Chapter 328: Herpo's Horcrux and Ivan's Hypothesis

"Another Parseltongue talker, sounds like Slytherin." Ron looked disgusted. "A dark wizard like this one called Herpo the Foul, I'm not surprised at what he had studied and created. Come on, besides that horrible monster and the Basilisk, what evil research does he have?"

"Herpo the Foul, known as the founder of modern black magic, had invented many curses in his lifetime, most of which are believed to be lost." Hermione continued reading, "It was determined that 186 curses of his invention have been passed down..."

"God, this guy had created one hundred and eighty-six Evil Curses, and he probably had more that he didn't pass on?!" Ron stared and couldn't believe it.

"Yes!" Hermione looked at Ron and threw out much heavier information. "He was also recognized as the first wizard to invent the method of making a Horcrux and succeed in doing so. The Horcrux is considered to be extremely evil dark magic that cannot be described in this book. No one could defeat or kill it in those days of his life."

"This guy sounds even more evil than You-Know-Who!" Due to the shock, Ron's mouth was open wide enough to fit an egg.

Voldemort was seen by many as the most evil wizard in the Darkness.

Anyone who knew enough about him knew that the most evil thing he had ever done was to split his soul and make Horcruxes, and this dark magic was invented by Herpo the Foul.

Being so shocked, Ron didn't know what to say.

Herpo the Foul had completely subverted his understanding of a Dark Wizard. It was hard for him to imagine how a man could be so evil and powerful.

"What about his end?" asked Harry. "Who destroyed his Horcrux?"

"No one..." Hermione closed the thick book and lowered her voice. "He was the most powerful and evil dark wizard in the world at the time. No one knew the cause of his death. This means that, if his Horcrux had never been destroyed, he might be alive now!"

"Alive.... for thousands of years..." muttered Ron.

The room fell silent. Everyone was immersed in the shock caused by Herpo the Foulman's description and actions. It was hard for them to imagine the existence of a dark wizard who has managed to live for thousands of years.

"Before that, I thought the person with the longest life expectancy was Nicholas Flamel, Dumbledore's friend and alchemy master," Harry said. "By this year, he will have lived 668 years. I always thought he was the oldest wizard in the world."

"If this Herpo the Foul is still alive, then he isn't!" said Ivan.

"The Horcrux..." Ron repeated quietly, and there seemed to be a longing in his tone. "Like the Philosopher's Stone, this dark magic can help a wizard gain immortality."

"That's not the same thing, Ron!" Hermione raised her eyebrows and explained, "I read a lot of books about the Philosopher's Stone in my first year. It was the subject of the highest level research in ancient alchemy. There are many different types of stones, depending on the type. Nicolas Flamel can make gold from his stone and make an elixir to help the body slow down aging, but he is not really immortal. If he receives a mortal blow, he will die. "

"Yes, we all know that stone was the last known magic stone, it has been destroyed by Dumbledore, and no one can make a new one." Ron continued and asked, "What about the Horcrux? what is its distinction in the history of magic?"

"The Horcrux is the most evil dark magic!" Hermione turned to look at Ivan.

After learning the method of making the Horcrux from the book "Secrets of the Darkest Art", Ivan had explained in detail to Hermione the working principles of Horcruxes.

When she saw Ivan nodding, Hermione continued, "Making a Horcrux requires splitting the soul and storing its separate fragment in a specific container. As long as that container is not destroyed, the owner of the Horcrux can live forever, no matter what damage it receives."

"It's like Voldemort..." said Harry suddenly, feeling strange.

The thought of Voldemort splitting his soul and making Horcruxes, of Tom Riddle's Diary and the Slytherin Locket made him feel very sick.

Ron shivered and turned pale when he heard the name You-Know-Who.

"Yeah, he's like Voldemort!" Hermione took a deep breath and continued. "As long as his Horcruxes aren't completely destroyed, he's an immortal monster, no matter what form he's in now. That's why the last time we saw him, he could only stay behind Quirrell's head and rely on the blood of unicorns to regain his strength."

"No matter what form he's in now..." Ivan repeated Hermione's words.

In his mind was a scene of Voldemort clinging to a snake and hiding in the shadow of the Albanian forest. He was a monster now.

That's what he was. What about Herpo the Mad?!

The temptation of immortality is too great. As the inventor of the Horcrux, Herpo had no reason not to do it.

Or worse, he could have had other evil methods to help him achieve immortality.

Perhaps, like transforming his body into a monster that could devour souls...

Ivan's mood sank sharply as the terrible thought suddenly crossed his mind.

The monster he met in the subway ruins could be Herpo the Foul himself!

To gain powerful strength, Voldemort had transformed his body. Herpo doing the same was not out of the question.

After seeing the creation of the monster in the rock walls, Ivan had a familiar feeling.

There were several key magical steps that were so similar to the steps of making a Horcrux. Even the magic used was very similar. The Horcrux was like a simplified version of it.

The dark magic involved in that monster was obviously much higher than the Horcrux, and it was also more evil. As I was saying, it was a God of Death.

It controlled life and depended on the power of the Horcrux to help Aragog delay death. If those human souls and magical creatures were the source and essence of that monster's power, then where would his own thoughts and soul come from?

Recent studies of the Horcrux taught Ivan that the soul could not be produced from nothing, and its sources were fixed.

One could give a part of one's own thought to an object, like the Four Founders, or split a fragment of one's own soul, like Voldemort.

In short, the birth of a new consciousness must come from an existing soul.

It was now almost certain that the monster had been created by Herpo the Mad.

Surely his Horcrux must also come from Herpo and continue to execute his will.

Or worse, it could be Herpo the Foul himself!