Rai_jin
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#55 WSWW
🕑 Added 2025-03-25 16:55:06 +0000 UTC"Oh! Headmaster!" Ted exclaimed, startled by the unexpected encounter.
Dumbledore, dressed in deep blue pajamas with a matching nightcap, peered at him through his half-moon spectacles.
His eyes twinkled with curiosity and amusement, but there was also an unmistakable sharpness behind them.
"Good evening, Mr. Epifani. I do hope you weren’t out for a casual night stroll—Hogwarts at night can be quite... interesting."
Ted quickly collected his thoughts.
He remembered Ravenclaw’s words about temporarily borrowing the headmaster’s authority.
Of course, that would’ve set off alarms.
'Ms. Ravenclaw, you left too quickly and didn’t think about the mess I’d have to clean up!'
Realizing he had to tread carefully, Ted decided to go with partial honesty.
"I promise, Professor, no rule-breaking here... at least, not intentionally."
Dumbledore gave a knowing chuckle.
"That depends entirely on your explanation, my boy. Though, I must admit, it’s been quite a while since something genuinely surprised me."
He adjusted his glasses and leaned slightly forward. "Please, enlighten me."
Ted took a deep breath. "Alright, to make a long story short—this all started months ago when I became friends with Ms. Gray, Helena. We bonded over music."
Dumbledore nodded, his expression unreadable, but his silence encouraged Ted to continue.
"One night, while meditating, my mind drifted beyond my body, and I sensed something strange within the statue of Ms. Ravenclaw in the common room.
It led me to discover remnants of her magic—her consciousness, or at least a piece of it, was still there."
Dumbledore’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but he said nothing.
"Tonight, we finally awakened her." Ted glanced toward the Room of Requirement’s door.
"She guided Helena and me here—to what she called her research chamber, a room she left behind when she helped build Hogwarts."
Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Fascinating. A secret chamber of Ms. Ravenclaw’s own making... quite the revelation."
Ted nodded. "With her help, Helena found the courage to move on—to cross over. And before she left, Ms. Ravenclaw entrusted this chamber to me."
He hesitated but decided to stake his claim. "She said it was mine now."
Dumbledore’s expression was unreadable for a moment, then he smiled.
"A remarkable tale, Mr. Epifani. And quite the responsibility."
Ted felt the weight of that responsibility settle on his shoulders.
"I didn’t ask for it, but I won’t waste the opportunity."
Dumbledore’s gaze softened. "You have done well. Helping Lady Helena find peace is no small feat, and if Ms. Ravenclaw saw fit to entrust her legacy to you, then I will not dispute it."
Ted let out a breath of relief.
He had expected a far tougher conversation.
"Would you like to see the research chamber, Professor?" he offered.
Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled. "I would love nothing more. However, it seems that Ms. Ravenclaw left this gift for you alone."
Curious, Ted opened the door to the Room of Requirement and stepped inside.
But when Dumbledore attempted to follow, he found himself in an entirely different, ordinary abandoned classroom.
He tried again.
Same result.
After a second attempt, the headmaster chuckled. "It would appear that you are the only one allowed access. A most exclusive invitation."
Ted glanced back at the room, feeling its weight anew. "I’ll do my best to honor it."
Dumbledore patted his shoulder gently. "I believe you will, Mr. Epifani. Now, it is quite late, and I must admit, even I require sleep. Rest well."
Ted watched as the headmaster strolled away, humming softly to himself.
Once Dumbledore disappeared around the corner, Ted let out a long sigh and headed back to the dormitory.
Even after crawling into bed, sleep did not come easily.
His mind raced with thoughts—Helena’s departure, Ravenclaw’s legacy, and Dumbledore’s unexpected acceptance.
It was overwhelming.
He considered using his psychic abilities to suppress the emotions and calm himself, but instead, he let himself feel it all.
Some things were meant to be processed naturally.
Then, like a lightning bolt, he remembered. "Ah! I almost forgot—the card draw!"
He smacked his forehead, startling Anzu, who squawked in protest from his perch.
"Sorry, sorry!" Ted whispered, rushing to the bathroom.
He splashed cold water on his face and rubbed his hands together.
A purple-level card draw was no joke!
"Alright, system," he whispered, "let’s see what we got. Claim rewards!"
In his mind, three cards materialized.
All of them framed in deep violet—a rare sight.
His heart pounded in excitement.
The first card depicted a sleek, silver-gray cloak with feather-like patterns along the hood and a mask that concealed everything but the eyes.
The description appeared:
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[Shadow of Menzoberranzan (Purple)]
Item Card
A magical cloak crafted by the underground drow elves. Grants one use of 'Advanced Invisibility' per activation, along with 'Shadow Concealment' and 'Divination Disruption.' Lasts for 30 minutes and cooldowns for 3 hours.
Advanced Invisibility: A high-tier cloaking spell that prevents detection, even when attacking.
Shadow Concealment: While stationary in darkness, the user blends in completely.
Divination Disruption: Prevents tracking, prophecy, or foresight abilities from detecting the wearer’s past, present, or future actions.
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Ted grinned. "Oh, this is going to be very useful."
His eyes moved to the second card. The artwork showed a demonic-looking figure dressed in white Japanese-style robes, holding an eerie talisman while extending a spectral claw toward a terrified, miniature person…
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[Sealing Technique · Reaper Death Seal (Purple)]
Spell Card
This spell allows the caster to seal both their own soul and the enemy's soul into the belly of the "Reaper."
Number of uses: 1/1.
Note: Regardless of the enemy's strength, it only affects the strength of their soul.
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The third card depicted a reddish-brown spotted dome covered in many spikes.
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[Rhea's Last Egg (Purple)]
Item Card
Can hatch an Azeroth Red Dragon Whelpling.
Note: Hatching requires multiple steps and magical materials, making it a highly challenging process.
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The first card was essentially an alien variant of an advanced invisibility cloak.
The second card?
Absolutely not.
If it had been a spell to seal dark magic, maybe.
But this reaper death seal?
A move that ensured mutual destruction?
No way.
The third card... a dragon from Azeroth!
Sure, hatching it sounded like a nightmare, but the potential benefits? Immense.
Even if it never hatched, dragon materials were top-tier for potions and enchantments.
Ted's mind was made up.
Upon claiming the card, he immediately received a list of the materials needed to hatch the dragon egg.
The system didn’t hold back.
Ted scanned the extensive list filled with rare and obscure ingredients.
His excitement quickly shifted to exasperation.
"Give me a refund~" he groaned dramatically.
The next day, Ted quietly slipped into the Room of Requirement to inspect Ravenclaw's hidden chamber.
The chamber was filled with magic tomes, research notes, and even Ms. Ravenclaw's personal diary.
Ted felt like he had uncovered a treasure trove of ancient knowledge.
Before diving into the depths of magical research, Ted decided to first understand wizarding power levels—particularly how they aligned with his own system.
He had spent the past few months discreetly analyzing classmates and professors whenever an opportunity presented itself.
As long as he did it subtly, without causing alarm, it was a harmless way to collect valuable data.
From his findings, he mapped out a rough scale of wizarding ability:
Fifth-year students ranged from Level 3 to Level 5 wizards, depending on individual talent and dedication.
Someone like Hermione could potentially reach Level 6 by the end of the year.
Seventh-year students typically fell between Levels 5 and 8.
The truly exceptional students—those excelling in multiple subjects—could reach Level 8.
Professors generally ranged from Level 11 to Level 15.
Of course, specialized instructors like Divination's Trelawney or Flying Professor Hooch weren’t in this ranking.
Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were both Level 15 wizards, while Snape had reached Level 17!
Dumbledore?
Ted estimated him at Level 20—the legendary threshold as marked in his system.
In the current era, the only possible Level 20 wizards were Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Voldemort.
Among Ravenclaw's writings, Ted found references to "crossing that line."
He suspected she was talking about the threshold beyond Level 20.
Her essay spoke of "pursuing one's own magical path." Ted theorized that breaking past Level 20 granted wizards their own unique magical domain—a realm of personal mastery.
The implications were staggering.
The more he read, the clearer it became—Ms. Ravenclaw had been on the verge of a breakthrough.
