Hogwarts' Golden Glory

He pointed to the magical mist at the edge of the valley: "Natural mist can block most detection, but if a professional Auror approaches with anti-illusion equipment, they might still be detected. Moreover, during the full moon, the magical fluctuations from the werewolves' mass transformation are very strong, requiring more sophisticated shielding."

"This is why I'm here today." Kane put down his briefcase, took out a thick roll of parchment, and spread it out on the rocks.

It was an extremely complex magic circle design. At the center was the terrain of a valley, surrounded by three nested rings of runes: the innermost ring was "concealment," the middle ring was "protection," and the outermost ring was "stability." Each ring was further subdivided into dozens of nodes, labeled with different runes and magic parameters.

"This is..." Lupin bent down to examine it closely, his eyes widening. "An astrological magic circle? But why are there so many variant runes?"

"It combines the centaur astrology taught by Ferenczer with Armand Malfoy's concept of magical integration." Kane pointed to the twelve main nodes of the inner ring. "Look here—each node corresponds to a zodiac constellation and will automatically adjust its concealment effect according to changes in the stars. For example, when Orion rises, the magic of this node will be enhanced three times, which will just offset the extra stimulation of the full moon on the werewolf bloodline."

He continued, "The protective array in the middle ring uses the principle of 'reverse refraction.' Any detection magic entering the mist's range will be refracted and dispersed multiple times, ultimately returning only chaotic background noise to the detector. As for the stabilizing array in the outer ring..."

Kane paused, then looked at the werewolves who had gathered around him: "It's to help you control your transformations."

Tobias was taken aback: "A magic circle can help us control our transformations?"

"Indirect energy." Kane pointed to several special runes on the outer ring. "These are 'Emotional Soothing' and 'Magic Conduit' runes. When you transform within the array, the array absorbs some of the overflowing, violent magic and transforms it into gentle, stable energy to feed back to you. At the same time, it emits a mental fluctuation similar to a tranquilizer, helping you maintain your rationality."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the werewolf pack. If this were true, it would mean they could not only remain conscious during the full moon, but their transformation process would also be smoother and less painful.

"But setting up this array requires a lot of materials." Lupin frowned. "Pure crystal, star silver sand, moonstone powder... these are not cheap, and they are likely to attract attention."

"I've prepared the materials." Kane took several heavy cloth bags from his briefcase. "They were purchased in twelve batches from different countries through the Malfoy family's business network. The invoices say 'consumables for alchemy experiments' and 'raw materials for jewelry making,' so it won't arouse suspicion."

He opened a cloth bag containing crystal-clear cut crystals, each piece polished into a specific polyhedron that refracted rainbow-like light in the sunlight.

"These crystals need to be buried three feet below each node, with the pointed ends facing upwards, aligned with the corresponding constellation." Kane began assigning tasks. "Tobias, you take ten men to be responsible for the six nodes in the eastern half. Ella, you take men to be responsible for the western half. Soren and Lina, come with me to the central control point."

"Where is the central control point?" Lina asked.

Kane pointed to the center of the lake: "The island in the middle of the lake. That's the natural gathering point of magic in the valley, and also the core of the formation."

For the next three days, Misty Valley turned into a huge construction site.

Under Kane's command, more than seventy werewolves dug pits, buried crystals, and drew runes according to precise blueprints. This was no simple physical task—the position of each node had to be accurate to the inch, the angle of each crystal could not be more than half a degree off, and the runes had to be drawn with a special mixture of star silver sand and moonstone powder, with not a single stroke wrong.

Kane worked almost non-stop. He patrolled the various nodes, using a specially made magic measuring instrument to check the resonance status of each node and adjust the subtle parameters. Igor stayed by his side the whole time. The phoenix's magic not only helped maintain his physical strength but also allowed him to sense the stability of the magic circle in advance—on three occasions, Igor gave timely warnings just before the nodes were about to explode due to magical conflicts, thus averting disaster.

Lupin was in charge of coordination and organization. He was surprised to find that these werewolves, who had previously only obeyed or rebelled, displayed amazing discipline and learning ability under clear goals and division of labor. Tobias's team was the first to complete the installation of six nodes, controlling the error even better than Kane had required; Ella's herbal knowledge came in very handy when drawing runes—she could accurately distinguish the purity and particle size of star silver sand; Soren and Lina became Kane's capable assistants, and could already independently complete the calibration of simple nodes.

On the evening of the third day, as the last node was laid, the setting sun was sinking behind the western mountain ridge.

Kane stood in the center of the island in the lake—a stone altar had been erected there, its surface covered with intricate runes. Igor stood atop the altar, wings outstretched, awaiting the moment of activation.

"Everyone, retreat to the edge of the valley." Kane's voice echoed throughout the valley through amplification spells.

The werewolves quickly retreated to the woods at the edge of the valley, watching the island in the middle of the lake nervously.

Kane raised his wand. It wasn't his usual beechwood wand, but a makeshift "guide wand"—made from a unicorn horn, a phoenix tail feather, and laurel wood, specifically for activating large magic circles.

"With stars as guides, moon as medium, and earth as foundation," he began chanting the ancient incantation, each syllable carrying a strange resonance, "The Concealed Ring hides this world in mist; the Protective Ring keeps out external enemies from prying into the shadows; the Stabilizing Ring soothes the restless bloodline with tranquility—"

As he chanted, the seventy-two nodes buried throughout the valley began to light up in succession. Not with blinding light, but with soft, starlight-like silvery-white specks of light. The specks multiplied, growing brighter and brighter, until finally forming a network of light that enveloped the entire valley.

As the last node lights up, the network suddenly contracts inward, transforming into three distinct halos:

The innermost ring hugs the ground, and the silvery-white light seeps into the soil, rocks, and vegetation. Wherever it passes, the valley's "presence" begins to fade—from the outside, this place will forever be just an ordinary misty area, and even if you walk to the edge, you will be guided away by the distortion of nature's perception.

The central ring floats in mid-air, a translucent pale gold color, like an inverted bowl covering the valley. Any detection magic that touches this barrier will be broken down, refracted, and blurred.

The outermost ring is the highest, almost level with the surrounding mountain ridges, radiating a soft blue glow. This ring is the least noticeable, but Kane knows its function is the most important—it activates during the full moon, absorbing the violent magic in the moonlight and transforming it into a gentle energy field.