Necro-Alchemy
Durmstrang's delegation entered the castle along with the Hogwarts students.
After entering the Great Hall, the Hogwarts students took their seats at their respective house tables.
By this time, everyone could see that the students from Beauxbatons had chosen to sit at the Ravenclaw table. After they sat down, they looked around the Great Hall with sullen expressions on their faces. Three of them, who were clearly female students, still had their heads tightly wrapped in scarves and headscarves.
Durmstrang's delegation was still gathered at the entrance, seemingly unsure where they should sit.
Even after sitting down, Goyle was still exclaiming in utter shock, "I can't believe it! It's Krum, Draco! Viktor Krum!"
Several young wizards were secretly glancing at the Durmstrang representative at the door, but the one who received the most attention was undoubtedly the Bulgarian National Team's Seeker, Viktor Krum.
This time, everyone saw Krum up close. He had a striking hooked nose and thick, dark eyebrows, and his expression was very gloomy.
"For God's sake, Goyle, he's just a Quidditch player," Draco said, feigning nonchalance, though he couldn't help glancing in that direction.
"That's Krum!" Pansy exclaimed dramatically. "Do you think he'd sign my hat with lipstick?"
Audrey Runcorn and Tracey Davis started arguing over a lipstick.
Skylar was also looking at Durmstrang's group, but he wasn't looking at Krum, but at the only woman in Durmstrang's delegation.
No one thought Skylar was looking at the beautiful woman. At this moment, because they were all wrapped in thick fur cloaks, they all appeared to be exceptionally tall. The woman's figure was also indistinguishable.
What truly caught Skylar's attention was her magic.
Skylar sniffed, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
Thanks to the "Source of Life" that transformed his body, Skylar's sense of smell was even more acute than that of Crup.
This was a familiar scent to him—the unique scent of alchemists, a scent that only those who had long been involved in alchemy could possess. Mixed with women's perfumes, it made the scent even more distinctive.
Even from several feet away, and mixed with the scents of other people, this distinctive aroma was like a beacon of light in the darkness to Skylar; he could easily distinguish it.
At the same time, the Magic Eye could also detect the abnormality in her magic. Her magic level was not weak, but it was actually about the same as other Durmstrang students, and even slightly inferior to Krum.
However, Skylar's Magic Eye could only see a hazy gray area, unable to make anything clear, which gave him an unusually cold and unreal feeling. He had a premonition that her magic was sealed by some kind of alchemical method, and if she were to release all her magic, her level of magic would probably be no less than his own.
The Durmstrang students ultimately decided to sit at the Slytherin table.
Perhaps it's because the Slytherin table, in terms of clothing, appearance, and demeanor, better suit their aesthetic!
As they removed their heavy fur cloaks, they looked up with great interest at the dark, star-studded ceiling. Two of the students even picked up a golden plate and a wine glass, examining them closely, clearly intrigued.
After removing their fur cloaks, Durmstrang students weren't actually that tall, about the same height as seventh-year students at Hogwarts. However, most of the boys had Eastern Europe features, with rugged facial lines, and all had their hair cut into uniform military-style crew cuts. This instantly conveyed Durmstrang's military discipline.
Krum's seat was right next to Draco's, Skylar could see, making Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle very smug. Draco leaned forward with a big smile and whispered to Krum, and soon the two were chatting and laughing.
This is not surprising. Durmstrang is a magic school that only accepts Pure-blood students, and Karkaroff's management style is very similar to that of Muggle military academies. Both are high-pressure management and place great emphasis on strict discipline. The entire school atmosphere is filled with a Pure-blood Supremacy and a love of fighting.
It's not surprising that their students and Slytherin could chat easily together.
Sitting opposite Skylar was the female student who had caught Skylar attention.
She had already removed her cloak, revealing the crimson Durmstrang uniform beneath. The uniform was form-fitting, clinging tightly to her body and showcasing her curvaceous figure. Her features were mature and dignified; her pale blue eyes gave her an air of wisdom and intelligence, and her fair skin, rosy lips, and aloof expression possessed a captivating charm. Her arrival drew the attention of almost every Slytherin wizard at the long table.
However, she didn't seem to care at all because of the attention she received from those around her. Instead, she looked at Skylar with great interest through her Winky blue eyes, her lips and eyes full of smiles.
Skylar naturally sensed that the girl opposite him was observing him, and in a blatant and undisguised way—in any other situation, this would be a perfectly normal thing. Skylar was somewhat famous throughout Europe, and his appearance had appeared on the covers of almost every major Europe media outlet. It wouldn't be surprising at all that he was recognized.
However, at this moment, Skylar felt very awkward.
Skylar didn't believe it was merely a coincidence that she was sitting opposite him. Although there was indeed an empty seat opposite Skylar, the Durmstrang students deliberately avoided it. Their actions were quite subtle, of course, but how could they escape Skylar's Divine Insight of Amaterasu?
However, out of aristocratic courtesy, Skylar spoke first, "Good evening, beautiful lady. I am Malfoy, and on behalf of Slytherin, I welcome you to Hogwarts. I hope you are satisfied with your surroundings."
The other person chuckled softly. "Skylar Malfoy— " Her bright, star-like eyes shone, and her voice carried a distinct northern accent, but her English was still fairly fluent. "I've heard of you—"
"The youngest son of the House of Malfoy, the youngest Sir Merlin, the youth representative of the Medieval European Wizards Association, the inventor of the Anti-Dizziness Bracelet, the author of 'Me and the Basilisk at Hogwarts' —I've read your masterpiece several times, and I've long admired you. It's truly a pleasure to meet you today! Oh, I almost forgot to mention, my name is— Eleanor von Hohenheim..."
Skylar's expression turned serious.
He wasn't some ignorant poor boy. He had naturally heard of this surname and was even well aware of its significance in the international wizarding world.
Since the Middle Ages, over the past thousand years, there have been no fewer than a hundred geniuses and unparalleled heroes in the wizarding world, but only a handful have truly been remembered for eternity and hailed as "legends of their time."
At least, as far as Skylar knew, there were only five.
The legendary wizard Merlin is undoubtedly one of them. The current headmaster Albus Dumbledore is another. Nicolas Flamel, who successfully created the Philosopher's Stone, is also one.
The remaining two, while not as famous as the first three, are still names familiar to all wizards.
Zhang Guo, China's master of Transfiguration, is also known as Zhang Guo Lao, who rides a donkey backwards.
Paracelsus, an alchemist born in Switzerland and residing in Germany.
Paracelsus is a name he changed to himself; before that, his full name was Theofrast von Hohenheim!
Interestingly, although everyone knew Paracelsus's name, they were completely clueless about his deeds and knew nothing about him.
Paracelsus is one of the 102 Chocolate Frog Card, but aside from being described as an alchemist skilled in medical magic, the only other thing mentioned is his discovery that Parseltongue talent can be inherited through bloodlines. Compared to the descriptions of Dumbledore, Merlin, Nicolas Flamel in the illustrations, his achievements are negligible.
However, Paracelsus's legendary status is undeniable.
In the wizarding world, two of the most common exclamations wizards use are: the well-known "Merlin's beard!" and "Thank you, Paracelsus!"
This demonstrates Paracelsus's high standing in the wizarding world.
Moreover, Skylar remembered that exploring the Paracelsus's Chamber was also on his to-do list. The fact that Aquila valued this Chamber of Secrets so highly, placing it on par with the other six great Chamber of Secrets, spoke volumes.
(Note: "Thanks Paracelsus" is not a fabrication by the author; it comes from the Fantastic Beasts movies and is an interjection used by Newt Scamander, meaning "thank you God.")
Skylar's pupils involuntarily turned to the family crest on the upper left corner of the girl's chest—it was indeed the Hohenheim Family crest!
Eleanor was pleased with Skylar's reaction, and gave him an elegant smile, her fingers gently toying with the golden wine glass. Her slender, jade-like fingers lightly traced the rim of the glass, producing a very subtle vibration, and red wine seemed to overflow from the empty glass!
Skylar's pupils contracted slightly.
Transfiguration cannot conjure food out of thin air—wizards can use Refilling Charm, Engorgement Charm, and Gemino Curse to increase food and drink, but it is absolutely impossible to create food from nothing!
This is alchemy!
And it was alchemy that Skylar had never seen before!
When Schelling looked again at Eleanor's breathtakingly beautiful face, all that remained in Skylar eyes was solemnity.
"Hey, Eleanor, why are you so boastful? He's just a minor student after all..." The speaker was a burly boy sitting not far to Eleanor's right. His build was somewhat like a grown-up Goyle and Crabbe, but his features were very rugged, with obvious Eastern Europe characteristics. As he spoke, he gulped down the wine from his flask without any regard for appearances, a few drops even soaking into his robe.
Skylar knew his name was Poliakov; he had introduced himself when he struck up a conversation with Daphne, and Skylar had overheard him.
Skylar gave a knowing smile and said softly, "I don't think this is showing off!"
"Miss Hohenheim, I discovered a secret while you were casting your spell!" Skylar said with a faint smile.
"Oh, what secret?" Eleanor leaned forward slightly, her face close to Skylar's, her deep blue eyes gleaming with a captivating allure. "Tell me, you've got my heart racing!"
Skylar a sly fox that had successfully stolen a chicken, Shering grinned mischievously and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You smell like a corpse."
A shrewd glint flashed in Eleanor's eyes, but she chuckled, "Impressive! You actually figured it out! This is our secret—" She turned to Daphne, Astoria, and the other girls, "You're not allowed to tell even your girlfriends!"
Eleanor's open admission did not surprise Skylar. Although little is known about the Hohenheim Family, alchemy, though vast and complex, ultimately leads to the same goal. Given Skylar's alchemical expertise and knowledge, it wasn't too difficult for him to guess the alchemical school Eleanor was studying.
Alchemy, alchemy, it sounds nice, but to put it bluntly, the ultimate goal of alchemy is the same: first, "immortality," then "resurrection," and finally, "Transcending eternity." "Eternity" refers to the limitations of time and space, or, in other alchemical terms, deification. The so-called Philosopher's Stone, Time-Turner, Resurrection Stone, etc., are just different methods; the ultimate goal is the same.
In order to study the relationship between alchemy and the human body, some alchemical research also included the treatment of corpses. However, with the various cleansing spells and Potions used by wizards, removing body odor was incredibly easy.
There's only one explanation for why someone like Eleanor could always have a faint, lingering smell of death about them.
Necromancy.
Necromancy, also known as undead magic, is a branch of magic that combines Dark Arts and alchemy.
The most famous Necromancy in the wizarding world is undoubtedly the art of incorrigible Inferius, which brings corpses to life.
In the original books, the Resurrection Stone, with its ability to forcibly summon the dead and even buy Harry time for Voldemort, likely falls under this category of magic.
Skylar nodded, agreeing to keep her secret.
The two then began chatting about the differences between the two schools, as if nothing had just happened.
Only Skylar knew that the plot of this semester was getting more and more interesting.