Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 196 195: Gods Descend, Time Goes Wrong
Ian's face was solemn.

With the knowledge he learned at Hogwarts and his keen perception of magic, he was certain that these patients were suffering from an extremely ancient and powerful curse.

He had never felt the power of this curse in reality, and had only heard of it in ancient magic books. It was said that only wizards of legendary status could cast such a horrible curse.

Yes.

This is a [meme] curse spread by a legend.

Needless to say.

It had exactly the same structure as the one Ian had seen in Slytherin's notes in the restricted section of the library, at least in terms of form and characteristics.

Of course, it is not easy for Ian to explain this to the priests here - after two thousand years of separation, everyone's thoughts and ways of understanding knowledge are different. It cannot be said that what these priests said is completely wrong. After all, the legendary means are indeed no longer in the realm of mortals.

legend.

That is the person closest to God.

The magic and power it possesses are simply unattainable for ordinary wizards. Perhaps it can indeed break through the protection of God. After all, God's protection for believers will never be unreserved.

Counteract weak divine power.

Legends are likely to be able to do it. Ian is not really sure about this, after all, he has not really become a legend, or in other words, he has only been half a step to becoming a legend for such a long time.

In the fantasy novel system, those who are experts would be called half-step strongmen, but in essence, Ian is still only a peak wizard, and he has not yet been able to peek into the means possessed by the legend.

"How can I make the image in my mind clearer..." Ian would think about this question whenever he had free time. He knew that the image in his mind was closely related to his legendary journey.

Now that he has witnessed the work of a legend in ancient time and space, the young wizard inevitably pays more attention to the path of legend. He does not think that he can fight against a legend now.

Just as Ian was lost in thought.

"Did you find anything?" Priest Ryan couldn't help but ask. He looked at the little wizard walking back and forth among the patients. His eyes, which were precipitated by the years, were extremely deep.

"Your expression tells me that you have discovered something." Priest Llane still covered Cassandra's eyes with his hands, eliminating any possibility that Cassandra would peek at the invisible shadow.

"You are being targeted. It's a very powerful existence. I think he definitely doesn't just want to curse these few people." Ian Ian's deerskin boots rolled over the broken pottery shards on the ground.

He looked around.

There was a smell of disinfectant mixed with the scent of rotten laurel. The flickering torches on the stone walls of the clinic lengthened his shadow, and the patients on the twenty-seven beds also had their shadows.

but.

All of them are strange snakes in the shadows. If there is anyone Ian knows who likes snakes, the first ones to come to mind must be the Dark Lord Voldemort and his ancestor Slytherin.

Could this be the work of Slytherin?

Not too possible.

Although Slytherin is indeed a legend, the era he lived in is a thousand years away from the present. It is impossible that Slytherin also has such a powerful time machine.

"We have already realized this, but our God has not given us any enlightenment. He is too busy." Priest Ryan sighed and did not forget to defend the god he believed in.

This may also be a major feature of today's era. The gods are in the clouds, and even wizards have to follow these gods. The most fanatical believers of the gods are actually these people who also possess magical powers.

"Too busy?"

Ian heard some information from Priest Ryan's words. This priest might have the ability to communicate with God, just like what was told in many stories that once existed in ancient books.

"Child, we are not the only ones who have to deal with the hardships of life. The gods also have their own troubles and things they need to deal with. Now we can only rely on ourselves." Priest Ryan's tone was a bit heavy, but he did not say too much information. After all, to him, Ian was just an outsider.

"This style fits the guy I'm looking for, but... he shouldn't have such powerful strength and means." Ian's eyes were full of confusion.

He came to this era while hunting down Riddle. It is not impossible that Riddle arrived a few months earlier than him. After all, the span of two thousand years is too long, and the ups and downs of a few months are not considered to be a big ripple in this period that is longer than the history of Hogwarts.

However, despite this, in Ian's opinion, it is absolutely impossible for Riddle, who is just a remnant soul, to obtain such powerful strength and enter the legendary gate that still troubles him.

"Who are you looking for?"

Priest Ryan suddenly looked at Ian with some vigilance.

"A remnant of darkness."

Ian didn't hide it either.

He gave Priest Ryan an honest answer, which made the vigilance in Priest Ryan's eyes disappear. It was obvious that Priest Ryan was sure that Ian was not lying and ruled out that the disaster was caused by Ian and the person Ian was looking for.

How strong can the remaining soul of a child of about ten years old be?

and.

"No matter how dark the soul is, it can't do this." As the chief priest of a temple, Priest Ryan is also an outstanding wizard with extremely profound magical knowledge.

He may not be very powerful, but he has a temple with a long heritage, so he has a reserve of knowledge that is unattainable for ordinary wizards.

"Yes, he can't do it. The question is, if it's not him, then who else could it be? Who could be targeting your city that is destined to... destined to suffer many disasters?"

Ian's young face was frowned so tightly that he almost looked like a little old man, but he couldn't figure out any clues. He couldn't find any information related to this kind of curse in the history he was familiar with.

This is the weirdest thing.

Ian couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't good at studying the history of magic. He wouldn't read books too much until the end of the semester, so he wasn't very confident about his historical knowledge.

"If only William were here."

The young wizard couldn't help but miss his roommate, the cuckolded boy who always helped him with his History of Magic homework. Ravenclaw College had its own know-it-all brother.

to be frank.

If it was really a problem with Ian's own knowledge, then it wouldn't be a big deal. The scary thing was that the information he knew was correct, which meant that similar curses must have been buried in history.

This is the most terrifying question when you think about it carefully.

Voldemort is very clever.

He could think of a way not to interfere with history and then strengthen himself in the disaster, but he might not be the smartest dark wizard, and perhaps someone had done this before him.

"You don't seem to have any clues. Perhaps we can take you to see Patient Zero." The priestess who had been fiddling with the holy oil suddenly looked up and spoke.

Her words stunned Priest Ryan slightly.

"That's too dangerous! The source of the curse infection has a dark power stronger than these infected people! Don't forget why our friends and partners sacrificed their lives!"

Priest Ryan frowned and refuted the priestess's proposal. He didn't want to hide any secrets, but he felt that a little wizard should not be exposed to such danger.

Although Ian is an outsider to him, he is a priest of the Temple of Aesculapius after all. He is a believer of the god of medicine who is proficient in medicine and loves to cure diseases and save lives. He has a kind heart.

"That's because no one knew how the curse spread at the time. Patient Zero's eyes are now covered. He is even safer than the patients we take care of, isn't he?"

The priestess still insisted on her opinion.

Watching two people arguing.

Ian's gaze lingered on the priestess's face for a moment.

He was also stunned for a moment.

But he quickly came to his senses and raised his hand and said, "I think this is a good idea. Have I told you that my teacher is also very proficient in black magic...the research and cracking of black magic?"

The young wizard corrected his words in time. He didn't want to be mistaken for an apprentice of a dark wizard. Dark wizards in this era were even less popular than in the future.

"He is telling the truth. He really understands the knowledge that we lack in this area." The priestess also supported Ian, and no one knew how she discerned Ian's words.

"Of course I'm telling the truth. I love to tell the truth." Ian was quite curious about the so-called Patient Zero. Perhaps he could trace back to who the curse came from from this patient who had experienced the most original event.

"This……"

When Priest Ryan saw that his own priest was echoing Ian, he became a little hesitant, perhaps because he had great faith in the priestess's ability to judge the truthfulness of other people's words.

This is a natural Legilimency.

"You have to believe in him! He is my God!" Cassandra, whose eyes were covered, suddenly spoke at this time. Her childish tone was full of determination and trust in Ian.

"..."

Priest Ryan had an extremely strange expression on his face.

The priestess looked at Ian deeply.

"This way."

She did not continue to debate with Priest Ryan, but took the initiative to lead Ian deeper into the dungeon. A narrow stone staircase meandered as if leading to the depths of the earth.

"You can't go!"

Priest Ryan saw that the priestess had already led the way, and there was nothing he could do. However, he still stopped Cassandra who wanted to follow, and signaled a priest beside him to take Cassandra out of here. "I don't want to be separated from my god yet!"

Cassandra tried to resist, but how could a little girl of eight or nine be a match for a strong adult? Wizards of this era were generally stronger than those of later generations.

"Check the Dream Queen's body to see if she has been attacked by magic that confuses her cognition." Priest Ryan gave an order to several priests with a heavy face.

He was obviously confused about Cassandra's situation.

I had a worse guess.

Seeing his people taking Cassandra out of the dungeon, Priest Ryan withdrew his gaze, looked at the half-human and half-ghost patients around him, and sighed heavily.

"Criminals like to return and enjoy the miserable plight of their victims. I hope it's not what I think..." Muttering softly, he caught up with the priestess and Ian who had already walked away.

"What kind of criminals were imprisoned here before?" Ian followed the priestess, his footsteps echoing in a dull and rhythmic sound on the stone pavement of the dungeon. The air in the dungeon was cold and damp, with a mixture of musty and rusty smells that seemed to penetrate into the bone marrow and made people shiver involuntarily.

The walls on both sides were inlaid with faint magic lamps, emitting a faint blue light, barely illuminating the road ahead, but it could not dispel the cold and the smell of mold. The lower the stone steps went, the lower the temperature became, and the chill climbed up along the soles of their feet, as if an invisible hand was gently pulling at the corners of their clothes.

After walking for about ten minutes, the stone steps finally reached the end, and in front of them was a narrow corridor. On both sides of the corridor were closed iron doors, which were rusty and looked as if they had not been opened for many years. There were complex runes engraved on each door, faintly emitting faint magical fluctuations.

It seemed to be to prevent something from escaping from inside.

"do not know."

The priestess's answer was very straightforward. Her figure looked particularly slender and mysterious in the firelight. She wore a black robe embroidered with intricate patterns and a pointed hat inlaid with gemstones. Her face was partially hidden under the shadow of the hood, revealing only her tightly pursed lips and a firm jawline.

"I think they must be holding non-humans, maybe giants." Ian looked up and saw a heavier iron door at the end of the corridor. This door was much larger than the other doors, and the surface was covered with mottled rust. The runes on the door were also more complex, but some of the runes were already blurred.

It had obviously lost its function long ago.

"Anyway, this is where Patient Zero is kept." The priestess stopped and took out an ancient key from her robe. The runes on it flickered faintly under the firelight. She slowly inserted the key into the keyhole, and with a sound of metal friction, the iron door slowly opened.

The iron door made a low, long creaking sound.

The scene behind the door made Ian hold his breath involuntarily. It was a small and dark room, with only a weak oil lamp hanging in the corner, emitting a dim and swaying light. In the middle of the room, a figure was lying on a simple stone bed, and the person was covered with a heavy blanket without revealing any skin.

Like a white towel covering a corpse.

There was an unsettling aura under the white blanket, as if something was waiting for them behind the door. The oppressive feeling made Ian take out his wand.

"You actually used the word 'deposit'. Interesting." Ian looked at the priestess deeply, and only after he signaled the priestess to enter with his eyes did he slowly walk into the room.

The room was not big, and the walls were covered with cracks, as if they would collapse at any time. Patient Zero lay there quietly, just as quiet as the body sitting on the throne that Ian had seen before.

"What other words can I use? He is just like those people who were infected seven days ago. He is no longer themselves, let alone human beings. The ferry from Hades has taken away their souls." The priestess shrugged her shoulders and spoke in a flat tone. She didn't look like a compassionate priest, and the emotion in her eyes was extremely calm.

"you're right."

Ian did not refute. He approached the stone bed and used his magic wand to lift a corner of the blanket. There lay a skinny man, whose body was almost completely dried up. His skin was tightly attached to his bones, showing a strange gray-black color, like a rotten mummy, with no trace of flesh and blood on his body.

"The appearance is exactly the same. All infected people are transforming into the same form, including Patient Zero. So...what did he spy on?"

Ian was about to check for traces of magic on Patient Zero, when the mummy-like body suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Don't make trouble."

Ian simply shook off the arm that was raised to him. He knew that these biological alchemical creations no longer had souls, and all their actions were unconscious.

"You are quite brave."

The priestess moved a stool and sat next to Ian.

"I'm not only brave, I'm also careful. Of course, what confuses me now is that other people have no reaction to this?" Ian pointed the wand of the lifted blanket at the priestess.

"Kacha kacha~"

The priestess was cracking some kind of nut.

She didn't care about Ian's wand, but looked at Ian with surprise - at this time, Priest Ryan, who came late, happened to see Ian pointing his wand at the priestess.

"What are you doing!"

He clasped his hands together and rubbed them together, and a crackling white light began to flash, like some kind of electric arc. The old priest stared at Ian with a vigilant look.

"I just want to ask, is she a Metamorphmagus?" Ian turned his head to look at Priest Ryan, chuckled and put away his wand, while Priest Ryan was unable to understand.

"of course not."

Priest Ryan still looked at Ian warily.

The magic in his hands did not stop.

His response caused Ian's smile to freeze on his face.

"So, there is indeed a problem. Didn't you notice that her face has changed? And her personality has also changed." Ian turned his head and looked at Priest Ryan in surprise.

Priest Ryan heard this.

Suddenly stunned.

He turned and looked at the priestess several times.

"I don't know what nonsense you are talking about. Are you trying to cover up what you did just now?" The old priest frowned and looked at Ian with unusual alertness.

Ian has yet to explain.

"No, no, he is actually right. Look, it's different." The priestess put down the nuts in her hand and moved her hood back to her head.

She used her slender fingers to circle her face. It was an exquisite and beautiful face, quite exotic, every inch of her skin revealed a jade-like warm luster, white and almost transparent, but with a faint healthy pink halo, like a newly blooming snow lotus, untainted by dust, pure and flawless.

Her eyes were deep and bright, like two clear springs - this was obviously different from the appearance of the previous priestess, but no other priests had noticed it until now.

"????"

Priest Ryan was confused at first.

Then his eyes widened with disbelief.

"Oh! No! Oh my God!"

It seemed that he realized something was wrong at this time, and he knelt down and prostrated himself in front of the priestess. This operation made the young wizard even more confused.

"You're not the guy who sneaked in?"

Ian was very surprised.

"This is my home. To be more precise, it's my brother's home. Coming here is like going home. Of course, I'm not here in person. I'm borrowing someone else's body."

The priestess looked at the prostrate Ryan Priest.

"To be honest, I confused reality, but it didn't affect you, which really surprised me." After saying that, the priestess turned her head and looked at Ian again.

Just as the little wizard blinked.

next moment.

The priestess appeared in front of Ian.

The face was close at hand.

"Of course, you can attract me here, there must be something unusual... Child, tell me, why can I smell my own scent on you?"

Her face was close to Ian's ear.

The tone is soft.

I don't know when my hand had reached into Ian's robe.

"Forehead……"

Ian swallowed.

He realized something.

His expression began to stiffen.

He did not make any move as he watched the priestess take something out of her robe - he only saw that the priestess was holding a bottle of milky white potion in her hand.

That was the fertilizer that Ian used to water the mysterious seeds.

It is also the bath water of the black-robed skeleton.

(End of this chapter)