The mastermind behind Hogwarts

Chapter 263 Salazar's True Face

Moriarty looked up, his gaze falling on the face of the wizard in the dark green robe.

A face so young it was almost unreal; compared to the statue in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts, they were two completely different people.

What was most striking was his eyes; Moriarty's gaze slowly slid down and met Moriarty's eyes.

Two identical pairs of gray eyes, with deep gray pupils.

The depth and scrutiny in their eyes were exactly the same.

"Salazar Slytherin?"

Moriarty spoke first.

The wizard in the dark green robe flew down from the top of the cross without any magical fluctuations, but Moriarty guessed that he used the Dimoakka flight spell.

—If he were Salazar.

"If you are referring to your ancestors, then without a doubt it is me, the one and only Salazar."

Salazar Slytherin flew up to Moriarty; he was very tall, and Moriarty only reached his shoulder.

Moriarty looked Salazar up and down.

Although he always referred to Salazar as "ancestor" in his daily life, Moriarty never truly cared about Salazar.

Now that he saw Salazar's true face, he couldn't help but want to talk to him more. Sure enough, his values ​​followed his appearance.

Salazar was tall and slender, with long, flowing gray hair.

His skin was a bloodless pale, his skull was high, his forehead was narrow, his eye sockets were deep, and his facial features were three-dimensional, as if carved by a knife and axe.

Aside from having the same gray hair and gray eyes as Moriarty, the overall impression he gives is that of a high-altitude snow-capped mountain.

As Moriarty sized up Salazar, Salazar was also observing Moriarty, and then he came to a similar conclusion.

"The Slytherin Staff?"

Salazar's gaze slid to the staff in Moriarty's hand, his voice cold, as if drifting from a distant place.

"That's the symbol of the head of the Slytherin family. It seems you are the current head of the Slytherin family."

Salazar circled Moriarty a few times, and during their eye contact, Moriarty noticed a glint of silver in Moriarty's eyes, and his pupils seemed to narrow the moment he looked up.

In the light reflected from the cross, it resembled the vertical pupil of some cold-blooded animal.

Snake eyes.

Moriarty remembered another characteristic of Salazar: his pupils would turn into snake eyes, something Voldemort seemed to have as well.

"You don't seem curious about my origins?" Moriarty asked in a deep voice.

Salazar stopped in his tracks. "Since the Slytherin Staff is here, I think I know what happened."

It was stolen by my Squib son. You are his descendant, yes or no?

Moriarty nodded and briefly introduced himself.

"That's right. My Squib ancestor escaped to China. Two years ago, I returned to England from China to attend Hogwarts. Next semester, I will be a third-year Slytherin student."

Salazar nodded slightly. "Did you go to the secret chamber?"

"Shiva has been taken back to Slytherin Castle by me."

"Shiva's husband," Salazar gestured with his chin toward the basilisk on the cross, "you've already seen him."

"What made you so cruelly separate this loving couple?" Moriarty raised an eyebrow. "One of them was nailed to a cross, and the other was imprisoned in a secret chamber for a thousand years."

"I never said I did it." Salazar shook his head, then grinned under Moriarty's questioning gaze. "It was Godric's doing."

A look of astonishment flashed across Moriarty's eyes. This was so Gryffindor.

"So—why?"

Moriarty pressed on, "Why is there a cross in the Slytherin family cemetery? What does it mean that a basilisk was nailed to the top of the cross?"

"That's right, this is the Slytherin family cemetery."

Sarah glanced at Moriarty and walked toward the outermost tomb.

"These tombs contain the remains of your ancestors—and of course, mine, and many more of my descendants."

“This is my father’s,” Salazar said, standing among the graves. “That’s my grandfather’s, and then there’s my great-grandfather’s.”

Then he stepped forward, pointed to an inconspicuous grave next to him, and said, "This is mine."

"You?" Moriarty was utterly surprised. "You're dead?"

"What, you think I won't die, is that it?" Salazar gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"It's just speculation," Moriarty said without moving his lips.

"Tell me about it." A glint of light flashed in Salazar's eyes.

"To put it simply, I deduce that you have become a God of Magic."

"The God of Law?"

Salazar chuckled and shook his head. "If I told you what Godric thought of the Archmage, you wouldn't think that way."

Moriarty looked at Salazar, adopting an attitude of being all ears.

"That guy said, 'God of Magic?' Don't be ridiculous. If I became a god, I'd feel guilty for breaking the code of chivalry!"

Salazar couldn't help but laugh after he finished speaking.

Gryffindor, with a clear conscience.

Everyone believed that Slytherins valued honor, while Gryffindors considered fame and fortune worthless.

Little did they know, Gryffindor also valued honor, but even more so, he valued dignity!

Even when clad in robes and wielding wands, Gryffindor never relinquished their honor and dignity as knights.

So what if you become a god!

So what about Salazar?

If Gryffindor is a blazing fire, unrestrained, burning, and intense, then even the brilliance of the Archangel pales in comparison.

But Salazar, though he may appear calm as water most of the time, also has his moments of turmoil and towering waves.

These two are different from Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Would Salazar give up becoming a god of magic because of Gryffindor?

Moriarty thought not.

Salazar became the God of Sorcerer and then defeated Gryffindor – that's Salazar's style!

Slytherins and Gryffindors are the kind of people who completely defeat their opponents and then bring them to their side.

So, why did you give up on becoming a god?

Moriarty stared at Salazar like that.

"As for the reason..." Salazar understood Moriarty's gaze and slowly began, "It's related to the Slytherin family cemetery."

"Oh?" Moriarty's tone changed, becoming solemn: "The cemetery represents death, the cross represents ascension, and the snake symbolizes the Slytherin family."

Taken together, it means 'death is immortality'! Right? That's what you left in your diary."

"Death is immortality! Absolutely right. It seems you've learned a lot from my diary." Salazar said with a hint of delight, "But then again, the fact that you found this place proves you've mastered the Devouring Charm."

"If you want to talk about the Devouring Curse, you must first help me solve the problem of the Devouring Curse absorbing fire elemental magic." Moriarty had not forgotten the purpose of his trip.

"Absorbing fire elemental magic? The current head of the Slytherin family is learning fire elemental magic! Ha!"

Salazar gave Moriarty a suspicious look, his gaze turning hostile.

"Slytherin corresponds to the element of water. You had better learn and master water magic, otherwise you are not worthy to be the current head of the family."

"I've already learned it." Moriarty shrugged, snapped his fingers, and a stream of water appeared at the top of the cross, transforming into Shiva's appearance.

The water snake affectionately rubbed against the male snake monster's head.

Let it take Shiva's place and comfort her husband.

Shiva, this is all the master can do.

Moriarty shook his head.

Sarah saw through Moriarty's intention, but without the slightest embarrassment, she casually praised, "Looks like you've got it down quite well, but how does it compare to me?"

"The gap is not small." Moriarty smiled. According to the level of elemental magic, Salazar was more than forty levels lower than him.

"A clear-headed junior." Salazar was pleased with Moriarty's attitude, a hint of pride appearing on his chiseled face.

"Therefore, do not try to learn and master fire elemental magic; continue to study water elemental magic."

A qualified, great wizard—like me—can only master one elemental magic in their entire life.

Slytherin, I hope you stay awake.

"Ahem, excuse me," Moriarty blinked, "I've already learned and mastered two elemental magics. You've already seen the water element; the second one is wind."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, blowing the basilisk into the sky, where it soared high into the air.

"Water element and wind element..."

Salazar stared at Moriarty, looking shrewd and calculating, his thoughts a mystery.

Half a minute later, he spoke: "Alright, I can help you perfect the Devouring Curse, but you have to listen to the story of this cemetery."

"This cemetery is death, and at the same time, immortality!"

Moriarty's eyes suddenly turned cold. "Are you dead or alive?"

"This is a complicated problem," Salazar said, walking to his own grave. "Let me explain."

(End of this chapter)