Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil

Chapter 168 Principal, why don't you also come forward and try out this Mirror of Eris?

"Slytherin lost the crucial opening match. Given his personality, he will definitely not let those students in the team who frequently violated the rules and dragged the team down easily. He will most likely punish them with various chores afterward, such as assigning them hard work like cleaning the castle toilets for a long time."

"In addition to that, he also had an embarrassing experience this time."

Holding her teacup, Puni casually revealed another secret with a smile: "On the day of the competition, his robe was secretly set on fire, causing quite a bit of embarrassment. And the one who did this was a girl who usually abides by school rules and is diligent in her studies."

This news completely exceeded Hagrid's expectations. His eyes widened instantly, his thick beard twitched slightly, and disbelief filled his eyes.

"My God! How could such a thing happen!"

His expression was flustered, and his words became incoherent. He instinctively tried to maintain his image as a well-behaved student, but then he realized the seriousness of the situation, and his tone was full of worry, "Why has this child never mentioned this to me! No, how could she dare to do such a thing! Snape is always vengeful; once he finds out the truth, he will definitely not let her off easily, and the consequences will be unimaginable!"

In Hagrid's mind, Hermione was always the most obedient and self-disciplined model student in the school, abiding by school rules, working hard and never participating in any rule-breaking or disruptive activities.

Now that they dared to openly lay a hand on the professor, he subconsciously felt that the usually well-behaved boy must have been influenced by Harry and Ron to develop a mischievous nature, which was why he would do such a bold and outrageous thing.

He nervously rubbed his large, rough hands, deliberately lowering his voice, intending to confide his hidden concerns to Penny and bring up Harry's conjecture again.

"Actually, Harry probably misunderstood Snape, but the boy is sensitive and has always believed that Snape is secretly coveting that thing in the restricted area on the fourth floor, and he is worried about it all day long."

At this point, Hagrid deliberately straightened his back, his tone suddenly becoming serious, trying to highlight that he was prudent in handling matters and in control of the situation.

"I have already solemnly warned him, explicitly forbidding him from interfering in this matter, and forbidding him from investigating or meddling in other people's business on his own!"

"This is something students shouldn't touch at all; it involves Nicolas Flamel and Headmaster Dumbledore's core schemes—"

Midway through his conversation, Hagrid suddenly snapped out of his daze, instantly covering his mouth with a look of intense panic and regret in his eyes.

He realized he had let slip a secret that absolutely could not be revealed.

He nervously glanced around, afraid someone might be eavesdropping, and mumbled a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, his voice frantic: "Oh no—Harry must have heard everything I just said!"

Looking at Hagrid, who was straightforward and could not hide a single secret, Puni helplessly raised his hand to his forehead and sighed inwardly.

This kind of leak is no different from actively telling Harry the whole truth.

While seemingly offering repeated warnings and admonitions, he had actually exposed all the key connections and hidden backgrounds of the incident, thoroughly helping Harry to unravel all the clues.

"Forget it, I can't be bothered with it. Anyway, I've prepared some fun things for them over there."

That day, Penny followed the Weasley twins, intending to explore the special magical artifact they had accidentally discovered—the Mirror of the Future.

Fred and George, guided by their previous memories, navigated the intricate castle corridors, turning and twisting their way through the maze of passageways.

After several detours and detours, the three of them finally arrived not at the hidden room containing the treasure, but at a dead-end alleyway in a closed corridor.

A smooth stone wall blocked all paths; there were no hidden doors, no passages, and no special entrances ahead.

Fred and George carefully surveyed their surroundings, then exchanged a glance.

"Strange, where did it go?"

"The route is absolutely correct. We discovered the secret room right here yesterday. There's no way we could be wrong."

Just as the three were deep in thought, Puni's senses suddenly detected something unusual.

In the empty and silent corridor, there was no sound of wind or footsteps, yet a clear sense of being watched enveloped him. The source of the gaze was hidden and continuous, far from an ordinary environmental illusion.

He immediately surveyed the entire corridor, checking each possible point of view.

The entire dead-end corridor was clean and empty, with no students coming and going, no wandering castle ghosts, and no movable portraits hanging on the walls. The only furnishing in the entire area was a bronze statue standing on the side of the corridor.

Puni instantly pinpointed the sole source of the anomaly, quickly sorting through the clues in his mind and arriving at a conclusion that fit all the unusual phenomena.

He had always known that all the furnishings at Hogwarts were imbued with ancient magic, and that most of the statues and armor in the school possessed hidden magical activity, capable of sensing and even moving on their own.

After eliminating all impossible factors using the process of elimination, the remaining answer, no matter how unexpected, is the only truth.

Moreover, this result perfectly matched his prediction of the ancient magical system of Hogwarts and did not exceed his understanding.

Puni walked slowly to the bottom of the bronze statue and looked up at its outline.

This is a bronze sculpture of a woman, with an elegant posture, slender figure, and a casual and languid sitting posture, leaning sideways on a heavy stone base.

The flowing hem of the garment has delicate and smooth lines, and its length almost fits the base, extending to about one person's height, demonstrating extremely exquisite craftsmanship.

The bronze surface, polished over the years, has a warm, matte texture, and even after the erosion of time, the sculpture's outstanding beauty can still be seen.

"No need to hide anymore, I know you can move around on your own," Puni said, raising his voice.

The moment the words were spoken, the bronze statue, which had been motionless, slowly began to react.

The stiff neck turned slightly, the rigid head slowly tilted, and the gaze settled on Puni in front of him.

But just a second later, it turned its head back again, returned to its original still posture, completely cut off visual interaction, and its attitude was distant and strange.

The unusual behavior surprised Puni. He had never seen such a strange magical sculpture before. He tried to talk to it but then deliberately avoided it.

Before Puni could continue probing, George immediately stepped forward, gently pulled him to the side, and teased him in a playful tone.

"Get out of the way! I've figured it out now. You're usually too cold to all the opposite sex except for Qiu. Now even the magic statue doesn't want to talk to you."

Fred then leaned close to Puni's ear and whispered some advice, sounding like he knew the ropes: "When dealing with such a spiritual being, be gentle and say some nice things. It will definitely work."

Puni looked up at the twin brothers, who were pretending to be experienced, his eyes full of doubt.

He knew perfectly well that these two were inseparable all year round, obsessed with pranks and prop development, and had no experience in interacting with the opposite sex, let alone understanding human relationships.

Ultimately, both of them are single young men who have no time for socializing, yet they are now pretending to be experts and imparting skills, which is truly ridiculous.

With just a glance, Fred saw through Puni's inner grumbling, and his feigned confidence froze instantly, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing Puni's helpless expression, Fred didn't continue arguing with him. He simply raised his chin, signaling him to focus his attention on George's actions and let him witness the correct way to handle the situation.

George immediately straightened his clothes, smoothed his slightly messy hair, and deliberately adjusted himself to present a proper and composed demeanor.

He bowed slightly to the standing bronze female statue, behaving politely and asking questions in a gentle tone.

"Madam, we entered a hidden room here yesterday, but we've returned today and can't find the entrance. Excuse me, but do you know how to open the secret room?"

After a few seconds of silence, the bronze statue reacted again.

She slowly turned her eyes to look at George, nodded her head in a very proper manner, then extended her bronze-carved finger and pointed it directly at Puni beside her, before gently shaking her head to indicate her refusal.

This gesture left both of them puzzled.

Puni frowned slightly, a sense of confusion rising in his heart.

The statue's pose clearly indicates that its presence is preventing the secret chamber from being opened.

He couldn't help but wonder to himself, could this magical statue with a spiritual essence selectively exclude certain people?

In order to thoroughly understand the rules, George patiently asked questions repeatedly.

Since the statue could not speak and could only respond by nodding, shaking its head, or making gestures, he had to investigate and guess one by one, and test it layer by layer. It took him a lot of time to completely figure out the rules for opening the secret room.

It turns out that this hidden room has an ancient magical restriction, allowing only two wizards to enter at a time. Once a third person approaches, the entrance will be completely sealed and cannot be activated.

Moreover, this restriction is very strict. Not only are the remaining people who have not yet entered the room not allowed to enter, but even staying in the surrounding area will cause the opening to fail. They must be completely away from the corridor area.

Upon learning of this rule, Puni's lips twitched.

Before he could speak, Fred took the initiative to withdraw from the exploration.

He stepped back several steps, deliberately moving away from the core area of ​​the corridor, and voluntarily became the third person to stay behind.

After confirming that Fred's distance was exactly within the rules, the bronze female statue finally activated the opening mechanism.

She slowly raised her arm, her fingertips flicking and tugging at the hem of her drooping bronze robe. The heavy metal skirt was gently moved aside, revealing the hidden mechanism beneath.

The two pushed open the door one after the other and stepped into this long-sealed, secluded room.

The room was covered with a thin layer of dust, the air was calm and dry, and everywhere exuded a sense of desolation as if no one had set foot there for a long time.

In the center of the room, the so-called future mirror that George had mentioned was placed quietly.

This mirror is much larger than a regular full-length mirror; its overall height even exceeds the room's doorway, and its top edge is almost touching the ceiling.

The frame is engraved with intricate and exquisite vintage patterns, and the entire piece is gilded, giving it a luxurious and substantial feel.

The mirror is firmly supported by two sharp, claw-shaped metal supports, making it unique and highly recognizable.

At the top edge of the mirror, there is a line of small, ancient inscriptions.

The moment he saw the mirror clearly, a strong sense of déjà vu swept over Puni. His lips twitched slightly, and he instantly recognized the true identity of this magical artifact—it was not some kind of magical mirror that could predict the future.

He turned to look at George, who was looking at him expectantly, and said with a tone full of helplessness and speechlessness, "Don't give it a name. This is not a future mirror at all. It's the Mirror of Eris."

"Take a close look at the text on the frame; it's already clearly marked there."

George quickly leaned closer to the frame, staring at the ancient letters above, looking completely bewildered: "What does this say?"

It looks like a mess, completely incomprehensible, and doesn't sound like English at all.

Puni raised his hand to cover his forehead, utterly helpless: "If you read the text backwards, you'll understand it."

Looking at George intently examining the inscriptions, Puni couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. He almost wanted to retract his previous assessment of the twins' intelligence and quick wit.

Following Puni's instructions, George adjusted the reading order, deciphering the ancient English inscription on the frame word by word from right to left, and successfully read out the complete meaning.

The scene reflected in the mirror is not the reality before the viewer's eyes, but rather the most genuine obsession and longing deep within their heart.

The origin of the name "mirror" then becomes clear.

The first part of the inscription on the frame, when deconstructed and reassembled, becomes "Eris," and when the root is completely reversed, it becomes the English word for desire and obsession.

In other words, the most fitting name for this magical artifact, which is mistakenly called the Mirror of the Future, should be the Mirror of Desire.

It possesses unique magical properties, capable of stripping away everyone's pretense and blind spots in self-reflection, directly reflecting the most coveted, most desired, yet most unattainable wishes and visions in a person's life.

Prior to this, Puni deliberately avoided the mirror and did not actively go forward to look at his own reflection.

On the other side, George had already been standing in front of the mirror, looking at the familiar scene before him. He first grinned to himself, immersed in the beautiful scene of his fantasy, but after a moment he frowned, filled with doubt.

He turned to look at Puni beside him, his tone full of confusion: "I suddenly realized something. According to the rules you mentioned, everyone's obsession is unique, but what Fred and I saw was exactly the same."

He carefully recalled their previous conversations, from the booming opening of their self-created magic prop shop and the flourishing business to the final crushing of all their rivals, leaving Puni defeated, and even having Puni manage their shop and assist them in achieving their entrepreneurial success. Every detail was perfect.

Upon hearing this, Puni's eyes darkened slightly, and he looked at George with a hint of mockery, slowly revealing the truth: "This sounds unbelievable, but the only explanation is that you twins are completely in sync."

"You two are actually plotting to surpass me, overpower me, and replace me yourself to secure your positions as the boss?"

George instantly looked guilty, quickly waving his hands in denial and forcing a smile: "Don't talk nonsense! We never had such thoughts, we absolutely didn't mean to scheme against you!"

Puni quietly observed his evasive eyes and stiff expression: "Tell me honestly, do you even believe what you're saying?"

This questioning left George completely speechless. He could only stand there awkwardly grinning, unable to find a single word to defend himself.

To end this awkward topic as quickly as possible, George simply stepped forward, grabbed Puni's wrist, and forcibly pulled him to stand directly in front of the magic mirror.

"Stop worrying about these trivial matters! We've gone to great lengths to find this place, so why don't you take a look at the reflection in the mirror for yourself? I'm particularly curious, what is it that someone as meticulous and strategic as you truly desires deep down?"

Puni originally had no intention of prying into his own obsession, but George's words aroused his curiosity.

With her mind made up, Puni stopped resisting and stood firmly in front of the magic mirror, following George's lead.

He slowly adjusted his breathing, calmed his mind, and looked up at his reflection in the mirror.

The mirror first reflected his current appearance, his clothes and expression were no different from reality.

After a brief pause, the mirror image slowly expanded, and several clear figures gradually emerged behind him.

A familiar figure came into view; Qiu stood beside him, while Regulus was on the other side.

The two of them simultaneously raised their hands and gently placed them on their own shoulders in the mirror, with gentle smiles on their lips, gesturing for him to follow.

The scene shifts to a wide, clear meadow.

A long table was placed in the center of the lawn, and the table was filled with exquisite food and drinks.

Regulus's wife and children settled comfortably into their seats, everyone relaxed and the atmosphere harmonious, resembling a peaceful and leisurely outdoor picnic.

Puni stared blankly at the tranquil scene, a myriad of emotions welling up in his heart.

Is this the obsession hidden deep in his heart? There is no overwhelming power, no extraordinary talent, no grand ambition; it is just a simple and ordinary reunion of relatives and friends.

The scene was so ordinary, so ordinary, that it was beyond his expectations. But the simpler and more peaceful it was, the more it touched the softest part of his heart.

A warm emotion welled up in his eyes, instantly filling them with moisture.

Puni immediately composed himself, quickly raising his hand to wipe the corner of his eye, concealing his sudden emotional outburst, not wanting George beside him to notice his loss of composure.

But his subtle movements still did not escape George's eyes.

George immediately perked up, his tone full of teasing: "Haha! I've finally caught you red-handed!"

Who would have thought that the usually calm and collected Puni would almost shed tears!

George was secretly delighted. His purpose in insisting on dragging Puni to look in the mirror was to find the weakness and flaws of this perfectionist, and now he had finally achieved his goal.

Puni wiped the tears from his eyes, his expression returned to normal, and he frankly described the scene in the mirror without any concealment: "I didn't feel anything special, I just saw Qiu and me, and our family having a picnic together."

This bland answer failed to satisfy George at all.

He stared at Puni with disbelief, his tone clearly questioning: "You clearly said before that you never lie, so how come you're just brushing it off with a bland reunion? That's definitely not what you really think."

Faced with George's skepticism, Puni remained steadfast, his tone calm and powerful, showing no sign of wavering.

"Since this is just a heartwarming scene of reunion, why were you so moved and your eyes welled up with tears just now?" George asked, puzzled. "Such a perfect and happy scene should make people happy, there's no reason to shed tears."

In George's mind, only sad, regretful, and painful scenes can bring people to tears.

The scene of family and friends gathering before him was perfectly beautiful. Puni's loss of composure seemed completely unfounded to him. He subconsciously assumed that Puni was deliberately concealing the truth in the mirror and making up excuses to fool him.

Puni opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn't find the right words to explain the complex emotions in his heart.

He himself had only just come to understand his own heart and had not yet been able to fully sort it out, so naturally he had no way of explaining it clearly to George, who had never experienced this regret.

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a gentle yet powerful old voice suddenly came from outside the secret room, breaking the silence in the room.

"Because the most precious and cherished things in this world are always family and the comfort of being together."

Penny and George turned around at the same time, and saw the light and shadow at the entrance of the secret chamber slowly swaying. Dumbledore walked slowly into the room, and Fred followed closely beside him, stepping into the dusty secret chamber together.

Dumbledore, in a humble manner, spoke first to dispel their concerns: "I did not intentionally eavesdrop; I just happened to pass by and overheard your conversation. I hope you two will not take offense."

Puni and George both shook their heads slightly, completely unconcerned.

At this moment, Puni's attention was entirely focused on Dumbledore's words, which he pondered repeatedly, trying to understand the inner obsessions he had not yet seen through.

Suppressing his surprise, George asked the question that had been lingering in his mind: "Headmaster, this secret chamber has strict magical restrictions. The statue clearly states that only two people are allowed to enter at most. How did you and Fred manage to get in?"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this, a gentle smile in his eyes, and winked at George: "As the headmaster of Hogwarts, one should naturally possess some special magical privileges and exceptional qualifications."

Upon hearing this, George instantly understood and subconsciously nodded in agreement.

In his mind, Dumbledore was the strongest white mage in the world, and it would be illogical if even the headmaster did not have the privilege of breaking through minor magical restrictions.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, George froze, his face turned pale, and he belatedly realized the crucial issue.

They were currently in the castle's restricted corridor, and their unauthorized nighttime exploration was a clear violation of school rules, which should result in a deduction of points from their college score.

Dumbledore took in all the changes in his tense expression.

The elderly headmaster, with his vast experience, had long seen through the thoughts of young people. Fred had shown the exact same panicked reaction when he followed him in earlier.

"Relax and don't be nervous."

Dumbledore smiled and raised his hand to reassure him, speaking gently and comfortingly, "Today's encounter was just a chance meeting, and I have no intention of holding anyone accountable or penalizing you. The vast Hogwarts Castle holds countless secrets, and it is in the nature of every young person to be curious and want to explore."

These words surprised Puni, who fell into deep thought.

Could it be that even the now calm, wise, and highly respected Dumbledore, in his youth, once wandered around at night, exploring the secrets of the castle, just like them?

This conjecture is not entirely without basis.

Everyone knows that Dumbledore is now detached, insightful, and compassionate towards all living beings, but in his youth he also had an ambitious phase, once possessing a powerful ambition to overturn the status quo.

Given his talent and strength at that time, if he had remained steadfast in his convictions and persisted in his own way, he might have been able to achieve his ultimate ambitions in an era when the magical order was not yet stable.

After gathering her thoughts, Puni turned to Dumbledore and respectfully asked, "Headmaster, could you please interpret your words in detail? I still haven't fully understood this magic mirror, nor have I been able to see through the obsessions in my own heart."

"I am naturally willing to answer your questions."

Dumbledore readily agreed, his manner gentle and patient.

He turned to look at the bewildered George beside him and slowly explained the core reason: "George, in your current life, family and friends are the norm. You have never experienced separation or loss, so you feel that the scene of family reunion is only joyful and not worth shedding tears for."

"But try to imagine that if your loved ones suddenly passed away, and this ordinary companionship completely disappeared, when you see your family reunited in the mirror again, can you still smile calmly without being moved?"

Following Dumbledore's guidance, George conjured up images of friends and family scattered in his mind, and a chilling sense of emptiness instantly swept over him, making him shiver involuntarily.

He fully understood Puni's emotion, and a look of guilt appeared on his face as he sincerely apologized to Puni.

"I'm sorry, Puni, I never thought about those things. I was just being too naive."

"It's okay."

Puni shook his head slightly, his expression calm. "Even I myself only now fully understand my own thoughts. No wonder you can't understand."

After saying that, Puni looked at Dumbledore again, his tone sincere and earnest: "Thank you for your guidance, Headmaster. Although my doubts have not been completely resolved, I have indeed come to understand many of the states of mind that I couldn't understand before."

As soon as he finished speaking, Puni suddenly narrowed his eyes and suggested, "Headmaster, why don't you also try out this Mirror of Erised? I'm very curious, what is the deepest desire in the heart of the greatest man in the world like you?"