Rey was surprised to discover that he could understand Draconic.
Harry Potter understood Parseltongue, and he understood Draconic.
This was certainly something to be happy about. After all, knowing a non-human language gave one a sense of accomplishment.
Rey wasn't the only one surprised by this revelation; Rowena and the other three Founders were equally astonished.
Regardless, Rey's role as a translator was instrumental in facilitating smooth communication with the Great Dragon.
Since neither side had conflicting goals, once the initial misunderstandings were cleared up, the conversation between Rolanda Hooch (the dragon) and the Four Founders deepened.
They discussed the establishment of the school, the mission of the Dragon Race, and more.
Finally, with Rey's assistance, both parties reached a consensus.
Rolanda Hooch would become a silent benefactor of Hogwarts and serve as a professor at the school. However, both parties had to make an Unbreakable Vow to seal the deal.
The terms were as follows:
1. Historical Secrecy: The school's founding records must not contain any mention of the Dragon Race's mission or Rolanda Hooch's true identity. She was to be recorded solely as an ordinary professor at Hogwarts. In Rolanda's words, this was for the safety of the Dragon Race's mission.
2. Protection of Students: All Founders, including Rolanda Hooch, were forbidden from harming students at Hogwarts, regardless of the reason.
Note: This vow was primarily intended to restrain Rolanda Hooch, the dragon. Unexpectedly, it would later serve to prevent Salazar Slytherin from personally harming Muggle-born wizards at Hogwarts.
3. Freedom and Disguise: Rolanda Hooch was guaranteed freedom of movement. However, she could not reveal her dragon form to anyone until she found the person mentioned in her mission prophecy.
4. Allocation of Treasure: The treasure was guaranteed to be used only for the various constructions and operations of Hogwarts. "Construction" here didn't just mean buildings; it included orphan relief funds, scholarships, and operational costs.
These four clauses of the Unbreakable Vow would remain in effect until death took them.
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Magic is truly peculiar. Certain spells can force people who don't trust each other to begin building trust.
The Unbreakable Vow is the best example of this.
Once the dust had settled, everyone walked out of the treasure vault.
Outside, Terence remained unconscious. Helena, who had been guarding him, stood by his side, looking anxiously toward the cave entrance.
Flashes of magical light had erupted from within earlier, terrifying her.
Although she wanted to rush in, she didn't dare. Having witnessed the dragon's power, Helena feared that entering would only hinder Rey's rescue. So, she suppressed her anxiety and waited outside.
When Rey emerged, Helena couldn't control herself any longer. She threw herself at him, hugging him tightly.
Smelling the fragrance of her long hair, Rey could fully feel her worry.
"It's okay now. Don't worry," Rey said, patting Helena's back to comfort her.
"Mhm. I'm glad you're safe," Helena whispered, her voice so low only Rey could hear.
Rowena and the others watched Helena's emotional reaction, then looked at Terence Barrow lying on the path. They all sighed in unison.
It was common knowledge that Terence liked Helena.
But looking at the situation now, the unconscious Terence lying on the cold ground seemed particularly pitiful. It was painfully obvious that the person Helena liked was not him.
Godric gave a wry smile, then stepped forward, grabbed the unconscious Terence, and Side-Along Apparated back to Godric's Hollow.
They had a lot of work to do tonight and no time to babysit the unconscious boy. It was better to send him back for someone else to look after.
---
Before taking on the human form of Rolanda Hooch, the dragon had killed many invading wizards in the ruined castle.
The location had gained a fearsome reputation, naturally becoming a forbidden zone for wizards.
Consequently, the forest surrounding it came to be known as the Forbidden Forest.
The water in the Black Lake continued to rise. Among the four founders, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin began the heavy lifting: sealing the caves and plugging the leaks.
The treasure, naturally, was moved to a different, secure location.
There were many caverns beneath the castle, and they used magic to collapse or seal the unnecessary ones.
Meanwhile, Helga and Helena began preparing food for everyone. Rowena, however, took Rey and Rolanda Hooch aside to conduct a linguistic exchange.
Since Rey was a ready-made advanced translator, she didn't want to miss the opportunity to learn Draconic.
Rowena didn't just want to learn the language; she wanted to use Rey and Rolanda to categorize Draconic into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels for future students interested in the subject.
Rowena Ravenclaw truly lived up to her reputation as the most brilliant of the Four Founders.
Through the translation process, Rey discovered that once a Draconic phrase was spoken and translated, she remembered it perfectly. She possessed an eidetic memory, learning and applying the language instantly.
Slowly, in just half a day, Draconic—an ancient language lost to time—was being compiled into textbooks by Rowena Ravenclaw, ready to be presented to the world.
Rey had to admire her intellect.
Today had been the most tense and thrilling day, but also the most fulfilling.
Only when a person is busy do they feel fulfilled. And "busy" doesn't necessarily mean work.
It could be playing with family, or pursuing a simple goal. In this case, it was editing three levels of Draconic textbooks with Rowena Ravenclaw.
And on the cover of these three books, the authors listed were Rowena Ravenclaw and Rey Faest.
This flattered Rey immensely.
He knew he was riding Rowena's coattails. Without Rowena Ravenclaw, even if Rey was fluent in Draconic, he never would have been able to compile these academic texts.
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The night grew deep.
Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, having finished dealing with the underground caverns, returned to the tent in the castle ruins.
Helga and Helena had prepared a large table of exquisite food.
The ingredients were high quality, and Helena had learned a lot about magical cooking from Helga.
Helga was full of praise for her. Helena used to hate kitchen magic, so her sudden change of heart and willingness to learn was a pleasant surprise.
Helena hadn't met Rolanda Hooch in human form yet; she had only seen her as a dragon.
When introduced, Rolanda was presented simply as Madam Hooch, the first professor hired by Hogwarts.
The meal was delicious, the company harmonious, and the atmosphere was better than ever.
After consuming the food prepared by Helga and Helena, everyone's magic and spirit were restored to full capacity.
This was especially true for Godric and Salazar, who had done a massive amount of physical and magical labor. To them, this meal was like a powerful restorative potion.
They weren't done yet. They had finished the underground caves, but next, they had to set up protective wards and intruder alarms around the perimeter.
Only after these preliminary defenses were set could they proceed with peace of mind to build the wizarding world's first school of magic.
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