Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 313 Meetings and Layered Planning

The weekend arrived as scheduled. On Saturday morning, the Eagle's Nest, after extra cleaning and tidying, appeared even more orderly. On the central worktable, their research results from the past few days were neatly arranged: several new journals filled with translations and annotations, a large number of parchments depicting magic circles and runes, and magical photographs categorized according to functional areas.

Karen placed the two-way mirror in the center of the table, with Wesley, Fabian, and Ernesto sitting on either side, their expressions a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. At the appointed time, Karen channeled magic into the mirror.

The mirror rippled like a lake with a pebble thrown in, quickly becoming clear. Nico and Castor sat side by side opposite the mirror. Professor Castor looked much better than a few days ago; although a trace of fatigue still lingered between his brows, his eyes had regained their usual sharpness.

"Good morning, Professor Nico, Professor Castor," Karen greeted respectfully, and her three roommates followed suit.

"Good morning, kids," Nico replied with a smile, her gaze sweeping over the three Ravenclaws behind Cullen. "It seems you've had a very fulfilling week."

Professor Castor nodded slightly as a greeting, and said succinctly, "Let's begin. Show us your progress."

Karen took a deep breath and began to systematically report on their team's work over the past week. He first had Fabian summarize the main findings in translating specimen labels and scattered notes, emphasizing the radical nature of Slytherin research, the deep attempts to extract the primal power of magical creatures, and the experimental records involving blood fusion and dangerous applications.

Fabian nervously adjusted his glasses, but his presentation was clear and organized, citing several of the most representative examples.

Ernesto then added some insights from the perspective of pure-blood family knowledge, particularly regarding the identification of rare or even extinct biological materials, and how groundbreaking certain experimental ideas seem to the modern magical world.

"His concept of viewing magical creatures as resources and tools is completely different from the mainstream of magical biology today, which emphasizes protection and harmonious coexistence," Ernesto concluded. "He focused more on exploring and utilizing their power, even at the cost of modification. Of course, this also fits everyone's imagination of that dark age. Although it may violate today's ethics and morality, his experiments were undoubtedly pioneering."

When it was Wesley's turn, he showed us his detailed drawing of the laboratory layout and his speculations about the functions of the discarded devices. "—This device with sharp probes and cooling tubes was likely used to inject highly active or dangerous extracts into live experimental subjects; and this cracked crystal disk, combined with the burn marks on the tabletop, suggests, based on Karen and my deductions, that it was likely an experimental accident caused by an energy overload—"

Finally, Karen presented his preliminary analytical drawings of the Observation Pool array and the Authority Lock rune, and mentioned the difficulties they encountered in trying to simulate and find information, as well as the guidance given by Nico's reply.

The entire presentation lasted nearly an hour, during which Nico and Castor would occasionally interject with a question or a point of approval.

"Excellent." After listening to the report, Nico clapped lightly, a pleased smile on his face. "Your efficiency and work quality far exceeded my expectations. You not only completed the initial compilation but also conducted quite in-depth correlation analysis and functional speculation. The picture of Slytherin's research is gradually becoming clearer thanks to your efforts."

Professor Castor also gave a positive assessment: "The intelligence gathering was very thorough. In particular, the grasp of the experimental risks and Slytherin's research style was very accurate. They didn't blindly indulge in the power itself and remained vigilant, which is excellent."

With the affirmation of the two masters, the four people in the Eagle's Nest breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

The meeting then moved into an in-depth discussion session, where both sides exchanged views on several key issues.

Regarding the core of Slytherin's magical creature research, Nico believed that "Salazar sought an evolution of power under absolute control." He attempted to break down the natural barriers between organisms, creating superior individuals or bestowing superior traits upon wizards. This differs from, and is more dangerous than, the philosophical foundation of modern magical biology, which emphasizes "understanding and symbiosis." Many of his techniques, if leaked, would be enough to cause a huge uproar in the wizarding world, for better or for worse.

Castor, from a safety perspective, emphasized: "Those failures are particularly noteworthy. They clearly indicate which paths are dead ends and which combinations are taboo. This is extremely valuable for us to avoid risks. At the same time, the amplifying effect of certain successes or partial successes also implies an equal risk of getting out of control. Any development based on this knowledge must be built on a relatively controllable premise."

When discussing the unfinished or damaged devices, both sides agreed that the greatest possibility was an experimental mishap. "With such high-intensity energy manipulation and biological modification, failure is the norm," Castor pointed out detachedly. "The fact that he has left behind so many relatively successful records speaks volumes about his abilities."

Nico gave high praise to the Observation Pool array: "It is a masterpiece. It integrates binding, energy supply, stimulation application, status monitoring, and even a certain degree of mental interference. Its design concept and alchemy craftsmanship are still top-notch even today. Studying its structure carefully will greatly benefit your understanding of high-level complex arrays."

Finally, the discussion returned to the most pressing issue: access control. Karen elaborated on their alternative approaches to seeking Harry's help.

On the other side of the mirror, both Nico and Castor were deep in thought.

"Using the potential connection between the remnant soul within that Savior Boy and the Slytherin bloodline—" Nico pondered, "this idea is bold, and it is indeed theoretically possible. Although that remnant soul is weak and attached to Potter, its essence does indeed originate from Salazar Slytherin's last descendant."

Castor frowned, his tone stern: "The risks are extremely high. First, we can't determine exactly what the authentication mechanism of the access lock is. Is it Parsleyan? Bloodline? Soul fluctuation? Or are all three indispensable? Second, what impact will the authentication process have on Porter? Will that remnant soul be activated or even backfire? Finally, what will be the laboratory's reaction after successful or failed authentication? None of these can be predicted."

"We know there are risks, Professor," Karen readily admitted, "so this is only a last resort."

Furthermore, we envision that if we were to take this step, I wouldn't intend to conduct it in a laboratory, but rather take it out and experiment with it at the Eagle's Nest. I also intend to invite the two of you to monitor it, and we will respect Harry's wishes.

Nico nodded slowly. "Karen's considerations are sound. This certainly can't be the first choice. At this stage, we should still focus on our own research and understanding." He then changed the subject, "However, it's feasible to record this idea as a potential breakthrough and conduct some forward-looking, absolutely safe theoretical deductions. For example, trying to analyze the Slytherin traits that the soul fragment might contain," and how to safely guide it to make minimal, controlled contact with the access lock—if it really needs to go that far in the future."

Castor snorted, tacitly approving of this cautious approach. "At this stage, the focus must be on self-improvement and digesting the knowledge we have acquired."

The meeting eventually turned to developing a plan for the next steps. After discussion, a tiered action plan was formulated:

Short-term plan (next 2-3 weeks):

The Hogwarts team, namely Cullen and her three companions, will continue to deepen their research on existing peripheral materials. Key tasks include: completing the translation and annotation of all labels and notes; attempting to reconstruct several relatively safe and readily available ancient potion-making or material processing techniques; conducting in-depth research on the structure of the Observation Pool array and drawing its complete magical model; and continuing their research on the Access Lock runes, striving to understand the magical principles they contain, even if they cannot crack them.

At the same time, they began a conscious search of Hogwarts Castle, especially around the Slytherin common room and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, for any other magical traces or clues related to the underwater laboratory. They also paid attention to biological activity in the Forbidden Forest that might be related to this research.

As for Nico and Castor, they will conduct higher-level theoretical analysis and derivation based on the copy. This includes constructing a more complete model of the Slytherin magic system; assessing the danger level and potential application value of various technologies; deduce various possible triggering mechanisms and consequences of access locks; and designing the theoretically most secure authentication bootstrapping scheme.

Long-term plan (next time entering the lab):

Karen still needs to strengthen his knowledge of ancient runes, especially high-level variants of Niven, as well as theories related to soul magic and bloodline magic. He may need recommendations from Nico and Castor for more specialized reading lists or learning materials.

When we enter the lab again, we should try to obtain more detailed environmental records and data collection, try to interact with some non-core but still usable devices under safe conditions, or focus our efforts on solving the access lock problem, and then evaluate whether to activate the Harry scheme.

Absolute principle: Safety first. Every operation must be thoroughly demonstrated and simulated, and have a complete emergency plan.

Never take the risk of attempting any unknown or high-risk operations.

"Remember, children," Nico solemnly emphasized at the end of the meeting, "knowledge is there; it won't disappear. We have ample time to unveil its mysteries in the most prudent way. Impatience and rashness are the most deadly enemies of magical research."

Castor also said in a deep voice, "Maintain your current vigilance and cooperation. The next incursion won't come anytime soon unless we are fully prepared."

As the meeting ended, the light from the two-way mirror dimmed.