Hogwarts starts with stealing power.

same moment.

While Babulin had already inscribed the magic runes and was gradually activating them with Mikel's blood to awaken the consciousness of the Forbidden Forest...

Lin Xia, who entered the forbidden book area through the spatial node where Hogwarts was located, also sensed something.

She could sense a powerful magical fluctuation coming from the place she had entered.

The spatial barrier between the two sides is very thin. Although the distance seems far, due to the weakness of the node, external energy may break through the node's blockade and rush in.

Even though she has stabilized the space once, the powerful energy could very well cause a second fluctuation.

Fortunately, there is a spatial node in between; if the fluctuations are too intense, the node can be destroyed.

Then she would lose her way back to Hogwarts, but at the same time she would no longer be affected by the energy fluctuations emanating from that place.

The fluctuation was very powerful, and the energy it revealed vaguely felt somewhat familiar to her.

This caused Lin Xia to stop reading the banned book and begin to ponder deeply.

"This power is somewhat similar to that of Mentor Babuling; she must have used a very powerful magic rune array."

And this magic rune array must be related to bloodline, otherwise the blood in my body wouldn't feel boiling with this power.

I wonder if Babling will give me the magic rune when I get back. In the wizarding world, equivalent exchange is the fairest principle of trade.

While reading the forbidden books, she always felt that she was missing an opportunity to transform her cultivation technique.

I had thought I could find this opportunity in banned books.

However, after sensing the energy fluctuations coming from a distant space, Lin Xia suddenly realized that the opportunity had arrived.

She would follow the burst of this energy fluctuation, awaken the power hidden deep within her bloodline, combine it with the techniques of the "Nine Heavens Profound Yang Secret Record," and then incorporate knowledge from the magical world.
Only in this way can a health cultivation method based on her body be created.

This is currently the most complete derivation method.

She didn't know if using the Scales of Fate would make it even more perfect, but having deduced it to this extent, even without using the Scales of Fate, it was enough to allow the cultivation technique to develop on its own.

A spiritual cultivation method cannot be derived simply through deduction.

The techniques will also be adjusted according to the user and the resources available, adapting to local conditions.

Lin Xia walked towards the place she had just entered from and gently reached out her hand.

In the invisible space, she seemed to touch a transparent crystal, which was the space wall.

Lin Xia pondered carefully, sensing the immense and profound energy fluctuations emanating from him.

"It is the power of the Forbidden Forest."

She attended Hogwarts and often sensed the fluctuations emanating from the Forbidden Forest, knowing its immense power.

The magical forest that can house so many wondrous creatures is certainly not as simple as it seems.

Not only is the magic there immense, but the conditions are also excellent, and many rare magical plants are cultivated there.

It can be said that the Forbidden Forest is a natural treasure trove possessed by the school, abundant in magical materials that are difficult to produce outside.

"What happened in the Forbidden Forest? How could such a powerful force have been unleashed?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Lin Xia's eyes, and she could sense that this power was not the end; the Forbidden Forest was still accumulating energy continuously.

"Such a massive energy fluctuation, even if it's just a tiny aftershock, is enough to transform my cultivation technique."

Just as she was thinking, the Compass of Destiny, which had become her innate ability, suddenly activated, and some images suddenly appeared in her mind.

Just two days later, at noon, the sun will be at its highest point.

The fluctuations in the Forbidden Forest will reach their peak, which is the best time to plunder energy.

"Two days later, at 12 o'clock?" Lin Xia pondered carefully. "With the knowledge I have accumulated now, it should be enough, but I can't let my guard down. I still need to read more."

After setting the time, she mobilized all the energy in her body and activated her cultivation technique at full power.

She used to be able to read 10 books at a time, but suddenly she was increased to reading 20 books at a time, which pushed her body to its limits.

Lin Xia's body could withstand just two days of overwork.

She needs to read more books and strive to bring her intellectual reserves to a state of completeness.

On the other side, many noble families also sensed the powerful energy fluctuations generated by the Forbidden Forest.

The nobles had their own sources of information.

Dumbledore went to the Forbidden Forest and added an extra layer of protection, which was quickly noticed by the nobles.

Noble families with deep-rooted traditions are unwilling to offend Dumbledore, and wizards who can be protected by Dumbledore are by no means ordinary people.

So they quickly convened a family meeting and ordered the family not to send supplies to Hogwarts, not to do any business, and not to go to the vicinity for two months.

To avoid causing misunderstandings for others.

Among them was the Malfoy family, which was the first family to announce that it would temporarily sever its cooperation with Hogwarts for the next two months.

Draco, as the family's designated heir, also participated in the family meeting.
He was stunned when he heard his father give the order in public; this was the first time he had heard this news.

After the meeting, he went to see his father, Lucius, privately to find out more details.

After all, that's Hogwarts, the place he studied.

He didn't want any problems to arise at the school.

Unfortunately, Lucius's understanding of the school was limited to the strong fluctuations that had occurred in the Forbidden Forest.

"Father."

Draco knocked on the door, and after receiving permission, he pushed it open and came in, asking, "Why did the family terminate its cooperation with Hogwarts? Is there some problem at the school?"

Lucius said, "Through secret family channels and feedback from some artifacts, I've learned that a huge energy shift has occurred deep within the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, and the consciousness of the Forbidden Forest may be about to awaken."

Every awakening of the Forbidden Forest brings immense disaster; our family is best advised not to interfere.

"A massive catastrophe? Are you referring to a disaster in the Forbidden Forest, or will it affect the surrounding areas, such as bringing disaster to Hogwarts?"

Lucius said slowly, "It seems you haven't read all the secrets yet. To be precise, with the Forbidden Forest in existence, Hogwarts is actually quite safe."

"Others may not know, but our family has known for a long time that the Forbidden Forest has become part of Hogwarts. The Forbidden Forest has awakened its consciousness and it will radiate this energy outwards."

It's often the Forbidden Forest that brings disaster to the outside world, not trouble to the school. On the contrary, Hogwarts is protected by the Forbidden Forest consciousness. Hearing this, Draco breathed a sigh of relief.

He also thought that something drastic would happen at the school.

Draco asked doubtfully, "Is it that serious, serious enough to require temporarily severing ties with Hogwarts?"

Lucius said solemnly, "Yes, it's very serious. That immense consciousness is something no individual wizard can withstand."

If you accidentally get caught up in it, you'll be torn apart by consciousness. At that point, the best thing to do is to observe and wait.

Not only the Malfoy family, but other families do the same.

However, some small families might risk sneaking into the forbidden forest for personal gain, and we must keep a close eye on these families.

Draco paused, then asked, "Why should we care?"

Lucius smiled faintly, "They think they can benefit from the Forbidden Forest, but in reality, there is only one outcome to infiltrating the Forbidden Forest: their family's inheritance will be inherited by another family."

So they must wait patiently and then go and receive the inheritance of those destroyed families.

Over the years, the pattern of big fish eating small fish and small fish eating shrimp has never changed.

In the magical world, many nobles are born every century, but only a few pure-blood nobles remain forever.

"By the way, the consciousness deep within the Forbidden Forest is about to awaken, and I don't want anything to happen to you during this time."

Didn't you tell me a while ago that you were planning to go visit a friend on your day off? If this hadn't happened, I wouldn't have interfered with your trip.

But given what happened, I hope you won't go out for the next two months. We'll see how things go after school starts.

If you start school and the Forbidden Forest's influence is so strong, I don't want you to go back to Hogwarts.

Draco realized once again that the “awakening of consciousness in the Forbidden Forest” was not a joke, nor was it simply a matter of “a massive energy gathering”; it would have many impacts on the wizarding world.

Their family has already developed ways to deal with this influence; it must be really dangerous for them to not want him to return to school.

Draco now only hopes that the consciousness of the Forbidden Forest will awaken quickly and then disappear just as fast.

When the great nobles reacted, the lesser nobles also reacted swiftly.

Some of them ordered the family members not to go out during this period, especially not to go to Hogwarts territory, and absolutely not to go towards the Forbidden Forest.

However, some minor noble families did not think so, and they obtained some information through very secretive channels.

"It is said that the Malfoys and other great noble families did not have outstanding talents in the beginning, nor did they rise to prominence because of the four founders such as Gryffindor."

Their true origins lie in the Forbidden Forest, where they brought something from the depths of Hogwarts' Forbidden Forest, which they have passed down as their family heritage ever since.

It is those inherited treasures that have allowed them to stand strong for so long.

"So you mean we should pretend to the outside world that we are not interested in the forbidden forest and are taking strict precautions against it?"

But internally, why not send some people secretly into the depths of the forbidden forest to conduct reconnaissance?

one of them asked.

"It's not just about exploration; we also need to find out what those great nobles obtained from the depths of the Forbidden Forest back then. We need to get something even more precious than what they found."

"But... if there really are treasures hidden deep in the Forbidden Forest, why are they just left at Hogwarts?"

This school has been around for so many years, with so many students studying there, and they frequently enter and leave the forbidden forest, yet they have never been seen bringing anything out.

Even that mysterious figure whose name couldn't be revealed didn't gain any benefit from the depths of the Forbidden Forest back then. Could this be a trap, just to deplete our family's strength?

Someone questioned.

"No, I'm certain that those nobles definitely obtained something. The reason they've kept it at Hogwarts is because these things will only be revealed when the Forbidden Forest awakens."

Normally, the Forbidden Forest's consciousness is not awakened and it remains dormant. Only when the Forbidden Forest awakens and becomes active will these treasures appear spontaneously.

Those treasures don't exist in the magical world, but in a special space, and they can only appear when a certain opportunity arises.

"If that's the case, then it makes even less sense. Why don't those noble families like Malfoy send people in to investigate?"

"How do you know they didn't send anyone to search? Actually, they've been secretly sending people to search the Forbidden Forest all along, but their operations are very discreet."

Moreover, their people may have been planted within our family.

Furthermore, I have another suspicion: families who have obtained treasures in the Forbidden Forest before are unable to enter a second time; is this a restriction imposed by some rule?

This rumor that "there are treasures deep in the forbidden forest" originally circulated only within a small family.

But somehow, the news spread further and further until some of the great nobles, including the Malfoy family, also learned about it.

Lucius specifically sought out Draco and reiterated his warning against venturing into the Forbidden Forest or attempting to search for any treasures.

Although he didn't think his son would do something so stupid, he still felt he had to give him a warning.

Upon hearing this, Draco asked curiously, "Father, was this news deliberately leaked by some high-ranking nobles?"

Lucius's expression was grave. "I don't think so. Malfoy wasn't involved in this plan."

Our initial plan was simply for these minor nobles to venture into the depths of the Forbidden Forest, be consumed by consciousness, and then inherit their family's legacy; we wouldn't specifically set up a scheme targeting that.

Especially in recent years, the size of the nobility has been shrinking. Even if the strength of a few major noble families remains unchanged, the overall decline in the power of the noble class will make things very difficult for us.

Every year there are legends about the Forbidden Forest. One year there was even a legend that the Three Sacred Artifacts could be found there, allowing one to glimpse the secret of immortality and encounter the Grim Reaper.

None of these rumors were ever confirmed, but all those who ventured into the Forbidden Forest during those years died.

Only during periods of heightened awareness of the forbidden forest can one possibly obtain the treasures by entering.

While entering the Forbidden Forest during its closed season might not pose a significant danger to one's life, it would also yield nothing.

That's why Lucius was certain that the rumor wasn't intentionally spread by these nobles.

It's more like a conspiracy by others against their noble families.

Competition among the nobility has always been fierce, with high-ranking and low-ranking nobles devouring each other.

The person who spread this rumor knew the characteristics of their aristocracy well, so they hit the mark and made the rumor sound very convincing.

“I’ve been feeling very uneasy these past few days. I’m not sure what went wrong, but I feel like this is a warning, telling me not to get involved in this conflict.”

Lucius said in a deep voice, "The last time I felt so uneasy was during Voldemort's reign over the wizarding world. This time, I've decided to completely block all of the Malfoy family's activities and remain in hiding!" (End of Chapter)