Chapter 328 Herpo's Horcrux And Evan's Hypothesis

"Another Parselmouth, sounds like Slytherin." Ron looked disgusted. "A dark wizard like this Herpo the Foul, it doesn't surprise me what he studied and created. Besides that horrible creature and the Basilisk, what other malevolent research did he carry out?"

"Herpo the Foul, known as the founder of modern dark magic, invented many malevolent curses throughout his life, most of which are believed to be lost." Hermione continued reading, "It was determined that he left behind 186 curses of his invention..."

"God, this guy created one hundred and eighty-six cursed curses, and probably had more that he didn't leave behind?!" Ron stared in disbelief.

"Yes!" Hermione looked at Ron and revealed even more shocking information. "He is also recognized as the first wizard to invent the method of creating a Horcrux and succeeding in it. The Horcrux is considered an extremely evil dark magic that cannot be described in this book. No one could defeat or kill him in those days of his life."

"This guy sounds even more wicked than You-Know-Who!" Ron, shocked, had his mouth wide enough to fit an egg in.

Voldemort was seen by many as the darkest wizard of all time.

Anyone who knew him well knew that the most malevolent thing he had done was to split his soul and create Horcruxes, a dark magic invented by Herpo the Foul.

So shocked, Ron didn't know what to say.

Herpo the Foul had completely disrupted his understanding of a Dark Wizard. It was hard for him to imagine how a man could be so wicked and powerful.

"And his end?" Harry asked. "Who destroyed his Horcrux?"

"No one..." Hermione closed the thick book and lowered her voice. "He was the most powerful and evil dark wizard in the world at that time. No one knew the cause of his death. This means that if his Horcrux was never destroyed, he could still be alive right now!"

"Alive... for thousands of years..." Ron murmured.

Silence filled the room. Everyone was immersed in the impact caused by the description and actions of Herpo the Foul. It was hard for them to imagine the existence of a dark wizard who could live for thousands of years.

"I used to believe that the person with the longest life was Nicolas Flamel, a friend of Dumbledore and a fellow in alchemy," said Harry. "By now, he would have lived 668 years. I always thought he was the oldest living wizard."

"If this Herpo the Foul is still alive, then he's not!"

"The Horcrux..." Ron repeated in a low tone, sounding yearning. "Like the Philosopher's Stone, this dark magic can help the wizard achieve immortality."

"It's not the same, Ron!" Hermione raised her eyebrows and explained, "I read many books about the Philosopher's Stone in my first year. It was the highest level of research in ancient alchemy. There are many types of stones, depending on the type. Nicolas Flamel can make gold with his stone and create an elixir to help the body delay aging, but he's not actually immortal. If he receives a mortal blow, he will still die."

"Yes, we all know that stone was the last known magical stone, destroyed by Dumbledore, and no one can create a new one." Ron continued and asked, "So, what is the distinction of the Horcrux in magical history?"

"The Horcrux is the most malevolent dark magic." Hermione turned to Evan.

After learning the method to create a Horcrux from the book "Secrets of the Darkest Art," Evan had thoroughly explained to Hermione the principles of how Horcruxes work.

When she saw Evan nodding, Hermione continued, saying, "Creating a Horcrux involves splitting the soul and storing its fragment separately in a specific container. As long as that container is not destroyed, the owner of the Horcrux can live eternally, no matter how much damage they receive."

"It's like Voldemort..." said Harry suddenly, feeling strange.

The idea of Voldemort splitting his soul and creating Horcruxes, from Tom Riddle's diary and Slytherin's locket, made him feel very ill.

Ron shuddered and paled at the mention of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

"Yes, it's like Voldemort," Hermione took a deep breath and continued. "As long as his Horcruxes are not completely destroyed, he is an immortal monster, no matter what form he is in now. That's why the last time we saw him, he could only cling to Quirrell's head and rely on unicorn blood to regain some strength."

"No matter what form he is in now..." Evan repeated Hermione's words.

A scene formed in his mind of Voldemort clinging to a snake and lurking in the shadows of the Albanian Forest. He was now a monster.

That was him. And what about Herpo the Foul?

The temptation of immortality was too great. As the inventor of the Horcrux, Herpo had no reason not to do it.

Or even worse, he might have other wicked methods to achieve immortality. Perhaps transforming his body into a soul-devouring monster...

Evan's heart sank sharply when that terrible thought suddenly crossed his mind.

The monster he found in the underground ruins could be Herpo the Foul in person!

In order to gain powerful strength, Voldemort had transformed his body. It was not unreasonable for Herpo to do the same.

After seeing the creation of the monster on the stone walls, Evan had a familiar feeling. There were several key magical steps that were very similar to the steps to make a Horcrux. Even the magic used was very similar. The Horcrux was like a simplified version of that.

The dark magic involved in that monster was obviously much higher than that of the Horcrux, and also more malevolent. As he himself said, he was a God of Death.

He controlled life and relied on the power of the Horcrux to help Aragog delay death. If those human souls and magical creatures were the source and essence of that monster's power, where did his own thoughts and soul come from?

Recent studies on the Horcrux taught Evan that the soul cannot be created out of thin air, and its sources are fixed.

One could impart a portion of their own thoughts to an object, like the Four Founders, or split a fragment of their own soul, like Voldemort.

In summary, the birth of a new consciousness must come from an existing soul.

It was almost certain that the monster was created by Herpo the Foul.

Undoubtedly, his Horcrux must also come from Herpo and continue to carry out his will.

Or worse, it could be Herpo the Foul in person!