"He must really value that matter, not wanting anyone to find out from me. Portraits can hardly keep secrets, but he even entrusted me with memories of who peeked at someone's bath."
Gryffindor's portrait said proudly, lowering his voice.
Ian's eyes widened.
"Alright, alright! If you don't go to Gryffindor College and announce that I'm your approved heir, I'll immediately tell everyone you peeked at Ravenclaw in the bath!"
He felt like he'd caught Gryffindor by the chicken leg.
"?????"
The young Gryffindor portrait looked perplexed, "Who told you I'd peek at Ravenclaw in the bath? She's a married woman! And that was something I did when I was very young."
The young Gryffindor in the portrait clearly didn't know how wicked the little wizard's heart was.
"You peeked at others bathing from a young age, and then said women affect your sword drawing speed? Tsk tsk, who knew Gryffindor ancestors could be such shameless yellow wizards!"
"Gryffindor College having the highest birth rate at Hogwarts sure isn't without reason!" Ian's enlightened expression made Gryffindor's portrait lose control of his face.
"Why are you even looking at these statistics!? Are you so bored you have nothing to do!" The young Gryffindor pointed tremblingly at the little wizard outside the frame.
"Yeah, sometimes I'm a bit bored."
Ian nodded honestly.
"..."
Gryffindor's portrait was left speechless.
After a long time,
He sighed deeply, "If you can find my Treasure Vault with your own skill and stand in front of me, I'll publicly acknowledge you as Gryffindor's endorsed descendant."
"This is a trial, given only to specific people..." Gryffindor's portrait looked somewhat helpless, "Originally, I was supposed to come to you in your third year."
Putting aside other matters,
Just the word 'Treasure Vault' made Ian's eyes light up.
"As long as it's with my own skill, any method to find you will do?" Ian knew Gryffindor, who loves adventure, surely left more than just a resourceful sword.
"Yes, I must remind you, you are the seventh wizard to reach the threshold, and the only one not from Gryffindor College. All six challengers before you have failed in the end."
"Where I am, there are three trial stages present. Just mastering powerful magic is not enough; you also need extraordinary swordsmanship on the trial path. I think I've left swordsmanship guidance books in the Hogwarts Library. However, few wizards have come to learn them these years."
"For today's young wizards, they'd rather make themselves a magic firearm than study swordsmanship... I also acknowledge it's a better close-defense method. But it clearly won't work in the trial I left. If you're really bored, why not spend the time practicing swordsmanship."
The Gryffindor portrait opened its mouth to give a reminder, "Of course, if you feel you lack any talent in swordsmanship, you can also find yourself a teammate with outstanding sword skills."
"Partnership camaraderie is also a kind of strength belonging to you, though accordingly, you need to share a portion of your gains," Gryffindor's voice was very loud and commanding, "You have ample time to decide whether to challenge alone or team up with your partner, as finding where I am will require considerable effort."
His words were very confident, "Truthfully, the fastest little wizard to find where I am took two and a half years, and if a challenger has not completed the trial before graduation, it counts as a trial failure."
This level of difficulty is somewhat unbelievable.
To find a place could take two years?
How big is Hogwarts, after all!
"Were our challenger predecessors all such a drag?" Ian exclaimed in surprise, running towards the pile of materials left over from making the "Book of the Snake Language" last night.
There were still some materials left.
He decided to recycle a bit.
"Your last challenger was Albus Dumbledore; he didn't even reach the third stage," Gryffindor smiled from the portrait as he spoke up with a reminder.
To honestly put it.
It's apparent that not recording that hidden transaction in his form was very wise; given his big mouth, he likely couldn't keep any secrets.
"Our headmaster? He actually didn't tell me there's such a trial at Hogwarts!" Ian gasped, recognizing that Gryffindor's trial was indeed a bit fearsome.
You should know that Dumbledore is the most gifted wizard in modern times, bar none.
"That's because those who fail the trial don't remember they've participated... Little wizards can't resist that kind of magic, and Dumbledore during his student years wasn't nearly as strong as he is now," Gryffindor's portrait revealed to Ian yet another ancient founder's trial rule.
"Do the other founders have similar trials?" Ian asked, grabbing some leftover materials from last night and pulling out a bone belonging to Tom's seven aunts' and uncles' bone to fiddle with.
"I don't know."
Gryffindor's response was also straightforward, "I'm just a portrait, not Hogwarts itself, but I suspect the other three aren't nearly as enthusiastic about it as I am."
"If you have time to dig up my grave, perhaps you might see my legacy of mischievousness." He was really bold, knowing Ian likes to dig up graves, and still eagerly gave the suggestion.