Chapter 81: Emergency Meeting

“And after the audience is over?” Neville said. “By the way, who are you? And why are there two Harrys here?”

“I am Morgan, goddess of Avalon,” the woman said. “Please do not rush—each trial must be settled one by one. This wizard has passed Merlin’s trial, and I shall honor Merlin’s will by granting him a powerful spell as a reward.”

Harry thought for a moment. What could he possibly ask for in Avalon? There were no wizards here, only knights who treated their wands as secondary weapons. Perhaps a powerful spell was the most suitable gift these people could offer him.

“Fine, I agree,” Harry said.

“Remember this spell: ‘Oath of the Victorious Sword,’” the mysterious voice whispered in Harry’s ear. “The casting gesture is to grip your wand like a sword with both hands, then swing the conjured light-blade downward from above—the tip of the blade will unleash a powerful beam of light.”

“Note: this spell can only be cast by one who holds an unshakable resolve to win, and it consumes all of the caster’s magical energy.”

It was clearly a decisive spell. Harry silently memorized it.

“Next, let this knight undergo Percival’s trial,” Morgan said. “Tell everyone—who is the true Merlin?”

Ron hesitated for a long moment, then finally trembled and pointed at the fake Harry.

“I declare,” he said loudly, “I believe the one wearing the hat is the true Merlin.”

In an instant, Harry felt profound shock and disappointment—he never expected Ron to fail such a simple thing.

Just as he widened his eyes, ready to confront Ron, a hidden assassin suddenly appeared in the palace and drove a dagger through the fake Harry’s chest.

Then the assassin was struck across the shoulder by Ron’s reverse slash, and both he and the fake Harry dissolved into wisps of smoke.

“Sorry, Harry,” Ron said apologetically, “I couldn’t tell the truth. The presence of assassins in the forest felt wrong. Among the Knights of the Round Table, there was an assassin named Aggravain—and in some legends, he was the one who killed Merlin.”

“Perhaps this was Percival’s regret,” Ron said. “In legend, it was he who revealed Merlin’s whereabouts to Aggravain.”

Harry finally understood why Ron had been so troubled throughout their journey—he must have feared choosing the wrong Merlin, which would have led to the real Harry being assassinated.

“It’s fine,” Harry smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. “You’re smarter than I thought.”

“Then, in accordance with Percival’s will, you may keep this armor and sword as your reward,” Morgan said.

“Not bad—but could I get a shield too?” Ron had already noticed the sword was extremely sharp, but its design was clearly for a one-handed weapon; a shield would make it better.

“I suggest you skip the shield,” Harry said. “You can hold your wand in your left hand from now on.”

“Good idea. Then it’s settled,” Ron studied the sword in his hand—he was already very satisfied.

“Hey, what about me?” Neville asked anxiously. “I defeated so many enemies along the way, even fought the spirit of the former king—yet you won’t let me use any other magic? If I hadn’t known the Time-Shift spell, I’d have died dozens of times already—”

“You are correct,” Morgan said. “One capable of becoming King of Avalon is capable of obtaining all he desires on his own. Arthur left you nothing.”

“Wait, that red-haired wizard—he wasn’t Arthur, was he?” Ron asked.

“Correct,” Morgan whispered a name familiar to all. “Godric Gryffindor.”

Neville’s breath quickened. He had defeated Gryffindor’s projection using a surprise Time-Shift spell? In normal circumstances, that was unthinkable.

“Gryffindor left his sword for those who came after,” Morgan said. “If you defeat his projection, the sword will truly recognize you.”

Neville realized his once-dull ordinary longsword had transformed into a fine elven silver blade with a ruby-encrusted hilt, engraved with the name Godric Gryffindor.

“Now, depart,” Morgan waved her hand, summoning a glowing portal. “Avalon is no place for the living to dwell.”

After Harry and Ron helped Neville leave Avalon, the three stood again by the edge of the Black Lake, gazing at its shimmering golden surface. Harry wondered—if Ron hadn’t thought of Aggravain and had chosen the true Merlin directly, would the assassin have appeared at all?

Neville, alone with a single sword and no magic, had defeated countless enemies—and still had enough strength left to use his final Time-Shift spell to ambush and kill Gryffindor’s projection.

No wonder Avalon lay beneath the lake—it was the water Dumbledore had placed there.

Harry and Neville exchanged silent understanding; their rewards were barely worth mentioning. But Ron had discovered his armor carried magical effects, greatly enhancing his strength—he was thrilled.

For Harry, the spell felt useless. But Ron had correctly identified him, and their friendship had grown stronger than ever—this, Harry believed, was his greatest gain in the trial.

For Neville, he had once again proven his worth—so much so that Dumbledore had rewarded him with Gryffindor’s sword. He didn’t truly need such a melee weapon; what delighted him more was Dumbledore’s recognition and trust.

Back in the dormitory, Neville fell into a deep sleep at once. Ron decided to take his armor to see Donald Fontroy. Harry knew he had no reason to follow—he packed his books, rested briefly, then planned to head to the library to do his homework.

In the library, he found Zhang Qiu sitting as always in her usual spot, flipping through a book, writing and sketching.

“Just woke up?” Zhang Qiu greeted casually.

“No, we explored Avalon,” Harry said.

“Oh? What did you gain?” Her tone sounded dismissive.

“More like a lesson,” Harry didn’t mention the spell reward. “Love and courage, trust and growth—still the same old things. A bit cliché, but I like them.”

“Good. Now can we focus on the Chamber of Secrets?” Zhang Qiu remained as indifferent to Avalon as ever.

“Yes, things have been piling up—third attack before Christmas, then rushing to Avalon after. Not to mention other unresolved issues… Who stole the ingredients for Polyjuice Potion from Snape’s cabinet? Who disguised themselves as Neville to secretly investigate the Chamber? These questions trouble me.”

Zhang Qiu looked puzzled, opened her mouth to speak, then stopped, instead pointing at Harry’s side.

“Phew, found you at last,” Ginny and Ivy panted as they ran up. “Harry, Malfoy sent us to tell you—we’re holding an emergency meeting. Come with us.”

“What?” Harry frowned.

“It’s a meeting among diary users,” Ivy explained. “You weren’t invited before, but Malfoy insisted we bring you this time.”

“He also said we shouldn’t start the meeting until we find you,” Ginny added.

“Alright, I’ll get ready,” Harry didn’t mention he’d attended the previous meetings—perhaps Malfoy wanted him to appear openly now.

“Zhang Qiu, want to come?” Ginny asked challengingly.

“Children’s pretend play,” Zhang Qiu replied without looking up.

Harry felt slightly embarrassed, forced a smile at Zhang Qiu, then followed the two younger students along the familiar path toward Malfoy’s meeting room.

When Harry entered the classroom, he found Cui Ge ranting hysterically.

“...We should deal with the monster in the Chamber right now—I don’t want to see it wreak havoc again!”

“But the monster in the Chamber is Slytherin’s legacy—do you really want to destroy the founder’s heritage?” Crabbe shouted.

“I say there must be a compromise—” Malfoy tried to mediate. “Look, the Savior Harry has arrived. Let’s think together.”

Harry awkwardly greeted everyone, then feigned ignorance, asking innocently: “What’s going on? Need our help?”

“Take us to the Chamber right now,” Cui Ge had drawn a gun and calmly chambered a round. “I’m killing that monster.”

Amid the wizards’ confused stares, Ivy—who alone understood the gravity—rushed forward and pressed down his hand. “Calm down, Cui Ge. We haven’t even confirmed who opened the Chamber.”

“To me, Cui Ge’s haste is suspicious,” Pan Xi lazily blew on her fingernails. “Are you afraid you’ll be found out? Trying to destroy evidence before it’s too late?”

“I must make it clear—I did not open the Chamber,” Harry broke into a cold sweat. “If you intend to resolve this, I’ll do everything I can to help.”

“Even if you didn’t plan the attacks, you must know how to open the Chamber,” Cui Ge said coldly. “I don’t care who opened it—I only want the monster dead.”

“Which monster do you mean?” Harry gave a self-deprecating smile. “The real monster in the Chamber—or Dumbledore’s designated ‘monster in the Chamber’?”