Ancient Wizards Return to Hogwarts...

Chapter 405 Godric: Whoever is recognized by the sword is my successor!

"Dumbledore?" Godric paused for a moment upon hearing the name: Salazar seemed to have mentioned this name before. Right, he had introduced Dumbledore to him when discussing the headmaster of Hogwarts, saying that Dumbledore was a Gryffindor who had awakened a special ability.

"It seems you've heard of me," Dumbledore said with a smile.

Godric arrived and uttered only four sentences, yet he revealed a wealth of information. His ability to keep his mouth shut was no less than Hagrid's.

First, he mentioned Salazar, which indirectly corroborated one of Dumbledore's deductions. Godric's attitude towards Salazar was also quite ambiguous, seemingly not matching the stereotypes people had of him.

Gryffindor and Slytherin, in retrospect, don't really seem like sworn enemies; their relationship is rather complicated.

Dumbledore couldn't help but think of someone, and then he shook his head hard to banish that person's image from his mind.

More intriguing to Dumbledore than to uncover the relationship between the two founders was Godric's knowledge of him.

How did he find out his name? Someone must have told him. Several bold conjectures formed in Dumbledore's mind.

Dumbledore's words alerted Godric, who suddenly realized that he seemed to have revealed a lot of information.

Logically speaking, a dead man like him shouldn't know Dumbledore's name.

"Oh my god, is that my hat?" Godric immediately changed the subject.

Dumbledore followed Godric's finger and saw that Godric's phantom had shifted its attention to the Sorting Hat on the shelf.

"Yes, we use the Sorting Hat you left behind to sort the new students into houses—" Dumbledore immediately began to proudly introduce the Sorting Hat.

He desperately wanted the approval of the phantom before him.

Unlike the other three founders, he was the founder of Gryffindor, and his recognition was of great significance to Dumbledore.

But Godric interrupted Dumbledore.

"Why does this hat look so dirty? Do you guys never wash it?"

Dumbledore: ? ? ?

"Huh?" He didn't react for a moment.

Godric repeated his question again.

This question left Dumbledore speechless.

"This hat has never been washed since I entered Hogwarts. It's in much better condition now than before, because a daring professor cleaned it last year. But I haven't cleaned it since—it hasn't asked me to."

Godric rolled his eyes: No owl would allow a human to bathe it. His own hat was certainly trying every possible way to avoid being cleaned.

He suspected that it started with a headmaster slacking off, and that the Sorting Hat gradually led people to believe that the Sorting Hat could not be washed.

"We had no choice; we were afraid of ruining it by washing it."

"A creation imbued with the wisdom of the four of us isn't so easily damaged. You can wash it without worry." Even Godric, known for his easygoing nature, felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of Hogwarts freshmen having to wear a hat that was never washed during the Sorting Ceremony.

Dumbledore nodded, indicating that he would definitely wash the Sorting Hat on time.

"By the way, you must have figured out the secret of the Sorting Hat by now, right?" Godric suddenly remembered something and asked quickly.

Dumbledore had already walked to the Sorting Hat. He paused for a moment after hearing Godric's question, then picked up the Sorting Hat, reached into it with his other hand, and pulled out a gleaming silver sword.

"Well done!" Godric's face was beaming with joy.

Seeing Gryffindor suddenly become cheerful, Dumbledore recalled an ancient legend: those recognized by the sword of Gryffindor will receive Gryffindor's help.

Does "help" simply mean being able to pull the Gryffindor sword from the Sorting Hat? Even in classical times, that would hardly have any effect, would it?

As the headmaster of Hogwarts, a graduate of Gryffindor House, Dumbledore had wielded the sword Gryffindor for decades. However, in recent years he had rarely examined it closely. In his understanding, the sword Gryffindor was merely a goblin-forged longsword with certain magical properties, capable of absorbing external magical energy.

But when he mastered the domain and picked up the sword again, he had a new realization: the elder Godric had left a valuable legacy on this sword.

Dumbledore picked up the sword and casually swung it, causing a spark to appear on the blade.

The flickering flames startled the former headmasters on the portrait wall. When they opened their eyes, they saw Dumbledore pacing back and forth in his office, muttering to himself.

The headmasters were gripped by fear: Had Albus Dumbledore gone mad?

Unbeknownst to them, Dumbledore was at that very moment conversing with the oldest being in the castle.

"This sword has many other uses; you'd better explore them properly." Godric looked at the longsword in Dumbledore's hand with gentle eyes.

"Of course." Dumbledore gripped his longsword, feeling a continuous flow of power surging into his body.

With this sword, his domain will be greatly amplified, and even without activating the domain, the flames emanating from the sword can function as a mini-domain.

This longsword is a fine weapon, but unfortunately, only those who are proficient in the flow of magic can wield it.

"Actually, you don't really need it," Godric said with a smile. "It's most suitable for those who have just entered the realm or those who are not elemental beings."

In other words, Godric felt that with Dumbledore's abilities, this sword could only serve as an added bonus.

Hearing what the Gryffindor elders said, Dumbledore understood that the Sword of Gryffindor was Godric's "foundation" left to Hogwarts.

In the unlikely event that Hogwarts experiences a talent shortage one day, and the entire school cannot find a single expert with a domain-level strength, the headmaster of Hogwarts can still wield the Gryffindor sword and contend with true domain-level experts for a while, ensuring that the school is not completely devoid of domain-level combat power.

However, the decline of the entire magical world to this state was something Gryffindor could not have foreseen.

"We have lost a great deal of valuable knowledge." Dumbledore was a little disappointed: if he had been able to access the knowledge of the field earlier, perhaps everything would have been different?

"Knowledge is lost simply because people failed to adapt to the prevailing trend," Godric reassured Dumbledore. "When I was young, I heard an interesting story on my adventures—that the world's rulers used to be dragons and other magical creatures, not humans. But eventually, they disappeared, and humans gained absolute dominance. This is simply the result of the prevailing trend."

Dumbledore and Gryffindor fell silent at the same time, and the only sound in the office was the whispering of the headmaster's portrait.

"Is that a phoenix?" Godric's attention was drawn to the large red bird resting on a sycamore branch behind the door.

Dumbledore nodded and told Godric that it was his phoenix, Fawkes.

"Cool!" Godric was overjoyed to learn that Dumbledore not only possessed a domain and could pull the Gryffindor sword from the Sorting Hat, but also kept a phoenix as a pet.

"Since you were able to retrieve my sword from the Sorting Hat, it means you are a true Gryffindor," Godric said to himself.

Dumbledore was a little confused by his senior's seemingly random remark, but he decided to patiently listen to Gryffindor finish speaking.

"You have earned the sword's approval, Albus, you are my heir," Gryffindor said seriously, changing the subject.

Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, then casually agreed.

He didn't know what the word "heir" meant; he thought it was no different from "real Gryffindor."

"It's a deal~ Remember to reveal your identity when you meet other founders' heirs in the future!" Godric laughed heartily.

According to Godric's rules, whoever is recognized by the sword of Gryffindor is the heir to Gryffindor! As for when this rule was established, there's no need to delve into that. In any case, Gryffindor believes Salazar is completely unaware of their method of choosing an heir.

With a hearty laugh, Godric's phantom vanished.

Only a lingering echo remained, gradually fading away in the empty office—

Albus, I implore you not to wallow in illusions and memories, for it will do you no good. The Resurrection Stone cannot truly bring the dead back to life. Return the ring to its owner; carrying it with you will only bring you negative influences.

Feeling the heat emanating from Gryffindor as it dissipated, Dumbledore sighed.

He understood that Gryffindor was right, but not everyone has the courage to embrace what is right, not even Gryffindor, who was known for his "bravery."

Holding the black gemstone on the ring, Dumbledore gazed at it for a long time before finally making up his mind and tossing it onto his desk.

After doing all this, Dumbledore felt as if a tremendous burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and he slumped back down. He turned around, struggling to resist the urge to look back at the Resurrection Stone ring one last time.

Dumbledore wasn't sure he could resist the urge to put the ring on his finger when he saw it again.

"Fox, do me a favor," Dumbledore called to the dozing phoenix Fox. He asked Fox to take the Resurrection Stone ring back to Professor White's office.

Although Fawkes did not understand Dumbledore's intentions, he faithfully carried out his decision.

A flash of red light, and Phoenix Fox disappeared along with the Resurrection Stone ring on the table.

Dumbledore inexplicably recalled the Christmas holiday three years ago.

When Harry Potter first enrolled, he was wandering around the castle wearing his father's invisibility cloak and eventually stumbled upon the Mirror of Erised.

As expected, Harry became completely engrossed in the illusions created by the Magic Mirror. What exactly did I say to him back then?

Indulging in unrealistic dreams and forgetting about real life is utterly pointless; remember that. Alright; why not put on that wondrous invisibility cloak and go back to sleep?

Why is it that when it comes to myself, I can't go back to bed and have a good night's sleep?

They're really getting worse as they get older.

Dumbledore shook his head and smiled wryly as he walked toward his bedroom. He didn't even know if he should expect to see his sister in his dreams.

Helga and Rice watched as a large, golden-red bird flew in through the window and dropped a black gemstone ring on the floor.

"What a beautiful creature! The Dumbledore family truly lives up to its reputation." Helga watched the phoenix's departing figure, her eyes filled with envy—she wanted to keep a phoenix too!

"Perhaps only someone like Albus Dumbledore, who can overcome his own inner desires, can gain the Phoenix's approval?" Rhys's body gradually materialized in mid-air.

Are you saying I can't overcome my inner desires?

"Helga, doesn't your office need some repairs? It can't just stay like this! Do you need me to lend a hand?"

……

Deep inside the dark cave, a pool filled with an unknown liquid was bubbling and gurgling on its surface.

"There's no time," Taurus said coldly.

His two companions had gone out to find a body for Voldemort and never returned. He followed the trail and was 90% certain that they had been killed.

Although Taurus is often driven to despair by Gemini's remarks, they eventually develop feelings for each other after working together for a long time. The resentment stemming from their deaths, with nowhere to vent, was ultimately transferred to Voldemort.

This also strained his relationship with Voldemort.

"The bones of the father, the flesh of the servant, the blood of the enemy..." A voice like the hiss of a snake echoed from the depths of the pool.

"I've prepared everything for you." Taurus was already sick of Voldemort's rhetoric. After Voldemort revealed some key information, he successfully obtained the three things Voldemort needed to resurrect.

"You got your hands on that Potter's blood?" Voldemort's voice held a hint of delight.

"No. But luckily, you have plenty of enemies everywhere, so I didn't have to put in too much effort." Taurus shook his head.

Harry Potter is well protected, making it extremely difficult to obtain his blood, and it would also alert the enemy. If it were to attract Dumbledore's attention, that would be a real problem.

"I need Potter's blood!" Voldemort was furious.

"You have no choice." The Taurus was very assertive and retorted directly.

Voldemort: ...

Voldemort was a smart man. He understood the principle that one has to bow one's head when under someone's roof, and he also knew that he was not currently favored by this esoteric monk. So after a moment of contemplation, he gave in.

Voldemort didn't necessarily need Harry Potter's blood. His obsession with Harry's blood stemmed from a desire to regain the dignity he had lost in his defeat years ago.

For him, defeating and killing Potter in front of his many followers was extremely important; it was the first step in rebuilding his authority.

But now that he is under the command of the Secret Order, his followers have long since scattered like birds and beasts, so this persistence seems unnecessary.

"All right."

Ultimately, Voldemort accepted the ingredients provided by Taurus.

The resurrection ceremony has begun.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Update delivered, goodnight everyone~

(End of this chapter)