Chapter 88 - 88: The Secret of Slytherin

A figure stepped out from the shadows—short, red-haired, panting violently, and his eyes were a bloodshot red. "I told you to shut up!!" "R-Ron?!" Seeing the familiar face before him, Harry's mind seemed to stop functioning. He couldn't reconcile the one who had just cast the Killing Curse with his best friend, Ron. But soon, 'Ron's' body began to twist, elongate, and swell. Within seconds, he morphed into a short, balding man with a rat-like face and nose. "No! How dare you—how dare you kill her!" Voldemort stormed forward in rage. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! Have you forgotten? I needed her life force and magic!" Wormtail shuddered as if just realizing what had happened. He bent over hastily, trembling all over. "I'm sorry, Master. I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean to! I—I just lost control for a moment. I didn't do it on purpose!" "Then tell me—who now can replace her?!" "I…I don't know. I don't know!" Wormtail mumbled to himself and stumbled toward Audrey's body. He bent down and picked up the pendant lying nearby. His eyes suddenly took on a dazed look. "And that pendant—what is it? Why was it inside the basilisk's head? Are you hiding something from me…Peter?!" "I… I… Master, I swear! I've never wavered in my loyalty to you!" "AHH!!" Suddenly, Harry charged at Wormtail like a madman, wildly waving his wand and casting the few spells he knew. Bang! A few spells struck Wormtail, but they bounced right off, reflected by a Shield Charm. Harry was blasted backward, tumbling to the ground, bloodied from head to toe. Even his wand flew from his hand. Dazed, he struggled to his feet, glaring at the two who had torn his life apart. Voldemort's face twisted even further, though his tone softened unnaturally. "No need to rush, Harry. Your life force and magic…are not so bad, either." He held his wand and approached slowly, step by step. "Rather than continue living so pathetically, why not…give yourself to me?" Clack. Voldemort stopped in front of Harry. "Keep dreaming." Harry suddenly reached under his arm and pulled out a revolver, aiming it straight at Voldemort. "HAHAHAHA!" Voldemort burst out laughing. "You're not seriously thinking of killing me with a Muggle toy, are you? Hahahaha! The Savior of the Wizarding World? The great Harry Potter? You're a disgrace to wizards!" Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The revolver's recoil nearly knocked it from Harry's grip. All six bullets went wide—but Voldemort was standing too close! Almost the moment the gunshots rang out, he was flung backward, shrieking in agony. "Master!" Wormtail ran toward him in panic. "Kill him! Kill Harry Potter! Now!" SCREEECH! A burst of flame exploded in the chamber—it was Fawkes the phoenix! Screeching, it dove at Wormtail, blocking his curse aimed at Harry. Then it tried to knock the wand from his hand. "Avada Kedavra!" A jet of green light shot from Voldemort's wand and struck Fawkes dead-on. The phoenix let out one last piercing cry before collapsing to the ground. "Expelliarmus!" Wormtail had just picked up his wand and was about to cast when it was blasted from his hand, landing near Audrey. She stood unsteadily, her face pale and trembling. Scales were now creeping across her skin, and her golden slit-pupiled eyes were devoid of emotion. "Fiendfyre." Blazing, uncontrollable fire engulfed Peter Pettigrew in an instant. He didn't even have time to scream before being reduced to ashes. At the same time, Voldemort suddenly collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. He twisted and thrashed, his arms flailing wildly as bloodcurdling screams tore from his throat. "No—!!" And then…he vanished. The revolver slipped from Harry's fingers and clattered to the ground. He stared blankly at the spot where Voldemort had just disappeared, completely unaware that the temperature around them was rising rapidly. Audrey staggered and collapsed, barely able to hold on to her dragonbone wand. "Damn it…the Fiendfyre…it's out of control." BOOM! The unrestrained Fiendfyre burst forth like a beast unleashed, spreading madly through the chamber. Not even the giant stone pillars could withstand its heat—they melted like wax. At that moment, Audrey had only one thought in her mind: "Edward was right. When faced with danger, I should've reported it immediately…not rushed in headfirst." "I'm sorry… Dad, Mom…" She closed her eyes, waiting for death to come. Suddenly, she felt her body lighten—someone had scooped her up into their arms. A familiar voice sounded beside her ear. "I'm sorry I'm late." "Edward? Why are you here…?" Audrey squinted up at him, her expression drowsy. "I'm so tired…I want to sleep for a while." She snuggled into his chest, trying to find a comfortable position. "It's over now." "Mmm…okay." Edward held her close, twisted through space, and appeared before Harry. He scooped up the phoenix Fawkes and grabbed Harry by the shoulder. "Wait—my gun!" Crack. Just a split second before the Fiendfyre reached them, all three vanished in the flames. ——— When Audrey opened her eyes again, she found herself surrounded by a vast, white mist. The land stretched endlessly in all directions with no visible boundaries. "Where…is this?" Her thoughts gradually cleared. "Didn't Edward save me at the last second? Was that just a dream? Am I actually…dead?" She took a step forward. The ground beneath the mist gave a soft crunch beneath her feet. The fog around her began to stir, thinning out slowly. In the next moment, a pristine lake appeared before her. Verdant grass blanketed the surrounding area. The sounds of insects chirping and birds calling echoed gently, as if winter had suddenly turned to spring. "Huh?" By the lake stood a man in wizarding robes, holding a fishing rod and casting into the water. Ripples spread across the surface where his float bobbed. He gave the rod a sharp tug—but the hook came out empty. "Tut. It got away again." He muttered in frustration, when suddenly he spotted Audrey approaching. He was momentarily stunned, then quickly called out, "Don't get the wrong idea! I just caught a big one not long ago—more than thirty inches, I swear! Oh, and I also won the last fishing competition at the academy." The man had a peculiar appearance. He looked to be in his late thirties or forties, with a sparse, unkempt beard. He vaguely resembled a monkey at first glance. Audrey hesitated before asking, "Excuse me…where is this? And why am I here?" "Ah!" The man casually tossed aside his fishing rod and suddenly put on a solemn, enlightened expression. "I've been waiting a very long time for you, my beautiful lady—pure-blooded witch, heir of Slytherin." He placed a hand over his chest and bowed like a gentleman. "Forgive me—I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Salazar Slytherin. Or rather, a fragment of his consciousness." "The secret he left behind…is mine to pass on." Audrey blinked in realization. "So you were the pendant? Wait—didn't it get burned to ash in the Fiendfyre?" "The pendant was only a temporary vessel. I'm merely a sliver of consciousness." "Then…this secret you mentioned?" Slytherin chuckled and shook his head with mock regret. "If you're hoping this secret will let you become a powerful wizard like Salazar, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. It won't grant you overwhelming magical strength, nor his wizarding bloodline. Not even a single spell." "I was split off from Salazar for one purpose: to pass down a discovery he made in his final years." "What kind of discovery?" A strange expression crossed Slytherin's face—one of joy, despair, and sudden clarity all at once. "He said: The gods of this world are real. If one can find the entrance to the gods' abode, anyone can become a god." Audrey froze. "That's it?" "That's it." "Then…where is this entrance?" "He didn't know. But based on his research later in life, he believed it may be related to the three Deathly Hallows." "Hallows…?" Audrey vaguely remembered Edward mentioning them once. "My task is complete. Farewell." Slytherin cast his line out one last time as his form began to fade. "I'd really have liked to fish one more time." "Good luck, my lady." ——— When Audrey next awoke, she was lying in a private bed in the hospital wing. The air smelled faintly of medicine—neither pleasant nor unpleasant. Harry was lying in the next bed over, flustered as he hurriedly scribbled homework while Hermione stood over him, hands on hips, scolding him nonstop. "Ah, you're awake, Audrey!" Hermione quickly came over, relieved. "Thank goodness. You were unconscious for a whole day and night! Oh, and I'm so sorry. I heard I attacked you with a Dark Curse while I was being controlled. You have to believe me—I didn't know what I was doing." She rambled as she helped Audrey sit up and placed a pillow behind her lower back. "It's fine. The real culprit has already paid the price." "Ugh, but I still couldn't help you in the end…" Hermione grabbed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them from the nightstand and flipped to a page. "Did you know? You and Harry were in serious danger. The serpent you encountered was a Basilisk—if you make eye contact with it, you die instantly! Malfoy only saw its reflection through a mirror and was petrified. Thank Merlin someone blinded it." Audrey was briefly stunned. So that means…a few days ago, the serpent still had its sight? But who stabbed out its eyes? Voldemort? Wormtail? That doesn't make sense. Edward walked in, holding a bouquet of flowers. "Audrey, how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?" She accepted the flowers, took a small sniff, and shook her head. "Just sore from lying down too long. Other than that…I'm a little hungry." "Alright. Once Madam Pomfrey confirms you're okay, I'll take you for a feast." Audrey placed the flowers on the nightstand. Something came to her mind. "Oh, right—what about Fred?" "Don't worry," Edward said. "He got away before Professor McGonagall arrived. Though, his legs were badly injured—he'll need time to recover. Malfoy's awake now too." Just then, a group of people burst in through the door. "Hey~ I think I heard someone mention my name. Oh, Harry—I heard Professor Snape gave you extra homework. Several twenty-inch essays! What a tragedy." One of the Weasley twins rolled in on a wheelchair—it was Fred. Behind him were his brothers. George had a neck brace, and Ron's right arm was wrapped in layers of bandages. The three brothers each had their own battle scars. "Ron." Audrey's gaze immediately locked onto Ron. She instinctively slipped into her Spectator state. Ron shrank back a little, his face full of lingering fear. "Thanks for beating Scabbers—uh, I mean, that guy. Otherwise, I'd still be locked in that chest." Edward explained, "Wormtail took advantage of Dumbledore's absence to capture Ron and lock him in a magically expanded trunk under the bed." Audrey nodded. "So that's what happened." George walked over stiffly. "Audrey, if it weren't for you snapping me out of that Imperius Curse, I might've done something terrible." From his hospital bed, Harry craned his neck. "Wait, how'd you know he was under the Imperius Curse?" Hermione knocked his head with a book. "Harry! You've got essays due tomorrow. Worry about your problems first!" "Hmm…maybe I'm just good at picking up on things." Audrey didn't explain further, but Edward knew it was thanks to her Spectator Pathway abilities—especially after advancing to Sequence 8, Telepathist. Her perception could now peer into auras, etheric bodies and other mystical layers—no amount of acting could fool her. "I heard…" Ron asked hesitantly, "Did you really get hit by the Killing Curse?" Everyone's faces instantly lit up with curiosity. "Well…" Audrey smiled. "It never actually hit me. But I knew that if I didn't fake getting hit, they'd probably cast another one—and that time, I wouldn't be so lucky." Everyone let out a collective "Ahhh." What followed was a loud, animated discussion. Fred excitedly recounted how he escaped from dozens of Acromantulas, Ron complained about his hunger and misery while locked in the trunk, and Harry couldn't help but boast about emptying his revolver into Voldemort. "Ron, that thing works better than a wand!" ——— [Note]: We fell short of our powerstone goal by a lottt! So, No Extra Chapter~ But, if we reach 340 Powerstones by tomorrow, I'll post the Extra Chapter. So, Go VOTE! Oh, and if you are like me and want to read 40 Chapters in advance of the current story right now, you can support me on my Patreon. Trust me, it's better than a candyland! Hahaha~ Link - (P)atre(o)n.c(o)m/ Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]