The mechanical owl was clearly a place for storing things.
It had a very Hogwarts-like style.
It was definitely a way for Teacher Morgan to entice the little wizards at Hogwarts.
So.
Ian attempted some Hogwarts-style passwords, but to no avail; he had to use a serious command, and the moment he uttered "Knowledge knows no bounds, truth is eternal"...
The hidden compartment opened.
The moment the compartment silently slid open.
Ian held his breath.
He took out the black notebook within. It looked unremarkable, with a deep brown leather cover; the edges had already yellowed, and some indistinct runes were carved on it.
[To the little rascal rummaging through things:
Figured you'd find this place.
Remember to put it back after reading.
—M]
Ian couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Indeed, the teacher had long anticipated his "exploration" of the castle.
After Ian finished reading Teacher Morgan's message.
The notebook in the mechanical owl's compartment also began to change—it shook violently in his hand, as if a heart was beating inside.
It was as if the notebook had undergone a clandestine disguise, now breaking its facade because the predetermined Ian held it.
The originally plain notebook was transforming.
The spine extended silver vines, and the cover revealed a three-dimensional relief: a witch wearing a pointy hat was chasing the moon on her broomstick, her cloak trailing a rainbow-like arc in the night sky.
Yes.
The texture and color of the notebook were changing, and soon, a soft and warm light spilled from its pages, illuminating Ian's face.
He instinctively took a step back.
But he didn't throw the book that had transformed from a notebook away.
Curiosity drove him to stare intently at the book.
The light gradually stabilized, and the once old, dull cover began to change. The leather surface displayed flowing patterns like rippling water or twinkling stars. Color seeped in gradually—first pale gold, then deep blue and emerald, until the entire cover exuded a dream-like hue.
It appeared extremely pleasing to the eye, not like something from a Dark Wizard, but like something from a fairy tale. Just as this thought arose in his mind, Ian saw the book's title gradually emerged.
"Mystery of Fairy Tales"
The book title appeared as if emerging from water.
The letters were engraved with light.
Shimmering with a faint silvery sheen.
Finally.
An insanely gorgeous fairy tale book fell into Ian's hands. The gilded title "Mystery of Fairy Tales" glittered in the sunlight, and a few miniature bells hung from the book's corners.
They chimed crisply with his movements.
"This…" Ian's fingers lightly brushed the cover, the texture felt both like silk and flowing water, his face full of incredulity, "Teacher Morgan actually reads fairy tale books?"
No wonder Ian was so surprised.
Mainly, in his impression, Teacher Morgan was like a very traditional Black Witch, Bad Woman, and he could hardly imagine Morgan reading fairy tales under the covers.
"This book should not merely be a fairy tale book." Ian thought to himself, as he carefully opened the first page, a faint floral scent and forest essence greeted him, as if a breeze blew from within the book. This was livelier than books from the Magic Realm, though like those, this book was also not a static book.
It was full of illustrations.
As Ian opened it
The illustrations on the pages began to move.
The first scene was a dense black forest, trees towering into the clouds, their shadows dancing. A little girl in a red cloak was slowly advancing, stepping on fallen leaves.
She looked up, revealing a pair of crystal-clear eyes, gave Ian a faint smile, and then continued walking. Meanwhile, a low and gentle narrative voice emerged from the book.
The voice was clear and magnetic.
Just like an experienced storyteller whispering in the ear: "A long, long time ago, in a forgotten kingdom, there was a girl named Red Hat…"
This was truly an enchanting experience.
Ian was completely captivated. He flipped to the next page, finding that the scene had turned into a stereoscopic projection-like effect, and the story's characters seemed to leap out of the paper.
He could even hear the howling of wolves, feel the rustling of leaves in the wind. These sound effects were comparable to a six-figure high-end speaker system, with every detail perfectly rendered.
"This is just too real…" Ian murmured to himself.
As he flipped through, he pondered: why would Teacher Morgan hide such a book here? And only in the least noticeable spot in the library, activated with a specific spell?
"Could it be… to teach me something through this book? Even if Teacher Morgan was away, she left me with learning tasks?" Ian entertained this thought.
The more he thought, the more plausible it seemed.
Teacher Morgan's intentions were truly hard to guess.
The Bad Woman always enjoyed using special ways to impart knowledge to him, often leaving extra knowledge within some teachings for him to discover and explore.
At this thought, Ian became a bit more serious. He held the book and walked into the stargazing room beside the observatory, outside, the magically simulated stars in the sky were slowly revolving.
This room was located in the highest tower within the castle.