One lesson from Salazar Slytherin had broadened Rey's horizons.
"Horizons" are invisible and intangible, yet they determine the height of a wizard's achievements.
Before arriving at the Valley of Evil Spirits, the most powerful wizards Rey knew of were Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort (Tom Riddle). Having watched all eight Harry Potter movies, it would be strange not to know them.
These two represented the pinnacle of strength for human wizards.
Whether in the quality of their magic or their application of it, they were undoubtedly the top figures in modern wizarding history.
Their strength was traceable. As long as Rey worked hard, reaching their height wasn't entirely impossible.
Rey had also witnessed the earth-shattering ancient wars in the Gobi Desert of the Valley of Evil Spirits. Compared to those beings, the power of Dumbledore and Voldemort could only be considered mid-tier.
Those wars belonged to mythology. Wanting to become as strong as the titans on that battlefield would have been a fool's dream before attending Salazar's lecture.
Now, Rey felt that the "Natural Wizard" Salazar envisioned was the path to surpassing those top-tier powerhouses. It opened a door to greater strength.
However, imagination is beautiful, but the future is far away. For now, Rey still needed to work hard just to qualify as a Dark Wizard.
Pure Dark power in the mortal world is hidden within evil or death.
For example, evil spirits or places of death.
An evil spirit can be dispersed with magic, allowing one to extract a sliver of pure Dark power.
As for places of death, a graveyard is one such location. Graveyards gather the most Dark power. Although chaotic and impure, the quantity is massive. If one wanted to absorb enough pure Dark power, a graveyard would be an ideal place for cultivation.
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Salazar Slytherin wasn't a Dark Wizard, but he could instruct Rey and Terence on how to obtain pure Dark power.
Once the power was obtained, how to tame it and become a Dark Wizard in both name and reality depended entirely on Rey himself.
Rey had asked Salazar why he, possessing a Specter Bead, hadn't become a Dark Wizard as he described.
To this question, Salazar had replied with some regret, "How can a wizard's body, already accustomed to White Magic, adapt to Dark power?"
Salazar's meaning was simple: Rey was young, and his body was still growing.
Growth requires the right environment. If he could come into contact with pure Dark power during his growth phase, his body could adjust to adapt. Naturally, it wouldn't reject the coexistence of Light and Dark magic.
Without rejection, a person wouldn't mutate or develop a monstrous appearance. The best examples of what not to do were Gellert Grindelwald and Voldemort from the movies.
From ancient times to the present, no wizard practicing the Dark Arts had escaped physical deformity. Each became hideous—the more evil the magic, the more terrifying the transformation.
The first issue was age; the second was the purity of the Dark power.
Historically recorded Dark Wizards seemingly failed to meet these two conditions.
Now, Salazar Slytherin had given Rey this opportunity, allowing him to meet these two stringent requirements. Of course, Terence Barrow had the same opportunity; whether he could seize it was another matter.
Listening to Salazar Slytherin's lecture made time fly surprisingly fast.
When the lesson ended, the sun had already set, and they had unknowingly missed dinner time.
Hogwarts was established, and meals were served in the Great Hall.
After class, Terence Barrow was impatient to go to the graveyard to practice. As his teacher, Salazar Slytherin naturally offered him private tutoring, personally guiding him on how to absorb pure Dark power in the graveyard.
Since Godric Gryffindor had taken the lead in opposing Salazar's pure-blood supremacy ideology, cracks had appeared in their friendship.
Consequently, Salazar skipped dinner and Apparated directly with Terence, leaving Hogwarts to return to Godric's Hollow. It seemed neither of them had the appetite to eat.
Rey shook his head helplessly. If possible, he really didn't want to see Salazar and Godric fall out.
Godric Gryffindor advocated fairness, justice, and selfless love, treating all students equally. Salazar's pure-blood ideology followed an elite model. If strictly followed, the probability of cultivating powerful wizards would likely be higher.
There was nothing wrong with an elite route; in modern society, many corporations and institutions follow this path.
At this point, Salazar's pure-blood ideology wasn't as extreme; it was merely about allocating more teaching resources. As for the later establishment of the Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk, Rey believed those ideas gradually took shape as conflicts with his three friends escalated.
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Rey picked up his notebook, pushed open the classroom door, and found Helena Ravenclaw standing outside.
Helena wore a long dress, standing gracefully, holding a bamboo basket in both hands.
"Where are Professor Slytherin and Terence?"
Helena Ravenclaw peered into the classroom and asked in confusion.
"They Apparated back to Godric's Hollow."
"Left so hurriedly? Professor Gryffindor asked me to call them to the Great Hall for dinner."
"Is that so?"
Rey confirmed. It seemed the rift between Salazar and Godric was quite serious. If it were just a minor disagreement, the person calling Salazar to dinner would have been Godric Gryffindor himself, not Helena.
"Yes, of course. But if they left, never mind. Let's eat together."
Helena didn't dwell on it. As she spoke, she lifted the bamboo basket to Rey's eye level.
Inside sat a large platter of exquisite food, seemingly specially made by her.
It was nice to have someone care. Rey's appetite surged. Hungry for hours, he swallowed hard smelling the delicious aroma.
"Close your eyes."
However, just as Rey reached for the basket to start eating, Helena lowered it and made a strange request.
"Why?"
Rey frowned slightly, not understanding her intent.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, Helena's expression darkened. He could only shrug and obediently close his eyes.
Seeing Rey so compliant, Helena beamed. She stepped forward, took Rey's hand, spun around, and they vanished instantly from the classroom doorway.
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Hogwarts, the top of Ravenclaw Tower.
Two figures suddenly flashed into existence: Rey and Helena.
Apparition!
The last time Helena used Apparition was months ago when she went to Godric's Hollow for help. Rey hadn't expected her to become proficient enough for Side-Along Apparition so quickly.
Rey, eyes closed and completely unprepared, felt the ground vanish beneath him. Before he could open his eyes, his feet touched solid ground again.
This sudden transition disrupted his balance. If Helena hadn't been holding him, he might have fallen and embarrassed himself.
"I didn't expect you'd be able to Side-Along Apparate so soon."
Recovering his composure, Rey forced a calm compliment.
Helena didn't expose his awkward attempt to cover up his near-fall. She took out her wand, waved it at the ground, and a stone table with two stools rose from the floor slabs.
Not only Apparition but even Transfiguration—Helena used them with such proficiency.
She opened the bamboo basket, placed the food on the stone table, and took out two small plates. Helena served portions from the large platter onto the smaller plates and handed one to Rey.
"What is this?"
Rey asked, looking at the food on his plate, which resembled a transparent crystal tart.
"Crystal Egg Tart. It's made from the eggs of the Magic Crystal Fish. I heard you're studying Dark Magic. Food made from these fish eggs can cleanse the soul upon first consumption, protecting it from the erosion of Dark Magic."
"Magic Crystal Fish?" Eating magical food for the first time, and with such effects, Rey was naturally very curious.
"Yes. The fish is huge and transparent like crystal. It lives in pure underground caves. The eggs it lays aren't small either; they're an incredibly rare ingredient. I had to beg Aunt Helga for a long time before she agreed to cook this."
Helena explained simply, urging Rey to eat quickly. Once the food cooled, its efficacy would drop significantly. Before this, she had been using magic to cover the basket, preserving the precious dish.
Amidst her expectant urging, Rey took a spoonful and tasted it.
The Crystal Egg Tart was rich and mellow, melting instantly in his mouth. It felt like wisps of magic dissolving into his limbs and bones. Rey immediately felt refreshed, his spirit lifted.
"Thank you, Helena!"
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