Chapter 204 "The Fifth Element"

In the subsequent period, Skyler devoted nearly all his time to studying the six snake language magics.

During this span, he also co-published the research findings of the "Humanoid Restoration Spell" in the "Spell Innovation" journal, collaborating with the Medieval Wizards' Federation.

In under a year, Skyler once again crafted a spell that held the potential to revolutionize the way wizards confronted dark magic and dark creatures.

While his previous revelation of using the Cheering Charm to augment the Patronus Charm's power was a notable innovation, this time, he introduced a spell capable of directly restoring werewolves to their human form, significantly diminishing the threat posed by these creatures.

The invention of these two magical spells can be regarded as a reconfiguration of many longstanding principles in defense against the dark arts, causing a stir within the international academic community.

Eulalie Hicks, chairman of the Dark Arts Defense Alliance, gazed upon Skyler's second achievement with a tinge of regret for lacking the determination to compete with Miss Giuliana of the Medieval Wizards' Federation for Skyler's talents the previous year.

Even the International Federation of Wizards, where Dumbledore holds a position, criticized this. Dumbledore's influence has undeniably waned in recent years.

Focused on mentoring Harry, he has scarcely presented any new contributions to the academic world or achieved notable feats for the organization that could be broadcast globally. Numerous public opinions critiquing Dumbledore have even emerged in mainstream media across various countries.

As the bond between Skyler and Susan deepened, Aunt Leia had long considered Skyler to be one of her own.

Leveraging all the power at her disposal and every connection available, she once again lobbied the Ministry of Magic for Skyler to receive the Order of Merlin, Second Class, and be granted the opportunity to join the Wizengamot as an alternate.

In her role as the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and one of the four most influential figures in the Ministry of Magic, Aunt Leia wielded a formidable degree of influence. Skyler's noteworthy fame and accomplishments undeniably justified the bestowal of both awards.

According to the Order of Merlin's charter, the second-class medal is designated for commending "extraordinary achievements," making it a fitting acknowledgment of Skyler's exceptional contributions.

The approval for the awards swiftly passed without encountering any objections.

The investiture ceremony is slated for the initial day of the Easter holiday, during which Skyler and Dumbledore will embark on a joint journey to attend the ceremony at the Ministry of Magic.

(The Easter holiday spans two weeks, with the specific dates varying each year. Assuming the Easter holiday in 1995 spans from April 9 to April 23.)

Before the Easter holidays commenced, Eleanor once again paid a visit to Skyler. "Hello, Skyler! Long time no see. How have you been since last time? I came here because I brought you a gift, a token of gratitude for saving me last time," This time, she arrived under the pretext of expressing her gratitude.

Skyler found himself dealing with a dilemma regarding the girl who openly confessed her pursuit of him; he couldn't even reply to her greetings as she continued to bombard him with more words.

Despite the complexities, she was the legitimate daughter of Germany's premier magical family and a recent ally. Adopting a tough stance could potentially strain their future relationship, something Skyler earnestly sought to avoid.

Living two lives, Skyler dismissed the notion that "a wizard's power belongs to himself" or "absolute strength rules everything." He understood that no matter how powerful an individual might be, attempting to dominate the world through force is impractical. Humanity is a species that continually evolves, and no one can ensure perpetual supremacy without being surpassed.

Voldemort's actions in the original book did not resonate with Skyler. Choosing to protect the interests of a select few and opposing the majority was a stance he vehemently disapproved of. In fact, Skyler's way of approach is almost similar to how Grindelwald spread his early influence.

Skyler remained steadfast in his approach to dealing with adversaries, aiming to diminish their numbers and cultivate allies. His belief was that, even without a savior like Harry, numerous resisters would emerge under the oppressive rule of figures like Voldemort. Eventually, someone would discover a way to defeat and eliminate such tyrants.

In line with his principles, Skyler sought to minimize enemies and increase allies, fostering cooperation whenever possible. He aimed to avoid turning potential allies into adversaries even if friendships weren't attainable.

To address Eleanor's gratitude, Skyler opted for a clandestine meeting in the Slytherin Chamber, with Daphne in attendance. The choice of the Chamber of Secrets was strategic, minimizing awareness of their alliance among interested parties. Granting access to such a significant secret demonstrated Skyler's high level of trust in Eleanor.

Daphne's presence served a dual purpose – providing evidence of Skyler's innocence and acting as a safeguard against any attempts by Eleanor to manipulate or seduce him. Despite Skyler's confidence in his mental strength, he refrained from underestimating Eleanor's cunning methods and unpredictable alchemical expertise.

In the realm of alchemy, where even the Philosopher's Stone has been created to defy death, the possibility of an alchemical breakthrough capable of generating love is uncertain.

Due to Daphne's presence, the meeting between Eleanor and Skyler took on a formal tone. Eleanor, acknowledging that Skyler hadn't been able to repay the favor from their last encounter fully, proposed sharing the Book of Truth's contents with the Hohenheim family at no cost.

This gesture seemed disproportionately significant for a relatively recent alliance, causing Eleanor some unease.

In reciprocation, she presented a book from her family collection, authored by her ancestor Paracelsus, titled "The Fifth Element," intending it as a gift for Skyler. Holding the book, Skyler calmly inquired, "Eleanor, what prompted you to give me this book?"

"Having witnessed the elemental magic you cast in the cabin last time, I must express my surprise at your proficiency in the field. Typically, people can only use elemental magic to emphasize certain characteristics of an element, such as the heat of fire, the flow of water, or the movement of air. However, if you can materialize the spell and restore the elements to their most original and true appearance, that would be truly remarkable," Eleanor smiled.

"According to the theory of elemental magic, the genuine form of the fire element should be the Salamander, the true appearance of the wind element should be the Sylph, the true form of the water element should be the Undine, and the authentic representation of the earth element should be the Goblin. Having observed your execution of the first two, I firmly believe that you must have also mastered the latter two."

"Even among Durmstrang, renowned for studying black magic and combat magic," Eleanor's eyes shone with clarity. "No student has achieved this in the past twenty years or so."

"It's just luck," Skyler said modestly. "My grandmother comes from the Rosier family, and due to the family's decline, I happened to inherit its secrets and learned these elemental magics. It's not that I am exceptionally skilled."

"Hypocritical," Eleanor rolled her eyes at him. "Don't assume that my interest in Great Britain is because I live in Germany. The situation turns dark. Before the Rosier family's decline, that guy named Ivan Rosier, why hadn't I heard of his strength? Looking back several generations, his father—I've never heard of my grandfather, or even my great-grandfather—displaying such a level of elemental control..."

This time, Skyler chose to smile lightly, unable to comment.

"You should also know that the family ancestor Paracelsus was not only a famous alchemist but also one of the pioneers in the study of elemental magic," Eleanor said solemnly.

"This book was written in his later years by a master of knowledge, and its preciousness is self-evident. The problem is that in the family..." Eleanor continued with some embarrassment, "Everyone in the family is engrossed in alchemy, and they are not familiar with actual combat using elemental magic. We've only scratched the surface, and in the end, we found that no one in the vast family could understand this book. It fell into the fate of a pearl covered in dust..."

"Okay, then I will accept the book," Skyler said.

"That..." Eleanor hesitated.

"Don't worry, what I said is absolutely true, especially to my allies; my credibility is at stake if I go back on my own words, won't they?" Skyler assured. "Since I have promised you that I will share the contents of the Book of Truth with you, I will never break my promise. At the moment, the Book of Truth is not with me. You probably don't know yet. When the Book of Truth was handed over to me, it had been locked by a profound alchemical lock, so I handed it over to a team of alchemists that I absolutely trusted. They are all professionals, and I believe they will bring me good news soon. Just wait patiently!"

Eleanor expressed gratitude after receiving Skyler's affirmative commitment and guarantee. This Book of Truth is crucial to her family and is likely the key to whether she can revive her family and lead it to glory.

After Eleanor left, Skyler flipped through the book "The Fifth Element," and his expression became serious.

It's no wonder none of the hundreds of talented individuals in the Hohenheim family could comprehend it. The book consists entirely of curved lines resembling ghostly drawings, with not a single word in sight.

Had Eleanor not given him this book with great care, Skyler might have dismissed it as some kind of prank. However, given that it was authored by the renowned Paracelsus and treasured by the Hohenheim family, Skyler couldn't afford to think of it as a mere jest.

Having been an adventurer and occult scholar in his previous life, Skyler was familiar with the elemental theory in occultism.

In occultism, an element, or classical element, is considered the most basic entity or energy that constitutes all matter in the world.

Throughout history, various cultures have developed their elemental theories, with notable examples including the ancient Greek "Four Elements Theory," the Indian Buddhist concept of "Four Elements," and the Chinese philosophy of the "Five Elements."

It wasn't until over 300 BC that Aristotle emerged, a student of Plato and a mentor to Alexander the Great. Leaving behind numerous enduring works, Aristotle's proposal of the four elements became widely known in subsequent generations, laying the groundwork for elemental theories in European mysticism, as seen in the works of Paracelsus and Cornelius Agrippa.

Aristotle's formal definition of "element" is found in Metaphysics:

"Element means a thing intrinsic to a thing, of which it is originally composed, and which cannot be divided into other kinds, e.g., the elements of sound constitute the sound, and the sound is eventually decomposed into them, but they themselves cannot be decomposed into other types of sounds. If divisible, it can only be divided into similar parts; for example, the part of the water is still water, and the part of a syllable is not the same syllable. The same holds true for what people call the elements of objects. Objects will eventually be decomposed into these elements, but these elements are not dispersed into other categories."

Aristotle postulated that the four elements possessed opposing properties that could be perceived by individuals. He deduced that the foundation of all things in the world lies in four primitive properties: cold, hot, dry, and wet. According to Aristotle, elements are formed by these primitive properties in varying proportions.

Later, in his work "On the Sky," he introduced the five-element theory by adding "ether" to the four elements. This "ether" represented the "void without separation from matter" or the "nothing in objects." Subsequent Muggle scholars and scientists, unfamiliar with these concepts, interpreted it as elemental energy existing in the void of the universe, enabling light to traverse the cosmos and reach the Earth through this medium.

However, Skyler understood that the intricacies of the matter were more complex than this simplified interpretation, or the other wizards before would have already discovered the answer Skyler was struggling with right now.