The moment my feet touched the familiar stone of Hogwarts, I let out a slow breath I didn't even realize I'd been holding.
Half a year.
Half a year trapped in one of the most dangerous tombs in magical history—fighting dragons, basilisks, Inferi, golems, and puzzles that could kill us with a single mistake. And yet… we survived.
Barely.
Salazar and I didn't even exchange many words after arriving. The moment we crossed the castle threshold, we split—him to his chambers, me straight to my lab. Priorities.
Naturally.
I didn't waste a second.
Every artifact, every manuscript, every fragment of power we had stolen from Herpo's tomb was carefully stored in my lab's reinforced storeroom. Layer after layer of wards sealed the area—anti-theft, anti-tampering, anti-explosion… especially anti-explosion.
Then I got to work.
Herpo's cloak.
I had been studying it for days now, barely sleeping, barely eating—completely absorbed. And honestly?
It was insane.
"Every… single… thread…" I muttered, running my fingers across the fabric.
Each thread contained a rune. Not just simple runes—layered, interwoven magical constructs that formed a living network of enchantments. Defensive spells, counter-curses, adaptive wards… it was like someone had taken every known branch of magic and stitched them together into one perfect garment.
"This isn't just craftsmanship," I whispered to myself. "This is obsession."
And genius.
I tested it thoroughly—carefully.
Of course, I wasn't stupid enough to just wear it immediately.
Instead, I used one of my muggle experimental subjects. I placed the cloak on them, activating its functions slowly, watching every fluctuation of magic with my enhanced perception.
No backlash.No hidden curse.No soul-binding.
Nothing.
Clean.
Which was… surprising.
"A dark wizard like Herpo not placing a curse on his greatest creation?" I frowned slightly. "Either he was arrogant… or he didn't think anyone would ever reach it."
Either way, his mistake.
Once I was satisfied, I took the cloak back and draped it over my shoulders.
Immediately, I felt it.
The magic wrapped around me like a second skin—protective, responsive, alive. My defenses skyrocketed. Layers of automatic shielding, passive detection spells, even subtle enhancements to my movement and presence.
I flicked my wand slightly—vanishing from sight.
"Invisibility… seamless," I murmured, reappearing.
Another thought—and I lifted slightly off the ground.
"Flight too…"
A slow smile spread across my face.
"This… is mine now."
Only after satisfying my obsession did I finally leave the lab.
Maybe… a little late.
Walking through the castle halls again felt… strange. Warmer. Livelier. There were more students now—voices echoing, footsteps rushing, magic flickering everywhere.
They'd grown.
The school had grown.
And I… hadn't been here for any of it.
That realization sat uncomfortably in my chest.
When I entered the founders' meeting room—the future Headmaster's office—the others were already there.
Godric.Helga.Rowena.…and Salazar, of course.
All eyes turned to me.
Godric was the first to break into a grin. "Well, look who finally decided to return from the dead."
I rolled my eyes slightly. "We weren't gone that long."
"Half a year," Helga said gently. "We were worried."
…Right.
I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "Yeah… sorry about that."
We gave them a simplified version of our journey—very simplified.
Ancient tomb.Dangerous traps.Some loot.
No mention of basilisks, soul experiments, or just how close we came to dying multiple times.
They didn't need to know.
Then they filled us in.
More students had arrived.
The school had expanded.
And… attacks.
Powerful wizarding families had made moves against Hogwarts while we were gone.
My expression darkened slightly.
"I should've been here," I muttered.
Salazar crossed his arms but didn't argue. For once, he seemed to share the sentiment.
Godric shook his head. "We handled it. That's what we're here for."
Helga smiled softly. "You've done enough already."
Maybe.
Didn't feel like it.
Then came the final piece of news.
Rowena spoke it casually.
"I had a daughter while you were gone."
…
My brain paused.
"A… daughter?" I repeated.
She nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. "Helena. Helena Ravenclaw."
Something twisted in my chest.
It wasn't sharp.
Not painful.
Just… something.
A faint echo of something I used to feel.
Jealousy.
I looked at her—really looked at her—and for a moment, I remembered that stupid crush. The blushes, the confusion, the rejection.
Then I exhaled slowly.
It passed.
"I see," I said calmly. "Congratulations."
And I meant it.
Mostly.
I had moved on.
I had moved on.
As the meeting wrapped up, I leaned back slightly, my mind already drifting.
Back to my lab.Back to the artifacts.Back to the knowledge.
Herpo's manuscripts.His cloak.His wand.
Secrets of immortality…
My fingers twitched slightly.
There was so much left to uncover.
So much left to understand.
And this time…
I wasn't going anywhere.