Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 133: Unsatisfied Hope

Hogwarts is quiet and peaceful at night.

Occasionally, the calls of one or two night owls broke the silence, either returning to their nests or delivering news from afar. The ancient trees swayed gently in the breeze and cast mottled shadows in the moonlight.

The little wizards had already fallen asleep in their respective dormitories. The moonlight was shining softly on the ancient castle, covering the magic school with a layer of silver-white veil.

Under the towering tower, Grindelwald seemed to be observing the stars in the night sky. The dim light shining through the windows of the tower illuminated the open space in front of him.

That light.

The person standing in the light seemed to be guiding Ian in the direction of "home".

"Oh, professor, I killed someone. What should I do with my soul now?" Ian didn't feel anything in his heart, but he felt that at his age he should pretend to be a little nervous.

No matter whether others believe it or not, you have to show it.

"Murder will lead to the pollution of the soul, but the understanding of the act of killing itself will also affect this rule. I think your situation is much better than anyone else's."

The person who answered Ian's question was Grindelwald. Perhaps he did have more say than Albus Dumbledore on killing and the consequences of killing.

"That's because I know that I am eradicating pests from the wizarding world. Yes, I should call this killing to protect life. But it is the Dark Lord who has brought disaster to countless families."

"My good roommate Michael will thank me. His father died in a battle with a missing nose." Ian found some excuses to defend his moral standards.

Albus Dumbledore did not respond. He looked up and observed the stars just like Grindelwald did just now. It was unknown whether it had anything to do with some knowledge of divination.

Ian has always been weak in this subject.

"You are good at finding plausible excuses for yourself. Tsk tsk, Aurora is right, you are very talented, at least when it comes to finding justifications for your actions." Grindelwald seemed to admire Ian's eloquence very much. He looked at Ian with approval, a big smile on his face.

He didn't look like someone who was destined to "disappear". Not only him, but Albus Dumbledore's behavior of urging Ian along the way also seemed to be indifferent to his own disappearance.

Instead, there is a sense of urgency.

This couldn't help but make Ian feel admiration and respect from the bottom of his heart. After all, as the abandoned part of destiny, these two people would eventually sink again like other things in this secret realm of destiny.

"It's a pity that I couldn't reuse Voldemort's soul in the cycle..." Ian's tone was a little regretful. He obviously didn't expect that Albus Dumbledore would personally take him to burn Voldemort.

If I had known that turning Voldemort into fuel was so easy, I would have taken Dumbledore with me whenever I had time to brew potions. This would have surely missed out on a lot of improvements that would have been easily achieved.

"Although you do have extraordinary means to enhance your magic power, you have now reached the pinnacle of magic power after all... The rules of the world will not allow your body to carry more magic power, so it is not a pity." Grindelwald obviously already knew about the extraordinary characteristics of Ian's [Soul Furnace].

Hear the words.

Ian's anxious mood improved a lot.

Albus Dumbledore beside him also turned around and added, "And, as we just said, the cycle you encountered is essentially a kind of magic."

"The magic power it maintains cannot sustain you from repeatedly using Voldemort to improve yourself." After pondering for a moment, he gave another earnest reminder.

"Ian, your ability is very dangerous, so I hope you don't fall into the excessive pursuit of magic power. After all, our black magic is the best negative example."

The old principal's words of consolation are indeed reasonable.

Ian nodded seriously.

It can be seen from the fact that Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort both have the highest magical powers in the world, but their strengths are quite different that magic power is not the only criterion for measuring a person's strength.

"I want to pursue it but I can't. You all say that I have reached the pinnacle of magic." Ian had heard similar statements from Morgan and Ravenclaw.

Facts have now proved that the wizard's magic power does have a bottleneck. Not only is the word "growth" gone from his personal panel, there is also no sign of continued upgrading behind it.

"Tsk tsk, look at how cocky he sounds when he speaks." Grindelwald tapped Ian's head with his wand. "Of course, you do have the capital to be cocky. After all, before you even reach adulthood, you have already reached a place that many wizards will never be able to reach in their entire lives."

The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's voice was filled with emotion.

Albus Dumbledore remained silent.

At this moment, he finally withdrew his gaze from the sky.

"The situation should be about the same now." The old headmaster took the Sorting Hat that he had given to Ian. No one knew why he wanted to wear this alchemical creature that was pretending to be dead.

"What's almost done?" To be honest, Ian still felt a little confused. Along the way, Albus Dumbledore did not give him a detailed explanation of the situation and what to do.

"Of course, your cycle has reached a weak stage, and this is the time for us to take advantage of it." Albus Dumbledore answered the little wizard's question concisely.

"So, the solution I came up with is also useful, right? By continuously consuming the foundation that maintains the cycle, the cycle will eventually collapse because it cannot be maintained?" Ian was still curious about his discovery and wanted to know what the final result would be if the cycle collapsed according to his idea.

Albus Dumbledore nodded. "In fact, what I asked you to do is to consume the foundation of this cycle. The more things you change, the greater the weakening of the cycle."

As soon as these words came out.

Ian was stunned for a moment.

He remembered that Albus Dumbledore gave him such instructions at the beginning of the cycle, at the first cycle. Could it be that the old headmaster had already seen the nature of the cycle at that time?

"Hiss, you actually reacted so early? Did you get Slytherin's script?" Ian could even remember Albus Dumbledore's instructions right up to the day he just got stuck in the loop!
Such judgment ability...it can only be described as terrifying!
"This is our White Lord. Do you understand how powerful he is in defeating me?" Grindelwald was obviously also a Dumbledore fan, but his sigh only earned him a glare from Albus Dumbledore.

"It's not difficult to judge. After all, we know what we are facing, and knowing this can already make us understand a lot of things."

Albus Dumbledore explained.

Grindelwald continued to smile.

He obviously had the same thoughts as Dumbledore.

"Because you know that what I encountered was the remnant of Slytherin?" Ian also roughly guessed something, and sure enough, Albus Dumbledore in front of him nodded.

"Yes, we have to deal with the influence of Slytherin. Although he is a legend, he is still a wizard after all. Knowing this can determine what your cycle is like."

"No matter how sophisticated, profound, or incomprehensible the methods used by wizards are, their essence is still magic and can never go beyond the scope of magic."

Albus Dumbledore's analysis was well-reasoned and clear. It was like a layer of paper covering the truth, which, once pierced, allowed people to see the simple truth that was hidden.

"understood!"

Ian suddenly realized.

He actually didn't understand it now, but the emotional value was in place. After realizing that in each cycle, the things he intercepted would weaken in the next cycle, Ian had already realized the limitations of Slytherin's methods, until Albus Dumbledore gave him his detailed answer, which cleared the fog for him.

of course.

Ian did not underestimate Slytherin's method. After all, it was beyond the scope of mortals. It not only intercepted a part of his destiny but also blocked his greatest golden finger.

A seven-day appointment with a mysterious fantasy world.

Although he could still establish a connection with the hazy illusion with the help of magic, he was not able to enter the hazy illusion even once in so many cycles.

In a certain cycle.

Ian also asked Teacher Morgan with the help of Aly Anna, and Teacher Morgan's answer was somewhat intriguing - time in the mortal world does not change and flow too much.

Ian could only guess that the opportunity for him to enter the hazy fantasy world should be related to the mortal world, and Slytherin's method obviously brought him to an area that did not belong to the mortal world.

Just like when he entered the Twilight Zone, a long time in the Twilight Zone might have passed while only a few minutes in the human world. Even if he stayed in the loop for several more days, less than half an hour might have passed in the human world - this coincided with Albus Dumbledore's speculation that the loop was outside the mortal world.

Just after digesting Albus Dumbledore's information in his mind.

"So, the solution you came up with is to end all curses?" The young wizard was not only able to give emotional value, he also knew that excellent professors liked students who could draw inferences from one example.

This is not.

Albus Dumbledore smiled. "The magic we are going to use is based on the End of All Curses. However, I have modified some of the contents in order to break this magic."

talking.

The old principal took out another piece of paper and handed it to Ian.

"It took me several cycles of accumulation to create this targeted version of All Curses End, so you don't have much time to learn it."

It's not just that there's not much time to learn, it's clear that you have to learn it right away. I have to say, it was really rushed, if it were someone else, they would probably call it a challenge. After all, the End of All Spells is an extremely difficult spell, and most wizards have to spend a long time learning even its basic version, the Stop Spell.

of course.

It wasn't a difficult task for Ian.

But the little wizard would still mutter his feelings.

"You're giving me the intensity! This looks really hard!"

After he took the paper from Albus Dumbledore, he tried to cast the spell several times. After several failures, the light representing the stable and continuous magic lit up.

"Fortunately, I have a little cleverness." Ian's strategy of first criticizing and then praising, which he always used to shock others, did not work on Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald.

"very good."

Albus Dumbledore just nodded with an unchanged expression. Grindelwald did give him a thumbs up and praised him, but his perfunctory tone obviously only made the young wizard more frustrated.

"Don't think of using the same trick on me twice." Grindelwald said with a smile. The little wizard's disappointed sigh was the source of his happiness.

"Okay, now that I have learned the magic, do I need three people to cast the spell together?" Ian was helpless. The emotional value he provided to the two old Dengs was clearly maxed out, but the two old Dengs really didn't understand what high emotional intelligence was and were reluctant to provide him with any emotional value.

"Yes, that is Gellert's point of view." Albus Dumbledore nodded and took out his Elder Wand, but one of his hands was still tightly holding the Sorting Hat.

"What does it say?"

Ian looked at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor curiously.

"Yes, there is a saying, just like seven is a magical number, and the same is true for three. The most typical example is the Three Deathly Hallows that we all know." Grindelwald raised his eyebrows, glanced at the old wand in Albus Dumbledore's hand, then turned to Ian and spoke meaningfully.

"I have spent a lot of time reading and summarizing history, so in my opinion, seven is the number of destiny, while three... represents the variables beyond destiny."

"If you have time to read history, you will find that many stories that turn the impossible into possible always have three protagonists."

"It was like this before, it is like this now, and perhaps it will be like this in the future which may no longer exist..." Grindelwald's voice was truly meaningful.

Looking at the face of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that belonged to someone else, Ian's eyes twitched a little. It was hard for him not to suspect that this old man had recently read the story of "Harry Potter".

Sometimes the prophet is really wrong...

Because of this, it is not impossible that the fate that has been disturbed was glimpsed by him. Anyway, Ian always felt that the information mentioned by Grindelwald also pointed to Hermione and her two male followers.

"We can verify your point of view now." Albus Dumbledore neither agreed nor refuted. After all, he did not have the talent of predicting the future like a real prophet.

"What is the function of the Sorting Hat?" Ian felt that he should understand all the procedures clearly. He found that the Sorting Hat had been idle since it was brought out by Albus Dumbledore.

Is it necessary to use the Sorting Hat to break the cycle?

"It's just in case, child. When our magic is infused into the wand, we always need some other means to prevent possible accidents."

Albus Dumbledore didn't know whether he was guarding against Arthur King or Salazar Slytherin who created the cycle.

only.

Although what he said was indeed reasonable, Ian always felt that Albus Dumbledore was not telling the truth, or was not telling the whole truth.

The little wizard is very familiar with this feeling.

He himself is an expert at this.

"All is up to you." Ian looked at Albus Dumbledore carefully, but the old headmaster looked serious at this moment, and there was no trace of his inner emotions on his face.

"I remember you said that Professor Ronnie Erich is also the key?" Ian did not forget what the two old men had concluded before, that in order to break the cycle, they had to really kill the poor saint Ronnie Erich first.

"The problem has been solved. He has sacrificed himself for us." Albus Dumbledore responded softly. His eyes were extremely deep and calm as he looked towards Hogwarts Castle.

Ian was about to continue asking questions.

"In fact, he should have died in the past, so now he has returned to dust." Grindelwald's hand suddenly pressed on Ian's shoulder.

He had a somewhat sad expression on his face.

Ian suddenly felt heavy.

"I hope Professor Ronnie Erich has a smooth journey on his next journey." The young wizard could only pray silently for his former professor. After all, he knew that the other party had suffered so much torture because of him.

Death was originally quite quick.

"Of course, this is what we hope for." Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald looked at each other and took the lead in raising the extremely powerful Elder Wand in their hands.

Ian also raised his wand together with the old headmaster and the current professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"All curses end!"

"All curses end!"

"All curses end!"

There was no need to insert the wands into the ground, because their wands seemed to be connected to the surrounding space. Three loud voices rang out in front of the tower in the middle of the night, and a surging magic power began to rage around them, and the power was as terrible as the huge waves in a storm.

Wave after wave hits the invisible boundaries.

The wizards standing on the top of the magic mountain possessed great magic power that could move mountains and fill the sea. At this moment, they exploded one after another, as if they wanted to completely engulf everything around them in the storm of magic.

The dazzling magical light was like a big net. After emerging, it gradually sank into the space. Ian could feel that some hidden strange changes were beginning to happen in the space.

Like an egg.

In the shell that has been peeled off.

Although it seemed that nothing had changed around, every ups and downs of the magic power were like hitting an invisible barrier, causing ripples in the surroundings.

It was as if even time and space itself were trembling. The robes of the two elders and one child were rustling, and Ian felt that he and the two elders were being sucked into a terrible vortex.

Everything in sight began to blur. Everything around was spinning and changing. Colors and shapes intertwined to form a series of bizarre pictures.

Countless scattered plots were played out in it, which might be other possibilities that were doomed to destruction by fate. Ian tried hard to open his eyes but was completely unable to see the scene clearly.

The overlapping, noisy voices in his ears seemed like the overlapping destinies, comparable to the whispers of ancient gods. Ian had only experienced this feeling slightly in the memory of Professor Ronnie Erich.

"Three people, isn't that enough?"

Every time the magic power in Albus Dumbledore surged, it was trying to break the chaotic scene around him, but the overlapping and intertwined images did not feel like collapsing at all.

It is still twisting.

The pace is even accelerating.

"It shouldn't be like this..." Grindelwald's face showed a bit of solemnity. The magic between him, Albus Dumbledore and Ian was linked together, so he could clearly feel that the magic led by Albus Dumbledore had failed again and again after repeated attempts.

"I feel a little dizzy. What will happen if I fail?"

Ian was probably the one with the weakest foundation among the three. He felt that he was about to reach his limit, and his magic power was weakening much faster than that of the other two elders.

"Let's stay in this gap together forever, haha." Grindelwald's voice was not nervous at all, but rather a little brisk, so much so that the little wizard could hardly tell whether he was bluffing or not.

"This is not the time to joke, Gellert." Albus Dumbledore was clearly trying his best, and his terrifying control over magic even tried to guide Ian and Grindelwald to concentrate their magic to break through the surface. Unfortunately, he still couldn't stop the chaos.

The things around him became even more distorted. It was like he had strayed into a world in a Picasso painting, where the night sky and the earth were already connected together, as if they were about to be fused into one.

"Obviously, we all underestimated Salazar Slytherin's magic, tut tut." Grindelwald was actually in a mood to shrug in the chaotic scene. Although the magic power constantly flowing out of his wand was not inferior to Albus Dumbledore, Ian always felt that this guy's attitude seemed like he was not using his full strength.

Maybe he wants to rest here forever with his old friends?

"I rely on!"

Ian had never believed the rumors about the two people's homosexuality in the school, but the current situation made him worry that he would be trapped here with two old men forever.

"Can't we go back first?"

Ian looked at the more reliable Albus Dumbledore.

however.

The old principal's silence made him feel more nervous. In the extremely chaotic environment, Ian felt a growing sense of crisis.

He felt that he and his two elders were about to be drawn into something twisted.

Those distortions.

It is the abyss of destiny.

As if to swallow everything.

I'm afraid Grindelwald really isn't joking.

"Don't worry, I said I would send you back." Albus Dumbledore seemed to have sensed Ian's emotions, and his flickering eyes seemed to have made some decision.

however.

Just when the old headmaster seemed to be about to take some other measures, Ian's wand suddenly trembled, and the magic power connected with Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald was unstable. Seeing this, Grindelwald was the first to change his face and let out a sharp shout.

"Damn it! I'm not teasing you anymore! Don't try any other magic!" There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice, and he suddenly grabbed the little wizard beside him with one hand.

"This will make you disappear completely into history!"

Grindelwald loudly told Ian the seriousness of the problem.

however.

"I don't want to try any other magic..." Ian found that silver threads began to emerge from the tip of his wand, and by the time he finished speaking, there were already many silver threads emerging.

They weaved and gathered between Ian, Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald, and finally condensed into a graceful silhouette. The girl first looked at the distorted environment around her with curiosity.

immediately.

While Ian was confused, Dumbledore was stunned, and Grindelwald was surprised, Ariana looked at her brother, or to be more precise, at the Sorting Hat that was tightly held in the hand of Albus Dumbledore.

Her eyes seemed to see something else.

"Ian, Pandro said you need my help?"

The girl floated forward.

then.

Under the gaze of Albus Dumbledore, who was breathing rapidly and looking complicated, she drew a sword from the Sorting Hat, and countless golden lines began to appear on the sword.

That was the performance of the seemingly illusory sword attached to Ariana's waist.

"This is……"

Grindelwald stared at the runes appearing on the sword, his expression began to become a little solemn, and his pupils began to shrink suddenly, as if he had thought of something.

"It's a gift from Pandro." Ariana glanced at Grindelwald, who was wearing someone else's appearance, but Grindelwald's original appearance was reflected in her eyes.

Ariana's eyes revealed a bit of complexity towards the old man who had destroyed her family, but she immediately turned around and faced the distorted chaos around her.

"He said this gift is the nemesis of wizards." Ariana also looked a little nervous, but after hesitating for a moment, she still waved the sword in her hand towards the surroundings.

Not violent.

But the speed is extremely fast.

The sharp blade that was swung out was as fast as lightning, and seemed to contain some kind of power that must transcend the mundane world. It tore a hole like a natural moat in the increasingly shrinking chaos.

The dawn seemed to be shining in from outside.

It is the luster of the moon.

The distorted scenes entangled around the three people and one soul began to disintegrate, like ice cubes seeing boiling water, melting rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye and turning into tiny stars.

Wait until it completely dissipates.

The bright night sky reappeared, the moon was bright and the sky was clear, with stars filling the deep sky. The surging magic power of several people gradually calmed down after a series of ups and downs.

"Did I save your life, Ian?" Ariana's spirit floated in the air, her tone full of surprise, as if she couldn't believe what she had done.

"That's right! You saved my life! Ariana!" Ian breathed a sigh of relief with lingering fear, and immediately gave his friend a thumbs up.

"Is this worth ten boxes of chocolate frogs?" The girl might feel that she was a little greedy, and her tone was a little embarrassed. Some people can indeed be satisfied easily.

"Hiss, in your heart, is my life equivalent to a gold Galleon?" Ian immediately felt indignant, and he spoke in a very loud voice.

"Ten boxes! Ten boxes a day! Don't let anyone outside see it! They think my life, Ian Prince, is not valuable enough!" Such generosity obviously shocked the floating girl.

"!!!"

The girl's mouth became an O shape.

Of course. Seeing this, she is probably the one with the most normal expression in this open space except Ian - look at the other two old guys next to Ian.

Grindelwald stared at the sword in Ariana's hand, his eyes almost popping out, while the other old man's face was covered with tears and he kept sobbing.

"Of course it would be like this... I knew it... I knew it..."

Under the tower.

Albus Dumbledore had already knelt on the ground, crying. His eyes were also fixed on the sword in Ariana's hand. His eyes were blurred by tears and held an indescribable sadness.

That's this moment.

For the first time, Ian felt the old headmaster's emotions very clearly.

The fragility and...sadness that belong to an old man.

"Why are you crying, Brother Albus? We are all out now." Ariana flew in front of Albus Dumbledore and raised her hand to wipe away his tears.

That gentle hand.

It seemed to help Albus Dumbledore repair his broken emotions and soul.

"If that had not happened, if I had solved your problem earlier...your life would have been shining." Albus Dumbledore lowered his head.

Perhaps at this moment, the old headmaster of Hogwarts could not help thinking about another possibility of fate. After all, he had witnessed with his own eyes that such a possibility could exist.

“I am pretty shining now, right?”

The girl smiled lightly and turned around in front of her brother - to be honest, as a guardian angel, Ariana did have a sparkling visual effect.

Albus Dumbledore remained silent.

After a while.

"Ian, let her go back first, we have something to talk about." Albus Dumbledore spoke in a hoarse voice. The look he gave Ian made Ian feel a little heavy.

"Ok."

Ian waved goodbye to Ariana, and under Ariana's pouting gaze, he revoked the magic, and the girl immediately turned into starlight and dissipated in the air.

The surrounding scene became a little darker. The Sword of Gryffindor and the Sorting Hat that fell to the ground gradually disappeared after a few seconds as if they were cast under an Invisibility Charm.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Ian already had a guess in his mind.

"It's time to say goodbye. You already know that, don't you?" Albus Dumbledore still maintained his original posture. He looked up at Hogwarts in the quiet night.

"The waves that shouldn't exist will be smoothed out, and that's us." He obviously timed it perfectly, and as soon as he finished speaking, the originally clear figure began to slowly fade away.

Grindelwald also began to fade at the same time.

"From dust to dust, from ashes to ashes, just like I said before... this is a worthwhile sacrifice." Grindelwald's voice was as calm as Albus Dumbledore's. Their ancient magic robes fluttered gently in the breeze, and their bodies, which had become transparent, seemed to be blown away by the wind at any time.

Ian was also a little sad.

He wanted to say something but didn't know how to start with this old man, who was supposed to be doomed but "lived" in the cycle and sacrificed himself to fulfill his wish.

"Remember what I always told you?"

Grindelwald's body and Albus Dumbledore disappeared at the same time. However, unlike the old headmaster who was quietly waiting for the end, he was still communicating with Ian with a smile.

"Of course I remember. That's your motto: for the greater good..." Ian's eyes were a little tearful, but he still responded with a smile.

Albus Dumbledore, who was disappearing, looked up at Ian.

"That's right, remember, we are demonstrating it to you now." Amid Grindelwald's laughter, the bodies of the two men had become completely transparent.

At last.

Grindelwald winked at Ian.

They completely lost the sense of touch of the entity.

Like clouds and smoke.

The night wind blows.

All of them turned into a dream bubble that could not be found.

“It has benefited me a lot.”

Ian changed his usual playful attitude and became serious. He bowed slightly towards the empty space where no trace of him remained. After a long time, he turned around and walked towards the castle amid the rustling of leaves and the gurgling of the stream in the distance.

The night was dark.

Only the stars bear witness to everything.

……

"Dang~dang~dang~"

The bells in Hogwarts Castle were ringing. It was the music of the early morning when Christmas came. Ian finally got his wish and stepped into the day that he had not been able to step into for a long time.

just.

But he was not as happy as he had imagined. Walking up the deserted stairs, Ian hesitated and looked sideways when he passed the principal's office.

to be frank.

Ian always felt that there were still many mysteries in the cycle that had not been solved. The old principal was quite thoughtful, and Ian could feel that there were many things he had not told him.

For example, the Sorting Hat that was put on by Albus Dumbledore at the end was said to be just in case, but Ian really couldn't tell whether Albus Dumbledore had already anticipated everything that happened afterwards.

It is difficult for others to truly understand the thinking of a person who is so smart that he is almost a demon.

"Boom~!"

Maybe Ian stayed in front of the principal's office too long.

The stone statue jumped away as if it was under pressure, revealing the passage behind it. The young wizard stepped into it and followed the spiral staircase to the door of the principal's office.

This was a place he often came to during the cycle. Now it had some Christmas decorations that were different from those in the cycle. The moving reindeers and Santa Claus looked lifelike on it.

"What's up, Ian?"

Albus Dumbledore's voice came from the door. Although the young wizard did not knock on the door or make a sound, the old headmaster inside could still clearly know who was standing outside.

This voice.

Ian had heard it not long ago, but it was obviously much calmer and softer, just like what Albus Dumbledore showed to him and others most of the time.

"Forehead……"

Ian stepped in and saw Albus Dumbledore, the old headmaster of the right time, sitting at his desk, wearing reading glasses and reading a book peacefully.

With the memory of the previous Albus Dumbledore still in his mind, and looking at the quiet and expressionless headmaster in front of him, Ian really felt as if time and space were disordered.

"Let me think about how to say this." The young wizard organized his words in his mind, weighing how to describe his somewhat hasty and confusing experience.

His conflicted tone made Albus Dumbledore raise his head.

"I feel like you want to tell me a story." Albus Dumbledore smiled softly, and his deep and bright eyes under the glasses revealed a bit of curiosity.

but.

Before Ian could speak.

"If it's too long a story, perhaps we should leave it for the daytime. As you know, an old man always gets sleepy easily." Albus Dumbledore actually yawned.

"..."

Ian had already thought of the words, but he could only swallow them back into his stomach. He looked up and saw that Albus Dumbledore was indeed feeling drowsy.

"Okay, professor, Merry Christmas, this is a Christmas present for you." Ian had no choice but to give up and take out a gift box. What he wanted to say could not be explained in a few words.

"Thank you."

Albus Dumbledore took the gift box and smiled happily. He took out a small box from his desk drawer and handed the equally beautifully packaged gift box to Ian.

"I think I should give you a return gift."

Albus Dumbledore placed the small box in Ian's hand. The young wizard raised his hand to take the gift box, and the maggot-like mark on the back of his hand had long disappeared.

Albus Dumbledore looked increasingly sleepy.

Ian also took the gift box and said goodbye quickly. He weighed the things in the gift box and knew in his heart that it was the lamp lighter that Dumbledore had shown him in the loop.

then.

Dumbledore in the loop said he would give him the lamplighter.

"I guess there's a lamplighter in there."

When Ian stood at the door, he wanted to show his foresight one last time. After all, after leaving the loop, he could no longer happily pretend to be a prophet.

"Yes, it is indeed a lamplighter."

Albus Dumbledore just responded with a smile, but did not let Ian see the surprised expression he wanted to see. The young wizard could only sigh with lack of interest and left the office.

After a while.

"The gift you gave to that little guy is really precious. I see you spent a lot of time and effort to make it." On the wall, a principal who might have been a bit stingy in his life sighed.

Albus Dumbledore closed the book again.

"After all, I promised to give it to him." Albus Dumbledore spoke calmly and gently, and he put the book titled "A Fool's Play on Fate" back on the bookshelf.

After seeing the little wizard off, Albus Dumbledore seemed no longer sleepy. Perhaps he was never sleepy. Until several hours later, Albus Dumbledore was reading other books.

The Secret of the Time Converter

Secret Whisper Through Time

"Legendary Evidence: The End of the Dharma Era"

……

The old principal seemed to be waiting for someone.

soon.

Late night comes.

He also raised his head as if he sensed something, and looked at Grindelwald who walked in without knocking, with an expression of confirmation and inquiry on his face.

"I had a dream."

Grindelwald simply responded.

Albus Dumbledore immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Very good, it seems that there was no mistake in the part I was responsible for." Albus Dumbledore stood up and put all the books piled in front of him back into the bookshelf.

"What about your part?"

He turned and looked at his old friend.

"Huh? When have I ever let down my guard?" Grindelwald shrugged and walked towards the sleeping Fawkes. Albus Dumbledore immediately came up and woke up the grumpy Phoenix.

"We could use a little help from you..."

Comforted his partner.

Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald disappeared into the office.

This is the power of the Phoenix.

It took the two people to another place.

Early morning in Austria.

It has a delicate and moving picture that slowly unfolds in the morning light.

When the first rays of sunlight gently brushed over the snow-capped peaks of the Alps, the whole world seemed to be stained with a light golden hue. The mountain mist lingering in the morning light added a touch of mystery and tenderness to this magnificent mountain range.

"Brush~"

Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald appeared in a manor. They came to a grave and looked at the empty grave that seemed to have been visited by grave robbers.

"gentlemen."

A voice came from a house not far away. It was the voice of Ronnie Erich. He seemed very weak. He sat in a wheelchair and slowly approached Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore.

"Look, nothing's wrong."

Grindelwald smiled and greeted Ronnie Erich. He turned around and saw Albus Dumbledore's hands were shaking, as if he was suppressing some strong emotions in his heart.

"very good."

He responded in a low voice, and after adjusting himself slightly, he hurried forward to check on Ronnie Erich's condition - except that he was a little weaker, he was no different from a normal person.

"I feel fine now... everything before seemed like a dream." Ronnie Erich looked up at Grindelwald, with a hint of doubt in his tone.

"You can just treat it as a dream, but starting today, you still have to change your appearance and give up the dead identity and use a new one."

Grindelwald pushed Ronnie Erich back into his wheelchair when he tried to stand up.

"Am I part of your plan?"

Ronnie Erich nodded, his eyes were a little confused and a little hot. Grindelwald turned his head to look at Albus Dumbledore and then whispered something.

"Rest up well, you have a more important mission." As he said this, at the signal of Albus Dumbledore's eyes, he and Albus Dumbledore walked towards the empty tomb together.

"I don't think it could be hidden from him."

Albus Dumbledore's words were meaningful.

"It's not a big deal."

Grindelwald didn't care much. He stared into the empty tomb. His eyes turned white and things covered by fog were vaguely visible in his eyes.

"After all, the challenge has just begun, hasn't it?" Grindelwald said with some emotion, "I didn't expect that little guy would find us such an opportunity. I knew that investing in him would be the right thing to do."

It is clear.

Some things are not completely without impact and change.

"Ian is not the only person you should thank." Albus Dumbledore sighed softly. Grindelwald beside him nodded and responded in a serious voice.

"Of course, we also have to thank...us." The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's voice was low. The situation between him and Albus Dumbledore at this moment was obviously different from what Ian had imagined.

"You talk to Ronnie and tell him what he should know. I have some other things to do that will take me a while." Albus Dumbledore had a complicated expression.

He walked quickly out of the manor.

Grindelwald did not stop.

However, Ronnie Erich, who was approaching in his wheelchair, was quite confused about this.

"Didn't he say that there were still many things to prepare? Why did he leave?" The former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor looked into the distance and saw Albus Dumbledore's hurried figure.

"Because compared to our affairs, he has other things that he cares about more." Grindelwald looked at Ronnie Erich beside him, his tone full of emotion.

"I knew he couldn't be trusted."

Ronnie Erich obviously still has a lot of prejudice against Dumbledore.

"On the contrary, after today, he will be more trustworthy than ever before." And Grindelwald is obviously the one who knows Albus Dumbledore best.

He whispered to Ronnie Erich in a firm and meaningful tone, "You should know that the current situation we have is due to the boldness and...arrogance of my old friend. He wants to achieve his goal, and to achieve this, any method can become a means for him to use."

Ronnie Erich was somewhat stunned by the words of the first generation.

"Is this still the same Dumbledore that everyone knows?"

The saint was puzzled.

"of course not."

Grindelwald smiled softly, his voice full of nostalgia.

"He is now the Albus Dumbledore that I know."

After all, Grindelwald must be one of the people who knows Albus Dumbledore best. While they were talking, Albus Dumbledore had already Apparated again.

In Hogsmeade village.

Albus Dumbledore walked out of the Hog's Head Inn, holding a broken ancient object in his hand, which was taken from the wrist of Aberforth Dumbledore, who was knocked down by him with a punch.

"Ancient time converter..."

This was a long time ago.

What Aberforth Dumbledore had hoped for and found was now snatched away by Albus Dumbledore. What does it mean to do whatever it takes to achieve your goal?
Albus Dumbledore demonstrated with his actions that he could be so ruthless as to even assault his own brother, making him fall asleep immediately. Of course, he assaulted his own brother because Aberforth Dumbledore did not want to listen to his explanation.

"Being in the past, living in the future..."

Albus Dumbledore Apparated again and came to a very remote manor, where he was immediately surrounded by a group of alchemical creatures of all shapes and sizes.

Among them are soldiers similar to Lego, as well as mechanical girls who look like clockwork spirits. These alchemical creations are equipped with all kinds of very dangerous weapons.

Not just magic items.

There are even fire sticks in the Muggle world that might occasionally be better than wands. From their huge caliber, it is not difficult to tell that they are also deadly weapons that have undergone some special modifications.

"All stop."

Soon, accompanied by the sound of footsteps, a skinny old man with white hair walked out. With just one word from him, all the "guards" who appeared from various places returned to their hidden hiding places.

"You have more guards here than before." Albus Dumbledore looked at the skinny old man in front of him, who was his other good friend, the alchemist master Nick Flamel.

Nick Flamel looked a little haggard and sighed helplessly, "Even if I give you the Philosopher's Stone, there are still many people who want to take the treasure from me."

"Why is it so difficult for us to have a peaceful old age?" Nick Lemay walked unsteadily, but his walking speed was not slow at all.

Although he looks frighteningly like he has osteoporosis, he is actually still in good spirits.

"I hope my arrival has not disturbed you." Albus Dumbledore spoke apologetically, looking at the large house with simple decoration in front of him.

Inside, an equally old lady was directing a group of alchemical creatures to cook.

"A visit from an old friend is not an intrusion."

Nick Lemay looked very happy, but he also had a keen eye that matched his age. "I think you are in some trouble and want to ask for my help?"

talking.

The great alchemist looked at Albus Dumbledore's pocket.

"You have persuaded me to stop some of my impulses, but now they appear again, even stronger." Albus Dumbledore took out the damaged converter.

"You two brothers have shown this thing to me. I still say that it is difficult to repair it. We have lost many key materials and technologies."

"Of course, what I am most concerned about now is what has affected you again?" Nick Flamel took the things handed to him by Albus Dumbledore.

Albus Dumbledore's pupils twitched slightly.

"I think what influenced me... was a hope that I had verified."

His voice was filled with unusually intense emotion.

In the eyes.

There is real light.

(End of this chapter)