Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 338 Things You Must Do to Reach the Other Shore

"Teacher, I have some questions..."

"Oh? There's something else that can stump you? What is it?"

"Soul, and Time."

"Soul and time..."

About two months ago, Ike raised this question during one of Voldemort's lectures, and it was the first time he had seen Voldemort ponder for so long when answering it.

In the past, as soon as Ike raised a question, Old Volt would give a precise solution. But this time, it wasn't until a week later, during another lesson, that Old Volt gave his answer.

Perhaps these shouldn't be called answers, but just some ideas.

"Souls exist, and we can explore some of their mysteries through ghosts. But this doesn't mean that what we discover is the truth, since the birth of ghosts is somewhat accidental."

"Wizards, magic, resentment, regret—only when all conditions are met can a ghost become a ghost. Therefore, I do not agree with the view that ghosts are the souls of wizards. In my opinion, ghosts are more like the remnants of a wizard's magic."

"Residual magic? Teacher, I don't understand." Ike asked, his face full of confusion.

Old Fu was silent for a while before explaining, "You know the conditions for making a ghost disappear, right?"

"I understand. I'll resolve the ghost's obsession."

“Yes, obsession,” said Old Voldemort. “Like Binns Cuthbert, the ghost who wandered Hogwarts for a thousand years. Everyone knows his obsession was teaching, and that was the only reason he remained a ghost for a thousand years.”

"But if one day Hogwarts disappears, and there are no more students for old Binns to teach, he will vanish from the world forever." As he said this, old Voldemort exuded a cold killing intent; he never hid his hostility towards Hogwarts.

Although this hostility was mainly due to Dumbledore being the headmaster of Hogwarts.

"I don't believe that souls can be preserved for thousands of years. Look at those female ghosts. Real ghosts don't have that much intelligence, nor do they have the ability to speak or the memories of their previous life."

"So what gives ghosts these abilities? Only magic can do that," Old Voldemort said. "I think ghosts do possess magic, but they use all of it to maintain their ghostly form, which is why they don't have the ability to cast spells. But at the same time, it also gives them some special abilities, like passing through walls..."

"But teacher, some Muggles also become ghosts after they die."

"That's why I said these are just guesses," Old Fu said calmly. "The world of magic has countless unsolved mysteries, and the more we know, the more mysteries remain..."

"So, when is the time, teacher?"

"Time...this may be the most profound thing, far more profound than magic."

Then, Old Voldemort countered, "You know about the Time-Turner, right, Ike?"

"Yes, teacher." Ike nodded. "I used it a few years ago."

"Ah, no wonder you're interested in time," Old Voldemort sighed. "It truly is a captivating power, one that even Merlin couldn't resist..."

"Great wizards throughout history have all sought to fight against time or uncover its secrets, but over the years, all that has remained is the Time-Turner, something whose invention is unknown."

"So, Ike, I can't give you a satisfactory answer on this matter... You'll have to figure it out yourself..."

Ike remembered Voldemort's words from two months ago very clearly; his eagerness to obtain Slytherin's research stemmed from this very reason. He thought that a great wizard like Slytherin must have researched the power of time, since Ravenclaw's manuscripts contained related content.

Even seemingly plausible guesses and conjectures can be of some use.

As it turned out, the Slytherin manuscript also contained relevant information, but it was no different from the Ravenclaw manuscript. Although Ike didn't expect them to provide a complete answer, he couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed.

"I have no choice but to rely on myself..."

Ike made up his mind, but to be honest, he had absolutely no clue what to do. He had already dismantled quite a few of the Time-Turners and used up a lot of the Sands of Time inside, but each time he traveled through time, he hadn't gained any new insights.

It can be said that things came to a standstill from there.

"I need more information!"

Suddenly, Ike remembered the vaults deep within Gringotts. They might not belong to the oldest families in the wizarding world, but they were certainly among the wealthiest, and their wealth must have been inherited.

The Lestrange family's vault reveals that it contains not only money but also many rare and precious treasures. Ike noticed that in one corner of the vault, there were many locked chests and boxes, making it hard to say that they didn't contain books and notes written by ancient wizards.

Those are the foundation of a wizarding family's heritage; no family that has survived would be foolish enough to abandon them.

What was lost or not cherished has vanished into the long river of history. After all, possessing those things meant the family had hope of revival.

It's a pity, really. Last time, Bellatrix and Ike went to Gringotts, but their time there was too short, and they only got a quick peek at the protective magic of the vaults. But this time, Ike is determined to find a way to go back again, search through all the vaults, and take all the magic books and notes.

It's difficult, but very hopeful.

While Ike was immersed in his magical studies, on a Saturday morning in February, the sixth-year students at Hogwarts had their first Apparition class.

When Harry, Hermione, and Ron arrived at the Great Hall, all the tables were gone. Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Sprout stood where the professors' tables used to be, with a small wizard in front of them.

His appearance was somewhat strange; he was frighteningly pale, his eyelashes were transparent, and his hair was fine and distinct, giving him an unreal and eerie feeling, completely like a mannequin.

Everyone knew perfectly well that this was the wizard from the Ministry of Magic who taught them Apparition.

"Good morning." Once all the sixth-year students had arrived and quieted down under the watchful eyes of their respective heads of house, the wizard from the Ministry of Magic said, "My name is Wicky Tecrosne, and I will be your Apparition teacher for the next twelve weeks. I hope to help you prepare for the Apparition exam."

"As you may know, Apparition and Teleportation are generally not possible within Hogwarts. Therefore, the Headmaster has specially lifted the spell, removing this restriction for one hour, limited to this Great Hall, for everyone to practice."

"I must emphasize! You absolutely must not Apparate outside the auditorium; that would be extremely unwise..."

(End of this chapter)