While remaining vigilant, Evan couldn't help but feel a sense of uncertainty. It came as no surprise to him that he had stumbled upon a concealed secret passage; within the labyrinthine corridors of Hogwarts Castle, such hidden enclaves were not uncommon.
For instance, the secret chamber of Slytherin, the hidden treasures of the Four Founders within the massive statue, the elusive Room of Requirement, the enigmatic blue chamber he had discovered during his first year in the Ravenclaw Tower, and even the secret passageways woven throughout the castle – the list was extensive.
Even after a thousand years, many mysteries still lay concealed, awaiting discovery by future generations. Those fortunate enough might stumble upon rare magical artifacts or ancient texts left behind by their predecessors within these chambers.
Unfortunate souls who ventured into Slytherin's hidden chamber, however, would find themselves prey to a lurking basilisk.
Yet, most of these chambers remained empty or had long since crumbled into ruins. The wizards who constructed these secret realms were once members of the Hogwarts community, and their intent was often benevolent or neutral. They seldom left behind perilous traps, malevolent creatures, or curses. Instead, their hidden treasures and crypts were intended as gifts for posterity.
The secret passage Evan had uncovered beneath the kitchens, however, proved to be an entirely different matter. At its entrance lay a shelf adorned with the heads of persecuted house-elves, evidence of the danger lurking within.
As Evan ventured further, he discovered numerous remnants of dark magic along the way, though the passage of time had rendered them ineffective. Thankfully, they had lost their potency; otherwise, Evan might have found himself under constant assault.
This sinister, malevolent style stood in stark contrast to the other hidden chambers within the school. It was conceivable that the wizard who constructed this place was a malevolent sorcerer with a twisted and dangerous disposition. He likely lived during Hogwarts' earliest days, constructing this subterranean passage with sinister motives.
Fearing discovery, he had ensconced the passage with both curses and dark magic. Evan shuddered at the thought of what a centuries-old dark wizard might have planned, but he had no desire to court further trouble. His only concern was whether this had any connection to the key left behind by Helga Hufflepuff.
Evan already possessed the Philosopher's Stone left by Gryffindor, and he had made significant progress following the clues of Ravenclaw and Slytherin. If he followed the paths of the Fisher and the Vampire, he was confident that he would eventually acquire something of value.
Hufflepuff's key, however, presented a challenge. Although it was presumed that Hufflepuff had entrusted the house-elves with safeguarding the key, their civilization's legacy had failed to preserve this vital secret.
The modern house-elves were vastly different from their ancient counterparts, rendering it exceedingly unlikely that any useful clues could be gleaned from them. Thus, Evan was left to rely solely on his own efforts.
In his current predicament, Evan was unwilling to forsake any potential leads related to Hufflepuff's key. He was determined to explore the depths of this secret passage to ascertain if there was anything of value hidden below.
The passage's interior was notably frigid. Evan and Dobby had been walking for over ten minutes, descending an interminable staircase that seemed to stretch into infinity. Everything around them had been consumed by ice, casting an ethereal luminescence in the wand's glow.
The ground was obscured beneath the intricate forms of thick, ice formations, leaving few areas suitable for footing. Evan struggled to progress, constantly waving his wand to create footholds.
This ice was unlike ordinary snow and ice; it possessed an unusual hue, bathed in a greenish-blue aura. The origin of this peculiar coloration lay in the infused magical energies; it was not a natural occurrence but rather the product of enchantment.
Evan sensed a potent magical resonance in the air, a rhythmic cadence he had never before encountered. Though it left him feeling uneasy, he could discern no immediate threat.
The formidable magical presence led him to consider the Philosopher's Stone, yet something didn't quite add up. In comparison to the awe-inspiring sights he had witnessed in the Moon Temple of the Horseman Tribe, the ruins of the Fallen Horseman City, the subterranean gold grottoes around Boothbottom, and the silent temples within the swamps, this seemed decidedly underwhelming.
If the source of this magical energy were indeed the Philosopher's Stone, its power should be far more substantial. Were the entirety of Hogwarts frozen, Evan would find it an entirely plausible outcome.
However, if the Philosopher's Stone were not the source, what other power could account for this magical energy? It was a well-known fact that magic spells, regardless of their potency, would gradually diminish in effectiveness without a stable source of magical energy.
Even the most skilled wizards could only extend the duration of their magic for a finite period, never reaching the span of centuries. The black magic remnants Evan had encountered along the way served as a testament to this fact. The wizard responsible for constructing this passage did not possess the ability to sustain his magic for such an extended period, nor would the magic he left behind be as potent as what Evan was currently experiencing.
With numerous questions swirling in his mind, Evan and Dobby reached the passage's lowest point. At the terminus, they were met with an imposing ice wall.
"Master Evan," Dobby fretted, his gaze fixed on the dense ice barrier before him.
His anxiety was not simply a reaction to the formidable obstacle; beyond the wall lay a circular, altar-like structure, where an intricate statue took center stage. The area was intermittently bathed in a soft blue light, accompanied by intricate magical runes.
Evan did not rashly attempt to breach the ice wall. Instead, he lay flat against its surface, peering inside for a closer look. The more he observed, the more a sense of foreboding washed over him.
According to the information he had acquired from his magical books, the contents concealed behind the ice wall might well be a demonic altar!
Evan suddenly grasped the truth behind the situation. The reason for the enduring magical presence became clear.
This sinister altar suggested that the dark wizard who constructed this passage had intended to summon demons beneath Hogwarts. The many traces surrounding them hinted at a previous successful summoning.
The eerie and unsettling magical energy that Evan had sensed was, in fact, demonic in nature.
A demonic altar was a malevolent form of black magic, a practice deeply forbidden and condemned.
Demonic magic, as was widely known, represented the most sinister aspect of black magic. While it had enjoyed a period of prominence during the darker ages of the Middle Ages and even earlier, it had ultimately fallen into obscurity due to its sheer malevolence and profound darkness.
Through the pages of "Cutting-Edge Black Magic Revealed," Evan had come across two basic demon-summoning spells. These had spurred his curiosity, leading him to delve deeper into the subject by perusing various magical texts.
The more he learned, the more he comprehended the sheer malevolence and treacherous nature of demonic black magic. It was truly a force to be reckoned with.
"Master Evan, please, let's go back! Dobby is terrified!" Dobby pleaded, his tiny frame trembling with fear. His anxiety no longer stemmed from the darkness or the frigid environment; instead, it emanated from the mysterious circular structure before them.
Dobby found no solace in the thick ice barrier that separated them from the ominous sight beyond. He clung tightly to the corner of Evan's coat, his bulbous eyes filled with panic as he stared at the altar concealed behind the blue-tinged ice wall.
The sight of the green light above the altar caused Dobby to flinch, seeking refuge behind Evan. While he remained ignorant of the nature of the demonic altar, he instinctively sensed the looming danger and the oppressive aura it emitted.
Every instinct within him screamed that this place was perilous, urging him to flee. Were it not for Evan's presence, Dobby would have scampered away without hesitation.
Evan, however, experienced a different reaction. After a momentary shock, he found himself oddly intrigued.
"Don't worry, Dobby," he assured the trembling house-elf, taking a few steps closer to the ice wall. "We're safe; that thing inside can't get out. An activated demonic altar presents a rare opportunity for research!"
Evan regarded the demonic altar behind the ice wall with intense curiosity, observing the intermittent flashes of magical runes and the ethereal light that bathed it from time to time.
All signs pointed to the fact that this was an activated demonic altar. What he hadn't anticipated was just how rare such a discovery would be.
Demonic magic had once wielded incredible power and had been one of the primary branches of magic mastered by ancient sorcerers. They had created and summoned formidable demons, effectively enslaving these magical beings. Nearly every ancient warlock had possessed their own demons, with King Solomon and his "72 Pillars" being among the most famous examples.
The legends of these powerful sorcerers and their demon cohorts had persisted among Muggles for thousands of years. To Muggles, Solomon was revered as the third king of the ancient kingdom of Israel, frequently referenced in biblical verses.
Within the wizarding world, however, Solomon was recognized as a formidable ancient magician, though he paled in comparison to the likes of the prophet Abraham. Nevertheless, Solomon's crowning achievement had been the construction of the world's first Temple.
The Temple's inner hall had contained seventy-two pillars, each sealing a demon created by King Solomon. These seventy-two demons were commonly referred to as the "72 Pillars of Demons," and the pillars that bound them also served as altars for their summoning.
With the Ark of the Covenant and these 72 demons at his disposal, King Solomon had ruled his kingdom with an iron grip, and none dared defy his authority. However, upon Solomon's death, the 72 Pillars of Demons had scattered and faded into obscurity, along with the realms he had once ruled.
Subsequent generations compiled the "Key of Solomon" based on the 72 Pillars within the Temple's inner hall. This grimoire contained detailed instructions on King Solomon's methods for summoning these 72 demons. Unfortunately, the book had been lost to history.
King Solomon, along with the demons he created and summoned, stood as prominent representatives of demonic magic. After his passing, ancient sorcerers continued to explore the realm of demonic magic, summoning a multitude of powerful demons. They melded demonic magic with other magical disciplines to create even mightier creatures, culminating in the summoning of an Evil God.
Yet, despite the flourishing of this powerful civilization led by the ancient sorcerers, it ultimately vanished from history. Today, only legends and relics remained to bear witness to its existence.
While ancient sorcerers had long since faded into obscurity, the legacy of demonic magic endured, albeit relegated to the realm of black magic. Due to the loss of crucial texts and a scarcity of potent magical ingredients for constructing altars, the demons summoned by modern witches paled in comparison to the formidable deities of the ancient sorcerers. Their summoning methods were more malevolent and bloody in nature.
To compensate for their lack of materials and magical energy, black witches often resorted to human sacrifices, with the efficacy of the demon summoning directly proportional to the strength of the sacrificed wizard. Alternately, they might choose witches under the age of 15, valuing purity of body and mind, as well as physical beauty, which they believed attracted the attention of powerful demons.
Though the criteria for sacrifices varied based on the method of summoning, the underlying principles remained consistent, rooted in twisted and malevolent ideologies.
Demonic magic had experienced a brief resurgence during the dark Middle Ages but had swiftly fallen into disrepute within the magical community, becoming forbidden for study among wizards.
The knowledge Evan could access was limited to the two basic demon-summoning spells recorded in "Cutting-Edge Black Magic Revealed," which could only summon lower-level demons. Beyond that book, any information pertaining to demonic magic was rudimentary at best.
Evan harbored a keen interest in this magical discipline but had never had the opportunity to explore it in depth. To attempt demon summoning based solely on the knowledge at his disposal would be akin to courting disaster.