Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

“Look at this map, Hermione!” said Evan, pointing at a section.

Following Evan’s finger, Hermione froze for a moment.

Then, she snapped back to reality, her eyes wide open as she examined the map on the title deed. She immediately looked up at Evan.

“Oh my god, this map is exactly the same as the one on the slate you brought back from the Acromantula’s lair.”

“To be precise, aside from the monster’s eye, the rest of the pattern is identical. It’s the exact same place,” Evan took out the slate he’d retrieved from the Acromantula’s lair and compared it to the pattern on the title deed. The two maps matched perfectly.

Even Harry and Elaine, who had been perplexed, were amazed.

“What’s this place?” Elaine asked. “What’s that eye on this slate you just took out?”

“That eye represents the evil god, the one Herpo the Foul transformed into. It was the most evil attempt made by wizards in the history of magic to gain eternal life. Fortunately, this evil god was defeated by Salazar Slytherin. It was decomposed into four parts, sealed separately. The body of the evil god is the nightmare that has haunted your family for a thousand years, and I got this slate where the evil god’s eye was sealed,” Evan explained, helping Harry and Elaine, who didn’t understand the whole story, to sort out their thoughts. “As for the place shown on this map, it’s Herpo’s lair, where his soul was sealed away. It exists now as a pocket dimension, separate from the real world. That’s where Salazar Slytherin left his final test. If we can pass it, we’ll gain the key to his secret treasure.”

“The place Dumbledore went to?” Harry asked.

“Yes, this is crucial information. Following the description on the deed, we can pinpoint its exact location in the real world.”

“So once we find that place, we can figure out how to enter that other dimension?” Harry pressed.

“There’s a good chance of that,” Evan nodded. “A very good one. Slytherin wouldn’t have left such information by accident.”

In fact, Evan suspected Dumbledore had already been there; that was how he’d learned to wield the Twin Serpent Staff and how to enter the world where the evil god was imprisoned.

The night he left, he’d said that entering that dimension required experiencing death.

But he had never told Evan or Harry exactly how.

Without sufficient information, even with the Twin Serpent Staff, they couldn’t reach that world. And that, Evan thought, had been Dumbledore’s plan all along: to face the danger alone, to keep both Evan and Harry out of it.

In his plan, Dumbledore would confront the problem himself. He would destroy Herpo’s soul and bring back the key to Slytherin’s secret treasure.

Or, if he failed — in other words, if he truly died — only then would the clues reveal themselves.

But by then, it would be far too late. Evan didn’t want Dumbledore to die.

Dumbledore’s thoughts were understandable. He had long been accustomed to planning everything.

Whether facing Voldemort or the evil god, he’d always had his own plans, often reserving the most difficult tasks for himself, even at the cost of his own life. All Evan and Harry needed to do was to follow his plan step by step; everything was meant to work out in the end.

But this time, Evan had to admit that Dumbledore had underestimated his and Harry’s strength.

In the fight against the evil god, Evan could be of great help. Dumbledore didn’t need to sacrifice himself.

Now, they needed to locate Herpo the Foul’s lair in the real world, and find a way to enter the other dimension. Evan intended to go there, not just to defeat Herpo once and for all and complete Salazar Slytherin’s test, but also to save Dumbledore.

“Let me see,” he said, looking at the description of the area on the deed. “It seems to be at the northern end of ancient Greece. Hmm, I haven’t seen that place before.”

“Wait a minute, Evan, I remember I brought some materials on ancient Greece. I copied them from the school library last term. We just need to compare them with the descriptions,” said Hermione excitedly, quickly producing a large pile of books and materials, leaving Harry and Elaine stunned.

Speaking of which, wasn’t it a bit inappropriate to be researching this in this place at this time?

“I know you’re excited, and this is indeed a very important clue, but shouldn’t we get out of here first?” Harry reminded her.

“You’re right, Harry, I just got carried away!” said Hermione, as if she had just realized what was happening. “Now really isn’t the time. We should get moving. Once we find somewhere quiet, we can decipher the map properly and determine where Herpo’s lair is. The deed’s description contains a lot of crucial hints — most of them ancient place names from a thousand years ago. They’ve changed over time, of course, but if you give me enough time, I’ll find it.”

“Not just Herpo’s lair,” Evan added. “We also have to locate the home of the house-elves.”

This trip into Slytherin’s vault had been very rewarding. Even though Evan, Harry, and Hermione hadn’t gained any tangible treasures, the deed Elaine had obtained alone was very valuable.

Elaine had now inherited, in name, the Slytherin family’s lands, making her a wealthy vampire no longer dependent on Evan’s support. And beyond that, the deed contained information about where Herpo’s lair had once existed in the real world — a place that might hold the key to entering the dimension where the evil god’s soul was sealed.

Evan wasn’t sure whether this was part of Slytherin’s design, but staying here any longer would gain them nothing.

It was time to leave Gringotts. The four of them made their way back down the path and remounted the dragon.

With a thunderous roar, the dragon spread its wings and soared upward again.

They rose rapidly, and within seconds could see a horde of terrified goblins and wizard guards gathered at the entrance to the central vault area below.

Seeing the dragon rise into the air, dozens of red flashes shot toward them.

Magic flared violently — amid screams and roars, Evan swung his wand in a wide arc, conjuring a powerful shield that blocked the incoming spells.

The dragon spewed a torrent of fire, scattering the encircling attackers.

It swooped down at breakneck speed, knocking the shrieking goblins aside like skittles.

Under Evan’s control, the dragon surged toward the tunnel’s exit. Evan, Harry, Hermione, and Elaine, flat on its back, scraped against the ceiling. When the goblins realized that spells had no effect on the dragon, they began hurling daggers instead that glanced off its flanks.