57- Ravenclaw's Prison
Under the stimulus of pain, the basilisk became less obedient. Rhys had to give several commands before it calmed down.
After soothing the basilisk, Rhys didn't take time to treat its or his own wounds. Instead, he continued to retreat towards the surface.
Knowing Rowena as well as he did, Rhys was certain that she would not let her target escape this easily and would strike again. The second or third waves of attacks were likely on their way.
Without the stone beasts to buffer the blows, Rhys would have to use magic that would severely damage both his body and soul to block the attacks. He could always find a way to break through, but he wouldn't be able to protect the basilisk.
It was only at this moment that Rhys understood the source of the "ill omen" his tea leaf reading had predicted. A crazy Rowena Ravenclaw was indeed a lethal threat to him in an 11-year-old body.
However, after running for a while with his injuries, the anticipated second wave of attacks never came.
Had she changed after becoming a ghost, or was she delayed by something? Rhys leaned towards the latter.
That was fortunate.
He silently thanked the unknown dark creature for its sacrifice. Otherwise, facing off against Rowena Ravenclaw, who was nearly at the peak of her magical prowess, would have been a death sentence.
Having shaken off Ravenclaw's ghost, Rhys had time to carefully review the recent events.
As he treated the basilisk's wounds, extracting the embedded stones, he analyzed the information he had gathered.
Seeing Ravenclaw's ghost, Rhys finally understood why the seal in the dungeon hadn't deteriorated significantly over the past thousand years: Rowena had been guarding it from within. Periodically, she would clear out the powerful dark creatures that escaped confinement, like cutting down overgrown weeds.
Even death couldn't stop her in preventing any creatures from breaking through the seal.
Judging by her current state, she didn't show any signs of exhaustion. This dynamic equilibrium within the seal was likely to continue: dark creatures would proliferate, Ravenclaw would suppress them, and the dark creatures would then lie dormant to regain their strength...
Before her death, Rowena must have performed some special treatment on her body and voluntarily gave up the possibility of rebirth, becoming a ghost instead.
Unlike other ghosts, Rowena Ravenclaw could still command her physical body to fight, retaining her combat prowess from when she was alive.
Unfortunately, her body now looked like a rotten mummy and the frequent and prolonged contact with these evil beings had inevitably tainted her soul, ultimately transforming her into that terrifying form.
"You have been performing your duties for 1000 years huh... Making this place your own prison..."
Thinking about it, Rhys felt a heavy weight settle in his heart.
He hadn't expected that the one among the original four who most cherished freedom would end up choosing to stay within the seal, silently guarding it and enduring a thousand years of confinement.
Rhys felt that he should do something for Rowena.
"Rowena, just hold on a little longer. I will definitely find a way to help you escape this wretched state," Rhys resolved. However, before taking action, he needed to make the necessary preparations.
Although not as skilled as Helga, Rhys had some knowledge of healing magic. he easily mended his own broken ribs and then started treating the Basilisk.
But he encountered trouble when it came to stitching up the wounds. As soon as he sewed them up, they would split open again, thanks to the remnants of Rowena's magic lingering in the wounds. This added a lot of work to Rhys's healing efforts: he first had to carefully eliminate Rowena's residual magic with his own, then use magic to stitch the wounds back together.
A few hours later, Rhys finally finished treating the basilisk's injuries. Given the basilisk's resilient vitality, these superficial wounds would heal in a few days of rest in the Chamber of Secrets.
Rhys led the basilisk out of the seal, letting it return to the Chamber on its own, while he, after a night of toil, returned to his dormitory in Slytherin House.
Lying down on his bed, feeling the soft mattress beneath him, Rhys felt all his fatigue being absorbed by the bed. A smile crept onto his face as he drifted into a dream.
In his dream, he saw his old friends again. Godric sincerely apologized to him, Helga prepared a lavish feast for him, and Rowena enthusiastically discussed the strange and wonderful spells she had invented during his absence from the school...
The next day, despite the professors' efforts to contain the news, word got out about the troll that had been killed after infiltrating the school, sparking intense discussion among the students.
Theories and speculations abounded.
Some believed the professors had taken action, while others thought there might be some defensive mechanisms hidden within the castle. The more outlandish theories credited the castle's "spirit," claiming that the "soul" of Hogwarts had killed the intruder.
Eventually, the Halloween Eve incident gradually faded from the conversation, and the students' attention shifted from the troll to the upcoming Quidditch match.
As November arrived, the weather turned exceptionally cold.
The mountains surrounding the school were blanketed in snow, and a thick layer of ice formed over the surface of the Black Lake.
The fish in the lake began to frequently gather outside the windows of the Slytherin common room, seeking the warmth there.
Some curious young wizards speculated that the plump fish might attract the merpeople from the lake, allowing them a rare sight. However, they were disappointed; no matter how dense the fish shoals were, neither the mermen nor the mermaids appeared, as if they didn't exist at all.
Someone, whose identity remained unknown, sent Harry Potter the latest model of the Nimbus 2000. This instantly made him a sensation in the school.
The Nimbus 2000 was akin to a supercar in the non-magical world, and many people were green with envy over Harry receiving such a gift.
However, the school's buzz had little to do with Rhys. These days, he was busy brewing potions. He had sent a letter to Lupet in Diagon Alley, commissioning her to purchase a large number of potion ingredients—thanks to a generous donation from young Malfoy.
Using the materials sent by Lupet, Rhys was concocting a series of potions so complex that merely explaining the steps could give one a headache. Rhys believed that his potions would be able to cleanse Rowena of her taint, even in her ghostly form.
Moreover, if this potion worked on Rowena, it might also cure Daphne's sister of her illness.
Astoria Greengrass's curse bore some resemblance to Rowena's affliction; both involved the soul being tainted by darkness. The difference lay in Rowena's ghostly form and stronger soul, allowing for more aggressive treatment, whereas Astoria required a gentler approach.
However, Rhys still had a long way to go before his potion was complete, as he was missing a few rare ingredients.
Time slowly passed, and the year's first Quidditch match quietly approached.
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