HP: The Duelist of Hogwarts - 421

Chapter 421: Kulkan’s Journey

Antonis’s existence was not something that could be openly advertised, but since Dumbledore knew about him, it was only natural that Gavin could be told as well.

“You mean… Antonis? The Alchemy master from a thousand years ago?”

“Oh? Grandfather, you know Professor Antonis?”

“Yes, I know of him. Every pure-blood family has its own collection of books. I have read through the Bulstrode family library. I remember seeing that name, so it left an impression. I did not read that volume in detail at the time, so I do not know much more. Once things settle down, you and I can go back and look for it. We may be able to find more information about him.”

That was a pleasant surprise.

Once Gavin’s flesh-rot had been temporarily pushed back, Sean helped him restore the office to normal before leaving and returning to the Slytherin common room. When he stepped inside, he found Marcellus Bulstrode, Malfoy, Pansy, Goyle, Crabbe, and a group of sixth and seventh-year Slytherins from the old Brotherhood reserve chapter gathered together, holding court loudly and looking very pleased with themselves.

The moment Sean appeared, their voices dropped. Every one of them knew the previous Slytherin Brotherhood reserve chapter had been dissolved because of Sean. Coupled with Sean’s overbearing attitude and overwhelming strength, none of them were eager to cross paths with him.

Sean was fully aware that the Slytherin Brotherhood reserve chapter had crawled back from the ashes, but he had no interest in wasting energy on it now. Barrett had already climbed into the Brotherhood’s upper ranks and pulled several middle and lower members to his side. He already controlled a portion of its power. If he continued as planned, he would eventually gain influence over most of the organisation. Once Sean could exert pressure over the Brotherhood as a whole, a little reserve chapter inside Hogwarts would hardly matter.

Ignoring them entirely, Sean walked straight to his room. The voices behind him rose again, full of swagger. Sean just shook his head lightly.

A bunch of windbags.

To be fair, after three or four years of being forced to keep his head down under Sean’s heel, Marcellus had been waiting for a chance to redeem himself. Now he was finally strutting again, determined to wipe away the shame. At present, he even faintly overshadowed Malfoy, the crown prince of second-generation Dark families. Within Slytherin, his background was among the very top. Of course, he was going to vent three years’ worth of pent-up resentment.

Back in his room, Sean saw that Kulkan was awake again, gnawing on something unknown. As he changed clothes, he asked, “All rested? Ready to tell me where you have been all this time?”

Kulkan used her tail to hook a napkin closer and wiped her mouth delicately before answering, “I went to the place ordinary people call the Bermuda Triangle. I fought the magical creatures in the depths there and eventually obtained part of the ancestral Feathered Serpent’s remains.”

She said it in a light, offhand way, but Sean had the strong feeling that whatever Kulkan had run into was at least as dangerous as what he had faced himself. Just as he did not want to burden Kulkan with everything he had been through, she clearly did not want him to know what she had gone through either.

“In short,” Kulkan continued, “my Feathered Serpent bloodline is now much purer. As long as I grow and awaken in an orderly fashion, everything else will follow.”

“You said ‘ancestral Feathered Serpent.’ How is that different from the Feathered Serpent we met in the Brazilian rainforest?”

“How to put it…” Kulkan thought for a moment, then said, “They’re both Feathered Serpents, but it’s like Snape and Salazar Slytherin. Both are tied to Slytherin House, but they’re nowhere near the same level. It’s the same with the ancestral Feathered Serpent and that Brazilian one.”

Not human, indeed.

Sean listened to her convoluted analogy, then snapped his fingers lightly. “I get it. You mean this ancestral Feathered Serpent is older, with purer blood and far greater power. The Brazilian one was a later specimen from a bloodline on the verge of extinction, its heritage thin and weakened. Right?”

“Exactly, exactly!” Kulkan slapped the table with her tail in approval. “That is the difference. The last Feathered Serpent helped me a lot, but it had already lost many of the true abilities of our kind. The ancestral Feathered Serpent has filled those gaps.”

“Filled them in? So you have gained more abilities?”

“When I grow, I will be able to command the winds, rain, clouds, and mists over a wide area, as well as thunder, lightning, blizzards, and ice. I will also be able to accelerate the growth of plants and enrich the natural environment. If I can grow to my peak and fully restore the ancestral bloodline, I will even be able to wield light and flame and become a second sun…

“Of course, even Feathered Serpents in the ancient age could not truly do that. My chances of reaching that level are slim. I am not pinning my hopes on it. If I can just gain a little control over light and fire, that will be an amazing gift already.”

Commanding wind and rain…

Controlling thunder and ice…

And then shaping plants, light, and fire.

The more Sean thought about it, the more it felt like he was the one gradually turning into a Feathered Serpent, not Kulkan.

He shook his head and looked back at her. “All right. If you have nothing urgent going on, stay at Hogwarts for a while. But remember, avoid a woman named Umbridge. She is trouble.”

“Umbridge? Who is that? How do I recognise her?”

“If you see a person who looks like a walking toad, that is Umbridge. Just remember that.”

“Oh. That is very distinctive.”

With that, Kulkan darted up and looped herself around Sean’s neck, rubbing her head against his cheek and purring, “Mmm, Sean, you wretch, I missed you so much. Did you miss me?”

Sean pushed her head away and put on a disgusted face. “You disappear at the drop of a hat, then pop back up whenever you like, and you still have the nerve to ask if I missed you?”

“So did you or did you not?”

“No.”

“I do not believe you.”

Kulkan started butting her head against his cheek again, over and over, clearly intent on continuing until he gave the answer she wanted.

Seeing her like that, Sean could not help laughing. He relented. “All right, all right. I did. I thought about you all the time. Satisfied?”

Kulkan stopped, snorted, and said, “That is more like it. But I did not miss you. You are just flattering yourself.”

Rolling his eyes, Sean grabbed her, tied her into a loose knot, and tossed her onto the bed. Then he lowered his head and went back to his reading.