The memory wasn't long. Soon, the three of them lifted their heads from the Pensieve.
Hermione's first reaction was immediate: "Ancient magic… terrifying beyond belief!"
She had already heard about its power from Lewis, but witnessing it firsthand left both her and Ciri completely shaken.
In truth, even Lewis himself was slightly stunned.
This memory was different from the one in the game.
In Hogwarts Legacy, the memories came from earlier Keepers—the original wielders of ancient magic—guiding the transfer student.
But this one—
Was left behind by the previous Keeper.
The transfer student himself.
It recorded how he had mastered ancient magic step by step, how he fought against the corrupted goblin, and how he ultimately defeated him—preventing that toxic power from spreading throughout the wizarding world.
Through this memory, Lewis not only witnessed the terrifying might of negative emotional energy, but also saw ancient magic in action.
Turning enemies into explosive barrels—and detonating them.
Grabbing enemies from afar and smashing them into the ground repeatedly.
Shrinking foes, pulling them in, and crushing them underfoot.
Calling down lightning to obliterate targets.
And the most outrageous of all—
The "Avada Lightning Chain."
Mark every enemy on the battlefield, then cast a single Killing Curse to wipe them all out.
Even Voldemort would call that excessive.
The memory also confirmed the ending of that battle.
As Lewis had predicted, the transfer student did not absorb the power.
Instead—
He sealed it deep underground.
Hermione frowned slightly. "That's it? The memory ends here. There aren't any further clues."
Lewis shook his head. "Not exactly. The clues exist—but only those with ancient magic talent can see them."
"Even you can't?" Ciri asked.
"I can see them," Lewis replied calmly. "But seeing and triggering are two different things."
He could sense the traces of ancient magic.
After all, its essence was pure emotional energy—and his psionic abilities could easily detect it.
But he wasn't native to this world.
There was no way he could inherit that power.
"So… we're stuck?" Ciri frowned.
Lewis smiled.
"No. I have another method."
"As a wizard, what do you do when you can't find the way?"
"Use divination."
Unlike the vague, unreliable prophecy magic of this world—
Arcane divination was precise.
Structured.
Reliable.
And Lewis had just the spell for this situation.
"Though… it'll take a while," he added. "You two can relax, eat something."
As he spoke, he pulled a table, chairs, snacks, and tea out of his enchanted wallet, casually setting up a midnight tea party in the chamber.
Hermione even noticed a few books placed neatly on the table.
"…You carry all this with you?" Ciri couldn't help but comment. "That's… quite the lifestyle."
"If you're a mage, why not live comfortably?" Lewis said matter-of-factly.
Hermione, however, was staring at the wallet.
How much space had been expanded inside that thing?
Lewis noticed her gaze. "If you want one, I can give it to you for Christmas."
Then he waved them off.
"Go on, enjoy yourselves."
Meanwhile, he stepped aside and began casting.
Hermione and Ciri nibbled on cakes while watching curiously.
"I hope tonight involves some action," Ciri said, popping a matcha cake into her mouth. "So I can eat all this guilt-free."
Hermione froze mid-bite, a strawberry macaron hovering near her lips.
Ciri smirked. "Relax, Granger. You're not at the stage where you need to worry about that yet."
She gave Hermione a deliberate once-over.
Hermione stiffened.
"…You—"
But after comparing herself, she had no comeback.
"…Why is the difference so big…"
Defeated, she turned to the desserts for comfort.
Meanwhile—
Lewis completed his spell.
Locate Object.
A sixth-circle divination spell.
Without the Pensieve memory, his chances would have been slim.
But now—
It was as if he had personally visited the Map Chamber.
The success rate skyrocketed.
As the ritual reached its peak, Lewis stared into the magical mirror before him.
The mist parted.
And suddenly—
He saw it.
The Map Chamber.
Beneath the Clock Tower.
He ended the spell immediately.
An hour had passed.
"Alright, girls," he said. "I've found it."
"Finally," Ciri stretched. "I was starting to wilt."
"Let's make this quick," Hermione added. "Staying up late causes breakouts."
They packed everything up, grabbed the memory book from the Pensieve, and used the teleportation rune to return outside the library.
Curfew had begun.
Under Disillusionment spells, they hurried toward the Clock Tower—and into the sewers below.
"You said it's here, right?" Hermione scanned the surroundings. "Where's the entrance?"
"Reveal!"
"Show yourself!"
"Detect hidden doors!"
She cast spell after spell.
Nothing.
"No hidden entrances," Ciri confirmed after checking. "No vents either. What now?"
Lewis smiled.
"You're thinking too rigidly."
"Remember how I handled the stone gate?"
"Why follow the rules set by the creator?"
"This isn't a N.E.W.T. exam."
"If their path doesn't work…"
"Flip the table."
The two girls' eyes lit up.
Lewis waved his wand.
The ground split open, revealing rock and soil beneath.
He stepped forward, grabbed them both, and cast:
"Earth Glide."
A strange force enveloped them.
Then—
They sank into the ground.
Like fish diving into water.
They swam through stone and earth effortlessly, leaving no tunnel behind.
After some time—
They hit something.
Brick.
Lewis raised his wand again, parting the wall to reveal a narrow passage.
He pulled them through.
Inside—
Hermione and Ciri immediately recognized it.
They had seen this corridor in the memory.
Which meant—
They had bypassed everything.
No keys.
No inheritance.
No permission.
They had simply—
Dug their way in.
Other than using magic—
Wasn't this basically grave robbing?
If you want to read 60 chapters ahead of the public release, head over to: Patreon.com/RedString