Chapter 368 Obtaining The Key To Gryffindor's Treasure
Evan fell silent. Whether this fellow was a demon or Gryffindor himself, he felt the urge to rise and strike him!
For a while, this fellow was surely driving him mad.
In the illusion, he was nearly driven to madness, while Gryffindor amused himself in the background, and all Centaur warriors, fire-breathing dragons, and the malevolent god were animated by him.
He was like a puppet, warring in the world he had created.
"Do not be enraged," Gryffindor said with a smile. "In truth, the scene you just witnessed was not entirely illusory. The fallen Centaurs indeed used magic to absorb the remaining power I had, attempting to summon the wicked spirit from the void. At that moment, I had a conversation with him. How to describe that experience? I can only say it was most intriguing..."
Communicating with the spherical monster, Evan couldn't grasp its meaning.
"What I showed you was what he attempted to instill in me," Gryffindor's expression turned serious. "Indeed, it is far more dreadful than what you have just seen. If you encounter him later, be wary not to let down your guard."
"I understand!" Evan responded angrily, not lowering his defenses.
"Haha, you are right to have this fervor!" Gryffindor took a few steps forward and gestured to Evan. "Since you comprehend, then I have naught to worry about. Your friends must be eagerly awaiting outside; it is best not to tarry."
"Wait a moment!" Evan hastily shouted.
Regardless of what he told him, indeed, there were still many questions he had to ask.
Gryffindor stood there smiling, as if awaiting Evan to pose his questions, but his form started to become transparent and began fading away.
Much like in the previous room in Hogwarts, the entire space began to fragment.
Evan opened his mouth but no sound emerged.
"If you wish to know the magic left by the Heir of Slytherin in the Philosopher's Stone, the swiftest way is to directly collect it. Do not flee from your destiny. This is another challenge I leave you," Gryffindor's voice intermittently reached him. "Farewell, Evan!"
In the next moment, with a crash, countless fragments shattered and dispersed.
Everything before Evan vanished.
The debris shimmered silver and blue, and he returned to the real world.
Whilst the cold night wind blew, Evan realized he was also standing atop the statue.
Beneath him, Sirius, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Magorian, and the elder Centaur seemed as small as matchsticks.
Being so elevated, he felt a dizziness and quickly raised his gaze again.
It felt as if he stood at the gates of heaven, with countless stars shining around him, as though he could grasp them with a hand.
In the distance, the massive outline of Hogwarts Castle was discernible.
He heard a shout, and Harry and the others were calling out his name.
Evan gazed back down and saw Hermione waving to him.
Being so high up, he couldn't hear what they were saying.
Following Hermione's gesture, Evan turned his head and spotted Gryffindor's Secret Key to the treasure left. The fragment of the Philosopher's Stone gleamed red not too far away.
He hesitated for a moment and slowly stood up.
A gust of cold wind blew, causing Evan to feel his body tremble, and he hastily half-bent down to maintain balance.
Between the platform he stood on and the Philosopher's Stone, there stretched a narrow stone passage.
So high above the ground, venturing across this narrow passage felt like traversing a single wooden bridge, yet beneath was not a raging river but a vast night sky.
Undoubtedly, this must be Gryffindor's pastime once more.
Evan held his breath and advanced cautiously.
He approached the Philosopher's Stone slowly, which, as Gryffindor had shown him, was covered with golden marks and had irregular edges.
Evan could feel the powerful magic surrounding it, but he still hesitated.
He was unsure of the magic Voldemort had left behind, and he saw no difference, apart from the cruelly made crack by the evil spirit, proving that the Stone had experienced the unimaginable!
The Philosopher's Stone gleamed in red, devoid of any trace of magic.
Evan hesitated, uncertain whether he should touch it.
He attempted to use his wand to illuminate the Philosopher's Stone and cast his own detection and defense spells, but nothing happened.
He couldn't linger there forever. According to Gryffindor's words, he had to embrace the magic left by Voldemort and then seek solutions, no matter what.
Perhaps Professor Trelawney's prophecy was meant to come true!
Evan felt uneasy at the thought that he might be chosen by Voldemort, who would help him obtain power beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
A shiver ran down his spine, as if his insides had turned to ice.
Evan hesitated. Maybe this time, courage was needed over reason. It was madness to take the Philosopher's Stone knowing something was clearly amiss with it.
But, in any case, it was something he couldn't escape.
In the next moment, Evan reached out and held the red Philosopher's Stone. It was cold.
A powerful magic entered his body through his palm, and Evan felt warmth. The magic he had just consumed in the illusion was instantly restored.
His magic continued to increase, swiftly and alarmingly.
On the platform at the top of the Temple of the Moon, everyone watched Evan's movements in the sky and applauded as they saw him holding the Philosopher's Stone.
"The young human has succeeded!" Magorian's arrogant face filled with surprise. "After a thousand years, someone truly passed that formidable test!"
"Well, you should know, that's my student! Naturally, he's the best!" Sirius looked proudly at the Centaur, a smug smile on his face.
"Evan did it, I knew it!" Harry cheered, waving his hands and genuinely happy for his friend.
"He's the best, we all believe in him."
Hermione suddenly sighed in relief and wiped her eyes. A moment ago, Evan had suddenly disappeared from her sight. She didn't know what had happened and burst into tears.
"Yes, he's the best," Ron added. His gaze was conflicted, still pondering the powerful magical object left by Gryffindor.
Suddenly, he realized that the gap between him and Evan was widening.
Perhaps he would never be able to bridge that gap in his life.
Ron couldn't discern his thoughts. He admitted that he had sincerely envied Evan initially, but as the gap widened, the envy faded.
Perhaps that was what he should do now; sincerely rejoice in his friend's success!