Although he kept complaining about Salazar verbally, Godric still described his experience to Rhys very seriously.
This was perhaps the most precious firsthand information regarding life and death.
"After something went wrong while I was comprehending my domain, it felt like I fell asleep and sank into an eternal slumber. Yes, I never reached the in-between place like other wizards do. I didn't even have the choice of reincarnating or becoming a ghost. That was the case until I felt a summons, and then I appeared outside this ruined house."
"With treatment like that, you're practically on par with those wizards who make Horcruxes," Rhys said, naturally not missing the opportunity to tease his old friend.
Gryffindor: "…"
"Oh right." When Godric mentioned ghosts, Rhys suddenly remembered Rowena, who was still trapped in the dungeon. So he told Gryffindor that Ravenclaw had chosen to turn herself into a ghost in order to obtain another form of longevity.
Godric stroked his beard, then suddenly asked, "What era is the outside world in now? I only just noticed—Salazar, you look very young. Even younger than when we first met. Has your research into immortality magic succeeded?"
Rhys nodded.
"Impressive!" Gryffindor slapped his thigh. "How did you manage it? I always thought you were the one most likely among us to make a breakthrough on this path—"
He suddenly fell silent, and his expression gradually became serious. After two seconds, he asked, "You didn't make a Horcrux, did you?"
Rhys: ???
Why does that sound so familiar? Why do all of you have such a terrible impression of me?!
"It was achieved through a completely legitimate method!" Rhys immediately refuted Godric's baseless suspicion. Then he shared his snake-like molting immortality method with Godric.
Gryffindor: "…"
To be honest, it sounded a little disgusting.
"Wait," he quickly realized the issue. "You said you molt once every hundred years, and you've molted nine times. Wouldn't that mean…"
"Yes. It's now been a thousand years since we founded Hogwarts. The world has already entered the 2K era."
"Then Helga, and ghost Rowena…"
"They're both alive and well. Rowena's form is a bit special, but Helga is very much alive," Rhys said, looking at Godric and bluntly pointing out that among the four of them, he was the only one in a peculiar state.
Godric: "…"
"Rowena turned into a ghost, but how did Helga manage it?" He eagerly began asking about the current situation of his old friends.
When Rhys mentioned Helga's "immortality strategy," he could not help feeling a little embarrassed, because her "immortality" was closely connected to him.
After learning that Helga had been "dragged" into the modern era by Salazar, Godric was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"That's too funny…"
After that, Rhys and Godric chatted for a while longer, until the sky began to grow dark.
"Time's about up," Godric sighed, looking at the dimming sky outside.
"Salazar, immersing yourself too deeply in illusions isn't a good thing."
"I know."
Silence returned to the Gaunt house.
"I could think of a way to bring you back to life. There are many methods," Rhys suddenly said, breaking the silence.
He felt that since he could summon Godric's consciousness back, making him "revive" might not be impossible.
Godric shook his head, refusing his old friend's kindness.
"There's no need. It's not what I want."
Rhys understood what his old friend meant.
The current Godric needed even a stone just to maintain his existence. His strength had completely vanished, and he could not even cast the simplest spell. To be revived in such a form was not something he would accept.
What he wanted was a dignified return, not charity from his old friends, nor to become a burden to them after being revived.
As for Hogwarts, which he cared about the most, with Salazar, Helga, and Rowena there, what was there for him to worry about?
If there was anything Godric still felt attached to, it was his old friends. But he believed that in his current state, becoming too entangled with them would bring more harm than good.
"Just knowing what Hogwarts is like a thousand years later is already enough," Godric said with an easy smile, preparing to leave.
Before dispersing on his own, he looked at Rhys seriously and said, "Salazar, don't feel sad about my departure. For me, it's just like having taken a nap. There's no pain, and certainly no emptiness. I don't want you to use that little trinket to call me out again."
He pointed at the Resurrection Stone ring in Rhys's hand.
"Wait." Rhys stopped Godric before his old friend left.
"What is it?"
"Do you have any unfinished wishes?"
Godric thought for a moment and blinked.
"How about you help me find and train a successor?"
Godric's words instantly stirred up a pile of unpleasant memories for Rhys. The face of a silver-haired girl appeared in his mind.
Seeing his old friend's expression change, Godric could not help laughing.
"Just kidding. A successor is something you should train yourself. But I remember that the Dumbledore you mentioned belongs to Gryffindor House, right? Then I'll designate him as my successor."
Rhys could not help complaining about his old friend's shamelessness.
Everyone else found children to teach and nurture as students, yet you simply pick a fully developed domain-level powerhouse as your successor?
The successor you chose is even older than you when you died!
Just then, a wave of heat washed over him, and Rhys instinctively narrowed his eyes. When he opened them again, Godric's figure had already disappeared.
The dilapidated cottage was empty once more, as though everything that had just happened had been nothing more than his imagination.
Rhys's fingers instinctively closed around the Resurrection Stone on the ring, and then he remembered the words Godric had left behind:
[I don't want you to use that little trinket to call me out again]
Setting aside that joking request about finding him a successor, this was probably Godric's final wish.
Rhys stood there, sinking into a long silence.
Outside the house, a bright moon slowly climbed into the sky.
"Haah.. goodbye, old friend.."
After an unknown length of time, Rhys let out a sigh inside the cottage.
He stretched his legs, which had grown somewhat stiff from standing, and was just about to walk out of the cottage when he suddenly stopped.
Something felt faintly wrong.
After thinking about it carefully for a while, Rhys found the source of the problem: the way Godric disappeared seemed different from the others.
To put it metaphorically, the departure of the others had been like frost melting under the sun, leaving no trace behind. But Godric's departure had been like a handful of sand scattered by the wind.
Perhaps that was simply Godric. Even the way he left was different from everyone else.
After his mind gradually calmed, Rhys turned to look outside the door—there was already a "guest" waiting there.
Stepping out of the Gaunt house, Rhys indeed saw Mr. Jamison Greengrass crouched beneath a large tree, waiting for him to come out of the cottage.
____
12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI