Chapter 195 "The Hags Glen"

Ireland's McGillicuddy Reeks, situated in County Kerry within the Republic of Ireland, extend over a span of 19 kilometers and are in close proximity to the Killarney Lakes within Killarney National Park. It is noteworthy that, in the magical realm, this location falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain, rather than being governed independently.

While the territorial boundaries and sovereignty in the wizarding world typically align with those in the Muggle realm, there are exceptions, such as the case of Ireland. Other instances include the fact that, in the wizarding world, North and South Korea are governed by the same regime—the Korean Ministry of Magic.

Similarly, Transylvania, unlike its Muggle counterpart within Romania, exists as an independent country under the governance of the Ministry of Magic in Transylvania.

The McGillicuddy Reeks, surpassing a length of 19 kilometers, encompass the highest peak in Ireland, Mount Carrauntoohil. During favorable weather conditions and pleasant climates, numerous Muggle tourists are drawn to this enchanting location for mountain climbing and to revel in the breathtaking scenery.

Due to the Muggle-Repelling Charm, Muggles tend to subconsciously overlook various peculiar details during their mountain journeys, such as encountering an inexplicable empty wasteland in a particular section of the expedition.

Following the enforcement of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, numerous wizards opted to establish settlements in the vicinity, particularly around Mount Carrauntoohil. At least two villages emerged as focal points for wizard communities in this region.

Wizards who maintained close ties with Muggles often chose to reside in Com Cailleach Valley (Loughra), a village resembling St. Catchpole, where both wizards and Muggles coexisted. This village is situated to the west of the Carrauntoohil Mountains.

Separated from this mixed community by the Carrauntoohil Mountain is the Com Cailleach Valley (Irish Kelly Valley).

Often referred to as "Witch's Glen," this valley, located to the east of Carrauntoohil Mountain, serves as the abode of an extremely pure-blood wizard who vehemently avoids any interaction with Muggles.

(Note: For ease of recollection, this article will henceforth use "Witch's Glen" instead of "Com Cailleach Valley").

The Gaunt family, inheriting their ancestor Slytherin's unwavering reverence for pure blood, opted to settle in Witch's Glen and establish their lineage. This continued until the generation of Isolt Sayre's mother, the founder of Ilvermorny, when the family dynamics underwent a significant change.

Isolt's mother, Rionach Gaunt, fell in love with William Sayre, a member of the Sayre family—a prominent Irish wizard family in the nearby town—and married him. Following their union, they relocated to Com Cailleach Valley, where they learned to coexist and adapt to Muggle life.

This decision did not sit well with Leona's sister, the infamous dark witch Gormlaith Gaunt. One fateful night, Gormlaith infiltrated their home and cast a fire spell that claimed the lives of the entire family, leaving only Isolt alive.

Gormlaith took her back to Witch's Glen for training, exposing her to dark magic and subjecting her to witnessing curses and torture inflicted upon Muggles.

However, Isolt resisted complete indoctrination. After acquiring a substantial amount of magical knowledge, she stole her aunt's wand and clandestinely ventured to the New World of North America. It was there that she embarked on a series of remarkable adventures, ultimately leading to the founding of Ilvermorny Magic Academy.

This is also the reason why Skyler chose to have Dobby Apparate to Witch's Glen. Given Slytherin's advocacy of pure-blood supremacy, any legacy he leaves would undoubtedly be near this village that rejects Muggles rather than the village on the opposite side of the mountain.

The two of them, accompanied by a house-elf, meticulously explored the surrounding area following the instructions on the map. After navigating through an exceptionally concealed mountain path and traversing a dark cave, they eventually arrived at an empty basin surrounded by mountains.

Skyler was confident that this was the location marked on the map, yet nothing immediately stood out. Salff and Dobby diligently roamed the area, investigating any hidden mechanisms that might be present.

Having previous experience exploring Hufflepuff's crypt, Skyler promptly employed his magical eyes, scanning in all directions. A faint magical aura permeated the air.

He followed the strength of the magical wave, advancing step by step until he discovered a distinct magical signature on a rock. He exerted force to move the rock, revealing a magical mark carved on its underside. Two fierce green pythons, their fangs exposed, entwined around a scepter-like object. Skyler finally confirmed that he had found the right place.

He beckoned Salff and Dobby over.

"Is this the emblem of the Gaunt family?" Salff frowned. "Why does it differ from what I know?"

"No, this is not the emblem of the Gaunt family," Skyler explained. "It is the original family emblem of the Slytherin family. Due to the powerful magic associated with the surname Slytherin, his direct descendants cannot bear this surname, so they adopt the name Gaunt. The design of the family emblem has also undergone slight changes."

"What should we do now?" Salff attempted to command the two giant pythons on the mark in snake language but received no response.

Skyler pondered for a moment and remarked, "What Slytherin values most is the blood of wizards, and his most potent magic lies in black magic and Legilimency. Considering these two aspects..."

Skyler produced a wand and lightly stroked his palm, causing bright red blood to flow rapidly. The drops fell onto the magic mark, and he directed the wand at the mark, declaring loudly, "Legilimency!"

A green light emanated from the magic mark, and the two green pythons instantly absorbed Skyler's blood.

The pythons seemed to come to life, emitting a loud hissing sound as they gradually unwound from around the wand. The unsealed wand transformed into a stream of light and shot into Skyler's mind.

No matter how many times she tried to comprehend it, Salff just couldn't help but be amazed at Skyler's magical prowess. Especially after learning that Skyler could speak the Parseltongue.

Leads to her keep thinking of how much more potential Skyler chooses to keep for himself and let the world know nothing of it rather than foolishly flaunting it toward the whole world.

Salff slowly realized that even in her prime condition, there was no way she would win against Skyler's insurmountable rate of growth. Even most of the wizards or witches in her time could only do so much with the amount of pure mana and their sacred technique to cultivate their magical power to a higher level.

This method resembled a pensieve, allowing one to leave their memory in the magical world. Activation required a specific approach, triggering the transfer of memories directly into the heir's consciousness.