Chapter 76: The Next Legend
Chapter 76: The Next Legend
The next morning, Felix obtained the research materials from the Room of Requirement.
He easily found the "cabinet that looked as if it had been splashed with strong acid" that Tom had mentioned. After using the Levitation Charm to move the cabinet aside, he discovered a dusty wooden chest hidden behind it.
Felix carefully waved his wand, enveloping himself in layers of protective magic. He then used the Unlocking Charm to open the long-sealed chest. Inside, he found a thick stack of neatly cut parchment.
There were no curses, no dark magic, and no traps.
This left Felix, who was fully armed and cautious, somewhat disappointed.
Apart from the intense stench emanating from the half-open cabinet, which forced him to cast a Bubble-Head Charm on himself, the entire process was surprisingly easy.
Back in his office, Felix eagerly began to go through the materials.
To be honest, the process was somewhat distressing. The pages were filled with detailed anatomical diagrams of magical creatures and Salazar Slytherin's own annotations. As Felix ran his fingers over the pages, he could almost hear the creatures' dying cries.
This reminded him of his own research into dark magic, and his heart felt as if it were submerged in foul-smelling black water, with unseen hands dragging him down.
Felix quickly used Occlumency to shield his mind and forced himself to read through the parchment, despite the discomfort.
About an hour later—
"Phew~"
Felix let out a long breath, his emotions complex.
From the scattered accounts of the future, it was difficult to grasp the weight of the name Salazar Slytherin. In a way, Felix understood why a young Tom Riddle was so fanatically devoted to Slytherin.
It wasn't just because of the Slytherin lineage.
Looking at the parchments before him, they were not just carriers of knowledge. Each sheet contained Salazar Slytherin's thoughts and will as he wrote the materials. There was a cold, almost cruel rationality in his approach, viewing magical creatures as mere materials for study, with no hint of sympathy or pity.
But it was precisely this absolute coldness that made Slytherin's research methodically precise, with every line of text and every diagram exuding the ultimate charm of magic.
Even under the protection of Occlumency, Felix couldn't help but be captivated, his heart stirred by the desire to follow in Slytherin's footsteps.
This wasn't the influence of magic, but the powerful personal charisma of a legendary wizard on his path to mastering magic.
Felix reluctantly sealed the materials away, "That's not my path", he reminded himself.
Before him were only three parchments, all containing knowledge he deemed most suitable for himself.
However, Felix didn't immediately begin his study. He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed out at the distant landscape of Hogwarts.
His mind was in turmoil.
"Hah! Tom, is this your plan? To find a way to counter even in the most dire of situations." Felix murmured to himself.
Many books in the magical world were potentially dangerous, not everyone was qualified to read them. Like the Restricted Section at Hogwarts, which contained numerous dangerous books—some of which required a heavy price just to read.
Tom Riddle's intent was clear. He wanted to use the allure of Salazar Slytherin's magical path to influence and assimilate Felix's thoughts.
I can't defeat you, and I can't influence you, but I can find someone stronger and let their thoughts change you.
The winter sun was warm and gentle, casting a soft light over the courtyard, where the snow was pure and pristine without being blinding. The cold wind that swept over the tower was biting but not bone-chilling.
He gazed into the distance and said softly, "Salazar Slytherin..."
"...In a sense, we are on different paths that lead to the same destination, both striving for the pinnacle of magic. But I have my own path, and I won't jump into your domain just because you've gone further."
"Everyone starts from a place of weakness. Centuries ago, you too must have felt as I do now, uncertain about your path."
"Now, in my eyes, you are a towering and perilous mountain, a legend that seems unattainable. But time is on my side, and the future is mine. One day, I will walk alongside you, and eventually surpass you."
Felix stood by the window, watching the sun rise and climb to its zenith. When its light bathed every corner of Hogwarts, his resolve was renewed.
That morning, Felix didn't think about any specific magic problems, but he felt his understanding of "magic" itself had taken a significant leap. This "progress" was all-encompassing, not manifesting in any particular spell, but giving him a sense of clarity, as if the fog had lifted.
He knew that the long-standing bottleneck in his magical theory had finally begun to break.
Years of accumulated knowledge now had the potential to undergo a qualitative transformation.
Felix waved his wand, and a milky white light radiated from him, illuminating the courtyard below, the distant greenhouse, the snow-covered ground, and even the Frozen Black Lake.
The dappled shadows of swaying branches and the dark silhouettes of the stones by the lake vanished in that moment.
In the Headmaster's Office beside the main tower, Dumbledore, with his beard disheveled, held a sizzling honeycomb candy. He looked up, his bright blue eyes shining through his half-moon glasses.
"Truly remarkable", he murmured, "isn't it, Fawkes?"
A small phoenix, about the size of a hand, preened its feathers, seemingly unaware of the praise.
At that moment, within the walls of Hogwarts School, a myriad of scenes unfolded:
Gilderoy Lockhart snored loudly in bed, enjoying the leisure of the Christmas holidays;
Professor Mcgonagall sipped her coffee, reviewing students' grades;
Professor Flitwick waved his wand, engrossed in reading "Spell Analysis";
Professor Sprout tended to the mischievous mandrakes in the warm greenhouse;
Professor Snape, with a look of disdain, fiddled with a measuring cup, a small illustrated booklet by his side;
Hermione Granger stared at herself in the mirror, tugging at the cat ears on her head in frustration;
Luna Lovegood sat in the Ravenclaw common room, swaying her head as she read a joke book;
...
In the snow-covered grounds, two young wizards trudged through the snow.
Harry suddenly felt a flash of white light before his eyes, but when he looked around, he saw nothing.
"Did you notice that?" he asked his companion.
"What?" Ron looked up, distracted.
"Like a flash of light just now..."
"Where?" Ron looked around but found nothing.
The two continued walking through the snow-covered courtyard, heading toward Professor Mcgonagall's office.
A breeze blew, carrying a few fallen leaves, and their faint voices could be heard:
"Harry, do you think Professor Mcgonagall will give me a pass?"
"Of course, you're doing serious business. You should have gotten a new wand a long time ago."
In a window of the castle tower, Felix calmly put away his wand, his eyes no longer clouded with doubt.
"In the next millennium, I will be the legend."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
