Cyrus feels very annoyed now.
Originally, he should have taken the magic book to the secret room shown in the map, then smoothly initiated the magical trial of the Four Guardians, and ultimately obtained the ancient magic. However, now, there was a hitch.
One of the Four Guardians did not agree to let Cyrus begin the trial. She believed that Cyrus was not a qualified candidate to inherit the ancient magic.
The witch who refused him was named Niamh Fitzgerald. Cyrus had seen her portrait in the Headmaster's office. When he had barged into the office, the witch was among the other Headmaster portraits. She hadn't said much then and had never mentioned anything about ancient magic.
But now, she had stopped Percival and Ranrook from initiating the trial for Cyrus, reasoning that Cyrus could become a threat.
"I know who you are, Cyrus," Fitzgerald looked at him calmly. "And I know what you have done."
In this Map Chamber, their portraits were enormous. Fitzgerald looked down at Cyrus as if she were looking at a child.
"You were reborn from a fragment of Voldemort's soul. No matter how much you deny it, it does not change the fact that you are Voldemort," Fitzgerald said firmly.
Although she had heard Dumbledore talk about the differences between Cyrus and Voldemort more than once in the office, it did not change her opinion.
In a sense, she could be considered a witch who had witnessed Voldemort's growth. She knew how adept Voldemort was at deception.
"If you are willing to set aside your prejudice, you will see that I am entirely different from Voldemort," Cyrus was not angry. If he were to choose a successor to inherit his knowledge and power, how could he not verify the other's character?
This was human nature, especially with Morgana's precedent, making the guardians more cautious.
"I understand your concerns, madam, but you must also understand that what you think you know about me is merely a continuation of 'Voldemort,' and this is your prejudice," Cyrus said softly. "Your so-called knowledge is likewise such, and indeed, prejudice is the emotion furthest from understanding."
Aizen said that longing was the emotion furthest from understanding, but prejudice was equally so. Both were subjective and added a filter, one making things better, the other worse.
For Cyrus, he would prefer to be revered.
"You were once the Headmistress of Hogwarts. You must understand how damaging prejudice can be to a person. It is an invisible yet sharp weapon, destroying an immature soul with ease."
Cyrus's words made Fitzgerald silent.
She indeed viewed Cyrus with the same eyes as Voldemort, but it was understandable. After all, the harm Voldemort brought to the wizarding world was immense.
Dumbledore had spent half his life trying to defeat Voldemort, and seeing the old man's daily worry, she couldn't help but feel sorrowful.
Without ancient magic, Voldemort was already immensely powerful. If Voldemort were to obtain ancient magic, what would happen then?
Therefore, even though Cyrus had almost convinced Fitzgerald, she still decided it was better to err on the side of caution. Whether or not there was a successor was not important; the stability of the magical world was more crucial to them.
"Sorry, child, I cannot agree to this," she shook her head at Cyrus. "Even if it means failing in my duties as a guardian, I am unwilling to hand over ancient magic to anyone who could bring about a great disaster in the magical world."
"Is that so? But how can you ensure that ancient magic will not fall into the hands of the real Voldemort?" Cyrus countered.
"What do you mean?"
"Voldemort now possesses the body of the goblin Ranrok, and Ranrok has the ability to see the echoes of ancient magic. This means that once Voldemort fully revives, he will inherit Ranrok's talent. He will do everything in his power to obtain ancient magic. Who will stop him then? Dumbledore? He has already borne too much! Or will you rely on me, whom you have refused?"
"Are you telling the truth?" Fitzgerald's face grew a few shades paler.
Cyrus didn't explain further. Instead, he extracted a memory from his mind.
The silver thread fell onto the ground that resembled a starry sky, causing ripples like those on a lake's surface.
Then, everything that had happened in the Athenaeum played out like an old movie. The guardians watched everything in silence, and they could confirm that this memory was indeed genuine.
"See? The real threat has never been me. I do have my own ideas and plans to achieve greatness, but they are entirely different from Voldemort's," Cyrus said, his golden eyes radiating integrity, making him appear almost like the sun.
Fitzgerald visibly softened.
Cyrus smiled.
He never truly worried about Fitzgerald's opposition. After all, how many women in this world could resist him with his face?
Cyrus hadn't encountered any.
"You said you have your own ideas? If you were to obtain ancient magic, what would you do?" Fitzgerald couldn't help but ask. She was already asking based on the premise that Cyrus would acquire ancient magic, indicating that she was only a step away from fully conceding.
"Power should serve a great cause; otherwise, what use is it to possess it? Is it just for self-satisfaction?" Cyrus said frankly. "I would break the Statute of Secrecy and create a world where wizards and Muggles can live together. The power of technology and magic would be combined, and wizards would no longer need to hide themselves."
He never considered breaking the Statute of Secrecy a bad thing.
The world needs change.
Undeniably, the existence of secrecy has significantly protected many wizards as they grew up. However, each era has its characteristics, and the Statute of Secrecy, which has been implemented for centuries, is no longer suitable. Continuing to uphold it will ultimately lead to even more painful consequences.
The Four Guardians had little objection to this.
The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy officially took effect in 1692, and it's uncertain whether they were even alive at that time.
Of course, having existed as portraits for so many years, they had witnessed the present-day effects of the Statute of Secrecy and knew that many people throughout history had tried to break it. Some were radical, while others were gentle. But without exception, they all failed.
"This won't be easy. It's been centuries, and no one has ever succeeded."
Rookwood and Percival chimed in, clearly not believing Cyrus would succeed. But Cyrus thought differently.
"No one has succeeded because I haven't come yet," Cyrus said confidently.
"Is this your idea? Your wish?"
"Heh! No, this is the future!"
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