Hogwarts: A little lion in the skin of the Eagle School

Soon they arrived at the rusted iron gates of Riddle House.

Only when he got closer did John see that the outer walls of the manor were covered with withered vines.

The wall paint also had a mottled, peeling, and grayish feel to it.

The iron gate was ajar, and a few withered wild grasses peeked out from the cracks, swaying gently in the cold wind.

It seems that after a year of neglect, this place has indeed become completely abandoned.

Dumbledore reached out and gently pushed the iron door, the rusted hinges groaning shrilly.

John followed behind Dumbledore, his wand and a musket conjured by Transfiguration already in his hands.

"There doesn't seem to be much life left here," John said, looking around the abandoned garden.

"It seems so; even the traces of dark magic are barely visible."

As Dumbledore spoke, they arrived at the gate of the manor, which was also half-open.

The room was as dark as ink, with dust slowly rising and falling in the dim light that slanted in.

"Watch this, super fluorescent flash!"

John waved his wand, and a burst of white light shone from the tip, illuminating the entire foyer.

"You always come up with some really weird and wonderful spells."

Dumbledore could only smile helplessly, taken aback by John's clever maneuver.

He then went in first, followed closely by John.

"Can you sense the Horcruxes?"

Dumbledore asked John.

"Hmm... I don't feel anything." John patted his chest and muttered to himself.

"Did you sense the Horcrux?"

【......No】

yeah?

Such a quick response?

John hadn't talked to his other soul in quite some time.

I was too busy and forgot.

This time, I asked tentatively, and I received a reply instantly.

"Wow, Principal, my soul responded instantly!"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, initially worried that John's ability to sense Horcruxes was unreliable.

I didn't expect such a quick response.

"That's a good thing. It proves that the soul has grown a bit more. Perhaps it won't be long before you can communicate freely."

John was also looking forward to it, after all, this soul had always been shrouded in mystery.

If we can communicate with it, we can learn about its origins, or at the very least, figure out where its consciousness comes from.

"Then please help me keep an eye on the surrounding Horcruxes, and notify me if you find anything amiss."

【OK】

The reply was still instantaneous, without even a second's hesitation.

There was absolutely no intention to refuse.

It seems they really want to help me.

The two then stepped into the depths of the foyer together.

To be honest, it's no wonder it's a wealthy family's house; even though it's been abandoned for many years, you can still see its former grandeur.

Instead of splitting up to search, Dumbledore led the way for John, searching each room.

After touring most of the manor, they still found nothing.

Most of the rooms here have been emptied, and the place looks deserted. Even without the help of a soul to sense things, you can search freely.

It must have been the current homeowner who deliberately cleared them out, since they were all old items from the previous owner.

"Principal, do you think there's a possibility?"

"Voldemort did indeed hide the Horcruxes here, but the current owner found them and took them back?"

John looked at the somewhat empty house and said with a headache.

"While it's unlikely that Voldemort would place a Horcrux in a place where Muggles could easily access it, the possibility cannot be ruled out."

"But even if that's the case, there's no need to worry. As long as we find the homeowner, we can still investigate further."

Dumbledore wasn't too worried about this. He spoke calmly, then looked around and said, "It seems the Horcruxes aren't here."

"So we came all this way for nothing?"

"Don't give up yet, there's still one place we haven't been to."

Dumbledore smiled and shook his head, looking out the window at Little Hangleton below the mountain.

Just to the east of Little Hangleton, there is a dense forest.

That's where the old Gaunt house is located.

"Although the Gaunt family line has now died out."

"But their house remains a forbidden area that Muggles cannot set foot in."

"So hiding the Horcrux there is one possibility."

Upon hearing this, John immediately spoke.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"I wonder how long my soul brother can maintain his soul weapon perception."

Hearing John's urging, Dumbledore nodded.

He grabbed John's arm and then Apparated.

When they landed, a forest appeared before them.

"Why not just Apparate in?" John asked curiously.

"It contains the anti-Apparition spell," Dumbledore said calmly.

John was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. This place had been abandoned for decades, yet a counter-curse still existed...

Could it be that...?

"Looks like we've come to the right place."

Dumbledore knew what John was thinking, nodded, and led John deeper into the woods.

The light in the woods suddenly dimmed, and the road became overgrown with thorns.

It's clearly an intentional attempt to block outsiders.

John simply conjured a stone golem to clear a path, crushing all obstacles so that the two of them could proceed forward.

Soon, they arrived at a dilapidated courtyard.

It's not the kind of large courtyard with high walls and gates, but a small courtyard enclosed like a self-built house in the countryside.

Even the house was just a dilapidated brick and tile house.

A serpentine iron ornament is nailed to the rusted door, signifying its Slytherin lineage.

"Muggle banishment charm, anti-apparition charm, anti-thief charm, enemy trap debunking, impregnable fortress, all protected, drive away the enemy..."

"That's quite a lot."

Dumbledore looked at the courtyard before him and murmured to himself as if recounting a familiar scene.

"Most importantly, there is also the protection of blood ties."

"Only those with the blood of the Gaunt family can enter safely, and Tom is the last heir to that bloodline."

John, who was standing nearby, was also taken aback by Dumbledore's analysis.

So much protection?

The fact that the sign is not visible means that there must be something important hidden in this house.

And it's Voldemort's stuff.

"I know how to crack everything else, but what is bloodline protection?"

Since he had time, John wasn't in a hurry to go in. Instead, he asked Dumbledore about the term "bloodline protection," which he was hearing for the first time.

"This is an ancient magic that can only be effective within one's bloodline."

"The caster of the spell can use their own bloodline as a bond to grant special protection to those who share the same bloodline."

"For example, like right now, only those who are directly related to the Gaunt family by blood can pass through the barrier."

"But once the bloodline is severed, this protection will fail."

"In other words, as long as Voldemort lives, this bloodline protection will exist indefinitely."