章 102: 0102 Purpose
"I was already very careful, but I don't know when it started, it seems that everyone knows who 'Golden Viper' really is–"
Bryan laughed mockingly at himself, his voice echoing in the dark alley. He leaned against the brick wall, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.
"To find you, we paid a terrible price."
Cliodna's tone was full of heavy apologies, she seemed to want to apologize for approaching Bryan in this way, but Bryan didn't give her a chance to speak, he turned and left, walking steadily towards the stairs that led to the main street, until his figure disappeared completely in the dim light, a faint voice came from the dark hole.
"Let's go somewhere else, Miss Coffey, I don't want to fight with anyone here, especially with a powerful wizard like you."
The two of them turned away from the city lights and walked eastward to the outskirts of the wasteland. Cliodna followed behind Bryan, keeping a respectful distance. As they passed a stone bridge over a small river, she noticed that Bryan's footsteps stumbled slightly. He glanced subconsciously at the slow-flowing river, where the moonlight reflected on the water surface. But soon he concealed his anomaly and continued to walk forward with steady steps, as if nothing had happened.
The two of them walked silently for a long time, until the road leading to the outside of the city became a crooked path. Bryan stopped and took out a wand from his pocket and waved it violently. A powerful banishing spell made the animals lurking in the shadows flee in panic from this land that might be in trouble. A gust of wind blew over, making Bryan's hair flutter in the air.
"Tell me, Miss Coffey–"
As a brilliant golden flame swept over Bryan's body, his short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans disappeared, replaced by an old-fashioned dark green wizard robe that matched his eyes.
The bad mood reflected on his face with a lazy smile, "How did you figure out that Golden Viper was Bryan Watson? I think the terrible price you mentioned shouldn't be a bunch of galleons?"
"It was through divination, Mr. Watson."
In the wilderness, the billions of stars and the bright moon hanging in the night sky were the only sources of light. Cliodna, who exuded a 'natural aura', seemed to blend in with the surrounding environment. Her long blonde hair was braided with flowers and leaves, and her white dress was made of fine linen. She looked like a fairy from an ancient legend.
"Divination?"
Bryan looked absurd,
"I remember I cast some protective spells on myself that could prevent me from being located or cursed by some inexplicable spells. Miss Coffey, you are lying."
"Divination and sacrifice–"
Cliodna was no longer as calm as before. Her drooping eyes showed some decadence and sadness. She clenched her hands on her chest, where a pendant shaped like a bird hung on a silver chain.
"You are a powerful wizard, Mr. Watson. In order to find out the true identity of 'Golden Viper', a respected elder gave his life for it."
"How touching." Bryan sneered, but his eyes were very gloomy.
"What is it for, Miss Coffey? If my brain is not confused, I remember I should not have any grudges with the Druids, so that the noble 'Queen of the Banshees' who inherited the name of 'Cliodna' would approach me in this way?"
"We need your help, Mr. Watson."
Cliodna raised her head and looked at Bryan with her eyes as pure as jade-colored stars. She seemed to be unaware of the coldness around him and said sincerely,
"Since you have heard of us, then you must know our grudge with the Church, Mr. Watson. For many centuries, we have been wandering in many countries in Europe and America, hoping to find a place where we can live peacefully. But those priests who do evil in the name of faith have never stopped killing us–"
"What does that have to do with me?"
Bryan continued to sneer, "Don't tell me you want me to take you into the Vatican and kill the Pope? In that case, I have a powerful guy to recommend. The headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Albus Dumbledore is an old guy who is even more powerful than me. And he is high-ranking, kind-hearted. Maybe he will pity your poor situation and be willing to help you."
Cliodna obviously didn't take Bryan's sarcastic words seriously. She had a calm heart that had been carrying heavy historical responsibilities for a long time and would not be easily shaken.
"We don't want our fierce ideological conflict with the Church to involve any innocent people, Mr. Watson. For centuries, we have been using our own power to protect our beliefs. Even if we are dying, we have never thought of using the power of foreign wizards. But"
Bryan had no patience to listen to these endless histories. He interrupted Cliodna's words directly, his voice cold and sharp,
"Your purpose and why you came to me are what I want to hear, Banshee Queen."
"We want to open Merlin's ruins, Mr. Watson. There is a legendary item that originally belonged to the Druid's stored there. With its power, maybe we can have a peaceful place to live."
"Merlin's ruins?"
Bryan squinted his eyes and asked uncertainly, his curiosity aroused by the mention of the greatest wizard in history,
"Do you want to open the black tower built by Merlin in the underground world of Knockturn Alley?"
Before Cliodna could give a clear answer, Bryan suddenly thought of something and frowned. He remembered a conversation he had with a familiar face a few months ago.
"I got some hints. Someone told me that earlier this year, a group of people from unknown forces that had never appeared before appeared in the underground world had issued a commission to explore the magical ruins, but it ended up in nothing. Later, they started to inquire about my identity–"
"It must be Mr. Kakus Fawley who conveyed the information to you–"
Cliodna smiled slightly, "We only posted a commission with him, and we also noticed that he seemed very interested in our origins."
This is a difficult woman to deal with–Bryan had this thought in his heart. She was so in both strength and wisdom. She knew how to use different channels to achieve her goals, and she was not afraid of exposing her identity.
As the conversation continued, Bryan was not as angry as he was at the beginning, but he still had no good feelings for this woman who approached him by any means. He was just annoyed that he was entangled by such a person.
"We don't know what exactly exists in that mysterious black tower in the underground world, but Merlin's final resting place is not there, Mr. Watson–"
Cliodna raised her right hand, and the light blue bracelet tied to her slender wrist emitted a dazzling light. It turned into a wand made of two thick grapevines intertwined together. Bryan could clearly feel the powerful magic and vitality from this strangely shaped wand.
Cliodna raised her wand and drew something on the void. After a while, a white scroll unfolded in the void.
The picture on the screen was like a TV screen. It was an old female priest with eyes and hair the same color as Cliodna's. She was in a primitive forest that Bryan had never seen before. The old priest stood on a gray-white altar made of stone and wood, and held up the wand in Cliodna's hand.
As the ancient and mysterious chanting echoed through the jungle, the dark green branches and leaves of the ancient trees around the altar bloomed with green fluorescence. The earth rose up with black fog, and those faint lights and fog seemed to be attracted by something and gathered in front of the old priest, forming a vague light and shadow. The outline of the light and shadow gradually became clear, and a golden strange snake appeared in the primitive forest where people rarely visited.
The old priest on the altar turned pale and vomited blood and fell down. After seeing that strange snake, Bryan's eyes showed a sudden realization, and he finally understood how he was targeted.
******************************************************
IMPORTANT:
Below is a detailed explanation about druids in harry potter canon by JK Rowling:
Druids are a group of people who practice a form of ancient Celtic paganism. They are known for their knowledge of nature, magic, and divination. In the wizarding world, druids have a long and complex history, and some of them have made significant contributions to the magical society. I have put some facts about druids in the wizarding world by J.K. Rowling below:
Druids were skilled in wandmaking and used vine wood for their wands, following their belief that anything with a woody stem was a tree. Vine wood wands are sensitive and suited for owners who have hidden depths and unexpected talents. Hermione Granger had a vine wood wand.
One of the most famous druids in history was Cliodna, who was an Animagus who could turn into a sea bird and had three magical birds that cured the sick by singing them to sleep. She also discovered the properties of Moondew, a plant that could make people fall in love.
-Source: https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/wand-woods
Druids also had a connection with Merlin, the most legendary wizard of all time. Merlin himself was said to have some druidic ancestry, and he respected their traditions and culture. He also helped to protect them from persecution by the Church, which considered them as pagans and heretics. Some druids believed that Merlin left a legendary item in his ruins that belonged to their sect, and they sought to find it and use its power.
-Source: https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling
Druids are an example of how different forms of magic can coexist and enrich the wizarding world. They have a unique perspective on nature and life, and they have preserved their ancient wisdom and practices for centuries.
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章 103: 0103 Decision
The moon cast a pale light over the quiet garden, where two figures sat on a wooden bench. One was a Bryan with dark grey hair and piercing lavender eyes, holding a wand in his hand. The other was a woman with long silver hair and a flowing white dress, her face hidden by a thin veil. She spoke in a soft voice, telling him a story that sounded like a legend.
"We have received inspiration from the earth and the gods we believe in. The wizard who bears this snake will help us take out the sacred objects belonging to the Druids in the place where Merlin rests forever. In the beginning, we made a mistake. It took several months to find nothing, and after a lot of twists and turns, through ordinary divination and investigation, we finally figured out that it seems to be the underground world of Knockturn Alley, the identity mark of a wizard—"
She paused, as if recalling the hardships they had gone through, while Bryan kept frowning, thinking carefully why the druid's ritual divination would get such a result. No matter from which aspect, he had no intersection with these people.
In fact, wizards were a relatively conservative and exclusive group, even wizards with impure bloodlines were rejected in the European magical world, let alone the Druid religion that had parted ways with the 'secret' wizard faction for so many years.
"We didn't dare to look for you openly in the underworld, because we were afraid that it might cause you trouble. When we finally figured out who this snake was, you suddenly disappeared from the underworld."
The Bryan didn't say anything. If it wasn't for Dumbledore's 'conspiracy' that brought him back to Hogwarts, he and these people would have met a few months ago.
"Out of helplessness, my teacher, the first-generation priestess of the religion, had to seek help from the gods again. And this time, she paid the price of her life and finally got a clear indication–Bryan Watson.
We knew your name, but at that time, you were teaching at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There was the most powerful wizard in the contemporary magical world, Albus Dumbledore. If possible, we didn't want to deal with this wizard, because if the news leaked out, it might cause some misunderstanding to our enemies.
We hid in the shadows and watched your figure. And when you left Hogwarts, how to approach you became a topic of discussion among us.
Some partners thought that they should find you directly and explain the reason and ask for your help.
Some people also thought that by hiding all the truth, as long as you continued to issue commissions in the underground world and provide generous rewards for tasks, you would always be attracted to it—"
The breeze whispered softly in his ears, carrying the scent of flowers. Bryan gradually relaxed his tense mood. He stared at the mysterious priestess whose origin and 'true purpose' were like a misty mystery. He was judging and weighing in his heart.
"But I hoped that I could release some goodwill to you before formally negotiating with you. So I asked my friends to leave the UK and go to other countries. Based on the information obtained from the previous investigation, I found this orphanage and became a volunteer at the orphanage–"
Hum. Bryan snorted coldly.
"I think your partners' suggestions are more sensible."
The cause and effect were roughly like this, but there were some things that the Bryan hadn't figured out yet.
"For more than a thousand years, countless wizards and even Muggles have been looking for Merlin's resting place. But except for that unopenable black stone tower in the underworld, no one has found any valuable clues. How do you know that the ruins you found have anything to do with Merlin? Don't tell me it's divination again?"
Cliodna didn't speak. Bryan knew that his question is probably related to the core secret of the Druid religion.
"What is in Merlin's ruins? Or what do you want to get from there?"
Cliodna, who had an ethereal temperament, apologized,
"I'm sorry, Mr. Watson, I can't answer your question for the time being, but when you are willing to accept the commission and enter the ruins, you will always know."
The Bryan couldn't deny it and curled his lips slightly. Although Cliodna didn't want to say anything, she didn't choose to lie.
"You should be glad that you didn't do too many unnecessary things during your time in the orphanage, Miss Coffey,"
Bryan said lightly. "Otherwise, the Druids may have to change their priestess again."
"What do you mean——"
"Miss Coffey, you ask me to risk my life for a mystery that you won't reveal. You say there are ruins that have something to do with Merlin, but you don't tell me what they are or where they are. You expect me to trust you blindly, but you don't offer me anything in return. Miss Coffey, what can you give me that is worth more than my own safety? I know that the value of this commission is very high, and it cannot even be measured in galleons. What can you promise me that will make me agree to this dangerous mission?"
Bryan's voice was cold and stern, and he looked at Cliodna with a piercing gaze. He could sense that she needed his help desperately, and he was not going to let her take advantage of him.
When Bryan returned to the orphanage alone, the moon had risen to the other side of the house. Smelling the faint fragrance of flowers in the cold air, Bryan stood quietly in the courtyard for a while. He felt a slight chill on his skin, but he didn't care. When his mood calmed down, he walked into the hall with light steps.
"Did you kiss her?"
a mischievous voice came from the dark corridor as he passed the third floor. He was one of the orphans who liked to tease him, a boy named Hammer.
"Go to bed quickly, little Hammer. Else I will beat your ass!"
Bryan didn't stop at all and said irritably. He knew that Hammer was just joking, but he didn't want to talk to him now. He came to a room on the sixth floor that was specially prepared for him. He washed up simply in the dark and sighed with relief. Then he lay on the soft mattress.
Although His body had relaxed, but his thoughts were still rolling like waves in the storm. Tonight, he deepened his understanding of the mystery and unpredictability of the magical world.
The Druid religion that came out of nowhere used some divination techniques that Bryan never cared about before and figured out his identity and background. Although Cliodna said that they paid a huge price, Bryan thought that it was not worth mentioning.
The biggest problem was still the divination result of the previous priestess of the Druid religion.
This mysterious and ancient religion has a long history. Their conflicts with the orthodox church have been mentioned even in Muggle storybooks. Bryan believed that if they really wanted that legendary magical item so badly, then this kind of divination must have been held regularly for many centuries, but they never got any revelation.
Considering the 'huge price' in Cliodna's mouth, Bryan thought that every generation of Druid priests might hold such a divination at the end of their lives.
But why would they involve him? In the quiet darkness, Bryan's brow furrowed again.
He first heard of the Druid religion and the equally ancient name 'Cliodna' on the Hogwarts Express many years ago, from a chocolate frog card he bought from a witch who sold 'candies, pastries, cakes'. Later, in the fourth grade, when Professor Binns was talking about the grievances and conflicts among wizards, Muggles, and the Holy See in the Middle Ages. He mentioned them casually. When he finished his homework, out of curiosity, he went to the library to look up some popular information.
But he didn't expect that many years later, he actually met a 'Cliodna'!
After recalling his twenty years of life memories, Bryan was sure that he had never been involved with them before. But at the same time, he believed that there must be a deeper secret behind that divination that he still did not know.
Bryan could tell that there was basically no lie in what Cliodna told him just now. But there were some things that still deserved deep thought.
A legendary item that could help them resist the equally mysterious and influential church in the Muggle world? It sounded absurd to Bryan.
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