The two passed through the light screen and entered the circular hall beyond.
The circular hall was enclosed by metal walls carved with intricate patterns, all converging into a single point at the dome above.
Several pillars, half-embedded in the walls, divided the hall evenly into sixteen sections.
Between every two pillars was an ornamental design shaped like the doorframe they had just passed through.
Light from some unknown source illuminated the entire hall.
At the center, a strange silver glow flickered from a stone platform, and an object trembled as it hovered above it.
The two approached the stone platform and saw a shallow stone basin resting on it.
The rim of the basin was decorated with bizarre carvings, all unfamiliar letters and symbols.
The silver light came from whatever was inside the basin.
Neither of them had ever seen anything like it.
It seemed both liquid and gas, flowing without pause.
It reflected a metallic sheen like mercury, rippled like water stirred by a breeze, and drifted and rotated softly like clouds.
It was like light turned liquid, or wind condensed into solid form.
Floating above the stone platform was a narrow-necked bottle.
Its body was decorated with the same strange metal engravings, and the parts not covered by metal gave off a blue glow.
“Is this some kind of basin?”
“This is no ordinary basin.
It’s a Pensieve.
We can use it to view other people’s memories.
Perhaps…”
Professor Fig reached out lightly, and the bottle flew into his hand from the air.
He opened the cap and tilted the bottle slightly.
A strand of glowing liquid flowed from the mouth of the bottle and dripped into the Pensieve.
“Do as I do,” Professor Fig said to Ethan.
Then he bent down and lowered his head into the Pensieve.
Ethan followed Professor Fig and bent down, lowering his head into the basin.
The moment he touched the surface of that strange substance, he felt his body lurch forward, and he plunged headfirst into the basin.
But his hair did not hit the bottom.
He fell through a cold substance, as if he had been pulled into a bottomless vortex.
Suddenly, Ethan found himself standing in the center of the circular hall again, with Professor Fig beside him.
“Professor, where is this?”
“Shh.
Watch.” Professor Fig pointed in a certain direction.
Ethan looked where Professor Fig was pointing and saw two people, one tall and one short, standing with their backs to them as they lightly waved their wands.
As their wands moved, silver-white light flashed from the tips.
Metal carvings surfaced on the surrounding walls like flowing water, and several pillars rose from the floor, reaching all the way to the dome.
The shorter man put away his wand and said to the taller one, “Now nothing can go wrong, Percival.”
The man called Percival turned around.
He had a long, graying beard and looked like a kindly old man.
“Have you hidden the Portkey, Charles?” Percival asked.
“To be honest, I think I may have hidden it too well.
I’m worried that with arrangements like this…” Charles looked troubled.
“No one will be able to get through?
Don’t worry.
It was originally prepared for someone who, like me, can see traces of ancient magic.”
“Percival, simply having the ability to ‘see’ as you do is nowhere near enough.
You must understand, we are about to entrust unprecedented secrets to the one who will walk this path in the future…
Knowledge countless people would do anything to obtain.”
“That’s right, Charles.
I believe that if someone can complete these trials, then that witch or wizard has proven themselves capable of bearing this knowledge and the responsibility that comes with it.”
“We’ve done all we can.” Charles sighed and traced a cross in the air with his wand.
The space before him tore outward in all directions, forming a silver-white light screen.
“Let’s go.”
Percival pressed the tip of his wand into his silver hair near his temple.
When he drew the wand back out, there seemed to be a few strands clinging to its tip, a small thread of luminous substance identical to what had been poured from the bottle.
In the next instant, the two figures in the room twisted and vanished.
Ethan felt himself slowly rise into the air, with nothing around him but a cold, dazzling radiance.
Then he felt as if he had turned a slow somersault.
His feet suddenly touched the ground, the surrounding light dazzling his eyes, and he was back in the circular hall with only Professor Fig beside him.
“So you saw those things?
Those silver-white lights?” Professor Fig asked Ethan.
“Yes, Professor.
Those lights.” Ethan rubbed his head.
Coming out of the Pensieve left him feeling nauseous, like he was carsick.
“Truly incredible…” Professor Fig murmured.
“What I saw, was that Magic?” Ethan asked after recovering a little, shaking his head.
“To be precise, it was ancient magic.
You can see traces of ancient magic.
Miriam always believed such magic truly existed, but she was never able to prove it.” Professor Fig sighed.
“But you, Ethan.
You may be the key to helping us understand everything behind this.”
“Me?
But I’ve only known about Magic for less than a week.” Ethan felt rather overwhelmed.
“There will be time.
And as I said, you’re very talented.
Believe in yourself.” Professor Fig patted Ethan on the shoulder encouragingly.
“So, how do we get out of here next?”
“Professor, look over there!” Ethan pointed at a section of patterned wall.
The wall in the middle of the design gradually warped and turned into the same blue light screen as before.
“Aha, looks like the exit.
Let’s go.” The two hurried forward, passed through the light screen, and arrived in an open-air ruin overgrown with weeds.
“Wow, where have we ended up this time?” Ethan turned to look at the light screen behind them as it gradually vanished.
“Judging by the look of it, we should still be somewhere in Britain, though I’m not sure of the exact location.” Professor Fig looked over the sky, already tinged with orange.
“If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss the Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony.”
“Wait, Professor.
I want to try something.”
Ethan calmed himself and recalled the feeling of Charles’s final spell, then traced a cross in the air with his wand.
A cross-shaped crack appeared in the space before them.
The crack widened and unfolded, forming a silver-white light screen.
“Incredible…” Professor Fig gazed at the light screen in wonder.
“The people who placed the Pensieve, the box, and the path leading to both were waiting for someone with abilities like yours to arrive.”
“It should lead to Diagon Alley, or at least somewhere not too far from it.” Ethan scratched his head and stepped into the light screen.
“I’ll go in first.
Follow me, Professor.”
“That boy.” Professor Fig chuckled and followed Ethan into the light screen.