"A wardrobe?"
This wasn't the first time Hermione had been in Ivan's bedroom, so she was familiar with the room's furnishings.
"This is a magical item," Ivan explained.
In this world, Hermione was the person Ivan trusted the most—no one else came close.
Because of that trust, Ivan had always made an effort to teach and guide her.
Click.
Ivan stepped forward, twisted the handle on the wardrobe, and cast a special unlocking spell: "Golden Jade Cave Opening!"
The counterpart to this spell, Golden Shackles and Jade Locks, was a type of magical combination lock that required specific magical energy to unlock.
Otherwise, it had to be manually opened bit by bit using magic.
Even a powerful wizard like Dumbledore would need some time to break through this spell.
"Remember this spell," Ivan said.
While the Golden Jade Cave Opening spell seemed simple, when paired with Golden Shackles and Jade Locks, it could generate a vast number of combinations.
Once the connection was established, it could be opened with ease.
"How many spells have you invented?" Hermione asked, feeling amazed. It seemed to her that Ivan had modified nearly every spell he had learned.
"Ahem."
Ivan said, "To learn new spells, you first need to be proficient with the original ones. Once you've mastered enough, I'll teach you."
"…"
He then pushed open the wardrobe door and waved at Hermione. "Come on, I'll show you something."
Hermione was puzzled.
But trusting Ivan completely, she followed him without hesitation.
The moment she stepped into the wardrobe, the dim atmosphere of Ivan's dormitory vanished, replaced by something entirely different.
A gentle breeze flowed around her, and the scent of flowers, plants, and rich soil lingered in the air. Hermione found herself standing in front of a primeval forest—its sheer beauty left her stunned.
"Haa..."
Hermione took a few hesitant steps forward, examining her surroundings.
After confirming that everything she saw was real and not some kind of illusion, she turned to Ivan and asked, "Did you cast a Traceless Extension Charm on the wardrobe?"
She naturally assumed this magnificent space was something Ivan had created within the wardrobe.
Unlike Harry, who might have been too absorbed in the magical wonder, Hermione had read extensively and knew about the Traceless Extension Charm.
However, this time, her guess was wrong.
"This isn't a Traceless Extension Charm," Ivan said, his hands casually behind his back.
Behind him, the door hung open as Yuumi, the cat, strolled leisurely through it, not forgetting to close the door after entering.
Click!
A crisp sound echoed from the door as the wardrobe locked itself again.
"Meow~~" Yuumi, Ivan's cat, purred contentedly.
"If it's not a Traceless Extension Charm, then… could it be a Portkey?" Hermione guessed, but she hadn't felt the familiar tug at her navel that a Portkey typically caused.
"This is an independent space," Ivan explained, deciding not to keep Hermione in suspense any longer. He told her about the secret closet.
As for its origin... "I am a descendant of Merlin, after all. It's not so strange that a few treasures have been passed down to me, right?"
Ivan wasn't about to reveal the existence of the system to anyone, and Merlin's legacy was a convenient explanation—one that Hermione found plausible.
Merlin was the greatest wizard in England. Any kind of magical artifact could easily be attributed to him.
"How did you do this?"
"How big is this place?"
"It's vast," Ivan said seriously. "When I transformed into Obscurus, I explored dozens of mountains around here, and I still didn't find the edge of this world."
"How is that possible..."
Hermione was utterly shocked. "What kind of power can create such an enormous space?"
Magic? But what kind of magic could achieve something like this?
"It's hard to imagine, isn't it?" Ivan smiled. "When I first entered this place, I was just as amazed as you are. The magic of ancient wizards is far more powerful than we give it credit for."
As Ivan spoke, he motioned for Hermione to walk forward with him, while Yuumi followed closely behind.
Cats have a strong instinct for sensing danger.
Whenever there was any threat, Yuumi would immediately warn them.
During Ivan's previous explorations, Yuumi had always signaled caution before danger could be predicted.
Since Ivan had brought Hermione here, he made sure to prioritize her safety.
He instructed her to keep Yuumi with her at all times and to run to him immediately if the cat sensed any danger.
After some time exploring, Ivan had gone from cautiously staying near the entrance to venturing deeper into the secret realm of the wardrobe regularly.
The secret realm was home to numerous magical creatures, some of which were incredibly powerful, ruling over their territories like wild beasts.
These powerful magical creatures were highly territorial.
For instance, the giant Thunderbird Ivan had encountered on his first visit ruled over the lake in the valley, surrounded by towering mountains near the entrance of the wardrobe.
Ivan had fought with it three times.
The first time, he managed to injure and repel it.
At that point, Ivan hadn't yet mastered many spells, relying solely on raw magic to overpower it and using the power of the Obscurus to hold his own against the creature.
Because he feared the power of the Thunderbird, Ivan sealed the secret realm of the wardrobe for an entire month.
It wasn't until he had tested his strength in his duels with Snape, using the many new spells he had learned, that he dared to return to the field.
Boom~~
As they were talking, a sudden rumble of thunder echoed in the sky. Hermione quickly looked up and saw golden figures flying toward them from the distance.
"What is that?" she asked.
"Thunderbirds," Ivan replied calmly.
"Thunderbirds!!" Hermione exclaimed. "But aren't they magical creatures native to the United States?"
She had never seen a Thunderbird in person, only read about them in books.
In those books, Thunderbirds were described as creatures capable of competing with dragons for territory.
Hermione counted the shadows in the sky—there were at least five Thunderbirds flying toward them.
Five Thunderbirds were the equivalent of five dragons.
"Ivan?!" Hermione's voice rose in alarm.
"Don't be nervous," Ivan reassured her. "They're new friends I've made in the secret space."
"Friends?"
"You could say that there's no acquaintance without a fight."
In their second battle, Ivan successfully defeated the giant Thunderbird.
However, the Thunderbird, being naturally proud and arrogant, would never submit to anyone. It preferred death at Ivan's hands rather than bowing to him.
But Ivan wasn't a killer.
Besides, this was the Thunderbird's territory, and he was the outsider here.
Helplessly, Ivan chose to explore other nearby areas, letting the Thunderbird go without killing it.
During subsequent explorations, the Thunderbird came to understand Ivan's strength. When they crossed paths again, Ivan noticed that the giant Thunderbird was accompanied by others of its kind.
It turned out that a whole group of Thunderbirds lived in this area—twelve in total.
The largest Thunderbird was their leader, and Ivan referred to it as the Thunderbird Chief.
Its strength was immense. Ivan estimated that it would take at least several powerful wizards of Snape's level to match it.
At first, Ivan thought the Thunderbird Chief had brought its entire family to take revenge on him.
But, as it turned out, Ivan had misread the situation.
Thunderbirds are extremely proud creatures. While the Thunderbird Chief had lost to Ivan, it had been spared.
Though they remained adversaries, the Thunderbird Chief wouldn't stoop to something as dishonorable as a group attack.
It had its pride to maintain.
"The Thunderbird is psychic; it knows I have no ill intentions," Ivan explained. "And I've shown enough strength. So, the Thunderbird leader has allowed me to explore its territory freely."
"But that was a month ago."
Ivan smiled slightly, then released the Divine Fenix from his body.
The magnificent bird, radiating red and gold divine light, soared into the sky. As she let out a series of calls to the Thunderbirds, they responded in kind.
"Merlin's Beard! Alia is friends with them!?" Hermione exclaimed, standing in the glow of the Divine Phoenix. She noticed that the dark clouds in the sky began to dissipate as the Thunderbirds welcomed the arrival of the Fenix.
"What's happening?"
"A hundred birds pay homage to the Phoenix," Ivan explained. "If it were just an ordinary phoenix, the Thunderbirds wouldn't react like this. But my Fenix is no ordinary one."
After noticing that the Fenix core of his wand and this reincarnated Fenix from within him were not the same but more like mother and daughter, Ivan had given her name: Alia.
Naturally, Hermione and the other members knew about Alia.
"Hey~~~"
...Chii~ Cree~ Eee~...
Ivan greeted the Thunderbird family in the sky and said to Hermione, "The Divine Fenix is the most noble existence among all birds. Even an immortal bird like Fawkes would have to bow before her."
The Thunderbird leader wasn't afraid of the Fenix, but it respected this foreign king of birds.
It was like hosting an honored guest—the Thunderbirds felt privileged to have such a presence.
As a result, Ivan, who shared the same aura as the Phoenix, was also regarded as a distinguished guest by the Thunderbirds, and they treated him with great respect.
"Creee!!"
Soon, the Thunderbird leader landed in front of Ivan and Hermione with a sharp screech.
The massive creature, more than ten meters tall, made Hermione freeze in place with fear.
"A-Are Thunderbirds really this big?" Hermione asked, wide-eyed.
She recalled that the largest Thunderbird recorded in her books was about seven or eight meters tall.
But the giant before her was nearly 20 meters in height.
The height difference alone was staggering, and the size disparity was even more striking.
The Thunderbirds standing next to their leader looked like mere pigeons standing beside a rooster.
The leader was clearly several times larger—it almost seemed like an entirely different species.
"So, a leader should naturally be this big huh...?"
Ivan: "..."
Hermione nodded to herself. "Yes, what am I thinking! Ofcourse it would be more powerful then others!"
Fortunately, Hermione wasn't a magizoologist like Newt Scamander. She was surprised, but not confused.
"You can go and interact with them. I need to have a little talk with the Thunderbird leader."
"What?" Hermione tilted her head, clearly puzzled.
Letting her go play with Thunderbirds alone was one thing, but talking to the Thunderbird leader?
"Ahem." Ivan noticed her confusion and gestured with his thumb and index finger. "Ever since I awakened the Fenix, I've gained some… understanding of bird language."
"Well, just a little bit," he added, smiling.
Ivan called this ability 'voice imitator,' a rare blood talent similar to Parseltongue.
"Chirp chirp~~ Chirp~~" Ivan made a series of bird-like whistles and chirps, and to Hermione's surprise, the Thunderbird leader seemed to understand, responding with its own chirps.
Meanwhile, Hermione, still trying to process the fact that Ivan could speak bird language, suddenly noticed that Yuumi had leapt from her arms.
The cat ran toward the other Thunderbirds, then with agile precision, used her claws to climb onto one of their backs.
"Yuumi!" Hermione exclaimed, but she soon saw that Yuumi was treating the Thunderbird like a playground, happily sliding down its wings.
"Hermione, you should get familiar with them first," Ivan called over, still communicating with the Thunderbird leader.
"What?" Hermione replied, still baffled by the entire situation.
Hearing Ivan's words, Hermione wasn't entirely sure what he intended to do.
However, the Thunderbirds seemed very familiar with Ivan. Even as Hermione approached, they remained calm and friendly, showing none of the ferocity typical of birds of prey.
Gradually, Hermione became captivated by the majesty and grandeur of the Thunderbirds.
She had to admit—they were truly magnificent, the kind of sky beasts that anyone, boy or girl, would dream of.
Meanwhile, Ivan spoke with the Thunderbird leader.
"Chirp~ Chirp~~ (I want a place to live. It doesn't need to be large, just a corner of the lake)" Ivan said.
While this trip was partially to introduce Hermione to the secret realm, Ivan's main goal was to negotiate with the Thunderbird leader.
He planned to establish a secret base near the entrance to the realm, making it a true haven for him and his closest companions.
No, more accurately, this would be their primary base of operations.
At this point, Ivan fully trusted only Hermione, and bringing someone into the secret realm was his way of extending that trust completely.
However, the Thunderbird leader wasn't too happy about his request.
"This request is too much!" it responded. Animals have a strong sense of territory, and sometimes they would rather fight to the death than give up even a portion of their land.
"I know, I know," Ivan said, trying to calm the Thunderbird leader. "I'm not trying to take over your territory—I'm proposing a trade."
"Trade?"
"Yes."
Of course, Ivan could take the land by force, but he considered the Thunderbirds his friends.
Magical creatures were living beings too. As long as they weren't excessively dangerous or impossible to communicate with, Ivan preferred to coexist peacefully.
For this secret realm to thrive, "there must be a balanced ecological cycle. Destroying any part of it could have unpredictable consequences."
"Protecting magical creatures, preserving the environment, and ensuring sustainable development—that's how we move forward."
__________
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"You see, my companions and I mean you no harm," Ivan explained. "As for what I can offer you… how about blood purification?"
"Blood?" The Thunderbird leader didn't immediately understand Ivan's meaning.
As Ivan explained further, the Thunderbird leader began to grasp the concept. "Are you saying you can restore our Thunderbirds to our former state?"
In American mythology, the Thunderbird is the ruler of the skies, a powerful beast capable of controlling thunder and lightning.
But today's Thunderbirds had lost much of that ancient majesty.
The lightning that once coursed through their bodies had faded.
Although they could still summon storms and shift the skies, that was entirely different from embodying the power of thunder itself.
Ivan had once asked Dumbledore about what Thunderbirds were like in ancient times.
The old headmaster had explained that Thunderbirds were once beings of pure golden lightning.
They could summon storms, navigate through dark clouds, and were among the fastest magical creatures.
"Yes," Ivan said confidently. "I can help you reclaim your thunder!"
The Thunderbird leader would normally have dismissed such claims as empty words.
However, with the Divine Fenix as a living example—the Phoenix that had reclaimed her flame and become a true mythical being—the Thunderbird leader found the temptation of returning to its ancestral bloodline too powerful to resist.
And somehow, it sensed that following this young human in front of it might bring unimaginable rewards.
"I believe you," the Thunderbird leader said. "As long as you don't harm this land, you may take what you need."
"Thank you so much!" Ivan hadn't expected the Thunderbird leader to be so inytellegent.
He wasn't entirely sure how to help the Thunderbird return to its ancestral bloodline, but with his magic eye, he could study the Thunderbirds' physical conditions and identify what might differ from their ancient lineage.
"Oh, and I'd like to borrow two Thunderbirds," Ivan added, explaining his need. This secret realm was so vast that even with his Obscurus abilities, he couldn't cover it all.
Of course, he could use a flying broomstick—but riding a Thunderbird was on an entirely different level.
"Agreed," the Thunderbird leader replied, unfazed by the request. Unlike dragons, which often considered riding a taboo, the Thunderbird saw no issue with helping Ivan and his companion, Hermione. To it, there was little difference between aiding Ivan and playing.
With a few calls from the Thunderbird leader, all but two of the Thunderbirds took flight, following their leader as they disappeared into the sky.
"Huh?" Hermione, seeing the Thunderbirds flying off, asked quickly, "What happened?"
"The deal is done."
Ivan explained the agreement he had made with the Thunderbird leader, and Hermione was astonished to learn that they now had the support of a group of Thunderbirds in this secret place.
"I plan to make this our true secret base," Ivan said.
Hermione sensed the deeper meaning in his words.
While it might seem a bit unfair to Neville and Parvati, she understood that some secrets required caution, especially if they were to keep this place truly safe. She found herself agreeing with Ivan's approach.
"So, what should we do?" she asked.
"First, we'll set up the protective magic."
Ivan continued, "Do you remember the spell I taught you last time?"
"Yes," Hermione replied. "The spell, Protego Ultron—you said it would be very useful. Is this when we use it?"
"Exactly."
Ivan intended to establish a large magical barrier with the entrance as its center.
In the wizarding world, there were many types of protective magic.
There was personal armor protection like Protego, continuous overall protection, and even range-based ultimate protection like Protego Totalum and Maxima.
The purpose of this Safeguard spell was to create a ward that could resist spells.
The Protego Ultron spell can conceal an area so that any sounds or sights within it cannot be detected from the outside.
In terms of protective performance, this spell has the lowest requirements among these types of magic—all in all, it's much less demanding than a Fidelius Charm with somewhat similar results without a secret keeper.
With Hermione's current skill level, she couldn't even cast the simple Protego successfully yet, and even if she managed to use it, the defensive strength would be limited.
"Take Yuumi with you, and one of the Thunderbirds," Ivan said after a pause. "You can give it a name. I think you'll be spending a lot of time together."
"Can I?" Hermione hadn't considered that she could have a Thunderbird as a companion.
Even if it was only temporary, as long as she was here, it didn't feel any different from having a long-term partner.
So, Hermione named the female Thunderbird Renee, while Ivan named the male Rector.
Renee and Rector were siblings, hatched from the same clutch by the Thunderbird leader.
They were gentle by nature, curious about Ivan and Hermione, and more than happy to take them on a tour through the forest.
"Take this," Ivan said, tossing a golden dragon coin to Hermione as they rode the Thunderbirds.
"I've cast a 'Communications Charm' on it—like a short-range walkie-talkie. Our base extends from over there… to here."
Ivan gestured to outline the boundaries of the territory for Hermione, then instructed her to set up security and defense: "The barrier doesn't need to be overly intricate; just make sure it covers a large area."
"I understand,"
Hermione quickly understood Ivan's plan.
He had her set up security and defense markers in various locations, so that, standing in the center, he could cast a massive magical barrier to cover the entire area at once, using the magic markers Hermione left as his guide.
With Ivan directing from above, Hermione rode on Renee with Yuumi beside her, moving swiftly through the forest.
With the Thunderbird as her protector and Yuumi's keen sense for danger, Hermione's safety was assured.
If anything unexpected happened, Ivan would Apparate in immediately to provide backup.
As he observed Hermione's progress, Ivan focused on preparing the Ultimate Guardian Charm, an advanced protective spell.
The Ultimate Guardian Charm's unique ability is to bind together individual sources of magic, uniting them into a single, cohesive shield.
According to Dumbledore's teachings, the Ultimate Guardian Charm is often combined with the Universal Protection spell, which joins multiple protective barriers into one enormous shield capable of covering vast areas.
But this version was a freeform product, Ivan thought, recalling Dumbledore's words: "The true Ultimate Guardian Charm requires tremendous magical power. Only a rare few in the wizarding world can create a complete shield with one spell."
Dumbledore himself was one of those few.
The Ultimate Guardian Charm's incantation was lengthy, and its numerous segments allowed for customization to suit the caster's needs.
For instance, the Ultimate Guardian Charm Ivan was casting now was infused with the magic of the Fenix.
This Fenix magic carried ancient Eastern runes, representing benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness.
These virtues, common in Ivan's previous life, hold immense significance in the wizarding world and are considered the pinnacle of Eastern magic.
However, these five forms of magic demand a lot from wizards.
Without a righteous heart, an understanding of propriety, and a sense of faith, it's impossible to cast magic connected to these virtues.
Fortunately, this wasn't an issue for Ivan.
The Fenix possessed its own runes for these five virtues.
Rather than Ivan casting the spell alone, it was as if the Fenix itself was leading the way.
"I'm exhausted," Hermione said, wiping sweat from her forehead. She raised her wand high and shot a magical firework into the air.
Pop!
Seeing this signal, Ivan halted his chanting.
The Fenix sensed her master's will and quickly ceased her supporting flow of magic.
"Excitare The Ultimate Guardian! PROTEGO ULTRON!!!"
As Ivan raised his wand, an immense surge of magic seemed to envelop the entire area.
Boom!
An earth-shaking roar filled the air, like a massive dome slamming down over the surrounding forests and lake.
Buzz… Buzz…
The shimmering light of the barrier rippled, then gradually dimmed and faded until it became invisible.
Hermione, watching in awe, reached out toward the now-invisible barrier.
She attempted to step in, out, and even jump around within the boundary.
"Why didn't anything happen?"
Hermione couldn't feel the presence of the Ultimate Guardian at all. "Did the spell fail?"
"No, it worked," Ivan replied, landing beside her on Rector and explaining, "Magic can hold a piece of the caster's mind, and many of our spells carry the personal will of the one who casts them."
In other words, Ivan hadn't just set up a simple magic barrier; he had created a protective system.
This system was semi-sentient, like enchanted paintings, wizard chess pieces, or Mr. Weasley's car.
However, compared to those often unpredictable enchantments, Ivan's barrier was much more refined.
The five virtues imbued it with positive qualities, making the barrier both loyal and highly perceptive.
"It can recognize the intentions of anyone within or approaching the barrier and respond accordingly."
Since Ivan had imbued it with his will, the barrier saw Hermione as an ally, allowing her to come and go freely.
"But if you ever find you can't leave," Ivan warned, "don't worry. It likely means the barrier detected some danger outside and is protecting you."
In addition to this, the barrier came with many other functions.
Ivan instructed Hermione to cast a spell on the nearby trees.
The little witch didn't hesitate and quickly complied.
She cast a Blasting Curse toward the trees, but just as the spell flew forward, a flash of light intercepted it, causing the curse to vanish before it even reached the tree, as if it had never been there.
"What happened?"
"Hahaha! It's really working! The barrier intercepted your Blasting Curse," Ivan explained.
"The barrier assesses any changes within it on its own. It can intercept not only spells but also defend against physical attacks."
In other words, it was like a room managed by intelligent magic.
What can and cannot happen within its bounds is decided by this Ultimate Protection system.
"The barrier's intentions won't update automatically, so there's no risk of it going rogue."
In fact, even if the barrier encountered any issues, Ivan had left several safeguards in place.
__________
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