Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

Over the course of nearly a thousand years, the Wizarding world had hardly stood still.

Spells had been significantly improved, many ancient traditions had been discarded, and the spellcasting process for wizards had become increasingly streamlined.

Any spell that could not be cast within five seconds had, for the most part, been abandoned altogether.

This was the choice of the times, the very symbol of progress!

People grew accustomed to things that were simpler and more convenient, and magic was no exception.

Just imagine it: you’re in a duel, your opponent has already fired off four or five curses, while you’re still preparing your very first spell. It would be absurdly foolish!

Convenience, speed, and simplicity were the spellcasting principles pursued by modern wizards.

The trend in the Wizarding world was towards enabling wands to cast spells automatically or intelligently. When Evan had attended the International Alchemical Conference in Egypt, he had seen American wizards researching exactly this direction. By combining alchemy with Muggle technology, they were attempting to create a new kind of wand capable of assisting wizards in casting spells — wands that stored incantations, casting methods, and even magical power itself.

When that day came, a wizard would only need to make a selection — or input a symbol — and the corresponding spell would be released.

There would be no need to learn ancient runes, no need to memorize complex casting materials or wand-waving techniques, not even a need for personal magical power. All one would need to know was what spells were stored within the wand and which magic one required.

It was said that this research had already achieved breakthrough progress. On the magical side, there were virtually no obstacles left; the only remaining difficulty was that Muggle technology was not yet advanced enough. Once that hurdle was overcome, intelligent wands would become a reality.

In that context, talking about spellcasting methods from a thousand years ago would seem incredibly antiquated!

Dalian truly ought to visit the world a millennium later; he certainly wouldn’t have so many complaints then.

“Alright, you don’t recognize these ancient runes, that’s not a problem. I can recite the incantation; you just need to repeat it,” said Dalian, extending his hand. A pale blue orb of light fell with his movement, transforming into a thick stack of parchment scrolls in front of him.

“These contain the wand gestures you need to know, things to pay attention to, and tips left by wizards who have used this spell before. It’s not much, because no one has ever used this spell since the castle was built; even within the family, it exists more as legend than practice,” he said. “Still, it should be of some help. You can take a look, and then we can begin.”

Evan pointed his wand at the scrolls on the ground. One by one, the parchment rolls unfurled and floated into the air, fluttering as they circled him.

A few minutes later, they drifted back down.

“Alright,” said Evan, closing his eyes to think for a moment, then opening them again.

“Alright?” Dalian asked in disbelief. “That took you less than five minutes? Do wizards in your era really read that fast? There’s no need to rush; we still have time. You should study the contents more carefully. This spell is extremely difficult.”

“I know — but I have this,” Evan said, tapping the Diadem on his head with his wand. “We’d better start immediately. I can feel something ominous. It’s the thing on the other side of the Veil.”

He could sense the aura of the evil god, far stronger than it had been before he arrived here. Delaying any longer would be extremely dangerous.

“Listen carefully. The key lies in magical power and control. Once the spell begins, all the magic before you — and the magic of the entire castle — will respond to your call. You must control it. If it goes out of control —”

“— then we’re all doomed!” Evan said, raising his wand. “Let’s begin!”

“Yes, that would mean we’re all doomed. But we don’t have any other choice, do we?” said Dalian.

He took two steps forward, stopping beneath the ancient runes suspended in mid-air, and looked back at Evan.

He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately said nothing.

When Dalian opened his mouth again, it uttered a strange tone.

This was the pronunciation of these ancient runes. It was the first time Evan had ever heard it spoken aloud — and the first time he had ever seen ancient runes used directly for spellcasting. He had read records of such methods before; they predated even this moment in history by centuries.

Recalling what he had just read, Evan echoed Dalian’s voice, raising his wand high.

Almost without him doing anything, the surrounding magic was drawn in, swirling rapidly around him.

In the blink of an eye, the gathering magic increased, while the magic within Evan’s own body was drained at an alarming rate.

This was only the beginning of the spell, but it felt to Evan as if he had unleashed many powerful spells.

He concentrated, controlling the gathering magic, repeating the incantation Dalian was uttering.

As the spell progressed, Dalian’s speech grew faster, his voice becoming increasingly shrill and high-pitched, like a fairy speaking. Evan had to do everything in his power to remember his words; the surrounding magic was terrifyingly strong.

If he misspoke even once… the magic would go out of control, and he would be doomed!

But for Dalian, standing before him, that hardly mattered. By all likelihood, he was already doomed.

According to the established timeline, the Veil of Death had ultimately closed, but the ending was far from perfect. Everyone on Ravenclaw’s territory perished, cursed by something unspeakable, doomed to wander this place in one form or another for a thousand years.

Evan had not forgotten the story the ghost Marcus had told him. He still didn’t know exactly what had happened in the end.

But it was undoubtedly not a good thing — everyone had died!

If Evan had no intention of dying alongside the Ravenclaw family here, he had better be prepared in advance.

Evan raised his wand high in his right hand and gripped the Time-Turner tightly in his left. If the spell malfunctioned, he had to leave this point in time immediately. Anywhere would do, so long as he didn’t remain here.

His thoughts raced; Evan no longer had time to think about these things. The difficulty of this spell was indeed beyond imagination.

At this moment, he had to exert all his strength to control the increasingly powerful magic.

At some point — he didn’t know when — his feet slowly left the ground.

Drawn by the pull of magic, he floated upwards towards the top of the hall.

Countless pale blue runes shimmered on the ground, pillars, and dome.

Evan floated upwards, gradually merging with the surrounding magic, his body becoming increasingly ethereal.

He was leaving this space and entering a strange realm composed entirely of magic.

Below, Dalian stared wide-eyed at Evan in disbelief. Evan seemed completely unaware of what was happening to him. Dalian could not call out to warn him; he waved his arms frantically, trying to get Evan’s attention, but Evan did not appear to notice at all.