Chapter 325 Secrets Of Antiquity
"It's quite simple. I will read you the nonsensical letters. If they are in Parseltongue, you should understand them," Evan pointed to the ancient text engraved on the stone. "With time, you will translate them."
"I will try!" nodded Harry.
"Ready, I begin..." Evan hesitated over the words on the stone, trying to spell out the incoherent letters and producing strange sounds with his mouth.
It sounded like a low, hoarse whisper, almost like the words of a Parseltongue Speaker.
He read a passage, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were dumbfounded.
They looked perplexed and did not understand what Evan was saying. The words made no sense.
"Do you understand anything?" Hermione asked, unsure.
"No!" replied Harry frustrated. "I don't understand what Evan is talking about. I feel nothing at all. I'm not sure if it's Parseltongue."
"Don't worry; let's take our time. Maybe I can help you get the hang of it."
Evan knew Harry was not a skilled Parseltongue and could not use Parseltongue at will. He could only react to the fragments of Voldemort's Horcrux attached to him.
If he didn't see a real snake, he might not be able to understand Parseltongue.
Harry needed some inspiration. Evan lightly tapped the sky-blue ceramic cup next to him with his wand. The cup immediately started distorting and turned into a deep blue python with exquisite patterns, looking very beautiful.
With his increased magic, Evan's mastery in Transfigurations also grew.
In the past, even if he could turn a cup into a snake, it would never have been so easy, and the snake would have never had such fine lines.
The blue python lazily slithered towards Harry. The two stared at each other with large eyes, while Evan, Ron, and Hermione watched nervously.
The scene was eccentric, and if Nurse Pomfrey were to enter, she would scream in horror.
Although Evan's health was not severely affected, Dumbledore insisted he stay in the school infirmary until the magic in the Locket was fully absorbed.
Given his current instability, Nurse Pomfrey did not allow anyone else to visit him, which bored him to death.
Evan had been begging Nurse Pomfrey for a long time before she reluctantly agreed to let Harry, Ron, and Hermione in, on the condition that no strange and troublesome things were allowed.
The current situation, though not dangerous, was certainly very peculiar.
If she saw it, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would all be expelled.
Harry held his breath and stared into the pale blue eyes of the python. He slightly moved his head and entered a wonderful sensation.
"Hiss... back," he said softly.
When the blue snake heard Harry's command, it hesitated for a moment and then started to retreat.
"Very good, keep going. Let's try again!"
Seeing Harry's success, Evan quickly read the words on the stone.
There was another grotesque hissing sound from his mouth. He read very slowly, pausing after each word for a moment. When he finished speaking a word, Harry repeated it.
In the room, Evan and Harry were strangely hissing at each other.
Ron and Hermione watched them. Ron's face turned red, and he seemed to want to laugh.
Hermione nudged him with her elbow, but he ignored her and couldn't look away. The scene before him was so captivating.
"Hiss, hiss..." said Evan.
Harry frowned and slowly said, "In the name of Salazar Slytherin..."
"Success!" Ron and Hermione looked at each other and cheered.
The four were thrilled to see that Harry could understand the words on the stone. The message left by Salazar Slytherin himself a thousand years ago would be deciphered. It could be an ancient secret, a powerful magic, or...
In summary, everything was possible. It was truly a groundbreaking discovery that would completely shake the magical world.
"Keep going, Evan!" Ron exclaimed excitedly. "What did Slytherin do in his name? Did he mention ways to quickly increase one's strength?"
"I don't think he mentioned that. It's not a book of magic. These stones must be about historical facts, documenting the reasons why Slytherin built that huge underground reliquary," Hermione analyzed seriously. "I must have seen it in 'History of Hogwarts'..."
"I want to know why he left that monster near the school," Harry said. "And what exactly is that eye monster."
"Everything is possible, everything is possible!" Evan repeated, very excited. "Get ready, Harry, I'm going to keep reading."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione concentrated eagerly, their faces filled with anticipation. Hermione even found parchment to take notes.
"I seal it here in the name of Salazar Slytherin, for everlasting years..." Harry said slowly.
Hermione was right. The stone that Evan pulled out detailed the reason why Salazar Slytherin constructed the underground ruins.
They slowly deciphered the words above, discovering that Salazar found the monster in the ruins of a temple in ancient Greece.
This monster was never a being that naturally existed in the world, but the magical creation of a dark wizard. It was discovered by Salazar in the deepest chamber of the ruins. While his fellow wizards were busy seeking powerful magical objects and books of magic, he secretly took the monster.
A few months later, he brought it, along with the fruits of that expedition, back to England, to his father's castle, now Hogwarts.
He built a deep underground space for research and kept it secret.
Salazar believed that by studying this mysterious monster, he would learn the secrets of life and the soul, thus escaping death and becoming immortal.
The ancient temple where the monster was found worshipped one of the most powerful and influential dark wizards in the history of magic, who was considered the last ancient wizard and the first dark wizard in magic history. His many research results had laid the foundation for the development of dark magic and still exerted influence.
He invented and created many evil curses and dark creatures, the most notorious being the study of Necromancy and Horcruxes.
Through studying the body structure of the monster and the magic classics brought from the temple, Salazar found that this monster could indeed escape death, but at the same time, a significant price must be paid. He would never do it unless he was truly insane.
Death might be more bearable than attaining such eternal life because the soul would be cursed by evading death.
Furthermore, with the advancement of research, Salazar also discovered a more shocking secret, which was...