Basil was utterly speechless.
Harry actually believed Ron's ridiculous theory.
Stuttering, pathetic-looking Quirrell was indeed hard to suspect.
For the rest of the meal, Basil absently dealt with Hermione's attempts at small talk—which consisted almost entirely of textbook knowledge—while scooping ice cream into his mouth with a golden spoon.
Unfortunately, he couldn't steal the golden spoon to sell it. He had already asked Ron.
So unfair. The whole school technically belonged to him!
At the same time, he was mentally browsing through the layout of Hogwarts in his mind.
Unlike the game, the rooms weren't labeled. He had to tag them himself.
So, he had to guess based on the interior decor.
The Headmaster's Office was the easiest to identify: portraits cramming every inch of the walls and ceiling, Fawkes the phoenix napping on a golden perch, and delicate silver instruments puffing out smoke.
Click. Basil blinked.
He took a mental "motion picture" of the phoenix.
[-10,000 Gems]
The notification killed his idea of creating a Phoenix Summon Card instantly.
He shifted his attention to the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's Office.
It had bat-like wings and a pointed beak.
Basil frowned.
In his past life, a girl he dated—a nun-in-training from a Catholic family—had similar stone statues in front of her family's courtyard home.
His gaze drifted to Hermione.
In the West, a top student often had some exposure to theology or classical mythology.
So, he simply described the statue to the Muggle-born academic.
Hermione guessed it immediately. "It's a gargoyle. Originally, they were monsters believed to guard the underworld and collect rainwater. That's why they were placed on the roofs or gutters of Gothic cathedrals."
"They were designed to look terrifying for two reasons: one, to warn non-believers that if they didn't have faith, monsters would eat them; and two, to scare evil spirits out of the church. To drive away evil, the monster had to look as scary as possible."
Ron, who had been badmouthing Percy to Harry, leaned over.
"Galloping Gargoyles!"
"Muggles use them too?"
"We mostly use the word when we're cursing or surprised. When insulting someone, it means they're ugly."
"Didn't you know that, Basil?"
Basil coughed. "I've never heard a swear word in my life."
Actually, that was true.
His grandmother had shielded him from such language.
Even when he visited Diagon Alley, everyone at the Leaky Cauldron cleaned up their act when they saw him.
Including the drunks.
He only knew the filthy word "Mudblood" from his past life's memories.
His eyes grew misty.
For the first time, he truly felt the care he had received.
In his pocket, the 7 Galleons from Old Tom seemed to burn with warmth.
Composing himself, he lowered his head and refocused on the mental map of Hogwarts.
Starting from his current location in the Great Hall...
Not far away, on the same floor, he found a pair of gargoyles guarding a large room paneled in wood, filled with black wooden chairs and a large wardrobe.
Inside the wardrobe was a strange creature made of shifting black smoke.
Click!
Gems: 13554.271 (-500)
[Magical Creature: Boggart]
Level: 1
Mana Cost: 3
Effect: Summons a Boggart. When a single enemy unit enters within a 2m radius, the Boggart transforms into that unit's greatest fear, absorbing the excess negative emotion.
Health: 0 (Non-Being)
Weakness: Laughter, Positive Emotions, Spells containing positive emotions (e.g., Riddikulus).
Note: A Boggart is a Non-Being, a type of magical entity. They are born from human emotions and feed on them. As Non-Beings, they exist beyond life and death. They are never born and never die. They cannot be truly destroyed, only driven away. Muggles can only sense them indirectly.
Capture Limit: 1
Note: Too many sentient beings in range will confuse the Boggart, causing it to indecisively shift forms or become ineffective.
Transformation Library: 0 (Max 10)
Damage: 0 ~ 10
Note: Due to a Boggart's nature, when absorbing negative emotions, it absorbs the portion that would cause physical harm exceeding the target's threshold. Therefore, the enemy unit will not suffer physical damage from fear alone. Unless the feared image is actively dangerous/aggressive, in which case it deals up to 10 Damage based on the form.
[Magic Book Level: 2 (1000/400 EXP)]
"A Non-Being? In Japan, this would probably be considered a god."
"Newt mentioned in Fantastic Beasts that Boggarts like dark, confined spaces like wardrobes, gaps under beds, sinks, and desks. But looking at the card description, it doesn't fear light? It just dislikes it."
"Even so, this looks like a useless card."
"Transformation Library? So my summoned Boggart can record the fears of others?"
"But I remember the books saying their transformations can't fully replicate the original's power or magic. For example, a Boggart-Dementor can't suck out your soul, and a Boggart-Banshee's scream isn't fatal."
"Hmm, 0-10 Damage. The note explains it."
"But... if someone has seen Voldemort and fears him most... a Voldemort with 10 Damage?"
"And damage isn't the main point. Magical creatures are valuable for their special abilities."
"A Boggart can replicate part of those powers."
"This is practically a God Card."
"One card that encompasses multiple Summon Cards and Companion Cards."
"Wait. Voldemort."
"Harry hasn't met the Dementors yet. Would his greatest fear be Voldemort?"
Basil looked at Harry, who was currently demolishing a treacle tart.
Harry, you are in danger!
Basil spoke up. "Harry, what do you think is under Professor Quirrell's turban?"
Harry looked at Quirrell's purple turban.
In that instant, the [Magic Book] in Basil's mind flipped pages. The [Boggart] card lit up, projecting its power onto Harry through Basil's gaze.
True Hero Skill: Killing with a Look!
Harry suddenly lost all color in his face. The Boggart, transforming into the deepest fear in Harry's heart, was injected into his mind via Basil's gaze.
The monster told his mother to move aside, stepping over his father's body to get to him.
His mother didn't move. She begged.
The monster laughed.
A flash of green light. His mother screamed his name and then fell, inexplicably.
The green light reflected back. What appeared before his eyes was a monster with a bald head, scarlet snake-like eyes, and a nose that was just two slits like a snake's, skin pale as pearl.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire hall, Harry stood up.
He pointed a finger straight at the back of Quirrell's head, and the name filled with magic burst from his lips:
"VOLDEMORT!"
Then, he fainted and collapsed to the floor.
In Basil's mind, the [Boggart] page suddenly updated.
[Voldemort (False)]
Health: 0
Action: Laughs maniacally (Heh heh heh), then uses a Yew Wand (False) to cast a Killing Curse dealing 10 Damage.
Then it reverted to its original state.
Except now, the number next to [Transformation Library] had changed to 1.
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