Nightmare Warning

Skylar cried out in alarm, waking from his nightmare.

He opened his eyes; his forehead and back were wet with sweat.

It was a scene of apocalypse.

The azure sky was replaced by the color of blood, dotted with clusters of dark gray clouds.

The air was thick with the smell of decay, and even the wind that blew in tasted salty.

The land was desolate, with vast swathes of Black Fire raging everywhere, burning everything in sight.

In the sky, a gigantic Black Dragon was rampaging and soaring recklessly, roaring loudly and spewing Black Fire.

On the ground, in front of Skylar, a wizard with black fur all over his body, hair like thick steel needles, gleaming with a black metallic sheen, tall and burly, comparable to a Half-Giant, roared and howled loudly, followed by a large group of terrifying and ugly monsters.

On the ground, behind Skylar, a noseless, ugly man let out a long, grotesque, and terrifying laugh. Behind him were a group of masked men, Dementor, Werewolf, Giant, and an army of Inferius.

Skylar stood there all alone, both afraid and confused.

He lowered his head.

At his feet, Daphne, Astoria, Morrie, Lucius, Narcissa lay peacefully on the ground, motionless, but the bloodstains covering their bodies testified to their deaths.

"No--!!!" Skylar's eyes turned bloodshot as he roared to the sky, "This isn't real!"

The image suddenly shattered into countless fragments.

The Black Dragon, the Half-giant wizard, and the Noseless Wizard have all disappeared.

A hazy, dark Black Shadow appeared before my eyes, but I couldn't make it out clearly no matter how hard I tried.

Suddenly, Dumbledore appeared, his face covered in blood. He cried out in anguish, "Skylar, why is this happening... What have you done... What have you changed... It shouldn't be like this..."

Before Skylar could answer, Dumbledore's face transformed back into Meredith's, tears streaming down her face. "Skylar, have you forgotten me...? Do you know how long I've been waiting for you, waiting for you to come and save me...? But where are you...?"

"No, no!" Skylar only managed to say this before Meredith's face suddenly transformed into Draco's, Draco's face filled with terror. "Skylar, run! Run! Don't worry about me! It's all my fault! I brought it all on myself... Don't worry about me anymore, run, run..."

"What are you saying?" Before Skylar could understand, Draco suddenly flashed a vicious glint in his eyes and roared, "Die! Astoria should have belonged to me!"

Skylar looked at his abdomen, where Draco had stabbed him deeply, drawing a lot of blood. The wound hurt terribly, but his heart ached even more. Tears streamed down Skylar's face. "No, it's not like that... Brother, please listen to me..."

A wave of weakness washed over him. Skylar clutched his wound and knelt down on the ground. "You..."

"Why!!!" Resentment and anger filled his heart. He felt the magic power within him stirring, as if telling him, "Break out, break out, release all the magic power, release it all!"

Skylar looked at his hands, which were once again covered in black energy. He felt the Dark Arts gradually eroding his mind. "You forced me to this!"

"Avada Kedavra!" Skylar shouted angrily, pointing his Black Shadow figure with all his might.

With a thud, the Black Shadow's face suddenly transformed into Hermione's, her eyes wide with bitterness and despair. "Skylar... we really... can't be friends after all?"

She collapsed into Skylar's arms, her eyes gleaming with an inexplicable light. With great effort, she raised her hand and touched Skylar's face, saying weakly, "Skylar, I don't blame you. I only hope you know my feelings... To die in your hands, my wish is fulfilled..." After saying this, she closed her eyes, and her arm fell limply to the ground.

Anxiety, despair, fear, helplessness, powerlessness, and the feeling that everything was over... all sorts of negative emotions overwhelmed Skylar.

A familiar voice whispered in his ear, "Tsk tsk, you killed your beloved and gained unparalleled power, huh? How does it taste? My child..."

Skylar looked up sharply, trying to see who was speaking.

Then, he woke up.

It was a dream.

What kind of dream is this?!

Skylar felt an urge to throw the pillow away forcefully.

Touching his body, which was soaked with sweat, he decided to take a shower.

While the Cleaning Charm is quicker and more convenient, a warm bath can help him relax, clear his mind, and organize his thoughts.

As he lathered himself with foam, Skylar hummed a song, when suddenly an indescribable feeling of melancholy arose in his heart.

He knew it must be related to that dream.

So I really can't let go? No wonder, everything in the dream was so real, those negative emotions felt just like I experienced them firsthand.

He put his bathrobe back on, looked at the comfortable bed, and hesitated for a few seconds.

He sighed. He knew his own personality; he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully until he figured out what this inexplicable dream was all about.

He sat on the edge of the bed, took out Felix Felicis from his Suitcase Space, and took a small sip.

Fortunately, Skylar had the backing of his sister Gulana and the Medieval European Wizards Association; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to waste such an expensive and rare Felix Felicis. Thinking of this, he felt extremely fortunate that he had accepted the invitation from the Medieval European Wizards Association.

He had very little Felix Felicis left, probably enough for one more use. It seemed he would have to write to Gulana again to ask if he could get another bottle. Hmm, Professor Slughorn seemed to owe him a favor, so asking him for one was also a good option.

As for refining it yourself? Don't be silly, not only are the materials hard to find, but the refining process is also extremely time-consuming.

After drinking the Felix Felicis, he closed his eyes and pondered which of the most important details in his dream he had missed.

He suddenly opened his eyes, jumped up, and ran to his Private Book Bag. Sure enough, one of the books in the bag had indeed become unusual; it seemed to have come alive, with a faint glow flowing across its cover and radiating powerful magical energy.

<Secrets of the Darkest Art>.

Skylar remembered that the book was taken from the House of Black's Chamber of Secrets. It contained the secrets of the Horcrux, and it was through this book that Sirius Black's brother Regulus saw through Voldemort's greatest secret.

Skylar had already read this book and even learned the "Taboo" from it. What details in the book did he miss?

He turned to the first page, the preface, as if possessed.

The top page was completely blank, with a triangular fold in the bottom right corner. Skylar unfolded the fold and smoothed it out—on top, in tiny, fly-sized handwriting, was the author's name: Egbert the Egregious.

Skylar wore a thoughtful expression. Was this what Felix Felicis wanted him to discover?

The effect of Felix Felicis is not to increase a person's luck, but to enhance their sensitivity to changes in their surroundings, making it easier for them to see important details that have been overlooked.

Skylar trusted his intuition; if Felix Felicis had guided him to discover this substance, it couldn't have been unfounded.

Skylar recalled the current situation.

In his previous life, like most Harry Potter readers, he believed that Voldemort was the greatest villain in the magical world, the most powerful and evil dark wizard. At worst, if you go back a few decades, there was another Dark Lord, Grindelwald.

The two generations of Dark Lord are almost the most terrifying examples.

Only after coming to this world himself did he truly see how deep the waters hidden in the depths of the Wizarding World were.

The Shadow of the Magic Dragon, the Ghosts Society, the Knights of Walpurgis, Black Sin Square, and even the House of Malfoy, where I was born and raised, all seem to have extraordinary heritages.

He discovered that his thinking was influenced by so-called "knowledge" from his previous life, leading him into a cognitive bias.

Who says only Voldemort knew how to create Horcrux?

The method for creating Horcrux has long been lost to history and remains a mystery, but it wasn't invented by Voldemort. The fact that Voldemort could figure it out means that others could too!

At least the author of this book can!

This is what Felix Felicis was trying to tell itself! The Egbert the Egregious! He's still alive!

Regardless of his past or present life, Skylar was no stranger to the Egbert the Egregious.

The term "great evil" is just an abbreviation; its true meaning is "Transcendent Egregious." In fact, according to the History of Magic that Skylar knew, wizards of his time preferred to call him "Battle Maniac," which shows that he was a dark wizard with extraordinary power.

His most famous battle was undoubtedly the final fight against "the Emeric the Evil".

That was around the end of the 11th century.

The eldest of the Peverell brothers had just created the Elder Wand and couldn't wait to use it in a duel. After winning, he went to a bar, got completely drunk, and revealed all the power of the Elder Wand. As a result, he was assassinated that very night.

In the following month, the Elder Wand became the subject of a fierce struggle, which eventually fell into the hands of a notorious dark wizard, Emeric the Evil.

The Emeric the Evil was already very powerful, and possessing the Elder Wand was like Tiger Takes Wing. He killed several dark wizards who came to steal the Elder Wand one by one.

At this point, almost everyone believed that the Emeric the Evil would become the new master of the Elder Wand.

Unexpectedly, the Egbert the Egregious appeared. He brazenly challenged the Emeric the Evil and launched a one-sided "slaughter" on the latter with astonishing strength. This was a world-renowned feat at the time; he was the first person to defeat the Elder Wand wielder with his own strength.

This record stood for many years until Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald and successfully replicated the incredible feat of defeating the Elder Wand wielder.

However, Skylar also knew that the Egbert the Egregious did not have a good end.

He acted far too erratically and violently. He didn't give face to either the legitimate or underworld. Anyone who dared to stand in his way would be killed.

One day, Gryffindor, overflowing with a sense of justice, finally couldn't hold back any longer. He resigned from his position at Hogwarts and traveled a long way to challenge him.

The two fought a fair and square battle. Gryffindor was defeated but still honorable. He not only managed to escape unscathed from the Elder Wand's power, but also managed to deliver a sword to the shoulder of the Egbert the Egregious.

The tragedy of the Egbert the Egregious was only just beginning. On his way back, he was ambushed by several powerful wizards, all of whom were masked and cleverly disguised to conceal their identities.

However, judging from the magic they used, Dark Arts, white magic, elemental magic, Transfiguration Magic, and even Druidic Magic were all present, indicating that the attackers included wizards from both the legitimate and illegitimate paths. The Egbert the Egregious, already injured and greatly weakened, fought his way out despite his severe injuries to seek refuge with his apprentice, Godelot, hoping to rest and recuperate before seeking revenge.

To his surprise, even his most trusted disciple betrayed him.

At that time, Hogwarts had just been established, and the master-disciple system was still the mainstream in the Wizarding World. Masters were like second parents to their disciples, and their relationship with their disciples was very close. So the Egbert the Egregious never imagined that his beloved disciple would betray him for the Elder Wand.

The Egbert the Egregious was "killed" by Godelot. Not only was the Elder Wand stolen, but Godrot also obtained his entire collection of secret manuals, which God shamelessly claimed as his own. After some modifications, Godrot transformed them into his masterpiece, "The Moste Potente Potions."

Of course, now that Skylar knows the author's identity in "The Secrets of the Darkest Art," he has also deduced something else from it.

The Egbert the Egregious at the time must have had at least one trick up his sleeve. He didn't tell his apprentice about Horcrux, nor did he let him know that he was unkillable.

Although the Egbert the Egregious has lost the Elder Wand, he is not dead.

Furthermore, although Godelot had heard of the existence of Horcrux, he did not record it in <The Moste Potente Potions>, indicating that he had not received any inheritance in this area. In fact, the level of Dark Arts in <The Moste Potente Potions> is at most half that of <The Secrets of the Darkest Art>.

Therefore, it appears that the inheritance Godelot received was incomplete.

Now the question is, if the Egbert the Egregious is still alive, where is he?

My God, now besides Old Voldy's seven Horcrux, there's another Horcrux to deal with?

Ah! I'm afraid it's more than that!

Speaking of Horcrux, Skylar thought of something else.

In a previous interview, author Rowling. Rowling mentioned an ancient Greece wizard named Vile Herpo, who was the first person in history to successfully create Horcrux! Interestingly, Skylar never saw any book that recorded the destruction of his Horcrux.

So, is that Vile Herpo still alive?

If he were still alive, where would he be? Why would someone with his talent remain so unknown?

The Vile Herpo, the inventor of the Basilisk, the first wizard to successfully create Horcrux, and the earliest known Parseltongue —these three achievements alone destined his life to be anything but ordinary. The fact that there's absolutely no record of his later life in history is simply illogical!

It's worth noting how illustrious his early life was. He lived in ancient Greece and was considered one of the four great legends of his time, alongside "Invincible Andros," "Transfiguration Goddess Circe," and "Prophet Mopsus," revered by the entire Europe wizarding community. Calling him the progenitor of modern Dark Arts is no exaggeration.

A sense of unease crept into Skylar's heart. He had a premonition that if these old guys were truly still alive, they would likely reappear one by one...

His biggest worry was that these two old guys might have some connection with the Shadow of the Magic Dragon, or perhaps the Ghosts Society, the Knights of Walpurgis, or Black Sin Square...

Ah, thinking about this, Skylar's head started to ache.

(Note: The interview mentioned above refers to the interview Rowling gave on the official podcast Pottercast on December 17, 2007, number 130.)