Sleeping Dragon Cruises the Lake
Skylar spent most of his time in the Restricted Section of the Durmstrang Library, browsing through a vast number of forbidden books. Among them were Dark Arts books with terrifying covers, as well as books with ordinary covers that contained many minor spells that could not be exposed to the light of day.
For example, there's a spell called the Theft Charm, which can move valuables into your hand through clothing; and there's also a Dropping Spell, which makes valuables fall Silencio your person's body to the ground. Basically, these are all kinds of petty theft spells.
Skylar's main focus was naturally on books on Dark Arts. This place was a mecca for the study of Dark Arts in all of Europe. Since the second headmaster, successive administrations of Durmstrang had spared no effort in collecting books on Dark Arts from all over the world, and its collection of books on Dark Arts had always been recognized as the largest in the world.
Skylar had only flipped through a few books when he discovered that much of the knowledge recorded in the Dark Arts books was something he had never heard of before. He was quite certain that the quality of the Restricted Section here was at least ten times better than that of the Restricted Section at Hogwarts, and it was probably no less impressive than the Dark Arts books that Skylar had collected from the major Pure-blood families of Great Britain.
Most Dark Arts books cannot be copied with Gemino Curse or transcribed with an automatic magic quill, because many ancient Dark Arts books are imbued with hidden magic and powerful magical restrictions, and the materials used to make them are often obtained from the blood of living people or other cruel methods.
However, Skylar also overcame this problem.
Skylar obtained a Bicorn from the keeper at Durmstrang's hunting grounds, carefully ground them into powder using a special method, then mixed them with raven blood, and finally added two drops of his own blood squeezed from his fingertips.
The ink produced in this way possesses a profound magical power no less than that found in Dark Arts books. Then, Skylar took out three automatic quills that he had brought from the Hohenheim Family beforehand. The quills were engraved with numerous tiny magical runes, like grains of rice, using advanced alchemy. These runes were mostly used to break the spells that prevented copying.
The Hohenheim Family truly lived up to its reputation as Germany's premier alchemical family; nothing they produced ever disappointed Skylar. Three automatic quills, ignoring the restrictions on the Dark Arts books, used Skylar's specially made ink to transcribe the Dark Arts books in the Restricted Section on their own. They copied all the Dark Arts books in the Restricted Section without using any of Skylar's personal time, and then Skylar carefully stored them in his Private Book Bag.
Skylar has two Private Book Bag. One is specifically for storing his collection of powerful magical books and precious historical documents. This bag is managed by Latifa and is open to members of the Sleeping Dragon Society. The core members of the Sleeping Dragon Society, such as the 11 group leaders and the Slytherin Prefect, can freely enter and enjoy the resources inside. Other ordinary members must contribute to the Sleeping Dragon Society to earn enough contribution points in order to be eligible to borrow a book.
The other one was carried by Skylar, containing secret magic from various Pure-blood families, as well as Dark Arts books unsuitable for underage wizards. With Skylar's conquest and acquisition of the Selwyn, Yaxley, Lestrange, and Avery families, the collection had already reached nearly 50 books; and now, with the addition of what he copied from Durmstrang's Restricted Section, the number has more than doubled, officially surpassing the one hundred mark.
[I've obtained a large number of copies of "The Durmstrang Dark Arts Library"!]
In his spare time, he often wandered around the castle.
He knew that a castle as old as Durmstrang must contain many secrets, such as a mysterious room like the Room of Requirement, or Chamber of Secrets passed down by a Founders or famous principal.
The library was his first goal – to try and find any clues about the castle's secrets by consulting Durmstrang's history, biographies of famous Northern Europe figures, and various other local historical documents.
Although he ultimately gained nothing, it gave him a deeper understanding of the castle and the surrounding area.
Beside the entrance to the Durmstrang Library, a strange symbol gleamed faintly on the gray stone wall—a triangle encircling a straight line, with a perfect circle embedded within. This was the mark of the Deathly Hallows, a symbol of power, victory, and death, and also the mark of Grindelwald.
Skylar stood at the doorway, his gaze drawn to the symbol. He felt an ancient and powerful magic flowing from the mark; even after so many years, this magic remained vibrant, carrying a profound and oppressive aura that sent chills down his spine. The mark seemed to be branded onto the stone wall, and no matter how the school tried, they could not remove it. The magic itself seemed to have merged with the wall, becoming something beyond ordinary spells.
Skylar extended a finger, gently approaching the mark, as if trying to perceive its essence. As his finger drew near, a faint resonance emanated from the mark, and a barely audible hum could be heard in the air. This mark was not merely a symbol, but more like a seal, a magical door to the past, projecting Grindelwald's will and existence into this place.
These remaining marks seem to be more than just Grindelwald's arrogant declaration; they are a warning, reminding every wizard who steps into the library that this academic sanctuary once bore the shadow of dark forces.
In addition, Skylar did not stop exploring off-campus facilities.
Under the clear winter sky, the frozen lake, like a crystal mirror, reflected the serene beauty of the blue sky and the surrounding snow-capped mountains. Skylar stood on the deck of the Sleeping Dragon, feeling the slightly chilly wind brush against his cheek.
This small Ghost Ship is exquisitely crafted, enveloped in a faint silver-blue halo, like a phantom on a glacier. Ancient runes are carved on its streamlined hull, and the sail at the stern emits a faint magical glow, making the ship appear like a shadow floating in a dream even when it is stationary.
Skylar sat comfortably in a chair on the Sleeping Dragon, casting a slender magic fishing rod into the lake. The silver line rippled with the waves, reflecting his leisurely expression.
The magic fishing rod is a unique product of the Northern Europe Wizarding World. Once a fish bites the hook, the hook will automatically lock the fish's mouth and then automatically reel it in. Therefore, you don't need to keep an eye on the fishing rod. It is less exciting than Muggle fishing, but more leisurely.
Several brown fishing rods and a small silver bucket were placed on the ground at his feet. Inside the bucket were several small compartments, some containing dried food, some crammed with caterpillars, and others containing small black shells—water snails that had retreated into their shells.
The warm sunlight shone on Skylar's face, making him lean back comfortably. Gazing at the boundless lake, its surface shimmering, a gentle breeze caressed his face, causing him to squint slightly, experiencing a rare moment of relaxation and leisure.
Come to think of it, among all his girlfriends, only Luna had such a relaxed and natural leisure experience. Daphne and the others really sacrificed so much for Skylar, yet he never gave them this kind of quality companionship.
He secretly took this matter to heart, determined to make amends to them once everything settled down.
A slight ripple spread across the lake's surface as a huge, golden fish darted across the water. But before Skylar could pull the line, it vanished into the abyss, leaving a trail of ripples. A smile played on Skylar's lips as he murmured, "Looks like these fish have learned to be cunning too."
It looked like a Golden Salmon, unlike ordinary salmon, its whole body radiating a golden color. Long-term consumption is said to help nourish a wizard's magic.
According to Karkaroff, the most abundant creature at the bottom of this icy lake is the Golden Salmon, but it also harbors other Fantastic Beasts.
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, all in one look!
For example, the Thunderbone Giant Eel is a giant eel similar to an electric eel. It has a Winky fleshy growth on its head, which looks a bit like a small lantern on its head. It is extremely aggressive. Adult Thunderbone Giant Eel can even release more than 100,000 volts of electricity to attack. Its bones are also one of Gregorovitch's favorite cane cores.
For example, the Kelpie. Although this kind of Transfiguration and deceptive lake monster usually devours those who carelessly ride on its back and then lets their internal organs float to the surface of the lake, which sounds a bit fierce, you can make it docile and obedient by putting a horse bridle on its head with Placement Charm.
Skylar's fishing yielded no results, but he wasn't disappointed; it was an experience in itself. Compared to the Wizard's Chess and Exploding Snap favored by the young wizards at Hogwarts, fishing on the frozen lake was clearly more appealing.
A moment later, Skylar took out his wand from the cabin, waved it gently, and chanted an ascension spell. Under his guidance, the Sleeping Dragon slowly rose, and lake water slid down from the bottom of the ship, turning into sparkling droplets.
The Ghost Ship took off, passing through the thin morning mist on the lake, rising into the blue sky, and flying towards the northern mountains.
Skylar stood at the bow, overlooking the magnificent scenery of Durmstrang. The Ghost Ship glided like an eagle, passing through snow-covered forests where the frost on the treetops shimmered in the sunlight. As it flew over valleys, a winding stream flowed below, its surface frozen by the winter, revealing narrow crevices that resembled a jade ribbon encircling the mountains.
As he flew over the peak, Skylar saw the silhouettes of snow wolves running on the distant hillside, while a white fox stood quietly on a rock, watching the Ghost Ship pass by. Skylar's gaze lingered on this scene, and he couldn't help but marvel at the purity and vastness of this land.
The Sleeping Dragon soared higher and higher, finally breaking through a thin layer of clouds. Sunlight streamed onto the deck, and Skylar closed his eyes, savoring the freedom and exhilaration of being in control. He looked down at the entire world; the frozen lake had turned into shimmering silver light. His thoughts, like the Ghost Ship, drifted further and further away, gazing at the future journey and his ambitions.