Hadn't it been said that the Resurrection Stone would only bring back relatives and friends? Why had it even brought back someone who had been his unruly student in a past life?
[Teacher, why do you look like that!!! Did I come at the wrong time?]
Seeing that his teacher had practically written impatience across his face, Adrian felt deeply wounded.
Rhys did not want to deal with him, but after thinking it over, he still wanted to ask Adrian something.
"Tell me the truth. Back then, did you secretly learn things from Godric?"
Adrian: …
[Teacher, how are my descendants doing now? They haven't sold off the family estate, have they?]
Rhys: …
Don't change the subject!
But seeing Adrian's expression, Rhys already understood. With a hint of irritation, he said that he had taken two more children from the Greengrass family as students.
[That's wonderful! Let them continue serving you!]
Adrian was delighted, but seeing his teacher's expression grow even more displeased, he vanished like a gust of wind.
…
Finally, no one else came in, and Rhys let out a long breath.
The Resurrection Stone was quite interesting.
He now understood why so many people who possessed the Resurrection Stone would eventually go mad, or even walk the path of suicide.
Indulging too deeply in memories of the past was not a good thing. But such a small trick had no effect on him. It was time to return to Hogwarts and use Riddle's soul fragment to heal Rowena.
"Salazar, long time no see."
Just as Rhys was about to put away the Gaunt ring and leave the Gaunt house, a voice he could not have been more familiar with sounded.
Rhys froze where he stood.
That voice was…
Hm?!
A figure with fiery red hair appeared at the doorway. His tall and sturdy body completely blocked the light coming in from outside.
Godric Gryffindor.
Someone Rhys would recognize even if he had turned to ashes.
But why was he here? A trace of confusion flashed through Rhys's mind. He looked at the red-haired man again, confirming his identity once more.
Then Rhys suddenly understood.
"So Godric had a twin brother all along. That fellow actually hid it from me for so long," Rhys said with a smile. "What's your name? He's the Golden Griffin, so are you the Silver Chimera?"
The red-haired man stood there without saying a word, simply watching him silently.
Rhys closed his mouth.
After a few seconds, he clenched his fists, the corners of his mouth stretching into an exaggerated grin.
"Good, good! Peverell, you've done well!" He gripped the Resurrection Stone ring. "What a fine trick, truly a fine trick! This time you really managed to deceive me—"
"Salazar, you should understand that it did not deceive you," the red-haired man finally spoke.
Rhys froze in place.
The final layer of pretense had been torn away by Godric.
Rhys felt a tremendous surge of magic rampaging through his body, almost boiling.
His magic spiraled out of control. Dark clouds instantly gathered over the sky above Little Hangleton.
The clouds rapidly accumulated and expanded, spreading at an astonishing speed to cover the entire county, then England, then the British Isles…
In an instant, the sun vanished from the sky across thousands of miles.
The North Sea began to tremble. The seawater slowly receded, exposing vast stretches of beach, leaving tens of thousands of fish stranded on the sand. Even a three-year-old child could walk along the shore and return with an armful of fish.
But no one would be foolish enough to do so. Everyone was fleeing inland as fast as they could. Only one thought filled their minds: get as far away from the coast as possible.
A natural disaster was about to descend.
The barely controlled Rhys raised the Gaunt ring and held it up. The Resurrection Stone, engraved with the Peverell crest, faced his eyes directly, and in the mirror-like surface of the gem a trace of madness was reflected.
Crack!
A fracture appeared in the stone. A shrill scream burst from within, and wisps of black smoke began to pour out.
Under the impact of the overwhelming magic, Voldemort's soul fragment was destroyed.
"Salazar," Godric's voice sounded again beside Rhys's ear, "that's enough. Stop."
The magic inside Rhys stalled for a moment, then gradually settled down.
The dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and the sea returned to normal, leaving behind only a large group of frightened Muggles and news of the event spreading in every direction.
Whether anyone with ulterior motives would notice this strange phenomenon remained to be seen.
Before the clouds completely dispersed, Rhys remembered something. He maintained their presence a little longer, letting a light drizzle fall.
Forget about these things. They were never meant for you to know, Rhys said silently in his heart.
After dealing with all this, Rhys finally calmed down completely.
He turned to look at the man who had already stepped into the ruined house and said to him, "Long time no see, Godric."
Godric nodded in greeting to Rhys.
"So you appearing here means… you're dead?"
"That should be the case."
Rhys's words were rather blunt, but Godric was not angry at all. Why get upset with an old friend who was simply stating a fact?
"That shouldn't be possible. It makes no sense. Even Rowena managed to find a way to cling to life—"
"But I am me, and Rowena is Rowena. We are different." Godric spread his hands, indicating that he truly was not very skilled in that regard.
"Then what about the Seer's prophecy?" Rhys's mind raced rapidly. "This doesn't match the prophecy at all. Some will grow old, some will leave and never return, some will grow tired and lie down for a nap somewhere, and some will die. Rowena has already taken the 'death' slot!"
"A prophecy is just a prophecy. I've never really believed in them. And aren't you afraid Rowena will come looking for trouble if she hears you say that?" Godric complained about his old friend's words.
"How would she know? Will you visit her in a dream?" Rhys sneered. "I really can't understand how you ended up like this…"
"What's wrong? Is my current state really that embarrassing? I embraced death the same way I would greet an old friend." Godric still refused to back down.
He would never show weakness in front of Salazar, especially after meeting again after so many years.
"I just made a small mistake while comprehending my domain. I turned myself into countless particles, smaller than the finest dust in the world… and it seems I can't change back."
Rhys: …
"What an unexpected ending," he said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
After chatting with Godric for a while, Rhys gradually calmed down.
Now a question arose in Rhys's mind: "When I turned the Resurrection Stone just now, Godric, what did you feel?"
Godric: ???
Even in this state, you still want to use me for an experiment?!
____
12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI