Chapter 343: Founders Tests
Chapter 343: Founders Tests
“What should we do now?” Ron asked hesitantly.
After seeing the horrible nightmarish statues in the room, Ron’s deep feelings of uneasiness grew stronger.
Reason told him that going deeper meant big trouble waiting ahead.
He wanted to leave, but he was reluctant to leave the magic item left by Gryffindor.
He looked at Sirius’s gloomy face, and looked at the proud Magorian again, and finally looked at Evan standing beside him, wondering what he was thinking.
If they went forward together, there should be no danger.
With Sirius and Evan there, he didn’t have to worry about anything he would encounter.
“Sirius, we…” Harry said worriedly. He was also frightened by the horrible monster statues he’d just seen in the room.
“Let’s go back!” said Sirius, staring fiercely at Magorian.
“Hold on, Sirius!” Hermione suddenly interrupted. “Why are we going back? No matter what the monsters in this room used to be, they’re just statues now. They can’t attack us at all.”
“The last time I came, I didn’t see them. The stone doors of these rooms were closed at that time.” Sirius looked at Hermione and explained, “It’s very obvious; those things inside are obviously very evil and dangerous. They’re beyond our capabilities. I don’t want you to take risks.”
“We have nothing to lose now,” Evan said. “I don’t think it’s a risk. It’s about getting the truth of what happened!”
“That’s the Centaurs’ own business. It’s none of our business.” Sirius frowned.
“It’s not only the Centaur’s business. Firenze just told us that the moon, which represents the Centaurs’ devotion to evil gods, is intertwined with the trajectory of Mars, which represents the Wizarding War. Now it’s already of our business.” Evan looked at Sirius and said, “You know exactly what I’m talking about, we all know that Voldemort made Horcruxes. He’s not dead. Sooner or later, he’ll come back. If he calls the evil god back…”
“That has nothing to do with us, Dumbledore will handle it.” Sirius answered harshly. “I just want to protect you now.”
There was a sudden silence, and Evan didn’t know what to say.
“I know!” Harry hesitated for a moment.
He hugged Sirius tightly and whispered, “Sirius, you are the best godfather and professor of Défense Against the Dark Arts. But I think that Evan is right. Now we should go ahead and pass the Final Test, get the item left by Gryffindor, and unlock all its secrets.”
Sirius did not answer and looked at Harry in silence.
“If my father were here, he would definitely not back down.” Harry looked back at Sirius and said firmly, “Gryffindor may have left the object for the same purpose. He wanted us to help the Centaurs and test our courage and other qualities. You’ve been here before, trying to challenge the magic he had left, and here we are now…” At Harry’s words, Evan was immersed in thought.
It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps everything was as Harry said, and the current troubles were the challenges that the Four Founders had left deliberately, not by chance.
A thousand years ago, after telling the Four Founders about Hogwarts and Voldemort and the Horcruxes, and under the advice of Rowena Ravenclaw, they immediately prepared to leave a Secret Treasure to help future generations protect Hogwarts from the invasion of Dark wizards.
But this was only one aspect, not the whole reason why they did so.
As everyone knows, since the establishment of Hogwarts, the Four Founders had been arguing about their teaching philosophy and admission standards, and no one could convince the others.
They finally came to a compromise and merged part of their thinking into the Sorting Hat, hoping that it would pass on their respective ideas, no matter how long it took.
The main reason for leaving a Secret Treasure and setting tests was to test whether the students of later generations met their own requirements and inherited the qualities they were looking at.
Perhaps that was the case. All these troubles were deliberately left behind by the Four Founders.
However, with the magic power, vision of the Four Founders and the average level of the magic world a thousand years ago, the test they’ve left might have not been that difficult. But now it was way beyond the scope of the ability of today’s young wizards.
Evan gave a bitter laugh. He had thought too easily about the test the Four Founders had left behind.
From the current situation, Slytherin’s Treasure key was related to Herpo the Foul and the evil dark creature he had created with innumerable human souls, while Gryffindor’s treasure key was related to the Centaurs and the evil god they once worshiped.
It could be inferred that the tests left by Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff would not be simple.
However, what the Four Founders had left behind was not completely unsolved. Just like Slytherin’s powerful magic laid out in the underground relics, as long as the method was right, it could inspire and help future generations to overcome difficulties at critical moments, and even enhance their magic power.
Slytherin had set the condition that the person entering the ruins must carry one of the four items he left, the ring, the Locket, the wand, and the scepter.
Only by satisfying this condition could the magic he left be activated.
In Slytherin’s understanding, the young wizard who could carry the items he left behind, even if not his Heir, would certainly be a pure blood wizard.
To value bloodlines and origins, this was really in line with Slytherin’s style.
So whatever the magic Gryffindor would have left in this Temple, perhaps unparalleled courage was the key to conquer it!
“Let’s move on. It is the magical item and the test that Gryffindor himself left. All four of us are qualified to try.”
After a long silence, Sirius said slowly, “You’re right, Harry. I only considered your safety before, but I ignored your feelings. If James were here, he would not cower back.”
When he finished his words, he went up and gave Harry a big hug, his face full of relief.
The team continued to move forward and everyone circled up the empty passage.
The unexpected event made the atmosphere obviously tense. Everyone was on guard. No one spoke, and only their footsteps echoed in the ancient Temple.
“Sirius, before you came in, you reminded us to be careful. Some of the customs of the Centaurs are very evil and dangerous.” Hermione couldn’t help but ask, “But you just said you’ve never seen those statues before, so what’s the danger you’re referring to?”
“You’ll soon know the answer!” Sirius said, pointing to Magorian who had stopped. “Get ready, we are about to arrive at our destination.”