Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

The faint chill from the Diadem in Evan's hand brought him abruptly back to his senses.

At this moment, the previously noisy and chaotic Great Hall was utterly silent. The soft white light and the hymns of praise reverberating through the space created an atmosphere of sacredness, a serene and enlightening feeling. Yet, perhaps due to the magical effects, there was also an inexplicable strangeness lingering in the air.

In the midst of peace and tranquility, the heartbeat became noticeably faster and faster with the singing of the hymns.

Perhaps it was the excitement brought on by this seemingly miraculous magic, or perhaps it was the murmuring voice in his head. The deep voice was indistinct, its words unclear, yet it evoked an inexplicable sense of holiness. This was the voice of a deity. …

Yes, this was the voice of a divine being.

Evan felt his vision blurring again, and the scene in front of him drifted away along with his thoughts.

He found himself wanting to bow before the Cardinal on the stage, to worship him as the messenger of the divine.

This Cardinal was wielding divine power, fulfilling divine duties with a mortal body, representing an omnipotent deity. If such a powerful god truly existed, then only through faith in him could one avoid hardship and achieve eternal life.

This strange thought suddenly surfaced in Evan's mind, yet it didn't feel out of place at all.

It was not until the coolness from the Diadem intensified that he recovered, his breathing disordered.

Upon reflection, he felt that his previous thoughts were terrible. He was not a believer, nor did he want to believe in the Church.

Gripping the Diadem tightly, he looked at the old man on stage with lingering fear. 'So this is the power of the Holy See's magic?'

If this magic could really bewitch people's hearts and even wizards, then it was not surprising that they had so many believers?

Looking around at the wizards and students, at their expressions and the gleam in their eyes…

It was clear just how terrifying this scene was!

Something was off about this Cardinal. Something was wrong with this magic. The thought suddenly struck Evan: 'Could this Cardinal be insane? Is he trying to use this moment to control all the wizards present — practically half of the Wizarding World's power?'

Alarmed by the dreadful possibility, Evan quickly turned his gaze to the three Founders.

The Cardinal's staff tilted slightly forward, and three of the brightest light pillars illuminated them.

The white light from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw was no longer soft, but rather a little dazzling.

These pillars of light that enveloped the three Founders were like platforms, displaying the bizarre scenes within.

In Gryffindor's pillar of light, Evan saw countless stars appearing, more and more of them.

Among these stars, a shooting star kept streaking across continuously. …

If the light column of Gryffindor was filled with stars, then the white light column of Ravenclaw contained the dazzling Milky Way.

The colorful Milky Way was slowly flowing forward, with no end and no limit.

Beyond that, there were blue ripples that fluctuated like ocean waves beneath the Milky Way.

The scene was breathtakingly beautiful so that after just staring at it for a while, Evan felt himself immersed in it.

Finally, there was Hufflepuff, standing furthest back on the platform. Her pillar of light contained the most peculiar imagery.

Within it, Evan saw many intricate runes, mainly in green, red, and brown. These runes wove together into chains, intertwining and seemingly binding something that was hard to discern. Only when the white light intensified did Evan finally make out what appeared to be… an eye…

"What's this?"

Before Evan could unravel the mystery, all the wizards on the platform were covered by beams of light.

Inside Armand Malfoy's beam of light was the image of a peacock, which was not as clear as those of the three Founders and seemed to be vague and indistinct.

Another elderly wizard's pillar displayed a flower-shaped magical phenomenon. The two wizards standing near Hufflepuff, said to be members of the Wizards' Council, had light beams showing indistinct creatures, their forms too unclear to recognize.

The magical visions in their four beams were so vague that they seemed likely to dissipate at any moment.

Apart from these few people, there was nothing in the light beams of the remaining wizards.

Evan couldn't determine the meaning behind these visions. Was this proof of the Cardinal's magic? Or was it tied to the dreadful thought that had crossed his mind earlier?

Truthfully, the atmosphere in the Hall was deeply unsettling. Everyone seemed utterly consumed by the power of magic.

White beams of light descended one after another, with hymns of praise resonating through the Hall. Meanwhile, Evan's mind brimmed with whispers from the so-called divine being.

No one spoke. The Great Hall was extremely quiet, so quiet that it was oppressive. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard. The only sound was the chanting of hymns.

Only Evan was not affected because of the Diadem. Yet this clarity felt like a torment in such a moment. …

As he stared blankly at the beams of light on the platform, he became acutely aware that the Cardinal's magic was growing ever stronger. When his own heartbeat, once again, began to race uncontrollably, Evan decided to take action.

While others might not, Evan was certain that Godric Gryffindor would loathe this sense of losing control.

Even if the Cardinal was genuinely attempting to verify the authenticity of Ravenclaw's Diadem, this had gone far enough — it needed to stop!

A growing sense of foreboding gripped Evan. Raising his wand, he aimed to cast a spell to attack the Cardinal or disrupt the magic. Yet, to his shock, he found himself unable to channel his magic. Under the influence of the Cardinal's overpowering spell, he couldn't release any magic at all.

It was the same helpless feeling he had experienced when Slytherin's influence overwhelmed him earlier. He had lost control of his magical power.

Evan took two steps forward and tried to shout Gryffindor's name loudly.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, a beam of white light descended, enveloping him.

Caught in the radiance, Evan felt as though something was scrutinizing him, stripping away any secrets and leaving him utterly exposed.

Almost at the same time as he was shrouded in light, a blue turntable shaped illusion appeared above his head.

Tick-tick, tick-tick. Evan could hear the faint sound of a second hand ticking.

The spinning disk-shaped projection was unmistakable — it was the Time-Turner that had brought him back to this moment, powered by the remnants of the power of the fallen Time Titan.

Strange, why did it come out?

"Eh!" Cardinal Braxius, who was conducting magic, seemed surprised as well and turned his head to look at Evan.

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