Chapter 558: The Magical Crown
Chapter 558: The Magical Crown
The next day was Easter break, and Kyle woke up early, leaving the common room behind.
With the help of the Fat Friar, he located Helena in one of the castle's towers and then made his way to Hogsmeade Station before nine o'clock.
Perhaps due to the Triwizard Tournament, there were hardly any students going home for the Easter break, and Kyle found himself alone in the Prefect compartment.
This was convenient, as he didn't need to search for another location.
As the train doors closed and it was about to depart, Kyle took out the key Dumbledore had given him the day before and whispered, "Niko Lemer..."
The whistle that had just sounded abruptly stopped, and when Kyle opened his eyes again, he found himself at the entrance of a familiar manor, facing an impressive mansion gate and two lifelike dragon statues.
Intrigued, Kyle approached the statues, recalling that Niko had once mentioned these statues as one of his most satisfying creations in recent centuries.
However, Kyle couldn't discern anything extraordinary about the statues; they seemed no different from the stone figures in the castle, except for the intricate magical runes covering them.
"Welcome, sir!" a shrill voice greeted him.
House-elf Tata stood there, bowing respectfully to Kyle.
"Master Tata is here to receive you, sir," he said.
"Thank you, Tata," Kyle replied.
Even though he had received an invitation from Niko, it was reassuring to have a house-elf guide him.
"It's Tata's honor," the house-elf said.
Tata then led Kyle into the manor, through the front yard and foyer, down a long corridor, and stopped at an inconspicuous room.
Tata knocked on the door politely.
Soon, the door opened.
Kyle saw Niko Lemer, but not in person; he saw him through a mirror.
Niko's reflection appeared in the mirror, similar to the portraits in the Headmaster's office.
"So glad to see you, Kyle," Niko Lemer said, turning towards the mirror. "The Philosopher's Stone's creation has reached its critical stage, and I can't leave.
Fortunately, I made this earlier."
As he spoke, the reflection of Niko suddenly emerged from the mirror, and his entire body passed through the table, appearing before Kyle.
"Another application of the Pensieve," he explained. "What you see now is just a fragment of my memory.
Of course, even without his explanation, Kyle could tell that the Niko before him was not real.
Apart from his body passing through the table, the real Niko couldn't move that quickly.
While they conversed, Tata quietly exited the room, closing the door behind him.
"You've received the letter I wrote to you, haven't you?" Niko asked.
Kyle nodded.
"Then... come this way," he said.
Niko led Kyle forward to a shelf, where a purple velvet cushion sat on a middle shelf, and on it rested a delicate crown.
The Ravenclaw Crown.
The previous rust had vanished, revealing its original appearance.
The entire crown was silver, resembling a raven with its wings spread, and at its center—the raven's body—was a solid sapphire.
The restored crown looked ordinary, and Kyle couldn't sense even a trace of magic on it, as if it were merely an exquisitely crafted decorative item.
"The pinnacle of perfection in alchemy, with almost no loss of magical power," Niko marveled. "It took me nearly three hundred years to achieve this.
"I believe you've already guessed who that lady in my letter was," he added.
"I have a name in mind," Kyle said, "but it's just... too incredible.
“Actually, I feel the same way,” Niko said. “I always thought that nothing could surprise me anymore, until a few days ago, when I suddenly heard the sound of the crown... At that moment, I almost fell off my chair.”
“But I think you should be better than me... After all, you've seen her once before.”
“So, it's really Rowena Ravenclaw?” Kyle asked.
“Who else could it be?” Niko smiled, “There's no way Albus's voice would be in the crown.”
“That's really scary.” Kyle also laughed.
Dumbledore still doesn't know that the crown has been found, and neither Kyle nor Niko have revealed a word about it.
After all, the crown is technically the property of the school, and if he insists on taking it back, what should they do? In this regard, the two of them are surprisingly in sync.
“Well, Lady Ravenclaw seems to want to talk to you alone, so I won't disturb you... Just wear the crown on your head.”
After that, Niko disappeared, and only the mirror on the wall flashed with a weak light.
Kyle looked at the crown in front of him and carefully took it off the cushion.
The correct version is in Book 69! 6=9+Book_bar first release this novel.
The crown wasn't heavy, just about the same as a normal book. Kyle took a deep breath and placed it on his head.
The world before him seemed to suddenly become brighter.
Kyle felt his mind was clearer than ever, and some questions that had troubled him for a long time were instantly solved.
He knew why his "Firegod Path" was so much better than Dumbledore's personal display. He had always thought it was a matter of magic, but it wasn't like that.
He didn't need to use magic to maintain the shape and stability of the flames; that would be a waste. Instead, he should have transformed the magic into guiding runes from the beginning.
In this way, he would only need to pull the spell, just like flying a kite. As long as the line is in his hand, the kite won't fly away.
So that's how it is... No wonder Dumbledore had repeatedly suggested that he look at that book more.
Kyle subconsciously turned his head and looked at the mirror on the wall.
In his eyes, the runes engraved on the frame suddenly came to life, jumping and arranging themselves in front of Kyle.
It was like a Quidditch match.
Some runes formed Chasers, some formed Beaters, and there were Golden Snitches, Quaffles, and Bludgers.
They each performed their roles, together forming an exciting game.
And their roles in the game were also clear at a glance.
“This is truly incredible...” Kyle murmured.
“That's because you already understand these things.”
A strange and cold female voice sounded in his ear.
“The crown cannot give people what they don't already have. A person who doesn't understand runes at all will never be able to understand the function of this mirror, even if they wear the crown.”
Then, the jumping images in front of him disappeared.
Kyle felt a strong sense of loss in his heart. He didn't want this magical state to disappear but wanted to maintain it forever.
In a daze, it seemed like a gust of wind had blown over. It was a morning breeze with dew, very refreshing, and it made Kyle briefly regain his clarity.
“That's not right!”
Kyle panted heavily, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
He finally understood what Niko had said before. This feeling of being all-knowing and all-powerful was indeed addictive.
He had only experienced it for a few seconds and had already become so immersed. If it had been longer, after taking off the crown, he would surely have gone mad from the immense difference.
Thinking of this, Kyle subconsciously reached out, wanting to take the crown off his head.
But this thing was as if it had grown on his head, not budging at all.
(End of Chapter)
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