Chapter 243: Welcome to My World, Head of House
After dinner, Dylan chatted with his parents for a while. Mr. Hubert glanced at the time and said he was taking Mrs. Maeve to a late-night movie. He even thoughtfully asked Dylan if he wanted to come along.
Dylan, of course, immediately declined.
Hubert shook his head and spread his hands. "What a shame. But then again, I only bought two tickets anyway. Since you're not going, I won't have to go back and buy another one."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hubert wrapped an arm around Maeve's waist.
Dylan's mouth twitched. You never intended for me to go along and be a third wheel, did you?
"Oh, Darling~ You be a good boy at home, okay?" Maeve said softly.
Dylan nodded.
Hubert waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about him. He's very resourceful. He'll probably be occupied with things we don't understand." He looked at Dylan. "Right, son?"
The sudden, proper English accent made Dylan think of that curly-haired old British lady. "Yes, Dad. You're so smart, you guessed it in one go."
Rolling his eyes, Dylan saw off his cheap parents, then returned to his own bedroom.
Now he finally had time to see what was so special about the real Ravenclaw portrait. He closed the door behind him. Coal Ball looked around, then skillfully jumped onto the bed and curled up. Luna, being an owl, would probably be a hassle flying around the house, so Dylan simply put her back into his pet space.
"Do you want to go back?" Dylan asked Coal Ball.
The little creature immediately shook its head. "Moo~ (No!)"
Dylan nodded. "Alright then, I'm going back." He pulled open his suitcase.
Coal Ball: (゚゚)? Was he being set up?
"Moo moo moo! (I'm going too!)"
Dylan gave a small chuckle, waved his hand, and entered the suitcase space with Coal Ball.
"Aoo!" The moment he appeared, Norberta flew over.
Dylan tossed her a few pieces of meat. "Go play for now, I have some serious business to take care of."
"Aoo aoo! (Okay!)"
Norberta shook her big head up and down, then quietly retreated to the side to play with the Basilisk, who Dylan had unsealed to roam freely in the forest and ocean. Of course, most of the time, it was Norberta tormenting the Basilisk.
For example, she would treat it like a chew toy, a plaything, tossing it back and forth. Or she would use it as a sparring partner to practice her attacks. The Basilisk wasn't completely helpless; it could fight back to a certain extent.
But for one, it was a battle between a creature that could breathe fire and fly versus a Basilisk, so victory was not assured. Secondly, after being tortured by Dylan for such a long time—with him tearing off its scales, draining its blood, and cutting its flesh—the Basilisk's fierce nature had long been worn down. It wasn't exactly submissive now, but it certainly didn't dare to be reckless, let alone actually harm Dylan's pets. With such inhibitions, without using its cursed gaze, it couldn't even defeat Norberta.
Even if its curse worked on Norberta, as a dragon, its magical resistance was extremely high. The Basilisk couldn't fully petrify Norberta. Even if there was some effect, a single dose of Mandrake Draught would completely reverse the petrification. On the other hand, if it were to truly injure Norberta, it might incur an even more brutal round of torture from Dylan.
The Basilisk had learned this from experience. From then on, it was even more helpless against Norberta's taunts and manipulation, allowing itself to be at the dragon's mercy. The only thing it could do was try to escape.
Dylan ignored the situation with Norberta and instead took out the Ravenclaw portrait from his system panel.
He stood at the edge of a lush green forest. Beside it was an ocean. The scent of the soil, mixed with the salty sea air, swirled around Dylan.
It was late. Both the forest and the ocean had grown dim.
After taking out the portrait, which was wrapped in a deep blue velvet cloth, Dylan carefully unfolded the fabric. A face he was both familiar with and a stranger to was slowly revealed before him.
The portrait he held was not small. The woman in the painting wore an exquisite diadem inlaid with sapphires and stars. Her dark hair was like satin, falling gently in a graceful cascade. Between her brows and eyes, she exuded an ineffable elegance and wisdom.
She was dressed in a long, pale blue robe embroidered with silver eagles, the symbols of wisdom. Although it was just a painting, her expression made her look as if she were a real person, and her entire being seemed to radiate a mysterious light.
Dylan's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the woman's eyes. They were a pair of deep, lake-like blue eyes that seemed to hold the entire cosmos within them.
Just as Dylan was staring, entranced, the eyes that had been still suddenly moved slightly and focused on him. Their gazes met.
Dylan felt his heart leap, and a tingling sensation, as if he had been struck by a current, spread through his body. He had to admit, Ravenclaw was a true beauty. And the aura of wisdom that surrounded her made her seem extraordinarily remarkable.
"Young wizard."
Ravenclaw's voice emerged from the painting, soft yet carrying an unquestionable authority. "How did you bring me here?" She tilted her head slightly, and the sapphires on her diadem shimmered with the movement, casting a captivating light that made her face even more enchanting.
Dylan blinked, snapping out of his daze. "Head of House Ravenclaw, how I brought you here is not important. What's important is, do you have any memories from before? For example, where were you before you arrived here?"
Ravenclaw narrowed her eyes slightly. "I seem to have no memory of it. Did you cast a spell on me that caused this?"
Hearing her answer, Dylan's heart settled. It seemed the item from his system wouldn't bring him any unforeseen trouble.
"Then, Head of House Ravenclaw, allow me to introduce myself." Dylan gracefully made a gentleman's bow, letting the painting hover in mid-air.
Ravenclaw's gaze swept over the forest, then over the sea. "Such an unfamiliar space... I hope your explanation is a good one."
Dylan smiled. "I didn't expect you to be so assertive. The Head of House Ravenclaw I remember was a very gentle person."
Ravenclaw paused for a moment, then raised her beautiful eyebrows, examining Dylan. "From what you're saying, are you a student at Hogwarts?"
"That's right. This is my space, my world, and I make the rules."
Dylan flicked his finger. In response, the distant waves froze, turning into a transparent staircase that reached to the clouds. Dylan, with the portrait, ascended the steps to a high altitude, looking down. At that moment, a million fireflies suddenly lit up in the forest. Above their heads, a dome of stars formed.
Ravenclaw raised her eyebrows and elegantly lifted a hand within the painting. Instantly, Dylan felt a burst of magic silently erupt. Her fingertips grazed the edge of the canvas, and a pale blue light shimmered. It seemed she was using magic to sense her surroundings.
"An interesting space. I feel the power of rules, and these rules..." Ravenclaw's gaze fell on Dylan again, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Seem to be centered entirely on you."
"What on earth has happened to Hogwarts? How did a young wizard like you appear?"
Dylan chuckled lightly. "Nothing has happened to Hogwarts. It's just that I am different. From now on, this is your new home."
"I will try to bring Gryffindor and the other Founders here to keep you company."
"Oh? You can bring Gryffindor and the others over as well?"
"Well, I think so."
Dylan paused. Hearing Ravenclaw's voice, her interest didn't seem high.
"Don't you want to see them?"
Ravenclaw waved her hand gently in the painting. "I feel as though I was just with them a second ago, and the next second, I became a painting—so, whether I want to see them or not, I have no strong feelings."
"Of course, if you can bring Hufflepuff, I would be very happy."
Dylan raised an eyebrow. That made sense. Although Hogwarts was founded by the four of them, they were, after all, just colleagues. Their relationship was good at the beginning, but later, due to their different beliefs, Slytherin first came into conflict with the other three, and their relationship began to break down. As for the other three, though their relationship was still good, they were not as close as they were at the beginning.
Dylan nodded. "I'll do my best."
Ravenclaw watched Dylan. "Which House are you in?"
Dylan smiled. "Gryffindor."
"Oh, so you're not a pure-blood wizard, then?"
Dylan blinked.
Ravenclaw laughed softly. "According to Salazar's ideals, I suppose Slytherin would no longer welcome half-blood wizards."
Dylan shrugged. "It's been a thousand years. Slytherin has indeed become like a pure-blood aristocracy's House, but after all, Head of House Slytherin has been gone for so long. No matter how firm his beliefs were, they couldn't influence everyone."
Ravenclaw nodded gently. Her eyes remained on Dylan, but her gaze was no longer stern; it had become much warmer. Although she couldn't quite grasp the current situation, she felt that she was supposed to be a portrait. And the young wizard in front of her was a Hogwarts student, and even though he wasn't a Ravenclaw, he was a Gryffindor. She knew the Gryffindor nature better than anyone.
The fact that he was in Gryffindor meant that the young wizard's nature should be good. If that was the case, as the founder of the school, she was, in a way, his Head of House. How could she be too harsh on her own student?
"I almost forgot to introduce the most important part—my name is Dylan Hawkwood. You can just call me Dylan, Head of House."
Ravenclaw nodded. "Dylan? A very nice name. You came from a Muggle family, didn't you? Are your parents wizards?"
Dylan shook his head. "My parents are ordinary people. They have no magic."
Ravenclaw nodded slightly. "So this world..."
Dylan smiled gently. "Head of House, that's my secret."
Ravenclaw paused, then a smile also tugged at the corners of her lips. She didn't press the matter and changed the subject. "I can sense that the world of my portrait seems to have a subtle connection to your space."
Hearing this, Dylan raised his eyebrows. He remembered the effect mentioned in the system's introduction. The Ravenclaw portrait would have a new effect if placed in an independent world. Was this what it was referring to?
Dylan blinked. "Head of House Ravenclaw, are you saying that you might be able to step out of the portrait and into my world?"
Ravenclaw nodded. "But I also feel some restrictions... perhaps... it requires your consent?"
Dylan blinked. "Is that so? I'll give it a try."
Dylan stood on the transparent stairs, with solid water as the steps beneath his feet. Although there was no moon in the sky, a soft moonlight outlined his silhouette.
He was dressed in a long black robe, which billowed in the strong wind. The wind seemed to pass through the portrait, making Ravenclaw's hair fly as well.
Looking at the floating portrait of Ravenclaw, a faint light shimmered in Dylan's eyes. He reached out his right hand, which went straight through the canvas and deep inside.
Ravenclaw watched the hand that seemed to emerge from thin air. She tilted her head slightly. A faint smile appeared on her exquisite lips. The silver eagle embroidery on her skirt seemed to have the urge to spread its wings with her movements.
"Take my hand," Dylan's voice said.
Ravenclaw also raised her hand and tentatively touched Dylan's palm with her fingertips. The moment their skin touched, ripples appeared on the surface of the portrait. Dylan held her hand tightly, then pulled backward.
Ravenclaw's pale blue robe was the first to emerge from the canvas, followed by her arm, and then her entire body. Finally, Ravenclaw's figure completely separated from the portrait.
The portrait without Ravenclaw didn't disappear. It slowly floated to her side and then shrank, turning into another embroidery that etched itself onto the hem of her dress.
"I've truly come out?" Ravenclaw's dark eyes sparkled with interest. "This ability... it involves not only spatial magic but also the soul..."
Dylan watched the Head of House Ravenclaw, who seemed to have a real physical body now, and a smile gently touched his lips.
"Welcome to my world, Head of House."
..........
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