HP: Fantastic Beasts And The Right Way To Use Them - 305

Chapter 305: So, Is It Time to Start Fighting?

"So that is how it was."

In a corner of the pasture, a young man stood with a kneazle cradled in one arm and a suitcase dangling from the other. After listening to the old woman in front of him haltingly finish her story, a look of dawning understanding flickered through Evans's eyes.

If every person and creature that died in this world became a ghost or a wraith, then it really would deserve to be called a dark age.

Just imagining an earth overrun with ghosts and wraiths, all crowding together in some grotesque grand spectacle, made Evans shiver.

"So, Hogwarts was founded during the Dark Age?" Evans asked.

There was no record whatsoever of this Dark Age in wizarding history, whereas the history of Hogwarts's founding was extremely detailed. That was why the entire wizarding world took it for granted that Hogwarts had been established after the Dark Age had ended.

But one look at the sheer number of ghosts and wraiths in the school made it obvious Hogwarts had not been built after that era.

What was more, even after the Dark Age, Hogwarts continued to spawn a considerable number of ghosts and wraiths, wandering the castle day in and day out. That ran very much contrary to how magic normally worked.

Under ordinary circumstances, ghosts and wraiths would disperse on their own once their wishes or obsessions were fulfilled. Even if nothing resolved their regrets, time would still wear them away until they faded.

Yet the ghosts and wraiths at Hogwarts were different. The oldest among them could be traced all the way back to the school's founding. Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher, for instance. And the Bloody Baron, who had previously led Evans down into the dungeons to look for a wraith.

According to Sir Podmore, a fair number of the wraiths had existed for close to a thousand years as well. The knight himself had died and become a wraith eight centuries ago.

Those wraiths had long since let go of any hatred in their hearts. Their days in the dungeon were spent either throwing parties or ambling about at leisure. Some of the more mischievous ones even drifted up into the castle proper just to frighten young witches and wizards who wandered into secluded corners.

Why were the wraiths and ghosts at the school behaving in such an abnormal way? Was it because Hogwarts had been founded in the middle of the Dark Age? But by this Hufflepuff lady's account, that era and the wraiths of that time had all been sealed away by Merlin's plan.

In that case... could it be that the founding of Hogwarts and that seal were connected somehow?

Evans pondered in silence for a moment, then gave a small shake of his head and pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.

He could discuss all of this with Professor Dumbledore and the others later. Right now, there were more pressing matters to deal with.

"Yes. Hogwarts was established during the Dark Age, and it was one of the keys that allowed that era to end."

The old woman's face still carried that perfect, gentle smile, but looking closely, Evans could clearly see a trace of stiffness in it.

The corner of his mouth quirked up. He set the suitcase on the ground and, seemingly at random, flipped open one of its latches as he said, "Since you have finished telling me everything you wanted to say, does that mean it is time for the part where we start fighting?"

"You thing that has taken over Lady Hufflepuff...?"

At his words, the smile on Lady Hufflepuff's face froze.

"Let me guess. Since Merlin chose to seal away all knowledge of the Dark Age, that knowledge must carry some kind of danger, must it not?" Evans's tone sounded analytical, but it was firm, almost certain. "For example, if I simply learn that knowledge, something unpleasant happens to me?"

"I already explained, did I not? That knowledge only..."

The expression on Lady Hufflepuff's face grew even stiffer as she tried to explain. But before she could finish, Evans shook his head and cut across her.

"No. It is not that sort of danger."

A relaxed smile curved his lips as he placed a finger on another latch of the suitcase.

"I think the danger lies in the knowledge itself. Once I know it, certain conditions are fulfilled, and you gain the ability to influence me."

In the wizarding world, knowledge had always been a dangerous thing, never mind knowledge that had been completely erased from history.

"This space may well have been created by the four Founders of Hogwarts, but something is definitely wrong with it now."

"I imagine the strange pauses when you were talking just now must also have something to do with those problems, must they not?"

"I admit, the things you told me were certainly secretive enough. But it is obvious that a huge portion is missing. There is a great deal I wanted to know that you never even mentioned. You did not say a single word about how the so-called Dark Age actually ended."

"And I do not believe the Founders of Hogwarts went to all the trouble of leaving a place like this behind simply to give future generations a history lesson on how the Dark Age began. Would you not agree?"

As Evans spoke, the old woman's smile slowly faded. Wisps of mist began to seep from her body and from the ground around her.

"When did you realise?"

"To be honest, I never completely believed you from the start." Evans's expression remained easy-going. He even had the leisure to push a few stray strands of hair away from his eyes. "After all, we originally came here to deal with a curse powerful enough to affect a Chimera. How could a place founded by the Hogwarts Founders be home to such a curse?"

His smile brightened a notch. He pointed lazily at the blackish mist drifting from the old woman's side.

"Of course, you could argue the curse only appeared after you created this place. But it does not hurt to be a little suspicious, does it?"

"If you were truly Lady Hufflepuff through and through, I do not believe you would attack me over such a small slight. Yet that stuff clinging to you does not look like anything a good person ought to have, does it?"

"...You tricked me?"

The old woman's face darkened. The black fog billowing off her grew even thicker.

"I would not say I tricked you, exactly. I think my reasoning just now was fairly sound." Evans cocked his head slightly. "So you admit you are the shadow that has taken over Lady Hufflepuff?"

"In that case, my dear Headmaster and the others should be in the same situation as I am, facing the other Founders right now, yes?"

"Hmph."

She did not answer his question. Instead, the old woman lifted her head and stared at the young man before her with an eerie look in her eyes.

The grey-black mist at her side suddenly swelled and surged up, wrapping around her completely as it spread in all directions.

"If I were facing all of you at once, I might have reason to be afraid. But you are alone, and so very young. Even if you are Merlin's heir, your body cannot possibly hold much magic yet."

"I can finish you off in the shortest possible time, then go and help the others..."

Her voice broke off. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the young man standing opposite her.

Because as she had been speaking, the young man had already flipped open the suitcase beside him.

A gigantic panther-like cat leapt out of the case, landing as light as a shadow. Its soul-snaring eyes fixed on her with a chill, unblinking stare.