boyutpedia Chapter 74 Magical Contracts and Hogwarts Secrets
Chapter 74 Magical Contracts and Hogwarts Secrets
Chapter 74 Magical Contracts and Hogwarts Secrets
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his long fingers stroking his silvery-white beard, a silent undercurrent surging in his azure eyes. He spoke to Lynch in an unusually calm tone: "You have achieved your wish, Mr. Lynch."
So, what do you want to do next?
Could it be that you intend to replace me and take the position of Headmaster of Hogwarts?
"Of course not." Lynch laughed. "You can only be the headmaster of Hogwarts, and it will only be you."
Don't tell me you haven't realized yet that I haven't replaced or terminated your contract with Hogwarts.
All I did was sign a new one!
"Oh...that's quite interesting." Dumbledore raised his snow-white eyebrows slightly. "So now Hogwarts has two headmasters in the magical realm?"
"The position of Headmaster is unique and can only be passed down from generation to generation." Lynch raised a finger and shook it gently, refuting Dumbledore's statement. "This is the core and most fundamental setting of the contract, and I do not have the ability to change it."
The spot I occupy is one of the positions that the four founders reserved for themselves.
Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff—these four founders of Hogwarts truly deserve to be called top wizards who have left a shining mark on the history of the wizarding world.
They meticulously crafted this magical contract from the very beginning of establishing Hogwarts.
The core of the contract clearly establishes the position of principal, and in addition, four positions belonging to the founders are established independently.
They are on par with the position of principal, yet their writings form a complete system.
Perhaps they didn't want an additional "principal" to rise above them out of thin air, hence this equal-seat structure.
Dumbledore's body tensed almost imperceptibly: "You mean—? Besides you and me, theoretically there are three other people who can sign this contract?"
"To be precise, there are only two positions left to fill," Lynch replied crisply.
"You just mentioned that the position of headmaster is separate from the positions of the four founders," Dumbledore keenly observed the key point and raised a question.
"Structurally they were separate. But Salazar-Slytherin later had an irreconcilable disagreement with the other three founders, and he used some kind of secret method to collect the enormous power that belonged to his position in the contract and transfer it elsewhere for other uses."
This action left his position in a state of perpetual 'occupancy,' like an invisible lock resting on it, preventing anyone from taking his place.
After finishing, Lynch added, "By the way, the reason why the loopholes in the protective magic occurred was because of Salazar Slytherin's actions."
In order to achieve his own goals, he forcibly tore a portion from what was originally a seamless protective magic, thus creating the vulnerability.
"I suspect the other three founders would not have allowed this loophole to exist." A glint of light flashed in Dumbledore's deep blue eyes.
"Of course not. Our Ravenclaw founder, the wise Rowena Ravenclaw, cleverly utilized the uncontrollable magical energy that continuously leaked out when the contract was torn."
With her unparalleled wisdom, she guided and shaped these energies, ultimately creating a unique magical space—which she called the "House of Dreams Come True"—and precisely plugged the magical loophole.
As he spoke, Lin Qi's tone became somewhat complicated: "It was precisely this room that allowed me to initially discover the loopholes and, when I was trying to gain my freedom..."
They've blocked my way.
"The House of Dreams Come True?" Dumbledore repeated softly, lost in thought.
"That's right, that's the name Ms. Ravenclaw gave it. However, the students who were fortunate enough to discover the room later were more accustomed to calling it by another, more straightforward name—" Lynch paused, "The Room of Requirement."
"Hmm..." Dumbledore stroked his beard gently with his right hand. "The name 'Room of Requirement' reminds me of an encounter I had in the past..."
I was in a hurry to use the toilet at the time, so I pushed open the door and went into a room with all sorts of toilets. After that, I never found that room again.
Is that the House of Requirement?
Are many students aware of its existence?
"From your description, there is no doubt that it is the Room of Requirement."
Although only a very small number of students know of its existence, over a thousand years, this "very small number" has become a considerable number.
Dumbledore’s gaze refocused on Lynch: “I must say, Mr. Lynch, your knowledge of these ancient and hidden secrets of Hogwarts is truly admirable.”
Lynch looked at Dumbledore with a somewhat strange expression: "It seems... you really haven't been to this space even once since you were sworn in as the Headmaster of Hogwarts."
Dumbledore paused slightly, stroking his beard. "In what way did I reveal this fact?"
“Because if you’ve ever been inside,” Lynch said, extending a finger and lightly tapping the gray, veiled surface of the principal’s desk, “you couldn’t possibly have missed it.”
The moment the fingertip touched the tabletop, the entire principal's office, centered on the point of contact, rapidly faded, dissolved, and collapsed, like a sand painting being washed away by water.
A book with a soft silver sheen and an ancient, heavy appearance appeared out of thin air and hovered steadily beneath Lynch's fingertips.
In the blink of an eye, everything around them, including the chairs they were sitting on, disappeared, and Dumbledore and Lynch were transported from the headmaster's office to another space.
Dumbledore quickly looked around.
An endless, impenetrable darkness enveloped everything, except for the ground beneath one's feet, which was paved with countless smooth, white stone bricks that stretched forward seamlessly until they disappeared into the deep darkness at the edge of sight.
Lynch's gaze fell on the floating silver book in front of him. The cover of the book was forged from some strange metal, with several clear and powerful words etched on it: "The History Book of Hogwarts".
"This book," Lynch's voice was particularly clear in the quiet space. He reached out and opened the cover that shimmered with a metallic sheen, "can be said to be the handover records left by the successive headmasters, the true core memories of Hogwarts."
The four founders and every subsequent headmaster meticulously recorded everything they knew about the castle's deepest secrets—its magical structure, major events, and the truth behind the contracts—leaving nothing hidden.
He looked up at Dumbledore. "Your lack of knowledge of these crucial details proves that you have never set foot here."
He gently pushed the book in front of him, and the book glided smoothly across the space between them, hovering in front of Dumbledore: "But that's understandable."
Lynch's voice remained calm: "Your gaze is always fixed on a grander chessboard, worrying about the fate and future of the wizarding world, so it's easy to overlook the land beneath your feet that bears the foundation of magic for thousands of years."
When you take over as Headmaster of Hogwarts, you will already be a renowned and powerful wizard.
This magical contract from Hogwarts is only a nice bonus for you, so naturally you won't take it to heart.
And when you truly need to draw upon this power to confront the formidable enemy that has driven you to the brink of despair, your entire focus is concentrated on that powerful threat, seeking only that the power is "usable" and "easy to use." How can you possibly have the time or inclination to trace its true source and mysteries?