Chapter 350 The Illusion Of Gryffindor
It took Harry a long time to recover.
He recounted to everyone what he saw in the illusion and what happened at his home in Godric's Hollow on the night of Voldemort's downfall thirteen years ago.
The atmosphere was solemn, and Evan, Ron, and Hermione were comforting Harry.
Hermione's eyes were red, and even Sirius couldn't help but dry his tears when Harry spoke about the death of his parents.
Finally, Sirius promised Harry that he would take him back to Godric's Hollow this summer to see his old house and his parents' graves.
This made Harry feel better and less sad. He kept asking Sirius questions about Godric's Hollow and his parents incessantly.
Following Magorian's recommendation, Evan walked towards the stone platform in front of the enormous statue.
He didn't know what he would find in the illusion. Harry, Ron, and Hermione failed in their respective challenges, and the three challenges were completely different.
Ron faced the Acromantula attack, testing his combat skills and bravery; Hermione's challenge involved intelligence, understanding, and acceptance of new magics; Harry had to face the most vulnerable part of his heart and the ability to face death calmly.
Gryffindor's powerful magic seemed to have its own consciousness. It must have seen something in the hearts of the three to arrange it in this way.
Apart from Ron and Hermione, Evan knew that Harry had a fragment of Voldemort's Horcrux. To destroy that Horcrux, Harry had to die once.
So the final enemy to be destroyed was death.
Gryffindor seemed to have done it as a clue, using illusions to replay the situation and make Harry understand the origin of everything and his ultimate fate.
But in his infinite grief, Harry only noticed how his parents looked when they died.
Evan took a deep breath and stepped onto the black stone platform, not knowing what he would find.
Perhaps it was the deepest fear in his heart, or a foreboding of the future.
A sparkle of light illuminated and entered the magic of the illusion.
Evan looked around and seemed to have returned to Hogwarts as Hermione.
At that moment, he stood in front of a massive stone door, which was the entrance to the headmaster's office.
He gently touched the door, and the sound of a deep knock resonated in the space.
It seemed like no one was inside. Evan hesitated and pushed the door.
Unlike Dumbledore's office decoration, moonlight slowly fell from the upper window, illuminating the silver armor beneath the curtain.
The room was quiet, and on the cyan marble floor with intricate patterns, four long tables were placed, dividing the room into four parts.
This was the office of the Four Founders at Hogwarts a thousand years ago. Everything was exactly as Evan had last seen it. There were no changes.
The host seemed to have left in a hurry, not even having time to pack up.
On the long table in front of Evan, Hufflepuff's Golden Cup was filled with chocolate drinks, slowly emitting steam outward. Next to Ravenclaw's long dark blue table were many magic books and the Time-Turner that had brought Evan back to the millennium. Under the shadow of the moonlight was Slytherin's long dark silver table.
Evan took a step forward and saw a dark golden scepter lying quietly on the left side of the table. The scepter was imposing, with two large green snakes winding around it from top to bottom. The eyes and mouths of the snakes were closed. Evan had closely observed the murals he saw in the underground ruins, and there, the eyes and mouths of the snakes were open.
He didn't know what was happening. Perhaps it was some kind of magic.
The scepter emitted strange magical fluctuations and drew Evan closer. He could see the intricate inscriptions carved in ancient languages.
He couldn't help but step forward, eager to study it carefully once again.
"If I were you, I wouldn't touch that thing. It's not a wise decision!"
Just as Evan's hands were about to touch the scepter, a deep, hoarse male voice suddenly sounded behind him with a hint of warning in its tone, causing Evan to hastily retreat.
He saw a wizard with fiery red hair seated behind the long golden table of Gryffindor, a smile on his face. It was Godric Gryffindor himself.
"It's been a long time since we last met, young fellow!" Gryffindor approached and smiled at Evan. "Your strength is far greater than when we last crossed paths."
"You..." Evan's eyes widened, lost for words.
Although he knew he would encounter Gryffindor in the illusion, Evan was surprised by the sudden appearance in front of him.
"Don't be surprised. What you see now is just a part of my consciousness that I left behind, much like the magic infused into the Sorting Hat." Gryffindor cheerfully explained, "Originally, I could only communicate with you through the Treasure Key. With this illusion magic, I can manifest here fully."
Evan opened his mouth, wanting to ask many questions. For a moment, he didn't know where to start, simply gazing at Gryffindor in astonishment.
"If you wish to inquire," Gryffindor said casually, pointing at the massive scepter before Evan, and elucidated, "It's called [The Right to Peace], a Slytherin family heirloom. It is said to have been inherited from the ancient Greek gods. The ancient god cast his staff between two biting serpents, and they reconciled. However, it was actually the product of advanced Alchemy by ancient sorcerers, possessing very potent magic. In my opinion, it's not an exaggeration to call it an artifact."
"What is its purpose?" Evan instinctively inquired, calming down for a moment.
"It serves many purposes, far beyond the world's imagination, but Salazar usually uses it as a common staff to prevent sudden falls," Gryffindor chuckled and added, "Years of magical research have taken a toll on his body. It's not as sturdy and resilient as it appears from the outside."
He seemed quite pleased to mock his best friend in front of Evan.
"Well, lad, let's get back to the point!" After laughing for a long while, he continued. "Since you've been able to come here, it means you should have found the Key to my Treasure in the Centaur colony."
"Yes, I saw your clues in the Chamber of Secrets," Evan nodded, saying, "And through my Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Sirius Black, we knew there was a magical object in the Centaur colony and found it here."
"You're talking about that young man. I saw him over 20 years ago, the heir of the Black family. He's Salazar's favorite, a very ancient and powerful pure-blood family. In our time, descendants of his family didn't attend Hogwarts at all but hired powerful wizards to educate their children at home," Gryffindor said smugly, "Who would have thought that after a thousand years, not only would he attend Hogwarts, but also end up in Gryffindor House!"