It was originally intended to be a reading session.
But since there was still a palace in his space, Dylan decided to flash back into the pet space.
He placed the palace on the isolated island where the seven Dementors were originally confined.
So he wasn't entirely sure if Ravenclaw knew about the palace's existence.
Dylan didn't immediately go to check out the palace on the isolated island.
After all, he had already thoroughly searched it before, and hadn't missed anything.
And now the entire palace was already situated in his world, so there was no need for him to rush to inspect its condition.
Instead, he turned and went to the wooden house at the boundary of the forest and the ocean.
He immediately saw Ravenclaw watering flowers.
"Good morning."
Seeing Dylan, Ravenclaw greeted him.
Dylan nodded, "Good morning."
Ravenclaw smiled and said, "I've calculated it, your nights and days here seem to run on normal time as well."
Dylan didn't deny it. "That's right, though the world isn't entirely perfect yet. But in time, I believe this space will become more and more like a true world."
Ravenclaw nodded in agreement. "I think so too."
She paused her watering.
"Yesterday, I carefully observed this world, and I found that many details are driven by very mysterious forces, not just the reproduction of creatures or the growth of plants."
"If someone were to extensively damage this world, these forces seem to restore the ecosystem at an incredibly rapid pace."
"However, I want to further investigate what this power is, but I find myself completely at a loss."
Dylan chuckled.
If you could easily figure it out, wouldn't the millions of Galleons I spent be for nothing?
But while he thought that, he said, "I believe if you persist, you'll certainly make progress."
Seeing that Ravenclaw didn't seem to know he had already acquired her legacy treasure, Dylan didn't directly mention that he had moved the entire palace in. Instead, he asked, "Headmistress, did you leave behind any legacy before? Like a treasure, perhaps?"
"Legacy? Treasure?" Ravenclaw paused.
After a moment of thought, she shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps, but it might have appeared after I did."
Her slender finger gently tapped her pearly chin.
"Given my character, I believe that if one day I knew I was going to die, I would likely leave my private property, including all the knowledge I could, as a legacy for future generations, to enlighten more people."
Dylan nodded.
No matter how much Ravenclaw in his world seemed like a real person, Dylan never forgot that, ultimately, she had come out of a portrait.
Therefore, she couldn't be treated as the real Ravenclaw.
Of course, whether or not she was the real Ravenclaw was irrelevant to Dylan now.
He didn't need to consider any of that.
Regardless, the one standing before him was Ravenclaw.
"I see."
Dylan suddenly flipped his palm, and a small library appeared in his hand.
Ravenclaw raised an eyebrow, her gaze fixed on the small object.
"What is this?"
"It's for storing books."
Dylan smiled. "Merry Christmas, Headmistress Ravenclaw."
"Christmas?"
Ravenclaw's eyes widened slightly. "Is it Christmas today? Oh, then I haven't had time to prepare a gift for you—"
"No need, Headmistress. Your management of this entire world within my space is the greatest gift to me."
Upon hearing this, Ravenclaw's eyebrows relaxed, her eyes sparkling with the clear brilliance unique to a seeker of knowledge.
She nodded slightly, a perfectly curved smile gracing her lips, a gentle warmth spreading from her mouth, not ostentatious, but infinitely tender.
"Then thank you for the Christmas gift. This is the first gift I've received since becoming aware again, and I truly love it."
The morning sunlight slanted across the boundary of the ocean and the forest.
Dewdrops on the jagged leaves of ferns reflected a hint of light.
Ravenclaw reached out and took the magical library from Dylan.
It was very small.
About the size of a palm.
Ravenclaw felt it for a moment, then opened her eyes. "A magical artifact? Are these all books inside?"
Dylan nodded. "Yes, I transcribe all the books I've read and put them in there. Besides that, there are also some manuscripts you can look at."
Ravenclaw tilted her head at his words, then pulled open the small door of the magical library.
Her consciousness delved inside.
Indeed, there were many books.
Some were brand new.
But a portion of them looked quite old, the parchment even yellowing.
She casually pulled one out.
However, when she unfurled it, she was surprised to find that the manuscript was actually a draft she had written when she was researching memory charms.
Ravenclaw looked up, her eyes rippling with a hint of surprise as she stared at Dylan.
"This... child, did you borrow this from the library?"
Dylan shook his head. "No, I found this in a palace."
The sea breeze blew, and though blocked by the trees behind them, it still ruffled Dylan's hair.
"A palace?" Ravenclaw suddenly realized something. "Just now, you asked if I had left behind any legacy or treasures. Did you mean this?"
It must be said, Ravenclaw's reaction was quite swift.
A smart mind moves quickly.
She instantly understood the hidden meaning behind a previous sentence, a previous event.
Dylan admitted directly, "That's right. Yesterday, I discovered a palace, and it was indeed the treasure you left behind."
Ravenclaw paused. "It seems then that I truly am just a painting, because I remember nothing about this legacy."
Dylan blinked. "Perhaps it wasn't a place you specifically left as a legacy. After all, isn't Hogwarts itself your legacy?"
"Is that so?" Ravenclaw smiled faintly.
This child certainly knows how to speak. With such sweet words, he must be very well-liked at school.
"I wonder, could I see this palace you mentioned?"
"Of course, I already brought the palace into the space yesterday."
Ravenclaw's eyelashes fluttered.
She had actually sensed some commotion from the ocean yesterday.
After all, a large surge of magic suddenly entering would easily disturb the magical balance of this world.
At the time, she was studying the ecosystem of this world.
After the appearance of that immense magical energy, although there was a moment of magical turbulence, the entire world quickly calmed it down.
She had thought Dylan was conducting some research.
Especially since he had specifically told her not to approach the deep ocean.
It turned out that this little fellow had moved her entire palace into the space.
"Let's go."
Dylan turned to look at the distant sea.
The morning mist gathered into a translucent curtain, then was scattered by the wind.
Dylan snapped his fingers gently.
Immediately, fallen leaves from the forest and seawater from the ocean converged towards them.
Then, they formed a cloud-like entity beneath their feet.
Dylan stepped onto it.
Then, he extended his hand, inviting Ravenclaw to join him.
"Thank you."
Ravenclaw extended her hand.
Dylan took it.
Then, with a gentle pull, he brought her up.
Immediately after, the mass of leaves and water beneath their feet began to move.
It swiftly vanished towards the depths of the ocean.
Norberta and Coal weren't sure if they were still asleep.
At any rate, Dylan didn't see them.
However, when he brought Ravenclaw to the isolated island, he found the two creatures already squatting outside the palace's main gate.
Dylan paused.
Ravenclaw blinked. "Yesterday, I saw that dragon bringing the little one flying towards the ocean. It seems they stayed here all night."
Norberta and Coal were both dozing off right now.
The red-eyed and blue-eyed stone statues in front of the palace dared not utter a sound.
Perhaps they were considering this new thing that their master had brought back.
The two little ones didn't dare to act rashly or cause damage.
But yesterday, when the red-eyed stone statue was suddenly thrown into this world by Dylan, it was bewildered for quite a while.
It then saw a dragon, accompanied by a pitch-black creature, flying towards them.
It was startled.
It tried to talk to these two creatures to see if it could get any clues, but it was slapped a hundred and eighty times by that black cat.
Its soul was already in pain from being tormented by Dylan's Cruciatus Curse.
The red-eyed stone statue then realized that being slapped by this black thing not only hurt its body, but also caused its soul to ache faintly.
Finally, it and the blue-eyed stone statue dared not make a sound.
They just stood there in silence, confronting each other, enduring an entire night.
They finally managed to last until those two creatures fell asleep.
But then they dared not make any noise, lest they wake these two inexplicable creatures.
"Moo?"
Upon Dylan's arrival, Coal was the first to sense it.
It groggily opened its eyes.
Realizing it was indeed its master, Coal instantly became alert, leaping off Norberta and jumping towards Dylan.
Dylan steadily caught it and held it in his arms.
He turned to Ravenclaw beside him. "Headmistress, this is the place of inheritance you once left behind. I found not only your manuscripts but also a laboratory and many magical materials inside."
He didn't mention the Galleons.
Whether Ravenclaw knew she had left such a large sum of money or not, it was his now anyway.
"Is that so? It sounds less like a place of inheritance and more like my private experimental facility."
Dylan nodded, agreeing with her assessment.
Meanwhile, as the two approached, the red-eyed and blue-eyed stone statues also awakened.
Although they didn't need to sleep, they could enter a dormant state to prevent their souls from being overly depleted.
And when they clearly saw the woman standing beside Dylan, both statues were stunned!
The red and blue gems on their eyes flickered continuously.
"This... this, this, this..."
The red-eyed statue stammered, unable to speak.
The blue-eyed statue, however, remained silent, staring intently at Ravenclaw, its blue gem eyes flashing with a strange light.
"How... how could this be?"
Ravenclaw looked at the two statues at the palace entrance.
Seeing their reaction, her expression shifted slightly.
"Dylan told me you are the guardian beasts of this palace? And since this was once my palace, then you must know me?"
The red-eyed statue was still stammering, unable to speak.
But the blue-eyed statue spoke in a deep voice, "Rowena?"
Ravenclaw was slightly startled to hear the familiar voice.
The sea breeze carried fine sand, brushing against her robes.
Her gaze fell upon the blue-eyed statue.
"You... are Everett?"
The blue-eyed statue also paused.
"You've forgotten me? No, you can still recognize my voice. You are now..."
The blue-eyed statue was at a loss for words.
Ravenclaw paused. "Forgive me, I've forgotten some things."
Her gaze swept over the statue, then to the palace it guarded behind it.
"How did you come to be this way?"
The red-eyed statue also reacted.
This Ravenclaw in front of him didn't seem to be the Ravenclaw he remembered?
The blue-eyed statue fell silent for a moment.
"Forgotten? Perhaps it's for the best."
Dylan watched Ravenclaw's reaction to the two statues from the side, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Ravenclaw seemed very familiar with this blue-eyed statue.
He cleared his throat. "Headmistress Rowena, do you... know these two statues? Yesterday, when I met them, they said that you were the one who confined them here."
"I confined them?" Ravenclaw slightly regained her composure, her gaze flickering.
"I'm not sure, but..."
Ravenclaw looked back at the blue-eyed statue. "He is Everett Thorne, and also... my former husband."
Huh?!
Dylan's eyes widened slightly.
Ravenclaw's husband?
"You mean... he's Helena's father?"
Ravenclaw nodded gently.
Dylan was a bit dumbfounded.
Given Ravenclaw's character, she wouldn't cruelly confine someone's soul in a statue, would she?
Based solely on the red-eyed statue's description yesterday, he had speculated that it might have been two people who had offended Ravenclaw in the past, and she punished them by confining them here to guard her legacy palace.
And looking at the red-eyed statue's petty demeanor, it truly seemed like a strong possibility.
But then again, on reflection, the blue-eyed statue didn't seem to have actually done anything too egregious, nor did it exhibit the petty demeanor of the red-eyed statue.
Perhaps his demand for Dylan to throw the key into his mouth was merely to fulfill Ravenclaw's instructions to him?
"He was once a wizard, or..."
Ravenclaw shook her head. "He was just a Muggle. As I recall, after we had Helena, he didn't adapt to life in the wizarding world, so he eventually separated from me."
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