In the mysterious underground palace.
Ian found something bizarre here—there's no missing mother, gambling father, brilliant younger brother, or the one who went to sea. Instead, there was a person who had come back from the dead!
"Professor Ronnie Ehrich..."
The man's appearance as he lay on the ground felt so unreal. Having personally seen the man's corpse, Ian's current emotions were beyond words—he felt more bewildered now than when he discovered he might be trapped in a time loop.
The means left by Slytherin had already put him into a time loop, but how could a professor who had died not too long ago be revived in this purposeless cycle?
Could there be something at Hogwarts that could intercept the souls of the dead? If not, Professor Ronnie Ehrich's soul should have already traveled to the Misty Illusion Realm, or perhaps even further by now!
Ariana's previous situation had clearly shown that Slytherin's measures should not extend their effects into the Misty Illusion Realm.
The most crucial thing is that even if Hogwarts had remnants from Slytherin that could revive people, why was it the Saint who had only started his role this term for less than a day?
Numerous doubts.
Kept rising in Ian's heart.
"I don't understand! I really don't understand!" Ian couldn't believe Salazar Slytherin could have anticipated things happening at Hogwarts a thousand years later and left preparations and his handiwork.
Unless Slytherin is still alive and aware of what's happening at Hogwarts, the only reasonable explanation Ian could think of is that Slytherin's legacy intercepts the souls of the recently deceased and revives them within the underground palace after someone triggers it.
If that were true.
Such a revival must hold some significance, at least to Salazar Slytherin, meant to show or test those who trigger the underground palace's remnants.
"I don't understand what you're saying, youngster... I might have suffered some unknown influence causing my memory to be jumbled, but I think I still know if I'm dead or alive."
Professor Ronnie Ehrich estimated he'd broken a few ribs during the collision with the Dragon Bone. As he got up, he coughed heavily and clutched his chest, which was still throbbing.
"No, Professor, I think you don't understand what is happening now." Ian's eyes still wavered slightly, but his thoughts were becoming clearer internally.
He had a strong premonition in his heart.
Just like he initially suspected, the key to undoing the curse seal was right here in this underground palace. It was tied to the once-dead, now unaware former Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts standing before him.
"I actually find it easy to understand." Professor Ronnie Ehrich dared not pick up his magic wand. He noticed the Little Wizard's emotional sensitivity, so he merely sighed while looking at his wand, which had fallen far away.
"As you can see, my memory is chaotic, and I don't even know how much time has passed. Everything indicates that I was attacked by the Imperio spell and was under the control of some Mysterious Man."
"That Mysterious Man might have met with some accident, or perhaps he used me to accomplish his purpose... so I've gradually regained my self-awareness from his Imperio spell."
It has to be said that Professor Ronnie Ehrich's judgment is also quite reasonable; his current state indeed resembles someone waking up from being under the Imperio spell.
However.
That is, of course, not the truth.
Ian had clearly seen the dismembered body of the man before him, and those body parts were ultimately verified by several professors, even Headmaster Dumbledore himself, as indeed being Ronnie Ehrich.
"I've told you more than once, Professor, you were supposed to be dead." Ian didn't intend to hide the truth, nor did he fear that Professor Ronnie Ehrich would mentally collapse upon knowing it. From the way he mercilessly cast the Disarming Spell earlier, it was clear he wasn't familiar with this professor, who had been hired for just a couple of days before passing.
"Ha, the dead wouldn't be struck by your magic." Professor Ronnie Ehrich wasn't mentally affected, mainly because he simply didn't believe what Ian said.
"What grade are you in now?"
In his memory, Ian was shorter than he is now.
"First year, and it's just around Christmas... I want to know what you still remember?" Ian replied to his question and posed his own doubt.
"Still the first year… tsk tsk."
Professor Ronnie Ehrich didn't immediately provide an answer; he first looked at his hand which had lost the magic wand, then at the wand that was quite distant from him.
For a newly enrolled Little Wizard who could release such a powerful Disarming Spell earlier, this former Saint's eyes were filled with complex emotions and a hint of fervor hidden deep.
"Earlier, I saw your Transformation Technique mark in the Owl Shed, an exceedingly impressive casting. Back then, I thought you were just a pretty good budding Dark Wizard."