The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 414 Old Bans' Advice

In a corner of the vast manor castle, there is a spacious and elegant study.

The entrance to the study is gently concealed by two carved wooden doors, which are decorated with intricate vines and classical patterns. Each time the doors are opened, it feels as if a piece of history has been unveiled.

……

Upon entering the study, the first thing that catches the eye is the soaring ceiling, which is adorned with exquisite murals depicting Athena, the goddess of wisdom in ancient Greek mythology, holding an olive branch and gazing into the distance.

To be honest, after acquiring this house, Ino was also surprised by the portrait in front of him.

The fact that Lestrange's ancestral home contains a portrait of a Greek goddess seems illogical, not to mention the strange things that happen afterward.

It should be noted that when you first enter this study, the portrait of Athena is not what you see here.

The moment he opened the door, the ordinary face instantly transformed into the Athena he had seen before, the beautiful and valiant figure of her barefoot in the temple.

Even the facial features in the portrait suddenly became lively.

Faced with this mysterious and bizarre event, Ino simply laughed it off.

Because he was the one who started this whole thing.

The moment I saw the portrait, a thought flashed through my mind—the person in the picture is not Athena.

Thoughts and intentions.

In an instant, Athena truly became Athena.

……

The change in the portrait was merely an interlude in life.

At this moment, Ino has more important things to do.

In the center of the room, a huge oak desk dominates the space, its surface gleaming like a mirror, its edges meticulously carved and inlaid with delicate bronze ornaments.

In the center of the desk stands a two-foot-tall, vintage-style mini lighthouse.

The top of the lighthouse emits a soft and warm light, adding a touch of warmth and elegance to the room late at night.

"It's essentially a magic lamp, but it feels strange to me..."

At his desk, old Bans looked at his newly completed work and couldn't help but click his tongue and express his thoughts.

"It has some problems, which is why I'm thinking of making some improvements."

Ino picked up the conversation, also relieved that he had found the right person. Everyone has their own expertise, and although Old Bans wasn't well-known, his alchemy skills were second to none among the people Ino had ever met.

"You know there's a problem?" Old Bans looked up in surprise, his gaze also focusing on the mini lighthouse in front of him.

"Yes, I know." Ino nodded slightly, then continued, "This kind of knowledge is essentially similar to black magic..."

In fact, whether they are Muggles or wizards, extraordinary or ordinary, they all have one thing in common.

Knowledge changes cognition.

Human senses are always passive recipients. When an individual receives new things, they are unconsciously affected by them, without exception.

The only difference is that some have a very weak impact, while others have a profound impact, even subtly changing people's thinking.

After spending two months in Lorton and exchanging ideas with Alice about engineering, Ino discovered early on that this mechanical knowledge was also contagious.

That being said, it is currently within a controllable range.

Similarly, this is why he dared to discuss it with old Bans. Because, apart from some special buildings, such as clock towers, the feeling he got from other mechanical creations never exceeded that of the Killing Curse.

……

Fifteen minutes later.

"You want to mitigate these effects?"

After Ino finished explaining, old Bans immediately understood the reason.

"Yes, otherwise I would rather keep this knowledge buried." Ino said his thoughts without hiding anything.

The combination of magic and machinery is certainly a good thing. But if the potential negative effects cannot be eliminated, it's meaningless and will only create a new batch of dark wizards.

While it may seem exaggerated, it's not impossible if it accumulates over time.

After Ino expressed his thoughts, old Bans also fell into deep thought.

After a brief silence, the spacious study was filled with a new round of discussion.

……

The former ancestral home of the Lestrange family perfectly embodies the dignity of purebloods.

The study is surrounded by towering bookshelves filled with all kinds of books.

The bookshelves are mostly made of dark solid wood, paired with gold handles, giving them a dignified yet luxurious feel. Interspersed among the bookshelves are cleverly placed antique ornaments, such as exquisite porcelain, ancient astronomical charts, and finely carved sculptures.

Time passed by, second by second.

As the first rays of sunlight stream into the room through the window, a new day quietly begins.

"It seems we can only popularize some simple things." Old Bans was a little disappointed, and after relaxing, he yawned wearily.

After a night of discussion, the two still couldn't come up with a good solution.

"It's alright, take your time." Seeing Old Bans's disappointment, Ino comforted him promptly.

He was mentally prepared for this answer. After all, it seemed somewhat naive to think that one night could be used to improve upon a self-contained system of knowledge.

"That's all we can do." Old Bans nodded slightly, then changed the subject:

"But this lighthouse is fine. My suggestion is that we can use it to make a cheaper magic lamp."

Upon hearing this, Ino readily agreed: "That's a good idea. I've had enough of those candles."

He wasn't lying; he meant it completely sincerely.

Although magic lamps are available on the market, these lamps are alchemical products, and their relatively high price makes them difficult to popularize among ordinary wizards.

Otherwise, Hogwarts, with its millennia-old heritage, wouldn't need to use candles to light the Great Hall and torches to provide light for the corridors.

……

A week has passed in a blur.

The date was December 25th.

During this week, Ino and Old Bans communicated and discussed almost every day, and it has even become an unchanging routine.

The results were remarkable; the foundation for a new type of magic lamp had been laid, and the cost was kept within three scissors.

This time, however, Ino doesn't plan to find anyone to cooperate with. The puppets in the valley are just idling around anyway, so they have to do something.

Hogsmeade on Christmas Day.

To people's surprise, snowflakes began to fall from dawn. Even more amazingly, the snowflakes seemed to be controlled by someone, each one being uniform in size and falling at a very gentle speed.

As snowflakes blanketed the entire village, Hogsmeade became even more peaceful and serene.

Everything seemed to be under the most magical festival spell.

The rooftops, streets, tree branches, and even the ancient stone walls were covered with a thick layer of snow, as if they were dressed in a Christmas coat, and the air was filled with the aroma of roast turkey and desserts.

In the manor's auditorium.

Ino wore a brand-new robe, while also carefully instructing the surrounding furniture.

"Remember, the guests coming later won't have magic, so you'd better all keep a low profile, or you might end up locked in a dark storage room..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cacophony of responses erupted around him.

Tables, chairs, benches, teapots, teacups, even candlesticks and sofas—everything pointed at the old house of the manor and swore it would obey.

After receiving the assurance, Ino breathed a sigh of relief.

Unlike other stories, the furniture here is genuinely obedient. Although it may occasionally play pranks, it generally keeps its promises.

Although they were created by accident, these pieces of furniture are, in a sense, alive.

Ino has no intention of revising the respect for life; existence itself is its own justification.

(End of this chapter)