Among the list of successful bloodline fusions, Evan was surprised to see the Dumbledore family mentioned.
This reminded him of Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, and the rumor from "The Crimes of Grindelwald" about the Dumbledore lineage:
"Whenever a Dumbledore truly needs help, a phoenix will come to their aid..."
Evan suspected this might be linked to their past fusion with a phoenix's bloodline.
Of course, according to the book's account, the Dumbledores belonged to a more benign faction, having sought consent before attempting fusion. This likely explained the close bond between the phoenix and the Dumbledore family.
"Huh? Why does it stop here?" Evan was engrossed in the book when the section detailing the fusion method abruptly ended, as if several pages had been violently torn out. The remaining content seemed inconsequential.
As Evan puzzled over this so-called reward being merely information, the system chimed in again.
["The Origin of Bloodlines" has been fully read. Challenge task activated.
Challenge Task: Defeat (or kill) a troll.
Reward: Bloodline Fusion Potion Recipe]
"Challenge task..." A shiver ran down Evan's spine. He had thought this was merely a learning system; he hadn't expected tasks involving monster slaying.
He grew even more curious about who had hidden the book here, enchanting it with confusion and concealment spells within the Restricted Section.
Dumbledore sprang to mind first—a man of his century, with both the authority and reason to secrete away "The Origin of Bloodlines."
After all, bloodline fusion was exceedingly dangerous. The number of wizards who died attempting it far exceeded the survivors, explaining why such wizards never became the norm.
Others who might have hidden the book included James Potter, Sirius Black, and even Tom Marvolo Riddle, or Voldemort, each with their reasons and styles for concealing important items.
Various theories flitted through Evan's mind, but he didn't dwell on them. With so much to digest from the night's reading, the allure of the forbidden books lost its pull.
On the way back, Evan's thoughts lingered on the newly activated challenge task.
Given the target was a troll, he felt a headache coming on. He wouldn't underestimate the creature just because Harry and Ron had defeated one in the original story.
Their victory owed much to coincidence, and had Harry's "chosen one" aura not been at play, they might have met a dire fate before the professors arrived.
From what Evan had read, trolls were formidable: massive, immensely strong, and resistant to magic—a challenge even for an adult wizard.
He sighed. Without the knowledge from "The Origin of Bloodlines" that fusing magical creature bloodlines could enhance magical talent, he wouldn't dream of facing such a beast in his first year.
Evan navigated the silent castle, his previous smooth passage making him somewhat less vigilant.
However, shortly after emerging from a secret passage, a blue, swiftly moving specter collided with him.
It was as if he'd been plunged into icy water. Evan shivered and turned to see an ugly ghost wearing a tattered hat... Peeves.
Peeves was ecstatic, clapping and shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Look, what have I found? Another first-year! Come quick, there's another one here!"
"Petrificus Totalus!" Evan swiftly cast a Full Body-Bind Curse, a slate-gray beam hitting Peeves squarely in the chest. The poltergeist was pushed back, laughing even harder.
"Hahaha... Useless, you can't hurt me!" Peeves gleefully circled Evan, intent on keeping him there.
Realizing ordinary magic was ineffective, Evan didn't falter; ghosts weren't immune to all spells, and he had a dark spell specifically targeting the mind.
"Fear descends~"
As Peeves made faces in front of Evan, a purple light shot from the tip of Evan's wand. Peeves's expression changed instantly, and he screamed as he crashed into a classroom far away. Evan could still hear Peeves's shrill cries.
"No, Barrow, leave me be, I swear I've done nothing wrong! And Nick, put down your axe, let's talk this out..."
Satisfied with Peeves's reaction, Evan checked the system's magic tab to find that the Fearful Curse had quietly advanced to level two, explaining its effectiveness.
With Peeves dealt with, hurried footsteps approached. Evan then remembered Peeves mentioning he had found "another" first-year.
It was too late to hide; Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville burst from the opposite direction.
They hadn't expected to encounter Evan here, but with little time to discuss, Harry grabbed Evan's arm and pulled him along.
"Evan, run! No time to explain, Filch is right behind us!"
Evan was dragged into another corridor before he could mention the hidden passage, joining the others in flight.
As they ran, the scene felt eerily familiar to Evan. It wasn't until Harry led them into the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor that Evan sensed trouble.
"Quick, in here, Filch is coming!" Harry and Neville pulled a reluctant Evan inside, Hermione shut the door, and Ron, surprisingly diligent, locked it.
"That should keep Filch out," Harry sighed in relief.
"Yeah, but now we can't get out either," Evan murmured, looking at the locked door, then sighed again as he gazed down the corridor.
"I'd rather face Filch than what's in here..."
Harry didn't quite catch Evan's meaning, but soon felt something slimy on his shoulder. Turning, he came face to face with three massive heads, their gaping mouths exuding foul breath and drooling yellow saliva that splattered onto his clothes.
"Ahh~" The others noticed the three-headed dog, and their screams shattered the night's silence...
Tips:
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