Chapter 231: Halloween Again
Grindelwald witnessed with his own eyes as Levicompleted the Animagus transformation into a Magical Creature.
"I guessed correctly; a prophetic dream wouldn't mention a young lad like Levi for no reason!"
A Magical Creature Animagus—an achievement only Merlin had ever reached—had now reappeared in Levi!
Standing silently in the Forbidden Forest under the night sky, Grindelwald became increasingly certain of his conjecture.
Every prophecy and every prophetic dream has its protagonist; the protagonist his two dreams pointed toward should be Levi.
The person who would bring change to the wizarding world in the future and lead the entire wizarding worldagainst a world-shaking upheaval was undoubtedly Levi!
Having confirmed this, Grindelwald knew how he should act!
He hadn't come to Hogwarts to be the Boy Who Lived's future mentor; since he already knew the direction of the future, he naturally wanted to guide Levi toward the path he wanted Levi to take!
Levi had no idea that Grindelwald was already preparing to manipulate him from behind the scenes!
Having successfully completed the Magical Creature Animagus transformation, he was in an exceptionally beautiful mood. Even the misty, pitch-black Forbidden Forest in the early morning felt bright and sunny to him, leaving him in high spirits!
While returning to the castle, he encountered Rubeus Hagrid moving giant pumpkins into the castle, just like last year.
Without needing to ask, Levi, who was already well-acquainted with him, flicked his finger. The pumpkin Rubeus Hagrid was carrying was transformed into a feather and landed in his hand.
"Phew~ Thanks, Levi! And Happy Halloween!"
"I still remember last year, you helped me just like this. What a coincidence!"
Although Hagrid's ability to keep secrets was as poor as if he'd drunk Veritaserum, his memory wasn't bad; he still remembered the events of last Halloween.
"Yeah, it's Halloween again. Happy Halloween to you too, Hagrid!"
Levi responded with a forced smile on his face.
At Hogwarts, especially during Harry Potter's school years, when was Halloween ever a good holiday? Didn't something have to go wrong every Halloween?
Last Halloween, if not for his interference, Voldemortshould have been manipulating Quirrell to cause trouble by letting a Troll into the castle to attack Hermione, indirectly fostering the friendship of the trio.
This Halloween, if Levi remembered correctly, something would still go wrong!
Tom Riddle's diary Horcrux would manipulate Ginny Weasley into opening the Chamber of Secrets and controlling the Basilisk to launch an attack, petrifying Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, and hanging her on the wall!
But Levi was truly curious. First of all, the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets had already attacked last year and had been collected into his Bestiary space.
Secondly, based on his observations over many days, the little witch Ginny Weasley didn't seem to have her life force drained or show signs of being manipulated by Dark Arts.
With his Source View and talent for Dark Arts, Levi felt he shouldn't be mistaken.
In other words, Tom Riddle's diary was not on Ginny Weasley's person.
This was also the reason why, nearly two months into the school year, he hadn't yet gotten his hands on the Horcruxthat was Tom Riddle's diary.
During the holidays, Lucius Malfoy indeed had a conflict with Arthur Weasley over the confiscation of Dark Artsitems.
Logically, the plot should likely have developed as it originally did; under Levi's interference, Tom Riddle's diary should have been planted on Ginny Weasley.
"Who on earth was this thing planted on to be brought in?"
Levi regretted it a little; he should have asked ProfessorNicolas Flamel for leave back then to go to Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley to see for himself who the Horcruxwas placed on.
It was a bit late for regrets now. As a Horcrux, Tom Riddle's diary couldn't be found by magic like divination, prophecy, or Accio. Levi could only use the opportunities provided by the society to investigate one person at a time in the school.
After helping Rubeus Hagrid deliver the giant pumpkins to the Great Hall, Levi ran into Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
The three of them had just come out of the Gryffindorcommon room and were still arguing incessantly.
Levi leaned in to listen; it turned out they were debating whether the new Professor, Gellert von Vitez, was a good person or a bad person.
"Levi," the three of them greeted the approaching Levibefore immediately continuing their argument.
Ron's face was flushed, and he said aggressively:
"If you ask me, never mind that Professor Gellert von Vitezis very handsome—being that handsome is highly suspicious in itself!"
"Just like Lockhart before him, didn't he look all decent? How many witches outside and how many female young wizards in school were fooled by Lockhart's appearance!"
"A Wizard should look like a Wizard. Dressing so trendy and stylish, looking so suave—it's obvious he's not a good person!"
Ron said through gritted teeth. He was a bit biased; because Lockhart was a big fraud, he now felt a deep dislike for middle-aged Wizards who were stylishly dressed and very charming!
"Can't you be a bit rational, Weasley!"
Hermione snapped back irritably, "Is being handsome and dressing trendily the mark of a bad person? Then why don't you say Levi is a bad person?"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at Levi. For some reason, she actually felt that Levi was exceptionally charming today, enough to make someone's head spin!
Hermione's eyes were fixed on him, and even her voice slowed down unconsciously as her gaze remained locked on Levi.
Levi is so handsome today, so charming!
Ron and Harley were busy arguing and hadn't noticed Levi, but hearing Hermione say this, they looked over and also discovered that Levi was exceptionally charming today!
"Levi, how did you dress up? It feels like you've become much more handsome. Is it some kind of magic?"
Ron couldn't help but ask Levi for advice.
Levi was already a prominent figure in the school; now that he had become so charming and handsome, how were others supposed to compete?!
He, Ron Weasley, also wanted to become this handsome and charm thousands of girls!
Harry Potter didn't have any particular thoughts, except for worrying that Levi being so handsome might charm Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw senior from the same house.
If Cho Chang fell for Levi, he wouldn't have a shred of hope left!
Levi was also taken aback by the reaction of the three. Why was their reaction—especially Hermione's—so similar to that of the Little Unicorns in the Forbidden Forest?
Could it be that the Silver Dragon's extraordinary charisma affected his human form even when not maintaining the dragon form?
Looking at Hermione's reaction, Levi had the answer in his heart without needing to ask.
Feeling the little witch Hermione's burning gaze, Levicouldn't help but feel a bit troubled.
He was truly helpless. Increased charm was both a good and a bad thing; he would just have to study how to control it freely later!
"I got some results from researching magic; you feeling like I've become more handsome is just a side effect of those results!"
Facing Ron's inquiry, Levi could only give a casual excuse before changing the subject to ask the three of them:
"What are you arguing about now? How did I hear something about the new Professor Gellert von Vitez?"
Hearing Levi say this, the three indeed shifted their attention. Harry Potter explained to Levi:
"Levi, you might not know, but some young wizards in the school are arguing about whether the new ProfessorGellert von Vitez is a good person or a bad person."
Levi was stunned upon hearing this. What was there to argue about? With Professor Gellert von Vitez's looks, you all clapped and welcomed him when he first joined!
Seeing Levi's expression, the better-informed Ron took the initiative to continue explaining for Harley:
"Levi, you don't know. The upperclassmen had ProfessorWitt's Defense Against the Dark Arts class earlier than us!"
"I heard from Percy that in class, Professor Witt actually performed the Unforgivable Curses openly, teaching everyone what the the Three Unforgivable Curses are and how to deal with them!"
"It's simply terrifying. You don't know—the spiders used for teaching were killed outright by Professor Witt using Avada Kedavra!"
"I heard many senior girls were scared to tears right then and there!"
Good grief, Levi thought to himself—talk about a shocker!
He almost thought it was the fourth year's Goblet of Fire; wasn't this something Barty Crouch Jr. did while impersonating Mad-Eye Moody?
How was it being played out ahead of time now?
Could the new Professor Gellert von Vitez be Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise!
Calculating the time, it was entirely possible for Barty Crouch Jr. to have done this.
After all, he only spent a year in Azkaban before being swapped out by Barty Crouch Sr. using his terminally ill and loving mother, then rescued.
Thinking of this, Levi felt some unease. Although he trusted Dumbledore's judgment, even Old Dumbledorehad times when his eyes failed him and he chose the wrong person.
He turned around, preparing to make some excuses and head to the Headmaster's Office to discuss this with Dumbledore, only to look up and see Professor Gellert von Vitez strolling leisurely through the entrance of the Great Hall.
"Alright, don't discuss the Professor on your own. Study more when you're free and observe your surroundings more!"
Levi quickly said to Harley, Hermione, and the others with pointed intent, winking repeatedly for fear they wouldn't understand.
Although Harley, Hermione, and Ron were sometimes reckless like true Gryffindors due to their personalities,
they could naturally detect such an obvious hint from Levi. Turning their heads, they also saw the very ProfessorGellert von Vitez they were talking about and quickly shut their mouths obediently.
After breakfast, Levi didn't even act like a good student by helping the Professors decorate the Hall like last year; he hurried off to the Headmaster's Office.
The Gargoyle crouching at the entrance of the Headmaster's Office looked at Levi as if he were a demon child.
Without Levi needing to say a word, it obediently hopped aside and cleared the way.
"Quite sensible, little brother!"
Levi said with a smile and walked into the Headmaster's office. He hadn't seen Dumbledore at breakfast, so he guessed Old Dumbledore must be having a private meal in his office.
Sure enough, as soon as he walked into the Headmaster's office, he saw Old Dumbledore sampling a breakfast exploding with sugar.
Without even tasting it, Levi could smell the cloyingly sweet scent emanating from the breakfast in the air.
Only Old Dumbledore, a powerful Wizard, could eat like this; otherwise, he wouldn't even need an Avada Kedavrafrom Professor Snape—he'd die of diabetes!
Levi's eyes twitched as he grumbled about his old Headmaster in his heart.
"Good morning, Levi. Have you had breakfast? Would you like to join me for some?"
Dumbledore held a small cake covered in frosting and extended a diabetic invitation to Levi.
"No thanks, Headmaster! Please enjoy it yourself; I have a toothache!"
Levi's cheeks were starting to feel phantom pain; Headmaster Dumbledore's breakfast was just too outrageous!
No wonder he hid in the Headmaster's Office for a private meal; perhaps the food in the Great Hall was too bland for him!
He sat down opposite Headmaster Dumbledore on his own and, regardless of the fact that Old Dumbledore was eating breakfast, asked urgently:
"Headmaster, do you know the true identity of ProfessorGellert von Vitez?"
Hearing Levi's question, Old Dumbledore was startled in his heart:
What's the situation? What on earth is Grindelwald doing?
Back when he was undercover in the Magical Congress of the United States of America, so many people hadn't detected his true identity. How did his identity get exposed as soon as he entered Hogwarts?
In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Dumbledore's mind, suspecting that Grindelwald had exposed himself on purpose to cause trouble in Hogwarts!
However, Old Dumbledore was also a veteran actor; his movements only stiffened for a moment before he unhurriedly continued eating his sickeningly sweet breakfast.
While eating, he asked Levi nonchalantly:
"What's wrong? Does Gelle have some other identity? He's just an old friend of mine from Germany!"
But although he was a veteran actor, Levi, with his preconceived notions, still detected a hint of unnaturalness from Old Dumbledore.
To get the real answer, the young actor Levi also started performing, his facial expressions shifting as he said disdainfully:
"Headmaster, knock it off!"
"Who doesn't know the score? Looking back since I started school, has anyone in the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor been a good person?"
Levi said with an air of having seen through it all, completely forgetting that last school year, Old Dumbledore had also filled the position for a while.
So when Old Dumbledore heard Levi say this, he was suddenly choked up and felt quite irritated!
"Last school year, it was Voldemort wearing Quirrell's skin; this school year has just begun, and we get the big fraud Lockhart!"
"With these two highly qualified predecessors as examples, to be honest, I really doubt the true identity of this Professor Gellert von Vitez!"
"After all, what kind of good person teaches Unforgivable Curses right at the start of class!"
At the end, Levi's eyes stared straight at Headmaster Dumbledore, wanting to see if any clues would be exposed.
But Dumbledore acted as if it were real, not letting Levisee anything at all, and even breathed a sigh of relief in his heart!
Thank goodness, thank goodness. Hearing Levi say this, this mischievous little fellow probably doesn't know Grindelwald's true identity yet!
Dumbledore secretly felt relieved; he knew that Grindelwald's level was definitely not so low that he could be easily detected by young wizards.
Thinking of this, Headmaster Dumbledore unconsciously began to defend Grindelwald:
"I certainly know about Professor Gelle teaching the Unforgivable Curses, Levi!"
"Teaching young wizards knowledge involving the Unforgivable Curses is admittedly a bit over the top, but you also know that Voldemort hasn't truly died; he could make a comeback at any time!"
"You need some knowledge and means to deal with danger. You should seriously study Professor Gelle's knowledge!"
"However, Levi, you must also deeply understand that Dark Arts are very terrifying. They not only cause incurable harm to others but also distort yourselves, making you very ugly, terrifying, and evil!"
While making excuses for Grindelwald, Old Dumbledoredidn't forget to give Levi a moral lesson; he was also worried that Levi would be led astray by Grindelwald.
Letting Grindelwald teach at Hogwarts—even Dumbledore felt it was a double-edged sword that brought both benefits and harm!
Chapter 232: House-elves
Hearing Headmaster Dumbledore say this, Levi still felt that Old Dumbledore was playing dumb again.
"Headmaster, don't you really think Professor Geller might be another Wizard who used Polyjuice Potion to sneak in?"
Dumbledore was stunned by the words. Now that things had been said to this extent, why did Levi still think Grindelwald's identity was suspicious?
Could it be that he had actually caught some slip-up from Grindelwald?
Just because the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors weren't good people, was Levi so certain that Grindelwald was also a villain?
Though this guy actually was a villain!
How could Old Dumbledore have guessed that Levi was just following the momentum of the plot, guessing that the Professor played by Grindelwald was actually Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise.
The two were talking at cross-purposes, yet somehow the facts still seemed to align.
"That should be impossible," Dumbledore could only try his best to cover for Grindelwald, explaining:
"Levi, the duration of Polyjuice Potion is very short. If Professor Geller were someone else in disguise, he would have to drink the Potion frequently!"
"But as you've seen, except during meals, Professor Gellerrarely makes any drinking or swallowing motions, does he?"
Levi froze for a moment, suddenly convinced by Headmaster Dumbledore!
Indeed, when Barty Crouch Jr. disguised himself as Mad-Eye Moody, he never let his flask leave his side, taking a few swigs every now and then.
In contrast, Professor Geller was rarely seen drinking or eating anything besides at mealtimes.
Without the irregular replenishment of Polyjuice Potion, it was impossible for Professor Geller to be someone else in disguise—unless he was a natural Metamorphmagus or had practiced human transfiguration to its absolute peak.
For example, the female Auror who had entered the school before—Nymphadora Tonks, or perhaps Grindel...
Wait! Levi suddenly had a realization!
With disbelief in his eyes, he glanced at Headmaster Dumbledore. A German Wizard who once studied at Durmstrang.
And at this specific time, daring to enter Hogwarts to serve as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor...
Especially one who was so close to Headmaster Dumbledore!
Besides Grindelwald, Levi couldn't think of anyone else!
Old Dumbledore, oh Old Dumbledore, I didn't expect you to be playing favorites with nepotism!
To think you've hidden your old flame, the first generation Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald, right inside Hogwarts Castle!
He had wondered where Old Dumbledore managed to find such a powerful Wizard to bring into Hogwarts Castleas the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor!
When he raised questions, Old Dumbledore had defended him multiple times. Aside from being elegant, charismatic, and wild, who else could be the 'beauty in the eye of the beholder' for Old Dumbledore?
Headmaster Dumbledore noticed the shock in Levi's eyes. He paused and couldn't help but ask:
"What is it? Levi, did you think of something?"
He remained confident in Grindelwald's level of disguise, thinking that even if Levi was an excellent student with extraordinary talent, he shouldn't be able to sense anything wrong with Grindelwald.
"It's nothing, Headmaster. I think Professor Geller indeed shouldn't be suspected. He must deeply enjoy your trust, Headmaster, having personally experienced your power. As your old friend, he will surely be a good Professor!"
"I just feel that since I enrolled, things have happened every year. If anything happens in the future, you can certainly consult with Professor Geller more and face it together."
"A young wizard like me should just focus on studying and not get involved at all!"
Levi's words were so loaded that he practically had 'more than meets the eye' written on his face.
Old Dumbledore and Old Gellert, two Dark Lords—one light and one dark—existing in Hogwarts Castle at the same time. Levi suddenly felt extremely relaxed!
Whatever Tom Riddle's diary, whatever Wormtaildisguised as Scabbers the rat—let these two old men worry about it!
At over a hundred years old, with a Wizard's lifespan, they were in their prime for getting things done!
The two of them plus Voldemort were the three most powerful Wizards in the world. It was only fitting they fought among themselves while he focused on his own growth!
Dumbledore naturally heard the hidden meaning in Levi's words. Just as he was about to ask for details, Levi got up to take his leave, walking out without a second thought.
Now that the tall ones were here to hold up the sky, this young master isn't serving anymore!
Skipping out of the Headmaster's Office, Levi felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders!
Returning to the Great Hall, he helped Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick decorate the entire school, filling it with a spooky yet whimsical Halloweenatmosphere!
He then found Harley, Ron, and the others. The three of them were no longer discussing whether Professor Gellerwas a villain, but had started worrying about something else.
"...So, you chose to accept Nearly Headless Nick's request out of curiosity and attend his Deathday Party?"
Levi looked at Harley and Ron in shock, then turned an even more shocked gaze toward Hermione Granger!
Hermione's face turned red under Levi's gaze. She suddenly felt she had done something stupid; she didn't know why she had been so overcome with curiosity at the time!
Clearly, when she was reading books with Levi, she had seen records of when ghosts held celebrations—that environment was simply not a place for the living!
Yet, out of curiosity, she had chosen to agree to Nearly Headless Nick's invitation when Harley and Ron were invited.
Hermione was almost crying at her own stupidity. Her being sorted into Gryffindor really wasn't a mistake; excessive curiosity brought excessive recklessness. She really was a foolish lioness!
Upon hearing Levi's words, Harley and Ron also felt a bad premonition!
They had indeed agreed to Nearly Headless Nick's invitation because they were curious about what a ghost's Deathday Party looked like.
However, in their imagination, a ghost's Deathday Partyshould be similar to the Halloween feast, just a bit more terrifying!
But looking at Levi's reaction, had they misunderstood something?!
"Hermione, you're someone who has read the books. Tell me, do ghosts need to eat human food?"
"Even though ghosts can talk and communicate, do you think they are still living beings?"
"Harley, Ron, you two have been around ghosts. You've probably experienced that feeling of having cold water splashed on you!"
"A single ghost is like that. Just imagine what terrible things would happen when hundreds or thousands of ghosts gather together?"
Levi's tone was leisurely, but his words, expression, and gaze all conveyed one message: the three of you are doomed!
Harley and Ron managed to squeeze out a weak smile and forced a laugh:
"Levi, it can't be that serious, right?"
"We'll just go take a look, satisfy our curiosity, and come right back. We definitely won't stay long. Maybe we'll even make it back in time for the Halloween feast!"
Hermione wasn't as optimistic as these two. She had already remembered the horrors of a ghost's banquet!
However, once a Gryffindor chooses a path, they must finish it even if they have to crawl!
She gritted her teeth and decided to go with Harley and Ron to Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party to satisfy her curiosity.
Even if the experience was terrible, so what?
Wouldn't this be a great adventure and an unforgettable experience?
When she got old and looked back on the time she crashed a banquet full of ghosts, wouldn't it be an adventure worth remembering?
Hermione's self-consolation quickly solidified her resolve. One could only say that Gryffindors were truly Gryffindors!
As long as adventure was mentioned, there was no one who didn't want to go!
Levi thought about it. Although the crisis in the school could be left to the pair of old men, Dumbledore and Geller, to solve...
It would be really boring if he didn't participate!
Specifically, he wanted to get his hands on the Horcrux, Tom Riddle's diary, to study it. Ideally, he could peek into the memories of seventeen-year-old Tom.
He had spent so much effort before and still hadn't figured out whose hands the diary had fallen into.
According to Levi's guess, a move would definitely be made at the Halloween feast. Tom Riddle's diary would certainly manipulate a student to carry out the first attack.
Even without the Basilisk, Levi wouldn't underestimate Little Tom's ability to cause trouble.
If he followed Harley, Ron, and Hermione to the Deathday Party and left early, he might just have a chance to run into the student being manipulated by the diary Horcrux.
At that time, the diary Horcrux would have nowhere to hide!
Little Tom, let this young master study your body! Jie jie jie jie!
"Laugh while you can. I hope you'll still be able to laugh later!"
Levi gave Harley and Ron a cold glance and left with Hermione.
He and Hermione were destined not to eat much at dinner. While there was still time, they might as well go to the school kitchen to see if they could find some 'wild game'!
Arriving at the kitchen entrance near the HufflepuffCommon Room, Levi tickled the green pear on the giant fruit painting.
The pear fruit giggled and turned into a door handle. Levigrabbed it, opened the door, and led the curious Hermioneinto the Hogwarts kitchen.
As soon as they entered the kitchen, the aroma of food wafted over them!
Dozens of house-elves were busy working, preparing food on four rectangular long tables.
The imagined scene of messy manual labor didn't appear; every House-elf was a master of household and culinary magic.
Unless it was a delicate operation requiring the addition of seasonings, most of the heavy magical processes were carried out by the house-elves with just a wave of a finger or a snap of their fingers.
As soon as Levi and Hermione entered the kitchen, two house-elves wearing clothes like tattered rags rushed forward eagerly and respectfully, asking:
"Sir, Miss, do the two Wizard masters wish to eat something?"
"Please tell Keeny/Marty, we two will prepare it for you right away!"
Hermione was too surprised to speak, but Levi said familiarly:
"Please prepare some quick and convenient food for us, a mix of meat and vegetables. For example, sandwiches or something similar, for about four people. And some pumpkin juice or other drinks!"
"Yes, yes, we will prepare it for you right away!"
The two house-elves called Keeny and Mati bowed to Leviand scurried off to prepare the food!
The other house-elves who didn't get the task even looked at Keeny and Mati with envy and anger. One could only say the degree of their enslavement was too severe!
Levi had once read about the history of house-elves in books. They were a type of magical creature created by Wizards through Spells, Potions, and alchemical modifications.
Not only were they physically and by bloodline completely obedient and dependent on Wizards, but they were also completely enslaved by Wizards in their instincts and ideologies!
Being enslaved by others isn't the most terrifying; self-enslavement is the most terrifying thing!
In the original story, a House-elf like Dobby, who could develop self-awareness and rebellious thoughts and seek freedom, was as miraculous as a pure-blood white person suddenly being born in a Black tribe on the African continent!
"Merlin, I never knew..."
"Levi, have these elves been here serving us all this time?"
"They don't even have a decent set of clothes, and they seem terrified to the extreme when interacting with people. Clearly, the elves at Teacher Flamel's house were all so decently dressed and behaved very normally, why..."
Watching the two house-elves leave, Hermione looked at the busy house-elves around her, her heart filled with shock.
She couldn't help but voice her confusion to Levi, her speech even becoming slightly incoherent due to the excessive shock.
She never knew that in the Hogwarts kitchen, there was such a group of house-elves who were like slaves!
Even 'Hogwarts: A History' had never recorded such a dark and terrible thing!
Hermione had of course seen house-elves at Nicolas Flamel's house, but the house-elves there all wore suits like British butlers or clean and tidy maid uniforms, looking like employees of the Flamel family.
Their attitude when receiving guests was neither humble nor arrogant. Aside from being a bit overly enthusiastic, Hermione hadn't felt anything was wrong at all.
At the time, she just thought these magical creatures were simply employees of Teacher Flamel's house.
Even the pair of house-elves that the Flamels had given to her and Levi before they passed away, she just treated them as homeless friends. She and Levi had accepted and settled them in their castle manor, paying them wages every month.
She thought all house-elves in the wizarding world lived like this, working for Wizards to earn money.
In reality, it was no different from those 'beasts of burden' who went to work in the office buildings of London.
But when she came to the Hogwarts kitchen, she realized that house-elves in the wizarding world actually lived like slaves!
They didn't even have proper clothes on them, only able to wear tattered rags like door curtains as a loincloth.
Hermione could hardly imagine that at the end of the 20th century, there was still such a cruel and ignorant system as slavery oppressing intelligent beings!
"This is actually the better side, Hermione!"
Levi suddenly spoke. With the arrogance of Wizards, they would never record the current situation of house-elves in any magic book.
Under Hermione's shocked gaze, he explained:
"The house-elves in Hogwarts Castle only need to clean, wash clothes, and cook for the young wizards!"
"You probably don't know that the elves in those wizarding families entrenched in the wizarding world live truly slave-like lives!"
"They can't even decide their own life or death. If Wizards are slightly displeased, they beat and scold them. Some wizarding families even have a custom of cutting off a House-elf's head when it gets old and hanging it on the wall..."
Levi spoke of the terrible mistreatment of house-elves by pure-blood families in the wizarding world. By comparison, the situation of the house-elves in Hogwarts Castle was still considered good.
Chapter 233: Slavery and Freedom
Hearing Levi's description of the miserable state of House-elves, Hermione couldn't suppress the pity rising in her heart, along with the desire to save them.
But for a moment, she didn't know where to start!
She looked at Levi, seeking help from this friend who had never disappointed her:
"Levi, isn't there any way to save the House-elves?"
"How can the wizarding world allow slavery to exist?"
"Are these poor House-elves naturally meant to be enslaved by Wizards?"
Although Britain is a monarchy, the Queen has long since lost most of her power as a sovereign, existing only as a national symbol.
For Hermione, she simply could not accept the existence of slavery, much less the current situation of House-elves being enslaved.
"Hermione, I know you want to save the House-elves, but the fundamental aspect of slave liberation is: do the slaves themselves want to be liberated?"
"When the food is delivered later, you can ask Keeny and Matty if they want to be free."
"If they are willing, we can go to the Professors, go to the Headmaster, and ask them to set the House-elves free!"
"I believe Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall would definitely agree!"
Levi responded to Hermione casually; he knew full well that Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagallwould agree, but the problem lay in whether the House-elves were willing.
He had said before that the horror of slavery lies not in being enslaved by others, but in enslaving oneself.
Without changing the deeply rooted mindset of the House-elves, what Hermione wanted to do would be impossible to succeed.
In fact, Levi didn't particularly want to completely liberate the House-elves either.
To give complete freedom to such a large group of magical creatures who were previously enslaved by Wizards and also possessed the ability to cast wandless magic...
What would be the first thing the House-elves did after their minds were liberated and they gained freedom?
Would the entire race thank the Wizards for granting them freedom?
With just a bit of thought, Levi knew that was unlikely!
The news of violent incidents like looting and arson by Black people in the United States was a constant refrain!
Actually, what Levi wanted to do more was to improve the treatment of House-elves, turning them into regulated labor providers and a market for dumping goods.
Just like the American Civil War, liberating the slaves wasn't for the sake of giving them freedom, but to provide labor for factories and a domestic market for dumping goods!
In Levi's eyes, although House-elves were much more well-behaved and sensible than Black people, their future status in the wizarding world would be no different!
Things like love, freedom, and peace, in Levi's view, could certainly produce extraordinary emotional effects in the practice of magic.
But as a Wizard with a rational mind, Levi preferred to use cold value to measure the liberation of House-elves.
"What do you mean by that?"
Hermione was completely baffled by Levi's words; what slave wouldn't want to gain freedom?
Could it be that if the House-elves left Hogwarts and those pure-blood wizards, they wouldn't be able to live or support themselves?
That's impossible, right?
Hermione felt that such a thing was unthinkable; House-elves possessed the power of magic after all.
They could completely carve out a piece of wasteland in an uninhabited forest, start by being self-sufficient through farming, and then develop bit by bit to establish their own civilization and nation.
Even if doing so was a bit difficult, it was still better than being a slave in the hands of Wizards, with no freedom at all, being beaten or scolded at will, and having their lives taken away!
Moreover, with the help of magical power, they wouldn't need to worry about natural disasters or wild beasts; even the speed of developing a civilization would be countless times faster.
Hermione had at least this much insight; she felt that once the House-elves gained freedom, they could easily achieve a better life!
Levi didn't answer Hermione. Seeing the two House-elves, Keeny and Marty, bringing the food, he took it and gestured for Hermione to ask them herself.
"Keeny, Marty," Hermione bent down and stopped the two House-elves who were heading back to the Halloween Feast. Her clear eyes met the large eyes of the two House-elves as she asked sincerely:
"Have you two always been here? How come I've never seen you in the castle?"
Keeny and Marty were just about to bow and leave, but hearing Hermione's caring words, they were deeply moved. With teary eyes, they answered seriously:
"Respected and kind little witch Miss, Keeny/Marty are excellent House-elves. An excellent House-elf does not let masters or guests notice their existence!"
Hermione froze upon hearing this, feeling even more pity for these House-elves; they weren't even allowed to have their existence acknowledged!
Clearly, all the cleaning, laundry, and cooking in the castlewere done by these busy House-elves. She had previously thought it was some kind of magic, but it turned out to be these House-elves working silently!
"Thank you for your hard work, Keeny and Marty, and everyone else. You are all excellent House-elves!"
Hermione praised them, moving the two House-elves so much that they couldn't help but burst into tears.
House-elves always seemed to get emotional in front of Wizards, as if they suffered from tear incontinence!
Seeing that her praise had bridged the distance between her and the House-elves, Hermione finally asked the question she cared about most:
"Keeny and Marty, do you both want to stay in the Hogwarts kitchens forever?"
"Have you never thought about leaving this place, experiencing the beauty of the outside world, gaining freedom, and feeling what it's like to be free?"
"You don't have to stay here forever serving us Wizards. Enslaving you is a mistake! You should be free!"
After Hermione finished speaking, she looked at the two House-elves with anticipation in her eyes. However, the reaction of Keeny, Marty, and all the other House-elves gave her a huge fright!
"No, we don't want to leave! Please don't drive us away!"
Keeny and Marty shrieked simultaneously. As if they had done something unspeakably wrong, they began bashing their heads against the floor, punishing themselves frantically!
"Don't do that, please don't! What did I say wrong? Don't you want freedom? I'm not testing you!"
Startled, Hermione hurriedly tried to stop Keeny and Martyfrom their self-punishment. She could even feel that the way the surrounding House-elves looked at her had changed!
She clearly meant well for them, so why were these House-elves looking at her with eyes full of hatred?
"Alright, we were just asking casually. Don't be like this, hurry back to your work!"
Seeing the situation, Levi used a commanding tone to stop the two House-elves. He was also sighing inwardly at how terrifying the Wizards' enslavement of these House-elves was!
This was even more shocking than the Imperius Curse; it was like a psychological suggestion he might cultivate, branded into the entire House-elf race.
Their thoughts and even their physical instincts had undergone a fundamental change, as if servility had seeped into their very marrow!
Keeny and Marty, the two House-elves, hurried away as if Hermione were some kind of terrifying monster.
After this ordeal, Hermione was also frightened into tears. She leaned into Levi's arms, sobbing while asking in a muffled voice:
"Wuu~ how could it be like this? Levi! I really wasn't testing them. I truly feel they should be free, not enslaved by Wizards like this forever!"
Levi, holding the food in one hand and the little witchHermione in the other, also looked helpless!
"Hermione, you can't blame the House-elves for this. They have been enslaved by Wizards for a very, very long time!"
"In the past, Wizards even used magic and alchemy to enslave them!"
"Come on, let's leave here first. I'll explain it to you in detail!"
As Levi led Hermione out of the Hogwarts kitchens, the House-elves all breathed a sigh of relief in unison.
Compared to pure-blood families, these House-elves at Hogwarts were living a life akin to heaven.
At least every day, besides working, they just helped the Headmaster and Professors keep an eye on those mischievous young wizards so they wouldn't fall to their deaths in the castle!
No one tortured them, no one scolded them, and no one even noticed them. For the House-elves, who were all socially anxious by nature, such a life was extremely happy. They didn't want to leave at all.
As for freedom or the idea of traveling the world alone, such thoughts couldn't even occur in a House-elf's mind!
They had a heavy psychological dependence on Wizards. Leaving a Wizard was like a parasitic vine leaving a great tree—they would be lost and unable to survive.
This kind of psychology and mindset came from long-term domestication by Wizards and the wizarding world, as well as being buried in their physical instincts and bloodline by Wizards since the birth of their species. Even Levi couldn't change it now!
After leaving the kitchen, he told Hermione everything exactly as it was.
"Then the House-elves are too pitiful. How could Wizards do such a thing?"
"If they were just cats or dogs without much intelligence, it would be one thing, but House-elves are intelligent beings!"
"What intelligent being doesn't pursue freedom or have independent thoughts? This is simply terrifying!"
Hermione said with a face full of shock. She also completely understood why the House-elves had behaved that way earlier.
The minds and souls of House-elves had been branded by Wizards. If they had been instilled with the idea that water was poisonous, they would probably resist drinking water with all their might!
To a House-elf, gaining freedom was like drinking poisonous water!
"So, Hermione, if you want to save these House-elves, giving them freedom is the most incorrect approach!"
"What you should do is influence the Wizards who enslave the House-elves, getting them to improve the House-elves' treatment, give them free time outside of work, wages, and personal assets, and let them gradually awaken their self-awareness!!"
"To make them free, you must first change their minds. To change their minds, you must first change their material conditions!"
"'When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when food and clothing are sufficient, people know honor and shame.' For House-elves who have nothing, the current status quo is their best state!"
"If they had their own houses, their own families, their own children, money, the desire to buy things, and more desires!"
"You wouldn't need to liberate their minds; they would want more themselves. They would choose to break the state of slavery on their own and actively seek freedom!"
"Freedom is never given. Freedom that is given is not freedom. Freedom is always fought for!"
"An egg broken from the outside is just food. If broken from the inside, it's a new life!"
"To make the House-elves free, it doesn't depend on us Wizards, but on the House-elves themselves wanting to be free!"
Levi's words carried an extraordinary logic, like a great bell or a profound maxim, echoing deep within Hermione's soul.
Hermione had never felt Levi's thoughts to be so great and magnificent as in this moment, as he pointed out the path to liberating the House-elves and granting them freedom.
At this moment, she also realized how shallow and crude her previous ideas were. Was it enough for Wizards to just stop enslaving House-elves?
The power of magic brings not only miracles but also terrifying effects upon living beings!
If she wanted the House-elves to gain true freedom and live truly like complete beings...
She should follow the path Levi had guided her toward!
"I understand, Levi. You're right!"
"You've made me understand this principle. It's just that we're both the same age—where did you come up with such profound ideas?"
Hermione's thinking had been elevated to more than one level by Levi's words.
Besides her thoughts on liberating House-elves, she couldn't help but be curious as before: we are both twelve-year-old Hogwarts young wizards, so why are you so exceptional?
Regarding Hermione's question, Levi naturally couldn't tell her that in his previous life, he had received an education in the 'Art of Dragon Slaying' for the masses!
The world might change, civilization systems might shift, and he might even have stepped onto the path of idealistic magic, but those deep and great thoughts would never change because of that!
Universally applicable principles were not just for his previous life; they still applied in this one!
"Read more books, read more newspapers, accept new ideas, and learn new concepts. These words and thoughts of mine were actually proposed by great philosophers and mentors long ago!"
"It's just that they exist in the libraries of the ordinary world, waiting for us to discover them!"
Hermione nodded in agreement hearing Levi's words. During the holidays, she had once dragged Levi along to learn knowledge from the ordinary world.
Hearing Levi say this now, she immediately felt that her thoughts and actions during the holidays were very correct!
No matter what kind of knowledge it was, whether it involved magic or not, it was all precious!
She had to stick to her previous ideas; not only did she have to learn magic, but she also had to learn the knowledge and thoughts of ordinary people, and bring great changes to the entire wizarding world together with Levi!
Levi watched the little witch from the side as her expression shifted and gradually became firm, his heart full of admiration and affection.
Changing the entire wizarding world alone was too lonely!
His like-minded partner and companion should be nurtured starting from now. Hermione, I look forward to you shining even more brilliantly than in the original story!
What's the point of being a Minister of magic who is just a stick-in-the-mud repairman!
Reforming the wizarding world, cleansing the Wizards' minds, eliminating slavery, and completely changing the entire wizarding world and the ordinary world to become a great mentor of change—that is the best Hermione in my eyes!
Chapter 234: Deathday Party
After a bit of teaching from Levi, Hermione finally understood how to change the situation of the House-elves.
While eating the simple food they had packed, the two went to find Harley and Ron, who were currently battling against the King of Heroes.
"Why are you two eating now? Later, at the Halloweenfeast..."
The veteran foodie Ron Weasley was about to remind Leviand Hermione that there would be a sumptuous Halloween feast later.
Then he remembered they might not make it to the Halloween feast because they had to attend Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party!
Why did he suddenly not want to go at all?
As soon as Ron Weasley thought of the delicious delicacies at the Halloween feast, his heart filled with regret.
Nearly Headless Nick had caught him, Harley, and Hermione, mainly because he wanted to invite Harley, the Boy Who Lived, to his five-hundredth Deathday Party!
He and Granger were just tag-alongs; Nearly Headless Nick had only invited them out of politeness.
But he and Granger, driven by Gryffindor curiosity, had decisively agreed!
At the thought of missing the sumptuous Halloween feast, Ron felt the venomous Dragon of regret gnawing at his heart.
That troublemaker Granger is really something!
Why didn't you stop us at a time like this? If you had refused, wouldn't Harley and I have refused too?!
"Hurry up and eat something! You won't want to taste ghost food!"
Levi tossed over the packed beef and vegetable sandwiches and juice; the food for Harley and Ron was just an afterthought.
But even so, it made the two reckless little lions gorge themselves, eating with great gusto.
After eating and drinking their fill, under Ron's reluctant gaze, the four left the Great Hall and headed to the venue for Nearly Headless Nick's five-hundredth Deathday Party—a cleared-out old classroom.
The closer they got to that old classroom, the more a cold, damp sensation washed over them.
In the corridors around the classroom, there were even ghosts in groups of two or three that Levi, Harley, and the others had never seen before passing through, adding an extra layer of horror to the Halloween atmosphere.
"Maybe we should just go back!"
Ron Weasley began to have second thoughts. Feeling this uncomfortable atmosphere and thinking about the Halloween feast that was about to start, with those fragrant pumpkin pasties and large chicken legs, he immediately regretted it!
"We're already here, Ron! We promised Nearly Headless Nick we'd attend his party!"
"If we break our word now, think how awkward and embarrassing it would be if we ran into Sir Nearly Headless Nick in the castle later!"
Harley was also having second thoughts, but due to his childhood environment, he had developed a bit of a people-pleasing personality.
As long as someone showed him a little kindness, or treated him well and respected him a bit more, he would want to do everything in his power to repay them.
Nearly Headless Nick had solemnly invited Harley to attend such a grand occasion as his five-hundredth Deathday Party.
Harley really didn't want to disappoint Nearly Headless Nick; besides, they had already accepted the invitation, and they really shouldn't break their promise and be absent!
But just as Harley was about to greet Nearly Headless Nick, who was welcoming guests at the door, he regretted it the moment he approached the dungeon classroom where the celebration was held!
A piercing noise came from the dungeon classroom, a sound like fingernails scraping across a blackboard, or thirty steel saws sawing against each other!
It was nothing short of a demonic sound piercing the ears. Hearing this, Harley and Ron almost felt their heads spin and nearly collapsed to the ground.
Levi was one step ahead, waving his wand to create a soundproof barrier to protect himself and Hermione, then asked Harley and Ron amidst the terrible noise:
"Do you two need one? Or perhaps this exceptionally stimulating ghost music can inspire your musical creativity?"
"Help, Levi, I'm suffocating!"
Harley and Ron were in no position to complain about Leviprioritizing his girl over his friends; like dying fish, they sent out a plea for help.
Levi smiled at the sight and waved his wand again, conjuring two soundproof earplugs to plug Harley and Ron's ears!
"Merlin's beard, I'm finally back to life!"
Harley and Ron finally realized the horror of attending a ghost party. These ghosts had lived too long; their senses for the mortal world had long since gone numb, and they could no longer taste any of the pleasures of the living.
For them, only those particularly terrible and stimulating tortures could allow these ghosts to taste a bit of the feeling of being alive again!
But Harley and Ron didn't want to participate in such a festival at all!
Even Hermione, seeing Harley and Ron's miserable state, couldn't help but have second thoughts, wondering if leaving now would hurt Nearly Headless Nick too much.
"Are you all alright?"
Nearly Headless Nick, seeing Harley and Ron stumble, asked them a casual question.
Without waiting for Harley and Ron to answer, he hurried off to greet other guests. He wanted to join the Headless Hunt, a special organization among ghosts.
But because his head was still connected by a bit of skin and hadn't completely fallen off—he wasn't fully headless—he hadn't been able to join.
This Deathday Party was a gala for Nearly Headless Nickto showcase his connections and a chance for him to seek entry into the Headless Hunt.
So Nearly Headless Nick couldn't be bothered with Harleyand Ron's feelings and hurried off to greet other guests again.
"I regret this!" Harley and Ron looked at each other and said, clearly having second thoughts.
The scene of the Deathday Party was indeed shocking and deeply terrifying; this experience was too awful for them!
Even seeing hundreds of ghosts wandering back and forth in the dungeon classroom like living guests at a banquet couldn't compare to how much this terrible experience made them suffer!
Especially when Harley and Ron saw the food for the Deathday Party, they almost threw up the food they had eaten earlier on the spot.
Large chunks of rotten meat were placed on beautiful silver platters;
Pitch-black, burnt-to-a-cinder cakes were piled on large trays;
There was also a large amount of maggot-infested haggis and a block of cheese covered in green mold.
In the very center of the table sat a massive grey cake shaped like a tombstone, with words spelled out in tar-like icing:
Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington
Died 31st October, 1492
If the food had just been decorated this way to set the mood for Halloween and the Deathday Party, Levi and the others wouldn't have said anything.
But this food was truly moldy and spoiled, crawling with maggots. Harley and Ron immediately turned to leave; they really didn't want to vomit right then and there!
"Good God, Merlin, let's go! Let's go!"
Harley's head was already spinning as he urged them!
With his eyes closed, he walked toward the door of the dungeon classroom without looking back.
If he had known there was such a thing as a Time-Turner, he would have really wanted to go back to the moment he accepted Nearly Headless Nick's invitation and strangle himself!
Terrible music, a deathly atmosphere, frightening guests, nightmare food...
And the temperature, getting colder and colder until they were shivering!
Harley remembered he was still wearing the spring breeze badge Levi had sold him and quickly funneled magic into it to make it work.
Ron, Hermione, and the others followed suit. When the warm spring breeze swept over their bodies, they finally felt as if they had come back to life and hadn't died on the spot to become ghosts!
Levi followed the three out of the Deathday Party's dungeon classroom. Protected by magic and alchemical items, he was actually in the mood to tease the three, saying:
"So? Is your curiosity satisfied? Was it an unforgettable adventure? Do you want to come back again?"
His question made Ron, Harley, and Hermione all shudder simultaneously, as if they had just had a nightmare, and they hurriedly shook their heads!
"It was unforgettable, that's for sure. And terrible, that's also for sure!"
Hermione took a deep breath, as if trying to forget the previous experience, and commented thus.
"If I could, I'd really go back in time and strangle the me who accepted the invitation!"
Harley spoke his truest thoughts, and Ron added: "Good brother, you're absolutely right!
When the time comes, if you can't bring yourself to do it, we can swap. You strangle me, and I'll strangle you!"
Levi looked at this pair of brothers in misfortune and found it amusing. He felt his previous experience had a bit of the vibe of horror stories from his past life.
Like wandering into a ghost wedding on a pitch-black night—the food for the dead and those ghosts, wasn't it very similar to what he just experienced?
Except one was Eastern and the other was Western.
Having gone through a somewhat terrible and frightening adventure, Levi wasn't completely without gains compared to Harley, Hermione, and Ron.
The smoke of the mod system drifted before Levi's eyes, and a line of prompts appeared:
[Ghost Deathday Party detected, lifespan modloading...]
[Loading complete, congratulations to the host for obtaining the lifespan mod!]
While Levi chatted with Hermione, Harley, and the others as they walked back through the corridor, he clicked on the introduction of the new MOD.
After opening the lifespan mod, the first line that appeared was Levi's own lifespan:
Host Levi's lifespan: One thousand two hundred and fifty-three years, three months, and twelve days!
Good heavens, even the small change is there!
As for his lifespan reaching over a thousand years, Levididn't feel there was anything particularly novel about it!
Don't look at the Harry Potter world as a low-magic world on the surface; some Spells also involve time, the soul, longevity, and immortality!
Especially the idealistic magic power possessed by Wizards in the Harry Potter world; once it reaches a certain level, it can significantly extend a Wizard's life!
For example, the former headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Armando Dippet, only died this year, and he lived for about three hundred and fifty-five years!
And that's just for ordinary headmaster-level powerhouses. Legendary Wizards like Dumbledore and Grindelwald, if they value their lives and don't suffer Dark Arts injuries, could easily live for four or five hundred years if they wanted to!
So, Dumbledore and Grindelwald in their hundreds are still young men, right in their prime!
And Levi's lifespan being over a hundred years beyond the upper limit that Dumbledore and Grindelwald could reach was even less of a surprise!
First of all, there were Levi's various talents, especially the existence of the dragon heart, which allowed Levi's magicpower to be as vast and immense as a Dragon's. Being nourished by magic power, a greatly extended lifespan was just one of the benefits!
Then there was Levi's Magical Creatures Animagus; although the Silver Dragon form was just the result of a transformation!
But as a true Dragon whose essence was far higher than that of a Dragon beast, the lifespan extension it brought to Levi was just a minor benefit of the Silver Dragon form!
If Levi used the Dragon MOD to further manifest the essence of the magical true Dragon that is the Silver Dragon in himself...
Perhaps he could not only transform into a Silver Dragonbut also gain the benefits of the Silver Dragon bloodline while in Wizard form.
Maybe he could use the Sorcerer path to become a Dragon-blooded Sorcerer, greatly extending his life while also being able to cast Silver Dragon magic in human form!
The lifespan mod, besides marking Levi's lifespan, also provided recipes and ingredients for longevity potions, which were added to the system Shop, categorized into three levels: one year, ten years, and a hundred years.
In the Harry Potter world, besides the Elixir of Life brewed with the Philosopher's Stone, perhaps only the Horcruxmethod can significantly extend a Wizard's lifespan.
But both of these methods have huge side effects and drawbacks, each with its own pros and cons; Levi basically wouldn't choose them.
With over a thousand years of lifespan, Levi thought he might even be tired of living by then!
As for eternal life or immortality, Levi didn't have too many thoughts on that; it was too difficult to achieve in the Harry Potter world!
And if he lived too long, Levi didn't know if his mind could withstand the erosion of time, or if he would live until he was bored!
But the Potions from the lifespan mod provided Levi with another possibility: to live forever in youth by taking longevity potions!
That's right, the longevity potions provided by the system granted youthful years after being consumed. They could not only restore youth but also extend lifespan.
Only after the years brought by the longevity potion were exhausted would the user continue to age!
For such a heaven-defying Potion, the Academic Creditsrequired to exchange for both the recipe and the ingredients were massive!
"The Academic Credits I have on hand right now probably can't even afford a one-year level longevity potion!"
Levi thought to himself with a mix of joy and helplessness. However, he wasn't in a hurry to exchange for such things; he was only a twelve-year-old young wizard!
In his view, the greatest use of these longevity potions was for his friends and family.
Otherwise, if he had over 1000 years of life but Hermioneonly had a few hundred, the remaining time would be too lonely and difficult to bear!
As for how Levi knew that Hermione actually had several hundred years of life, that was the last function of the lifespan mod!
Levi could see the lifespan of others, seeing the real-time decay of their lifespan every minute and every second.
"But I feel this thing isn't very accurate. What if I find someone who's about to die and pour a bottle of longevity potion into them?"
"Or find a young Death Eater and give him a Holy Radianceon the spot? Could this lifespan timer clear to zero instantly, or suddenly explode upward?"
Levi looked at the lifespan timer above the little witch's head and thought secretly to himself; that was probably the only possibility!
Chapter 235: The Ghost is Dead
Harley, Ron, Hermione, and Levi fled the underground classroom where the Deathday Party was held in a panic.
Leaving the cold atmosphere of the ghost ring, the spring breeze badge blew until they were covered in sweat; only then did they snap out of it and take the badges off.
"Fortunately we had your invention, Levi, otherwise we would have frozen to death!"
"A place for the dead is truly somewhere the living should not set foot!"
"But this was an unforgettable experience. I'm going to tell George and Fred about it later! Let them be jealous!"
Ron, having taken off the spring breeze badge, felt himself swelling with pride again as he spoke triumphantly.
Although the previous Deathday Party had been a nightmare for Ron—utterly terrible, like a living person accidentally stumbling into a ghost wedding—
The experience was exciting and memorable enough. At the very least, Hogwarts' kings of mischief, George and Fred, had definitely never experienced anything like it!
As someone who had experienced it firsthand, especially as Ron Weasley who loved to boast and enjoy the admiration of others, he was certainly going to brag about this experience once they returned to the common room!
"It really was quite interesting, Ron. When we get back..."
Harry Potter rubbed his somewhat chilly stomach, thinking how lucky it was that he had eaten the food Levi brought earlier, otherwise he would be cold and hungry by now.
Just as he was talking to Ron Weasley about going back to tell the story together, Harry Potter's words suddenly stopped, and he stared fixedly ahead!
Levi and the others followed Harry Potter's gaze and saw a ghost they hadn't seen among the invited guests; it looked as if it had been hit by a cannonball, its body floating in the air, Diffindo!
As everyone knows, ghosts are the souls of Wizards. When heading towards the The Limbo, because they harbor an obsession with the mortal world, they choose to let the part of the soul carrying that obsession return, forming a special existence!
Theoretically speaking, a ghost is a part of the soul of a Wizard who has already died once!
Can a ghost that is already dead die again?
Does magic exist in the world that can harm or even kill a ghost?
Now Levi and the others knew the answer: a ghost that has died once can die again. In fact, magic that kills ghosts might actually exist, because they were seeing it with their own eyes!
"Li... Levi, is... is he dead?"
"How can a ghost die? Isn't he already dead?"
"Levi, what should we do?"
Ron, Harley, and Hermione were all in a panic, asking Leviall at once.
They were, after all, only eleven or twelve-year-old children. Seeing a ghost torn into pieces was truly terrifying to them!
"Don't panic. The three of you go to the Great Hallimmediately and get the Professors and the Headmaster!"
"Have them immediately count the young wizards in the Great Hall and check who in the school did not attend the Halloween feast and who stayed in the common rooms!"
"I suspect another Dark Wizard or something else has broken in!"
Levi said calmly to Harry Potter and the other two.
He could naturally guess that this was surely the handiwork of tom riddles diary, manipulating someone else.
The urgent priority was to Lock-On to the perpetrator through investigation, and then find tom riddles diarythrough the controlled person.
As long as the existence of the Horcrux was locked on, the rest could be left to Old Dumbledore and Old Gellert.
"Okay," Harley and the other two nodded seriously and immediately set off.
Levi stayed behind alone, approaching the fragments of the dead ghost and observing them curiously.
Although his Source View could see a person's soul symbol and magic origin, it could not see his own soul like the internal vision of other cultivation systems.
A ghost is actually a part of a soul with an obsession, remaining in the human world, unwilling to leave, in a state of being neither dead nor alive.
Reasonably speaking, while the magic of the Harry Potter world is idealistic magic influenced by the soul, it is difficult for it to work the other way around and cause damage.
But today, he happened to witness the death of a ghost!
Which Wizard did tom riddles diary, this Horcrux, manipulate to achieve this!?
How did they do it?
It truly made Levi curious!
As for pitying this strange ghost, that wasn't the case, because a ghost is already a dead thing—an incomplete soul carrying an obsession!
The part that was supposed to go to the world of the dead had long since gone; what remained here was just a part of an obsession!
If it's dead, it's dead; it was a dead thing to begin with!
However, Tom Riddle manipulating someone else to pull off such a move was indeed very deterrent!
At the very least, Levi, aside from a few spells like the Soul Extraction Technique, could not possibly kill a ghost so cleanly and efficiently!
It's a pity Harley and I came out late; if we had come out a bit earlier, we could have seen who the murderer was!
The reason Levi participated in a Deathday Party with Harley and the others tonight wasn't to gain a lifespan mod.
The unexpectedly loaded system MOD was an unexpected surprise.
Levi followed Harry Potter on this trip to see if things would still develop as they did in the original story.
Who exactly got tom riddles diary?
In the end, he was still too late and gained nothing.
It couldn't be said he gained nothing; Levi had gained even more questions.
With the Basilisk already captured in his Compendium Space, the power of tom riddles diary should be weak. Which Wizard could it have bewitched and controlled to have such powerful magic to kill a ghost!
However, Levi did know the diary's purpose for doing this.
It was nothing more than what Voldemort wanted last school year: to cause trouble in Hogwarts Castle again, drive Dumbledore out of the school, and then return to life to do as he pleased!
As time passed, under Levi's observation, he found that the fragments of the dead ghost's body were fading bit by bit, changing from translucent to completely transparent, and finally disappearing!
A ghost that has already died, dying once more, returns completely to nothingness!
Levi reached this conclusion through his observations.
Just as the conclusion was reached, before he could think of a way to collect parts of the ghost's remains for follow-up research, cluttered and hurried footsteps sounded from the other end of the corridor.
Levi looked up and saw Old Dumbledore and a group of Professors, along with Harley, Ron, and Hermione, walking over with anxious faces.
To be honest, he sometimes found it hard to define Old Dumbledore's power within Hogwarts Castle.
Clearly, as a composite large-scale alchemical castle, Hogwarts Castle would recognize each powerful Wizardserving as Headmaster as its master, subject to the Headmaster's control.
Yet Old Dumbledore seemed to know nothing of what happened in the castle, only rushing over with the Professors when something went wrong.
Just like those United States police officers who are always the last to arrive at the scene.
Yet at other times, Old Dumbledore seemed to have everything happening in the castle at his fingertips, knowing everything clearly.
Knowing and not knowing was like wave-particle duality, serving the plot entirely.
After Headmaster Dumbledore and the group of Professors arrived, they all lowered their breathing, their eyes fixed intently on the ghost that had been torn to pieces after dying, and on Levi standing beside the ghost.
They didn't suspect Levi of doing this!
Although the thief crying "stop thief" could happen, according to Harry Potter and the others, Levi had been with them the whole time!
Even if these people had something wrong with their brains, they wouldn't think that way, unless they were people with ulterior motives.
For example, our Professor Snape and Professor Gellert von Vitez were currently eyeing Levi Keynes with unusual looks.
"Mr. Keins, what on earth is going on here?"
"Tell us the details of what happened again, and why didn't you attend the Christmas feast?"
Professor McGonagall asked, both angry and anxious; she had seen such scenes more than once in the previous school year.
She had a premonition that the troublesome period of this school year had finally arrived, and it had only been two months since school started!
"Yes, Professor," Levi responded and gave a brief and concise account of what had happened.
While he was recounting the events, Headmaster Dumbledore, just as Levi had done earlier, observed the killed ghost.
"It's... Madam," Dumbledore murmured a ghost's name, which Levi, who was still talking, didn't hear very clearly.
He didn't find this too strange at the time.
Ghosts generally maintain the appearance they had at the time of their death; whatever they looked like when they died is how they stay, usually without much change.
If the ghost couldn't have been in pieces when it died, then to blast a ghost into this state, one could imagine how evil and terrifying that magic must be!
"...And that's it. Harley saw the dead ghost first, then we saw it too. I immediately told the three of them to go find you Professors while I stayed here to keep watch. I didn't see anything unusual!"
Levi concluded, then asked with great concern:
"Professor, did you hear the message I asked Hermioneand the others to bring to you?"
"Have you counted who was not in the Great Hall? I suspect someone of unknown identity has slipped into the castle, or it's a student or Professor already in the castlewho is being controlled or acting out of malice!"
Levi voiced the greatest possibility.
He didn't know if it was Ginny or some other unlucky young wizard who had been manipulated by tom riddles diary to do such a terrible thing.
"The Prefects have already been told to count, but it seems everyone was in the Great Hall except for the three of you. You'll have to explain yourself well, Mr. Keins!"
"Being able to kill a ghost is not something an ordinary Wizard can do!"
Snape said in a slow tone, seemingly suspicious of Levi.
"Severus," Professor McGonagall snapped, silencing Snape, and her look toward Professor Snape wasn't very kind either.
Levi could be said to be the school favorite at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry now. Not only did the young wizards admire this classmate who invented the hero king game and had many great achievements,
But the Professors also liked this clever and sensible young wizard, especially since Levi's grades were exceptionally excellent, making all the Professors very satisfied.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, have you found anything?"
Having blocked Professor Snape's groundless suspicion, Professor McGonagall asked Headmaster Dumbledoresolemnly.
"Very terrible Dark Arts, it seems to be a mixture of some kind of explosive power and soul-tearing power that caused..."
Headmaster Dumbledore shared some of the results of his observations; as for the rest, he didn't continue, but everyone could see it.
"Could it be the work of the Heir of Slytherin who appeared last school year?"
Professor Flitwick's thinking was sharp. If the Basiliskhadn't been captured by Levi, he would have hit upon the truth directly, but it was close enough now!
"It's very possible, but I can't be certain!"
Hearing this, Dumbledore pondered for a moment and shook his head.
In his heart, however, he was thinking to himself: Has Voldemort's wicked heart not died and has he returned to Hogwarts?
But I haven't observed any signs of possession related to Voldemort?
Has Tom's level in the Dark Arts already reached such a terrifying state?
Thinking of this, Dumbledore couldn't help but turn a pleading gaze toward Professor Gellert von Vitez—his old flame, Grindelwald!
When it came to the realm of Dark Arts, even if Dumbledore was a White Dark Lord, he couldn't compare to Grindelwald!
"Professor Gellert, what kind of terrifying Dark Arts do you think caused such a result? And who could have done it?"
Dumbledore simply asked the questions in his heart, wanting Grindelwald to help him. After all, someone had died, even if it was an already dead ghost.
Grindelwald also became interested. He suddenly felt that his prison break was right; even without the dream of prison, he should witness the "ever-changing" developments of the wizarding world.
With his mastery of the Dark Arts, he could of course easily kill a ghost as well.
However, if he were to kill a ghost, he would usually use destructive Dark Arts like Fiendfyre, which would leave extremely terrible traces!
But he had just observed the surroundings, and aside from these ghost remains floating in the air, there were no other traces or aura at all.
The perpetrator's mastery of the Dark Arts was extremely high; they had clearly used powerful magic to kill the ghost, yet there was not the slightest leakage of power!
Wonderful, truly wonderful. This person's mastery of the Dark Arts is truly not to be underestimated!
Grindelwald almost laughed. With such an opponent daring to cause trouble for Albus out here, no wonder this old fellow hadn't gone to Nurmengard to see him.
It turned out this old guy was having such a good time out here!
Grindelwald also approached the ghost remains with great interest and observed them carefully. He naturally saw something, but now was not the place to say it.
So he just stood up with a solemn expression and said:
"Headmaster Dumbledore, your observation was correct. It is indeed very terrifying Dark Arts!"
"Our Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is in trouble!"
Grindelwald acted his part perfectly, looking worried for the school as if he might sacrifice himself for Hogwarts at any moment to defend everything.
Watching this, both Dumbledore and Levi secretly twitched the corners of their eyes.