radicalducati Chapter 215 The Return Journey and Secret Talks
Chapter 215 The Return Journey and Secret Talks
Chapter 215 The Return Journey and Secret Talks
On the morning that the term officially ended, Hogwarts Castle was filled with the clamor of farewells and the clatter of suitcase wheels rolling over the cobblestones. Students dragged their luggage toward their carriages, making promises to correspond during the summer or meet in Diagon Alley.
Inside the Eagle's Nest, Karen and his roommates gave their secret hideout a final check. Protective magic was reinforced, and important experimental equipment and personal notes were carefully stored away. Wesley reluctantly touched the massive alchemy workbench: "Hey guys, see you in two months! I'll miss it and you all!"
"Don't make it sound so sad, Wesley." Fabian carefully placed several plant illustration notebooks into the box. "I'll continue to improve my plant atlas over the summer, especially the cultivation records of the Silent Fern."
Ernesto elegantly organized his astronomical observation records: "My grandfather promised to take me to that observatory in space this summer. Karen, if your alchemy research requires any astronomical data for me to record, please contact me." He looked at Karen.
Karen nodded upon hearing Ernesto's words and patted him on the shoulder: "Of course, I'm also very interested in that observatory built in space, but unfortunately I have more urgent matters to attend to right now. Remember to make as many notes as possible, and take some photos if you can, so I can see the view from space."
After saying that, he looked at Wesley and Fabian, "You two too. Wesley, don't slack off in Quidditch training. Next semester, when the other houses have all adapted to the Eye of Record, your advantage this semester will be reduced. Fabian, let me know if there's any progress in your plant research."
The four exchanged a smile, their bond forged over the past year of adventures, learning, arguments, and mutual support unspoken. Together, they locked the gates of the Eagle's Nest, cast a final protective spell, and then, dragging their luggage, joined the flow of people leaving the castle.
The Hogwarts Express whistleed at Hogsmeade Station. The familiar red carriages were packed with excited students. Cullen and her three friends found an empty compartment and settled in. Along the way, Wesley and Fabian excitedly discussed their summer plans, while Ernesto quietly watched the scenery outside the window. Cullen, too, gazed at the fields and villages rushing past, a mix of longing for home and anticipation mixed with a sense of unease about their upcoming trip to France. Phoebus stood on the luggage rack beside him, occasionally making cooing noises.
As the train arrived at King's Cross Station, the familiar hustle and bustle greeted us. The platform was packed with parents waiting for their children, their shouts and laughter filling the air.
"Well then, guys, see you in Diagon Alley!" Wes gave Karen and Fabian a big hug and high-fived Ernesto.
"Keep in touch!" Fabian pushed up his glasses.
"Have a safe trip, Karen." Ernesto nodded to Karen, knowing she was going to France.
"Have a great summer vacation!" Karen replied with a smile, watching her three roommates drag their luggage and merge into the crowd searching for their families.
He stood still, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, quickly locking onto a figure. Castor Grindelwald, dressed in a well-tailored dark gray Muggle trench coat, stood tall beside a pillar at the exit of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. His meticulously combed silver-gray hair and sharp gray eyes stood out in the crowd. He looked better than he had in the two-way mirror last time; although his face was still pale, the deep-seated weariness had almost vanished. His left arm hung naturally at his side, the marks of the curse concealed by his clothing. He was like a sword sheathed, its edge concealed, yet still radiating an undeniable presence.
"Teacher." Karen dragged her luggage and walked quickly over with Phobos.
Castor's gaze swept over Karen, confirming he was in good condition, and he nodded, saying succinctly, "Give me the luggage." He reached out and took Karen's suitcase, including the one containing the space bag and lead box, his movements light and easy, showing his good physical condition. "Let's go, the door key is in the car."
They weaved through the crowd, left the station, and got into a black sedan parked by the roadside—something Karen hadn't expected. Did her teacher even have a driver's license? The car drove smoothly towards a secluded private garden in the outskirts of London. In the garden gazebo, an inconspicuous rusty gasoline drum sat quietly.
"Hold on tight." Castor placed one hand on the gasoline can and the other on Karen's shoulder.
The familiar, unsettling sensation of a hook yanking at the navel returned. Space distorted, colors swirled. A few seconds later, the feet were back on solid ground.
Suddenly, the view opened up before me. The familiar, tranquil manor, with its neatly manicured lawns, ancient and elegant buildings, and the air filled with the fragrance of grass and a faint magical aura—a serene abode. My tense nerves, which had been on edge the entire journey, instantly relaxed.
"Welcome back, Karen! Welcome, Castor!" came Mrs. Perenel's gentle voice. She stood on the porch, wearing an elegant apron, a kind and warm smile on her face. Nico stood beside her, his long, silvery-white beard seemingly edged with gold in the afternoon sun, his wise eyes full of laughter.
"Professor Nicole, Mrs. Perenel!" Karen bowed respectfully, a genuine smile on his face. A feeling of coming home welled up within him, even though this wasn't his biological home.
"Was the journey smooth?" Nico stepped forward, patted Karen on the shoulder, glanced at him with concern, and then looked at Castor. "Casto, how were you?"
Castor nodded slightly: "It's alright. The items are safe." He gestured to Karen's suitcase in his hand, the point of which was self-evident.
Mrs. Perenel warmly welcomed them into the house: "Come in, lunch is ready. Karen, are you hungry? Castor, try my new lavender lamb chops—"
A warm and pleasant lunch unfolded in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Mrs. Perenel kept adding food to Cullen's plate and asking about his life at Hogwarts. Nico and Castor chatted about recent events in the alchemical world and the activities of the French Ministry of Magic; no one was in a hurry to discuss the crown. Cullen temporarily set aside her burdens and enjoyed this rare moment of peace and delicious food. Phoebus, fed a delicious owl meal by Mrs. Perenel, perched contentedly on the perch by the window, preening his feathers.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the large French windows, bathing the study in a thick Persian carpet. Fine dust motes floated in the air, mingling with the scents of ancient parchment, magical ink, and fine mahogany furniture, creating a serene and solemn atmosphere. Nico, Castor, and Karen sat around a large oak desk. There was no tea or snacks on the table, only the seemingly ordinary suitcase Karen had brought.
The atmosphere shifted from relaxed at lunchtime to somber.
"Alright, Karen," Nico said, her hands clasped on the table, her expression serious and focused. "Now that nothing else is bothering us, tell us in detail about the discovery and acquisition of that item. The Two-Way Mirror didn't explain it clearly before."
Karen took a deep breath and clearly explained the "logical process" that she had already rehearsed countless times in her mind:
"After the final exams, I began using my spare time to test and optimize the sensing range and accuracy of the 'Resonance Compass.' During a late-night castle exploration, I arrived at the eighth floor. When I approached the wall opposite the area where the troll had beaten the Barnabas tapestry, the compass exhibited an unusually strong, highly directional reaction, far exceeding the sensing intensity of the soul fragments during previous tests, and carrying an ancient, heavy sense of spiritual oppression."
As he spoke, he took the rudimentary "Resonance Compass" prototype from his suitcase and placed it on the table. The runes on the mithril base plate appeared simple and unadorned in the soft light of the study.
"I'd been there before. It's the Room of Requirement, the legendary place at Hogwarts. I immediately realized that something extraordinary might be hidden there, and it was very likely related to souls. Considering the properties of Horcruxes, I was on high alert. I tried various methods to 'summon' the entrance, and finally, by concentrating my mind on 'the place where something needs to be hidden,' I successfully opened the room where the compass-sensing item was located." Cullen spoke steadily and logically.
"Upon entering, I found myself in a massive storage warehouse. The compass pointed me to a hideous, pockmarked bust of a wizard near the entrance. The target was pinned to the top of that statue." Karen didn't continue her description, "It looked drab and unremarkable, but the compass nearly vibrated when it approached, and I felt a cold, viscous, and malicious mental intrusion trying to erode my will. I immediately stepped back, unable to look directly at it."
"I returned to the Eagle's Nest and devised a detailed acquisition plan: physical contact, remote operation, and multiple layers of isolation seals. I prepared specially made isolation gloves, three-meter-long fire tongs, a specially made lead box lined with lead plates and etched with the powerful sealing runes you provided, as well as an isolation pouch imbued with spatial and traceless stretching charms." He pointed to the spatial pouch and lead box on the table.
"The operation took place in the dead of night. I activated the 'Wish-Fulfilling' door. Using long tweezers, I picked up the target. During the process, the fire tongs transmitted a weakened mental bewitching attack, which was suppressed by the runes and my willpower. After picking him up, I quickly moved him into the open lead box, immediately closed the lid, and locked it. After the seal was activated, all abnormal fluctuations disappeared. Finally, I put the lead box into my spatial bag, completely isolating it." Karen's narration was concise and powerful, highlighting the caution she exercised, the dangers she encountered, and the effectiveness of her response.
"Throughout the entire process, I did not have any direct contact with the target item or conduct any mental probing. Based solely on the compass readings, its shape and location, I deduced that it was very likely the missing Ravenclaw tiara," Karen concluded, her gaze meeting Nico and Castor's scrutinizing eyes with composure.
Nico and Castor listened quietly without interrupting. A brief silence fell over the study after Karen finished speaking. "Phew—" Nico let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with both admiration for Karen's meticulous plan and heartache at the desecration of their target. "Cautious, decisive, and well-planned. Karen, you did even better than I expected."
Then Nico said to Cullen, "Cullen, wait here for a moment. I need to confirm that this is indeed Ravenclaw's crown." After saying that, he took the box and went into the workshop, and Castor followed him in.
After a while, Nico emerged with the box, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "The Ravenclaw tiara, the crystallization of Rowena Ravenclaw's wisdom, has fallen to this state, tainted by the filth of dark magic—Voldemort, he doesn't understand what he's destroyed! This is a treasure of magical history, one of the pinnacle symbols of the fusion of alchemy and soul magic! A waste! Utterly foolish!" Nico's voice carried suppressed anger and deep regret. Castor had remained silent, his grey eyes sharp as an eagle's, fixed on the lead box. Only when Nico uttered "a waste" did he speak coldly, his voice like icicles striking each other: "Did he ever see a 'treasure'? Only a 'tool' and an obsession with 'eternity'."
The wisdom of the crown? To him, it was nothing more than a usable accessory to achieve his goals, both attributes amounting to laughable vanity and reputation. His soul had long been corroded by ambition and fear, leaving only a shell chasing illusions and scattered remnants. His words were filled with extreme contempt and disdain for Voldemort. "Karen, you've taken it away from that filthy corner; that's the first step." He looked at Karen, his eyes filled with approval and expectation.
"Yes," Nico said, suppressing his emotions and regaining the composure of an alchemist. "So, Karen, what was your core goal for this summer vacation that you mentioned earlier?"
Karen sat up straight, his eyes resolute. "Master Nico, teacher, this is the core purpose of my trip. I hope to use the summer vacation here, under your guidance, to conduct my research on this crown-shaped Horcrux." He pointed to the lead box.
"First, we need to delve into the manufacturing principles of Horcruxes, the nature of soul splitting and parasitism, the protective magic they contain, and methods to break them. We need to thoroughly understand their 'immortality' in order to find a way to truly destroy Voldemort's main soul. At the same time," he paused, his voice lowering, "we also need to accumulate knowledge and experience for dealing with other Horcruxes that we may have to deal with in the future."
"Second," he picked up the prototype of the "Resonance Compass" from the table, "continue developing and optimizing this tracker. Using the Horcrux as a more powerful and stable 'beacon,' test and improve the compass's sensitivity, range, anti-interference capabilities, and directional accuracy. The goal is to ultimately create a reliable tool capable of pinpointing Voldemort's main soul's location. The highly sensitive rune array in Lucian's Diary and my experience with magical fluctuations through my 'Eye of Truth' will be key directions for improvement."
His plan was clear and specific, targeting Voldemort's core weakness—the concealment of the Horcruxes and the main spirit.
Nico and Castor exchanged a glance.
"A very clear objective," Nico spoke first, his tone serious. "Researching Horcruxes is of paramount importance, but it is also extremely dangerous."
"Karen, you must proceed under our constant supervision. Every action must be approved by us. Voldemort's soul, combined with the special nature of the diadem, is far more dangerous than Voldemort's current main soul."
"I understand, Professor Nico. I will strictly follow the safety procedures," Karen solemnly promised.
Castor picked up the rudimentary compass and carefully examined the runes on it: "The idea is correct, but too crude. Using the crown as a strong beacon for testing is key to improving efficiency. Lucian's rune array design has its unique aspects; combining it with your 'Eye of Truth' for fine-tuning and optimizing the magic guidance path is a viable approach. I will be responsible for the enhanced design of the tracker's core module." He looked at Karen, "Your task is to provide the most direct, firsthand sensory feedback to assist us in adjusting the parameters. At the same time, you need to participate in recording and analyzing every stage of the Horcrux research."
"Yes, teacher!" Karen felt a surge of warmth in her heart. With the personal guidance of these two top-notch mentors, her research this summer would surely yield tremendous results.