About a minute later, Rhys gradually recovered, and his breathing returned to normal.
He ignored Helga and Rowena, who were both standing there completely dumbfounded, and stared fixedly at Godric's face, trying to find even the slightest flaw.
He had to admit, Godric truly lived up to his reputation as a master duelist. His control over his muscles was exceptional. Even after that earth-shattering aria, he had not shown the slightest reaction.
But Rhys did not actually need evidence.
This was not some Muggle detective case.
If he believed Gryffindor had revived, then Gryffindor had definitely revived. If he still had not woken up, that only meant Rhys had not applied enough pressure yet.
"It seems Gryffindor's soul still hasn't returned to his body. How about this? At the opening feast after the summer holidays, we'll have every teacher and student at Hogwarts sing that song together."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Rhys's mouth.
"I believe that as long as everyone at Hogwarts is sincere enough, Godric's resurrection will only be a matter of time."
Godric: "!!!"
Rowena and Helga's eyes began spinning wildly in their sockets.
Although neither of them could move, their minds were working faster than fighter jet engines.
After hearing Salazar's words, Rowena finally understood why he had done all this.
At that moment, her heart was filled with nothing but admiration for Salazar.
Salazar, you really are incredible!
To force Godric awake, he had truly wagered everything.
Honestly, even if Rowena had thought of this method beforehand, she would never have had the courage to use it.
This was not something an ordinary person could pull off.
Godric, by all means keep pretending to be dead.
The price would be having everyone at the opening feast sing "Godric, the Man Among Men" in unison, right in front of you!
Rowena only had to imagine herself in Gryffindor's position to feel goosebumps all over her body.
Wait.
Rowena suddenly realized something extremely important.
Would Salazar really allow her and Helga to keep this memory?
She thought about it from his perspective.
Absolutely not!
Rowena immediately panicked.
She had to preserve this treasure of a memory at all costs!
The wisest witch Hogwarts had ever known began thinking at tremendous speed, trying to find a countermeasure.
Helga, on the other hand, was far more relaxed.
The thought had never even occurred to her, so she was completely absorbed in the spectacle before her, watching with great interest and full concentration.
"Oh, right. Hogwarts doesn't seem to have an official school song, does it? I think this song could actually become the Hogwarts school song..."
Rhys's voice echoed through the small room like a demon's whisper.
At those words, Gryffindor, who had been pretending to be dead the entire time, finally broke.
Rowena's judgment had been correct.
After Loki's soul was expelled, Gryffindor's body had automatically drawn in Godric's soul, which had been summoned by the Resurrection Stone, merging soul and body into one.
At that point, Godric had already been resurrected.
However, over the past year, his old friends had repeatedly summoned him, so he was not completely ignorant of what had been happening in the outside world.
The instant he revived, he understood his situation.
Unlike his old friends, he could not simply assume another name.
He would have to live under his real identity.
The moment Godric realized this, he decisively chose to play dead.
If his three old friends had not been at Hogwarts, he might have reluctantly accepted it.
But all three of them were alive and well.
If he woke up like this, wouldn't that be the equivalent of a public execution?
Godric might have been famous for his courage and martial prowess, but that did not mean he was stupid.
He simply preferred not to use his brain most of the time.
When his own interests were involved, he was extremely sharp.
So he chose the option that best served him.
As a powerful wizard who possessed a domain, he was actually quite difficult to kill.
Ordinary methods such as beheading or burying him alive would have no effect, and his old friends would never reduce his body to ashes.
As long as he stubbornly continued pretending to be dead, there was nothing they could do to him.
Eventually, once his helpless friends buried his body, he could simply rise from the coffin.
At that point, the sea would be wide enough for fish to leap and the sky high enough for birds to fly.
He could easily follow Helga or Rowena's example and find himself a new identity, then return to Hogwarts as a professor.
Or he could imitate Salazar and become a Hogwarts student.
That path would be more difficult, but with enough effort, it could still be done.
Now Salazar had completely destroyed Godric's entire plan.
If he refused to wake up, Salazar would drag him into the Great Hall and have every teacher and student at Hogwarts sing that song directly in front of him.
He might even make it the school song!
The consequences would be catastrophic.
If he woke up, the worst that could happen was death.
Godric was not afraid of death.
But that song would be passed down from generation to generation!
As long as Hogwarts continued to exist in this world, the song would never disappear.
That was far too terrifying.
So the moment Salazar suggested making the "Song of Godric" the Hogwarts school song, Gryffindor immediately surrendered.
His eyelids trembled.
Then his eyes slowly opened.
The moment Godric opened his eyes, it was like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night sky.
The sleeping lion had awakened.
After opening his eyes, Godric looked at Salazar Slytherin standing before him with an extremely complicated expression.
That face was unbelievably young, exactly the same as when the two of them had first met.
At this moment, Gryffindor had no other thought.
He simply wanted to punch that irritating face.
"Godric, you're finally awake! This is wonderful! Hogwarts can't do without you!"
Rhys cried out with extraordinary delight, as though Gryffindor waking up had come as a complete surprise to him.
Listening to Salazar's voice, Godric felt the anger in his heart rising rapidly.
Then he remembered everything he would have to face from now on.
He could no longer suppress his emotions.
With a sudden roll, he lunged straight at Rhys.
If he could beat up that venomous snake Salazar today, then at least he would not have lost out completely.
Rhys had already prepared himself while teasing Godric.
Combined with the fact that Godric's body was covered in injuries, Rhys easily dodged his lunge and put some distance between them.
Gryffindor missed, but he had no intention of giving up.
He immediately charged forward again, determined to catch Salazar.
____
12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI