After leaving the Headmaster's office, Erwin made his way to the Room of Requirement. He requested a quiet space and began to analyze Gryffindor's divine power.
He gently waved his hand, and a red energy swirled around his palm—Gryffindor's power itself.
The instant it appeared, Slytherin's portrait within the Slytherin common room and the Ravenclaw diadem both seemed to awaken.
Slytherin's eyes held a mixture of nostalgia and sadness. "Godric," he whispered.
Through the crown, Ravenclaw watched the red light in Erwin's hand, her thoughts drifting. It felt like she was seeing Godric again, the four of them building Hogwarts together.
She recalled them evading Muggle persecution, creating a sanctuary for wizards, and how the entire magical world expanded from that foundation. It was their golden era, one they could never forget.
Purple energy began to swirl around Erwin, mingling with the red. The moment they touched, the divine power trembled violently.
Erwin let out a soft sound of interest. "Fascinating."
He realized Gryffindor's energy was unexpectedly intense. Using an analogy, if the total energy flowing from the East to the West was one hundred units, seventy were consumed to construct authority, leaving thirty for those destined to wield divine power.
The four founders, however, had consumed roughly fifteen units just to comprehend this power. Gryffindor's share alone was at least six, while the other three shared the remaining nine.
In other words, Gryffindor's power was nearly double the others combined.
This was unexpected. Erwin had assumed Slytherin was the strongest, but Gryffindor's sheer brute force was far ahead.
It doesn't seem right. In fantasy settings, energy distribution is usually balanced.
Erwin pondered this. Was there a secret to Gryffindor's power?
He traced the energy while mentally reviewing the legends surrounding the founder. From what he could recall, there was nothing unusual.
Shaking his head, he gave up. There were simply no clues. As far as he knew, Gryffindor was just... Gryffindor.
Three days passed in a blur. Erwin had notified the professors beforehand, so although he was missing, no one was alarmed. Life at Hogwarts went on.
By the evening of the third day, the purple energy around Erwin began to dissipate. In its place, streaks of red light appeared, followed by green, blue, and yellow.
The four divine powers, representing the four founders, intertwined around him like halos, expanding until they touched the walls of the room.
Erwin exhaled. "Finally. Now for the final step."
He held his breath, and the purple energy returned. The moment it appeared, the four divine powers sensed a crisis. A wave of unease rippled through the condensed energy, causing it to tremble.
Erwin ignored it. Behind him, the authority of Death and the authority of the God of Magic began to operate, suppressing the four powers until they stabilized.
A purple haze drifted toward the four lights, enveloping and devouring them. Erwin closed his eyes, focusing entirely on controlling the erosion.
Time lost its meaning for him.
At Hogwarts, another Christmas had arrived. With Professor McGonagall promoted to Headmistress, the school hosted a special ball.
The event was lively, but several of the most prominent young witches remained unaccompanied, gathering on the sidelines.
No one dared to ask them to dance; everyone knew they were waiting for the most dazzling man in the wizarding world—Erwin Cavendish.
Outside the dance floor, Hermione sat at a table with Pansy Parkinson and Cho Chang. Pansy scanned the crowd, bored.
"Where is the Lord of the Wizarding World?" she grumbled. "It's been almost a month since he showed his face."
Hermione sighed. "Professor Snape said he's busy. He hasn't been at school lately."
"I wonder when he'll be back," Pansy said. "This ball is dreadfully dull without him."
The others nodded in agreement. It simply wasn't the same without Erwin.
The Christmas ball was a general success.
After the holidays, school life continued. Several months flew by. Erwin still hadn't returned; eleven months had passed since the end of the Triwizard Tournament.
At Hogwarts, everything seemed normal on the surface, but a strange tension was spreading throughout the wizarding world.