Godric's Hollow.
Shortly after Salazar sent Rey to the Valley of Evil Spirits, Rowena returned to the valley and interrogated Salazar about her student's whereabouts.
After some explanation and Salazar's guarantee that Rey would return alive, Rowena finally let the matter drop.
This whole thing had started because of Godric. If he hadn't suggested Salazar teach Rey the Dark Arts, none of this would have happened.
However, as the instigator, Godric showed zero remorse. Instead, he made a decision that shocked everyone even more.
"I am going to have a fair duel with the Great Dragon." Godric Gryffindor wasn't joking. He announced his decision with absolute seriousness.
Some people are born adventurers.
Godric Gryffindor was the textbook example.
Ever since he visited the ancient castle in the Forbidden Forest with Rowena and Helga and saw the Great Dragon, the adventurer in him had been itching for a fight.
In an adventurer's heart, an itch like that doesn't take long to take root and grow into a towering obsession.
"You can't be serious. Godric, drop this ridiculously childish idea."
Before anyone else could react, Salazar Slytherin shot down the decision cold. The glint in his eyes was sharp enough to kill.
Godric was a creature of muscle and hot blood. If Salazar hadn't constantly cleaned up his messes, this reckless lion would have died a hundred times over.
"You know I'm serious, Salazar. Haven't we done crazier things than this?"
Godric met Salazar's sharp gaze without flinching. His expression was calm—no stubbornness, no defensive arguments, not even a hint of madness. Just calm certainty.
After a staring contest, Salazar finally conceded defeat.
He hated it when Godric got serious. No matter how insane the decision, Godric's calm conviction made it sound like the most logical thing in the world.
That was Godric Gryffindor's charisma.
It was this charisma that made him the center of their group.
Since becoming friends, the four of them had done many crazy things, and all of them had succeeded. And invariably, the craziest ideas came from Godric Gryffindor.
Even the idea of establishing the first wizarding school was Godric's. Before this, wizards only took apprentices individually, passing down knowledge in isolated lineages.
This decision was pioneering, breaking the mold of the entire wizarding world and facing opposition from countless traditional wizards. Building Hogwarts meant going against the grain of magical society.
Yet, they succeeded. Now, the opposition had faded. As long as they found a suitable location away from Muggles, they could build the school. They could even raise the majority of the magical construction materials from wizarding families.
Founding Hogwarts was insane. Its difficulty certainly rivaled dueling a Great Dragon.
But comparing the two wasn't exactly apples to apples.
Salazar was out of options, so he turned to his other two friends, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw, hoping they would speak up and stop this idiot.
Especially Rowena. She was the wisest of them all; maybe she could persuade Godric to abandon this madness.
---
Rowena thought for a moment, then tilted her head slightly, looking at the earnest Godric. "Have you truly thought this through?"
Godric Gryffindor smiled faintly. "Of course. Have you ever seen me back down once I seriously proposed something?"
"Fine. I support your decision."
With a slight nod, Rowena made a decision that shocked Salazar. Beside her, Helga smiled. It seemed she wasn't surprised at all that Rowena would back Godric.
"Rowena, you..."
Salazar was angry. This was a suicide mission. He hadn't expected Rowena to agree.
"Salazar, my dream revealed that the castle is the location for our school. Furthermore, Rey, who comes from the future, confirmed that the ancient castle is indeed Hogwarts. Since we can't avoid it, we should be proactive. First, we need to understand the Great Dragon's true strength before we can plan further. And among the four of us, who is best suited to test the dragon's strength?"
"Aside from Godric, I can't think of anyone qualified. Besides, even if Godric challenges it, do you think we three would let him die? Do you doubt Godric's strength? Or do you doubt that the combined power of the three of us is enough to ensure Godric's safe retreat?"
Rowena's explanation and counter-questions left Salazar speechless.
It was true. Even if they couldn't defeat the dragon, the three of them combined were more than capable of ensuring Godric escaped with his life. Faced with her logic, Salazar wondered what he was actually afraid of.
"Since you all agree, I can't very well refuse. However, we have to wait until that kid, Rey Faest, returns."
Salazar finally stopped objecting, but he added a puzzling condition. The three looked at him in confusion, waiting for an explanation.
Godric was especially puzzled.
Although Rey was from the future, his knowledge of dragon-slaying history was limited to the motto: Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon. Godric didn't know why Salazar insisted on waiting for him.
"Rey Faest has a bottle of Felix Felicis I gave him. Having it in your possession is the safest insurance."
Seeing their confused looks, Salazar explained. But as soon as he finished, he quickly added, "I will compensate him."
---
Where there is good luck, there must be bad luck to balance it out.
No one knew exactly how Salazar Slytherin brewed his Liquid Luck.
But Rey got lucky, and Terence, Salazar's disciple, got the short end of the stick.
Upon leaving the valley through the illusion, Terence encountered a horde of evil spirits, just as he had predicted.
The spirits in the illusion were weak; a single thought could destroy one. But when faced with thousands of hideous faces, even killing them with a thought took thousands of thoughts.
So, when Terence Barrow walked out of the valley entrance and returned to the spot where Salazar had dropped them off, he was mentally exhausted.
Overusing his mental energy took a toll. No matter how he tried to hide it, he looked rough.
Especially the dark circles under his eyes—he looked like he hadn't slept in ten days. On such a dashing aristocrat, the panda eyes were almost comical.
Rey, on the other hand, was very lucky. His streak of good fortune hadn't completely worn off. He encountered only one spirit in the illusion.
A timid little girl who asked Rey to take her out of the valley.
Since there was only one spirit, there was no need to kill anything. Rey agreed. The illusion vanished, and Rey appeared at the valley entrance, seeing the haggard Terence.
Seeing Terence's drooping spirit and dark circles, Rey had to fight hard to suppress his laughter.
Terence shot him a cold look, then pulled a yellow beetle from his bag and placed it on the ground. He pointed his wand at the beetle and whispered, "Avada Kedavra."
A tiny green spark shot from his wand, hitting the beetle.
The beetle flipped onto its back, dead instantly.
Rey was startled, but Terence explained casually, "These are Life-and-Death Beetles. They are paired. They live and die together. Now that this one is dead, the one with my teacher will die too."
It was a simple signal for Salazar Slytherin to come pick them up.
Sure enough, shortly after the beetle died, a breeze stirred, and Salazar Slytherin appeared beside them.
Apparition really was too convenient.
Salazar arrived so fast he seemed like a summoned beast. Even Terence hadn't expected his teacher to respond this quickly.
The suddenly appearing Salazar scanned the two boys coldly. He seemed mildly displeased by Terence's panda eyes.
Displeased with Terence, yet he broke character and gave Rey a smiling nod.
Then, while Rey was still flustered by the unexpected friendliness, Salazar Slytherin grabbed both of them and Apparated back to Godric's Hollow in an instant.
---