N-A-A Chapter 119, Section 118: That stone, is it with you?
Chapter 119, Section 118: That stone, is it with you?
Chapter 119, Section 118: That stone, is it with you?
Dumbledore may have a special kind of charm.
Of course, it wasn't the allure of a succubus, but rather the fact that when he appeared in the Forbidden Forest, the professors felt much more at ease, as if they had found a pillar of support.
The tense and solemn atmosphere seemed to ease instantly. Ian even had a feeling similar to what he used to experience when watching TV dramas, where the arrival of the county magistrate meant everything would be alright.
One can only say that Dumbledore truly brought a sense of security.
"Headmaster! Quick! It's that—"—that evil dark wizard! Ian was secretly delighted, as the old headmaster in front of him was the best at catching Tom.
Now that Dumbledore has returned, capturing Voldemort's remnant soul shouldn't be difficult. The only question is whether Dumbledore will agree to let him burn Voldemort's remnant soul.
"No need to rush. I've already set up some special magic so that no one can escape the area near Hogwarts. Therefore, we can take our time. I need to understand the current situation first." Dumbledore's eyes were quite deep, and there was a calm and composed air about him.
But Ian was somewhat puzzled.
There is such magic?
How come he didn't know?
Several professors seemed to have been exposed to areas of their knowledge, but since it was Dumbledore who made the assurance, they naturally and habitually chose to believe him.
"Can anyone enlighten me?"
Dumbledore turned his gaze to Professor McGonagall.
"Actually, neither I nor the other professors know much about the situation. We just arrived here and were attracted by the grand spectacle that Mr. Prince made."
Professor McGonagall looked at Ian, who was still suspended in mid-air by Professor Sprout's levitation spell.
"Dumbledore, he—" "He showed us his memories, and he encountered that mysterious man whose name cannot be mentioned!" Professor Sprout's expression was still filled with disbelief. Professor Flitwick, riding his "custom-made trumpet" flying broom beside her, also looked shaken and worried.
Compared to Professor McGonagall, who was the vice-principal, these two deans clearly did not know enough about the historical truth. They had always believed, like everyone else, that Voldemort had died on that night ten years ago.
"How could it be the mysterious man? How could he still be alive? He should have died long ago, killed by some kind of mysterious magic bestowed upon the boy who survived the ordeal." Professor Flitwick was subjectively unwilling to believe that Ian would falsify his memories, and at the same time, he also did not want Ian's memories to be the true truth.
This extremely contradictory feeling left the short professor with a very complex expression.
That's Voldemort!
The wizarding world has suffered under Voldemort for a long time.
Having finally ushered in an extremely bright future, who would want to return to that era of constant fear and unease? Even the professors at Hogwarts still harbor lingering fears about the past shrouded in terrorism.
This is the lingering influence left by Voldemort.
Both Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout have similar psychological traumas, which is why they were both panicked when they saw Ian's memories resurface.
"Yes, Dumbledore, Harry killed Voldemort. That damned bastard couldn't possibly still be alive!" Hagrid was also the type who didn't want to believe the truth.
After speaking with unwavering conviction, he quickly added to Ian, "I'm sorry, little Ian,"
I'm not doubting that you're deceiving us, it's just—it's possible you've misread it, or that some other attention-seeking individual is using the mysterious person's name to swindle people.
Hagrid attempted to find a plausible explanation.
Snape stood beside him without saying a word.
His expression was gloomy and uncertain. He seemed about to speak several times, but then, as if he had thought of something, he ultimately did not make any comment on the matter.
"It's not entirely impossible, after all—" Dumbledore stroked his beard, seemingly considering for a moment.
"Our old friend has lived his whole life in fear of death, so it's not surprising that he would find ways to avoid it. It's not a very difficult problem to deal with. We should be thankful that at least our little wizard has escaped with his life." Dumbledore looked up at Ian in mid-air.
"Prince—sir, are you alright?" His voice was as steady and powerful as ever, carrying a kind of magic that seemed to soothe people's hearts.
"Of course."
Ian moved his body to indicate that he was unharmed.
He even performed a backflip for Dumbledore in mid-air—the expressions of the professors nearby were incredibly strange, while Professor McGonagall seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
"You should thank the professors for arriving in time." Dumbledore couldn't stand Ian's performance any longer, and Hagrid next to him couldn't help but chuckle.
The other three deans looked somewhat embarrassed, but Snape's expression was even more unpleasant.
"Get down here!"
Snape gritted his teeth and berated Ian. The next moment, Ian appeared to be paddling through the air, disappearing behind the other professors.
"????"
Professor Sprout, who was maintaining the levitation spell on Ian, stared wide-eyed, completely baffled as to why Ian was able to control the direction of the levitation spell she had cast in mid-air.
She's the one who provides the magic!
Why does the magic seem to belong to someone else?
"Dumbledore, in fact, I think Mr. Prince doesn't need our help, because when we arrived he was chasing that—unnamed mystery man." Professor Flitwick hesitated for a moment before finally correcting Dumbledore.
His little flying broom looked particularly comical. Actually, Professor Flitwick wasn't incapable of riding a normal flying broom, but his custom-made one was more advantageous for aerial combat. Who would have thought that the result would be no battle at all? The little wizard had already skipped the actual fighting for them!
"I think the word 'hunt down' would be more appropriate?" Professor Sprout looked around, feeling a pang of heartache at the sight of the damaged precious plants.
"Um?""
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly.
Hagrid, who had been comforting Tooth, couldn't help but widen his eyes upon hearing Professor Flitwick's words.
His mouth opened to an exaggerated degree in shock.
"Ouch! Little Ian, what have you done?!"
His loud voice was filled with shock.
To this half-giant administrator, Ian's record was simply incomprehensible, its magical quality perhaps second only to Harry Potter, the child he had always been watching.
"I'm protecting our school, Hagrid." Ian seemed to be explaining his actions to Hagrid, but in reality, he wanted Snape to understand that he wasn't just looking for trouble.
He glanced at Snape seemingly casually, but the Potions professor's dark face did not soften; instead, it darkened even more—he certainly had the talent to be the Dark Lord.
"is that so?"
Dumbledore's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Professor McGonagall for confirmation.
"Yes, Dumbledore, it's probably really that absurd that this little guy can use Fiendfire. I think even the Man of Void probably didn't expect that." Professor McGonagall sighed helplessly and pulled Ian, who was hiding behind her, to the front. She was feeling a mix of lingering fear and regret that this little wizard wasn't a Gryffindor.
"Mr. Prince, your magic is very powerful, and your magical transformations are also extremely impressive. However, I still hope you can tell me where you learned such a dangerous magic as Fiendfire."
Professor McGonagall's tone was extremely stern, with an unusually serious air, though she now gave off a very similar feeling to when Ian had just explained things to Hagrid. Although the Gryffindor Headmistress's face was directly facing Ian, her gaze was fixed sideways on Snape standing on the ground.
Ian believed that Snape was definitely involved in the reason why he joined Fiendfyre, and the other two heads of the house probably thought the same way, so all three heads of the house looked at Snape.
The Hogwarts cauldron king looked utterly speechless.
His face twitched slightly, and his hands clenched together, but even with the veins throbbing in his temples, he simply looked away.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Snape ultimately offered no explanation. And seeing his good uncle willingly taking the blame, Ian naturally followed suit, offering no further explanation, but merely finding a legitimacy for his Fiendfire.
"Professor McGonagall, thank you for your praise. I think the Headmaster deserves some credit as well; he once guided my training in Fiendfire," Ian responded, seemingly modestly. This was the truth; it had indeed happened before, so after he finished speaking, he winked at Dumbledore.
"No wonder... no wonder you're so skilled in Fiendfire." Professor Flitwick immediately realized something, as if he finally understood where Ian had learned so much advanced magic.
First, the guardian deity spell.
Now it's Li Huo again!
Each one is more unfathomable than the last!
If Dumbledore was secretly teaching him, then everything makes sense. All the professors at Hogwarts know that Dumbledore is a master of fire.
"Albus?!"
Professor McGonagall seemed somewhat taken aback, while Professor Sprout appeared thoughtful.
"That's true, Minerva." Dumbledore glanced at Ian first, then slowly nodded. His acknowledgment immediately transformed Ian from a mischievous brat secretly learning dark magic into a diligent student studying the headmaster's teachings.
"You—how could you—this is extremely dangerous magic." Professor McGonagall hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.
She didn't want to question Dumbledore's decision in public, but she also felt that Dumbledore's actions were too confusing for her.
For many years, the person who has consistently emphasized safety in teaching has always been this principal.
"Mr. Prince needs to learn Fiendfire, and there are several reasons for that, but Minerva, may I explain the specific reasons to you later?"
Dumbledore seemed to be covering for Ian. Seeing Professor McGonagall nod, he also showed his signature smile, and after a moment of consideration, he continued to speak.
"That person might still be hiding in the Forbidden Forest; he is clearly no longer as powerful as he once was."
Professors, please join me in sealing off the Forbidden Forest and conducting the search.
Dumbledore's arrangement did not receive any objection from the three deans.
"What about you? Aren't you coming along?"
Snape suddenly spoke up.
"I need to go back to school to take care of some things first, and I'll join this operation later to personally cast spells to find the location of our Dark Lord."
"As for now—"—you can be with them." Dumbledore responded with a smile.
Snape was silent for a moment. "I have to go back to school with you—well, to keep an eye on those unruly students. Our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor can't handle them all by himself."
He seemed to have found a reason to flee the battle. If Harry Potter were here, he would definitely despise him as a coward, but Ian understood his good uncle very well.
"Okay, you, Hagrid, and I will take the little wizards back to school. Remember to keep those unruly brats in check; curiosity always kills the young calf."
"Not everyone has the abilities of this child." Dumbledore looked at Ian, who was slowly descending, his eyes filled with a deep and mysterious meaning. "I must say, Mr. Prince, your performance is somewhat unexpected; it can perhaps be seen as a pleasant surprise."
The charred trees and scorched earth around him made Dumbledore, who had just arrived, feel the intensity of the battle, and even made his expression carry a sense of reminiscence.
Just at this time.
"I'm not going back. I'm not afraid of the Mystic. I'm going to stick with the professors." Hagrid looked at Snape with the eyes of someone looking at a coward.
"Hey, what good are you to the professors here? Are you planning to just rampage through the forest with your massive size and startle the guy hiding there?"
Snape immediately responded with a sarcastic remark.
"I won't cause any trouble!" Hagrid's face flushed red. "I just want to find the two missing unicorns. I have to find them."
His concern for magical creatures has always been genuine, and he would never hesitate for even a second to risk his life for them.
However, even this touching attitude only prompted Snape to continue his sarcastic and mocking remarks.
"Ha, your monstrous brain probably doesn't know what a rare material unicorn blood is. It's clear that two unicorns couldn't possibly still be alive."
Snape knew very well that Voldemort needed unicorn blood to prolong his life, and he didn't think that the Mystic would cherish unicorns like he did, keeping them in captivity and drawing their blood every day.
"Perhaps—perhaps they are still alive, just waiting for my rescue. I need to put together two stretchers first."
Even if they die, I'll carry them back and bury them." Hagrid clearly didn't care about Snape's mockery. As he spoke, he began to look for suitable materials to assemble a makeshift stretcher.
however.
In an area ravaged by fierce fire, there would be nothing heavy left.
"Crunch~"
Several trees that appeared intact snapped in two after he gently bent them, revealing their charred interiors. This was, after all, the area near where Ian and Voldemort had fought.
Hagrid looked around blankly.
"Mr. Prince, perhaps you could help him?" Professor McGonagall couldn't stand it any longer and lowered the flight altitude to speak to Ian.
"Of course, no problem. Hagrid and I are friends." Ian was already planning to make a move, so he quickly took out his wand and stepped forward to cast a transformation spell on the rotten wood.
With the infusion of magic and the casting of spells, Rakanjima's form and essence are changing.
They quickly transformed into two multi-functional stretchers with metal structures.
To make the person lying on it more comfortable, Ian even added a soft pad in the middle of the stretcher, and the extremely exquisite stretcher was transformed almost in the blink of an eye.
"Wow! They're amazing!"
Hagrid was quite fond of the stretcher that Ian had transformed into.
Above the stretcher.
Professor McGonagall's face showed undisguised approval.
"Although I could already sense how much skill you've been hiding in class from the transformation you applied to Fiend, I still have to say that it was a truly spectacular transformation."
"I think it would be hard to find a student at Hogwarts who is better at Transfiguration spells than you." The older catgirl's words had barely faded when she finished speaking.
"Doesn't this deserve a few extra points for Ravenclaw?" Professor Flitwick immediately gave Ian a thumbs up and looked at Professor McGonagall, who was flying beside him.
His eyes were filled with a burning desire for the Academy Points, even more intense than that of the young wizards. Perhaps this is the competitive spirit of top students, which remains undiminished even after many years as Dean.
"This requires us to go back to the castle—I'll remember that." Professor McGonagall nodded helplessly, increasingly frustrated that someone like Ian, a reckless man who liked to keep his abilities hidden, was a Ravenclaw.
He pondered for a moment.
Professor McGonagall then spoke to Ian, "You are excellent, Mr. Prince, but I hope you can respect your talent. Your level is already far beyond that of your peers, so what you need is more time to mature."
"At least in the case of Transfiguration, it must be so. It is an extremely dangerous form of magic. Too many brilliant geniuses have met with irreparable consequences because of their eagerness for quick success."
Professor McGonagall's tone was extremely serious, fully demonstrating her concern for Ian. Over the years, she had seen many exceptionally talented wizards meet their doom because of overconfidence.
"Of course, you taught us that in the very first lesson." Ian nodded modestly, knowing that Professor McGonagall was worried he was secretly trying to use the Animagus.
"If you want to get some early access to the knowledge, you can come to my office to find me." Professor McGonagall was very satisfied with Ian's attitude and granted Ian the right to knock on her office door.
"Yes, thank you so much."
Ian immediately bowed slightly.
He actually had a plan for his Animagus training, but it certainly wasn't this year. After all, no matter who was looking after him, it was safest to improve his Transfiguration level as much as possible.
Otherwise, the image of someone transformed into something half animal and half human would be truly terrifying. You see, a failed magical transformation could be irreversible for life. Just look at that noseless, ugly, and hideous face...
And the fact that their intelligence has become much duller shows how terrifying it is.
Just as Ian was about to approach the impatient Snape, Professor Sprout descended to his side. The Hufflepuff professor was pleased with Ian's help to Hagrid.
"Why didn't you come to Hufflepuff? I remember you were always very low-key in class, but I secretly saw you helping several young wizards in Hufflepuff during class."
Professor Sprout also expressed Professor McGonagall's thoughts.
However, her praise made Ian's eyes dart away, and he felt guilty.
"You actually saw that?" The little wizard was a little worried that Professor Sprout had seen something sensitive that he had shared with the Hufflepuff witches in class.
The library's restricted section contains cultivation tips on how to breed mutated biting cabbages.
This isn't that dangerous?
Ian just wanted to help his classmates unlock epic achievements.
This should still be considered helping others, right?
"It's time to go!"
Snape finally couldn't help but speak to Ian. He felt that if Ian continued to enjoy being praised like this...
Who knows what even more horrifying things might happen in the future?
"Yes, I think we should go back too." Dumbledore raised his hand and looked at the watch on his wrist, which turned out to be an ornament made from a broken time converter.
"Go back and stay put, don't run out." Professor Flitwick gave his young wizard a special reminder, having probably realized that Ian was a restless fellow.
"It's time for us to get started." Professor McGonagall turned her flying broom around and looked towards the deep Forbidden Forest ahead. She took off first with a wild flying posture.
Professors Sprout and Flitwick followed closely behind. Despite facing what might be one of the most dangerous dark wizards in history, the three heads of the department clearly showed no sign of fear.
Seeing the three deans disappear into the jungle, Hagrid didn't wait a moment. He also carried the stretcher that Ian had conjured up and plunged headlong into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
His presence certainly caused quite a stir, and Snape wasn't just being sarcastic about that.
"Prince! I remember warning you not to cause me any more trouble, and look what you've done!"
You actually dared to provoke the Dark Lord!
After everyone else left, Snape immediately began to berate Ian, as if he had been suppressing his anger for a long time and was now venting it all on Ian.
"What? So impatient? So eager to pull off one big move after another, to tell us, to tell everyone, that you will replace the Dark Lord of the past?"
"I've never seen such an arrogant brat as you!" Snape roared angrily in front of Dumbledore, his tone tinged with lingering fear.
"I don't want to be the Dark Lord, Uncle." Ian looked up at the black bat in front of him, and his sincere words made Snape's expression less unpleasant.
At least this statement is a positive step.
"You should be thankful the Dark Lord isn't in good shape! Otherwise, I think I'd only be able to collect your corpse—"
No! Perhaps the Dark Lord won't even leave you a corpse!
"He knows better than anyone how to eat children!" Snape seemed to want to scare Ian with this sinister remark, and Ian immediately feigned shock, putting on an incredulous expression.
"Everything is alright as long as the worst hasn't happened, Snape. You don't have to be too harsh on Mr. Prince. At least he showed courage in protecting others in a moment of crisis." Dumbledore led the way toward the school's castle, speaking gently on Ian's behalf.
"He could have easily notified us after chasing that guy away, to see what he'd done—chasing him for dozens of kilometers through the Forbidden Forest!"
Snape still felt somewhat resentful.
"I was indeed too reckless." Ian immediately admitted his mistake. He did not choose to turn a blind eye to Snape's performance, as he already knew how to obey Snape.
This is not.
Snape's expression brightened slightly.
"You have to be put in solitary confinement and make you clean those stinking toilets." Of course, he still insisted on punishing Ian so that Ian would learn a lesson and remember it.
Ian believed this was definitely not the kind of confinement Hogwarts should have imposed, but he also knew that Snape, as one of the Headmasters, did indeed have the right to decide to impose such punishment on him.
"No magic allowed! I'll be watching you!" Snape's continued emphasis shattered Ian's plans. Dumbledore offered Ian no help whatsoever.
Just as Ian was pondering whether he could give up some Galleons so his good roommate could drink a Polyjuice Potion in his place and complete Snape's persecution of him this time.
The castle was now in sight.
"Come with me!"
Snape looked up and saw the students still peering through his binoculars towards the Forbidden Forest. He grabbed Ian and tried to lead him back to Hogwarts via a secret passage.
"Snape, I need to borrow Mr. Prince to learn more about the Forbidden Forest," Dumbledore suddenly interrupted Snape.
Snape's expression changed several times.
"You're the principal, you're in charge."
He gave Dumbledore a deep look and decisively let go of Ian's hand.
"Watch your mouth and don't let me hear you bragging about your great achievements at school," Snape warned Ian sternly.
He emphasized the words "great achievements" with particular force, drawing out the words for a long time. After speaking, he flicked his sleeve and turned to walk straight out of the castle.
What is he going to do?
Ian didn't quite understand Snape's actions.
"Who knows?"
Dumbledore shrugged.
"I think we should go to the headmaster's office and talk about my wayward student," Dumbledore said, leading Ian into the castle and to the headmaster's office on the eighth floor.
"Honey jelly".
Dumbledore read out the password to enter.
Ian knew that writing it down wouldn't be of much use; the room's password was changed far too frequently, and sometimes he even thought Dumbledore had paranoia.
Following Dumbledore inside, up the spiral staircase, and through the wooden door, Ian didn't see Phoenix Fox, but the office window was at an angle where sunlight was streaming in.
The sunlight, like carefully polished gold threads, warmly penetrated the gaps in the curtains through the window, and the light and shadow constantly changed shapes on the wall as the curtains swayed.
In the spacious office, a pot of hot tea was steaming on the desk, filling the air with its aroma. Beside the teacup was a peculiar pastry that Ian couldn't recognize.
It looks a bit like a jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe), but it's filled with jam.
"Would you like a drink?"
Dumbledore poured himself a cup of tea, and without waiting for Ian's reply, he poured Ian a cup as well, which Ian drank in one gulp.
I still prefer honey lemon water.
Ian didn't spit out the tea on the table. It wasn't that he didn't trust Dumbledore or thought Dumbledore would put truth serum in the tea; he was just worried that if he drank the tea, he wouldn't be able to sleep at night and would go out for a night stroll.
Snape looked really angry.
Ian felt he needed to rest for a few days—he was also a little aggrieved. He had only gone out to pick mushrooms as a little boy, but who knew he would pick Voldemort, this poisonous mushroom.
"Then you can make some yourself." Dumbledore gestured to the honey not far away, and sat down, looking a little tired.
"I can hold it in, it's almost dinner time."
Ian's answer elicited a noncommittal nod from Dumbledore. Ian watched in bewilderment as Dumbledore continued drinking tea, downing three cups in a row without uttering a word.
"Is that stone with you?" Dumbledore suddenly asked, quite abruptly, even Ian, who had been wondering why Dumbledore had summoned him, was taken aback.
"Of course it's still there."
Ian had expected Dumbledore to talk about Voldemort and even take him on another tour of his memories, but he never expected that Dumbledore would be interested in the Resurrection Stone that Grindelwald had given him.
His answer brought a hint of joy to Dumbledore's expression.
"I need to borrow it for a while—" Dumbledore's eyes suddenly shone with a frightening light, his hands trembled slightly, and then he seemed to realize his lapse in composure and quickly tried to cover it up.
"This is for a certain purpose—" —"I can't tell you the purpose yet." This excuse isn't very good; anyone could tell it's just a pretext.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, that can't resurrect anyone, I think we all know that." Ian frowned slightly, not immediately taking out the Resurrection Stone.
"Of course I know that."
Dumbledore's eyes flickered.
"Believe me, I won't go astray like those fools. I just—have a plan, yes, a plan." His voice carried a profound meaning.
It still has that unfathomable feeling.
However, Ian's brow furrowed even deeper.
"All right."
Ian didn't say anything more, nor did he reveal any of his thoughts to Dumbledore.
He immediately pulled out a resurrection stone ring that shone with a deep luster.
"It's right here."
Ian pushed the Resurrection Stone ring toward Dumbledore.
"Thank you, thank you."
Dumbledore quickly raised both hands to cover the Resurrection Stone ring, and thanked Ian in a trembling voice.
Ian’s expression, which seemed to be suppressing some emotion, made him stand up very consciously.
"Shall I leave now?"
He saw Dumbledore nodding as the chicks pecked at the rice, and immediately headed towards the headmaster's office door. Soon...
He left the principal's office area completely by going up the spiral staircase.
"You didn't even notice."
Ian glanced back at the giant stone beast as it leaped back to its guard position. His eyes flickered slightly, and without a word, he reached into his purse and pulled out the Marauder's Map.
All I saw was...
The Marauder's Map shows small black dots representing wizards in the school, including the headmaster's office, where the only black dot is very conspicuous.
Aberforth Dumbledore.