Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 247 The Olive Trees of the Acropolis

"Sir, would you like a drink?"

"Juice is fine, thank you."

In the first-class cabin of a plane taking off from London Heathrow Airport and bound for Athens, a flight attendant placed a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice on the small table in front of Ike, with a coaster thoughtfully placed underneath.

I picked it up and took a sip; it tasted just like regular orange juice, nothing different.

Ike raised an eyebrow, put down his cup, and picked up the book he had just placed aside to read.

To others, this book is "War and Peace," but to Ike, it's "The Forgotten Ancient Magic," a fairly interesting read to pass the time.

After leaving Malfoy Manor, Ike arrived in London and went to Knockturn Lane to obtain a new identity, including a driver's license, social security information, a passport, and a Citibank credit card. For a wizard, acquiring such things is no easy feat, and normally no one needs them. Only those who can no longer stay in their home country and are desperate to escape and start anew in a new environment would do so, and even then, the number is extremely small, perhaps only one or two a year.

For the wizard selling false information, it was a good deal, and the price was exorbitant—a thousand gallons, no bargaining. Ike didn't have that kind of money, but after wandering around Knockturn Alley, he did.

Those vicious dark wizards, scum even the Death Eaters despise, had no qualms about robbing Ike.

And so, with his new identity and a plane ticket, Ike boarded the plane to Athens. Everything went smoothly; even though there were Ministry of Magic patrols at the airport, they couldn't see through Ike's disguise.

The journey was long, and it was already the early hours of the second day when they arrived in Athens. Carrying a small suitcase, Ike put on a baseball cap and left the airport. He took a taxi directly to the Astu Hotel, which he had booked in advance, and check-in was easy. After a quick shower, Ike stood by the window, drying his wet hair, gazing at the Acropolis still lit up in the distance.

Under the glow of modern lights, the Acropolis's historical feel was greatly diminished. Ike, however, paid no heed; with a blink of an eye, the Acropolis's appearance had changed color.

"Oh, there really is..."

He murmured. At that moment, in Ike's eyes, the modern lights had vanished, and light flowed like ripples on the ancient walls of the Acropolis. Slowly, yet rhythmically.

In the center of the Acropolis, a tall, sturdy tree stood, its enormous canopy almost completely obscuring the entire city. The emerald green olives on the tree shimmered like stars.

"A new city was established, and the gods fought each other."

Poseidon brandished his trident and struck the boulder.

The giant stones transformed into warhorses, a symbol of war.

Athena's spear struck the boulder, and the olive tree bore abundant fruit...

Ike raised his hand, and the wand appeared in his grasp. He was already dressed—in a short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and a baseball cap on his head. He turned and reappeared outside the Acropolis.

The moment she appeared, the Disillusionment Charm was cast upon her. The next second, two white-haired wizards with wands appeared not far ahead.

"Who's there? Come out!" one of them said in a low voice, looking warily at the empty square.

"Nobody here?" another whispered.

"Impossible. We detected fluctuations from the phantom teleportation; someone must be coming."

Ike watched quietly as the two men waved their wands, two beams of red light sweeping across them quickly.

"Really not?" one person asked in surprise.

"Let's go back first, and be careful tonight."

The two figures disappeared, but reappeared a short while later. They flung out two more beams of red light, still finding nothing, before finally leaving.

Ike waited for a while longer, and seeing that neither of them had returned, he slowly walked into the citadel.

Passing through the mountain gate, Ike cautiously approached the enormous olive tree. A faint light flickered on the remaining stone pillars around him, with occasional flashes of silver light. Combined with the gleaming olives in the massive canopy overhead, it didn't feel dark at all.

After a long time, they finally arrived at the tree. What came into view was the unexpectedly thick trunk, like a wall blocking their way. The jagged and massive roots were exposed, reaching up to Ike's waist.

"A miraculous creation..." Ike thought to himself. This magical plant, which had lived for who knows how many years, had truly broadened his horizons; it was nothing short of a divine miracle.

Looking up, all I could see were dense foliage and tiny glimmers of light, even more breathtaking than what I saw from the outside. I closed my eyes, touched the center of my eyes with my wand, and when I opened them again, my appearance had changed.

The leaves and branches faded, and the faint light dimmed, but at the very top, there was a soft, flowing green light. Upon closer inspection, it was an olive, translucent like jade.

There weren't many; I counted them, and there were only nine.

With a slight twitch of his fingers, his body floated up. Slowly, it took him quite a while to reach the nine olives. Without hesitation, he reached out, plucked one, and popped it into his mouth. Then, he suddenly accelerated, flying towards the outskirts of the city.

"Damn it!"

A furious curse rang out behind him, but Ike had already flown out, waved his wand lightly, and disappeared, returning directly to the hotel.

As soon as he appeared, Ike swiftly unleashed several spells, which landed on the doors and windows. Then, with a light step of his right foot, a complex golden magic circle appeared, with several golden lines connecting directly to the ceiling.

Sitting down on the ground, Ike's face immediately changed color, alternating rapidly between green, gold, white, and blue, like a carousel. Sweat beaded on his skin, and he unconsciously clenched his teeth.

The magic has rioted!

It was even more intense than when I was five, but it was all contained within the golden threads and the magic circle. Even though the air inside the magic circle was distorted, the area outside remained completely unharmed.

Ike endured it, trying to keep his mind clear and sense every change in the magic within his body. He didn't know how much time had passed before the turbulent magic finally calmed down, but Ike was soaked in sweat as if he had just come out of the water.

After a while, Ike waved his hand to dispel the magic circle, and another cleansing spell landed on him, making him dry again. He closed his eyes, carefully felt the sensation, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Despite not being a minor in the strict sense, he has finally caught up with the two current ceilings of the magic world in terms of magical power.

With a wave of his hand, a piece of parchment flew out of the suitcase. A gentle tap of the wand revealed several lines of text. A finger traced across the top line, adding a black line.

He rolled it up, tossed it casually, and the parchment was back in the suitcase. With another flick, a notebook and a quill pen landed in his hand.

He turned to the first page and wrote: "Athens is well-defended; I have failed."

The black ink slowly disappeared, as if it had seeped into the paper. After a while, writing gradually appeared.

"Those old guys are still around? That's a bit unexpected..."

"It's alright, we'll deal with those guys after we succeed..."

"That thing can't escape..."

(End of this chapter)