Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 130 129: The truth of the cycle, brother and sister meet
Grindelwald may not have really deceived Dumbledore, but he must have deceived a little wizard who had a horrified face and looked at him as if he was looking at something dirty.

What a Grindelwald!

What secret way of communicating with Dumbledore? Dumbledore has just been notified. This is Dumbledore's school after all. It's all a lie just to keep the little wizard stable!

This first-generation man tells even less truth than Tom!

"No wonder he came to the girls' room to intercept me in the middle of the night! Turns out he wanted to capture me and take credit for it to Dumbledore!" Ian realized that he had been tricked by the current professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

He couldn't figure it out.

How can a person be so insidious and cunning!

"No, this is just to give our headmaster a chance to be redeemed." Grindelwald refuted Ian's statement, but his words could not hide the fact that he was seeking credit.

How can this not be an attempt to take credit?

Ian bet that if he gave Grindelwald a tail now, the tail would definitely wag very violently. Even the little bastards leading the imperial army would not be so attentive!
As Ian, who knew the past of the two and had seen that memory, the little wizard could guess the reason. After all, the two people parted ways starting with Ariana's death.

This may not only be Dumbledore's concern, but also a frustration that Grindelwald cannot let go of.

"Is what Gellert said... true?" When Albus Dumbledore heard the conversation between Ian and Grindelwald, his slightly swollen eyes suddenly became extremely surprised and uncertain.

"It's the Patronus Charm, Professor. I found a special way to release it." Ian said as he took out his wand. He had never seen the headmaster's eyes flicker so violently.

"I thought you had given me enough surprises...Mr. Prince." Albus Dumbledore's raised hand was trembling, causing his phoenix to be somewhat unstable on his arm.

So, naturally, Ian's head became a chicken coop again, or perhaps a phoenix nest. Come to think of it, Ian did not take out his phoenix egg and try to have Fox hatch it again.

"Why do I feel like there's some secret between you two that I don't know about?" Now it was Grindelwald's turn to be confused. His gaze switched back and forth between Ian and Albus Dumbledore.

His brows were already completely furrowed.

"It seems that you really have some big secrets that I am not aware of." Grindelwald spoke to Ian again in a surprised tone, thoughtfully.

"The Upside Down Golden Bell!"

Ian usually doesn't hold his anger in his heart. If he is angry, he knows to vent it on the spot. After being tricked by Grindelwald, the young wizard raised his wand and pointed it at the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Tsk tsk, not only do you have secrets, but you're getting bolder and bolder."

Although Grindelwald did not anticipate Ian's sudden attack, he still dodged Ian's magic in the first moment and made some comments to Ian in a teasing tone.

"If I say that I lost control of some of my behavior because I was mentally stimulated too much tonight, can you choose to forgive my sudden convulsion, Professor?"

Ian looked like he was admitting his mistake immediately.

However, although he had put down his wand and was reflecting on himself with his head down, his eyes, which were looking at the ground, reflected the scene behind Grindelwald - the magic beam that Grindelwald had dodged turned silently and continued to aim at Grindelwald's back when it was about to hit the wall.

In order to reduce movement and sound, the flying speed of magic is as fast as a lurking assassin. Avatar Lightning Chain may not have been developed yet, but Ian has figured out many techniques during the research process, such as the ricocheting killing curse and the turning magic.

"That's a good trick."

Grindelwald was obviously not a wizard who was so easy to trick. Although he was extremely quiet, he didn't know how he noticed the abnormality behind him. He turned around suddenly and tried to raise his wand to destroy Ian's magic.

however.

Just as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's wand began to light up and he was calmly dealing with magic, something unexpected happened that neither Ian nor he had expected.

"I think we shouldn't bother with children so much."

Grindelwald's hand was pressed down by the other hand next to him, and the timing of that hand's sudden rise was just right, which meant that Grindelwald, who had perfect timing, was immediately hit by magic.

next second.

Ian's achievement of defeating the Dark Lord happened without any warning here at the First Generation. Even he himself felt it was unexpected, and his expression was quite dreamy and unbelievable.

Of course, Grindelwald was even more unbelievable. His heels seemed to be pulled violently by some force, and he was hung upside down in the air in a rather embarrassing manner, with his robes hanging down in a mess.

"Albus, you...well, I should have expected it." Grindelwald kicked his legs hard in the air. The old headmaster lying on the ground in his sight had a smiling expression on his face.

"This should be enough to vent your anger." Albus Dumbledore looked at the little wizard not far away, "You should forgive our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for being irritating sometimes."

He could probably guess what happened between Grindelwald and Ian from their previous conversation.

"I think so too."

Ian had already taken out his camera, but when he was about to take a picture, he realized that this could only prove that he had defeated Gilderoy Lockhart but not that he had defeated the Dark Lord.

The capital he could use to brag suddenly became a lot weaker. Who would want to listen to his story about defeating a famous writer? This was not an achievement great enough to make the little wizards cheer for him.

There's no guarantee that he'll be secretly hated by some of Lockhart's diehard fans.

"The golden bell fell to the ground."

Ian sighed and put down the camera. He certainly didn't dare to keep Grindelwald hanging upside down. Smart people knew that Grindelwald kept hanging upside down to give face to Dumbledore.

The other person still held the wand in his hand and never let it go.

"It doesn't count this time. We'll try again next time when you have no helpers." Grindelwald landed steadily. He first spoke to Ian with a pout.

Then he straightened his messy robes and glanced at Dumbledore with an annoyed look, "You should know that I am the one who informed you of the secrets hidden by this little guy, right?"

The current professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts sounded quite indignant.

"But you are not the one who holds this secret. I was planning to go find Headmaster Dumbledore." Ian's words left Grindelwald speechless for a moment.

The old principal remained silent.

sometimes.

Silence actually also represents consent.

"Show him! Show him!" Grindelwald urged Ian. His expression looked quite dissatisfied, and it was not because of Ian's sneak attack.

Just as Ian was about to cast a spell.

"I think the child doesn't want you to be there. After all, it would bring back some not-so-nice memories." Albus Dumbledore interrupted Ian.

His eyes turned to his old friend.

"Well, well, Dumbledore family!"

Grindelwald found that he might as well not inform Dumbledore.

It was really hard to see the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor so angry, and I was afraid that his followers, the saints, had never seen him so emotional.

"Albus is indeed ruthless and cruel. Damn it, I didn't cast that spell." While cursing, Grindelwald walked towards the bathroom door.

"Professor! The underground palace! The matter of the underground palace has not been dealt with yet!" Ian didn't want to watch Grindelwald leave. After all, only this man could pry open Ronnie Erich's mouth.

"What underground palace?"

Albus Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly. As expected, he had received Grindelwald's message long before Ian mentioned the Hogwarts Underground Palace to Grindelwald.

"Right down here, I found one..." Ian repeated what he had said to Grindelwald. Albus Dumbledore's expression became more and more solemn as he listened.

Just when Ian was about to talk about the time loop.

The old principal spoke first.

"So that's how it is. Is this the source of what's wrong with you?" Albus Dumbledore seemed to have figured something out and looked at Ian with a slightly surprised look.

"Tell me honestly, kid, how many cycles have you been through?" Albus Dumbledore shocked Ian again, making the young wizard realize that there was a reason why some people thought this old man knew everything.

"I think this should be the first cycle?" In fact, Ian didn't know if he could really do the cycle. He found that the principal in front of him looked even more confident than himself.

"Time is invisible and intangible, but it leaves traces. The smell that you don't belong to this time is too strong." Grindelwald, who came back, solved Ian's doubts.

It also made Ian understand why the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor did not show any surprise or shock on his face after listening to his outrageous speech. After all, they were the two greatest wizards of this century, and some things were difficult to escape their eyes.

Thinking back carefully to Grindelwald’s previous remarks about “I don’t believe it, you have to prove it to me”, it seems more like this first-generation leader is just stalling for time and waiting for the old principal to come back.

of course.

By the way, the feeling of teasing Ian becomes more and more obvious the more he tastes it.

"..."

Ian realized it later.

I finally understood what it means that only people with poor acting skills go to Hollywood.

"Actually, I thought you just got a time converter, but I didn't expect your experience would be so interesting." Grindelwald's words did not comfort Ian.

"This is not just about time travel, Gellert." Albus Dumbledore checked the back of Ian's raised hand. His research on time may indeed be more extensive than Grindelwald's.

"What do you mean?"

Grindelwald walked forward, his tone slightly surprised.

"I don't think there is a second Ian Prince in our school now." The old headmaster raised the old wand that originally belonged to Grindelwald.

As he waved his hand, a map more detailed than Ian's Marauder's Map appeared in front of the three people. The map woven of light and shadow contained not only the names of all the little wizards.

Even above Quirrell's name was Tom Riddle's name, as if the two names were overlapped together. If one didn't know, one might think they were engaging in a fierce forbidden fruit tasting sport.

"I want to learn this magic! Professor."

Ian watched in amazement.

"Of course, you will have this magic in the future." The old principal turned his head and looked at Ian with a very gentle look, and there was a sense of deep meaning in his calm tone.

"Indeed not... However, it is not impossible for the consciousness of the future to return to its past body." Perhaps Grindelwald was the only one who was carefully looking at the map and thinking about the problem.

His words were recognized by Albus Dumbledore, but after nodding, the old headmaster continued to speak as if reminding Ian or seeking confirmation.

"But this is obviously not the case with our Mr. Prince. His thoughts, like himself, do not belong to our time or our space."

Albus Dumbledore's voice was filled with certainty.

Grindelwald heard this.

He immediately looked at Ian in surprise.

"It's hard for me to imagine that you could be so keen on noticing so many things without checking my memory." In fact, Ian had actually discovered this unusual thing a long time ago.

When he took out the Marauder's Map in the corridor, Ian also made sure that there was no second self in the school. In addition to the ring given to Ariana, everything he made and obtained after that day in his own time was still in his purse.

This is obviously an extremely unusual situation that goes against the concept of time loops and time travel.

"As for your height, kid, I have to say, you are growing very fast." Albus Dumbledore smiled gently and stated the basic basis for his judgment as a famous detective.

Just when Ian was about to ask what was happening to him.

"If that's the case..." Grindelwald seemed to remember something. He raised his wand impatiently and just tapped the sink in front of him.

"Bang~"

The wash basin was blown apart by his magic, shattering the pipes inside it. In the gushing water, the secret passage that Ian had entered before appeared in front of the three people.

"Forehead……"

Ian was a little reluctant to comment on this act of vandalism. He felt that Grindelwald was taking advantage of the situation, so he looked at Albus Dumbledore with a look that said "look at him".

"It's understandable that our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has realized a problem that he cannot accept." Albus Dumbledore smiled as he watched Grindelwald enter.

"Let's go in too, to see our resurrected Professor Ronnie Ehrlich." Albus Dumbledore led Ian into the secret passage. He turned around and used magic to repair the damaged entrance to the secret passage, which was like a favor to his old friend.

"You lead the way?"

Albus Dumbledore looked at the winding downward passage ahead.

Grindelwald had disappeared.

"Okay, okay." Ian felt a little confused. He couldn't imagine what in his time loop experience would be something that Gellert Grindelwald could not accept.

Just as Ian lit his wand, Dumbledore took out a small box. After opening it, the light sources inside automatically floated out and hung on the wall.

"Deluminator?"

Ian was amazed.

"No, this was originally my latest creation and was intended to be your Christmas present." Albus Dumbledore smiled and winked at Ian.

He was obviously well aware of Ian's habit of night wandering.

Everything is unrevealed.

"Oh! But I don't know how long it will take me to reach my own Christmas." Ian could tell that the props in Albus Dumbledore's hands seemed simple in function, but the manufacturing principles behind them were quite advanced. This also showed that Albus Dumbledore's attainments in alchemy were indeed extraordinary.

"Don't worry, we'll help you."

Albus Dumbledore's words seemed to have a soothing effect. As the two walked down the winding staircase, new lights appeared on the wall one after another.

They all come from the small box in Dumbledore's hand. They will gradually dim and disappear after a period of time, which saves the trouble of recycling the light source.

Albus Dumbledore said that he was following Ian, and indeed he kept this pace, and under Ian's leadership, he kept getting closer and closer to the ancient and mysterious underground palace.

"There are indeed many secrets of Hogwarts that I have not touched or known." Albus Dumbledore's eyes would occasionally fall on the forks between the stairs.

They obviously lead to other places, but Ian has not explored them yet. As the person with the highest authority in Hogwarts, the old headmaster can only determine the direction where most of the secret passages may lead.

"I heard that when Hogwarts was first founded, it was not just used as a school." Ian also paid attention to the different forks in the road along the way.

"Yes. The living environment of wizards in that era was extremely harsh. As a refuge for wizards, this place naturally has to consider more than just how to teach students and impart knowledge."

Albus Dumbledore agreed with Ian.

"In fact, there are stories behind the existence of many secret passages. And in my opinion, the Big Four are always prepared for a large-scale attack on Hogwarts."

He also shared his thoughts on the design of Hogwarts Castle.

"War fortress?"

Ian thought thoughtfully.

Albus Dumbledore did not comment, did not give a definite response or correction. The two continued to walk down, and the air gradually became a little stale.

"Hiss, he runs so fast." Ian didn't need to take care of Albus Dumbledore's legs and feet, because the centenarian professor was actually in his prime and had good physical strength and flexible hands and feet.

however.

Even though they were rushing downwards at a "thump, thump" speed, the two men still didn't even see Grindelwald's back. That downward speed was so fast that they could be called the God of Driving in Hogwarts.

"He is very anxious to verify something. It is definitely not like us walking with our legs." Albus Dumbledore is quite familiar with his old friend's style of doing things.

"He can also turn into black smoke?"

Just as Ian was thinking about how to repair his relationship with Grindelwald and learn Grindelwald's method, the two of them had already arrived in front of the underground corridor.

And right now.

In the unknown underground palace of Hogwarts, the candles changed from blue to deep red and flashed again for a moment, as if some force was gently sweeping the surroundings without anyone being able to perceive it.

There was indeed a flash of blue.

But it only lasted for a moment.

Then it turned into a strange deep red color again.

"Hiss, what is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor doing in there!" Ian trotted towards the underground palace where he had skipped class, and Albus Dumbledore, who followed closely behind him, was obviously shocked by the dragon skeleton in the underground palace.

"This is truly indescribable wonder!" The dragon's skeleton was reflected in Albus Dumbledore's eyes, and the emotions in his eyes were not just shock and surprise.

And... a fleeting sense of regret.

"Just let it stay here. Its owner agrees to let me use it." Ian was not worried that Dumbledore would snatch the skeleton. He was worried that Dumbledore would give the dragon skeleton to Snape for safekeeping.

The little wizard dared to bet.

This dragon skeleton seems huge, but once it is in Snape's hands, it is absolutely unknown how much he can get back. It is possible that Snape will resign overnight and run away with the skeleton.

"Of course no problem."

Albus Dumbledore withdrew his complicated gaze. He and Ian both looked at Professor Ronnie Ehrlich, who was crawling in front of Grindelwald, among the dragon skeletons.

"I told you I'd find someone you can trust." Ian stepped forward and realized that Professor Ronnie Ehrlich was looking at him and Albus Dumbledore with astonishment.

of course.

Mainly watching Dumbledore.

"Sir! Him! Why is he here too!" Professor Ronnie Erich seemed a little frightened and wanted to stand up from the ground, but was pressed to the ground again by Grindelwald.

"Ronnie, don't be nervous. You will know the reason eventually...if there is still a chance." Grindelwald's expression was also complicated at this time. His words comforted the nervous Ronnie Erich. The saint just kept looking up at Albus Dumbledore but did not ask any more questions.

"Professor, have you found the reason for his abnormality?" Ian really wanted to know why Ronnie Erich could only live within the range of candlelight.

"There are some clues."

Grindelwald took a deep look at the saint in front of him, then turned to look at Albus Dumbledore, "Albus, it seems that what you said is indeed correct."

talking.

He pulled open the robe that Ronnie Erich was wearing while he was lying on the ground, and saw that on his back, there were a large area of ​​extremely strange patterns. They were connected together to form a concrete pattern that almost occupied most of Ronnie Erich's back.

Albus Dumbledore walked forward and stroked it gently.

"what is this?"

Ian also came closer to Ronnie Erich.

"Little wizard, you are right. I should be dead." Ronnie Erich lay on the ground and sighed. His tone was full of melancholy and heaviness.

"I've told you all this, but you don't believe me. It's Grindelwald... Professor who has to take action." Ian added a respectful title. He was afraid that if he didn't show enough respect to Grindelwald, Ronnie Erich would suddenly get up and scratch his young face.

"I have a feeling, little guy, that you are definitely responsible for my being reduced to this state." Ronnie Erich said calmly, but his eyes were somewhat resentful.

"Professor, you have a foul mouth."

Ian looked away feeling somewhat guilty.

"But it doesn't matter. Compared to dying in confusion, it's good to know some truth now." Ronnie Erich didn't seem to be afraid of death.

He tilted his head to look at Grindelwald and Dumbledore who were studying his back. The two of them getting along peacefully still made the saint feel incredible.

"Here is the Eye of Horus." Grindelwald pointed to a corner of the intricate pattern, where a pattern resembling an eye could be seen hidden.

"Eye of Horus?" Ian's curiosity was aroused. "Isn't this part of ancient alchemy? It has extremely important symbolic significance in history."

Ian didn't know much about what Grindelwald mentioned, because his ancient alchemy was inherited from Morgan, and the Eye of Horus was more used in an era older than Morgan.

The Eye of Horus, also known as the Eye of Ugarte, is said to be the eye of the eagle-headed god Horus, representing the protection of gods and supreme monarchy. At the same time, the Eye of Horus also symbolizes sacrifice, healing, recovery and protection, and belongs to a magical field different from that of the European continent.

"The method is very ancient. In the traditional sense, it may be the basis for the resurrection of Professor Ronnie Ehrlich." Albus Dumbledore said softly.

indeed.

The ancient Egyptians also believed that the Eye of Horus could play a role in their resurrection and rebirth. In the wizarding world, it is also a ritual medium for wizards to study immortality or resurrection.

"Is this thing really useful?" Ian had some knowledge of alchemy, but he obviously didn't expect that the Eye of Horus could actually work.

He thought that this thing was just empty talk like other methods of trying to resurrect the dead. After all, no matter where people are from or whether they are wizards or not, they all desire the power to control life and death.

however.

all the time.

No one succeeded.

"The facts are right before our eyes." Albus Dumbledore shifted his gaze to Ronnie Ehrlich himself. He had personally examined the professor's body and the process of his death.

"Why didn't Voldemort think of this method?" Ian continued curiously. After all, according to Tom Riddle's character, it was impossible for him not to learn and collect really useful things.

"Such a ritual has not been passed down completely. In fact, even I think it has never been truly successful. The only few cases in history that have resurrected the living dead are just the living dead." Albus Dumbledore's low voice was still steady, "Riddle doesn't just want to be a living dead."

His answer gave Ian some insight.

Perhaps Voldemort, who had no nose, had never believed in foreign magic from the bottom of his heart? Of course, it must have something to do with the lack of successful cases, otherwise Tom Riddle would have been crazy about it.

"You have overlooked the most crucial point, Albus." Grindelwald raised his head and looked at Ian, with a slight gleam in his eyes.

"Some magic requires qualifications to be used, child. Even if you tell your Dark Lord about this ritual in its entirety, he does not have the qualifications to make it successful."

Grindelwald's tone was filled with disdain and contempt for Tom Riddle.

Done.

He pointed to a corner of Ronnie Erich's back and said, "Here, Albus, this is the key, and it is also one of the evidences to verify what you said before."

"It represents the interception of destiny..."

Grindelwald hadn't finished speaking yet.

Albus Dumbledore raised his hand to interrupt him, and then said to Ian in an irrefutable tone, "Mr. Prince, could you please go to my office and wait for me?"

It seemed like he didn't want Ian to stay here any longer.

"what?"

Ian felt that if he was not here, he might not be able to solve the problem on his body. He looked at Dumbledore who suddenly spoke and Grindelwald who seemed a little speechless with some confusion.

"I will explain everything to you later. Believe me, what may happen next is not suitable for a little wizard of your age to watch closely."

"It will damage your mind."

Albus Dumbledore's tone was soft and gentle.

"He knows how to cast the Killing Curse in his first year, and he can cast it silently. Do you think he still has any sanity?" Ronnie Erich, who was lying on the ground, couldn't hold back any longer and spoke to Dumbledore.

He sounded indignant.

This habit of complaining was probably learned from Grindelwald, or maybe he was really unhappy with Ian. After all, in his opinion, his behavior was all related to Ian.

Maybe, what I thought was right.

"Besides this question, we should have another conversation. I think my office is the best place to go. If you can, I hope you can help me clean the room."

Albus Dumbledore seemed not to hear Ronnie Ehrlich's words. He was right next to him, but he acted as if he was deaf to them and just continued to instruct and ask Ian for help.

"Ok."

Seeing the old principal's determined gaze, Ian could only turn around and walk towards the stairs with a little reluctance - he had gone up and down the stairs so much that he must have lost at least a pound of weight today.

Watching Ian's figure disappear in the corridor outside the underground palace.

"You don't have to. I won't hurt her, Albus."

Grindelwald then spoke to Albus Dumbledore helplessly.

"It's safer this way, just in case. After all, your reaction just now was quite significant." Albus Dumbledore put a smile on his face again.

"On your side, he may be the future that allows you to embrace family affection again, but on my side, he is a greater prospect, so you are not the only one who is willing to sacrifice for it."

Grindelwald's tone was more serious than ever.

Albus Dumbledore has not responded yet.

"So, I guessed right, right, sir?" Ronnie Erich, who was lying on the ground, heard the conversation between the two people and finally verified the guess in his mind.

"The little wizard just now is the reason why you asked me to come here." He seemed to be someone who finally found the answer to his confusion, and his tone was somewhat relieved.

"Ronnie, Albus and I won't really die, but you will really die, or rather, you have already sacrificed yourself." Grindelwald responded softly with a little sadness.

"It doesn't matter, sir. Now that you know the answer, it's worth it." Ronnie Erich smiled happily and looked at Grindelwald and Dumbledore again.

"For the greater good."

His tone was resolute, without any fear.

"You've already tried to kill him here once." Albus Dumbledore frowned and looked at Grindelwald. He read some information from Ronnie Erich's expression that he had not witnessed.

While he and Ian were still on their way, a bloody verification took place here.

"Like Ronnie said, Albus, this is for the little wizard to be able to return to where he should be and do the things he must do."

Grindelwald sighed and stood up.

Seeing Albus Dumbledore's serious expression.

"How can you blame me for this being a trick your founder came up with? You, Ronnie, and Ian were all dragged into this game by that guy."

His eyes turned to the huge stone statue on the wall.

"Your description is quite apt."

Albus Dumbledore also looked over. The huge stone statue, which looked like a thinker, was shining with an evil luster. He had no way of figuring out why the founder a thousand years ago would create such a mystery.

but.

One thing was certain, he and Grindelwald were both very sure that Salazar Slytherin must be an extraordinary person to be able to create such a game.

"This actually made me figure out some things about Ronnie's death that I couldn't predict." The black robe of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor fluttered slightly in the draft.

He looked back.

There was a clarity in his eyes, as if he had seen through the mystery.

"The intervention of Salazar Slytherin, who lived a thousand years ago..." When it comes to the field of prophecy, Albus Dumbledore obviously doesn't understand anything as well as Grindelwald.

Both have a point where they are more knowledgeable than the other.

"No, no, no, not Salazar Slytherin from a thousand years ago."

Grindelwald spoke in a brisk tone, and despite being eager to try and full of excitement, he did not seem nervous at all. He was completely different from Dumbledore, whose expression became increasingly solemn.

"What do you mean?"

Dumbledore had a bad feeling in his heart.

"It means you must not let down your guard and be more serious. After all, my friend, the guy we are going to challenge together now is the real miracle that is impossible to happen."

"A thousand-year-old legend who is still alive."

In the underground palace.

Grindelwald's voice echoed softly.

With a bit of sigh.

There is also undisguised excitement.

……

The pendulum of time is swinging.

After leaving the underground palace, Ian wondered what the two old men had discovered.

"It must be related to you. Aren't you just in a time loop?" Ian raised his hand and looked at the curse mark on the back of his hand. He spoke suddenly, as if thinking about something.

"The seal that hides the power of time, show me your true power. Prince, who made a promise with you, orders you to lift the seal!"

Ok.

Nothing happened.

Feeling disappointed, Ian walked all the way to the eighth floor.

Since he did not get Dumbledore's order, Ian could only continue kicking the monster statue a few more times. Fortunately, the monster statue jumped up immediately and allowed him to walk into the principal's office.

“It’s really messy.”

Ian looked around the room, which seemed even more messy than the previous times he had been here. Fox, who had been above his head, immediately flew away from the temporary nest above Ian's head when he saw his golden branch.

"You don't love me anymore."

Ian plucked a few phoenix feathers, and Fox continued to shake his long tail feathers. He looked at him with a friendly look, and did not seem angry or annoyed at having his feathers plucked.

then.

Ian grabbed some more fiercely.

“Clang clang clang!”

Fox realized something was wrong and flapped his wings away from Ian. He flew to the chandelier above his head and refused to come down. Even when Ian took out a potion to try to lure him away, he remained unmoved.

"You have great determination."

Ian raised a handful of phoenix feathers in his hand with some emotion. He couldn't understand what the phoenix above his head was saying, but the continuous "clang clang clang!" sounds didn't sound like anything good.

Perhaps it was the interaction between Ian and Phoenix that disturbed the non-humans who were sleeping in the office.

"Oh, why are you here, you annoying guy!" The Sorting Hat, which was woken up from its nap, let out a very loud exclamation the first time it saw Ian.

"La la la~"

Ian showed the Sorting Hat, which spoke without thinking and failed to manage its language, his recent learning success. He no longer needed a sink to give the Sorting Hat a bath.

"You evil little wizard! Dumbledore! Where is Dumbledore!" The Sorting Hat floated in the air and was swept into by several streams of water and continued to spin.

"Dumbledore is having a spooky party in the dungeons."

The young wizard remained unmoved.

“Can you feel my progress?”

Ian increased the release of the water flow and the speed of its circling on the Sorting Hat. The Sorting Hat was bubbling in the water, as if an invisible washing machine had appeared out of thin air and was operating.

"Yes! Of course! I was wrong! Uncle Prince! Please spare me!" The Sorting Hat didn't dare to say no. After being tossed around for a while, it was moved back to its original position wetly.

"Really, when you enter school, you better stop praising Merlin. They should praise me because I am the one who is protecting the hygiene and health of the campus!"

There may be some suspicion of Ian bragging in these words, but objectively speaking, they may not be untrue. The Sorting Hat is much cleaner now than it was at the beginning.

"You see, the cleaning of the principal's office has been outsourced to me." Ian began to tidy up the room, waving his wand and putting the messy books back in their original places.

have to say.

Dumbledore's collection of books is really very rich. In addition to various highly professional books, there are also many magazines and periodicals, most of which publish a large number of Dumbledore's articles.

Even in magazines published in recent years, the number of submissions from Dumbledore has increased rather than decreased. It is hard to imagine that Ian can easily find Dumbledore's innovative research on magic by flipping through the magazine.

The value of these journals is almost equivalent to the SCI in the Muggle world. Ordinary wizards might be proud to publish one article in their lifetime, but Dumbledore seems to be shipping these journals in bulk.

"Old Dumbledore holds up half of the wizarding academic world." From these magazines and journals, Ian once again felt that Dumbledore's greatness was definitely not limited to his powerful magical abilities.

This contribution to the development of the wizarding world is definitely one of the reasons why he is praised.

"Yeah, that's why the old principal is so rich." Ian looked at the dazzling array of precious collections in the office. If he didn't have the habit of stealing, he probably wouldn't have been able to resist taking some.

"It's also because my skin color is wrong. Although Michael's skin color is correct, he obviously doesn't understand the meaning of black skin to him." Ian touched an ornament made of pure gold.

I continued the cleaning work using magic.

There were some leftover food at Dumbledore's bedside, which he had packed into a small bag. It was also a space bag he made, and it contained some leftovers.

Ian is thrifty by nature and doesn't want to waste anything, so he decided to give it to Ron for free next year so that Ron will never have to worry about Banban's diet again.

"My juniors are lucky to have a senior like me." Ian cleaned the office noisily, and he even did not forget to polish and wax the portraits on the wall.

This also disturbed the principals who were closing their eyes, either sleeping or pretending to sleep.

"What is he doing?"

"Looks like cleaning out Dumbledore's office."

"Is this little guy ready to move in? Isn't it a little too early?"

"I knew Dumbledore was unreliable! He must have been locked up in Azkaban! Otherwise, this little guy wouldn't have been able to take over the headmaster's office."

"Obviously there is Mag..."

"McGonagall must have been locked up too! All Gryffindors should be locked up in Azkaban! Except for us Slytherins! Whoever becomes the headmaster should be locked up in Azkaban!"

……

In the end, the headmaster kept making deafening roars. He was definitely talking nonsense. Ian had already been tricked by Slytherin, but he dared to proclaim the supremacy of Slytherin in front of Ian.

"Principal, do you want to get a zombie maid in your portrait as a gift for Christmas?" Ian took out the sketch he had created in class before.

How the content is not evaluated.

In short, the principals on the wall scattered like birds and beasts when they saw this, but the principal to whom he had sold the zombie maid turned green in the face and escaped from his own frame a few points faster than the other principals.

No one wants to run late.

If it's too late, I'm afraid that I'll be drawn as a zombie maid - after all, she's a first-grade wizard, and wizards of this age can do anything except OWLS test questions.

"Portraits without artistic bacteria..." Ian put away his masterpiece in boredom, and then just when he was bored and was about to wax Dumbledore's bench.

"Click~"

The door of the office slowly opened, and Albus Dumbledore walked in with a tired look on his face. Before Ian could put away his waxing tools, he asked what was going on.

The Sorting Hat, which had been playing dead, jumped up from its chair.

"Dumbledore! You are finally back! It is this little wizard! He did all kinds of evil in your office and tortured me and the other principals to death!"

It knows how to complain.

The words were harsh and the tone was sad and angry.

"He didn't, don't talk nonsense."

"Yeah, the Sorting Hat might be confused."

“Will we still see it next year?”

……

however.

Although the Sorting Hat raised the banner of the headmasters, the headmasters did not stand on the same front with it. After all, they were all people who had lived and had high IQs.

Not like the Sorting Hat.

He is stubborn and is not afraid of being punished later.

"Okay, stop it." Albus Dumbledore was obviously worried. He grabbed the wet Sorting Hat and stuffed it directly into the cabinet.

Ian noticed that there were a lot of blood stains on the back of the old headmaster's robe.

"Hiss, what did you and our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor do in the underground palace?" Ian's mind was full of thoughts. He could sense that Professor Ronnie Erich's fate would not be good.

"Ronnie Erich is still alive."

After closing the cabinet, the old headmaster turned to look at Ian, "This is the crux of the problem. He seems to have an immortal body. No matter how he died, it can't affect his resurrection again."

Such remarks really made Ian feel terrified. The young wizard seemed to be able to imagine that the two old men had tried many ways to kill Ronnie Erich in the underground palace.

This is really evil!
"So, what does this mean?" Ian didn't dare to use his imagination too much. What he was most concerned about at the moment was whether the two extraordinary wizards had found any useful information.

"This means that he is not truly alive. His current state of 'alive' is not real." Albus Dumbledore stood in front of the cabinet and did not beat around the bush.

He started explaining to the young wizard, "Ronnie Erich's memory stopped at the time when he just received the letter from our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Of course, the letter he received was forged, but this is not important for now. Let's just talk about the time point when his memory last stopped."

"At this time, Ronnie Erich had not been attacked, nor had he died. It was at this moment that he was taken to the underground palace of Hogwarts."

Ian did not fully understand what Albus Dumbledore said.

"But we saw his body?"

Ian frowned. Not only that, when he first entered the mysterious underground palace, he didn't see Ronnie Erich hiding inside.

Albus Dumbledore nodded and continued to explain, "Yes, the body we saw was the real Ronnie Erich."

His increasingly confusing answers almost made the little wizard's eyes turn into dotted lines.

"What is he in the underground palace? A replica? A clone?" Ian could only use his imagination as much as possible to draw some connection between the weird Ronnie Erich and biological alchemy.

"It is an intercepted destiny, child. It will have neither a past nor a future. It is neither alive nor dead. When Ronnie Erich read the letter, what was taken away from him was not himself, but a destiny attached to him." Albus Dumbledore sighed softly.

He walked back to his long table, made tea, and took out three cups.

"Is this the reason why Ronnie Erich can't walk out of the underground palace? He is not a real person and can only continue to exist under certain specific circumstances?"

Ian widened his eyes in astonishment. He felt that Dumbledore's words made him shudder, just like the feeling of having his soul harvested away without anyone noticing in those weird stories.

"I think you must have checked his memory. His memory shows the diverse possibilities of fate. Countless possibilities converge and collapse on Ronnie Erich who we see now." Albus Dumbledore obviously also checked the memory of the poor saint and found traces of Ian's magic in it.

"Why would Salazar Slytherin do such a thing? What was his purpose?" Ian scratched his head. He really couldn't figure out what the founder's intention was.

"Perhaps he is showing off his achievements. After all, he has stepped into the realm of God. Or maybe he is conducting some kind of experiment he wants to do. We are all his experimental subjects."

"Of course, this is just the opinion of our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"I still have enough respect for our founder. He may want to teach you something in this way." Albus Dumbledore's tone was uncertain.

This great white wizard is indeed not omniscient and omnipotent.

"Professor Ronnie Erich's situation doesn't seem to have any special connection with what I'm experiencing?" Ian raised his hand and looked at the curse rune on the back of his hand again.

The Ouroboros' mark was still sensitive and kept flashing, like breathing.

"No, your experience is deeply connected to his. Or, it is because of Ronnie Erich's existence that you and I are talking here at this moment."

Albus Dumbledore walked to the sink, turned on the faucet to wash his face, and used magic to clean the blood stains on the back of his robe.

"Ian, can you tell me what you did after watching the quarrel between Aberforth and I?" Albus Dumbledore's sudden question made Ian a little embarrassed.

It feels embarrassing, as if one is caught eating melon by the person who owns it.

"I saw the fight between the Weasley brothers and Peeves, as well as the conflict between Quirrell and Professor Snape. Then I was caught by Professor Snape and became a cleaner."

"It was because of Professor Snape's malice that I accidentally entered the underground palace. After leaving the underground palace, I found this mark on my hand."

"I didn't pay much attention to it at the time and continued to clean the toilet. It was not until the morning that I learned from the knocker on the door of our Ravenclaw common room that this was Slytherin's."

"It said that I was chosen by Slytherin and it also told me that Slytherin has been studying some advanced magic." Ian recounted his entire experience in detail.

of course.

There are some exaggerations, but it does not affect the description of the event.

"What a mistake?"

After wiping his face, Albus Dumbledore turned to look at Ian with a very intriguing look, but he did not delve into the issue further.

"I will go find your door knocker to find out what's going on. What it said is correct. This is indeed a kind of advanced magic, a realm that should not be touched by us wizards."

Albus Dumbledore's tone was filled with emotion.

"I think you're talking about more than just the time loop?" Ian looked at Dumbledore who was starting to fix his hair. This was the first time Dumbledore paid so much attention to his appearance.

"That's right, Mr. Prince, very sharp insight." Albus Dumbledore walked back to the hall, sat down at his desk and put his glasses back on.

"Like I said just now, our meeting at this moment is not something that should happen. It is also just a possibility of fate."

Albus Dumbledore was calm and powerful.

The sound is not too loud.

But it caused huge waves in Ian's heart.

"You mean..."

Ian guessed what Albus Dumbledore wanted to express, but he found it hard to believe what he was thinking. This was even more incredible than the time loop.

"Yes, kid, it's just what you think. Professor Ronnie Erich's situation is the same as the situation of all of us except you at this moment."

Albus Dumbledore's voice was still steady. "Not only is he a part of a destiny that was cut out, but everything you are experiencing now is also a part of a destiny that was cut out."

"Of course, we are better than Professor Ronnie Erich. We are possibilities that have never happened, while Professor Ronnie Erich is the combination of all the possibilities that he has already exhausted."

"He exists as the foundation for maintaining this... secret realm. We don't know how this magic works, but he must be the key to your escape and return to the predetermined future." Albus Dumbledore calmly stated the fact that he should not be able to accept.

"This is a bit too outrageous!"

Ian couldn't imagine how detached from cognition this kind of magic was. He raised his hand and looked at the curse mark on the back of his hand. "So I'm not actually experiencing a time loop?"

The little wizard's doubts made Albus Dumbledore shake his head.

"It's fate, but also time."

"You do experience time loops, but what you experience is not the past for you, but just the possibilities that were not anchored in the right time."

"It has a limit. Judging from the Christmas you keep talking about, it is exactly forty-nine days away from today. Our founder has gathered the fate that has not happened in forty-nine days."

"So, if you want to break the impasse, in my opinion, you need to let the right time flow again. Our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor believes that we still need to find a way to truly kill Professor Ronnie Erich. If we destroy the core of this secret realm, the secret realm will naturally collapse."

Every time Albus Dumbledore opened his mouth at this time, it would deeply shock Ian's trembling heart, but he was as calm as ever, although his emotions should have been more intense.

The same is true of Grindelwald.

It is hard to imagine how two people in the underground palace are discussing how to kill everyone, including themselves - after all, if Ian breaks out, everything here will disappear, and all the cycles during this period will be as if they never happened.

In the mortal world.

Of course they are still them.

But here, they will all sink back into silence as the part that is not anchored by fate, that is, the so-called possibility abandoned by history.

"This is more terrible than simply playing with time... Headmaster Dumbledore, I am not questioning your judgment, but could it be that you have been fooled by Slytherin?"

Ian swallowed. He had never experienced anything like this in this life or in the previous one, let alone met ruthless people like Grindelwald and Dumbledore.

"You're right, child. What really makes me sure of this is what our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor told me about the scene he saw in the corridor." Albus Dumbledore poured tea into three cups, and a cloud of white steam rose from the hot black tea.

"I borrowed the principle of the Resurrection Stone, and then used the help of the Patronus Charm." At this time, Ian no longer cared about what Grindelwald said about keeping the secret from Dumbledore.

Moreover.

When his Patronus Charm was perfected, there was no need to keep this secret anymore.

"Ian, I believe you have talents and powers that we cannot imagine. However, even though I don't know your secrets, I still understand the world I have lived in for more than a hundred years."

"The distance between life and death is too great. Even if you use the Patronus Charm to help you, it would be too much of a stretch to carry a soul from the other side around in the corridor for so long."

"Your magic power is too weak. You can't last that long." Albus Dumbledore patiently answered Ian's doubts. He was probably one of the few people who could criticize Ian for his lack of magic power.

"Is this the evidence you are talking about?"

Ian seemed to realize something.

as predicted.

"That's right. Unless we are not in the real world right now, but somewhere very close to the side of death, you can do this so easily."

Albus Dumbledore's tone was light, as if he had made all the preparations. He looked at the elder wand faintly visible in Ian's robe.

Ian understood immediately.

"Call the gods to protect you!"

Warm and hazy, shining mist rose from the magic wand, and countless silver threads weaved in the air. At first, it was just a vague figure like a straw man.

only.

As Ian's magic power continued to flow in, the clarity of the figure began to improve, and the details of the face and body became increasingly full.

The atmosphere in the office was quite quiet.

Albus Dumbledore even held his breath. His expression no longer had the calmness and composure just now. The light that burst out from his eyes was brighter than ever before.

"How I wish I would never wake up from this dream."

Albus Dumbledore's lips and voice trembled violently.

When he saw the figure that was exactly the same as in his memory, as if time had left little trace on it, the old professor who had been talking so eloquently before burst into tears.

"Ian? It's been two days over here. Haven't you celebrated Christmas yet?" The first person the girl saw after opening her eyes was Ian, who was still digesting the information.

"So, there is no gift box for me to get into?" She looked around and saw Albus Dumbledore standing up excitedly, his lips trembling but unable to make any sound.

At the beginning.

The girl's expression was still a little puzzled. However, she seemed to quickly see her own familiar shadow on that unusually neat, but old face.

"Brother Albus?"

The girl floated in the direction of Albus Dumbledore.

Unexpectedly, this professor who faced his own death calmly without fear, stepped back subconsciously. He even tripped over the wooden leg of the chair and nearly fell.

Fortunately, Ariana supported the staggering Albus Dumbledore in time.

"Ali... Anna..."

Albus Dumbledore's voice seemed to become extremely dry all of a sudden. He raised his trembling hand as if in disbelief and stroked Ariana's still childish face.

"It's me, Brother Albus." Ariana also raised her hand to wipe away the tears that kept flowing from Albus Dumbledore. She touched the wrinkles on Albus Dumbledore's face left by the years.

"Brother Albus, life must have made you suffer a lot." Ariana took the initiative to hug Albus Dumbledore, and the reproach that had always worried Albus Dumbledore did not appear.

His body was shaking.

He raised his hand cautiously, yet was somewhat afraid to respond to the other person's hug. Perhaps it was the guilt, uneasiness, regret and other emotions that surged in his heart that made him feel ashamed to enjoy the warmth of this moment.

"You have spent your whole life atoning for your sins, Professor." Ian did not think of Dumbledore in this way. He was just saying what Albus Dumbledore might need to hear at this moment.

"I want to say that compared to Slytherin, Ian, your magic is truly... a miracle." Albus Dumbledore burst into tears again as he looked at Ian's face.

He couldn't imagine the meaning behind Ian's Patronus Charm.

but.

Right now.

After seeing Ariana again and realizing that he could still reach her, the fire in Albus Dumbledore's eyes was more intense and vigorous than ever before.

He became more aware of what he had to do.

"You have to leave here! Ian Prince, even if Salazar Slytherin wants to trap you, I will definitely send you back to where you should be!"

"No one can stop this! Not even the Millennium Legend!"

The old professor's voice was still a little dry and hoarse.

But he was extremely determined.

[ps: High tower, next chapter, very high, here, is not, virtual]

(End of this chapter)