The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 377 Divination from the Heterochromatic-Eyed Prophet

Change, although a single word, actually contains two meanings.

Change refers to a change in the form, nature, or state of things.

The word "化" emphasizes a fundamental and thorough change in things, even transforming them into something entirely new.

The former is like a magical transformation, while the latter is more like the Philosopher's Stone turning lead into gold.

The valley was once like that.

It has undergone earth-shattering changes.

As Ino left, Hermione curiously looked around the valley.

She wasn't interested in the vast land; what piqued her curiosity were the extra taverns.

Perhaps all Muggle-born wizards share this fondness for these medieval retro taverns.

After all, their first contact with the wizarding world began at the Leaky Cauldron, a dirty, retro-style bar in Diagon Alley.

……

Standing outside the tavern, Hermione pushed the closed walnut door, but unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, the door wouldn't budge.

Just then, a weak voice sounded at her feet:

"You can't open it! Only the king can open it! If you're really bored, I can chat with you."

"The King?" Hermione lowered her head curiously, and a small doll, about nine inches tall, was standing at her feet.

She had seen these puppets in the valley before.

When she first saw these dolls, she asked Ino about them and was told that they were a gift from the legendary alchemist Nicolas Flamel.

But today, these dolls gave her a completely different feeling; they seemed more like living beings.

"Yes, Your Majesty! Your Majesty Svenburn," the little doll said, raising its head with pride.

"Hahaha!" Hermione chuckled and bent over.

As they closed the distance between them, she confirmed that her earlier feeling was correct; the doll in front of her was indeed alive.

Not only does it have flesh and blood, but it also has delicate and lively facial features.

Even the doll in front of me has a blue whistle the size of a pea on its chest as an ornament, making it look just like the Lilliputian land mentioned in Gulliver's Travels.

"What are you laughing at? This isn't funny!"

Hearing Hermione's laughter, the idol seemed a little angry, and he picked up the whistle on his chest and put it to his lips.

A melodious sound, like that of an ocarina, echoed through the valley.

Soon, rustling sounds came from the flower bushes in the valley.

In no time.

Hermione saw dozens of tiny figures, "fully armed" and holding tree branches, lined up in rows, giving the impression of launching an attack.

This scene amused her even more, but basic manners led her to choose to be polite and respectful towards this living doll.

"Okay! I apologize, I won't laugh anymore." Hermione took a deep breath, calmed herself down slightly, and then said:

"Yes! Your Majesty, the great Svenburn."

"That's more like it!" The whistle-blowing puppet nodded in satisfaction, and waved his hand to disperse the 'soldiers' gathered behind him.

"You haven't answered my invitation yet. Want to play together? I can take you to see Grandpa Oak. He bears strange fruits, including gems and gold coins, and even a little mill..."

……

What happens in the valley can never affect the area outside the valley.

After leaving, Ino returned to the edge of the broadleaf forest and looked up to see a small, desolate castle not far away.

Nurmengard.

The magic of fate seems to manifest itself at this moment: Grindelwald once built the renowned wizarding prison, but at the end of the story, it became his final resting place.

Standing outside the castle, Ino looked at the long-worn gate, where he could still vaguely see its former glory and the famous slogan—"For the greater good."

But no matter how glorious it was before, this place eventually became dilapidated after the story ended.

Out of respect, Ino reached out and gently knocked on the weathered door, even though it seemed as if a gust of wind could blow it open.

Indeed, just as I knocked, the door was flung open by a gentle breeze.

Whether by chance or by design, once the door opened, Ino headed toward the castle tower.

……

The spiral staircase of the tower was covered in dust because it hadn't been cleaned for a long time.

In response, Ino did not presume to use magic. The principle of asking for a favor must be done with courtesy first, and this applies everywhere.

Step by step, we climbed the stairs.

Soon, he saw an old man with heterochromatic eyes.

The other person's right eye was a clear, bright blue, like the flame of a blue lamp, while their left eye was a deep brown.

"Good day, Mr. Grindelwald! I apologize for bothering you!" Upon seeing the person in question, Ino gave a slight bow and greeted him politely.

"Welcome! Very few people visit here anymore."

Standing by the window, Grindelwald immediately turned around, his tone as calm as a retired old man at home.

"Actually, I'd like to ask you to do a divination for me, and I'll do my best to provide the payment," Ino said bluntly.

For someone like Grindelwald, no amount of rhetoric will work. Just like in the original story, his pride prevented him from bowing his head to the resurrected Voldemort, even at the cost of his life.

To be honest, Ino really admires Grindelwald.

At least in dealing with rebels, Nurmengard did not employ terrifying Dementors like Azkaban.

……

Inside the tower.

Grindelwald was not surprised to hear the request for divination.

This is actually quite easy to understand, after all, he is no longer the leader of the former UMNO party, and now perhaps all he can offer is divination.

"Okay!" Grindelwald nodded slightly.

"But I need to explain the payment beforehand. If you accept, the divination can begin at any time."

"Of course! Please go ahead." Ino made a listening gesture.

I thought this would be a lot of explaining, but it went surprisingly smoothly.

At the same time, Grindelwald slowly moved his feet and stopped three feet away from Ino.

"I hope that in the future, when you make important decisions, you will be able to follow your true heart..."

……

Half an hour later.

"There isn't one..."

The divination results surprised Ino; even the real prophet couldn't find Voldemort's Horcruxes.

On the other side, Grindelwald seemed to detect the surprise in his tone.

"Divination is not omnipotent; it belongs to the realm of magic, so it can also be interfered with by magic."

He felt somewhat helpless. The young man opposite him seemed to have overestimated the ability of divination. If prophets could do everything, he wouldn't have failed in the first place.

"Okay, sorry!" Realizing that the other party didn't owe her anything, Ino replied politely.

Upon closer reflection, this answer seems acceptable, since Voldemort's failure stemmed from Trelawney's prophecy.

It's likely the other party was already on guard against the fortune teller; there's no way they wouldn't be on guard.

Ino gradually accepted the answer, but Grindelwald, standing to the side, seemed somewhat unwilling.

"If possible, could you find me a crystal ball so I can try again? Ideally, it would be an antique, heirloom-made crystal ball..."

Grindelwald spoke calmly, saying that if the divination yielded no results, then the previous agreement would be null and void, which was not something he wanted to see.

Although he failed, the scene he had witnessed made him eager to do something for the younger generation, and the key, or the biggest obstacle, was the young man in front of him.

……

"The Crystal Ball of Ages..."

Upon hearing the request, Ino carefully recalled the details.

To be honest, although he had pretended to be a fortune teller for a while, he didn't really know much about these fortune-telling tools.

Suddenly, a faint inner calling interrupted his thoughts.

"Excuse me, Mr. Grindelwald! I must take my leave now, I'll be right back."

Ino stood up and said apologetically, then disappeared into the tower.

(End of this chapter)