Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 310 Division of Labor and Preliminary Organization

After the initial shock, a strong thirst for knowledge and a passion for research once again took over.

"We need to organize all of this!" Fabian was the first to get to work. He pushed up his glasses, his eyes shining as he looked at the massive pile of documents on the workbench. "The information is too complex; we have to categorize it!"

"That's right!" Karen immediately agreed. "We need to build a system. There are dozens of specimen tags alone, plus environmental records, magic array patterns, access lock sequences—"

"I'll take charge of transcribing and translating the labels!" Fabian volunteered, already pulling out several thick ancient runes and Latin dictionaries. "These ancient scripts differ somewhat from modern usage, so they need to be carefully checked. I can categorize and record them according to material properties, uses, and hazard levels."

Ernesto stepped forward and picked up a photograph of the strange scales. "I might know more about magical creatures, especially the records of ancient or rare creatures passed down within pure-blood families. I can help identify the specific creatures from which these specimens originated, and perhaps even understand their potential value and level of danger." He examined the photograph carefully. "For example, this—the feathered serpent's nerve cord shimmering with starlight blue. I remember it being mentioned in the Black family's ancient books. This creature has long since disappeared into the annals of history. It is said that its nerve cord has a peculiar amplifying effect on soul magic, but it is also extremely unstable."

"Great!" Karen said happily. "Then this part is yours, Ernesto. Be careful, some creatures may have dangerous properties in their very remnants that we don't know about."

"I know what's important." Ernesto nodded carefully, picked up a stack of relevant photos and records, and went to another table to start working.

Wesley looked at the remaining documents and scratched his reddish-brown hair. "So what should I do? I'm not very good at those advanced ancient runes and magical creatures."

Karen thought for a moment, then pointed to the magical images and sketches that recorded the laboratory layout, the way the magical light sources were embedded, the magical wires under the crystal jars, and the appearance of the abandoned devices: "Wesley, you're in charge of organizing these environmental records. Try to clarify the laboratory layout sketches and label each functional area. Also, see if you can deduce their general operating principles or the reasons for their damage from the appearance of these magical structures and devices. This will require some spatial imagination and logical reasoning."

"I can handle the first one! But the second one requires me to analyze and deduce the underlying principles, which I probably won't be able to do." Despite this, Wesley perked up, picked up a few images and sketches, and found some clean parchment and rulers, and began to draw intently.

Karen himself focused on the two most complex parts: the magic array patterns at the bottom of the observation pool, and the rune sequence of the access lock. He needed to use his memory and the partial patterns he had drawn at the time to accurately depict those extremely complex and subtle magical flow trajectories and rune structures onto the extra-large parchment.

The Eagle's Nest fell silent for a while, with only the scratching of quills on parchment, the rustling of pages turning, and the occasional hushed discussions or puzzled murmurs.

"Fabian, come take a look at this label. Isn't the declension of the third phrase a bit strange? Is it a Slytherin spelling error?"

"Ernesto, come and look at this bone fragment. Doesn't it look like the toe bone of a venomous leopard? But the color doesn't match—"

"Wesley, is this tube in your distillation apparatus drawn incorrectly? According to the image, it should be connected to the bottom of the crucible, not the side."

"Karen, is the magic flow of this rune node converging inwards or spreading outwards? I can't quite see it here—"

New discoveries and discussions continued throughout the process. They discovered that Slytherin's notes on material handling were incredibly precise, including the magical moon phase when blood was drawn and the specific spell sequences used to process organs. They proposed several hypotheses regarding the tear marks left on a discarded device: whether it was an experimental subject breaking free or an uncontrolled energy explosion. Ernesto, based on his family's knowledge, supplemented the information with the habits and characteristics of several rare magical creatures, providing important references for Fabien's translation.

The workload was enormous. It took them almost an entire morning and half an afternoon to barely categorize the information and record it in different magical folders or blank logbooks, affixing temporary labels such as [Materials Science: Extraction and Properties], [Magical Creatures: Tissue and Organ Applications], [Environment and Devices: Space and Alchemy Construction], [Magic Array Science: Observation and Binding], [Access Lock: Rune Sequence Analysis], and so on.

Looking at the rudimentary classification system that had been established, and the relatively few research results to date, the four felt a great sense of accomplishment, but also a bit exhausted. This was only the initial organization; deeper analysis would require more time and more specialized knowledge. Moreover, there were other materials in the lab that hadn't been brought out yet.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," Karen sighed, rubbing her slightly sore eyes.

Then, remembering Professor Castor's instructions, he took out the two-way mirror from his spatial bag. "I should contact my teachers to let them know I'm safe and to ask about their progress."

He walked to the corner of the room and slowly poured magic into the two-way mirror. The mirror surface rippled like water, and after a while, Nicolas Flamel's wrinkled but vigorous face appeared in the mirror.

"Good afternoon, Professor Nico," Karen greeted respectfully. "Has Professor Castor arrived safely? Is he alright?" He noticed that Professor Castor was leaning against the chair behind Nico, covered with a thin blanket, seemingly resting with his eyes closed. He looked even more tired than when they parted last night.

Nico glanced back, her gentle voice coming through the mirror: "He's fine, Karen. He's just a bit exhausted from apparitions and organizing data last night, and he's resting. Don't worry, I've given him a calming potion. And you? Did you all return safely to the castle last night?"

"We're all safe and back safely," Karen replied quickly, a sigh of relief in her voice. "We've just finished a preliminary review of the information we gathered last night, and the amount of data was truly astonishing."

"Oh?" Nico's eyes flashed with keen interest. "You've already started organizing? Very good. We've just finished our initial review of the copy." He shook his head slightly, a look of amazement on his face. "Even with just this peripheral information, it's clear that Salazar Slytherin's expertise in the origins of magical creatures, the extraction and application of bloodline power, and related alchemy has indeed reached an unparalleled level. The boldness and depth of his research style can even be described as—dangerous."

"We feel the same way," Karen said with deep feeling. "Especially those ideas about bloodline fusion and the application of talent magic—they're very radical. Master Nico, about those access locks—"

"Yes, Castor and I also carefully examined the rune sequences and magic patterns you recorded." Nico's expression turned serious. "Without a doubt, this is an extremely sophisticated bloodline soul lock. Its complexity and the depth of its binding with soul fluctuations far surpass common modern protective spells. Forcibly breaking it, even with Castor and my abilities, has an extremely low success rate, and will almost certainly result in the permanent destruction of internal knowledge, and may even trigger a bloodline-based counterattack curse. Your failure to open it with Parsley's tongue is to be expected, which proves that its authentication mechanism is very strict."

Although Karen had expected this, she couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed when she heard Nico make the same assertion.

"So what should we do next?" Karen asked.

"Don't be discouraged, child," Nico comforted him. "The door to knowledge isn't completely closed; we just need to find the right key, or rather, find a way around it. This takes time to research and experiment. I suggest that over the next few days, we each delve deeper into the information we've already acquired, digesting and absorbing this peripheral knowledge. This in itself is a vast treasure trove. During this time, we can use our communication quills to exchange any scattered thoughts, discoveries, or questions we have."

"Yes, Master Nico." Karen nodded in agreement.

"Well then, let's leave it at that for now," Nico smiled. "You've done a fantastic job, Karen. Give my regards to your three friends; their assistance was invaluable. How about we have a more comprehensive meeting once we've both reached some preliminary, in-depth conclusions? Perhaps this weekend?"

"No problem! I'll pass it on to them. We'll contact each other again this weekend," Karen agreed.

The communication ended, and the two-way mirror returned to its normal mirror appearance. Karen relayed Nicole's message to her three roommates.

Hearing the affirmation from the two masters and their plans for the future, everyone felt excited and full of motivation.

Outside the Eagle's Nest, the sky above Hogwarts was gradually tinged with the colors of dusk, while inside the Eagle's Nest, the research and exploration of ancient knowledge had only just begun.