After leaving the Ministry of Magic, the two walked only a few hundred meters south before arriving at the foot of the mountain, where a bustling crowd of travelers looked up at the temples, which carried a heavy weight of history.
Greece has always been a country deeply intertwined with mythology, and it is also one of the origins of Western civilization.
However, it was regrettable that he also genuinely saw some ancient magic-patterned stone carvings in the various temples. It was clear that the Wizards of the Greek Ministry of Magic had also participated to some extent in the restoration of the temples.
Otherwise, some distorted and strange bytes would have appeared…
Unfortunately, these things held much less value for him.
The ancient sacrificial uses had long disappeared, let alone the frequent occupation by various religions and the impact of wars over so many years.
It was already quite remarkable that they could still be restored and stand here.
Harry looked at the magnificent temples, finally unable to suppress the doubt in his heart.
"Uncle Howl, what kind of magic did the ancient Greek Wizards perform thousands of years ago?"
Howl thought for a moment, then pointed to the neatly arranged stone pillars, and the various replicas of stone wall carvings and murals.
"In ancient times, in the era of nature worship, deities did not yet have concrete forms; they were lightning, wildfires, or perhaps just strong winds and tsunamis."
"In this era, the people worshipped 'angry' deities, because the ignorant people only conceived of deities when they suffered 'divine punishment.'"
"Thus, the first generation of spellcasters believed their power was a gift from the deities."
"They controlled the power of lightning and fire. It was violent and pure. Because, in the eyes of spellcasters at that time, only such power could demonstrate the wrath of the deities, could make humans afraid, and only fear could generate reverence!"
"And only reverence could dispel the deities' wrath."
As he spoke, Howl waved his hand in mid-air, and a scroll unfolded before his eyes.
The wind howled, dark clouds covered the sky, and rolling thunder descended, bringing raging wildfires.
And beneath this scene of heavenly wrath, men and women, scantily clad and organized into tribes, continuously prostrated themselves towards the sky. In their view, this was the wrath of the deities.
Beside this scene, the tribal shamans stepped forward. They communicated, judged, and finally found the'sacrifice' or'sinner,' whom they killed with burning flames or lightning.
Thereafter, the lightning subsided, and the dark clouds dispersed…
And beneath this scene, the surrounding landscape gradually faded.
But the shaman did not leave the scroll; he began to grow tall and majestic. One by one, the shamans, holding thunder or scepters, transformed into 'deities' through the oral traditions of later generations.
"Later generations regarded the spellcasters of ancient times as deities—but not all of them!"
"Because of its deep connection with mythology, Ancient Greece allowed spellcasters to better understand the essence of the so-called theory of deities. While there was a sense of respect, there was no ignorant worship. On the contrary, they began to examine themselves."
"Because they knew that they also possessed powers similar to those of deities."
"So they studied themselves, and they studied this world. The external body, the internal soul and thought, or indeed all things in this world."
"They believed that everything was logical, beautiful, and self-consistent. Including the human body, which conformed to exquisite and perfect proportions."
"As long as the underlying logic could be analyzed and transformed into formulas, and then applied to stones, fabrics, and soil, extraordinary power could be bestowed upon them."
"magic is a gift from the world, not from a god. And what a Wizard needs to do is merely translate it."
As he spoke, the images of the deities on Harry's scroll were stripped of the thunder and scepters in their hands, their limbs spread out, transforming into Vitruvian Man-like figures, deconstructed and analyzed.
And then, the dissected formula templates were extracted and placed onto another human body.
His withered figure began to fill out, his hair flew, and his body gradually became full and strong, like the most perfect creation between heaven and earth.
"This is…"
"This is the origin of human alchemy," Howl said with a smile. Intricate golden runic arrays appeared on his exposed palm.
Clap, clap—
Clapping sounds came from behind him. An old man in black robes walked over, waved his hand, and took off his hat, nodding slightly.
"A remarkable explanation." As he spoke, he extended his hand: "Hello, my name is Roel Huckleton. Professor of History of Magic at Ilvermorny."
"Hello. Howl Jenkins, a traveler from Britain." Howl shook his hand.
He had just cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and Harry, but he hadn't expected to meet other Wizards here.
It was harmless, though.
Huckleton nodded, then saw Harry, his expression surprised.
"Harry Potter?! Heavens, I didn't expect to see you here; it's a great honor."
As he spoke, he also extended his hand.
Harry nodded, somewhat surprised, and reached out his hand. He hadn't expected that even in Greece, someone would recognize him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
"No need to be surprised. Although Lord Voldemort didn't affect our side, the Wizarding World isn't that big. We've all heard your story." He smiled, then looked at Howl.
"So, Jones, is your view that Wizards are deities?"
"That depends on how you define the word 'god,'" Howl said with a smile.
"Then how do you understand it?" Huckleton asked.
"Wizards don't need to become deities. Deities are merely constructs created by humans to seek spiritual refuge."
"As Wizards, we study truth, and we analyze the world. We don't need the appellation 'god' to add weight to our identity."
"Wizard, no, I should say human! The identity of being human is weighty enough."
Huckleton's smile deepened, and he twirled his fingers.
"What if, and I mean what if, deities truly exist? They are the sons of heaven and earth, of the world itself. They naturally possess greater power, holding authority from the moment of their birth. If that were the case, would you still view deities this way?"
Howl looked at him: "Even so, I don't believe they would be superior to humans, or to Wizards."
Huckleton frowned slightly and explained: "Whether human or Wizard, neither is perfect. But deities, born with authority, possess perfect power."
"They don't need magic patterns, nor do they need incantations to wield great power, which Wizards cannot do. Wizards can never achieve true perfection, let alone Muggles."
As he spoke, he smiled gently: "Just like the perfect straight line in Plato's mind, and the not-so-straight line drawn by Aristotle."
"Deities are perfect constructs, while Wizards can only infinitely approach perfection, unless—they become deities."
Howl pondered for a moment, then smiled helplessly: "I am not Aristotle… So, I suppose you are right."
Huckleton was silent for a moment, then nodded, offered an apology, and turned to leave.
Harry looked at his retreating back, puzzled, and asked: "Uncle Howl, what were you two talking about…"
Howl smiled and patted Harry's shoulder.
"To explain it conceptually… he wants to become a god, while I… I don't think Wizards need to become so-called 'gods.'"
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