Chapter 21: Put Down Your Axe First, Let’s Talk

Among the many recorded names of successful individuals, Ivan was surprised to see the Dumbledore family listed. It made him pause for a moment. Soon, he remembered the phoenix Fawkes of Dumbledore and the rumor mentioned in The Crimes of Grindelwald regarding the Dumbledore family: 

"Whenever a member of the Dumbledore family is in urgent need of help, the phoenix will appear." 

Ivan wondered if this was connected to their ancestral bond with the phoenix's bloodline. Of course, according to the records, the Dumbledore family was known to be the more moderate faction. They had even obtained consent before undergoing the bloodline fusion experiments, which might explain the close relationship between the phoenix and the Dumbledore family. 

"Huh? Why does it stop here?" Ivan thought to himself, engrossed in the book, but as he reached the section about the fusion method, it suddenly cut off, as though several pages had been torn out. The remaining content was mostly useless. 

As Ivan pondered if the so-called reward was merely information, the system's prompt chimed again: 

"Bloodline Origins has been completed. Challenge task activated. 

Challenge: Defeat (or kill) the Troll. 

Reward: Bloodline Fusion Potion Formula." 

"Challenge?" Ivan's heart skipped a beat. He had always thought this was just a learning system, but now there was an element involving defeating monsters to earn rewards. 

What intrigued Ivan even more was who had hidden this book here. It seemed someone had placed confusion charms and special concealment spells within the Restricted Section. The first person who came to mind was Dumbledore—this century's greatest white wizard. He had both the authority and the motive to hide Bloodline Origins. After all, bloodline fusion was incredibly dangerous, and the number of wizards who died from it was far greater than those who survived. The terrifying mortality rate was likely the reason why such wizards, with special bloodlines, hadn't become mainstream in the wizarding world. 

Other potential suspects crossed Ivan's mind, including James Potter, Sirius Black, and others. Hiding important items was certainly in line with their style. And, of course, there was Tom Riddle, or as he was known later, Lord Voldemort, who had once been at Hogwarts. 

After briefly considering these possibilities, Ivan didn't dwell on them. There was too much to digest tonight, and even surrounded by forbidden books, his interest in reading faded. 

On the way back, Ivan's attention shifted to the newly activated challenge task. Upon seeing the target was a troll, he couldn't help but groan. He wouldn't underestimate the troll just because Harry and Ron defeated one in the original story. Their success had been largely due to a series of fortunate circumstances. Had it not been for Harry's "Chosen One" status, the trio would likely have been finished by the time the professors arrived. 

Based on the information Ivan gathered from the book, trolls weren't easy opponents. They were massive, incredibly strong, and somewhat resistant to magic. Even an adult wizard would have to be cautious in a direct confrontation. 

Ivan sighed. If he hadn't learned from Bloodline Origins that fusing with magical creatures' blood could enhance one's magical talent, he certainly wouldn't want to face such a beast in his first year. 

As Ivan wandered through the silent, deserted castle, his earlier success made him drop his guard a little. But after exiting a secret passage, a streak of blue light suddenly collided with him. It felt like being submerged in icy water, and Ivan shivered. Turning around, he found himself face to face with a grotesque ghost wearing a tattered hat—Nearly Headless Nick. 

Nick, excited, clapped his hands and shouted, 

"Look what I found! Another first-year! Come on, come over here! There's another one!" 

"Petrificus Totalus!" Ivan cast the Petrification Charm without hesitation. A grayish-blue beam hit Nick's chest, but the ghost was only knocked back a little and started laughing even louder. 

"Hahaha, useless! You can't hurt me!" Nick spun around Ivan in circles, clearly trying to keep him there. 

Seeing that typical spells had no effect on Nick, Ivan didn't give up. Ghosts weren't immune to all magic, and fortunately, he had one dark magic spell that targeted the mind. 

"Fear, arise~" 

Just as Nick was grinning devilishly at Ivan, a purple light shot from Ivan's wand. Nick's expression immediately changed as he screamed and darted into a distant classroom. Ivan could still hear his sharp cries from far away. 

"No, Barrow, spare me! I swear I didn't do anything wrong! And Nick, put down your axe, we can talk!" 

Satisfied with the result, Ivan opened the magic menu on the system and noticed that the Fear Curse had unconsciously leveled up to level two. No wonder it worked so well. 

After dealing with the troublesome Nick, Ivan suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching. That's when he remembered that Nick had said something about discovering another first-year. 

Before Ivan could retreat back into the secret passage, it was too late. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville came rushing from the opposite direction. 

None of them had expected to run into Ivan here, but it was clearly not the time to talk. Harry hesitated for less than a second before grabbing Ivan's arm and pulling him to run. 

"Ivan, run! No time to explain, Filch is right behind us!" 

Before Ivan could even mention the secret passage, Harry was already dragging him down another hallway. Ivan had no choice but to follow. 

As they ran, Ivan began to feel like this scene was oddly familiar. When Harry led them down the forbidden hallway on the fourth floor, Ivan realized things were about to take a turn for the worse. 

"Hurry up, Filch is coming!" Harry and Neville pulled Ivan, who didn't want to go, into the hallway. Hermione quickly slammed the door shut, and for once, Ron wasn't slacking off. He was working hard to lock the door. 

"Now Filch can't get in, right?" Harry sighed in relief. 

"Yeah, but we won't be able to get out either." Ivan muttered as he looked at the locked door, before sighing and glancing down the hallway. 

"I'd rather face Filch than stay here." 

Harry didn't quite understand Ivan's words, but soon, he felt something sticky on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw three massive heads staring at him, their gaping mouths exhaling a foul stench, with yellowish saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths and splashing onto his clothes. 

"Ah~" The next second, Hermione and the others saw the three-headed dog and screamed, their cries shattering the night's stillness.