The moment Hermione stepped into the library, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!"
It wasn't her fault. While the layout of the North China School of Sorcery's library wasn't much different from that of Hogwarts, with rows upon rows of towering bookshelves neatly categorized and filled with books, the sheer number of books here was overwhelming!
The library space was at least four times the size of Hogwarts' library, and its classification system was far more detailed. Having visited numerous libraries before, Hermione immediately recognized the superiority of this one over Hogwarts'.
But then again, considering the long history of the Dragon Kingdom, having such an extensive collection of books—especially sorcery books—was entirely understandable.
These were the precious treasures left behind by the unbroken history of the Dragon Kingdom.
"I've decided. I'm going to live here from now on," Hermione declared, clenching her fists, her eyes sparkling with excitement. A book lover to her core, she wished she could spend every waking moment here, reading. Seeing so many sorcery books in one place made her feel as if she could float with joy.
Hermione: This is the treasury of a king!
The young girl stared at the treasures—these books—before her, almost drooling.
Lin Yingqing grew increasingly fond of this book-loving girl. As someone who also loved reading, seeing Hermione's enthusiasm naturally warmed her heart.
Gently patting Hermione's head, Lin Yingqing turned to her grandson with a meaningful smile, as if signaling something.
Hurry up and win her over!
But Glenn didn't understand. He wasn't yet adept at communicating with anyone other than Hermione through mere glances.
Seeing the puzzled look on Glenn's face, Lin Yingqing sighed softly, took Hermione's hand, and beckoned Glenn to follow. "Come on, the books we're looking for aren't here. Hermione, if you want to read other books here, just let me know. You can read for as long as you like. I can even create a door connecting our home to the library, so you can come and read every day."
A mere door? As long as she had the right materials, creating one would be a breeze for her as an Artificer.
If others heard this, they'd probably spit blood in frustration and protest vehemently.
Creating a teleportation door wasn't something just anyone could do. Magical tools related to space were never easy to craft.
For most people, it would take at least ten days to successfully create one, not including the time needed to establish the spatial link between two locations.
Look at you, talking nonsense.
Oh, you're the top Artificer? Never mind, carry on. I'll just leave.
Lin Yingqing was ready to pamper this increasingly endearing little girl to the heavens.
Hearing this, Hermione jumped for joy, her mind filled with thoughts of reading. "Really? Thank you, Grandma!" She hugged Lin Yingqing and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.
Lin Yingqing's smile widened. She felt as if this lively little girl had made her feel much younger.
The two young ones followed Lin Yingqing deeper into the library. At some point, the surrounding light began to dim, eventually disappearing entirely.
Glenn cast a wandless Lumos spell, and a glowing orb appeared at his fingertip, illuminating their surroundings.
When he looked back, he found nothing but darkness behind them, the path they had taken completely obscured.
The light had been absorbed.
Was this also a kind of sorcery?
Glenn pondered silently. The little girl holding Lin Yingqing's hand had obviously noticed the change in their surroundings. In the dark, narrow space, she grew slightly nervous and gripped the older woman's hand more tightly.
Feeling the girl's small hand tighten around hers, Lin Yingqing gently explained, "Don't worry. This is a hidden sorcery of our library. Some of the more important books are stored in this way, deep within the library."
"It only activates when it simultaneously recognizes the teacher's identification token and the corresponding magical signature recorded in the archives, while the teacher is thinking about the book they wish to find. The sorcery will then silently envelop you and transport you to the hidden passage. Just follow me; it's fine, Hermione. Don't be afraid," Lin Yingqing reassured the girl softly.
Hermione nodded slightly, then turned to Glenn, extending her hand toward him.
Glenn understood and stepped forward to take her hand.
Holding Glenn's hand, Hermione's anxious heart gradually calmed.
Lin Yingqing watched Hermione's gesture with a smile.
After walking for some time, the three finally reached their destination.
Before them stood an ancient stone door, its surface marked with the indelible scars of time. The ground was covered with a thick layer of dust, as if no one had been here for ages.
Lin Yingqing extended her palm, placing it gently in the center of the stone door. A white light emerged, and the door rumbled as it slowly opened inward, leaving fresh marks on the ground.
To Glenn and Hermione's surprise, the space beyond the door was not as dark as the passage they had just traversed.
Numerous white flames floated in the air, resembling stars in the night sky. They flickered occasionally, casting a soft white glow over the three figures and illuminating the room.
Glenn carefully examined the flames and realized they were created by some magical device powered by magical energy. However, he couldn't discern where the device was located.
"These are the room's lighting devices. It's said that these white flames have burned for centuries without extinguishing. After discovering this place, I wanted to study the sorcery device that generates them, but I hesitated, fearing I might accidentally trigger something undesirable. This room, which stores the techniques of 'Magic and Sanctity,' has been here for an untraceable amount of time. It has undergone countless generations of modifications and upgrades. Its intricate structure is something I only partially understand," Lin Yingqing remarked with a hint of awe.
These were the crystallized wisdom of the ancients. It was a pity that this place was too important to dismantle for research.
"Wait here for a moment; there's one more step," Lin Yingqing said, letting go of Hermione's hand. She approached an unassuming stone platform in the center of the room.
Muttering incantations under her breath, she gestured with her left hand while her right hand traced patterns on the stone platform in a specific sequence.
After several minutes, Lin Yingqing stopped her actions as the final syllable left her lips.
The stone platform before her split apart, revealing two books—one black and one white. They seemed to materialize out of thin air, or perhaps they had always been hidden within the platform, gradually solidifying into tangible objects.
Lin Yingqing beckoned Glenn and Hermione forward. Hermione, looking at the two books, asked curiously, "Are these the techniques of Magic and Sanctity?"
The young girl was full of questions. The two books before her looked like ordinary notebooks, except for their black and white covers, which appeared ancient and fragile, as if they might crumble at a touch. She had expected something more extraordinary for such mysterious items.
What caught her attention even more was how thin the books were. If these were the culmination of generations of scholars' efforts in the Dragon Kingdom, they shouldn't be so slim. Even the first-year textbook The Standard Book of Spells was four times thicker than these two combined.
The wisdom of the ancients couldn't possibly be so limited, could it?
Glenn remained silent. He had already sensed two distinct auras emanating from the books. The black book carried an aura similar to the Obscurial within him.
The other, he assumed, must be the aura of Sanctity.
What puzzled him was a sense of incongruity he felt from both books.
But he couldn't pinpoint the reason.
Moreover, both books contained a significant amount of magical energy, far more than their simple appearance suggested.
Glenn had no idea how such immense magical energy could be integrated into ordinary books. His heightened perception had confirmed that the materials of these books were indeed just ordinary paper.
Could it be that Alchemy was used to inscribe magical circuits onto the pages?
Impossible. Ordinary paper couldn't withstand the tension of magical energy. The moment a magical circuit was inscribed, the paper would disintegrate.
Fascinating.
Glenn silently pondered the unique construction of these two books.
Lin Yingqing nodded, affirming Hermione's question. Glenn, having found no answers through observation, asked, "Grandma, I suppose we can't access the information in these books through ordinary reading methods, can we?"
"That's correct. These books can no longer be read normally. Their physical forms have long been suspended in time through temporal sorcery. Otherwise, they would indeed crumble at a touch. What you see before you are merely projections of the original books."
"Projections?" Hermione exclaimed in shock. She had genuinely believed the books were physically present on the split stone platform, completely unaware that they were mere illusions.
Glenn understood now. The source of his sense of incongruity had been identified.
He began to reflect.
Even with heightened perception, he hadn't noticed the issue with these books.
His abilities were still lacking. He needed to continue improving.
Since arriving in the Dragon Kingdom, Glenn had grown increasingly aware of his own limitations as his knowledge expanded.
Although he had never stopped striving for strength, Glenn realized that being at Hogwarts had limited his perspective.
Not only could he not decipher the creations of the ancients, but he also couldn't fully comprehend his grandmother's sorcery constructs. Many places within the North China School of Sorcery were filled with hidden mysteries, not to mention the nearly thirty different courses offered here.
His grandmother had once mentioned that Dumbledore was a close friend of her father's, and Glenn's current strength was far from Dumbledore's level.
Glenn couldn't even accurately gauge his grandmother's strength, let alone Dumbledore's.
And what about Voldemort, who seemed capable of going toe-to-toe with Dumbledore?
Their true power likely far exceeded his expectations.
Dumbledore was holding back. Although Glenn didn't know why, he could see it to some extent.
As for Voldemort, Glenn had only encountered him briefly at the moving door.
He couldn't afford to underestimate Voldemort's weakness at that time.
Time to pick up the pace.
"""
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