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Chapter 297: A Legendary Object, A Suddenly Appearing Name
🕑 Added 2025-02-15 20:05:27 +0000 UTCSometimes, one has to admit that Dumbledore is always full of surprises.
However, this is something that should be distinguished by whom it concerns, as not everyone is named Harry.
In fact, when Ino first entered the office, he might not have thought too much about it. But when all the headmaster portraits maintained a unified rhythm, snoring softly...
It seemed that the answer was already clear.
...
According to his original intention, he might have waited a little longer. However, with the mysterious room appearing, his desire to leave had no hesitation.
When it comes to setting a trap, there's no one in the entire castle who could outplay this elderly headmaster.
At the same time.
When Ino heard the sound, he stopped in his tracks.
"Professor! While I am curious, I know my limits. This is your office, and I'm not reckless..."
He only got halfway through his sentence before stopping abruptly, realizing that using house distinctions to make a point was inappropriate.
"This was unexpected!" Dumbledore's tone had a hint of disappointment, as if a prank had failed.
"But! Now that I'm here, aren't you curious?"
Upon hearing this, Ino raised his hand to rub his forehead, the slight dozing off earlier giving him the feeling of not being fully awake, making him a bit groggy.
But one thing was certain: tonight, he had to be curious. Dumbledore's hint was far too obvious.
"Alright, I'm curious!" Ino said, using the calmest expression to deliver the most emotion-filled statement.
"That's the spirit! If you're curious, then come with me." Dumbledore chuckled softly, his smile even having a touch of brightness and warmth.
...
Following Dumbledore, Ino entered a hidden magical door.
Once inside, Ino found that this place seemed to be an entirely different world. It wasn't the imagined secret chamber, but rather a very ordinary built-in office.
However, what was interesting was the color scheme here. The walls and ceiling were a warm shade of orange-red, making the room appear bright and cozy.
But amidst this bright orange-red, there was an intertwining of dark green, which at first glance seemed a bit strange, though fortunately, the dark green accents were not overwhelming.
The room wasn't very large, estimated to be less than twenty square meters, but every detail exuded the atmosphere of the Western Classical period.
In the center was a heavily carved pearwood table, ten feet long and three feet wide, large enough to comfortably fit even a troll.
However, despite such a large table, there were surprisingly few items on it.
A silver candlestick, but it wasn't burning with ordinary flames. Instead, it held the eternal flame known as Goblet of Fire.
Although Ino wasn't entirely familiar with Goblet of Fire, he did know some basic information about it—an advanced magic that had also appeared in the original story.
Once, under Dumbledore's instruction, Hagrid carried a torch lit with the Goblet of Fire to visit the giants. The giant chief was very pleased with this gift.
Though the Goblet of Fire was indeed magical, Ino didn't dwell on it much, instead focusing his attention on two other items on the table.
A two-foot-wide, ancient unrolled scroll, and a quill inserted into a dry ink bottle.
The scroll was spread open, but due to the distance and angle, Ino couldn't see what was written on it. However, the scroll's appearance was clearly visible.
The axle seemed to be made of obsidian, and the ends were inlaid with four differently colored gems: red, yellow, blue, and green.
Each gem emitted a soft and mysterious glow—fiery, deep, weighty, and calm—each color seemed to represent a type of knowledge or emotion.
When these four emotions intertwined, though there wasn't a direct image, they could evoke a vivid scene in one's mind.
It was as if one had traveled through time and space, back to over a thousand years ago.
Four outstanding wizards gathered here, in this small room, discussing their ideals and sharing topics of mutual interest.
...
Ino quietly observed the two items on the table. If he still couldn't guess what they were, he would have to be pretending to be a fool.
The foundation of Hogwarts' establishment: the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance.
After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, turning his attention to the other furnishings in the room.
A double window less than two feet wide, three floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and a vintage high-backed chair.
"I'm quite surprised!" Ino looked at Dumbledore with a sigh and cautiously asked:
"Logically speaking, this isn't a place I should be able to come to, so are you sure your mind is clear right now?"
"Hahaha! I'm very sure!" Dumbledore seemed to have been waiting for this moment, his laughter carrying a hint of pride, and even a bit of mischief at having succeeded in his prank.
"Although they often say I'm a crazy old man, quite unreliable, most of the time, my mind is quite clear, like right now."
After the laughter, Dumbledore's expression gradually became serious.
"Ino, in fact, you could have come here two years ago—not just here, but anywhere in the castle. And this power wasn't granted by me, but by Hogwarts itself."
As he spoke, Dumbledore had already moved behind the table, his intention clear as he waved his hand.
Seeing this, Ino didn't hesitate and walked over as well.
He was also very curious about the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance. These two items could truly be considered the foundation of Hogwarts, among the most core of all items.
Hogwarts could exist without the castle, without the Sorting Hat, and even without any other unimportant things, but it absolutely could not exist without the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance.
After all, the most important thing for a magical school is its student body.
And these two items are what truly monitor the entirety of the British Isles. Once they detect a child's magic awakening, the Quill of Acceptance will rise and record the young witch or wizard's name in the Book of Admittance.
In short, with these two items, even if you were simply operating out of a carriage, you could call yourself Hogwarts.
This is no exaggeration.
Similarly, a castle without the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance would merely be just a castle.
...
At Dumbledore's indication, Ino finally saw the contents of the Book of Admittance.
Surprisingly, the two-foot scroll didn't contain rows upon rows of names. Instead, it was a nebula formed by the intertwining of red, yellow, blue, and green colors.
But the Book of Admittance seemed to have a consciousness of its own. Upon realizing it was being observed, the swirling nebula vanished, replaced by a long list of names.
Written in red, yellow, blue, and green ink:
'Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor... Phelida Spore, Dilys Derwent, Phineas Black... Armando Dippet, Albus Dumbledore...'
Ino looked down the list from top to bottom. However, when he reached Dumbledore's name written in red ink, another green name suddenly appeared in the blank space further down:
"…Ino Swinburne."
