Chapter 287: Real Deathly Hallow?
And the Invisibility Cloak I'm wearing was able to perfectly evade that detection spell. It didn't leave even the slightest trace on the parchment; the concealment effect was absolutely perfect.
Furthermore, after the series of tests just now, Dylan also discovered that the cloak's mechanism seems to make the wearer invisible, rather than the cloak itself possessing the property of invisibility.
This means the user can still clearly see their own form, so they don't have to worry about bumping into things like when wearing Harry's cloak. Moreover, even if parts like hands or feet accidentally slip out from under the cloak, the invisibility effect isn't compromised. This undoubtedly allows the user to act more freely and do more things without having to constantly worry about being accidentally exposed.
So, all those legends about the Deathly Hallows were ultimately just fairy tales concocted by later generations, embellished around the three alchemical objects created by the Peverell brothers. The actual effect of the so-called Hallows was far less miraculous than the legends claimed. In fact, one might say they were somewhat overrated.
To truly evade Death, it would have to be something like this cloak I'm wearing...
The self-mocking smile on Dylan's face suddenly froze.
No... surely not?
The description of the achievement flashed clearly in his mind again, especially the rhetorical question at the end of the interface. Looking at it now, it seemed to carry a completely different, profound meaning.
He lowered his head, his gaze falling on the pure black cloak draped over him, gently gripping the fabric.
Could I have... actually acquired a legendary Deathly Hallow?
Could this, then, truly be the cloak made from Death's own robe??
The mere thought of that ethereal, infinitely majestic entity made him catch his breath.
"No, no, no. There shouldn't be a God in this world, and even if there is, it wouldn't notice me."
Dylan composed himself, raised his wand, aimed it at the cloak, and softly muttered the divination charm.
A silvery mist gathered at the wand tip, then dispersed, outlining vague images.
In the images, the time before the cloak came into his possession was entirely blank. There were no traces of its past, no records of it being used by previous owners, and no images of its storage location.
Seeing this, Dylan's tight shoulders finally relaxed, and the anxiety in his throat receded. He let out a soft sigh of relief.
"Hmph. I knew it. Gods and such are nothing more than myths and legends. Even if one truly existed, if it dared to jump in front of me, it would only get a taste of my Avada Kedavra!"
While thinking this, he was still somewhat uneasy. He waved his wand again. This time, he focused his divination on the scene of the Deathly Hallows being created.
The mist churned once more. This time, the image was much clearer.
It was a simple stone chamber. In the center lay a crude stone alchemy bench, scattered with various strange metal shards and faintly glowing crystal powders. The Three Brothers were gathered around the bench, each focused on their work, their wands constantly moving, their incantations solemn and earnest.
Soon, the three items gradually took shape in their hands—the three legendary Deathly Hallows.
But that wasn't all. On the floor next to the brothers, several other finished and semi-finished products of various shapes were piled up. Some looked like twisted metal rings, others like short wands inlaid with gems. Dylan couldn't tell their purpose.
His gaze swept over those items, suddenly stopping at two cabinets placed side-by-side. The cabinets had strange shapes and complex carvings on their surfaces. Could they be Vanishing Cabinets?
And not far away, there was a round mirror inlaid with silver patterns, somewhat resembling a Two-Way Mirror...
Regardless of what those things were, the truth about the Deathly Hallows was now clear.
Dylan let out a long sigh of relief. I knew it!
Although the magic of this world was bizarre and full of unknown fun, it was ultimately within the realm of the comprehensible. Magic was both power and knowledge. How could it truly involve a being as inconceivable as Death?
His earlier thoughts were nothing more than him scaring himself! It's all the fault of this system with its wicked sense of humour! Always describing him as a Dark Lord blacker than the Black Lord, a million times more evil than Voldemort—how could he be that exaggerated?
Dylan internally cursed the perpetually dramatic system while carefully folding the Invisibility Cloak and placing it in his storage pouch.
Still, curses aside, it was clear that the quality of the system's products was impeccable, as always. Even though Dylan still had little use for this Invisibility Cloak, who knows when it might come in handy? And even if he never used it, it was still an impressive collector's item.
As a serious collector who was obsessed with gathering various items in games during his past life, and given the extremely long life he would now have, Dylan even felt he could set up a dedicated collection room. Storing all these interesting items properly and taking them out to examine in his leisure time would be a great pleasure.
If it weren't for the fact that Gryffindor's Sword was difficult to acquire among the Founders' relics, and even if he managed to keep the Diadem, the collection would still be incomplete, Dylan might not have so readily handed the Ravenclaw Diadem back to Helena. After all, for a collector, complete sets hold more value.
—Of course, since Ravenclaw and Helena were both becoming his "collection" in a sense, one Diadem was irrelevant.
However, based on this achievement and its corresponding reward, Dylan speculated that the system seemed to replicate the legendary Deathly Hallows and grant them to him as rewards.
This speculation sparked considerable interest in his mind. He wondered how powerful a system-replicated Elder Wand would be. What kind of power would it possess to live up to the legend of "making its owner invincible in a duel"? Would it multiply the user's magical power exponentially, or automatically disarm the opponent's spells? Or did it have some other, more incredible ability?
As for the Resurrection Stone, even in legend, it was considered the most useless of the Hallows. It couldn't truly resurrect the dead, but only summon their sorrowful shadows. However, he wondered what effect the system's replicated Resurrection Stone would have. Would it make the shadows more real, grant them simple interactive abilities, or include some unexpected alteration?
Perhaps, it could genuinely bring people back to life?
In any case, these were just Dylan's guesses. The system might replace the Elder Wand with a powerful new spell, perhaps a skill that allows the user to instantly master advanced incantations. Or it might replace the Resurrection Stone with some other soul-related magic, such as the ability to soothe vengeful spirits or purify soul fragments. That was also possible.
In short, these rewards were all free, and Dylan wasn't picky. Whatever they were, he was happy to accept them.
Starting the next day, the moment Exam Week officially began, the entire Hogwarts school was enveloped in a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere.
The corridors no longer echoed with the students' usual playful chatter. Instead, they were filled with hurried figures and hushed conversations. Everyone's face showed varying degrees of exhaustion; dark circles under the eyes became the most common "decoration."
In the common rooms, tables and chairs usually used for chess and chatting were completely covered with books and parchment. Even the corner sofas were crammed with students buried in study. Some had even fallen asleep directly on their books, a quill tightly clutched in their hands.
In classes, professors' lecturing pace unintentionally slowed down. A look of understanding crossed their faces when they scanned the students' tired expressions.
The Library, especially, was completely packed. Even the obscure corners that were usually ignored were occupied. The air was thick with the smell of old paper and ink. The entire library was so quiet that one could only hear the rustling of quills on parchment and the occasional turning of a page. This stifling atmosphere permeated every corner of the school. It was as if the sunlight outside the windows had lost its usual warmth, becoming cool and sterile.
However, to Dylan's delight, when he passed the Gryffindor scoreboard, he specifically checked the hourglass filled with jewels. The number of jewels had not suddenly increased by a large margin as expected.
Clearly, Old Dumbledore had temporarily held back the 500 points Professor Flitwick awarded, not adding them immediately. This relieved Dylan. Adding so many points during the intense period of Exam Week would undoubtedly cause resentment from the other Houses. More importantly, it would likely affect the exam performance of the Gryffindor students—which was almost certain, given how excitable Gryffindors were.
Old Dumbledore's decision was undoubtedly wise.
Regardless of whether Dumbledore held back the 500 points to let everyone focus on their studies without being distracted by the score, or if he planned to spring a dramatic reversal at the end of the term, or if the final reward for Dylan was simply more than 500 points and he was holding everything back, one thing was certain for Dylan: he had gained a period of relaxation and ease.
The first Transfiguration exam ended. When the bell rang, a collective sigh of relief echoed in the classroom.
Dylan put down his wand, looking at the vivid blue bird that he had Transfigured from a quill. It fluttered its wings and flew to the window, lightly landing on the sill, cocking its head to peck at its wing.
With a slight smile, he calmly packed his things and walked out of the classroom. The next moment, the little bird instantly changed, turning back into a blue feather that slowly drifted down from the window.
In the corridor, most of the newly finished students looked exhausted. Some walked while quietly discussing the exam questions, their brows furrowing often. Others rubbed their aching temples, shuffling weakly toward the common room. A few had simply collapsed onto the corridor benches, looking utterly defeated.
In contrast, Dylan was in excellent spirits. His steps were light, a relaxed smile on his face, his eyes bright, showing no trace of post-exam fatigue. Sunlight filtered through the corridor windows, bathing him in a soft glow. This sense of ease sharply contrasted with the surrounding tension, making him appreciate the relaxed time he had during Exam Week.
The Transfiguration exam was divided into both a written and a practical portion. Due to the varied course schedules of the third-year students, the written and practical exams were merged into a single session this time.
"Oh, my gosh, I must have stayed up too late yesterday!" Hermione, fresh out of the classroom, was full of worry, her eyebrows tightly knitted as she nervously wrung the hem of her robe. "Does the turtle I Transfigured from a teapot look more like a sea turtle? Will I lose points for that?" She spoke rapidly, anxiously looking at the people around her, seemingly seeking a sliver of comfort from their reactions.
"I think... probably not," Dylan said, meeting a just-exiting Hermione at the back door. He shrugged, his tone relaxed. "At least yours didn't have hands or a lid that opened." The student next to Hermione, whose spellcraft was poor, had Transfigured a teapot into an animal, but the lid opened to reveal the teapot's inner wall. The sight was rather strange. Otherwise, the bizarre nature of that Transfiguration spell might have rivaled some of his odd curses.
After a hearty lunch, Dylan and his friends proceeded to the Charms exam in the afternoon. Regardless of the exam's specific content, Professor Flitwick was in an excellent mood from start to finish, sporting a radiant smile throughout. During the practical session, when he passed by Dylan, he even secretly slipped him a Honeydukes sweet.
Dylan could only give a dry chuckle and accept it.
Buying goodwill with sweets? Clever tactic. It was just a little inappropriate to give it out during an exam.
Dylan glanced at the people around him. Some had noticed the exchange. Dylan shook his head and continued with the exam.
The next morning's Divination exam only had Dylan and Neville from their dorm participating. Harry and the others had their exam scheduled for Thursday afternoon due to course conflicts. The exam's content wasn't difficult, and it ended quickly.
(End of Chapter)
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