Ancient Wizards Return to Hogwarts...

Chapter 58 Ravenclaw's Self-Imposed Imprisonment

Stimulated by the pain, the basilisk became less obedient, and it took several commands from Rice to calm it down.

After calming the basilisk, Rice didn't treat its or his own wounds, but instead continued to retreat towards the surface with it. Knowing Rowena as she did, Rice knew that someone as cautious as her would definitely finish him off, and there was likely to be a second or third wave of attacks. Without the stone beasts as a buffer, blocking those attacks would require magic that severely damages both body and soul. He himself wouldn't be in danger; he could always find a way to break through, but the basilisk king would be beyond saving.

It was only at this moment that Rice understood the source of the "ominous" sign that his tea divination had shown: a irrational Rowena Ravenclaw could indeed pose a deadly threat to him.

However, after running for a while with his injuries, the anticipated second wave of attacks did not arrive.

Did he change his nature after becoming a ghost, or was he delayed by something? Rice leans towards the latter.

That's good. I'm grateful to the unknown dark creature for its selflessness. Otherwise, facing Ravenclaw, whose spellcasting skills were almost at their peak, head-on would have been certain death.

After shaking off Ravenclaw's ghost, Rice had time to carefully review the scene. While treating the basilisk's wounds and removing the pebbles, he analyzed the intelligence he had gathered.

After seeing Ravenclaw's ghost, Rhys finally understood why the dungeon seal hadn't been maintained for thousands of years without any major problems: because Ravenclaw was guarding the seal, periodically clearing out powerful dark creatures that had escaped their cages like cutting leeks. Even death couldn't stop her, which is why no monsters had broken through the seal.

Moreover, judging from her condition when I saw her, she didn't show any signs of fatigue. This dynamic balance within the seal will continue—dark creatures are rampant, Ravenclaw patrols to exterminate them, and the dark creatures continue to lie dormant, accumulating strength...

Rowena likely underwent some special treatment of her body before her death, then voluntarily relinquished the possibility of reincarnation, becoming a ghost. Unlike other ghosts, Rowena Ravenclaw could continue fighting by commanding her physical body, unleashing the combat power she possessed before birth. Unfortunately, her excessive and frequent contact with these evil creatures inevitably affected her soul, ultimately transforming her into that horrifying form.

Thinking of this, Rice's heart grew heavy. He never expected that the one who yearned for freedom the most among the four would choose to remain within the seal, silently guarding it and enduring a thousand years of confinement.

Rice felt he should do something for Rowena.

"Royna, just hang in there a little longer. I'll definitely find a way to help you get rid of this inhuman state," Rice said, making up his mind. But before taking action, he needed to make the necessary preparations.

Although not as skilled as Helga, Rice had some knowledge of healing magic. He easily treated the basilisk's wounds and set his own broken ribs.

However, Rice encountered a problem while stitching up the wound. The stitched wound would burst open the very next second, caused by the residual magic Ravenclaw had left inside. This added a lot of work to Rice's treatment: he needed to use his own magic to gradually remove the magic Ravenclaw had left in the wound before he could use magic to stitch it up.

Several hours later, Rice finally finished treating the basilisk's wounds. With the basilisk king's tenacious vitality, these superficial injuries were nothing serious and would heal in a few days of rest in the secret chamber.

Rice led the basilisk out of its seal and let it return to the Chamber of Secrets on its own. After a night of commotion, he returned to his dormitory in Slytherin House.

Lying down on the bed, feeling the soft mattress, Rice felt all his fatigue being absorbed by it. A smile played on his lips as he drifted off to sleep.

In his dream, he saw several old friends again. Godric sincerely apologized to him, Helga prepared a large and sumptuous meal for him, and Rowena enthusiastically discussed with him the strange and wonderful spells she had invented while he was away from school...

The next day, despite the professors' attempts to suppress the news, it leaked out that the troll that had broken into the school had been killed, sparking heated discussions and all sorts of speculation among the students.

Some believe the professors intervened, while others think there might be some kind of defensive mechanism or magic hidden inside the castle. Some even go so far as to attribute the success to the castle's "soul," claiming that the "castle spirit" of Hogwarts Castle killed the intruders.

However, the Halloween Eve commotion eventually subsided, and the young wizards' conversation gradually shifted from trolls to the upcoming Quidditch League.

As November arrived, the weather turned unusually cold. The mountains surrounding the school were blanketed in white snow, and the Black Lake was covered with a thick layer of ice. Fish began to gather frequently outside the windows of the Slytherin common room, where it was warmer.

Some mischievous young wizards thought the plump school of fish would attract mermaids from the lake, giving them a feast for the eyes. But they were disappointed; no matter how dense the school of fish was, neither fish-men nor mermaids appeared, as if they didn't exist at all.

Someone sent Harry Potter a brand-new Nimbus 2000, instantly making him the talk of the school. The Nimbus 2000 is like a supercar in the non-magical world; Harry receiving such a gift made countless people green with envy.

However, the commotion at school had little to do with Rice; he was busy brewing potions these days. He sent a letter to Rupert in Diagon Alley, asking her to buy a huge amount of potion ingredients for him—thanks to the Malfoys for their sponsorship.

He used the ingredients sent by Lupert to concoct a potion with a series of complex steps, the mere description of which was enough to give anyone a headache. Rhys believed that his potion would surely dispel the filth that Rowena had acquired, even in her ghost form.

Moreover, if this potion works on Rowena, it might also cure Daphne's illness. Astoria Greengrass's curse is somewhat similar to Rowena's problem—both are caused by the corruption of their souls by dark creatures. The difference is that Rowena is in ghost form and has a stronger soul, so a more potent remedy can be used, while the same approach cannot be applied to Astoria.

However, Rice's potion is still a long way from being fully prepared, as it is missing a few rare potion ingredients.

Time passed slowly, and the first Quidditch match of the year quietly arrived.

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!!! The second update will be released tonight.

(End of this chapter)