Hogwarts: Voldemort, don't stop me from studying

Chapter 984 Divination
Upon hearing the unexpected answer, Antoine was slightly taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up:

"Right, I almost forgot, you seem to be good at this... Why didn't you use it from the beginning? Wouldn't that have been more direct?"

“I don’t like relying on divination,” Wade said, shaking his head. “The information it provides is always full of metaphors, the content is often vague, there are multiple interpretations, and it is easy to be disturbed and misled.”

Even in the magical world, there are many stories about prophecies. The most typical example is that people who want to use prophecies to control their fate end up stepping into the traps of fate with every step they take. All their actions after learning about the prophecy are the direct cause of the disastrous consequences.

Or perhaps the prophet himself was cursed, paying a heavy price to obtain the prophecy, and tragically becoming a victim in the story.

Therefore, Antoine nodded thoughtfully and said understandingly, "So, by comparison, you trust your own alchemy more. It sees what it sees, it doesn't hide anything, and it certainly won't deceive you."

"Correct."

Wade changed the subject, saying, "But now, we've identified specific targets, and even obtained their blood and personal belongings. By using divination to pinpoint their location, the results will be much more targeted—at least much better than blindly stumbling around like a headless fly."

"Should I prepare some tea for you?" Antoine patted a small leather bag he carried with him and said, "Perfect, I have a can of Danon black tea, a German brand, it tastes very authentic, you should like it."

As he spoke, he reached half his arm into his bag and rummaged around, seemingly preparing to pull out the tea canister right there.

Wade quickly stopped him: "No need. The imagery of tea divination is too vague; a crystal ball is more suitable."

He glanced at the noisy street and the darkening sky outside the bathroom window and said, "Right now... I just need a quiet place."

……

White sage, cedar, and lavender were bundled together, turning a dazzling golden-red in the flames before turning to ash.

Wisps of bluish-white smoke rose straight up and then dispersed, filling the air with a sweet scent reminiscent of a blend of citrus and sandalwood, evoking images of ancient trees and sun-kissed meadows.

On the table were written ancient, bright red runes, the characters forming a mysterious circular pattern. A small bottle of blood, a chairman's badge, and a metal button were placed at the apex of a triangle inside the circle.

Antoine held his breath, watching as Vader's hands were loosely clasped on either side of the crystal ball, his palms not touching the translucent sphere, but the milky white mist inside was slowly swirling and entangled.

Judging from his very serious and solemn expression, he had clearly discovered something.

Antoine quietly craned his neck to look at the crystal ball in Wade's palm.

The mist was like a small cloud gathered from the mountaintop, imprisoned in a glass cage, tumbling and rising... It evoked images of a wisp of smoke from a campfire in the wild, or the flickering candlelight under the dim lights of a tavern, or the process of milk being diluted in water...

Well, actually he didn't see anything at all.

If it were tea divination, Antoine felt he could at least concoct a few "prophecies" enough to fool the divination professor, but crystal ball divination?

All he could say was that the ball was perfectly round.

As Antoine watched Vader's slightly furrowed brow, he couldn't help but feel a little curious—what did the world look like in Vader's eyes?
……

Wade slowly adjusted his breathing, his mind sinking into the void within the crystal ball.

He always felt that "divination" was less about "seeing" and more about "inviting," a "dialogue" with some extremely mysterious force, and that as the other party accepted the invitation, a torrent of information would come crashing down.

At first, the inside of the sphere was just a pure white chaos, but as it gradually rotated, the mist seemed to be painted with different colors.

The light spots danced, various scenes overlapping, flashing, and disappearing at a dizzying speed, with fragmented images briefly lingering in the field of vision—

Countless flashing electronic billboards form a river of light, and crowds of people flow like black silhouettes propelled by the river, while a giant digital clock can be seen constantly turning.

The scene quietly shattered and then reformed. A yellow taxi sped past like lightning, followed by a sudden drop in visibility. The blurry tunnel walls rushed past, and the dim lights cast flowing streaks of light on the car windows.

Less than two seconds later, the scene shifts, and massive steel cables, like harps, slice through the gray sky. Bridge towers soar into the clouds, below which flows a black river, and in the distance, silhouettes of towering skyscrapers loom. The fog swirls, the scene changes, and two strangers hurry past on the street, their body language silently conveying their tense emotions.

In the blink of an eye, everything disappeared.

Wade took a step back abruptly, closed his eyes, felt his head buzzing, and felt a fine layer of sweat on his forehead.

Seeing his expression, Antoine didn't dare to urge him and quickly grabbed a bottle of water.

After a long while, Wade slowly opened his eyes, his face slightly pale.

He took a couple of sips of water before saying, "Times Square, the subway, the Brooklyn Bridge... they're back in New York."

Antoine raised an eyebrow and sneered, "You've got some nerve! You just escaped from Capitol Headquarters and now you dare to run back to New York. Aren't you afraid of being discovered by your old acquaintances?"

Wade put away the crystal ball and said, "Because everyone thinks the fugitives will definitely try their best to get away from the center of the incident, and may even flee abroad, they are going against the grain and can indeed gain a chance to catch their breath."

"Moreover, for those who are desperate, Muggles are the best shield. Aurors are constrained in crowds, but they have no such concerns."

Antoine frowned: "But instead of hiding far away at a time like this, do they intend to make a comeback? With Fontana's abilities, if he uses the door key to escape to Southeast Asia or Africa, who could find him?"

Then he remembered something: "Right, Derain seems to have said that Leila Picqueli must have a lot of people's secrets. Even though she's a fugitive now, as long as she uses those secrets to threaten people, some people will have no choice but to be used by her even if they're unwilling."

Wade nodded and said incisively, "To flee means to live under an assumed name and lose everything... Those who have had everything cannot bear such a huge drop in status."

"So they won't run away. Or rather, they'll struggle to the very last moment, even if there's only a sliver of hope."

“Fontana’s experience and ability are enough to ensure that they will not be killed, while the secret that Leila has will be their real ‘hard currency’ and the bond that will build a new alliance.”

He walked to the window, looked at the cars on the street and the neon lights gradually lighting up, and said:

"These two depend on and need each other, like companions stumbling on ice. They must hold on tightly to avoid falling into the abyss immediately; but they may also worry that the other will let go first, or push them down as a stepping stone."

"However, given a period of free development, it won't be long before they build a new network of interests, and it's not impossible for them to make a comeback."

Antoine frowned and said, "Even knowing that Mr. Grindelwald is in America?"

“No one is omnipotent,” Wade said. “Besides, Mr. Grindelwald failed once in America. What Serafina Picqueli can do, Leila Picqueli doesn’t think she absolutely can’t do.”

Antoine had already straightened up and was calling out to the remaining Mughal Party members, his face sharp with a predatory edge. He said decisively, "Then don't let them catch their breath for too long. I'll take men to New York now to make arrangements..."

"Not urgent."

Wade turned around, interrupting him, and said, "I need to make some arrangements first... This time, we can't give them any chance to escape. Otherwise, next time, even divination might not be able to find their location."

His gaze passed over the window frame and fell upon the street below, bathed in the darkness and lights.

Shop windows along the street were adorned with colorful ribbons woven with gold and silver, red and green holly wreaths, and adorable Santa Claus dolls.

The lampposts are adorned with twinkling lights, and occasionally parents with their children hurry by, carrying beautifully wrapped gift bags, their faces beaming with joy and anticipation.

Hogwarts will be on holiday soon.

He wanted to go home as soon as possible.

(End of this chapter)