The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 23: Before School Even Starts, the Book Has Already Begun

Things from the dreamlike illusion can actually be brought out!

Ian seemed to have discovered another incredible secret.

Think about it.

Since he can bring things like candy and chocolate into the illusionary realm, it doesn't seem like anything surprising that he can bring things out of the illusionary realm.

"It really is a fantastical world."

Ian stared at the fragments of the dress in his hand, and couldn't help but marvel at them.

That's why it's called a world of idealism.

There are so many mysteries in this world that have yet to be discovered.

If Ian hadn't been fortunate enough to acquire such a talent, it's unknown how many more years would have passed before the living in the present world came into contact with anything related to the mystical realm.

Those who are alive must stop here.

Only the dead can enter.

Even if Ian shared his various discoveries with other wizards or scholars who study illusions, they would probably not be able to verify them.

For most wizards.

Everything in the dreamlike realm is an adventure that can only be experienced after death.

Therefore.

About the dreamlike illusion.

Even the world's greatest wizards know very little about it.

As a territory that only ghosts can set foot in, the fact that Ian was able to bring back clothes from ghosts made him reconsider his views on the Mystic Realm.

"It's not just a simple netherworld..."

Logically speaking...

Ghosts are simply a form of energy.

Yet the fragments of the dress in my hand had an incredibly realistic tactile feel.

The line between illusion and reality has become blurred, and Ian can only guess based on his memories. Perhaps such a gift to the "present world" is not something that can be done casually.

He noticed it.

Teacher Mara deliberately tore a piece of her dress off, knowing that with her abilities, she could easily transform anything around her into a lifelike parchment.

however.

But the other party needs to tear off her beautiful, elegant dress... Does this mean that only in this way can Ian bring her back to the real world from the illusion?

"Very likely!"

Ian looked at his other hand, where he clearly held the wand that Teacher Mara had transformed from a metal picture frame before his figure disappeared into the hazy illusion.

however.

The wand, however, was not brought out with them. Just like the experiments Ian had conducted with the plants and flowers of the Enchanted Realm when he first acquired this talent.

Originally, Ian thought that since it was something from the world of the dead, it was normal that the flowers and such couldn't be brought back to the mortal world. He always thought that the illusory realm might just be a world made purely of "energy".

However, this perception has now been refuted. The fragment of the dress in his hand, which still feels somewhat warm, forces Ian to re-examine his views on the dreamlike illusion.

Even if bringing things out of a hazy, dreamlike realm might require meeting certain conditions or following certain rules, this ultimately demonstrates that the boundary between life and death is not insurmountable. If the clothing of the deceased can transcend this boundary, does it also mean... that the deceased themselves can return to the world of the living?

"Wow~ That's quite a bold idea!"

The more Ian thought about it, the more his heart fluttered.

This is absolutely a taboo topic.

but.

If there really is a way to bring the dead back to the mortal world, then, setting aside ethics, morality and other messy factors, this is definitely an achievement worthy of being recorded in history!

Chocolate Frog's celebrity cards will likely record his great achievements!

"Fame and fortune are secondary. If I could find Lily Potter's soul and bring it back to this world, wouldn't Harry Potter give me all the Galleons in his vault?"

"If Lily Potter gives us a couple more cheers, forget about the traditional Harry Potter leveling up and monster-fighting; we'll jump straight to Snape unleashing his power and smashing Voldemort's head!"

Such an idea could only be considered Ian's naive and wildly imaginative thinking.

only.

Who can really say for sure?

There is a rule in this world: love is the most powerful magic... Isn't the extreme, obsessive love of a devoted follower also a form of love?

"This has potential! This has potential!"

The more Ian thought about it, the more he felt that this was a direction worth investing his energy in.

perhaps.

Next time, enter the dreamlike illusion.

Ian could consult with his teacher, Mara, who clearly possesses a wealth of profound knowledge—this witch in the castle may not seem like a good person, but she is ultimately teaching Ian about magic. Whatever her motives, Ian has become her apprentice.

Whether this teacher-student relationship will be good or bad in the future remains to be seen.

No one knows.

At least for now, having a teacher to guide and teach him is certainly not a bad thing for Ian.

"I wonder if the mirror that Teacher Mara wants is the magic mirror from the school." Ian hadn't forgotten the request the witch made to him when they first met. Even though she hadn't gotten the mirror, she had still taken him on as an apprentice, but he could tell that the witch was still very interested in that so-called mirror.

There is a demand.

Naturally, a reward should be given in return.

This is Ian's principle in dealing with people and situations.

No one owes him anything or needs to make unconditional sacrifices for him... Even the bag of gold coins left by Snape, and the Galleons spent on books and necessities, Ian felt were just things Snape lent him. He didn't like or enjoy the feeling of taking advantage of anyone.

"Maybe if I find the Magic Mirror and bring it to Teacher Mara, she'll be so happy that she'll teach me the other two spells of the three Unforgivable Curses as well."

Anyway, I've already learned the Killing Curse.

Azkaban is all booked.

Ian felt it would be a real loss not to collect the complete set.

It's just like playing Genshin Impact.

Ultimately, the goal is to collect all the character cards.

The reason why Chocolate Frog sells so well is similar to the magician card collection marketing in Ian's memory; they both ultimately exploit a similar obsessive-compulsive psychology.

"This homework assignment shouldn't be some kind of black magic, right?" Having sorted out some of his guesses about the illusion, Ian finally turned his attention back to the fragments of the dress.

The moonlight outside the window was bright and clear.

But it couldn't illuminate the dim words on the fragments of the dress.

"Fluorescent lights!"

Ian took out his elder wand, and while successfully illuminating the surrounding environment, he also gained three points of proficiency in the [Illumination Charm].

"I've learned a new spell!"

Ian excitedly brought the light source closer to the dress fragments.

next moment.

He was dumbfounded.

All I saw was...

The words engraved on the fragments of the dress were drawn using some unknown method. They were crooked, twisted, and strange, piecing together a text that he couldn't understand at all.

"Ancient script?"

Ian sensed something was wrong.

He seemed to have seen an introduction to this kind of writing somewhere before.

"textbook!"

Ian's mind stirred.

He sprang out of bed with a swift movement and rushed to where he kept his various textbooks and other miscellaneous items, pulling out one of his textbooks from the pile of things.

The Theory of Magic, by Adebbe Wolflin.

Relying on his memory, Ian flipped through the pages and quickly came to the section on the origins of magic. He found what he was looking for in the section on ancient runes.

The same crooked, twisted, and strange characters.

"This is ancient demonic script!"

Looking at the textbook, which was only a first-grade textbook and only briefly introduced the relevant knowledge, Ian finally understood what the witch meant by homework.

It's not simply about learning magic.

Instead, it also requires learning the ancient runes that record this new magic.

Yes.

Magic recorded in runes may only be secondary.

These winding, magical characters are the real homework!