A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Chapter 908 River Styx

There's a saying that's always been passed down at Hogwarts:

No one can fully uncover the secrets of a school.

William wholeheartedly agreed with this statement.

Even though he had cycled through time three times and spent decades at the school, he dared not claim to know all the secrets.

Why did Voldemort want to teach at the school back then?

Besides wanting to seduce students and recruit them as his backup, he also wanted to continue exploring the secrets of this ancient castle.

Hogwarts is like a black hole; no matter how long you stay there, it will always be full of mystery, attracting you to explore.

For example, that underground palace... that's what William has always been most curious about.

William actually discovered the underground palace six years ago, when he was still a naive and kind-hearted first-year student.

And now, there's only one year left before graduating from Hogwarts.

Therefore, this is the secret he most wants to crack.

Speaking of the underground palace... its most mysterious part is the small island in the middle of the lake, where there is a pyramid.

It was an unfinished pyramid, without a spire, like the image on the back of a one-dollar bill.

At the top of the pyramid, there is a wooden coffin platform with four coffins inside!

William had tried to reach the island countless times, even with the Deathly Hallows, but he had never been able to get close.

At first, he thought that magic was covering the lake, preventing others from entering.

But as he grew up, William's current perspective made it easy for him to realize... that island wasn't actually at Hogwarts.

It's just a projection.

Since it's not at school, how can it be considered relevant?

Dumbledore stood before the curtain and whispered:

"Back then, Slytherin, one of the four great leaders, was the first to leave Hogwarts."

After that, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor left one after another... and their whereabouts became unknown.

Only Ms. Hufflepuff remained at the school and became its headmistress.

The stories of a thousand years ago are told in Dumbledore's voice.

"Hufflepuff trained many outstanding wizards, and through her efforts, Hogwarts became the best magic school in the world, until one day..."

The principal paused, looked at the curtain, and continued:

"A coffin floated out from behind this archway, and Hufflepuff got it and brought it back to Hogwarts."

"A coffin?" William narrowed his eyes. "A coffin in the underground palace?"

"Yes, it's one of those four coffins," Dumbledore confirmed William's guess.

As for how he knew... the reason is simple:

There's a Pensieve in the headmaster's office; it's a magical item left behind by Hufflepuff before he left.

Each generation of principals would leave behind some memories that they considered important, for future principals to refer to.

The portraits of the headmasters in those offices, bound by the magical constraints of Hogwarts, must also obey the orders of each headmaster and cannot be disobeyed.

Therefore, Dumbledore could easily know the secrets of the era of the Big Four.

"The coffin is a signal... a signal from the vanished Big Three," Dumbledore explained softly.

"After receiving the coffin, Hufflepuff did not linger. She left Hogwarts to her chosen successor and then departed alone."

No one knows where she went, just like the Gryffindors... she vanished without a trace.

Of course, the coffin was also taken by Hufflepuff.

William slowly processed Dumbledore's words, gazing at the archway and asking curiously:

"That coffin floated out from behind here? And what's behind here?"

"Do you remember the story of the three brothers?" Dumbledore asked.

William nodded.

"At the beginning of the story, it tells us:"

"The three brothers came to a river that blocked their way, and Death stood on the bank," Dumbledore said.

"Nicole always believed that the river was a metaphor for the trials of death, and only by passing through them could one see death."

The professor said in a deep voice:

"But that river also has a practical significance; it's the river next to Death... the River Styx!"

"And behind this archway lies the River Styx."

The principal paused for a moment, then looked at William and said:

"The evidence is simple: can you hear the sound of flowing water and... whispers coming from behind the curtain?"

William was stunned. He could only feel a force urging him to enter, but he could not hear any sound.

"Is someone talking over there?" he asked curiously.

"You see... you've been affected much less than I have." Dumbledore closed his eyes in deep thought, as if listening to something.

After a moment, he said sadly:

"I can hear Ariana's voice, I can hear my parents' voices... They are all calling me, to come through the arch and reunite with them."

No more worries, no more separations.

But Dumbledore did not move.

The voices, though real, as if his parents and sister were right behind the archway... were not enough to tempt him.

How could a lonely old man who has been facing the Mirror of Erised for years, yearning for something he can never have, be so easily deceived by a voice?

Dumbledore sighed and said:

"The River Styx is overflowing with the souls of the dead."

Therefore, standing before the archway, it, like the Mirror of Erised, allows us to hear the voices of those we yearn for deeply within our hearts.

William suddenly realized.

He had never lost the most important person... so he couldn't hear anything and was much less affected.

He thought for a moment, then asked, "What if we can't resist the temptation and go through the archway?"

"I don't know, I've never been inside, but we can make a bold guess..."

Dumbledore, peering through his half-moon spectacles at the curtain, said:

"The three brothers were afraid of drowning, so they built a bridge and continued to cross the river."

They were all very powerful wizards, yet they dared not cross the river. I think anyone alive who went directly into the River Styx... would probably die in it.

William frowned and said, "Now that the coffin floated out of the River Styx, did the three leaders go to find Death after they left?"

"William, I think so," Dumbledore agreed. "You remember that painting in the Hogwarts kitchen, don't you?"

William nodded.

In the Hogwarts kitchen, there is a painting called "The Last Supper".

The painting depicts the scene of the four giants' last meal together:

Hufflepuff held up a cup, a small, double-handled gold cup.

Ravenclaw, wearing a crown and a bronze ring on his right hand, quietly flipped through a book made of bark...

The painting looks unremarkable, but those familiar with the Deathly Hallows will find it terrifying:

Each of the four leaders possesses a Deathly Hallow, and some even have more than one.

In other words... most of the Deathly Hallows were once at Hogwarts and were collected by the four chief justices.

"Gryffindor and the others certainly know about Death," Dumbledore said solemnly.

"Although the four of them are not related by blood, they are as close as brothers and sisters."

According to the story of the three brothers, it requires three people to set off, and only three people can go.

One of the four leaders must be unable to go, which I think is why Hufflepuff didn't leave and remained at Hogwarts alone.

William continued, picking up where Dumbledore left off:

"And after Ravenclaw and his companions found Death, they used that coffin to catch Hufflepuff?"

Dumbledore nodded slightly. Based on intelligence from various sources... that was indeed the case.

William pondered.

This presents yet another way to find Death.

However, just like Grindelwald's method... it is not repeatable at all.

Because William didn't know where the coffin was!

……

……

(Please vote for this post, everyone.)

(Thanks to the generous donor "Benbang Caifan")

(End of this chapter)