A Scene at Hogwarts Castle

Authority? This was the first time Sean had heard anyone use such a word to describe Hogwarts.

There are many legends about Hogwarts, and among the stories about the castle and the founding of the school, two accounts are widely circulated.

First, the location and name of Hogwarts were chosen by Ravenclaw, after she dreamed of a warthog leading her to a cliff by a lake. After the castle was built, Ravenclaw also conceived countless variations of its floor plan.

Secondly, the main structure of Hogwarts Castle was provided by Slytherin. The castle was originally a family heirloom of the Slytherin family, and the four Founders worked together to renovate it.

Moreover, in the Wizarding World, especially among England wizards who graduated from Hogwarts, many firmly believe that Hogwarts Castle is actually an extremely powerful Magical Item, superior to all alchemical creations of its time. Throughout its centuries-long history, it has been imbued with Ancient Magic, beginning with the covered bridges leading into the castle, and extending to areas such as the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake —this entire area is enveloped in Hogwarts ' own magic.

Many even believe that the castle is intelligent, and as far as Sean knows, the Weasley twins believe so—they even went to the highest point and the very center of the castle, trying to communicate with the entire castle.

Of course, their goal wasn't to take control of Hogwarts, but rather to hope that the castle would give them a 'back door' when the two threw the Dungbomb, so they wouldn't be caught by Filch...

Now that Sean has heard Slytherin's words from his own mouth, his heart is already in turmoil.

Slytherin tilted his head back, seemingly gazing at a point on the castle above.

"Me, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, the four of us built this castle together. Where there are people, there is bound to be conflict, but of course, we were just trying to prove ourselves better back then."

"Obviously, becoming the first headmaster would be a great opportunity to prove ourselves. To that end, the four of us made a pact: each of us would take control of a part of Hogwarts and imprint our magic upon it. This vast castle, and the surrounding area, became our potential locations."

Slytherin turned around, his eyes filled with reminiscence.

"Before that, let me tell you about the history of Hogwarts. Back then, the four of us had decided to establish a School of Magic, but we couldn't find a suitable location. Then Ravenclaw had a dream in which a warthog led her to a cliff by a lake."

"At the time, we thought it was a revelation. After finding this place, we indeed discovered two things."

"It was an ancient book with a Dragon Hide cover and a quill pen inserted in a silver ink bottle. We called it the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance."

"These two magical things complement each other. The Quill of Acceptance is sharp, and the Book of Admittance is lenient. Children with talent are recorded at birth, which is also the standard for Hogwarts admissions."

"And so the castle was built. I contributed the Slytherin family's ancestral castle, and the four of us expanded it and enchanted it with various spells—every time we cast a spell, Hogwarts became even more..."

He hesitated for a moment, then finally chose a word: "It became more spiritual, and we believe that the wonder of this area caused that."

"After that, as I mentioned before, the four of us each secretly selected an area of Hogwarts and imprinted our magic on it. If anyone can find these four areas and gain the approval of the imprint, the entire Hogwarts will be open to him."

Slytherin's lips curled into a slight smile, "However, we ultimately failed to find the areas each other was branded with; the headmaster used a different method for selection. But these four areas will remain in effect permanently, and whoever finds them and gains recognition will become the master of Hogwarts."

"The meaning of this master is much deeper than the position of headmaster. As a regional Magical Item, Hogwarts ' authority encompasses all kinds of magical abilities."

"Now, I will tell you how to gain the approval of the Slytherin authority and how to draw upon that part of the magical power."

Sean, perked up his ears. He hadn't expected that Slytherin's memories contained such a precious secret.

Slytherin proudly raised his head. "My mark is etched in the Chamber of Secrets, accessible only to Parseltongue —ha, Gryffindor and the others certainly didn't expect that even if someone were to one day seize control of Hogwarts as a whole, that person could only be a descendant of Slytherin. In the end, I am the winner of this contest!"

"This old man is cheating... "Sean muttered to himself.

Slytherin stroked his long beard with a smug look on his face, and then said slowly, "In the Chamber of Secrets, I set up a mechanism, which will serve as a test—even my descendants must be the most outstanding to become the master of Hogwarts."

"When you pass the test, you will find a magical mark on it. Release your magic in runes, merge the two magics, and then Magic Power Cleansing. You will then gain my part of the authority Slytherin Runes."

"As for the ability, you'll know once you acquire it," Slytherin said proudly. "The Runes tablet Magic Power Cleansing is right next to the brand. Remember, this requires a great deal of Runes knowledge, so don't slack off in your studies."

Sean's smile froze, replaced by a sense of helplessness. Putting aside the Chamber of Secrets, the sheer volume of Runes knowledge was enough to stump him. After all, when it came to Runes, his talent was practically something a troll had licked...

Slytherin chuckled softly at the end, "Time will tell. The final winner of this struggle is already clear! My descendants, do not disappoint me. Oh, and one last piece of information. The authority of Gryffindor should reside in the Forbidden Forest, the authority of Ravenclaw should still be in the castle, and the authority of Hufflepuff will require you to investigate on your own..."

After saying this last sentence, the scenery around Sean darkened, and he was once again lifted into the air by weightlessness. When he opened his eyes, he was already standing in the same spot.

Inside the Pensieve, the silver wisp trembled slightly before gradually disappearing into the air.

No way! Although I memorized them, I didn't learn any of those Ancient Magic!

Sean had originally planned to return every now and then to continue studying those Ancient Magic! Now, well, this thing is a one-time use item...

Looking at the row of Ancient Magic on his panel that had a proficiency level of 1, Sean sighed regretfully.

During the summer vacation, he learned two Ancient Magic from Grindelwald and Dumbledore's memories, and now his proficiency has doubled—well, his proficiency level is now 2...

My talent is completely hopeless... I wonder if combining it with the ' Ancient One's Sigh ' that I got from the Lottery Draw will improve things.

However, Sean wasn't one to be easily swayed by gains and losses; he had a good attitude—you can't have your cake and eat it too. If all else fails, he'll just have to go back to Dumbledore for some extra lessons later.

Sean circled the Stone Chamber again, and after making sure he hadn't left anything behind, he looked toward the exit.

It's time to go, but before that, there's a small problem...

Sean looked at the emerald green Basilisk.

"Are you going to stay here?" he stammered in a hissing voice.

The Basilisk seemed hesitant. It flicked its tongue and slowly replied, "My master's orders are to kill all the Parseltongue that come here..."

"But after those three people, no one has come here for a long time, right?"

"Yes, and you've already emptied this place, so no one else will find anything here." The Basilisk seemed hesitant, as if it wanted to go with Sean.

Sean glanced at the Stone Chamber; it was now completely empty. He had just taken all the books and documents, even the Pensieve.

However, dealing with such a huge Basilisk is not easy... Sean looked at the enormous body that was several times thicker than his own and was now at a loss.

Leaving it here seemed like a good option, but Sean had to admit he was a little tempted—if only he could trick a Basilisk into becoming his henchman... Pshaw, is that trickery? It's more like he was afraid the other person would be too lonely.

The Basilisk before them was simple-minded and far more intelligent than other Magical Creatures, making it a potentially excellent companion. However, this creature was inherently deadly, and unlike Dave, it couldn't communicate with Sean telepathically. Any mishap could be irreversible...

After thinking for a moment, Sean said in his Parseltongue, "How about this, you still treat this place as your base, and I'll come to see you when I have the chance?"

Sean decided to think about it again when he got back; he needed a proper way to handle this huge thing before he could take it away.

The Basilisk kept its eyes tightly shut, and nodded quickly. "Okay..."

"Then it's settled," Sean said, walking onto the stone corridor. Then, as if remembering something, he turned back and said, "Next time I come, whatever you do, don't open your eyes!"

"I understand, and I've already memorized your scent," the Basilisk said obediently.

"So obedient..." Sean nodded, then climbed the steps and arrived at the entrance.

I've been missing for so long, everyone else must be worried sick, right? I wonder if the professors will contact my parents.

Furthermore, should I tell Professor Dumbledore about my experience in the Stone Chamber?

Sean still prefers to keep it a secret, but that raises another issue.

How can I explain my disappearance during this period?

Leaning against the entrance of the stone corridor, Sean quickly changed into his new uniform, then cleaned the dirt off his face and began to think about how he should tell a lie.

Night had fallen, and the castle was almost completely dark. But many people still couldn't sleep.

Staff Room, several professors were sitting around a campfire.

Professor McGonagall looked somewhat tired; she held a wine glass in one hand and massaged her temples with the other.

After taking a sip, she sighed deeply, "The child still hasn't been found..."

Professor Flitwick, standing to the side, looked grim; he had been in a very bad mood for some time now.

Not only was he the protagonist of the Prophecy, but he also lost one of Ravenclaw's best students.

Professor Flitwick waved his wand irritably, the flames in the fireplace rising and falling in sync with his mood.

"Filius, stop moving, the flickering firelight is getting on my nerves," Professor McGonagall said.

"But there's still no sign of Sean!" Professor Flitwick shouted, then slumped down in dejection. "I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking; he actually told us to stop searching..."

"At this point, we can only trust Albus..." Professor McGonagall said helplessly.

Professor Flitwick waved his wand, causing the flame to crackle, and said angrily, "What am I supposed to tell my students? Miss Granger, the Potter, Mr. Longbottom, and the Weasley —they come to my office every day!"

He exaggeratedly blew on his beard and waved one hand vigorously. "They're all in terrible shape! Me too! I haven't smoked my pipe in a week!"

Professor McGonagall took another sip of her drink and sighed, "Filius, do you think I'm having an easy time? News of the students' disappearances has already spread, and those reporters from the Daily Prophet are like hyenas smelling carrion, sending dozens of owls every day trying to inquire about everything. The Locked Chamber of Secrets was already big enough, and we had just resolved it when this happened."

"Ha!" Professor Flitwick chuckled, his voice full of resentment. "Is that the key point? The key point is that Wallerup's parents sent over a dozen letters today! They haven't received a reply from their son, and they're frantic with worry!"

"What am I supposed to say to them? What am I supposed to say to Mr. Wallop, who was so helpful in the Chamber of Secrets? Just say that your son has been missing for a week, and guess what? We can't find him! And our headmaster told us not to worry, and that you shouldn't worry either! Ha, what a brilliant wizard!"

Professor Flitwick's chest heaved violently.

Newt, who had been silent until now, spoke up, "Minerva, Filius, you don't need to worry too much. Dumbledore must have his reasons for saying that. As far as I know, he should have some way to ensure Sean's safety."

"I hope so..." The two professors exchanged a helpless glance, then lay back in their chairs with gloomy expressions.

Newt lowered his head, his eyes bright. The other professors didn't know, but he knew one thing— Dumbledore and that annoying Grindelwald had always been in contact, and that old man was also a Seer ...

They must have known that Sean wasn't actually in danger...

In the highest tower of Newmontgard Castle in faraway Austria, two elderly men looked extremely grim.

Before them was a Crystal Ball from which mist emanated, creating a scene.

That was Sean, lying on the ground, his face covered in blood, completely Sean.

Grindelwald's wand floated to the side, trembling slightly at an extremely fast frequency, and his voice sounded as if it had been frozen from the ice of Siberia.

"Albus... I'm very angry... very angry..."

Just to clarify, from now on, if it's a single chapter, it will be 4000 words; if it's two chapters, it will be two chapters of 3000 words each. If there's a sudden update, I'll release half of it at noon and let everyone know, and the other half will be released in the evening.

In December, I will update at least four times. Thank you all for your continued support.

Many thanks to the generous donations from the expert [Zhuanye CS].