Chapter 47 Exploring the Safe House
At this moment, Basil was venturing into Safe House No. 7
, left by Voldemort. Seven was Voldemort's most obsessive and considered the most magical number.
He had originally planned to create seven Horcruxes.
What would Safe House No. 7 hold?
Therefore, even after meeting Quirrell, and with Transfiguration class immediately following,
Basil had no patience to wait.
He teleported directly to the Slytherin statue and summoned Lyra.
He had Lyra deliver his journal to the safe house.
Basil himself also focused part of his attention on the journal.
While he didn't possess the same extraordinary control over the creature and item cards as he did over the plant cards,
he could still project his consciousness into them, creating an immersive experience.
Just like when he replicated Harry's inner fears, he merged with Boggart, reading the image of fear through his eyes and projecting it into Harry's mind.
Now, although he was in Transfiguration class,
his consciousness, another self, seemed to be spinning and Apparating away from the Slytherin statue with the house-elf Lyra.
This feeling was extremely peculiar.
He didn't know the difference between a house-elves' Apparition and a wizard's.
Perhaps it was because the Apparition distance was too great. The feeling
before Apparition—
that is, the feeling in the middle stage between disappearing in place—Apparition—and appearing in another place—Apparition—was very strange.
The surroundings became pitch black, and a strong sense of compression came from all the houses above, below, left, right, in front, and behind.
He couldn't breathe.
His chest felt like it was being tightly bound by several iron hoops, his eyeballs seemed to be squeezed back into his head, and his eardrums felt like they were being pressed deep into his skull.
This feeling, though only for a moment, felt like an eternity.
It was an intense test of mental and physical strength.
He wondered if, after becoming proficient, a wizard's Apparition would be less uncomfortable.
Then, what appeared before his eyes was a narrow, cramped little room.
The walls are inlaid with green, cold-glowing gemstones.
The ceiling is enchanted.
The view above is clearly visible—a dark, deep riverbed covered in aquatic plants,
dotted with patches of white sand and gravel.
Judging from the occasional Scottish salmon swimming along the riverbed, it seems they haven't even left Scotland yet.
This lake connects to the sea.
Moreover, the eels here are enormous, each 7 to 8 meters long.
Once upon a time, to impress a British backpacker girl traveling in China,
he specifically researched the famous attractions near her home.
So, is this Loch Ness?
Normally, eels leave Loch Ness around the age of 10, migrating to the Atlantic Ocean and Florida to mate, spawn, and then quietly die.
But because
there are no natural predators in the lake, a large number of eels defy their nature and stay here.
Combined with the low water temperature and less movement, they grow larger and larger.
The Loch Ness Monster is actually a giant eel from here.
Of course, this is a Muggle's version, or rather, his version from his previous life.
In reality, it's not a secret in the wizarding world.
The Loch Ness Monster is actually the world's largest horse-shaped monster.
Horse-shaped monsters are shapeshifting water monsters found in Britain and Ireland.
While they can take on various shapes, their most common form is that of a horse, with broadleaf cattails serving as their mane. They lure careless people onto their backs, then plunge into the depths of rivers or lakes, devouring them and leaving their entrails floating to the surface. The
Loch Ness Monster, however, prefers the form of a sea serpent.
Wizard observers from the International Wizarding Federation identified it as a horse-shaped monster after witnessing it transform into an otter as it approached a group of Muggle investigators, only to revert to a sea serpent after they left.
The Office of Misinformation worked diligently to convince Muggles that all photographic evidence of the "Loch Ness Monster" was fake.
Therefore, in this world,
the Loch Ness Monster isn't considered a giant eel,
but rather a product of sensationalism.
"So, you want to create a new Summoning Card? Kelpie?" Riddle, emerging from the diary, spoke to Basil in his mind.
Just now, while Basil was pondering, he had dealt with the traps left by Voldemort
—those glowing emeralds .
If it hadn't been a house-elf, Voldemort himself, or someone he had blessed with a dispelling charm,
these lights would have transformed into threads, burrowing into the intruder's body
, controlling them, and sending a message to the trap's creator.
But it was Riddle.
He was practically Voldemort himself.
So he simply cast an Illumination Charm, and once the magnetic field matched, the trap automatically dissipated.
Meanwhile, Basil, carrying instructions on Ron's transmutation techniques, also replied in his mind: "Of course, this is the largest Kelpie in the world. The creature summoned by a Summoning Card is the inscribed Primarch. Thus, the Kelpie I summon will be the largest and most powerful. Not to mention it can be upgraded later!"
Having grasped the essence of cards under Riddle's guidance, he could now photograph the summoned creature's eyes.
"But you should take stock of the safe house first. I wonder what treasures might be inside?" Basil the Fly rubbed his hands together.
"Mr. Granger, what are you doing?" Professor McGonagall, a little annoyed that Basil hadn't approached her, picked a fight.
"Professor, Basil is teaching me Transfiguration," Ron quickly explained, "adding an extra step to the spellcasting steps you taught: mentally recite the product to be transfigured three times before casting the spell. This increases the success rate of transfiguration."
"That's certainly a good method," Professor McGonagall nodded, "but in a duel, no one will wait for you to mentally recite it three times. This is just a test-taking technique. After succeeding, I suggest you gradually reduce the number of times you mentally recite it. Gryffindor +5 points!"
She paused again, "However, that's not what I asked about just now. I was referring to Mr. Granger's strange actions."
Damn it! You're just picking a fight!
Basil's eyes darted around, and he made up an excuse, "This is a movement I use to concentrate. The friction warms my palms. I sense the subtle changes in my palms."
"Oh?" McGonagall pursed her lips. "You've read books on the Philosophical School?"
"What's the Philosophical School?" Basil asked in surprise.
Had he just stumbled upon
this by sheer luck? The students practicing around them all stopped.
They all looked at Professor McGonagall curiously.
McGonagall looked around and said helplessly, "I didn't want to mention it. The theories of this school are too far-fetched. Or rather, they'll lead you astray."
"The founder of this school, Benjamin Modern, believed that the best way for a wizard to strengthen himself was to look inward. He declared that every wizard is a strong person who determines how the world is, not a weak person who needs to learn theories, knowledge, and observe how the world is." "
A wizard only needs to close his eyes and meditate all day, using his senses to perceive the subtle changes within himself. If he persists, all sorts of supernatural abilities will automatically emerge."
"Is that true?" Ron eagerly raised his right hand.
Seamus and Neville around him also showed eager expressions.
Professor McGonagall shook her head. "This school of thought was popular in Yotshire in the seventeenth century. Even the best among them only mastered the levitation charm—a charm that requires no wand, incantation, or hand gestures (referring to the wand's trajectory)—that is, no casting medium or casting action. Their leader's most powerful technique was simply conjuring a fireball in his palm out of thin air." (
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