Chapter 61: Secrets and Taboos

Peeves' answer left Luke silent for a moment.

Seeing his speechless reaction, Peeves assumed Luke didn't believe him and hurriedly added, "Don't doubt me! Those two were really close before the quarrel. Every time Gryffindor sneaked food from Hufflepuff's kitchen, he always dragged Slytherin along."

"And sometimes, Slytherin even got stuck taking the blame for him."

Luke almost broke out laughing, barely holding his serious expression in check. He hadn't expected to get gossip about the Founders from Peeves, and from the way Peeves described them, both Slytherin and Gryffindor seemed quite different from what he had imagined.

Of course, Luke could understand.

People are never just one-dimensional.

While Luke mulled this over, Peeves was feeling rather helpless. He didn't enjoy talking about the Founders with others—it was all too long ago.

They'd been deified over the years, leaving no room for any slander, as Luke's initial reaction had shown.

But in Peeves' eyes, those four were just people who laughed, argued, got angry, and showed kindness.

Ravenclaw—she could do everything except be a mother. Slytherin—calm and dignified in everything, but who would lose his composure surprisingly quickly around Gryffindor. Gryffindor—brave but mischievously clever, constantly playing pranks. 

There was also the flawless Hufflepuff—perfect, gentle, kind, honest, reliable, and noble.

As for this little brat in front of him? He combined the most annoying traits of the two most annoying people, making him utterly impossible to like.

"Slytherin's gift is Parseltongue—the ability to speak to snakes, right? What was his Innate magic?"

Luke finally asked after a long pause.

"Yes, Parseltongue. As for his Innate magic... You're his descendant, and you're asking me?"

Peeves replied with disdain, looking at Luke as if he were an idiot. Luke was so taken aback that he was briefly at a loss for words.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking!" Luke retorted irritably.

"And if I knew, I'd tell you!" Peeves mimicked Luke's tone mockingly.

Luke calmed himself before pressing further, "You never saw him use Innate magic?"

"Never. Think about it—who would dare mess with him back then? Even when dueling Gryffindor, he didn't use any kind of special magic. I sometimes wondered if he even had one," Peeves replied with a shrug.

Luke fell silent again. If what Peeves said was true, the doubt was understandable. However, the notes left by the family suggested otherwise. Most likely, Slytherin did have an Innate magic, but perhaps it came with a high cost or significant consequences, making it impractical or rare to use.

"What about the others?" Luke asked.

"I'm not telling you," Peeves said, shaking his head. Then, seeing Luke raise his wand, he quickly added, "I mean it! I don't know about Slytherin, so we can talk about that. But I 'do' know about the other three, and I won't spill. Unless... you find their legacies."

"Oh, and here's a little secret for you—their legacies are all hidden within the school~"

Peeves added in a tempting tone.

Luke didn't react the way Peeves expected, though. He didn't scoff or roll his eyes. After all, the idea that the Founders' legacies were hidden within Hogwarts had been circulating among students for centuries.

But Luke's thought process was different. While Peeves wasn't the most reliable source, the information lined up with what the system had provided and what the Bloody Baron had mentioned—that Peeves was a product of one of the Founders' experiments. This made it almost certain that Peeves was telling the truth.

The Founders' legacies truly were at Hogwarts, lying dormant for over a thousand years.

"You know the cipher for the Founders' secret notes, don't you?"

(T/N: A cipher is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption)

Luke spoke with unwavering certainty.

"Nonsense! How would I know the solution! They..." Peeves started to protest but abruptly stopped, slapping a hand over his mouth. He realized he'd been tricked far too easily—something that shouldn't have happened to him.

"You—you're manipulating my emotions!" Peeves accused Luke indignantly, suddenly recalling the unwarranted overconfidence he'd felt earlier.

"And how do you know I'm not doing it 'right now'?" Luke asked with a sly smile.

Peeves fell silent, the interaction giving him an unsettling sense of déjà vu. It was like a thousand years ago, dealing with that blasted Gryffindor again.

"Ravenclaws aren't the only one smart, are they?"

Luke casually quipped.

"Far smarter than you," Peeves retorted with a sneer. "Don't bother trying—I'm not giving you any more information."

Luke ignored Peeves' stubbornness, maintaining his calm smile. "What exactly was Hufflepuff researching to end up creating something like you?"

Peeves squinted at Luke, his small eyes narrowing even further.

"Definitely a mix of two troublesome brats. You're absolutely insufferable"

Peeves muttered before floating upwards and vanishing into the wall. Luke lowered his wand and watched him leave, entirely unfazed.

He knew that patience was key—slowly probing, gradually drawing closer, inching toward his goals. There was no need to rush.

Luke's gaze shifted back to the wooden door. He had no idea what lay beyond it, but his instincts told him to steer clear for now. Just as he hadn't fully explored the Chamber of Secrets yet.

Restraint was often the strongest course of action.

And so, he turned and left, walking away for the sake of greater plans.

Ascending the stairs step by step, Luke emerged from the hidden passage and back into the castle corridor.

Once Luke was gone, Peeves' head peeked out from the wall above the wooden door.

"That brat… Isn't he a bit too tenacious? I've set up so many traps, and he hasn't fallen for a single one"

Peeves mumbled to himself, somewhat disappointed.

Glancing back at the wooden door, he sighed dramatically.

"And who knows when the traps I left in there will ever be triggered? This prank has been waiting for nearly a thousand years now..."

He let out a wistful sigh.

As Luke's footsteps faded into the distance, the wall behind him quietly returned to its original state, as if nothing had ever happened.

The corridor remained empty, just as it had been when Luke first arrived.

Cradling Booker in his arms, Luke walked away slowly, already planning to find a proper route to this place. Scaling balconies every time wasn't a sustainable solution.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the corridor, Dumbledore approached the now-sealed wall. He stopped in front of it, gazing at the stone for a long moment before shaking his head silently and walking away.

---

"Master, why are we looking for Peeves?" 

Quirrell greeted passing students with his usual politeness while speaking in his mind. 

"To demonstrate the power of that spell to Luke... He seems reluctant to trust us, so..." 

"I need him to understand the beauty of what power can bring"

Voldemort's ominous voice answered. 

Quirrell nodded inwardly, asking no further questions as he quietly resumed his search for Peeves.

*****

Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-

patreon.com/ReduxMagister