Dudley looked at the notebook on the desk but didn't rush to pick it up. Instead, he examined it carefully with spirit vision.
Not an ordinary notebook. It has very powerful magic, Dudley muttered to himself.
In his spirit vision, he could vaguely see many strange, complex magical patterns flowing through the diary.
However, these magical patterns weren't hidden, and from Dudley's judgment, he didn't feel any threat.
It should be a specially made magical item.
As the words left his lips, he reached out to pick up the diary and opened its yellowed surface.
"When you obtain this notebook, I am probably already dead."
At the top of the title page was a handwritten sentence.
Dudley continued reading.
"To be able to enter here, you are perhaps my heir, or perhaps possess superb magical abilities. This notebook will lead you to higher magical achievements. Please make good use of it."
The cursive letters ended there. Dudley flipped through the notebook's interior but didn't see any other text.
Didn't say how to use it, Dudley frowned.
He could confirm this notebook possessed special magic, but he didn't know how to utilize it now.
Could it require Parseltongue?
Dudley felt somewhat helpless. This really stumped him.
Parseltongue was an innate ability. Should Dudley go learn from Harry?
But Harry's Parseltongue was also unreliable, working sometimes and not others. Not smart at all.
He certainly couldn't go ask Voldemort.
"Aparecium," Dudley recited the spell.
"Revelio."
"Finite Incantatem."
Dudley cast several spells in succession, but the notebook showed no change.
Doesn't even come with an instruction manual, Dudley complained helplessly, preparing to put away the notebook to examine it slowly later.
"Hmm..." However, when Dudley's hand touched the notebook again, he immediately noticed something wrong.
He quickly flipped the notebook to the first page and clearly saw that a line of text had appeared on it.
"Finite Incantatem!"
This was the spell Dudley had just cast. What appeared in the notebook now was the Latin text of this spell.
What does this mean?
Dudley was extremely surprised.
He hurriedly flipped through the notebook but didn't see the two spells he'd cast earlier.
After a moment's thought, Dudley cast a spell again.
"Alohomora."
After Dudley's words fell, the Finite Incantatem in the notebook disappeared, replaced by the Alohomora spell.
Is this recording the spells I cast?
Dudley's expression shifted as he guessed something.
Then he channeled spiritual power into the notebook. Under his guidance, light flashed, and the Alohomora inscribed on it was released and dissipated in the air.
It really can record the spells I cast! Dudley was extremely shocked.
This notebook's ability was very similar to the Door pathway's recording ability.
Slytherin's notebook recorded magic, while a Recorder recorded extraordinary abilities. The two had similar effects through different means.
Dudley tried several more times and confirmed that this notebook could record only the last spell cast.
If it only records magic, how can it lead me to higher magical achievements? Dudley flipped through the notebook.
He always felt this notebook shouldn't be so simple.
Being able to record magic was naturally good, but magic was different from extraordinary abilities. It lacked clear level divisions. For example, the recording ability could record extraordinary abilities stronger than oneself, even demigod-level abilities, thereby enhancing one's combat power.
But with magic, there were no such obvious level divisions.
Even if powerful wizards' magic were more powerful, it wouldn't be much stronger than ordinary people, unless reaching Dumbledore's level.
So this notebook's use for most people might just be recording one spell for emergencies, without much other effect.
"Apparition is prohibited here," Dudley whispered in Hermes.
As his words fell, the notebook showed no change.
As expected, can't record extraordinary abilities. Dudley knew it probably wouldn't work, but he still wanted to try.
Just as Dudley was about to give up, he suddenly noticed text seemed to appear on the next page.
He quickly opened the notebook and saw text had indeed appeared on the second page.
"This doesn't seem to be a spell. If you want to counter Apparition, you need to understand the basis of Apparition and constrain space. The magical principle is..."
Looking at the text appearing in the notebook, Dudley's eyes gradually showed a delighted expression.
This is Slytherin's notebook's true purpose! Analyzing magic and creating your own spells! Dudley couldn't help saying as he looked at the magical principle analysis appearing in the notebook.
Slytherin's notebook wasn't just for recording magic. It could also be used to test various spells, to see if these spells were feasible, and whether their magical principles had anything worth learning.
Good stuff. After confirming the purpose of Slytherin's notebook, Dudley put it into the Mirror of Erised.
Then Dudley looked at the surrounding books. They were basically all Slytherin's personal collection, including some of Slytherin's own notes.
Most of these books were already out of print, not even available in the Hogwarts library.
Dudley moved all these books into the Mirror of Erised. In just a few breaths, he'd completely emptied the place.
After confirming there was nothing else, Dudley left the room and returned to the corridor.
Perhaps hearing Dudley's footsteps, Harry's voice came from the passage entrance.
"Dudley, how are you?"
"I'm fine. There are some things Slytherin left behind here. I'm checking them. Don't worry."
After Dudley finished speaking, he continued toward the next room.
Like the previous room, Dudley opened the door with a spell and walked in.
This room had no books, but many animal bones and furs.
Could this be some ancient magical creatures Slytherin collected?
Dudley looked around. Most had only bones left, many piled together, making it almost impossible to tell which animals they were.
Dudley searched around without any useful discoveries. After gathering some potentially useful animal remains and putting them in the Mirror of Erised, he turned and left.
There were still three rooms in the corridor. Dudley walked toward the third room.
But before reaching that room's door, Dudley's expression changed slightly.
He felt a cold force hitting him, seemingly different from the previous curse.
He stood at the doorway, looking inside through the crack, only seeing a dark thing standing in the middle of the room.
That seemed to be a coffin.