The mastermind behind Hogwarts

Chapter 1 Moriarty Slytherin

In the winter of 1987, China was in eastern Tibet.

A dilapidated wooden house on the southern side of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau creaked and groaned in the cold wind.

Ten-year-old Moriarty Slytherin put on all the clothes she could wear, wrapped herself in all the blankets and quilts she could find in the house, and huddled in a corner of the room.

Moriarty Slytherin was clearly quite cold; his lips were bluish, his eyelashes were covered in ice, and his gray hair looked particularly dull.

But he was clutching a long, black box tightly.

After realizing that his hands and feet were getting cold and he was starting to lose his sense of touch, Moriarty Slytherin tucked the black box under his elbow so that he could take one last look.

"Great Slytherin, I'm sorry, I'd rather die sooner than suffer like this."

……

Three hours later.

Moriarty Slytherin's brows furrowed suddenly, and a look of struggle appeared on his face.

Strictly speaking, he is no longer the real Moriarty. Although he occupies this body, the soul lurking deep within it is that of a young man from the 21st century.

The real Moriarty is dead, but the Moriarty who now occupies this body is about to freeze to death as soon as he comes back to life.

Having inherited all of Moriarty's memories, he is well aware of the mystery and magical charm of the Harry Potter world.

"As expected of the last Slytherin, even as a descendant who has been exiled, they know more than others!"

Moriarty opened his eyes as if awakening, but the movement aggravated the frostbite on his face, causing half of his face to throb with pain.

"On a whim, I forgot that the original owner might have been a dud, otherwise she wouldn't have frozen to death."

The cold air had already filled Moriarty's throat, and he murmured hoarsely.

Realizing his current predicament, Moriarty could only lie flat on the floor, afraid to move or even make a single expression.

However, he soon felt something long and big pressing against his chest!

"The black box?" Moriarty realized that it was the only thing the original owner would protect even at the cost of his life.

Moriarty recalled the original owner's memories; the Slytherin family both respected and feared this black box.

"It's said to be a treasure passed down from Salazar Slytherin! And it seems there's some kind of agreement between him and his ancestors?!"

But Moriarty couldn't care less about that.

We're about to freeze to death, who cares about the promise to our ancestors!

pedantic purebloods!

Since it's a treasure passed down from Salazar, it might be able to save his life.

Moriarty, dragging his arms which were almost frozen solid, struggled to open the black box.

A silver staff about 80 centimeters long was placed neatly inside, with a roll of parchment underneath.

The silver staff had become Moriarty's lifeline.

He tried to twist his arm to pick up the staff, but it was difficult for him.

My hands and feet are no longer very dexterous, but fortunately, as my sense of touch gradually disappears, my sense of pain is also becoming less sensitive.

Moriarty eventually encountered the magic wand.

He was pondering the curse in his memory when he heard a "ding-dong" sound beside his ear.

"The system has been activated by the host discovering and touching a magical item, granting the host one initial lottery draw opportunity."

"Quick, quick, draw the prize! Can I at least get a spell that restores my health? Or a spell that keeps me warm? At the very least, give me a blazing fire spell! After all, this prize draw is like a newbie gift pack, right?!"

He who controls the system controls the world. Now that the system is out, survival shouldn't be a problem, right?

"All the prizes in the initial lottery are from the Harry Potter world."

"Including fifty everyday items, ten magical items, ten alchemical tools, ten spells, ten potions, and ten wands."

"Are you sure you want to participate in the lottery?"

"Draw!" Moriarty chose to draw the prize without hesitation.

"Okay, good luck, host."

Although the odds of winning fifty everyday items were high, Moriarty believed in his luck.

"Ding-dong~ Congratulations, host, you've won a pair of wool socks!"

In an instant, Moriarty produced a pair of thick white socks, which looked to be exquisitely made.

"Initial lottery draw complete. Wishing you a speedy rise to become the mastermind behind the scenes in the Harry Potter world."

"What the hell?! Is this the good luck you wished me for?!"

Moriarty was so angry he almost vomited blood. What kind of system is this? What kind of transmigrator gets a pair of wool socks as a perk?!

"I'm freezing to death and you give me a pair of socks?" Moriarty roared. "System, come out! I'm not satisfied with the initial gift pack lottery! I demand a re-draw!"

"The host's life force has been severely depleted. The host is still conscious because of the excitement brought about by the transmigration."

"If the host does not do something soon, he/she will freeze to death in about thirty minutes after the excitement wears off."

"This wand I have is huge and long; it could fetch a good price even as scrap. Could you pawn it to me for some spells or something? It's for a lifesaver, I'm in a real hurry!"

"Ding-dong~ The system has detected that the host has discovered, touched, and possessed the Slytherin Patriarch's Staff. You are hereby awarded three chances to draw a prize!"

"Since the staff discovered by the host is the symbol of the head of an ancient pure-blood family in the Middle Ages, this lottery is an exploration lottery. I hope the host will make good use of it."

"Explore the lottery?"

This sounds like a better reward than the initial lottery prize!

Moriarty decisively chose to participate in the lottery!

"No need for introductions, I'll see the details myself later. Just draw the numbers!"

"Okay, good luck, host."

Moriarty's heart pounded. If he didn't win anything in the three draws, he knew he might become the first transmigrator to freeze to death at the start!

"Ding-dong~ Congratulations, host, you have drawn a bottle of compound herbal medicine!"

A vial of potion the size of a mineral water bottle suddenly appeared next to Moriarty.

"..."

This is a good omen!

Moriarty comforted himself.

It's at least a magic potion, not some wool socks.

"System, draw again!"

"Ding-dong~ Congratulations, host, you have drawn fifty cubic meters of system space! You can place any item except living things in the system space."

"..."

It's good, but it still can't save a life!

"Give me one last draw! It has to be one that can save my life!"

"Ding-dong~ Congratulations, host, you've drawn ten years' worth of magic power!"

"The exploration lottery has ended. I wish the host a speedy rise to become the mastermind behind the scenes in the Harry Potter world."

When Moriarty heard the word "magic," he ignored the system's usual blessing and devoted himself wholeheartedly to feeling and understanding magic.

Ten years of magic!

It's like Moriarty was born with magical powers!

Are Slytherin babies the same as other babies?

A newborn baby who awakens magical powers can usually be described with just two words: monster!

Moriarty sensed the subtle changes within his body, and instinctively raised his frozen right hand, placing it on the Slytherin staff.

Suddenly, his body began to heat up.

Like a burning match in the snow, though tiny, it was still captured precisely by Moriarty.

"Now!" Moriarty roared, gripping the Slytherin staff with all his might as a surge of impulse, his magic erupting instantly!

"Bang!"

A burst of golden sparks erupted from the tip of the silver staff, emitting a beam of light composed of magic.

"Bang!"

Moriarty smiled as he watched the magical beam pierce the roof and shoot into the air.

Having magic meant that all the ancient magic in his memory was now open to Moriarty.

Moreover, in the distant West.

In a locked little tower at Hogwarts, the Pen of Acceptance swiftly wrote Moriarty Slytherin's name in the Book of Admission.

"Splash..."

The pages of the Book of Admission flipped rapidly and automatically, each page gleaming with a silvery light!

This anomaly did not last long, as the Pen of Acceptance and the Book of Admission seemed to have sprouted wings and flew out of the tower.

Less than a minute later, the entire castle seemed to come alive:

The stone figure automatically left its original position and began to speak in a language that no one could understand.

The figures in the mural began to dance.

Mischief-like creature cackled and flew around the castle, looking as proud as if it were carrying a giant bomb...

That day later became known as the "Hogwarts Riot," and Moriarty learned of it five months later, when he was still in mortal danger.

Normally, young wizards would feel very weak after their first magical outburst, but Moriarty did not feel weak; instead, he was overjoyed.

"Let me think, the curse of keeping warm."

"There are no specific warming spells in modern times, nor in the Middle Ages, probably because warming up was too simple to be recorded."

"However, the Weather Spell, Fire Condensation Spell, Fire Starter Spell, Heat Spell, and Handheld Flame Spell can all produce the effect of warming and keeping warm."

Moriarty thought for a moment and realized that the Weather Charm was too powerful to be used at home.

The dilapidated cabin could no longer withstand further damage.

The Fire-Starting Spell, which involves blazing flames, is not very suitable.

The Fire Condensation Spell can shrink and concentrate flames within a specific area, requiring a high level of control from the caster.

The power of the Heat Charm can vary, and by heating the air for warmth, it is most suitable for Moriarty in this situation.

The Flame Spell is a type of elemental magic, which is quite complex.

Therefore, Moriarty chose the Heat Charm.

Slowly wielding his magic power, he released the magic into the air little by little through his staff.

Moriarty felt the surroundings gradually warming up, and even though the cold wind was still biting, he could no longer feel the piercing cold.

"It's so good to have magic," Moriarty exclaimed sincerely.

He slowly stood up and put the wool socks and compound decoction into the system space.

I took off some of my clothes to make it easier for me to move around.

Then, leaning on his Slytherin staff, he picked up the black box, walked to the only bed in the room, and sat down.

Moriarty took the parchment out of the box, and the moment he unfolded it, a golden key fell to the floor with a clatter.

It was a golden key the size of an adult's palm; Moriarty had to put both hands together to hold it up.

"How big a door can this key open? Or how big a box?"

Clearly, the cabin didn't have a door big enough to accommodate the enormous box.

Moriarty shook his head, gently put down the golden key, picked up the parchment and looked at it, only to find that it was a family tree!

The family tree traces its lineage back to Salazar Slytherin.

In other words, Moriarty Slytherin's identity is real!

However, the original text states that the Gaunt family are the descendants of Slytherin, and Tom Riddle is Salazar Slytherin's only blood relative.

After carefully examining the family genealogy, Moriarty finally understood.

Salazar Slytherin had a son after leaving Hogwarts.

The son was a Squib, so Salazar sent him away after he came of age.

The Squib's son and his Slytherin line knew they couldn't use magic, so they intentionally stayed away from the magical world.

Over time, this branch of Slytherins continued to migrate.

Because they firmly believe in the supremacy of pure blood, this branch of Slytherins, even if they are all Squibs, will not intermarry with outsiders and will always maintain endogamy.

By the time it came to Moriarty's parents' generation, they had been in poor health since childhood, and were the only two people left.

It was just before World War II, and Grindelwald somehow learned that Slytherin still had descendants, and he searched for them frantically.

So Moriarty's parents moved to Tibet in eastern China to escape the disaster.

Besides this family tree, the silver staff and the golden key are also proof of Moriarty's identity.

The silver staff was indeed the patriarchal staff of Slytherin, stolen by Salazar's Squib son.

Upon seeing this, Moriarty snorted.

How could he not see that there was more to the story!

Needless to say, it was stolen right under Salazar's nose.

How could a Squib steal from a legendary mage? Even if that Squib was the legendary mage's son.

I really don't know whether to say it's the deep fatherly love or the son's extraordinary abilities.

If it's the former, that's fine, but if it's the latter...

Moriarty could only snort a few more times; the Middle Ages were too far removed from him, while the golden key was far more appealing.

This is a key to open the castle gate!

It belongs to the castle where Salazar lived after leaving Hogwarts!

The back of the parchment had a detailed address marked on it, which Moriarty memorized.

After learning about the Slytherin family history, he was certain of his identity, and in terms of the purity of his bloodline, he was many times purer than Tom Gaunt.

But Moriarty didn't stick to the pureblood approach.

Whether you are pureblood or half-blood, wizard or Muggle, you are still just a mortal, a living being.

Having witnessed death many times, his most prominent characteristic is his indifference to life.

"This might be why the system, the mastermind behind everything, is bound to me." Moriarty's eyes changed; now he could finally take a good look at the system.

At this moment, the system prompted: "The system exists to cultivate the host into the mastermind behind this world."

"To prevent the host from being inactive, the system will issue tasks at any time. The host will receive points and rewards for completing the tasks."

"The ultimate mission is hereby issued: Become the mastermind behind this world! Reward: Godhood! Mission deadline: 2012. Failure to complete the mission will result in the host being castrated!"

Immediately afterwards, a massive amount of information flooded into Moriarty's mind. Receiving such a huge amount of information twice in a row was almost too much for Moriarty to handle, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Moriarty gritted his teeth as he sorted through the system's information; in short, this was a cheat code.

The system offers many benefits, including a lottery and the ability to redeem everything in the Harry Potter world using points.

The last one, as the system mentioned, is obtaining high rewards by completing tasks.

Because the Harry Potter world is an undeveloped magical world, the lottery is divided into exploration lottery and achievement lottery.

Discovering, touching, possessing, or destroying valuable magical items or magical realms will grant you one exploration lottery draw for each.

Upon seeing this, Moriarty immediately stood up, his face filled with eagerness, wishing he could turn the cabin upside down.

But he quickly calmed down. The contents of the room were laid out before him, and apart from the black box, the Slytherin family had nothing more valuable.

"I should be content. By receiving these memories, I gained knowledge of the Slytherin family—that's the most precious treasure! And the appearance of the system means I will gain even more!"

Moriarty gripped the Slytherin staff tightly, realizing he couldn't be greedy; he had enough.

"Now I need to think about how to monetize my hidden wealth! Prepare to become the mastermind behind the scenes!"

Moriarty successfully dispelled the cold, and then casually added two spells to the cabin, restoring it to its original state and making it brand new.

After doing all this, Moriarty's environment became more comfortable.

He sat on the bed, placed the staff, key, and parchment in front of him, and began to think.

The system gives a task timeframe up to 2012, and it's currently 1987, which is exactly 25 years.

To be precise, it was 24 years. Moriarty looked out at the snow, because it was already the end of 1987.

In other words, Moriarty must become the mastermind behind the Harry Potter world before he turns 35!

Moriarty quickly compiled a list.

At the top of the list were none other than Dumbledore, the White Lord, and Voldemort, the Dark Lord!

Old Deng and Little Tom are undoubtedly in the same league, with Grindelwald ranking behind them.

After all, he was the first Dark Lord; you never know when he might cause trouble.

Old Grimm still has a grudge against Old Dumbledore. If he ever messes with Old Dumbledore, Old Grimm will come to Hogwarts from Nurmengard in no time.

The three mentioned above are all strong contenders for the title of the mastermind behind the scenes. In addition, Moriarty also included pure-blood families and the magic ministries of various countries.

Lucius Malfoy.

Cornelius Fudge.

……

Moriarty listed the pure-blood representatives and ministers of the Ministry of Magic whom he knew.

These people may not be his competitors, but they will undoubtedly pose some obstacles to his future actions.

Moriarty, holding the list in one hand and resting his chin on the other, said, "Then I should think about where the difference lies between me and these people."

"The difference in strength is obvious."

"There are undoubtedly differences in reputation, fame, wealth, status, knowledge, and experience."

"No, knowledge and experience can be crossed out."

"Having inherited the Slytherin family legacy, my knowledge of the magical world has surpassed that of modern wizards."

"As for experience, I have accumulated too much experience in dealing with people of different identities in my previous life. As long as I have a platform, whether they are pure-blooded or half-blooded, wizards or Muggles, I can get along with them."

"Then what's left is reputation, fame, wealth, and status."

"Once one of these conditions is met, the rest will be achieved very quickly."

Moriarty picked up the golden key, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"I think Salazar's castle will satisfy me in this respect!"

"It seems necessary to go to England as soon as possible."

Moriarty scanned the room, his eyes showing no lingering affection.

All that remained for Moriarty was pain.

However, before leaving, Moriarty wanted to avenge the original owner of this body, whose parents had recently died at the hands of the Eastern Tibetan Yeti during an outing.

"The Eastern Tibetan Yeti...?"

Moriarty felt the name was familiar. Wasn't Gilderoy Lockhart, Harry Potter's second-year Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the one who wrote a book about the Eastern Yeti?

The book title seems to be "A Year with the Eastern Tibetan Snowman"?

This is interesting; it suggests that Gilderoy Lockhart may very well have visited eastern Tibet!

Just then, a magnetic voice came from outside the cabin door: "Hello, I am Gilderoy Lockhart, an English author. Would you please invite me in for a while? It's quite cold outside."

(End of this chapter)