Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 281: The Borderlands and Ariana (3k)

After the old wizard arrived, the black panther gave Sheen a shocked and deep look, then walked away from the mist in a few steps as if unwilling.

Sheehan's consciousness also became hazy as the Black Panther left. He saw himself in a chaotic street with a sign that read "Children's Home" in front of him. The last thing he saw was Headmaster Dumbledore mouthing words to him, saying...

"It's Saturday, kid—"

Perhaps only Sheehan understood the meaning of Saturday. In Headmaster Dumbledore's approval for staying at school, Saturday meant:

"In addition, if you decide to stay on campus, you can come to my office for tea every Saturday morning."

Morning arrived, and the sky was gray.

The distant mountains were a blurry outline, a thin mist hung over the black lake, and an owl appeared in the distance from the castle after a long absence.

Sheen rarely sees owls anymore; after the young wizards all went home, the owls have mostly stopped their busy work.

The grey-tailed owl circled the tower spire, bypassed Sheen as he walked down the corridor, and finally disappeared into a room.

Sheen's gaze followed its disappearance and fell on the giant stone beast. This time, the stone beast did not jump away, but quietly looked at Sheen.

"Pile of cockroaches."

Sheen said tentatively.

This was something that Headmaster Dumbledore had told him.

The stone beast leaped away quickly, and Sheen followed the automatically ascending spiral staircase to the gate.

After pushing open the door, Sheehan saw Headmaster Dumbledore standing in front of the window with his back to him. Only after the door made a sound did the greatest wizard who had helped him drive away Babajid Akinbad turn around.

“You’ve arrived, Mr. Green. Please have a seat.”

"Headmaster Dumbledore."

Sheehan said that he then followed the principal's instructions and sat down in a chair by the fire.

Headmaster Dumbledore then looked away from the distant, hazy sky, sat down opposite Sheehan, and winked:

“I bet you have a lot of questions, but that’s okay, we have plenty of time to answer them.”

Sheehan did indeed have many questions, and after Headmaster Dumbledore nodded in acknowledgment, he quickly spoke:
"Where am I, Principal? Is the content of... 'The Dream Story' true?"

Sheen chose to ask the most crucial question: Where exactly did he go? And what kind of strange magical power existed there?

“You always understand what is most important, something many wizards have failed to grasp over the long years.”

Dumbledore's long, silvery-white beard trembled slightly.

"It is the boundary between life and death, that's what we call it. As for its powerful forces... I think they exist, but I have to tell you, child, it is a realm unknown and untouched by anyone."

It is extremely dangerous, and for thousands of years, even the wizards of Vagado have dared not venture deep into it.

Too many lessons have taught wizards the price of underestimating the deepest and most hidden aspects of magic…

After Dumbledore finished speaking, his eyes, beneath his thick silver eyebrows, gazed thoughtfully at Sheehan. The headmaster seemed somewhat... nervous.

Sheen was silent for a moment; he had indeed experienced many incredible things there.

He saw his multiple incarnations; he saw bizarre and fantastical scenes hidden in the mist; he saw Babajid Akinbad, who wanted to take him to Vagado—he could even leave Sheen at the border for a while.

"That's the beauty of magic."

Sheen heard a voice speaking.

"Headmaster, what were those bizarre and fantastical fogs? Why did I finally see the orphanage? And how did Headmaster Babajid Akimbad manage to find me? Can he keep doing this? If you can all speak, why can't I...? And how did you get here?"

Each time Sheen asked a question, Dumbledore would nod slightly, but after Sheen had asked all the questions, a kind smile appeared on his face.

"Very good, very good. Let me answer them one by one..."

His voice was deep and powerful, like an elder guiding a younger generation.

"An orphanage, how interesting. I didn't expect it to be this place, but for you, it means enough to fulfill its purpose."

Yes, that's also a border area.

Sheen showed no change in emotion; he asked with a hint of curiosity:

"Is it magic and Muggles?"

"Very clever, child."

Dumbledore's words brought a slight sense of relief to Sheehan. When Headmaster Dumbledore pointed out the concept of the Boundary, he should have realized that it was not only a place separating magic from non-magic, but also... a place of death and rebirth.

"As for those strange sights you've seen... let me explain: in the eyes of the Scandinavians of the past, the soul did not follow the principle of uniqueness."

Looking directly into one's soul can mislead you into the wrong direction, into places that are the most dangerous temptations. Those who cannot maintain a pure soul and a clear mind will sooner or later be entangled in trouble, and they may never be able to return—a fate worse than death.

As for Babajid Akinbad, it was merely an accident. The wizard of Vagado did indeed possess many magical abilities unknown to us, but it is clear that he could not succeed every time.

When your will is strong enough, he cannot enter your dream.

"My...dream?"

Sheen was a little confused. Wasn't that the border?

"Oh, child, are you confused? That's quite rare..."

Dumbledore smiled, his expression shifting from serious to playful. Sheehan pondered for a moment:

"Dreams enable spirits, ghosts, and reincarnations to move freely, and distance poses no obstacle to them."

The freedom of movement here refers to the border area, so it is precisely my dream that connects to the border area.

As for you, I assume you are the one I invited.

The function of the Void Rune, the sacred artifact of the soul, may lie in this: it helps wizards achieve communion; it is a medium, a powerful alchemical creation capable of achieving this purpose.

Headmaster Dumbledore's teasing made Sheehan's thoughts race, and he quickly figured it all out.

"Oh, oh, does Terra get headaches like this often too?"

Dumbledore looked somewhat helpless.

Sheehan didn't hear Dumbledore's soft and understated words; he had figured out many things.

Why did Headmaster Dumbledore appear?

The Soul Relic is not the Deathly Hallows Resurrection Stone. Since it can bring Sheen, why can't it bring Dumbledore as well?

When Babajid Akinbad arrived, Sheen, who didn't want to go to Vagabond, subconsciously called out to Headmaster Dumbledore, which was the subconscious cry of the black cat...

"If you think that's the reason for the Soul Relic, you're being far too humble... In fact,"

Headmaster Dumbledore suddenly spoke up.
"I once studied the soul artifact of Vagaddu ​​with great passion. Its power was too profound. Among the many people who studied it, I was just the most inconspicuous, the most insignificant, and the least distinctive one."

To this day, no one has been able to bring a wizard into their own 'dream'.

The wizards of Vagad can easily shapeshift and make real prophecies based on astronomy, just like the centaurs you've seen.

However, they always believed that only a wizard who could bring souls in or out was the true master of the Soul Relics, and the eldest son of the supreme god Castaner.

This surprised Sheehan; he could only imagine that he had summoned Headmaster Dumbledore. But he preferred to believe that it was Headmaster Dumbledore who could be summoned, rather than that he could just call any wizard.

"why me?"

Sheen was somewhat puzzled.

“Child, this is the key. Perhaps the person most suited to wield this power is someone who has never even thought of it, just like you.”

Headmaster Dumbledore looked down at Sheehan.

The thin mist outside had dissipated, and Black Lake shimmered in the not-too-strong morning sunlight.

An owl flew past the window in front of the principal's office, making a cooing sound, its talons tightly clutching symbols of longing.

"Child, can I ask you for a favor?"

After a long silence, Headmaster Dumbledore spoke slowly, his entire beard trembling.

"You say."

Sheen thought of something.

"Exploring the borderlands is an extremely dangerous thing; even the wizards of Vagado will not stay there for long."

If you think I said that out of selfishness, then I couldn't agree more.

Headmaster Dumbledore's sincere eyes revealed a hint of darkness.

"I want you to explore as much as possible, and when you are confident, I also want you to do something extremely dangerous..."

"Is it... pulling out a soul?"

Sheen knew perfectly well why, but he acted as if he had only figured it out after much contemplation.

"People like us are always busy destroying our own souls, adding greed, desire, violence, and other vices to them, never having time to understand the unparalleled power of a pure and wholesome soul..."

When you possess this power, all I can utter are such greedy words. Perhaps this is why I will never be recognized...

Disappointingly, I did such terrible things…

Sheehan had never seen Headmaster Dumbledore in such a conflicted and depressed state.

He should have been open and kind, but now he seems like a lost person.

"I'll try."

Sheen felt inexplicably down.

What kind of person was Principal Dumbledore?
If judged solely by his behavior, it seems there are both good and bad aspects.

But when the old man actually stood before Sheehan, revealing his bewildered and apprehensive side, he would think that even Dumbledore was just an old man who had no love until his later years.

He will get tired, make mistakes, and feel regret.

He keeps saying that love is the greatest magic, but how much of it has he actually experienced himself?
"The past... is something that can no longer be copied. Please stop criticizing your past self, Principal. That's very unfair."

You know, he was also confused standing in the fog at that time.

Sheen said.

(End of this chapter)