The mechanical owl was evidently a place for storing things.
Very Hogwarts in style.
It was surely also one of Teacher Morgan's ways of guiding and enticing Hogwarts' Young Wizards.
So.
Ian tried a few Hogwarts-style passwords. To his surprise, none of them worked. He still had to use a serious password, and the instant he said, "Knowledge knows no bounds, truth is eternal."
The hidden compartment opened.
The hidden compartment slid open soundlessly.
Ian held his breath.
He took out the black notebook inside. It looked utterly unremarkable, its cover made of dark brown leather, its edges yellowed with age, with several indistinct runes carved upon it.
To the little brat who rummages through things:
I knew you would find this place.
Put it back when you're done reading.
—M
Ian could not help but chuckle.
Sure enough, Teacher Morgan had long anticipated that he would "explore" the castle.
Once Ian had finished reading Teacher Morgan's message.
The notebook within the mechanical owl's hidden compartment changed as well—grasped by the right person, the entire book suddenly trembled, as though a heart inside it were beating.
It was as if the notebook had undergone a secret disguise, and now that it truly was in Ian's prearranged hands, it shed its camouflage.
The plain notebook began to transform.
Silver vines extended from its spine, and a three-dimensional relief emerged on the cover: a witch in a pointed hat rode a broomstick as she chased the moon, her robes trailing a rainbow-like path through the night sky.
Yes.
The texture and color of the entire notebook were changing. Then, a soft, warm glow spilled out from between its pages, illuminating Ian's face.
He instinctively took a step back.
But he did not throw away the notebook that had turned into a book