"Besides recording individuals with magical talent, the book of admissions also has the ability to discern whether listed personnel are healthy and alive. If someone with magical talent loses their magical ability due to an accident or dies, the book of admissions will delete them."
Luke said, opening the dragon-hide book.
The dragon-hide book floated quietly in front of Luke, open to the second page, which clearly displayed the list of new students admitted this academic year.
Luke meticulously checked each name, and Gandalf also stood up and came to his side to examine it with him.
"There are 73 first-year new students from my territory: 30 from Amon Sul, 23 from Bree, and 20 from Isengard, all without issues. There are also 31 Elves from Rivendell, Lothlórien, Woodland Realm, Dorwinion, Lindon, and Grey Havens, as well as 17 Northern Dúnedain and 3 Southern Dúnedain, all of whom are also normal."
Luke carefully checked through the list but found no names that were dim or grayed out.
His gaze lingered for a moment on the names of the 3 Southern Dúnedain recruited from Gondor; the proximity to Mordor made him particularly sensitive.
He thought that besides Mordor, there seemed to be no other place that held a grudge against him.
He suspected that this situation might very well be Sauron secretly causing trouble again.
He thought about finding a time to observe in secret; if he could rule out the suspicion, that would be for the best.
Gandalf seemed to understand Luke's thoughts and suggested, "If it's Mordor, it's likely not to be so obvious. Other students, including those in the second year, also need to be screened one by one."
Luke nodded; this coincided with his own thoughts.
However, he still entrusted Gandalf, saying, "Gandalf, I'll need to trouble you to pay extra attention to the first-year new students and see if there are any problems among them."
Gandalf nodded in agreement: "Leave this to me. We certainly can't let malicious individuals ruin the children's joy."
His Flying Class was the most exhilarating; during rapid flight, students were most likely to reveal their true nature. With the Ring of Fire, narya's keen perception of emotions, and Gandalf's inherent wisdom,
If the lurking individual exposed even a hint of emotion, Gandalf would instantly capture and discover it.
"This semester, I am taking over History of Magic Class for Arwen, so I will also do my part. The second-year students can be left to me," Galadriel said as she slowly descended the stairs.
Clearly, she had already heard their conversation.
Hearing Galadriel's words, Luke did not stand on ceremony. "Then I'll trouble you, Lady Galadriel."
Galadriel shook her head slightly but still looked at him and said, "But you're not planning to tell Arwen about this, are you?"
Luke nodded, his expression grave and worried: "Arwen is not far from her due date now. If I tell her this news at this time, it will only add to her troubles and worries, especially since you both know how much Arwen values her students."
Arwen was gentle by nature, never once losing her temper, and was the most popular among all the Professors.
Especially after becoming pregnant, her maternal instincts grew, and she treated the students as her own, earning their deep respect and affection.
If she knew there was a malicious person lurking among the students, Arwen would likely be restless.
"And I'm worried that the person in the shadows might target Arwen, so I want Arwen to go to Rivendell or Lothlórien to recuperate until that rat is caught," Luke said sincerely.
"So, I would like to trouble you, Lady, with this matter. Only you can persuade Arwen to listen and not become suspicious."
Luke could feel how deep the malice of the person in the shadows was towards him.
Now that Arwen was pregnant and nearing childbirth, if that person in the shadows succeeded, even a slight harm would fill him with endless regret.
Therefore, the only course of action now was to send Arwen to the safer Rivendell or Lothlórien.
He even felt a hint of regret, regretting having started the magic school, which had now brought him hidden dangers.
However, this trace of regret was quickly extinguished, and his anger turned towards the person in the shadows.
He thought that he must drag that person in the shadows out and make them feel his strongest revenge!
"I will discuss this with Elrond and have Arwen brought back to Rivendell to recuperate. There is a complete medical ward and the best physicians there, perfectly suited for Arwen to await childbirth," Galadriel agreed, nodding.
She was equally concerned about Arwen's safety; even with her, Gandalf, and Luke guarding the place, it was better to be safe than sorry, and Arwen's condition could not afford even the slightest risk.
Arwen's matter was best handled sooner rather than later. On the first weekend of the school year, Elrond, who had received letters from Galadriel and Luke, arrived at the castle and took Arwen away.
Once Arwen left, Luke finally felt completely relieved and then began to focus all his energy on dealing with the person lurking in the shadows.
Besides Gandalf and Galadriel secretly observing the students in class,
The ubiquitous portraits in the castle also became Luke's eyes and ears, constantly observing every student for any abnormalities.
Even Luke himself took out a palantír, continuously observing suspicious individuals.
Even Peeves was given an urgent mission, also tasked with catching the "shadow ghost."
As the spirit of the castle, Peeves understood the castle even more clearly than Luke, its master.
Unfortunately, a whole month passed, yet there were still no results.
The person in the shadows seemed to have sensed danger and completely hid among the students, never once showing their face.
Neither Gandalf's Flying Class nor Galadriel's History of Magic revealed any abnormal individuals under the observation of the two powerful wise beings of Middle-earth.
Every student had been secretly observed and showed completely normal thoughts and behaviors for children.
It was as if the malicious person was merely Luke's imagination and did not exist at all.
But Gandalf and Galadriel never doubted that Luke was mistaken; instead, they became even more vigilant.
After all, someone who could be so flawless right under their noses must be incredibly powerful.
During the first month of school, the person in the shadows had not yet revealed their plot, but Peeves had already become universally disliked, becoming the most unpopular person in the school.
He liked to hide in dark corners, and when students approached, he would immediately dart out, pinch their noses, and shout, "Gotcha!"
Or he would draw all over the castle walls, even throwing trash, like moldy bread and cheese, at the students.
He would even deliberately cause trouble during classes, hiding under students' desks and suddenly popping out to scare them when they were performing magic, causing magical sparks to shoot out of their wands and fly wildly around the classroom.
And at night, when students were sleeping, he would sneak into the dormitories, steal students' pajamas and nightcaps, or pinch students' noses and mouths while they were sound asleep, making them wake up gasping for air… So students and Professors alike complained to Luke, asking him to punish Peeves.
Seeing that Peeves had incurred public wrath, Luke directly ordered Peeves not to go to student dormitories and not to disturb students during class time.
Only then did the students and Professors breathe a sigh of relief. As for mischief during leisure time, as long as it wasn't too excessive, the Professors would turn a blind eye.
And the students didn't really hate Peeves, so during their free time, they enjoyed playing cat and mouse with him.
Meanwhile, in a certain dormitory, a student secretly took out a gold ring inlaid with a sapphire.
The ring looked very ordinary and normal, with extremely restrained energy fluctuations; if not held in hand, one would simply assume it was a common gold ring.
But upon closer inspection, one could feel the evil power contained within, exuding a seductive and corrupting will.
In the shadows, the student's eyes gleamed with intense malice and a wicked smile.
"Luke, let me give you a big surprise!"