Harry Potter and the Great Old Ones

Chapter 578: Membership Mission
"Oh? You know about the Golden Book Conference?" Tierra asked, feigning surprise.

“Of course!” Horace Slughorn’s voice was tinged with excitement.

"That's the High Wizarding League that Dumbledore established during the fight against Grindelwald... It includes figures like Nicolas Flamel who are at the very top of the wizarding world!" Horace Slughorn exclaimed excitedly, his face flushed. "Tiera, you, you, you... you're a member of the Golden Book Council?"

"The last sentence," Horace Slughorn asked, seemingly incredulously.

“Of course,” Tiera said with a smile. “With your vast knowledge, you must be well aware that the ritual of becoming a god is not just a legend, but a real path to immortality.”

“When Professor Dumbledore foresaw my plans and learned that I was about to embark on the path to godhood, he extended an invitation to me as the founder of the Golden Book Council,” Tierra said slowly. “And after I completed my godhood ritual and became a divine dimensional being, I also became a full member of the Golden Book Council. Now, as a full member, I extend an invitation to you…”

“I do!” Horace Slughorn said before Tiera could finish speaking. “I mean, I agree! It’s a pleasure to join the Golden Book Council!”

“Oh…no, no, no…” Tiera smiled and said instead, “Please don’t be in a hurry, Professor Slughorn. I understand your feelings. Although the Golden Book Conference is a relatively loose organization for exchanging academic experiences and expanding networks, it can’t be said that there are no entry requirements at all, right?”

"There are also membership requirements?" Horace Slughorn's expression changed slightly.

“Of course,” Tierra said matter-of-factly. “Even Muggles have to pay a symbolic membership fee of a hundred or two dollars a year to join any academic organization, so how could we not have the membership requirements?”

“Well, well, well… alright… you… you… what do you need me to do?” Horace Slughorn took a deep breath and then asked cautiously.

“Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous.” Seeing Horace Slughorn like this, Tiera chuckled. “We’re just a very loose academic research alliance. We won’t ask you to do anything that’s impossible. Like taking down Voldemort all by yourself.”

"The goal of this conference is to jointly explore the truth of the universe and develop practical spells that can greatly benefit the magical world. Based on this, we aim to further liberate wizarding productivity and promote the progress of the wizarding world's ideas and social structure," Tierra briefly explained the main purpose of the Golden Book Conference. "Whether it is exploring the truth of the universe, developing practical spells that benefit the magical world, or unlocking productivity and promoting the progress of the wizarding world's ideas and social structure, it is a very, very, very long journey. Therefore, we will not accept the participation of short-lived species for the time being."

“In other words, although you are qualified and knowledgeable enough to join the Golden Book Council, but…” Tiera paused and said, “It is a pity that you are still a short-lived species and do not meet the requirements for membership… If you can use the rich magical reserves in your mind to find a way to become a long-lived species… I would be happy to be your introducer.”

"Really? Really?" Horace Slughorn asked excitedly.

“Really.” Tierra nodded. “But as your introducer… I need to set some special conditions for you.”

"What are the conditions?" Horace Slughorn.

“You are not allowed to use Horcruxes,” Tiera said with a smile. “You are not allowed to gain immortality by crafting Horcruxes. To be more precise… I hope you can gain immortality in a wiser way.”

“Wh-what way?” Horace Slughorn asked.

"Snap—" Tiera snapped her fingers, then casually pointed towards the podium next to Horace Slughorn—

"Crash..."

Page after page of notes appeared out of thin air, stacked neatly on the podium until they reached Horace Slughorn's chin.

“Use your own knowledge and years of honed potion-making skills… to craft a Philosopher's Stone,” Tiera said with a smile. “Consider it your initiation test.”

“The Philosopher’s Stone!” Horace Slughorn exclaimed, his voice trembling. “Then, then these…” Horace Slughorn pointed to the large stack of documents on his podium.

“The materials and experimental notes of Nicolas Flamel’s creation of the Philosopher’s Stone,” Tiera said with a smile. “These are shared materials within the Golden Book Council, and I shouldn’t be sharing them with others. However, I believe in your skill and ability, and I’m confident that you will pass the test, successfully create the Philosopher’s Stone, and thus join the Golden Book Council. Consider this an advance on your Golden Book Council membership benefits.”

Horace Slughorn was too excited to speak, his fingers trembling slightly as he flipped through the documents and notes on the podium.

“Well then,” Tiera gave Horace Slughorn a slight bow, “I won’t bother you any longer.”

After saying that, Tiera disappeared into the Potions Department's basement.

Horace Slughorn didn't even look up, completely absorbed in the information Tyella had given him.

The first class on the second day of school was Professor Snape's Defense Strategy class.

With Tiara's Dark Arts class as a foundation, Snape's Defense Against the Dark Arts class seemed somewhat deserted. At least Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the other sixth-year students in Gryffindor did not choose Snape's Defense Against the Dark Arts class this semester.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was the same one that used to be on the third floor, separated from Tierra's Dark Arts classroom only by a prize display room. Of course, this classroom had been rearranged in Snape's preferred style.

It was darker here than before, with all the curtains drawn, and the dim candlelight flickering and illuminating the many oil paintings on the walls depicting tormented people.

Horrible injuries and bizarre limbs came into view of all the students who came to class.

Everyone sat down quietly, looking at the gloomy, terrifying pictures with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

“I didn’t ask you to take out your textbooks,” Snape said in a chilling voice.

He walked in from outside, closed the door, and turned around behind his desk to face the entire class.

A little witch hurriedly put "Confronting the Mysterious Man" back into her bag and stuffed it under the chair.

Snape's Defense Strategy lesson was intended for fourth-year wizards.

“I want you to listen, to listen attentively.” His dark eyes scanned the students’ upturned faces. “So far, there have been…”

"crunch-"

The sudden sound of the door being pushed open interrupted Snape's speech.

“Excuse me, Professor Snape.” Investigator Tierra walked in from outside, found a seat in the last row, and pretended to be a good student.

“I’m late,” Tiera said with a smile. “You don’t mind if I sit in on the discussion, do you? It’s part of the main topic of discussion at the end-of-month teachers’ conference.”

(End of this chapter)