Moriarty Slytherin

Winter, 1987, East Tibet, China.

A dilapidated wooden cabin on the southern side of the East Tibetan plateau creaked strangely in the biting wind.

Ten-year-old Moriarty Slytherin had put on every piece of clothing he could wear, wrapped himself in every quilt and blanket in the house, and curled up in a corner against the wall.

Moriarty Slytherin was clearly freezing badly. His lips had turned blue, frost clung to his eyelashes, and even his gray hair looked especially dull.

Yet he clutched a long black box tightly.

When he realized his hands and feet had gone numb and were beginning to lose all sensation, Moriarty Slytherin pinned the Black Box beneath his elbow so he could look at it one last time.

"Great Slytherin, I'm sorry. I would rather die sooner than endure this suffering."

Three hours later.

Moriarty Slytherin suddenly furrowed his brow, a struggling expression appearing on his face.

Strictly speaking, he was no longer the real Moriarty. Though he occupied this body, the soul lurking deep within it belonged to a young man from the twenty-first century.

The real Moriarty had already died. The Moriarty now occupying this body had no intention of freezing to death right after coming back to life.

Having inherited all of Moriarty's memories, he understood full well the mysteries of the Harry Potter world and the allure of magic.

"As expected of the last Slytherin. Even a descendant cast adrift knows more than others!"

Moriarty opened his eyes as if awakening, but the movement tugged at the frostbite on his face, sending pain through half his face.

"In my excitement, I forgot that the original body might have been a Muggle-born. Otherwise, he wouldn't have frozen to death."

Cold air had already flooded Moriarty's throat. He muttered hoarsely.

Realizing his current predicament, Moriarty could only lie flat on the floor, not daring to move recklessly or even make an expression.

But he soon felt something long and large pressing against his chest!

"The Black Box?" Moriarty realized it was the only thing the original body would protect even in death.

Moriarty recalled the original body's memories. The Slytherin Family both revered and feared this Black Box.

"Legend says this is a treasure passed down from Salazar Slytherin! It seems to have some agreement with our ancestor too?!"

But Moriarty could not care about that now.

He was about to freeze to death. Why should he care about some agreement with an ancestor?

Stubborn pure-bloods!

Since it was a treasure passed down from Salazar, perhaps it could save his life.

Dragging his arms, which had nearly frozen into icicles, Moriarty struggled with all his strength to open the Black Box.

A Silver Staff about eighty centimeters long lay neatly inside, with a parchment scroll beneath it.

The Silver Staff had become Moriarty's lifeline.

He tried to twist his arm and pick up the staff, but it was difficult.

His limbs were already sluggish. Fortunately, as his sense of touch gradually vanished, the pain became less acute as well.

Moriarty finally touched the Wand.

He was considering the Spells from his memories when he heard a chime by his ear.

"Host has discovered and touched a magical item. Activating the Behind-the-Scenes Boss System. Host has received one Initial Draw opportunity."

"Quick, draw! Can you draw me a Spell that restores my health? Or a Heating Charm? At the very least, give me an Incendio, right? This draw is basically a beginner's gift pack, isn't it?!"

Those who obtained a system obtained the world. Now that the system had appeared, keeping himself alive should not be a problem, right?

"All Initial Draw prizes originate from the Harry Potter world."

"They include fifty daily necessities, ten magical items, ten Alchemy Items, ten Spells, ten Potions, and ten types of Wands."

"Please confirm once again: does Host wish to draw?"

"Draw!" Moriarty chose to draw without hesitation.

"Very well. Good luck, Host."

Although the odds of drawing one of the fifty daily necessities were high, Moriarty believed in his luck.

"Ding-dong~ Congratulations, Host. You have drawn a pair of wool socks!"

A pair of thick white socks instantly appeared in Moriarty's hands. They looked exquisitely made.

"The Initial Draw has ended. May Host soon become the behind-the-scenes boss of the Harry Potter world."

"Fuck!!! This is the good luck you wished me?"

Moriarty was so furious he nearly spat blood. What kind of system was this? What transmigrator's benefit package gave out a pair of wool socks?!

"I'm about to freeze to death, and you give me socks?" Moriarty demanded fiercely, "System, come out! I refuse to accept this Initial Draw! I demand a redraw!"

"Detected that Host's life force is severely draining. Host remains conscious only because of the exhilaration brought by transmigration."

"If Host does nothing, then in approximately thirty minutes, once the exhilaration fades, Host will freeze to death."

"This Wand beside me is big and long. Even if I sold it as scrap, it would fetch a decent price. Can't I pawn it? Trade it for some Spells or something? It's for saving my life. This is urgent!"

"Ding-dong~ Detected that Host has discovered, touched, and possesses the Slytherin Patriarch's Staff. Host is rewarded with three draw opportunities!"

"Because the staff discovered by Host is the symbol of a patriarch from an ancient medieval pure-blood family, these draws are Exploration Draws. Host is advised to make good use of them."

"Exploration Draws?"

They sounded like they had better rewards than the Initial Draw!

Moriarty decisively chose to draw!

"No need to explain. I'll check the details myself later. Just draw for me!"

"Very well. Good luck, Host."

Moriarty's heart rose to his throat. If he failed to draw something good in three tries, he knew he might become the first transmigrator to freeze to death at the start!

"Ding-dong~ Congratulations, Host. You have drawn one bottle of Polyjuice Potion!"

A Potion the size of a mineral water bottle immediately appeared beside Moriarty.

"..."

It was a good sign!

Moriarty comforted himself.

At least it was a Potion, not another pair of wool socks.

"System, draw again!"

"Ding-dong~ Congratulations, Host. You have drawn fifty cubic meters of System Space! Host may store any item other than living creatures inside the System Space."

"..."

It was good, but it still could not save his life!

"Draw the last one for me! I need something that can keep me alive!"

"Ding-dong~ Congratulations, Host. You have drawn Ten Years of Magic Power!"

"The Exploration Draw has ended. May Host soon become the behind-the-scenes boss of the Harry Potter world."

When Moriarty heard the words "Magic Power," he ignored the system's routine blessing and devoted himself entirely to sensing and understanding his Magic Power.

Ten Years of Magic Power!

It was equivalent to Moriarty awakening his Magic Power the moment he was born!

Could babies of the Slytherin Family possibly be the same as other babies?

For a baby who awakened Magic Power right after birth, there were usually only two words to describe it: Monster!

Moriarty sensed the subtle changes within his body. He instinctively raised his frozen right hand and placed it over the Slytherin staff.

Suddenly, heat began to rise within him.

Like a burning match in the Frozen Wasteland, it was faint, but Moriarty still caught it precisely.

"Now!" Moriarty roared. Following the surge of impulse in his heart, he gripped the Slytherin staff with all his strength, and Magic Power instantly erupted!

Bang!

A cluster of Golden Spark burst from the tip of the Silver Staff, firing out a Light Beam formed from Magic Power.

Bang!

Watching the magical Light Beam pierce through the roof and shoot into the sky, Moriarty smiled.

With Magic Power, every Ancient Magic in his memories had opened its doors to Moriarty.

Not only that, in the distant West.

Inside a locked little tower at Hogwarts, the Quill of Acceptance swiftly wrote Moriarty Slytherin's name in The Book of Admittance.

"Rustle, rustle..."

The pages of The Book of Admittance began flipping rapidly on their own, each page gleaming with silver light!

This anomaly did not last long, because the Quill of Acceptance and The Book of Admittance flew out of the tower as if they had grown wings.

Less than a minute later, the entire Castle seemed to come alive:

The Stone Men automatically left their original positions, speaking in a language no one could understand.

The figures in the Murals began dancing one after another.

Peeves flew around the Castle, cackling madly, wearing such a proud expression that he looked as though he were carrying a huge bomb in his arms...

That day later came to be known as The Great Hogwarts Riot. Moriarty would not learn of it until five months later. At this moment, he had yet to escape mortal danger.

Normally, a little wizard would feel extremely weak after their first Magic Power outburst, but Moriarty did not feel weak at all. Instead, he was overjoyed.

"Let me think. A Heating Charm."

"There isn't a clearly documented Heating Charm in modern times, nor was there one in the Middle Ages. It was probably because heating was too simple to bother recording."

"However, the Weather-Charm, Fire-Condensing Charm, Fire-Making Charm, Hot-Air Charm, and Handheld-Flame Charm can all produce warming and heat-retaining effects."

After some thought, Moriarty decided the Weather-Charm was too powerful and unsuitable for use indoors.

The dilapidated cabin could not endure any more damage.

The Fire-Making Charm was Incendio, which was not particularly suitable either.

The Fire-Condensing Charm could shrink and condense flames within a specific range, but it demanded a high degree of control from the caster.

The Hot-Air Charm could be as powerful or weak as desired, heating the air for warmth. It was most suitable for Moriarty at the moment.

The Handheld-Flame Charm belonged to Elemental Magic and was relatively complex.

Therefore, Moriarty chose the Hot-Air Charm.

He slowly raised the Magic Scepter and released Magic Power into the air little by little through the staff.

Moriarty felt the air around him gradually grow warmer. Even though the cold wind remained biting, he could no longer feel its bone-piercing chill.

"Magic really is wonderful," Moriarty sighed sincerely.

He slowly stood up and placed the wool socks and Polyjuice Potion into the System Space.

He took off some of the clothes on his body to make moving easier.

Then, leaning on the Slytherin staff and carrying the Black Box, he walked to the only bed in the cabin and sat down.

Moriarty took out the parchment from the box. The instant he unfolded it, a Golden Key dropped onto the floor with a sharp clang.

It was a Golden Key the size of an adult's palm. Moriarty had to cup both hands together just to hold it.

"What kind of door could this key open? Or what kind of chest?"

Obviously, there was no door large enough in the cabin, nor was there room for a huge chest.

Moriarty shook his head, gently set down the Golden Key, and picked up the parchment. To his surprise, it was a Family Tree!

At the very beginning of the Family Tree was Salazar Slytherin.

In other words, Moriarty Slytherin's identity was genuine!

But according to the original story, the Gaunt family were Slytherin's descendants, and Tom Riddle was Salazar Slytherin's only blood descendant.

Only after carefully examining the Family Tree did Moriarty understand.

After Salazar Slytherin left Hogwarts, he had once fathered a son.

This son was a Muggle-born, so Salazar sent him away after he came of age.

Knowing they could not use magic, this branch of the Slytherins deliberately kept far away from the magical world.

As time passed, this branch of the Slytherins migrated continuously.

Because they firmly believed in pure-blood supremacy, even though they were all Muggle-borns, this branch of the Slytherins never married outsiders and always practiced marriage within the family.

By the generation of Moriarty's parents, they had been sickly since childhood and were also the only two people left.

It was just before World War II. Grindelwald somehow learned that Slytherin still had living descendants and searched for them like a madman.

Thus, Moriarty's parents moved to East Tibet, China, to avoid disaster.

Besides the Family Tree, the Silver Staff and Golden Key could also prove Moriarty's identity.

The Silver Staff truly was the Slytherin patriarch's scepter. Salazar's Muggle-born son had stolen the staff.

Moriarty snorted when he read that.

How could he fail to see that there was more to this story?

No need to say it—it had definitely been stolen right under Salazar's nose.

A Muggle-born had actually managed to steal something from the hands of a legendary wizard? Even if that Muggle-born was the legendary wizard's son.

He truly did not know whether to call it profound fatherly love or say that the son was simply monstrous.

If it was the former, that was one thing. But if it was the latter...

Moriarty could only snort a few more times. The Middle Ages were far too distant from him. The Golden Key was much more compelling instead.

It was a key that opened the gates of a Castle!

It belonged to the Castle where Salazar had lived after leaving Hogwarts!

The back of the parchment marked the detailed address, and Moriarty firmly memorized it.

After learning the Slytherin Family's history, his identity was effectively confirmed. In terms of bloodline purity, he was countless times purer than Tom Gaunt.

But Moriarty did not subscribe to that pure-blood nonsense.

Pure-blood or half-blood, wizard or Muggle, they were all mortals in the end. All living beings.

And having grown used to death, Moriarty's greatest trait was his indifference toward life.

"Maybe that's why the Behind-the-Scenes Boss System bound itself to me." Moriarty's gaze changed. Now, he could properly study the system.

At that moment, the system prompted, "The system exists to cultivate Host into the behind-the-scenes boss of this world."

"To prevent Host from remaining inactive, the system will issue tasks at any time. Upon completing tasks, Host will receive points and rewards."

"Ultimate Mission issued: become the behind-the-scenes big boss of this world! Reward: Become a God! Deadline: 2012. Failure: the Host will be turned into a eunuch!"

A massive flood of information immediately surged into Moriarty's mind. Having received enormous amounts of information twice in succession, even Moriarty found it difficult to bear. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Moriarty gritted his teeth and sorted through the system's information. Put simply, this was a Golden Finger.

The system offered many benefits. He could conduct Lottery Draws and exchange points for anything in the Harry Potter world.

The final benefit, as the system had stated, was obtaining generous rewards by completing missions.

Since the Harry Potter world was a magical world that had not yet been fully explored, Lottery Draws were also divided into Exploration Draws and Achievement Draws.

Discovering, touching, possessing, or destroying valuable magical items or Magic Secret Realms could each earn him one Exploration Draw.

At this point, Moriarty sprang to his feet, his face brimming with eagerness. He wanted nothing more than to turn the wooden cabin upside down.

But he quickly calmed down. The room's contents were visible at a glance; aside from the Black Box, the Slytherin family had nothing more valuable.

"I should be satisfied. By receiving those memories, I gained Slytherin family knowledge. That is the most precious wealth! And the system's appearance means I will gain even more!"

Moriarty tightened his grip on the Slytherin staff. Realizing that he could not be greedy, he knew he already possessed enough.

"What I should consider now is how to turn Invisible Wealth into tangible wealth! I need to prepare to become the behind-the-scenes big boss!"

Moriarty had successfully dispelled the cold, and he casually added two more spells to the wooden cabin: Reparo and Scourgify.

After doing all that, Moriarty's surroundings became somewhat more comfortable.

He sat on the bed, placing the staff, key, and parchment before him as he began to think.

The system's mission deadline was 2012. It was now 1987, exactly twenty-five years away.

More precisely, twenty-four years. Moriarty looked at the snow outside the window, because it was already the end of 1987.

In other words, Moriarty had to become the behind-the-scenes big boss of the Harry Potter world before he turned thirty-five!

Moriarty quickly drew up a list.

At the very top stood the White Demon King, Dumbledore, and the Dark Lord, Voldemort!

Old Dumbledore and little Tom were undoubtedly on the same level. Behind them came Grindelwald.

After all, he was the First Generation Dark Lord. Who knew when he might come out and cause trouble?

Old Grindelwald was also suspiciously close with Old Dumbledore. If someone ever made a move against Old Dumbledore, Old Grindelwald could charge from Nurmengard to Hogwarts in minutes.

Those three were all strong contenders for the role of behind-the-scenes big boss. Besides them, Moriarty also added the pure-blood families and the Various Ministries of Magic.

Lucius Malfoy.

Cornelius Fudge.

Moriarty wrote down the pure-blood representatives and Ministry of Magic dignitaries he knew on the list.

These people might not be his competitors, but they would undoubtedly create certain obstacles for his future actions.

Holding the list in one hand and propping his chin with the other, Moriarty said, "Then I should think about where the gap lies between me and these people."

"The gap in strength is obvious."

"Without a doubt, there are also gaps in prestige, reputation, wealth, status, knowledge, and experience."

"No, knowledge and experience can be crossed out."

"After inheriting Slytherin's family legacy, my knowledge of the magical world already exceeds the understanding and knowledge modern wizards possess of it."

"As for experience, my previous life gave me far too much experience dealing with people of different identities. As long as I am given a platform, whether they are pure-bloods or half-bloods, wizards or Muggles, I can get along with them all."

"That leaves prestige, reputation, wealth, and status."

"As long as I obtain any one of them, the rest will soon follow."

Moriarty picked up the Golden Key, an unusual gleam flashing in his eyes.

"I think Salazar's Castle will fulfill that need!"

"It seems necessary to head to Britain as soon as possible."

Moriarty swept his gaze across the room, without the slightest trace of attachment in his eyes.

This place had left Moriarty with nothing but pain.

However, before leaving, Moriarty needed to avenge the original body. The original body's parents had died at the hands of an East Tibetan Yeti during an outing not long ago.

"East Tibetan Yeti...?"

Moriarty felt that the name was familiar. Hadn't Gilderoy Lockhart, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in Harry Potter's second year, written a book about the East Tibetan Yeti?

The title seemed to be A Year with the East Tibetan Yeti?

Now this was interesting. It meant Gilderoy Lockhart had very likely come to East Tibet!

Just then, a magnetic voice came from outside the wooden cabin. "Hello, I'm Gilderoy Lockhart, a british writer. May I come in and sit for a while? It really is terribly cold outside."