Hogwarts starts with stealing power.

Neville was unaware of the captain's decision.

He was patrolling with another third-year Gryffindor student.

There were many people in Gryffindor, but Neville was introverted and only knew a few classmates. He had never interacted with this particular classmate.

But compared to Neville's reserved nature, this companion was quite talkative.

In fact, Gryffindor students are generally cheerful and outgoing, and are very good at socializing, often referred to as "social butterflies".

For example, Ron is a typical Gryffindor.

As soon as the student saw that his patrol companion was Neville, he started talking non-stop: "Neville, I know you. You're always with Mikel. Some people say you're best friends. Is that true?"

Neville asked, "Who told you that?"

He felt he didn't have a best friend.

Mikel's relationship with him was merely good; she treated him like a small animal.

Because he was so stupid, I helped him out; this help was a form of charity.

He didn't understand this feeling before. He was just happy that Mikel was willing to get close to him, even though Mikel always made all sorts of demands on him.

Neville has been thinking a lot lately, and he's gradually starting to understand why Mikel took the initiative to approach him in the first place.

Neville felt a little discouraged. Sure enough, I was still too stupid!

A fellow patrolman said, "I don't know who spread the rumor, but that's what everyone's saying. Neville, can you tell me what's going on between Harry and Mikel? Are they really at odds in the dorms?"

Neville gave him a strange look. "Where did you get this news from? They get along quite well in the dorm."

He silently added in his mind: Things have been pretty good lately.

Previously, the atmosphere in the dormitory had been somewhat tense, but Mikel had been trying to get closer to him, though Ron and Harry didn't pay much attention to him.

Recently, they have started to communicate with each other about their studies, and the atmosphere in the dormitory has been completely transformed after the winter break.

Neville really likes the current dormitory atmosphere; it's the kind of college life he envisioned.

His companion's face revealed a sense of regret at not being able to watch the excitement.

"Really? So they get along quite well. I thought Mikel was so domineering last semester that he would look down on Harry. After all, even though Harry is the savior, his performance in class is always terrible."

Because they were on patrol, the two had to keep moving forward and couldn't stop.

Neville went over the patrol rules in his mind again and again, cautiously scanning his surroundings, but speaking in a very serious tone:

"I don't look down on them. They have a good relationship and it will continue to be so in the future."

The companion pursed his lips. Last semester, Mikel always answered questions first and proudly talked a lot in front of Harry. Anyone who saw that scene would not think that their relationship was very good.

He had seen Mikel and Harry's conversations last semester and didn't think their relationship could improve.

There is a corridor ahead.

According to the rules, once they encounter a corridor, they must stop where they are and take out their equipment for testing.

Once it's confirmed that there's no energy reaction in the corridor ahead, continue patrolling.

So even though there are many people involved in the patrols, there is always a shortage of manpower because the rules are very complicated, which slows down the efficiency of the patrol personnel.

Furthermore, the changes in these strange phenomena are unpredictable.

Corridors and passageways that have been patrolled and confirmed to be safe may undergo unexpected changes at some point.

Therefore, each patrol allows for a completely new and cautious approach.

Upon seeing the corridor, Neville's companions did not stop but turned in due to inertia. However, Neville, who always kept the rules in mind, stopped instead.

He opened his mouth, as if to remind someone, but his companion had already left.

Nawei stood there, somewhat at a loss, but ultimately decided to follow the rules and take out a bunch of instruments to test them.

Neville's companions, who had already turned into the corridor, stopped when they saw that Neville wasn't following.

But instead of going back to help, he leaned against the wall of the corridor with his arms crossed, watching Neville fiddling with the equipment and busy himself around.

While Nawei was fiddling with the equipment, there was another corridor at the end of the corridor, which was also patrolled by Lin Xia.

This area falls within Hufflepuff's patrol range.

Lin Xia stopped at the end of the corridor, not entering the corridor where her Neville companions were, and communicated with her teammate next to her:

"You don't need to go in yet. Fairy Bai and I will go in and take a look."

His teammate asked worriedly, "Are you sure you can go in alone? Or should I go with you? The captain said that everyone who goes into this dark corridor feels a sense of unease and panic."

Just as Lin Xia was about to answer, suddenly, the white fairy who had been sleeping soundly on her shoulder straightened up, opened her golden pupils, and stared straight at the corridor that turned into the front.

Seeing its reaction, Lin Xia knew that there really was something strange in this corridor.

It was hidden too well, so the students couldn't find it. But this strange object was also very powerful, and even though it wasn't revealed, it still instilled fear in people's hearts.

Lin Xia calmly looked at the deep corridor ahead. "No need, I can go in alone. If you come in with me, it won't be revealed."

"it?"

His companion reacted quickly, saying incredulously, "You're just standing outside, yet you're so sure there's something strange inside?"

Lin Xia looked down at the white fairy poised on her shoulder, "It's mainly thanks to it; it's very sensitive to special energies."

“If you want to help, go back now and tell the professor on patrol that I’ve made a discovery in this corridor.”

The companion immediately said, "I'll go tell the professor right now. If it's dangerous inside, why don't we wait for the professor to arrive before we go in together?"

A faint smile appeared on Lin Xia's lips. "Thank you, but to prevent the strange creature inside from escaping, I have to stay here."

As soon as her companions left, Lin Xia stepped into the empty and quiet corridor without hesitation.

Through the connection of their soul contracts, the White Fairy told her that there was a special object in the corridor. It was not very aggressive, but it had a lot of energy. It was probably an item that a famous person who had been around for a long time used frequently.

Because the item was imbued with the wizard's aura and retained a portion of the wizard's spirit, it was transformed, through a series of coincidences, into a magical artifact with wondrous abilities.

Lin Xia asked the White Fairy, "Is it related to the evil god's ramblings?"

The White Fairy replied, "Although this strange object is of the dark magical attribute, it is different from the power of the evil god. It is purer and less impure, and can be accepted by wizards."

Lin Xia understood. This was not an item from the world of evil gods, nor was it modified by the evil gods' ramblings. This strange object was probably one of the secrets left behind by Hogwarts.

As you walk into the quiet corridor, there is a window next to you, through which you can see one side of the basement.

This location... is quite close to Slytherin's basement. Could it be related to Slytherin? After taking a few more steps forward, Lin Xia sensed a change in the energy in the air and immediately stopped.

If you keep moving forward, the energy will be dispersed by the wizard, but if you stop, the energy ahead will continue to gather.

The students who patrolled here before weren't very sensitive to energy, and they dispersed the energy cluster that was about to form.

The moment the power is dissipated, the body will react, feeling palpitations and tightness in the chest.

That's because their bodies silently underwent an energy surge.

This kind of impact will only cause temporary discomfort to the body, but will not have any other negative effects.

The reason for the discomfort is not only due to the shockwave, but also because the dark magic gathered here is extremely pure. It is normal for a wizard's body to feel uncomfortable when it suddenly receives such pure dark magic.

Hogwarts does not openly teach students dark magic; it only teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts. Students are not familiar with the energy properties of dark magic.

But any dark wizard would have noticed the unusual situation here.

After waiting for a while, the energy in front of me gradually gathered, but it was still a long way from taking shape before it could be formed.

Sensing something, Lin Xia raised her wand and cast "Stun" on the place where energy was converging.

The effect of "Fainting" is to make the target unconscious, but it will not cause permanent damage, and it is not difficult to learn.

However, to master it, you need to practice extensively on your own.

Although this spell seems basic and is mainly defensive, it can affect a person's physical condition, so it is classified as "grey magic" and carries some dark magical attributes.

To use this spell effectively and make it work immediately is not easy.

This "stunned" attack carried a dark attribute, landing where energy converged, as if completing the final piece of a puzzle.

With the addition of the dark attribute, an image silently appeared in front of Lin Xia.

A young man dressed in an emerald green and silver wizard's robe stood with his back to Lin Xia. He had long black hair that was straight and cascading down his back, and he exuded an air of nobility.

Just by looking at his back, Lin Xia knew that this person was an aristocrat.

A moment later, the wizard turned his head. His bangs were long, reaching down to his eyelashes, but they did not cover his eyes.

Its eyes were a deep, dark green, like a tranquil lake, but beneath the surface, undercurrents were churning.

His skin was extremely pale, but his facial features were sharp and delicate, and he was slender.

He's such a handsome young man!

Words like "handsome," "pretty," and "exquisite" can all be used to describe him. His beauty is not superficial physical beauty, but rather a noble temperament that emanates from within.

Another phrase popped into Lin Xia's mind: born aristocrat!

As if time and space had intersected, the handsome young man in the image suddenly looked up in Lin Xia's direction, and their eyes met once again.

The handsome young man's eyes were sharp as knives, seemingly able to see right through others, carrying a strong sense of scrutiny and pressure, and his expression was extremely arrogant.

But after only a glance, the boy lowered his eyes again, muttering to himself, and Lin Xia heard his voice.

"The experimental data is incorrect. I should add some dragon blood. The heat in dragon blood can dispel the cold poison brought by the Ice Grass, and after neutralization, the Ice Grass's abilities can be brought into play..."

"100-year-old dragon blood is too ineffective, and 500-year-old dragon blood is too scorching. 300-year-old dragon blood is the most suitable. Hmm, the blood of the Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon is too violent. We still have to use the Golden Dragon. This kind of dragon is an excellent material."

Lin Xia's eyes flickered slightly.

She had read records of the Golden Dragon. A thousand years ago, the Golden Dragon had been hunted to extinction by wizards because it was considered too high-quality as material.

After speaking, the boy turned around and continued his research.

Lin Xia noticed that the pen he was using to take notes was a very simple quill pen, but in the context of the handsome young man's exquisite surroundings, the quill pen seemed overly rustic and simple.

She thought for a moment, then turned to look at the white fairy on her shoulder.

The White Fairy nodded to her.

Without further hesitation, Lin Xia moved towards the image and soon arrived next to the handsome young man.

She reached out and grasped the quill pen in the handsome young man's hand.

It was at this moment that Professor McGonagall (who was on duty that day), who had been called by her companion, rushed over and also saw the scene. She saw the handsome young man's profile and exclaimed in surprise:

Salazar Slytherin!

Lin Xia gripped the quill pen, looked up in astonishment, and met those dark green eyes again. A sly smile played on his lips, as if he had expected this all along.

The next second, the image vanished, everything disappeared, except for the quill pen in Lin Xia's hand.

Professor McGonagall stared intently at the quill pen: "This is the quill pen Salazar used when he was young. Lin Xia, could you give me this quill pen?"

Salazar was a figure from over a thousand years ago; if he still has anything left behind, it must have all turned into wondrous objects.

Many people's impression of Salazar is stuck in his old age, where he became reclusive due to his obsession with research and eventually experimented on his own body.

The statue in the Slytherin common room is also old and thin like a monkey, with a sparse, long beard that drags down to the hem of its robe.

He didn't participate in the parties, no one knew where he went, and no one knew how many secret rooms he left behind at Hogwarts.

But Lin Xia had come into contact with the basilisk left behind by Salazar and heard its whispers.

The basilisk said that Salazar had lived a very long time and had maintained a youthful appearance since adulthood.

If this handsome young man is Salazar, then it's no wonder he has such an outstanding presence.

Lin Xia handed over the quill pen in her hand.

But when Professor McGonagall's hand touched the quill, the quill spontaneously turned to stone!

The petrification was so rapid that it almost affected Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall sighed softly: "Wonder objects have spirits. When we choose a wonder object to help us, it will also choose its own master. It has already recognized you as its master, Lin Xia."

Lin Xia was taken aback. "Professor, do you mean this quill pen is mine?"

McGonagall said thoughtfully, "If you don't believe me, try shaking the quill pen."

Strangely enough, when Lin Xia took the quill pen back and shook it gently, the petrified quill pen quickly returned to normal, shining as new.

McGonagall said, "It has recognized you as its master, and only you can use it. Lin Xia, come see me tomorrow and register with me."

Lin Xia nodded and said, "Thank you, Professor." (End of Chapter)