It's not ambition, but the future!
Cyrus's response was as resounding as a morning bell.
"To be honest, everyone, the Statute of Secrecy now brings not protection to wizards but fills them with ignorant arrogance. It obstructs the vision of wizards like a mountain," Cyrus said softly. "In reality, the Muggles that wizards disdain to understand have long since made rapid advancements."
"Half a century ago, Grindelwald foresaw this and took a tough stance to break the Statute of Secrecy, even waging war! Of course, he failed."
"This is what I worry about," Fitzgerald said, looking at Cyrus.
"When you master the power of ancient magic, when you become stronger than you are now, will you also attempt to start a war?"
Wizards always fear bloodshed and numerous sacrifices, which is not unrelated to their small numbers. However, change is unavoidable. Cyrus wants to alter the current order of the wizarding world, and naturally, there will be those who cling to the old ways.
The only promise he could make was not to be as extreme as Grindelwald.
"Ms. Fitzgerald, since you know many things about me, you naturally know I am different from Grindelwald. He was a pureblood wizard, whereas I am of both worlds," Cyrus said, neither overbearing nor servile.
Of course, if one were to go by Fitzgerald's understanding, Cyrus should be someone who utterly despised Muggles. But that was her understanding of Voldemort, not Cyrus.
Having said this much, Cyrus decided not to continue talking.
He merely raised his head, watching as Mrs. Fitzgerald fell into deep contemplation and doubt. As for Rookwood and Percival, they didn't seem as concerned as Fitzgerald.
Their understanding of Voldemort was limited, and from what they had seen, they were quite satisfied with Cyrus.
After a long while, Mrs. Fitzgerald finally relented.
"The location of the first trial is at the Tower of San Barka. If you can truly pass the four trials and gain the power of ancient magic, I hope you remember everything you've said today."
As she finished speaking, the starry, reflective surface beneath Cyrus's feet rippled, and a massive map appeared before him. It seemed as if he were standing high above, looking down upon Hogwarts and its vast surroundings.
The Tower of San Barka was located north of Hogsmeade. The ruins of this tower belonged to the fourth guardian, San Barka, but it had been repurposed by Percival as the trial site.
Once the location of the trial was confirmed, the guardians didn't linger. One by one, they turned and left.
Cyrus didn't stay either.
He had arrived in the chamber on Christmas Eve and immediately flew towards the tower ruins. As a result, he missed the moment when Peter Pettigrew took Harry.
By the time Ron asked Ginny for the diary, Cyrus had already completed the trial at the Tower of San Barka.
To be honest, the so-called trial wasn't worth much mention. The tests left by Percival were nothing more than Pensieve guardians, which were trivial in Cyrus's eyes.
What truly intrigued Cyrus was the memory he obtained at the end.
The memory depicted Morgana learning ancient magic, showcasing another powerful aspect of ancient magic—the ability to change the environment.
Similar spells do exist in regular magic. Modern magic includes spells that can create thunderstorms or snow and spells like "Finite Incantatem" that can dissipate weather.
However, these spells mostly change the weather rather than the climate.
The most impressive piece of magic that Cyrus had seen, which altered the environment, was Newt Scamander's suitcase. That small case contained a variety of climates, all without interfering with one another. Naturally, Newt couldn't wield such powerful ancient magic, so Cyrus believed it was Dumbledore's handiwork.
Although Dumbledore couldn't see the echoes of ancient magic, his immense magical power allowed some seemingly ordinary spells to exhibit extraordinary effects.
It was similar to how Voldemort, after acquiring the Elder Wand, could still unleash immense power despite the wand not fully recognizing him as its master, due to his overwhelming magical strength.
The power was so immense that Voldemort couldn't immediately tell if his spells were being enhanced by the Elder Wand.
As he told Snape, "I used my regular magic. I am highly skilled, but this wand... No. It hasn't shown the miracles it should. Compared to the wand I bought from Ollivander years ago, I feel no difference."
Then he killed Snape and still didn't realize he hadn't become the true master of the Elder Wand.
With Cyrus's magical strength, it was only a matter of time before he reached the heights of Voldemort and Dumbledore. However, ancient magic offered him a more efficient path, allowing him to go even further.
It only took a few glances for Cyrus to understand the casting principles behind the type of ancient magic Morgana used.
"I've been wondering how to make a suitcase like Newt's. This is a fortunate surprise," Cyrus thought as he prepared to return to the map chamber. It was then that he received a message from Ron.
But—
"Why Ron?"
He frowned.
Usually, Hermione was the one who contacted him through the diary. Although Ginny wrote in the diary daily, she didn't know it could be used to communicate with him.
As for Ron—
To be honest, his relationship with Ron wasn't as close as with the others.
But seeing Ron so anxious, Cyrus decided to respond.
"What's wrong, Ron?"
....
"What's wrong, Ron? Did something happen?"
After Ron repeatedly wrote Cyrus's name in the diary, the first response finally appeared on the page.
Ginny stared blankly at the clear writing, momentarily so angry that she forgot her worry about Harry's safety.
"So, you knew all along that the diary could contact Mr. Cyrus, and Mr. Cyrus could have replied to me but pretended not to know?" Ginny seemed even angrier than Hermione had been, her fiery red hair almost appearing to ignite.
She glared at Ron like a mother lion, ready to give him a "crushing blow" if he didn't provide a satisfactory answer.
"Uh—I just thought maybe we could try—" Ron stammered, ultimately not mentioning that Harry had received a birthday gift from Cyrus.
Even though everyone got Christmas gifts, he couldn't be sure Ginny wouldn't be upset.
By the way, Ron's gift was an owl, making up for the loss of Scabbers.
"Besides, I think it's understandable that Mr. Cyrus didn't respond to you. He's doing big things, and he's the one fighting against the Dark Lord now. How could he have time to chat with you every day?" Ron said. "If Harry hadn't been kidnapped this time, I wouldn't have planned to disturb him!"
Ron shook his head as he wrote down the details in the diary, allowing Cyrus to learn what had happened.
However, the situation was more complicated than Cyrus had imagined.
Initially, he thought Ron was contacting him for something minor like Buckbeak. He didn't expect that Harry had gone missing.
"Did he go missing last night?" Cyrus looked up at the already clear sky and couldn't help but sigh.
The time was too long ago. Even with a Time-Turner, he couldn't return to the exact moment Harry was taken.
But knowing that Peter Pettigrew took Harry, Cyrus didn't need to guess what Voldemort was planning.
"Not strong enough with Ranrok's body, so planning a quick resurrection?" Cyrus sneered. Reviving Voldemort wasn't easy. Besides the necessary blood, flesh, and bone, he also needed a new body suitable for resurrection.
In the original story, that was the baby-like form Peter carried.
Besides the baby-like form, a potion needs to be prepared in advance.
The method to brew this potion isn't difficult, but it requires a long preparation time. During the Triwizard Tournament, Barty Crouch Jr. had many opportunities to take Harry, but he waited until the final task. This was because Voldemort hadn't prepared everything before that point.
Until then, Harry wouldn't be in any real danger, not even superficial injuries.
Voldemort, being arrogant and foolish, wanted to prove his strength and show that he wasn't defeated by a boy. He wanted to kill Harry himself, and he wanted to do it in front of all the Death Eaters to break the prophecy and erase any doubts about his power!
For this reason, after his resurrection, Voldemort would immediately summon his former followers through the Dark Mark, letting everyone witness how he would kill the "Boy Who Lived" in a "fair" duel.
Therefore, Cyrus wasn't worried about Harry's life. He was more concerned that if Voldemort revived early, Cyrus might not be strong enough to face him without mastering ancient magic fully.
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