As the giant and Sirius remained still, Evan found it impossible to pull the scabbard out. His strength wasn't enough for such a task. However, Evan felt that the scabbard was waiting for him, that Gryffindor had reserved this strength to guide him. It was a part of Gryffindor's treasured sword, the true heir of Gryffindor!
Evan took a step forward, deeply inspired, and put in all his effort to grasp the scabbard. A strange magical power flowed from the scabbard, a strength Evan had never seen before. It was somewhat reminiscent of Cyclops' strength but clearly carried Gryffindor's aura.
It swirled within Evan, returning to the scabbard, and Evan could feel the power he now held. It was a destructive force capable of overcoming any overpowering primal strength. The scabbard was calling to Evan, summoning its new host.
Evan gazed at the seemingly ordinary and unremarkable scabbard in his hand. He exerted a little upward force, and to his surprise, it felt lighter than he had imagined. The scabbard detached from the Cyclops statue, breaking a millennium-old seal laden with dust.
"I did it!" Evan exclaimed joyfully as he looked at the scabbard in his hand. The next moment, the astonishing Cyclops statue beneath him rapidly collapsed, accompanied by a deafening roar. Countless cracks radiated outward from Evan's position, covering the entire statue. The ancient, formidable aura permeated the cavern, and Evan thought he heard the Cyclops' unwilling roar.
He quickly Apparated away, retreating with Sirius. As the dust settled, they gazed at the grand statue disintegrating, creating a profound and awe-inspiring scene.
However, Evan's attention wasn't on the collapsing statue but the scabbard in his hand. As he pulled it out, the mysterious aura of Gryffindor's strength became even more pronounced.
It was as if he were using a Pensieve, and Evan's consciousness swiftly converged on the scabbard. A silver-white circular space appeared before him, and a youthful Gryffindor stood, wearing a faint but familiar smile as he gazed at Evan.
"I sense Godric Gryffindor's strength within you. Are you his successor?" the youth asked, studying Evan. "I never expected that after a millennium, I would finally meet his successor here."
"I obtained the Philosopher's Stone from Gryffindor. I suppose that means I have his approval. Who are you?" Evan inquired.
"I am a blend of various thoughts and strengths, a unique existence," the youth explained. "My core component is the 17-year-old Gryffindor's thought within the scabbard. The outer layers include Ravenclaw's seal magic, the scabbard's strength, the immense power absorbed from the Cyclops, and..."
Evan blinked in astonishment, unable to comprehend what the youth was saying.
"Judging by your expression, you haven't grasped it fully. In simpler terms, you can think of me as a special embodiment of Godric Gryffindor, given that my core is his thought at 17. So, I inherit Gryffindor's disposition at that age, along with his magical knowledge and understanding of the world," the youth clarified. "To others, I represent pure strength, but because you are his successor and possess the Philosopher's Stone, our core thoughts align, allowing us to communicate like this, though it's limited in time as I must soon dissipate."
"Why?" Evan asked, still struggling to understand the youth's words.
"That's because, like Godric Gryffindor, my core is not just his thought. My existence can't continue indefinitely; it requires the powerful protection of his strength. I will soon dissipate, and today is no exception," the youth explained.
"Even if it's just a thought..."
"Once you acquire that strength, you'll understand. Right now, you are too weak and small compared to Gryffindor of the past. You can't fathom the essence of this strength," the youth said, approaching Evan. "But let's not dwell on this. I'm about to disappear, and we won't meet again. What you should be concerned about is what lies beneath you."
"Before you, you showed me something—did Cyclops truly reside within the rock?" Evan asked.
"Yes, I am Gryffindor's seal here, and I've been in a thousand-year battle with that monster," the youth confirmed. "I forgot, you probably don't know about this. After all, it's been so long. In short, thousands of years ago, Gryffindor and the fearsome Cyclops fought here. Gryffindor emerged victorious, but both were heavily wounded. The final result was likely a mutual injury, as that Cyclops was ancient and had to return to the magma to regain its strength."
"Return to the magma to regain strength?" Evan asked in surprise. Until now, he had been curious about what the Cyclops monster was, and did it absorb the strength from magma to rejuvenate?
"Creatures like Cyclops are different from normal life forms. They are said to be remnants of the divine power of the Titans, more powerful beings from before the Great Flood, born from the union of the earth and magma, but over time, they lost much of their flesh, blood, and life," the youth explained, pausing. "Of course, these are just myths, and no one can confirm them with the Titans, given the ancient nature of these stories. In any case, Gryffindor drove the Cyclops away, and it fled to its underground magma lair, not expecting Gryffindor to return, along with Rowena Ravenclaw."
"Why did they come back?" Evan inquired.
"Naturally, they returned for vengeance. Gryffindor had suffered severe injuries in his battle with the Cyclops and hadn't received proper retribution. Moreover, Rowena Ravenclaw wanted to settle the score," the youth continued. "This time, instead of fighting, they used powerful magic with Gryffindor's help to put the Cyclops into a deep, eternal sleep within the underground magma. Only its physical form remained, while its consciousness was imprisoned in endless nightmares, from which it would never wake."
The concept reminded Evan of the Dementor's Kiss, where a person's soul was sucked out, leaving them in a state resembling life but devoid of consciousness. Of course, this applied to ordinary beings, whereas the Cyclops was a formidable ancient creature, making it much more challenging to manipulate its soul through magic.
Evan couldn't fathom what magic Ravenclaw had used; it was inconceivable.
"Your current level of strength is too low to fully understand the intricacies of this magic," the youth noted, observing Evan's expression. After a brief pause, he continued, "It's not merely soul magic; in simpler terms, it's a form of sealing magic. Ravenclaw created a membrane within the Cyclops using magic, effectively separating its soul, consciousness, and body. Regardless of how powerful the Cyclops' physical form may be, as long as it exists, its consciousness will be plagued by never-ending nightmares and remain forever asleep."
This method sounded like the Dementor's Kiss but on a much larger and more complex scale.
"You're saying that Ravenclaw, aided by the power of magic, separated the Cyclops' soul, consciousness, and body?" Evan said with uncertainty. To him, this sounded no different from dark magic that dealt with evil souls.
During the Horcrux creation process, one could divide their own soul fragment by using a specific incantation and inflicting suffering upon other lives. On the other hand, the Dementor's Kiss directly sucked a person's soul out through their mouth. It seemed to Evan that this dark magic was equally ominous.
"Yes, but pay attention to what I'm saying; this is not a simple destruction or extraction. The soul of the Cyclops is mighty and not easily damaged. No wizard can accomplish this feat. In fact, they are still within the Cyclops, thanks to the properties of that membrane. Their soul and consciousness cannot sense their own bodies; they remain separated in this manner," the youth explained.
Evan nodded thoughtfully. It seemed like a unique form of isolation, akin to a vegetable state. Thanks to this magical process, the Cyclops had lost the ability for conscious activity. However, deep within its cerebral cortex, it maintained autonomous respiration and heartbeat, keeping it alive in an irreversible deep coma.
"The foundation of the magical revolution that maintained the giant statue just collapsed. The magical traces extended deep into the core, reaching the location of the Cyclops' main body. After Ravenclaw removed this seal, Gryffindor left his scabbard behind as the core of the seal, which is my main body," the youth clarified. He seemed relieved that Evan finally understood his explanation. "I was placed inside the statue and primarily absorbed the strength from the Cyclops' body. I maintained the seal with that strength, neutralizing its soul and consciousness in an ongoing dream battle for millennia."
Evan calmly observed the youth, still struggling to fully grasp the magic being described. What had Ravenclaw and Gryffindor done to put the Cyclops into such a deep slumber millennia ago?
Was it just a membrane, along with some insertion and strength absorption? Evan found this type of magic to be too complex for his understanding.
"You just need to know that the scabbard in your hand contains my main body, and its core is the thought of Gryffindor above 17. Over the years, I have absorbed considerable strength to give me a rudimentary consciousness derived from the Cyclops. I exist in this manner," the youth said, brushing his hair back with a smile. "You can think of me as a 17-year-old Gryffindor, a special energy being. His thought dissipates anyway, and I will soon return to a pure energy state."
A moment of silence passed. Evan suddenly didn't know what to say to the youth. Regardless of the entity's nature, it was about to transform into pure energy, which didn't seem like a positive outcome.
While Evan considered apologizing, the youth didn't seem to mind. A smile formed on the corners of his lips as he continued to observe Evan.
"Very well, if the foundation used to seal the Cyclops is now destroyed..."
"No need to worry; the Cyclops was already quite old and nearing the end of its life. Although its physical body still existed, the soul and consciousness had been dissipating for decades. The seal lost its significance, and my mission is nearly complete," the youth assured him. " Ravenclaw's magic played a role in keeping it alive; otherwise, it would have died along with its body. But now, its soul has vanished, and the formidable driving force is no more. This, however, poses a problem."
"In the dream I had earlier, I saw 13 dark wizards. What were they doing?" Evan asked. "Since the Cyclops' soul and consciousness are gone, can't they awaken it?"
"That's the problem I mentioned," the youth sighed. He placed his hands behind his head again. "For many years, that terrifying creature has been struggling with me. It has been searching for a loophole in the membrane left behind by Ravenclaw, hoping to regain control over its body. Every time it attempted to do so, it caused eruptions in this nearby volcano."
Evan suddenly realized that Mount Etna in Sicily, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, had erupted many times. This might have resulted from the Cyclops' revolt, causing frequent eruptions in the area.
"The membrane left behind by Ravenclaw was gradually destroyed by it, but I continuously repaired it. Cyclops attempted various ways to escape but was unsuccessful because it was too old, and its soul grew weaker. However, I absorbed the strength from within its body, making me stronger," the youth explained. "Thus, it never succeeded, even after hundreds of attempts. Then, it changed its strategy. Instead of trying to regain control over its body directly, it attempted to contact other living beings to rescue itself."
"Are you referring to the 13 dark wizards I saw?" Evan asked. "So, it wasn't them?"
"No, it wasn't them. Its initial contact with dark wizards was more than 600 years ago," the youth clarified. "But they belong to an organization called the 'Raven's Claw.' I've heard them mention this organization's name several times."
"Raven's Claw?" Evan exclaimed in surprise. It was indeed those people. This organization had roots dating back to 600 years ago, advocating for the end of enlightenment and the liberation of evil gods.
Before coming here, Nicolas Flamel had warned Evan to be cautious of the Raven's Claw. Evan had suspected their involvement in the lighthouse incident, but he hadn't imagined they were also plotting something concerning the Cyclops.
"This organization appears to have a connection to Rowena Ravenclaw because they've been tracing her footsteps. They seek various ancient remnants, possibly with a plan in mind. Several hundred years ago, they made contact with the Cyclops below, but they didn't take any action at the time. They passed through this grotto and looked deep into the core, but I think they might have forgotten about it or been frightened away. Little did they know..."