After finishing, Vid did not wait for a reply. He turned a page, and the quill continued to scribble, slightly modifying the message just sent to Grindelwald and also writing one for Delaine.
After writing several letters, Vid placed the quill back in the pen holder and gently closed the Friendship Book.
He leaned back against the chair, turning his head to look out the window—tonight, the night sky was rare and crystal clear, moonlight like frost quietly spilled onto the windowsill, with wisps of thin clouds swirling near the moon.
"Dong!"
Suddenly, there was a light collision sound on the table.
Vid turned his head and saw a cup of hot water appeared on his desk, along with a note with crooked handwriting:
[It's late, time to rest.]
Though unsigned, Vid immediately recognized it as the handwriting of Zoe, the house-elf.
He smiled and softly said, "Thank you for your concern, Zoe...but at Hogwarts, a student who doesn't explore at night is missing out, right?"
Then, he put away the Friendship Book, stood up, and walked to the wardrobe space, flicking the golden bell above with his fingers.
"Ah! I'm not asleep! I'm not asleep!"
The suddenly awakened bell loudly said, shaking twice, asking, "Are you going in, Master? Or should I call someone out?"
Vid said, "Neither in nor out, let everyone put down what they're doing and help me find information related to goblins."
"Alright, I'll pass it on right away!"
The guilty bell shouted with extra enthusiasm, making a jingling sound.
Vid then donned a cloak, turned into a Peregrine Falcon, flew straight through the window, and reached the library in an instant.
Inside the library, it was pitch black, tall bookshelves stood as silent giants, and the air was filled with the unique scent of old paper, ink, and dust, so quiet it seemed you could hear a pin drop.
Vid flicked his magic wand, and a ball of light floated out from the tip, silently hovering in front of him, moving slowly with his steps, illuminating the densely packed book spines ahead.
He silently passed through the general reading area, directly crossed the rope that merely symbolically blocked students' steps, and arrived at the Forbidden Book Area.
Although the school does not allow students to freely borrow books from the Forbidden Book Area, in reality, there is considerable flexibility with this ban.
As long as a student brings any professor's note, they can borrow the book they want from the Forbidden Book Area.
So, for most students, the only problem is persuading a professor to sign their note.
In the past, as a beloved and trusted student of the professors, Vid didn't need to sneak into the library because he could always get a note.
But tonight was different because even he didn't know what book he was looking for, so he could only search book by book.
Thus, he chose the more direct and simpler night exploration.
Clearly, it was just a rope's separation, yet the air in the Forbidden Book Area seemed colder than outside. Some books had covers stained with blood that had not faded in hundreds of years, and others were locked with heavy chains, as if imprisoning living creatures within.
The light sphere skimmed over various book titles—
"Nameless Ritual," "Ultimate Poison Magic," "Dark Magic Sutures," "Magic Archaeology of Underground Civilization," "Strong Potion," "Bloodline Curse"...
Some books Vid had already read, some just by looking at the titles he felt uninterested, and others belonged to the type he couldn't read.
In the Magic World, some knowledge is not better the more one masters it.
For instance, the book "Magic Archaeology of Underground Civilization," the name sounds like an ordinary research record, but the first page contains a reminder—
The contents recorded by the compiler are actually various cruel methods of dealing with subterranean creatures; and the process of using some vicious dark magic to transform normal humans or magical creatures into subterranean beings.
Reading such books can cause intense negative impacts on the reader, ranging from exhaustion and mental fatigue due to recurring nightmares to severe consequences like mental breakdown, or even gradually twisted cognition, accepting the concepts within the book, losing basic morals and empathy.
—These consequences were once told to Vid by Professor Morry when he requested to borrow a book.
The professor did not directly refuse Vid's request, but took him to the library to see the reminder left by an unknown person on the first page, and then told Vid about the terrible consequences of reading such books.
"Remember, Vid—the chains in the Forbidden Book Area do not lock up knowledge but the dark magic that actively harms readers and spreads negative impact."
"Some knowledge is a tool; you can learn to use it. But some of the things there are living traps. They yearn to be read, to find new hosts, to continue the dark mission they were endowed with when written."
That time, Professor Morry lightly sighed, looking at the still naive Vid, gently saying:
"You have rare talent and curiosity, which is good. But a smart person must know when to stop."
"One day, the chains in the school library will no longer be able to stop you. But if one day, you want to read a book without permission, remember—"
"First, do not open the books that are sealed!"
"Second, if you must open them, remember that dangerous books will have reminders inside, the experience learned from countless bloody lessons by predecessors. If it is something you can't bear, put it back immediately!"
"Third, and most importantly—come find me!"
"If it's something you insist on doing, I won't stop you, nor will I ask why. But I can prepare protection for you, and offer assistance in case of emergencies."
"You can always trust me, child."
...
Some books seemed to be whispering softly, evoking Vid's memories.
Professor Morry's exhortation back then seemed to clearly resonate in his ears.
However...
Vid silently sighed.
Previously, when he was looking for Professor Morry to continue studying alchemy, he learned from several seventh-year students that Professor Morry had recently taken leave, apparently to go to Egypt to research a newly discovered ancient magical relic.
Currently substituting for sixth and seventh-year students is a young alchemist. Vid listened for a while and lost interest, turning away.
Now needing to browse the library's books, Professor Morry can't possibly fly back from Egypt and suddenly appear beside him.
Moreover, how could the then-worried Professor Morry imagine—that Vid now has fearless help against danger?
Vid stopped and unfolded his pencil case. A group of fireflies emitting gentle light flew out silently, each only the size of a thumb nail, with their tails emitting a cold white light.
The fireflies hovered momentarily before Vid, then scattered like a myriad of stars, flying toward the bookshelves in various directions within the Forbidden Book Area, carefully scanning each book title, searching for clues.
Vid wasn't idle either; he continued his aimless search along the main path.
"Silence Holy Scripture," "Immortality and Extinction in Lineage Magic," "Weaving Dreams"...
A few minutes later, a firefly suddenly flew back from the depths of the bookshelf at an angle, its tail light flashing urgently like a signal light.
Vid immediately followed this messenger.
He passed through two rows of bookshelves reaching almost to the ceiling, arriving at a secluded corner, where he saw a thin booklet sandwiched between the hefty tomes "Discussion of Dark Magic Theory" and "Curse Magic Power."
A few fireflies were struggling to pull the booklet out from the books in the middle, revealing the book title—
"Twilight of the Gods and Origins."
This book had no chains nor forbidden magic, not even bloodstains or human skin; it looked just like an ordinary book.
The fireflies placed it on the ground, turning page by page.
The pages inside the book were yellowed and fragile, deep brown ink forming lines of elegant text:
[When Yggdrasil's roots had not yet penetrated all worlds, when the three Norns had not yet woven all threads, more ancient entities glimpsed faint light from void fissures.
That was not the legend of Asgard or Jotunheim, nor was it Heaven or Hell, but the 'fragments' of primordial origins splintering and solidifying.
The earliest awakened wisdom, those later known as 'gods' or 'primitive wizards,' ventured to touch these 'fragments'...]