Chapter 41. Lion Statues. Part 2. Godric Gryffindor
Standing before the last statue, set beside a long, fairly battered bridge linking the clock tower, the one he had just come down from, with the clearing on the hillside, Severus placed his palm on the lion's head and clenched sharply.
The head exploded, showering the ground with tiny marble fragments.
"Last one," he said, bending to pick up the badge. With mild curiosity, he turned it over, but just like the others, aside from a strange pattern, there was nothing else on it.
"So what now?"
"Simple." All the badges shot outward and froze in midair before him. "It is a pretty interesting, and at the same time difficult, artifact to make. Besides runes, it uses Transfiguration, illusion magic, mind magic, and even soul magic."
"You said you did not understand what it was or how it worked."
"I did not, until I got the eighth piece in my hands and felt him." The badges began swapping places until, in one instant, they flared with a rusty-orange light and lined up in a single row. "Should have put up a barrier in advance."
"I did not expect the one who could gather them all to be a Slytherin student." A stern voice rolled through the air, yet it inspired no fear, only calm, and something oddly bright.
The next moment, the badges changed shape, becoming an assortment of clockwork mechanisms that began to merge.
At the same time, a transparent cloud formed above them, spilling brilliant light, taking the shape of a man around forty, with a lion's mane of wavy ginger hair and beard. In some ways, he even reminded Severus of barbarians: proud, smug, and cruel creatures.
"Why the hostility?" the ghost asked, noticing Severus's frown.
"My apologies. I was reminded of something unpleasant when I saw your appearance. Though I suspect you are not that far from them yourself, just smarter, since you managed to create something this complex. People may describe you as decisive and fair, but history is written by the victors. Whether that is true or not, I will never know."
"You gathered all the parts of this artifact and woke a shard of my soul, Godric Gryffindor, just to. criticize me?" he asked, displeased.
"No, of course not. You asked, I answered," Severus said with an embarrassed smile, then continued. "Truthfully, I did not know this would let me speak with you personally. I was really only looking for your sword."
"Why do you need my sword, and how did you learn about the statues?" Godric asked, lowering himself slightly.
"Salazar told me. Though I had to. work on his portrait a bit to make him spill everything about you. As for the sword, I fence. Worthy blades are hard to find, and I think you understand that perfectly well. I do not have a good relationship with the goblins. I am afraid if I go to them, they will chase me away with pitchforks."
Listening to Severus, the shard of Godric's soul looked genuinely shocked. After he pulled himself together and digested it, he could not hold it in and burst out laughing.
"It all sounds like nonsense." But the next instant he froze, eyes wide, staring at a slightly scorched portrait riddled with tiny holes, his former friend, who stared back with the same expression. "Salazar?"
"Pathetic sight, Godric," Salazar muttered.
"You are the one talking. You do not look any better."
Seeing Godric's mocking grin, Salazar nearly lost it, but Severus clamped a hand over his mouth, rolled him back up, and stuffed him into his pouch.
"I am hoping you will tell me where you left it?"
"And if I do not?"
"I will find it myself. There is still the Sorting Hat. I doubt it will be hard to pull all this information out of it."
"Just dare touch her, and I will drag you back from beyond the grave myself!" In a blink, Godric went from a simple kindhearted man to a real lion, ready to tear out Severus's throat that very second.
"All right. I will not touch her."
The ease with which Severus backed down made Godric freeze again. A few seconds later, he realized it had been deliberate. Severus had baited him.
"'If you want to know a man, make him angry, and he will show you his true face.' That is what my teacher used to say. Now I understand what kind of man you are: decisive, valuing friendship. You dislike cowards. When I backtracked, I saw disgust flicker across your face. You are also patient, if you are willing to listen even to a Slytherin like me. But your thirst for blood tells me you do not shy away from killing. And if you had a body right now, I have no doubt you would have tried to do it."
"Enough. I got it," Godric sighed, raising a palm toward Severus and shaking his head. "I surrender. You are a true Slytherin."
"Glad to hear it. But I still hope you will tell me where your sword is."
With a careless smirk, Godric shrugged.
"How would I know? This shard broke off in the eighties. How long the rest of me lived after that, I have no idea."
"I see."
"Where is that disappointment coming from? Maybe you are curious about something else? You may be a pureblood Slytherin, but you still managed to find all the badges."
"You cannot teach me anything. And other than your sword, I do not need anyth. actually. If you tell me about Rowena and Helga."
"I will not betray the secrets of my friends and colleagues!" Godric snapped, clipping every word and earning a disappointed sigh from Severus.
"You are useless. I just wasted my time on you."
"Then let us go back. No point staying here," Nagini hissed in agreement, poking her head out and shooting Godric a contemptuous look.
"Fine. Sorry I dragged you into this. I thought it would be interesting. Turns out it is just a soul fragment." Severus stroked her head, turned, and started walking back toward Hogwarts.
"Wait! You really do not want to know anything? In my time I was known as the strongest wizard. Others in your place would have considered it an honor to ask me a question!" Godric stepped in front of him and shouted theatrically, barely restraining his rage. A mere ordinary wizard had dared speak rudely to him and ignore his achievements, as if he were some mangy old nobody.
"You are annoying. Fine." Severus exhaled and looked up into the man's dark face. "Tell me about Maledictuses, and whether the curse can be lifted."
"Hm. not an easy question." But seeing Severus's indifferent look, distrust practically written across it, Godric cleared his throat a couple of times and continued. "In short: Maledictuses are women whose blood has been cursed, and by thirty almost all of them turn into animals, body and mind. The curse is nearly impossible to remove. You can only slow it down if the cursed one can master Animagus magic."
"Just as I thought." So Nagini was very lucky she once had Animagus magic. Severus sighed and looked into her eyes with a warm smile. "Do not worry. I already know how to remove it."
"Young man. could it be that. Nagini?" Godric asked, staring at her. Nagini clearly hated the attention. "And your words, do you really know a way to lift that curse?"
"I know a ritual that can remove any curse. But the more I know about it, the more precisely I can tune the ritual. So I am listening," Severus said, pulling a chair out of his pouch. He sat down briskly and looked at Godric expectantly.
Godric's eye started to twitch.
Two hours later, Severus walked through the castle's dark corridors toward the dungeons, thoughtfully flipping a golden pocket watch in his hand. On the back was engraved the symbolism of Hogwarts' Houses.
I pulled plenty of useful information out of him. but I already knew almost all of it. Still, I got an interesting artifact, which is nice. And even a hint about who might know where the sword is. So it was not pointless after all.
"What are those watches?" Nagini asked, confused. She did not understand why Severus had taken them after refusing at first.
"A fairly rare artifact, one you can store a soul in. Notice: Godric's soul shard sat in it for nearly a thousand years and did not suffer at all. Might come in handy someday."
"I see." Nagini fell silent again for a few seconds, as if thinking.
"Ask."
"About what he asked you right before his soul dispersed."
"We will see how life goes. I did not promise him anything. But if I ever run into them, I will not just walk past," Severus said with a smile as he went down the stairs. "I am not completely heartless, you know."
"I did not call you heartless!" Nagini blurted, panic in her voice. But seeing his smirk and narrowed eyes, she began angrily poking him with her tail, the only way she could properly express outrage. "Stop messing with me!"
"Sorry. Not my fault you take everything so personally."
"You heartless bastard!"
"Hey! Now that is just mean."
Nagini shot him a contemptuous glance and turned away, sighing irritably, though in truth she was not really angry, only a little indignant.
Ugh. now I also have to think about how to get into the Headmaster's office without exposing myself. I am sure there are scanning and signal charms there that will give me away almost instantly, and I cannot forget the portraits of the Headmasters and the phoenix. I need to think this through.
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