Hogwarts starts with stealing power.

McGonagall's voice suddenly came, causing Nicholson to pause abruptly.

He looked up and saw McGonagall staring at him with a cold and sharp expression.

She gripped her wand tightly in her hand, as if if he made the slightest mistake, McGonagall would not hesitate to use her magic to capture him.

In that instant, his mind was racing.

If his actions are exposed, he may not be able to stay at Hogwarts, and the Ministry of Magic will put him under even stricter surveillance.

This is not what Nicholson wanted.

Although Hogwarts is also very strictly regulated, there are still ways to escape.

For example, this time, a powerful force was impacting Hogwarts from the outside, which clearly affected the tightly arranged space and caused a slight fluctuation.

Such fluctuations occur several times a year.

But if they are placed elsewhere, it will be even more difficult for them to escape.

There might not be a single person there for years. How can it be as lively as Hogwarts?
Nicholson made his decision quickly.

He said calmly, "Minerva, I'm checking the spatial nodes and I sensed a very powerful force coming from outside. Is Hogwarts in some kind of danger?"

"I'm wondering whether to secure this space or go out and help the school defend against danger?"
Although we researchers may not be strong militarily, we are quite resourceful.

Nicholson answered casually and nonchalantly, and McGonagall stared at him for a long time, even trying to confirm the accuracy of his words.

In that instant, McGonagall also thought of many things.

She was always worried that Nicholson would be influenced by the petrified Slytherin quill and go astray.

So after summer vacation started, I came to check on it every day.

At that moment, the space around Hogwarts began to tremble.

The first thing she thought of when she returned to school was Nicholson's lab.

Driven by some intuition, she came to check, and unexpectedly, she actually discovered some clues.

At that moment, McGonagall was convinced that Nicholson had changed!
However, if he had stayed at Hogwarts, she could have kept an eye on him and urged him to translate some of his work into practical results.

If he was transferred elsewhere by the Ministry of Magic...

A sudden intuition flashed through McGonagall's mind: Nicholson would actually escape faster!
It's possible that during the transfer, he found a way to disappear from people's sight!
With this in mind, McGonagall ultimately decided not to lash out, but instead went along with Nicholson's words.

"There was a slight disturbance in the Forbidden Forest. I have already gone to check it out. It poses no danger to the school. However, just in case, the school will take the highest level of defense measures."

McGonagall paused, then said, "I have activated most of the Sage's Eye's functions and integrated them into the school's defense system."

This means that even if you leave this space, you may not be able to escape the defense of the Sage's Eye outside.

From a certain perspective, the Sage's Eye's defense is more comprehensive and more rigorous.

Nicholson had also heard of the Sage's Eye and knew it was an extremely powerful magic rune array.

If it hadn't been damaged, Hogwarts might not have been able to get it.

Nicholson said, "So it was a problem with the Forbidden Forest?"

"I see. The Forbidden Forest always makes some noises from time to time. Since it's connected to Hogwarts, it certainly won't cause any harm to the school."

He took a step back, moving away from that vulnerable spatial node.

"Now that Hogwarts has made preparations, I can rest assured."

After saying that, he left the space without looking back and returned to his office.

McGonagall watched his retreating figure, her gaze deep and distant.

Back in the office.

Nicholson carefully took the petrified Slytherin quill from his pocket, a barely perceptible red glint in his eyes.

His expression was split in two, one half madness, the other extreme rationality.

He muttered to himself, "I'm still missing a few opportunities, just a little bit more... I have to wait, I can't rush things, I can't arouse the suspicion of others."

At the same time, McGonagall returned to her office.

But this time, she called over all the professors who were still on duty in the office and asked them to strengthen their defenses during this period.

She emphasized, "Due to the impact of the forest ban, strange incidents may frequently occur at the school, so please pay close attention."

In addition, the students who remain in the school may also be possessed by other forces. This happens frequently, so you should pay close attention to them.

In addition, some spaces within the school may also experience fluctuations. If strong fluctuations are detected in any secret spaces, be sure to report them immediately!

After speaking, the ordinary professor left, while McGonagall kept Snape and Professor Flitwick, who were still at the school, behind.

They are the deans of the four colleges and know more about things than other professors.

When facing her colleagues, McGonagall's expression became more serious, with a hint of anxiety.

She couldn't show this emotion too obviously in front of ordinary professors, because she needed to keep everyone calm.

"I suspect that Nicholson's consciousness has been invaded by the whispers of the evil god. After exploring the Forbidden Forest, I had a strong sense of danger, so I quickly went to the space where Nicholson was."

They discovered he was standing at a weak point in space, seemingly trying to break through that point and escape from Hogwarts.

Snape frowned: "Nicholson is very intelligent, a research fanatic and a research genius."

If he's determined to escape, even if he misses his chance this time, he'll seize it later. Hogwarts won't keep him for long.

In fact, Snape couldn't understand why such a brilliant and talented person would willingly work for the Ministry of Magic.

Not only did he study the dangerous deformed humans from the world of evil gods, but Hogwarts also specially opened a secret laboratory for him and equipped him with dozens of equally top-notch research talents.

In this respect, he believes the Ministry of Magic is paying too much attention to such people.

The more intelligent a person is, the harder they are to control; they are more likely to leave.

On the other hand, he wondered why such a person would still remain in the Ministry of Magic.

Perhaps there is a pact between Nicholson and the Ministry of Magic that he is unaware of.

Flitwick agreed with Snape.

“Nicholson conducts his research diligently, and no one can find fault with him. However, if he were to leave, it would be a disaster for both the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts.”

He harbors too many secrets in his mind; even the slightest leak would cause a huge uproar in the magical world.

"And it is precisely someone like Nicholson that the Death Eaters are trying their best to win over." Snape asked, puzzled, "He researched so many secrets for the Ministry of Magic, why was he only invaded by the whispers of the evil gods at this time?"

Someone like him must have figured out a way to ward off the delusions of evil gods, right?

McGonagall said with a serious expression, "It was my fault. I shouldn't have given him the petrified Slytherin's quill to study, hoping to get some information from him."

The result was obvious: Nicholson couldn't figure it out either and was completely baffled.

I think his mental state is becoming increasingly abnormal, which stems from his research on Slytherin's quill.

A flicker of realization crossed Flitwick's eyes. "Slytherin Salazar... he made many contributions to the wizarding world in his early and middle years, but his later years—"

His tone was serious and solemn: "Everyone is saying that in his later years he was a madman bewitched by an evil god, but he still had some remaining sanity."

In that moment of utter madness, it left the magical world and instead went to the world of evil gods to wreak havoc. That's why this news was sealed away by the magical world, and not many people know about it.

Snape frowned.

He was unaware of this secret.

Damn nobles, how many secrets are they hiding that should have been made public!

"If that's the case, then it's not surprising. Although that quill pen was used by Slytherin in his early years, after so much time, it may have been tainted with some of the ravings of evil gods."

Excessive power is difficult to control; one can easily become misled by it. Nicholson was certainly misled.

McGonagall said with a serious expression, "So we have to be more vigilant. I have other important things to do here and can't go in and out of Nicholson's lab too often."

I've decided to grant you both some access; you can check it out every day.

Snape astutely observed, "Even with Flitwick's and my combined strength, we might not be able to control Nicholson when he erupts."

Without hesitation, McGonagall said, "I will grant you some access to Hogwarts."

The situation in Nicholson has been too volatile lately, and the school's defense system needs a new round of adjustments. I can delegate some authority to you.

However, you must use this amount with caution. Excessive power will only backfire, and prolonged use will affect your lifespan.

“Okay.” Snape and Flitwick agreed without hesitation.

Meanwhile, McGonagall had already reported the disturbances deep within the Forbidden Forest to the Ministry of Magic.

Dumbledore soon learned of this news.

After thinking for a while, he decided to go to the Forbidden Forest to check it out himself.

At this moment, Barbling is controlling Mikel's body and is exceptionally sensitive to energy.

Under the control of her magic rune array, her consciousness gradually merged with the consciousness deep within the Forbidden Forest, and the sheer volume of information nearly crushed Mikel's body.

The consciousness deep within the Forbidden Forest is a pan-consciousness, devoid of emotions, yet this pan-consciousness can manipulate them as long as it can withstand the pressure.

Babling's mind could fully contain her general consciousness, but her body couldn't.

Mikel's body was bleeding profusely, from the tiny pores on the surface of his skin to the veins inside, making him look somewhat terrifying.

Babling, without batting an eye, poured the potion into his body.

The bleeding occurred while magic potions were being administered to repair the wound, creating a bizarre balance.

Suddenly, she looked up slightly and gazed at a certain spot in the sky.

The next second, a powerful spatial fluctuation came.

Suddenly, a door opened in the spot she was gazing at.

Dumbledore came out and said calmly, "Barbling, you've made quite a commotion."

Babling said without changing her expression, "I need to use the power of the Forbidden Forest to strip the energy carried by the souls from the other world."

Aside from the Forbidden Forest, I can find no better vessel for this power.

Dumbledore said calmly, “Our power is indeed too great, but what’s with you controlling Mikel’s body? Shouldn’t you separate them? His body is not strong enough to contain the weight of your soul.”

Babling explained: "Because the energy of this other world is bound to his soul, it can only be separated using his body."

But don't worry, he's a Hogwarts student after all. I won't let him get hurt. On the contrary, I'll give him a great opportunity.

Of course, this opportunity might just be nice for Mikel.

However, by stripping away the energy from the other world, one is completely integrated into the wizarding world and will no longer be able to advance further through the energy of the other world.

If he didn't do that, relying solely on the energy of the other world, he might never reach the highest level in the magical world.

So whether this gain or loss is a blessing or a curse depends entirely on Mikel's perspective.

Dumbledore's gaze suddenly deepened and became profound. "How long will the ceremony last?"

Babling thought for a moment: "It will take at least a week."

Dumbledore: "It's taking too long. A lot of people will come to investigate this week."

Babling: "This might distract me. You should set up some guards around here."

Dumbledore: "Alright, I hope you get some useful information from this divestiture."

Barbling smiled and said, "It hasn't been officially separated yet, but I've already gotten some useful information from his memories that you'll find interesting, Dumbledore. I'll share it with you later."

News that even he's interested in?
A flicker of curiosity crossed Dumbledore's mind, but he didn't ask any further questions.

Because he could see that Babling was already activating the magic rune array, and each step of activation required a considerable amount of energy.

Although she seemed to be chatting with him in a relaxed and comfortable manner, as if she were handling the situation with ease, she was actually focused intently on the magic rune array.

Regardless, as one of the three with the strongest foundation and greatest strength in the magical world, if Babling can gain some power from this exploration of another world, it will be a good thing for the magical world.

Dumbledore had a premonition that the confrontation with the world of evil gods would soon arrive.

With a flick of his fingertips, a series of smooth golden runes flowed from his wand; Dumbledore was also a master of ancient runes.

The golden runes spread outwards, landing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and disappearing into the soil.

If any wizards come to investigate afterward, they will receive a warning not only from Barbling's consciousness but also from Dumbledore.

Compared to Barbling, Dumbledore's warning has a strong personal style; a phoenix-like phantom will appear before people, telling them not to take another step forward.

If any wizard still sees the phantom of the phoenix and chooses to enter, they will be making an enemy of Dumbledore. This warning should deter most wizards. (End of Chapter)