Chapter 81: A Thousand Years Past
Chapter 81: A Thousand Years Past
"Many." Felix said, "In the numerous books I've read, the four founders are often mentioned, but the accounts are either unclear, contradictory, or consist of mere fragments, offering no real value."
He gave an example, "Take Salazar Slytherin, for instance. Many fear him and call him a Dark Wizard... but what is the truth?"
"Truth?" the Grey Lady countered. "What truth do you seek?"
"Of course, the truth as you see it", Felix replied, looking at her.
The ghost seemed to fall into a reverie. After much thought, she spoke with a sense of gravity, "Salazar Slytherin was an exceptional wizard, and he was deeply in love with his wife..."
Felix: "???"
This was clearly not the information he was after, but it was a good start, so he continued, "There is very little information about his wife, but many mention that Slytherin was ugly, looking like a monkey."
The lady gave him a slightly haughty look, "That was a side effect of his magical research. Slytherin was originally extremely handsome, but as he delved deeper into those... terrifying realms, his appearance became more and more frightening."
Felix felt a sense of clarity, a pleasure in unraveling an ancient mystery.
The Grey Lady continued her recollections, "He was always surrounded by snakes, often wearing long robes of black or dark green, with an ever-present aura of blood. His eyes became increasingly terrifying."
Felix speculated that Slytherin might have infused his blood with that of certain magical creatures.
"His personality grew more extreme, and his disagreements with the others grew more frequent... There were several arguments, and even his best friend, Gryffindor, could no longer tolerate him. However, I must clarify that they never fought. He simply left quietly one morning, taking everything that belonged to him."
"He left the Chamber", Felix reminded her.
"Perhaps, but I have heard that Slytherin was not afraid to teach various cruel dark magic, while the other three strongly opposed it. There are rumors that he secretly took his favored students to hidden places to teach them these terrifying spells."
So, the Chamber was initially used for teaching? Felix thought, another mystery solved. However, based on his speculations, as conflicts intensified, Slytherin likely moved some of his more brutal experiments to the Chamber as well.
Speaking of which, Felix had once secretly returned to the Chamber, using Harry's Parseltongue pronunciation scroll to thoroughly inspect it, but found nothing, only the pit where the Basilisk usually slept.
The Grey Lady concluded, "At least during his time at Hogwarts, he fulfilled his initial promise, protecting the students and staff from various attacks with his life. Unlike the past few centuries, when Slytherin House has completely changed..."
"What attacks are you referring to?" Felix caught the key point.
She floated around, seemingly disdaining Felix's lack of knowledge but also excited to impart her wisdom. "You don't think Hogwarts was built without a struggle, do you?"
Felix showed no reaction, merely gesturing for her to continue.
The Grey Lady explained, "By today's standards, most wizards back then were Dark Wizards. They followed a master-apprentice system, with one master leading three or four apprentices. These groups roamed from village to village, seeking out promising new recruits to train and serve as their servants."
The founding of Hogwarts, especially after the four founders extended the magic of the Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admission to cover the British Isles, dealt a fatal blow to these Wizards—they were forever and completely cut off from their source of servants.
"Quill of Acceptance, Book of Admission..." Felix mused over these two terms. He had heard whispers about these magical artifacts.
It was said that the name of every young wizard admitted to Hogwarts could be found in the Book of Admission.
When a child first displayed their magical abilities, the Quill of Acceptance would try to record their name. However, the Book of Admission had stricter standards—only when these children demonstrated sufficient evidence of their magical abilities would their names be entered into the Book of Admission.
The sensitivity of the Quill of Acceptance combined with the strictness of the Book of Admission ensured that Hogwarts could select qualified students without error for a thousand years.
"The establishment of a new order is inevitably met with resistance from old forces", Felix sighed. He now understood where the venomous comments about Gryffindor in the diary came from.
The story from a thousand years ago continued—
"Some Wizards recognized the efforts of the four founders and voluntarily sent their children to Hogwarts. But others—those particularly radical Dark Wizards—lurked in the shadows, attacking Hogwarts professors and students when they were out or on holiday, leaving their bodies at the gates of Hogwarts Castle." She shuddered.
"This naturally provoked a counterattack from Hogwarts, with Gryffindor taking the most aggressive stance. He wielded his sword and wand, defeating one famous Dark Wizard after another. He even publicly declared that he was willing to accept any challenge, whether by Muggle or Wizard means."
Felix listened with rapt attention. How could the records on the parchment capture the grandeur of that history?
"What about the other three?"
"They did the same, but Gryffindor's reputation was the loudest. After a few years, some students graduated and spread out across the world, spreading Hogwarts' fame. Few dared to challenge the school after that."
The Grey Lady spoke with pride and nostalgia, finishing the story.
Felix benefited greatly from her tale and sincerely expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Helen Ravenclaw."
"Don't! Call! Me! That! Name!" The ghost in front of him suddenly became agitated. Her translucent cheeks seemed to lose some of their transparency. Before he could speak, she vanished through the wall.
Felix: "..."
At the same time, a deep, raspy voice suddenly appeared, saying, "Don't mention that name. It's her taboo."
Felix turned around to see a gaunt, pale ghost standing before him. The ghost wore an ancient wizard's robe stained with silver blood and was shackled by large chains.
"It's been a long time, Barrow."
(End of Chapter)
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