Chapter 321 Peter Pettigrew
In the North Sea, murky waves rolled, and a fishy, salty cold rain poured down, whipping the dark stone fortress of Azkaban on the isolated island.
Endless giant waves relentlessly Tackle the rugged reefs, splashes shattering, while the sea breeze carried the chill of despair.
Leaden clouds pressed low against the sky, with not a shred of sunlight in sight, and the grey, cold towers stood silently in the wind and rain.
The dark shadows of Dementors drifted through the rain curtains, and the gloomy, cold aura permeated every inch of the stone walls.
The ocean waves roared and the cold rain was desolate. The entire prison stood silently amidst the fishy wind and foul rain, hope and joy having long been sucked dry by Dementors, leaving only cold despair and sorrow!
Inside a one-meter-square cage, Peter Pettigrew struggled to turn over and calculated the time. It was not yet time for the Dementors to come and feed, and a trace of joy and hope inevitably arose in his heart:
"No, no, I, Peter Pettigrew, must escape! I must never die here!"
"The taste of Dementors draining souls and joy—I am utterly sick of it!"
"Master! Master Voldemort! Where are you?"
"Dumbledore, Dumbledore, I beg you to spare me!"
"James, James Potter, my good brother, I was wrong! Boohoo~"
Having had his hope and joy sucked away for a long time, the once plump and filthy Peter Pettigrew had become skin and bones, but his dirty, wretched appearance with panicked eyes darting around was still very much like a rat.
However, he was already somewhat half-mad!
The reason the Dementors had not simply pulled out Peter Pettigrew's soul and sucked it dry...
...was precisely because they found that this fellow's will to survive was incomparably firm, and he would generate hope and joy from time to time!
They could still tell the difference between eating one full meal and being fully fed every meal; keeping this rat alive, the Dementors decided to make the supply last!
After a bout of weeping akin to severe depression with an emotional breakdown, the half-mad Peter Pettigrew finally recovered a bit of his sanity.
"No, I must save myself. I must escape from here. If this goes on, I am going to die here!"
Peter Pettigrew's rat-like eyes rolled around, and as if grasping onto some kind of hope, he thought in his heart:
"Since Master possesses such great magic as a Horcrux, he definitely is not dead!"
"And I am now in Azkaban, where Death Eaters loyal to the Master are everywhere. I cannot escape, but those crazy Death Eaters might not be unable to escape!"
"Like the crazy Bellatrix, the extremely clever Barty Crouch Jr., I only need to pass over the news that the Master is not dead and needs a help, and they will definitely have a chance to escape!"
"When the Master makes a comeback later, he will surely not forget my contributions and will definitely rescue me out. The Master still needs me!"
"That's right! That's right! Exactly like this, exactly like this! Hahahaha~"
Peter Pettigrew whispered madly, his eyes darting evasively, madness flickering in his rat-like eyes. Inside, he continuously comforted and affirmed himself, laughing with frantic despair!
"But how can I contact the others in Azkaban?"
After the laughter devoid of any joyful emotion, a sudden, intense despair gripped Peter Pettigrew's rat-like, timid heart!
He looked towards the cell imprisoning him. It was an iron cage cast from four square yards of steel plates, covered with small sieve-sized holes.
Such a narrow and sturdy cage was practically no different from a cat or dog crate. If Peter Pettigrew hadn't been completely starved thin and able to transform into a rat, he would have had no room to move inside the cage at all.
Facing such a cage predicament, Peter Pettigrew despaired completely!
He could not think of how to transmit the message and could only remain in Azkaban, this desperate hell, letting the Dementors suck away his soul and joy!
Yet the despairing Peter Pettigrew could never have imagined that sometimes fate would favor people like them who ought to have died!
Barty Jr. Crouch Sr., a high-ranking official of the Ministry of Magic, formerly the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and currently the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
He had actually, unable to withstand his wife's bitter entreaties, used his meager authority to help his son, Barty Crouch Jr., swap for a cell with a relatively better environment.
Speaking of the Crouch father and son, they truly were a pair of "legends"!
Barty Jr. Crouch Sr. was a typical stern and powerful father figure. As the former Head of the Department of Law Enforcement, before Fudge became Minister, he was once the most vocal candidate for Minister.
He was fluent in hundreds of languages, yet his personality was rigid, extremely ambitious, and he advocated an iron fist!
During the First Wizarding War, his methods were cruel. In order to crack down on Dark Wizards, he had once chosen to imprison suspects without trial, and he valued reputation far more than family affection.
How such a stern father would treat his son can be imagined!
When his biological son Barty Jr. was proven to be a Death Eater, he judged him publicly, personally sent his son into Azkaban, and openly declared that he had no such son.
However, because of this very point, he directly missed out on the position of Minister for Magic, and could only become a marginal figure, serving as the head of the so-called Department of International Magical Cooperation.
And Barty Crouch Jr. was even more legendary!
Unable to feel any paternal love from Barty Jr. Crouch Sr., he chose to recognize a wild father instead, treating Voldemort as his true father!
As a Slytherin Wizard who graduated from Hogwarts and obtained all 12 O.W.L. certificates, his future was originally exceptionally bright!
Yet he chose to become a fanatical Death Eater, and even after Voldemort was rebounded upon by his own Spell...
...unwilling to believe that Voldemort had perished, he also participated in torturing the Longbottoms and driving Neville's parents insane. He was a clever but damned madman!
Peter Pettigrew recognized Barty Crouch Jr. at a glance—this Death Eater madman who was dead loyal to Voldemort!
He was overjoyed, even suspecting whether this was a trap, but after staring with his rat eyes and repeatedly checking his surroundings, he finally became convinced that heaven had actually sent him such a rare opportunity!
In truth, the location of Barty Crouch Jr.'s new cell was not directly next to where Peter Pettigrew was.
But the distance between them allowed Peter Pettigrew to find an opportunity to communicate.
He tore off some deep fabric strips, performed wandless magic, and after spending a long time of effort, finally turned the fabric strips into a flying magic paper crane.
Taking advantage of the gap when the Dementors' watchful gazes were not here, he stuffed the magic paper crane out through a hole in the cage, watching full of expectation as the magic paper crane flew and flew, finally flying to the cell where Barty Crouch Jr. was located.
"Yes, it finally worked!"
Peter Pettigrew clenched his fists in excitement, wishing he could jump up in the cage to celebrate!
But before he could even rejoice, the intense emotion of joy attracted a Dementor, which swooped down!
"No! No! No! No! No! Squeak~"
A gloomy and desperate aura rushed forward, and the Grim-like figure of the Dementor enveloped Peter Pettigrew.
Peter Pettigrew screamed miserably like a mouse caught by a cat!
When the Dementor's kiss descended, Peter Pettigrewonly felt that all hope and joy vanished along with the Dementor's kiss!
What hope of escaping alive?
What joy of gaining freedom?
Everything seemed to have lost its meaning; he truly was a pitiful rat, a filthy good-for-nothing, a damned piece of trash!
Chapter 322 Barty Crouch
The screams of Peter Pettigrew woke the half-asleep Barty Crouch Jr.
Having spent years in Azkaban, Barty Crouch Jr. had wasted away into a skin-and-bones skeleton; stripped of hope and happiness, he was practically no different from a dead person.
When his cell had been transferred earlier, Barty Crouch Jr.actually knew what was happening.
Yet he had no desire to pay any attention to that man, nor did he want to speak a single word to him. In his heart, only the great Dark Lord Voldemort was his true master and father!
Barty Crouch Jr. had grown accustomed to the screams of Azkaban prisoners. Just as he was about to close his eyes to sleep and recover his energy, he suddenly noticed a magic paper crane circling and fluttering within the cell.
"Hmm?"
Due to long-term imprisonment, his somewhat decaying and rusted brain began to spin rapidly.
He snatched the magic paper crane, gripped it tightly, and his face was filled with a shifting expression of contemplation.
"I have already been locked away in Azkaban, who would leave a letter for me?"
"Could it be that man?"
"Hmph, we cut ties long ago, it could not be his!"
"Could it be Mother?"
Thinking of the gentle and doting face of his mother, the withered and emaciated face of Barty Crouch Jr.unnaturally revealed a hint of guilt.
Although he was drawn to the great cause of his master Voldemort and willing to go mad for it, he was not a fool!
He could imagine how sorrowful and grieving his mother would be after he was imprisoned; she probably wept bitter tears every day!
He had failed his mother, but for his master Voldemort...
"That is right, his master Voldemort, he must not be dead, he must not have failed!"
"Could this note be from my master Voldemort?!"
At this thought, the flame of hope suddenly burned within the withered, deeply sunken eye sockets of Barty Crouch Jr.!
Eagerly and even flusteredly, he opened the note and looked closely, but the contents on it left him both disappointed and excited!
The disappointment was that this was not a note given to him by his master Voldemort;
The excitement, however, was that his master Voldemorttruly had not died, nor had he been defeated at the hands of the so-called Harry Potter!
The great master Voldemort, his father, had actually created a Horcrux, his master Voldemort had already achieved immortality!
It was just that for the resurrection and return of his master, a little help was still needed, a tiny help!
"My master needs me now!"
Barty Crouch Jr. did not doubt at all whether the note given to him by Peter Pettigrew could be fake!
Or rather, in the heart of Barty Crouch Jr., his master Voldemort was simply incapable of failure; regardless of whether the note of Peter Pettigrew existed or not, he would not have the slightest doubt about his master Voldemort!
"Unconditional loyalty is absolute loyalty!"
This sentence, bordering on madness, was fully manifested in Barty Crouch Jr.
"I want to leave this place, I want to leave this place!"
Seeing this note, infinite hope welled up in the heart of Barty Crouch Jr.. He actually rushed like a madman to the prison bars, shoving his face into the gap between the bars, thinking that doing so would allow him to escape alive.
Such behavior from a madman was unsurprising; no one took it seriously, not even the Dementor paid him any mind.
However, Peter Pettigrew, trapped inside the iron cage, took this scene in.
He instantly felt relieved—his note had worked, and Barty Crouch Jr. would surely break out of here like a madman.
Even if this fellow could not bring Voldemort back from the dead, he would definitely find a way to rescue him in order to learn more information about the Horcrux.
"I finally have hope of escaping!"
Peter Pettigrew, who had just been drained by a Dementor, filled with despair and pain, finally ignited a sliver of hope and lay in the cell like a dead fish.
Having deliberately put on a show to steady Peter Pettigrew, Barty Crouch Jr., acting like a madman, swiftly shrank back into the cell.
Trembling, he curled up in the corner, but his face buried in his arms was extremely calm, and his eyes even flashed with the brilliance of wisdom, full of crafty calculations.
He was pondering how he, living in Azkaban guarded by Dementor, could escape from here to provide a help for the resurrection of his master and reconquer the entire world!
"I still have to rely on you, office-obsessed Old Crouch, and my mother! Hehehehe~"
From within the gloomy cell came the low, demon-like laughter of Barty Crouch Jr.
In the blink of an eye, another month passed. Old Barty Crouch, holding a high-ranking position in the Ministry of Magic, once again unable to withstand the entreaties of his wife, came to Azkaban once more to visit the son he was unwilling to acknowledge—Barty Crouch Jr.
The two of them: one stood outside the cell, silent and solemn like a cold statue, while the other curled up inside the cell into a ball, like a dead corpse.
After spending about a quarter of an hour in such silence, Old Barty Crouch, feeling that he was wasting time, turned and walked away.
"How am I supposed to talk to Aisha?"
Thinking of his wife at home who wept bitter tears every day, Old Barty Crouch felt a wave of distress in his heart.
As for Barty Crouch Jr., he held no hope anymore, only waiting for the day his corpse would be collected from Azkaban.
"Wait," came the weak voice of Barty Crouch Jr. from inside the cell, causing Old Barty Crouch outside the cell to involuntarily halt his footsteps.
He almost thought he was experiencing auditory hallucinations; how could this fellow brainwashed by Voldemort possibly speak to him?
But remembering his wife at home who wept bitter tears every day and found life devoid of joy, Old Barty Crouchstopped nonetheless; he wanted to hear what this damned unfilial son wanted to say.
He had already made up his mind that no matter what words about Voldemort this unfilial son said next, he would not take them into his ears.
Just going back, he could say some nice words to coax his wife, and that would not even be lying to her!
"I have a letter, take it back, I miss Mom!"
Barty Crouch Jr. said in a dry, hoarse voice. He reached out a dirty, withered palm and passed a folded piece of paper through the gap in the cell.
Old Barty Crouch fell silent, staring fixedly at the piece of paper as countless thoughts flashed through his heart.
Before knowing that his son was a Death Eater, although Old Barty Crouch did not say it aloud, in his heart he had always regarded this son as his pride.
But Voldemort had destroyed everything of his!
His family, his career, his son, his future—everything ended with the sound of the judge gavel falling!
Looking at this thing that could hardly be called a letter, Old Barty Crouch was filled with a myriad of thoughts.
He guessed it, he guessed it; this letter might once again be the Nasty Plot of his unfilial son:
It might involve Voldemort, or even attempt to plead with Aisha to find a way to provide a help for him to escape Azkaban, and then go search for the dead Voldemort, to search for that dead Dark Lord!
But thinking of the tearful wife at home, Old Barty Crouchultimately sighed in his heart, bent down to take the letter into his hand, did not say another word, and left in silence.
But he had already made up his mind in his heart that he must read this letter before Aisha did, and check it with magic, absolutely never letting that unfilial son leave Azkaban!
"Everything is already over, everything of mine has been buried in the grave."
With dark clouds overcast and the cold rain howling, Old Barty Crouch left Azkaban in despair.
"Hahahaha~ Wuwuwu~"
After Old Barty Crouch left, Barty Crouch Jr. became even madder. Leaning against the prison wall, he threw his head back and laughed wildly, while simultaneously covering his face and weeping bitterly!
No one knew his plan; who knew what he would willingly pay for his master Voldemort?
How could a prison constantly guarded by Dementor have a prisoner disappear for no reason?
If he wanted to escape, he could only use another person to replace him, but in this world, who would be willing to replace him and act as a prisoner of Azkaban?
The answer was already self-evident!
Chapter 323: Class Advancement Benefits
Early in the morning, Levi, dressed in a spider silk robe, walked out of the Forbidden Forest without a single drop of dew on him.
The morning mist in the Scottish Highlands was exceptionally thick, with milky-white fog rolling. Combined with the supernatural Spell Levi unconsciously exuded, it was as if a mountain spirit or an immortal was hiding in the woods!
"Alas, what a pity, Aragog won't live much longer!"
Having not gone to the Forbidden Forest to collect taxes for a long time, Levi specially broke into the Forbidden Forest last night and collected to his heart's content.
The venom and spider silk of the Acromantula were extremely precious medicinal herbs and alchemy materials in the hands of Levi, an Alchemist.
Especially the leader of the Acromantula—Aragog. Never mind that this old spider was already old and blind.
But the spider silk and venom it produced were much more toxic compared to those produced by other Acromantulas, and the magic resistance of its spider silk was also extraordinary.
It was a pity that this Acromantula was already of a very advanced age.
As a pet raised by Hagrid when he was still studying at Hogwarts, its age was only slightly younger than Hagrid, Voldemort, and others.
For an Acromantula to be able to live for such a long time was already the miraculous result forged by the support of the clan and a stable environment!
If Levi hadn't acted like a capitalist and frantically exploited it, this Acromantula would have lived all the way to Harry Potter's fifth year, dying only when the plot of the Half-Blood Prince began.
But Levi was frantically extracting venom from its body and pulling spider silk from it like a silkworm; the depletion of vitality in Aragog the Acromantula could well be imagined!
"I can only do my best and leave the rest to fate!"
"Coincidentally, I need to brew a Potion for Hermione that enhances vitality and mental power, so let's use Aragog as an experiment first!"
Levi's thoughts shifted, and he had already thought of an idea.
In order for Hermione to successfully change classes into an Arcanist, Levi needed to enhance Hermione's vitality and soul.
It was precisely because of the depletion of its origin in these two aspects that Aragog's days were numbered and it was about to die.
The materials used by Levi to develop Potions in these two aspects were of considerable value, and the brewed Potions might not necessarily be useful, plus they might have side effects.
In order to make full use of everything and not waste it, Levi, this black-hearted capitalist, set his sights on Aragog.
It could be said that Aragog meeting Levi meant its life was truly complete!
Not only was it treated like a dairy cow and a silkworm, having its venom and spider silk extracted.
As its life approached its end, it still had to act as Levi's experimental subject, being fed various Potions of unknown effects by Levi.
"In order to save Aragog, I actually have to specially research medicine; I am truly too kind!"
"Aragog can't help but desperately thank me for producing venom and spider silk; if Hagrid finds out, he will surely thank me from the bottom of his heart and present all the precious materials in his hut to me!"
Levi thought shamelessly in his heart.
Waving his hand to summon a fantastical smoke, he glanced at the time displayed by the system and found it was still early, so he decided to first return to the Ravenclaw Tower and rest for a while.
Saying it was rest was actually meditation; ever since changing classes into an Arcanist, most of Levi's sleep time was replaced by meditation.
If it were before changing classes into a Bloodline Warlock, Levi doing this would still cause him to be mentally fatigued and physically exhausted due to lack of sleep.
But ever since gaining the blessing of the Silver Dragonbloodline, Levi found that he had truly transformed into a humanoid Tyrannosaurus rex, astonishingly energetic.
Not only in physical and magical resistance did he break away from the frail flesh of ordinary Wizards.
Moreover, in multiple physical attributes such as strength, constitution, and speed, he also gained a multi-fold exponential surge.
"Originally, my physical attributes had already gained the Giant Physique specialty, and now that I've changed classes to a Bloodline Warlock, I have the blessing of the Dragon Physique as well!"
"With Giants plus Dragons, if I engage in close combat with Wizards in the future, what magic would I even need?!"
"With a single punch, it's a Diffindo and Reducto, and the enemy will immediately transform into a blood escape art and flee far away!"
Levi clenched his fists, giving off a feeling of hating the sky for having no handles and the earth for having no rings, and very much wanted to let others experience what it means to "break spells with brute force"!
However, a powerful physique was not without its troubles; Levi clearly noticed that as he changed classes to a Silver Dragon Bloodline Warlock, his appetite became even larger!
"It feels like living with a Giant and a Dragon inside my stomach; looking like a young wizard, thin and small, but actually able to eat a tremendous amount!"
"Perhaps I should think of a way with Potions, developing Potions similar to Bigu Dan or military ration pills."
"Otherwise, spending a large amount of time every day eating, and eating so much, is really an eye-catching matter, and it's also a hidden danger!"
Levi bought a braised pork knuckle in the Shop, gnawing on the knuckle while walking towards the castle, thinking to himself.
He had not forgotten his conversation with Professor McGonagall before. In case some Wizard turned some poison into food and mixed it into his food, and he was poisoned to death, that would be a huge joke!
However, this bit of hidden danger was also temporary, not to mention that Levi had already made up his mind to research Potions used to satisfy hunger.
Just the implicit benefits brought to Levi by the Silver Dragon bloodline within his body included toxin resistance as powerful as a dragon's.
The reason why Levi was so eager to change classes to a Bloodline Warlock was because he was already very strong in terms of magic.
But in terms of physical attributes, aside from a Giant Physique specialty and other specialties obtained from Magical Creatures, he was no different from ordinary Wizards.
If hit by Spells like Diffindo, Reducto, or Sectumsempra, he would still get injured, bleed, or even die!
But after changing classes to a Bloodline Warlock, Levi's ordinary Wizard form was a humanoid Tyrannosaurus rex!
Not to mention his formidable physical attributes, just his powerful physical resistance and magic resistance could allow Levi to ignore Spells cast by some young wizards.
Their magic intensity was not enough, and they couldn't break Levi's body defense at all!
Moreover, Levi could continue to increase the concentration of his Silver Dragon bloodline, and by then transforming into a Dragonman, or even a Dragon, was a foreseeable matter.
"However, I am truly a bit curious:"
"What differences would there be between the Dragonmen and Dragons transformed by increasing bloodline concentration, and those transformed via True Dragon Scale Armor and Magical Creature Transformation?"
Gnawing on the braised pork knuckle, Levi speculated on the differences between the two in his heart, estimating that the Dragonmen and Dragons transformed through the Warlock class should be even more powerful!
Otherwise, wouldn't the exorbitant Academic Credits he spent to increase his bloodline concentration have been wasted?
Chapter 324 Meeting Luna Again
Carrying the morning scent of the Forbidden Forest, Levireturned to the Ravenclaw Common Room.
The footsteps woke the sleeping girl in the Common Room; she rubbed her eyes, sat up, and her long golden hair cascaded in the morning light:
"Good morning, Levi, you're back!"
Levi, who was greeted, was stunned for a moment. What was going on with this familiar scene and inexplicable feeling?
"Good morning, Luna," Levi greeted back, asking with puzzlement:
"Why are you sleeping in the Common Room? Could it be that your roommates are giving you a hard time again?"
He still remembered that last semester, Luna's belongings were hidden by her roommates and classmates, and she suffered from bullying.
He had told Senior Penelope Clearwater about this matter. Those little witches who bullied Luna were severely reprimanded by Prefect Senior Penelope because of it. Were they reverting to their old ways now?
"Last night, I saw Lady Helena standing by the window enjoying the moonlight, so I followed along and watched too. I thought it was so beautiful that I lost track of time and fell asleep in the Common Room!"
Luna stared with a pair of toad-like eyes. Everything the little girl said and did fit her persona of a madcap very well.
"She is a ghost, and you are human. Why are you learning from her? You really aren't afraid of the cold!"
Hearing this, Levi couldn't help laughing or crying. The temperature in the Scottish Highlands was already relatively low, and the Ravenclaw tower was even higher up in Hogwarts Castle.
His past knowledge told him that for every hundred meters increase in altitude, the temperature dropped by 0.6 degrees, and the night temperature was even lower than the day.
It was fortunate that Luna's pajamas were relatively thick; otherwise, after spending a whole night like this, Lunawould have had to check into the school hospital and be forced by Madam Pomfrey to drink a large cup of Pepperup Potion, with steam coming out of her ears!
"Oh, drink a cup of hot milk first, don't catch a cold again!"
With a flick of his hand, Levi conjured a cup of hot milk and handed it to Luna, fully playing the role of a warm and caring senior looking after his junior.
Luna took the steaming milk, took a sip, left a circle of milk stains on her lips, and tilting her head, curiously looked at Levi and the empty sleeves of his spider-silk magic robe.
This clothing didn't look like it could hold things. Where did Levi's cup of milk come from?
Luna thought with full curiosity, but to outsiders, it looked like she was spacing out and acting crazy again.
She didn't speak, and seeing the little junior dazed, Levididn't know what to say either.
He also knew that Luna's bloodline was different from ordinary Wizards, with astonishingly sensitive spirituality. Not knowing what she had sensed or thought of through her divergent thinking, sitting here accompanying Lunawas completely a waste of time.
Therefore, Levi simply stood up and prepared to return to his dorm.
But just as he stood up, Luna suddenly asked:
"Levi, are you still going to study my blood?"
"Uh, not for now," hearing this, Levi shook his head and refused.
At first, he wanted to study Luna's magical bloodline because he felt that the extraordinary magical inspiration on Luna might be a natural Source View.
If he could figure out the wonders of Luna, it might help others easily class-change into an Arcanist.
Later he found that his view was wrong. Excessive inspiration was very likely emotional magic leakage.
This wasn't complete control over magic, but an extra perception generated after emotional magic leaked out—able to see things ordinary people couldn't see, and feel emotions others couldn't perceive!
Studying Luna's bloodline might allow Wizards to acquire an ability similar to spiritual scan.
But this was not a necessity for Levi; he could think of multiple magics to achieve similar effects.
Moreover, studying Wizards' bloodlines sounded like something a Dark Wizard would do. Levi didn't want to be judged as rogue ninja Orochimaru by Dumbledore, so naturally, he no longer had the idea of studying Luna's bloodline.
"Okay," Luna responded without sorrow or joy, and continued to zone out.
Seeing this, Levi smiled helplessly. On Luna, he truly saw a distinctive temperament blending etherealness and dullness together.
He actually guessed the reason Luna asked him; she didn't care at all what he researched out using her blood.
She still just wanted to know if there was any way for her to see people who had passed away, for example, her mother who died due to an experimental accident?
Of course Levi had a way. The Resurrection Stone ring had always been in his hands. If Levi was willing, he could lend it to anyone and let them see the spirits of the people they wanted to see.
But just as Levi didn't leave the ring in Headmaster Dumbledore's hands, the spirits summoned with the Resurrection Stone only had coldness and despair, and could not get any emotional response other than that.
Summoning back such a spirit was only mutual torture between the living and the dead for the sufferer, and the end result was very likely that the living would wish they could leave with the dead as well!
Headmaster Dumbledore was like this, and the young little witch Luna was also like this, or even worse.
If he dared to hand the Resurrection Stone to Luna, he might receive news of the little witch's suicide in a few days.
In The Tales of Beedle the Bard, even the second brother who once conquered Death chose suicide because his longing received no response. In this vast wizarding world, who else could be an exception?
That was what Levi thought; he would definitely not hand the Resurrection Stone to anyone, but after all, he still underestimated the fatal attraction of the Resurrection Stone to certain people!
After attending a Potions Class, Levi was asked to stay behind by Professor Snape.
"Mr. Keins," Professor Snape's tone carried a hint of sarcasm:
"The matter of Harry Potter being a Parseltongue—you told Albus Dumbledore about it. Aren't you selling out your friend?"
Looking calm and collected while admiring his own flawless nails, Levi was stunned for a moment upon hearing this:
"Professor, how is this selling out a friend? Harley didn't forbid me from leaking this matter, and could Headmaster Dumbledore possibly harm Harley?"
Yet the damned White Wizard was precisely going to harm Harry Potter, to harm her only child!
Hearing Levi's reply, the sarcasm on Professor Snape's face instantly turned into a trace of anger, but he quickly reined it in.
He knew that lingering over the matter of Levi leaking the secret of Harley being a Parseltongue to Headmaster Dumbledore no longer had any meaning!
The problem now was: how to save you, Harry Potter, Lily's child!
"Hoo—ha—" Professor Snape breathed heavily for a moment, calmed his mood, suppressed his emotions, and said word by word:
"That spell you researched, Soul Extraction Technique, teach it to me now. Name your price!"
Hearing this, Levi was startled inwardly. He scrutinized Professor Snape, and the expression on his face was no longer casual, but solemn and serious as he asked:
"Headmaster Dumbledore told you everything?"
Chapter 325 Entrusted Plan
Professor Snape did not answer, but instead closed his eyes with a sorrowful expression, while the conversation between him and Headmaster Dumbledore flashed continuously in his mind:
During the Easter holiday, Levi suddenly disappeared in order to change classes to become a Bloodline Warlock.
Professor McGonagall mobilized all the school faculty and staff, turning the entire Hogwarts, along with the surrounding areas, upside down.
Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore, of course, could not possibly stay in the castle drinking tea and eating snacks; they also went out to search.
The night was deep, and strolling in the dim garden, Professor Snape back then was not too worried that Leviwould encounter danger.
Based solely on Levi's feat of single-handedly taking on an entire house back then, Professor Snape knew that the notebook gentleman of Ravenclaw would definitely not encounter any danger at Hogwarts.
"Perhaps this stupid eagle secretly hid himself and thinks making such a joke is very interesting!"
"Heh, he's truly as stupid as that stupid lion Harry Potter!"
Professor Snape thought with a cold sneer in his heart while walking.
If it were not for the command of Deputy HeadmasterProfessor McGonagall, he, Severus Snape, the dignified Head of House of Slytherin and the great Potion master, would never come out to search for Levi like a fool.
But it was really cold today; after returning, I must have a cup of hot tea!
Rubbing his palms, Professor Snape was still thinking about what snacks to have with his hot tea.
Walking and walking, suddenly a tall figure appeared in the depths of the garden. Professor Snape immediately raised his wand vigilantly and shouted sternly:
"Who is there? Identify yourself, or I will take action!"
Even knowing that Levi likely hid himself, Professor Snapefelt that the possibility of Dark Wizards or dark Magical Creatures haunting and attacking Levi could not be ruled out.
"It is I, Severus!"
Headmaster Dumbledore's aged voice sounded in the darkness, and after a burst of footsteps, his tall figure stood in the light, appearing in front of Professor Snape.
"So it is you," Professor Snape felt a slight relief in his heart, but he did not lower his wand, still gripping it tightly.
"Do not be nervous, Severus. Could it possibly be that I am the one who hid Levi away?"
Headmaster Dumbledore made a small joke, attempting to ease the tense atmosphere between them.
"Hard to say," Professor Snape spat out two cold words, causing the smile on Headmaster Dumbledore's face to stiffen.
"Sigh~ It seems you still have not forgiven me for failing to protect Lily and protect their family!"
Headmaster Dumbledore, with a face full of awkwardness, sighed and said with a tone full of guilt.
Hearing this, Professor Snape's face instantly turned cold, but he did not question Headmaster Dumbledore why he was bringing up past events again.
He understood Albus Dumbledore. As a double agent, he understood this White Dark Lord better than anyone else!
Facing the young wizards in the school, he was the most affable Headmaster. He could unreservedly lay down his identity and make friends with the young wizards on an equal footing.
But if facing adult Wizards, especially those ill-intentioned, sinister, and cunning Dark Wizards, Dumbledore could transform at any moment into a dark lord with terrifying methods and merciless ruthlessness!
Just like how back then Dumbledore keenly realized his love for Lily and his concern for Lily's safety, and immediately blackmailed him, demanding that he act as a double agent and instead go undercover under Voldemort!
And after Lily's death, taking Harry Potter as a bargaining chip, he demanded that he continue to be a silent double agent, ready to return to Voldemort's side at any time.
He was a dark lord, a White Dark Lord whose terror was no less than Voldemort to the Death Eaters!
Now that Dumbledore was bringing up past events again, something incomparably important must have happened. Snape knew that if he responded to Dumbledore, this matter would inevitably involve him!
But he only wanted to protect Harry Potter well and no longer wanted to get mixed up in other messy matters!
However, the development of events often does not shift according to human will. Since Headmaster Dumbledorehad already spoken, how could he possibly let Professor Snape stay out of it?
Even if Professor Snape ignored Headmaster Dumbledore, the latter still spoke on his own:
"Voldemort murdered the Potters, and was hit by the rebound of the Killing Curse from the Love Magic on Harley, disappearing without a trace."
"These years, opinions on his status have been varied; some say he is dead, some say he is still alive, just in a heavily injured state, and could make a comeback at any moment..."
"What do you want to say? Dumbledore!"
Professor Snape coldly interrupted Headmaster Dumbledore's words, just like a rebellious youth interrupting an elder's nagging.
He already had an ominous premonition in his heart that whatever Dumbledore was going to say next would definitely involve Harry Potter.
Remembering when Harry Potter was previously in detention, the Parseltongue he spoke when dueling with Malfoy, Professor Snape's ominous premonition grew heavier and heavier.
He was extremely impatient right now, wishing he could shake off Dumbledore's entanglement right now and lock himself back inside his office.
But regarding Harry Potter, Professor Snape still forcefully suppressed the helplessness in his heart, and with a cold face and frowned brows, said:
"If you have anything to say, you might as well say it directly; do not beat around the bush!"
"The reason Voldemort does not die is because he made Horcruxes, and Harley himself is a Horcrux!"
Headmaster Dumbledore revealed the most cruel truth with the most straightforward and direct words.
"Wh... What?"
Hearing this, Professor Snape had a face full of disbelief and was completely dumbfounded; he almost thought he was hearing things!
He had thought of all possible purposes for Headmaster Dumbledore to talk to him.
For example, letting him continue to act as an undercover agent;
For example, training Harry Potter to complete the destined duel;
Or even that Dumbledore already knew Harry Potter was a Parseltongue and worried that Harley would become a Dark Wizard.
But none of the possibilities had as huge an impact as Dumbledore's sentence right now!
So much so that Professor Snape was completely stunned, finding it hard to accept this fact!
Seeing Professor Snape's reaction, Dumbledore sighed softly in his heart and recounted the matter of him and Levisearching for and destroying Horcruxes together.
"The diary, the ring, the diadem—these three Horcruxes have been destroyed!"
"The locket and the cup—I am also trying every possible means to search for them, and should find clues soon!"
"Now there is only left..."
"Enough!" Snape let out a frantic shout, his hysterical expression filled with despair, and said with a reckless attitude:
"Why are you still telling me these things?"
"Harry Potter is right in the castle. If you want to destroy this Horcrux, take your Elder Wand, rush into the castle, and give him a Killing Curse—wouldn't that be the end of it?"
"Oh, that's right! Harry Potter still has Lily's Love Magic on his body; anyone's Killing Curse hitting him will rebound!"
"But what use is that? Dumbledore, you can completely act as an executioner! Holding a knife, chop down! Chop straight at the neck! Wouldn't a single strike put an end to it all?"
Snape shouted crazily. If Dumbledore had not cast magic, his loud shouts probably would have spread for all to know!
He was going crazy!
Even her child, he actually could not protect!
What was he, Snape?!
He, Snape, was nothing at all; he was just trash!
Just a damned, stinking Death Eater, he didn't deserve a single fraction of love!!!
But at the thought of Lily, Professor Snape, frantic and desperate, forcefully regained his reason, and asked Dumbledore weakly, sorrowfully, and even standing unsteadily:
"That child... that boy... does he... does he really have to die?"
"Yes, he must die, he must die without fail!"
Headmaster Dumbledore said weakly and sorrowfully, not even deliberately explaining the ambiguity in it, yet observing Snape's expression and demeanor without leaving a trace.
"Heh," Professor Snape turned completely ashen all at once. He gave two weak, cold laughs, his gaze looking at Dumbledore filled with mockery:
"I understand. You raised this child so big just for today, right!"
"Just like raising a pig to be slaughtered!"
"Why are you still telling me these things?"
"Could it be that you feel all the Horcruxes are going to be destroyed, you have victory in hand, and you are deliberately mocking me, a remnant of the Death Eaters who once defected to Voldemort?"
"You can start being smug, Dumbledore! I cannot stop you, kill me!"
Headmaster Dumbledore indifferently scrutinized Professor Snape's expression. Matters concerning Horcruxes, Harry Potter's life, and whether Voldemortcould be ended meant he had to be cautious and careful, testing him in the harshest and most ruthless manner.
"Could it be that you have truly begun to care about that child?"
"He is also James Potter's son; do you not hate him?"
Headmaster Dumbledore's suspicion was like a knife pointing straight into Snape's inner heart.
Professor Snape did not speak. He only found it ridiculous; even now, Dumbledore actually still thought he was acting!
Actually still thought he was acting?!
He merely waved his wand, silently chanting the incantation. The embodiment of that beautiful figure in his heart transformed into a silver-white leaping sprite, leaping out from the tip of his wand, carrying dotted magicfluorescence, and disappearing into the low bushes of the garden...
"A doe, Lily's Patronus!!"
Headmaster Dumbledore looked with a face full of shock at the corporeal Patronus that had disappeared. He remembered that Snape's Patronus was not this!
Just how much must one love a person to be able to change the manifestation of one's inner core?
"After so many years, do you still love her?"
Warm tears welled up in his aged eyes, and Headmaster Dumbledore looked at Professor Snape with a complex gaze.
"Always," Snape responded calmly.
By now, with Professor Snape's intelligence, he also faintly sensed that something was not quite right.
If Dumbledore wanted to kill Harry Potter and destroy one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, he had no need at all to tell him about this matter.
But now not only had he told him, but in his performance just now, there was also a faint intention of testing him. That meant:
"That child must die once, but he is not truly going to die, right?"
"Please, Dumbledore, please tell me the truth!"
"That's right," Headmaster Dumbledore nodded with relief. He could hand over the plan behind him to Snape.
Facing Snape, Headmaster Dumbledore laid out his entire plan:
"Inside Harley's body is a fragment of Voldemort's soul. Only by destroying all the Horcruxes and destroying the fragment of Voldemort's soul inside Harley can Voldemortbe completely eliminated!"
"This means Harley must die once!"
"However, Harley also has the Love Magic left behind by his mother on his body, possessing a powerful protective effect!"
"Not only can Voldemort not kill him with the Killing Curse, but no one else can harm his magical power with lethal Spells!"
"This leaves room that can be utilized!"
"My idea is to establish a stable connection between Voldemort and Harley, let Voldemort make a move to kill Harley once, and through magic or ritual, ensure that what Voldemort kills is the soul fragment inside Harley!"
"And Harley's soul, because of the protection of the Love Magic, after Voldemort bypasses the Love Magic or establishes a connection with it, will not be destroyed by the Killing Curse, and will once again use the Resurrection Stone to return to Harley's shell."
"Although the two are in the same body, it is like a two-way opposing lane: let the fragment of Voldemort inside Harley be destroyed with the aid of Voldemort's killing; let Harley's own soul, with the aid of the Love Magic, leave the body and return via the Resurrection Stone."
"This is my entire plan. Only, for this plan to be realized, even I dare not guarantee the success rate!"
Listening to Headmaster Dumbledore's plan, Professor Snape's face grew paler and paler, until in the end he couldn't help asking:
"Since the success rate cannot be guaranteed, can it not be implemented?"
Headmaster Dumbledore shook his head under Snape's disappointed gaze, and said in a deep voice:
"Do not forget that prophecy, Severus. Voldemortpersonally selected his destined enemy; between Harleyand him, only one can live!"
"The prophecy has already progressed halfway, or rather fulfilled halfway; then the remaining half will also inevitably be fulfilled!"
"If there were a choice, everyone would hope the person who survives is Harley!"
Hearing this, Professor Snape's face turned even paler. He was even standing unsteadily, stumbling and almost falling to the ground.
After a long while, after steadying himself, he finally asked the question in his heart:
"Then you telling me all this—is it to make me lurk under Voldemort in the future and ensure the execution of this plan?"
Headmaster Dumbledore nodded, signaling Snape to walk and talk along the way:
"There is that aspect, but more so it is hoping that after my death, you can ensure that this plan proceeds smoothly!"
"After your death?!!"
Professor Snape couldn't help raising his tone by a pitch, subconsciously sizing up Headmaster Dumbledore.
Relying on his attainment as a Potion master, he did not see any fatal illness or signs of imminent death on Headmaster Dumbledore.
Except for a slight sign of getting diabetes, Headmaster Dumbledore was simply robust as hell!
Headmaster Dumbledore was not surprised by Professor Snape's astonishment, and said incomparably calmly:
"Severus, the Horcruxes Voldemort is able to create are limited. I have already found and destroyed three Horcruxes, and determined what the remaining three Horcruxes are?"
"That is to say, solely by myself I can easily destroy all of Voldemort's Horcruxes, resolve Voldemort's immortal body, and make Voldemort's soul scatter completely, leaving him with no grave to be buried in!"
"That is to say, I can break the prophecy right now, defying the prophecy that has already been half fulfilled! Making this prophecy completely a mistake!"
"But do you think this is possible? Is this magic?"
Hearing this, Snape completely understood, understanding why Dumbledore said he was going to die!
Even though he really wanted to say right now, why is it impossible, this is very magical!
But such open-eyed nonsense words would only make the old man facing him, who viewed death as returning home, burst into hearty laughter!
"Prophecy, destiny—too magical, Severus!"
"Even the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Magic has only scratched the surface in its research in this area."
"The only thing we can do is make good use of it and make preparations early."
"The locket and the cup—there are still two Horcruxes not found. I will definitely not give up and will definitely continue to search for them."
"If they are found, I will do my utmost to destroy them!"
"Doing this is undoubtedly defying the prophecy, and the power of the prophecy—who knows in what form it will come to stop me from defying the prophecy!"
"All I can do is hand everything of the future over to you, Severus!"
Headmaster Dumbledore stopped his steps walking side by side with Professor Snape, turned his head sideways, and a smile of indifference to everything appeared on his face:
"You also do not wish for Harry Potter to truly die in the destined duel with Voldemort, right?"
Chapter 326 Professor Soul Extraction Technique
Headmaster Dumbledore's threatening words still lingered in his ears; he had done far more than tell Professor Snapeeverything.
It was practically assigning him the most arduous and cruel task!
"Stop talking nonsense, teach me the Soul Extraction Technique, and the Resurrection Stone! Name your price!"
Professor Snape did not explain, but instead spoke to Leviwith a cold expression.
"I can teach you the Soul Extraction Technique, but the Resurrection Stone is out of the question! This thing is too important, and I wouldn't feel at ease handing it over to anyone!"
Levi didn't care too much about Professor Snape's attitude; the Old Bat had been acting like this for a day or two, and if he spent all his time bickering with him, how would he earn Academic Credits?
Hearing this, Professor Snape immediately frowned.
Although he had accepted the overall plan given to him by Dumbledore, this did not mean he would not make his own efforts.
Learning the Soul Extraction Technique from Levi was another direction he and Dumbledore had been striving for; if they could extract Voldemort's remnant soul from Harry Potter's body and then destroy it,
and destroy all the Horcruxes as well,
then who cared about a destined duel or any prophecy? With Voldemort dead, Harry Potter would be completely safe!
Although doing so clearly violated the prophecy and was almost impossible to achieve, just like Headmaster Dumbledore's choice, should they not do it just because it was impossible? Should they just sit and wait for death because it was impossible?
Not only was Headmaster Dumbledore unwilling to accept this, but Professor Snape was equally unwilling!
In addition, there was the Resurrection Stone; as one of the Deathly Hallows, although its name didn't quite live up to reality, it truly possessed extraordinary effects.
According to Headmaster Dumbledore's plan, after Harley's soul was driven out of his body by Voldemort and entered the illusory realm, he had to rely on the effect of the Resurrection Stone to return to his physical body in the real world.
As the core of the plan, the Resurrection Stone was too important, and Professor Snape did not feel at ease leaving it in Levi's hands.
However, Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't ask Levi for it, yet when he asked Levi for it now, Levi wouldn't give it.
What should he do?
Could it be that he had to attack Levi and snatch it from Levi's hands by force?
Negotiation, especially negotiating with such an obnoxious young wizard, was truly not Snape's forte.
Seeing Professor Snape frowning, keeping a cold face, and staring at him fixedly like a corpse, Levi couldn't help but smile in his heart.
"How is it? Old Bat!"
"You always make things difficult for us young wizards normally, now you finally know what it tastes like to be troubled by others, right?!"
"I'd better teach you the Soul Extraction Technique first!"
"In exchange, I want to be able to freely take any of those medicinal herbs in your herb collection room!"
Levi negotiated the price first and, seeing that Professor Snape did not object, began teaching the Soul Extraction Technique.
Back then in the wizard tower mod, purchasing the Soul Extraction Technique cost forty thousand Academic Credits, yet now Levi was teaching it free of charge to Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape.
Of course he wasn't doing it without any cost, but Academic Credits could only be earned by himself—they were entirely system currency.
Through a transaction, he could indeed get Snape to add Academic Credits for him, but the system would not recognize this portion of Academic Credits.
Otherwise, wouldn't the great Professor Keens be able to directly add one hundred million Academic Credits to the clever young wizard Levi?
Moreover, when he originally redeemed the Soul Extraction Technique, he had already thought of using this method to resolve Voldemort's remnant soul inside Harry Potter's body.
It was just that the Soul Extraction Technique was an extremely profound Ancient Magic involving the soul.
Levi could cast it, but his research into this spell was not very deep; it would be better to hand over the research work of this spell to Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape, two Wizards with extremely high magical attainments.
Later on, when everyone exchanged research insights on this magic, Levi could freeload those research insights.
Furthermore, Levi had already agreed on terms with Professor Snape to use his medicinal herbs—all the herbs in the collection room.
This was a huge convenience for Levi!
After all, he was next going to brew a Potion for Hermioneto enhance vitality and soul power, and he faced a huge shortage of medicinal herbs.
Just relying on writing letters to Diagon Alley to purchase them and using Rowlet as a courier was simply too time-consuming, and Diagon Alley didn't offer that many precious medicinal herbs anyway.
On the contrary, the collection of Professor Snape, this Potion master, had made Levi's mouth water for a long time.
Every time he went to Professor Snape's office for detention, Levi couldn't help wanting to hit Professor Snape unconscious with a heavy club and then loot his collection clean.
Now that the terms were settled and he could legitimately loot Professor Snape's precious medicinal herbs, Levi was blooming with joy inside!
With Levi's teaching, given Professor Snape's intelligence, he mastered the Soul Extraction Technique with little difficulty.
"Was this taught to you by that Alchemy master, Nicolas Flamel?"
Professor Snape closed his eyes slightly, seeming to savor the power and profundity of the Soul Extraction Technique.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and said with a sigh:
"What a terrifying magic, to actually be able to extract the soul and crystallize it materially. This is perhaps some kind of prerequisite Alchemy for the Philosopher's Stone..."
His voice gradually faded to a whisper, as if he had entered a deeper reverie, perhaps already beginning to conceive new, strange Potions using soul crystals as a creation.
After a long time, he opened his eyes again, cast his gaze downward to look down at Levi, and said with disdain:
"At first glance, this is not something a young wizard like you could research!
When you mention it to others in the future, don't try to gild your own face, otherwise if others expose you, you'll make Hogwarts lose face!"
"No way! When did I ever say this was magic researched by myself?"
Looking at Professor Snape, who ate the food and then bit the hand that fed him, Levi wore a bewildered expression.
"I never said this was magic researched by me, unlike some people who are clearly a Professor, yet stubbornly ask their own students for advice and learn new magic without feeling ashamed!"
How could Levi indulge Snape? Mocked, he immediately retorted, making Professor Snape's pale face turn slightly red with embarrassment for quite a while.
Britain's educational circle didn't have the *Discourse on Teachers*, so they certainly didn't understand the saying: A disciple is not necessarily inferior to a teacher, nor is a teacher necessarily wiser than a disciple; learning has no age, and each has their own specialty.
"You and I are both Professors, we are colleagues..."
Professor Snape's face flushed red as he reluctantly offered an explanation, his voice barely audible, as if he were still arguing:
"This is mutual borrowing; borrowing cannot be counted as asking for advice, borrowing... can matters between colleagues be considered asking for advice?"
Professor Snape's long black robes seemed to turn into Kong Yiji's long gown at this moment, causing Levi to laugh. For a moment, the Potion classroom was filled with an atmosphere of joy!
Chapter 327: Snape's Delusion
Taking advantage of Levi's high spirits, Professor Snapesurprisingly wore a gentle expression and once again tentatively proposed:
"You've already taught me the Soul Extraction Technique, Levi. Why not hand over the Resurrection Stone to me for safekeeping as well?"
"I'll only be keeping it temporarily, and I won't keep it for free!"
"I will also gift you a powerful spell, a unique magic of my own invention named Sectumsempra!"
"Just like the name of this Spell, you can cast an invisible blade that catches enemies off guard, easily defeating them. Plus, there is a counter-curse, so you needn't worry about causing irreversible consequences!"
"How about it? Levi, will you consider it?"
Levi, who had been laughing heartily, froze upon hearing this. He couldn't help leaning forward, sticking his head out to scrutinize Professor Snape in front of him.
"Who are you? Did you drink Polyjuice Potion?"
"The Old Bat, Professor Snape, would never talk like this!"
Levi blatantly mocked Professor Snape, though he certainly knew that the Professor Snape before him was the real deal.
He understood even better that Professor Snape was speaking so out of character precisely because he wanted the Resurrection Stone in Levi's possession.
Throughout the wizarding world, there was probably no one who wanted the Resurrection Stone more than Snape!
Professor Snape probably dreamed of getting the Resurrection Stone, then summoning the ghostly phantom of Lady Lily Potter to pour out his full heart of love and remembrance to her!
But the more it was like this, the less Levi could hand the Resurrection Stone over to Professor Snape!
This wasn't because he was deliberately making things difficult for Professor Snape or wanting to torture him, but because the endings of those who did so in storybooks had long been written out!
Professor Snape wouldn't get a shred of emotional response from Lily Potter's ghostly phantom; he would only feel coldness, despair, and sorrow from the phantom of death, ultimately walking towards suicide and death himself!
If he really handed the Resurrection Stone to Professor Snape, he would be harming him!
As soon as Professor Snape heard Levi's words, he knew his scheme had fallen through. His gentle expression instantly turned to ice as he coldly and loudly demanded:
"Levi, I am Snape!"
"I am not joking with you. What on earth will it take for you to give me the Resurrection Stone?!"
The rare "gentle version of Snape" vanished. Levi felt deeply regretful that he hadn't recorded this scene to play on a loop in the Great Hall.
"Professor Snape, I am very glad that you can trade the Resurrection Stone with me in a gentle manner! But I don't like the tone you are using to speak to me right now!"
Levi pushed up his non-existent glasses and said with the air of Uncle Dong:
"I know why you want the Resurrection Stone, but I cannot give it to you!"
"I won't say things like 'it's for your own good'!"
"I will just tell you in the most straightforward, unminced words:"
"Lady Lily summoned by the Resurrection Stone is merely a phantom of death, by no means her actual soul!"
"She cannot give you an emotional response, nor can she forgive you on behalf of Lady Lily herself. All mistakes are already irreversible!"
"Even if you obtain the Resurrection Stone, Professor Snape, you will never realize your delusion!"
"Harry Potter's mother is dead!"
Harry Potter's mom is dead! Is this your choice, idol!
If you hadn't eavesdropped on Professor Trelawney's prophecy at the Hog's Head, rushed to tell your master Voldemort halfway through, he wouldn't have chosen Harley's family between Neville and Harley!
Of course, that crowd back then—James, Bright, Lupin, and Peter—were also completely brainless, enough to deeply disappoint an Occamy!
Upon hearing Levi's words, Professor Snape's pale, dim face grew even paler. Even after so many years, he still couldn't accept the reality Levi spoke of!
But he still wasn't ready to give up. Since words and trades couldn't solve the problem, then...
"Are you going to throw hands with me? Professor!"
Levi was also constantly observing Snape's movements. Of course he noticed that hand gripping the wand, and he sneered as he reminded him:
"I think you probably aren't calm enough. Let me remind you, this is Hogwarts. Even though there are only the two of us in the classroom right now, Headmaster Dumbledoremight see everything happening here crystal clear!"
Sorry, Headmaster Dumbledore, I know you aren't that pervert Hiruzen Sarutobi, using the Telescope Technique to spy on the girls' bathhouse every day.
"Furthermore, not to brag, even if I couldn't beat you, I still have the ability to protect myself. As long as I escape this classroom, tomorrow you'll be locked up in Azkaban, and by then—"
What would happen by then, Levi didn't continue, and Professor Snape knew as well.
In fact, what Levi said wasn't the truth either; his current combat power was completely overflowing compared to the entire wizarding world.
As a First Circle Arcanist combined with a Silver DragonSorcerer with 10% bloodline concentration, along with the massive stack of feats on him, the only Wizards in the entire wizarding world who could make him wary were Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and the resurrected Voldemort.
Moreover, if he could completely finish building his wizard tower and anchor himself within it, let alone the three legendary Wizards mentioned above, even if all the Wizards in the entire wizarding world besieged him together, he wouldn't care about them at all!
What's more, his current seat was so close to Snape!
Without even needing to use any magic, relying on his formidable physique, as well as his high-strength physical and magical resistance, he could completely achieve the feat of being a one-man army at close quarters!
Rushing forward, a single punch could Stupefy Professor Snape!
Even if he didn't hold back his strength, it might leave him with a Diffindo or Reducto!
Facing this kind of guaranteed-win battle, how could Levipossibly be afraid? He just couldn't understand—didn't Professor Snape know that the death phantom summoned by the Resurrection Stone was fake?
Violating his own persona, displaying a gentle expression contrary to his usual self, just to trade with him;
Taking out the unique magic he painstakingly researched to conduct the trade, yet his tone was filled with supplication and humbleness;
Right under the nose of Headmaster Dumbledore inside Hogwarts Castle, he was willing to resort to attacking him;
And all of this was just to use the Resurrection Stone to catch a glimpse of Lady Lily's death phantom and exchange a few words with that emotionless phantom?!
Was all of this really worth it?
Or was it truly as the lyrics sang:
Those of us who do not understand the torment of love, hate, and emotional entanglements
All thought loving each other was as fickle as the winds and clouds
Believing love for a day could surpass eternity
Freezing time in that very instant
Those of us who don't know how to express gentleness
Still thought dying for love was merely an ancient rumor
How painful can parting sorrow be, how intense can the pain be
When dreams are buried in the misty rain of Jiangnan
Only when the heart breaks do we understand
Thinking of this, Levi almost thought that the lyrics to JJ Lin's "Jiangnan" were written by Snape!
As for love, Levi truly didn't understand it very well.
But looking at Professor Snape before him, who was utterly dejected and didn't even know to pick up his wandthat had dropped to the ground, he suddenly seemed to understand a little!
Chapter 328: First Clear of the Trial
"But I just want to see her one more time..."
Professor Snape sat dazed in his chair, leaving a murmur on his lips.
Levi heard these words, but his footsteps did not stop at all, walking out of the Potions Class classroom without looking back.
Regarding Professor Snape's regret, he could do nothing right now, and the Resurrection Stone could not be given to him under any circumstances.
The only thing he could do was to uphold his belief in pursuing strength and never waver.
This world possessed miraculous magic, and he still carried an infinitely promising Cheat. To repeat, in his view, all regrets and tragedies stemmed from insufficient strength!
If he had already become a Grand Arcanist now, let alone handing the Resurrection Stone over to Professor Snape, using resurrection magic to forcefully revive the couple Lily Potter and James Potter would not be a problem at all.
Although Professor Snape wouldn't be particularly willing if James Potter were revived.
However, if he resurrected Madam Lily Potter, let alone handing over his treasured medicinal herbs, Professor Snape would even be willing to hand over his life!
"To put it bluntly, everything is due to insufficient strength!"
Levi sighed. If Snape back then had been powerful enough, he alone could have wiped out Voldemort.
Where would there be any need to beg Dumbledore and use the Fidelius Charm to protect Harry Potter's family?
As the saying goes, the experiences of the predecessors are the teachers of the successors. Having gone through this experience, Levi's desire for strength in his heart grew increasingly high.
However, he also understood that desiring powerful strength was not wrong, but if one degenerated into a slave of power and was controlled by power, that would be a huge mistake!
Not long after walking out of the Potion classroom, Leviwas blocked by his cute little pet.
"Pashiu~"
Big Sis Purrloin, leading her two cat minions, cried out "Pashiu pashiu" at Levi. Aside from Levi, no one else could really understand what she was calling out.
"Purrloin, are you saying someone is taking the trial challenge again?"
"And they're about to clear the level, so Hermione asked you to call me over to take a look?"
Levi asked somewhat incredulously.
He knew the difficulty of the trial classroom he designed himself; the numerous Magical Creatures appearing in the third stage each maintained a danger level of at least XXXX.
Setting such a high-difficulty checkpoint was precisely to establish the highest mountain and widest river in Hogwarts as the carrot dangling in front of a donkey to keep it moving forward.
Yet he hadn't expected that someone was about to clear the level now!
Levi reached out and scooped little Purrloin into his arms, holding her as he headed straight for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class classroom.
"Make way quickly! Professor Keens has arrived, everyone get out of the way!"
From afar, the Weasley Twins noticed Levi coming over holding Purrloin, and hurriedly acted like bootlickers, parting the crowd and shouting loudly.
Holding Purrloin, Levi felt the surrounding gazes falling on his face, feeling so awkward that he felt like he could dig out a two-bedroom-and-one-living-room apartment with his toes.
When it comes to acting quirky and playing awkward, Weasley twin stars, I think you guys are the strongest!
He passed through the passageway cleared by everyone and came before the trial classroom. He saw that the wall outside the classroom was displaying the scene of the challenger undergoing the trial.
As expected of you, glowing Vampire Edward!
On the large wall screen, Cedric Diggory's budding angular face, full of seriousness and earnestness, was hunched over, tightly gripping his wand, engaged in a final standoff with the final boss of the trial checkpoint—the Snake Monster!
As for the Snake Monster's appearance, it was very similar to the monster shape after Umbridge conducted the bloodline fusion experiment; both were terrifying snake-man images!
However, it did not have the Basilisk's terrifying petrification ray; all it had was petrification magic. As long as one was hit by the petrification magic, it would be considered a failure of the trial.
In Levi's settings, the Snake Monster's weakness was still the same as the Basilisk—it feared the cry of a rooster!
As long as there was the cry of a rooster, the Snake Monster's strongest petrification magic would be weakened.
Cedric keenly noticed this. He waved his wand, conjured a rooster, and made it immediately crow!
The Snake Monster golem refined by Levi, upon hearing the rooster's cry, immediately followed the preset mechanism and weakened the casting of its petrification magic.
"Right now!"
Cedric shouted excitedly. Enduring Mage Armor and Shield Charm, without dodging or evading, he cast two Diffindospells consecutively at the Snake Monster golem!
Two extremely high-damage spells landed on the Snake Monster golem, and the high damage value immediately triggered the golem's defeat mechanism.
"cry!"
The Snake Monster let out a deafening, painful giant cry, and then it truly shattered into pieces, turning into a pile of rubble that splintered and splashed onto the ground!
"Congratulations, brave and wise young wizard, you have passed the trial!"
The sky of the trial classroom suddenly ignited with colorful fireworks, and a banner set up by Levi appeared above the sky of the trial classroom.
A face full of ecstasy and excitement, Cedric Diggory was teleported out of the trial classroom the moment he saw those congratulatory words!
"That's fantastic, Cedric, you passed the trial!"
The young wizards of Hufflepuff immediately swarmed around and surrounded Cedric, all speaking words of congratulation in unison.
The young wizards of the other three houses also looked at Cedric with full envy.
Being the first to pass Levi Keynes's trial—such a flashy thing—they wanted to experience it too!
Unfortunately, the third stage of the trial set by Levi was simply too difficult!
Various terrifying Magical Creature golems, each displaying magical abilities comparable to real Magical Creatures.
To pass the trial, they had to consult data, learn knowledge, and practice magic before they could go through all sorts of hardships to defeat one Magical Creature, continue to face the next, and finally confront the terrifying Snake Monster!
"Congratulations, Cedric Diggory, you have passed my trial!"
"As a reward for clearing the level, you won't need to hand in any more after-school homework for my Defense Against the Dark Arts class from now on, although in a little while, I will be stepping down!"
"However, as the first person to clear the level, the reward I promised remains valid. You can get a Firebolt, or a golem, or make a not-too-excessive request to me."
"What prize would you like to redeem?"
Levi smiled all over his face as he looked at Hufflepuff's little sun, wondering inwardly what kind of reward this Hufflepuff Prefect would redeem.
Hearing Levi's words, a highly excited Cedric took a deep breath and slightly calmed his mood.
Before taking on the trial challenge, he had already thought about the reward he wanted to redeem from Leviif he cleared the level.
On the Quidditch pitch, the superiority of the Firebolt had already been undoubtedly revealed through the outstanding performance of the Ravenclaw Team.
As the Seeker of the Hufflepuff team, he, Cedric Diggory, was the game-changer who determined the outcome of a match.
He was currently lacking a Firebolt to bridge the speed gap between himself and the Seeker of the Ravenclaw Team, Cho Chang.
Therefore, he looked at Levi earnestly and stated the reward he wanted:
"Professor, I want a Firebolt!"
Chapter 329 Open Book Exam
As the Seeker for the Hufflepuff Team, Cedric's choice did not surprise Levi too much.
With a flip of his hand, he took out a newly produced Firebolt from the Alchemy Workshop of the alchemy modand handed it to Cedric Diggory.
The coolly styled Firebolt, gleaming with metallic luster, instantly captured everyone's attention the moment it landed in Cedric Diggory's hands.
Although the Ravenclaw Team also had seven Fireboltbrooms, they treated them like treasures and never let anyone else touch them.
Among the crowd, only three people did not keep their eyes on the Firebolt in Cedric's hands.
Cho Chang, the Seeker for Ravenclaw, already had a Firebolt donated by Levi in her hands, so she wasn't all that impressed.
Harley, standing beside Ron, was secretly observing this senior sister from Ravenclaw, worrying in his heart that Cho Chang would be attracted to Cedric, who had cleared the stage.
And as for the last one, it was naturally our sour-graping Young Master Horse Dung:
"What's so great about it? I'll write to my father later and ask him to buy me one, and I'm going to join the House team too!"
In the corner of the crowd, Draco Malfoy, along with his two lackeys, muttered disdainfully with a face full of reluctance, filled with resentment in his heart.
He had previously written to his father wanting to buy a Firebolt. Given the financial power of the Malfoy family, even if it were through a lucky draw or customizing a Firebolt, the coins consumed would merely be a drop in the bucket.
However, Draco Malfoy's request was rejected by Lucius Malfoy.
Draco Malfoy felt extremely aggrieved, unable to understand why the father who loved him most no longer loved him.
But in fact, this matter was very easy to understand. If a rich second-generation wanted to buy a sports car, it would be like an ordinary person wanting to buy a bicycle, nothing difficult about it.
But if this rich second-generation wanted to buy an F1 racing car and drive it out onto the street to street-race others in a high-stakes speed duel, no matter how rich his father was, he would never agree!
As for why the Christmas gift Sirius Black gave Harley was a Firebolt?
As a Gryffindor, if he didn't dare to ride a Firebolt to street-race and play high-stakes speed games, what kind of Gryffindor would he be?!
"Fellow students, friends," After handing Cedric Diggory a Firebolt, Levi took advantage of everyone's attention being drawn over and said loudly:
"The rewards I promised are still valid. Apart from exempting you from after-class homework, there are still two quotas left for clearing the stage that haven't been used yet."
"If everyone wants a Firebolt, or a golem, or wants to make a small request to me, you'd better hurry up!"
"Perhaps while you are slacking off, others are already secretly working hard and preparing to clear the stage!"
"Don't blame me for not reminding you, if the remaining two quotas are used by others, when you clear the stage later, you'll only have the reward of not having to submit after-class homework left!"
As soon as Levi's words came out, everyone's expressions changed, and the glances they cast at the people around them were filled with vigilance.
They suspected that the people around them were academic thieves lurking by their sides, secretly working hard to clear the stage so that they could amaze everyone and win Professor Keens's reward!
Seeing the young wizards' reactions, Levi laughed inwardly. Calculating the time for the final exams, he continued:
"Furthermore, the final exam for our Defense Against the Dark Arts class is also divided into two parts: written and practical. The practical exam will be conducted inside the trial classroom!"
"The first two trials are divided into six acts. For every act cleared, you can increase your final exam grade by one tier!"
"All young wizards who pass the second trial, I can now announce that your practical exam grade for Defense Against the Dark Arts class is an O!"
"The other young wizards who haven't undergone the trials yet, you'd better hurry up!"
Don't delay me from earning Academic Credits through the professor mod!
Although Levi didn't say the last sentence out loud, the goal he wanted to achieve was precisely this.
"Merlin's quill! Levi actually spilled the contents of the exam!"
"In that case, wouldn't Cedric, Harley, Malfoy and the others be able to get their scores without taking the practical exam?"
The young wizards who came to observe Cedricundergoing the trial discussed animatedly among themselves. It was their first time encountering Levi's open-book exam format.
Suddenly, they felt that clearing the trials and getting a high score on the exam wasn't that difficult, and they were all eager to try!
Seeing this, Levi smiled without saying a word. These people were typical examples of the brain understanding while the hands didn't. When they actually entered the trial classroom for hands-on operation, they would have plenty of hardship to suffer!
Holding Purrloin, Levi, Hermione, and the others left the trial classroom.
Harry Potter still asked Levi somewhat incredulously:
"Levi, I've cleared the second trial. Does that mean I don't have to take the exam and can directly get an O?"
"To be precise, you don't need to pass the practical exam to get this part of the score; the written exam content will have to wait until the finals!"
Levi reminded the beaming Harry Potter.
"That's already very good," said Harley with a full smile, acting like a poor student whose academic grades fluctuated.
Knowing the test results for one of his subjects even before the finals was truly a huge relief for Harley.
"When are the two of you going to take the trial?"
"With Harley's and other people's clearance experiences, clearing the second trial shouldn't be too difficult for you guys, right?"
Levi asked Hermione and Ron. If the two of them dared not hand him a satisfactory answer sheet for the subject he taught, he would definitely be angry!
Hearing this, both of them indicated that they had no problem and would find time later to clear the second trial and get a grade of O.
Hearing this, Levi believed that Hermione could do it, but Ron?
Forget it, he just hoped his good brother Harry Potter could help him out!
"Levi, wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate for you to disclose the exam content so early?"
The format of an open-book exam still made Hermionesomewhat unaccustomed to it.
"Hermione, you must know that the teaching content of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class is to teach young wizards how to deal with Dark Arts, Dark creatures, and Dark Wizards!"
"Isn't the content tested in the trial classroom I set up just like that?"
"This is practice, not a written test. Those who can win will definitely win, and those who can't won't; everything is laid out in the open."
"Is there anything wrong with conducting the final exam this way?"
After hearing this, Hermione thought about it and felt it made total sense, so she turned her head and said to Leviwith a smile:
"Fine, fine, fine. Our great Professor Keens really has a way with things! You are simply the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor I have ever seen!"
No! Compared to Voldemort, I am still a bit inferior!
After all, that's his professional expertise; how could my meager skills compare to Teacher Voldemort over there!
Levi thought silently in his heart, already starting to look forward to the massive amount of Academic Credits he could obtain during the academic year summary after the final exam!
Chapter 330: Electives and Course Selection
The next day, Levi received good news from his good student, Miss Granger, about passing the second challenge.
"The Erumpent is simply too terrifying!"
"When it rushed toward me, I almost thought I was going to die!"
Facing the Erumpent golem, the little witch had no choice but to give up, but her little face was flushed with excitement as she passionately and excitedly shared her experience of passing the challenge with Levi.
"How about later I bring out the Erumpent golem and let you ride on it for a spin to calm your nerves?"
Levi looked affectionately at the excited little witch; only when having adventures would Hermione display the demeanor unique to Gryffindor House.
"That wouldn't be good, would it?" Hermione hesitated upon hearing Levi's proposal, but her face was full of eagerness, and finally she said insincerely:
"All right, who made you insist? My good friend Levi!"
Little Hermione's face was flushed with a bit of embarrassment, especially when she felt Levi's burning gaze, forcing her to change the subject:
"By the way, Levi, how many elective subjects do you plan to take next semester?"
"Care of Magical Creatures Class, Divination, Muggle Studies Class, Arithmancy Class, Ancient Runes Class—which of these five elective subjects do you plan to choose?"
"I plan to choose all of them and study every single one," Levi answered greedily.
The reason he chose all five electives was, of course, not because he had a Ravenclaw-like greed for knowledge like Hermione.
In fact, with his proficiency in Ancient Runes, Levi no longer needed to study along with the Professor.
However, a single subject was a huge source of Academic Credits!
Studied year after year, the accumulated Academic Creditsobtained would be immense, and Levi was definitely unwilling to give up a single subject for so many Academic Credits!
As for using a Time-Turner, the fatigue problem brought by studying for a long time, and the lifespan consumption problem, they were simply not problems for Levi at all.
After acquiring the Silver Dragon Bloodline and changing class to Bloodline Warlock, Levi's energy was shockingly vigorous; he could stay awake for days and nights at will and still remain energetic and full of spirit.
Especially since he also possessed various perks, which combined made him extraordinarily tough and durable!
The lifespan issue needed even less worry; Levi's original lifespan was as long as over 1,200 years, and after acquiring the Silver Dragon Bloodline, it surged even more to over 1,500 years!
In the future, it would continue to increase the length of his lifespan as the concentration of the Silver Dragon Bloodline increased.
Not to mention that Levi also had the lifespan mod, which could brew magic potions that increased lifespan, giving him a lifespan so long he could never use it up, living as long as he wanted!
On the contrary, it was Hermione. Thinking of this, Leviturned his head to look at the little witch beside him, unable to help worrying about her in his heart.
He knew that even without his influence, Hermione would definitely choose all five subjects and study every one of them.
Not to mention the painstaking effort, energy, and lifespan she would consume in this process!
The Divination alone was extremely unfriendly to the little witch!
Divination arts relied mainly on talent!
Without divination talent and the ability to perform spiritual vision, it was difficult to achieve anything in divination arts!
In fact, the vast majority of Wizards did not possess divination talent, nor could they perform spiritual vision at all.
As for the little witch Hermione Granger, her talent in the divination tree could only be said to be about the same as a Muggle!
So much so that when she listened to ProfessorTrelawney's lectures, it felt like a madwoman talking nonsense casually, and she couldn't learn anything at all.
On the contrary, Arithmancy was a numerical magicleaning toward rigorous theory, somewhat similar to Eastern Plum Blossom Numerology, making deductions and calculations with sound reasons and evidence, which was Little Hermione's favorite subject.
"What about you? Which ones do you plan to choose?"
Even though he already knew the answer, Levi still asked Hermione.
He had already made up his mind that if Hermione still wanted to study five subjects, he would definitely speak up to persuade her otherwise.
If she truly couldn't be persuaded, then he could only seize the time to brew potions that enhanced vitality and soul power, striving to have Hermione change class to Arcanistas soon as possible.
After the class change, her life essence would be upgraded, and Hermione would also have enough energy and lifespan to study five electives just like him.
With a lifespan of nearly two thousand years and a long road to longevity, if one walked it alone, it would be too lonely!
"Me?"
The little witch hesitated for a moment, playfully kicking the weeds on the ground with her little leather shoes, and said with full entanglement:
"I also want to be like you and choose all five courses as electives, but in that way, some course schedules overlap!"
"I asked Professor McGonagall, and she said there is a way to handle it, but she doesn't recommend that I choose all of them, because doing so requires consuming a massive amount of energy, leaving practically no rest time throughout the day."
"A little tiredness, I am not afraid of; I'm just afraid of biting off more than I can chew, learning everything yet mastering nothing!"
After hearing Hermione's thoughts, Levi pondered for a moment. Instead of directly telling Hermione to give up, he asked:
"Then do you understand all five of these courses?"
"For instance, taking Divination as an example—ProfessorTrelawney's Divination relying on talent, and the calculation-leaning Arithmancy Class—are you sure you want to choose both of these similar yet differently-inclined courses?"
Levi's two questions made Hermione even more hesitant when making her choice.
Her understanding of these five electives mostly came from books and the names of the five electives.
But without actually attending these courses, Hermionedidn't know what they would study or what kind of teaching and learning methods they would use.
Leaving aside the difference between the two Divination classes, the Muggle Studies Class alone already made Hermione somewhat hesitant.
"Muggle Studies?"
"A young wizard born to ordinary people like me still needs to study Muggles?"
"Wouldn't that be studying myself?"
"Or is it that I don't understand my parents or the society I was born into?"
Whether or not to skip this course—unable to make a decision after much thought, Hermione decided that when in doubt, she would look for Levi.
She grabbed Levi's arm and asked him with a Charm:
"Then Levi, what do you think should be done?"
Seeing this, Levi immediately burst into laughter. Little Hermione in her Charm version was truly a limited edition, and he had to remember this scene firmly.
However, Hermione's problem was not difficult to solve. He had already thought of a solution long ago, and pointing his hand toward a classroom at the end of the corridor, he smiled and replied:
"It's very simple. I'll take you to attend these five classes once, and won't you have an understanding of these subjects?"
"Ah?!"
Hearing this, Hermione was instantly dumbfounded. The two of them, second-year young wizards, sneaking into the third-year classrooms to eavesdrop—Levi's idea was simply too bold!
"What 'ah' what? Are you going or not?"
Levi leaned close to Hermione's ear, tempting her like a devil's whisper.
Go or not go to attend the classes in advance and see what the five electives look like?
Such a huge temptation caused Little Hermione's little heart to thump wildly, almost jumping out of her throat!
"I... will go!"
Facing Levi's smiling face and invitation, the little witch Hermione, a brave warrior from Gryffindor, found it hard to resist such an exciting adventure. Gritting her teeth, she nodded and agreed!