door. Behind the door, Fluffy, the three-headed dog, was sleeping soundly, with a harp at his feet.
"It looks like Fluffy''s weakness is music." Harry walked to Fluffy''s feet and with some effort moved the big dog''s paw aside, revealing the trapdoor that it had been guarding for a school year.
The trapdoor opened to reveal a hole. Harry looked down through the hole. It was pitch dark and he couldn''t see clearly what was going on at the bottom.
Harry directly supported the edge of the hole with his hands. Watching his movements, Daphne had a bad feeling: Was he going to jump in directly?
"Hey, wait--"
Harry jumped down before Daphne could finish her sentence.
Daphne felt a little suffocated: What if it was very deep down there or there was a trap at the bottom?
Harry would be dead!
She didn''t dare to dy, and cast a levitation magic on herself and floated down along the cave entrance.
As she slowly fell, Daphne was on high alert. Her energy was not in vain. About four or five secondster, there was a swishing sound in the air, and several crossbow arrows with cold light shot towards her from all angles. Daphne waved her wand and used a protective spell to deflect them all.
"Sure enough, there is a trap." Daphne narrowed her eyes, and now she began to worry about what would have happened to Harry - did he get smashed into a mess, or shot into a sieve by a crossbow arrow?
As a result, when shended, Daphne was shocked: not only was there no trap on the ground, but there was a soft thing on the ground to cushion the shock for the person who jumped down!
Harry was standing on the mass, jumping around and lookingpletely unharmed.
"Is it because Harry''s fall was so fast that the crossbow trap on the wall was not triggered?" She suddenly realized something.
She got shot at because she descended slowly by the levitation spell..?
Daphne felt as if she was being targeted - the trap here only targets experts?!
A/n: Let''s see what traps Rhys has created for Daphne!
Read 12 Chapters ahead of everyone
94- Under the Trapdoor
94- Under the Trapdoor
For the first time, Daphne began to waver as to whether it was necessary for her to learn such advanced magic.
Before jumping down, she was worried about Harry''s safety, but upon seeing that he was unharmed and had identally avoided the traps under the trapdoor, Daphne''s mindset subtly changed:
Who set up these traps?
Do they have any basic knowledge of setting up defensive mechanisms?
Is the cushioning on the ground to prevent thieves from getting hurt?
Harry didn''t think that much. He shouted up to the hole, telling Ron to jump down as well.
With a thud, Ronnded t on his back next to Harry.
"What is this stuff?" he asked.
"Not sure, seems like some kind of nt, feels like it''s here to cushion falls."
Daphne was speechless when she heard Harry''s words: Don''t you think it''s strange to have cushioning nts here?
Suddenly, she felt something grab her ankle and quickly crawl up her shoe, wrapping around her arch.
Daphne suddenly realized what it was. She struggled desperately, finally shaking off her shoe to escape.
Once she reached a safe clearing, Daphne took a moment to observe what had just attacked her, and then she recognized itit was Devil''s Snare covering the ground.
Daphne was quick to react, so she managed to escape. Harry and Ron were not so lucky.
One had fallen early, and the other was lying directly on the Devil''s Snare. By the time Daphne noticed the anomaly, both of them were already entangled and unable to break free.
"Help! Help us!"
"What is this stuff"
Harry and Ron struggled desperately, but the vines only tightened their grip. Despite their best efforts, they could only temporarily hold off the vines from wrapping around their necks.
Without outside help, as their strength gradually waned, the two young wizards would eventually be strangled to death.
"Hold on, Incendio!" Daphne drew her wand and chanted, a thick blue me sprouting from its tip and sweeping towards the Devil''s Snare. Within seconds, the vines retreated from Harry and Ron. They twisted and writhed, moving away from the fire, freeing the two unfortunate boys.
Daphne didn''t extinguish the me but turned it into a fireball that floated overhead, illuminating the area.
"Good thing you paid attention in Herbology ss," Harry said, leaning against the wall and wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
Ron, meanwhile, noticed that in the struggle, Daphne''s shoe had been taken by the Devil''s Snare, leaving her with only a pair of thin ck socks.
"Why don''t you wear mine for now?" he suggested after a moment''s thought, taking off his shoes and offering them to her.
Daphne repeatedly told herself internally that "Ron meant well," but when she saw the worn and torn ckened shoes he offered, she felt her facial expression slip out of control.
Her face twitched a couple of times, and she levitated about an inch off the ground. After taking a couple of deep breaths, she put on a businesslike smile again.
"There''s no need. It won''t affect anything. Let''s hurry and protect the Philosopher''s Stone."
With Daphne''s words, Harry and Ron didn''t dy any further and proceeded down the only corridor deeper into the area.
At the end of the corridor was a brightly lit room with a high, arched ceiling. Countless small, jewel-like birds pped their wings, flying all around the room.
At the opposite end of the room was a heavy wooden door.
"Will these birds attack us when we cross the room?" Ron asked, his expression serious.
"I think it''s very likely, but we have no choice" Harry nodded.
"Those aren''t birds," Daphne interrupted their conversation. She pointed to the ceiling, making Harry and Ron see that the flying objects were not birds but keys with wings.
"I think you need to fly up and grab the key that can open that door," Daphne said.
"There must be hundreds of keys here!"
Harry looked at the dense swarm of keys and felt a headacheing on.
"Someone''s already broken in here before us, so the correct key has probably been grabbed once already," Daphne analyzed the situation seriously.
"Look for any key that shows signs of being grabbed. I''ll try another method."
The three split up. Harry and Ron grabbed broomsticks piled in the corner of the room and went to catch the keys, while Daphne approached the door to see if she could open it by other means.
First, she tried the simplest method: pushing it. Since someone had broken in before, perhaps the door was already open.
However, the door didn''t budge.
She then tried the Unlocking Charm, but it had no effect.
Looking at the wooden door, Daphne had a bold idea.
She stepped back a few steps and then cast an attacking spell at the door.
The sturdy oak door was chipped a little with a small hole. Although the power didn''t meet her expectations, it was still quite good.
Daphne began casting spells continuously: wind des, ice arrows, fireballs... She used all forms of attack magic she had learned from Rhys on the door.
She thought that the spell stored in her ne could probably blow the door open in one go, but that spell was her trump card and couldn''t be used casually. She decided to blow the door to pieces bit by bit.
Harry and Ron, floating in mid-air, were dumbfounded and almost forgot their mission.
However, Daphne''s efforts ultimately ended in failure. When she blew arge hole in the outeryer of the wooden door, she discovered a thick iron door underneath.
sting through the iron door would take an unknown amount of time, and more importantly, she couldn''t guarantee that there wouldn''t be another door behind it.
Fortunately, Harry and Ron brought good newsthey had locked onto a key and were intercepting it.
Ron dived down while Harry closely followed the key. With the two closing in, the key swiftly flew towards the ground. Daphne raised her wand and swung it upward
A small wind de shot out from her wand tip, precisely hitting the escaping key and slicing off one of its wings.
With half a wing missing, the key plummeted to the ground, where Daphne swiftly grasped it.
She brought the key to the door, inserted it into the lock, and turned it. With a click, the door swung open on its own.
Looking at the one-foot-thick iron door, Daphne was relieved that her spell hadn''t damaged the mechanism inside the door. Otherwise, the three of them might not have been able to push it open.
_______
12 Advance Chapters-
95- Speed Running!?
95- Speed Running!?
Behind the door was a pitch-ck room. As the three of them stepped inside, the room suddenly lit up, revealing a breathtaking scene.
They stood at the edge of a giant chessboard, with towering ck stone chess pieces in front of them.
On the opposite side of the room were simrly sized white chess pieces. None of the pieces had carved faces, and they stood tall, exuding an intimidating presence.
Ron tried to take a step forward, and the soldiers among the white pieces immediately moved.
"Bloody hell!"
They drew their weapons and blocked Ron''s path, forming a "chess" wall.
"It looks like we have to y a game of chess against the other side and win to pass through. And, unsurprisingly, we probably have to act as the pieces, recing three of the ck pieces," Ron spected.
He asked a ck knight for confirmation and received a positive answer.
This made Ron sigh; he knew that being a chess piece was far riskier than being a yer. Pieces could be sacrificed; yers could not. If possible, he would have preferred to be the yer, but that wasn''t an option.
Ron invited three ck pieces to leave the board, then he, Harry, and Daphne took their ces.
"I''ll do themanding. Not to brag, but my wizard chess skills are among the best at Hogwarts," Ron said, trying to takemand before the game started.
"Oh?" Harry, who was often beaten by Ron in wizard chess, didn''t mind, but Daphne, who had never yed against Ron, raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat unconvinced.
Given Ron''s previous performance, she found it hard to trust this freckled Weasley boy.
"Alright, how about we bothmand together?"
Seeing Daphne''s change in demeanor, Ron''s confidence deted like a balloon, and he decided topromise, suggesting they comand.
However, this unintentionallymitted a major chess blunder: multiplemanders.
ying chess with twoanders can often be less effective than ying alone, as not every yer can follow their partner''s strategy, and sometimes they might even hinder their teammate.
This was the case with Ron and Daphne.
Both were skilled at wizard chess, but whenbined, they had a peculiar negative impact on each other''s performance.
The white pieces charged aggressively on the board, putting the ck pieces at a severe disadvantage.
One ck piece after another was ruthlessly shattered into lifeless fragments and swept off the board to pile up against the wall. Despite Ron and Daphne''s formidable skills, theirbined efforts were unable to stop the white pieces'' relentless assault.
The ck pieces'' defeat was only a matter of time.
"Move the bishop three squares to the left!"
"Daphne, no! That will make us lose!"
"No!" A ruthless determination shed across Daphne''s face. "Who says the oue has to be decided on the board? Let''s just try to eliminate as many white pieces as possible next!"
Ron and Harry were stunned.
Before Ron and Harry could react, Daphnemanded the remaining ck pieces tounch a suicidal attack on the white pieces.
She sessfully shattered several white pieces, but in doing so, she caused the ck pieces'' already precarious situation to copsepletely.
Daphne seemed entirely unfazed, her moves appearing as though she had bet on her own loss, sometimes even sacrificing ck pieces senselessly.
Ron had given up onmanding, quietly observing Daphne''s actions.
He didn''t quite understand why Daphne was doing thisperhaps it was to start another game with herself in sole control?
Finally, the white bishop advanced to the ck king, who then removed his crown and threw it at the bishop''s feet, signifying the ck pieces'' defeat.
Although there weren''t many white pieces left on the board, they still managed to checkmate the ck king, didn''t they?
Now it was time for some off-the-board tactics.
Just as the white pieces were slowly returning to their positions to reset the board, a spell struck the white king''s neck with precision...
Swoosh!decapitating it.
The king''s head fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, with the crown rolling far away.
Harry and Ron: "!!"
The other pieces were stunned, as if they couldn''t believe what had just happened.
"Just as I thought! Wind de" Daphne eximed in delight. She continued to swing her wand, sending out one-foot-long wind des one after another, shattering the remaining white pieces into dust.
When the chess pieces were engaged inbat, Daphne noticed that they were made of a rather brittle type of marbleso fragile that even a slight bump could cause cracks, let alone her wind des.
Almost every wind de she cast left a one-foot-long gash on the pieces, spreading numerous cracks. Striking a piece in a weak spot, such as the neck or limbs, would break it instantly. Even for thicker areas, an additional strike would suffice.
Daphne''s attack caught the pieces off guard. By the time they reacted and began to attack her, most of the white pieces had already been destroyed.
At this moment, Harry finally understood what Daphne meant by saying, "The oue doesn''t necessarily have to be decided on the board."
"That was cunningAh!?"
As Harry pondered this, Ron suddenly tackled him, knocking him to the ground.
It turned out that the ck pieces had started attacking themwhen Daphne decided to break the rules, the ck pieces no longer considered them allies but enemies instead.
Thanks to Ron''s quick action, Harry avoided the ck king''s attack, but Ron wasn''t as lucky. He took a heavy blow to the thigh, screaming in pain.
Before the ck king could strike again, a wind de severed its head.
Daphne had floated into the air by this point, unleashing a barrage of wind des like raindrops, clearing the remaining pieces from the board in a matter of seconds.
After thest chess piece fell with a crash, Daphnended beside Ron, pursing her lips as she examined his injury. She regretted not coordinating with Harry and Ron beforehand; otherwise, they could have achieved a wless victory.
"It''s broken. Smell this quickly," Daphne said, opening a vial of sleeping potion just enough to let Ron catch a whiff. He promptly passed out.
With a sigh, Daphne remarked that they would have to leave Ron there temporarily.
Without any pieces in their way, the two of them easily crossed the second door. Beyond the third door was a giant troll, which Daphne defeated effortlesslythanks to her previous experience, she dispatched the troll in an instant.
In the room beyond the troll, there was a table with seven bottles of various shapes.
Daphne picked up the note left on the table.
For her, the puzzle on the note was not difficult to solve.
The problem arose when she picked up the inconspicuous little bottle and found that the potion inside had already been consumed.
Daphne and Harry fell silent.
________
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96- Rhys’s Action
96- Rhyss Action
Daphne tightly gripped the empty bottle, biting her lower lip hard. She never expected to be stopped for such a ridiculous reason!
The person who arrived first had drunk the potion, leaving those who cameter unable to proceed even after solving the puzzle.
It was absurd!
Staring at the mes blocking their path, she had a bold and crazy idea: why not brew a fire-resistant potion and take a chance?
She knew how to brew potions butcked the materials and tools.
Her fingers clenched the small bottle tightly. At that moment, she felt something raised on the surface of the bottle.
She picked up the bottle and found an inscription on its body: "No way above, a door below."
Daphne narrowed her eyes, ced the bottle back on the table, and carefully examined the floor. She noticed that a tile under the table seemed slightly uneven.
Pressing down on one corner of the tile and giving it a firm lift, she revealed whaty beneath: aplete set of cauldrons and a package of potion ingredients.
Daphne retrieved them and, upon opening the package, knew immediately what they were: all the ingredients needed to brew a fire-resistant potion.
''OK!''
She immediately set to work.
The amount of potion ingredients in the package was limited, enough for only one mistake at most. Even worse, she had no recipe or guidelines this time. All she could rely on were her brain and hands, but this did not affect her confidence in the slightest. She even felt that there were more than enough ingredients.
While Daphne was brewing the potion, a treatment was underway in the castle''s infirmary.
"Mr. Lint''s condition has stabilized," Snape said as he straightened up after administering a newly developed potion to Rhys, delivering the good news to Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, who stood nearby.
"So when will he regain consciousness?" Madam Pomfrey observed Rhys''s improvedplexion, finally feeling relieved. Now, her primary concern was how long the boy would stay in her ward.
A fleeting look of embarrassment crossed Snape''s face.
ording to his design, Rhys should have regained consciousness by now, but he remainedatose. It seemed his potion needed further refinement.
Fortunately, the ashen color had faded from Rhys''s face, and his rigid muscles had rxed.
His condition was improving.
Currently, Rhys appeared no different from someone merely asleep. Snape didn''t attempt to wake him, opting for caution instead.
"Antidotes are not cure-alls; the reasons for poisoning among the young witches and wizards at school are varied,"this statement resonated with Madam Pomfrey"I believe all we need to do now is wait. Rhys could wake up at any moment, possibly this afternoon or in a few days, noter than a week. However, be prepared for him to miss his final exams."
"We''ll decide how many points to deduct then," Professor McGonagall said with a slight smile.
Smiles being conserved, Professor McGonagall smiled while Snape did not.
Snort~
With a swish of his robes, Snape turned and strode out of the infirmary, nning to catch some Gryffindor students breaking school rules and deduct a substantial number of points from them.
After Snape left, Professor McGonagall gave Madam Pomfrey a couple of instructions, asking her to notify her immediately once Rhys woke up.
She then departed as well. Madam Pomfrey lingered in the ward for a few more minutes before attending to a new wave of arriving studentsthis time, it was fifth-year students suffering from hysteria due to the stress of preparing for their O.W.L. exams.
When the infirmary was finally empty, Rhys, lying on the bed, slowly opened his eyes. He turned over and sat up, stretching his muscles, which were sore from lying down for too long.
To be honest, concocting a potion that could make him exhibit symptoms of poisoning without actually being fatal was much harder than making a regr potion. Thetter only required following a potion recipe, whereas the former demanded extensive knowledge for an original creation.
Rhys had two reasons for doing this.
First, to ensure that the three ''exam'' candidates would not have any external aid, Dumbledore had wisely chosen to use a "letter" tactic, while Rhys had no better excuse and had to resort to a "potion" tactic.
Secondly, since he was the one who had switched the Philosopher''s Stone, he needed an alibi. Being hospitalized served as an excellent alibi, with two professors and Madam Pomfrey to vouch for him.
However, having an alibi didn''t mean he had to stay out of the scene.
Although the protective measures set up by Dumbledore were quite "puzzle-like," the final viin was still somewhat dangerous.
Rhys believed that with Daphne''s strength and the tools he had left for her, she could handle Quirrell easily. But dealing with the one behind Quirrell would be a bit more challenging.
He needed to follow and make sure nothing went wrong.
Rhys was confident that Dumbledore would be watching over Potter from the shadows, so he had to make some additional preparations.
Rhys first opened the cab by the wall of the infirmary, took out a set of clean bedding, and rolled it up on his bed.
Then he pointed his wand at the rolled-up bedding, and it transformed into his likeness. This wasn''t a simple transformation; the Rhys made from the bedding could even breathe and take medicine, enough to fool Madam Pomfrey and the school professors.
After this, Rhys took out a small bottle from his pocket, filled with a thick, muddy liquidhe had also prepared Polyjuice Potion beforehand, which was nowing in handy.
To avoid revealing his identity, besides physical disguises like wearing a hood, Rhys would also use the Polyjuice Potion to ensure foolproof concealment.
Rhys rummaged through his small leather pouch for a while and found a small leather bag containing several bunches of hair, each tied with a ribbonbeled with Roman numerals.
Rhys selected a bunch marked "XXV," carefully took out a single strand, and ced it into the Polyjuice Potion.
The potion turned into a silver-green color.
After drinking it in one gulp, Rhys transformed into a young man with a head of ck hair.
''Quite impressive, dashing indeed. Keeping some of my hair from back then was a brilliant decision,'' Rhys thought, showing a satisfied expression as he looked at himself in the mirrorhe had used hair from when he was twenty-five years old.
Transforming into his twenty-five-year-old self made many things much more convenient.
After casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself, Rhys walked straight out of the infirmary and headed for the third floor of the castle.
12 Advance Chapters
97- Dumbledore, here I come, where are you?!
97- Dumbledore, here Ie, where are you?!
Rhys opened the door in the fourth-floor corridor and found the three-headed dog Fluffy sleeping soundly.
"Not bad," Rhys nodded. Although they used the sleeping potion he droped behind, at least it proved that Daphne could identify the type of potion and use it correctly.
Continuing deeper, Rhys noticed something unusual about the Devil''s Snare. Upon closer inspection, he couldn''t help but chuckle: Daphne had apparently had a bit of trouble here.
When he saw the dpidated door behind the swarm of flying keys, Rhys''s facial muscles twitched.
He felt he needed to be concerned about Daphne''s mental state. For some reason, some of her actions seemed very Gryffindor-like, which worried Rhys. A carefully tended field sprouting a weed named Godric was uneptable.
''Could it be from spending too much time with that Potter and Weasley?'' Rhys''s thoughts began to wander.
While absentmindedly thinking, he conjured a rope to capture the key, which had lost half its wing and could barely fly. He could forcefully open the door, but such behavior was too Gryffindor. Rhys chose to pass the test the correct way.
Along the way, besides observing the traces left by the three young wizards and deducing their methods, Rhys also carefully searched for signs of Dumbledore.
He believed Professor Dumbledore should be secretly watching over the young wizards during their adventure.
But the more he searched, the more puzzled he became: there were no traces of Dumbledore here at all. He couldn''t sense Dumbledore''s magic. The few mechanisms Rhys had set upon entering hadn''t been triggered, indicating no one had entered after him.
This was extremely strange. With his insight, almost no one could escape his notice, not even his threepanions. Had someone invented some advanced invisibility spell in the past millennium, making it impossible for him to detect them?
''Dumbledore, I''m here, but where are you?!''
A crazy thought shed in Rhys''s mind: Could it be that Dumbledore didn''te at all? This idea shocked Rhys when it crossed his mind.
When arranging a trial for young wizards of Harry and Daphne''s age, two key points must be grasped: first, the participating young wizards must believe they are truly undergoing the trial alone; second, they must never actually be left to face the trial alone.
If they were truly left alone, even if wizarding families maintained the Weasley family''s birth rate, it wouldn''t be enough.
Rhys sincerely admired Dumbledore''s courage. Perhaps Dumbledore already knew it was Daphne who repelled Quirrell in the Forbidden Forest, which wasn''t hard to guess: it wasn''t Harry, Hagrid wasn''t there, and the centaurs arrivedte. Using the process of elimination, one could deduce it.
But how did he know Harry would definitely bring Daphne along? What if Daphne refused? Also, wasn''t he cing too much trust in Daphne''sbat ability?
Of course, there''s another possibility: Dumbledore knew Rhys woulde, so he simply didn''t show up. But that possibility was lower than the chance of Harry Potter tearing off his mask to reveal Godric Gryffindor''s face.
Wait a minute...
It had nothing to do with what kind of teammates Harry brought along!
Pushing aside the absurd image of Harry tearing off his face to reveal Godric Gryffindor, Rhys suddenly felt a sh of understanding: with Dumbledore''s design, there would never be anyone other than Harry entering the final chamber!
The final chamber could only be essed by drinking a small dose of the fire protection potion, just enough for one person.
This was undoubtedly Dumbledore''s design, intended to limit other young wizards and only allow Harry to enter the final chambergiven Harry''s character and pitiful persuasion skills, that single dose of potion would inevitably end up in his mouth.
As for Quirrell, Rhys believed he wouldn''t bother solving the logic puzzle; the fire door could simply be bypassed with a fireproofing charm. Quirrell wouldn''t waste time on it.
Rhys''s unnecessary actions had inadvertently disrupted Dumbledore''s meticulous arrangements: he had emptied that small dose of the fire protection potion and hidden a set of potion-making tools along with ingredients for two doses of the fire protection potion in that small roomnow even Daphne could enter the final chamber as well.
Through Dumbledore''s design, Rhys drew a new conclusion: Dumbledore was confident that even if Harry faced Quirrell alone, he would not be harmed.
Was it because of that ancient magic on Harry?
That must be it!
Previously, when Rhys had the chance to observe Harry closely, he noticed something unusual about him: Harry''s magical aura had a strange quality.
Unfortunately,cking evidence and being unable to conduct in-depth research due to his unfamiliarity with Harry, Rhys couldn''t reach a definitive conclusion.
He could only generally surmise that Harry was under a rare, almost forgotten spella spell that had a defensive nature but also felt like a curse, which puzzled Rhys greatly.
Rhys finally understood why Dumbledore truly dared to let a first-year student like Harry face a dangerous foe coveting the Philosopher''s Stonethe spell on Harry would protect him.
This revtion opened Rhys''s eyes and sparked his curiosity about the spell: what kind of spell could have such an effect?
He quickened his pace.
When Rhys arrived at the room with the chessboard, he saw the ck and white pieces had returned to their original positions, ready to y, with Ron lying in the middle of the board, fast asleep.
"Young people do sleep well, falling asleep at the drop of a hat." Rhys chuckled as he moved Ron off the board, then took out his wand.
"If I had more time, I wouldn''t mind ying a game with you, but unfortunately, I''m in a hurry," Rhys smiled at the chess pieces. "Besides, I''m not confident I can win against you. You''re not like Daphne, willing to let me have a few pieces."
Looking at these chess pieces, memories of ying wizard''s chess with Daphne came to his mind...
"Wait a minute, I just moved to the wrong spot!"
"You remembered wrong; this knight was ck from the start!"
"Cheating?! What do you take me for?"
"Three pieces handicap?! Daphne, you''re too much. Letting me have a knight and a bishop is enough... Add a pawn this time..."
Rhys couldn''t help butugh. After a moment of reminiscing, he had a clear understanding of his chess skills, so he chose to use an out-of-board trick to win, saving time.
A thin, long stream of water emerged from the tip of Rhys''s wand.
He hadn''t used water element magic for a long time. Now that he was using it, he felt really nostalgic.
"I guess not many people know now, but what I am best at is actually water element spells..." Rhys muttered to himself, then shook his wand, and an inconspicuous water line lightly crossed the entire chessboard.
The next second, all the chess pieces on the board, whether ck or white, the king or the bishop, were cut into pieces by the waterline.
"Sorry, I''m in a hurry. I''ll use the water magic that I''m best at aspensation to you." Rhys shook off the water droplets on the tip of his wand and strode towards the room opposite.
______
Read 12 Chapters ahead of everyone
98- That’s a crystal ball made by Ravenclaw herself!!!
98- Thats a crystal ball made by Ravenw herself!!!
"Did the mes behind the door just flicker?" Harry squinted his eyes, asking uncertainly.
Embarrassingly, Daphnepletely ignored him.
The preparation of the fire protection potion had reached the most critical moment. If there was any stray thought in Daphne''s mind aside from making the potion, it was why she hadn''t stuffed Harry''s mouth shut before starting.
"Alright, maybe it was just my imagination."
"Sigh, I wonder what the next challenge will bedo you think the fire protection potion can really get us through that firewall?"
"How much longer until it''s ready?"
"..."
Finally, Daphne''s fire protection potion was sessfully prepared.
"Awesome! Fantastic!" Harry didn''t hold back on his words of praise.
Daphne squinted her eyes and gave a sweet smile, "It''s nothing. But, Potter, I have something to tell you."
"Go ahead." Facing Daphne, who had just finished making the fire protection potion, Harry wished he could rece the portrait of the Virgin Mary in Devonshire Church with Daphne''s photo.
Whatever Daphne requested, Harry was ready toply.
"Next time you talk while I''m making a potion, even if it''s just one word, I''ll cut out your tongue and use it as an ingredient."
Harry: "..."
"Alright, drink the potion." Daphne divided the potion into two small bottles and handed one to Harry.
They both drank the fire protection potion together and shivered.
The potion felt like ice water, making them feel as if they had stepped outside in their pajamas on a winter''s day.
As they passed through the fire door, the ck mes actually brought a bit of warmth.
Beyond the ck mes, they smoothly entered the final room.
A person who caused Harry''s pupils to dte in shock was standing in that room.
"Professor Quirrell, you?!" Harry was so stunned he could hardly breathe.
Daphne pped her hands sharply. "Now you can finally believe in Professor Snape''s innocence!"
Quirrellughed, and now his face no longer twitched, and he spoke without stuttering.
"I have to thank Snape. He was like a giant target, attracting everyone''s attention, allowing me to execute this great n smoothly." Quirrell looked extremely pleased with himself.
He believed he had fooled everyone, including the great Dumbledore.
"Miss Greengrass, I''ve received a lot of care from your father while at school. For his sake, you can leave now. This has nothing to do with you. I swear by the ck Lake that you''ll return to the castle unharmed." After mocking Harry a few times, Quirrell turned to Daphne, offering her a chance to leave.
Quirrell''s magnanimity had nothing to do with Daphne''s father. It was purely because she had left too deep an impression on him that night, and this time he decided to win with cunning.
Quirrell had already nned to use the Killing Curse on her as soon as she turned her back.
The girl seemed terrified and nodded numbly.
Seeing her fall into his trap, Quirrell was overjoyed, but before that joy could fully register, a powerful spell came hurtling toward him.
If Voldemort hadn''t taken direct control of Quirrell''s body, Daphne would have seeded.
"You''re courting death!" Quirrell, nearly split in half, was furious. He instinctively wanted to retaliate but found he hadpletely lost control of his body.
Voldemort finally stopped hiding. After all, after today, Quirrell''s body would be discarded like a disposable utensil in a restaurant.
Quirrell''s turban unwoundyer byyer, and during this time, Daphne seized the opportunity tounch multiple attacks, all of which were effortlessly deflected. Translucent shields appeared just in time to block her spells, bouncing them all away.
With his eyes covered by the turban, Quirrell''s vision seemed to improve.
When thestyer of the scarf was removed, both Daphne and Harry were stunned: on the back of Quirrell''s head was a hideous and terrifying face. The face was chalk-white with red eyes and slit-like nostrils resembling those of a snake.
It was the very embodiment of "evil."
"Haha~ Excellent child, put down your wand, and I will forgive your sins," the face spoke to Daphne in a whispery voice.
"You are a talented child of the Greengrass family? How rare, pure blood. Wizard blood should not be wasted... Submit to me, and I will give you honors beyond your wildest dreams."
Daphne felt a wave of nausea in her stomach; the gaze from those eyes made her want to vomit.
She responded with wind des, fireballs, and ice spikes, but these attacks couldn''t even make the monster retreat a single step. For the first time since starting school, Daphne felt despairworse than when she had almost been eaten by the troll.
"Tut. tut. What a pity..." Voldemort shook his head, no longer hiding the cruelty in his eyes.
The unwrapped turban moved like a snake, slithering towards Daphne.
Seeing Daphne in danger, Harry panicked. He wanted to do something, but Voldemort casually conjured a rope, binding him.
He didn''t even bother to speak to Harry.
Voldemort felt both humiliated and amused: how could he have lost to such a person? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t understand.
Daphne flew into the air, attempting to avoid Voldemort''s attacks.
"Oh?" Voldemort was even more surprised now.
He hadn''t expected this little girl from the Greengrass family to have mastered flying magic.
He casually shot a few spells at Daphne, watching her dodge them awkwardly, feeling like a cat toying with a mouse it had caught.
Daphne had only one thought in her mind: she really wanted to st that disgusting face with a spell, even just once!
While dodging, she saw herself in a mirrorher hair was disheveled, her face pale, looking like a lost dog.
A thought shed in Daphne''s mind: There was actually a mirror here? She hadn''t noticed it at all before.
At that moment, she saw her reflection reach into a pocket, pull out a crystal ball, wink at her, and then put the crystal ball back into the pocket. Then, Daphne felt something heavy drop into the inner pocket of her robe.
She reached in and found that the crystal ball was indeed in her pocket.
A purple spell whizzed past her, nearly hitting her, and Voldemort''s sinisterughter echoed from the ground. "Pay attention, you mustn''t get distracted!"
Daphne ignored him. She took out the crystal ball and looked down at it, discovering a skeletal horse pacing in a forest.
A sense of rity arose within her. The next moment, she smashed the crystal ball heavily against the ground, shattering it.
''What The..!!!'' Rhys, who had been observing in the shadows, nearly cked out: That was handcrafted by Rowena Ravenw, the only one of its kind in the world!
12 Advance Chapters
99- The Disappearance of the Killing Curse
99- The Disappearance of the Killing Curse
"Space magic is truly amazing, isn''t it?"
Gryffindor, with his red hair and beard, sincerely marveled at the convenience of space magic as the four of them suddenly appeared in a deste wilderness.
What would take ordinary people tens of days to walk, they had aplished in a single morning.
"To ordinary people, we must seem no different from the so-called gods," Hufflepuff remarked with a smile.
"Gods are nothing special either; one sword strike can kill them," Gryffindor scoffed at the notion of "gods," as he always did.
Unlike Godric and Helga''s leisurely attitudes, Slytherin and Ravenw were engrossed in an academic discussion.
"But using this spell is very ufortable; I nearly suffocated midway," Slytherin said. Although he liked snakes more than the others, he did not enjoy crawling through tubes like one.
"That''s an inherent issue."
"What if we created a magical itemrge enough to amodate several people, and then had someone carry this magical item while using space magic? Would the people inside feel any pressure?"
"Interesting thought." Ravenw fell into contemtion.
She found Szar''s idea quite reasonable.
"Shall we try it?"
Slytherin and Ravenw were both action-oriented, and the next day, they brought a crystal ball to Gryffindor.
Looking at the seemingly ordinary crystal ball in front of him, Gryffindor frowned. "Can this thing really hold a person?"
Slytherin beamed brightly. "Precisely because your body is strong enough, we dare to let you try."
Gryffindor: "..."
Good news: the crystal ball could indeed hold a person.
Bad news: it held dead peopleliving people who entered quickly turned into dead ones.
"At least it requires fifty percent of Godric''s physical strength to survive in there for a short time."
"How about trying this improved version?"
Seeing the two engrossed in recording experimental data without any personal emotions, Gryffindor felt a bit breathless.
But the experiment had to continue.
After several modifications, Ravenw finally transformed the internal space of the crystal ball to be able to sustain life, even growing a small forest inside. After setting up the interior, Ravenw used it to verify Slytherin''s hypothesisand indeed, staying inside did not create a feeling of pressure.
"What a marvelous creation," Slytherin couldn''t help but marvel at Ravenw''s magical prowess as he looked at the lush vegetation inside the crystal ball.
"If you''re interested, I can sell it to you."
"How much?" Slytherin asked without hesitation. He knew the crystal ball''s value was almost beyond mary measurement.
"I don''t take money." Rowena looked at Szar. Seeing the puzzled expression in his eyes, she smiled slightly. "Let''s trade for knowledgeknowledge is priceless, just like this crystal ball. Priceless things should be exchanged for other priceless things."
...
Now the crystal ball had shattered, turning into worthless shards, and the room where Daphne and the others were was instantly filled with dense jungle.
Standing on a tree branch, Daphne felt an ominous premonition. It seemed that the crystal ball was extraordinary.
As far as she knew, the Greengrass family vault didn''t have alchemical items of this caliber; they only had some crude gold Galleons.
Containers with Undetectable Extension Charms weremon, ranging from handbags to tents, creating muchrger spaces inside than their outer appearances suggested. However, the space inside this crystal ball was ridiculouslyrge, requiring extremely advanced spatial magic skills.
''Luckily, the crystal ball was ownerless. Otherwise, I couldn''t afford to pay for it even if I sold myself,'' Daphne thought.
At that moment, she noticed the skeletal "horse" hade to the tree she was in, seemingly calling to her. She floated down gently andnded beside it, then realized it resembled the legendary nightmare horse found in legends.
"A-Are you a nightmare horse from those stories?" Daphne tentatively called its name.
The nightmare raised its head in agreement.
"Will you help me defeat that monster?"
The nightmare eagerly pawed the ground. Going against Voldemort was something it had longed for; no persuasion was needed.
Daphne was overjoyed. With the nightmare by her side, she no longer had to face the monster aloneas for Harry, Daphne figured that if he survived until the end of the battle, it would be a victory.
Boom!
Voldemort knocked down several trees around him, clearing out a patch of ground.
The surrounding forest and the clearing in the middle reminded him of some unpleasant memories, but he quickly smirked: he was not Quirrell, that useless fool, who couldn''t even handle a little girl.
"Come out," his deep voice echoed in the room, "it''s time to end this tiresome game."
Soon, Voldemort''s words were answereda nightmare and Daphne charged out from the woods together,unching their attack.
The nightmare darted swiftly around the clearing, asionally seizing the opportunity to charge at Voldemort with its horn, while Daphne stood at the edge of the forest, continuallyunching long-range attacks to harass Voldemort, preventing him from focusing solely on the nightmare.
For a moment, the fight was evenly matched.
The nightmare took on most of the offensive role and bore the brunt of Voldemort''s attacks. More importantly, the magical mes it carried inflicted significant damage on Voldemort, making him hesitant and restricted in his movements.
Without the nightmare, there was no way Daphne could hold her own against Voldemort.
Both sides were locked in a fierce battle, unaware that the ground beneath them was bing somewhat soft.
Voldemort grew increasingly agitated: he couldn''t believe he was being held off by a first-year witch and a necro horse. Even though he was in a weakened state, relying on Quirrell''s body, this was an utter humiliation.
Anger surged through Voldemort, making his attacks more ruthless.
With a loud bang, his curse hit the nightmare, sting it away. Seeing the situation turn dire, Daphne prepared to retreat into the forest for cover, but a nearby hanging branch suddenly transformed into a python, wrapping around her and immobilizing her.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Voldemort''s face twisted into a sinister smile as he cast the Killing Curse at her.
In that moment, time seemed to slow down for Daphne. She watched the deadly green curse fly towards her, and a single thought upied her mind: if she got hit by that curse, she would probably die.
''Rhys mentioned that wizards go to an in-between ce after deathwhat would that be like?''
Daphne closed her eyes, but death didn''te.
The Killing Curse vanished abruptly just an inch from her nose, evaporating like morning dew in the sunlight.
Read 12 Advance Chapters
100- I Was Also Called “God”
100- I Was Also Called God
(???)?
Daphne waited for a long time, but death did note.
hmm..?
Her long eyshes trembled, and then she opened her eyes to find a tall wizard in a green robe and a wizard''s hat standing in front of her.
Daphne noticed that the cuffs of the wizard''s robe were embroidered with silver trim.
As for the killing curse, it had vanished without a trace.
Standing in the middle of the clearing, Voldemort''s facial features twisted in horrorhe couldn''tprehend what had just happened.
How could someone erase his Killing Curse?!
Was it space magic?
Some kind of illusion?
Or had he used a spell to interfere with his senses?
His brain worked furiously, almost smoking from the effort. At that moment, the mysterious wizard spoke.
"I''ve always had a small disagreement with my friends. They believe I''ve been researching dark magic, while I think that magic itself is neither good nor evil; it''s the user who makes the difference."
His voice was pleasant, mature, and steady yet retaining a youthful warmth. Daphne even sensed an inexplicable familiarity in it.
The wizard in the green robe was, of course, Rhys!
He had caught up with them while Daphne was brewing the fire-resistant potion and had been following closely behind. Finally, when Daphne was in mortal danger, he revealed himself.
He felt it was time to put an end to this trial.
"Oh?" Voldemort lowered the tip of his wand towards the ground and squinted.
Although there was still a hint of moral decay in this person''s words, it was intriguing enough.
Just the first part of the sentence confirmed for Voldemort that this man was indeed a dark wizard, and a highly skilled one at that.
"However..." Rhys suddenly changed his tone, contradicting himself. "I now think they were right. There truly is magic that reeks of evil from start to finish, enough to corrode the soul."
Voldemort snorted coldly. "I thought you might say something worthwhile, but you''re just like those foolish peoplea bird of a feather. You haven''t even seen the Killing Curse, have you?"
Rhys nodded.
Voldemort burst into wildughter.
Although he didn''t understand what trick the man before him had used to block his Killing Curse, it didn''t stop him from mocking someone who had never seen it before.
Rhys suddenly waved his hand, and Voldemort''s expression changed.
Just moments ago, whileughing, Voldemort hadunched an attack on Rhys. ording to his n, several snakes would suddenly emerge from the ground, binding his opponent''s ankles to restrict his movement. Then, a golem made of dirt would appear behind him to deliver a fatal blowif the Killing Curse couldn''t get him, how about pure physical force?
But his spell dissipated as it neared Rhys.
Rhys sighed.
"It seems you really don''t understand this aspect of knowledge. No matter, let me demonstrate." As soon as Rhys finished speaking, the entire room''s floor began to churn, transforming into a swamp.
Initially, Voldemort remained unperturbed by the changes beneath him.
Although the scene was dramatic, it was merely intimidating in appearance.
All he needed to do was fly up!!
Then, his pupils contracted sharply in shock. He realized that the swamp beneath him was like a powerful adhesive, firmly anchoring his feet to the ground.
In other words, he was now a sitting duck for that man!
Instinctively, he raised his wand, firing spells at Rhys like a machine gun.
Voldemort decided to use offense as a defense, trying to turn his unfavorable situation around.
Rhys was unfazed by these spells. He waved his hand, causing some spells to dissipate mid-air while others were encased in clumps of mud that had suddenly risen and fell back to the ground, dissolving into the swamp.
While Voldemort resisted, the room''s scene continued to change.
First, the soil turned into a swamp, then the grass and shrubs, and now even the trees were being gradually enveloped by the mud, bing part of the swamp.
The Nightmare''s movements weren''t restricted. It quickly ran to Daphne''s side, let her climb onto its back, and then retreated to a safe distance.
The central battlefield now belonged to Rhys and Voldemort, not to small fry like Daphne and the Nightmare.
"Tut. Tut. Your generation seems to never consider the rtionship between spells and magical power. Your spellcasting is excellent, but your understanding of magical power is superficial. In this room, wizards like you are no different from Muggles in front of me."
"Arrogant!" Voldemort was furious that the other dared topare him to a Muggle. But after a few curses, his expression suddenly changed.
"Do you feel it? Your magical power is running outare you surprised that the seemingly endless magic you''ve had since bing a wizard can actually be exhausted? Don''t worry, if you can''t figure it out, you have plenty of time to think." Rhys smiled and snapped his fingers.
"Impossible!"
"Impossible?!"
Voldemort screamed hysterically. He couldn''tprehend what was happening: the vanishing Killing Curse, the bizarre swamp beneath his feet, or the sudden disappearance of his magical power. It all shattered his understanding of magic, creating a vast chasm with his past experiences.
Rhys stood quietly, listening to Voldemort''s ravingVoldemort had gone mad. He wasn''t even trying to attack with magic anymore.
Perhaps due to his extreme agitation, a fineyer of sweat appeared on Voldemort''s bald head. The droplets grew rapidly, from the thickness of a hair to the size of rice grains, and finally to the size of soybeans, falling to the ground.
The body that Voldemort upied, Quirrell''s, was like a water bottle punctured with holes, rapidly leaking water. Voldemort quickly noticed something was wrong and tried to use magic to stop the loss of moisture, but it was futile.
When the sweat was gone, it was followed by blood. Voldemort couldn''t even speak anymore, only letting out iprehensible howls.
"Why impossible? After all, long, long ago, those ignorant Muggles also called me a [God]." Rhys tilted his head, casually extracting thest drop of moisture from Quirrell''s body.
Quirrell turned into aplete mummy, drier than even those found in the Egyptian desert.
Boom!
After realizing that the person in front of him was beyond human power, Voldemort acted decisively and detonated all the magic power in Quirrell''s body, causing an astonishingly powerful explosion. He then restored himself to the state of a residual soul and desperately escaped to the outside world.
"As long as I can escape, as long as I can escape--" Now he only wants to return to the dense forests of Albania and linger there.
However, even this humble wish is difficult to achieve.
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101- Contribution to the treatment
101- Contribution to the treatment
Rhys waved his left hand, and the mud on the ground rose into the air, forming arge sphere around Quirrell''s body,pletely containing the explosion''s shockwave within the ball.
With his right hand, he beckoned to Voldemort''s fleeing soul, and Voldemort suddenly felt the air around him be viscous, pulling him uncontrobly towards Rhys.
He was utterly disenchanted: he no longer had a physical body, so how could that monster still restrain him?!
If Rhys knew Voldemort''s thoughts, he would surely smile and say: Without a body, don''t you still have magic? Indeed, I cannot easily manipte the magic within your soul, but I can use the interaction between magical forces to "retain" you with the magic under my control.
In this area, unless you have neither a body nor magic, you will always be within his control and influence.
Voldemort was thus gradually pulled back towards Rhys.
Now, Voldemort appears as a dusky yellow phantom, with a grimacing face asionally emerging from it. Rhys could hear its indistinct, iprehensible howls.
He ignored Voldemort''s howls and focused on studying the nature of the entity before him. Unlike Harry and Daphne, Rhys knew very little about him. He didn''t even know this was Voldemorthe only knew that the main viin was Quirrell and the entity on the back of Quirrell''s head.
However, to Rhys, who this thing didn''t really matter. He wasn''t particrly concerned about it.
After studying for a moment, Rhys saw through the essence of Voldemort.
"Foolish thing." After seeing through Voldemort''s nature, Rhys couldn''t help but make a sharpment.
The yellow phantom in Rhys''s hand makes even louder noises.
"No form, just a shadow and some vapor, even less than a ghost or a wandering soul. What meaning does such immortality have? You people who make Horcruxes, do you even deserve to call yourselves immortal?" Rhys''s face showed a hint of disdain. To him, these wizards who achieved immortality through Horcruxes had simply lowered the prestige of the term "immortality."
Seeing the battle had ended, Daphne urged the Nightmare forward, riding it closer to Rhys. When she was within ten feet of him, she dismounted the Nightmare and stood respectfully behind Rhys.
She couldn''t help but be cautious. In Daphne''s eyes, the battle that had just erupted was incredibly shocking. The magic he used had already surpassed her understanding.
She had previously fought Quirrell, who was possessed by Voldemort, and she knew well how powerful the enemy was. If not for the help from the Nightmare in the crystal ball, she wouldn''t even have had the chance to fight back. On her own, she couldn''t even prate his defenses. Yet, such a powerful monster was toyed with as if it were a mere ything in the hands of the person before her.
Seeing the respectful Daphne, Rhys felt a surge of anger just looking at her. He didn''t want to deal with her at the moment and just waved his hand, signaling her to stand aside and not get in his way.
Noticing Rhys''s impatience, Daphne could only stand there, feeling aggrieved. Fortunately, the Nightmare stood with her, making the situation less awkward.
While Rhys was studying Voldemort, Daphne was also studying him.
To be honest, she felt that this wizard before her looked very familiar. From his attire, he somewhat resembled the image of Slytherin she had seen in the Chamber of Secrets. His voice also had an inexplicable familiarity.
After thinking it over, Daphne furrowed her brows. She finally found the source of that familiar feeling; this green-robed wizard''s voice was very simr to Rhys''s! But Rhys was supposed to be in the hospital wing due to potion poisoning. Wait a minute!
Two thoughts appeared in Daphne''s mind one after another, confirming each other, leading Daphne to a bold guess.
To prove her suspicion, she nudged the Nightmare beside her and moved closer to the green-robed wizard...
Watching Voldemort struggle in his hand, Rhys felt a sense of indecision. He could easily crush this wandering soul or seal it in a dark ce forever, but he couldn''t kill it.
This was determined by the nature of Horcruxes. A wizard with Horcruxes cannot be killed until thest Horcrux is destroyed. Even if their physical body is destroyed, they can survive in this wandering soul form. With the help of magical rituals or nourishment from the soul fragments in the Horcruxes, they can be revived.
This is a characteristic of wizards who use Horcruxesthey are very hard to kill, which is one of the few advantages of having a Horcrux.
Wizards who use Horcruxes are somewhat like potatoes; they cut off a part of their soul, which can then regrow. The thing in Rhys''s hand was just a piece of this "potato." Even if it was destroyed, the potato could grow back from other pieces.
Although Rhys didn''t think much of the Voldemort fragment before him, it was still a piece of a soul and could be useful.
A bold idea formed in Rhys''s mind.
He thought that this soul fragment might help with Ravenw''s "illness."
Ravenw''s problem was that her soul had been polluted from staying in the depths of the seal for too long. Rhys''s initial treatment n involves using potions to wash away the "dirt" attached to her soul. He had prepared several types of potions: some might loosen the bond between the pollution and the soul, some could fuse with the pollution to strip it away, and some could directly purify the dirt.
The core difficulty of this treatment n is that the insane Ravenw will likely not cooperate. The cleansing of the soul is painful, and even if she didn''t have a high desire to fight, she might instinctively attack the healer.
Rhys''s task was akin to pulling a decayed tooth from a strange lion without anesthesia.
With this soul fragment, the difficulty will be reduced. He could directly merge the fragment with Ravenw''s soul, letting the fragment absorb the pollution. As for whether the fragment would in turn corrupt Ravenw''s soul, Rhys thought that was overthinking ithe didn''t hold the fragment in high regard.
Rhys had a new treatment n.
Looking at Voldemort in his hand, Rhys''s lips curled up slightly. He really had to thank this gentleman for his outstanding contribution to Ravenw''s treatment.
And the specific content of the contribution?
Who said being used as a medicinal ingredient doesn''t count as a contribution?
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102- Containment
102- Containment
After moving at a snail''s pace for a while, Daphne finally arrived beside the green-robed wizard.
The reason why she did this was because she had an extremely bold guess: she believed that the mysterious green-robed wizard in front of her was most likely Rhys.
Wasn''t it strange? Would "potion poisoning" really happen to Rhys? Daphne was skeptical about this; she even thought Rhys had done it on purpose.
As for the reason for doing so, it might be to provide himself with an alibi.
Daphne knew Rhys had secrets and he didn''t want to expose himself openly to the school professors. This did make him seem like a viin, but after spending a year with him, the girl felt he wasn''t a bad person.
However, there were still some things Daphne couldn''t figure out. She hadn''t even sought Rhys out yet, so how could he have known in advance to prepare an alibi? There were many suspicious points.
There were also many areas for debate, such as the fact that the green-robed wizard''s figure didn''t match Rhys''s. But this could also be exined if Rhys had taken Polyjuice Potion; if Daphne could make such a potion, Rhys certainly couldand he even had the ability to guide her.
''A little to the side, just a bit more.'' Daphne cautiously moved her steps, trying to catch a glimpse of the face under the green-robed wizard''s hood.
Unfortunately, the edge of the hood was too long,pletely obscuring his face.
So why not blow a gust of wind to knock his hood off?
Daphne had a very bold idea.
Daphne dared to be so bold because the green-robed wizard had shown a friendly attitude toward her ever since his appearance.
He could have done nothing and let Voldemort kill her, but he chose to save her instead, which indicated that he wouldn''t really make things difficult for her.
If the situation were analyzed dichotomously, it could be simply divided into two possibilities: either the green-robed wizard was Rhys or he wasn''t.
If he was Rhys, knocking off his hood wouldn''t be a big dealpared to their rtionship. If he wasn''t Rhys, then he was a highly skilled elder wizard in the magical world, like Dumbledore. Such a person wouldn''t trouble a mischievous little girl, right?
In short, Daphne realized that she was in a position to do whatever she wantedif he wasn''t Rhys, she would just apologize sincerely.
So she acted. Daphne gathered a burst of magic and knocked off the hood of the green-robed wizard. Rhys was deep in thought about how to use the soul fragment in his hand for a potion and hadn''t paid attention to what Daphne was doing.
As a result, he was caught off guard, and Daphne seeded.
After seeing his face clearly, Daphne was certain that the person in front of her was Rhys, or at the very least, someone closely rted to him by blood, as there was no other exnation for the resemnce, the face looked like a masculine and older version of Rhys and the hairs were not tinum blond, all and all this person seemed very simr to...
"Rhys?" she asked tentatively.
Rhys: "..."
He realized he had been a bit careless. Even a child like Daphne could recognize him at a nce. If Dumbledore were really here, it would definitely arouse his suspicion. Given his personality, if he were willing to drink Polyjuice Potion made from another young wizard''s hair, Daphne might not have recognized him.
But he refused to do so.
Faced with Daphne''s inquiry, Rhys chose not to respond at all. He just nced at Daphne before continuing with his work.
A slight awkwardness passed through Daphne''s mind, and she began to doubt her hypothesis a bit: could this really not be Rhys but his brother or something? It was possible, but unlikely, as Rhys had never mentioned having a brother.
Maybe he had reasons for not admitting it?
But regardless, he was indeed very powerful.
With "Big Rhys" unwilling to engage with her, Daphne, having nothing else to do, simply lowered her head and stared at her toes.
Then she noticed an amazing detail: she was already back on the ground, but the seemingly sticky mud had not clung to her socks.
She lifted her foot and looked at the sole; it was clean, without a trace of mud.
That was very curious.
She stood on tiptoe and tapped the ground lightly with her toes. She noticed that the mud seemed to have its own consciousness, sliding off her toes like water droplets on an oiled cloth.
Daphne was a bit curious and didn''t understand why.
"This area ispletely under my magical control, so the soil won''t stick to your clothes without my ''permission''," Rhys said, facing away from Daphne but somehow aware of her confusion, providing an exnation.
"Eh? Complete control?!" Although Daphne didn''t fully grasp the intricacies, she instinctively felt that this was quite impressive.
"If I wish, I can even use this soil to gain the five sensessmell, sight, hearing, touch, and tastebut it''s not necessary."
"That''s so amazing!!!" Daphne eximed, covering her mouth.
"Well.. It takes some time to set up, and it can only fool those who don''t understand it," Rhys exined briefly before falling silent.
He rolled up his sleeve, revealing his left arm, and pressed Voldemort''s residual soul against it.
As soon as it made contact, countless root-like tendrils sprouted from the soul fragment, connecting to Rhys''s arm. In no time, a grotesque face appeared on Rhys''s left arm.
Daphne: "!!!"
"No!!! What are you doing!!!" She was utterly shocked.
That was potentially a fragment of Voldemort''s soul!
Even if it wasn''t, it definitely wasn''t something good, so how could he attach it to his arm?
"Don''t worry, I know what I''m doing. I''m just temporarily ''imprisoning'' it here. Otherwise, it would be quite difficult to find a suitable container for it at the moment," Rhys said, extending his right hand to poke the ugly face.
Voldemort, having just found a new host, was about to open his eyes, only to have a finger angrily jab into his face.
Voldemort: ''Eh..? W-What!''
The next moment, a surge of magic enveloped Voldemort''s soul fragment like a vacuum seal, tightly sealing him.
The sealed Voldemort fell into a deep sleep - this was a good thing for him, because in this sleeping state, he would not have to feel the endless pain.
Daphne swallowed, she still felt it was a little creepy.
After doing all this, Rhys was ready to leave. He first found the unlucky Harry in the corner of the swamp. After Daphne broke the crystal ball, he was knocked unconscious by a tree that popped out.
But fortunately, there is nothing serious wrong with my body.
When Rhys leaned over and picked up Harry from the swamp, Daphne noticed that Harry, like herself, was in the swamp, but there was not a trace of mud on his robe.
After putting Harry on Nightmare, the swamp in front of Rhys surged and several pieces of crystal ball fragments appeared in front of him.
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103- Dumbledore’s Trouble
103- Dumbledores Trouble
Seeing the crystal ball fragments, Daphne couldn''t help but feel a bit embarrassed.
She whispered, "I didn''t know how to release the Nightmare inside. At the time, Voldemort was pressing hard, and in a moment of desperation, I smashed it. Was it very expensive?"
Expensive?!
Rhys felt the temperature on his forehead rising.
The value of the crystal ball couldn''t merely be described as expensive. But in the end, all his thoughts were reduced to a sigh: what else could he do?
He couldn''t get angry with her, after all, it was his own fault for not telling her how to operate such an item in advance.
He had to take at least eighty percent of the responsibility, and for various reasons, he couldn''t even exin everything to Daphne. If he kept bottling it up, Rhys felt he might just explode.
So he decided to tell Daphne about the origin of the crystal ballalthough he didn''t n to make her pay for it, she should at least know what it was that she had broken.
"This was a treasure left behind by one of the founders of the school, Rowena Ravenw."
Daphne: "..."
She was even more relieved that it was an unowned treasure. Otherwise, taking this crystal ball outside, given its unique background and the magical properties attached inside, it could probably rival Gryffindor''s Sorting Hat.
She bowed her head in shame, studying the patterns on her socks.
After putting a bit of pressure on Daphne, Rhys turned his attention to the remains of the crystal ball.
Perhaps Ravenw could help repair it once she regained consciousness? This thought popped into his head, followed by a rather absurd idea: the crystal ball should still be under warranty, right? Because he remembered that Rowena had promised that if it broke, she could fix it.
Isn''t that essentially a lifetime warranty?
However, he couldn''t rely on Rowena right now could he? He decided to try fixing it himself first. If it worked, great. With this thought in mind, Rhys pointed at the crystal ball fragments and tried a simple repair spell.
The fragments of the crystal ball immediately came together.
"It''s fixed!" Daphne eximed, lifting her head.
Rhys shook his head. He had only repaired the outer shell; the internal enchantments were already destroyed. The crystal ball might still be able to hold objects, but what would happen inside was uncertain.
Suddenly, Rhys felt one of his markers being triggered. He raised an eyebrow and turned to Daphne, saying, "Someone''sing. You can leave now."
"Huh?" Daphne didn''t understand what Rhys meant.
"I mean, take him and the red-haired boy and leave quickly." Rhys pointed to Harry on the Nightmare''s back.
He suspected the person who triggered his marker was likely Dumbledore. He didn''t want to meet the current headmaster of Hogwarts right now, so he decided to speed up the cleanup of the remaining traces.
"Alright." Daphne nodded dumbly. As she mounted the Nightmare, Rhys suddenly pped the Nightmare''s rear.
With the impact, the Nightmare burst into an incredibly fast speed, almost throwing Daphne off.
As Daphne was about to leave the room, she heard faint sentences behind her, obscured by the wind
"Let me show you real water magic"
After the Nightmare carried Daphne out of the room, Rhys drew his wand and thrust it forcefully into the ground. The next moment, the floor began to shake.
Rhys knew that this underground building was separated from the ck Lake by just one wall. All he needed was a slight nudge to theke''s water, and it would flood in, submerging this ssroom and the entire series of obstacles.
Once the water flooded in, no traces would be left.
"Forbidden Spell: Tide Summoning!"
With the use of the spell, the vibrations expanded from the floor to the entire room. Cracks began to appear on the walls, and swamp mud rapidly seeped water outward.
Within seconds, the floor umted an inch-thickyer of water, and dirty water started streaming down the walls.
Eventually, the walls and floor couldn''t hold up anymore. Large sections of the stone bricks copsed, and the ground erupted like a volcano, spewing huge torrents of water.
Boom! The water surged into the underground ssroom like a giant dragon, sweeping away and obliterating everything.
Blub, blub, blub
A series of bubbles rose to the surface of the calm ck Lake.
Splish! Hiss
Rhys emerged from the surface of the ck Lake. He took a couple of deep breaths of fresh air, cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, and then rose from theke, flying towards the castle.
The scorching summer sun and warm wind dried the water from his clothes, and by the time he returned to the hospital wing, his clothes were already dry.
...
Dumbledore was in trouble.
The Ministry of Magic had indeed sent him a letter, but contrary to what he had arranged, this letter was truly urgentMinister Fudge''s tone was nearly in tears.
As Dumbledore hurried out of the castle gates, he was astonished to find Cornelius Fudge waiting for him outside.
As soon as they met, Fudge delivered a shocking piece of news: Gringotts'' curse-breakers had gotten into serious trouble in the northern part of Scond.
The curse-breakers are employees of Gringotts, tasked with finding and excavating the ruins left by ancient wizards, effectively acting as the daredevils of the wizarding world.
The incident began with the discovery made by several senior Gringotts curse-breakers in northern Scond.
They had found a site that was highly likely to be a relic left by the founders of Hogwarts.
After years of relentless deciphering, they finally opened the entrance to the site.
Unfortunately, the ruins did not contain the treasures left by the founders. Instead, they were met with a mindless monsterit was clear that this site was a seal left by the founders.
By the time the Ministry of Magic received the news and arrived at the scene, all the curse-breakers were dead, and over a hundred Muggle vigers had witnessed the battle.
This news was a massive blow to the Ministry of Magic.
After mobilizing all avable forces, Fudge came to Hogwarts for reinforcements. He hoped Dumbledore could help them deal with the monster now roaming free.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Dumbledore immediately set off for the ident site.
This is why he was truly absent from Harry''s "trial"it wasn''t because he was overly confident in Harry or indifferent, but because he was genuinely unable toe to see Harry.
The situation worsened. Dumbledore eventually found the monster that had escaped from the seal, and after engaging it inbat, he was shocked to discover that the creature''s strength exceeded his expectations. Moreover, it could use a strange, domain-like magic, allowing it to escape from Dumbledore.
At this point, Dumbledore''s ns werepletely disrupted. In his haste to pursue the monster, Dumbledore could only send a message to Professor McGonagall using his Patronus, hoping she could fulfill his duties.
When Professor McGonagall received the message, she felt utterly overwhelmed.
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104- Busy Dumbledore
104- Busy Dumbledore
"Minerva, I need your helpHarry Potter is currently in the room under the third-floor corridor. Please go there."
Dumbledore''s phoenix Patronus delivered this message, immediately overwhelming Professor McGonagall''s brain. After hearing the full exnation, she felt her blood pressure rising.
"Albus!!!" Professor McGonagall mmed her desk, toppling the ink bottles on it.
Even Albus Dumbledore could not do this!!!
Professor McGonagall decided she needed a serious conversation with Dumbledore when he returned.
After a flick of her wand to clean up the spilled ink, she prepared to leaveording to Dumbledore''s instructions, she was to observe whether Potter could handle Quirrell, who was possessed by Voldemort, and ensure his safety.
She found this request absurd and unreasonable.
Just then, a sh of gold and red light appeared, and arge gold-and-red bird, the size of a swan, materialized in her office, holding a worn-out hat in its beak.
Dumbledore''s Patronus had mentioned bringing his phoenix, Fawkes, and the Sorting Hat. Now that both hade to her, she didn''t need to make an extra trip to the headmaster''s office.
mping the Sorting Hat under her arm and grasping one of Fawkes'' outstretched ws, the next moment, she and the bird flew to the forbidden corridor on the third floor.
As soon as Professor McGonagall opened the trapdoor, she heard a strange sound: it seemed like the sound of waterbut why would there be the sound of water here?
She jumped down, and uponnding, she saw a shadow with blue mes beneath it rushing toward her.
"Professor, run!!!"
Just as she was about to cast a spell, she heard Daphne''s voice.
Luckily, her hearing was sharp enough to recognize it and put away her wand just in time.
"Miss Greengrass, you" Professor McGonagall began to ask what had happened but was interrupted by Daphne.
"No time to exin, Professor, we need to go up quickly!" Daphne, riding the Nightmare like a gust of wind, dashed to Professor McGonagall''s side. The Nightmare made a sudden stop, throwing the unconscious Harry and Ron off its back.
If professor was not in front of her, she wouldn''t have stopped at all.
Professor McGonagall immediately understood the urgency: a torrent, like a giant dragon, was rushing towards them with overwhelming force.
She knew that even the most skilled wizard caught in such a flow would not survive.
By now, Daphne was already pulling the Nightmare''s horn to float up to the trapdoor above. Professor McGonagall didn''t have time to think about what was happening. She bent down, tucked the two unconscious young wizards under her arms, and grabbed onto Fawkes'' tail.
In a sh of golden light, Fawkes carried Professor McGonagall and the two young wizards back up to the trapdoor. Shortly after, Daphne and the Nightmare also emerged from below the trapdoor.
Not long after they escaped, a thunderous crash echoed from below, shaking the entire Hogwarts castle. Even from dozens of meters away, droplets of water sshed onto their faces. Professor McGonagall knew that the torrent below had hit the end of the passageway, and the raging flood was finally halted by the sturdy mountain rock.
With that roar, everything below the trapdoor came to an end. Meanwhile, Fluffy, the three-headed dog, continued to sleep soundly,pletely unaware of the chaos outside.
...
"Oh, Albus! How are things on your end? What about that damned creature?" Fudge hurried over to Dumbledore, a fawning smile on his face. It was clear he had been very busy; his beautiful silk hat was smeared with some dust on the side, and his chubby face was covered in sweat.
Erasing the memories of hundreds of people was no easy task. It was especially challenging now, given the various ways Muggles couldmunicate. They had to investigate whether any of the Muggles had shared what they saw through different means.
After all this trouble, once they were sure no Muggles knew anything, Fudge felt utterly exhausted.
Dumbledore did not immediately respond to Cornelius Fudge''s question. The encounter with the creature had given him a profound feeling, sparking a new understanding of magic. He was trying to grasp this elusive inspiration.
After a while, he finally paused his exploration of this newfound magical insight.
"It got away."
"Got away?! How could that happen! I mean..."
Fudge immediately felt displeased.
After being busy all day, his words carried a hint of anger. But after speaking, he realized he shouldn''t use such a tone with Dumbledoreespecially since he still needed Dumbledore''s help to deal with the creature. The Aurors at the Ministry of Magic were no match for it.
"Cornelius, it was severely injured and won''t be causing any trouble in the short term. We have plenty of time to track it down. More importantly, although it isn''t very intelligent, it had regained human form when we fought. Even if Muggles see it, it won''t cause much of a problem." Dumbledore left one thing unsaidthat creature was highly lethal, and any Muggle who encountered it wouldn''t be left alive.
"Ah, that''s really great!" Fudge forced a smile, though his true feelings were hard to discern.
At this point, Fudge knew that the incident was mostly settled. It was time to consider the aftermath and the potential risks.
His mind raced with calctions: the creature was wearing a robe with a Nordic stylecould he shift the me onto the Finnish or Norwegian Ministry of Magic? But the creature was found on Scottish soil, whichplicated things. Should Gringotts be held responsible instead? Or was it possible to suppress the whole matter?
Fudge thought his immediate priority was to cover up the incident.
He could put some pressure on the Daily Prophet to ensure they didn''t mention it for now.
If things blew up in the future, he could throw Gringotts under the bus as a scapegoat for everyone to vent their frustrations on.
As for the curse-breakers who died here, Fudge didn''t care at all. They had caused him so much trouble that if it weren''t for the bad optics, he would have wanted to grind their bones to dust himself.
They were just a few foreigners, not British wizards. Fudge really didn''t care about their deaths.
Oh, right, wasn''t there a Weasley kid working as a curse-breaker? Next time he saw old Arthur, he''d advise him to get the boy a position in the Ministry, even if it was a minor one.
Fudge now had a very poor impression of curse-breakers.
At that moment, a cat-shaped Patronus appeared at Dumbledore''s feet. It didn''t speak, just sat there quietly, looking at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore: "..."
His expression turned stiff. Sighing, he said to Fudge, "I have some matters to attend to. Please excuse me for a moment."
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105- Dumbledore, you will regret it!
105- Dumbledore, you will regret it!
Dumbledore knew very well that Minerva McGonagall was angry.
Sending only a silent Patronus was purely to save his faceif he didn''t show understanding or couldn''t provide a satisfactory exnation, the next thing that would arrive might be a Howler!
So, he hurriedly bid farewell to Fudge and rushed back to the school, where he found Professor McGonagall standing in the school infirmary, her face stern.
Daphne stood beside her, head bowed, but her eyes kept ncing at a hospital bed in the corner of the room.
Behind them, a magical creature made entirely of bones, with mes flickering from its four hooves, was standing idly.
When Dumbledore saw the Necro Unicorn(?) behind Daphne, he couldn''t help but be a bit surprised, but he quickly collected himself and focused his attention on Professor McGonagall.
"Minerva, I''m back," Dumbledore said, a gentle smile on his face as he greeted Professor McGonagall. The response to his warm greeting, however, was a cold reception.
She looked at Dumbledore with a nk expression and then pointed to the bed where Harry and Ron were lying.
"Mr. Weasley has a broken thigh bone. Madam Pomfrey has already given him some medicine. Potter hit his head and has a bit of a concussion."
"Oh! It''s good that there''s nothing too serious,"
Dumbledore said, still smiling warmly. In his view, the oue wasn''t too bad. But judging by Minerva''s expression, he realized that a serious conversation was necessary.
He walked quickly to Daphne''s side and gently ruffled her hair.
"You''re a very brave young girl"
"If Potter and Weasley hadn''t kept ndering Professor Snape, I would never have gone down there with them!" Daphne''s words were firm, leaving both Dumbledore and McGonagall a bit embarrassed.
"Now that the truth is out and Professor Snape is innocent, I hope you can correct Potter''s misconceptions. Not every Slytherin is as bad as he thinks!"
Dumbledore gave an awkward but polite smile.
He was well aware that over the years, the rift between the four houses had deepened, particrly between Gryffindor and Slytherinanimosity that had only worsened after Tom Riddle emerged from Slytherin, turning the two houses into bitter enemies.
He felt powerless in the face of the current state of the school; this wasn''t something he was adept at handling.
Minerva had done well. She had always handled conflicts between the two houses with fairness, but fairness alone couldn''t mend the growing divide.
Dumbledore wasn''t sure what direction the school would take in the future, but he could only hope that future generations would be wise enough to resolve these issues. For now, he felt cautiously optimistic, especially since Gryffindor''s Harry and Slytherin''s Daphne had ventured togetherthis was a promising start.
"You''re absolutely right," Dumbledore said with a smile, looking at Daphne and speaking very earnestly. "You have truly inherited the best qualities of Slytherin."
Dumbledore was being a bit crafty with his words; he praised Daphne for inheriting Slytherin''s admirable qualities while cleverly sidestepping the house''s more problematic pure-blood ideology.
Daphne was embarrassed by Dumbledore''s sudden praise.
She blushed and lowered her head in silence: Did she really inherit the spirit of Slytherin? Why not ask Rhyster? He should know more about Slytherin, right?
"So can you tell me what happened?" Dumbledore''s half-moon sses shed with curiosity. He really wanted to know what happened under the trapdoor.
Daphne naturally would not refuse, and when she told the story, Professor McGonagall stood aside with her eyes downcast, listening quietly - if she wanted to settle the score, she had to wait until Daphne left.
However, Daphne did not tell the whole truth.
When describing the battle with Voldemort, she attributed most of the credit to Nightmare and downyed her own role in it.
In her description, she was just floating in the sky, asionally throwing a stone at Quirrell on the ground to disturb him.
"Oh? You got a crystal ball from the Mirror of Erised?" After hearing that Daphne got a crystal ball, Dumbledore hoped that Daphne could talk to him more about the crystal ball.
Daphne was embarrassed.
"Ah, that, that crystal ball was quite beautiful. There''s a forest inside, and Nightmare was walking in it..." When she said this, she suddenly hesitant.
"Can I take a look at that crystal ball?" Dumbledore became more interested in the crystal ball that Daphne mentioned, because it was quite simr to a precious alchemical tool he had seen in a record.
Beads of sweat appeared on Daphne''s forehead.
After a moment of confusion, she told Dumbledore desperately that the crystal ball was smashed by her.
"I didn''t know how to use it, and Quirrell and the monster possessing him were pressing me. What could I do?"
Dumbledore couldn''t help but sigh, a trace of regret shed in his eyes. Heforted Daphne and told her that she was d that she was okay.
"Does that crystal ball have any special origin?" Professor McGonagall, who was listening quietly at the side, was also intrigued.
"I have read a manuscript left by a medieval wizard, which contains a story."
Daphne: "??"
Did you also get information from medieval wizards'' mails and manuscripts?
Dumbledore did not notice Daphne''s change of mind. He told Professor McGonagall that the letter recorded that Slytherin once bought a crystal ball from Ravenw with a room full of books.
The manuscript of the writer was: [She (Rowena) threw away the books she had read and only kept the ones she had not read and wanted more books she hadn''t read. For this reason, Szar sent me a letter and bought hundreds of books from everywhere to make up the number of books to exchange for the crystal.]
From Daphne''s description, what she got was the crystal ball that Slytherin had gone to great lengths to exchange from Ravenw.
Professor McGonagall couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.
After listening to Daphne''s story, Dumbledore understood what happened under the trapdoor. Daphne didn''t need to participate in the next thing. So he stood up and asked Daphne to go out and find Madam Pomfrey for a detailed examination. If there was nothing wrong with her body, she could go back to the lounge to rest.
As for the nightmare that Daphne got from the crystal ball, Dumbledore suggested that she give it to Hagrid and let him take care of it.
After Daphne led Nightmare out of the ward, Professor McGonagall could no longer bear it. She walked quickly to Dumbledore and said sternly, "Dumbledore, you will regret this!"
Dumbledore couldn''t help but take off his sses, sighed, and rubbed his sore temples.
"Minerva, please allow me to exin."
Rhys, who was lying in the corner of the ward, pricked up his ears silently and listened carefully to the conversation between the two.
12 Advance Chapter
106- You can’t wake someone who’s pretending to be asleep
106- You cant wake someone whos pretending to be asleep
"So? Do you have anything to exin?" Professor McGonagall crossed her arms. "Potter nearly died down there!"
"But he didn''t, did he?"
"..."
Professor McGonagall seemed at a loss for words. What Dumbledore said made perfect sense, yet she felt that something was off.
"Harry has the magical protection left by his mother. With that magic''s blessing, Quirrell wouldn''t have been able to harm a single hair on his head before hees of age."
"But that magic is specifically against You-Know-Who."
"Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort. I''m sorry I hadn''t told you that before."
"Possessed by Him...!?" Professor McGonagall''s breathing grew heavier, clearly shaken by this revtion.
Listening to Dumbledore and McGonagall''s conversation, Rhys suddenly understood the source of Dumbledore''s confidence: Harry had the magical protection of his mother''s love, and the Voldemort-possessed Quirrell wouldn''t have been able to harm him.
''The magic of love has such astonishing effects, it''s truly unbelievable!'' Rhys couldn''t help but marvel at the magic cast by Harry''s mother after hearing Dumbledore''s exnation.
Though he hadn''t witnessed this magic firsthand, Rhys could understand its principles.
The key to casting this kind of magic isn''t a wizard''s power but pure lovethe kind of love willing to sacrifice everything. With the strength of such emotions, even a weak wizard can cast a spell with terrifying effectsone strong enough to destroy a Dark Lord of unparalleled power and keep its protective effects on a child until theye of age.
However, this spell isn''t as miraculous as it seems. Its effectiveness wasrgely due to the Dark Lord''s arrogance andck of rity, which led to his downfall. If he had chosen mercy and spared Harry, he wouldn''t have ended up in his current state.
Putting himself in that situation, Rhys believed he wouldn''t have harmed little Harryat least not personally. But the Dark Lord was different; he cruelly refused a mother''sst request and wouldn''t even spare a baby in swaddling clothes, ultimately suffering the consequences.
Rhys also gained a crucial piece of information: the extremely evil entity possessing Quirrell was none other than the infamous Voldemort. The name of this Dark Lord was legendary to Rhys, mentioned in every contemporary magical history book he had browsed since waking upnot even by his true name, but through terms like "Dark Lord," "You-Know-Who," and "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
This piqued Rhys''s curiosity. He was eager to understand what kind of person could achieve such notoriety that people feared to even utter his name. He had never encountered such a figure before.
And yet...
Is that it?
The one I just fought, or rather the one I beat up single-handedly, is the Dark Lord whose name wizards dare not speak?
Isn''t this a bit of dark humor? But judging by the reactions of the other wizards, their fear of him seems genuine, which is puzzling.
Could it be that he''s lost all his power, forcing him to possess others, and that''s why he didn''t show his full strength in the fight with me?
Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore remained silent for a long time, before she finally spoke in a low voice, "Albus, you must be mad! YouMerlin''s beard! You let someone possessed by You-Know-Who into Hogwarts, and he taught the children Defense Against the Dark Arts for an entire year! You let the Dark Lord teach Defense Against the Dark Arts!"
She had always ced unconditional trust in Dumbledore, but given the current situation, she needed an exnation from him.
"His condition was poor; he spent most of his time in a state of dormancy," Dumbledore replied calmly. "I only confirmedter that the thing possessing Quirrell was Voldemort. He''sing back."
Professor McGonagall''s breathing was heavy, like a bellows.
Seizing the moment, Dumbledore continued, "The children need experience. Kids raised in a greenhouse won''t be able to handle Voldemort, Minerva. I''m almost one hundred and ten years old!"
Even in the midst of her intense emotions, Professor McGonagall had to admit that Dumbledore was right.
Voldemort wouldn''t even need to do anything; he could simply wait a few decades to make aeback, outliving Dumbledore easily.
By that time, she would be elderly and frail. If the younger generation couldn''t shoulder the burden, who would stand against You-Know-Who? Snape?
Perhaps Dumbledore could ask his friend Nics mel to make the Elixir of Life for him to extend his life, but since Dumbledore hadn''t taken the elixir himself, it indicated he had his own reasons and considerations.
She couldn''t use the excuse of Voldemort to force him into taking itDumbledore had already made enough sacrifices.
However, she suddenly remembered another matter.
"What about the Greengrass girl? She doesn''t have any kind of love magic protecting her. In the end, it was she who fought Quirrell and that other person. If it weren''t for her luck, she''d have died underground!"
"..."
This time, it was Dumbledore''s turn to fall silent.
"I miscalcted; there were too many unexpected variables in the n," he admitted frankly. It was beyond his expectation that Daphne had carried a fireproof potion with her.
What was even more critical was that he hadn''t been able to apany them the entire time.
"Alright, Albus, you have your reasonsbut why couldn''t you have followed those kids secretly? What they were doing was incredibly dangerous. Even if it''s supposed to be a learning experience, there should be some kind of safety, right?"
"Because there was a real emergency," Dumbledore exined, recounting to Professor McGonagall the entire incident where the seal had been broken and the creature had escaped to wreak havoc.
Rhys, who was pretending to sleep in his hospital bed, was shocked.
He hadn''t expected that the young wizards of the future would be capable of causing such chaos!
The sealing magic they had set up, even after a thousand years of weathering, shouldn''t have been so easily broken.
As soon as he heard this, Rhys understood that those curse breakers had mistaken the seal they left to handle the corpse of the Norse false god for a treasure site.
While it''s true that a processed divine corpse could indeed be made into powerful magical artifacts, they simply didn''t have the capability to process it!
He really didn''t know how to evaluate these curse breakers. If you called them ipetent, they managed to break the seal he and his friends had set up together. But if you called them sharp and capable, they somehow mistook such a seal for an ancient relic...
Rhys sensed something unusual. He wasn''t sure whether the current magical world even had the ability to break the kind of seal they had left behind in their timeespecially since they didn''t even know how to manage the flow of mana anymore!
He decided this was something he needed to investigate.
After listening to Dumbledore''s exnation, Professor McGonagall reluctantly epted his reasoning, and the two of them left the infirmary together.
No sooner had they left than Daphne slipped in.
"Hey, Rhys, wake up!"
She nudged Rhys, who was lying in bed, hoping to wake him up; she suspected Rhys was only pretending to sleep.
But clearly, she hadn''t heard the saying: You can never wake someone who is pretending to sleep.
Rhysy in the hospital bed, looking exactly the same as Harry and Ron, who were actually unconscious beside him.
After a brief moment of thought, Daphne decided to take a more daring approach.
Just as she was about to put her bold n into action, Madam Pomfrey appeared just in time and promptly pulled her out.
"Out! Don''t disturb the patients!"
"Please wait a moment"
"No way!"
Rhys silently praised Madam Pomfrey''s sense of duty.
________
12 Advance Chapters
107- Don’t you have Polyjuice Potion?
107- Dont you have Polyjuice Potion?
The events that took ce in the dungeons with Harry and the others somehow spread like wildfire throughout the school, causing a massive uproar.
Everyone quickly learned that two remarkable first-year students had sessfully thwarted Professor Quirrell''s plot to steal Dumbledore''s secret treasure.
For a while, the school was abuzz with discussions. However, many people were puzzled as to why a Slytherin would team up with two Gryffindors to go on an adventure.
Then, more details emerged: before their mission, the young wizards hadn''t known who was after the treasure. Daphne had entered the dungeons voluntarily to clear Professor Snape''s name. In the end, she was recognized by an ancient wizard''s artifact from a mirror, and with this artifact, she defeated the viinous Quirrell.
Daphne''s reputation within Slytherin skyrocketed instantly: of noble birth, wielding mysterious magic, and boldly facing dangers to defend the honor of her House, she had also gained the loyalty of a rare magical creature. This was the epitome of what Slytherin students admired.
In no time, Daphne''s reputation rivaled that of Harry Potter when he first entered school, before he was "demystified."
To be honest, even if Slytherin students themselves had to choose a viin between Quirrell and Snape, they would pick Snape. Quirrell simplycked the aura of a proper antagonisthe was too much of a nobody.
The story of Daphne and herpanions'' adventure in the dungeons helped to lift the cloud of anxiety that had been hanging over the school due to the looming threat of final exams.
However, it couldn''t prevent the exams from arriving.
After the initial excitement, the students had to return to their dull notes and prepare for the uing tests. But this time, they finally had a story tofort themselves with during study breaks.
While the young wizards at Hogwarts were busy preparing for their final exams, Rhys was not idle either. On the surface, it seemed he was in aa, lying unconscious in the hospital wing long after Harry and Ron, who had been admittedter, had already recovered and been discharged.
In reality, that was Rhys'' simple illusion clone while Rhys was spending his days immersed in his secret chamber, studying the Philosopher''s Stone he had obtained and brewing various potions.
In his efforts to treat the crazy Ravenw, he had concocted over a hundred different potions and had even collected a key ingredient for her treatment.
It wasn''t until the morning after the final exams had ended that Rhys, who had appeared to be in a deepa, finally woke up.
The timing was so suspiciously perfect that Professor McGonagall briefly wondered if Rhys had staged the whole thing just to avoid taking the final exams.
However, when Rhys proactively requested to take the make-up exams as soon as possible, her doubts vanishedpletely, leaving only guilt for having unjustly suspected a good student.
"Don''t worry too much; the professors will arrange a make-up exam for youjust don''t go drinking any strange potions this time," Professor McGonagall said, uncharacteristically gentle as she offered Rhys a few words of advice before leaving the hospital wing.
Not long after McGonagall left, Daphne walked in carrying a box of sweets.
"I brought you some of your favorite pastries. You finally woke up, but the exams are already over," Daphne said, her suspicion about Rhys never fully dissipating.
However, Rhys''s acting had been so convincing that she eventually believed he had genuinely been unconsciousat first, to provide an alibi, andter, due to physical exhaustion from that intense battle.
It was clear that Rhys was unwilling to admit that he was the green-robed wizard from that day, and Daphne tacitly chose not to bring up the subject again.
"Thanks!" Rhys eagerly epted the basket of sweets from Daphne and rummaged through it to find his favorite treat. After waking up, Rhys had a newfound appreciation for sweets, which he felt would be a lifelong love.
After stuffing a piece of cheesecake into his mouth, Rhys disyed a satisfied expression.
"Professor McGonagall has organized a make-up exam. You''ll need to attend it."
"Hmm, the exam shouldn''t be too difficult for you... Wait a minute, who did you just say needs to attend?" Rhys swallowed the Basque cheesecake in his mouth, then pointed at Daphne.
"You."
Daphne: "Me?!"
"The Polyjuice Potion we brewedst time should still have some left, right? You can just take the exam for me!" Rhys plucked a few hairs from his pillow and handed them to a bewildered Daphne.
Daphne: "!?"
"The final exam, you take it for me. I have a lot on my te, and I need to focus my energy on potion-making," Rhys exined, looking at Daphne with hope that she would help him deal with the extremely annoying exams.
It''s not that Rhys couldn''t take the exam himself, but he felt it would be a waste of timetime that could be better spent on other things rather than on an entire day of exams.
Daphne poutedher instincts told her that Rhys was nning something big again but had no intention of involving her, which made her quite unhappy.
So Daphne straightforwardly dered: "No way! How could a student take an exam for someone else?"
Ah! It seems like she is a student of honor and strictly adhered to the school rules!
Rhys just looked at her silently.
''Do you think I don''t know what kind of person you are?!''
After a few seconds of pretending, Daphne, feeling awkward herself, stopped her performance.
She quickly added that while taking the exam for Rhys wasn''t impossible, he would have to include her in his next ns.
Now it was Rhys''s turn to feel troubled.
He genuinely didn''t want to involve Daphne in treating Ravenw because it was extremely dangerous. Treating the current Ravenw would be like pulling a tiger''s teeth and nting new ones without anesthesia.
However, with some preparation, it might not be impossible.
For Daphne, witnessing this ''treatment'' firsthand would be an incredibly valuable experience.
After carefully weighing the pros and cons, Rhys finally decided to agree to Daphne''s request.
"I guess I can do that."
"???( ?? ?)??? Really?!" Daphne jumped up with excitement, nearly knocking over Rhys''s basket of sweets.
She knew that Rhys had been focusing most of his energy on that matter throughout the semester, and now she finally had the chance to get involved!
And so, when the make-up exam started, "Rhys" walked into the ssroom that the professors had set up for him, right on time.
Exams at the magic school generally consist of two parts: a written test and a practical exam.
As "Rhys" stepped into the examination hall, the professors smiled warmly and informed him that he could arrange the order and content of the exams as he liked.
Without hesitation, "Rhys" went straight through the practical exams for Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions all in one go.
Afterpleting the practical exams, "Rhys" received the written test papers from the professors. He then sat down and worked on them for the entire afternoon.
Aside from asionally sipping ''water'' from a sk, he didn''t take any breaks, not even to use the restroom.
Unlike the practical exams, which were identical to the final exams, the written tests had different questionsthe professors had reced them with questions fromst year''s exams.
This presented a challenge for Daphneehm*"Rhys," but it didn''t prevent him from achieving exceptionally high scores.
As soon as he finished a paper, the professors would take it and grade it on the spot, so by the time hepleted all the exams, his scores were already out.
Rhys was thest to take the exams, but his results were the first to be released.
______
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108- Inferior to Dumbledore
108- Inferior to Dumbledore
After the final exams, the young wizards finally weed the happiest time of the semester.
The period between the end of final exams and the announcement of grades is the most rxing and carefree time of the year.
During this time, students don''t need to worry about their studies, and there''s no homework. They can freely y around the castle with their friends.
Even better, the professors take a lenient approach during this period, allowing the students to blow off steam.
Even someone like Snape would restrain his temper and avoid picking on the studentsprobably because Slytherin had already lost the chance to win the House Cup, and he had a mountain of papers to grade.
The more free time the students had, the busier the professors became. They had to grade exams, calcte scores, and determine overall gradesa tedious and time-consuming process, even with the help of magic.
If they were unlucky enough to be a Head of House, they also had to prepare report cards and worry about students'' O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T. exam results.
For these professors, work was relentless and McGonagall had it the worst since she also had to take over the assessment of students'' Defense Against the Dark Arts skills after Quirrell was gone, effectively doubling her workload.
On top of that, she was the Deputy Headmistress and the Head of Gryffindor House!
In terms of training an assistant and then working them to the bone, Dumbledore was far ahead of Rhys, at least by three Diagon Alleys plus a Hogsmeade Street.
After getting a brief understanding of the professors'' workload, Rhys felt immensely grateful that his current role was "student." If he had made the mistake of joining as a professor, he would probably have already resigned by now.
Other Defense Against the Dark Arts professors left after one year because they were cursed. If Rhys had left after one year, it would have been because of the overwhelming workload. As for why he wouldn''t have quit mid-yearwell, it''s because he was a responsible person who would see out the entire year before leaving.
The professors were busy, and the headmaster wasn''t idle either. After exining everything to Professor McGonagall that day, he set off with Fawkes, the phoenix, and Gryffindor''s sword.
He brought Fawkes for faster travel and search capabilities, and taking Gryffindor''s sword was a spur-of-the-moment decisionhe thought that since the seal was left by the four founders, carrying a relic of one of the founders might be effective.
Then something miraculous happened: when he found the creature, it merely nced at him and fled in panic, a stark contrast to its previous frenzied behavior when it saw him.
Ultimately, Dumbledore used Fawkes'' speed to catch up with the creature andpletely annihte it.
He even brought its remains back to Hogwarts.
The period of freedom was short-lived. After a few days of leisure, the students received their report cards from the professors.
In theory, each person should only know their own grades, but Slytherin House operated differently. Professor Snape obtained the grades of all the students in the school, sorted them, and posted the list on the notice board to motivate and encourage the students of his house to work harder.
In other houses, this might have caused someints, but Slytherins thrived on this kind ofpetition. Even Daphne hurried over to check out the first-year students'' grades once the list was posted.
She pushed her way through the older students in front of her and finally reached the notice board. Then, she anxiously searched for her and Rhys'' names on the list.
Unlike Rhys, Daphne actually cared a lot about the school exams.
The first-year report cards were posted on the far left side of the notice board. As soon as she saw the names, her face froze.
[First ce: Hermione GrangerTotal Score: 700 (1) Potions: 50/50 (1)
Second ce: Rhys Chass LintTotal Score: 692 (2)
Third ce: Daphne GreengrassTotal Score: 690 (3)]
Daphne''s face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"W-What''s going on?! How did I end up only in third ce?!" She stared at the name at the top of the list, her eyes almost zing with fury.
Rhys being in second ce was one thinghis score was essentially her scorebut what was going on with this Granger girl?!
Seeing the results, Rhys was equally surprised: Was Granger really that formidable? She scored perfect marks in every subject?
Several Slytherin students also noticed the situation and were shocked when they looked at the list: Perfect scores? Is she even human?
It''s one thing to get a perfect score in a single subject, but achieving perfect scores across all subjects was extraordinary. This meant that not only was she proficient in practical subjects like Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration, but she also excelled in more theoretical and dry subjects like Astronomy and the History of Magic.
And, as a Ravenw, she managed to get a perfect score in Potions, which meant her practical work must have been wless. Daphne and Rhys also got full marks in Potions, but given that they were from Slytherin House, it is hard to boast about these full marks.
Daphne''s face flushed bright red as she stomped her foot in frustration, dering that if she hadn''t missed so many History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts sses, she would have also scored perfect marks.
Rhys suddenly had a thought: If they both had perfect scores, what determines the ranking? Is it alphabetical order? In that case, Daphne would still be ranked below Hermione!
Pulling the exasperated Daphne out of the crowd, Rhys walked with her back to the table by the window. There, he noticed two letters on the table:
[First-Year Summer Homework List]
Rhys felt his blood pressure rise.
"Why do we have homework over the holiday?!" Rhys mmed the table in frustration as he read through the list of assignments from the professors.
Back in his day, they never gave out so much homework during the holidays! And really, who would want to spend their summer doing all these assignments?
Seeing Rhys so indignant, Daphne, who had been furious about only getting second ce, started tough. But herughter quickly faded when she realized that all this homework would likely fall on her shoulders.
The girl was momentarily on the verge of breaking down.
However, it was just a momentarypse, as she quickly remembered that she could "outsource" the most boring and tedious History of Magic assignments. After all, there were plenty of students at Hogwarts who could use some extra money.
If you want thetest cosmetics, beautiful new clothes, or fun new toys but don''t have enough money, what can you do?
Wealthy first-year Daphne is more than willing to solve her older ssmates'' problemsall they need to do is help herplete a few insignificant History of Magic essays.
At this point, she seemed to have forgotten the pain of losing to Hermione Granger in the final exams and decisively chose to hire others to do her homework.
However, to her surprise, Rhys didn''t simply toss his own homework list at her as she expected. Instead, he kept it for himself, leaving Daphne confused and uncertain.
Could it be that because I didn''t score higher than Granger, he doesn''t trust me with his homework anymore?
For the first time, Daphne felt a sense of crisis.
Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon!
109- Dumbledore’s Accurate Score Control
109- Dumbledores urate Score Control
Rhys, of course, wasn''t nning on asking Hermione to help him with his History of Magic assignments, as Daphne had imagined.
In his view, some assignments were just a formalityenough to get the professors off his back. The reason he didn''t ask Daphne to help was that the automatic quill he had been working on was finallypleted.
All he needed to do was "feed" it arge amount of assignments, and it would be able to automatically write out homework and essays.
With the end of the term approaching, he could now purchase assignments and essays from older students at a very low price, and use them to train his quill''s ability to write essays.
"..Should I go ahead and order an essay for you, just like before?" Daphne, worried about bing "unemployed," subtly tried to probe Rhys about his ns.
"Heh~ No need. This time, you don''t have to write the essay," Rhys replied confidently.
He was eager to test his automatic quill on the History of Magic essays in the summer homework and had no intention of outsourcing the work.
Daphne''s face instantly turned paleher worst fear hade true.
"You really don''t need Granger to write it for you... She''s the type who strictly follows school rules, aplete bookworm. She''d never agree to it, and you don''t know how the Ravenws"
"What?" Rhys was puzzled. He didn''t understand what this had to do with Granger.
"Huh?" Daphne also realized she might have misunderstood something.
After Rhys gave her a brief exnation, Daphne was utterly amazed.
"You actually invented something like that!" She could hardly believe her ears.
"Now all I need to do is buy some essays from the fifth and seventh-year students, then ''feed'' them to my quill, and it''ll be all set," Rhys exined the principle behind his automatic writing quill to Daphne in simple terms.
The quill works by recording a vast amount of homework and essays and then, when given a task, it can produce a new essay based on the previous records.
Such an essay could be a blend of dozens of different essays, and all Rhys would need to do is polish it up once it''s written.
After hearing Rhys''s exnation, Daphne frowned.
Every year, graduates and fifth-year students who havepleted their O.W.L.s do sell their textbooks, notes, and assignments at a low price, but low price doesn''t mean free. ording to Rhys''s n, he might need to buy the assignments of every graduate in the entire school, which wouldn''t be a small expense.
In that case, she thought, she might as well hire someone to write her essays!
Daphne''sment left Rhys in silence.
Rhys hadn''t heard of the Industrial Revolution, nor did he know about the phenomenon where some Muggle factory owners preferred to hire workers rather than switch to machines for manufacturing, but at that moment, he felt the same kind of absurdity.
Fortunately, this project of his was not concerned with costs.
Understanding Rhys''s determination, Daphne didn''t say another word and went straight to help him buy the materials. Although the misunderstanding was cleared up, the sense of crisis still lingered around her, making it hard to dispel.
She needed to find an opportunity to prove herself.
Daphne had a good reputation, and both graduates and fifth-year students were more than willing to sell their assignments and essays to her.
Some kind-hearted older students even warned her that the professors had ways of checking for giarism, and simply copying essays from previous years would definitely get caught. To this, Daphne responded with a smile.
Soon enough, she had acquired severalrge boxes of materials.
Rhys ced the quill inside one of the boxes and then closed the lid.
"Eh? Is that it?" Daphne couldn''t help but ask. The process of using this quill seemed so simple, it was almost like a joke.
"What else did you expect? Manually dragging the quill line by line? What''s the point of developing it then?" Rhys retorted.
Before long, after the quill had "read" through the contents of the boxes, it was time to test it out.
Rhys first spread out a roll of parchment on the table, then took the quill out of the box and ced it on the parchment. The next moment, the quill stood upright, its tip hovering an inch above the parchment.
"Write an essay on whether the practice of burning witches in the 14th century was meaningful," Rhys said softly, frowning slightly. The words "burning witches" made him feel physically ufortable.
However, he also knew that most of the people burned by Muggles were not actually witches. It was rare for real witches to be caught and burned. Even in the rare case when a witch was captured, the magicalmunity would find a way to rescue them and would retaliate decisively in the area.
Directbat might not always go in their favor, but escaping was usually not a problem.
As soon as the quill received themand, it began to move swiftly, its strokes flowing smoothly across the parchment as it wrote line after line. asionally, it dipped into the ink bottle to replenish its supply.
A few minutester, a lengthy essay, a full foot in length, waspleted.
Rhys took a quick nce at it and found nothing wrong with it.
Daphne: "!!"
"So, can I borrow it to write my summer homework?" she pleaded, her eyes blinking hopefully.
Rhys promptly rejected her request, exining that aside from those less important subjects, it was still necessary toplete the other assignments seriously.
"Ugh!" Daphne let out a disappointed sigh.
The end-of-term feast arrived soon after.
The Great Hall was newly decorated in blue and bronze, the colors representing Ravenw, in celebration of their victory in the House Cup.
A massive banner depicting the Ravenw eagle hung on the wall behind the staff table.
The students were buzzing with excitement, discussing their ns for the holidays, until Dumbledore''s arrival.
Once the noise in the hall subsided, he began speaking: "Another year hase and gone! Before we indulge in these delicious dishes, I must first conduct the House Cup award ceremony. The final standings are as follows: In fourth ce, Gryffindor, with 376 points; in third ce, Hufflepuff, with 382 points; Slytherin, with 426 points; and Ravenw, with 472 points."
Upon hearing Dumbledore''s announcement, the Ravenw table erupted in thunderous cheers and apuse. Even though the Gryffindor and Slytherin students had mentally prepared themselves, they couldn''t help but feel disheartened.
"However, there are a few other things that must be taken into ount, and I have some final points to award,"
Dumbledore continued once the cheers had subsided.
"First, to recognize the bravery shown by Mr. Harry Potter, Mr. Ron Weasley, and Miss Daphne Greengrass in the dungeons, Gryffindor will receive one hundred points, and Slytherin will receive fifty points!"
The two houses erupted into cheers once more, while Rhys frowned.
In his opinion, Daphne deserved the full one hundred points for her contributions.
Damn Gryffindor!
After the cheers died down, the students in both houses began to realize that they might have tied for the House Cup. Could it be that there would be two winners this year?
But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Great Hall fell silent: "Miss Hermione Grangershe is the first student in a century to achieve full marks in all her exams as a first-year. To reward her diligence and intelligence, Ravenw will receive ten points!"
With this final award, Ravenw, which had been overtaken by Gryffindor and Slytherin, surged back into the lead, securing their championship.
Rhys couldn''t help but marvel at Dumbledore''s skill in point allocation.
The Headmaster had given just the right amountno more, no lessrewarding the brave trio while maintaining his own sense of bnce. It was quite the calction!
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110- Wish-fulfilling Potion
110- Wish-fulfilling Potion
Rhys''s intuition told him that if it weren''t for Daphne''s exceptionally outstanding performance, Dumbledore might have shamelessly awarded the House Cup to Gryffindor.
This guy, he wasn''t exactly like the Gryffindors Rhys had known. He was about to share this thought with Daphne, but Dumbledore''s next words caught his attention.
"Miss Granger''s achievements are undoubtedly linked to her talent, but we cannot ignore her diligence," Dumbledore said. "Madam Pince informed me that Miss Granger has spent over a thousand hours in the library this year. I believe this is a significant reason for her sess. I encourage everyone to follow Miss Granger''s example and spend more time in the library."
Dumbledore''s words made Hermione blush deeply. She had never imagined that her actions could influence the oue of the House Cup. Meanwhile, the rest of the students in the Great Hall were stunned by the phrases "full marks in all subjects" and "over a thousand hours."
To put it into perspective, students arrive at Hogwarts on September 1st, and the term ends in mid-July, with a three-week Christmas break in between. That leaves less than 300 days at school. For Hermione to have spent over a thousand hours in the library means she spent nearly four hours there every single day!
The figures were astonishingespecially considering she had seven sses to attend as well!
Rhys raised an eyebrow in surprise. Over a thousand hoursthat was no small feat. Even Rowena Ravenw, who loved reading, couldn''t achieve that because she was often entangled with "worldly matters" and rarely had time to sit down and read quietly. She had tried to make more time for herself, but in the end, her efforts had failed, and she''d inadvertently caused some trouble for her old friends as well.
And so, the end-of-term feast concluded amid twists and turns. As the students savored theirst moments at school, Rhys once again ventured into the dungeons, this time apanied by Daphne.
Unlike before, Rhys had made thorough preparations for this visit.
"I think it''s necessary to exin the purpose of our mission before we begin today," he said softly. "Today, I''m here to save a fallen soulthis mission is extremely dangerous. You can turn back at any time; this is not a test or a joke."
Daphneughed,pletely disregarding Rhys''s warning and instead changing the subject. "That sounds familiar. When we went with Hagrid to rescue the unicorn, he said something simr."
She then asked, "Who is this person we''re supposed to save? If it''s really dangerous, should we bring your big snake and my nightmare creature? If things get too intense, they could at least buy us some time."
Now it was Rhys''s turn tough.
"No need. When facing that person, bringing a few more magical creatures won''t help. As for who this person is" Rhys deliberately dragged out his words.
Daphne: ?
"Don''t keep me in suspense!"
"I can''t tell you. She''ll have to decide whether or not to reveal her identity once she regains her senses."
Rhys had intended to inform Daphne that they were on a mission to save one of the founders, Rowena Ravenw. However, just as the words were about to leave his mouth, he restrained himself. He suddenly realized that Rowena might not want anyone else to know her identity, just like him. Besides, in her current state, she was nothing like the dignified figure she once wasa withered, half-naked corpse and a mad ghost, a far cry from her former elegance and wisdom. It was best to let her make that decision herself.
After warning Daphne once again, to no avail, Rhys pulled out a crystal vial filled with a brilliantly colored purple mist. The mist swirled inside the bottle, forming a small vortex that sparkled like starlight, as if an entire gxy had been captured within.
"What is that?" Daphne was immediately captivated by it; she had never seen such a dazzling potion before.
"It''s a potion made using the ''Desire Demon'' as the main ingredient. Its effect is to make wishese true," Rhys patiently exined.
"Wishese true!" Daphne''s eyes widened in astonishment. Even in the wizarding world, something like a wish-granting potion seemed almost too fantastical.
"Yes, in the literal sense," Rhys added, further rifying. The wish-fulfilling potion utilized the unique properties of the Desire Demon, allowing it to materialize whatever one imagined. Therger, moreplex, or more intricate the desired object, the more potion it would consume. For example, materializing a three-tier wedding cake would consume many times more potion than a simple cupcake.
"Come on, think of something, and then use the method I taught you to extract that memory," Rhys gestured for Daphne to give it a try.
Daphne followed his instructions, using the tip of her wand to pull a fine silver thread from above her temple. Rhys uncorked the potion bottle, and the purple mist inside surged out. At the same time, the "silver thread" dropped from the wand and was drawn into the swirling vortex.
Despite its fine, hair-like appearance, the silver thread acted like a powerful dye, turning the entire mist inside the bottle silver. Seeing this, Rhys quickly re-corked the bottle, noting that the mist inside had decreased by a quarter.
In no time, the mist left outside solidified, and a chubby rabbit appeared before them. It had gray fur and eyes like rubies, resembling the rabbits often seen nibbling on pumpkin leaves in Hagrid''s pumpkin patch.
The rabbit didn''t seem particrly intelligent. After ncing at Rhys and then at Daphne, it simply sat down and began grooming itself with its front paws.
"Amazing!" Daphne eximed, attempting to pick up the adorable rabbit. However, she startled it, causing the rabbit to dart away. But after only a few steps, it abruptly burst into a cloud of silver mist, dissipating rapidly.
"Objects created by the potion are tied to our presence," Rhys exined. "When they move too far away, they dissipateso the food conjured by the potion won''t truly satisfy hunger. It only tricks your brain into feeling full."
Daphne hesitated, but Rhys anticipated her thoughts, telling her that using the potion to conjure food to eat wouldn''t work.
"Then wouldn''t this be the ultimate weight-loss tool?!" Daphne eximed, thrilled at the idea. "Just conjure a feast with the potion, eat it, feel full, and not gain any weightthis is like a dreame true!"
"This little bottle could easily sell for fifty Galleons," Rhys reminded Daphne to be a bit more realistic. If she wanted a weight-loss potion, he could easily make something that elerates metabolism and burns energythose kinds of potions are cheap and cost just a few Sickles to produce.
"The price is actually quite reasonable..." Daphne muttered under her breath, clearly contemting asking Rhys to teach her how to brew such a potion.
Rhys, ustomed to Daphne''s extravagant tendencies, wasn''t surprised. The Greengrass family had always been this way, ever since her ancestor "Dragonheart."
He extracted a memory from his own temple with his wand and added it to the remaining potion mist.
This time, the purple mist didn''t transform into any specific object. Instead, it turned into a mass of sky-blue fog, appearing more solid than the purple mist from before.
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111- Saving Ravenclaw
111- Saving Ravenw
"What were you just imagining? A blue cloud?"
Daphne asked curiously after seeing the cloud Rhys had conjured. She reached out a finger to poke at the mist.
( ????)" Poke! Poke! Poke!
Rhys watched her with a cold expression, not stopping her.
"Ah!" d(o??)?
Daphne yelped as a drop of bright red blood welled up on her fingertip.
As she poked the mist, she felt a sharp, needle-like pain and immediately pulled her hand back, finding that her finger had been sliced in several tiny cuts.
The mist seemed to be made up of countless razor-thin des that could slice skin upon contact.
"Why didn''t the Sorting Hat ce you in Gryffindor? Haven''t I told you to be cautious with unknown things?" Rhys pointed out Daphne''s mistake without any mercy.
"B-But it''s something you created! How was I supposed to know?"
Daphne responded, her voice full of grief and betrayal.
Rhys paused for a moment and then sighed.
"Haah.. Just be careful next time. Don''t touch things you don''t recognize," he added. "This is the manifestation of that person''s magic. I can use this cloud to track their presence."
What Rhys had imagined was the essence of Rowena Ravenw''s magic, and with the help of the wish-fulfilling potion, he had simted a tangible form of her magic. The sky-blue, razor-sharp mist was the manifestation of Ravenw''s magic.
The mist would instinctively drift toward the area with the densest concentration of Ravenw''s magic, leading them directly to her.
After exining the mist to Daphne, Rhys slightly rxed his control over it, allowing it to drift on its own.
The mist floated deeper into the dungeon, and Rhys and Daphne followed closely behind.
This time, they were fortunate enough not to encounter any monsters along the way, making quick progress.
The cloud led them through twists and turns within the dungeon until they arrived at the cavern where Rhys had previously encountered Rowena Ravenw. However, aside from the cuts and shes covering the floor and walls, the ce was empty.
These marks still radiated a strong residual magical energy, distinctively Ravenw''s. As Rhys stepped into the cavern, he felt a prickling sensation on his face.
Daphne, following behind him, was wide-eyed in shock upon seeing the marks for the first time. The cuts on the walls made her hair stand on end; she had the distinct impression that any one of them could easily slice her in half.
"Were these... naturally formed?" she asked.
Rhys nced back at her and told her that they were caused by magic.
"It''s done with a spell like this," Rhys said, casually waving his wand. Woosh! The air in front of him distorted slightly, leaving a shallow scratch on the ground.
"The simplest spell can be something entirely different when wielded with sufficient power."
Listening to Rhys and looking at the countless shes on the stone walls, Daphne suddenly gained a deeper understanding of magic. A thought shed through her mind: Could the spell "Big Rhys" used that day to drain all the moisture from Quirrell''s body be the same one Rhys used on the first day of school to dry her hair?
She couldn''t help but voice her question.
Rhys blinked. "If you have a deep enough understanding of that spell and enough magical power, it could indeed evaporate the water inside a human bodybut from what you''ve just described, it''s not the same spell."
"Then which spell was it?"
"I wouldn''t know, I wasn''t there," Rhys replied, refusing to take the bait and ending the discussion.
The concentrated Ravenw magic that had been guiding them stopped working once they entered the cavern. The residual magic in the area was too strong, interfering heavily with its ability to lead them any further.
But all was not lost.
Since the problem was the overwhelming presence of Ravenw''s magic, why not simply erase it? Besides, Rhys had a trick up his sleeve, making this task less difficult than it seemed.
Rhys pulled out several small bottles from his pouch, uncorked them one by one, and used his magic to disperse their contentspotions, ointments, and vaporsthroughout the cavern.
Simultaneously, he channeled his own magic to gradually erase the "echoes" left behind by Ravenw''s magic in the cave.
While he worked, Rhys exined to Daphne the reasoning behind his actions.
However, when they reached a second site of magical conflict, Rhys abandoned the idea. At this rate, it would take forever to find Ravenw. Over the past thousand years, Ravenw had left her mark all over the dungeon, engaging in countless battles with the creatures sealed within. Clearing them out piece by piece would take so long that he might not even be done by the start of the next school year!
He switched to the second n.
A flurry of wings filled the underground chamber as thousands of bats appeared. With a wave of his wand, Rhys sent them flying through several of the dungeon''s exits.
Some of these bats were caught by the carnivorous creatures lurking in the dungeon, while others fell victim to monsters that had escaped their seals. Whenever the number of bats spread throughout the dungeon dwindled too much, Rhys would release another batch.
Not long after sending out the third wave of bats, he suddenly sensed a familiar fluctuation. In the next moment, he pinpointed Ravenw''s location.
As expected, she was engaged in yet another battle with a monster. One of Rhys''s small bats had inadvertently gotten caught in the crossfire, turning to dust.
He hurried toward thest known location of the bat''s signal, but as he neared the spot, he came to a halt and began pulling out various potions from his cloak.
"Apply all of these, don''t skip a single one," Rhys instructed Daphne, gesturing for her to follow his lead.
"Odor Elimination Potion, to remove your scent; Heat Concealing Potion, which will mask your body heat after drinking; Magic Suppression Potion, to help you conceal your magic. This will effectively prevent anyone from detecting your presence through magical means..." Rhys handed Daphne five or six different potions, which she dutifully consumed.
Rhys didn''t need most of these for himself.
For instance, he didn''t require the Magic Suppression Potionhis control over his own magic was so precise that he could perfectly disguise himself. Daphne, on the other hand, stillcked the finesse and could easily be detected by someone as powerful as Ravenw during their mission.
Afterpleting their disguises, Rhys cast a Disillusionment Charm on both himself and Daphne before continuing their advance.
Soon, they reached the end of the corridor. By this point, there was no need for any detection methods to sense Ravenw''s presenceshe was currently engaged in a fierce battle with a monster that had broken free from its seal.
However, once they arrived at this location, Rhys refused to let Daphne apany him any further.
He handed her a crystal ball, adjusted it, and the crystal ball disyed the scene through his eyes, allowing Daphne to see what he was seeing.
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112- Rhys Comes Well Prepared
112- Rhys Comes Well Prepared
"This...!" Daphne''s eyes shed with a hint of disappointment.
She hadn''t expected Rhys to pull out such a crystal ball,pletely shattering her chances of following him.
She didn''t refuse to use the crystal ball orin about the quality of the view within it, as that would have been unreasonable.
She understood very well that Rhys had already done too much for her, going above and beyond what was necessary.
While Rhys himself might not care about his own sacrifices, Daphne''s upbringing made it impossible for her to ept such generosity without feeling uneasy, and she certainly couldn''t take advantage of Rhys''s kindness.
Sometimes, in the quiet moments of the night, Daphne would feel a sense of panic: she couldn''t understand what Rhys was after by doing all of this for her.
Daphne even thought that it would be easier if Rhys one day asked for the Greengrass family fortuneit would at least put her mind at ease. She wouldn''t even mind giving him half of it.
If Rhys knew what she was thinking, he would definitely suggest that Daphne stop being his student and learn from Gryffindor, as that is exactly what that fucker did, wasting his own money from the missions on booze while relying on his three friends for life expenses.
Once Daphne epted the crystal ball, Rhys adjusted the monocle on his eye, making sure it fit more snugly. This lens would reflect everything Rhys saw back to the crystal ball, providing Daphne with a "live broadcast."
At the same time, the ground beneath his feet softened, bing a mixture of liquid and solid, just like the quicksand that had appeared in the dungeon earlier.
This time, Rhys was well-prepared and wouldn''t be as helpless as he wasst time.
With his preparationplete, Rhys, along with the patch of quicksand beneath him, silently slipped into the corridor around the cornerwhere Ravenw awaited.
After the corner, a downward passageway led to a vast, open tform. At the center of this tform, Ravenw''s ghost was controlling her physical body, locked in battle with a monstrous creature.
The scene was almost identical to what Rhys had witnessed thest time, except the creature she was fighting was different.
It was a massive, transparent dragon, with an asional sh of silver across its scales, affirming its existence. With each movement, the air around the dragon would tear with ck cracks, and whenever it breathed, a narrow dimensional rift would appear in front of Ravenw, forcing her to either change her position or use other spells to mend the ruptured space.
''A space dragon? How did this thing end up here?'' Rhys was astonished to witness a space dragon, a creature he had only heard of in legends.
They hadn''t sealed such a creature in the dungeon because it would have been an unrealistic task. Space dragons are natural masters of spatial magic, simr to house-elves, capable of Apparating almost anywhere.
Sealing such a creature was far less feasible than figuring out how to kill it.
This dragon might have been attracted by something or perhaps stumbled upon this ce by ident, only to be caught by the patrolling Ravenw.
In the battle with Ravenw, the space dragon appeared to hold an unbeatable position.
Whenever Ravenw attacked, the dragon would simply open a spatial rift in front of itself, absorbing all the attack spells into the fissure. It could even reopen the rift near Ravenw''s body, returning her attacks to her in their original form.
However, the situation quickly changed: Ravenw raised her wand-wielding hand, pointing it straight at the space dragon''s head, while her other hand traced a semicircle in front of her, forming a protective shield to deflect the various attacks that the space dragon redirected toward her.
The space dragon, as usual, created a spatial rift along the path of the spell, ready to absorb and transfer Ravenw''s attack.
But this time, no visible spell emerged from the tip of Ravenw''s wand. It was as if she was merely intimidating the space dragon, raising her wand and then lowering it without casting anything.
The space dragon seemed slightly perplexed, but in the next moment, it let out a cry of agony.
"RoooOOaarr!"
Its scales flickered with silver light. As it exposed a weakness, Ravenw swiftly waved her wand, and dozens of spells struck the dragon, tearing its body apart. Silver blood and scales scattered everywhere.
Rhys''s brow furrowed: this was Ravenw''s unique soul-targeting attack, something that ordinary spatial rifts could not block. After taking that hit, the space dragon''s soul was likely torn apart.
The space dragon was indeed unlucky. Normally, its innate talent for spatial magic would have made it nearly invincible, but it had the misfortune of encountering Ravenw, who was extremely effective against it.
Grievously wounded, the space dragon didn''t hesitate for a moment. It immediately tore open a massive spatial rift behind itself and retreated into it, attempting to flee. Just as the rift was about to close, hundreds of wind des rushed into the gap.
The rift sealed shut, but the air was filled with the sound of the dragon''s pained screams, andrge amounts of dragon blood, mixed with bits of flesh and scales, rained down onto the ground.
While Ravenw was busy battling the space dragon, Rhys retrieved a set of potions he had specifically prepared for Ravenw. Seeing that she had sessfully driven the dragon away, he was about to seize the opportunity tounch a surprise attack on her.
But to his surprise, Ravenw, having just defeated the space dragon, immediately looked up at the spot where he was standing without a moment''s hesitation.
Rhys: "???"
He couldn''t understand why he had been exposed, but years of battle experience left no room for unnecessary thoughts.
He immediately manipted the mud, raising a wall of sludge between him and Ravenw, and submerged himself into the mire.
Woosh! Boom!
The next moment, the wind des struck where he had just been.
The mud wall he had summoned held for only an instant before it was sted back into a shapeless mass. The residual force of the wind des carved marks into the wall, leaving traces of Ravenw''s lingering magical power.
Ravenw seemed to have the upper hand, but the ground near the tform had turned entirely into a quagmire after this round of attacks.
Rhys emerged from the swamp, flinging a series of potion bottles toward Ravenw''s position.
These bottles, of course, posed no real threat to Ravenw. They were shattered mid-air by her wind des, their contents spilling onto the ground.
What followed was almost like a game of "whack-a-mole" between Rhys and Ravenw. Rhys would asionally pop up from the mire to toss a few potion bottles, while Ravenw would effortlessly shatter them and counterattack with wind des.
However, those wind des, capable of slicing through dragon scales and cleaving iron and stone, were nearly powerless when they hit the swamp. All they managed to do was ssh some mud, their strength entirely diminished.
Even more astonishing, as the wind des entered the swamp, their magical energy was rapidly assimted by the mire, bing nourishment for the quagmire and causing it to spread even faster.
When Ravenw had first defeated the space dragon, Rhys'' quagmire had only upied a corner of the tform. But after just a brief exchange, the swamp now covered nearly a fifth of the tform, and the entire corridor outside had turned into a marsh.
The spilled potions on the ground were quietly taking effect...
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113- Wake up, Ravenclaw!
113- Wake up, Ravenw!
Long before the confrontation, Rhys had anticipated the difficulty of dealing with Ravenw.
He knew that even in her lucid state, Ravenw had been highly resistant to his potions. It was unlikely that the now-insane Ravenw would willingly drink any of his concoctions.
So, the challenge was how to get these potions to affect Ravenw''s soul.
Rhys''s solution was to make the potions vtile. By ensuring that the battle would likely take ce in a confined space, he could guarantee that Ravenw would be exposed to the effects of the potions through inhtion.
As Rhys and Ravenw shed, the potions scattered on the ground had fully evaporated, gradually increasing the concentration of the potion fumes in the enclosed area.
Rhys continued to smash bottle after bottle on the ground, as if the valuable potions inside were as cheap as bottled water. His actions were so extravagant that it was as if the potion ingredients cost him nothing.
If Ravenw had retained her intelligence, she would have noticed the peculiarity of Rhys''s behavior. Unfortunately, in her current state, she was just as easily deceived as Gryffindor.
The potion fumes in the air began to cling to Ravenw''s soul. At first, she didn''t notice anything amiss, but as the amount umted, wisps of ck smoke started to rise from her ghostly form.
The soul-deep pain caused Ravenw''s attacks to pause momentarily.
Rhys, of course, wouldn''t miss this opportunity.
He threw the remaining potions in one swift motion. As the potion bottles neared Ravenw, one of them suddenly exploded, the shrapnel shattering the other bottles and drenching Ravenw in a deluge of potion.
This time, Ravenw could no longer maintain her posure." She let out a scream of agony.
The potions that drenched Ravenw were like scalding oil poured onto a living person, causing her immense pain.
To enhance the potions'' adhesion, Rhys had deliberately made thest batch particrly thick and viscous, so they clung to Ravenw, enveloping herpletely.
The potions had a singr purpose: to corrode the soul and eliminate magic.
For an ordinary ghost, these potions would undoubtedly be lethal, but for a soul as corrupted as Ravenw''s, they worked like white vinegar on tarnished silver, stripping away the decayed parts.
The process was excruciating, and if Ravenw had been able to retain some level of rity, Rhys would never have resorted to such a brutal method.
Ravenw''s ghostly and mummy form began to resemble boiling porridge, bubbling with countless blisters that swelled and burst, releasing plumes of ck smoke.
As the smoke dissipated into the air, shrill screams echoed from the void.
Rhys no longer needed to hide himself within the swamp. He emerged from the ground and watched Ravenw, who was now writhing in agony. The potions that had adhered to her form had turned pitch ck, resembling sludge.
It was time for the final step.
Rhys rolled up his sleeve, revealing a grotesque, snarling face on the upper part of his armVoldemort, who was sealed within his body.
Drawing his wand, Rhys traced a circle around the face on his arm with the tip of the wand, and the face was instantly peeled away.
Unlike the ferocious, tentacled form it had taken when first in contact with his skin, the face now encased in Rhys'' magic resembled a water balloon.
As Rhys extracted Voldemort from his arm, he coated the surface with a special ointment. This ointment didn''t have any particr effect other than enhancing the face''s ability to adhere.
With the ointment applied, Voldemort could absorb even more of the corruption from Ravenw''s soul.
Carefully, Rhys guided the ointment-coated face towards Ravenw. She was too overwhelmed to notice Rhys'' subtle maneuver, allowing him to easily attach the face to her spirit form.
*Pop!*
The magic barrier shattered, and Voldemort''s remnant soul instinctively extended its tendrils toward the nearest soul...
In an instant, Voldemort''s soul merged with Ravenw''s, both letting out harrowing screams.
At the same time, Ravenw''s condition visibly improved. The porridge-like substance on her spirit''s surface rapidly flowed into Voldemort''s remnant soul, while the ck, thread-like material within her spirit also began to converge and transfer into Voldemort...
This processsted for about fifteen minutes.
Meanwhile, Daphne, standing outside the corridor, was growing increasingly anxiouswhen the countless wind des had struck, the view in the crystal ball had turned pitch ck, as if the lens had been covered in sludge. If not for the asional sounds echoing from deep within the corridor, she might have thought that Rhys had died in that earlier wave of attacks.
However, the noise soon stopped.
After a few screams echoed from the corridor below, everything fell silent. Fortunately, the screams sounded like a woman''s; otherwise, Daphne might have rushed down to check on the situation.
Unlike Daphne, who was filled with anxiety, Rhys was overwhelmed with joyRavenw''s awakening was now only a matter of time.
At this point, more than half of Ravenw''s ghostly form had returned to that of a normal spirit.
The remaining portion of her body had also seen a significant reduction in corruption, with only a small amount left deep within her form. In contrast, Voldemort''s soul fragment had turned as ck as ink. The pain caused by the corruption had twisted his features so grotesquely that it was barely recognizable as a face.
This pitch-ck, hideous lump resembled a tumor, growing on Ravenw''s shoulder. Judging by its appearance, the Voldemort fragment was nearing its saturation point with the corruption it had absorbed.
Ravenw''s ghostly form grew quiet, as if she had fallen asleep.
Rhys stood by, waiting expectantly. Suddenly, he remembered something and quickly conjured a note, sending it up the corridorhe needed to reassure Daphne so she wouldn''t be worried.
When Daphne received Rhys'' note, she breathed a sigh of reliefeverything was fine.
However, she couldn''t help but wonder: who was this person important enough for Rhys to go to such great lengths? Why were they sealed away? What connection did they have with Rhys and his family?
Considering the purpose of the dungeon within the seal, Daphne spected that the person Rhys hade to rescue was likely an ancestor or some former guardian of the seal.
More than half an hourter, when Daphne outside the corridor began to draw a chessboard on the ground and y chess with herself, Rhys noticed that the Ravenw ghost''s hand trembled.
She suddenly emergedpletely from the swamp, and the mud slid off her body without getting a single speck of dirt on her robes.
Ravenw''s eyes rolled a few times under her eyelids, and suddenly, she opened her eyes.
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12 Advance Chapters
114- Conversation after a Thousand Years
114- Conversation after a Thousand Years
What Rhys saw was a pair of bewildered eyes. A thousand years ago, those bronze eyes had been as sharp as a hawk''s, but now they had lost their former sharpness, looking almost dazed.
Ravenw seemed as if she had just woken up from a deep sleep, suddenly shaken awake, her mind momentarily nk. However, she recovered quickly, and within a minute, a spark of rity returned to her eyes.
She remembered her identity, her location right now, and the duties she bore.
Recalling all this, Ravenw''s gaze naturally fell upon the young Rhys standing before her.
''A child? Why would there be a child in the dungeon seal?''
"This ce is dangerous, not somewhere you should be. You should leave quickly," she said instinctively to Rhys.
Rhys: :??"
Seeing his old friend regain her rity, Rhys had a thousand words stuck in his chest, but Ravenw''s first words shattered the atmospheredid Rowena mistake him for a student of the castle?
Seriously, she might not recognize him since she never saw him when he was this young, but could she not notice the unique mud domain? This was his signature move!
Rhys thought for a moment, then stomped his foot. Instantly, the ground rippled as if a stone had been thrown into a pond.
The change in the ground caught Rowena''s attention. She looked at the floor, which was now surging like the surface of the sea, and a sh of realization crossed her face.
"You are Szar''s"
Rhys nodded, satisfied.
"descendant, right? Not bad, this domain shows you''ve inherited some of his true skills. Are you here to atone for his sins?"
Rhys: "..."
''What the..''
He felt like he was about to lose control of his blood pressure.
Not to mention "inherited some skills," what was this talk of atonement? Was he the one supposed to be guilty?
He decided not to keep up the charade any longerwho knew what else Ravenw might say if this continued. Taking a deep breath, he said in the calmest tone he could manage, "Rowena, it really has been a long time."
Ravenw was taken aback.
Those words, that tone, that expression... She squinted, carefully examining the young man standing before her, and her eyebrows gradually arched higher.
"It''s you, Szar?!"
Rhys nodded.
The next second, a massive wind de sliced right over Rhys''s head.
Rhys: "!"
He immediately submerged himself into the swamp, and the spot where he had been standing was instantly bombarded by dozens of wind des.
Rhys popped up at the edge of the swamp and shouted at Rowena, "Rowena, what on earth are you doing?!"
"Youstillhave the nerve toe back?!" Rowena shouted through gritted teeth. With each word she uttered, she summoned another barrage of wind des aimed at Rhys.
However, with the protection of the swamp domain, these spells couldn''t really harm Rhys, and Rowena knew this wellthese moves were useless against someone submerged in the swamp.
She was merely venting her anger.
In an instant, the small space felt as if it were caught in a violent storm.
After about five minutes, the storm subsided. Rhys emerged from the now thoroughly ravaged swamp, looking at Rowena with a face full of helplessness.
"Have you calmed down?"
Rowena had already returned to herposed, elegant demeanor.
She didn''t respond to his question, but instead, with a faint smile on her lips, said, "It really has been a long time, Szar."
"Haah" Rhys resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
What a madwoman! he cursed inwardly. After all these years, Rowena had only grown more neurotic.
"Can you tell me what era it is outside?" Rowena asked, her tone rather casual, as if she were merely chatting with an old friend about the weather.
"The twentieth century. It''s been a full thousand years since we founded Hogwarts." As Rhys said this, he suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia: Time really is a strange thing.
"A thousand years," Rowena closed her eyes, as if savoring the weight of that number.
When she reopened them, she scrutinized Rhys, a flicker of surprise in her gaze. It seemed that her old friend had progressed further on the path of immortality than she and the other two had.
However, there might be some drawbacks to his method, and she might be able to test that.
"Words alone aren''t proof. Do you have any evidence that you''re really Szar?" Though she could easily confirm his identity, she deliberately asked this tricky question.
Rhys immediately frowned: How was he supposed to prove that he was himself?
''Rowena, are you just looking for trouble?''
He stirred the swamp beneath his feet.
Rowena shook her head. "A domain like that can be inherited, it can be learned. It doesn''t countbesides, this domain differs significantly from what I remember."
"Hmm..." Rhys nodded, pulling out the shard of the crystal ball from his pocket.
Rowena''s eyelid twitched, and she coldly shook her head.
"This only proves that you are not Szar. Szar would never have shattered this."
Rhys felt his blood boiling, rising up in a surge. He immediately drew his wand and pressed the tip against his temple.
''Rowena Ravenw, you''re forcing me to do this!!!''
"You''re right. I have a memory, Lady Ravenw, that you might want to seethere was this witch who asked me for a potent Dreamless Sleep Potion and then mixed it with a stimnt. Here''s what she looked like a quarter of an hour after taking the potion." As he spoke, a silvery wisp of smoke began to wind around the tip of his wand, about to be pulled from Rhys''s mind.
A sense of foreboding shed through Rowena''s heart.
{Oh~~~ I am}
A faintly female voice could be heard singing from within the silvery smoke.
Then a female silhouette came in view, it seemed she was nake"Ok! Alright!"
"Stop!" Ravenw interrupted Rhys''s spellcasting. "I believe you are indeed Szar."
"Heh~" Rhys''s lips curled into a slight smile: Wouldn''t it have been easier if you''d just agreed earlier?
Through their brief exchange, Ravenw had gleaned the information she sought: her old friend''s method of achieving immortality seemed wless on the surface, but his personality had subtly shifted over time, likely due to his physical transformation into a child.
After confirming each other''s identities, the two fell into silence. After a while, Rhys finally spoke, "You''ve really had a hard time all these years."
Ravenw remained silent.
Herst days had indeed been incredibly difficult.
In those final moments, she had often fantasized about what she would do if she ever saw her old friends again. At the very least, the idea of beating Szar up had now been realized.
After a long pause, she finally began to speak slowly, recounting what had happened after Rhys left the school in a calm tone.
____________
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115- The Trick of Fate
115- The Trick of Fate
"After you left, Godric fell seriously ill. Shortly after his recovery, he too left the school. Later, Helga wanted to find both of you and decided to travel the world as well. She never returned, leaving only me here."
Ravenw''s tone was calm and gentle, but Rhys could sense infinite sadness and loneliness in her words.
He suddenly recalled the night Hogwarts Castle waspleted.
On that day, the top of thest tower had finally been sealed, marking the castle''s fullpletion.
All that remained was for students to arrive, drawn by the castle''s reputation.
The four of them had gathered on the newly ttenedwn outside the castle, gazing at their masterpiece.
"It feels like we could add something more. Perhaps another tower in the middle?" Helga had some ideas about the castle''s structure.
"But then what was the point of designing the courtyard? A tower would take up too much space, and if we made it float, it would block the courtyard''s light." Szar had immediately rejected Hufflepuff''s suggestion.
He believed the castle''s design was already near perfect and didn''t need any unnecessary additions.
"Let''s not mess with it anymore; these past few days have really worn me out." Godric was strongly opposed to any more changes.
He had been ying the role ofborer during the construction, often being the one to gather materials whenever anyone had a new idea. Even with the aid of magic, it was still a taxing job.
So when he heard Helga wanted to alter the castle''s structure again, he was genuinely annoyed.
Ravenw silently nodded in agreement, also feeling that adding another tower in the middle would make the castle look uglyeven though the concept of a floating tower that Szar mentioned was cool, it wouldn''t change the fact that it would look terrible.
"..Alright then." Seeing her suggestion unanimously rejected, Helga didn''t insist further.
Gryffindor stretched and then suddenly said, "I must say, this castle is quite magnificent!"
The other three agreed with him. From a distance, Hogwarts Castle resembled a mighty dragon perched on the cliffside, overlooking the surrounding forests andke.
"This is our school!" Helga proudly puffed out her chest.
"This will be the best magic school in all of the Europe, and even the entire world," Szar dered with great ambition, determined to make Hogwarts the top magical school globally.
"That might take decades of effort," Helgaughed. She believed that even though Hogwarts had only just beenpleted and didn''t yet have a single student, the only thing standing in the way of it bing the best magic school in the world was time.
After all, this was the ce where the four of them would be teaching! What otherbination could be better than the four of them?
"When that timees, I''ll pack up my things and set off to travel the worldwhether to the west or the east, I''ll flip a coin to decide," Rowena was already imagining her retirement.
"That sounds good. Just remember to leave behind those books you''ve collected," Slytherin chuckled. "I have no ns to move. I''ll settle down here and teach studentssounds perfect. I''ve used up all my travel allowance for this lifetime!"
"Indeed, it''s time to enjoy life!" Gryffindor agreed with his old friend.
"Then I really need to study cooking magic seriously, so you won''t keep saying I can only cook a few dishes~" Helga''s voice came from the side.
"Then use your cooking skills to keep Rowena tied to the castle!"
...
The memories ended there, and Rhys''s thoughts returned to the present, filled with endless emotion.
The woman who once wanted to travel the world, free like the wind, chose to lock herself in a dungeon, while those who wanted to stay at the school and teach had all left.
Fate had yed a cruel joke on them.
"Why did you do this to yourself?" Rhys sighed.
Rowena stood there quietly, looking at him, as if she had grown ustomed to the hardships of this ce.
"The seal here needs someone to guard it."
"Why not let the students help? Barrow, Helena, and Adrian were excellent kidsdidn''t Helena go out to explore the world? You could have called her back. She might not be as clever as you, but she could still help." Rowena''s words puzzled Rhys. He remembered that when he left the school, although there were some unruly characters mixed in, the majority were still outstanding students who should have been able to share the burden.
Mentioning Barrow, Rhys suddenly recalled the ghost he saw during the Sorting Ceremony. The Bloody Baron Barrow wasn''t a ghost who often wandered around the castle, so Rhys hadn''t had a chance to talk to him properlyand more importantly, even if he did find him, there wouldn''t be much to say. Without revealing his identity, why would Barrow pay attention to some random young wizard?
Barrow, who died young, indeed couldn''t offer much help to Rowena, but weren''t there others who could? Like her daughter, for instance.
Rowena fell silent again.
What she was about to say was difficult, but after a moment''s thought, she found herself relieved: so many years had passedwhat could possibly be too hard to speak about now?
"I have something to tell you."
Rhys noddedonly to have his pupils widen in shock a few secondster.
"Helena ran away with my diadem."
"Ran away?! And she stole your diadem too?"
"Yes," Rowena confirmed, indicating that Rhys had heard correctly.
"Ungrateful wretch!!!" Rhys was genuinely furious this time. "If it weren''t for you, she would have starved to death long ago, and this is how she repays you?!"
He wanted tosh out at her lineage but managed to hold back. It was this very issue that had led to the falling out with his friends and eventually to that conflict. Now, he saw no need to reopen old wounds.
"Don''t me her. She had her difficulties too. I know she always wanted to be smarter and more famous than me. She... she just longed too much to step out of my shadow. You know, the pressure on her was always immense." Rowena uncharacteristically said a lot, hoping to dissuade Rhys from being too harsh on Helena.
"You shouldn''t have kept this from us all this time. We could''ve at least helped you retrieve the diadem. That thing shouldn''t be left out in the worldit''s too dangerous," Rhys shook his head. While he found it hard to judge Rowena''s family matters, losing the diadem and not reporting it was clearly her mistake.
Rowena''s diadem, like his own wand, was made from that sacred material, and losing control over it posed a significant risk.
"There are protective spells I ced on it; it''s safe. I believed Helena would eventually return," Rowena sighed, her expression growing moreplex.
"Later, there was trouble at the school, and I was severely injured. I knew young Barrow had always had feelings for her, so I sent him to find Helena. The next news I received about them was the news of their deaths. Barrow killed Helena and then took his own life."
Rhys: ''What???''
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116- Old Friends
116- Old Friends
Hearing Rowena Ravenw''s words, Rhys waspletely stunned.
Helena had stolen Rowena''s diadem, and after Rowena fell gravely ill, she sent Barrow to find Helena, only for Barrow and Helena to end up in a fatal conflict?
''What the..''
This news hit Rhys hard, leaving him momentarily unable to react.
But soon, he noticed something was off. The whole situation seemed strange and full of unanswered questions.
''Most importantly, where did the diadem go?''
"Even if you put a seal on it, you shouldn''t have let Helena carry it around, Rowena. You should understand the dangers of the items we createdI''m not even willing to carry my wand for extended periods," Rhys said.
"My spell is wless," Rowena''s tone was firm. She nced at Rhys and added, "If you had followed my advice back then, you could use your wand freely now."
"..."
Rhys was momentarily at a loss for words.
Of course, someone as proud and confident as Rowena would never admit that her spell had ws. To her, the diadem was foolproofif Helena had the ability to break the seal on the diadem, then her magical skills had inherited a significant portion of her adoptive mother''s talents, and she would naturally be able to handle the diadem''s influence.
He took a deep breath, hoping that everything was indeed just as Rowena had describeda series of unfortunate coincidences: an enraged Barrow identally killing Helena and then taking his own life out of shame.
Rowena Ravenw didn''t want to dwell on the topic any longer. Instead, she continued telling Rhys about the changes at Hogwarts after Barrow''s death.
After the four founders established Hogwarts, they each recruited students ording to their own preferences. Their n was to pass the responsibility of managing the school to these students once they had matured and could handle the duties on their own, allowing the founders to retire in peace.
As the students grew, their ambitions, character, and talents gradually became evident to the founders. Through a process of elimination, the most talented and virtuous young individuals caught the founders'' attention and were given special training.
Except for Hufflepuff House, the other three houses had some exceptionally talented individuals emerge. For example, Helena from Ravenw House, Barrow and Adrian Dragonhart Greengrass from Slytherin House, and Mary de Motte, the Crimson Witch, from Gryffindor House.
ording to the ns of Slytherin and the others, these students, who had been trained in their respective "secret chambers," were meant to inherit their founders'' will and help make Hogwarts the best magic school in the world.
They were also the primary candidates for the daunting task of maintaining the seals in the depths of the castle''s dungeonsa task not just any wizard could handle.
But then, the unexpected happened.
First, a conflict broke out between Gryffindor and Slytherin, leading to Slytherin''s departure. This set off a chain reaction, which eventually resulted in Gryffindor leaving as well.
This upheaval had a massive impact on the school.
After Slytherin left, Slytherin House, which had been the leading house among the four, suffered a significant blow and grew distant from the other three houses.
Gryffindor''s departure further escted the conflict between Slytherin and Gryffindor Houses, with Adrian and Mary even engaging in a fierce battle outside the castle.
In the end, both of them left Hogwartseach swearing, just like their mentors, never to set foot in the castle again as long as the other was still alive.
After that, Adrian returned home to inherit the Greengrass family business, while Mary vanished without a trace.
With the subsequent deaths of Barrow and Helena, Rowena Ravenw found herself facing an extremely dire situation in her final days: of the four founders, only she remained, and the next generation of sessors hadpletely vanished. Left with no other choice, Ravenw allowed herself to die within the seal, turning into a ghost to take her ce in maintaining it.
Turning into a ghost as a means of achieving immortality was something she had considered while alive, but the application turned out to be far from what she had nned. In her original vision, she would have be a ghost to travel the world, not to be a "bound spirit" trapped in the dungeons.
After hearing Ravenw''s story, Rhys could only sigh at the unpredictability of fate. He suppressed his unease and shifted the conversation to another topic.
"Now that I''m back, Rowena, have you considered taking a break and visiting the castle? So much has changed over the past thousand years. For instance, their budget has be quite generous, and the food is much better than what we had back then."
Rhys couldn''t help but smile as he added, "Oh, I just remembered, ghosts can''t taste anything. No matter how delicious the food or how sweet the desserts, it all tastes like ash to them. What a pity!"
Ravenw nced at him. "I made some special adjustments to myself. As a ghost, I didn''t lose my sense of taste."
Rhys: "What?!"
Ravenw: "Hehe! Surprised? With all the downsides of being a ghost, did you think I''d be unprepared?"
However, she quickly changed the subject, stating that she couldn''t go above ground.
"I ced a spell on this body of mine that prevents it from leaving the sealed area of the dungeonI''m well aware of the contamination here. I feared that if I lost control, I might unknowingly wander into the castle."
"Can''t it be undone?"
"No, it''s the safest measure to prevent any idents."
Ravenw nced at Rhys. "How could I have foreseen that someone who swore never to return woulde back to help cleanse the pollution in my soul?"
Rhys immediately exined, "I go by Rhys Chas Lint now; Szar Slytherin hasn''t returned."
"Heh." Ravenw let out a coldugh.
Rhys quickly switched the topic.
"But it seems the contamination within you hasn''t been fully removed," he said, pointing to the lingering stains on Ravenw''s spirit.
"Perhaps this thing''s absorption capacity has reached its limit," Ravenw replied, casting a disdainful nce at the distorted form of Voldemort on her shoulder. "Couldn''t you have thought of a different solution? Did you really have to attach this thing to me?"
Rhys red at Ravenw fiercely. "Rowena, why don''t you take a guess at what you did to me before? There was no better option than this!"
"No choice, cleaning up trash is just in my nature. You should reflect on why you were deemed something that needed to be cleaned up."
Rhys: ''I regret waking you up. Such a great witch, too bad she has a mouth.''
The two old friends chatted for a long time before Ravenw finally brought up the topic of Daphne, who was ying chess with herself outside the corridor.
"So, who''s that young girl outside? Don''t tell me she''s"
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117- Say something nice to that old lady
117- Say something nice to that olddy
Seeing Ravenw''s gaze, Rhys raised an eyebrow. "She''s a child of the Greengrass family, a very talented young witch."
"Oh?" Now Ravenw was interested.
If Szar praised someone for their talent, it meant they were truly exceptional. And with the Greengrass family background... Could she be the chosen sessor of Szar after his rebirth? Now she wanted to meet this little girl.
''But can your sessor outlive you?'' she silently mocked.
Leaving aside Szar''s strange method of immortality, just the fact that his physical age matched that of his apprentice was intriguing enough. Who would outlive whom was really anyone''s guess.
Ravenw wanted to meet Daphne, and Rhys certainly wouldn''t stop her. However, before leaving, he asked, "How do you n to present yourself to her?"
Ravenw understood Rhys''s hint. After a brief consideration, she decided to meet Daphne as Ravenw.
"Given my current state, there''s no need to hide," she said.
Rhys kept his identity hidden because he didn''t want to scare the child and preferred to act discreetly. Ravenw, on the other hand, had no such concerns.
"Alright, but please remember, my name is Rhys Chas Lynt."
"Alright, Szar Slytherin."
Rhys: "..."
His steps faltered, hesitant and uncertain.
"Is there something else on your mind?" Ravenw immediately noticed that her old friend hadn''t said everything.
"Could you help me fix this crystal ball? A mischievous kid broke it," he asked carefully, taking the shattered pieces of the crystal ball out of his pocket.
Ravenw frowned. "The damage is quite severe, and the spells on it are extremely delicate. Considering my current condition"
"So, it''s a no?"
"I can do it, but you''ll have to agree to one condition."
"Never mind, then." Rhys rejected her outright, without hesitationagreeing to a request from Ravenw was not something to take lightly.
epting it could lead to serious trouble.
Ravenw: "..."
''What kind of image did you have of me in your mind before?! ''
''This time, the thing I need help with is really simple!''
She wanted to say more, but Rhys had already turned and walked into the passage without looking back.
Ravenw couldn''t help butugh: Very well, still the sharp and cunning Slytherin, but remember, you''re not the only one who can get things done.
She lifted her head, her gaze seemingly piercing through the thick stone walls.
...
"Are you alright?" Daphne hurried over as she saw Rhys emerge safely from the passage.
"Heh. It''s like pulling teeth from a lioness, and without any anesthesia," Rhys shrugged. He was confident that no one else in the world could have treated Ravenw''s illness like he did.
Those with the skill to heal couldn''t get close to her, and those who could get close... was there really anyone left in the world with that capability? If they hadn''t even mastered their own field, they''d better not go to Ravenw to meet their doom.
Daphne chuckled.
"But fortunately, I''ve treated her for the most part. You can go see her now," Rhys said, winking at Daphne. "You definitely won''te back empty-handed from this trip. Remember, say plenty of nice things to that olddy. Then she won''t let you go without rewarding you."
Rhys was certain that Ravenw wouldn''t be stingy with Daphne. After all, this was an elder meeting a younger onehow could Ravenw possibly hold back from giving a generous "red envelope"?
"Me?" Daphne pointed at herself, full of doubt and uncertainty.
She waspletely confused, not understanding why that mysterious woman wanted to see her.
"By the way, the mystery is solved. The person we just rescued is one of Hogwarts'' founders, Rowena Ravenw."
...
Daphne was in a daze all the way until they emerged from the passage onto the tform.
The revtion Rhys had just shared with her was so shocking that her brain couldn''t process it right away.
We rescued Ravenw?
Daphne suddenly felt like she was riding the coattails of something big.
What had she done on this journey? Her only contribution had been chatting with Rhys and using up his magical potions.
Even the crystal ball Rhys had given her for live updates lost its signal at the start of the battlemeaning she wasn''t even a spectator.
Yet Rhys said that they had rescued Ravenw together, making her feel like she had just "teamed up with a pro and scored eighty points."
And that was Ravenw! The Ravenw!!! The idea that she, in her lifetime, could meet one of Hogwarts'' founders was something she wouldn''t have dared to dream of.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind?" A gentle female voice interrupted her thoughts. Daphne quickly looked up and saw a ghost standing alone on the tform.
Even as a ghost, Daphne could tell that the witch''s robe was exquisitely crafted. The fabric must have been top-quality in life, andbined with her well-maintained face and those deep, wise eyes that asionally sparkled with intellect, Daphne instantly believed that she was indeed standing before Rowena Ravenw.
As Daphne looked at Ravenw, Ravenw was also observing Daphne. After her conversation with Szar, she had learned that thenguage of the current era had changed significantly.
So, she cast a trantion spell on herself. While Rhys was busy elsewhere, Ravenw had also transformed the tform back into a t surface and concealed her physical body.
In just a few seconds, Ravenw had thoroughly observed Daphne from head to toe. She had to admit, Szar''s apprentice certainly looked presentable; now, she just needed to see if Daphne''s talent was truly as exceptional as Szar imed.
"..Hello," Daphne greeted the ghost in front of her timidly, her voice tinged with nervousness.
She couldn''t help but feel nervousafter all, she was standing before the legendary witch, Rowena Ravenw! Daphne took two deep breaths, her eyes involuntarily drifting to the side, hoping to catch a reassuring nce from Rhys for some encouragement.
But to her surprise, she realized that Rhys hadn''te in with her.
At that moment, Rhys was poking at the glowing barrier at the entrance to the passage, shaking his head helplessly. He had expected Rowena to do this.
She wanted to meet Daphne alone.
"Hello, child, there''s no need to be nervous. Come closer," Ravenw said with a warm smile, beckoning Daphne forward.
The smile melted away Daphne''s tension, and she took a few steps closer to Ravenw.
As she did, a table and two chairs appeared out of thin air before her.
"Please, have a seat. We can sit and chat," Ravenw gestured kindly, indicating for Daphne to take a seat first.
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12 Advance Chapters-
118- Ravenclaw is overjoyed
118- Ravenw is overjoyed
"So why do you want to see me?" Daphne asked this question urgently as soon as she sat down.
In her opinion, she was ordinary and had not contributed much to Ravenw''s "resurrection", so why should she be received by her?
"Just think of me as being too bored and looking for someone to chat with." Ravenw said with a kind expression and a smile on her face.
"Oh." Daphne sat upright in the chair and nodded obediently.
Although Lady Ravenw didn''t say it explicitly, she felt that it was still rted to Rhys. After all, the reason she got was far-fetched.
Ravenw''s eyes swept across Daphne''s face, and Ravenw said from the bottom of her heart, "You Greengrasses are so good-looking. When Adrian was studying at Hogwarts, he often received love letters from students from other houses, and the little witches who apanied him changed frequently. My students wrote me several letters of usation, telling me that he was a real scumbag."
Daphne was embarrassed: How could our ancestors have yed so extravagantly?
However, she was secretly excited to hear gossip from thousands of years ago.
"Do you know why boys can''t enter the girls'' dormitory?"
""
"It has something to do with Adrian!"
Daphne: Stop it, stop it!
"I didin to Szar, but guess what he said? He actually thought that if the wizarding world wanted to grow, they had to have more children, so he supported what Adrian did."
Daphne: "!!"
Rhys: Stop it, stop it Ravenw!
Although he couldn''t get in, Ravenw was considerate enough to use magic to transmit the audio of her conversation with Daphne.
Ravenw easily dispelled Daphne''s nervousness with a "little" anecdote from when Hogwarts was first founded, and also caused Rhys'' body temperature to rise as he stood outside the corridor.
"You really have inherited your ancestors'' good looks."
"You... You''re too kind. You''re as beautiful and intelligent as the rumors say." Daphne blushed and began to speak well of Ravenw as Rhys had instructed.
Although she knew that Daphne was ttering her, Ravenw was still quite satisfied. She was a person who valued manners and dignity. Before she died, she did not forget to tidy up her appearance and even took potions to make her ghost''s face andplexion look less bad.
Ghosts would inherit their appearance before death, and Ravenw did not want her ghost to look like a wandering female ghost... well, she couldn''t do anything for her mummy form..
After being praised by Daphne, her mood suddenly became cheerful.
"Really? Don''t lie to me, little girl."
"Lady Ravenw! I speak from my heart, not a single word is false!" Daphne said seriously, her words full of honesty and sincerity: "Your robe is really very exquisite, and it is obvious that it was made by an extraordinary master."
"Thank you! This is exactly what I designed."
"The fabric looks amazing too!"
"I specially asked someone to get silk from the East. The price is dozens of times the weight of gold. If I hadn''t made a deal with, um, someone and made a lot of money, I wouldn''t be willing to spend so much money on clothes."
Ravenw was even happier to hear Daphne praise the fabric of her wizard robe.
In her time, the price of silk was several times or even dozens of times that of gold of the same weight. ording to the 13th century book On Commodities, a pound of fine silk cost as much as 12 pounds, while a pound of gold of the same weight cost only 1 pound. The one on Ravenw was of the highest quality in terms of both texture and craftsmanship, and the price was astonishingly expensive.
A robe made of nearly ten pounds of silk would be a pain even for Ravenw, unless it was paid for by someone else.
As for who paid arge sum of money for it, everyone knows it - which wizard in Hogwarts was both rich and often discussed academic issues with Ravenw?
"Well, if you allow me, I will make a simr one, but the color should be changed to Slytherin''s silver-green~"
"T-Thank you so much! I''ll get you the design right away."
Daphne''s praise was all-round andprehensive, from the design of the clothes to the material to Ravenw''s secret to maintaining her youthful appearance, which made Ravenw very happy.
The two of them had a very pleasant conversation, and there was even a tendency for them to be close friends regardless of age.
"By the way, I heard that Hogwarts doesn''t teach courses like the flow of mana anymore?"
Daphne nodded. The knowledge of the flow of mana/magic-power was almost lost in the wizarding world.
The first reason is that it is difficult to learn and really depends on talent. The second reason is that there are very excellent substitutes, which directly make this knowledge lost. It is like the telegraph among Muggles. With the poprization of telephones, faxes, and the Inte, the telegraph gradually faded out of the historical stage.
Ravenw sighed and said, "It''s a pity, but Szar was quite good at this back then. You can learn from that Rhys."
Daphne blinked, quite curious about what the connection between Rhys and Slytherin was.
"He does have some connection with Slytherin." Ravenw yed a word game - Szar was indeed from the Slytherin family, and everything she said was true.
Daphne understood: As expected, Rhys is the legitimate heir of Slytherin. No wonder he came here to try so hard to save Lady Ravenw.
After this, Daphne invited Ravenw to walk around the castle grounds and see how Hogwarts had changed over the past thousand years.
Ravenw shook her head, a trace of loneliness that was very easy to observe shed in her eyes. She exined to Daphne the importance of guarding the seal and her current situation that was restricted by it.
"However, if you are willing to do me a favor, I can return to the ground in some way." Ravenw changed the subject and made her request to Daphne.
"Please go ahead!"
"Please take this crystal ball up there for me and put it in the Hogwarts library." Ravenw waved her hand, and a mini crystal ball the size of a plum appeared out of thin air on the table.
This crystal ball contains a trace of Ravenw''s magic. In this way, Ravenw can bring her own magic out of the seal and trigger the backup n she left in the school.
She could only use this stupid method. After all, the seal she had set up back then was too perfect.
"No problem." Daphne was not as sensitive as Rhys and agreed immediately.
"You''re a good child." Seeing that Daphne was willing to help her, Ravenw raised a smile.
"This is a little bit of my experience. I think you may find it useful. Take it." She winked at Daphne, and a booklet appeared next to the crystal ball.
"This!" Daphne''s heart was suddenly moved.
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119- Rhys: It’s over, I fell into her trap!
119- Rhys: Its over, I fell into her trap!
"She gave me a booklet!" Upon seeing Rhys, Daphne didn''t even wait for him to ask and blurted out everything she had received from Ravenw in a rush.
But she hadn''t received muchjust a mini crystal ball and a very thin booklet. Even a Muggle radio manual was thicker than this booklet.
"Did she tell you to keep it to yourself?" Rhys asked as he took the items Daphne handed over.
Daphne''s cheeks turned slightly red. "How... how did you know?"
''Because I heard it.''
"I guessed," Rhys replied. He took a nce at the crystal ball in his hand and immediately understood Ravenw''s intentions. It was indeed a clever trickto use the crystal ball as a medium to carry magic outside, triggering the spell she left behind. As for what would happen next, that was anyone''s guess.
''So this was what Ravenw wanted me to introduce her to Daphne? If I had known she wanted me to do this, then I... definitely still wouldn''t have agreed. At the very least, I would have made her reveal her true intentions.''
Rhys knew that, at her core, Ravenw probably didn''t want to do anything harmful to Hogwarts. But just because someone''s intentions aren''t bad, does that mean their actions will be harmless? Not necessarily.
A few unpleasant memories surfaced in his mind. Rhys remembered the "little experiments" Ravenw had conducted behind their backs. When Ravenw did something, it was either silent or resulted in a huge mess.
The most serious incident had even required the three of them to clean up her mess together.
''So, should he take the crystal ball or not?''
Rhys hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to take it with them. After all, it was just a bit of magic being brought out this time, and the entire "experiment" was under his supervision. There was no way it could spiral out of control.
After figuring out what to do with the crystal ball, it was time to deal with the booklet.
Under Daphne''s expectant gaze, Rhys opened the booklet and found that there wasn''t a single word inside.
Daphne looked puzzled. "So, did she just give me a diary?" she asked nkly.
"If you''re asking that kind of question, you''ll never get into Ravenw," Rhys said, pulling out his wand and gently tapping the first page of the booklet with it.
Next, it seemed as if an invisible hand was writing on the booklet. On the smooth surface of the first page, beautiful cursive Latin letters began to appear: "The wind has brought my goodwill, but please do not ce this book in a swamp."
Rhys froze. At the same moment the text appeared, he felt as if someone had hit him over the head with a blunt objecta familiar mental spell, unmistakably the work of that woman Ravenw!
Rhys recognized the familiar style in this. Rowena had thought of everything.
She knew that even though she had told Daphne to look at the booklet alone, Daphne would still hand it over to Rhys. So, Ravenw had left a simple little trap in the booklet to serve as a warning to Rhys.
"Keep it; it''s something good. You can take your time studying it at home," Rhys said, handing the booklet and crystal ball back to Daphne.
"But there''s nothing in this booklet," Daphne said, her small eyes filled with big confusion.
"That''s just her style. She won''t give you something for nothing. With her, everything requires an ''exchange of value.'' Of course, you also need a sufficient ''threshold'' to ess it," Rhys exined to Daphne.
Unlike the other three founders, Ravenw was a bit quirky.
Before teaching anything to a student, she would first test them to see if they had enough "wisdom." Those who failed the test were not deemed worthy of learning from herthough, of course, you could impress her in other ways to earn another chance.
This nk, wordless booklet was Ravenw''s test for Daphne, to see if she could figure out how to use it.
With the booklet in hand, Daphne imitated Rhys''s actions, tapping the booklet with her wand just as he had done. Then, a sentence appeared on the booklet:
"Those who imitate others can never walk their own path."
Daphne: ""
"Sorry, I just closed off one of the ways to unlock it," Rhys said, spreading his hands to show that he really couldn''t help anymore. If he continued to assist, the booklet might just turn into a "brick."
"Take your time figuring it out. We''ve got plenty of time," Rhys reassured Daphne with a few words before leading her back to the surface.
As soon as Rhys and Daphne, carrying Ravenw''s crystal ball, returned to the surface, they headed straight for the libraryRhys needed to keep an eye on Daphne while she released Ravenw''s magic, making sure not to miss any steps in case that woman tried to pull something again.
The final exams had ended, and apart from Hermione, the library was empty.
"At this time of year, shouldn''t you be taking a break?" Rhys was surprised when he saw Hermione there. "What''s going on? Why are you still here?"
"This is my idea of rxing," Hermione responded contentedly, patting the book next to her.
Dumbledore''s praise at the end-of-year feast had caused her some troublebecause of her performance, Gryffindor and Slytherin had lost their near win of the House Cup. The Gryffindor students weren''t too bothered, as they hadn''t won the Cup for several years anyway, and with the added pleasure of seeing Slytherin lose, they had let it go.
However, many Slytherin students were quite upset, and it wasn''t umon for them to make snide remarks when they ran into Hermione. If the holidays weren''t just around the corner and most students weren''t already thinking about their vacation ns, Hermione might have faced even more trouble.
To avoid all themotion, Hermione had simply taken refuge in the library with her books, which, for her, was the ultimate form of enjoyment.
Rhys had to respect that.
After a brief chat with Hermione, Rhys and Daphne moved to a corner of the library. This time, Daphne didn''t clumsily break the crystal ball; Rhys had already taught her the key to activating it.
Daphne lightly brushed her magic over the crystal ball, and the magic of Ravenw trapped inside was released, sinking into the walls of the library.
Then...
Nothing happened.
Rhys lingered in the library for a while longer, but still, nothing happened.
He couldn''t help but frown: he could sense the presence of the magic within the library, but he couldn''t pinpoint its exact location.
''Damn it!''
Rhys''s expression changedhe had fallen into Ravenw''s trap after all!
She had calcted that he would undoubtedly keep a close eye on the magic''s movements and the subsequent effects; that was exactly what she wanted. He had be her unpaidbor, having to monitor the progress of her "experiment."
Given his distrust of Ravenw, Rhys couldn''t just release the magic and walk away. This was Ravenw''s open scheme.
____________
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120- I don’t think the Sorting Hat has the guts to do this
120- I dont think the Sorting Hat has the guts to do this
"Then why can''t I take these books home to read over the summer?"
Seeing that his observations were fruitless, Rhys was about to leave when he heard Hermione arguing with Madam Pince.
"Those are the library''s rules, Miss Granger. Please put the books back," Madam Pince''s voice sounded cold and unyielding.
The librarian had an obsessive love for the books in her care.
She adored the collection of books in the library, and as a result, she greatly disliked the young witches and wizards who borrowed them, believing that each turn of a page caused harm to her beloved books.
In her view, the ideal state of the library was having the shelves filled with books and the tables devoid of people.
Ironically, Hermione, who loved to spend time in the library and read a lot, was not favored by Madam Pince.
For those students who borrowed books, she strictly enforced the rules and carefully checked the condition of the books when they were returned.
Hermione''s attempt to borrow books for two months was almost impossible for Madam Pince to ept.
"But"
"No buts. The maximum borrowing period for students is one month."
"Then I can send the books back by owl before the due date."
"The library is closed during the summer holidays, and books are not allowed to be taken off campus. Books must be returned in person by the borrower. Miss Granger, you can find these books at Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley."
Hermione: "..."
After dismissing all of Hermione''s excuses, Madam Pince walked away with her head held high, as if she had won a battle, leaving Hermione alone to ce arge stack of books to their original ces with a sullen expression.
Rhys clicked his tongue in disapproval. He thought Madam Pince''s approach went against the original intention they had when they first established the library.
Back then, the four founders, led by Ravenw, donated arge collection of books, forming the basic framework of the Hogwarts library. Over the next thousand years, the school''s staff and students worked hard, umting a vast collection, making Hogwarts Library thergest in Europe.
But books are meant to be read, not just to sit on shelves as decorative items. If these books were just gathering dust in the library without anyone borrowing them, Rhys would genuinely feel sorry for them.
Although Rhys disliked Madam Pince as a person, he also acknowledged that she wasn''t entirely without reason.
As the school developed and grew, it was normal for rules to be moreprehensive and strict.
Madam Pince''s actions were all backed by school regtions, whereas Hermione''s stance wasn''t justified. The fact that a rule might be unreasonable doesn''t give her the right to ask others to break it for her. She could write to Dumbledore and ask him to amend the school rules.
But considering everything, Rhys didn''t mind helping Hermione out.
"Can I borrow a few sheets of parchment?" he said, approaching Hermione.
Hermione didn''t understand Rhys''s intention, but she still handed him a stack of parchment. With a wave of his hand, Rhys transformed the parchment into replicas of the books Hermione had been holding.
"Now you can take them with you. Just make sure to return them at the start of the school year," Rhys said, cing the fake books on a nearby table.
"Oh My! HowBut..." Hermione hesitated.
"Books sitting on shelves gathering dust is a shameful waste," Rhys continued. "These aren''t dangerous texts or rare editions. Go ahead and borrow them. Just remember to write a letter to Headmaster Dumbledore, suggesting he change the school''s borrowing policy."
Looking at the stack of books in her hands, Hermione''s desire for knowledge outweighed her respect for school rules.
"Yes! Thank you! Thank you so much!" She nodded manytimes like a broken doll
She had decided to follow Rhys''s advice, take the books home, and return them when the new school year began.
...
Despite the young wizards'' reluctance, thest day of the school year finally arrived.
The students packed their clothes into their trunks and set off for Hogsmeade Station, where they would board the train back to London to begin their summer holidays.
"Is the Ministry high on some illegal potions? No magic allowed during the summer holidays?" Rhys muttered, settling into his seat after cing his luggage on the overhead rack. He was reading the notice they had received an hour earlier.
Just the title of the notice made it hard for him to keep a straight face.
''Since when was using magic against the rules for wizards?! It''s utterly absurd!''
But then, on second thought, Rhys realized that to hide the existence of the magical world, such measures were a necessarypromise. Compared to adults, children seemed more likely to expose the magical world, although the adults weren''t much more reliable.
Recalling the "anecdotes" he''d read in the newspapers about wizards ying pranks on Muggles, Rhys couldn''t help but break out in a cold sweat over the enforcement of the Statute of Secrecy.
Keys that got smaller each day until they disappeared, teapots that bit people''s noses,wnmowers that would go berserk once the switch was flipped... The fact that the magical world had managed to remain secret for so long was nothing short of a miracle.
"In theory, underage wizards aren''t allowed to use magic outside of school, but in reality, this rule isn''t very strictly enforced," Daphne, who was sitting across from Rhys, said dismissively.
"If you cast spells in Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, or other wizarding areas, the Ministry of Magic won''t bother you. You can also cast spells freely on the estates of magical families since the Ministry assumes that adult wizards can properly uphold the Statute of Secrecy."
As she spoke, an idea came to her.
"How about spending the summer at my family''s manor? There aren''t any magic restrictions there, and Astoria''s potions will need your attention. We should have some dark energy-warding fruits stocked up fromst year, too."
Rhys was tempted. It didn''t really matter to him where he spent the summer.
"My father''s storeroom might also have some potion ingredients collected," she added, seemingly offhand.
Rhys immediately decided to spend his holiday as a guest at the Greengrass Manor.
"But make sure you don''t use magic in Muggle residential areas," Daphne quickly added, fearing that Rhys might not take the notice seriously.
"If you use magic, the Ministry of Magic will detect it immediately. My dad says it''s because underage wizards have something called a Trace on them."
"Oh?" Rhys perked up.
He was very interested in finding out whether he had the Trace on him. Technically, he shouldn''t have it since he wasn''t truly a part of the modern magical world, and he''d never noticed any locating spells on himself.
But then again, there could be exceptions...
"Do you know what the Trace is all about?"
Daphne shook her head. "I only know that wizards under seventeen will be detected if they use magic outside of Hogwarts. As for the mechanics of the Trace, that''s a secret of the wizarding worldif you''re really curious, I can help you find out. But all underage wizards who''ve attended Hogwarts have it, so you''re probably no exception."
Daphne was aware that Rhys had always been in a near-reclusive state before, but she was convinced that Rhys wouldn''t be an exception to this rule.
Listening to Daphne, Rhys suddenly felt that the Trace seemed to have something inmon with the school''s eptance letters; the principles behind them were likely the same.
Inside Hogwarts Castle, there was a book called the Book of Admittance, which was the basis for Hogwarts'' student enrollment.
It was an "artifact" he and his three old friends had crafted for the purpose of admissions. The book contained a spell that covered the entire British Isles, capable of detecting newly born young wizards through magical fluctuations and pinpointing their names and addresses, generating an admission list ording to their age.
Back in the day after his resurrection, Rhys had also fooled the Book of Admittance by releasing a magical signal, getting his name onto the new student list.
Rhys felt that thisrge-scale group magic of the Trace might have something inmon with the Book of Admittance.
''However, could those rookies really create a magical artifact of this level?''
The "Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery" was enacted in 1875, and Rhys doubted that wizards of that time still had the capability to make something on par with the Book of Admittance.
''Wait a minute, trace on children that attended Hogwarts...''
''If that''s the case, there seems to be a shortcut could they be attaching the Trace to all the new students arriving at Hogwarts?
Then it wouldn''t be arge-scale detection spell; it would fall under the category of contract magic.''
Adding a contract magic to young wizards so that whenever they cast spells, the Ministry of Magic would receive location feedback that''s much simpler than monitoring magical fluctuations across the entire British Isles.
''The specifics might vary, but this should be the general principle.
So, what is something all young wizards have done?''
The answer popped into Rhys''s mind instantly.
All new students have worn the Sorting Hat and participated in the Sorting Ceremony.
In the future, when he has time, he can ask the Sorting Hat to confirm this it''s normal that he doesn''t detect the existence of the Trace on himself. After all, he doesn''t believe the Sorting Hat would have the audacity to do anything to him.
_________
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121- I Casted Your Family’s Fidelius Charm
121- I Casted Your Familys Fidelius Charm
"What are you thinking about?" Daphne couldn''t help but ask when she saw Rhys lost in thought.
Rhys then shared his spection with Daphne.
"Huh? But if that''s the case, those young wizards who don''t attend Hogwarts..."
"They wouldn''t be under the Ministry of Magic''s control in the first ce, would they?" Rhys revealed the truth with one sentence.
There are only two ways for young wizards to learn magic: either they are taught at home by their parents or they attend a magic school. If neither is possible, a very grim future awaits them.
And on thisnd of Britain, no one can resist the allure of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry it is one of the top magic schools in the world. As long as you have magical talent and are born on thisnd, you will receive an eptance letter.
Topare with the Muggle world, it would be like saying that as long as you have a permanent residency card, you can attend Harvard and for free, no less. With conditions like this, anyone who chooses to study at home would have to be out of their mind.
So for those living in Britain who don''t go to Hogwarts, it''s hard to say what their deal is.
They are most likely marginalized individuals of the magicalmunity or even wandering wizards or dark wizards.
Expecting them to follow the rules would be very difficult, and the Ministry of Magic doesn''t have any expectations of them either, only arresting them when they break thew.
"I see." After listening to Rhys''s analysis, Daphne thought that what he said made a lot of sense.
However, she wasn''t too concerned about the Trace, as it had little to do with her. She was more interested in whether Rhys woulde to spend the holiday at Greengrass Manor.
After receiving a positive response, she could no longer suppress the upward curve of her lips. She took out a piece of parchment with writing on it and handed it to Rhys.
"This is the address of my family''s summer vi. Remember it, and don''t tell anyone else," Daphne said, winking at Rhys. "The estate is protected by"
"The Fidelius Charm, right?" Rhys nced at Daphne, feeling quite touched. He hadn''t expected this little girl to be willing to share even this with him.
A building protected by the Fidelius Charm cannot be found by anyone other than the Secret Keeper. When the Secret Keeper dies, everyone who knew the secret bes a Secret Keeper. So being willing to share the address of a house is akin to giving someone a copy of the key, an act that signifies immense trust.
"You know about the Fidelius Charm too?" Daphne''s surprisested only a moment before she rxed, thinking it was only natural for him to know such things.
"Of course, how could I not know this spell!" Rhys said with a smile. What he didn''t mention was that this charm was something they had refined themselves.
Initially, when they were nning the defensive magic for Hogwarts Castle, the Fidelius Charm was among the spells they considered. However, after considering its extremeplexity and how easily it could be broken, they eventually abandoned the idea.
The Fidelius Charm hides the location of a building as a secret within the soul of a living person, generating a magical defense of tremendous strength. As long as the Secret Keeper does not reveal the address, outsiders will never be able to find the hidden building.
This charm has very strong yet simultaneously very fragile protective abilities because it bes ineffective as soon as the secret is leaked. Thus, the fewer people who know the specific location, the better. For a bustling ce like a school castle, adding the Fidelius Charm isn''t really suitable.
"The Fidelius Charm is actually abination of contract magic and spatial magic. When the spell is cast, it first cuts out the space around the house being protected and hides it within a spatial rift. At this point, the house is no longer in the same space as the outside world. The only bridge connecting the house to the external space is its ''address,'' which we can also think of as a ''key'' to the space. This key is sealed within a person''s soul by contract magic," Rhys exined the principles of the Fidelius Charm to Daphne.
When Rhys and the others optimized the charm back then, they simplified the casting process and enhanced the confidentiality of the "key," making it impossible for ordinary spells or potions to force the address out of the Secret Keeper.
Daphne: "Sounds pretty impressive!"
Rhys nced at Daphne, who seemed awestruck, and thought that only an ancient pure-blood family would have such heritage, capable of cing the Fidelius Charm on arge estate.
With this charm, therger the area of the property, the higher the difficulty of casting it. For an ordinary wizarding family, cing the Fidelius Charm on a small cottage would be nearly impossible. But the Greengrass family went ahead and enchanted an entire estate.
The wizard they hired must have been quite powerful, and he wondered how much that must have costtruly a testament to the wealth of the Greengrass family...
''Wait a minute!''
Rhys looked down at the address of Daphne''s home and then couldn''t help butugh: he knew this address because he was the one who had cast the Fidelius Charm on this estate.
In fact, he had done it voluntarily, without charging anything.
{
"I believe this spell has reached a stable state and no further optimization is necessary," Rowena Ravenw said, handing a roll of parchment to Szar Slytherin.
"But we''ve only tested it on a small cottage so far. If we expand it to cover the entire school, the situation might be different," Szar frowned.
"Don''t you have many students who own several estates? Why not have them test it out?" Ravenw suggested.
"Who should we ask?"
Knock! Knock!
"Professor, this is my written promise. I will never trespass into Gryffindor Tower again," Adrian limped in, holding a roll of parchment, and then noticed that both his professor and Professor Ravenw were staring intently at him.
Adrian immediately broke into a cold sweat. Could it be that they found out about him asking Helena to join him at the Astronomy Tower to watch the starsst night? That shouldn''t be possible! He really just wanted to learn some astronomy this time. Where was the trust between people?
"Adrian! Would you like to add a Fidelius Charm to your family''s estate?"
"Professor, I was really just... huh?" Adrian was momentarily stunned, then realized that his professor wanted to use his family''s property for another experiment!
"Professor, this spell won''t blow up my house, will it? Last time"
"That was then, this is now. This spell was personally improved by Professor Ravenw. You have to trust her!" Szar said earnestly, examining his student.
Adrian: "..."
''It''s precisely because it was improved by her that I''m worried!''
Ravenw cleared her throat, "If Mr. Greengrass is unwilling, we won''t force it. However, in that case..."
Before she could finish, Adrian agreed. His intuition told him it was best not to let Professor Ravenw finish her sentence. }
Rhys sighed and turned the note in his hand into ashes.
"I will keep this secret."
''Just as it had been for the previous thousand years.''
___________
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122- Lupet’s Dessert Shop
122- Lupets Dessert Shop
"Dear passengers, the train is about to arrive at King''s Cross Station. Passengers who are preparing to get off the train, please take your belongings with you, get off the train in order, and leave the station in an orderly manner."
As the broadcast sounded from the carriage''s loudspeakers, the little wizards stood up from their seats, changed their wizard robes into Muggle clothes, and took their luggage down from the shelves.
When the train arrived, they all rushed to the tform and were blocked there because the Ministry of Magic sent people to allow only a few people to pass at a time, so that students would note out of the wall inrge numbers at the same time and attract the attention of Muggles.
"Why don''t they cast an illusion spell on the students leaving the station? That way they can go faster."
Looking at the long line in front of him, Rhys couldn''t help butin.
He also felt that this method was not very reliable. He only needed three minutes to think of five or six faster and safer ways to enter and exit the station.
For example, they could set up some fireces in the station and use the Floo Network to transfer students; or, they could ce the entrances and exits of the tform underground to avoid being seen by Muggles; having a wizard who is proficient in the Disillusionment Charm cast a mass disillusionment charm on students leaving the station also seems to be a good option.
"Is it possible that the Disillusionment Charm is a very advanced spell, and there are too many students going home for the summer vacation, so the Ministry of Magic cannot cast the Disillusionment Charm on everyone?" Daphne nced at Rhys and said in an uncertain tone - if the Disillusionment Charm is as simple as the Levitation Charm, then the Invisibility Cloak would not be sold so expensively.
If it was a year ago, her tone would be very firm, but now she is a little unsure. Because Rhys taught her the Disillusionment Charm, and she learned it. She felt that this spell didn''t seem very difficult, and didn''t understand why so many people couldn''t learn it.
"Using the Disillusionment Charm also has great disadvantages. For example, parents who go out to pick up their children at the station won''t be able to see their children. Another example, if the Disillusionment Charm wears off and we suddenly appear, it will cause more chaos." A voice came from behind the two of them.
Rhys looked back and found that it was a red-haired boy talking to him. Next to him stood a person who looked exactly like him, who was also looking at them with a smile.
He recognized them immediately; they were Ron''s twin brothers, Fred and George.
Obviously, the long wait made these two overly energetic guys feel bored, and they just followed Rhys''s words and started chatting with him.
"I''m Fred." George greeted Rhys, and Fred, who was standing next to him, winked at him.
"Hi George, I''m Rhys."
"Huh?" George raised his eyebrows, not understanding how he was exposed.
Then he understood the next second, because Rhys was gonna say the same sentence to both of them, and his reaction exposed his prank instead.
As for the source of Rhys''s suspicion, it was naturally the rich micro-expressions on his good brother''s face.
George gave his brother a direct elbow.
"I told you to make faces at the side. Look, now you''ve found out what''s wrong!"
"Let''s get acquainted again. I''m George and he''s Fred." George stretched out his hand to Rhys and swore on his broom that he was really George. "Remember, I will never make the mistake of being recognized by you next time~"
"Heh, you don''t have to think about not making a mistake. I''ll be able to figure it out again." Rhys patted George''s hand.
His words made George raise his eyebrows, he obviously didn''t believe it.
"If you don''t believe me, we can make a bet." Rhys said confidently.
"It''s a deal." George agreed without thinking. "Let''s bet whether you can recognize us at the opening ceremony in September this year. If you can, we can help you bring some things from Hogsmeade. Whether it''s on the permitted list or not, we can handle it. If you recognize it wrongly, I will also treat you to candy, but.. hehe.. it''ll be the candy we invented ourselves."
George was more confident than Rhys, because sometimes their biological mother couldn''t tell them apart, let alone the new student who had just met them.
If he was lucky and guessed right, he and Fred would not lose anything, but could take the opportunity to expand their purchasing business, which would be a win-win for both of them.
The source of Rhys''s confidence was that he could identify people by distinguishing their magic.
Although Fred and George looked the same as if they had drunk Polyjuice Potion, there were still subtle differences in the fluctuations of their mana. For him, distinguishing Fred and George was as difficult as distinguishing Harry and Draco.
Finally, several people walked out of the tform.
The first person Rhys saw was Fred and George''s family. They all had red hair, which made them very recognizable in the crowd.
Their little daughter even shouted excitedly when she saw Harry.
"Ginny is a huge fan of Harry. I bet her obsession with Harry is no less than her mother''s obsession with Lockhart."
"That''s the filthiest thing you''ve ever said to Harry," George quipped.
Not far from the Weasley family stood a well-dressed gentleman. A pretty little girl with brown hair was standing behind him, holding the corner of his suit with her hand.
The man was Daphne''s father, Mr. Jamison Henry Greengrass, and his daughter, Astoria.
What is very interesting is that a middle-aged fat man with a purple face and a big beard is standing next to Henry and talking to him happily.
The Greengrass family is different from other pure-blood families. They still retain some industries in the Muggle world, which are managed by the Squibs in the family, such as several wine estates.
This is also the reason why he sessfully attracted Vernon Dursley.
"You can try to pick grapes with ourpany''s harvester. The efficiency is first-ss, and we have aplete after-sales warranty service."
"Mr. Dursley, my family''s wine estate has been adhering to manual harvesting and picking since the 10th century. I have no intention of changing the tradition that has been maintained for thousands of years... Oh, sorry, my daughter is here." Jamison Henry walked quickly to Daphne, hugged her in his arms, and kissed her forehead.
Harry also walked out of the station and came to his uncle, happily telling him that he had just been chatting with a wizard of astonishing blood purity.
Harry was delighted (?) to see Uncle Vernon''s fat face turn pale in an instant.
Rhys also found Lupert who was waiting for him at the station. After handing his luggage to her, Rhys waved goodbye to the new friends he met at school and set off on his way home.
He said he was going home, but in fact he was going back to Diagon Alley. Both he and Lupet were homeless, so they had to rent a house in Diagon Alley.
But when Lupet brought Rhys to the front of the house she rented in Diagon Alley, he was stunned.
"Lupet''s Dessert Shop?" Rhys read out the words on the shop sign in an incredible tone: "Is this where you live?!"
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123- Dumbledore’s Enlightenment
123- Dumbledores Enlightenment
Rhys waspletely stunned.
Before heading to Hogwarts, he had left some money for Lupet.
This money was meant to cover her rent and living expenses and to support her continuedpletion of tasks for the secret society. What he never expected was that Lupet would use this money to open a dessert shop.
And judging by the size of the shop, it seemed like Lupet''s business was doing quite well?
Seeing Rhys''s expression change, Lupet'' became nervous. She quickly exined, "Master Rhys! It was too conspicuous for me to rent a room alone at the Leaky Cauldron for a long time, so I rented a ce in the alley instead."
"But the rent here is really high, and it wouldn''t be good to just sit back and do nothing. By chance, I had learned how to make desserts and bread while wandering in France, and I remember you really like sweets. So, I took the liberty of opening a dessert shop that mainly sells various cakes, pastries, bread, and iced drinks. If you''re not satisfied, I''ll close the shop right away."
Lupet'' exined her actions cautiously, afraid that anything she said might upset Rhys and lead to punishment.
Although she said she would close the shop immediately, deep down, she didn''t want to. She had put too much effort into this ce, and it was her first real home. How could she be willing to give it up?
Rhys raised an eyebrow: You don''t say...
But honestly, he was quite pleased with the idea of living above a dessert shop. In the future, he could simply ask Lupet'' to make any sweets he wanted.
He became even more thankful for the decision he had made back then.
After listening to Lupet''s exnation, Rhys smiled genuinely. "I''m d to see you''ve built a new life for yourself. Congrattions."
Seeing Rhys''s response, Lupet let out a sigh of relief, her heart finally settling back in her chest.
Then she seemed to remember something and quickly pulled out a small notebook from her pocket.
"Master, this is the ledger for the past year, detailing my profits and expenses. Please check"
"You keep it," Rhys waved his hand dismissively, not interested in looking at it.
Though Rhys couldn''t im to have wealth all over the world, he certainly wasn''t after a werewolf''s small business, even if her startup capital came from his donation.
"Doing the tasks I assign you is the best way to repay me."
Speaking of tasks, Lupet''s expression froze. It wasn''t that she hadn''t done anything; rather, the secret society hadn''t given her any tasks this year!
All she had to do was subscribe to a few newspapers, summarize andpile the news, and then send it out by owl. At the end of each month, ten Galleons would promptly be deposited into her ount.
Lupet even started to feel like she was some kind of journalist for a newspaper.
"If there are no new actions, just wait patiently. We have plenty of time," Rhys said calmly. Dealing with a reclusive organization like the secret society was like fishing; you had to wait quietly for the right opportunity.
Given enough time, the secret society would naturally take action.
"Come on, let me take a look around your shop," Rhys said, waving his hand as he pushed open the door to Lupet''s dessert shop, which had a "Closed Today" sign hanging on it.
The shop wasn''t veryrge. Apart from the wall with the entrance, the other three walls had ss disy cabs about a meter high and several meters long. In one corner of the room was a cash register, and next to it, a door led to the kitchen where the desserts were made.
From the disybels, Rhys could tell that the cab on the left held various cold drinks and chilled juices, the one on the right showcased French bread, and the cab in the middle was for desserts.
Rhys took a closer look and found that Lupet''s shop sold desserts like irs, Napoleon cakes, waffles, cheesecakes, tiramisu, mousses, and moremostlymon Muggle desserts.
Curiously, Lupet didn''t sell any of the popr magical world desserts.
After asking about it, Rhys understood that because of her werewolf status, magical confectioners refused to take her on as an apprentice in France. It was only the Muggle dessert makers, who knew nothing about her background, who epted her. As a result, all the desserts Lupet knew how to make were non-magical.
However, this unintentional choice worked out well. There were few dessert shops in the magical world that specialized in selling Muggle desserts, so Lupet''s shop filled a niche.
She quickly built a loyal customer base, primarily consisting of Muggle-born wizards who came to Diagon Alley for shopping, as well as some single male wizards.
After all, a dessert is a dessertit doesn''t lose its appeal or vor just because of someone''s heritage.
"The second floor is the bedroom, right? I''ll go take a look."
"Huh? I''ve booked a room for you at the Leaky Cauldron"
"Cancel it. This is more convenient."
Ignoring Lupet''s attempts to dissuade him, Rhys headed straight up to the second floor of the small building, which was her living space.
Lupet had rented a two-story house with a basement: the ground floor housed the dessert shop and kitchen, the second floor was her residence, and the basement was used for storing dessert ingredients.
Due to the sloping roof, theyout on the second floor was much more crampedpared to the first. Most of the space was taken up by the bedroom, with a small portion allocated to a rather narrow washroom.
The bedroom was quite messy, with a pile of nkets and some small clothes strewn across the bed, along with a heap of knee-high socks mostly in ck and white.
The shoe cab in the corner was overflowing with various shoes and boots. The wardrobe next to the bed was filled with clothes, both clean and dirty.
Beside the shoe cab was a desk cluttered with two thick stacks of torn-up newspapers and a half-finished scrapbook. It was clear that Lupet had been diligently carrying out the tasks Rhys had assigned to her.
Seeing the room in such disarray, Lupet felt a bit embarrassed and hurried forward to tidy up the mess on the bed.
She hadn''t expected Rhys to insist on staying here instead of choosing to stay at the Leaky Cauldronshe had really underestimated the allure of desserts to Rhys.
"If your customers were to see what the second floor looks like, you''d probably lose a lot of them," Rhys said, taking out his wand. He helped Lupet organize the clothes into categories and neatly ced them back into the wardrobe.
Lupet awkwardlyughed. "Some customers have really strange quirks. Last Christmas, there was even a customer who asked if I could pack the desserts and bread into a sock."
"..." Rhys thought he had truly seen it all.
After Lupet finished tidying up the clothes, Rhys waved his wand and cast an Undetectable Extension Charm on the room, expanding the once cramped space to three times its original size. He also conjured a wall, creating a separate bedroom for himself.
"We''re wizards; we need to learn to solve problems with magic."
"But using the Undetectable Extension Charm without authorization is illegal, and it''s a really difficult spell..."
Rhys: "..."
''Wait, why is the modern Ministry of Magic so strict about this?''
...
Hogwarts, Headmaster''s Office
After the Hogwarts Express whistled and departed, Dumbledore finally had time to attend to his own matters. He took out the peculiar remains and ced them on his desk.
Based on the remains of this creature''s reactions, it seemed to have had a deep connection with Gryffindor during its lifetime. The one who killed it was likely Gryffindor himself. However, it appears that Gryffindor didn''tpletely destroy it, allowing it to break free from its seal a thousand yearster and wreak havoc upon the world.
As Dumbledore stared at the remains, he recalled the strange magic it had usedmagic unlike anything he had ever seen before.
''It seems somewhat simr to the vaguely described "Domain" mentioned in ancient texts. If that truly was a Domain...'' Dumbledore carefully recollected the details of his encounter with the remains.
Meanwhile, the temperature in the headmaster''s office gradually rose. Eventually, a sudden me ignited at the tip of Dumbledore''s finger.
Fawkes, perched on the sycamore branch outside the window, immediately let out a loud cry.
Dumbledore quickly lifted his head, shifting his gaze away from the remains. The me on his finger extinguished, but behind his half-moon spectacles, his eyes still seemed to burn with an intense fire.
"A Domain...?"
Dumbledore''s low murmur echoed through the office.
_________
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124- New Employee at the Dessert Shop
124- New Employee at the Dessert Shop
"Excellent bread!" Rhys eximed, after trying a croissant from the te of desserts Lupet had brought out. He highly praised her skills.
The baking was just right, with a rich buttery aroma and, most importantly, perfectly ky pastry. Every detail was executed wlessly, making this ordinary, even somewhatmonce, bread shine in its own unique way.
"I''m d you like it." Seeing Rhys thoroughly enjoy the dessert she made, Lupet felt genuinely happy.
"Aren''t you opening the shop today?" Rhys noticed it was gettingte and Lupet had shown no intention of heading downstairs to open the shop, so he took the initiative to ask. In the food business, it''s crucial not to close midway.
They had already closed yesterday, and closing again today would greatly reduce customer loyalty.
"The young girl I hired before went home, so today I need to hire two new assistants first," Lupet exined. She understood the necessity of opening the shop daily, but she really couldn''t manage everything by herself right now.
Unless...
Feeling Lupet''s gaze on him, Rhys thought it wouldn''t hurt to help her out a bit. After all, he didn''t have any pressing matters to attend to at the moment, and he was also quite intrigued by the idea of working in a dessert shop. So, a few minutester, Rhys was downstairs in the dessert shop, wearing an apron.
"Don''t worry Master! You just need to package what the customers order and handle the checkout. Leave the dessert-making to me." Lupet cautiously instructed Rhys before heading into the kitchen, where she began manipting the ingredients with her wand.
Flour, eggs, sugar, and milk were added to a bowl in turn, then stirred automatically under the influence of magic. Soon, the aroma of baked goods wafted out of the kitchen.
As the sun climbed higher, the flow of people in Diagon Alley increased, and Lupet''s dessert shop began weing its loyal regrs.
With a tap of Rhys''s wand, the food that customers ordered floated out from behind the counter andnded in the pre-prepared takeaway boxes. All Rhys needed to do was calcte the price and handle the payment.
At first, he found it quite easy, but he soon realized that customers kepting to buy things almost non-stop from morning till evening, leaving him with almost no time to rest.
After a whole day of work, Rhys''s mindset underwent a subtle change: Damn, making money in the food business is really hard work!
Moreover, he discovered a terrifying fact: after spending so much time in the dessert shop, he actually started losing interest in the array of desserts! This couldn''t be happening!
As the flow of people in Diagon Alley gradually thinned out and the desserts in the disy case were nearly sold out, Lupet finished cleaning up the kitchen and rushed out.
"I''m so sorry for troubling you! Please, take a rest!"
When the shop first opened, Lupet hadn''t realized the problem. But when she finished baking a batch of bread and looked up to see Rhys bustling around the counter, she immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
This was her master!
To make a somewhat inappropriateparison, it was like if Death Eater Betrix Lestrange opened a clothing shop, did the sewing in a small room, and had Voldemort measuring customers on the shop flooris this suitable? Is this a normal master-servant rtionship?
Sweat began to drip steadily from Lupet''s forehead as she thought about it. If she hadn''t noticed that Rhys wasn''t showing any signs of impatience, she would have already run out to close the shop again.
She had made up her mind to definitely hire some extra help, even if it meant closing the shop again tomorrow to do so. What had she been thinking, letting her master run the shop for her?
"Excuse me..."
A young male voice suddenly interrupted Rhys and Lupet''s conversation from the shop entrance.
Both Rhys and Lupet turned to see a blond boy with a chubby, round face standing hesitantly at the door, nervously ncing at the two of them inside.
"Neville? What are you... Are you here to buy some desserts? If so, you''vee to the right ce. The desserts here are incredibly, incredibly delicious," Rhys immediately recognized the Hufflepuff boy who brought a toad to school.
Because of his unusual pet, Rhys initially thought he was particrly skilled in Potions. However, after chatting with Hermione, he learned that this boy had a shy personality, was rather forgetful, and wasn''t particrly good at Potionsinstead, he often sat alone in themon room reading books on Herbology.
"My gran told me toe to Diagon Alley to find a ce to work, so I could improve my speaking skills and courage, and maybe earn my allowance for next year," Neville exined his purpose in a voice barely louder than a whisper, but with a bit of newfound courage after seeing a familiar face.
It must be said, Neville''s grandmother had a rather clever idea. Getting a summer job, interacting with different kinds of people, might help him mature a bit and be more confident in handling tasks.
But judging by Neville''s appearance, he had probably spent the entire day in Diagon Alley getting turned down. Walking into shop after shop only to be rejected repeatedlyhe didn''t have any remarkable talents, and he didn''t look particrly sharp, so naturally, he wasn''t favored by the shopkeepers.
If his grandmother were willing to pull some strings with old acquaintances, finding a summer job would be easy for Neville, who came from a pure-blood family. However, it was clear that Augusta Longbottom had no intention of helping him. She wanted Neville to handle this on his own.
This was her way of testing him.
"So, you want to work here?" Lupet''s eyes immediately lit up. "Come on, I''m actually short of handscan you work as a cashier?"
Lupet was now at the point where she would take anyone she could get, as long as they were alive and breathingtwo legs preferred, but even one would do. As long as she didn''t have to let her master work for her again!
"Oh, okay, sorry to botherhuh? I got the job?" Neville, having been rejected so many times today, instinctively prepared to say goodbye, but then realized something was off.
Did he really get the job?!
He stole a nce at Rhys, wondering if this might have been thanks to him.
What was Rhys''s rtionship with the shop owner?
"Alright then,e to the shop tomorrow morning at seven, and I''ll give you a simple orientation. As for the pay how does one Galleon a day sound?"
Neville nodded eagerly like a pecking chick.
After he left, Lupet let out a sigh of relief.
At least now her master wouldn''t have to help tomorrow... right?
But then, remembering that boy''s clumsy demeanor, she suddenly wasn''t so confident.
Rhys yawned and started packing up the unsold sweets in the shop. Halfway through, he paused, noticing that Lupet was staring motionlessly at the store entrance.
Following her gaze, Rhys saw a girl standing outside the shop. She was dressed in shabby clothes and had a paleplexion, and she was staring back at Lupet.
After a few seconds of the two of them looking at each other, the girl finally spoke, "Are you still hiring?"
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125- The New Mission of the Secret Order
125- The New Mission of the Secret Order
Lupet didn''t immediately answer the girl about whether they were hiring. Instead, she softly muttered the girl''s name: Valentina Catno.
"Big Sister Lupet do you remember me, and are you still hiring here?" The girl with gray hair forced a stiff smile.
Lupet looked over at Rhys.
"I need some time to think about it."
A flicker of despair shed through Valentina''s eyes. She was already at the end of her rope. If Lupet couldn''t take her in, the most miserable future awaited her.
Lupet pulled Rhys back a couple of steps into the kitchen and whispered a brief introduction about this unexpected visitor who had appeared at the door.
As Rhys expected, the little girl who had suddenly appeared at the shop''s entrance was a werewolf, just like Lupet.
Unlike Lupet, however, she had never received a proper education at a magic school.
After she was turned into a werewolf, her magic schoolwhat Rhys saw as more of a magic cram schoolchose to expel her. Her family was also killed in the werewolf attack, so Valentina went straight into a life of wandering.
During her travels, she met Lupet, and they lived together for a while. Later, the two of them got separated due to an ident. After that, Lupet met Rhys, which marked a turning point in her life.
It was clear that the reason she hade today was that she had seen someone she knew outside. At the very least, she could still pick up some leftover sweets from her sister''s shop, couldn''t she?
"Master, may I humbly request your mercy to bestow upon us the miraculous spell that can transform a werewolf and allow her to work here part-time for a while?" Lupet carefully chose her words, hoping that Valentina could also receive Rhys''s salvation.
Although she hadn''t meant to eavesdrop, Valentina identally overheard how Lupet addressed Rhys.
She nced at Rhys in astonishment; the development of this situation waspletely beyond her expectations.
Could it be that this dessert shop is funded by this little boy?
What exactly is Lupet''s rtionship with him?
Recalling how Lupet addressed Rhys, the answer became obvious.
Rhys thought for a moment. He considered using the Human Restoration Spell on the girl after she transformed into a werewolf, allowing her to break free from the werewolf curse.
Since he had encountered a werewolf, he would never ignore it; that would be irresponsible to ordinary wizards. However, the method of dealing with it was a matter of choice. Using the Human Restoration Spell to prevent them from transforming into werewolves for a period of time was one approach, while killing them was another.
In the past, Rhys had leaned towards thettera simple and immediate solution.
''Ok.. I think I was a bit racist.. BUT we were still fighting for the wizards at that time and creating the school!''
But now, he was willing to put in more effort.
"Stay here, and let me know when she transforms next timeoh, and I''ll need to give you another spell as well," Rhys decided.
The spell developed by Ravenw and Hufflepuff is only effective against werewolves that have transformed into wolf form. The principle is to use their own magic power to eliminate the wolf poison attached to the werewolf, and continue to eliminate the curse on the werewolf through spells to suppress the werewolf''s transformation.
When the spell''s energy runs out, the werewolf will still transform on the night of the full moon, at which point another Human Restoration Spell will be needed to cast. How long the spellsts depends on the skill level of the caster.
However, ording to Ravenw''s design, theoretically, since the curse within the werewolf''s body diminishes each time, the duration of the spell should gradually increase, eventually potentially reaching a point where the spell might not need to be "reapplied" for over a decade.
As for why it''s only theoretical, Gryffindor and Slytherin preferred using a quicker method to cure werewolves. The Human Restoration Spell has a significant w: not every werewolf can find someone who knows this spell to cast it on them before its effects wear off.
Wouldn''t that just lead to them transforming into wolves again and harming other humans?
However, Lupet''s situation is slightly different. She is settled and can see Rhys every summer vacation, making it much more convenient to reapply the spell.
*Gurgle~*
As Rhys and Lupet were talking, Valentina''s stomach suddenly growled.
Facing their gazes, Valentina remained unfazed. "Um, Sister.. I''m a bit hungry. Can I have a couple of unsold cakes?"
Of course, she could. Rhys promptly stuffed the packaged desserts into her hands.
And just like that, Lupet hired her second employee.
She took Valentina directly to the Leaky Cauldron, rented a room, helped her take a bath, and even gave her a set of her own clothes to wear.
When she returned to Lupet''s dessert shop, Rhys had already gone back to the bedroom on the second floor.
She went upstairs and found Rhys sitting at the desk, intently focused on something.
"Sorry, I came back a bitte because"
"They finally contacted us." Rhys looked up and picked up a small booklet from the desk, waving it slightly. A smile that resembled catching a big fish shed across his face.
"WhoThe Secret Order?!" Lupet almost didn''t react in time.
Rhys closed the booklet and tossed it towards Lupet.
"The guy from Knockturn Alley, was it Sergi or Serge, had really low clearance. The people from The Secret Order actually made him do a year''s worth of odd jobs before giving him a new assignment," Rhys couldn''t help but grumble.
Does The Secret Order have a generous budget? They actually kept purchasing the bulletins for such a long time.
But Rhys misunderstood them. Lupet and the previous owner of the alumniwork, Sergi or Serge, made quite decent bulletins, which is why The Secret Order was willing to keep paying. They even assigned higher-level tasks after conducting assessments. It''s not easy for ordinary people to crazily milk funding from The Secret Order like this.
Lupet opened the booklet and saw that a previously nk title page now had a sentence appear on it:
"[Investigate the death of a Gringotts curse breaker in northern Scond, gather relevant information, and send the information to the usual address.]"
When Rhys saw this sentence, he immediately realized that the incident was not straightforward. The identities of those curse breakers likely warranted further investigation.
They were probably connected to The Secret Order, and investigating them might just be a "stepping stone" to prove one''s capabilities.
"So, are you nning to go to Scond to investigate the truth of the matter?" Lupet asked. If her master was going to the Scottish Hignds, she would need to make some arrangements.
"Heh~ Not at all," Rhys shook his head, unexpectedly. "I think there''s someone who wants to know more about The Secret Order than I do. Let him handle the intelligence gatheringLupet, write an anonymous letter to Albus Dumbledore. Make sure to give him a thorough introduction to The Secret Order and how to use this little booklet."
________
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126- Greengrass’s Invitation
126- Greengrasss Invitation
Lupet wrote the letter as quickly as possible and sent it out overnight. Soon, an anonymous letter was sent to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore often received all kinds of letters, including official letters from the Ministry of Magic, letters from his old friends and admirers around the world, and letters for various purposeshe had even received a letter from a candypany wanting to discuss an endorsement deal with him.
Handling dozens of letters every night before bed and every morning after waking up was routine for Dumbledore.
However, today he received a rather peculiar package. There was no information about the sender on the package; it was an anonymous letter, and it seemed to contain something inside.
With his wealth of experience, Dumbledore instinctively raised his guard against this type of mail. But after a brief examination, he found that the letter didn''t have any malicious spells on it.
Carefully opening the envelope, he found a small ck booklet inside.
''A booklet?'' Dumbledore''s curiosity was piqued.
He opened the booklet, and the words on the title page came into view. His eyes immediately narrowed; the incident in the Scottish Hignds had left a very deep impression on him.
Seeing that there was also a letter inside the envelope, he took it out and read it carefully.
"The Secret Order," Dumbledore muttered softly, the name rolling off his tongue as his eyes gradually deepened in thought.
He decided to investigate this mysterious organization.
After disrupting Dumbledore''s holiday with a single letter, Rhys began to enjoy his own summer breakdesserts, cold drinks, and books from the new era, all of which delighted him.
Neville and Valentina had joined Lupet''s dessert shop and officially started their part-time jobs.
Initially, Neville was clumsy with ounting and caused quite a few mishaps. Later, Rhys made a simple calctor for him, which helped Neville finally get on the right track with his job. As for Valentina, she was doing quite well; she was quick and efficient, perfectlypensating for the messes Neville made.
This routine continued for half a month before it was interrupted by a visitor.
"One tiramisu, one Basque cheesecake, to-go." A silver-haired girl with delicate features appeared at Lupet''s dessert shop, attracting the attention of several passersby.
"Daphne? What are you doing here?" Neville, though somewhat surprised, quickly took the dessert bags from Valentina''s hands and prepared to start tallying up the bill.
"No need for change." Daphne ced a silver Sickle on the counter and then walked out with the packaged cakes.
Watching Daphne''s departing figure, Valentina raised an eyebrow. "A friend?"
"A ssmate."
"Envious."
...
"Want some cake?" Two pieces of cake suddenly appeared in Rhys''s line of sight.
He was sitting outside an ice cream shop, enjoying ice cream and sunlight while reading a book.
"Daphne? What brings you here?" Rhys looked up, and that familiar silver hair came into view.
"My mom pre-ordered a signed book by Lockhart at Flourish and Blotts, and I just got two outfits made at Twilfitt and Tatting''s," Daphne said, waving the two bags in her hands in front of Rhys. "So I got sent out to run errands!"
As for why they didn''t send the family''s house-elf to run errands instead, Rhys thought it best not to dwell on such details.
"Probably a good idea to buy some summer clothes." Rhys nodded and epted the Basque cheesecake. Tiramisu, while sweet enough, had a vor that was tooplex for Rhys''s taste. He preferred something simpler, like Basque cheesecake.
To repay Daphne, Rhys gave her a cream ice cream in return.
"By the way, I remember you inviting me to your ce for a holiday before the break?"
Daphne''s heart leapt with joy; that was exactly why she hade!
However, she kept herposure and elegantly told Rhys that the doors of Greengrass Manor were always open for him.
Rhys nced at her. If he said he nned to visit her house before the end of the holiday, the girl''s expression would certainly be priceless.
However, he restrained his mischievous impulsesomething only Godric would do. Instead, he looked at Daphne and asked if today would be a good day to visit her home.
The answer was, of course, yes.
Rhys left a note for Lupet and, after finishing his cake and ice cream, prepared to head to Greengrass Manor.
"Apparition? Or Floo Network? It can''t be a broomstick, can it?" Rhys looked around and, not seeing the Greengrass family carriage, asked.
"Use this." Daphne took out an hourss from her pocket, ck on the top half and white on the bottom.
Rhys: "?"
"This is actually a Portkey," Daphne exined to Rhys how to use the Portkey she was holding.
Unlike themon touch-activated or time-triggered Portkeys, Daphne''s Portkey was abination of both timed and triggered. When the ck half of the hourss is facing up and the white half is down, once the sand runs out, the Portkey will transport the person holding it back to Greengrass Manor.
"Amazing alchemical device." Rhys marveled at the Portkey in Daphne''s hand. In their time, there were no such convenient and interesting means of transportation.
Extremely advanced spatial magicafter examining the hourss for a moment, Rhys concluded that the wizard who invented the Portkey could truly be called a genius.
Daphne ced the hourss in her palm and gestured for Rhys to put his finger on it.
As thest grain of sand fell into the bottom chamber, Rhys felt something like a hook grab his navel and yank him upward at a tremendous speed.
He and Daphne spun rapidly like a top, but the centrifugal force didn''t fling them away because his fingertips were firmly stuck to the hourss.
Rhys could feel Daphne being tossed around in the air; their shoulders bumped into each other asionally. After a dozen seconds, his feet hit solid ground with a heavy thud.
Taking a few deep breaths to dispel the dizziness in his mind, Rhys found himself in a lush valley filled with green grass and fruit trees. A small stream flowed gently, bringing a touch of coolness to the hot summer day.
Upstream of the creek stood arge white European-style mansion.
Rhys was quite familiar with this cethis was Greengrass Manor he had set up the Fidelius charm.
"Wee to the Summer Valley of the Greengrass family. We move here during the summer to escape the heat."
"So, do you live in different manors during the other seasons?"
"Of course!" Daphne said proudly. "We have different manors for each season. For example, the winter manor has an amazing hot spring!"
A smile appeared on Rhys'' face.
The Greengrass family certainly knew how to enjoy life.
____
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127- Lockhart would be a good teacher, right?
127- Lockhart would be a good teacher, right?
Following the stream upstream, Rhys and Daphne quickly arrived outside the white mansion.
As soon as they reached the door, a young girl''s voice came from inside the house: "Dad, Dad, sister brought that boy back!"
The one shouting was Daphne''s younger sister, Astoria.
She had been leaning by her bedroom window, daydreaming, so she immediately saw her sister returning home with Rhys.
Hearing her sister''s voice, Daphne pursed her lips and muttered under her breath, "I told her his name; it''s so annoying!"
Astoria''s shout awakened the "sleeping" house. Mr. Greengrass, Mrs. Greengrass, and their house-elf all came to the first-floor living room, waiting to meet Rhys, whom Daphne had frequently mentioned in her letters.
Mr. Greengrass already knew about Rhys from the Knockturn Ally that day but from his daughter''s letters, Mr. Greengrass had a much better understanding that Rhys couldn''t be viewed as an ordinary child.
He possessed a wealth of ancient and mysterious knowledge and held many precious and rare treasuresexactly what Mr. Greengrass urgently needed for his child.
Even more astonishing, if his daughter''s spections were urate, this young wizard, who looked like an aristocratic boy, had a power that could only be described as unfathomable.
As for why Rhys was willing to extend kindness to his daughter, Mr. Greengrass believed that his own family name had at least half of the credit. If Rhys was indeed, as his daughter suggested, a descendant of Slytherin, then their families could be considered old friendsthough their previous connection dated back a thousand years...
Unlike Mr. Greengrass, Mrs. Greengrass and Astoria were simply curious about the boy that Daphne frequently mentioned.
Rhys made a good impression on them with his appearance.
"We meet again young Rhys!"
"Please have a seat, Dodo, go brew some tea and bring over some snacks," Mr. Greengrass instructed their house-elf.
"At once!" The little elf snapped its fingers and disappeared, only to return shortly with a huge silver tray.
"Make yourself at home; you can stay as long as you like," Mr. Greengrass said warmly.
"Yeah, it''s good to see you too, Sir Greengrass" Rhys nodded with a smile and started chatting casually with the Greengrass family.
While chatting, he also took the opportunity to observe the surroundings.
As expected, the estate was still the same estate, but the arrangements from a thousand years ago had vanished without a trace; almost all signs from a millennium ago werepletely goneit was now entirely a new residence.
Thus, Rhys settled down in the Greengrass estate and ended up staying for most of the summer holiday.
His life there was veryfortable and pleasant.
Daphne, who knew his tastes and preferences well, always managed to provide him with the most suitable food and desserts, greatly enhancing Rhys''s quality of life during his stay.
At the end of July, Hogwarts sent its customary owls, delivering the list of textbooks needed for the uing school year.
Daphne opened the letter, and after reading a couple of lines, she frowned: "The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for next year is likely a fan of Gilderoy Lockhart. The textbooks for next semester''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss include no less than seven of his books!"
This was quite an outrageous piece of news because one of Lockhart''s books cost five Galleons. To buy all seven would cost a hefty thirty-five Galleons, nearly the equivalent of a month''s sry for a regr employee of the Ministry of Magic.
Rhys also frowned.
Thanks to Mrs. Greengrass, he had read almost all of Lockhart''s works.
How should he put it?
From a novel perspective, they were quite good, but if they were to be used as textbooks, they were clearly not up to the mark.
The books that taught practical spells for everyday life, such as "Gilderoy Lockhart''s Guide to Household Pests," were well-written, but they weren''t on the required reading list.
Was the new professor asking the students to spend so much money on textbooks just to promote Lockhart''s works?
But Lockhart''s books were already bestsellers, topping the charts!
Rhys couldn''t make sense of it.
Mr. Greengrass, who was reading the *Daily Prophet* nearby, shed a mysterious smile.
"I happen to know a bit of insider information about your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for next term!"
Daphne immediately looked up. She believed her father when he said he had inside information. After all, she knew her father had a certain status in the wizarding world.
"Dad, tell me!" Daphne instantly switched to her "daddy''s girl" mode, acting coquettishly with Mr. Greengrass, hoping to get some inside scoop from him.
"Oh, the new teacher is not a fan of Lockhart... Cough! I thing my shoulders are a bit stiff?"
Mr. Greengrass coughed twice, made a gesture, and Daphne, understanding his hint perfectly, ran behind him to give him a back massage.
After a while, once Mr. Greengrass had enjoyed enough, he finally began to reveal the truth slowly.
"Look!" Mr. Greengrass shook the newspaper, revealing the big headline on the front page.
["Gilderoy Lockhart Announces at New Book Signing That He Will Be the Next Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor for the ''Boy Who Lived''"]
The news photo showed Gilderoy Lockhart with an extremely bright smile.
''Eh? Is Harry suppressing a poo?''
While Harry had an expression that could only be described as looking like he was constipated.
Daphne was shocked. "Wait! What kind of insider information is this? Isn''t this something anyone can know just by ncing at the newspaper?!"
"If I didn''t say that, how else would I get my lovely daughter to give me a back massage?"
"Ouch! That hurts!"
Daphne immediately gave a sharp twist to the soft flesh on her father''s waist, punishing him for keeping her in suspense.
"Makes sense." Rhys, standing to the side, looked at the picture of Lockhart in the newspaper and silently nodded.
If the course was to be taught by someone who had actually experienced these events, using novels as textbooks might not be such a bad idea. Lockhart could expand on the parts that were glossed over for the sake of storytelling and use the novels'' entertaining elements to spark the students'' interest in learning.
''Indeed, Lockhart might be a pretty good choice as a professor, and Dumbledore''s decision this time seemed quite reasonable.''
Rhys nodded.
This year''s professor finally seemed like an actual skilled wizard!
He had read Lockhart''s books and admitted that, based on the stories recorded in them, the guy seemed to be quite a decent adventurerprovided, of course, that these were all adventures he had personally experienced.
"Let''s hope Mr. Lockhart can handle the responsibilities of the Defense Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts," Mr. Greengrassughed. "After all, it''s a cursed position!"
"What curse?" Rhys asked, intrigued.
Seeing Rhys''s curiosity, He exined the feud between the Dark Lord and the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
"Oh?" Rhys was quite surprised after hearing Mr. Greengrass''s exnation. "Is there really such a curse in the world?" It was certainly an eye-opener for him.
Just as he was about to ask for more details, the doorbell of the Greengrass home rang.
"Sorry, I have a guesting today," Mr. Greengrass said hurriedly as he stood up to go greet the guest outside the manor.
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128- A Thousand Years Ago, I Would Have Killed You
128- A Thousand Years Ago, I Would Have Killed You
After a short while, Mr. Greengrass returned with a tall, thin man.
"This is Damocles, a very famous potioneer," Mr. Greengrass introduced the guest briefly to Daphne and Rhys.
Upon hearing the profession "potioneer," Rhys immediately understood his purpose: he was here to treat Astoria.
Rhys felt a bit ashamedhe had been freeloading at the Greengrass house for half the summer, yet he hadn''t mentioned treating Daphne''s sister''s curse. He had only given some calming potions and incense to help her sleep peacefully without dreams.
The reason he hadn''t rashly begun treatment was that Rhys had been contemting the right treatment n.
Unlike the "tough-skinned" Ravenw, Astoria''s soul was much more fragile. The more aggressive treatment methods clearly wouldn''t work; otherwise, the curse might not bepletely removed, and she could be driven mad by the process. Moreover, he didn''t have another piece of Voldemort''s soul fragment to use.
And soul fragments were not something Rhys dared to use recklessly.
The reason he used one for Ravenw was because she was strong enough; Voldemort''s iplete soul was nothing more than a minor ailment in her presence.
But Astoria was different. Her soul was too weak.
Could the remaining soul fragment take the opportunity to devour her soul and grow stronger? Rhys thought it was very possible.
The Damocles that Mr. Greengrass had invited was indeed quite skilled.
ording to Mr. Greengrass, he had recently developed a potion called Wolfsbane Potion, which could alleviate the symptoms of a werewolf''s transformation.
"It''s not exactly like that. My potion allows werewolves to retain their sanity even after transforming into wolves; it doesn''t prevent the transformation itself."
Rhys: "?!!"
"What?" He was so shocked that he identally eximed aloud.
Damocles nced at him, mistaking the young wizard''s reaction for confusion or ack of understanding, so he exined his newly invented potion again in simpler terms.
Rhys: "..."
He was speechless.
If someone had concocted such a potion a thousand years ago and unted it in front of him, he would have undoubtedly executed this wizard traitor without hesitation.
Allow werewolves to remain rational while transforming?
How did such a genius survive until now?
Gryffindor''s approach to curing werewolves: send them to reincarnate.
Ravenw''s approach to curing werewolves: make it impossible for them to maintain their werewolf form.
The modern young wizard''s approach to curing werewolves: allow them to stay conscious in their werewolf form.
Didn''t he realize the problem?
Isn''t Damocles thinking too kindly of werewolves?
From Rhys''s own experience, werewolves have always been at the bottom of the magical society for centuries, heavily discriminated against. They could easilypete with house-elves for their low status.
Many werewolves have developed psychological issues as a result, and if these despised werewolves could maintain their sanity after transforming, wouldn''t they be tempted to seek revenge on wizard society?
With just one bite, they could drag those high-and-mighty wizards into the mud. Once someone bes a werewolf, no matter how great their talent or noble their bloodline, it all bes meaningless.
Could any werewolf really resist such a temptation?
Even if I''m miserable, as long as you are as miserable as I am...
I''ll feel much better!
Even if only one in ten werewolves had such a twisted mindset, the damage to the wizarding world would be immeasurable.
In Rhys''s eyes, thebat abilities of modern wizards are highly questionable.
Could they really stand a chance against werewolves who remain rational after transforming?
Damocles, true to his name, has indeed be a sword hanging over the heads of wizards.
Seeing Rhys looking utterly shocked, Damocles smiled. Everyone who had heard about his potion praised him, including many high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Magic.
It was pretty standard to leave an ordinary young wizard dumbfounded. He had already decided that after testing the potion on a few more werewolves to ensure its stability, he would make the potion public.
"Alright, we''ve wasted enough time. Let''s go quickly and check on little Astoria''s condition," Damocles said, no longer interested in chatting with the "youngster," as he was now focused on more serious matters.
Damocles had long heard from his healer friends that the youngest daughter of the Greengrass family had some sort of strange illness, but he wasn''t worried at all because he had made two preparations.
No matter what, Miss Astoria''s condition would improve today.
Astoria was already used to dealing with healers. She sat obediently at the table, letting Damocles examine her, like a beautiful doll.
After using a few instruments that looked incredibly exquisite andplex to examine Astoria, a dark glint shed in Damocles''s eyes. The little girl''s condition was extremelyplicated, but the good news was that it matched his previous spection based on the information he had; she was under a "blood curse."
He was prepared for this situation.
After finishing his examination, Damocles thought for a moment and then asked with a serious expression, "Does Miss Astoria have a blood curse on her?"
After receiving a positive response from Mr. Greengrass, Damocles slowly said, "Blood curses are very difficult to cure."
Mr. Greengrass''s expression remained wooden, as if he wasn''t surprised at all by Damocles''s words.
"But I have a potion that can dy the onset of the curse and even alleviate the symptoms, though the effectiveness of thetter can vary from person to person."
Mr. Greengrass was stunned for a moment, then a look of ecstatic joy appeared on his face.
Rhys: ?
Really? Is this person in front of me that powerful?
Rhys asked himself, knowing that he was already a top master in the field of potions.
The reason he didn''t call himself the number one in the field was that over a thousand years, the field of potions had continuously developed, and some miraculous forms might have emerged that he wasn''t aware of. In other words, his knowledge could be somewhat outdated, so proiming himself as the best would be a bit arrogant.
Something that even he wasn''t confident about doing, Damocles was able to propose a solution after just one meeting. Could he really be a genius, or does he have some special potion for treating blood curses that Rhys doesn''t know about?
Rhys squinted his eyes, standing behind Damocles, scrutinizing him.
Mr. Greengrass was overjoyed and immediately requested Damocles to provide the potion for treatment. As for the cost of the potion, he didn''t even ask.
"Please give me aboratory, and I''ll prepare the potion for Miss Astoria right away."
Damocles''s request was quickly granted. Mr. Greengrass provided him with a well-equipped alchemy room and allowed him to use his potion supplies.
"Do I need to step out for a while?" Mr. Greengrass understood that most of these forms were the core secrets of potion makers, and he naturally didn''t want to break any rules.
"No need. The preparation of the potion is a very professional job, so there''s no need for you to do that."
To Mr. Greengrass''s surprise, Damocles didn''t mind at all that he was watching his process.
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129- The Destroyed Damocles
129- The Destroyed Damocles
Damocles wasn''t lying; potion-making is indeed a highly technical craft. He was very confident that even if Mr. Jamison stood beside him, he wouldn''t be able to figure out the effects of the potion he was making.
After all, Jamison wasn''t a master in the field of potions, and as for the two first-year kids, Damocles didn''t even consider them. They probably couldn''t even spell the names of the ingredients he was using!
Mr. Greengrass initially intended to leave the room to show his respect, but when he noticed Rhys didn''t n to leave, he simply stayed as well.
For the next hour, Damocles took out dozens of potion ingredients and processed them in various ways, turning them into powders of different colors. Then he set up a cauldron and added the ingredients like performing a magic trick.
asionally, he even took a pre-made potion from his robe and poured it into the boiling cauldron.
Rhys, who had been watching the potion-making process from the side, couldn''t hold back any longer: the potion Damocles was making was not much different from honey water. At most, it included some ingredients for inducing sleep, enhancing appetite, and boosting metabolism.
If Rhys wasn''t mistaken, Damocles also added some dragon fruit juice, whose only effect would be to turn Astoria''s excrement pink in a few hours.
Rhys could definitively say that Damocles was just here to scam for funding.
Drinking the potion would certainly do no harm, but its effectiveness against the blood curse was purely psychologicalfort.
"Ah~ It''s done. Please, take a look!"
After tinkering for over an hour, Damocles handed a bottle of blue potion to Mr. Jamison Greengrass.
"After Miss Astoria takes the potion, if her excrement is blue, it means the potion hasn''t worked. If it turns red, it indicates that the potion has reacted with the curse in her soul and has been effective," Damocles exined. "If it doesn''t work, I''ll adjust the form."
Mr. Jamison Greengrass, overjoyed after receiving the potion, intended to have his daughter drink it immediately. However, his good manners kept him from rushing; instead, he first asked Damocles what kind ofpensation he wanted.
"Oh, nopensation is necessary. It''s just about treating an illness and saving a life," Damocles replied with a faint smile on his face.
Mr. Jamison Greengrass felt a deep respect for him, but Rhys, standing nearby, frowned.
A person who is obviously a fraud and doesn''t want money is likely aiming for something bigger, with more far-reaching ns.
Should he expose him? After a moment''s hesitation, Rhys decided to go ahead.
After all, there would be a confrontation eventually, so there was no need to worry about startling the enemy.
"This potion would make even a dog excrete red," Rhys bluntly exposed Damocles''s deception.
Damocles was taken aback!
A sh of anger appeared on his face, but before he could say anything, Rhys used a spell to grab a peacock from outside the window.
Before Damocles could react, Rhys fed the potion to the peacock.
The bird, being straightforward in its bodily functions, soon left a red stain on theb table.
Rhys made a "see what I mean" gesture.
"I have never been so insulted! Mr. Greengrass, since this young fellow does not trust me, I shall take my leave. Your daughter''s illness is no longer my concern!" Damocles abruptly stood up and quickly left the Greengrass manor.
Mr. Jamison Greengrass was speechless.
...
After a moment, he let out a long sigh.
"I was too eager, and that made me fall into the traps of such people," he said, his face full of bitterness.
"What was he after?" Daphne asked curiously. "He didn''t ask for money, did he?"
"Maybe he wanted Mr. Greengrass to endorse his new potion," Rhys said quietly.
Daphne suddenly understood, and immediately felt a deep hatred for Damocles.
If they had believed his words and had her sister drink a cebo every day, it would definitely have dyed her treatment!
"If you really want some kind of medicine, I can make some calming potions or even some tonics," Rhys offered. However, he didn''t rmend Astoria use tonics because the curse within her soul would absorb the nutrients along with her, which might actually cause the curse to re up prematurely.
"Oh? That''s really kind of you," Mr. Greengrass perked up immediately upon hearing that Rhys was willing to make some potions for his daughter.
Even though he had just been deceived, he chose to trust Rhys.
Rhys worked quickly on the potions, and to Mr. Greengrass''s astonishment, he ced two crystal bottles filled with potions in front of him in less than half an hour.
"The first bottle is a sleeping potion, nothing special. The second one is more interesting. You can apply it to Astoria''s forehead after she falls asleep. This way, you can see the state of her soulit''ll help in analyzing her condition."
"This... I truly..." Mr. Greengrass carefully put the potions away in his coat.
"No need to be so formal. Consider it a token of thanks for your warm hospitality these past few days," Rhys replied modestly. After chatting with Mr. Greengrass for a bit, Rhys borrowed the hourss portkey from Daphne and got Damocles''s address from her.
"What are you going to do?" Daphne asked, already having a vague idea.
"Save the wizarding world~"
...
Damocles sat at his desk, his mind in turmoil and unable to calm down for a long time. He couldn''t understand how he had been seen through by a child.
Not fooling Jamison Greengrasswould that affect the promotion of his Wolfsbane Potion?
A terrifying thought arose in his mind, but he quickly pushed it away.
"No no no no no! Impossible. My potion is truly effective. I will be a hero in the wizarding world, the greatest potioneer of this era, and the Order of Merlin badge will be mine..." he muttered, trying tofort himself.
"It won''t," a voice suddenly came from behind him. Startled, he nearly jumped out of his chair, but several ropes shot out from behind, pulling him back.
"Ahh! Who!?"
Then, he was firmly tied to the chair.
A crystal vial was shoved to his lips, and a few drops of a cold potion were poured into his mouth.
"W-what did you make me drink?!" Damocles asked in a panic.
"Veritaserum. As a potioneer, you can''t even recognize this?" Rhys nced at him from above, then began his interrogation.
"Have you told anyone else the form for the Wolfsbane Potion?"
"No."
Rhys thought for a moment and rephrased his question: "Besides you, does anyone else know the form for the Wolfsbane Potion?"
"Yes, others know. They helped me improve the form."
Rhys: "!!"
Damocles'' response was a bit different from what Rhys had expected.
"Who is it?" Rhys pressed on.
Under the influence of the Veritaserum, Damocles instinctively wanted to answer Rhys''s question, but the word wouldn''te out of his mouth.
"Hmm?" Rhys grabbed Damocles''s head, forcing him to face him directly, and said slowly, "Tell me."
Damocles''s face twisted with strain, veins bulging on his temples. Rhys could clearly hear the sound of his teeth grinding together.
Finally, Rhys broke through the defenses set in Damocles''s mindaplex and ancient Fidelius Charm, but Rhys happened to know how to break it.
He spat out a word as if using all his strength. Rhys heard it clearly; the word was: "Secret Order."
Damocles''s soul dissipated along with that word in the air. After revealing to Rhys the organization that helped him improve the Wolfsbane Potion, the potioneer showed no signs of life.
"Interesting." Looking at Damocles, who had fallen to the ground, Rhys thought that things were getting interesting.
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130- Half-Human, Half-Snake
130- Half-Human, Half-Snake
Pushing Damocles'' body aside, Rhys sat down on the chair and began to sort through the fragmented memories he had just glimpsed.
There was no doubt that Damocles was an excellent potioneer, and his clinic was always filled with people seeking his medical expertise and potions.
Once, a monk who imed to be from the "Secret Order" approached him, asking for a total of seventeen potions, including the highlyplex Felix Felicis. In return, the monk offered only a tattered page said to be a remnant of a medieval potions book, on the condition that Damocles swore not to reveal anything about the page or their dealings to anyone else.
The deal seemed quite unequal, but the few scribbled phrases at the beginning of the page piqued Damocles'' curiosity enough that he agreed to the transaction. It took him an entire year to gather those seventeen potions.
That torn page was what inspired him to develop the Wolfsbane Potion.
Shortly after the Wolfsbane Potion waspleted, Mr. Jamison Henry Greengrass approached him. ording to Damocles'' n, if he could cure Astoria, he would do his best to treat her; if not, he would prescribe her a cebo that would improve her physical condition. He figured that if he couldn''t cure her, other potioneers and healers wouldn''t be able to either, so he might as well make herfortable.
But whether or not he could cure Astoria, Damocles initially had no intention of making money off the Greengrass family.
His n was to use the influence of the Greengrass family to promote his Wolfsbane Potion.
Once he became famous, won awards, and reaped the benefits, he would then squeeze money out of Mr. Jamison Greengrass.
This was the conclusion Rhys came to after piecing together the fragments of memory.
''Again, the Secret Order!''
Rhys couldn''t help but rub his chin. Stealing divine remains, assisting in the development of the Wolfsbane Potion, and spending "big money" to gather intelligence on the wizarding worldthis organization seemed to harbor a strong animosity toward wizards.
Now, the Mystic Order had fully captured Rhys'' attention.
He stood up from the chair and began to clean up Damocles'' residence.
Despite being a renowned potioneer, Damocles'' living quarters were starkly mismatched with his statushe lived in a rather deste apartment on the outskirts of London.
The exterior walls of the apartment had lost their paint, reced by various graffiti, and none of the windows in the corridors were intact. The best feature of the building was the doors of the individual apartments, which, though worn and old, still served their purpose.
Who would have thought that a potioneer would live in such a ce?
Inside, the apartment space was muchrger than it appeared on the outside, thanks to magic. However, it was cluttered with an overwhelming number of books and newspapers.
The only rtively tidy area was his study, where many of his notes and letters were neatly arranged on shelves.
Searching such a ce would have been time-consuming andbor-intensive for an ordinary person.
But Rhys had a way to take shortcuts. He expanded his domain, and soon the entire apartment was shrouded in steam, with the floor turning into a muddy swamp.
Rhys immersed himself fully, his senses enveloping everything within the apartment.
Gurgle, gurgle...
A few booklets surfacedthese were all of Damocles'' notes on the Wolfsbane Potion.
Considering that Damocles had mentioned he hadn''t made the potion''s form public, and that the Mystic Order only had partial notes, these booklets contained the only existing method to produce the Wolfsbane Potion in this world.
Rhys picked up the notes and, after a moment of contemtion, decided not to destroy them. Instead, he kept them, believing that with his modifications, the potion could be developed for new and valuable uses.
The remaining documents held no trace of the Secret Order and appeared worthless to Rhys.
Damocles hadn''t stored any potion ingredients in his home either, which left Rhys a bit disappointed.
Standing once more on solid ground, Rhys closed his domain. The water vapor in the air gradually dissipated, and the swampy floor returned to its original wooden state.
Even though he had taken the Wolfsbane Potion form, Rhys decided to destroy the entire apartment to erase all traces.
"Just because I specialize in water doesn''t mean I can''t use fire," Rhys muttered as a small me ignited at his fingertip.
...
"Last evening, a gas explosion urred on Whitechapel Street in London, resulting in at least one fatality. Witnesses reported that the explosion happened around 6 PM, with intense mes and thick smoke billowing from the scene. The surrounding buildings and streets suffered varying degrees of damage, leaving the area in ruins..."
Uncle Vernon grunted in disapproval and changed the channel.
"The pipes in those slums are as brittle as cookie crumbs, so it''s no surprise there was an explosion thereoh, and Petunia, remember to send some food up to that boy. We don''t want him burning the house down," Uncle Vernon grumbled.
The "boy" Uncle Vernon referred to was, of course, his "dear" nephew, Harry Potter.
Harry was currently locked in a room on the second floor, grounded by Uncle Vernon after an incident where a cake mysteriously floated above the head of one of Vernon''s important clients and then dropped onto him.
As a result, Uncle Vernon missed out on a potential path to financial freedom, and Harry was rewarded with a summer of confinement, despite his repeated ims that he wasn''t responsible for the incident.
Aunt Petunia huffed in annoyance as she reluctantly went to bring Harry his meal.
However, a simple grounding couldn''t prevent Harry from returning to the magical world. A few hourster, a flying car hovered outside the Dursleys'' second-floor window, tore off the burr bars, and whisked Harry away.
Harry spent the rest of his summer at the Weasleys'' house, a situation that mirrored Rhys''s in some ways, as Rhys spent his summer at the Greengrass Manor.
On the night Rhys visited Damocles''s house, Mr. Jamison Greengrass eagerly applied the potion Rhys had given him to his beloved daughter. What he witnessed next was an image he would never forget: a wisp of white mist rose from her forehead and gradually gathered at the head of her bed, taking shape.
To his horror, the mist condensed into a half-human, half-snake creature!
The creature''s upper body resembled Astoria''s, looking sweet and pitiful, but the girl''s legs had been reced by a snake''s tail.
Astoria''s manifested soul was not only grotesque in shape, but its overall color was also rming.
While most of it was white, it was marred by numerous ugly ck spotsevidence of the blood curse that was corrupting her soul, continuously expanding and growing stronger.
One day, Astoria''s soul would bepletely transformed into the shape of a snake.
Just one look and you''ll understand how tricky Astoria''s current situation is.
Even Rhys was secretly shocked: Astoria''s physical condition was worse than he had imagined.
Looking at the appearance of his daughter''s soul, Mr. Greengrass was speechless for a long time as if he was under a petrification spell.
It was not until Rhys promised to help find a solution and a magic potion for treatment that he forced a smile and thanked Rhys. But Rhys could see that there was no spark in those once proudful eyes.
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131- New Semester, New Teacher
131- New Semester, New Teacher
"Be careful, and when you get to school, make sure to get along with your housemates, no matter which house you''re ineven if it''s Gryffindor, that''s fine! After all, our ancestor, Dragonheart Adrian, was known as ''the most Gryffindor Slytherin ever!''" Mr. Jamison Greengrass squatted down to straighten his younger daughter''s cor.
Rhys, overhearing this, frowned: Is he actually proud of that?
Meanwhile, Mrs. Greengrass was chattering on, reminding Daphne to maintain good grades, dress appropriately for the weather, and take care of her younger sister, all of which made Daphne look visibly impatient.
"As for the business with the Secret Order, you don''t need to worry about that for now. Just run the shop and live your life. If you feel unwell during the full moon, make sure to contact me immediately." When it was Rhys''s turn to speak, it felt as though the roles of adult and child had reversed.
He didn''t give Lupet any specific tasks, only asked her to live her life well. Of course, if she encountered anything unusual or came across any important information, she should contact him right away.
Rhys truly hoped that after their transformations, both Lupet and Valentina, the two werewolves, could start anew.
As the train whistle blew, they hurriedly said their goodbyes. The children boarded the train while the parents stood on the tform, watching as it slowly pulled away. A new school term had begun.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?" Thepartment door slid open, and a rather unexpected person appeared at the entrance.
He was wearing a blue robe, the same color as his eyesforget-me-not blue. His pointed wizard''s hat was slightly askew, but it somehow managed not to mess up his stylish curls.
"I ran into a few fans on the way, and they insisted on autographs and wanted me to recount the story of how I drove away a banshee in Bann. That''s why I''m a bitte, and now all thepartments are fullmay I sit here?" He shed a dazzling smile, revealing a set of perfect, gleaming white teeth.
"Professor Lockhart?!" Daphne, Astoria, and Hermione were all taken aback, with Hermione even standing up in surprise, eximing the neer''s name.
The mboyant man before them was none other than Gilderoy Lockhart, Hogwarts'' new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the year.
"What a coincidence!" Lockhart''s smile grew even brighter. "Another one of my fans! The wizarding world really like a small vige!"
To be honest, thepartment Rhys and the others were in wasn''t the most ideal for this. Including Rhys, there were already four young wizards packed inside, and with Lockhart squeezing in, thepartment became a bit crowded.
However, with Hermione looking absolutely ecstatic, and given Lockhart''s position as a professor at Hogwarts, Rhys couldn''t exactly kick him out.
As for why Lockhart wanted to ride the train in this cramped space, the reason was clear: he had spotted the Greengrass sisters.
His first choice had, of course, been Harry.
Sharing apartment with Harry would have guaranteed several more newspaper headlines, but after searching the train, he hadn''t been able to find Harry''spartment. Thus, he settled for the Greengrass sisters instead.
In Lockhart''s mind, chatting with them wasn''t a bad second option. Mrs. Greengrass''s generosity had left a deep impression on himshe had yed a key role in getting his first few books published.
Talking with the two young Greengrasses might very well lead to more gold!
While Lockhart was plotting how to milk the Greengrass family''s wealth, Rhys was equally intrigued. He was eager to chat with Lockhart, the adventurer, believing that Lockhart might offer him some unexpected surprises.
Last year''s Professor Quirrell had been rather abstract, so hopefully this year''s Professor Lockhart would make up for it with solid lessons.
"How could you... how could you..." Hermione stammered as she rummaged through her bag, clearly flustered.
"Come to teach at Hogwarts?" Lockhart finished her sentence for her. "It''s quiteplicated. First, the school has many of my fans, and I see this as a wonderful opportunity to connect with them up close. Second, because of Harry Potter. I, Gilderoy Lockhart, recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third ss, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly''s Most Charming Smile Award, am certain that sparks will fly between me and the Boy Who Lived!"
Rhys: "..."
Lockhart''s way of introducing himself made Rhys feel like he was transported back to the Middle Ages, when Muggle lords loved to stack a heap of titles in front of their names.
Hermione finally pulled out a stack of textbooks, holding them up to Lockhart for his autograph.
Lockhart didn''t refuse.
He immediately pulled out a brightly colored quill and, with grand, flourishing strokes, signed his name on each book.
For the rest of the journey, Lockhart bragged incessantly about his various adventures. Astoria and Hermione listened intently, their eyes shining with excitement, asionally asking eager questions.
Daphne was feeling drowsy.
To her, Lockhart''s stories weren''t that impressiveshe figured she could pull off something simr.
For example, dealing with werewolves.
She might not know how to cast a human restoration spell, but she could definitely kill a werewolf!
Rhys, however, furrowed his brow as he listened to Lockhart''s stories. There was something off about them, a vague sense of inconsistency, like things didn''t quite add up.
"Speaking of, Professor Lockhart, in your book Wanderings with Werewolves" Rhys began, since he found the story particrly rtable. After all, he had spent time with a werewolf himself, and the human restoration spell mentioned in the book resonated with him.
"Ah! That was from my time in Armenia, a beautiful little country," Lockhartunched into another story. "The Muggles there may seem cold on the outside, but once you get to know them, they''re incredibly hospitable. They''ll invite you into their homes, serve you fresh pita bread and a steaming pot of stew... And let me tell you, Armenian Halloumi cheese with freshly baked bread is simply divine!" His enthusiasm seemed to overflow as he began recounting how he helped a vige in Armenia rid itself of a werewolf and then wandered with the werewolf afterwards.
Rhys was so engrossed in the story that he nearly forgot what he wanted to ask.
"Oh, right," Rhys said, snapping back to the point. "Did you ever cast the human restoration spell on that werewolf again?"
Lockhart waved his hand dramatically. "Of course not, my boy! A great wizard only needs to seed once. In the midst of adventure, any carelessness can be fatal. You only get one shot!"
Rhys was startled.
The human restoration spell required periodic recasting after some time. rmed, he quickly asked, "When was thest time you encountered that werewolf? Has he stayed in human form the entire time without transforming even once?"
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132- Lockhart: Suddenly I don’t want to go
132- Lockhart: Suddenly I dont want to go
Facing Rhys'' questioning, Lockhart suddenly fell silent.
He answered vaguely: "About ten years ago? At that time, I gave up my career in the UK-"
"Ten years? Are you sure?!" Rhys couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows.
A spell that prevented the werewolves from transforming for ten years. Even the inventor of the spell, Ravenw, was not as good as him.
This made Rhys strongly doubt the truth of Lockhart''s words: No matter how strong you are, Lockhart, can you be stronger than Ravenw?
If you really have this level, what were you doing when Voldemort was rampant?
Why didn''t you show up to stop him?
Voldemort''s era has only been over for more than ten years!
Or, in other words, the Humanoid restoration Spell has made great progress in the thousand years that he has been sleeping?
Why does it seem that no one has ever tried to poprize this spell?
As long as the Humanoid restoration Spell is applied to the werewolves persistently, it will not be a matter of time before the werewolves are collectively transformed into wizards?
Gryffindor has proved that werewolves cannot be killedpletely, but Ravenw''s method may be able to.
But no wizard has taken any action so far. Do they not want to?
Rhys concluded that Ravenw''s restoration spell was probably on the verge of being lost, and Lockhart''s words were not credible - one of the two- Lockhart or the werewolf must be lying.
"The spell that can restore a werewolf to human form is incredible!" Rhys said deliberately, "Professor Lockhart, I happen to know a werewolf friend. Can you help her? Can you cast a spell to restore her human form? So that she can get rid of this desperate and miserable life?"
After hearing what Rhys said, Lockhart''s expression froze, but being eloquent, he quickly found a perfect way to deal with it.
"No problem, but I have to focus on teaching from now on, so why don''t you invite her to Hogwarts for treatment - of course, remember to make an appointment with me in advance. I really want to help her, but I''m really busy and can''t spare the time." Lockhart agreed generously, but at the same time set a lot of conditions.
He had already thought about it.
If Rhys really asked his werewolf friend to seek treatment from him, he would try to dy the time. If he couldn''t dy any longer, he would verbally agree to her, but actually add a few words in the letter to the fans, "identally" leaking the news that a werewolf was going to enter Hogwarts, and encourage the fans to send a letter to Dumbledore to oppose the werewolves entering. By then, he would not suffer any loss on both sides.
Rhys looked up at Lockhart.
In his opinion, Lockhart''s calctions were written all over his face.
Lockhart''s reaction also shows that he is most likely not able to cast the ''advance'' Humanoid restoration spell he talked about, and the story in his book is likely to be fabricated based on hearsay.
Rhys''s eyes were as dark as ink and as deep as the abyss, making Lockhart feel ufortable.
He forced a smile and then found a new topic to talk about. Fortunately, there were his loyal fans in the cabb, so it didn''t be a dull moment.
But Rhys was not willing to let Lockhart off so easily, and he brought up a topic that was very upsetting to Lockhart.
"Professor Lockhart, I admire your courage."
Lockhart raised an eyebrow, not really understanding why he suddenly started talking about this, but since it was apliment, he epted it without hesitation.
He smiled what he thought was a charming smile, and said that courage was an indispensable factor in adventure and was the first piece of equipment an adventurer should pack in his backpack before setting off.
"Only a true warrior dares to sit on the position of professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Rhys''s exmation made Lockhart a little confused.
Daphne nced at the two of them, and slowly told Lockhart about the feud between the Dark Lord and the Defense Against the Dark Arts professorship.
She not only told the legend, but also listed the fates of all the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professors she knew of:st year''s Professor Quirrell was reduced to ashes under the trapdoor of the third floor''s coridor, and the professor the year before was said to have had his back broken by a wild boar in the Forbidden Forest.
As for the other professors, some of them resigned voluntarily for personal reasons, and a considerable proportion of professors resigned passively due to various idents.
In any case, no one has ever stayed for more than one academic year.
Lockhart: "..."
By the time Daphne was halfway through her words, he was already sweating profusely.
The smile on his face was no longer bright, and the muscles at the corners of his mouth were tense.
"Maybe it''s... a coincidence? I actually only n to teach for one year. After all, my adventurous life has to continue." He tried hard to find an excuse, but he couldn''t even fool himself.
"Yeah! An adventurer like you wouldn''t be afraid of curses, right?" Rhys put Lockhart directly on the fire. "Right? Professor Lockhart?"
"Gulp!" Lockhart suddenly felt a little reluctant to be a professor.
He initially epted Dumbledore''s invitation mainly because of the poprity of the matter. Working at Hogwarts and being a teacher to the Boy Who Lived, this sentence would be the front page of the newspaper!
This was something that Lockhart, who loved to show off, could not refuse.
In his opinion, it was easy to fool the little wizards. He only needed to tell them about his heroic deeds. A year of lessons and then an explosion of poprity was a good deal.
But now the situation seems to have changed, and the professor''s position has suddenly be dangerous, which makes Lockhart want to quit.
But considering that he had already boasted and the contract had been signed, it seemed that there was no way back. He had already put himself on thedder, and it would not be easy to get down.
Lockhart couldn''t help but regret the decision he had made.
Now, his mood became very bad.
Seeing that Rhys seemed to want to talk, Lockhart felt upset. He found an excuse and hurriedly left this miserable carriage.
Seeing Lockhart fleeing in panic, Rhys was a little shocked: What the hell!
Based on the conversation just now, he was 90% sure that this new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was a fake!
God knows how he wrote those adventure stories in his book, maybe they were just hearsay? !
Rhys felt that the future of Hogwarts students was bleak.
With the quality of Quirrell and Lockhart, what useful self-defense magic can they learn?!
This year was probably going to be wasted again - out of seven years, how many years were enough for them to waste?
What was the point of graduating from Hogwarts without being able to cast an Shield Charm?
Rhys had mixed feelings.
"He''s quite talkative, isn''t he?" Since Lockhart had written many books, Hermione had a good impression of him. Plus, her knowledge was not as broad as Rhys'', so she didn''t see any ws in Lockhart.
"But a talkative person may not necessarily be a good professor. My intuition tells me that he can''t seem to teach us real things." Daphne expressed a different opinion.
In her opinion, Lockhart was no match for Rhys.
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133- Hufflepuff’s Fishing Magic
133- Hufflepuffs Fishing Magic
Hearing Daphne''s evaluation of Professor Lockhart, Hermione suddenly looked up, staring intently at her.
Hermione had prepared many counterarguments, but Daphne spoke first, shutting her down with a single sentence.
"He''s lying. The story in his book Wanderings with Werewolves is made up, or at least it''s not something he personally experiencedbecause that''s not how the human restoration spell works." Before Hermione could argue, Daphne shared the knowledge about the spell that Rhys had taught her.
"Maybe his understanding of the spell is just really deep..." Hermione tried to defend.
"Impossible. Even Rowena Ravenw and Helga Hufflepuff, who invented the spell, couldn''t do itI have letters from them to prove it. Their first attempts at casting the spellsted at most five years," Rhys spoke up in support of Daphne.
"And besides, he just talked and talked without saying anything useful," Daphne pointed out sharply.
Hermione recalled their earlier conversation and realized it was true. Whenever Rhys tried to steer the discussion towards more technical details, Lockhart would find a way to change the subject. Caught up in her admiration for him, she hadn''t noticed.
Now, Hermione began to feel uneasy. Desperately trying to defend Lockhart, like a drowning person grasping at straws, she said, "It can''t be. HeI mean, Professor Lockharthe''s written so many books!"
"Writing books doesn''t mean he actually experienced those things. He could have made them up, or maybe he just heard the stories from somewhere else."
Rhys''s words left Hermione silent, and she became increasingly doubtful: could it be that Professor Lockhart was really just a fraud with an empty reputation?
"You can''t judge a book by its cover. Let''s wait until he teaches a few sses, then we''ll know the truth," Rhys said in an almost despairing tone.
In truth, he no longer had any expectations for Lockhart.
The atmosphere in thepartment grew heavy until the arrival of the trolley full of food. The assortment of snacks lifted everyone''s spirits a little.
"So, besides sweets, do you have any real food? Even a sandwich would do," Rhys asked after buying a pile of snacks, feeling like something was missing.
He craved something more substantial.
"Of course, dear." the kind-looking trolley witch handed him a box of ham and egg sandwiches, fulfilling his request.
However, one box of sandwiches wasn''t enough to satisfy Rhys''s appetite. Just then, a river came into view outside the train window, and Rhys suddenly remembered a food magic spell that Helga Hufflepuff had taught him.
He immediately decided to give it a try.
"Let me show you something impressive."
The moment Rhys said this, the three young witches in thepartment immediately abandoned their chocte frogs, sandwiches, and other snacks, eagerly watching him with bright eyes.
They knew full well that Rhys was about to perform a remarkable spell.
"This spell, ording to legend, was invented by one of the founders of Hogwarts, Helga Hufflepuff. At the time, they were in a hurry to travel, and Hufflepuff, who was in charge of cooking for everyone, couldn''t bear to see her friends eat dry bread with cheese and salted meat day after day. She wanted to make them some fresh fish."
"But it was winter at the time, and the river was frozen over, with no ce to fish. So she invented this spell, which allowed her to fish even while sitting in the warmth of the carriage," Rhys exined, adding a bit of embellishment to Helga''s story for the younger ones.
In reality, the true historical ount was that the four founders were trapped in a mountain cabin during a snowstorm.
They had agreed to take turns going out to find food, but when it was Hufflepuff''s turn, she didn''t want to venture into the blizzard.
Yet, she couldn''t break the agreement out of pride.
So, in her desperation, she developed a spell that allowed her to connect a wooden basin inside the cabin to the river outside through spatial magic, letting her fish from the river without leaving the shelter.
This not only solved thrir food problem at the time but also allowed her to stay indoors.
"Another story from those letters?" Daphne asked,ughing at her own question.
"Yes, I have a huge collection of letters."
Daphne made a clicking sound with her tongue, and an amusing thought popped into her mind: why not seek out Rowena Ravenw to verify the truth of this story? After all, she was just down in the dungeons at Hogwarts.
Rhys conjured a wooden basin from thin air, using the Freshwater Charm to fill it with water. After the basin was full, he casually conjured a fishing rod, casting the hook into the water.
A magical thing happened.
As soon as the hook hit the water, it disappeared, as though it had truly plunged into a river.
The young witches widened their eyes in unison.
Within less than a minute, Rhys gave his fishing rod a little twitch, and out came a fish about the length of a finger.
"I''ve had this type of fish before!" Hermione quickly recognized the species, speaking excitedly. "When it''s deep-fried until crispy, even the bones be crunchy and taste amazing."
She sighed afterward, adding, "Too bad we don''t have the right equipment for that here."
"If it''s just about dehydrating the fish, that shouldn''t be too hard," Rhys mused, an idea forming in his mind.
Following the same method, in no time, Rhys had fished out about a dozen more from the magical basin.
With a flick of his wand, the scales and innards of the fish were cleaned out in an instant. At the same time, the moisture in the fish seemed to "agitate" under his spell. Before long, the fish were transformed into dried, crispy snacks.
"Feel free to try them. They''re not quite fried fish, but they should be crunchy enough."
Hermione took one, carefully chewing it.
The once fresh fish had been processed by Rhys into something as crisp as a cracker. Even the bones could be easily chewed. Despite having no seasoning, the dried fish had a unique and pleasant taste.
"The taste is really good, and the spell is amazing!" Hermione eximed.
"Heh" Rhys nodded, pleased with himself.
During the rest of the journey, they quickly finished off the snacks and sandwiches they had bought earlier, and enjoyed a fresh fish feast. Some were dried, while others were roasted over a fire.
The delicious fish added a bright spot to an otherwise monotonous trip.
As night began to fall and the sky outside the train windows grew darker, they finally arrived at Hogwarts.
When the train slowly pulled into the tform, a nervous expression appeared on Astoria''s face.
"What''s wrong?" Daphne noticed her sister''s change in mood and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"I''m worried What if I get sorted into Gryffindor?" Astoria said, her voice growing more anxious as she spoke, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead.
Neither her father, her sister, nor even the doctor who treated her had been willing to reveal any details about the Sorting, leaving her feeling uncertain and uneasy.
"Hehe~ Little Astoria, if you''re really scared, just keep silently repeating my name during the Sorting. I''m sure your wish wille true," Rhys said, shaking his head with a smile at Astoria''s worry.
This girlhow could she possibly end up in another house?
''Though, should I test the Trace on her?''
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134- The idea of ??driverless driving is shattered
134- The idea of ??driverless driving is shattered
The Trace...
Rhys squinted his eyes.
This method the Ministry of Magic uses to monitor underage wizards might be some kind of longsting magic, but it was more likely a form of contract-based magic.
However, no matter which kind of magic it was, it would require a caster, whether or not that caster was human.
Rhys patted Astoria on the shoulder, reassuring her not to panic. She was sure to get into the house she wanted.
"Really?" A smile appeared on Astoria''s pale face. "Then I''m definitely going to Slytherin."
"Why not consider Gryffindor? There''s plenty of fun to be had there!" A male voice suddenly came from behind them.
They turned around to see two identical red-headed boys grinning at them.
"Fred, stop teasing the kid! Little Astoria won''t end up in any other househow about your sister Ginnyes to Slytherin instead? I''ll give her all my notes fromst year!"
Rhys''s words made Fred and George''s smiles freeze on their faces.
Putting themselves in Daphne''s shoes... if their little sister Ginny ended up in Slytherin... no way! The thought alone was terrifying!
So, they quickly changed the subject.
"Remember the bet at the end ofst term? Did you just call me Fred? I''ll give you another chance. Are you sure you want to stick with your choice?" Fred winked at Rhys.
However, for Rhys, the magical difference between the two was quite obvious, so he didn''t waver at all from Fred''s words. "Nope~"
"Damn it." Seeing that he hadn''t managed to trick Rhys, Fred sighed.
"You''re lucky. If there''s anything you need us to bring back from Hogsmeade, just let us know." George wrapped his arm around Fred''s neck and led him away from the trainpartment aisle.
"Weird Weasleys."
That was Astoria''s evaluation of Fred and George.
"They just like ying pranks. They''re not bad people." Rhys exined in defense of Fred and George, then followed Daphne and the others off the tform.
At this point, Astoria parted ways with them, as Hagrid led the first-year students across the ck Lake by boat. Rhys and the other second-year "veterans" followed the crowd toward the edge of the forest.
In the forest, there were over a hundred carriages parked, and while the yokes of these carriages seemed empty to most people, they weren''t actually without creatures pulling them. Instead, they were drawn by magical creatures known as Thestrals.
Only those who have witnessed and understood death can see them.
"So, are these carriages enchanted? Can they move on their own without horses?" Hermione asked, looking curiously at the seemingly empty yokes, her interest in magic piqued.
''Could this be some kind of auto-navigation spell?''
Hermione even started imagining the possibility of applying such a spell to her family''s car thoughts of autonomous driving began to form in her mind.
"Heh~ Wrong answer. If you reach out and feel around here, you''ll understand," Rhys mercilessly interrupted Hermione''s musings and pointed to a spot, motioning for her to touch it.
He could see clearly that, as Hermione spoke, the Thestrals pulling the carriages all turned their heads in unison, staring at her with their white, pupil-less eyes.
Thestrals were incredibly intelligent magical creatures, even capable of understanding human speech.
Following Rhys'' suggestion, Hermione cautiously extended her hand toward the spot he indicated, and soon she felt something hard and solid.
"O..!" It felt like bone, though the surface seemed to be covered by ayer of skin.
"There really is something here!" Hermione eximed in surprise.
"Oh? What do they look like? Can I touch it?" Daphne, standing to the side, was also intrigued by the creature Rhys had called a Thestral.
It was only when Daphne asked that Rhys realized she couldn''t see Thestrals either.
''Perhaps when Quirrell died, Daphne hadn''t actually seen it.''
''Or maybe it was because Quirrell wasn''t really alive anymore when she encountered him.''
"Of course,e here..." Rhys patiently guided Daphne''s hand to rest on the back of the Thestral.
To the witches, the sensation of touching a Thestral was one of thinnessalmost as if there was nothing between its bones and skin.
"Ouch!"
Perhaps the Thestral was ticklish, as it swished its tail, flicking Daphne''s hand and making her yelp in surprise.
But despite the small warning, Hermione didn''t stop. This was a magical creature she had never encountered before, and she was determined to pet it while she had the chance. Who knew if she''d get another opportunity in the future?
"Alright, we need to get going. There''s a whole herd of Thestrals living in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid takes good care of them, so maybe one day you can ask him to show you around," Rhys said as he looked around and noticed the other carriages had already started departing. He urged them to get moving.
Daphne nodded, already nning to ask Hagrid not only to show her the Thestrals but also to visit her very own nightmare creature.
During the summer, while Daphne wasn''t at Hogwarts, her nightmare creature had been cared for by Hagrid. She thought she should check on it soon, worried that too much time apart might cause it to be unfamiliar with her.
She was the first to board the carriage, with Hermione reluctantly following her, still yearning to pat with the Thestral. Rhys climbed in after Hermione, and just as he was about to close the carriage door, he heard someone shouting.
"Wait, please wait!"
Rhys stuck his head out and saw Neville running toward them, gasping for breath, with his toad, Trevor, clutched in his hands.
"I was looking for Trevor took me a while. Phew d you''re still here," Neville said as he climbed into the carriage, panting heavily.
Rhys smiled and shook his head. It seemed that working the whole summer for Lupet hadn''t cured Neville of his forgetfulness.
"How was the rest of your summer?" Rhys asked, as the carriage began to creak and move forward. He struck up a conversation with Neville, who sat beside him.
Neville nodded, smiling. "Lupet looked after me well. By the end, she even taught me how to make desserts. I wonder if there''s a ce in the castle where I could cook. If there is, I could try making some..."
"That sounds fantastic," Rhys replied.
As they continued chatting andughing, the carriage passed through the gates of Hogwarts.
Since they were all second-year students now, they headed straight to the Great Hall. At the entrance, they spotted Snape speaking with Professor McGonagall.
"Potter Weasley" Snape muttered.
"Severus, I need to oversee the Sorting Ceremony. You should go inform Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall said as the four approached. She hurried away just as Snape made his way into the hall.
"Looks like Harry and Ron might have gotten into some trouble again?"
Daphne guessed, piecing things together from the snippets of conversation she overheard.
___________
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135- The Sorting Hat: Trembling and Treading on Thin Ice
135- The Sorting Hat: Trembling and Treading on Thin Ice
"Who knows? They are both Gryffindors." Hermione didn''t have a deep impression of Harry and Ron. She only knew that they were very likely to break school rules.
The four of them separated at the door of the Great Hall and went to sit at the long table of their Houses.
After sitting down at the Slytherin table, Rhys looked towards Gryffindor and indeed did not see any trace of Harry and Ron in the crowd.
What were they doing?
As there was nothing to do, Rhys simply put his hand on his chin and thought about what might have happened to Harry and Ron, and then he saw a car passing by the window of the castle.
Rhys: ""
He probably understood what Ron and Harry had done wrong. Hermione summed them up very well: they were too Gryffindor.
The Sorting Ceremony was not postponed due to the absence of the two young wizards.
Professor McGonagall led a group of little ones, as in previous years. Rhys saw Astoria standing at the front of the line, and behind her was a girl with messy, waist-length dirty blond hair.
The blonde girl attracted Rhys''s attention because she wore some unusual jewelry and put her wand behind her ear. Her gray eyes looked dreamy and she was obviously crazy.
He had a hunch that the girl would be sorted into Ravenw, because - although saying this would surely make Ravenw furious - he felt that those crazy little wizards were in line with the Ravenw house temperament.
Under the chairmanship of Professor McGonagall, the sorting ceremony began.
Since herst name''s 1st letter was "G" and her first name''s was "A", Astoria was quickly called up.
When she saw the Sorting Hat, she was really relieved - before that, there were all kinds of opinions about the school''s sorting method. The most exaggerated one was that everyone had to work together to defeat a giant monster, and then be assigned to a house based on their performance in the battle.
With strange thoughts shing through her mind, Astoria sat down on the small square stool.
She could feel the gazes of nearly a thousand eyes, which made her nervous: in public, once the results of the division were announced, there would be no room for maneuver.
''I don''t want to go to Gryffindor, I don''t want to go to Hufflepuff!''
When the hat was put on her head, she remembered what Rhys had said to her.
Recite my name silently, and your wish wille true!
Although she didn''t really believe it, she still silently repeated Rhys''s name several times in her heart.
At the same time, a voice rang in her ear: "Interesting little girl, your soul...wait, you just say Rhys? Do you know Lord Sal I mean Rhys Chass Lint?"
"Yes." Astoria was also quite surprised. She didn''t expect that the Sorting Hat would actually remember Rhys''s name!
The Sorting Hat just said "Oh" and then remained silent.
After hearing the name Rhys, the Sorting Hat immediately understood that Lord Slytherin had his own n for the girl on the stool. It tried to put the trace on the little wizard of the Greengrass family in front of it ording to the contract, but as soon as the contract magic was activated, the Sorting Hat felt a slight resistance, as if there was a force resisting the trace it released.
Perhaps increasing the output could force the trace to be added, but the Sorting Hat didn''t dare to do so, because it sensed clearly that this was a spell cast by Lord Slytherin, the purpose of which was to prevent it from cing traces on this girl.
Now it dare not act rashly.
Astoria was confused at this time. She didn''t understand why the Sorting Hat suddenly stopped talking.
Fortunately, the Sorting Hat''s silence did notst too long. After a few seconds, it opened its mouth and asked again: "Did LorRhys say anything?"
Astoria: ???
What''s going on?
Why does it seem like the Sorting Hat takes Rhys''s opinion very seriously?
Astoria''s feeling was correct, and the Sorting Hat was now afraid that it had misjudged Rhys''s intentions.
''ording to me, this girl should go to Slytherin!''
''But! Lord would have seen that too! So if he knew that I''ll send her to Slytherin.. and still told her to ''warn'' me.. Does he not want her to go to Slytherin!?''
ording to its judgment, it was going to sort Astoria into Slytherin, but now that it knew that Slytherin House''s founder was paying special attention to this girl, it dared not act rashly, fearing that it would identally ruin the masters'' ns.
What the Sorting Hat didn''t know was that Rhys didn''t have a n, he just wanted Astoria to go to the house she wanted.
"He said I can definitely go to any House I want to go to." Astoria wasn''t very clear about what was going on, but she still told him what Rhys said truthfully.
''Hmm.. so Lord knew I would send her to Slytherin, but the little girl wanted to go else where so he respected her choice and told her to ''warn'' me so I send her to her choice of House! Yes! That''s it!''
"Oh, then which House do you want to go to?"
"It must be Slytherin!"
Sorting Hat: "..."
After a moment, it roared with all its strength: "Slytherin!"
The sorting ceremony continued, and no one knew the twists and turns of the sorting hat''s mental journey.
Today''s opening banquet was slightly different from the past.
There was always ack of people in the teacher''s seat. Snape was not there when the sorting ceremony began, and Professor McGonagall also disappeared after presiding over the sorting ceremony.
Later, Dumbledore also left the hall after announcing the start of the banquet, which caused students to talk about it.
This made Lockhart quite unhappy.
He had carefully prepared a speech for today''s opening dinner and apanied it with a set of corresponding body postures. As a result, Dumbledore did not even give him time to show his performance. After he introduced his name, he actually announced that the dinner was ready!
That action and that manuscript were all scrapped!
But just as no one knew the psychological activities of the Sorting Hat, no one noticed Professor Lockhart''s dissatisfaction.
It was not until the end of the banquet that a very explosive piece of news slowly spread: Harry and Ron did not board the Hogwarts Express, they drove here in a flying car.
This caused a heated discussion, Gryffindor wizards thought this was so cool, while Slytherin students thought this serious vition of the Statute of Secrecy should be punished.
Ravenw and Hufflepuff students had no special opinions on this, they were either discussing what spells were cast on the flying car, or regretting that Harry and Ron missed such a sumptuous banquet respectively.
Lockhart beat his chest and stamped his feet,menting that he had missed an opportunity to make the headlines.
But these had nothing to do with Rhys.
He returned to the dormitory early,y on the bed, and fell asleep.
Generally speaking, few young wizards would choose to go to the library to study on the first day of school - they usually haven''t yet recovered from theirzy state during the holidays.
But there was one exception. On the first day of school, Miss Hermione Granger pushed open the door of the library.
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136- Adventure in the Library
136- Adventure in the Library
Madam Pince wasn''t too happy when she saw Hermione Granger visiting the library on the very first day of term.
She forced a stiff smile and said to Hermione, "Youngdy, working so hard on the first day? Why not spend a couple of days ying with your dorm mates?"
Hermione, upon hearing this, appeared thoughtful.
"You''re right," she replied.
Madam Pince was overjoyed by this response. If the little girl became engrossed in ying with her roommates, she wouldn''te to the library and mess with her precious books, right?
"I''ll just bring them here to read with me next time," Hermione added.
"..."
With that, she walked deeper into the library, leaving Madam Pince standing there like a statue.
What Madam Pince didn''t know was that Hermione was extremely nervous during their conversation, fearing she would check her bagbecause then she''d have a lot of exining to do about the dozen Hogwarts-marked magic books inside.
Hermione wandered between the bookshelves, using her memory to find the fake books one by one and rece them with the real ones from her bag.
Soon, most of the books had been returned, except for oneWizarding Landmarkswhich she hadn''t found yet. Luckily, a few minutester, she spotted the fake book at the bottom of a shelf.
Hermione broke into a cold sweatMadam Pince had actually reorganized the bookshelves right at the start of term!
Thankfully, she hadn''t noticed the issue with Wizarding Landmarks.
Just as Hermione was about to stash the fake books she had recovered into her bag, a glimpse of blue caught her eye, freezing her in ce.
Slowly, she raised her head and saw a beautiful middle-aged witch, dressed in an elegant blue wizard''s robe, smiling at her. The witch looked about the same age as Professor Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff House, but she was better groomed and exuded an air of refinement.
The blue-robed witch seemed vaguely familiar, but Hermione couldn''t quite ce where she''d seen her before.
Hermione: "..."
For the first time, Hermione truly understood the feeling of being overwhelmed by fear. Her mind wentpletely nkshe had no idea what to say or do.
Though she didn''t recognize the witch standing before her, it was clear she was a professor at the school. And she had just caught Hermione in the act.
This was bad.
The blue-robed witch beckoned her with a finger, indicating Hermione should follow. In a dazed, rigid manner, Hermione trailed behind her.
The witch led her deeper into the library, past several bookshelves, and into a small room that resembled a study space.
The room''s setup was simplejust a long table with seven chairs ced around it and a whiteboard for writing. On one side of the room was a closed side door, its destination unknown.
It was Hermione''s first time in this roomshe hadn''t even noticed before that the library had such a study space.
"Sit down," the blue-robed witch said.
It was the first time the witch had spoken to Hermione, and her voice was soft, like music.
Hearing such a pleasant tone, Hermione felt her nerves ease slightly.
"Why did you do this?" The witch gestured toward Hermione''s bag.
"Well..." Hermione exined the difficulties she had faced borrowing booksst term, carefully omitting any mention of Rhys.
"Did you transform the parchment into the shape of books?" The blue-robed witch asked a question that was difficult for Hermione to answertelling the truth would reveal Rhys''s involvement, while lying would mean deceiving a professor.
In the end, Hermione chose to insist that she had done it herself.
The witch smiled. "Then your Transfiguration skills are quite advanced."
Hermione pressed her lips together.
"Let''s leave that matter there for now. The school''s book-borrowing system does indeed have its wsthose who set the rules didn''t think it through carefully. However, I hope you''ll be honest in the conversation that follows."
Hermione''s face flushed slightly.
"You seem to really enjoy spending time in the library?" The blue-robed witch casually started a conversation as if chatting.
"Yes, there are so many books here, and I love reading."
"So do I. Books are the most precious legacy our ancestors left us." The witch appeared quite pleased with Hermione''s response. Then, she asked a critical question: "You love reading so much, are you in Ravenw?"
After receiving an affirmative answer, a look of "I thought so" appeared on the witch''s faceonly Ravenw students would love books that much.
"Heh~ You''re very much like the founder of Ravenw."
"I.. I''m not worthy of such aparison..." Hermione replied modestly.
"What''s your name?"
This question immediately made Hermione nervous: Weren''t they done with that topic? Why was she asking for her name now? Was she going to report her to Professor Flitwick or Dumbledore?
"Hermione Jean Granger." Despite her inner panic, Hermione still reported her full name truthfully.
Upon hearing her name, the blue-robed witch began to y with her long, ck hair that hung over her shoulders. Her glossy hair was twirled, loosened, and yed with, much like a cat batting at its tail.
She did this as a sign that she was deep in thought.
The witch''s silence for a few seconds made Hermione even more anxious.
Fortunately, when the witch spoke again, she didn''t seem to intend any punishment for Hermione. Instead, she asked unrted questions, such as how much time Hermione had spent in the libraryst year, how her grades were, and whether reading so many different books had affected her studies.
Hermione nodded and told her that she had spent over a thousand hours in the library, visiting whenever she had free time. As for her grades, they were decentshe had been lucky enough to achieve perfect marks in all her subjects.
"Perfect marks in all subjects?" Now the blue-robed witch was genuinely surprised.
This mysterious witch was none other than Rowena Ravenw herselfor, more precisely, a magical projection formed from Ravenw''s magic.
If Hermione had been brave enough to touch the witch''s body, she would have been astonished to find that the witch was merely an illusion with no physical substance. Even outside the "study room," the witch hadn''t touched anything solid.
This "study room" was Ravenw''s personal ssroom within Hogwarts Castle, much like Rhys'' "Chamber."
At the end of the previous school year, after Rhys had helped Rowena Ravenw regain consciousness, she had devised a way to send a trace of her magic to the surface. This trace of magic acted as a key to activate a contingency she had left in her personal ssroom.
Using the magic circle left in her secret ssroom, Ravenw forcibly opened a special passage through the seal, allowing her consciousness to pass through the barrier and manifest in the magical projection that had formed in her ssroom.
Due to the limitations of the seal, this projection was extremely restricted, unable even to leave the librarymoving too far from the secret ssroom would cause her to "lose signal." But still, it was a breakthrough from nothing to something.
Of course, if Rhys knew about this, he would undoubtedly be displeased, as Ravenw''s actions had, in effect,promised the integrity of the seal.
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137- Ms. Spett
137- Ms. Spett
The four founders of Hogwarts each had their own personal ssroom, over which they held absolute control. In these ssrooms, they would set up magic that reflected their individual styles and teach advanced magical knowledge to students they personally selected.
Rowena Ravenw was no exception. Her personal ssroom, which looked like a study room, was designed to help her select "Chamber Apprentices" who met her criteria.
The selection process wasn''tplicatedit was based on spending enough time in the library or borrowing arge number of books over the course of a year.
Though the requirements weren''t particrly difficult, after a thousand years of absence, Ravenw discovered that there weren''t many young witches and wizards who met them. In a millennium, the list of names barely reached three digits, and in the past twenty years, only one name had appeared: Hermione Granger.
Fortunately, Hermione hadn''t graduated yet, so as soon as she stepped into the library, Ravenw sought her out.
Her eagerness was partly due to Rhys.
After Rhys had brought Daphne to show off in front of Ravenw, she felt inspired to take on a student herself. Szar had a new student, so naturally, she couldn''t fall behind!
However, Ravenw wasn''t desperate to recruit just anyone.
Before epting Hermione as her "Chamber Apprentice," she intended to thoroughly assess her.
If Hermione could pass her test, the girl would receive Ravenw''s mentorship.
After asking a few questions, Ravenw was very pleased with Hermione''s answers: she loved reading, excelled in her studies, and was a student of Ravenw Housethisst point was particrly important.
When Ravenw had asked this question, she had been a bit nervous. Though it was highly likely that a student meeting her criteria woulde from Ravenw, there was always a chance of an exception.
People areplex, and sometimes a young wizard or witch might be well-suited to multiple houses. For example, a brave, intelligent, and ambitious pure-blood student could fit the standards of Gryffindor, Ravenw, and Slytherin. In such cases, the student''s own opinion would be crucial.
If, before the Sorting, they had heard biased information and developed prejudices against certain houses, the oue could be unpredictable.
ording to the rules established back then, because "Chamber Apprentices" involved issues of legacy, the four founders could only recruit talented students from their own houses. If Hermione had belonged to another house, Ravenw would have had no choice but to let her go, as this was a matter of principle.
If it were just her, it might not have been such a big deal, but Szar Slytherin was still alive! If she broke the rules, she wouldn''t be able to face him.
Fortunately, Hermione was a Ravenw, so Rowena Ravenw had no further concerns.
After making her decision, Ravenw continued chatting with Hermione.
"Speaking of which, I haven''t introduced myself yet. My name is Raven Spett," she said. Like Rhys, Ravenw chose to use an alias.
Her reasons were slightly different from Rhys''s. Ravenw simply felt it was unnecessary. Telling the young girl her real identity would only lead to her boasting about being Ravenw''s student. What good would that do, other than causing endless trouble for herself? So, she decided it was best to deny that she was actually Ravenw from the start.
"Is it the ''Raven'' as in the bird, or the ''Riven'' as in split?" Hermione was momentarily confused.
"Fussing over a name is pointless. If you''re unsure, just call me Ms. Spett," Ravenw replied, not directly answering Hermione''s question.
"Alright," Hermione nodded,mitting the mysterious professor''s name to memory.
The only thing that bothered her was why she had never seen this professor at the school before.
"By the way, you''re in your second year now, right? What spells have you learned so far?"
After Hermione listed the spells she knew, Ravenw smiled slightly and asked, "Do you know why you''re able to cast these spells?"
Hermione: "??"
This was a question she had never really thought about.
"Because I pronounced the incantation correctly and used the right wand movements?" she answered tentatively.
"Yes, but not entirely."
Ms. Spett then opened a new door for young Hermione, guiding her to glimpse the beautiful world of "mana and magic flow" behind it.
"So that''s how it works." Hermione felt she had gained a new understanding of spells and magic.
"Here are some notes about magic flow. Take them with you and study them; you can start practicing. If you have any questions, I''ll be back here next Monday. Juste find me in the library. These are from my personal collection, so please don''t share them with anyone else."
As she finished speaking, an ancient-looking key and a roll of yellowed parchment appeared on the table.
"If you can''t find a suitable ce to practice, use the room next door. This is the key to get in," Ravenw had even arranged a practice space for Hermione.
"Thank you!" Hermione gratefully clutched the two items close to her chest.
At this point, Ravenw had nothing more to say and waved her hand, signaling Hermione could leave.
"Um, onest thing," Ravenw called out just as Hermione was about to leave.
"Although you had your reasons, you still broke the school rules."
Hearing this, Hermione''s heart sankwas she going to be punished after all?
"You need to be punished. As for the specifics... help me find a few books. I need A History of Magic, Hogwarts: A History, Selected Spells of the Eighteenth Century, Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century, Significant Discoveries in Modern Magic, and A Study on the Development of Modern Witchcraft. Bring these books to this study room. That will be your punishment." Ravenw rattled off a long list of books as if she were reciting a menu.
These were all books Ravenw had noticed while wandering around the library. Reading them would give her a general understanding of magical developments over the past thousand years.
Unfortunately, Ravenw, as a highly realistic magical projection, couldn''t physically touch the books. Only within her personal study room could she use the magic array to make the pages turn automatically.
The general process involved a book floating in midair, with the pages turning on their own as Ravenw stood in front, reading. Therefore, she needed Hermione to bring the books in for her.
"That''s it?" Hermione couldn''t help but blurt out.
Ravenw raised an eyebrow. "If you think the punishment is too light"
"No, no! I''ll go get the books right away!" Hermione dashed out, and a few minutester, she returned, carrying arge stack of books.
"Huff.. Huff.. Here!"
She ced them carefully on the study room table, then earnestly bid farewell to "Ms. Spett" before leaving the study room that she''d never noticed before.
When she finally made her way back to the Ravenwmon room and saw the statue of the house''s founder, Rowena Ravenw, she realized where the sense of familiarity came from: Ms. Spett''s aura and posture closely resembled that of Lady Ravenw, although the two didn''t look alike.
"Maybe that''s just something all wise witches have inmon!?!"
Hermione didn''t think much of it, eager to dive into Ms. Spett''s precious notes.
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138- Lockhart’s level made Rhys’ eyes black
138- Lockharts level made Rhys eyes ck
Hermione didn''t sleep well that night.
As soon as she returned to themon room, she eagerly began reading the parchment Mrs. Spett had given her, staying up all night in the process.
The knowledge within was so novel and fascinating that she waspletely engrossed, unable to tear herself away.
By the time dawn broke, Hermione had practically memorized every word on the parchment, even trying out some of the techniques in small doses. The mana maniption recorded there was a bit challenging, but she was confident she could master it before meeting Mrs. Spett again next Monday.
She was determined to surprise her next time they met!
However, despite her excitement, reality hit hard.
After staying up all night, Hermione struggled to focus during the day''s lessons. Her eyelids drooped, and everything around her gradually blurred.
She would close her eyes for a few seconds, then fight against her body''s need for sleep, forcing herself to open them again and try to look like she was just blinkingthough it was more of a long pause, really, and not actual sleep.
asionally, Hermione would yawn. Each time, as she expelled arge amount of carbon dioxide, she''d feel a brief moment of rity before being overtaken by drowsiness again.
Professor Sprout, who was teaching Herbology, noticed Hermione''s drowsy state. The usually kind and gentle witch, however, was uncharacteristically irritable today, her expression tinged with anger. The sharp students quickly guessed that it had something to do with the bandage wrapped around her arm.
In fact, just a few hours earlier, Professor Sprout had experienced one of the most terrifying moments of her life!
When Harry and Ron were flying the enchanted car to Hogwarts, it lost power as they approached the castle, preventing them fromnding safely on the twn in front of the castle. Instead, they crashed into arge, ancient tree known as the Whomping Willow in the Forbidden Forest.
While the two young wizards were unharmed, the Whomping Willow suffered significant damage, which required Professor Sprout''s expertise.
As Hogwarts'' resident Herbology master, she was highly skilled in healing nts, even rare ones like the Whomping Willow.
Normally, she would have been able to heal the tree with a few simple spells. Unfortunately, she caught the attention of Gilderoy Lockhart.
Upon learning that the Whomping Willow was a historic and extremely valuable tree, Lockhart immediately approached Professor Sprout, insisting that he apany her to help heal it.
He proudly imed that he could solve the Willow''s problem in "just a second."
Then...
Sprout made a decision she would regret for the rest of her life: she brought Lockhart along.
At first, Professor Sprout thought Lockhart was a decent person. But as she pressed the Whomping Willow''s "pause button" to treat the tree from underneath, Lockhart cast a Reparo charm, which reactivated the Willow.
Before Sprout could even process what had happened, she was flung into the air by the tree.
Had she not been so skilled, she might have met her end under that tree!
After escaping the range of the Whomping Willow''s attacks, even the normally kind and patient Professor Sprout couldn''t take Lockhart any longer. She angrily scolded him and told him to stay far away from her. Lockhart, without protest, immediately stepped back several paces, but judging by his expression, he had no idea how much trouble he had just caused and was still smiling.
Seeing Lockhart''s clueless face nearly made Professor Sprout explode with rage. However, there wasn''t much she could do about him.
At most, she could write aint letter to Dumbledore, but even that wouldn''t achieve much. So, she kept the fury bottled up inside, and even after teaching an entire ss, the anger still hadn''t subsided.
At that moment, when Professor Sprout noticed Hermione Granger looking like she was about to fall asleep, her anger red up.
She knew it wasn''t right to take out her frustrations on a student, but she couldn''t help itespecially since Hermione happened to be in the same house as Lockhart!
"Miss Granger, Miss Granger!" Professor Sprout called several times before Hermione finally responded.
"What did I just say?" Sprout''s gaze fell on Hermione''s dark circles.
Hermione stammered, "Uh..."
"Five points from Ravenw. I was just talking about how Mandrakes can be used to create a powerful restorative potion, which is used to return people who have been transfigured, petrified, or cursed back to their original state."
Hermione lowered her head, trying hard to suppress the urge to yawn.
"Now that summer vacation is over, you need to shake off that sluggishness!" Professor Sprout warned the students before continuing the lesson.
"Oh?"
Rhys noticed Hermione, who was struggling to stay awake and looked like she could doze off at any moment.
After a moment of thought, he took a small bottle from his pocket and used magic to send it flying toward her.
"A potion to help you stay alert. But make sure to get to bed early tonight."
"Thank you," Hermione said, grateful, as she gestured for the bottle to fly into her hand.
Rhys: ?!
What on earth?
Hermione had just used mana maniption to "pull" the bottle into her hand!
Was it a coincidence, or...?
Rhys stared at Hermione, recalling the crystal ball that Ravenw had given to Daphnest term.
After that, the entire Herbology lesson felt dull and uninteresting.
The potion Rhys had given Hermione worked quite well. After drinking it, she felt like she''d just had arge gulp of ice-cold mint lemonade. Her drowsiness vanished instantly, and she didn''t yawn for the rest of the ss.
After ss, Rhys approached Hermione.
"Hermione, about that bottle just now"
"Thanks for the potion, but I''ve got to go!" Hermione quickly shoved the empty bottle into Rhys'' hand and dashed off.
She hadn''t thought much about it; she just wanted to get back and practice controlling her magic. During the Herbology ss, she had, as if by instinct, sessfully used her magic to pull Rhys'' potion bottle into her hand.
A personal breakthrough!
Now she wanted to take advantage of the momentum and practice more back at the castle.
Though he didn''t get much out of the brief conversation, Rhys had a strong sense that he was onto something.
Rhys'' mood lifted as he thought to himself, So, the old woman is making moves again... This pleasant feelingsted until that afternoon''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.
Lockhart, after giving a long-winded introduction to the students from Slytherin and Ravenw, pulled out a stack of papers from beneath the podium.
"Before we start today''s lesson, I''d like to begin with a little quiz. Don''t worry, it''s just to see where your knowledge level is at," he said as he handed out the papers.
Hearing that Lockhart wanted to begin with a pre-lesson quiz, Rhys perked up. This is actually a brilliant teaching methodan efficient way to assess the students'' abilities so that lessons can be tailored to their needs. Could it be that...
However...
The moment Rhys saw the first question on the paper, he immediately felt like the world had gone dark.
The first question on the quiz read:
1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart''s favorite color?
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139- Lockhart: Rhys is my biggest fan!
139- Lockhart: Rhys is my biggest fan!
2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart''s secret ambition?
3. What do you consider Gilderoy Lockhart''s greatest achievement so far?
4. When is Gilderoy Lockhart''s birthday? What would be his ideal birthday present?
.
.
.
Looking at the two full questionnaires about Lockhart''s personal hobbies, Rhys was confused: Was he out of date? Could it be that Lockhart''s teaching method was the mainstream of contemporary Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching?
He started to rationalize it: Perhaps the goal is to establish an idol, someone the students admire, which would make them listen more attentively and take more initiative in learning.
These questions... maybe they reinforce memory, ensuring the students remember every detail from the books. If that''s the case, then it all makes sense...!
Rhys'' thoughts began to spiral, and in the midst of questioning his entire existence, he finished the quiz in record timebarely needing a second nce before selecting each answer!
What made this even more absurd was the fact that, having read all of Lockhart''s books and possessing a fairly good memory, Rhys knew the answer to every single question.
Rhys'' rapid pace irritated Lockhart greatly.
Lockhart: At least pretend to take your time! Who are you trying to fool by rushing through it like that?
Clearing his throat, Lockhart addressed the ss, "Now, students, there''s no need to rush. We have plenty of time. Some of these questions are quite tricky..."
But Rhys, lost in his own musings and operating purely on autopilot, finished all 54 quiz questions within just ten minutes.
Lockhart, noticing Rhys had already set down his quill and was now staring off into space, decided it was time to teach this troublemaker a lesson.
''I''ll dock him a hefty amount of points,'' he thought. ''That''ll make him respect meGilderoy Lockhart, Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts!''
He descended from the tform, picked up Rhys'' quiz, and prepared to grade it on the spot, intending to publicly humiliate him.
However, the more he read, the moreplicated his expression became.
"Ah?"
"Oh!"
"OOooh!"
By the time he finished, his bright blue eyes were filled with disbelief: Rhys hadn''t gotten a single question wrong. He had scored a perfect 100.
"I-Incredible! Incredible!" Lockhart eximed dramatically. "Rhys Lint haspleted my quiz in just ten minutesand he got every single question right!!"
The ssroom erupted into murmurs.
Despite the strange nature of Lockhart''s quiz, achieving a perfect score wasn''t easy. Many of the questions were ridiculously detailed, and Rhys'' perfect score meant that he had definitely read every single one of Lockhart''s booksand read them very thoroughly at that.
Lockhart was overjoyed. ''This student is a super fan!'' he thought.
''Little Rhys must have been hiding his admiration all along. I misjudged him, thinking he was just a critic!
Rhys, startled by Lockhart''s exmations, snapped out of his wandering thoughts and quickly realized what had happened.
''Oh no... I identally scored a perfect 100.''
It wasn''t that Rhys had deliberately avoided top marks to stay low-key. If he really wanted to avoid attention, he wouldn''t have let Daphne "freestyle" duringst term''s final exams. But in this case, scoring a perfect 100 was bound to be... embarrassing.
Rhys suddenly felt incredibly relieved that Godric and Helga were nowhere to be found, and Rowena was trapped deep in the dungeon.
???
If his old friends ever found out he had scored full marks on this kind of test, he would simply go into eternal sleep and see them again in a thousand years.
The next twenty minutes were pure torture for Rhys.
He desperately needed another student to get a perfect score alongside him.
If he was the only one to achieve it, that would be far too conspicuous.
His gaze shifted to Hermione and Daphne. Rhys knew that in this situation, they were his only hope.
Using the moisture in the air, Rhys focused on Hermione and Daphne''s answers. As he scrutinized their tests, his brow furrowed. Daphne had made several mistakesdid she even bother to read Lockhart''s books properly?
And Hermione... Was this a joke? She had made some ringly obvious errors. Did she not sleep wellst night?
"Alright, children, time''s up!" Lockhart announced with a gleeful p, ready to collect the quizzes.
Seeing that neither Daphne nor Hermione had noticed their mistakes, Rhys grew anxious. After a brief moment of thought, he decided to drop all pretense.
The next second, the quills in Hermione and Daphne''s hands began moving on their own, swiftly correcting the errors on their tests.
Hermione and Daphne: "...?"
Four pairs of eyes turned to Rhys in unison, but he remainedpletely unfazed, acting as if he truly had no idea what had just happened!
Rhys: Fu? Fu?~(Ŧ;)
So much so that even Daphne was almost convinced by his performance!
After collecting the tests, Lockhart began reviewing them in front of the whole ss.
Finally, he announced with delight, "Two more students have scored full marksMiss Hermione Granger and Miss Daphne Greengrass! Let''s give them, along with Mr. Rhys Chas Lint, a round of apuse!"
The rest of the students, unaware of the full situation, pped enthusiastically.
"On the Hogwarts Express, I noticed that the three of themRhys, Hermione, and Daphnewere sitting in the samepartment. And today, they''ve all scored full marks! This shows they''ve been diligently studying my books together, which is highlymendable. Ten points to Ravenw, and twenty points to Slytherin."
"Everyone should learn from them!"
Rhys: "..."
The desire tomit murder is rising!
Every word out of Lockhart''s mouth felt like it was poking at Rhys''s nerves. He was on the verge of losing control and stringing Lockhart up for a thorough beating.
After all, with his body restored to its younger state, his patience had considerably diminished.
Yet Rhys had underestimated his own restraintbecause, momentster, when a signed photo of Lockhart was thrust into his hands, he didn''t leap up and pummel Lockhart senseless.
"This is your reward, my most loyal fans!" Lockhart beamed at Rhys with a dazzling smile.
Rhys repeatedly reminded himself that the rule forbidding students from assaulting teacherswhich would result in detentionwas a rule he had personally established!
Wait, on second thought, doesn''t that mean that as long as he''s willing to endure detention, he could actually beat up a teacher during ss?!
Eh?
Just as Rhys''s thoughts were turning more dangerous, one unintentional action by Lockhart saved him.
Lockhart pulled arge cage covered with a cloth from behind the podium and ced it on the desk. After removing the cloth, he revealed a cage full of Cornish pixies.
The students burst intoughter. This was far from the extremely dangerous magical creature they had anticipated. Many of them felt a sense of disappointment.
Who would have guessed that the famous Professor Lockhart''s first lesson would involve something like this?
"Don''t underestimate them! These little devils can be real troublemakers!" he said, tapping the cage of pixies with his wand.
Lockhart had carefully chosen Cornish pixies for his first lesson, thinking these "little demons" would be enough to impress the students.
Even better, he believed he had the skill to handle themafter all, the seller who provided the pixies had taught him a special spell to subdue them.
But then, things took an unexpected turn...
As Lockhart tapped the cage, the lock clicked open, and the pixies swarmed out in a frenzy. Despite their small size, they were shockingly strongjust two of them could lift a student into the air.
Worse, they had an instinct for targeting human weak points, quickly turning the ssroom into utter chaos.
Rhys watched with a thoughtful expression.
He could have subdued the pixies in an instant, but why bother?
This was the perfect opportunity to see Lockhart in action and gauge his abilities.
He even stopped Daphne and Hermione from intervening, urging them to stay calm.
As the professor, it was Lockhart''s responsibility to handle the situation. Summoning his courage, he rolled up his sleeves, waved his wand, and shouted the spell the supplier had taught him: "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
But the spell had no effectexcept maybe as a taunt! One pixie swooped down, snatched Lockhart''s wand, and tossed it, along with Lockhart himself, out the window.
Seeing this, none of the students dared to stay in the ssroom, except for Rhys, Daphne, and Hermione. Everyone else fled.
Rhys covered his eyes.
With this incident, he was certain: Lockhart was a fraud, aplete and utter phony.
Having reached his conclusion, Rhys calmly raised his hand. Hundreds of seemingly delicate but unbreakable threads materialized in the air, swiftly entangling the rampaging Cornish pixies.
Rhys slowly closed his five fingers, the water line tightened suddenly, and a series of explosions were heard in the air.
And just like that, it was over.
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12 Advance Chapters
140- Gift From Lady Ravenclaw
140- Gift From Lady Ravenw
"Are you crazy?!" Hermione waspletely shocked as she stared at the scattered Cornish pixies lying all over the floor like fallen raindrops.
"They''re just, just"
"They''re just innocent little creatures that throw wizards out of windows, hang students from ceiling fans, gouge out eyes, and poke kidneys?" Rhys gave Hermione a nce, then continued packing his school bag.
"By the way, let me remind you, this is the fourth third of the castle. You''re a fan of Lockhart, right? I suggest you head to the hospital wing and bring Madam Pomfrey along."
"But... I, uh, wanted to say..."
Rhys''s wordspletely jumbled Hermione''s thoughts.
After stammering for a while, she finally grabbed her bag and rushed off to the hospital wing.
As Hermione left, Rhys finished packing his own bag. He turned his gaze to Daphne, who stood beside him with her bag in hand.
"What is it? Do I have something dirty on me?" Daphne, noticing Rhys''s gaze, quickly checked the hem of her robes, making sure nothing had gotten on her without her noticing. She even lifted her foot slightly to make sure her shoes were clean.
"Daphne, do you think I was being a bit too cruel?" Rhys asked her, his tone serious.
Daphne blinked.
She looked around the messy ssroom and then calmly replied, "I think it was fine. After all, those Cornish pixies did attack wizards, didn''t they? Even Muggles would put down a mad dog if it bit someone."
"Good." Rhys finally smiled again, the first time since he''d seen Lockhart''s ridiculous test that afternoon. Daphne''s answer clearly satisfied him.
Rhys had been somewhat worried that Daphne might give a poor answer.
In Rhys''s view, the moment those Cornish pixies threw Lockhart out of the window, their fate was sealed.
Lockhart might be foolish, but he was still a wizard.
Rhys knew very well that these pixies were clever. The reason they hadn''t gone further was because they understood they were on wizard territory.
But if this hadn''t been wizard territory...
A thousand years ago, Cornish pixies had human flesh on their menu.
"Scourgify," Rhys pulled out his wand, cleaning up the chaotic ssroom until the floor was spotless.
He restored the overturned desks and chairs back to their original positions.
With just one spell, the entire ssroom was back to normal, as if nothing had happened at all.
But how could things that had happened truly be erased so easily?
The news of Professor Lockhart being thrown out of a castle window by a group of Cornish pixies and ending up in the hospital wing spread quickly through the school, leaving students dumbfounded.
How could a professor with such a supposedly rich history of adventure be unable to handle a group of pixies?
Some students thought that Lockhart was just acting, testing the students'' abilities through an borate performance. Others believed that Lockhart had simply made a mistake.
The seed of doubt had been nted, and cracks began to appear in Lockhart''s shining image.
However, few people knew that immediately after Lockhart was admitted to the hospital wing, Professor Sprout sought out Madam Pomfrey and intervened in his treatment n.
Madam Pomfrey, in her professional opinion, thought Lockhart''s injuries were just simple fractures. A single spell could heal him, with perhaps some potion as post-operative care.
But Professor Sprout disagreed with this rushed approach.
Who could have thought that Professor Sprout would hold grudgesEhm*She believed such rapid treatment might leave Lockhart with lingering health issues!
She strongly rmended that Madam Pomfrey use her herb-based remedies for Lockhart''s recovery, which would ensure a risk-free healing process.
Madam Pomfrey was an expert in healing, and generally, no one would interfere with her methods. But Professor Sprout, a master of Herbology, was an exception.
Since Sprout''s suggestion was reasonable, Madam Pomfrey epted her advice and used purely herbal treatments to mend Lockhart''s fractures.
As a result, Lockhart''s hospital stay was extended from just one night to three full days.
But the real highlight cameter: when Lockhart''s loyal fans visited him, he decided to show off a bit and demonstrate one of his healing spells.
That spell ended uppletely vanishing the bones in his broken area, extending his hospital stay from three days to a full two weeks.
Rumor has it that Professor Sprout was very happy about the news...
Life at Hogwarts continued as usual, unaffected by what happened in the hospital wing. After that disastrous Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, Daphne returned to the Slytherinmon room and resumed her study of the booklet given to her by Rowena Ravenw.
After doing a lot of research over the summer, she had some ideas about its purpose.
Sitting in a corner of themon room, she opened the notebook from Ravenw and began writing. To ensure smoothmunication, Daphne even wrote in Latin.
Sure enough, shortly after she wrote in the notebook, the ink disappeared, reced by a line of neat, elegant Latin text.
"Hello, Daphne, I am Rowena."
A smile of joy appeared on Daphne''s face, and she quickly responded in the notebook:
"May I know your purpose?"
"Of course, but you need to answer a question first."
Immediately, a long paragraph of text appeared in the booklet.
"In a ssroom, there are four wizards wearing hats. Wizard A and Wizard C wear white hats, Wizard B and Wizard D wear ck hats.
Wizard A can see Wizard B and Wizard C; Wizard B can see Wizard C; Wizard C and Wizard D cannot see anyone. They know there are four hats, two ck and two white, but they don''t know the color of the hat on their own head.
Who will be the first to know the color of the hat on their own head and shout it out?"
Daphne bit her quill in concentrationLatin was already difficult for her, and now she had to solve a puzzle in it, making the task even harder.
She pulled out a dictionary and meticulously tranted the entire question from the booklet, word by word.
That still wasn''t enough, so she sketched out a diagram to help visualize the situation.
After several minutes, she finally solved the logic puzzle.
"Wizard B."
"Congrattions, you got it right."
Another passage of text appeared in the booklet:
"I am the Question and Task Book created by Rowena Ravenw. I contain a great deal of Lady Ravenw''s wisdom, but if you wish to obtain it, you must either answer my questions orplete my tasks. You may choose between the two."
"Here is your reward for answering the question correctly Detailed Exnation of Spatial Magic (Part 1). "
Seeing the words appear in the booklet, Daphne was dumbfounded.
The gift from Lady Ravenw was far more precious than she had imagined!
12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon!?
141- The Greengrass family discovered another treasure?
141- The Greengrass family discovered another treasure?
The text in the booklet was somewhat difficult to understand, but fortunately, it didn''t disappear after appearing.
Daphne carefully copied the words onto a piece of parchment and, with the help of a dictionary, gradually tranted them.
Detailed Exnation of Spatial Magic (Part 1) wasn''t very long, only about a thousand words, but it introduced the concept of spatial magic to Daphne.
Like other forms of magic, spatial magic originated from the stars. However, unlike regr magic, even the four founders hadn''t found a reasonable exnation for it.
While other types of magic could be traced back to corresponding elements on Earth, the element associated with space had never been discovered.
As a result, wizards had always been in a state of "knowing how but not why" when it came to spatial magic. They could use it, much like they could work with magical creatures, but they didn''t truly understand it.
After discussing with her friend Szar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenw proposed a hypothesis: just as every object has its shadow, so too might Earth have a "shadow." The power behind spatial magic, she spected, came from this shadow. Spells like the Undetectable Extension Charm and Apparition, she suggested, borrowed a fragment of space from this shadow.
Those seemingly extra spaces actually existed within the shadow, and Apparition involved traveling through this shadow.
Of course, this was just a theory and had never been proven. Ravenw included it at the beginning of the Exnation (Part 1) to help readers better understand this wondrous form of magic.
The booklet then briefly introduced how to "borrow" a piece of space from the shadow. At the end of the chapter, it presented a simple task: to modify one''s lunchbox, so that a palm-sized box could hold enough food to feed a knight.
Daphne read this with thoughtful consideration.
At that moment, Rhys appeared in front of Daphne''s desk.
He noticed that she was deeply engrossed in studying the booklet that Ravenw had given her, and from the looks of it, she was making significant progress, which was a good thing.
However, today''s focus wasn''t on that. Rhys gently knocked on Daphne''s desk, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"I need you to help me with something," he said.
"What is it?" Daphne set the booklet and her notes aside.
"I need you to hand this over to your father and have him release it publiclytell him you found this hidden in the corner of the Greengrass family''s warehouse," Rhys said, cing an ancient-looking scroll in front of Daphne.
"What is this?"
"A spell that can transform werewolves back into human form."
"This must be" Daphne immediately recalled the spell mentioned by Lockhart in his book Wanderings with Werewolves.
"It has nothing to do with him," Rhys cut her off, clearly uninterested in hearing that name. "This is a sacred spell researched by the great Rowena Ravenw and Helga Hufflepuff together."
Daphne obediently closed her mouth.
"If enough people master this spell, then one day werewolves will disappear from this. It will benefit not just the present, but generations toe. I need the Greengrass family to promote it quickly," Rhys exined.
He had actually thought about this n over the summer, but had dyed taking action.
The reason was that he had been trying to simplify the spellthe original version was far too difficult andplicated. Even he struggled with it at times, and if someone with his skill had a high failure rate when unfamiliar with it, local wizards with mediocre abilities would fare much worse.
It was actually Damocles'' Wolfsbane Potion that inspired him to modify the spell to restore human form.
The Wolfsbane Potion could calm the werewolf''s venom, making it more docile. Rhys improved upon it slightly, pushing the effect further to induce sleep in the werewolf after transformation. In this state, the werewolf''s venom would be easier to purge using the spell, thus reducing the difficulty of casting it.
After hearing Rhys'' exnation, Daphne felt puzzled. "If this spell was so powerful, why hadn''t the four founders promoted it back then?"
Rhys'' face showed a hint of awkwardness upon hearing her question.
He coughed twice and admitted that he didn''t know. "M-Maybe there was some other reason behind it!"
Although still a bit confused, Daphne was intrigued. She knew exactly what this spell represented.
At the very least, if they released the spell to the public, it could earn her father a Merlin Medal.
"This... this is just too valuable," Daphne shook her head repeatedly, though it was a bit like how a child would refuse red envelopes from elders during the Spring Festival.
"Do you think an ancient heritage from the Greengrass family is more believable, or a lost spell found by some unknown wizard in a letter from the Middle Ages?" Rhys asked.
Rhys had long since ceased caring about such so-called honors. To him, medals were no different from the mud pies children made when ying pretend.
What he carried in his heart was the entire magical world. The future of the wizarding world rested on the shoulders of people like them.
He was offering the Greengrass family this chance for glory, but in return, they needed to fullymit to spreading the spell as quickly as possible.
Rhys'' words convinced Daphne, and her eyes welled up with emotion. She realized that the debt she owed Rhys was growing even harder to repay.
After handing Daphne the freshly forged "ancestral scroll," Rhys was about to leave when she stopped him.
"Wait a moment, I found this article from the booklet Lady Ravenw gave me." Daphne eagerly handed Rhys her carefully transcribed and tranted notes.
She felt Rhys might not know these things, so she considered it a small repayment, a bit of interest on the debt she owed him.
Rhys took Daphne''s notes and frowned.
After reading just three lines, he found five trantion errors and two grammatical mistakes!
"Wait a moment," Rhys said, seriously examining Daphne''s trantion notes.
Seeing Rhys reviewing her notes so intently, Daphne felt a surge of joy in her heart: finally, she could be of help to him!
Wait... why was he picking up a quill?
The next second, Rhys dipped the quill into the ink and began quickly marking corrections on Daphne''s trantion.
In no time, the parchment was covered with circles, dots, and annotations.
"Here, this is the correct trantion. I have something else to attend to, but study what''s taught here carefully; it''s very useful knowledge. If there''s anything you don''t understand, feel free to ask me anytime. By the way, I expect you to have a proper enchanted lunchbox ready by next Monday," Rhys said as he reached the door of themon room.
Turning back, he gave Daphne a small smile, "Also, you really need to work on your Latin. There are many good resources in the library. I''ve listed a few on the bottom of the parchment. Take a look when you have time."
Daphne: "..."
She was utterly stunned.
_________
12 Advance Chapters
142- Academic Misconduct
142- Academic Misconduct
The next day, the sun rose as usual, but the arrival of that day''s Daily Prophet felt like a 500-kilogram bomb had been dropped in the Great Hall.
[Lost Spell, a Blessing for Werewolves The Greengrass Family Discovers a Human-Reversion Spell Invented by Szar Slytherin]
When Rhys saw the headline mentioning "Szar Slytherin''s invented spell," he couldn''t help but break into a cold sweat.
It was like stealing a ssmate''s research results as if someone had worked hard on their research, and then someone else added a few tweaks and rushed to publish the paper without even crediting the original researcher.
If Rowena Ravenw were to find out about this, it might very well spark a wizarding war.
"Make sure you never mention this to Lady Ravenw," Rhys decided to warn Daphne, advising her to keep her mouth shut about the whole matter.
Daphne: "?"
"Why?" she asked.
"Ehm.. No reason."
''The real question should be why your father insisted on iming this as Slytherin''s lost work.''
Unlike Rhys, the students of Hogwarts were far more focused on the spell itself.
"Really? It feels like a dream."
"So does this mean there will be no more werewolves in the future?"
"Not exactly, but at least now there''s a treatment once someone turns into a werewolf."
The students buzzed with excitement, and even the professors weren''t immune to the chatter.
If it had been just a standard news release, they might have kept theirposure, thinking it could be exaggerated. But Jamison Henry Greengrass had gone a step further he attached the original manuscript of Slytherin''s supposed lost work at the end of the article.
He even thoughtfully included a tranted version, iming this was a legacy left by the great Szar Slytherin for all wizards, inviting everyone to study it and correct any trantion errors.
That changed everything.
Most of the professors at Hogwarts were not fools; they knew their stuff. As soon as theyid eyes on the original manuscript, they could tell it was authentic. Whether or not the spell itself could work was still up for debate, but the wording and phrasing were unmistakably in line with the style of medieval wizards.
After a brief discussion among the professors, they concluded that this was indeed the handwriting of Szar Slytherinor at the very least, it was a genuine manuscript from the Ancient times.
"No wonder the Greengrass family, a pureblood lineage passed down from the Ancient times, has such treasures," even Professor McGonagall couldn''t help but express her admiration for the Greengrass family.
After reading the article in the Daily Prophet, Dumbledore handed the newspaper to Snape, whose expression became increasinglyplex as he read. He had a hunch about what was going on.
"Severus, can you brew the wolfsbane slow-release potion described in the manuscript?" Dumbledore''s eyes gleamed with interest.
The manuscript clearly stated that the potion could greatly improve the sess rate of the spell. In other words, if one''s magical skill was high enough, they could force a werewolf to revert to human form even without the aid of the potion.
Snape''s face went through a range of emotions before he grudgingly replied, "It''splicated, but not impossible."
"Can you help me brew a batch?" Dumbledore asked.
After some hesitation, Snape finally agreed to Dumbledore''s request.
He knew exactly what the potion was intended for, but his pride as a potions master wouldn''t allow him to lie. If it could be done, it could be done; if not, then it couldn''t.
"Excellent," Dumbledore said, a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth.
The emergence of this manuscript hade at just the right time, reminding Dumbledore of someone currently suffering under the hardships of life.
Coincidentally, Professor Lockhart had just been admitted to the hospital, and his condition had worsened, with no discharge date in sight. Hogwarts now needed a substitute Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
After breakfast, Dumbledore hurried back to his office with a copy of the Daily Prophet.
Locking himself in his office for half a day to study the Slytherin manuscript, Dumbledore estimated that he had a fifty percent chance of sessfully casting the full human restoration spell without relying on the wolfsbane slow-release potion.
With the potion''s assistance, the sess rate could reach one hundred percent.
The reason Rhys had worked so hard to improve the wolfsbane potion was to reduce the difficulty of casting the human restoration spell to the level of an ordinary advanced spell.
Feeling confident, Dumbledore wasted no time.
He picked up his quill and swiftly wrote a letter on parchment.
The letter was quickly sent out.
...
Though it was only early September, nighttime temperatures in the Irish mountains had already dropped below ten degrees Celsius.
In this drafty, dpidated cabin, freezing to death without any heating was entirely possible.
The cabin had long been abandoned, often attracting vagrants seeking temporary shelter. For instance, right now, a man in a tattered, worn-out robe, looking sickly and exhausted, set his suitcase down on the cabin floor.
"This counts as checking in, right?" he thought to himself with a wry smile.
The vagrant looked quite young, but strands of white hair were already mixed in with his light brown hair.
He stepped outside for a moment and returned to the cabin, carrying arge log. After cing the log into a dark hole in the wall, the man pulled out a wandthis downtrodden vagrant was a wizard!
With a few swift motions, he chopped the log into kindling, and soon a bright me was flickering in the hearth.
Once the fire was lit, the disheveled wizard tidied up the filthy cabin, using bits of debris to plug the drafty corners. The cabin was now barely habitable.
The wizard nned to stay here for the autumn, and when winter came, he intended to cross the sea to southern France or Spain to spend the colder months.
A properly educated wizard rarely finds themselves in such dire straits. If they do, it''s usually because they carry a dark secret.
Remus John Lupin was such a man with a secret.
He was a werewolf.
Remus Lupin was both unfortunate and fortunate, though the unfortunate aspects outweighed the rest.
As a child, he had been bitten by a crazed werewolf, transforming him into one himself. However, Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, did not turn him away because of his condition and allowed him to attend the school. There, Lupin made close friends and learned the magic that would sustain him.
Unfortunately, the Wizarding War broke out. Of his three closest friends, one was killed by the Dark Lord, and the other two turned on each otherone was imprisoned in Azkaban, while the other was left without even a body to bury...
The loss devastated Lupin, and despite his youth, he began to grow white hair.
Since the fall of the Dark Lord, Lupin had been wandering aimlessly, as he was now.
His status as a werewolf,bined with his defeated spirit, led this powerful wizard to live like a vagrant.
Read 12 Advance Chapters:
143- Acting Professor – Lupin
143- Acting Professor C Lupin
Lupin sat down by the makeshift firece and took out several bags from his suitcasefood he had scavenged.
It wasn''t umon for wizards to fall on hard times, but it was rare for one to starve to death. Even the least talented wizard could easily find something to eat.
Lupin was no exception. He had collected a package of relief food from a Muggle church in the nearby town and also grabbed some near-expired items from a supermarket''s storage room.
The Muggle stock clerks would pile these items into a shopping cart and leave them in the back, and Lupin would take a portion without anyone noticing...
He first heated a can of pea soup over the fire, then warmed up some bread and ham he''d received with the soup and devoured everything hungrily.
Still feeling unsatisfied after finishing his meal, Lupin boiled a few eggs using the empty soup can as a makeshift container.
As he carefully blew on the hot egg and peeled off the shell, a tapping sound came from the windowbird beaks knocking on the window frame.
Hmm?
Lupin opened the window, and an owl swooped in with a gust of cold air, delivering a letter into his hand. After its mission wasplete, the owl flew out again, returning shortly after with arge rat in its beak. It settled by the firece to enjoy its rodent feast.
Recognizing the familiar handwriting on the envelope, Lupin sighed, resisting the urge to toss the letter into the fire, and instead opened it to read.
As he read through the contents, Lupin couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow in surprise. The staunchly pure-blood supremacist Szar Slytherin had left behind something this useful?
He would have expected a spell to "identify werewolves among the crowd" given Slytherin''s reputation!
However, with such a spell and potion, Dumbledore''s proposal became worth serious consideration.
As a core member of the Order of the Phoenix who had made great contributions during the wizarding war, Lupin''s downfall wasn''t due to anyck of support from Dumbledore or his oldrades.
It was Lupin himself who couldn''t untangle the knots in his heart.
He was terrified of identally infecting innocent people when he transformed into a werewolf, and he couldn''t face the memories of the past.
Every familiar scene brought back recollections of his friends, which felt like a knife to his heart.
Now, with the Restoration Spell, he no longer had to worry about harming innocent students on the night of the full moon.
But what truly moved him was a line in the letter: James'' child is also attending school now. He looks just like James but has his mother''s eyes.
Lupin extinguished the fire in the hearth and stepped out into the night.
The next morning, before the sun had risen, Lupin was already standing outside the gates of Hogwarts.
At breakfast, the students were surprised to see that the spot on the staff table, usually upied by Professor Lockhart, was now taken by a disheveled and shabby-looking man.
Seated next to him, Professor Snape''s face was as dark as coalNo! Even darker than the coal.
Suddenly, the students had lost all interest in eating, as they whispered to each other, specting about this unexpected guest and trying to gather information from their friends.
"Students." Seeing that most of the people had arrived in the Great Hall, Dumbledore stood up and tapped his spoon against the rim of his goblet.
The Great Hall immediately fell silent.
"Due to Professor Lockhart''s ill health, Defense Against the Dark Arts for the next two weeks will be taught by Professor Remus John Lupin," Dumbledore announced.
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall erupted in a mor. Some of Lockhart''s die-hard fans looked at Dumbledore in disbelief, shocked by the decision.
What had happened to Professor Lockhart?
How could he be absent for such a long time?
Themotionsted only a moment before subsiding on its own, as eyewitnesses from the hospital wing informed the fans that Lockhart had identally used magic to make all the bones in his body disappear...
This left his fans speechless.
Compared to such a dramatic reason, the fact that the school had hired a substitute professor didn''t seem worth discussing.
By this strange twist of fate, the students didn''t pay much attention to Professor Lupin''s shabby appearance.
When Lockhart, lying in the hospital wing, was informed by his fans that the school had appointed a substitute for him, he tried to rise from his bed and march to the headmaster''s office to protest.
He wanted to convince Dumbledore that he was only suffering from a ''minor illness'' and that there was no need for a recement.
However, he had severely underestimated the seriousness of his conditionhe had removed a third of the bones in his body with his own spell. This was not something that could be cured in just a day or two, especially since Madam Pomfrey had chosen a more conservative treatment n, relying primarily on herbal remedies.
As a result, Lockhart promptly fell out of bed, shattering the bones that had only just begun to heal.
Lockhart''s hospital stay was extended to a full month.
When Rhys heard the news, he was in quite a good moodhe figured that Lockhart had hit rock bottom, and there couldn''t possibly be a professor worse than him.
''Surely this Lupin wouldn''t be as bad right?''
Professor Lupin appeared in the Great Hall one morning, and by the next day, he had already begun teaching sses.
Strangely enough, before ss, several of Lockhart''s female fans had vowed to give Lupin a hard time. But by the end of the lesson, their tone hadpletely changed.
"Only a professor like this deserves to be Lockhart''s substitute!"
"I think Professor Lockhart should focus on recovering, and leave the teaching to Professor Lupin."
Even Rhys became curiouswhat exactly had Professor Lupin done in his lessons?
Soon it was time for Rhys'' DADA ss.
When Professor Lupin released a Boggart from a wardrobe and easily dealt with it, Rhys smiled in relief: finally, after two years, the third Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was a normal person!
Unfortunately, this professor was only a temporary substitute for a month
Rhys''s gaze darkened as he pondered.
In less than a week, Professor Lupin hadpletely turned around his initially unfavorable reputation and won over the students.
Compared tost year''s Professor Quirrell, Lupin was infinitely more reliable. And for the students who were "fortunate" enough to have taken Lockhart''s sses, Lupin seemed leagues ahead.
Meanwhile, a storm was brewing outside the school.
After Mr. Jamison Henry announced the form for the Human Restoration Spell and the modified Wolfsbane potion, the wizarding world was abuzz with heated discussions.
Due to the unique standing of the Greengrass family, almost everyone believed that the Slytherin manuscript was authentic. The main debate was whether these spells and potions were truly as effective as advertised.
Of course, a few of Damocles'' friends had heard of his original Wolfsbane potion, but given the power and influence of the Greengrass familyand with Damocles already deadno one dared toe forward and expose the truth.
Then, one day, people began to realize that the plot of this Human Restoration Spell seemed oddly simr to something Lockhart had written in one of his books.
Could it be?
_______
12 Advance Chapters
144- Celebrity Killer Rita Skeeter
144- Celebrity Killer Rita Skeeter
When people noticed the simrity with Lockhart''s book, the entire British wizardingmunity was in an uproar!
Professor Lockhart actually knew a spell left behind by Szar Slytherin?
That was... incredibly coolwait a minute!
Wizards quickly realized something was off: Mr. Greengrass had stated that the Slytherin manuscript was only discovered in their family''s vault in recent days. But ording to Lockhart, the story of him using the Human Restoration Spell to cure werewolves happened over ten years ago.
The two stories didn''t match!
Could one of them be lying?
If so, that would be a huge scoop.
Realizing this, The Daily Prophet immediately dispatched reporters to Hogwarts. Even if they couldn''t find direct evidence of Lockhart lying, wouldn''t it be fascinating to dig deeper into his story about werewolves? There were plenty of questions to explore, such as where he learned the Human Restoration Spell and how his spell differed from the one Mr. Greengrass had announced.
The reason they sent reporters to "interview" Lockhart rather than Henry Greengrass was simple: interviewing Lockhart could get the Prophet''s editor a promotion and a raise. Interviewing Mr. Greengrass... well, that was less certain.
Soon, The Daily Prophet''s special correspondent Rita Skeeter arrived at Hogwarts with her photographer assistant.
Rita Skeeter was a highly controversial figure in the British wizardingmunity. Her writing was sensational and, at times,pletely fabricated. In other words, she had mastered the essence of journalism.
She was adept at taking quotes out of context, stirring up drama, and reading people like a book, all of which made her a force to be reckoned with.
Once she set her sights on someone, it was rare for them to escape unscathed.
It was hard to say what the Daily Prophet editor''s intentions were by sending her to interview Lockhart.
Interestingly, despite being confined to his hospital bed, unable to move except for one hand, Lockhart was keenly aware of what was happening in the outside world.
He spent most of his days writing replies to fan letterssometimes for seven or eight hours a day. The rest of his time was spent reading thetest headlines and keeping up with his fanbase at the school.
In fact, this social butterfly might have been more socially engaged than people outside the hospital!
So, the moment Rita Skeeter opened the door to his hospital room, Lockhart immediately understood her purpose.
This yed right into Lockhart''s hands: he had been searching for an opportunity to ride the wave of publicity surrounding the Human Restoration Spell!
The interview began in a light-hearted, friendly atmosphere. However, soon Rita Skeeter frowned. Lockhart was tight-lipped, refusing to disclose where he had learned the Human Restoration Spell.
Instead, he went on and on about his various adventures, and in the span of half an hour, he had practically recited the entire plot of his book Wanderings with Werewolves.
After he finished his tale, Rita Skeeter, having had enough, decided to cut straight to the point. She asked, "So, Professor Lockhart, you must be quite proficient in the Human Restoration Spell, then?"
This was a question Lockhart felt confident in answering, so he nodded, affirming that he was indeed very skilled in the spell.
A sly smile crept onto Rita''s lipsshe had been waiting for this moment.
Her instincts told her that Lockhart was hiding something. Perhaps he didn''t know the Human Restoration Spell at all! Maybe his tales of adventure were either secondhand stories or outright fabrications!
"Wonderful! I''m sure the Ministry of Magic will greatly appreciate your contributions!"
A vague sense of unease stirred in Lockhart, but Rita Skeeter had already decided to wrap up the interview, snapping a quick photo of him lying in his hospital bed before leaving.
That photo struck Lockhart with a wave of shock and anger.
How dare they take a picture of him in such a humiliating state!!!
But Rita had already left the room and vanished, leaving Lockhart to copse back into his bed, resigned to his fatehis coveted Witch Weekly''s Most Charming Smile Award would surely slip away from him now.
What Lockhart didn''t know was that Rita''s article would bring him far worse trouble than just that...
After leaving the hospital ward, Rita Skeeter, still eager for more, decided to interview a few students.
She wandered aimlessly down the corridors until her eyes lit upshe had spotted someone interesting!
It was Daphne Greengrass, the daughter of Mr. Jamison Henry Greengrass. Surely, Rita thought, she could get some juicy information about Lockhart from her. She quickly picked up her pace to catch up.
Rhys was just about to head to the Great Hall for lunch with Daphne when a shy, blonde witch blocked their path.
"Excuse me, students, would you mind doing a quick interview?"
Rhys was about to refuse, but then he caught the second half of Rita''s sentence.
"It''s about Professor Lockhart."
"Of Course!" Rhys agreed, and he, Daphne, Rita, and her photographer all made their way to the castle''s courtyard.
"So, students, what do you think of Professor Lockhart? Would you sayoh, I mean no offensebut does his skill match his reputation?"
Rhys immediately picked up on the hidden insinuation in Rita''s question. Delighted by the opportunity, he ryed the details of Lockhart''s performance in their first Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, leaving nothing out.
He even helpfully repeated Lockhart''s ims about the Human Restoration Spell from the Hogwarts Express.
The scandalous revtions made Rita''s eyes gleam with excitement, and her Quick-Quotes Quill was scribbling furiously, a blur as it recorded every word.
After the interview with Rhys, Rita Skeeter left, fully satisfied, not even bothering to stay for lunchshe needed to rush back to the editorial office to finish her article in time for the next morning''s edition.
The next morning, Lockhart received his daily copy of The Daily Prophet right on time.
As soon as he got the paper, he immediately flipped to the front page.
His vision went dark for a momentRita Skeeter, that wretched woman, had indeed used the hideous photo of him lying in the hospital bed!
But when his eyes moved to the headline, his shock turned into rage, as the bold, ckened letters screamed out:
"Gilderoy Lockhart: Great Adventurer or Just a Clown Seeking Attention?"
"Gilderoy Lockhart ims to be skilled in the Human Restoration Spell. As widely known, the Human Restoration Spell was invented by Szar Slytherin and only recently came to light. Yet, Mr. Lockhart ims to have used this spell to cure a werewolf over a decade ago. Reliable sources indicate that the version of the spell Lockhart used is vastly different from the one in Slytherin''s manuscriptwhen asked for an exnation, Lockhart dodged the question."
"In his first Defense Against the Dark Arts ss..."
"The true reason why Lockhart ended up in the school hospital is"
Reading through the scathing text, watching his fraudulent image vividly portrayed on the page, Lockhart felt the world spinning around him.
"This.. This... By Merlin''s BeardThud!"
Eventually, the shock became too muchhe fainted on the spot.
12 Advance Chapters
145- Heir of Slytherin!
145- Heir of Slytherin!
Rita Skeeter''s article was like a drop of water sshing into a boiling pan of oil, instantly igniting the British wizarding world.
Countless letters flew like snowkes to both The Daily Prophet editorial office and the Hogwarts Hospital Wing.
Some supported Lockhart, while others denounced him as a fraud. A significant portion of these letters were Howlers.
Madam Pomfrey, the matron of the hospital wing, eventually banned Lockhart from receiving mail and asked Professor McGonagall to create a soundproof box.
Any letters addressed to Lockhart were directly ced in the box to prevent them from disturbing other patients.
Gradually, the voices within the wizardingmunity became unified: whether they supported Lockhart or opposed him, they all demanded that he go to the Ministry of Magic before the next full moon.
There, in front of Ministry officials, he should perform his Human Restoration Spell on a werewolf.
Wouldn''t that settle the matter once and for all?
Seeing the growing public outcry, Mr. Jamison Henry also stepped forward, adding fuel to the fire. He announced that the Ministry should prepare an extra werewolf because he had sessfully contacted a reliable potion maker and had concocted the new Wolfsbane Potion. He, too, was now ready to perform the Human Restoration Spell.
He proposed that he and Mr. Lockhart cast the spell together, allowing experts topare the differences between the two versions.
This was a win-win for both the Ministry and ordinary wizards. Surely, Mr. Lockhart couldn''t refuse, right?
With this, the matter spread beyond the local wizardingmunity, and even wizards from other countries heard about this miraculous Human Restoration Spell and the two wizardsHenry and Lockharteach insisting on their own version of the truth.
Seeing the flood of letters headed towards the Ministry of Magic, Minister Fudge made a swift decision, announcing that the Ministry would provide two werewolves for Henry and Lockhart on the night of the next full moon, allowing both of them to demonstrate their skills.
Lockhart was well and truly cornered.
Lying in his hospital bed, he began to panic. But in his desperation, he had a sudden stroke of genius, or so he thought: after all, he was still hospitalized, and wasn''t it perfectly natural for his condition to worsen? If his health deteriorated, how could he possibly go to the Ministry?
Aftering up with this n, Lockhart felt so pleased with himself that he could have kissed himself.
What a brilliant idea!
He immediately sent a letter to The Daily Prophet, stating that he would absolutely keep his appointment.
Of course, when the day came, Lockhart was confident his condition would conveniently "worsen."
...
While students from other houses were busy discussing the Human Restoration Spell, Lockhart, and his uing engagement with the Ministry, the focus of the Slytherin students had shifted: Draco Malfoy would be joining the Slytherin Quidditch team as their Seeker, and his father, Lucius Malfoy, had gifted the entire team with Nimbus 2001s!
When Malfoy ced seven brand-new, shiny Nimbus 2001 broomsticks in the center of the Slytherinmon room, almost every Slytherin student''s eyes were dazzled by the sight.
"Thetest model, just releasedst month," Malfoy boasted loudly, his eyes flickering toward Daphne and her younger sister Astoria, who were seated in the corner. "It''s much faster than the Nimbus 2000 series. Ha! Compared to it, Cleansweep brooms are only good for sweeping floors!"
Daphne frowned slightly; she regretted studying spatial magic in the noisymon room. She should have gone to the librarythis ce was too loud.
As for why she didn''t go to the Chamber of Secrets, it was because her little sister was following her around like a shadow. A ce like that, she wouldn''t dare take her there without Rhys'' permission.
Closing her notebook with a sigh, Daphne stood up from her seat.
Seeing her sister preparing to leave, Astoria quickly gathered her things, following close behind.
As the Greengrass sisters passed by the row of Nimbus 2001s, Astoria couldn''t help but be drawn to the shiny new brooms. In a soft voice, she asked, "Sister, with these brooms, doesn''t that mean we''ll definitely win against Gryffindor and the other houses?"
Malfoy''s eyes lit up: Yes, that''s the perfect way to bring up the topic!
He straightened his cor, ready to chime in and agree with Astoria.
Daphne''s frown deepened at her sister''s words. She ruffled Astoria''s hair gently, then spoke to her in a serious tone. "Having better equipment doesn''t guarantee victory. In a Quidditch match, the most important factor is the yer, especially the Seeker."
After saying that, she nced at Malfoy, and with that one look, shepletely shattered hisposure: What did she mean by that? Was she implying that I''m not as good as Potter?
"Astoria, you must study hard. Money can buy status and superficial respect, but it can never earn genuine respect. If your virtue doesn''t match your position, the bacsh in the future will be even greater."
After Daphne said this, the entire Slytherinmon room fell into silence. Malfoy''s face turned pale.
Everyone present knew that Malfoy had made the Quidditch team as a Seeker because of those seven brooms, but Daphne was the first to publicly point out the truth.
And she had the right to say it! Half of her confidence came from her family name, while the other half stemmed from the earth-shattering event she had pulled off at the end ofst term.
After dropping that statement, Daphne and her sister left themon room.
Once they were gone, Slytherin Quidditch captain Marcus pped a still furious Malfoy on the shoulder, saying that the next time they faced Gryffindor, he should give them a good thrashing to reim what he lost today.
"By then, Daphne will definitely change her opinion of you," Marcus assured him.
Malfoy nodded with a grim expression, deciding that he''d teach Gryffindor a lesson and restore his reputation with a brilliant victory.
All the outside drama had little to do with Rhys.
After the interview with Rita Skeeter, his goal of getting Lockhart removed from the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor position was essentially achieved.
With nothing else to distract him, Rhys returned to the Chamber of Secrets to focus on his various projects, one of which involved researching potions to cure little Astoria''s illness.
Rhys waved his wand, disposing of the ruined potion in the cauldron with a sigh. The difficulty of this task was immense, even for himit was a real challenge.
Deciding to take a step back, Rhys resolved to stabilize Astoria''s symptoms first, preventing her condition from worsening any further.
Just then, a faint, indistinct voice echoed from above in the Chamber of Secrets:
"Come, awaken, heed mymand..."
"...as the heir of Slytherin!"
Rhys: ???
What was going on?
Who was summoning his Basilisk?
________
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
146- How could a Weasley speak Parseltongue?
146- How could a Weasley speak Parseltongue?
The distant voice echoed repeatedly through the Chamber of Secrets, gradually growing louder under the influence of magic. Rhys realized that the spell he had set up years ago had been triggered.
ording to his design, whenever someone used Parseltongue within the castle, the enchantments on the castle walls would ry the soundyer byyer down to the Chamber of Secrets.
There, under the effect of an amplification charm, the voice would grow louder until it eventually awakened his basilisk.
The basilisk would then follow themands of the Parseltongue speaker, as Rhys had instructed.
Even though he quickly understood what was happening, Rhys couldn''t help but feel the absurdity of the situation: didn''t he know better than anyone whether Slytherin had an heir or not? Did someone really think that just speaking Parseltongue made them the heir?
Who was parading around, using his name to deceive people?
Aside from the absurdity, Rhys was furious. ording to his design, this system was only meant to be activated in the event of a life-or-death crisis at Hogwarts.
Whoever was up there, if they knew Parseltongue could awaken the basilisk, they surely knew the conditions required to do so. Yet they had chosen to summon the basilisk while Hogwarts was at peace!
This filled Rhys with rage. This was no prankawakening the basilisk was incredibly dangerous. One direct look at its eyes, and it would be fatal!
He couldn''t help but think of the fabricated lies of the Gaunt family. Could some fool really be nning to cleanse the school?
As Rhys stood there, filled with anger and disbelief, the sound of slithering also began emanating from the mouth of the statue.
The increasingly loud voice from above acted like an rm, waking the sleeping basilisk.
Rhys noticed the changes in the statue and immediately waved his hand.
"Tsk"
Instantly, the voice echoing in the Chamber of Secrets disappeared.
At the same time, the statue''s mouth, which had started to open, closed once more.
"Go back to sleep!" Rhys''s voice, full of anger, echoed through the Chamber.
The basilisk, having been abruptly awakened, felt a bit confused. It didn''t understand what was happening outsidethere were now two "masters" issuingmands. One wanted it to climb up, while the other wanted it to go back to sleep.
Given its own preference, the basilisk was more inclined to follow the secondmand.
What made it even better was that the master who gave the secondmand had higher authority.
So, happily, it coiled itself up, ready to return to sleep.
Then it received anothermand.
Rhys: "On second thought, don''t sleep yet. Go up, find the source of the voice!"
Basilisk: "..."
Silently, it adjusted its posture and started slithering through theplexwork of pipes, heading towards the upper levels of the castle. What else could it do? The master''smand was absolute; it didn''t even have the right toin.
A burst of magic shot forth, attaching itself to the basilisk, following it as it moved toward the source of the Parseltongue voice.
The basilisk slithered through the dark, narrow pipes, eventually arriving directly beneath the source of the voice. Now, only ayer of floor and a single pipe separated the basilisk from the person issuingmands.
Sensing it had reached its destination, the basilisk began hissing loudly, trying to understand who wasmanding it.
"Hiss~ Who are you~"
"I, the heir of Slytherin, order you to obey mymands!"
Hearing the basilisk''s response, the person outside clearly felt a sense of satisfaction and began issuing orders, instructing the basilisk to follow theirmands.
"I refuse."
The basilisk bluntly rejected themand.
ording to the basilisk''s logic, since the original master had returned, the authority of this new "master" had naturally been revoked.
"?"
"You must be joking!" The voice outside sounded shocked and furious. "Are you defying the orders of the great Slytherin?"
The basilisk couldn''t be bothered with the voice anymore. Having been roused from its slumber, it was feeling hungry and decided to hunt some rats in the pipes.
While small, rats were plentiful, and inrge numbers, they provided enough sustenance to maintain the basilisk''s energy.
Hogwarts had an intricate underground system, yet it rarely had any issues with rodents.
The basilisk, kept by Slytherin in the depths, yed a significant role in keeping the poption down. Every time it woke from its long sleep, the rats would suffer a near-total eradication.
"Hey!"
Noticing the basilisk ignoring itsmands, the voice outside became frantic. It started changing tactics, trying to reassert control over the creature, but the basilisk chose to focus on its rat hunt, only asionally hissing half-heartedly in response.
The voice outside was confused.
Decades ago, the basilisk had obeyed it without question, so why wasn''t it following orders now?
Was it because the girl it had possessedcked the bloodline of the great Slytherin?
It felt like it had figured out the answer.
While the basilisk yed along with the voice, Rhys was making his way to the surface as quickly as possible.
The magic he left with the basilisk acted as a beacon, helping him track its location.
Soon, Rhys arrived near the source.
He could sense that the magic attached to the basilisk was only separated from him by a wall. However, the corridor he found himself in waspletely empty, with no one in sight.
"Where is that person?" Rhys directly asked the basilisk.
"hISS~ Over there~"
The basilisk pointed Rhys in the right direction.
Following the creature''s guidance, Rhys quickly walked to the corner of the corridor, where he saw someone unexpected.
It was a small girl with fiery red hair, wearing an ill-fitting old robe.
Her skin was pale, her frame thin, and she had a pair of brown eyes.
Despite her young age, her striking features were already evident, hinting at a beauty that rivaled even Daphne''s, perhaps surpassing it. However, the weariness on her face, her haggard expression, and the dark circles around her eyes marred that beauty.
Rhys didn''t need to ask her name or delve into her memories; the red hair alone told him she was from the Weasley family.
And in this generation, there was only one Weasley girl.
Rhys had seen her during the Sorting Ceremony and knew her nameGinevra.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley, why are you here?" Rhys asked, narrowing his eyes. He had already sensed something unusual about the girl.
Ginny seemed startled by Rhys'' questioning, hesitating for a moment before replying, "Just call me Ginny."
"Alright, Ginny Weasley, why are you here?" Rhys pressed, now almost certain that this small girl was the one who had used Parseltongue.
But this was too strangehow could a Weasley use Parseltongue?
Parseltongue, though it could be learnedter in life, was primarily tied to bloodline. If a wizard''s ancestors hadn''t possessed the ability, it was nearly impossible for them to naturally acquire it.
And as far as Rhys knew, the Weasley family, even a thousand years ago, had no connection to Parseltongue.
Could it be that their bloodline had somehow mixed with another wizarding family?
Or perhaps it had something to do with the "little secret" she was carrying?
__________
12 Advance Chapters
147- Homework Check
147- Homework Check
"I believe she has the right to be anywhere in the castle without being questioned."
Just as Rhys was about to continue his interrogation, a voice interrupted him.
Rhys looked up to see a tall,nky young man with bright red hair and a face full of freckles striding toward him. The prefect''s badge gleamed on his chest.
The red hair and freckles were as good as a calling card, revealing the youth''s identity: Percy Weasley.
"You''re right." Rhys, uninterested in arguing with him, stepped aside, watching as Percy quickly approached his sister, his face full of caution.
Rhys knew better than to expose Ginny''s secret right then. It wasn''t the right time. Besides, he was sure she''d attempt to contact the basilisk again in the future. That would give him another chance to investigate.
Percy ced a protective hand on his sister''s shoulder, pulling her behind him as they headed toward the Gryffindormon room upstairs.
"You should pay more attention to your sister, real attention," Rhys suddenly said to Percy, causing both siblings to turn and stare at him.
After giving Percy that subtle warning, Rhys turned his gaze toward Ginny.
"If you ever have any troubles in the future, feel free toe to me for helpI''m known for keeping secrets."
Percy and Ginny were both momentarily stunned, but by the time they recovered, Rhys had already descended the stairs.
Percy frowned. What did Rhys mean by real attention? Wasn''t he the one who cared most about his sister? What was that Slytherin boy, Lint, up to?
After silently grumbling about Rhys, Percy patted Ginny on the shoulder.
"If anyone at school dares to bully you, just let me know. Your brother is a prefect, after all!"
Ginny didn''t reply; she only nodded quietly.
Percy noticed that his sister seemed a little out of sorts. Looking closer, he saw dark circles under her eyes, and her expression appeared tired.
He raised an eyebrow. "Didn''t sleep wellst night? You don''t look so good."
"N-no, it''s nothing," Ginny responded softly, her head lowered.
"You can go to Madam Pomfrey and get some Invigoration Draught. It''s free. Your big brother here drank three cups a day during finals, and it worked wonders," Percy offered what he thought was useful advice.
Ginny just nodded again, while Rhys'' words echoed in her mind.
If you ever have any troubles, you cane to me for help.
''Could he really help me?''
"So, what kind of person is Rhys?" Ginny couldn''t help but ask her brother about him.
"Rhys?" Percy gave her a curious look. "Why are you suddenly asking about him?"
"That guy is... well, a not-so-annoying Slytherin." After thinking for a moment, Percy summed up his thoughts on Rhys.
Rhys was clearly an outlier in Slytherin House. His friend Daphne was the same way. They didn''t have the arrogance typical of many pure-blood wizards, but rather a quiet confidence that gave them a sense of ease.
Moreover, they didn''t show any disdain for Muggles or Muggle-borns, and they had good grades. These two qualities gave Percy a favorable impression of them.
"That Daphne, who''s always by his side, is more of a legend. Compared to her, Rhys is much more ordinarya pretty average Slytherin," Percy recalled thoughtfully. Over the past year, it was Daphne Greengrass who had really stood out in Slytherin, while Rhys Linth had barely made an impression outside his house.
The most notable thing he''d done was ending up in the hospital after drinking too much potion during finals...
"So that''s the kind of person he is..." Ginny blinked, forming a basic impression of Rhysa low-key Slytherin.
"Honestly, if you get the chance, you should try to get along with Daphne," Percy seriously advised his sister. In his eyes, whatever benefits Rhys could offer her paled inparison to what Daphne could provide.
Befriending Daphne would be a very advantageous move.
Ginny lowered her eyes, not responding to her brother''s words as they walked toward the Gryffindormon room. Little did they know, beneath their feet, a giant serpent was swiftly slithering through the floors, spreading death, destruction, and fear throughout every corner of the castle.
To the spiders and rats of course!
After gaining a basic understanding of the "Heir of Slytherin" incident, Rhys found Daphne and her sister Astoria in the library.
"I made the lunchbox!"
The moment Daphne saw Rhys, she excitedly presented a delicate little box, norger than the palm of her hand, as if offering a treasure.
The box was made of pine wood, with intricate silver iys decorating the exterior, and at the top was a coiled silver snake. Despite its small size, it had a surprising weight when held.
Click, click.
Rhys undid the sps and opened the box, revealing its intricate interior: the already tiny box was divided into fivepartments. In the center was a small circr space, and the remaining sections were separated by four partitions.
Eachpartment held foodsome desserts, fruits, sd, meat, and even a main course.
The lid of the box also had a set of utensils neatly embedded.
Rhys nced around to make sure Madam Pince wasn''t nearby, then used a fork to pick out a meatball from the box.
The single meatball was almost asrge as the tinypartment itself. However, after Rhys forked it out, the meatballs underneath merely shifted slightly but showed no signs of diminishing.
Rhys popped the meatball into his mouth and chewed slowly. Even though it had gone cold, it still had a unique vor.
"Not bad," Rhys remarked as he examined Daphne''s creation, nodding in satisfaction. Although there were still many areas for improvement, and the functionality was somewhat limited, it more than fulfilled the assignment from the booklet.
"Hehe~"
Daphne smiled, clearly pleased with Rhys''s praise.
Astoria, watching her sister''s finished lunchbox, had a spark of excitement in her eyes: I want to learn this too!
"There''s still room for improvement. Want to learn?" Rhys offered, feeling that since Ravenw had shared some knowledge with Daphne, it was his turn to provide some useful insight.
"Yes!" Daphne eagerly epted. She had a hunger for knowledge, much like a Ravenw student.
"This is a spell invented by the founders of Hogwarts after they established the school..." Rhys held the lunchbox in his hand and began to exin a story from his previous travels.
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
148- Stasis Field
148- Stasis Field
"The meat''s gone cold!"
Gryffindor pinched a piece of frozen, rock-hard meat from the lunchbox with his fingers, looking at it with clear disdain.
When meat cools, the fat solidifies on the surface, making roasted meat taste terrible and hard to digest.
"Professor Gryffindor, it''s the dead of winter. Of course, the meat is cold. We can just light a fire to warm it up."
Adrian said, carrying a bundle of freshly chopped wood. He quickly piled it into a small stack on the ground and lit it with magic.
"Move aside, don''t get in the way!" Gryffindor''s prized student, Mary, carefully approached, holding a horn cup. "Professor, it''s so cold. Have some warm mulled wine to warm up!"
Before returning to camp, she had cleverly used magical mes to warm the wine to just the right temperature.
Adrian: "_"
He turned stiffly, only to notice his teacher, Slytherin, standing under a nearby pine tree, smiling at him.
Adrian scratched his head, realizing he was in trouble. He had already finished the wine he brought along during the journey...
''Seriously, Mary, what''s with all this over-the-top ttery?
Gryffindor is such a great wizarddoes she really think he can''t heat his own wine?''
After internally criticizing Mary for her unnecessary sycophancy, Adrian quickly brushed away the snow from the ground andid down a deer hide. Then, in a sh, he ran to Slytherin''s side and respectfully invited him over.
"Sit here, teacher. It''s clean, so you won''t dirty your robe."
After Slytherin "sat down," Gryffindor handed him the wine cup, letting him have a sip.
"Counting the two from this morning, we''ve already dealt with five dragons. There are way too many dragons in this forest," Slytherin said, calmly finishing the wine in one gulp before starting to discuss the next steps for clearing the Forbidden Forest with Gryffindor.
"Should we leave a few for the kids? If future young wizards can''t even handle a single dragon, that''s not right," Gryffindor said, drawing his longsword and skewering the cold, rock-hard piece of meat. He ced it over the fire to roast.
"Professor Slytherin, leave it to us. Just a few dragons I can handle two... no, three, on my own!"
Adrian, who was tending the pot over the fire, perked up immediately upon hearing the professors'' conversation.
Mary nced at Adrian, feeling like he was about to get scolded.
"How many times have I told you, never underestimate any enemy. Why can''t you remember that?" As expected, Slytherin was displeased with Adrian''s arrogance. He believed Adrian was far too overconfident.
Ordinary dragons were one thing, but if there were any hidden giants or rare dragons with spatial attributes like the space dragons, Adrian would likely meet a swift and tragic end!
"Alright, alright, the kid''s idea is goodat least he''s got courage!" Gryffindor actually agreed with Adrian''s statement.
Slytherin let out a heavy sigh, feeling like Adrian was Gryffindor''s spy nted within his house.
He took out his own lunchbox, and upon opening it, a rich aroma wafted out.
Gryffindor sniffed the air and then looked at his old friend in astonishment.
"What on earth is that? Why does it smell so good?"
Then, he noticed something unusual. "Hey? Why does your food look so fresh? It''s like it was just made!"
Mary and Adrian also came over to inspect Slytherin''s lunchbox.
Sure enough, just as Gryffindor had said, the food inside looked extremely fresh, as if it had just been pulled off the stove.
The roast meat sizzled with oil, the fried food still steamed, and when they poked at it with a dining knife, it made a satisfyingly crisp sound.
"Heh~"
"I coborated with Helga on this for a while. We came up with a fun little spell and tried embedding it into this lunchbox. Haven''t decided on a name for the spell yetmaybe something like the Freshness Charm or the Warming Charm?"
"You had something this good and didn''t tell me?!"
Gryffindor looked at his own lunchbox, which had turned into a block of frozen food, his mood clearlyplicated.
"You didn''t ask, did you?" Slytherin responded with a smile.
Gryffindor was left speechless by Slytherin''s reply.
"Pfft~ Just teasing you. The main reason is that we only recently developed this spell, and its effects are still unstable. So, I used my lunchbox as a test. This time it worked well, but if we''d had bad luck, I could have opened the lunchbox to find either a pile of charred food or something spoiled and rotten."
"Yeah, whatever. Humph~" Though his friend offered an exnation, Gryffindor still felt a bit sulky.
He crouched down, reheating the meat on his sword. As he took his first bite, a realization struck him: the reason for his frustration wasn''t the food. It was that when they were experimenting with the crystal ball, he had been the first one Slytherin consulted.
But when it came to testing the lunchbox''s warming charm, Szar tried it first. ''That sly, cunning Szar!''
"Taste this!" Szar offered some of his food, cing it in Gryffindor''s lunchbox.
The moment the sulent, juicy roast meat hit Gryffindor''s mouth, all his annoyance towards Slytherin disappeared.
''Slytherin! Such a great guy!''
The lunchbox Slytherin used was enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, allowing it to hold enough food for four people. Everyone was able to enjoy fresh, hot meals.
...
"And that''s the story of Slytherin and the Preservation Charm. Now, let me teach you the key to this spell. Once your lunchbox is enchanted with this charm, the food inside will remain in the exact state it was in the moment you ced it there. This is an extremely advanced form of time-based magic!" Rhys concluded the amusing tale for Daphne and then moved on to today''s lesson: teaching the Stasis Field.
A basic preservation spell typically just heats or freezes food, keeping it warm or cold. However, continuous heating or freezing tends to ruin the taste, and even higher-level preservation magic can only create a near-vacuum state inside the box with constant temperature control. Yet, that method still has its ws.
Rhys'' Stasis Field, on the other hand, had almost no drawbacks. The only downside was its difficulty in casting and the high amount of magical power it required.
The spell essentially freezes time within a small area, keeping everything inside in the exact state it was ced until the spell''s effect wears off. Only then does the flow of time around the food return to normal.
The time within that small area is permanently "stolen" by the caster, extracted and banished into an unknown space where it eventually dissipates.
After Rhys'' exnation, both Daphne and Astoria blinked in amazement.
12 Advance Chapters
149- Ravenclaw is very envious
149- Ravenw is very envious
"Then, can this spell be used to preserve various potion ingredients?"
Daphne was the first to think of the Stasis Field''s application in the field of potion-making.
Most potion ingredients lose their potency as time passes. Daphne imagined that if they could add a Stasis Field to potion storage cabs, the ingredients could stay as fresh as when they were first harvested.
"In theory, yes," Rhys shook his head.
Most potion ingredients require some form of preprocessing after being harvested. Once they''ve been treated, their shelf life can be greatly extended. Many materials canst for one or two years without issue, while the Stasis Field onlysts for hours.
Attempting to use the Stasis Field for long-term preservation is impractical.
Even Rhys, the spell''s inventor, couldn''t make the spellst for years. As time goes on, the time differential between the space inside and outside the spell increases, greatly elerating the spell''s magical consumption.
"Then could it be used for healing? For instance, keeping someone frozen at the moment just before death?" Astoria was more curious about whether the spell had medical applications.
Rhys shook his head again. Epassing an entire person would require a muchrger spell field, which would significantly increase the difficulty of casting the spell.
However, there was indeed potential for medical applications.
Rhys had heard that Muggles sometimes use organ transnts to treat certain diseases. His spell could certainly be useful in this regard.
It could genuinely extend the transportation time for organs.
But the issue is that the magical world has its own medical system, and organ transnts are extremely rare.
Most conditions that would require organ recement in the Muggle world can be solved with potions or alchemy here.
For example, if an Auror loses an eye in battle, the Ministry of Magic can provide them with an alchemical prosthetic eye.
So, the Stasis Field has almost no practical use in the medical field either. As things stand, until the spell undergoes a major breakthrough, its most practical use remains keeping food warm in lunchboxes.
After answering the two girls'' questions, Rhys began exining the key points of casting the Stasis Field spell.
After listening to Rhys'' "lesson," Daphne squinted, thinking for a moment before realizing something: "Rhys, the spell you used to preserve ice cream before, was that this one?"
Rhys: ''...''
Daphne, were you not paying attention?
You must have been distracted, right?!
"No, that was just an ordinary freezing spell. Ice cream doesn''t change its texture too much after freezing." Rhys gave a brief exnation, then urged Daphne to start trying to cast the Stasis Field.
To make it easier to observe whether the spell worked, Rhys brought out a small box.
The top of the box had a small hole, and a thin wisp of smoke slowly drifted out, giving off a faint scent.
If Daphne''s spell was sessful, the smoke would stop because the time inside the smoke box would have been "frozen."
Daphne tried several times, but the spell was incredibly difficult. None of her attempts were sessful.
After practicing for a while, Daphne gradually found the trick to it and was able to momentarily freeze time in an area the size of a coin.
"Not bad," Rhys nodded with a smile.
Daphne''s mastery of the spell was progressing as fast as that of Gryffindor''s pace, which impressed him.
Seeing this, Astoria, standing nearby, was eager to give it a try. Noticing her enthusiasm, Rhys slid the smoke box over to her, indicating she could have a go as well.
Astoria followed Rhys'' instructions, recited the incantation, and made the corresponding hand movements. The next moment, the thin column of smoke above the box abruptly stopped for an instant.
Rhys: !
Daphne: ?!
Both were shocked by Astoria''s progress.
Did she seed on her first try?
Was this pure talent or just luck?
But as Astoria continued to practice, she demonstrated that it wasn''t luck. She could indeed cast the spell effectively.
Although the time freezested only for a brief moment, it was a breakthrough from nothing. Moving forward, she just needed to practice controlling her magical output to significantly extend the spell''s duration.
''Amazing!'' Rhys thought to himself. If they weren''t in the library where silence was required, he would have apuded her on the spot.
Sessfully casting the Stasis Field spell on the first try? That kind of talent was truly remarkable.
Daphne pressed her lips together, suddenly feeling a sense of crisis: Was her sister''s talent far greater than her own? This thought unsettled her.
She was afraid.
Afraid that Rhys would no longer teach her, and terrified that everything she currently enjoyed would be taken away by her sister.
''But I''m healthier than her. No matter how talented she is, if her illness can''t be cured, how long can she even live?'' This dark thought shed through Daphne''s mind, and she was immediately horrified by her own thinking.
How could she have such a thought!
Daphne felt ashamed of herself.
She lowered her head, trying to hide her eyes from both Astoria and Rhys.
Having confirmed that Astoria could sessfully cast the Stasis Field spell, Rhys decided to take her on as a studentsuch a gifted child, keeping her in school to just learn simple spells like the Cutting Curse or Levitation Charm would be a waste of her potential.
If she could control her magic as well as her sister, Astoria might be the most naturally gifted witch Rhys had ever encountered.
"Come on, I''ll take you somewhere," Rhys gestured for Astoria to follow him to a secret location.
"Where are we going?" Astoria stood up, her eyes shining with curiosity.
"A ce only true Slytherins can enter," Rhys said, standing up.
He then noticed that Daphne had her head lowered, seemingly preupied with something.
"Hey, get up, we''re going to the special ssroom," Rhys called out to Daphne.
Daphne raised her head in surprise and asked, "I can go too?"
Rhys paused, then asked in return, "Huh? Do you have something else to do?"
Suddenly, he realized what was going on and couldn''t help butugh to himself.
Did this child think she was being "eliminated"?
While his energy was limited, managing two students was more than feasible.
There was never a limit on the number of heirs!
Ravenw and Gryffindor only had one chosen heir each, not because they could only pick one, but because only one was suitable.
He himself had chosen both Barrow and Adrian, after all. Although one of them often frustrated him, both had ess to the Chamber of Secrets and were qualified to be the Head of Slytherin House.
Realizing that she still qualified to be taught by Rhys, Daphne immediately brightened up. She stood up from her chair, grabbed her sister''s hand, and eagerly headed toward the Chamber of Secrets, nearly rushing as if she couldn''t wait to get there.
After Daphne and Astoria left, Rhys felt a gaze fall upon him.
He turned to see Ravenw''s projection standing in the corner, watching him.
Rhys could sense a hint of envy in her gaze.
Read 12 Advance Chapters
150- Ravenclaw’s Chamber of Secrets
150- Ravenws Chamber of Secrets
Rhys winked at her: Feeling envious, aren''t you?
He thought to himself, what a pity!
''These two young witches are great talents from Slytherin House. But don''t worry, I believe Ravenw House can produce such outstanding students too~''
Superiority is born fromparison. Seeing the envy in Ravenw''s eyes, Rhys believed that the Greengrass sisters were here to repay the debt of their ancestor, Adrianwho had once caused his blood pressure to skyrocket due to his reckless actions.
Thankfully, his descendants had now made up for it.
Ravenw said nothing, silently turning to leave. At that moment, she was eagerly anticipating her meeting with Miss Hermione Granger on Monday. She was very curious to know how far Granger had progressed in her studies and how her talentpared to that of the Greengrass sisters.
Although Ravenw had given Hermione the key to her exclusive ssroom, the girl hadn''t shown up yet.
Ravenw was growing anxious, as if she had pulled a rare card but the stats hadn''t been revealed yet.
She was eager to know whether she had chosen a remarkable prodigy who could cover great distances swiftly, a moderately capable student, or just an ordinary one.
But regardless of Hermione''s talent, Ravenw was determined to pass on her knowledge to her, because the girl possessed one crucial quality: diligence.
A wizard''s life is long, and Hermione would have plenty of time to catch up with those so-called geniuses.
Once Ravenw''s figure disappeared, Rhys also left the library and headed to the Chamber of Secrets with the Greengrass sisters.
However, as fate would have it, Hermione Granger soon arrived at her beloved library.
Today, she was there to practice her magical output.
However, things weren''t as simple as Hermione had hoped. After circling the library a few times, she still couldn''t find the study room she had enteredst time.
This left her feeling somewhat confused.
Instinctively, she pulled out the key, hoping to see if there was any address or information about the study room on it, but the antique key didn''t have a single letter on it.
Hermione sighed. Just as she was about to put the key back into her pocket, something caught the corner of her eye.
"Huh? How is there a door here? I didn''t even notice it!"
Hermione immediately recognized it as the door she had used to enter the study roomst time.
Strangely, she hadpletely missed it earlierhow careless of her.
But such things weren''t umon.
She often found herself holding a quill and searching for one, so she didn''t dwell too much on the minor mishap.
She quickly walked up to the door, finding it locked. Fortunately, this time the key proved useful. With a gentle twist, the door unlocked.
On the table inside, the books Hermione had borrowed for Madam Spite were neatly ced in one corner, with a note left on top.
"Thank you for the books, Miss Granger. Please return them for me, and also borrow the following from the library:
-New Principles of Arithmancy
-Arithmancy and Symbols
.
.
.
-The Standard Book of Spells (Grades 1-7)"
Seeing the note left by Madam Spite, Hermione felt the urge toin, but she still picked up the stack of books and returned them to their proper ces. Afterward, she fetched the books listed on Madam Spite''s request.
Once that task waspleted, she finally began practicing her magic output control.
Since it wasn''t practical to practice in the cramped study room, Hermione decided to go to the adjacent room, as Madam Spite had mentioned that it could be used for practice.
Gasp!
When she opened the door, Hermione was astonished by the size of the roomit was almost asrge as the Great Hall, the only difference being that it waspletely empty, devoid of any furniture or decoration.
As she walked inside, she could hear the echo of her footsteps bouncing off the floor.
Hermione clicked her tongue in surprise, realizing it was her first time discovering such a ce within the castle.
After taking ap around the room, however, the initial excitement wore off. It was, after all, just arge, empty ssroom, not even furnished with a chair.
She began practicing her magic output ording to the notes Madam Spite had left for her. Hermione had already mastered the basics of magic output, being able to "grab" a cup a few feet away using only her magic. Now, her task was to stabilize the flow of magic.
She practiced for several hours. The results were decentshe had managed to gather magic at her feet and even lift herself off the ground for a second or two.
However, the problem remained that her magic output wasn''t stable enough.
Ravenw, observing from the shadows, felt somewhat satisfied. She then revealed herself and approached the young girl from behind.
"You could try taking off your shoes and letting your feet make direct contact with the ground. That might help you progress faster."
"Ah!" The sudden voice startled Hermione. She spun around quickly, and upon realizing it was Madam Spite, she let out a sigh of relief. "You scared me! How do you walk without making any sound?"
"It''s because you were too focused," Ravenw replied with a smile, then began offering guidance to Hermione.
At this point, Ravenw was quite pleased with her student, Hermione Granger: intelligent, diligent, and with decent natural talent that already met and exceeded her expectations.
She believed that Hermione''s future achievements would not fall shortpared to the Greengrass sisters.
Coincidentally, in his own dedicated ssroom, Rhys was teaching Astoria how to control her own magical power.
Unlike modern wizards, Rhys and ancient wizards like Ravenw preferred to first teach their students how to master magic itself before moving on to specific spells.
Each teaching method had its advantages and disadvantages.
The modern approach was faster, allowing wizards to quickly learn spells, while Rhys and Ravenw''s method produced students with much higher potential.
Wizards trained under the modern system rarely had the power to single-handedly y a dragon, whereas among the students Rhys and Ravenw taught, such feats were not umon.
At the very least, those they brought into their exclusive ssrooms were capable of such achievements.
As usual, before starting the lesson, Rhys gave Astoria a demonstration of advanced magic, leaving herpletely astonished, her mouth agape in disbelief.
However, this time, Daphne, observing for the second time, noticed details she had missed before.
For example, when Lord Slytherin fought the giant serpent J?rmungandr, it seemed that he had also unfolded some sort of field around himself.
This field looked very familiar, closely resembling something she had seen during the end ofst school year. The only difference was that Slytherin''s field didn''t have as much mud; it appeared more like he was controlling water.
Thanks to this field, he managed to neutralize many of the giant serpent''s attacks. The first time Daphne witnessed it, unfamiliar with such a field, she had thought it was some sort of advanced spell.
But with her broadened horizons, she now recognized that it was the field itself protecting him from the serpent''s strikes.
She shared her discovery with Rhys, who confirmed her observations.
12 Advance ChaptersPatreon/HornyFBI
151- The Greengrass Sisters
151- The Greengrass Sisters
"If two wizards face off, and one has a domain while the other doesn''t, the wizard without the domain has no chance of winning. If they manage to escape with their life, they are already outstanding," Rhys advised Daphne.
He warned her that if she ever encountered a wizard with a domain, and she hadn''t unlocked hers yet, his only suggestion would be to runor call for a wizard who has a domain.
The power boost a domain provides to a wizard is terrifying.
A wizard with a domain is essentially unbeatable unless they lose their sanity.
When Rhys had previously fought Voldemort, although Voldemort''s spellcasting skills were quite decent, theck of a domain made him as easy to handle as a toy in Rhys'' hands.
If Voldemort had possessed a domain back then, Rhys wouldn''t have been able to defeat him so easily, and Voldemort would likely have escaped.
It was the same when Rhys faced off against Rowena Ravenw.
Activating his domain was what allowed him to level the ying field despite the difference in their magical power, leading to a fierce and evenly matched battle.
Without his domain, Rhys would have been sliced into pieces by Ravenw in no time.
Domains are crucial for a wizard, but unfortunately, the unlocking of a domain requires a special opportunity, and no one can guarantee they will ever unlock theirs.
So, Rhys felt it necessary to prepare Daphne and Astoria, to avoid a future where one of themwithout a domainfoolishly tries to duel a wizard who has one.
Of course, Rhys had confidence in his two students.
After all, he knew a ''bit'' about potion-making, and if he could gather the right materials in the future, he could brew potions that would assist them in unlocking their domains.
After giving the Greengrass sisters this warning, Rhys began his lesson.
"Focus your mana into the soles of your feet, and try to stabilize the output..." Rhys repeated the instructions he had given to Daphne earlier, adding at the end that if Astoria had any questions, she could ask Daphnewho had a real talent for this.
Rhys'' words immediately made Daphne blush. She waved her hands repeatedly, insisting that she wasn''t particrly talented.
Daphne was being sincere, as she believed her sister''s talents far surpassed her own. When it came to magical control, she figured Astoria would probably master it in less than three minutes.
But the oue was quite unexpected. Astoria struggled for several hours and still couldn''t manage to float off the ground. In fact, many times, she would lose control due to an excess of magical output and end up falling t on her backside.
Daphne: "?"
Rhys: "..."
Rhys had a faint feeling that something was off. Could Astoria and Daphne beplete opposites?
One might excel in spellcasting but struggle with magic control, while the other might be skilled in magical control but less adept at grasping spells.
If only he couldbine Astoria and Daphne into one person, the result would probably be a little witch with the greatest talent in a thousand years!
However, even if Rhys had the power to do that, he wouldn''t. To him, such magic crossed a moral line.
Daphne, not overthinking things like Rhys, earnestly shared her experience with her sister: "Take off your shoes and let your feet touch the ground directly. It''ll help a lot. And don''t be afraid to fall. Just go for it"
"Ahh!" Astoria let out a burst of magic and fell hard, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Rhys sighed and covered his forehead.
If things continued like this, he might have to start preparing potions for treating fractures.
He stomped his foot lightly, and the marble floor of the chamber softened, bing asfortable to walk on as a beach.
While Rhys couldn''t directly help Astoria control her magical output, at least he could ensure her falls wouldn''t hurt as much.
Despite removing her shoes and carefully following the advice Daphne had given her, Astoria still couldn''t manage to float like her sister.
With the same amount of practice time in her 1st year, Daphne was already soaring gracefully through the chamber, while Astoria couldn''t even manage to lift herself off the ground.
Daphne began to feel a bit helpless. She couldn''t understand why her sister was struggling, as flying came as naturally to her as breathing. Rhys, who had been observing from the sidelines, noticed something deeper. He suspected it was the impurities in Astoria''s soul that were hindering her.
These "impurities" were interfering with her ability to output and sense magic.
At this point, there wasn''t much Rhys could do. Until Astoria''s soul was cleansed, controlling her magical output would require more than ten times the effort of an ordinary person.
Rhys did his best to exin the reason for Astoria''s slow progress in simple terms to the sisters. After hearing his exnation, Astoria didn''t appear saddened at all; in fact, she looked a little excited.
On the other hand, Daphne seemed somewhat disheartened.
"This is great! I thought I didn''t have any talent, and that would have been the real problem!" Astoria said optimistically. "Once my illness is cured in the future, there won''t be anything holding me back!"
Rhys patted Astoria on the head, reassuring her that her illness would definitely be cured.
After figuring out the reason behind her struggles, Rhys left Astoria to practice on her own. Neither he nor Daphne could help her now; softening the floor was the only thing he could do. As for Daphne, Rhys assigned her to practice the Stasis Field on the side.
Rhys himself found a quiet spot to tinker with the Philosopher''s Stone. After months of effort, he had made some progress in his research on it.
He felt that the Philosopher''s Stone must involve highly advanced magical transformations, and it was likely that a specific magic circle was required to create it.
However, reverse-engineering the magic circle used to craft the Philosopher''s Stone was an incredibly difficult task.
Rhys had reached a bottleneck in his research, and to make further progress, he needed to actually ingest a small amount of the Stone.
He chipped off a small fragment from the Philosopher''s Stone and began brewing the Elixir of Life using that piece.
With the Philosopher''s Stone as the key ingredient, the remaining steps weren''t tooplicated.
In fact, they were surprisingly simple, not much harder than the Scouring Solution first-year students learned in their initial Potions ss.
Soon enough, the Elixir of Life was ready. Looking at the potion, which was as vividly red as blood, Rhys couldn''t help but marvel at it.
After some thought, he didn''t drink it right away.
Instead, he dropped a small pebble into the cauldron. Instantly, white steam billowed up, and after a short while, nearly half the liquid had evaporated. The small stone had turned into a piece of solid gold.
Rhys fished it out of the cauldron and split it open. Upon inspection, he found that the stone had beenpletely and thoroughly transformed into pure gold.
After roughly calcting the conversion rate using this small stone, Rhys understood why Nics mel was so wealthy.
His fortune was so immense that Beauxbatons could be the richest magical school in Europe, sustained by his donations alone.
People who don''t know the truth would think that the Philosopher''s Stone''s ability to turn stone into gold is a one-to-one conversion of the Stone and gold, but in fact it is not. Rhys looked at the little gold beans in his hand and felt that the conversion ratio was close to one to one thousand.
But this is not the core function of the Philosopher''s Stone...
Read 12 Advance Chapters:
152- True Brave Man
152- True Brave Man
Muggles have a saying: "Picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelons." Rhys thought this was the perfect description for those who used the Philosopher''s Stone merely to turn things into gold.
If you''re capable of creating a Philosopher''s Stone, how could you possibly be short of money? Rhys found this idea absurd.
For a highly skilled potions master or alchemist, the speed at which they earned money was only limited by their conscience.
If he were heartless enough, Rhys could sell the special cure for Astoria''s illness to Mr. Jamison Henry for a thousand Galleons per dose. And Jamison would have no choice but to pay up because only Rhys had the ability to cure Astoria. It wouldn''t be difficult to reduce the Greengrass family''s finances to the level of the Weasleys.
But having just witnessed the process of the stone turning into gold, Rhys confirmed his theory. The potion transformed "stone" into "gold." Now, Rhys suspected that the same potion might also be capable of transforming something else into nourishment for the soul.
Now, it was time for the final step in the experimentsomething every potioneer must eventually face: testing the potion!
Rhys poured the contents of the cauldron into a goblet and gently swirled it, watching the blood-red liquid spin inside.
After a brief moment of contemtion, he downed the potion in one gulp.
As it entered his mouth, a strong metallic taste of blood filled his senses, making Rhys feel as though he had just swallowed a mouthful of actual blood.
After swallowing the Elixir of Life, Rhys felt his stomach ignite as though it were on fire. The sensationsted a few minutes before gradually subsiding, reced by a warm current that surged toward his brain.
"It''s a protection for the soul," Rhys quickly deduced the Philosopher''s Stone''s method for granting immortality. It worked by forming a protectiveyer around the soul, shielding it from the ravages of time. As long as the soul remained youthful and untouched by the passage of years, the person would not die.
However, the issuey in the fact that the potion only protected the soul, not the physical body.
Rhys spected that those who consumed the Elixir of Life over an extended period would eventually experience a severe decline in their physical bodies, aging to a terrifying extent.
At that point, living would be more of a curse than a blessing.
Rhys rubbed his chin thoughtfully, revealing a contemtive expression.
It seemed that this method of immortality was not as good as the one he had invented himself.
His desire to reverse-engineer the Philosopher''s Stone diminished considerably. In his mind, it was merely a matter of using a magical array to convert different types of elements into soul-nourishing substances.
With some research, he believed he could replicate it in a matter of yearsor, if things went poorly, it might take a few decades or even a century.
Having unraveled the mystery of the Philosopher''s Stone, Rhys was in high spirits.
He even ventured outside the chamber to bring some food for the Greengrass sisters, who were working harder than ever. The two were pushing each other to their limits,peting in a relentless cycle of self-improvement.
In Rhys'' view, this was a good thing.
As time flew by, all three young witches, recognized by the founders, threw themselves into their studies with great diligence.
Before long, the night of the full moon approached.
The public discourse, which had somewhat died down, red up again.
Wizards across the British magicalmunity were eager to know whose Human Restoration Spell was truly effectiveHenry''s or Lockhart''s? Was Lockhart a fraud or not?
At this crucial moment, the Ministry of Magic found itself in turmoil, like ants on a hot pan.
The reason was simple: they couldn''t find any willing werewolves to participate in the experiment, except for the poor soul who worked in the Ministry''s "Werewolf Support Services" department.
Yes, a trial aimed at curing werewolves couldn''t recruit any werewolf volunteers.
The reason for this was equally simple. The discrimination against werewolves in the wizarding world was terrifyingly severe. Almost no employer would hire a werewolf.
Once a werewolf''s identity was exposed, they were certain to receive a termination letter, without exception.
However, as a matter of unwritten rule, employers would not publicly announce that their dismissed employee was a werewolfthis was to prevent the werewolf from falling intoplete despair and retaliating by spreading the curse.
It was an unspoken agreement to leave each other some room.
A dismissed werewolf could still look for another job and scrape by, though their life would be tough. But they could survive.
Participating in the Ministry''s high-profile experiment, however, was another story. The attention surrounding the trial was so intense that the werewolf''s identity would undoubtedly be broadcast across the entire magicalmunity.
Their future living conditions would be incredibly harsh.
If the experiment seeded and they were cured, perhaps things would be fine.
But if the experiment failed...
The already grim life of the werewolf volunteer would be utterly destroyed.
You should know, while the Ministry of Magic has indeed created a few positions specifically for werewolves, nearly all werewolves would rather roam aimlessly than be Ministry employees. The reason is that, once hired, they would face a lifetime of discrimination.
Werewolves in these positions rarely lived longoften not even ousting their homeless counterparts.
This was precisely why the Ministry couldn''t find volunteers.
Minister Fudge once considered taking werewolves imprisoned in Azkaban and using them as test subjects, but the moment the suggestion was made, it was met with a tidal wave of opposition and protests.
The opposition was so overwhelming that Fudge was certain if he passed the decree in the morning, by the afternoon he''d be thrown out of his office as Minister.
The reason for such heavy opposition was simple: while werewolves living in the dark corners of the magical world might elicit some small degree of pity, the werewolves in Azkaban were indisputably vile.
Every werewolf imprisoned in Azkaban had a history of deliberately attacking people. They were genuine threats to wizarding society.
During the First Wizarding War, arge number of werewolves had joined Voldemort''s ranks, infecting other wizards on his behalf, so the hatred ordinary wizards had for them was understandable.
Most Ministry employees held the view that the only question left about Azkaban werewolves was why the Dementors hadn''t sucked the life out of them yet. Treating them for lycanthropy was, in their eyes, absurd, and this was why Fudge''s suggestion sparked so much outrage.
Without any werewolf volunteers, Fudge was deeply troubled.
Finally, he came up with a less-than-ideal solution: cing an advertisement in the newspaper.
This move was ridiculed by many. They believed it was impossible to recruit anyone, and even Cornelius Fudge himself thought the same. However, to their surprise, someone actually stepped forward.
Remus Lupin, holding a copy of the Daily Prophet, knocked on the door of Dumbledore''s office.
When Dumbledore heard that Lupin had decided to volunteer for the Human-Restoration Spell experiment, a sh of shock crossed his eyes.
"You are a true Gryffindor, Remus. But you must think carefullyyou may pay a price you will never be able to recover from."
Despite his deep admiration, Dumbledore still cautioned him, fully aware of the consequences Lupin would face by making this decision.
_________
12 Advance Chapters
153- Nirvana and Judgment
153- Nirvana and Judgment
"I understand, Professor Dumbledore," Lupin said calmly, as if the topic they were discussing had nothing to do with him. "But someone has to do it, right?"
"If that spell proves to be effective, then the children infected by werewolves in the future will have hope."
"Remus..." Dumbledore''s expression became veryplicated. After a few seconds of silence, he solemnly said to Lupin, "For you to volunteer so boldly, even if Jamison''s spell doesn''t work, I will still try my best. I believe the spell will be effective."
Dumbledore gave his promise. No matter what, he would cure Lupin''s lycanthropy. He had studied the Slytherin manuscript carefully and was convinced that the spell could indeed save werewolves.
More importantly, Severus had already prepared the slow-release version of the Wolfsbane Potion.
With such advantages, if Dumbledore couldn''t solve the problem of lycanthropy, he might as well resign and retire to Nurmengard.
Dumbledore never once mentioned Lockhart.
In his heart, he already had the answer to whether the author-professor could truly turn a werewolf back into a human.
Unlike the atmosphere in the headmaster''s office, Lockhart was practically ready to set off fireworks in the hospital wing.
He looked at the news in the Daily Prophet about the Ministry''s search for werewolf volunteers and couldn''t stop grinning.
He felt as if the heavens were smiling down on him!
Originally, his n was to feign a worsening illness to avoid dealing with it this month. He''d even prepared his excuse: while banishing the banshee with Bane, he''d suffered terrible aftereffects, forcing him to step away from teaching and making it impossible for him to treat any werewolves...
He had even started seeking out custom potions through private channels to induce specific symptoms.
Lockhart thought it would be especially cool if he developed something like a giant eye growing on his back, giving him the perfect excuse to resign.
But now, none of those tactics were necessary!
He could now openly im that there weren''t enough werewolves, and thus, he couldn''t participate in the experimenta perfect excuse!
Of course, it wouldn''t look good to refuse publicly, so he could agree reluctantly when the Ministry was desperate. Then, on the day of the experiment, he''d let Jamison Greengrass go first. This way, no matter what, he wouldn''t lose, and he could still find a way to ride the wave of attention.
Lockhart decided to take the most risky, but also the most rewarding, approach. After executing this n, he was sure his public reputation would bepletely transformed!
Lockhart could already picture his glorious future: the next two weeks'' headlines would belong to himGilderoy Lockhart!
"Such a brilliant turnaround, Britain''s wizarding world, prepare to cheer and celebrate me!" he thought, bursting into heartyughter as he held the Daily Prophet.
Just as Lockhart was reveling in his visions of future fame, Cornelius Fudge arrived at Hogwarts.
Fudge''s purpose was clearhe wanted to meet with Lockhart and ask if he was still willing to participate in the experiment, given that there was only one werewolf volunteer.
"Minister Fudge, that''s truly unfortunate..." After hearing Fudge''s request, Lockhart furrowed his brow, putting on a face of deep concern, as if he too was troubled by the situation.
Fudge felt a throbbing pain in his temples.
The thing he feared most had happened.
His old bureaucratic instincts told him that Lockhart and Mr. Greengrass absolutely had to participate in the experiment together. Otherwise, it would lead to endless trouble in the future.
But they were short one werewolf!
If kneeling and begging would make a werewolf fall from the sky, Minister Fudge would have already shattered the floor with his head.
Seeing Fudge''s troubled expression, Lockhart decided it was time to stop pushing.
After all, his goal was to participate in the experiment, shift public opinion without revealing his true abilities, not to give the Ministry more headaches. So he cleared his throat.
"Minister Fudge"
"I''m a werewolf. I volunteer to participate in the Ministry''s experiment for the human restoration spell." A calm voice interrupted Lockhart''s words.
Both Lockhart and Cornelius Fudge turned to the doorway, looking utterly bewildered.
Their minds seemed to have short-circuited after hearing that sentence.
"Alright, thank you for your contribution to the magicalmunitywait, what did you say?" Fudge, out of habit, muttered a formal line before suddenly realizing what the man in front of him had just said.
"I said I''m a werewolf, Minister," Lupin repeated, using the gentlest tone to deliver the most shocking news.
Fudge: "..."
Wait, I haven''t even started begging yet, and suddenly a werewolf shows up?
Should I still be begging or not?
An absurd thought popped into Fudge''s head.
"No way! Absolutely not! A werewolf, a werewolf!" Lockhart screamed in a near-hysterical tone. "A werewolf, inside Hogwarts Castle!"
His mind hadpletely short-circuited.
"Nothing is impossible, Professor Lockhart," Dumbledore''s voice sounded behind Lupin. "It''s precisely because of the advent of the human restoration spell that I hired Remus, a werewolf of great character."
"Yes, exactly right!" Fudge''s face flushed with excitement.
"You truly do have great character!"
Lupin''s willingness to step forward had done Fudge a huge favor, so he kept showering Lupin withpliments, one after another.
Lockhart waspletely frozen in ce.
Now he wanted to use his "illness" as an excuse to escape, but with Dumbledore and Fudge present, how could that possibly happen?
"My bones still haven''t fully healed."
"I know a very useful spell for that."
"I''m actually under a curse."
"Let me take a look... Nope, you''re perfectly healthy!"
"I"
.
.
.
Lockhart tried every excuse he could think of, but Dumbledore calmly dispelled each one in front of everyone. By the end, Fudge''s expression had grown dark, and Lockhart, sensing that he couldn''t get away with his tricks any longer, reluctantly agreed.
"It''s settled, then," Fudge said, staring intently at Lockhart. "In two days, on the night of the full moon, we''ll be"
"Hogwarts'' Quidditch pitch would be an excellent location," Dumbledore reminded with a smile.
"Yes, it''ll take ce at the Quidditch pitch," Fudge said, his gaze turning meaningful. "Mr. Lockhart, we''re looking forward to your performance."
Lockhart: ''...fuck''
Two days passed quickly. Despite all his efforts, Lockhart couldn''t stop the experiment from proceeding as scheduled. To him, it felt more like a trial than an experiment.
His only hope was that Mr. Jamison''s spell would fail.
For the werewolf Lupin, however, this was his moment of rebirth.
As news spread, the magical world was abuzz. Various magical ministries from around the world sent officials or reporters to witness the event.
Perhaps, from this night onward, werewolves and lycanthropy would be a thing of the past.
Under the eyes of the entire magical world, the night of the full moon finally arrived.
_______
Read 12 Advance Chapters:
154: Rhys’ unexpected gain
154: Rhys unexpected gain
"Rhys, the experiment for the Human Restoration Spell is happening tonight at the Quidditch pitch!" Daphne leaned on the desk, her eyes sparkling as she stared intently at Rhys.
"Mm, I saw it in the papers," Rhys replied absentmindedly, not even bothering to lift his head.
Seeing that Rhys wasn''t responding, Daphne had no choice but to awkwardly reveal her true intentions: she wanted to attend the experiment.
It was bound to be a rare event, and missing it would be a real shame.
"Then go," Rhys finally raised his head, a little confused. If the kid wanted to join the excitement, why stop her?
"But there''s a curfew! They''ll definitely be stricter tonight. Some older girls said that the professors might even check the dorms..." Daphne looked at Rhys pitifully.
"You know the Disillusionment Charm, right? And are you really sure Professor Snape would check the girls'' dorm?" Rhys was speechless.
Checking dorms? He hadn''t even considered that might be a thing. How could a fellow Slytherin student think of such a tactic?
Daphne mmed up, but her little face visibly puffed up in frustration.
Seeing that Daphne was about to turn into a pufferfish, Rhys scratched his head.
He knew full well that Daphne wanted him to go with her to watch the experiment.
To Rhys, tonight''s experiment was like a tasteless dishneither worth eating nor worth discarding. He was indifferent about going or not, leaning towards not going because it seemed incredibly dull.
"Every wizard in the world will be there tonight. What if someone kidnaps me?" Daphne was quiet for a moment before finallying up with what she thought was a reasonable excuse.
Rhys nced at her: Who could even manage to kidnap you? Stop joking around.
But Daphne had a point. Tonight, Hogwarts was bound to be filled with all sorts of people, and maybe it wouldn''t hurt for him to show up to keep things in check.
''Fine, I''ll give her an out'', he thought. But it depends on whether she can handle itafter all, staying up toote might stunt a kid''s growth.
"Here''s the deal: how''s your practice with the Stasis Field spell? If you can maintain it for more than a minute, I''ll take you to the Quidditch pitch to watch the experiment tonight. With me there, you won''t have to worry about curfew or ''kidnappers'' anymore."
Rhys had noticed that Daphne''s Stasis Field spell could hold for about 55 seconds at most. If she could stretch it to a minute before sunset, he''d take her along.
Daphne''s expression grew seriousthis was a daunting challenge!
Silently, she pulled out a smoke box and pointed her wand at it.
"Stasis Field, activate!"
Seconds ticked by, and beads of sweat began to form on Daphne''s forehead.
"Fifty-six, fifty-seven..." Rhys silently counted, astonished to see that she was actually about to hit the one-minute mark!
But judging by her expression, she was already at her limit.
"59, 60!"
"Haah!"
As soon as she hit one minute, Daphne instantly dropped the spell. She had gone beyond her usual abilityif she tried again, she wasn''t sure she could manage it.
Rhys covered his forehead in disbelief: How badly does she want to go?
She even pushed herself to the limit just to get to the Quidditch pitch.
True to his word, Rhys took Daphne to Hogwarts'' Quidditch stadium. To avoid being spotted by the professors, Rhys personally cast a Disillusionment Charm on both himself and Daphne.
"Rx, not even Dumbledore would be able to spot us in a crowd," Rhys assured her, as they settled into a secluded corner of the stands.
The event hadn''t started yet, and the visiting wizards hadn''t arrived, so they had their choice of seats. To avoid drawing attention, Rhys deliberately picked a quiet spot in the corner.
"If you can''t see or hear clearly, I have some spells that can help," he offered.
Daphne shook her headshe didn''t need them.
Soon, it was time for the event. Wizards began arriving, transported to the school by Thestral-drawn carriages.
This was all part of Dumbledore''s arrangements. He had mobilized the Thestrals from the Forbidden Forest, sending them to Hogsmeade to collect wizards who had traveled from all over the world.
From there, they were brought to Hogwarts by the enchanted creatures.
Wizards from all over the world gradually filled the Quidditch stadium at Hogwarts.
Even though Rhys and Daphne had chosen a corner in the stands, three wizards with rather peculiar appearances arrived and sat nearby.
The leading wizard wore a coarse linen robe, a style now extremely rare.
Behind him was an elderly man with curly hair, dressed in robes so outdated they looked like costumes from a theater troupe.
Thest was a beautiful witch with a bnced figure, excellent posture, and the graceful demeanor of an ancient Greek statue.
After sitting down, the linen-robed wizard nced around and said to hispanions, "There''s no one else here."
Rhys chuckled quietly to himself. Do they really think they can see through my Disillusionment Charm that easily?
However, what surprised him was that the man was speaking in Latin.
''These three are really strange,'' Rhys thought.
He gently squeezed Daphne''s hand, signaling her to stay silent as he continued to carefully observe the trio.
...
Meanwhile, Cornelius Fudge was startled by the sheer scale of the gathering upon his return to Hogwarts. He hadn''t expected so many people to show up.
At this moment, the Hogwarts Quidditch stadium was packed, resembling the venue for a World Cup final, filled with wizards from all over the world.
As Cornelius Fudge scanned the crowd, he quickly recognized wizards from six or seven different countries.
"French, Americans, Irish, Danes, Swedes or Norwegians, and even various private organizations," Fudge muttered to himself, counting on his fingers, marveling at how this experiment had truly gained global attention.
However, one person was likely to gain infamy, Fudge thought with some schadenfreude.
Having served as Minister of Magic for years, Cornelius Fudge was not intimidated by therge turnout. He pushed through the crowd and walked up to thementary tform. Taking out his wand, he pointed it at his throat and cast, "Sonorus!"
In the next instant, his voice echoed throughout the stadium: "Ladies and gentlemen"
Clearly, the British Minister of Magic''s long-winded opening speech failed to capture the interest of the gathered wizards. Many paid him no attention, continuing their conversations.
The peculiar trio in the corner were no exception.
"Have you heard? This spell was invented by Szar himself. Hah, modern wizards can only rely on the relics of their ancestors, scraping by with what little they have. The decline of the magical world is visible to the naked eye.
Humans, whether Muggles or wizards, are like a flock of sheep lost without their shepherd since losing the favor of the gods," said the linen-robed wizard, a smile on his face.
But if one looked closely into his eyes, they would see a chillingck of warmth or emotion.
Rhys'' interest piqued immediately. ''Could there be an unexpected discovery today?''
_________
12 Advance Chapters
155- Dumbledore’s Guarantee
155- Dumbledores Guarantee
The curly-haired old man squinted at Fudge, who was standing behind the podium in the Quidditch stadium, and said in a t tone, "Yes, someone like Cornelius can be the Minister of Magic, and before that, Voldemort had them in utter chaosBritish wizards are so fallen they don''t even dare to say his name aloud."
"Decades ago, Grindelwald made me think the wizards were going to rise again, but who would''ve thought it would be thest echo of the magical world," the old man shook his head, clearly looking down on modern wizards.
"Fortunately, those four founders are long dead. It''s hard to believe that just four people could stir up a ''Ragnarok.'' If they were still alive today, our n would be nothing but a pipe dream, an illusion," said the witch.
She briefly imagined the founders still alive, and the thought made her shudder.
If they were still around, the organization''s n would be nearly impossible to execute.
"What are you thinking?" the linen-robed wizard scoffed, ncing at the witch. "Who can live for a thousand years? Rx, Virgo. The power of the Secret Order is stronger than you think. Even if those old relics came back from the dead, they''d just be remnants of a bygone era. They probably couldn''t even withstand a single arrow from me."
Rhys, who had been eavesdropping on their entire conversation from the shadows, showed no change in his expression.
Often, arrogance and ignorance go hand in hand like inseparable twins. When one appears, the other isn''t far behind.
When children misbehave, a good spanking teaches them.
The witch named Virgo and the curly-haired old man both frowned upon hearing theirpanion''s words. Sagittari (the wizard in the linen robe) was always so confident, overly sohecked the most basic respect for ancient wizards.
More importantly, if you''re going to belittle the four founders of Hogwarts, what does that make the gods they killed?
The linen-robed wizard cleared his throat, signaling hispanions to shut up and quietly observe the ceremony below.
Seeing the trio stop talking, Rhys also turned his attention, somewhat disinterested, to the experiment taking ce on the Quidditch pitch.
The experiment had already begun. Under Minister Fudge''s orders, Lupin and another werewolf were brought to the center of the field.
Although both of them were volunteers, they were tightly bound with numerous chains, and their feet shackled with heavy iron cuffs the Ministry''s treatment of them seemed to sh with their supposed volunteer status.
Of course, none of the wizards present thought this was a problem: after all, they were dealing with werewolves, and it was always wise to take extra precautions.
Mr. Jamison Henry Greengrass and Lockhart were already prepared.
Today, Mr. Jamison wore a ck wizard''s robe with silver-green embroidery symbolizing Slytherin House on the cuffs, and a Greengrass family crest pinned to his chest. Lockhart, on the other hand, wore a forget-me-not blue robe and had carefully styled his hair.
Internally, he was a nervous wreck, but outwardly, he maintained hisposure, even managing to force what he believed was a charming smile.
Snape entered the pitch, holding two goblets. He poured the potion into the mouths of the two werewolves, then asked Lockhart if he needed potion assistance.
Lockhart hesitated for a moment before epting Snape''s help. Over the past few days, he had studied the Human Restoration Charm that Jamison had published in the Daily Prophet and thought that with the help of the new Wolfsbane potion, he might just be able to pull it off.
The sun gradually sank below the horizon, and the moon began to rise into the night sky.
Under the moonlight, Lupin and the other werewolf started to transform, but the effects of the potion were immediately apparent. Once the two wizards in the field had fully transformed into wolves, they both rolled their eyes and promptly passed out.
Instantly, the audience in the stadium stood up, creating an overwhelmingly noisy scene. Everyone was astonished by the effectiveness of the potion.
Even if the subsequent Restoration Charm didn''t work, the invention of the Wolfsbane potion alone was enough to be considered groundbreaking. With this potion, werewolves could remain harmless during the full moon, a huge relief for the wizarding world.
Jamison Greengrass gestured toward Lockhart, signaling him to proceed, before stepping forward to stand in front of the wolf that Lupin had be. Drawing his wand, he cast the Human Restoration Charm.
Under the influence of the spell, Lupin''s thick fur gradually receded, and his limbs slowly transformed back into human form. Within about a minute, Lupin had fully reverted to his human self.
Even under the moonlight, he didn''t transform back into a werewolf.
The stadium erupted into cheers.
Next, thousands of eyes focused on Lockhart, making him feel incredibly anxious.
Nervously gripping his wand, he mimicked Jamison''s actions and cast the ''Revert to Human Charm'' he had ''created'' on the wolf lying on the ground.
Nothing happened.
Lockhart waspletely frozen in ce, mechanically waving his wand, attempting the Revert to Human Charm a second and third time.
Though wizards are generally atheists, if given the chance, Lockhart would have dly prayed to Lady Luck at that moment.
Unfortunately, even if the elusive gods did cast their gaze upon Lockhart, it wasn''t Lady Luck smiling at him, but rather the god of mischief.
Lockhart''s spell took effect the wolf on the ground suddenly opened its eyes.
Lockhart: "!"
Rhys, watching from the stands, was equally stunned. ''This is unbelievable. Could Lockhart''s spell actually counteract the effects of the Wolfsbane potion?''
The awakened wolf, still groggy but now alert, instantly locked its eyes on the closest human Lockhart.
Baring its fangs, it leapt at Lockhart''s throat.
"AA save me!"
In the next instant, several ropes appeared out of thin air, binding the wolf tightly and mming it back to the ground.
Dumbledore, now standing in the center of the field, nced briefly at Lockhart, then gave a flick of his wand.
"Watch carefully. This is how you cast the Human Restoration Charm!"
The werewolf, which had been struggling and writhing on the ground, suddenly stiffened, and its thick fur began to recede. Eventually, it reverted back into the timid-looking Ministry employee.
The audience in the stands finally reacted. They apuded Dumbledore enthusiastically, though many of them shot curious and skeptical nces toward Lockhart.
From this day forward, Lockhart''s reputation would spread throughout the wizarding worldexactly in the way he least wanted.
Lockhart copsed to the ground in a daze, but no one was paying attention to him anymore. All eyes were now on Dumbledore, who had begun to speak.
After casting a Sonorous Charm on himself, Dumbledore''s voice echoed across the stadium: "Ladies and gentlemen, we have just proven that Mr. Jamison''s Human Restoration Charm is indeed effective!"
The stadium erupted into thunderous apuse.
But what Dumbledore did next made everyone freeze in shockhe stretched out his hand, firmly scraped it against Lupin''s teeth, and blood began to flow from the back of his thin, frail hand.
Gasp!
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
156- As long as Voldemort is resurrected, Dumbledore will have no time to bother us
156- As long as Voldemort is resurrected, Dumbledore will have no time to bother us
Gasps echoed through the stadium as many witches and wizards instinctively covered their mouths in disbelief.
In their understanding, being bitten by a werewolf was synonymous with being infected with lycanthropyespecially on a full moon night, when werewolves had transformed. A bite was almost a guaranteed infection.
Tonight''s werewolf, although forcibly reverted to human form by the Human Restoration Charm, was still a werewolf, and tonight was still a full moon!
A sense of shock spread through the air above the Quidditch stadium.
The source of all this, Dumbledore, remained emotionally unperturbed. He simply tended to the wound on the back of his hand and, with the aid of the Sonorous Charm, addressed all the witches and wizards present.
"Once a werewolf has been treated with the Human Restoration Charm, they are no different from any ordinary wizard. Contact with them will not result in infection. I, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, am willing to personally guarantee this with my own actions. These unfortunate witches and wizards need only a few more applications of the Charm, and they will fully recover."
Upon hearing Dumbledore''s words, the witches and wizards present understood his intent: Dumbledore was offering his personal guarantee, endorsing the efficacy of the Human Restoration Charm.
From now on, the situation for werewolves was truly set to change. The greatest wizard of the current age had personally proven that werewolves treated with the Human Restoration Charm were not contagious.
Werewolves could finally live normal lives.
"A wizard with great foresight," the elderly man with curly hair muttered as he watched Dumbledore in the center of the field, his eyes filled with wariness.
Today, the old man had personally experienced Dumbledore''s methods. From the moment Dumbledore allowed the werewolf''s teeth to graze and cut the skin on the back of his hand, the old man marked him as the Secret Order''s primary adversary.
The existence of someone like Dumbledore could greatly hinder the Secret Order''s ns.
Fortunately, Dumbledore was now extremely old. And, he seemed reluctant to leave Hogwarts. Whether it was Grindelwald before or Voldemortter, Dumbledore''s behavior had been strikingly consistent in the face of these Dark Lords: he rarely left the confines of Hogwarts Castle.
The old man with the curly hair began quietly calcting how to deal with this formidable enemy.
He had no intention of engaging Dumbledore in direct conflictsuch an approach would be unwise. There had been a mishap during the organization''s recent operation in northern Scond, where an ancient divine corpse had escaped, and it was Dumbledore who had intervened to suppress it.
From this, the old man deduced that Dumbledore''s power was at least equal to his own.
Fighting someone like that was too risky.
"That Voldemort fellowhe''s probably not entirely dead, is he?" The old man, Capricornus, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, and a n formed in his mind.
"The organization''s investigations suggest that Voldemort used Horcruxes to cling to life."
"Excellent." The old man smiled in satisfaction.
"What? Capricornus, are you nning to resurrect that guy and recruit him into the organization?" Sagittarius nced at the old man in surprise.
"How could I possibly? His soul is iplete. There''s no way I''d allow someone like him to join the organization," Capricornus shook his head firmly.
Wizards who used Horcruxes to split their souls were literally mad.
Their souls were no longer stable. Even if they appeared normal, their inner selves had undergone significant changes. They became twisted, manic, and their intelligence would deteriorate. Bringing someone like that into the organization would be no different than nting a ticking time bomb inside.
"It''s just to give Dumbledore some trouble, to keep him upied," Capricornus exined.
His n was simple: help Voldemorte back to life, then let Voldemort distract Dumbledore.
Aging naturally brings a decline in energy and stamina, and with Voldemort causing problems, Dumbledore wouldn''t have the time or energy to interfere with the Secret Order''s ns.
Vigo was greatly impressed by Capricornus''s n.
In the shadows, Daphne had overheard every word of the trio''s conversation, and her mind was in turmoil.
Over the past few days, she had been working hard to study Latin and had made impressive progress. By sheer luck, she had managed to understand the gist of the Mysticum trio''s conversation.
Although she couldn''t grasp every detail, the general idea was clear: these three were nning to resurrect Voldemort!
Even more terrifying was the fact that the sole purpose of resurrecting Voldemort was merely to distract Professor Dumbledore! That was horrifying!
Who on earth were these three people?!
Daphne''s body trembled uncontrobly.
At that moment, Rhys gently ced his hand on her shoulder, and a wave of cold magic flowed into her, bringing a soothing calmness to her mind.
This cool sensation, like a refreshing stream, washed away her anxiety. It circled around her head before dissipating from the top, taking her unease and worries along with it.
She calmed down: with Rhys and Professor Dumbledore here, there was no way these three strange people''s n would seed.
Besides, resurrecting Voldemort couldn''t be that easy. If it were, why hadn''t any Death Eaters tried to bring him back over the past decade?
Though Daphne had regained herposure, Rhys sighed quietly to himself. The topics these three were discussing were too advanced for a child like Daphne.
Realizing that the conversation was inappropriate for her to overhear, Rhys decided to take her away from the scene.
He took Daphne''s hand, and without a sound, they floated into the air, silently drifting away from the spectator tower toward another secluded corner.
The Secret Order''s trio continued to eagerly discuss their n to resurrect Voldemort,pletely unaware of Rhys''s departure. Only Capricornus nced upward with a puzzled expression as Rhys flew away, sensing something strange for a brief moment.
But just as quickly, hispanions resumed their conversation, dispelling any lingering unease.
As soon as they reappeared in a quiet corner, Daphne turned to Rhys and said, "We"
"We should continue watching the experiment," Rhys interrupted her, staring directly into Daphne''s eyes as he slowly and deliberately said, "Forget about those three. They have nothing to do with you."
"What are you nning to do?" Daphne persisted, unwilling to let it go. She was certain Rhys would take some sort of action.
"I''ll just send an anonymous letter to Dumbledoreter," Rhys replied nonchntly, gesturing for Daphne to pay attention to the unfolding events on the field.
Daphne puffed out her cheeks in frustration again. She''d bet all her pocket money that Rhys was lyingthere was no way he''d settle for something as simple as an anonymous letter. She knew Rhys too well.
The full moon hung high in the sky, and the night in the Scottish Hignds was growing damp and cold.
__________
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
157- Rhys: I’m going to take a shower
157- Rhys: Im going to take a shower
Dumbledore''s actions brought the atmosphere in the stadium to a fever pitch.
Countless wizards made up their minds at that moment to return to their homnd and immediately contact their respective Ministers of Magic, urging them to begin distributing the Wolfsbane antidote and the Human Restoration Spell.
If they couldn''t learn it, they could send people to the UK for further study. In any case, they were determined to eradicate lycanthropy, a disease that had gued the wizarding world for over a thousand years, in their generation.
Wizards with quicker minds decided to start working on producing the Wolfsbane antidote immediately. In the next decade, this potion would be like a money tree; as soon as it was produced, there would be no shortage of buyers, with the Ministry of Magic being the first to acquire it.
Seeing that Dumbledore had instantly be the center of attention, Cornelius Fudge couldn''t hold back anymore.
He rushed onto the field, standing next to Dumbledore, and pulled a bewildered Lupin to his side. Mimicking Dumbledore, he had Lupin bite the skin on the back of his own hand, drawing blood.
Enduring the pain, Fudge raised his bleeding hand high and shouted to the wizards in the stands, "I, Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic of the United Kingdom, also pledge to vouch for all werewolves treated with the Human Restoration Spell!"
The wizards in the stadium were momentarily stunned, then burst into enthusiastic apuse for the Minister of Magic.
Hearing the waves of apuse and the cheers interspersed throughout, Fudge''splexion visibly brightened, and the pain in his hand seemed to lessen.
However, as the excitement drained from his head, Fudge couldn''t help but feel a little uneasy: It should be fine, right? This werewolf shouldn''t be infectious right? After all, Dumbledore already did it but he''s Dumbledore!
...
In the end, Fudge decided that after the gathering, he would seek someone to prepare a supply of the Wolfsbane antidote for him, nning to drink several doses to enhance his immunity.
What Fudge didn''t know was that taking the Wolfsbane antidote wouldn''t work as a "preventive" measure. If someone were to be bitten by a werewolf, they would still transform regardless of how much Wolfsbane they had taken.
"Dumbledore"
In the corner of the stands, the wizard in in robes, the curly-haired old man, and the beautiful woman all frowned as they watched Dumbledore, who was now the center of attention on the field.
Their expressions wereplicated as they assessed the most powerful wizard among humans.
"Capricornus, are you confident you could defeat him?" Sagittarius posed the question.
"I can''t see through him," Capricornus shook his head. "I''m not sure if he''s mastered a domain. If he hasn''t, I''m confident I could kill him."
Sagittarius snorted, "Modern wizards can still master a domain?"
"Do you really consider him part of the modern wizarding world?" Vigo argued that a wizard like Dumbledore shouldn''t be grouped with ordinary modern wizards.
"You''re giving him too much credit. If the three of us attacked together, he wouldn''t survive," Sagittarius said, unimpressed by the so-called "strongest wizard of the age."
"Come back after you''ve mastered a domain yourself," Capricornus muttered in genuine disgust for Sagittarius. He swore to himself that he would never partner with someone like this again.
Vigo nodded in agreement with Capricornus''sment.
This infuriated Sagittarius.
Amid this somewhat pleasant atmosphere, the Ministry of Magic''s experiment came to an end.
The wizards rose from their seats and began to make their way out of the stadium.
The weather grew increasingly cold and damp, prompting many to clutch their robes tighter.
The Scottish climateit was absolutely ghastly!
Interestingly, Rhys and Daphne were not the only "shadowy figures" sneaking around; at least a dozen students had slipped out of the castle to witness the spectacle.
"So, are we really not going to do anything?" Daphne asked, puzzled by Rhys''s single-minded focus on heading back.
"Aren''t we already doing something? Our most important task right now is getting back to themon room as quickly as possibledamn it, with so many students sneaking out to watch the experiment, the professors are probably going to increase patrols." Rhys quickened his pace while casting a Disillusionment Charm over Daphne.
Just as Rhys had expected, the moment the group of young wizards stepped into the castle''s entrance hall, the torches red to life. Professor McGonagall, the other three heads of house, and Filch, the caretaker, all stepped out from the shadows, catching the rule-breaking students red-handed.
Not only were the students who stepped into the entrance hall caught, but those still outside the castle were also rounded up by their respective Heads of House.
A line even started to form inside the hall.
Professor McGonagall nced at the group of students she had rounded up and called out loudly, "Fred, George, no use hidingI''ve spotted you. Even if you run back tonight, detention notices will still be waiting on your beds!"
Fred and George, who had been lurking in the shadows of the castle walls waiting for the coast to clear: "???"
Completely baffled, they walked into the hall and joined the lineup of captured students.
"You''ve got sharp eyesI didn''t see them at all," Professor Sprout praised McGonagall, who smiled without responding.
Honestly, Fred and George missing out on such a spectacle?
Not possible.
Calling them was always a safe bet.
Thanks to Rhys''s impressive Disillusionment Charm, he and Daphne managed to avoid being caught by the Heads of House and safely returned to the Slytherinmon room.
"The professors set up their ambush in the wrong spot. They should''ve blocked themon roomsthen they''d catch everyone for sure," Rhys stretched and casually suggested, offering a sly tip.
"I''m off for a shower, goodnight!" Rhys yawned and headed toward the bathroom.
Daphne: ?
"You''re really just going to do nothing about it?" she asked in shock.
Rhys turned his head back. "I''ll write the anonymous letter after my shower."
After tossing that remark, he went straight into the bathroom.
Like any ordinary student, Rhys entered the bathroom and turned on the faucet.
Hot water gushed out, pouring onto his skin. Gradually, Rhys began to "melt," merging with the water streaming from the showerhead until hepletely disappeared.
Finally, a thin stream of water, shaped like a finger, turned off the shower, leaving no trace of Rhys in the bathroom.
At the same time, in the shadows outside the Quidditch pitch, Rhys opened his eyes and looked up at the bright moon in the night sky.
"Clear skies under the bright moon What a nice night~" he muttered as he slowly sank into the earth.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore, Henry, and Fudge hadn''t left the field yet. They were surrounded by enthusiastic wizards, stuck in the stadium. As for Lockhart, no one cared where he had gone or what he was doing.
"Good, everything is going ording to n. Let''s proceed; we have fifteen minutes," Capricorn said, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes as he watched Dumbledore, who was held up by the crowd.
"Gryffindor''s relic, the Sword of Godric Gryffindorwe must get it tonight!"
___________
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
158: Aren’t you also living on the inheritance from your ancestors?
158: Arent you also living on the inheritance from your ancestors?
The three of them, like the other wizards, descended from the stands and walked slowly toward the castle.
As they walked, Capricornus spoke, "The reason Gryffindor was able to severely wound the God-King Odin, known as the Father of the Gods, plunging the immortal into eternal slumber, was because he used the cursed Sword of Gryffindor, which was enchanted by the Goblin King, Ragnuk I. Once we get our hands on this sword, we too can possess the power to rival the gods."
Rhys, overhearing Capricorn''s words, could barely hold back hisughter.
He had no idea how such rumors spread over time, but from what he''d seen, Gryffindor''s sword was just an ordinary goblin-forged sword nothing more.
And seriously, the way they inted the reputation of those Norse false gods! "Eternal slumber"? That was ridiculous. How had they evene up with that term? The God-King must have had excellent sleep qualityhe didn''t even wake up when his skull was used to craft a crown.
Rhys was baffled by howter generations always seemed to fantasize that an ordinary person wielding a particr weapon could suddenly be invincible.
Gryffindor''s sword had be a myth, and the same thing had happened with the so-called Elder Wand.
One sword could supposedly y gods the moment you picked it up, and the other was said to make its owner unbeatable forever. Rhys found both ims absurd.
And then there were things like the "Sword in the Stone," which was said to have done something earth-shattering at some point, just sitting in a stone, waiting for someone to pull it out and be king of the realm.
Isn''t this all just nonsense?
It''s like picking a support role in a game, then after winning, iming the victory was only possible because you supported the carry.
What''s the difference?
Legends alwayse first, and legendary items follow.
Capricornus of the Secret Order thought Voldemort was mentally unstable and didn''t want him in the group. Rhys viewed the Cult members in a simr lighthe thought all three of them were a bit unhinged.
He moved silently underground, quietly following the trio. He nned to strike when they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest. By then, they would be far enough from both the stadium and the castle, so their confrontation wouldn''t attract much attention.
Daphne should be resting by now, Rhys figured. She was probably already deep in sleep.
He had just pulled a little trick, using a transfigured fake version of himself to trick Daphne into returning to the Slytherinmon room to rest. His intention was to keep her from getting involved in the fight with the Secret Order.
These three members of the Cult were still too dangerous for her.
Rhys sighed inwardlyviins like Quirrell, with his middling power, were hard toe by!
At the end of the previous school year, Rhys had actually wanted to spare Quirrell. Such a valuable teaching resource shouldn''t have been wasted after just one use!
If he could have kept him around, it would have provided Daphne with a few years'' worth of training.
Unfortunately, by the time Rhys found Quirrell, the man had already been drained dry by Voldemort. There was no saving him.
At this moment, Daphne wasn''t obediently going back to sleep as Rhys had expected. She had a sharp sense that something was wrong.
So, she made a slightly silly but effective decision: to wait right outside the bathroom!
She wasn''t going to leave until she caught Rhysing out.
It turned out to be a good idea. Rhys had seemingly dissolved into the bath itselfhe went in and never came back out.
After waiting a long time without seeing Rhys, Daphne finally gathered her courage and quickly dashed into the bathroom.
After looking around, she clenched her fists.
Just as she suspected, Rhys had ditched her and snuck away!
There was no trace of him anywhere in the bathroom.
...
Rhys, unaware that his trick had been seen through, focused on the three members of the Secret Order ahead of him. They were not the kind of small-time characters that could be easily dealt with. The old man known as Capricornus had actually mastered a domain!
But once Capricornus summoned his domain, Rhys suddenly smiled, feeling relieved.
Capricornus stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, gently waving his arms. As he did so, a thin mist began to form at the forest''s border.
"Luck''s on our side tonight, the air is very humid," Capricornus said, sounding particrly pleased. He was even in the mood to talk more than usual. "Perfect conditions for deploying the Fog domain. Vigo, Sagittarius, you two need to work harder and grasp your own domains soon. Without mastering a domain, you''ll never truly be worth much."
Capricornus''s words deeply stung Sagittarius. Though he felt annoyed and frustrated, he couldn''t argue because Capricornus was speaking the harsh truth.
Vigo, on the other hand, nodded and said he would spend more time studying the divine remains, aiming to open his own domain as soon as possible.
Seeing the attitude of his teammates, Sagittarius could only shrug helplessly. "There''s really nothing I can do about domains. If I can''t figure it out, I can''t figure it out."
"I''ve really been studying, though! Check the usage logs of the quiet room in the organization if you don''t believe me!" he added defensively.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever.." Capricornus felt his good moodpletely ruined by Sagittarius.
Feeling annoyed, he sped up the activation of his domain. Soon, the thin mist covered the grass outside the castle entirely.
Perhaps due to the rising moisture, delicate threads of rain began to fall from the sky, bringing a chilling sensation.
The mist started to gather around the trio.
ording to Capricornus''s n, this mist would provide them with a convenient protectiveyer, making them undetectable by magical means. More importantly, their movement speed within the fog would be astonishingly fast, allowing them to escape quickly even if they were discovered by the school''s teachers.
But just as the mist began to close in around Capricornus, he suddenly sensed something was off. Even in the rain, the speed at which the mist was gathering seemed unnaturally fast.
Something was wrong!
"Activate your divine remains fully, now!" Capricornus shouted urgently.
Sagittarius and Vigo, though unsure why Capricornus had suddenly panicked, respected his strength enough to immediately activate the divine remains fused into their bodies.
Sagittarius''s eyes instantly lost their luster, and his sclera turned a murky, dull color, while the veins on his face became an eerie purplish-blue. Vigo''s skin turned an ashen gray, like that of a corpse, and a faint stench of decay began to waft through the air.
"You''re no different, living off the scraps of your ancestors. What''s even moreughable is that those so-called false gods aren''t even your ancestors. You''re nothing more than grave robbers," a young voice echoed through the mist.
"What, who ar!"
In the next moment, the mist in front of Capricornus''s chest suddenly coalesced into an ice spike.
Spilch!
Before he could react, it pierced his heart, leaving him with an expression of utter disbelief.
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12 Advance Chapters
159- Domain Restraint
159- Domain Restraint
"Capricornus!" Vigo was stunned by the sudden turn of events. She panicked, shouting Capricornus'' name as she lunged toward him. However, Sagittarius, with more battle experience, quickly grabbed her hand and yanked her aside.
Sa-Sa-Sa!
Dozens of ice spikes crashed into the spot where she had just stood and the path she had taken toward Capricornus. If Sagittarius hadn''t intervened, she would have been skewered by now.
Thanks to Sagittarius'' help, Vigo dodged Rhys'' attack, but Sagittarius wasn''t as fortunate.
"Ug.."
The rain falling from the sky turned into needle-like ice threads, striking one side of his body.
Though he reacted swiftly and cast a Shield Charm above him, some of the ice threads still slipped through the edges of the spell, embedding themselves into his arm.
Sagittarius felt a sudden chill in his arm, and then the entire limb went numb, bing uncontroble.
The attack didn''t stop there.
The raindrops were continuously transforming into powerful ice needles, and the mist surrounding them had turned hostile, now causing them significant trouble.
In an instant, Sagittarius and Vigo found themselves in a dire situation.
Fortunately, a voice rang out from nearby.
"I''m not dead!"
Capricornus pulled the ice spike from his chest, leaving a gaping hole. The mist enveloped his wound, swiftly filling and mending the opening.
Within his domain, even after suffering what would normally be a fatal wound, Capricornus was rtively unharmed. After all, when a wizard activates a domain, they essentially be part of it.
This makes wizards with domains overwhelmingly powerfulpared to those without thema difference akin to a dimensional disparity. However, Capricornus could sense something was off.
For some reason, he had lost the usual seamless control over his domain.
The mist was still under hismand, but manipting it felt strangely awkward, difficult to describe.
Seeing that Capricornus was unhurt, Sagittarius and Vigo felt a surge of renewed hope.
If something had gone wrong with Capricornus, they would have beenpletely doomed tonight.
But with him still maintaining his strength, they stood a chance.
The two exchanged a nce, increasing their magic output, pouring all their power into the godly remains that parasitized their bodies.
Vigo''s skin grew even paler, making her seem like a true marble statuenot just in appearance, but in toughness as well. The ice needles could no longer pierce her skin.
Sagittarius'' transformation was even more startling.
His eyes ignited with mes, and through the ze, his perception of the world changed. Physical objects dissolved and deconstructed, leaving only colorful clusters of magic.
On the surface, the three hadpletely reversed their disadvantaged situation.
Considering Capricornus''rge-scale domain in y, they seemed to hold every advantage. But despite this, Sagittarius wore an expression of fearbecause the world he saw through his magic-enhanced vision starkly contradicted reality.
The entire sky and ground were flooded with silver-green magic.
Everywhere he looked, the world was drowned in this overpowering magic, consuming nearly everything, including Capricornus'' domain, which spanned much of Hogwarts.
In his magic vision, Capricornus'' domain was almost entirely eroded by the silver-green energy. As for himself and Vigo, Sagittarius could only see their faint, flickering magical auras, as fragile as candles in the wind.
They were like a lone boat adrift in a vast ocean, constantly on the verge of being swallowed whole.
Sagittarius wanted to warn his teammates, but when he opened his mouth, not a single sound escaped. At the very moment he tried to speak, the numbness that had started in his arm spread throughout his entire body, leaving himpletely paralyzed.
Capricornus and Vigo were too focused on gathering power for a counterattack to notice Sagittarius'' strange condition.
Suddenly, the endless barrage of ice needles and the asional ambushes by ice spikes stopped, and a figure appeared a short distance in front of them.
Vigo wanted to charge forward and deliver a powerful elbow strike, but Capricornus stopped her.
By this time, Capricornus had sealed the hole in his chest with mist, looking as though nothing had happened.
"Who are you?" The old man warily scrutinized the person standing before him.
His first impression of Rhys was his youthhe looked unbelievably young.
"Szar Slytherin," Rhys answered truthfully.
Vigo snorted in disbelief, and although Capricornus remained silent, his expression showed that he too didn''t believe Rhys'' im.
"If you''re Slytherin, then I must be Athena," Vigo retorted sarcastically.
Rhys shrugged. Sometimes telling the truth just makes people less likely to believe you.
Capricornus wanted to say something else, but Rhys raised his hand to cut him off.
"I don''t know if you have a teacher or if your teacher ever told you this, but the simpler a domain is, the stronger it will be."
"For example, water is stronger than rain, snow, frost, or mist; wind is stronger than smoke, and so on. In other words, try not to let your domain be a derivative of another."
"Even if you can''t grasp a fundamental domain, you should at least aim for abination of basic elements. For instance, magmaformed bybining fire and earthis a great example. Of course, that''s asking a bit much since those who canprehend domains are already elite among wizards," Rhys rambled on, sounding almost like an old professor lecturing his students.
Capricornus was listening intently, almost forgetting that they were in the midst of a life-and-death struggle.
But soon, he realized something was terribly wronghe hadpletely lost control of his domain.
"You see, this is how a basic domain crushes a derivative one. If you had mastered a different domain, I might have had to put in more effort. But since yours is mist, it''s quite simple," Rhys said, waving his hand casually, and Capricornus'' domain instantly dissipated.
Now, all that remained was a light drizzle falling from the sky.
Capricornus'' face turned ashen.
At that moment, Sagittarius, who had been frozen in ce, suddenly burst into mes.
If time were slowed down, one could see that his entire body had be fuel for those burning eyes of his.
The fireball split into twoone half streaked toward Rhys like a shooting star, while the other half shot up into the sky.
Facing an opponent so overwhelmingly powerful that it induced despair, Sagittarius chose to sacrifice himself, fully offering his body to the godly remains fused within him. His only hope was to dy Rhys for even a brief moment, while his soul attempted to escape.
Boom!
The fireball collided with Rhys, instantly reducing him to ashes. But before Vigo''s face could fully register joy, another Rhys appeared just a few steps to their side.
As for the other half of the fireball flying toward the sky, it gradually dimmed in the constant drizzle, and finally, after flying nearly a hundred meters, it was extinguished.
Plop!
Two cloudy eyeballs fell onto the grass.
Rhys nced at them, a fleeting thought crossing his mindthey seemed strangely familiar, perhaps once belonging to an old "acquaintance."
"Yes, I''m nothing more than a relic of a bygone era," Rhys said casually. His eyes drifted toward Vigo and Capricornus, and with a tone full of regret, he remarked, "But the fact that you couldn''t even deal with an outdated relic like me is truly disappointing."
Capricornus opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
He felt something flowing from his chest.
Looking down, he realized that the mist that had been sealing his wound had vanished, and blood was now trickling from the gaping hole.
Capricornus could feel his strength rapidly draining away, and his vision began to blur and darken...
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12 Advance Chapters
160- Experiment Subject
160- Experiment Subject
"Can''t... I still need to..." Capricornus made his choice just before his consciousness plungedpletely into darkness.
He chose to relinquish all control over the godly remains fused within his body and channeled thest bit of magic he could muster into them.
This was a forbidden spell, strictly prohibited by the Secret Society, but at this point, Capricornus could no longer care about the rules.
Thud!
Capricornus copsed to the ground, seemingly lifeless. Yet, his body began twitching in an eerie, unnatural way.
His muscles contracted and swelled as though they had developed a mind of their own.
Apanied by the grating sound of bones shifting, Capricornus'' corpse twisted into a grotesque ball of flesh, exuding an astonishing surge of magical energy.
The magic radiating from him was suffused with decay and despair. Just one look at it, and it was clear this was something ominous.
"It''s over... the godly remains have gone out of control..." Vigo was utterly terrified, standing frozen in ce, muttering to herself.
"Inserting magic into the parasitic fragments of a false god''s corpse and then relinquishing all control over itusing one''s own body as fuel to drive the remains into a frenzy. Tsk! What a reckless spell," Rhys said, immediately seeing through Capricornus'' intentions.
In the face of death, Capricornus had chosen to drag others down with him, ensuring he would not face the Grim Reaper alone.
What Sagittarius had done earlier, transforming into two fireballs, was somewhat simr to what Capricornus was doing now, but his case was more of a pseudo-loss of control.
At that time, his consciousness was still intact, allowing him to split the fireball in twoattacking Rhys while attempting to escape in soul state. Capricornus, on the other hand, had died before activating the spell, resulting inplete loss of control, making his situation even more dangerous than Sagittarius''.
After hearing Rhys'' calm exnation, Vigopletely lost herposure.
She screamed, cursed at Rhys, and finally dered her intention to drag them all down together. She also decided to relinquish her control over the godly remains within her body.
Rhys nced at her, almost too indifferent to care.
Unlike Sagittarius and Capricornus, Vigo had not yet achieved the same level of fusion with the godly remains. In other words, even if she self-destructed, her explosion wouldn''t be as powerful as that of herpanions.
Her value as a neer was even lower than Sagittarius and Capricornus. The intelligence she could provide about the Secret Society was likely minimal.
If Rhys had a choice, he would''ve preferred to keep Sagittarius alive. That guy was hot-headed and easily provokedperfect for interrogation. His strength and rank were also just rightnot too high to be uncontroble like Capricornus and not too low to be irrelevant like Vigo.
Unfortunately, he chose to end his own life.
Given the strength of these three from the Secret Society, suicide in front of Rhys was something they could achieve.
But even so, it was a smart choice because the terror of surviving would far outweigh death. Rhys nced at Vigo again.
Rhys'' gaze made Vigo shudder, and she hastened the output of her magic.
''Good, he''s still at some distance. I have enough timeAh!''
Suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder, causing her body to freeze.
Cold magic surged into her, and the magic flowing within her quickly stalled as if encountering numerous obstacles.
She used all her strength to turn her head, only to see another Rhys standing right beside her.
"Yourpanions were right. Without mastering a domain, you''re ultimately just a second-rate wizard," Rhys snapped his fingers, and the "Rhys" standing in front of Vigo turned into a water bullet.
As it turned out, the Rhys she had been seeing was never his true formor at least, it had been for a moment, but in the next instant, it was not.
Rhys could transfer his true self to any part of his domain at will.
This was the strength of a domain.
"Stop trying to activate the remains inside you. I''ve already sealed your magic. My total magic reserves aren''t very high, so I can only keep you sealed for half a day. But that should be more than enough," Rhys calmly advised, hoping to dissuade Vigo from further pointless attempts. This would save both of them some trouble.
The water bullet that Rhys'' decoy had turned into didn''t go to waste.
While talking to Vigo, Rhys directed it towards the grotesque mass that Capricornus had turned into, sting arge hole in the center of the fleshy ball.
The fleshball squirmed, and the hole sted by the water bullet was quickly filled with newly grown flesh.
"What a hassle..." Rhys frowned.
The fleshball was constantly being restrained within his domain and was acting purely on instinct, so its danger level wasn''t particrly high. Given enough time, he could slowly drain its magic reserves.
But...
Rhys lifted his head, sensing an intense magic force rapidly approaching.
"Didn''t expect Dumbledore to be this perceptive," Rhys muttered. "Such sharp senses, and this scorching power... looks like he may have opened a domain too."
During his fight with Capricornus, both sides had been restrained, making sure not to cause too muchmotion. But this grotesque fleshball had no such awareness; it seemed eager to announce its presence to the world.
And now, Dumbledore was being drawn in.
For Rhys, this wasn''t a bad thinghe could just leave the fleshball for Dumbledore to handle.
"Let''s go, yeah?"
Seeing that someone wasing to take over, Rhys decided not to linger. Cheerfully, he grabbed Vigo''s arm. The rain that had fallen onto her didn''t flow off but instead formed a thin membrane, wrapping around her.
Momentster, Rhys and Vigo sank into the now-muddy grass, softened by the rainwater.
...
The dark, corrupt, and negative magic surged, and Dumbledore immediately lifted his head, sharply aware that something was very wrong.
"Sorry, I''ve got some matters to attend to. If you have any further questions, feel free to discuss them with Minister Fudge." With a smile, Dumbledore gently moved the wizards blocking his way aside and strode out of the Quidditch stadium.
Though no one knew exactly what Dumbledore was going to do, Cornelius Fudge, now the center of everyone''s attention, was delighted.
He warmly greeted the remaining wizards in the stadium, leading them to the Quidditch team''s changing rooms to shelter from the rain while discussing the intricacies of the Animagus Reversal Spell.
...
Rhys emerged from the ground, dragging along the motionless Vigo.
He had just made a swift escape, traveling underground from the edge of the Forbidden Forest all the way to the dungeons, skillfully avoiding the professors'' patrols.
As he opened the sealed door to the dungeons, he was startledRavenw''s ghost was standing there with her body, right by the sealed entrance.
"What are you up to?"
"I should be asking you the same thing. Why are you breaking into the seal in the middle of the night?"
Rhys shoved Vigo forward.
"Here, I brought you a little experiment subject."
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Read 12 Advance Chapters
161- Intelligence of the Secret Order
161- Intelligence of the Secret Order
"Oh?" Ravenw''s excitement surged when she heard that an experimental subject had been brought to her.
While the dark creatures in the dungeon were sufficient for her research, one could never have too many test subjects.
What''s more, judging by the looks of it, the subject Rhys brought her this time was a living, breathing, speaking creature, which made it all the more valuable.
Rhys nced at his old friend, whom he hadn''t seen in a few months, and noticed she seemed to be in good spirits. Her soul appeared clearer, and the Horcrux of Voldemort on her shoulder had grown even darker. It seemed that since regaining her sanity, she had been diligently transferring the corruption from her own soul into Voldemort''s.
But why had she been lingering near the seal?
Rhys couldn''t quite figure it outwas there something special about this ce?
After taking Vigo, whose eyes were filled with terror, from Rhys, Ravenw noticed something unusual about this test subject.
"Fusing a human with fragments of a false god''s corpse to allow an otherwise mediocre wizard toprehend advanced magic... what a genius idea!"
After observing for a moment, Ravenw reached a conclusion and couldn''t help but praise it.
In her eyes, the concept was incredibly creative.
Killing powerful enemies and then using their corpses to enhance one''s own forcesif she and herpanions had possessed such wisdom a thousand years ago, the situation for wizards would have been far better.
After all, there were plenty of false god corpses back then.
Thinking about it now, it seemed like a terrible waste to have used such precious materials just to make crowns and wands.
"It''s called fusing with a god-corpse," Vigo corrected Ravenw instinctively once Rhys restored her ability to speak after bringing her into the sealed area.
"It''s all the same," Ravenw waved dismissively, seeing no fundamental difference between their terms.
"How exactly did you fuse with the god-corpse?" Ravenw eagerly inquired.
Vigo, of course, had no intention of answering that question.
Ravenw nced at Rhys, who sighed and pulled a small vial from his pocket.
"Veritaserum. Just a tiny bit left, so use it sparingly." Rhys didn''t believe the serum would be very effective. Any valuable information would likely be locked away by magicassuming the leaders of the Cult of the Secret Order weren''tplete fools, they would have taken such precautions.
"No problem," Ravenw said as she took control of her body and swiftly snatched the vial from Rhys.
She opened the vial and forced the Veritaserum down Vigo''s throat.
After administering the serum, she didn''t rush to interrogate Vigo but instead cast several spells on her. Ravenw froze in shock after casting the spells: there was no trace of any binding or restriction magic on her.
"How is this possible?" Ravenw was perplexed. "Szar, didn''t you say the Cult would ce binding spells on anyone they coborated with, even their potion masters?"
Rhys was equally stunned. He turned to look at Vigo, eyes filled with disbelief.
"Those who are blessed by the gods and fuse with the god-corpse should not have the Soul-Lock Curse ced on them," Vigo exined honestly. "Because those who inherit power from the gods are recognized by them, arbitrarily applying the curse would be an act of sphemy."
Rhys frowned, interpreting this exnation in simpler terms: any wizard capable of fusing with a god-corpse belonged to the higher ranks of the Secret Order. The Soul-Lock Curse, a method of control, was only applied from above, meaning the higher-ups wouldn''t ce such a curse on themselves.
Despite Vigo''s rtively weak abilities and shallow experience, it was clear she was already considered part of the Cult''s upper echelons, and as such, wouldn''t have the curse ced on her.
Even if there had been a curse earlier, it would have been removed.
Rhys thought about it and found it fairly reasonable.
Ravenw, however, wasn''t interested in the technicalities. She only wanted to know how the Cult members fused with the fragments of false gods.
"Each year, the trusted ones in the Cult are taken to the organization''s headquarters, where they are granted the opportunity to observe the god-corpse. If they resonate with the corpse, they are allowed to remain at headquarters to spend more time with it and attempt fusion. Failing the fusion isn''t an issuethey are still granted unrestricted ess to observe the god-corpse. Through this process, they can also learn advanced magic and increase their personal power."
Once someone sessfully fused with a god-corpse, they would rise to the upper ranks of the organization and receive a title. The titles in the Cult were all based on the zodiac signs.
"Of course, there are some god-corpses that are different, ones passed down within families. The god-corpse I carry is one of those. Compared to the ones stored by the organization, these family-inherited corpses are more likely to resonate with members of the family. When a god-corpse is inherited in this way, the zodiac title is passed down as well. I am the sixth generation Virgo."
Vigo slowly unveiled more of the Cult''s secrets to Rhys and Ravenw.
Rhys described the small booklet he had received earlier to Vigo, and learned that it was amunication tool used by the lowest-level members of the organization. These lower-level members were generally referred to by the higher-ups as "ants," meaning their contributions were as insignificant as those of ants.
It took an extremely long time and sufficient contributions for someone to be promoted from an "ant" to a "trusted one," a status that couldn''tpare to members like Vigo, who were born into families tied to the Organization.
Vigo exined that both she and Sagittarius inherited their god-corpse, while Capricorn had climbed up from the status of "ant." He was a prodigy, not only capable of fusing with the god-corpse but also havingprehended the "Fog" domain, which earned him one of the twelve most valuable titles in the Cult, cing him above both Vigo and Sagittarius in terms of rank.
"It seems this organization isn''t as corrupt as we thought," Rhys remarked with a shrug.
The true measure of an organization''s health was its ability to promote talent from within, its "blood-making" ability. In other words, the ability for internal members to climb the ranks.
From Capricorn''s experience, the Secret Order wasn''t entirely rottenwhile members from established families had higher starting points and better conditions, anyone who could fuse with or resonate with a god-corpse was promoted immediately.
This was not unlike the dynamic between pure-blood and half-blood wizards in the magical world.
"It seems like brute force is the only method for fusing," Ravenw remarked, unsatisfied with Vigo''s answers. The Cult didn''t have a secret form for the fusion; members simply had to try and hope for sess.
"But what is their ultimate goal in doing all of this?"
"To allow the light of the gods to shine once again upon thisnd," Vigo responded, her face full of reverence, her tone filled with devotion.
Rhys and Ravenw: ""
Both fell into silence.
"This organization cannot be allowed to continue," Rhys and Ravenw agreed after a moment.
"I need you to provide information about the organizationits bases, its headquarters, and everything else!" Rhys demanded of Vigo.
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162- Ravenclaw Lures the Snake Out of Its Hole
162- Ravenw Lures the Snake Out of Its Hole
"The bases of the organization I manage are..." Vigo reported a string of addresses expressionlessly.
Although her strength is mediocre, she is a wizard who has merged with the divine bone and has the hope ofprehending a certain field. In addition, her family has been high-ranking members of the secret society for generations, so Vigo knows a lot of information about the secret society and hence the Secret Order.
Soon, she handed over the three bases under her management and the list of more than ten trusted people to Rhys and Ravenw. Unfortunately, she could not tell the location of her family.
"Shall I go find these little rats?" Looking at the list in his hand, Rhys thought he could work harder and visit the secret order''s bases several times overnight.
Ravenw agreed.
"In fact, even if we don''t do anything. The cute little ones from the Secret Order will keeping to Hogwarts because we have the remains of the three of them." Ravenw pointed at Vigo, who was standing not far away and had a dull expression due to the effect of the truth serum.
All three of them carry the remains of false Gods, and the remains of Vigo and Sagittarius are treasures inherited from their families. If they are lost in Hogwarts, the leaders of the Secret Society will be so heartbroken that they can''t breathe. In addition, with theplete remains of the false God in Dumbledore''s collection and the Gryffindor "God-killing" sword they covet, the Secret Society will definitely continue to try to infiltrate Hogwarts.
Then Rhys and Ravenw don''t need to do anything, the people from the Secret Order will line up ande to them.
But in this case, it is questionable whether Rhys should clear out the strongholds controlled by Vigo.
"Do you have any other ns? I will definitely alert the enemy once I take action." Rhys wanted to ask Ravenw if she had any other ns. If she did, she should tell him as soon as possible to prevent him from identally ruining her good thing.
"After the three of them disappear in Hogwarts, the Secret Order will surely be alerted. It''s just a matter of time. If you go toote, those people will be transferred and the base will be abolished."
Ravenw''s meaning was also very straightforward.
She suggested that Rhys act as soon as possible, otherwise it would be toote.
"Also, I don''t think the people from the Secret Order will rashly send people to investigate - even if someone elsees, it won''t be a high-level cadre who has merged with the divine remains." Rhys said to Ravenw before leaving.
Rhys guessed that this action was probably instigated by the families behind Sagittarius and Vigo, with the purpose of gaining some credit for the two pirs of the family.
But who would have thought that a person who hadprehended the domain and two wizards who had merged with the divine bone would be killed in Hogwarts at the same time, without even being able to escape.
After suffering such a loss, the Secret Society would never send anyone to Hogwarts to die without certainty. At most, the people from the Sagittarius and Vigo''s families would send some pawns to spy on the whereabouts of the two families'' divine remains.
"I think the next focus of the Secret Order''s actions should be on Voldemort." Rhys gave his own judgment.
"Voldemort? The Dark Lord who caused so much trouble a few years ago? I remember he imed to be your descendant." Ravenw heard a familiar name from Rhys, and after careful recollection, he found out that it was the Dark Lord who had been very troublesome in recent years.
Rhys''s face darkened.
"I have never acknowledged that he is my descendant. He is nothing but a ridiculous person who pretends to be my ancestor!"
If time could go back, Rhys would never adopt the child named Gaunt.
He and his descendants, I don''t know how much trouble they have caused themselves!
Looking at the rather exasperated Rhys, Ravenw couldn''t helpughing: It''s not easy to see Szar losing hisposure like this.
"We can use Voldemort as bait to lure the members of the Secret Order out of their hole." After teasing her old friend for a while, Ravenw got to the point. "The members of the Secret Order will not be so naive as to think that a mere Voldemort and his insignificant remnants can contain Hogwarts. They will definitely give Voldemort a lot of support and even turn Voldemort into their puppet force. Then we can deal with both parties at the same time."
Ravenw thought that since the people of the Secret Order wanted to use Voldemort, they would have to find a way to resurrect him first.
In that case, she and Szar could just wait and see, and after Voldemort and the people of the Secret Order joined forces, they could close in and wipe out both forces together.
As for whether the merger of the Secret Order and Voldemort''s forces would make them too powerful to be controlled, Ravenw thought this idea was hrious.
Szar had already tested the Secret Order''s people tonight and found them to be nothing. And Szar wasn''t even strong in his child-like body. As the days go by, he will only return to his old self.
No matter how many came, they would be nothing to Szar.
The four of them were best at fighting in groups, using the few to defeat the many. Slytherin in particr was a one-man army who had defeated J?rmungandr by himself.
If the secret society is only at the level of Capricornus, then they''d better forget about it. No matter how many peoplee, they won''t be enough for him to defeat.
"Do you n to set off now, or do you want to wait a little longer? The longer we dy, the more this girl''s intelligence will be invalid." Ravenw pointed at Vigo who was standing aside, indicating that if Szar wanted to take action, he''d better speed up.
Rhys thought for a moment and decided that he couldn''t leave the castle through the main gate. The reason was simple. Outside the castle, a centenarian was cleaning up the mess left by Capricornus! If he left the castle now, the chances of being affected were not small.
At this moment, the rain outside the castle had stopped. After taking Vigo into the dungeon, Rhys immediately withdrew his domain to avoid affecting Dumbledore''s performance.
So when Dumbledore arrived at the scene, what fell from the sky was just ordinary rain, and the meat ball, which had lost the suppression of the Rhys field, also revealed its hideous face.
It began to "grow" rapidly.
Tentacles grew out of the flesh ball one after another and inserted into the grass. Thend where the tentacles prated first became dry, then the grass on it withered, and the small insects in the soil also began to die inrge areas.
The originally fertilend gradually turned into a desert.
In contrast, the volume of the meatball began to expand little by little, and it was savagely absorbing all the nutrients it could reach.
Looking at the ball of flesh in front of him, Dumbledore''s expression became extremely solemn.
"Reducto!"
"Confringo!"
"Bombarda Maxima!"
""
After using six or seven spells in a row, Dumbledore still failed to destroy the strange and evil meat ball. Facing Dumbledore''s attack, the meat ball was just passively chopped into several pieces by the spells and shattered by magic, with no desire to fight back at all.
But a shocking scene appeared. The shattered meat ball did not die, but turned into small meat balls, continuing to absorb nutrients from the soil in a draining manner.
Pieces of "desert" began to appear on thewn outside Hogwarts Castle.
Dumbledore gave up the idea of ??using ordinary spells. He sighed and said: I can only try thetest spell I have learned.
The next moment, a raging fire ignited on Dumbledore''s body.
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163- Divine Fire Domain
163- Divine Fire Domain
The mes engulfed Dumbledore, and even from several meters away, the intense heat was palpable, distorting the air around him. Yet, in the very center of the ze, Dumbledore felt no difort whatsoever.
On the contrary, he only felt warmth, a pleasant heat that dispelled the chill that had clung to his robes from the earlier rain.
Dry,fortable, and perfectly tailored to his skin, his robes hugged him with an unusual ease.
Unlikest time in his office, Dumbledore was now outdoors, where he could let loose and fully expand his domain without restraint.
With a loud "whoosh," the fireball swelled, expanding dozens of times over, and engulfed a nearby mass of flesh.
In the next moment, the mass ignited, emitting a foul stench as it burned.
Dumbledore watched everything unfold with a calm expression, intently sensing the nuances of this newly mastered magic.
This spell felt different from any spell he had learned before.
Typically, once a spell was cast, his connection to it was limited, and even if he could still control it, there was always a distinct separation between himself and the spell.
But this time, it felt as though he had be the spell itself.
His intuition told him that visually, he still appeared as the elderly figure at the center of the fireball, yet, in reality, he was the me itself. The figure at the center was like a mere peanut shellvisible yet only a small part of the entire entity.
In his hundred years of life, Dumbledore had never encountered such a wondrous spell.
He didn''t know its nameit could be a brand-new spell of his own invention, or perhaps an ancient, long-lost enchantment...
But that didn''t matter. Now that the spell was fully unleashed and in action, Dumbledore had found the perfect name for it
[Divine Fire Domain]
Unlike his previously most powerful fire spell, Firestorm, this Divine Fire Domain had lower energy consumption, a longer duration, and a higher ceiling of potential power.
The only downside was a slightly longer activation timepared to Firestorm. However, once initiated, the spell would expand autonomously, simr to Fiendfyre, though with the difference that Divine Fire Domain was much more controble, giving Dumbledore a sense ofplete mastery.
An ordinary Fiendfyre spell of simr magnitude would be far harder tomand.
As he immersed himself in the experience of his Divine Fire Domain, Dumbledore allowed it to expand, epassing every scattered piece of flesh around him, leaving none untouched.
The flesh masses twisted and burned in the mes, their volume shrinking rapidly.
Driven by a survival instinct, they began to scatter in all directions, attempting to escape the fire. But Dumbledore wouldn''t allow it. The mes shifted continuously, following the flesh wherever it moved, enclosing each piece within. At the same time, he carefully restrained the domain''s size, preventing it from bing too conspicuous.
However, even with Dumbledore''s utmost efforts to minimize the domain''s visibility, it still drew considerable attention.
The rain had stopped, and Fudge emerged from the lounge with arge group of wizards. One bearded wizard was the first to notice the unusual phenomenon on the horizon.
"Why is there a red glow flickering in the sky over there?"
Fudge lifted his head and looked in the direction the wizard had indicated. He could see a faint red hue flickering in the night sky above Hogwarts Castle.
More and more wizards noticed the shift in the night''s colors, and eventually, an experienced wizard pinpointed the cause.
"It''s a fire! Could it be that the forest is burning?"
The Forbidden Forest on fire?!
The thought alone startled Fudge.
Hogwarts'' Forbidden Forest was a treasure of the British magical world.
It was home not only to various rare magical creatures but also to numerous rare and precious magical nts, many of which might only exist there. The Forbidden Forest was invaluable.
He quickened his pace toward the dim red glow on the horizon, with the other wizards hurrying alongside him. Some were intent on helping put out the fire, but others held darker expressions, with different intentions brewing in their minds.
Some began connecting the fire with Dumbledore''s recent departure.
If, just maybe... at a moment when Hogwarts was already overwhelmed with crises! Rumor had it that Hogwarts held treasures amassed over centuries, an endless library of books, and a Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures like a living trove of riches...
A fiery red glint appeared in the eyes of more than a few of them.
If Fudge had been a capable leader, he would have escorted the group of wizards off the school grounds before addressing the fire. But, being of only average aptitude, he quickly lost hisposure in the face of such chaos and failed to consider the hidden risks in his actions.
By the time the group with their concealed intentions reached thewn outside the castle, everyone was stunned by the sight before them: Dumbledore, surrounded by mes, was controlling an enormous fireballrge enough to cover the entire Quidditch pitch.
The fireball spun effortlessly around him, with about a dozen small "lumps" desperately struggling within it.
Those wizards with ulterior motives broke out in a cold sweat: could it be that those things in the fire were a person''s flesh?
Noticing the wizards within the school drawn by themotion he had caused, Dumbledore turned his head, a kind smile on his face. "I''m terribly sorry for disturbing everyone. No need to worry; it''s just a dark wizard trying to fish in troubled waters."
A wave of polite responses arose from the crowd, withments like "Haha," "Then we''re relieved," and "Professor Dumbledore''s fire magic has truly reached new heights."
"The hour iste. Would any of you care to stay the night in Hogwarts Castle?" Dumbledore''s expression remained gentle, like a grandfather inviting his grandchildren to spend the night. But as his gaze swept over the wizards behind Fudge, not one dared to meet his eyes, not even Fudge, who was drenched in a cold sweat.
Dumbledore appeared so vigorous and youthful! Given his disy tonight, who could believe he was over a hundred years old?
After hearing Dumbledore''s implicit suggestion to leave, none of the wizards, except for a select few who were genuinely on good terms with him, dared to ept.
Stay overnight at the school?
No way, not after seeing that "dark wizard''s flesh" trapped within that massive fireball!
So, the visiting wizards all took their leave, exchanging goodbyes with Dumbledore, who waved them off one by one. During these exchanges, Dumbledore''s hands never stopped moving, and the terrifying fireball continued burning the meat-like lumps inside.
Some of the smaller ones had already turned to ash.
As Cornelius Fudge led the wizards away from Hogwarts, Dumbledore turned his full attention back to the lumps that had yet to bepletely incinerated.
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164- These are all Ravenclaw’s evil tricks!
164- These are all Ravenws evil tricks!
While Dumbledore persisted in burning away the lump of flesh that Capricornus had turned into, Rhys was preparing for departure in the dungeon alongside Ravenw.
"I need you to help me create a body," Rhys said to Ravenw.
"Can''t you do it yourself? I remember Transfiguration isn''t your weak point," Ravenw replied, a bit puzzled, not understanding why Rhys needed her help.
"Because I need to conserve my magic for the journey and to deal with those little rats. More importantly, this trip will take at least a day, so I need this body to be a bit more ''intelligent'' and able to convincingly y the role of Rhys Lint."
"I could control this body for you," Ravenw suggested, her lips curving into a slight smile.
"Absolutely not."
Upon seeing her smile, Rhys declined her "kind offer" immediately.
He wouldn''t dare let Ravenw control his duplicate body; who knew what she might do?
"I''ll just stay in the library and attend sses. I won''t cause any trouble."
"Impossible."
Though Ravenw''s tone was entirely sincere, Rhys wouldn''t believe a single word of it.
"I could swear by the ck Lake."
"Miss Ravenw, your credibility is bankrupt with me. Even if you swore by the ck Sea, it wouldn''t matter!" Rhys refused Ravenw''s request firmly.
He would never allow Ravenw to meddle with his duplicate body.
After several failed attempts, Ravenw finally epted reality and joined Rhys in using Transfiguration to create the duplicate. As for ying tricks or leaving a hidden backdoor within the duplicate, Ravenw refrained.
Attempting such things right in front of Szar would truly be taking him for a fool.
A few minutester, a Rhys duplicate, brimming with magic, was ready.
Rhys circled around the duplicate twice, then frowned. The face generally resembled his, but something felt slightly off.
Yes, some details didn''t look quite right!
Rhys looked at Ravenw. "Rowena, did you make changes to the facial structure?"
Ravenw: Of course! (??o??)
"Don''t you think it looks more handsome? See, just a slight lift here on the nose, and a bit more contour on the cheekbones"
"Rowena Ravenw!" Rhys couldn''t help but call Ravenw by her full name. "This is supposed to be a duplicate of me, not some decorative statue! Stop altering my appearance without permission!"
"But it clearly looks better this way."
"Sorry to disappoint that I didn''t grow up to your ideal image!" Rhys replied irritably, with a quick wave of his hand to restore the duplicate''s appearance back to his own, undoing all of Ravenw''s tweaks.
Ravenw sighed.
Rhys noticed her subtle movements out of the corner of his eye.
Turning to see what she was doing, he saw Ravenw conjuring a small, palm-sized green vortex in her hand.
Rhys decided not to argue with her for now.
He pointed his wand at the duplicate, sending it off to walk around on the ground level.
Crafted with thebined ingenuity of two founders, this duplicate had an impressive range of functionalities.
Rhys could even share its vision and hearing over a certain distance, and controlling it to speak was no problem.
Once Rhys left the school, the duplicate could answer questions with simple phrases and even cast spells, all ording to the instructions he and Ravenw had programmed into it.
"Are you really not considering giving me a bit of control? If the duplicate''s auto-response mechanism causes any issues, I could step in to handle it," Ravenw suggested.
For a moment, Rhys felt tempted, but he quickly came to his sensesthis was just one of Ravenw''s usual tricks, and he knew better than to fall for it! He knew Ravenw''s nature far too well.
If he handed over control of the duplicate, who knew if he''d find himself locked in a detention room upon returning?
"Alright, alright," Ravenw finally relented, shrugging her shoulders helplessly in the face of Szar''spleteck of trust. For a brief moment, she wondered if maybe she''d overdone things, leading to thisplete absence of trust between them after all these centuries as old friends.
She pondered this for two seconds before confirming it wasn''t her fault: they''d left their vulnerabilities so obviously openit was clearly an invitation for her to tease them!
Everyone enjoyed it, so how could it have gone too far?
Watching Rhys leave with his duplicate, Ravenw sighed. Szar was getting harder and harder to fool.
If she''d gotten control of the duplicate, she would have definitely taken the opportunity to browse through every book she''d wanted to read in the librarythere were several new books in the Restricted Section that had caught her eye!
Rhys guided his duplicate back to the Slytherinmon room.
As soon as the door opened, a single oilmp red to life in the dark room. Daphne sat in a corner, expressionlessly watching Rhys''s duplicate at the doorway.
Rhys: ""
"Why aren''t you asleep yet? Staying up thiste will stunt your growth!" Rhys took control of his duplicate and spoke with mock concern.
"Blocking themon room door, huh? Makes it easy to catch young witches sneaking out after curfew, doesn''t it?" Daphne raised an eyebrow, perfectly mimicking Rhys''s tone.
Rhys thought to himself: This boomerang really came back fastI walked right into that one!
"So, Mr. Lint, mind exining how you managed to return from the bathroom to themon room entrance fully dressed? I''m really curious," Daphne said, her voice filled with feigned sincerity.
"Well, actually, there was a hidden teleportation array in the bathroom that activated and transported me out..." Rhys started spouting nonsense with a straight face.
"Even transported your clothes along with you?"
Daphne''sment made Rhys fall silent.
"Goodnight!" Rhys decided to head straight to his dorm and avoid further banter with this sharp-tongued girl.
"Wait!"
Rhys''s duplicate stopped in its tracks.
"So, you went to deal with those three wizards, didn''t you?" Daphne asked urgently. She was very concerned about those three sinister outsider wizards.
Rhys thought for a moment and decided to fall back on his usual reliable excuse.
"Yes, I caused a bit of amotion and attracted Professor Dumbledore. The intruders have been dealt with now."
Finally hearing confirmation from Rhys, Daphne let out a sigh of relief. She''d been somewhat afraid that Rhys might actually ignore the situation.
Seeing that he seemed to have reassured her, Rhys withdrew his consciousness from the duplicate. The duplicate turned on its own and started heading to the dormitory to sleep.
But Daphne, who was standing behind the fake body, narrowed her eyes. She felt that something was wrong with the Rhys in front of her.
The next moment, a spell pierced through the chest of the fake Rhys.
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Read 12 Advance Chapters:
165- It’s OK to fool children
165- Its OK to fool children
There''s a Muggle saying: if something looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and walks like a duck, then it''s a duck.
But this doesn''t apply in the magical world, where magic can truly transform one species entirely into the likeness of another, even bridging the line between living and non-living.
When Daphne was talking to this "Rhys" who had just returned to the dorm, she couldn''t shake off a feeling that something was off. She suddenly realized that the flow of magic within this "Rhys" was unusual.
After careful observation, Daphne was certain that the Rhys before her was a fake.
And so, she acted without hesitation.
Whether this fake was created by Rhys himself or was a spy with ulterior motives infiltrating the Slytherinmon room, Daphne was determined to strike hard.
If it was truly an enemy spy, Daphne felt no guilt; and if Rhys had made this counterfeit himself, then she would feel even more justified in giving him a beating.
Daphne was thrilled to find that choosing to act had all advantages and no disadvantages, which instantly solidified her resolve: she wanted the enemyor Rhysto know that Daphne was a capable witch in battle, too!
She raised her hand and unleashed a basic offensive spell.
Although basic, the spell''s destructive power was no joke, and Daphne''s speed was rapid enough that most wizards wouldn''t have had time to react, let alone this nearly instinct-driven replica of Rhys.
In the next moment, the heart area of Rhys''s replica body was pierced by a spell.
For an ordinary wizard, this would have been a fatal injury, but since this was merely a body made of magic and y, the replica could still move.
Seeing that a single spell didn''t defeat him, Daphne continued her assault without hesitation.
However, Rhys managed to block her subsequent fierce attacksbecause the moment the replica was hit, Rhys had immediately transferred his consciousness back to it and was now controlling it to fend off Daphne''s rapid strikes.
"Great awareness, excellent attack methods, Daphne Greengrass. You need to stop now!" Rhys said to her.
Daphne gave no response, relentlessly maintaining her attacks.
Rhys was exasperated: if this went on, the magical reserves in the replica would soon be depleted by her barrage!
"I''m really Rhys. Stop! I can exin!" Rhys said as he intercepted several of her attack spells mid-air, feeling slightly irritated. "If you keep this up, I''ll really get angry."
Atst, Daphne ceased her attacks.
With the continuous onughting to a halt, Rhys''s annoyance gradually faded, reced by a sense of admiration for Daphne: her vignce was genuinelymendable.
This was the level of awareness a wizard should have!
However, Daphne''s stopping didn''t mean she had let her guard down; her wand remained pointed at Rhys''s replica, and her other hand gripped her ne.
It was obvious: if she detected anything suspicious, she''d unleash her most powerful attacks in full force, ensuring that the "person" before her would be thoroughly dealt with.
If the attack spell embedded in the ne Rhys had gifted her were triggered, only one of two things would be left standingthe replica or the Slytherinmon room.
Wait a second
Rhys suddenly realized something.
"Stay calm! Don''t release the spell in the ne here!" he blurted out, now genuinely rmed. The Slytherinmon roomy beneath the ck Lake, and the attack spell he''d embedded in that ne hadn''t had its power reduced one bit.
Though the castle walls and windows had been fortified by Hufflepuff with defensive enchantments, Rhys had never been reckless enough to test their strength. He had no clear idea of the defensive limits of the castle''s walls or windows.
More importantly, he doubted those defenses had been properly maintained over the centuriesunderstandable, considering howplex magical energy flow was for young wizards. Who knew how much strength was left in those defenses?
If Daphne''s spell identally hit a wall in themon room, or worse, struck a window
If luck ran out, the entire Slytherin house could be flooded byke water, with everyone inside! At best, Slytherin would be forced to abandon its thousand-year-oldmon roomthemon room would be a dangerous ruin!
Seeing that the figure in front of her knew the secret of the ne, Daphne rxed slightly; this meant it was likely something Rhys himself had created.
But this also made her a bit annoyedRhys, that guy, he really didn''t see her as an ally!
She was more than capable of helping! Why else had she worked so hard to practice spells when she could''ve just coasted?
Rhys thought for a moment, then made a decision.
"I''ll be heading out for a couple of days. Could you manage this replica for me?" Rhys decided to entrust the control of the replica to Daphne.
Compared to Ravenw, whose credibility waspletely shot in his eyes, Rhys trusted Daphne a bit more.
"What do y"
"It''s not hard. It can operate on instinct and respond to simple questions; you''d only need to step in for special caseswhich are very unlikely to happen." Without waiting for Daphne''s response, Rhys continued, cutting her off.
Daphne was tempted to refuse because she''d much rather join Rhys on an adventure than manage a replica.
But his next words swayed her.
"You''re the person I trust the most. I believe you can handle this task, right?" Rhys yed his trump card.
The effect was immediate; Daphne''s focus shifted from "You''re going away for a few days" to "most trusted person" in an instant.
Daphne: "Is is that true? Am I really the one you trust the most?"
"Of course!" Rhys nodded without a moment''s hesitationnot really lying either; when it came to looking after the replica, he did indeed trust Daphne the most. She was far more reliable than Ravenw.
Daphne''s cheeks flushed with excitement, and she eagerly epted Rhys''s request, agreeing to control the replica when necessary while he was away from the school.
"That''s great," Rhys smiled slightly; he was beginning to get the hang of how to "win over" her.
He first repaired the damage on the replica, then transferred control over it to Daphne.
"Do this, then that, and you''ll be able to control this body!"
The procedure wasn''tplicated, and after about ten minutes, Daphne could smoothly control the replica Rhys had created through Transfiguration.
"Perfect." Rhys praised Daphne, then severed his connection with the replica entirely.
Now, he had to make the most of his time heading to the locations Vigo had mentioned.
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12 Advance Chapters
166- Eyes in the Water Drops
166- Eyes in the Water Drops
In an inconspicuous old apartment on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, the bedroom light remained on even in the dead of night.
A middle-aged, portly man with arge belly sat at his desk, writing furiously.
Under the dim light, line after line of polished nonsense filled the parchment. In the small room, the only sounds were the scratch of the quill on parchment and the man''s heavy breathing.
Clearly, staying upte to write a stack of bureaucratic reports was an unpleasant task.
After finishing an entire page of empty formalities, the man pounded his fist on the table.
"The reimbursement process just gets dumber by the day! Any expense over thirty Galleons requires a top-level sign-offmight as well just say they don''t want to reimburse it! Expenses under thirty Galleons don''t need top-level sign-off, sure, but they must be through the ''trusted vendors'' on the organization list, and there must be priceparisons from at least two suppliers. Vigo, that control freak, is seriously insufferable!"
Full of resentment, the man muttered under his breath, "What''s so great about Vigo anyway? If I had her family background, I''d have unlocked my domain by now"
"Every single day, it''s either a hygiene inspection or a cleanliness check. Only someone with no real skills would be obsessed with cleanliness. And soon that wretched woman will be here for an inspection againanother few days of production dys! The whole inspection''s a show; every tool in the drawer has to bebeled and listed by quantity. Ha! Could you make our lives any harder?! She''sing, which means I''ll be working overtime again. This year''s Christmas vacation? Gone. Just brilliant!"
"Changing things constantly, piling all the pressure on those below. Hmph! When an organization starts obsessing over hygiene and cleanliness, it''s probably doomed. Heaven help us, someone, please just get rid of that wretched woman!" The man muttered, stuffing the formbeled Parchment Purchase Request into a pile of documents in the drawer.
After venting, he felt a bit better. Stretching, he leaned heavily into his worn-out office chair, which let out a loud, unpleasant creak.
He picked up his wand and pointed it at a coffee pot nearby. Steam began to rise, and soon a cup of frothy coffee was brewed.
The small cup of coffee floated gently to his desk. Instead of drinking it right away, the man rubbed a ring on his index finger.
The ring was ivory-colored and unadorned, appearing at first nce to be just an ordinary band. But on closer inspection, it became clear the ring was made of bone.
"My future all depends on you," he murmured, staring at the ring.
If he could merge with the remains of a deity, he could escape this wretched swamp and rise to the true upper ranks of the secret society. And if he one day attained a domain of his own like Lord Capricornus, he could teach that madwoman Vigo a real lesson of adultsgrind her down beneath him mercilessly.
It was evident the man harbored deep resentment toward his immediate superior, Vigo.
Tick-tap!
Just as he was obsessing over his ring, a sudden drop of water dripped onto his neck, jolting him.
The man looked up in shock and saw countless tiny droplets forming on the ceiling.
"This is Egypt, for crying out loud" he muttered, only to realize something was very wrong: within each water droplet on the ceiling, he could faintly see an eye!
"!!!"
Instinctively, he grabbed the nearest objecta coffee cup full of coffeeand hurled it at the ceiling.
The cup shattered on impact, sending fragments all over the room, and coffee sttered across the ceiling, leaving arge stain.
He copsed back into his chair, one hand gripping his wand tightly, while the thumb of his other hand nervously rubbed the deity''s bone ring on his index finger.
The scent of coffee filled the room, and he sat there panting, staring intently at the ceiling, his heart pounding.
But the water droplets filled with eyes had vanished, as if it had all been a hallucination.
"Hah haah.. huff.."
Could it be that he''d overworked himself into hallucinating? The organization had records showing that prolonged exposure to relics of divinity could indeed cause hallucinations.
ording to the regtions of the Esoteric Order, he should now remove the bone ring from his finger, close his eyes, and rest, refraining from observing any relics for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
But
The man recalled what Capricornus had once told him: moments of hallucination presented the best opportunity to attempt fusion with a relic. It was extremely risky, but fortune favored the bold.
He made up his mind, removed the ring, clenched it tightly in his fist, and began trying to fuse with it.
Minutes ticked by, the scent of coffee in the room gradually faded, and the man''s nerves slowly settled.
The water droplets with eyes on the ceiling felt as if they really had been nothing more than his imagination.
During his attempt to fuse with the relic, he didn''t notice that nearly a hundred bead-sized drops of sweat had surfaced on his skin, each drop with the eerie semnce of a tiny eye.
Several hourster, as the first light of dawn appeared, the man reluctantly opened his eyes: he hadn''t managed to fuse with the relic.
"Cough! So thirsty" he muttered, feeling parched. But he thought little of it; spending the night in the desert often had that effect.
He picked up a ss of water and drank it in one gulp.
But that small amount of water didn''t satisfy his need at all; he was still desperately thirsty, as though all the moisture in his body had drained away.
The man drank every avable liquid in the room, but his parched mouth felt no relief. Frustrated, he went to the kitchen and turned on the faucet, but the pipes seemed blocked, with not a droping out.
Utterly disappointed, he decided to go to the local division of the Order, where there would be plenty of water.
He lit the firece, threw in a handful of Floo powder, and vanished in a sh of green mes.
Emerging from the division''s firece, he hurried toward the storeroom, knowing that the lot of rascals here had stashed a fair amount of alcohol in there, and now was the perfect time to put it to use.
"B-Boss?!" a voice full of horror rang out. The man turned impatiently, seeing one of his subordinates, and waved him off, wanting to be left alone to drink.
But the subordinate didn''t leave.
Instead, his face filled with fear as he stared at the man: the leader standing before him had turned into a moving corpse, a shriveled, dried-out huska moving mummy!
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Read 12 Advance Chapters:
167- Badger Head Copper Cup
167- Badger Head Copper Cup
Seeing the terror on his subordinate''s face, the man instinctively sensed something was wrong, but he had already lost the ability to thinkhis thirst for water overwhelmed all else. Opening his mouth, he managed to say:
"You look so juicy!!!!"
He lunged at his subordinate, sinking his teeth into the man''s throat, greedily draining his blood.
Hot blood flowed down his throat, bringing a brief moment of vitality back to him. But as a red mist slowly rose from his body, he reverted to his corpse-like state.
This time, though, hepletely lost the strength to move, slumping against the wall as his consciousness grew faint and faded away
Water droplets began to form on the wall, coalescing and gathering until they took on a human shape.
Rhys emerged from the wall itself.
"Egypt is rather excessively dry," Rhys muttered, waving his hand in difort at the arid air surrounding him.
He nced at the corpse in the corner, then murmured, "With this, the trap is set."
Snapping his fingers, everyone in the Order''s base started writhing in agonythey couldn''t breathe, and their skin visibly dried, their bodies rapidly dehydrating, transforming into withered corpses. The water, controlled by Rhys, filled their lungs.
In the future, if the Secret Order examined their fallen members, they would find that each corpse had drowned.
Rhys considered this method extremely efficient.
He had targeted the man while he was busy writing reports, embedding his magic into him.
By the time the man reached the base, his body''s water content had already been evaporating under Rhys''s magical influence.
Unknowingly, the other people in the base inhaled this water, infused with Rhys''s magic, which allowed him to control their bodily fluids too, capturing them all in one sweep.
This approach meant Rhys didn''t have to clear each room individually, ensuring none of the Esoteric Order''s adherents could escape, making it exceptionally efficient.
After eliminating the Order''s adherents in the base, Rhys began his search of the premises.
He had already reviewed the documents the man had left behind in his apartmentmostly useless reports and sanitation inspection records.
From these files, Rhys confirmed that this base was far less valuable to the Order than he and Ravenw had previously estimated. Ironically, the base''s most valuable assets to the Order were likely the adherents worn out by Vigo''s demands.
Unfortunately, the sixth-degree adherent had entirely misunderstood the true foundation of the Order.
Relics, spells, and collected magic books were undoubtedly essential, but the most crucial asset was people. The core of the Order''s system"fusing with relics to attain mastery"required sufficient numbers, something that family lineages alone could not sustain.
Vigo was a prime example.
Once she was trapped at Hogwarts, her family''s defenses would crumble immediately, as she and her family''s treasured relic had been lost together in Hogwarts.
In contrast, Secret Order members like Capricornus, who had risen from the lower ranks, were the most troublesome. These individuals often possessed impressive natural talent, and with the aid of relics, could potentially overpower anyone at Hogwarts, excluding Rhys and RavenwDumbledore being the only possible exception.
Thus, by eliminating a significant number of adherents, the Secret Order would eventually copse. This was exactly what Rhys was now carrying out.
Not only did he eradicate every adherent within the base, but he also left inconspicuous traps behind, ensuring this base would be a "ck hole" for Secret Order membersone where anyone who entered would perish.
While relics and umted items didn''t hold the same value as skilled members, Rhys still saw no reason to ignore the base''s inventory.
He had already packed up all the documents and magical books, ignoring the food and liquor in storage. The remaining magical artifacts and remnants of divine bone relics, however, were worth a thorough check.
Following the traces of magical flow, Rhys easily located the Esoteric Order''s vault within this base.
Upon opening the vault door, Rhys noted that the space was limited, with only a few items stored inside.
This was expected, as this was just an ordinary, unremarkable base of the Secret Orderof which there were likely more than thirty. It would have been odd if it had a wealth of stored items.
Rhys examined the two relics within, finding them less effective than the bones he had extracted from the man''s own body. The only relic of interest was the bone ring worn by the man.
Apart from the relics, the small storage room also contained some potion ingredients, with a distinctly North African style. Rhys unceremoniously epted them all.
After collecting the raw potion materials, Rhys turned his attention to thest item in the small warehouse: a small bronze cup.
The cup was tarnished with verdigris, showing signs of considerable age.
Initially, Rhys hadn''t paid much attention to the unassuming little cup, which was tucked away in the corner of a cab.
Without a careful search, it would''ve been easy to overlook.
This was another aspect Rhys found particrly amusing.
Everything in the vault had its designated spot,plete with positioningbels and name tags. Nearby, one could even find a brief description of each item!
To anyone who knew, this was the vault of a secret organization; to anyone who didn''t, it could easily be mistaken for a museum disy!
Rhys felt the urge toin: what''s the point of all this?
Is it supposed to help an intruder like me identify their treasures?
It was almost too considerate! Bringing treasures to his doorstep with attached descriptions was something he''d never seen or heard of before.
Vigo was indeed a marvel!
However, when Rhys picked up the bronze cup, he quickly noticed something unusual about itsomething only he would recognize: the cup had a handle, and the tip of the handle was carved into the head of a small animal.
As time went by, the handle was covered with rust, which was why Rhys didn''t notice the copper cup at first.
But he looked at it carefully, and the more he looked at it, the more he felt that the animal head looked like a badger.
He took out his wand and carefully cleaned the rust on the copper cup.
After the copper cup was cleaned, Rhys'' eyes becameplicated, because the handle of the cup was really carved with a badger head!
He would never mistake this style!
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168- In the future, I want to build a magic school!
168- In the future, I want to build a magic school!
Rhys''s gaze deepened, filled with a profound and distant memory
Outside, the wind and snow howled, battering the walls and door of the wooden cabin.
The dpidated hut looked as though it might copse at any moment, yet under the protection of four young wizards, it would remain unscathed even in the fiercest of storms.
"So, we can enchant the cabin to make it indestructible, but we can''t use magic to make it warm inside?" Helga questioned, looking at her friends who were busy starting a fire and chopping wood.
"That''s the nature of magic!" Szar Slytherin said with a grin as he fiddled with the firewood. "Just because we can reinforce the cabin doesn''t mean we''ve mastered heating spells. But you could ask Godriche''s the fire expert."
Helga turned to look at Gryffindor, but the young knight simply shook his head, indicating he couldn''t help.
In such a blizzard, a magically conjured me wasn''t enough to fend off the cold, and if Gryffindor were to exert his full magical strength, it would exhaust him quickly. One misstep, and he might even set the whole cabin on fire. So, in the end, using regr firewood to keep warm was the safest option.
"I didn''t know you were good at carving," Helga remarked, noticing two intricately carved wooden animalsa lion and a snakenext to Szar. She moved closer to examine them, marveling at how lifelike they were, with a pile of wood shavings nearby that could be used to kindle the fire.
Szar gave her a peculiar look, saying nothing, then picked up another piece of wood. He drew out his wand and pointed its tip toward it.
Wood shavings floated down from the piece of wood, and soon a lifelike little badger appeared in Szar''s hand.
"Pfft.. I''m a wizard, Helga."
Szar said, handing the carved badger to Hufflepuff.
In Szar''s view, if they didn''t need shavings for kindling, he could have simply transformed the wood directly into little animals. Of course, at the heart of it, he was just bored; the four of them were trapped by magic and the snowstorm with nothing else to do.
Helga''s face reddened. She said nothing more, taking Szar''s carved figure and bringing it over by the firece.
"Better to burn them for warmth," she muttered to herself, though her gaze drifted back toward Slytherin, sitting nearby.
Szar didn''t react, just continued fiddling with the logs Godric had chopped, pondering what to carve nextmaybe another animal, or perhaps even a human figure?
"Hey, I''m really going to burn it, you know? Maybe I''ll start with this little snake"
Szar: Eh?
"Firewood is meant to be burned, you know!" He looked up, giving Hufflepuff a rather confused nce, entirely unsure what she was trying to do.
Helga furrowed her brows; Szar''s words left her speechless. Even though Slytherin had said it was fine, she didn''t end up burning his carvings as firewood. Instead, she carefully set the small wooden sculptures aside and used regr logs to start the fire.
Once the fire was crackling, Helga started cooking. Soon, the cozy cabin was filled with the aroma of stew.
As they waited for the food to cook, Helga spoke up. "Szar, could you teach me that spell you just used? I can trade one of my food-rted spells in exchangea charm to keep meat fresh."
Szar looked at her in shock.
Helga, as talented a witch as you are, and you don''t know basic Transfiguration?
"I really don''t," Helga''s face turned even redder. "All I know are some food spells passed down by my mother and a few basic earth charms."
Hearing this, the other three let out a collective sigh.
Helga''s struggle was no different from theirs. Each of the teenagers had gaps in their magical knowledge.
Szar only knew potion-making, some basic Transfiguration, and a few offensive and defensive spells.
Ravenw, for all her wisdom, had hardly any experience in realbat, and her magic outside Transfiguration was limited to things she had "seen" or "heard of." As for Gryffindor, his skill set was even more limited; as he put it, he was simply "a knight who could enchant a sword and shield with mes."
This was the state of wizarding knowledge at the time.
Beyond family-taught magic, learning new spells was incredibly difficult. The only real avenues to gain knowledge were through equal exchange or through violence.
Most magical families understood this and passed down spells orally; very few wizarding families dared to record their spells in books in this chaotic era.
It was said that some young witches, just to learn a spell or a potion recipe, would willingly serve old wizards, half-buried in the ground, for years as their literal servants. Other wizards found this understandable, and some even thought she was getting a good deal. Going north or south to seek out deities was also an option, but that was far worse than serving an old wizard!
The old wizards would eventually let you go, but nearly immortal deities would enve you for lifean existence you could never escape.
After a long pause, Slytherin agreed to Helga''s proposal. Gryffindor and Ravenw both stood up, ready to step outside to give them privacy.
"That''s not necessary."
Surprisingly, Slytherin stopped them, gesturing for them to sit down and listen as well.
"This is a clumsy little trick. There''s no need for you to leave; we''d lose all the warmth we finally managed to gather in here." Slytherin pulled his robe tighter, suggesting they save themselves the trouble.
Gryffindor chuckled sheepishly and returned to his seat, while Ravenw remained standing, looking thoughtful. Slytherin paid her no mind and began exining.
Of course, he wasn''t as selfless as he appeared.
Slytherin had his own calctionsGryffindor was his close friend, with whom he shared everything freely. As for Ravenw, a master of Transfiguration, there was no way she didn''t know such a basic trick, so letting her listen wouldn''t matter.
After Slytherin''s exnation, Hufflepuff''s eyes lit up with understanding. She picked up a piece of wood and quickly "carved" it into the shape of a little badger.
"Amazing!" Slytherin couldn''t help but admire someone who could pick up a spell after hearing it just once.
"It''s because you exined it well." Hufflepuff blushed again.
"It could be done like this too," Ravenw said as she moved between them, took out her wand, and tapped the wooden badger in Hufflepuff''s hand, making ite to life.
"The principle is actually quite simple" She then shared a small Transfiguration trick, leaving Slytherin and Hufflepuff in awe.
Gryffindor, watching from the side, felt deeply moved. Through this exchange, the four of them had each learned something valuablemore than what a year of solitary adventure could have taught them.
"If there ever were a wizard skilled in dueling like me, knowledgeable in potions like Slytherin, proficient in Transfiguration like Ravenw, and with Hufflepuff''s expertise in food magic, that wizard would be unstoppable," Young Gryffindor said, genuinely impressed.
Slytherin, sitting beside him, chuckled. "We could take on an apprentice, teach them all our spells, and then produce the strongest wizard."
It was the most amusing idea, and both Gryffindor and Slytherin burst outughing. The thought was too idealistic.
Why would they ever share their painstakingly collected spells with a stranger?
In the wizarding world, only family bonds could foster that kind of sharing!
To truly create what Slytherin described, that child would practically have to be a child shared by the four of them.
The speaker had no intention, but the listeners took it to heart. Ravenw and Hufflepuff both lowered their heads, seemingly lost in thought.
After a while, Hufflepuff suddenly raised her head and told her three friends that she wanted to establish a magic school someday, to pass on her food magic.
Gryffindor and Slytherin looked up at her, utterly stunned, unable to understand why Hufflepuff would make such a choice.
Even more surprising, Ravenw actually supported Hufflepuff''s decision.
"Did you put some mushrooms in that soup that shouldn''t have been there?" Slytherin finally asked, after a long pause.
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Read 12 Advance chapters:
169- Rhys: Thanks again Vigo
169- Rhys: Thanks again Vigo
There were certainly no inedible mushrooms in Hufflepuff''s stew.
She exined her reasons for wanting to establish a school of magic to her friends.
"I believe the current situation isn''t right. Only through more exchanges can magic advance faster, like what we just did. If everyone keeps their magical knowledge locked up in their family vaults, how can we ever"
She nced northward as she spoke, leaving the rest unsaid, but her friends understood.
If all wizard families hoarded their knowledge, the gods would forever hang over them like a sword.
The gods had been growing more active in recent decades.
With the support of the Nordic gods, the Vikings had pushed southward, sweeping through Ennd, France, Spain, and Italy, all the way to the Greek penins. They had also navigated rivers and estuaries into Russia and Eastern Europe, discovered d and Greend to the west, and ultimately reached North America. Eastward, they''d even made it to the Caspian Sea.
If this continued, it was only a matter of time before wizards became the servants of the Norse gods.
"And opening a school could encourage other families to share their magic too, which would benefit us as well," added Ravenw, reinforcing Hufflepuff''s argument on the need for a magical school.
Hufflepuff and Ravenw''s words began to sway Gryffindor, but Slytherin promptly threw a bucket of cold water on the idea: "Even if we tried, our school wouldn''tst long before greedy wizards brought it down. They''d sneak in to steal our magic, or even capture our students to force us to reveal all the spells we know."
"To establish a magic school, we can''t do it as we are now. We''d need each of us to have significant fameenough to deter those greedy eyes."
The other three fell silent.
They had to admit that Slytherin''s prediction was the most likely oue.
"Then let''s wait until we''ve be renowned wizards, and then start our magic school!" Hufflepuff didn''t press her friends further, knowing it was unrealistic to start a school right now.
Gryffindor voiced his support for Hufflepuff''s vision. He stated that fighting was his strength, and even single-handedly taking down a fire dragon was no issue. If anyone dared covet their school in the future, he''d nail them one by one to stakes.
Slytherinughed and shook his head: bing world-famous wizards? That could take decades. By then, how many of the four of them would still be alive?
"All right, the stew is readywild mushrooms with partridge, and an egg for each of you." Hufflepuff''s words brought them back to reality.
They quickly grabbed their utensils and scooped the chicken and mushrooms from the pot into their bread bowls. The bread, serving as their rations, was as hard as stone. Experienced diners knew to carve out a hole in the bottom to hold the stew; that way, by the time they''d finished the stew, the bread had softened.
After they''d eaten their fill, Hufflepuff began practicing the wood transfiguration spell she''d just learned.
One lively little badger after another appeared from the wood she carved, filling the floor, as Slytherin watched them with drooping eyelids. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep.
Rhys pulled himself out of his memories, and the wooden badger from the past gradually ovepped with the badger on the handle of the copper cup.
Such a distinct personal styledespite weathering a thousand years, Rhys recognized the cup''s maker at a nce.
He was certain this had to be Hufflepuff''s handiwork.
Helga Hufflepuff, why is a cup you crafted here?
Rhys needed to date the cup, to determine which period of Hufflepuff''s life it was from. If it was one of herter works, its value would be immeasurable.
Dating it was simple enoughRhys just needed to examine the cup''s background.
Thanks to Vigo, her systematic reforms had truly helped him. Inside the drawer below the cupy aplete set of records for it, detailing everything from its acquisition to its functions and usage logs.
Taking out the documents and carefully reading them over, Rhys traced the cup''s origin: the artifact had been unearthed by the Secret Order from a 12th-century wizard''s tomb. Remarkably, the tomb owner had noted on his epitaph exactly how he''d acquired it!
The cup''s earliest known owner was the grandfather of the tomb''s upant.
This man had met an elderly witch while traveling through Alexandria, a witch possessing godlike powers.
From a basket she carried, she could endlessly draw out cheese, bread, smoked meat, and fresh fish. Even more wondrously, she could alter their tasteshe could transform the texture of bread into tender roast beef or make gourmet delicacies taste nd.
In other words, with just a piece of cheese and a loaf of bread, this old witch could experience the vors of all the world''s finest foods.
The witch also had a cup that could transform water into rich wine, which greatly intrigued the grandfather. After much persuasion, he finally managed to trade for this "Holy Grail" from the old witch, exchanging it for a piece of ssified intelligence.
So, this was the origin of the copper cup with the badger emblem.
However, after obtaining the cup, the grandfather of the tomb''s upant drank himself to death, eventually passing away drunk in bed.
The tomb owner''s father then inherited the cup, bing equally obsessed with the wine it produced until he sumbed to liver disease.
Convinced the cup was cursed, the tomb owner chose to bury it with himself to prevent it from harming his descendants.
When the Order unearthed it, they discovered that, perhaps due to the passage of time, the enchantment on the cup had deteriorated. It could no longer produce fine wine, only a sour, vinegary liquid.
Thus, it was tucked away in the storage room''s corner, in the hope that one day, someone might restore it.
The "turn water into wine" effect still had a certain allure.
After reading the ount, Rhys was certain that the "elderly witch" mentioned on the epitaph was none other than Hufflepuff herself.
ording to Ravenw, Hufflepuff had set off on her own travels after he and Godric left the school, never to return.
It now seemed that she had indeed reached Egypt and had significantly advanced her food-rted magic. Rhys distinctly remembered that when he left Hogwarts, Helga was far from achieving the feats described in the epitaph.
But that wasn''t the most important pointthe real question was what kind of information the tomb owner''s grandfather had traded.
That could give Rhys a new lead in tracing Hufflepuff''s whereabouts.
Remarkably, the Order had done an analysis for him!
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170- Come And Give Me A Back Massage!
170- Come And Give Me A Back Massage!
[ording to research, the tomb owner was a descendant of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh''s Keeper of Secrets. The Keepers of Secrets had protected the Pharaoh''s tombs for generations, but by the twelfth century, Egypt''s magicalmunity hadpletely declined, and the wizarding poption in Egypt had entirely changed. This led to the degeneration of the Keeper lineage, with many descendants resorting to selling off the Pharaoh''s funerary artifacts for a living.
Therefore, we reasonably deduce that the grandfather of the tomb owner traded the knowledge of a particr Pharaoh''s tomb in exchange for this cup.]
"A Pharaoh''s tomb" Rhys read the Order''s analysis and found it quite usible; if it was an unopened Pharaoh''s tomb, it would certainly attract Hufflepuff''s interest for exploration.
As the leaders of the first wizards, the earliest Pharaohs would surely have powersparable to the Norse gods, meaning their tombs would undoubtedly contain remarkable treasures.
But it would have to be an ancient enough Pharaoh. Rhys thought there was hardly any point in excavating tombs from the Twentieth Dynasty onward, when Egypt had already been conquered by Persia, and certainly not those of Ptolemaic Egypt, whose links to ancient Egypt were tenuous at best.
"The tomb must be ancient enough and unplundered, yet even with these conditions, there''s still a thick veil of mystery" Rhys sighed.
There was too little reliable information; all he''d found were faint traces of Hufflepuff''s past. The bigger challenge was that he couldn''t be sure whether Helga had wandered off to other ces after "visiting" the Pharaoh''s tomb.
Still, a lead was better than nothing. From this information, it seemed Hufflepuff had been living well enough after leaving Hogwarts, with her magical abilities even advancing.
Reassuring himself with that thought, Rhys tucked both the badger-head cup and the Order''spiled information into his robes, nning to share it with Ravenw when he returned to the school.
Since the information was unclear, Rhys wasn''t in any rush to search for Hufflepuff. Instead, he focused on clearing out the various Order of Secrets outposts on his list.
On the bright side, if he stumbled across more clues about Hufflepuff, it would be an unexpected bonus. With that thought, Rhys set out.
While Rhys was busy tracking down the Order''s "little rats" around the world, turning them one by one into drowned corpses, Hogwarts enjoyed yet another peaceful day.
Daphne, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, left her dormitory and soon spotted Rhys in his usual corner of themon room, reading a book.
"Morning, Rhys" she said, trailing off halfway through, realizing with a jolt that this was an imposterRhys wouldn''t be reading A History of Magic.
"Seriously, the execution is way too sloppy!" Daphne muttered. "Rhys reading A History of Magic? That''s an obvious giveaway."
She walked over and plucked the History of Magic from Rhys'' hands.
The false Rhys didn''t react with anger to being interrupted. He looked up and greeted her calmly with a gentle, "Good morning, Daphne."
As he sat quietly on the bench, looking at her with a friendly expression, Daphne narrowed her eyes. A thought struck her: didn''t she have control over this "Rhys"? Could she make him do anything she wanted, or were there limits?
Once the idea took root, it grew like a wildfire.
Daphne found herself unable to resist the urge to make this fake Rhys do something.
"Rhys, could you bring me some breakfast?" Daphne asked tentatively.
"Of course my friend." Without a second thought, Rhys'' duplicate stood up and walked to the Great Hall.
Daphne: ? ?!
It actually worked!
Excitement bubbled up in herapparently, the permissions Rhys had granted her were more extensive than she''d expected.
Sensing Rhys reaching the Great Hall, Daphne tried taking over his sight, selecting her favorite breakfast items from the tables.
A few minutester, as Rhys returned with a pile of breakfast food and sat down, Daphne couldn''t help but giggle quietly to herself.
Leaning back in her chair with her feet up, she opened the freshly delivered Daily Prophet. After flipping through a few pages, she nced over at the Rhys duplicate next to her, who was calmly eating his own breakfast.
"Rhys, I''m busy reading the paper, so feed me breakfast."
"Understood." The duplicate set down his sandwich and began preparing Daphne''s breakfast.
Daphne: ???Hehehe~
Rhys'' duplicate prepared a bacon and egg sandwich, then used a spell to cut it into small pieces, holding a fork up to Daphne''s mouth.
As she took a bite of the breakfast "offered" to her by the duplicate, Daphne felt a deep sense of delight. This was so much fun!
She continued giving orders, and the duplicate continued feeding her bite after bite.
When Astoria entered themon room, she was stunned by what she saw: her sister, lounging like a decadent Roman noble, while Rhys was standing beside her, leaning down to feed her with a fork.
Astoria woke up too fastseeing things.
"Daphne, Rhys, whatwhat''s going on?" Astoria looked at them with an extremely puzzled expression.
"Oh, it''s you, Astoria, hold on a sec!" Daphne shifted her position and then ordered
"Rhys!"
"Yes, my friend Daphne?"
"Rhys, I''m a little stiff, give me a back massage."
"Understood." Without hesitation, Rhys knelt beside Daphne and dutifully began massaging her back.
Astoria''s eyes widened in disbelief. Sis, do you have some dirt on Rhys or something?
After enjoying the massage for a while, Daphne slowly exined to Astoria that this Rhys was a duplicate, created by Rhys himself and entrusted to her care.
Astoria: "So this is how you''re ''taking care'' of it?"
Daphne shot her a look. "You''re not going to tell Rhys, right?"
"Of course not," Astoria replied, feigning loyalty.
Inside, however, she was already calcting what kind of reward Rhys might give her for ratting her sister out.
She''d been eyeing that duplicate spell for a while now, and if it came with a ne just like her sister''s, that would be even better! After all, it was her sister; she had to get a good price!
She certainly wasn''t going to spill the beans right in front of Daphne, though.
No, she''d find an opportunity to tell Rhyster, and when Daphne asked, she could just me it on some other student in their House.
Serves her right for being so showy, Astoria thought smugly.
ying innocent, she stepped forward and spoke earnestly: "Sister, isn''t this a bit too shy? If someone notices, Rhys might find out someday."
Daphne thought it over and felt her sister had a point.
She was only this bold because it was just a duplicate that Rhys had made, no different from a plush toy he''d given her. She''d never dare boss the real Rhys around like this!
If he ever found out
A chill ran down Daphne''s spine, and at that moment, a voice echoed that made Daphne''s brow furrow while Astoria''s face lit up with delight.
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12 Advance Chapters
171- Rhys Became A House-Elf?
171- Rhys Became A House-Elf?
"Rhys Lynt, how much did the Greengrasses pay you to be her personal house-elf?" A slick, drawling voice sounded.
Just hearing the voice, Daphne knew Malfoy had arrived. Her expression immediately darkened; Malfoy had found out things he shouldn''t know.
Worse, judging by his tone, he''d probably bring this up every time he saw Rhys from now on.
What she''d been doing wasn''t anything serious, but she definitely didn''t want Rhys to find out.
Astoria, on the other hand, had a rather amused look on her face. She stifled augh, quickly hiding her reaction so her sister wouldn''t notice. She''d been wondering who''d make the perfect scapegoat, and Malfoy had offered himself up; he was so thoughtful!
As Malfoy continued to taunt Rhys, he was actually a little envious.
He envied how Rhys could be so close to Daphne, always around herit stirred his jealousy.
What if Daphne asked me to give her a massage? The thought shed through his mind, though he didn''t dare dwell on it.
Yet that didn''t stop him from mocking Rhys.
When Malfoy spoke, Rhys stopped what he was doing and turned his head, calmly looking at him.
Rhys''s gaze made Malfoy uneasy. He wanted to step forward, yank Rhys''s filthy hands off Daphne, but memories of their unpleasant encounters in first year made him hesitate.
"Draco" Daphne started to say something but was cut off by Rhys.
"She didn''t pay me."
"What?"
"Daphne didn''t pay to hire me as her house-elf. She asked me to give her a back massage, so I gave her one. Massaging helps rx muscles, relieve fatigue, boost blood flow, and even aid in the cirction of magical energy."
Daphne:
Malfoy: ???
Did Rhys seriously just answer his question?
Could he not tell it was meant as a taunt?
Or was he just pretending to brush it off?
In reality, the fake Rhys couldn''t tell at all. Given how quickly this all happened, Rhys and Ravenw had done a remarkable job making the duplicate as intelligent as it was, but they hadn''t bothered to program it with emotional awareness.
So the duplicate was genuinely answering Malfoy''s questions seriously.
"She asked for a massage, and you gave her one? So, if she asked you to kneel down and lick her feet, you''d do that too?"
Malfoy raised an eyebrow, continuing to provoke him. But after saying this, he subtly took a step back in case Rhys lunged at him.
"If Daphne had a reasonable purpose, I would," Rhys replied, his expression entirely serious as he answered Malfoy''s question.
The three of them fell silent.
After a moment, Daphne was the first to react. She clenched her fist and shook it in front of Malfoy. "Draco, if you say one more word, I promise your nose will end up broken!"
Honestly, though Daphne was clearly furious, her pleasant voice and adorable expression made her threat seem far less intimidating.
But Malfoy, knowing her well, still obediently turned around to leave.
He knew that Daphne was like an African ck-footed cat: charming on the outside but highly skilled at doing damage. It was best to take her words seriously.
Anyway, he''d just tease Rhys againterkeeping his distance, of course.
Just as Malfoy was about to walk away, Daphne suddenly drew her wand and whispered, "Obliviate!"
Malfoy froze, his eyes zing over as Daphne''s Memory Charm took effect.
"Did Rhys teach you that spell?" Astoria asked in surprise. She had no idea her sister could cast a Memory Charm; the revtion left her speechless.
"Heh~" Daphne nced at her, smiling but giving no answer.
Rhys hadn''t taught her the Memory Charm; she''d learned it on her own. Today was the first time she''d ever used it on an actual person.
Astoria:
"Sister, I think he didn''t teach you this" She had a bad feeling about this.
Daphne responded with another sweet smilenow was a perfect time for just a smile.
"He could end up aplete idiot because of this!" Astoria was genuinely worried. Unlike other curses, the Memory Charm directly tampered with a person''s mind, making it incredibly difficult to reverse.
Some wizards skilled in the Memory Charm could even make the altered memories permanently unrecoverable.
Daphne''s decision to test a spell she''d just learned on a real person was bold, to say the least.
"So what? He''s already an idiot."
Daphne didn''t care about the consequences; as far as she was concerned, what happened to Malfoy had nothing to do with her. And if trouble ever came her way, like Lucius Malfoy trying to get her arrested, she could always hide in the Chamber of Secrets.
Rhys had taught her things far more useful than what any professor taught.
After dismissing her sister''s worries, Daphne turned to Malfoy, who stood dazed beside her. "Hey, Draco, you''re just standing theredo you need something?"
At the sound of his name, Malfoy''s vacant eyes gradually regained focus, and he scratched the back of his head. "Uh, I was about to go have breakfast. Daphne, want toe along?"
"Absolutely not. I''m eating in themon room today." Satisfied that Malfoy hadn''t turned into a total fool, Daphne motioned for Astoria to sit beside her and join her for breakfast.
"Ugh.." Malfoy, having been brushed off, sensed the atmosphere and left.
Daphne winked at her sister and then picked up a slightly cold sausage from the table, eating it slowly.
Astoria sighed, picked up the Daily Prophet that her sister had set aside, and began reading the day''s news.
On the front page was an article about yesterday''s "Century Experiment" at the Quidditch pitch. The Daily Prophet''s editors were optimistically iming that "Lycanthropy will soon be history" and also noted Professor Lockhart''s "true colors."
Sure enough, with the paper''s distribution, Lockhart''s reputation would likely crumble. In fact, in an obscure corner of the newspaper, there was a brief announcement of his resignation.
ording to him, it was due to "worsening health," which forced him to resign from the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Astoria wasn''t particrly surprised by Lockhart''s departure; it was actually the second news article that caught her attention: "Dumbledore Sets Dark Wizard Aze"
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Read 12 Chapters ahead:
172- Rhys: Daphne, You’re a True Gryffindor
172- Rhys: Daphne, Youre a True Gryffindor
The article on the Daily Prophet''s second page described how Dumbledore had used an "awe-inspiring" spell the previous night to incinerate several dark wizards who had sinister intentions, reducing them to ashes.
The mes reportedly burned for a full quarter of an hour, with numerous witnesses observing Dumbledore''s fiery punishment.
Naturally, his methods sparked controversy, though there were many who supported Dumbledore.
After all, those dark wizards had been attempting to infiltrate Hogwarts, and no one could be certain of their true intentions.
As Astoria read the paper, Daphne watched her, contemting whether to erase her sister''s memoryone less person knowing meant one less risk.
But after a moment of thought, she abandoned the idea.
After all, Astoria was her sister, and it wasn''t as if Daphne''s actions were truly significant secrets. Why bother targeting her sister over it?
Astoria, oblivious to her sister''s musings, sat beside her, engrossed in the news and asionally making remarks with Daphne about the arrogance of those dark wizards.
Then, she suddenly realized something.
"Sister, why did Rhys leave? Was it because of those dark wizards?"
Daphne pursed her lips. The perceptive little brat!
"So what if it was, and so what if it wasn''t? His whereabouts don''t concern you."
Hearing her sister''s response, Astoria puffed up her cheeks.
Daphne''s words clearly implied that Rhys''s departure was rted to the dark wizards who had infiltrated the school, yet she made it clear that this had nothing to do with Astoria.
"But I''ve studied magic with Rhys too! I have a right to know where he''s gone! Maybe I could even help!" Astoria argued defiantly.
Seeing her sister so flustered filled Daphne with delight and a sense of superiority, making herpletely forget that she, too, had initially been left in the dark by Rhys. If she hadn''t been observant enough to see through the fake Rhys, she would be in the exact same position as Astoria.
With a smile creeping onto her face, Daphne replied, "This isn''t something you need to know. I''m the one helping Rhys handle things. I''m the person he trusts most; otherwise, why would he have me controlling his stand-in?"
Astoria''s face turned visibly red with frustration.
"Alright, it''s gettingte. I have ss to attend. Rhys, let''s go." Feeling thoroughly superior, Daphne rose from her armchair and headed to ss with the fake Rhys by her side.
Initially, Daphne had been a bit worried the fake Rhys might give itself away during ss, but his capabilities exceeded her expectations.
He could perform simple spells independently, and thoughplex tasks required her intervention, a full day of sses passed without encountering anything the stand-in deemed plex."
After finishing dinner, Daphne and the stand-in went to the library together. They had only been seated for a short while when Rhys appeared, dropping into the chair beside Daphne with a long, contented sigh.
Although the three bases Vigo managed were all located in North Africa, they were still very far from each other.
Besides the one in Egypt, one was near the Persian Gulf, and the other was by the Antic Ocean, with thousands of kilometers between them.
Rhys also had to remove informants who had been directly reporting to Vigo. The journey was exhausting, even for him.
"You''re back? So soon?!" Daphne was surprised and a bit flustered, wondering if her antics from that morning might have been exposed. Astoria wasn''t around, and she had erased Malfoy''s memory No, there shouldn''t be any issues!
Daphne regained her confidence.
Rhys nced at her briefly without further reaction and immediately altered the face of his stand-in, who sat across from him, to avoid any risk of others seeing two Rhys''s together.
"How did it go?" Daphne eagerly asked, dying to know what Rhys had been up to.
"Destroyed three hideouts and uncovered a bunch of informants, but not much valuable information," Rhys answered honestly.
First, he thought it would be good for the girl to learn some of the Order''s secrets fighting or direct contact could wait, but knowledge was always helpful. Second, he sensed Rowena Ravenw''s presence nearby and thought he might as well tell Daphne here rather than make a trip to the dungeonster.
"The only valuable thing was this, which is rted to one of the Four Founders, Helga Hufflepuff''s whereabouts." Rhys took out a small bronze cup.
As soon as Rhys spoke, he sensed Rowena Ravenw''s eagerness.
Her figure emerged from the bookshelves behind Daphne, her gaze fixed intently on the bronze cup on the table. Daphne, meanwhile, waspletely captivated by the curious little cup before her, entirely oblivious to Ravenw''s appearance.
It was clear that Ravenw was deeply concerned about her old friend''s whereabouts, and Daphne was also very intrigued by the missing founder.
"Unfortunately, it''s a very indirect clue All I know is that she once visited a certain pharaoh''s tomb," Rhys said. The moment he finished, Ravenw vanished.
She understood, too, that this level of information was little more than afort, making it highly unlikely they could track down Hufflepuff with it.
"So, this cup can really turn water into wine?" Daphne asked, imagining the cup''s function and recalling a well-known figure among Muggles with simr powers.
"It could once, but now it''s damaged," Rhys replied, demonstrating as clear spring water swirled inside the cup before turning into a sour, dark liquid.
Even in its broken state, the cup fascinated Daphne. She picked it up, examining it closely from every angle.
"By the way, did you know the stand-in has a ''recall'' function?" Rhys asked casually, introducing her to one of the stand-in''s hidden features as she was engrossed with the cup.
"What?!" Daphne''s smile vanished, and she nearly jumped in surprise.
Following thew of smile conservation, her expression had now transferred onto Rhys''s face.
"It seems you really didn''t know. Here, let me show you," Rhys said, standing up and cing his hand on the stand-in''s shoulder.
"No, no" Daphne shook her head weakly, but couldn''t think of a reason to stop him.
Daphne''s reaction practically had "I did something bad" written all over her face, sparking Rhys''s curiosity about what exactly she had done to his stand-in.
So he promptly activated the recall function.
"Rhys, bring me breakfast."
"Rhys, feed me breakfast."
"Rhys"
A string ofmands spilled from the stand-in''s mouth, leaving Rhys in silence for a long while.
"..."
"What the..."
"Daphne, you''re a true Gryffindor at heart!"
Rhys finally eximed, genuinely ...impressed?
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Read 12 Chapters ahead:
173- Gryffindor’s Teaching Method
173- Gryffindors Teaching Method
Watching her sister runps around the chamber, Astoria was certain that Rhys had uncovered what Daphne had done.
As a good little sister, Astoria used all her strength to control her facial muscles, barely stopping herself fromughing out loud.
"A good witch or wizard needs a strong physique, or at the very least should be in good health," Rhys said with a serious expression.
"This was a teaching method left by Gryffindor himself. A thousand years ago, every Hogwarts student had to take it as a required course, but in this era, both professors and students have cast it aside. I don''t think that''s right."
Even while gasping for breath, Daphne managed to grit out a reply. "Did you read about this in ancient wizards'' letters too?"
"Of course! Plenty of students back then mentioned it in letters to their families," Rhys responded without hesitation. "And those students had to run in armor. Daphne, would you like to give that a try?"
"No!" Daphne shouted before stopping, clutching her side she had a stitch.
Rhys sighed and walked over, using magic to help ease her breathing.
He did this without any hint of ulterior motive from her previous antics, genuinely hoping that his student would develop a healthy body. But clearly, Daphne still had a long way to go.
In the days that followed, recent events continued to escte.
Ministries of Magic worldwide began introducing, or preparing to introduce, policies rted to werewolves, offering spells to help those affected by full-moon transformations regain human form and providing wolfsbane potion free of charge.
Though the creation of the potion requires resources, preventing lycanthropy is something that must be pursued regardless of cost.
With Dumbledore backing the project with his own reputation, plus the endorsement of the British Minister of Magic, many werewolves who had recently transformed during the full moon began to consider visiting the Ministry to try the Human Restoration Charm.
More importantly, numerous Ministries of Magic announced they would keep the identities of werewolves seeking the spell strictly confidential. All they needed to do was send a letter of appointment to the Ministry before the full moon, then arrive at the Ministry on the night of the full moon.
This policy greatly inspired the werewolves, as they realized they could receive the Human Restoration Charm in another country''s Ministry of Magic, minimizing the risk of exposing their identities.
As a result, the British Ministry, where the charm originated, was quickly overwhelmed with appointment requests.
Most werewolves wanted toe to Britain for treatment, since where could be more trustworthy?
In just one week, the British Ministry''s appointment requests for the Human Restoration Charm exceeded capacity by over threefold, fully booking October, November, and December.
Initially, the Ministry considered announcing that no more appointments would be epted until after December, but after consulting with Dumbledore and learning of his willingness to help, the Ministry boldly decided to amodate all the reserved werewolves in October.
With Dumbledore''s support, their confidence soared.
After the experiment, Mr. Greengrass''s reputation surged, even earning him a title.
Most newspapers now referred to him respectfully as the "Generous Mr. Greengrass" or "The Selfless Jamison Henry."
The once discreet Greengrass family suddenly found themselves in the spotlight, with countless people praising their selflessnessand many envying the family''s deep roots and wealth.
Szar Slytherin''s ancient magic!
To bring out such a legendary treasure truly befits a family with a millennia-old heritage.
"To bear the crown, one must also bear its weight." This was the price the Greengrass family had to pay after Rhys attributed his improved spell to their name.
Some celebrated, while others despaired.
Lockhart was the second biggest victim of this experiment.
Afterward, his entire persona crumbled. Nearly everyone worldwide now knew him as a fraud; the storyline in Wandering with Werewolves waspletely fabricated.
Fortunately for him, Lockhart still had a sizable fan base, and some insisted that Lockhart was simply a novelistshouldn''t a story just be interesting?
Why demand he master various spells? That was just unreasonable!
As for his past ims, well, they argued, those were only part of his author persona to immerse readers in the stories.
While Lockhart was thankful for these fans, he desperately wished they would stop making things worse. But they were beyond his control.
The situation led to severe consequences, as more and more wizards began to ask, "If Lockhart made this all up, why are the stories so vividly detailed? And if he based it on real ounts, where are the real heroes?"
As the matter escted, shocking revtions emerged.
One wizard imed that the plot of Lockhart''s book bore an uncanny resemnce to an adventure his friend once had. When he visited this friend to confirm if Lockhart had obtained permission, he found his friend could not remember the adventure at all!
This news quickly made headlines in local newspapers.
Riding the wave of publicity around the werewolf experiment, the story spread worldwide, causing an uproar across the wizardingmunity.
Under immense public pressure, the British Ministry of Magic summoned and arrested Lockhart, who now faced an investigation and trial by the Wizengamot.
This development officially made Lupin, the interim professor, a permanent professor at Hogwarts, marking him as another beneficiary of the situation.
While Lockhart was the second most affected, the top victim was undeniably the Secret Society. What started as a simple reconnaissance mission ended with the loss of three constetion-level monks and the sacrifice of three sacred relics. In retaliation, they had three bases destroyed and dozens of covert agents eliminated. The attacks were so precise that even the bases and agents under the control of Capricornus and Sagittarius had to be relocated, creating significant turmoil for the Cult.
In response, the Order summoned all constetion-ranked monks back to headquarters to discuss their next stepsafter all, they couldn''t let three sacred relics remain lost at Hogwarts.
Vigo family and the family of Sagittarius were especially agitated, pushing the Order tounch an expedition against Hogwarts to reim their treasures. However, most constetion monks refused.
Their reasoning was straightforward: if they went through with it, they would be facing Dumbledore, who had single-handedly defeated three of their strongest in one encounter. Did they really want to oppose such a monstrous figure?
Nheless, Hogwarts'' allure continued to grow, now housing three sacred relics, aplete divine corpse, and Gryffindor''s God-ying Sword.
Now, they needed a carefully crafted n for how to deal with Hogwarts.
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Read 12 Adv Chapters
174- Let me tell you about Daphne’s interesting first year experience
174- Let me tell you about Daphnes interesting first year experience
When October arrived, Hogwarts was enveloped in a damp chill, causing many students to catch colds.
Astoria was one of them. However, with Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary and Rhys Lint, a master of potions, at her side, her cold was hardly a concern.
After drinking a specially formted energizing potion from Rhys, tworge jets of steam shot out from Astoria''s nostrils. The minute-long steam cleared her difort, allowing her nasal passages to breathe freely.
With a bit more stamina potionter, she would be fully recovered.
Daphne, on the other hand, benefited from Gryffindor''s rigorous training methods. Her daily runs around the Chamber of Secrets had strengthened her immune system, allowing her to fend off this wave of illness.
The damp weather and rain didn''t dampen the spirits of the Quidditch team captains. Gryffindor''s captain, Wood, and Slytherin''s captain, Marcus, seemed to be locked in an arms race, pushing their teams to extreme training sessions,e rain or shine, much to their teammates'' misery.
Malfoy, in particr, struggled to keep up with Marcus at first and even tried to resist. However, after a private conversation between them, Malfoy suddenly epted Marcus''s grueling regimen.
No one knew exactly what Marcus had said to him.
Quidditch training, however, had little to do with Rhys. After his sweeping operations against the Secret Society'' bases in North Africa, life returned to calm until Halloween approached.
"Last Halloween, a troll was let loose in the castle."
On a stormy Saturday evening, Rhys apanied Daphne and Astoria to the library until closing. The three walked slowly through the corridors back to theirmon room.
"Oh, I heard about that! Apparently, the troll ended up dead inside the castle for unknown reasons," replied Astoria, who, though only a first-year, was well-versed in school gossip.
"Your sister killed it."
Astoria fell silent.
Then she was shocked.
She couldn''t believe that her sister had single-handedly taken down a troll.
A troll!
Trolls might be ugly, dirty, and incredibly dumb, but they were formidable wizard-killers. It wasn''t umon for wizards to meet their end when encountering a troll in the wild.
These creatures had physical strength, endurance, explosive speed, and even some magical resistance, making them a nightmare for any wizard who couldn''t maintain distance or break through their defenses.
Astoria knew her sister was strong, but she hadn''t expected her to be this strong!
"Don''t be too surprised. When she was facing the troll at that time" Rhys began, intending to share the amusing details of Daphne''s encounter with the troll so Astoria would realize she and her sister weren''t so far apart in strength.
"Look!"
Rhys had barely started when Daphne sensed something amiss. She immediately cut him off, skillfully diverting the conversation. If he kept talking, how could she maintain her sisterly authority?
"Isn''t that Harry over there? Why is he still outside sote?"
Rhys and Astoria both turned their attention to where Daphne was pointing, only to feel disappointed: Harry was trudging along, visibly exhausted, carrying his broomstick and walking slowly. Clearly, he had just finished a grueling Quidditch practice.
It was perfectly reasonable, hardly worth getting worked up over.
Rhys caught a flicker of realizationDaphne had a bit of a prideful streak! ncing at her as she shifted her eyes nervously, he decided to give her a break and not call her out.
"Sis, isn''t that Potter the Seeker on the Quidditch team? Isn''t it normal for him to be training thiste? They''re really dedicated, training even in this weather..." Astoria, oblivious to Daphne''s intentions, chided her for the unnecessary rm.
Daphne sneaked a look at Rhys''s reaction. Her sister''s opinion wasn''t too important, but Rhys''s was crucial. Luckily, Rhys didn''t seem to mind her behavior and didn''t pursue the topic of the troll.
"Wait, it looks like Harry''s about to get into trouble," Rhys said, noticing that Filch had silently crept up behind Harry.
Sure enough, Harry was taken away by an irate Filch for dirtying the floor.
"Is that really necessary? It''s just a dirty floora simple cleaning charm could fix it," Astoria muttered, feeling that Filch was making a fuss over nothing.
"He''s a Squib," Daphne exined, offering some context on Filch''s situation.
He had his own struggles; tasks that were simple for most young wizards took him ten or even a hundred times the effort. Worse yet, after spending most of his life in the magical world, he couldn''t be unaware of spells like the cleaning charm.
Knowing the solution but not being able to use itthat was the curse of a Squib.
Filch''s harsh treatment of students was likely tied to his Squib status, as it had warped his mindset.
Astoria''s eyes widened. She hadn''t expected that the caretaker, who was always picking on students, would turn out to be a Squib.
"Squib..." Astoria murmured, repeating the term.
She knew of such people: those born into wizarding families but tragically devoid of magical ability.
For Squibs, the mostpassionate thing to do was often to send them to Muggle schools, encouraging them to integrate into Muggle society.
"I heard once that all Muggle-born wizards are actually descendants of Squibs and Muggles," Daphne added, sharing a bit of trivia she knew.
Rhys shook his head; this theory didn''t fully align with what they had concluded back in his time.
From his discussions with Ravenw, they believed that everyone on Earth had the potential to awaken magical abilities; it was simply that wizarding descendants had a slightly higher chance.
"The difference between Squibs and regr wizards isn''t thatrge," Rhys exined to the Greengrass sisters, offering his own analysis of why Squibs might be unable to use magic.
"Ordinary wizards, even if they don''t understand how magic flows, can instinctively use it. Squibs, on the other hand, may be unable to channel magic due to a natural deficiency, blocked magical pathways, insensitivity to the magic in their surroundings, or perhaps simply because their magic is too weak. Whatever the reason, they just can''t drive magic the way other wizards can."
Astoria gasped, "So if you teach them how magic flows, could Squibs regain their ability to be wizards?"
"Possibly," Rhys replied nonchntly.
Astoria and Daphne: "!!!"
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Read 12 Advance Chapters:
175- Raindrops and Eyeballs
175- Raindrops and Eyeballs
In the magical world, being a Squib is universally recognized as an incurable condition.
The so-called "Squib training courses" advertised in various tabloids are essentially scams designed to swindle money.
So when Rhys said it was possible to cure this condition, the impact on the two people was profound.
Given Rhys'' long-standing reputation, the two believed he wasn''t just making baseless ims but genuinely had a way to treat it.
"So, if you..." Astoria trailed off, implying that if Rhys taught Filch how to control magic flow, wouldn''t he regain his magical abilities?
If Filch could shed his identity as a Squib, wouldn''t he be more amicable and less harsh on students?
And after experiencing a new lease on life, shouldn''t he channel his energy into delving deeper into the study of magic?
Rhys and Daphne nced at Astoria in unison, and then Rhys looked at Daphne again, sensing the gap between the two sisters.
Astoria had clearly been well-protected by her sister and father!
"Yes," Rhys said after thinking it over, answering decisively, "but I don''t have that much energy. I can only teach two students at a time. You and Daphne can discuss it and decide who won''te to my lessons anymore."
"..."
Astoria immediately closed her mouth.
She didn''t mind lending Filch a hand, as long as it didn''te at the expense of her own interests.
But if it meant giving up her ce in Rhys'' lessons, she would definitely stand aside and do nothing.
What Rhys didn''t tell the Greengrass sisters was that even if Filch regained his ability to perform magic, his potential would remain capped. No matter how hard he worked, he would only ever be a mediocre wizard at best. The inherent ws of being a Squib were not something that could be remedied through teaching methods.
"Even if I could restore his casting ability with a mere wave of my hand, I wouldn''t do it," Rhys said seriously.
Rhys didn''t trust the mental state of Squibs.
Years of repression might have gradually warped their psyche, even turning them into deranged individuals.
If they suddenly gained the ability to perform magic, their behavior could be highly unpredictable. Such people could cause unimaginable destruction to the magical world.
In Rhys'' opinion, hiring Squibs as caretakers was already a mistake.
But, as he always said, Dumbledore was the current headmaster, and he was willing to respect Dumbledore''s decisions.
If he, as one of the founders, had to micromanage every detail, Hogwarts would truly be doomed.
Rhys wasn''t particrly afraid of future generations making mistakeswhat he feared was an unwillingness to act at all. Of course, he also hoped they wouldn''t create disasters too big to clean up; there were some things even he couldn''t fix.
"Yes, Squibs are very dangerous, Astoria. Don''t develop any strange sense of sympathy for them," Daphne warned her sister.
"Phew" Rhys leaned against the railing, extending his hand out of the window to let the raindrops fall into his palm.
"People and raindrops are no different, really. Lookraindrops fall from the same cloud, yet somend in the ck Lake, merging with trillions of others; somend on the roof, roll off, and are absorbed by the walls halfway down; others fall onto the grass, bing muddy and filthy, part of the dirt... And then, a lucky few are caught by me, resting in the palm of my hand."
Rhys pulled his hand back inside, the raindrops in his palm merging into a single bead of water.
It slowly rose into the air, morphing into various shapes under his control as it floated weightlessly.
"You see, though all are merely raindrops, their fates diverge entirely under the whims of destiny," Rhys remarked.
The sphere of water above his palm transformed into a glistening block of ice, then morphed into a snake flicking its tongue.
With a wave of his hand, the ice snake shattered into thousands of fragments, vanishing swiftly into the air.
"But there are always those who can determine the fate of others, just as you determine the fate of these raindrops," Daphne responded with a smile.
To her, she was the luckiest of raindropsperhaps destined so from birth. And in the future, she believed she was bound to be one of those who decided the fates of other "raindrops."
"It''s not something determined at birth," Rhys said softly, as though he had read her mind.
"Some raindrops, even if they fall into muddy ground, can still make themselves stand out through their own efforts" Rhys extended his hand and "caught" a few droplets from the courtyard of the castle not far away.
"Very clever magic. Coming near Hogwarts, projecting your magical power into the clouds, forming small clusters of magical ''convergences,'' and then letting them drift naturally. When the rain falls, the droplets carrying your magd in the castle unnoticed. Ingenious! Creative!"
Rhys praised as he observed the raindrops in his hand, wriggling as though they were alive. He was genuinely impressed by the invader''s ingenuity.
This method required exceptionally fine control over magic and acute sensory abilities.
Thus, either the infiltrator resonated with something within the castle, or their individual magical prowess was extraordinary. Considering the way they had infiltrated the school, Rhys leaned toward the former.
''Is it a relic from the same god?''
If the relics originated from the same deity, it was perfectly normal for there to be resonance between them.
Rhys decided to lend this little "guest" a hand and artificially elerate the process.
Under Rhys'' influence, the rain outside suddenly intensified, and the magic-infused droplets began falling around Hogwarts Castle at a faster rate.
The droplets Rhys had collected earlier merged together, creating an attraction that drew other droplets toward them.
Rhys cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, Daphne, and Astoria, then stepped aside to observe as the crystalline form in front of them grewrger and gradually took on the appearance of an eye.
Once the eye was fully formed, it began spinning, and a few tiny tendrils sprouted from its underside.
"Eww"
"Ugh."
Daphne and Astoria both made faces of utter disgust simultaneously.
At this point, Rhys was certain that the infiltrator was a spy from the Secret Order, using the power of a divine relic to observe Hogwarts. The "eye" before him carried a familiar aura, strikingly simr to the relic associated with Sagittarius that had previously surfaced.
"Alright, let me show you a little trick," Rhys said, deciding to impress Daphne and Astoria with a demonstration.
"This intruder used a specific method to send one of their eyes into Hogwarts. It''s an excellent tool for reconnaissance but also exposes their vulnerability. It''s practically a perfect conduit for counterattacks." As he spoke, Rhys retrieved his wand, revealed himself, and pressed the tip of the wand against the floating eye.
As soon as the wand touched the surface of the eye, bulging bubbles appeared, as though the liquid inside was boiling.
Rhys applied a little pressure, and with a soft pop, the eye burst into fragments.
At the same moment, in a dark corner of the Hog''s Head Inn in Hogsmeade, a wizard wrapped tightly in a cloak let out a scream of agony.
This wizard had only one eye, the other socket an empty ck void.
Blood gushed like a fountain from the hollow cavity where the missing eye had been.
Within moments, the wizard copsed to the ground, motionless, save for the asional twitching of their hands and feet.
_______
Read 12 chapters ahead:
176- Deathday Party and the Bloody Baron
176- Deathday Party and the Bloody Baron
"Too foolish," Rhys shook his head. "It''s as if he didn''t even consider the staff and students of Hogwarts as people. A simple spell was all it took to end his life."
"What was that just now?" Daphne asked curiously.
Rhys exined to Daphne the monk''s method of infiltration.
Daphne and Astoria both covered their mouths in shock. Using rainfall to infiltrate Hogwarts? Such a method was unheard of and nearly impossible to defend against!
"It''s not a big problem because this kind of ''entry method'' requires a special tool to work, and they probably don''t have a second one," Rhys replied.
''Even if they had a second one, they likely wouldn''t be able to find someone capable of using it,'' Rhys added in his mind.
While Rhys severed the Secret Order''s attempt to extend their reach into Hogwarts, Harry was busy finding a way to escape Filch''s office and managed to return to the hallway. There, he encountered Gryffindor''s house ghost, Nearly Headless Nick.
Harry struck up a conversation with him.
"This year''s Halloween will mark the 500th anniversary of my death," Nick said, sounding quite proud.
"I''m hosting a party in a rather spacious dungeon ssroom. Friends from all across the Seven Seas will be attending. If you could join us, I''d be most honored. Mr. Weasley and any other living guests are always the most wee. But I dare say you''d rather attend the school''s feast, wouldn''t you?"
"Oh no, I''lle," Harry epted Nick''s invitation.
Harry''s conversation with Nick caught Rhys'' attention.
Noticing that Rhys was observing the Gryffindor ghost, Daphne took the initiative to exin the ghost''s story and how he got his nickname.
"He''s the ghost of Gryffindor House. Unlike the Bloody Baron of our house, Nearly Headless Nick is quite an outgoing figure. His real name is Sir Nichs de Mimsy-Porpington. He studied in Gryffindor during his lifetime and, after graduating, became a court wizard. However, due to a magical mishap, Sir Nichs was sentenced to execution. The executioner''s axe was incredibly dullit took forty-five blows, and even then, his head wasn''tpletely severed from his neck," Daphne said softly.
Rhys frowned.
Clearly, this wasn''t a story that would please most wizards.
"And that is the importance of the Statute of Secrecy," Rhys remarked after a moment of silence, drawing this conclusion.
To many proponents of pure-blood ideology, the Statute of Secrecy was considered an insult and a disgrace to wizardkind. However, Rhyswho was regarded by pure-blood supremacists as a "founding figure"saw the Statute as a form of protection for wizards.
The reason was simple: wizards had never established their own government or created something akin to a magical state. As a result, they had always existed as a dependent ss to Muggles.
A vine may cling to a tree for survival, but it can never rece the tree.
There were indeed governments established by those who wielded magicancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Norse pantheon were such examples. But all of them had vanished into the currents of history, with the Norse gods even being overthrown by wizards themselves.
The moment wizards refused to remain ves to the gods and initiated Ragnarok, the Statute of Secrecy became the only option for those unwilling to integrate into the Muggle world.
In Rhys'' view, even his awakening could not change the reality of wizards being overwhelmingly weakerpared to the Muggle worldnot even with the help of his three old friends.
Wizards today were far too unimpressive. For that matter, even the wizards of five centuries ago had been embarrassinglycking in capability.
A Hogwarts graduate who didn''t even understand basic Transfiguration, disarmed and captured by Muggles, held overnight, and publicly executed the next day with no oneing to his rescue. Rhys truly had no words to describe the ipetence.
Given the vast disparity in power, it was better to remain hidden. The good news was that wizards were remarkably skilled at ying hide and seek.
As for the idea of merging the magical and Muggle worlds, Rhys believed it was impossible under the current magical world''s public opinion. Wizards were far more conservative than they had been in his time, too afraid to even interact with Muggles.
At that moment, Nearly Headless Nick floated cheerfully past Rhys, Daphne, and Astoria. He seemed to be in high spirits, likely because he had secured the attendance of the Boy Who Lived at his deathday party.
Suddenly recalling something, Rhys called out to Nick.
"Sir Nichs, have you invited the Bloody Baron to your deathday party? Do you think he will attend?"
Nearly Headless Nick seemed quite surprised to be called upon. He paused mid-air, ncing at Rhys and the other two, then recalled that they were Slytherin students.
"Of course!" Nick said proudly. "This will be the grandest deathday party of the century. No ghost can resist such an eventnot even the Bloody Baron."
Rhys nodded. That was ideal. He had wanted to talk to the Baron but hadn''t had the opportunity before.
Nick''s words also reminded Rhys of Ravenw, trapped within the seal. If she were free, she surely wouldn''t miss such a gathering, would she?
"May I attend your deathday party, Sir Nichs?" Rhys asked, hoping to use Nick''s event as a chance to have a proper conversation with his student, the Baron.
He was deeply curious about the Baron''s inner journey. To this day, Rhys could hardly believe that the Baron had killed Ravenw''s daughter.
Hearing that Rhys wanted to attend his deathday party, Nick was momentarily stunned.
Then, a delighted expression spread across his face, so much so that his nearly-detached head wobbled precariously.
"Absolutely! It would be my greatest honor! The two youngdies, as lovely as white roses, are equally wee."
"Of course."
"Delighted to join!"
Daphne and Astoria chimed in eagerly.
Seeing Rhys take the initiative to attend the party, both sisters were quick to ept Nick''s invitation as well. The unique nature of an event hosted exclusively by ghosts had sparked their intense curiosity.
As for the school''s Halloween feast, that was an annual affair. A ghost''s deathday party, however, was a far rarer asionthere was no telling when the next one might ur. By then, they themselves might already be ghosts.
"Fantastic!" Nearly Headless Nick was ecstatic at having casually recruited three more living attendees for his party.
However, before leaving, he sheepishly made a small request: he asked Rhys and the sisters to affirm, in front of Sir Patrick, the head of the Headless Hunt, that Nick was an exceptionally impressive and fearsome ghost.
Perhaps, for ghosts, inspiring fear in the living was a matter of great pride.
This was no issue at all, and Rhys readily agreed.
Before long, Halloween arrived.
________
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
177- Baron, it’s been a while
177- Baron, its been a while
The Great Hall had been decorated as it was in previous years, with live bats and enormous Hogwarts-grown pumpkins, filling the castle with a tantalizing aroma.
Rumor had it that Dumbledore had arranged for a skeleton dance troupe to entertain everyone.
In the Slytherinmon room, Rhys waited for the Greengrass sisters, who were dressed to the nines.
When the two appeared in themon room, Rhys was visibly stunned.
To attend the deathday party, Daphne and Astoria each wore a long dress robe, both gray in base color and identical in style. The only difference was that Daphne''s robe featured green silk ents on the front, while Astoria''s was trimmed in silver-gray. They also wore matchingce-up boots, distinguished only by the color of theces.
Rhys noticed that Daphne had prominently disyed the ne he had given her.
Astoria, who hadn''t received a ne from him, clearly felt slighted, but there wasn''t much she could do. She opted to wear an emerald ne in its ce.
"You two..." Rhys shook his head, a wry smile appearing on his face. The sisters'' formal attire made him look rather underdressed byparison.
After a moment''s thought, Rhys cast a Transfiguration spell on his wizard''s robe, transforming it into something more like formal evening wear.
"Magic makes everything so convenient. Shall we?"
Daphne didn''t rush to leave but first asked a question: "Do you think this outfit looks good?"
"It looks great," Rhys nodded.
It was clear at a nce that Daphne and Astoria''s outfits were expensive.
Rhys''s response made Daphne visibly happy. Just as the three were about to leave themon room, Astoria asked the exact same question.
Rhys squinted slightly. His instincts told him that Astoria''s question might be leading somewhere tricky.
"Daphne''s outfit looks great, so of course yours does too. Is there even any difference between your outfit and your sister''s? They''re identical," Rhys replied with a sly smile.
He preemptively shut down any potential follow-up question like "Whose outfit looks better, mine or my sister''s?"
Dealing with kids trying to outshine each other could be exhausting, so it was best to nip it in the bud early.
"If I were you two, I''d bring some food along," Rhys said as they left themon room, deliberately leading them to the entrance of the Great Hall.
"The dead won''t prepare food for the living."
Daphne was sensible. Hearing Rhys''s advice, she promptly took out a food container she had prepared earlier and went into the Great Hall to pack some food.
With steaming food in tow, the three made their way down a narrow passage to the underground ssroom where the Deathday Party was being held.
Unlike the grandeur of the Great Hall, the walls of the passage were lined with tiny, flickering candles that emitted a faint bluish glow. Perhaps they had been chosen specifically for the eerie Halloween atmosphere.
The closer they got to the underground ssroom, the colder the air became. Strange music could be hearda sound reminiscent of fingernails scraping against a giant ckboard.
Everything here seemedpletely out of ce in the world of the living.
As the three turned a corner, they saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at the entrance to the underground ssroom, draped in ck velvet. Harry and Ron had already arrived.
"Good evening," Harry greeted them with a forced, bitter smile, clearly regretting his decision to ept Nick''s invitation. Standing next to him, Ron wore the same constipated expression. They showed no surprise at Rhys and hispanions'' arrival. It seemed Nick had already informed them that Rhys and the others would be attending as well.
Once everyone was present, Nick removed his feathered hat, bowed deeply, and said in a mournful tone, "My dear friends, wee... I''m so delighted you coulde."
He stepped aside to allow them to enter.
Inside the underground ssroom, hundreds of ghostly, translucent figures milky-white in color crowded the space. Most floated in the center of the room, dancing to the unsettling music. The ssroom''s temperature was well below freezing, and with every breath the living took, mist would form in front of their faces.
"Take this," Rhys said, summoning five mes that floated over to each person''s chest and attached themselves to their robes.
Though the mes burned brightly and provided warmth, they miraculously didn''t set the clothing aze.
"This is a lifesaver," Ron said gratefully. The warmth made everyone feel much better.
"A small favor," Rhys replied nonchntly, brushing off Ron''s thanks as his eyes swept across the hundreds of ghosts in the room, searching for the Bloody Baron.
It didn''t take long to spot his target. The Baron stood out easilyother ghosts seemed to fear the blood-soaked figure, giving him a wide berth that left a noticeable empty space around him.
"I have something to take care of. You all can explore on your own. Just remember not to touch any of the food here," Rhys instructed the younger wizards before heading straight for the Bloody Baron.
"Wait, I" Daphne tried to follow, but the me on her chest suddenly red up intensely. It was clear Rhys didn''t want her eavesdropping on his conversation with the Baron.
Daphne pouted in dissatisfaction at Rhys''s arrangement. She instinctively wanted to pursue him, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Astoria obediently walking in the opposite direction.
Daphne: !
She was stunned. In this situation, shouldn''t they stand united and insist on following Rhys? Why was her little sister retreating instead of pressing forward?
Daphne suddenly came to a realization: With me as the contrast, my sister looks so obedient....
So calcting! Daphne clenched her fists, then immediately turned around to catch up with Harry and Ron.
I can be a good good too! Astoria, just you wait!
Rhys, oblivious to Daphne''splex inner thoughts, walked up to the Bloody Baron and greeted him.
"Baron, it''s been a while."
The Bloody Baron: "?"
Who are you? The Baron was confused. The young wizard before him looked somewhat familiarprobably a Hogwarts student, and one with decent grades at that. But he couldn''t recall ever exchanging a single word with this student.
Why did the boy seem so familiar with him?
More unsettlingly, the Baron caught a trace of... affection in Rhys''s gaze? It was as if Rhys was looking at a junior or a loved one.
And there was something about the boya strange yet familiar aura radiating from him.
The Bloody Baron was utterly baffled.
The surrounding ghosts were equally perplexed, unable to discern the rtionship between this young wizard and the fearsome Baron.
__________
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
178- The way to prove that I am me is very simple
178- The way to prove that I am me is very simple
Seeing that the Baron couldn''t recognize him, Rhys clicked his tongue in mild frustration. Still, he didn''t me the poord. After all, when Rhys had taken him on as a student, Rhys had already been an old man.
If even Ravenw, who had known him longer and better, couldn''t recognize him at first, it was perfectly reasonable for the Baron to fail to recognize his much younger self.
Fortunately, Rhys hade prepared. He reached into his robes and pulled out a silver cross pendant. Unlike the crosses typically associated with Muggles, this one was entwined with a serpent, giving it a bizarre and slightly sinister appearance.
The Bloody Baron narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of the pendant. The unusual design stirred memories deep within him.
This was a gift he had once given his teacher.
Though it wasn''t particrly valuable, it held significant sentimental meaning. The cross itself had been confiscated from a bishopa keepsake of considerable significance.
The fact that this young wizard now held the pendant meant he might be a descendant of his teacher or at least someone with a connection to him. This was reason enough for the Baron to show a little more patience toward the boy.
"Let''s talk somewhere else. There are too many... ''people'' here," Rhys suggested.
The Baron nodded in agreement.
He didn''t like the prying gazes of the surrounding ghosts and had no desire for them to eavesdrop on his conversation with Rhys.
He was well aware of his poor reputation among the ghostly crowd, but he didn''t care, nor did he have any intention of improving his rtionships. In life, the Baron had been quite skilled at socializing, but ever since bing a ghost, he had truly let himself go.
The surrounding ghosts began whispering among themselves, but none dared to follow. The Baron''s infamy was too great for anyone to risk crossing himespecially not to eavesdrop. Even Peeves, the castle''s notorious poltergeist, wouldn''t dare.
Indeed, Peeves had made an appearance at the event. However, the moment he spotted the Bloody Baron from afar, he immediately hid under a table.
Rhys and the Baron left through the back door of the underground ssroom, finding a secluded spot just outside.
Once they stopped, Rhys took a moment to carefully and thoroughly study his former student.
Compared to how he had looked when Rhys left the school, the Baron was thinner, his appearance haggard and disheveled. His features hadn''t changed much, but therge bloodstains on his robes stood out starkly, making for a striking sight.
"Thest time I saw you was a thousand years ago," Rhys said softly. "I thought that was our farewell. I never expected to have the chance to see you again in this life."
The Bloody Baron: "???"
"What are you talking about? Why do you have the ne I gave to my teacher? What''s your connection to Professor Slytherin?"
"I am Slytherin."
The Bloody Baron: ""
In the near millennium since he had be a ghost, the Baron had never felt such absurdity. The young wizard before him had just imed to be his teacher, Szar Slytherin!
Did he even realize what he was saying? Slytherin had lived a thousand years ago!
And yet
The Baron hesitated.
After all, if someone like himself could persist in this world for so long, wasn''t it possible that someone as extraordinary as his teacher could have survived for a millennium as well?
Rhys felt a bit troubledit was difficult to prove that he was who he imed to be. However, he did know certain secrets about the Baron, things no one else could possibly know. Though the story might embarrass the "child," it would surely convince him of Rhys''s identity.
"Once upon a time, there was a young wizard named Barrow who wanted to give a unique birthday gift to a witch he admired," Rhys began. "But the little witch''s mother was a very powerful witch, and shecked for nothing. So, he came up with the idea of capturing a unicorn foal from the Forbidden Forestan idea suggested to him by a senior student whose head wasn''t exactly screwed on straight."
Rhys had barely finished half the story when the Bloody Baron''s expression began to change.
His pale, translucent ghostly form seemed to grow less transparent, as though some sediment were stirring within his spectral body.
What Rhys had just recounted was a memory from the Baron''s youth!
Back then, he had been a young man experiencing the first stirrings of love. He had fallen hopelessly for a senior student two years his elderthe daughter of the great Rowena Ravenw herself, a shining star of Ravenw House and the pride of Hogwarts.
She had drawn him in, like a moth to a me, with a fatal attraction.
As for the unicorn foal incident... better left unsaid!
He had overestimated his abilities and underestimated the unicorns.
His backside had been skewered like a pincushion by several adult unicorns, leaving him unable to sit or lie down for months.
If not for the unicorns'' generally peaceful nature, he might have been buried in the Forbidden Forest long ago.
The Baron had assumed that everyone who knew about this humiliation had long since turned to dust. Yet here it was, dragged into the light of day a thousand yearster by a child.
Noif this boy knew about that incident,bined with the fact that he possessed the ne the Baron had given his teacher... two clues intersected and pointed to one conclusion:
This boy standing before him truly was his teacher, Szar Slytherin.
The Bloody Baron''s expression shifted rapidly before finally settling into one of reverence. He straightened his posture, bowed formally to Rhys, and said respectfully, "Teacher, it has been a long time."
Seeing that the Baron finally believed him, Rhys let out a sigh of relief.
If the Baron hadn''t epted the truth, Rhys would have had to divulge even more shocking revtions.
"Fate is indeed strange," Rhys said, filled with emotion as he faced his once-prized student.
A thousand years ago, he could never have imagined that he and Barrow would one day be able to converse like this again, a millenniumter.
"You''ve lost weight," Rhys remarked.
At these words, a bitter look came over the Baron''s face.
"After you left the school" The Baron''s lips trembled as though he had much to say, but in the end, all of it condensed into a single sentence: "A lot happened."
Rhys fell silent.
After he had fallen out with the other three founders and stormed out of Hogwarts in a rage, he could only imagine how difficult the days must have been for the students he had left behind.
Rhys believed that someone as magnanimous as Rowena Ravenw would have directed any anger at him, rather than targeting the students. However, the mutual hostility and divisions between ordinary students were not something even the other founders could have easily erased.
"My methods back then were indeed a bit extreme," Rhys said with a sigh. "Though they were necessary, I admit they brought unintended trouble to you all."
The Baron quickly shook his head and waved his hands dismissively. "The students in the house supported you, Professor. The ones who were wrong were Professor Gryffindor and the others. After the Smith Uprising, the school really shouldn''t have continued admitting Muggle-born students...
"That lot had mediocre talent and no gratitude. Not only did they fail to live up to the professors'' teachings, but they also squandered Professor Hufflepuff''s efforts. All you did was take precautions against future troubles."
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Read 12 Chapters ahead:
179- The Day Barrow Could Not Remember
179- The Day Barrow Could Not Remember
Listening to Barrow''s words, Rhys sighed again.
Looking down from his vantage point, Barrow observed Rhys''s every change in expression before speaking. "Teacher, you''ve changed."
"Oh?" Rhys raised an eyebrow. "Has your vision drastically worsened after bing a ghost? Look at what you''re saying. I''ve turned into a child, so of course, I''ve changed."
"It''s not your appearance," Barrow shook his head. "It''s your personalityyour personality has changed significantly."
Rhys thought for a moment. "Rowena said the same thing. She imed it was because my body became younger."
"Rowena?" Hearing that name, Barrow had a bold thought.
"Mm, the very Rowena you''re thinking of."
Barrow''s eyes widened. "Professor Ravenw is still alive?!"
"She''s dead, but like you, she chose to be a ghost."
The Bloody Baron was even more surprised. If Professor Ravenw had be a ghost, why had he never seen her in a thousand years?
Could it be she hadn''t been at Hogwarts all this time?
Rhys exined his confusion. He told Barrow that Rowena had chosen to seal herself within the dungeons, using her specially prepared body and her ghostly presence together to suppress the dark creatures lurking there.
Barrow became even more remorseful.
If not for his recklessness, Professor Ravenw wouldn''t have had to endure so much hardship. Though the school''s talent pool had dwindled in herter years, with his and Helena''s efforts, they could have supported the school until the new generation matured.
"Since we''re on this topic, tell me what happenedwhat happened between you and Helena," Rhys steered the conversation to the heart of the matter.
He was deeply curious about what had urred that day to drive these two outstanding students to kill each other.
Barrow''s spectral form turned even paler, whiter than a typical ghost. His hands trembled violently with emotion.
Rhys heard the clinking of chains.
The Bloody Baron raised his left hand and slid the bloodstained robe partially off his shoulder. Rhys saw the source of the sound: a pitch-ck chain pierced through Barrow''s right shoulder de and ribs, welded into the wrist of his right hand.
Every movement of Barrow''s right arm, every breath he took, brought with it excruciating painif ghosts could feel pain.
Considering the person who had affixed the chain had the skill to drill holes and lock chains into a ghostly body, they likely also ensured Barrow could feel the agony.
"Teacher, this is my sin, my eternal sin" Barrow''s tone suddenly grew shrill. "I sought out the cksmith and begged him to bind this chain to me, to subject me to endless torment... as penance, yes, repentance! B.. because.."
"Because.."
"Because I killed her! This is my crime, my curse!" Barrow''s emotions were wildly unstable, milky white tears streaming from his eyes. "I loved her so much, yet Imitted an unforgivable crime"
Compared to the emotional Barrow, Rhys remained exceptionally calm, standing still and coldly observing as Barrow vented his feelings. After a long while, Barrow''s emotions gradually stabilized.
"Haah.. haah.. Thank you, Teacher. It does feel better to talk about it," Barrow said with a sense of relief, as if a burden had been lifted.
Rhys: Don''t thank me just yet.
"I hope you can describe what happened that day in as much detail as possible," Rhys requested, his tone firm.
It was an unreasonably demanding request.
For the Bloody Baron, that day was the most painful and darkest in his life. Now, someone was forcing him to recall the details of that traumatic eventit was undeniably cruel.
If it had been anyone else, Barrow would have ignored them entirely and likely threatened the audacious individual. But the person before him was his teacher, the one who had opened the door to the magical world for him.
Even as a ghost, he could not refuse Rhys''s request.
Barrow''s lips moved, but no words came out. He was astonished to find that he could not remember the details of that day at all.
In the end, his expression turned bewildered. "Teacher, I can''t recall clearly. I only remember getting a lead that Helena and herpanion were hiding in a forest in Albania. I found her there, and then... we had a conflict. Helena just... she just died. She died."
Barrow''s emotions grew unstable again, his soul visibly trembling.
Rhys also noticed that while Barrow was recalling the events of that day, a faintyer of ck mist emerged within his spectral form.
It took a long while for Barrow to calm down once more. When he finally did, the ck mist within him disappeared without a trace.
Rhys narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"I used the knife that killed Helena to take my own life. After bing a ghost, I sought out the Smith and had these shackles forged for myself. It''s what I deserve. As for the specific details of that day, I truly cannot remember. Teacher, if you insist on knowing, you can ask Helena herselfshe''s also at Hogwarts."
"She''s here too?!" Rhys eximed, surprised.
"Yes, she became the ghost of Ravenw House," Barrow replied wearily. "Haven''t you seen her?"
"My life here is rather monotonousmainly my designated ssroom, the library, and themon room, with asional visits to other ssrooms," Rhys exined.
"That exins it. Helena prefers to linger near the Ravenw Tower."
After providing Helena''s location, Barrow fell silent.
"Alright, I''ll go find her," Rhys said.
"I won''t go," Barrow replied bitterly. Even after all this time, he still couldn''t face Helena.
Rhys paused for a moment before offering a gentle persuasion. "Come with me. It''s been nearly a thousand years. You have to find a way to face her eventually. How much longer will you keep running away? Another thousand years?"
Barrow fell silent again.
His teacher was right. He had been avoiding Helena for almost a millennium. Maybe it was time to try facing her.
And at least now, his teacher would be there to support him, right?
"There''s something else," Rhys said softly, "You might not be the one who killed Helena. I need to meet her to be sure." He added this almost casually, but it left Barrow utterly stunned.
"Not the killer? Me?" For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Barrow was bewildered. If not him, then who could have killed Helena?
"When you were recalling the events of that day, your state became unusual. I suspect someone tampered with your memories. It''s a very advanced form of magic, so powerful that even as a ghost, you can''t recall the truth."
Barrow: "!!!"
"So, are you now willing toe with me to find Helena and figure out what really happened that day?" Rhys asked again.
_________
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
180- Helena Ravenclaw
180- Helena Ravenw
Barrow was tempted.
"By the way, don''t call me ''teacher'' when there are people around. Just call me Rhys. My name is now Rhys Chass Lynt," Rhys reminded Barrow before they returned to the underground ssroom, ensuring he wouldn''t identally reveal his identity.
Barrow: ""
"Teacher, your naming sense is quite unique," Barrow couldn''t help but remark.
"I think it''s fantastic," Rhys said, clearly satisfied with his chosen name.
When the two returned to the underground ssroom, they found that the atmosphere of the Deathday Party had reached its climax. However, none of this seemed to have anything to do with Nearly Headless Nick. At that moment, Nick stood pitifully in the middle of the dance floor, watching a group of hunters, dressed in costume, ying a game of head hockey while riding ghostly steeds. The uninvited guests hadpletely stolen the spotlight.
The phrase "stealing the show" fit this situation perfectly.
Barrow was anxious. He was desperate to uncover the truth of that day, so he moved quickly, floating at a brisk pace with Rhys close behind.
Due to Barrow''s formidable presence, every ghost he passed immediately gave way, creating a clear path for him through the crowded underground ssroom.
Rhys was more than happy with the arrangement, closely following behind Barrowthough he could technically pass through the ghosts'' bodies, the sensation of being submerged in ice water was far from pleasant.
As they moved, Rhys noticed something happening on the other side of the ssroom. Daphne and herpanions were being cornered at a table by a rather peculiar ghost.
Despite the fact that ghosts couldn''t eat, Nearly Headless Nick had still prepared a vish" banquet for the guests. Of course, none of this food was fit for the living, as every item was rotting, spoiled, and deadly enough to send any young wizard to meet the Hogwarts founders in person.
The ghost blocking Daphne and her friends was unlike the others in the room. He wasn''t a pale and transparent spirit but rather a solid, tangible entity. This odd ghost wore a brightly colored, orange party hat, a bowtie spinning ceaselessly around his neck, and an insidious grin lighting up his mischievous face.
Rhys immediately recognized him. His name was Peeves, a prankster poltergeist and an old "acquaintance" of Rhys.
This mischievous specter had been around since the school''s inception. To be precise, he had appeared alongside the building itself and had gained unique powers distinct from ordinary ghosts after the arrival of so many children at Hogwarts.
Initially, Rhys and his friends hadn''t noticed anything unusual about Peeves, assuming him to be just another magical nuisance. But after repeatedly attempting to vanquish himonly for him to reappear as if nothing had happened the next morningthe founders began to suspect something was amiss.
They eventually gave up on trying to destroy Peeves and instead turned their efforts toward sealing him away. Yet no matter how hard the founders worked, Peeves would always return to Hogwarts, and each time, his pranks became even more chaotic and destructive.
In the end, Rhys and his friends concluded that Peeves was not a mere ghost but a spirit born from the collective emotions of Hogwarts'' children. The only way to remove him permanently would be to evacuate every single student from Hogwarts.
And so, the idea of banishing Peeves from the school was abandoned for good.
The founders, having given up on driving Peeves out of Hogwarts, decided to take a more pragmatic approach. They hired a caretaker named Hankerton Humble to engage in a battle of wits with Peeves. Thus began a thousand-year-long struggle between the castle''s caretakers and its mischievous poltergeist. The tales of Peeves and Hankerton, the first caretaker, were so numerous that Rhys could talk about them for days on end.
Ironically,st year, after Daphne defeated the troll, many students spected that the "spirit of the castle" had manifested to protect them. But if one were to truly consider what most closely fit the definition of a "castle spirit," it was, amusingly enough, Peeves himself.
The revtion would surely leave countless people dumbfounded.
At this moment, Peeves was sweetly offering Daphne a bowl of moldy peanuts.
"Would you like some?" he asked in a syrupy tone, pushing the rancid snack toward her.
"No, thank you," Daphne replied, utterly repulsed by the sight of the peanuts. However, she knew better than to offend Peeves outright. Keeping herposure, she responded with polite restraint, her tone measured and formal.
But Peeves, clearly looking for trouble, was not so easily dissuaded.
He decided to teach these little wizards a lesson and made up his mind that, by the end of the evening, these students would eat the peanuts no matter what.
Noticing Rhys''s gaze, the Bloody Baron followed it and spotted Peeves harassing the young wizards.
He let out a soft but deliberate "hmph."
Rhys then witnessed an astonishing sightPeeves shuddered visibly and immediately dove under the table to hide.
Seeing that Daphne''s predicament had been resolved, Rhys didn''t linger. He swiftly left the underground ssroom before the young wizards could react.
"Peeves seems quite afraid of you?"
Rhys nced at his student as they exited. Not bad! He never expected that something his student couldn''t achieve in life had somehow been aplished after death.
"Yes. asionally, some clever students imitate my voice to scare Peeves awayit works exceptionally well."
"What exactly did you do to Peeves?"
...
As they chatted, Rhys and the Baron hurried toward the Ravenw Tower at top speed.
"Where''s Helena?"
"I don''t know." The Baron''s spectral form became noticeably less transparent. He was far more nervous than Rhys had anticipated.
"She might be inside the tower." Rhys turned his gaze toward the door knocker at the entrance to the Ravenwmon room.
This door knocker was personally crafted by Rowena Ravenw and enchanted with profound magic. It possessed a certain level of intelligence. The only other artifact at Hogwarts with simr sentience was Gryffindor''s Sorting Hat.
Rhys knocked on the door knocker, which immediately posed him a question. Only by answering it correctly would he be granted entry to the Ravenw Tower.
"A young wizard has two jugs, onerge and one small. Therge jug can hold six pints of water, and the small jug can hold five pints. How can he use these two jugs to collect exactly three pints of water from the ck Lake?"
Rhys pondered for a moment before providing his answer.
The door swung open, revealing the Ravenwmon room behind it.
The Ravenwmon room was a vast, circr room adorned with an ethereal charm. Elegant arched windows lined the walls, draped in blue and bronze silk.
Stars were the central theme of the room: the domed ceiling was painted with a celestial chart, and the deep-blue carpet beneath their feet was embroidered with countless stars. Unlike the Slytherinmon room, this space featured numerous bookshelves, and opposite the entrance, a tall niche housed a white marble statue.
Standing before the statue was a ghost with waist-length hair and floor-length robes.
_____
Ans:
The first step is to fill the 5-pint jug and pour it into the 6-pint jug. Now there are 5 pints of water in the 6-pint jug.
2. Fill the small pot again, and then use the small pot to fill therge pot. Now there is 4 pints of water left in the 5-pint pot.
3. Pour out the water in therge pot and pour the remaining water in the 5-pint pot into the 6-pint pot. Now there are 4 pints of water in the 6-pint pot.
4. Fill the 5-pint jug and pour into the 6-pint jug. The remaining water in the small jug is 3 pints.
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Read 12 Chapters ahead:
181- I am your Uncle Salazar
181- I am your Uncle Szar
Rhys recognized the ghost of Helena Ravenw the moment he saw her back. Thinking of Barrow, who stood behind him, he couldn''t help but sigh: pitiful, truly pitiful.
He still remembered what they were like when they attended Hogwarts.
One was a child adopted by Ravenw from her rtives, while Barrow was an orphaned wizard adopted by Helga Hufflepuff andter sorted into Slytherin.
Both had shown extraordinary magical talent upon entering the school. Unfortunately, neither of these promising seeds had grown into the great trees that could have sheltered the school.
If given a choice, neither Barrow nor Helena would have wanted to be ghosts.
After a wizard dies, as long as their soul remains intact, they can choose to be a ghost, lingering in the mortal world and wandering ces they frequented in life. However, very few wizards would willingly make that choice.
Choosing to be a ghost meant forever losing the possibility of reincarnation. Without exception, the underworld would no longer ept their soul, and they would remain out of sync with the world of the living: unable to eat, restricted in movement, and incapable of influencing the physical world. Rather than calling them "immortal ghosts," it would be more fitting to describe them as prisoners trapped in an open-air prison or echoes of the dead lingering in the mortal realm.
Only those with unresolved regrets would choose such a fate. Ravenw''s brilliance allowed her to find a loophole, retaining some of her magical abilities and surpassing other ghosts in her exploration of death.
Still, in a way, if these two hadn''t be ghosts, Rhys wouldn''t have had the chance to see them again.
For him, perhaps this was a fortunate turn of events...?
Hearing the sound of themon room door opening, Helena turned her head and saw Rhys standing in the doorway.
Rhys finally got a good look at Helena''s face. Compared to the Bloody Baron, Helena seemed in much better shape. Her beauty had changed little since hest left Hogwarts, and the arrogance in her eyes was just as it had always been.
"This is the Ravenwmon room, student of Slytherin. Why have youe here?" Helena asked coldly, her gaze fixed on Rhys. Then her lips curled into a disdainful smirk. "If you''re here to inquire about the whereabouts of the diadem, you can turn around and leave."
She turned her back to him again, resuming her stance in front of the Ravenw statue, her thoughts a mystery. Clearly, she had no intention of spending even a second more on someone like Rhys.
As Helena said those words to Rhys, the Bloody Baron took several steps back, making sure to stay well out of Helena''s line of sight. At that moment, he even entertained the thought of leaving his teacher behind and running offafter all, he had already found Helena, hadn''t he?
But in the end, he didn''t dare abandon Rhys here alone.
Rhys had been prepared for Helena''s cold demeanor.
In fact, this was a rtively good start! Who knew what would happen if Helena''s first sight had been of Barrow instead?
Rhys stepped closer, stopping in front of the Ravenw statue.
He squinted, carefully examining the marble sculpture. The statue was exquisitely crafted, yet it exuded an air of detachment. From below, it seemed as if "Ravenw" was gazing down at him, her face bearing a faint, mocking smile. Atop her head was a finely detailed marble reproduction of a circr headpiecethe diadem of Ravenw.
Seeing Rhys follow her, Helena''s expression turned impatient.
This young wizard was utterly clueless!
If it had been the Helena of her youth, a simple flick of her wand would have left him dangling from themon room chandelier. But as she was now, there was little she could do to deal with such an obnoxious child.
Helena, her mood disrupted, decided to leave. But the voice of that young wizard drifted into her ears.
"Tsk! This statue, aside from the diadem, doesn''t resemble Rowena at all."
Helena halted mid-step, turned her head, and narrowed her eyes.
"You''ve neither met Rowena nor touched the diadem. Hah, what do you know?"
"I have, Nana."
Helena froze, her expression stunned. "What did you call me?"
"Nana. Oh, but you''re a big girl now, so perhaps I should call you Helena instead. Or waitdidn''t you take on an alias? Grey? Should I call you Grey instead?"
As she listened to Rhys speak, Helena could only think the boy had lost his mind.
Absurd! Completely absurd!
"Not only have I seen and touched the diadem, but I also know it was forged from the skull of the god-king Odin."
The look in Helena''s eyes shifted to one of pure disbelief. She stared at Rhys intently, her voice low and deliberate.
"Do you even know what you''re saying?"
"Of course. After all, I contributed to the creation of the diadem, specifically in providing some of the materials," Rhys said casually before turning his head toward the entrance of themon room. "Hey! Barrow, how much longer are you going to stand outside?" he called out impatiently.
Atst, the Bloody Baron phased through the wall and entered the room.
The moment Helena saw him, her expression changed dramatically. But before she couldsh out, Rhys spoke again,pletely diverting her attention.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself: I am Szar Slytherin. You can call me Uncle Szar like you did when you were little, or Professor Slytherin, as you did when you were older."
Helena: "?!"
A torrent of shocking revtions left her dazed. After several seconds, she finally managed to ask in a stunned voice, "You''re saying you''re Uncle Szar? Do you have any proof?"
In truth, the moment the words left her mouth, she was already seventy percent convinced.
"Ah~ Our Barrow can vouch for me," Rhys replied.
Helena turned toward the Bloody Baron, who stood silently in the corner of themon room. He nodded wordlessly.
Helena felt her world spinning. A powerful sense of unreality overwhelmed her: this impossibly young boy standing before her was Uncle Szar?
Absurd.
Iprehensible.
And yet... somehow believable.
"Did you make a Horcrux?" she blurted out instinctively.
Rhys: "???"
"Mind yournguage!" Rhys snapped, visibly displeased. "Do you think so little of me as a wizard? Only the most disgraceful scoundrels use Horcruxes to seek immortality."
"I-I''m sorry."
Faced with that all-too-familiar tone, Helena instinctively apologized.
Rhys''s rebukepletely derailed Helena''s focus, and she temporarily forgot all about Barrow''s presence. What she was now desperate to understand was why Uncle Szar had appeared here, and more importantly...
"I need to know what happened after you took Rowena''s diadem."
Rhys''s words struck Helena like a thunderp, reverberating in her ears and causing her body to tremble involuntarily.
"So you knew"
"Rowena told me," Rhys interrupted. "Something as powerful as the diadem cannot be left unounted for, right?"
________
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