Chapter 176: Persuading the little witch.
"The last enemy to be destroyed is death?"
Cyrus pondered for a moment.
If Dumbledore wasn't being deliberately cryptic, then this phrase was likely the password to the headmaster's office.
Clearly, the old bee held a grudge against Cyrus for guessing the previous password, "For the greater good."
That was part of his shameful, unmentionable past.
Few people knew about Dumbledore's past. In all of Hogwarts, only McGonagall was aware of these details.
The old bee and the aging cat lady were long-time friends.
"The next Quidditch match, huh?"
Cyrus looked up.
After battling Voldemort for so long, the sky had darkened, and gray clouds began to release snow.
The Christmas holidays marked the dividing line between Hogwarts' two terms. The next Quidditch match would likely be in March.
However, Cyrus wasn't in a hurry to proceed with the next trial. Even the memories left by the guardians held significant value for him to review repeatedly.
Percival's memory showcased the ancient magic's immense and enduring power, ensuring the longevity of spells long after the caster's death. Rookwood's memory recorded Morgana's method of extracting emotions from a person!
These were all things Cyrus could learn from.
However, the mysteries of ancient magic certainly don't stop there.
Numerous magical creatures possess ancient magic that is even more wondrous—not just powerful, but also highly diverse in functionality.
For example, a phoenix's tears can heal any wound, and its flames allow it to come and go without a trace.
Dragons have such strong magical resistance that they can ignore many spells, giving them a natural advantage in combat.
Occamies can freely control their size, and Demiguises can make themselves invisible.
Cyrus longed to obtain these unique magical powers.
In a sense, he was just as greedy as Voldemort!
Like a snake attempting to swallow prey much larger than itself.
"It seems I could smuggle some magical creatures," Cyrus thought. Besides this, there was another problem he needed to address.
Ever since discovering that the diary could communicate with Cyrus, Ginny had resumed her relentless attempts to contact him.
Knowing he couldn't avoid her any longer, Cyrus decided not to leave her messages unread.
"Good evening, Ginny."
...
"Good evening? I will kill you Cyrus!" Ginny's writing was full of resentment.
It was bad enough that she only discovered this secret today, but in the end, she was taken away before she could even see Cyrus.
Of course, she understood that Cyrus was facing the Dark Lord at the time, and that battle was no small matter.
It was understandable that Sirius and the other professors tied her up and took her away to protect her.
But that didn't make her feel any less sad.
"You ignored me for months!"
Ginny said angrilly.
"Harry knew, Ron knew, even Hermione knew! Although Ron said he just wanted to try, I know he was lying! Before going to see Hermione, he specifically borrowed the diary—he contacted you then, didn't he?"
The young girl felt abandoned.
At home, the twins were inseparable, and even Ron often thought she was too young to include in their activities. Now, even Mr. Cyrus was treating her this way.
Ginny couldn't relate to children her age—they were too immature, and their spellwork was a mess.
Children need companionship.
Cyrus understood this.
Ginny had long considered him her best friend, openly sharing her inner thoughts with him since her first year at Hogwarts.
"I apologize, Ginny. But you know my situation. My circumstances haven't been favorable. Even now, I remain a wanted man by the Ministry of Magic," Cyrus explained. "That's why I haven't had much time to communicate with you. The last time with Hermione was similar; if it hadn't been for the situation with Sirius, I might not have responded to her. Let me clear my name first and when I meet you.. you are free to kill me"
Cyrus's words had some effect.
Ginny wasn't unreasonable, especially knowing how her parents initially viewed Cyrus.
Even now, her father sometimes mentioned Cyrus's recent activities at dinner and how they troubled the Ministry of Magic.
Especially after Cyrus's attack on Gringotts, Mr. Weasley, despite believing that Cyrus had no substantial connection with Voldemort, still saw him as a dangerous individual.
Blowing up a bank at the slightest disagreement—what else could he be but a dangerous person?
After that, Cyrus and Ginny talked for a long time. Ginny went on and on about her own affairs, and Cyrus, accustomed to being a listener, lent her his ear.
It was late into the night when Cyrus noticed that the other side had gone silent for a long time. He immediately understood that Ginny had probably fallen asleep.
He then withdrew his thoughts and vanished into the night.
...
The Christmas holiday passed quickly. Harry recovered the next day. This experience didn't affect him much; instead, it further diminished his fear of Voldemort.
The infamous Dark Lord didn't seem so terrifying, did he?
Didn't he end up getting beaten like a drowned rat by Cyrus and Dumbledore together?
Now, he was flying freely over the Black Lake on the Firebolt Sirius had given him. He had lent his Nimbus 2000 to Ron. The two of them were almost out of sight, their enthusiasm unbothered by the biting cold wind that cut like knives!
Students skating on the frozen lake below looked up at them with envy.
Of course, Harry's favorite Christmas gift wasn't actually the Firebolt but rather the small photo album from Cyrus. He kept it on his bedside table, feeling a peacefulness akin to being watched over by his parents as he fell asleep.
Today was the last day of the Christmas holidays. In the evening, Hermione, wrapped in a red scarf, jumped off the carriage. As soon as she saw Harry and Ron, she rushed over in worry.
They had naturally written letters about what happened during the holiday.
"Luckily, you're okay, Harry," Hermione said, still feeling terrified at the thought.
"By the way, do you know why the Dark Lord wanted to kidnap you?"
Hermione got straight to the point.
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