The group didn't remain at Solomon Sallow's cottage for long.
Anne needed plenty of rest after her recovery, so they departed shortly after lunch.
Standing on the gravel path outside the cottage, Lynn straightened his robes.
He raised his collar to conceal the lower half of his face, brushed his hair forward so that several loose strands obscured the outline of his eyes, and retrieved a pair of glasses from his pocket.
This era was separated from his own by only a century—neither an exceptionally long nor particularly short period of time.
Still, to avoid creating any significant butterfly effects, he needed at least a simple disguise.
Elias stood nearby, watching the entire process with a twitching lip.
The journey from Feldcroft to Hogwarts wasn't particularly long.
By the time they reached the outskirts of the school, the sky had already begun to darken. The silhouette of Hogwarts Castle gradually became clearer in the gathering twilight, and the lights atop the Astronomy Tower's spire were already glowing in the distance.
As they approached the gates, they saw Professor Fig waiting anxiously for them.
The instant he spotted Elias returning safely with two other students, his tightly furrowed brow relaxed.
He stepped forward and firmly patted Elias twice on the shoulder.
"It's good to have you back."
Elias opened his mouth to respond, but Professor Fig had already turned toward Sebastian.
His gaze lingered on the young man's face for a moment before he gave a slight nod.
Sebastian returned the gesture.
Finally, Professor Fig's attention shifted to the last member of their group.
Lynn kept his head lowered, his hands buried in his pockets. His collar covered half his face, and a pair of glasses rested upon his nose as he did everything possible to minimize his presence.
Unfortunately, his efforts appeared to have been entirely ineffective.
"Sir, you don't appear to be a Hogwarts student. Yet for some reason, I feel as though we've met before."
Lynn fell silent.
He had already tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. How had Professor Fig still noticed him?
Were the man's eyes equipped with some kind of scanner?
Just as the atmosphere descended into an awkward silence, Elias leaned closer and whispered several words into Professor Fig's ear.
Understanding immediately appeared on Fig's face.
"Mr. Lynn."
He extended a hand toward the Castle.
"Please, follow me."
Professor Fig then turned back to Sebastian.
"You should get some rest."
Sebastian nodded and headed in another direction. Before long, his silhouette disappeared around a corner of the corridor.
Professor Fig withdrew his gaze and strode deeper into the Castle.
Lynn followed behind him, with Elias bringing up the rear.
The three of them crossed the entrance hall, passed through several corridors, and climbed one flight of stairs after another.
Lynn slowed until he was walking beside Elias.
"What did you tell Professor Fig?" he asked quietly.
"I told him that you're another Keeper of Ancient Magic whom I met outside the school—a friend who came here to help protect the power of Ancient Magic."
Lynn's footsteps faltered.
"A Keeper of Ancient Magic?"
Elias stared at him in surprise.
"You didn't know?"
"Was I supposed to?" Lynn countered.
Both of them slowed to a near stop.
"You truly didn't know?" Elias asked again.
"No," Lynn answered.
Elias repeatedly opened and closed his mouth. For a moment, his expression became extraordinarily animated.
He appeared to be organizing his thoughts while simultaneously attempting to process the revelation that Lynn knew nothing about the Keepers of Ancient Magic.
"The ability to wield Ancient Magic isn't something just anyone can possess," Elias slowly explained, as though introducing an exceedingly complicated concept. "Those who possess that power are known as Keepers. A Keeper's duty is to—"
"What are you two dawdling for? Keep up."
Professor Fig's voice came from farther ahead.
He had already covered a considerable distance and was standing at the next corner, half-turned toward the two of them.
"Let's catch up first," Elias said. "We can talk while we walk."
...
Through Elias's brief explanation, Lynn learned the general responsibilities of a Keeper of Ancient Magic and everything Elias had experienced since enrolling at Hogwarts.
Elias told him how his talent for wielding Ancient Magic had been discovered shortly after his arrival at the school, how he had completed the first three trials, and how Professor San Bakar had politely refused to let him undertake the fourth.
Lynn already knew everything that had happened afterward.
After all, those events were precisely why the Time-Turner had sent him to this era.
They continued following Professor Fig through the winding depths of Hogwarts.
The corridors gradually narrowed, and the surrounding light grew increasingly dim.
The smooth stone slabs lining the walls gave way to rough masonry. The decorations and portraits disappeared, and even the candleholders became few and far between.
The arched ceiling first became flat.
Then, even that disappeared, replaced by bare rock.
They had already descended deep beneath the Castle.
Professor Fig finally stopped before an ordinary-looking stone wall.
It appeared no different from any of the surrounding walls. Rough stone blocks formed its surface, streaks left by flowing water ran down its face, and piles of dust and rubble had accumulated in the corners.
Elias stepped forward and pressed his palm against it.
Ancient Magic surged from his hand and seeped into the stone.
The wall began to glow.
Runes emerged from the grain of the masonry, rapidly spreading until they covered the entire surface.
A moment later, the wall split apart down the middle, revealing a passage beyond.
Rough stone lined both sides, while a vaulted ceiling stretched overhead.
A faint light shone from the passage's far end.
Lynn followed Elias into the Map Chamber.
The chamber was considerably larger than he had imagined. Its vaulted ceiling rose so high that the patterns decorating it were barely visible. Several magical lamps were embedded in the surrounding walls, bathing the vast space in a soft but dim glow.
A bare stone table stood at the center of the chamber.
On the far wall, four enormous portraits hung side by side.
The figures within them wore robes of different colors.
San Bakar, whose portrait hung on the far right, was the first to speak.
His gaze settled upon Elias before shifting toward Lynn. After lingering on him for a moment, San Bakar looked away.
"I have already told you that I do not believe you fully understand the responsibility accompanying such power. Therefore, I cannot reveal the location of my Pensieve to you yet."
Lynn silently acknowledged that the man was certainly blunt.
The Map Chamber fell silent.
"But Professor San Bakar," Elias said tensely, "Ranrok may already be close to discovering the Repository's exact location. We cannot simply stand by and do nothing."
He stepped toward the stone table and looked up at the deep-blue portrait.
"A Keeper's duty is to prevent the power of Ancient Magic from being misused. If Ranrok obtains that power..."
His voice trailed off.
He didn't need to complete the sentence. Everyone present understood what would happen.
If Ranrok obtained the power stored within the Repository, the entire Wizarding World would suffer.
The Goblin Rebellion had already inflicted devastating losses upon Wizardkind. If Ranrok acquired the power of Ancient Magic, he would cease to be merely the leader of a rebellion.
He would become the nightmare of this era.
San Bakar sighed from within his portrait.
"I understand, but—"
Before he could finish, a deep rumbling reverberated through the underground chamber.
Lynn, who had been listening to their argument with little interest, abruptly raised his head.
The sound was extremely familiar.
It resembled an enormous drill boring through the earth.
Everyone in the Map Chamber fell silent.
Only the rumbling from deep underground remained, echoing repeatedly between the stone walls.
With every passing second, the vibrations grew louder and closer.
"Elias!"
San Bakar's voice thundered across the chamber.
He leaned forward until his upper body nearly crossed the edge of the portrait. At some point, a wand had appeared in his hand.
He pointed it downward.
The stone table's surface began to glow.
Countless runes emerged from its texture and rapidly spread across the tabletop.
In the blink of an eye, a circular recess appeared at its center. Within it rested two objects—a Pensieve and an unfamiliar artifact Lynn had never seen before.
Elias didn't hesitate.
He stepped toward the table and reached for the unfamiliar object.
The instant his fingers touched its surface, the artifact lit up.
"Elias!" San Bakar called again, his voice more urgent than before. "Quickly! Take the artifact from the table and combine it with the ones you obtained from the previous trials. Use them to craft a unique wand."
His voice echoed throughout the Map Chamber.
"Only then will you be capable of controlling the power within the Repository."
Clearly, when forced to choose between allowing a Goblin with blatantly malicious intentions to seize the power of Ancient Magic and placing his trust in Elias, San Bakar preferred the latter.
At the very least, Elias had successfully completed the first three trials.
"I'll find Mr. Ollivander immediately."
With those words, Elias raced out of the chamber.
The rapid tapping of his footsteps echoed through the passage for several moments before disappearing.
Professor Fig immediately moved as well.
He sprang away from the stone table and hurried toward the exit.
"I'll contact Professor Weasley."
His voice drifted back from the passage, gradually becoming fainter until it vanished entirely.
The chamber fell quiet.
Lynn remained beside the stone table. His gaze shifted from the passage through which Elias had disappeared to the four portraits on the distant wall.
He stared at them in silence for a moment.
"Professors, please open the way," he said. "I'm going to protect the power of Ancient Magic."
The four Keepers exchanged glances.
"My apologies, sir," San Bakar bluntly replied. "We know nothing about you, so—"
He didn't finish the sentence.
However, his meaning was obvious.
They refused.
Lynn remained where he was, calmly regarding the four portraits without the slightest change in expression.
"Fine," he said. "I'll find my own way there."
---
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