Chapter 264: Servitude Pact
Chapter 264: Servitude Pact
Today's Feast concluded after Dumbledore finished announcing all the rules.
Harry had provided all the information about Sherlock’s experiences in the castle over the past year and his rumored girlfriend, Silke.
Fleur, satisfied, followed the other Beauxbatons students out of the Great Hall and back to the massive carriage that had brought them to Hogwarts.
During their stay at Hogwarts, the students from both schools would reside in their respective modes of transportation, sparing Hogwarts the need to provide additional guest rooms.
After Fleur left, Ron finally returned to his normal state from the dazed, tongue-tied condition he had been in.
"Veela, she's a Veela!"
Hearing his excited exclamation, Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"You fool! Harry already told us that Fleur is a half-Veela, with only one-quarter Veela heritage."
"She is truly enchanting, isn't she?" Ron said, entranced.
Hermione sneered, lifting her chin.
"It doesn't matter how beautiful she is; she already has someone she likes."
Ron's face turned bright red.
"I just said she's attractive, I didn't say I like her."
He then stammered for a while before asking.
"Did I miss something? Did she mention who she likes?"
Hermione snorted, giving him a sidelong glance.
"Whoever it is, it's not you. Why do you care so much?"
Harry didn't join their conversation.
He wasn't particularly interested in who Fleur liked. Instead, he was staring at a black-haired Ravenclaw girl, smiling foolishly.
"The girls at Hogwarts aren't so bad either."
Hermione dismissed their adolescent boy behavior with a disdainful look and turned to leave, feeling pleased with her significant discovery for the evening. She headed toward the Gryffindor Common Room.
After the Feast, Sherlock and Silke returned to his office together.
They sat down at the desk, and Sherlock, with a serious expression, took out the four wooden boxes containing Fidelius from his pocket.
"I've noticed that it hasn't stopped resisting since it was captured. I can carry it with me, but I can't always be vigilant. This isn't a viable solution."
Silke looked at the four wooden boxes on the desk, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and spoke in a cool voice.
"It will continue to resist. At the German Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries, there are dedicated personnel monitoring it 24 hours a day, as has been the case for years."
Sherlock rubbed his forehead, looking frustrated.
"What can we do? None of us can afford to watch it around the clock. Do we have to return it to your former employer?"
Silke glanced at the wooden boxes and then at Sherlock, as if she wanted to say something but was hesitant.
Sherlock noticed her hesitation, poured her a cup of black tea, and smiled.
"There's no need to hide anything from each other. If you know something and want to say it, don't hold back."
Silke stared at him in silence for a moment before finally speaking slowly.
"I previously had the primary responsibility of watching over it in the Department of Mysteries, aside from divination. Before being assigned this task, I had the right to review all research materials related to Fidelius."
"In some of these materials, one of the Silent Ones who previously oversaw and studied Fidelius proposed an idea to completely control it, allowing Wizards to have dominion over it. This experimental goal was selected by the German Ministry of Magic, and a dedicated team was formed to conduct the research."
"Given Fidelius's unique abilities, if the Ministry of Magic could fully control it, it wouldn't just be about gaining a powerful ally. Instead, it would open up a new research direction in the entire realm of magical mysteries."
"With the full support of the German Ministry of Magic and the clear objectives of the Silent Ones, they quickly made significant progress. After testing countless possibilities and at the cost of over a dozen Wizards being consumed by Fidelius, they determined a single viable solution."
"By exploiting Fidelius's innate fear of the Patronus Charm, they continuously weakened its power using the charm. The next step was to bind the soul of a Wizard to Fidelius's soul with an unequal pact, similar to the servitude pact once established between Wizards and House-Elves. This would ensure that Fidelius would eternally submit to the designated Wizard, with any thoughts of rebellion impossible to arise."
Listening to Silke's calm recounting, Sherlock couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
"What happened next? Since Fidelius managed to escape later, it means their plan didn't succeed."
Silke nodded.
"Theoretical possibilities are just that— theoretical. A naturally powerful Dark Magical Creature like Fidelius is far more complex than they imagined."
"When they began putting the theory into practice, they discovered that no matter how much they weakened Fidelius with the Patronus Charm, the monster's soul strength always surpassed any Wizard. If a Wizard's soul was weaker, attempting to sign such a servitude pact would result in the Wizard being consumed by Fidelius."
"By the time the Department of Mysteries had lost almost everyone involved in the research, leaving only the then-current head, they finally abandoned the plan. They concluded that Fidelius could not be enslaved and sealed all the research materials. Only the Silent Ones responsible for overseeing it had access to these records."
At this point, Silke stared intently at Sherlock's face, which was lost in thought.
"I hesitated to tell you this, not because of any reservations, but because I don't want you to attempt such a feat. The German Ministry of Magic paid the price of dozens of Silent Ones to prove that this monster is uncontrollable."
Sherlock didn't immediately respond to her concern. Instead, he rubbed his unshaven chin, where the stubble was a bit rough, and softly repeated Silke's words.
"The Wizard's soul strength must exceed its own..."
(End of Chapter)
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