From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

This artifact, crafted from a fragment of Voldemort's soul, has lost all its power and will not be restored until a hundred years later. Therefore, it is devoid of any writing, except for the signature "Tom Riddle" on the first page.

“What on earth is this…” Dumbledore turned to the title page, and Voldemort’s student’s name immediately came into view. “It’s astonishing… You destroyed the soul fragments within the Horcrux without harming the vessel?”

“I didn’t destroy it, I exhausted it.” Ivy said the explanation he had prepared beforehand. Although it was full of loopholes, he didn’t intend to keep it from Dumbledore forever. He just needed a plausible explanation. “If all the Horcruxes were destroyed, Voldemort would be trapped in the middle, unable to move forward or retreat to become a ghost. He chose the worst possible path for himself.”

“I’ve been shocked too many times today…” Dumbledore shook his head. “I’m a little confused about whether this is a dream or… I thought Voldemort was a very difficult guy to deal with; that’s what my past experiences have told me. But now… Tom’s plans are almost completely useless…”

“By the way, Ivy, where did it come from?” Dumbledore suddenly came to his senses.

“Lucius gave it to me as an investment, and also as a token of his trust,” Ivy said calmly. “He can’t possibly become a Death Eater again. By studying the Dark Mark on his arm, I discovered that our Potions professor also seems to…”

“Your insight is astonishing…” Dumbledore said with a wry smile, “but please give me some time regarding Severus… There’s too much to process today… I’m just an old man, my mind isn’t what it used to be…”

“Then I’m afraid you’ll have to worry about this for a while longer.” Ivy tapped her fingers on the table, and with a thud, the teapot poured a cup of tea for each of them. “There’s also the secret chamber and the basilisk inside.”

"Oh... have mercy on me," Dumbledore groaned, the wise old wizard truly feeling weary.

Ivy's strategy was precisely this: to bombard Dumbledore with all the useful information at once, leaving him no time to discern which was truly important. Even though Dumbledore could use magic to relive this memory, the combined impact of multiple bombshells would undoubtedly cloud his judgment.

Searching for clues about Voldemort in the memories of different witnesses is painful enough, let alone this conversation with its incredibly high information density.

Unlike Ivy, who could use the second-circle spell Mechanize Mind to maintain absolute focus, Dumbledore's energy was not what it used to be.

Even if he were to dissect the conversation bit by bit and discover what Ivy was trying to hide, Ivy would still have achieved her goal.

Just as Dumbledore used Lockhart to fool the entire school for a year, Ivy also used various secrets and deceptions to fool Dumbledore.

As long as Dumbledore doesn't object during this period, the probability of him repeating his old arguments later will be smaller, not to mention that Ivy will be even more powerful by then.

"The Chamber of Secrets is opened using Parseltongue. I suspect the legend of the Chamber of Secrets that has been circulating at Hogwarts is just a trick by the Gaunt family. They might even have been involved in modifying the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets." Ivy smiled and continued, "For a thousand years, no headmaster has been able to find the Chamber of Secrets, but the internal facilities of Hogwarts have been replaced several times. At least now we have flush toilets."

Dumbledore had stopped talking and was just drinking tea, which showed that he was engaged in intense mental activity.

"Shall we go? Headmaster, the basilisk in the secret chamber is still waiting." Ivy chuckled mischievously and stood up from her chair.

“You have absolutely no respect for the elderly,” Dumbledore complained, and stood up as well.

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Standing in the dark, empty hall of the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore sighed deeply: "All of this is a masterpiece of magic... I really don't know how Slytherin managed to do it... The great four masters, the forefathers of Hogwarts..."

"What surprises me even more is that you've learned Parsleyan?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Ivy behind him as they stood before Salazar's statue of Slytherin.

“I told you, I can talk to all animals.” Ivy didn’t bother to explain, reciting the code in Parsleyan, “Speak to me, Slytherin—the greatest of the four great masters of Hogwarts.”

The statue's mouth opened, transforming into a dark, gaping entrance. Ivy stood beside it, gesturing for it to proceed.

Dumbledore sighed silently and slid down the pipe.

“The Parseltongue can put the basilisk into a state similar to hibernation, which is why only Myrtle has died under its gaze over the past thousand years.” Looking at the sleeping basilisk in the underground palace, Ivy explained softly, “It has lived in the dark underground for a thousand years, feeding on the rats in the castle all day long, and has been used as a killing tool. How pitiful.”

Dumbledore looked at the basilisk's green scales and said, "I understand you... but it's a threat to the students in the castle."

“With me here, it won’t be a threat.” Ivy smiled. “I’ll find it a good place and figure out a way to make its gaze less dangerous, but all of this will take time. I’ll keep an eye on it until Voldemort returns.”

Chapter 185 Christmas Holiday

“This is far too dangerous, Ivy,” the old wizard insisted. “Hatching a basilisk is a violation of the Secret Code!”

“The Basilisk wasn’t hatched by me, it was Salazar Slytherin. Besides, the Act of Secrecy didn’t exist back then,” Ivy argued. “We can work together to set a spell at the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets to prevent anyone from accidentally entering. Under the Basilisk’s magic, it will continue to slumber and won’t harm the teachers and students in the castle.”

The old wizard simply shook his head and did not answer.

“I could have easily found a container—like a bag—and taken it with me, but I didn’t,” Ivy said sincerely. “It’s because I respect you, and I believe you have the right to know what really happened inside this castle.”

“Some magic is not suitable for study, Ivy. It was destined for a dark future from the moment it was created,” Dumbledore advised. “You are still young; do not delve too deeply into this area.”

“Dangerous forces cannot be controlled without research.” Ivy’s gaze was firm as she wielded her staff to remove a scale from the basilisk. “Even if you can stop me, you can’t stop other wizards who want to study dark magic. Human curiosity is endless; only proper guidance can prevent it from causing greater destruction. Simply suppressing it will not solve any problems; on the contrary, it will only make it erupt more violently.”

“Muggle society and the wizarding world are not unrelated. You should know that in the first 40 years of this century, two wars swept across the entire world. The reason why a third world war did not occur is precisely because the Muggles invented a weapon that could destroy the entire world. They foresaw the worst consequences and therefore actively restrained the scale of the war.” Ivy stared into the old wizard’s eyes and began to explain the theory of nuclear deterrence to him.

“Muggles have indeed had a far greater impact on the world than wizards…” Dumbledore exclaimed. “Their wisdom is astounding as well… I can allow you to study the Basilisk, but only if I am present… until you find a way to control its gaze.”

Ivy smiled with satisfaction. Although the outcome differed from his initial expectations, it was still acceptable. Mutual compromise is the essence of negotiation.

The two then jointly set up a spell at the entrance to the secret chamber to prevent others from entering. The spell also had an ingenious structure that acted as a lock, and the keys were held by the two wizards respectively. Even if one of them tried to sneak into the secret chamber by breaking through the magical barrier, the other would immediately know.

There are still many things to resolve for Ivy this year. Researching the basilisk can wait; for now, we just need to ensure its survival.

The basilisk scales that Ivy had previously removed through magic were given to Dumbledore, who used them as evidence to prove to the Ministry of Magic that the monster that caused Myrtle's death fifty years ago was a basilisk, not an eight-eyed spider, thus restoring Hagrid's innocence fifty years late.

With the locked-room mystery resolved, the magical creatures that had been appearing all over the castle seemed to have quieted down, and at least until the Christmas holidays, no more strange things happened in the castle.

This further convinced many students that Lockhart had handled everything.

Although Ivy was also curious about what Lockhart had faced that day in such a sorry state, he had already made up his mind to stay away from Defense Against the Dark Arts before the start of the semester, so how could he go back on his word now?

As snow blanketed the castle and the students boarded the Hogwarts Express, silence gradually became the dominant theme of the castle.

During this time, Ivy was busy making Christmas gifts for her friends, planning to mail them all by owl at Christmas.

What was given to Cassandra was a small watering can, a special version of an alchemical pot.

The original alchemy pot could magically pour out various liquids without needing to fill it beforehand, including acids, poisons, beer, honey, and wine. However, the maximum volume varied between the different liquids; the smallest acid could pour out 8 ounces, while the largest salt water could pour out 12 gallons.

Ivy modified the shape of the alchemy pot into a small and exquisite watering can, and the liquid inside became simply water. However, the maximum volume became one cubic meter, which means the total weight was one ton.

Using it to water magical plants is of course its basic function, but in addition, Ivy has also endowed it with the magic to change the local weather.

With just a watering can in hand, you can summon a small cloud and make it rain in an area no more than 10 feet wide.

The amount of rainfall can also be adjusted freely, from a drizzle to a downpour, entirely up to the watering can's owner. However, once the ton of water in the watering can is completely used up, the dark clouds will automatically disperse, only to be refilled the following morning.

Harry's Christmas present was a master key that could open any Muggle lock, as long as it could be inserted into the keyhole.

I heard that Harry's uncle often locked up all his magical items, so Ivy specially made this magical item for him.

As for Hermione, Ivy originally wanted to give her a book, but considering her recent bad mood, she gave her a set of Naughty Cards instead.

This deck looks exactly like a regular deck of cards, but its owner can use a thought to perceive the remaining undrawn cards and can exchange the faces of cards in their hand with those undrawn cards in the deck.

If the owner doesn't take good care of the deck, the face cards and clown cards in the deck might cause trouble, deliberately providing incorrect information and causing the owner to lose in the game.

As for Ron, Ivy gave him an exceptionally sturdy hamster wheel, along with a Muggle booklet titled "Proper Exercise and Diet Planning".

On the surface, it was for the sake of his pet Scabbers, but in reality, it was a prison prepared for Peter Pettigrew.

Dumbledore received a pair of wool socks, while Hagrid received Norbert's lost baby tooth.

There was also Fleur, who was studying in Beauspatton, France, and Ivy gave her a music box.

The music box is shaped like a seashell. It opens when you tap it twice with a magic wand. Inside is a mermaid who looks remarkably like Fu Rong, and she sings a beautiful song.

As for the Lucius family, Ivy gave them a set of Muggle economics books and a short note telling him to study them carefully.

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At Hogwarts' Christmas dinner, the students who stayed at the school enjoyed their meal immensely, while the professors sitting on the other side of the long table were not so happy.

Because Lockhart also stayed on at the university.

He told a joke he thought was funny, but he was the only one laughing so hard he couldn't breathe.

Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands, his entire being visibly embarrassed. This was because Lockhart had been a member of Ravenclaw during his school days.

Professor McGonagall subtly moved her plate a little further away, as if afraid Lockhart's saliva would get on it.

Professor Snape was completely unaffected, his eyes fixed on Harry, so much so that he didn't even notice his plate was empty.

“A slice of apple pie, Severus!” Lockhart said solicitously, hoping to break the tense atmosphere at the table.

However, this only made the atmosphere on the professor's side even more treacherous.

“No, thank you,” Snape said curtly, then was the first to leave the banquet.

Before leaving, he gave Lockhart a disdainful look, because Lockhart had been boasting in the faculty lounge about how he defeated the monster in the Chamber of Secrets, which had made the professors stop going there for tea.

“Severus looks terrible,” Lockhart shook his head regretfully. “He seems to have no appetite! Perhaps I should concoct an appetite stimulant for him? The last wizard who drank this potion swallowed a whole cow whole!”

"I'm afraid Severus is the real Potions professor at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall pointed out astutely.

Lockhart was completely dumbfounded, like a pheasant being choked.

Then he rolled his eyes, trying hard to think of a way to ease the awkwardness.

Then he decided to boast about his bravery in the secret room.

"Why does it sound like a houseboat?" Professor Trelawney asked, hearing Lockhart's boast for the first time. She rarely ate in the Great Hall, except at Christmas.

“Maybe Gilderoy fought with the oars. Are they as strong as my wooden legs?” Professor Celticburn joked, raising his wooden arm.

“The boathouse is too small to contain that beast,” Lockhart said smugly. “Imagine its slippery scales, its steel-like teeth, and its venomous stingers! Although I’m a minor adventurer, a bestselling author at Flourish and Blotts, a third-class Merlin Order member, an honorary member of the Defense Against the Dark Arts, and a five-time winner of the Wizarding Weekly’s Most Charming Smile Award—I don’t solve the nightmares of the entire school with a smile.”

Professor Trelawney peered at him suspiciously through her comically large lenses, then said, “Anyway, I’m going back to the tower. Sitting with mortals for too long will cloud my ‘Heavenly Eye.’ By the way, Gilderoy, watch your hair. I just glanced at your teacup, and the tea stains there told me that. I felt I had to remind you.”

Lockhart was visibly taken aback for a moment, then smiled again: "You're so thoughtful, Sybil."

One by one, the professors left after finishing their desserts, and soon only leftovers remained in the auditorium.

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The next morning, Ivy stood in an empty classroom, admiring the scenery and letting the cold wind outside cool down her brain.

The snowy scenery at Hogwarts was beautiful, and the students having a snowball fight in the open space undoubtedly added a lot of vitality to the school.

Due to the bloodshed, fewer students stayed on campus for the holiday this year than in previous years, but it was still more than enough to organize a large-scale battle involving more than a few dozen people.