Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 124: Karma, the Mystery of Arthur
Ian was a little surprised by the words of the bronze eagle head.

The place he went to was clearly a dungeon built jointly by the four giants, so why was he marked by Slytherin? Was it because the entrance passage was located next to the Chamber of Secrets?

"What do you mean by 'being chosen'?" Ian raised his hand and looked at the Ouroboros mark that was slightly lit up. He always felt that a rune of this color and appearance didn't seem to be something interesting.

"I can only tell you that it is related to a gain obtained by Slytherin." The bronze eagle head tilted its head and spoke softly, without choosing to beat around the bush or make things difficult for Ian.

"For a period of time in the past, Salazar Slytherin often locked himself in the room, which was the chamber of secrets he left in Hogwarts before he left."

Hear the words.

Ian nodded. "I know this rumor. It was mentioned in Hogwarts: The Ten Secrets. He even put some of his collections in the Chamber of Secrets."

Ian, who had long known that the Bronze Eagle was as gossipy as the Fat Lady, did not want to reveal that he had found the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets.

He bet that if he dared to tell the Bronze Eagle about this, the rumor that he was a descendant of Slytherin would spread throughout Hogwarts before tonight.

Ian, who is now rumored to be Ambrose Dumbledore Grindelwald Prince, does not want another surname to appear at the end of his name - having four surnames is one thing, but having five surnames might make people suspect that his ancestors have the blood of the magical Teddy.

Fortunately, the Bronze Eagle Head did not have much curiosity in this regard.

"This is not just a rumor or a story. I know that the so-called Chamber of Secrets does exist, and what Salazar Slytherin studied in the Chamber of Secrets is related to the...big treasure you found?" There was a hint of pride in the bronze eagle's voice, as if it had misunderstood what the big treasure Ian was talking about.

obviously.

This knocker is not omniscient about the secrets of Hogwarts.

"What is he studying?" Ian tried rubbing the back of his hand vigorously a few times, and then used magic to try to remove the curse-like mark.

“Studying very deep things.”

The bronze eagle head's response did not satisfy Ian.

"You don't know, do you?" Ian used provocation to deal with the bronze eagle head. However, who would have thought that the bronze eagle head nodded calmly.

"Yes, I only know that before Salazar Slytherin left, he said that he had left a little surprise for the reckless people of the future. I think that this little surprise is what you got."

The bronze eagle head did reveal some useful information after all.

"A little surprise? It's not poisonous, is it?" Ian even poured some of Voldemort's great-aunts and great-uncle on his hands, but he was unable to remove or even suppress the green runes on the back of his hands.

He suspected that the Slytherin blood in the Gaunt family might not be pure.

"Who knows? I'm just a bird after all."

The bronze eagle head spoke in a very calm tone. After a pause, it spoke in a threatening tone, "But it is said that Salazar Slytherin was very angry at that time."

Ian was not frightened.

"Wake up, you're just a metal door knocker carved into a bird." He fought back without showing any weakness, and his sharp words made the bronze eagle head feel a little melancholy.

"How do you know I wasn't a bird? Maybe my brain is just installed in the door knocker. If you give me a pair of wings, I will definitely be able to fly for you to see."

"Of course, I could just be a door knocker who fantasizes about being a bird. That's all possible. Maybe you can knock open my skull and see if there's a brain inside."

The mental state of the bronze eagle head became increasingly weird, which reminded Ian of the awakening of artificial intelligence. He wondered if this was related to his frequent communication with this guy.

Logically speaking, there should be no connection. After all, the bronze eagle head should have communicated with people a lot over the past thousand years. Perhaps it was the accumulation of a thousand years that caused it to have such wild thoughts.

"I want to study your manufacturing process, but not now." Ian saw someone opened the door. The Ravenclaw wizards, who were seriously introverted, always got up very early.

"Good morning, Ian."

The third-year square-headed senior greeted Ian.

"Have a nice day, cool-looking senior."

Ian didn't remember the senior's name because the senior had never attended his class. However, this did not prevent his exclamation from making the third-year senior smile.

Sometimes interpersonal relationships are just that simple - within school.

"Don't you want to continue chatting?" Seeing Ian going in through the door opened by his senior, the bronze eagle-headed man's tone was full of regret and resentment.

"Can we talk so you can tell me how to figure out what it is?" Ian held the door and raised his hand. He thought the founder of Hogwarts would not curse future students, just like the baby basilisk was not left to eliminate Muggle students but to protect the school.

In the era when the founders lived, it was quite dangerous to open such a school. The many secret passages in Hogwarts were actually meant to facilitate the evacuation of teachers and students when the school was invaded. The basilisk was supposed to be a guardian, but Voldemort did not expect to use it in the wrong place.

"I'm just a bird."

The bronze eagle head once again emphasized that he was not omniscient.

Ian sighed regretfully.

"I'm just a little wizard who's about to go to school." In the end, he did not continue to deepen the conflict between himself and the bronze eagle head, and found a reasonable excuse to leave.

Since he already had two classes in the morning, Ian put all the textbooks he needed under his armpits, and then woke up his two roommates by slapping each of them.

"Oh! No! Rebecca and I just gave birth to our baby!" Michael didn't know what he was regretting. He seemed to want to live a completely happy life in his dreams.

"Didn't you come back last night?" William seemed not to have had any dream last night. He just looked at Ian's unchanged bed, rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked into the bathroom.

"I was trying to study secretly while you were sleeping." Ian put some psychological pressure on William, and William looked very uncomfortable with his uncertain expression.

He fears this kind of thing the most.

"Why does he have to work harder than us even though he is more talented than us? Damn it! I have to study all night tonight too!" William really put his determination into time.

On the way to the auditorium for breakfast, he had already started studying his textbooks, even the one that no one wanted to study, "History of Magic". I guess he wanted to at least win once in this subject that everyone disliked.

I have to say that the little idea is quite ingenious.

"Eat this! This is delicious!"

"Don't take my cream cake!"

“Why would anyone put chili peppers in a cake!?”

Everyone was feasting at the long table filled with delicious food. Due to some indigestion from last night, Ian only ate half a pound of mutton pie and three glasses of extra sour and concentrated lemonade.

He had been paying attention to the owls that delivered letters today, and he saw that many young wizards had received Howler letters, but the volume of those letters was far less than that of the Weasley's mother.

Molly Weasley's howling letter simply overwhelmed the others, drowning out the roars in the letters from other parents of young wizards. Ian didn't know whether it was because the twins were caught for a night out or because one of them broke their wand. He only heard Molly Weasley's loud roar mentioning that someone would repair the broken wand.

This mother who had raised so many children obviously did not want to pay for new wands for the twins, or she might not be able to afford it, so one of the twins helped their younger brother Ron experience the pain of a damaged wand in advance - Ian saw that the twins looked so pale that they wanted to crawl into the floor.

Even though he heard last night that it was Fred's wand that was crushed and broken, no one could be sure who the two were. God knows whether they used each other's names when they were out and about at night.

This is in line with the kind of human brilliance that most people will use the name of a good friend when doing bad things.

“There is really no update!”

There was a reason why Ian had been observing the owls delivering mail. Until everyone had finished eating and started to leave the auditorium, he did not see any owls delivering the Daily Prophet.

The Daily Prophet has ceased publication!

The efficiency of the actions of more than a dozen saints is really high!

"Obviously, the Daily Prophet didn't predict what trouble they were getting into... This is a joke from hell." Ian felt that the view that "those in authority are generally the least authoritative" was still gaining strength.

During the slightly boring flying class in the morning, he had been wondering whether there would still be a Daily Prophet in the future, or whether the Daily Prophet would be turned into the Saints Daily Threat by the saints?
"Pay attention to the lecture, Mr. Prince. Do you still want me to continue to forbid you from taking flying lessons?" Mrs. Rolanda Hooch interrupted Ian's daydreaming.

She was talking about how to deal with some dangerous flying situations. They were all old-fashioned things, and she was explaining them so seriously, probably because there was really a little wizard who tried to install a lightning rod on a flying broom.

"Is there such a good thing?"

Ian was suddenly delighted at first, but then he saw the speechless expression on Rolanda Hooch's face and immediately changed his words, "I mean, I really feel very sorry."

talking.

He reluctantly put down his flying broom and prepared to rush to the castle to study in the library. He never thought that Rolanda Hooch was just trying to scare him.

"Stop!"

Madam Rolanda Hooch caught up with Ian on her flying broom.

"Go back and listen carefully, you troublemaker!" She grabbed Ian and brought him back to the group of little wizards. In the end, Ian's plan to play dumb and skip class failed.

In the following lecture.

The flight teacher even paid special attention to Ian. He would ask Ian questions about many knowledge points after explaining them once, so that Ian had to concentrate and remember every word of Madam Hooch.

"I will pay special attention to your grades at the end of the term!" Madam Hooch was obviously worried about Ian's flying studies. She was not aware of Ian's alchemy plan to eliminate the flying broom.

“I think I’m flying pretty well…”

Ian felt that Madam Hooch's concern for him probably stemmed from the fact that she was not in the Forbidden Forest yesterday, otherwise she would have given him a perfect score for the final exam.

Under the special attention of Madam Hooch, a not-so-pleasant flying lesson ended. In the end, Ian was kept behind by Hooch for some private education.

"Every year I meet troublemakers like you, and when they break their legs, they always regret it." Madam Hooch tried to educate Ian earnestly.

Never thought about it.

The young wizard directly took out a bottle of potion that could repair broken limbs.

"I think they need this."

Ian also knew that Mrs. Hooch was doing this for his own good, but the ultra-low-altitude flying practice method was not in line with the high-efficiency learning model he had always been pursuing.

"..."

Madam Hooch's expression was wonderful.

She was silent for a long time before she continued, "Although your potion seems to be of high quality, it can only reshape broken limbs. In some dangerous situations, you won't even have the chance to drink the potion... such as falling from a high altitude."

She hasn't finished speaking yet.

Ian took out his magic wand and conjured a hang glider behind him.

"?????"

Madam Hooch was speechless and didn't know how to respond. She didn't understand why the little wizards who were excellent in other subjects could never perform well in her class.

"Sorry, professor, have I thought too much about it?" Ian revoked his magic and looked at Madam Hooch with an expression that was full of tea.

"..."

Madam Hooch felt that her teaching career had faced the biggest challenge. She even missed those students who secretly performed dangerous flights.

At least the other troublemakers want to learn, don’t they!

In the next ten minutes, Madam Hooch seemed to have guessed Ian's purpose and began to try to arouse Ian's interest in learning in various ways. Ian felt the teacher's good intentions, but after Madam Hooch let him go, he still felt a little regretful that Madam Hooch was not as easily angry as Snape.

"Maybe next time I should learn from Malfoy and steal other people's things." Ian really hoped to be completely banned from taking flying lessons. He didn't behave like that because he really wanted to go against Madam Hooch. He just felt that he could gain a lot more magical proficiency by using the time for flying lessons in the library.

To be honest, Ian's idea was a little too biased, and perhaps even God did not agree with it, so he was punished by Snape after being late for the Potions class.

Not only was he unable to team up with Aurora to brew potions, he also had to complete the assignment under Snape's nose. He brewed three batches in one go, but was forced to brew them all over again because Snape criticized them as poor quality potions.

Snape was also a shrewd man. Ever since the incident with Peeves, it had been a long time since he said that Ian's potions had no soul. He would only mock Ian by saying that potions of this quality were not even sold in Knockturn Alley.

Since he had not completed the punishment last night as required, Ian could only swallow his anger and endure it for the fourth time. It was not until the other young wizards were finished that his potion was approved by Snape. However, just when Ian was about to leave, Snape still had no intention of letting him go completely.

"I remember I reminded you that you cannot use magic when cleaning the toilet... You need to clean it again tonight." Snape blocked the door of the classroom in advance.

"But all the toilets are clean now!" Ian regretted not choosing to climb out of the window. He could only argue with Snape.

however.

Snape was prepared for this. He waved his wand and pulled a large bucket from under the podium. "Then wax all the toilets!"

This is definitely a case of finding something to punish Ian for no reason.

“Waxing the toilet?”

Ian had never seen such an outrageous operation in his life.

He thought this was ridiculous enough.

Unexpectedly, Snape showed a half-smile, which shocked him again. "In order to prevent you from showing your bad habit of sneaking around when I'm not paying attention, these waxes are specially prepared for you. Your magic cannot control them to automatically complete the work that should belong to you."

What a magic potion to boil wax!
Ian tried it out of disbelief, but he really couldn't control the wax in the barrel. It seemed that some substances that were difficult to interact with magic were added to the wax.

"You actually used this material to wax the toilet!?"

Ian was confused.

Snape was very satisfied when he saw his expression.

"It takes some special methods to deal with a cunning and lazy kid like you." He threw his cloak and left Ian and the bucket of wax in the classroom.

"..."

Ian felt Snape's malice and determination to make him uncomfortable even if he had to spend money on it. He felt very uncomfortable, and he began to wonder if this was related to his disobedience in the last flying class.

"It's karma!"

Ian's luck might not be very good today. He had just put the wax into his large-capacity purse and turned a corner after leaving the classroom when he met a real jinx.

The sunlight outside the window shone into the corridor. In the bright light, a figure with a circle of garlic wrapped around his waist and a large circle of bandage on his buttocks walked towards us.

The traitor Qi Luo.

He might have healed the injury on his butt a long time ago, but he certainly couldn't let anyone know, so after being attacked by the little wizard's ice and fire and physical attacks, he had been pretending that his butt injury was very serious. It is hard to imagine what kind of determination to endure humiliation made Voldemort willing to be wrapped in bandages.

"Good afternoon, Professor Quirrell."

Ian noticed that after Quirrell saw him, his movements paused slightly and his expression was a little flustered. He wondered if Voldemort had told this traitor their story.

"Hello... hello, little wizard."

Professor Quirrell also stammered in his response when he met Ian.

"You look a little nervous?"

Ian tried to calm Quirrell down.

"No... No, I'm just a little weak." Quirrell's eyes were dodging, and he tried to change the subject, "You... Aren't you going to the auditorium for lunch?"

Very poor technique for changing the subject.

Ian smiled.

"I plan to go to the library to study. I ate too much last night and have indigestion." He really wanted to go to the library to study the knowledge of alchemy.

"What a little wizard who loves learning. Your persistence in knowledge is destined to make you surpass those mediocre people." Quirrell's voice suddenly became normal.

"It is an honor to receive your praise, Professor."

Ian still had a smiling expression. He realized that the person he was talking to might not be Quirrell, but he did not show any unnatural reaction on the surface.

"This is not a compliment, but a statement of fact. Of course, I also want to remind you that in the process of pursuing magic, don't be too arrogant and get involved in too much black magic. Books like those in row 62 of the restricted section can easily corrupt the souls of those with weak minds."

Quirrell, or rather Voldemort who had gained control of the body, reminded Ian in a serious tone, his words clear and coherent without any stuttering.

"Okay, Professor."

Ian didn't think Voldemort was really reminding him with good intentions. He could see that Voldemort was playing psychology with him, trying to trick him into learning magic that could corrode his soul.

Borrowing books to kill people.

The Dark Lord has a filthy heart.

"You must remember that although those magics can bring great power, most learners will only fall into the abyss. Don't think that you are so special."

Voldemort controlled Quirrell's body, spoke in a meaningful tone, and wanted to raise his hand to pat Ian's shoulder, but Ian dodged it nimbly.

"Sorry, Professor, I'm a germaphobe." Ian was of course always on guard against Voldemort's dirty tricks. He had both hands in the pockets of his robe, one holding his wand, the other holding a bottle of anti-magic potion made from aged bones. Anyway, the potion contained either Voldemort's great aunt or his uncle.

"It's a very good habit. For someone who makes potions, cleanliness is not a bad thing." Quirrell looked at Ian deeply, then continued to walk forward.

His back gradually moved away.

Ian kept looking at Quirrell until he disappeared from his sight.

"What a pity... I don't know what Dumbledore wants to do, otherwise I will definitely help purify the air in Hogwarts." Ian hated the smell of garlic in the air.

If he wasn't concerned about the many little wizards around here, which might harm innocent people, he would definitely play the role of Lin Zhengying and use the [Soul Furnace] to liberate the souls that shouldn't remain in the world.

"You jump too much! You jump even more than me. People who jump like that are not allowed in Hogwarts." Ian knew very well how strong the malice that Voldemort had towards him was from the simple exchange just now.

This Dark Lord whose brain seemed to be broken, might not be completely broken. He used a lot of psychological knowledge about "rebellious psychology" in his conversation with Ian.

It's not that clever.

However, for children in their teens, it is definitely a very useful means of guidance. Children of this age like to try to do things that others have advised them not to do.

Especially with some hints of "weak mind", "arrogance" and "don't think you are different from others", if Ian was really just a talented little wizard who had never suffered any setbacks, and he regarded Quirrell as a Hogwarts professor, he would most likely be fooled because of his unwillingness to accept the result.

"The 62nd row of the Restricted Section is full of curses. The books themselves even carry curses. No wonder he wanted to get rid of me in this way without anyone knowing." Ian knew more about the Restricted Section than he did about the Ravenclaw Common Room. Voldemort's little tricks seemed ridiculous to him.

The guy who keeps shouting about conquering the world actually only dares to use this method to plot against others?

"Ms. Ravenclaw is right. That's a bullshit Dark Lord. He's just using some gangster tricks." Ian looked away and walked quickly towards the library.

His research on the Resurrection Stone gave him great motivation, but it was not easy to find books related to death in the huge library.

Even though Ian was very familiar with the library, he only knew the types of books he had studied before, and he rarely knew about the legendary existence of the god of death.

In fact.

In the entire wizarding world, among the many wizards throughout the ages, even the best among wizards, very few would mention information related to the god of death in their works.

Ian spent an entire afternoon flipping through the books he found, but apart from some horrifying stories with twists and turns in the plot, there was no clue at all about the Resurrection Stone and its making.

"I'm almost sick of reading the story of the three Death Brothers!" After reading more than a dozen different versions of the story of the three brothers, Ian had no choice but to temporarily give up his research and go to class.

The afternoon classes were uneventful. Except for Professor McGonagall who hurriedly left the classroom after class, everything else was no different from daily routine.

After dinner.

Ian first went to the Room of Requirement to adjust the potion he had brewed, then put on the evil clothes again and began to complete the task that Snape had assigned to him to make things difficult for him.

Most of the young wizards have returned to the lounge to rest, so there will be no embarrassing situations of accidentally running into people. It is worth mentioning that in the abandoned women's restroom on the second floor, Ian did not find a chance to explain to Myrtle. As soon as the ghost saw him enter, it immediately got into the toilet in fear.

"I'm not who you think I am!"

Ian knew that Myrtle had heard his Parseltongue and had some stereotypical misunderstandings about him, but before he could say anything, Myrtle went down the toilet and disappeared somewhere.

"I am taking the blame for Tom, right? To put it in a roundabout way, he framed me. In this way, he should also be the fuel to help me practice."

Ian ended his "confinement" punishment with half a bucket of wax left. He had always been very frugal when using wax so that he could use his "position" to embezzle the remaining materials.

If you extract a lot of this stuff, the material inside is of great value. Only a rich man like Snape would waste it and add it to the wax just to prevent Ian from being lazy.

"I wish I could be so generous someday. Hey, if the bricks in the underground palace are really gold, I can fulfill my wish of taking a bath in the Foley Potion." Ian returned to the door of the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor. His current situation only allowed him to take a bath in the free hot spring water.

"Ok?"

Ian tried to open the Room of Requirement with ease, but found that the Room of Requirement did not appear. He tried it twice before realizing that the Room of Requirement was occupied.

"Who will it be?"

Ian had only shared this place with Aurora. Could it be that Aurora was secretly brewing truth serum in there? Just when he was slightly puzzled and wanted to ask the silly Barnabas who was beaten by the troll,

"Wow~!"

The gate appeared.

There was also the sound of a toilet flushing. The next moment, just as Ian was surprised at how someone could use the Room of Requirement to go to the bathroom, the door was opened by someone inside.

"what?"

Ian looked a little surprised when he saw the person coming out of the Room of Requirement. He thought the person using the toilet in there would be Aurora or Dumbledore.

"Have I occupied your room? It seems that this place cannot be used by two people at the same time." Grindelwald came out with something like hand cream on his hands.

"You use the Room of Requirement as a toilet?" Ian looked at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in front of him. He was a little surprised that someone who just became a professor this semester could actually find the Room of Requirement.

"Kid, you have to understand the elderly." Grindelwald said humorously. He looked back at the gradually disappearing wall with a look of amazement.

"This school is indeed more profound than I imagined." Obviously, the Durmstrang School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where Grindelwald studied should not have a place like the Room of Requirement.

"It's amazing that you were able to find it." Ian sighed sincerely. You know, even among the deans of Hogwarts, few people knew about this secret Hufflepuff hut.

"Maybe I need to go to the bathroom more often and can't hold it in, but I don't think I'm so old that my eyesight is not good. I saw you coming in and out here often."

Grindelwald's reply puzzled Ianton. He quickly ran to the guardrail and looked down, but the Defense Against the Dark Arts office was not within his sight.

"I have a crystal ball."

Grindelwald stepped forward and explained the confusion to Ian.

Ian looked speechlessly at the old man with Lockhart's appearance beside him. He thought Grindelwald was the Hogwarts leader, but he never thought that the other party would openly say such words that invaded other people's privacy.

"I would like to call you Wuying." Ian remembered that in the movie "Legend of Bloodline" he had watched before, there was a character named Huoying who had a similar bad habit of peeping.

"Aurora said that you always say things that are incomprehensible. Tsk tsk, it turns out to be true." Grindelwald shook his hands and was about to walk towards the stairs.

"Wait a moment, Professor."

After weighing the pros and cons, Ian raised his hand to stop Grindelwald.

"Are you asking about the Daily Prophet? Don't worry, this newspaper will be published again after a while. I just asked someone to train them so that they know what kind of professionalism they should have." Grindelwald raised his eyebrows in a light tone and stopped.

"Can you let them publish my work?" This was certainly not Ian's original intention in stopping Grindelwald, but Grindelwald gave him the opportunity to take out one of his own articles.

【On the Importance of Health Potions】

This is a magnificent masterpiece written by Ian in his spare time with his outstanding business foresight. It is the preparatory promotional material for his future plan to open a store in Diagon Alley.

It’s just that I haven’t found the right opportunity to spread it.

"I think this nonsense is far from being called...a work." Grindelwald flipped through Ian's article, and his expression gradually became a little strange.

But he did not reject Ian's request.

"There must be wizards who believe it, and that's enough." Ian actually has another article [On the Impact of Traditional Potions on the Probability of Dumb Cannons], but he hasn't found the time to finish it yet.

"I'll do you this favor. I like helping little wizards." Grindelwald took the parchment handed to him by Ian without asking Ian why he did so.

"If you can teach me the inscriptions on the Resurrection Stone, I will thank you in my dreams." Ian quickly took out the runes he had peeled off the Resurrection Stone.

If there was anyone he could communicate with about the Resurrection Stone, it would probably be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who had helped him find the Resurrection Stone and had given him the Stone.

"Who helped you analyze this?" Grindelwald looked at the runes drawn by Ian on more than ten pieces of parchment, and couldn't help but look at the little wizard beside him with some surprise.

"Of course it's me!" Ian answered confidently. Ms. Ravenclaw only pointed out the research direction for him, and the refining technique on the Resurrection Stone depended entirely on his own hard work.

"Tsk tsk, I told you not to use it, but instead you started studying its production process... I have to admit, it seems that you are quite talented in alchemy, but the thing you want to study is a little too dangerous." Grindelwald looked at Ian deeply.

"I just love to learn. For any alchemist, the temptation of analyzing the Deathly Hallows is irresistible." Of course, Ian could not tell Grindelwald his true intentions.

Grindelwald did not doubt his statement.

"Any outstanding achievement comes from curiosity and persistence beyond ordinary people." He obviously recognized Ian's boldness, but a regretful expression appeared on his face.

"I admire your thirst for knowledge, but I cannot help you in this regard for now." Grindelwald's face showed a look of reminiscence. "I once tried to study the transcendental mysteries of the Deathly Hallows just like you, and at that time I also happened to hold another Deathly Hallow."

He was obviously talking about the Elder Wand.

Ian had seen it in Dumbledore's memory.

"So, you haven't found a way to study these runes?" Ian already knew the result, but he still asked with some hope.

"Yes."

Ian expected Grindelwald to nod in response, but the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor paused slightly after looking down at the parchment in his hand.

"But I can try to help you study it. To be honest, this is the first time I've seen such an alchemical rune." Grindelwald's words were a little beyond Ian's expectations.

"Didn't you say you studied... another Deathly Hallow?"

Ian felt a little stunned.

Could it be that the refining technique of the Elder Wand is another system?
"Not everyone is as gifted and unique as you." There was some emotion in Grindelwald's voice. He carefully put Ian's parchment into his robe.

The level of cherishment is completely different from the level of cherishment towards Ian's masterpiece.

"You are qualified to peek into this secret, which shows that my choice is indeed correct." Grindelwald looked very happy, as if he had given up the idea of ​​going back to sleep. Just when Ian was still wondering if the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in front of him and other wizards could not directly see the refining method from the Resurrection Stone.

"Do you have time to improve your Fiendfyre?"

Grindelwald suddenly spoke to Ian in a brisk tone.

"Its previous performance was indeed good, but... I think there are still some flaws that can be corrected." Ian was caught off guard by the sudden teaching invitation.

"Of course there is time!"

Ian gave up his original plan without hesitation.

You can take a hot bath at any time.

Grindelwald personally taught you how to use the Fiery Flame Curse. If you miss this opportunity, you will never get it again.

……

Just as Ian followed Grindelwald into the Room of Requirement.

The other side of the eighth floor.

In the headmaster's office of Hogwarts, after seeing off Grindelwald and Filch, the administrator who submitted the "punishment" application, the busy Dumbledore finally had time to sit down and have a cup of tea.

of course.

The black tea has not changed. Even if more sugar is added to it and it becomes a drink that can be used as a specific medicine for diabetes, Dumbledore still cannot feel happy after drinking it now.

"How could it not be that he took it!"

obviously.

Albus Dumbledore was still thinking about his missing things. On the table in front of him was a plain envelope, but there was nothing in the opened envelope except a letter.

There should have been a group photo inside.

"Did you really not see what he took away?" Dumbledore looked up at the portraits of the headmasters. All the people in the portraits shook their heads helplessly.

"You've asked us this question dozens of times. We only saw the little wizard give him a little gadget. We didn't see him take any photos from your precious envelope."

The tone of voices of several principals was filled with impatience.

"He didn't take the photo, and you told me that no one else had approached the place where I left the letter... Perhaps, you were cast under some kind of spell without knowing it."

Dumbledore frowned, his expression somewhat solemn.

"No one can cast a forgetfulness spell on the portrait, Dumbledore. It's not realistic. We are not real lives." One of the headmasters said with certainty.

"Yes, unless someone can change reality and the basic rules of magic." The portrait of Phineas Black sneered and mocked Dumbledore's old age.

"You are right."

Just when Dumbledore couldn't sit still anymore and stood up to search in the office, there was a not-so-urgent knock on the door of the principal's office.

"Minerva, come in."

Dumbledore hurriedly tidied up the bookshelf that he had messed up, adjusted his expression, put on a calm look, and looked up at Professor McGonagall who had walked in.

"I checked all the statues in the school, and none of them showed any signs of having been awakened." Professor McGonagall had a tired face with a hint of worry.

The reason why she was in such a hurry to finish class in the afternoon was found out.

"Perhaps it is an erroneous feedback from Hogwarts." Dumbledore sat back in his chair with a smile on his face and no worries at all.

His optimism made Professor McGonagall frown even more.

"We all know that Hogwarts never makes mistakes. Someone must have used that magic last night." Professor McGonagall stared at the headmaster in front of her with extremely serious eyes.

"Even if Voldemort is resurrected, he will not be able to command the school's guards. That requires authority, and so far only you and I, professors, have this authority."

Dumbledore still responded with a smile. His deep eyes behind the frame were as calm as a deep lake, causing Professor McGonagall to subconsciously avoid looking at him.

"Yes, there are only two of us who have the authority. I definitely don't have a sleepwalking problem...so, who is it?" Professor McGonagall sighed heavily.

"According to the rules left by the school's founder, the guards can only be activated in times of crisis. I have always followed the rules and have never used that magic until today!"

There was even a hint of resentment in her tone.

"It's not me. I'm not so senile that I can't remember what I did." Dumbledore actually had some guesses in his mind, but Professor McGonagall's angry look made him choose to shake his head.

Perhaps the current head of Gryffindor was not as skilled in magic as he was, but Dumbledore was still somewhat afraid of the accusations that the older cat lady might make all night long.

A few meters away.

Dumbledore felt Professor McGonagall's resentment
"So, don't you need to investigate with me what went wrong last night? I'm really worried that someone has cracked the magic left by the founder." Professor McGonagall didn't know whether she should believe Dumbledore's words. She had also realized that Dumbledore had been acting very strangely recently.

Facing Professor McGonagall's proposal.

Dumbledore just continued to smile.

"We have to believe in the magic left by the founder, and we also have to believe that our founder is powerful enough. Maybe the stone statues just got bored of staying in one place last night and wanted to move around."

He tried to get away with it with a self-consciously humorous remark.

"I'm not kidding you, Albus. If there really is any dangerous person sneaking into Hogwarts, we need to take our responsibility for the safety of our students."

It’s just that the older cat lady is very serious and persistent in identifying hidden dangers.

"Of course I understand this, so please believe me, Minerva, Hogwarts is definitely much safer now than it has ever been before."

Dumbledore also responded very seriously, which finally made Professor McGonagall feel a little relieved.

"There's something wrong with Quirrell."

She told the reason why she was so worried and cautious. The mysterious man who was not found in the forbidden forest yesterday and the strange professor would certainly allow Professor McGonagall to find some clues.

"Well, I know that, and I expect you to pretend like I know nothing." Dumbledore nodded, causing Professor McGonagall's eyes to widen.

"It really is on him!"

Professor McGonagall was just in a state of uncertainty just now.

"It's very obvious, isn't it? I still need to know some things from him, so we can't alert the enemy." Dumbledore reminded in a calm tone.

"Aren't you afraid that the young wizards will get hurt due to negligence? That's... that's the mysterious man! Have you forgotten the killings he has committed and his madness?" Professor McGonagall frowned and looked at Dumbledore with extreme dissatisfaction.

Dumbledore did not avert his eyes.

"There are many eyes watching him, and before the hope he wants to seek is achieved or shattered, he will not and dare not do anything that will really anger me."

The most powerful white wizard of this century spoke with a tone full of confidence.

"He is a madman... You expect a madman to have reason and judgment. Are you crazy too?" Professor McGonagall's understanding of Voldemort is obviously not as good as Dumbledore's.

Dumbledore stood up and walked to the window. "He is crazy, but he is not completely crazy. Therefore, he knows what he can and cannot do."

"With not enough cards left, I think he will still let himself be the sophisticated and selfish student... the smart one who sees what Hogwarts means to me."

There was something indescribable in Dumbledore's tone.

“You’re gambling.”

Professor McGonagall didn't know what Dumbledore was planning. She still didn't approve of his crazy behavior. She just felt that Dumbledore was risking the lives of the young wizards.

"Maybe... This is the best way I can think of." There was some helplessness in Dumbledore's voice. If he wanted to find the location of other Horcruxes, he could only fish in this way.

to be frank.

This isn't really that much of an adventure.

"Nothing should affect innocent children, Dumbledore." Professor McGonagall also reminded with a sigh. She knew that she could not change the decision Dumbledore had made.

"I am not a qualified headmaster, but I will ensure the safety of all young wizards." Dumbledore nodded to make a promise. Professor McGonagall shook her head and left the office after hesitating several times.

The room fell silent again.

Dumbledore still stood alone in front of the window.

"Is it worth it?"

He murmured quietly.

It was like he was asking the portraits of the other headmasters in the room, or like he was questioning himself. No headmaster responded to him, and soon, Dumbledore raised his head again with a firm look in his eyes.

"This is not only to find other hidden Horcruxes, but also to find a way to ensure the child's survival." Dumbledore looked out the window.

Next to the Black Lake.

Also has a child.

She was practicing a spell that had always failed. Aurora often practiced magic beside the Black Lake, which Dumbledore had always known.

only.

This time, the talented little witch obviously encountered a setback.

"It looks like you could use some help...my apprentice."

Carried by the Phoenix.

Dumbledore appeared behind Aurora.

……

Grindelwald's teachings are indeed invaluable.

Ian's proficiency in [Firefire] increased almost like a rocket. The teachings in "Advanced Dark Arts Revealed" were obviously far inferior to Grindelwald's words and deeds in the Room of Requirement.

Several hours of practice.

Ian was already close to the level of awakening the extraordinary characteristics of [Fire Curse]. If he hadn't slept for two nights, he would have continued to practice hard all night.

"Another day of getting stronger."

Ian fell asleep contentedly in the Room of Requirement. The sweet sleep made him feel refreshed the next day, and the level and proficiency of the Fierce Fire Curse on his personal panel made him extremely inflated.

[Fire Curse (Level 4) 728/800]

Just as Ian was eating breakfast and feeling terribly strong, Snape rushed into the hall with an angry look and slapped him on the back of the head in full view of everyone.

"What have you done to the Hogwarts bathroom!"

The Head of Slytherin House spoke with suppressed annoyance in his voice.

"Waxing? Isn't that your request?" Ian touched the back of his head and quickly stood up, putting some distance between himself and Snape, who seemed to be furious.

His unconvinced look made Snape lose his mind even more!

"I asked you to wax the floor! Not the toilet!" Snape roared, chasing Ian around the room, his robes and buttocks the same color as his hair.

Shiny and glossy.

"I've been very careful! If you don't believe me, go to the bathroom and wash your face. I also put wax on the faucet!" The nimble little wizard quickly shook off the big bat.

Young people run fast.

The middle-aged greasy professor simply couldn't catch up.

of course.

Ian did win the race, but in other aspects, such as the Potions class in the morning, he obviously did not have the qualifications or courage to study.

Forced to skip classes, Ian rushed into the library and continued to try to seek help from knowledge of alchemy - of course the library was deserted during class time.

Madam Pince was not on guard against Ian like she was against other young wizards. She was originally reading Lockhart's book, and when she saw Ian walk into the library, she just looked up and then immersed herself in Lockhart's adventures. She neither reminded Ian nor asked why he skipped class.

Perhaps in her opinion, this was Ian's normal operation.

Ian went straight into the forbidden book area that other young wizards were not allowed to set foot in, and began today's research. He also made breakthroughs in this ability during his serious research.

[Ancient Alchemy (Level 5) 1/1600]

Reaching the fifth level of skills means the awakening of extraordinary characteristics. However, the extraordinary characteristic called [Transcendence Alchemy] is obviously not enough for Ian to solve the problem of the resurrection stone.

of course.

It’s not that this extraordinary characteristic is useless. On the contrary, it is a natural characteristic that allows Ian to break through the material limit of the alchemical creations he creates in alchemy practice.

Not only does it prevent Ian's alchemical creations from being copied with the same effect, it also allows him to use materials that would otherwise be unsuitable to create his own unique techniques.

"I've become stronger again, but now I just want to intercept what I want." There were dozens of books piled in front of Ian, and they were just improving his proficiency in alchemy.

Perhaps Grindelwald was not wrong in what he said last night. Even the alchemists who had obtained the Deathly Hallows in history seemed unable to "see" the rune structure that he saw in the Hallows.

Ian really found such an alchemist, but the other party only lamented that the Deathly Hallows were not human creations, and the rest of his works were exploring the possibility of the existence of gods.

"Useless book! What's the point of me reading you!" Ian put the book with the boasting mouth on the cover back to the restricted area, along with all the books he had just read.

Although he complained about wasting his time on the inexplicable book, he still didn't throw it away casually. Perhaps this was the reason why Madam Pince trusted him so much.

The school year has already started for a long time. Madam Pince has already gotten to know all the new wizards and knows which ones she can be more confident with and which ones she must keep an eye on at all times.

"Are you looking for something you can't get?"

suddenly.

Just as Ian was tiptoeing to pull out other books, a sudden teasing voice sounded behind him. Turning back, he saw Alchemy Professor Arthur King standing in front of the bookshelf.

"Good morning, Professor."

Ian grabbed the book that he thought might be helpful. He had no intention of seeking advice from the elusive alchemy professor at Hogwarts.

Unlike Grindelwald.

God knows whether the other party will have any greedy thoughts about the Deathly Hallows.

"If you have any questions about alchemy, I might have time to give you some guidance." Alchemy professor Arthur King's eyes fell on the book in Ian's hand.

The Rules of Life and Death: Exploring the Forbidden Alchemy Path

Faced with the initiative of the alchemy professor, Ian hesitated for a moment, then immediately shook his head and chose to refuse. After all, he was not very familiar with the professor in front of him.

I never even had a real understanding of what kind of person the other person was.

“I’m just learning casually.”

Ian held "The Rules of Life and Death: Exploring the Forbidden Alchemy Path" in his arms. The book could not speak, but it could run away. He had to hold it down tightly to prevent it from slipping out of his hands.

"You are such an unpleasant boy. Aren't you afraid of feeling regret for this?"

Arthur King was obviously a proud professor. He did not continue to insist. He just shrugged and responded softly, then turned and left the bookshelf in the restricted area.

“School starts!”

Ian returned to his desk and started reading the newly found book, but still gained nothing. However, he did find many methods of biological alchemy in the book "Rules of Life and Death: Exploring the Forbidden Alchemy" - the origin of this book was that an ancient alchemist lost his beloved, and then began to try to resurrect his beloved through alchemy.

of course.

Ultimately, he was not able to use his knowledge to win back his lover. He just created a bunch of artificial cat girls with his lover's personality and appearance.

In his later years, he died of excessive joy and neglect of his wife.

"Tsk tsk, this is really scary. No wonder biological alchemy is called a taboo. It can turn an excellent alchemist into a Fury addict." Ian couldn't help but sigh. He really learned a lot from this book.

Proficiency has improved a lot.

However, as he read so many books, he became more and more aware that no matter in ancient times or modern times, there are almost no alchemists who want to explore the principles of refining the three holy relics of death.

Perhaps they couldn't see the runes on it, but it could also be that they were simply not brave enough.

"Do I really need to copy it perfectly, or try it section by section?" After returning the book, Ian returned to the Room of Requirement.

He took out his magic wand and prepared to perfectly copy all the runes and further process the resurrection stone template he had made earlier. However, just as he took out his purse and prepared to take out the resurrection stone embryo.

"Ok?"

A piece of paper was pulled out from the robe.

It floated to the ground.

Ian bent down subconsciously to pick it up, but suddenly froze in place. He felt his scalp tingling because he saw the characters on the note that he had been studying so hard recently that he was obsessed with them.

Only one short section.

The characters seem to flow.

clear and distinct.

(End of this chapter)