The Dragon's exclamation lasted only a brief moment; its words filled with shock could not be completed before the witch, raising her hand, tightened the chains around its neck.
This time it was even tighter than before, making it feel as if half of its head was about to fall off... Not only could it not roar, but even rolling on the ground in pain seemed to have drained it of strength.
"It must not be a Ravenclaw House dragon." Ian silently mourned for the Dragon, which did not know when to say what.
"Let me see your creation." Morgan maintained the grip on the chains around the Dragon's neck and took the imitation Resurrection Stone ring that Ian handed over. After examining it for a moment, she slowly furrowed her brows.
"Once put into actual use, it will become completely untraceable before our eyes." Morgan seemed quite dissatisfied with this characteristic of the death magic text.
"I see it clearly..."
Ian wasn't sure why others struggled, but whether it was Grindelwald or Morgan, both seemed convinced that the death magic text couldn't be perceived by ordinary wizards.
While they could see the runes Ian had copied, neither could truly analyze the finished product imbued with the death magic text. Ian had confirmed this during a recent experiment with Grindelwald.
"You're not like us."
Morgan handed the imitation Resurrection Stone ring back to Ian. She often made similar remarks, yet she avoided further explanation each time Ian asked.
"I call it the Patronus Ring." Though it was only an imitation, Ian had earnestly named it. After all, a little creative liberty hardly counted as cheating. He'd made subtle improvements to its design.
The ring gleamed with a radiant brilliance, far more striking than the original Resurrection Stone, resembling one of those dazzling artifacts whispered about in wizarding tales.
"Call it whatever you like. I only care about that piece of parchment that answered your question, the one that mysteriously appeared in your pocket." Morgan's meaning was clear. The last time Ian had entered the Twilight Zone, she had placed an enchantment on the parchment to track its origin.
Now, she wanted answers.
Her dissatisfaction was plain. A question she couldn't solve had been answered by someone else.
"Wasn't that your prank?" Ian was startled by Morgan's insistence. He'd suspected her as the culprit, but even after questioning nearly everyone he could think of, the parchment remained silent and inert.
"It seems you haven't found the one who gave you the note." Morgan's keen gaze read Ian's reaction like an open book. Her furrowed brows deepened, and despite the beauty of her enchanted form, Ian could see the frustration beneath it.
"Perhaps that person has already left Hogwarts or took special precautions to avoid being tracked." It was the most logical explanation Ian could offer.
However.
His reasoning only made Morgan's expression darken further. A knowing smile, tinged with icy amusement, spread across her face.
"Do you truly believe there is a wizard more powerful than me in your little school of childish games?" Morgan's mood shifted with alarming speed, her arrogance unmistakable.
"..."
Ian quickly shook his head.
"Of course not. That person must have fled. Yes, that's it! After giving me the note, they ran off, which is why your methods couldn't trace them."
The certainty in Ian's voice seemed to mollify Morgan, at least a little. But her furrowed brow remained, uncertainty still lingering.
"Perhaps... Though I laced that parchment with my understanding of magic, its effects would only manifest in the mortal realm. I can't imagine any wizard in your era surpassing me."
Morgan's words dripped with the confidence of someone who had spent lifetime honing her craft.
"Even your so-called celebrated Albus Dumbledore... He may stand at the threshold, but that last step remains unbridgeable. And that gap is no mere distance, it's the chasm that separates an ant from the heavens."
Her voice carried the weight of ancient pride, and though Ian couldn't argue, a part of him couldn't help but wonder. After all, in a world as vast and mysterious as the wizarding one, what other secrets might yet lie hidden?
"My suggestion is for you to have a duel with Dumbledore!" Ian eagerly handed over the ''Patronus Ring'', having long pestered the legendary witch for a chance to summon a historic spirit as his Patronus. Who wouldn't want a legendary figure as their protector?
"You still haven't given up on such nonsense?" Morgan sighed, having dismissed Ian's request countless times before. But this time, she finally offered an explanation.
"Your magical power can't even sustain the form of a minor spirit, let alone bring a legend like me back to the mortal realm," the ancient witch said with a resigned tone.
Ian's expression shifted in disbelief.
"But my magic should be close to the upper limit for wizards," Ian argued, furrowing his brow. "And didn't you say you lost your magical power and abilities? Logically, wouldn't it be easier to summon you through the Patronus than to bind that Dragon?"
The little wizard was indeed a touch stubborn.
He cast a glance at the enormous Dragon beside him, now sprawled on its back, groaning pitifully as the enchanted chains cinched tightly around its neck.
"Merlin's beard! Why do you think summoning a slothful dragon is simpler than manifesting a powerful witch like me?" Morgan scoffed, determined to shatter Ian's illusions. She took the ''Patronus Ring'' from his hand once more.
She slid it onto her finger without hesitation.
"This remains untested." Ian tries to protest, alarmed by Morgan's reckless actions.
"Then let this be the test." Morgan showed no concern about the ring's potential effects on her.
Thanks to Ian's careful enchantments, the ring automatically adjusted to fit her finger, its gleaming silver surface emanating a dazzling light. On the hand of the legendary witch, it resembled a priceless heirloom.
"Without treading the veil between life and death, come forth, my foolish apprentice, no more imposing than a fluttering Pigwidgeon, and feel... the weight of your teacher's presence." Morgan's eyes twinkled with amusement.
She summoned a wand for Ian with a casual flick of her fingers.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Ian, ever resolute, gripped the wand tightly and cast the spell. A brilliant silver light erupted from the tip, illuminating the space as the shimmering form of his Patronus emerged. It radiated with remarkable strength.
At the same moment, silver threads began to snake around Morgan's hand, emanating from the ''Patronus Ring''.
The ring, crafted as a replica of the Resurrection Stone, resonated powerfully with the Patronus charm. The enchanted silver lines twisted and curled, seeking to envelop Morgan and pull her essence towards Ian.
Yet the threads faltered.
(To Be Continued…)
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