The Return to Hogwarts

“I asked Wright, but it knew nothing about it. It didn’t know why it had this thing hidden in its teeth, but it did recognize the presence of Salazar Slytherin himself on that exquisite Slytherin sigil.”

Amosta stroked his fingers.

"Have you told Headmaster Dumbledore about this?"

"I did mention this in my letter to Albus, and Albus was very interested. He wanted to see the badge, but I told Albus that Wright was so fascinated by the scent of Salazar on the badge that it begged me to return the badge to it inside Wright's belly."

Albus asked me to confirm with Wright whether no one else had indeed touched the badge from him. After receiving the answer, he gave up on getting the badge. But Albus said that if he had the chance to see me, he could tell me about it.

Amosta stood with his hands behind his back, lost in thought.

When Dumbledore first heard about this, his initial reaction was probably that it was another Horcrux hidden by Voldemort, but he should have realized that this was unlikely.

Firstly, the Basilisk had already told Newt that it knew nothing about the sigil.

Secondly, Voldemort would not make such a mistake as allowing his two Horcruxes to come into contact, as this would greatly increase the risk of exposure.

Thirdly, if the basilisk's fangs truly contained Horcruxes, then Lucius Malfoy wouldn't have needed to return the notebook to Hogwarts for the Chamber of Secrets to be opened.

It was likely Salazar Slytherin's own work.

Dumbledore knew what he was investigating, and it was related to the four founders of Hogwarts. He had previously retrieved Ravenclaw's crown from Dumbledore and was extremely interested in the mysterious runes on the relics of the four founders.

Dumbledore may have thought that the badge was related to what he was investigating, and that's why he had Newt tell him to avoid the misunderstanding that he was spying on his secrets.

Amostella glanced at Newt, who was staring at her curiously, hesitated for a moment, then her gaze, which had been fixed on the basilisk's massive maw, returned to its indifferent state.

"Spit it out."

Amosta said.

Chapter 912 The Role of Clan Emblems

2024-05-12

"Spit it out—"

Amosta's indifferent gaze fell on the basilisk, and he spoke calmly.

hiss--

The ferocious serpent flicked its tongue, its hissing sounding somewhat aggrieved.

Salazar Slytherin was the creator of this basilisk. To it, Slytherin was like a father figure. It obeyed Slytherin's instructions and stayed in the Chamber of Secrets for thousands of years. During those long years, it was only when Slytherin's descendants returned to Hogwarts that it was able to briefly unleash its true nature.

In Wright's simple mind, since Slytherin had hidden the family crest in its fangs, it must be a gift from its father, and this powerful wizard was now forcing it to reveal its father's gift.

The blazing fire collar bobbed slightly up and down, bringing a chilling sensation to the basilisk. It knew very well that the wizard before it was not afraid to destroy it.

"Amosta--"

Seeing how the hot-tempered Wright became so gentle in front of Amostall after spending so much time together, Newt felt a pang of pity.

"That badge is the only thing Wright has to remember Salazar Slytherin. I can persuade it to come back, but could you please not take it away?"

“I’m sorry, Newt, I can’t guarantee you that.”

Amosta didn't want to lie to Newt, and he calmly said,

“Although I cannot prove it, I am quite certain that Salazar Slytherin left this badge for me, so I must take it.”

Amosta's words made Newt frown.

He didn't quite understand what Amosta meant. Salazar Slytherin from a thousand years ago had specifically left him a family crest, even using such a discreet method. What was Amosta trying to say? That he was a direct descendant of Slytherin?

This is highly unlikely. It is common knowledge that Amostrath Blaine is a Muggle, while the Gaunt family is the officially recognized descendant of Slytherin in the British magical community.

Although he had only met Amosta twice, and the total time they spent together was less than half a day, Newt believed he already had a certain understanding of the young man based on hearsay and brief conversations. Meeting those calm, pale purple eyes, he knew he couldn't persuade Amosta to change his mind.

Newt gave up trying to persuade him, sighed heavily, and remained silent. Amostella, meanwhile, turned her gaze back to the basilisk.

"Spit out the badge."

Amosta said again.

"Don't make me repeat myself a third time."

What could the 'delicate' Wright do?

It had only two choices: either spit out the badge left to it by its father, or be burned to ashes by the gray-haired wizard and forced to hand over the badge.

Then, Wright's massive body began to tremble, its abdomen, pressed against the ground, slowly wriggled, and the badge it had swallowed was slowly pushed into the snake's mouth.

puff--

A badge, coated in pale green gastric juice yet still shimmering with metallic luster, spewed from the basilisk's mouth. Amosta blinked, causing the badge to hover in front of him.

Amostah flicked his finger, and as a breeze swept past the badge, the palm-sized, inch-thick metal plaque instantly became spotless.

As Newt previously stated.

The main body of the badge is a piece of mithril.

In the magical world today, this extremely precious magical metal is rarely used entirely to create any objects. Only those sophisticated and expensive alchemical tools use mithril to engrave magical corridors at their core and key points.

The Slytherin family crest on the front and back of the heavy badge is made of melted gold, just like the locket. The lifelike 'S' in the center of the design is adorned with pure emeralds, while the sides of the badge are engraved with exquisite patterns.

Amosta stared thoughtfully at the Slytherin family crest that was slowly spinning on its own in front of him.

Unlike the locket, the badge bears obvious traces of magic, but Amostella couldn't say for sure what the specific magic was for. However, one thing was certain: this Slytherin badge, unlike the sword, tiara, chalice, locket, and the resurrection stone ring, did not have any traces in certain documents.

There is no doubt that Slytherin left it behind for a reason.

Amostella hesitated for a moment, glancing at the basilisk that seemed to be in low spirits. Instead of loosening the fire ring around its neck, he tightened it even more. Before Newt could shout out in alarm, Amostella reached out his hand.

pat-

Under Amosta's slightly tense gaze, the cold and heavy family crest fell into his hands.

There was no dazzling light, no flashing lights or shadows; everything in the cellar was as usual, except for Newt's stern command.

Gazing at the family crest, Amosta's brows furrowed silently.

Of the four great founders of Hogwarts, he has personally met Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. He has even had a one-way interaction with Gryffindor across time and space. Only Salazar Slytherin, Amosta has never met him.

He had always harbored a secret expectation, after all, he had graduated from Salazar Slytherin's house, but perhaps because the great founder looked down on him for being a Muggle, Slytherin had never appeared before him.

His closest contact with this unique founder was in the Chamber of Secrets, in front of the statue of Slytherin himself, the door that Gryffindor called the place where all secrets were hidden.

Amostella had assumed that the sigil would be the key to his meeting with Slytherin, but things didn't turn out as he expected.

The heavy family crest lying in Amosta's palm was like a priceless work of art, remaining completely still except for its shimmering brilliance.

What do you think it is?

Amosta ran his fingertips back and forth over the patterns on the emblem, examining it for several minutes, but still couldn't find anything. He unconsciously asked Newt.

Newt had realized that Amostella had tightened the ring of fire simply to prevent Wright from disturbing him while he studied the Slytherin sigil. He sighed softly and stood quietly beside Amostella, keeping him company as he gazed at the Slytherin legacy.

Hearing Amostella's question, Newt tilted his head. He had studied the family crest for a while when he first received it, but he hadn't gained much from it.

“Unfortunately, Amosta, I am not a historian or a heraldologist. I have indeed consulted some records about Salazar Slytherin, but I have not found any record of this herald appearing a thousand years ago. All I can tell is that it was probably the work of a goblin.”

"Probably from a fairy--"

Amosta repeated it in a low voice.

This is not difficult to determine. Fairy creations have a very unique style. The fine and delicate patterns on the edge of this emblem are proof that it was made by fairies. This is not a new thing. All the things left behind by the four founders were made by fairies, although some of them were later given magical powers by wizards.

Amosta turned the heavy coat of arms upside down, gazing at the broad patterns.

When Amosta was investigating Hermione's attack, he learned from a goblin named Engel at the Gringotts World Bank in Paris that the patterns were not just decorations, but were actually obscure goblin script.

Turning the tribal emblem back and forth, examining the patterns, Amosta narrowed his eyes slightly.

Gringotts Key to the Goblin Slytherin?

Gradually, a vague guess emerged in Amosta's mind.

"I need to take this emblem with me--"

After letting out a long sigh, Amosta looked at Newt.

"I roughly know what it does, but I need to confirm it."

Newt nodded, hesitated for a moment, and glanced at Wright, who was lying prostrate on the ground.

"If one day this Slytherin sigil no longer works for you, could you return it to Wright, Amostall?"

Chapter 913 Invitation

2024-05-12

Upon hearing Newt's question, the basilisk, which had been trembling with fear from the Fiery Collar lying on the ground, twisted its huge and ferocious tongue. By smell, it turned toward Amostall's direction and blinked its eyes, which had been blinded by Fox.

Once the clan emblem loses its function, should we return it to the basilisk?

Amosta raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by Newt's request, but also feeling a bit of admiration.

Newt's ability to become a revered master of magical creatures, achieving unparalleled success in this field, is largely due to his genuine respect for magical creatures, treating them as equals with whom he can communicate. In this respect, even Hagrid falls short of Newt.

His gaze fell upon the basilisk, and after a moment of contemplation, Amosta waved his hand to dispel the ring of fire, nodded, and said...

"Alright, I promise you, if this Slytherin sigil is no longer of any use to me, I will return it to you."