The Butcher of Hogsmeade

Only now did Shen Hou finally understand why Dumbledore had made him see this memory. The only known time traveler in this world was himself! He desperately wanted to return to the headmaster's office at Hogwarts to question the old wizard, but he quickly calmed down, forcing himself to concentrate and continue observing the unfolding events.

"A Chinese man whose origins are unclear and whose destination is unknown?" Voldemort's gaze swept over the dozen or so Death Eaters by the fountain once more. "He should have died long ago. Unfortunately, those who claim to respect me as their master and are willing to go through fire and water for me have disappointed me this time."

The Sphinx gave a cold laugh: "Perhaps there is another possibility: that you—including yourself—have all underestimated this person who was sent into this world by the power of time."

"Should I take him seriously?" Voldemort asked.

"You don't seem to realize the significance of his existence?" the Sphinx retorted. "Put aside your arrogance, abandon your contempt for Muggles, and think seriously: when you decide to take action to change the prophesied fate, to alter the future, the power of time happens to send a person from the future right before you... Did this person truly appear because of an accidental magical mishap?"

Voldemort's eyes flickered, and he remained silent for a long time.

Sphinx rose, turned, and walked toward the courtyard gate, seemingly concluding his visit and conversation.

Voldemort suddenly spoke, stopping Sphinx, and pressed, "What does his existence mean to you? Why did you come? Why did you warn me? Are you giving me a riddle, or the answer to a riddle?"

"I can say no more. These are the rules of the game, and I cannot overstep them." The Sphinx continued walking, leaving behind his last words before departing the courtyard: "He is the echo of bygone days, the message of future days, the final protective lock of fate; yes, without a doubt, he came because of you."

The sound echoed in the courtyard, but the Sphinx vanished the moment it stepped out, as if it had never existed. Meanwhile, in the distant void, a cat the size of a rag doll with a human face leaped onto the gods' gambling table, hopping and skipping before landing in Zeus's arms.

"Brilliant move! Using the Sphinx, a mythical beast from Olympian mythology, instead of the magical creature from Harry Potter, a crucial message was successfully conveyed." Edroy, at the other end of the long table, clapped and cheered, but his gaze towards Zeus and the Sphinx was utterly devoid of warmth. "According to the rules, apart from Shen Hou, no participant is allowed to interfere with the development of the original storyline in any way. Doesn't the Sphinx's behavior constitute a violation of the rules?"

The gambler, dressed as a cowboy, was asking God, not Zeus, in the latter part of his question.

"As everyone can see, the Sphinx did not interfere with any existing characters or plot points in the story. From beginning to end, it only targeted Shen Hou, this 'outsider,'" Zeus defended himself before God could speak.

"He's been in contact with Voldemort," the cowboy shouted angrily.

"Contact does not mean change." Zeus held the Sphinx in his hand and tossed it lightly outward, easily crossing the void and throwing it back to the world of Olympus. "I believe that God can accurately judge the effect of the Sphinx; the Sphinx not only did not change Voldemort's mind, but even further strengthened his belief in following the prophecy."

The cowboy retorted, "But it implies that Voldemort and Shen Hou are also in this prophecy, and are even key variables in it. You're trying to use someone else to do your dirty work."

"Wasn't Shen Hou originally not in the prophecy, not a key variable?" Zeus countered. "From the day we sent him into the Harry Potter world, he already was, but no one, including Voldemort, realized it; and what the Sphinx did was simply to make that clear to one side, and the other side quickly found out as well."

The cowboy scoffed, "If Dumbledore knew, shouldn't he thank you for treating everyone equally?"

"No need to be polite, he had no chance to know anyway." Zeus didn't want to continue arguing with the cowboy, so he quickly steered the conversation to God. "According to the bet, if Shen Hou dies, his journey in the Harry Potter world will end prematurely, which means he won't be able to integrate into the world and see the truth, and also means our side wins the bet—as the referee, do you agree with this?"

The cowboy, not to be outdone, said seriously, "If the Sphinx's actions prevent the original story from unfolding smoothly, thus causing the timeline to converge and restart, then it means Zeus's side has violated the rules of the game, and our side wins this round—does the referee agree to this?"

Zeus retorted without hesitation, "The reasons for changes in the storyline are extremely complex. Who can accurately determine that a particular change is definitely caused by a single reason? As the bet has progressed, Shen Hou has already had a significant impact on the storyline."

"Who is to blame can be determined by the judge when things happen. Like you, I believe that God can accurately determine the effects of the Sphinx," the cowboy deliberately retorted, using Zeus's words.

"Agreed!" God's voice came abruptly yet timely, stopping the two sides from arguing further. "In the name of the referee, I make the following decision: I agree with Zeus's view that if Shen Hou dies prematurely, Zeus's side wins the bet; I agree with Edroy's request that if the Sphinx's interference causes the Harry Potter storyline to be unable to develop normally, thus triggering the convergence and restart of the world lines, Edroy's side wins the bet."

As soon as God spoke, the King of Olympus and the cowboy looked at each other and silently returned to their seats.

A moment of silence followed at the gambling table, then Zeus suddenly chuckled: "Think about it carefully, the soul we cast into this game is truly pitiful. Either way, it means he will completely lose this part of his life. Don't you feel even a shred of pity for him, Edroi? He was split from your soul; in fact, you could say he's another version of you!"

"No need to rush into a eulogy, you old lecher! Who can guarantee he won't end up with a third outcome?" The cowboy propped his legs up on the table, making it seem as if his feet were stepping on Zeus's face. "Speaking of which, to avoid breaking the rules, you must have sent the Sphinx into that world many years in advance. Maybe you let it lie dormant since the age of mythology, waiting until Shen Hou also entered that world before it officially made its appearance?"

As each word of Edroi's words reached his ears, Zeus's expression gradually darkened.

"You guessed so accurately, is it because you did the same thing?"

Guess!

"What exactly did you do, and how did you do it?"

"You already asked last time, and asking again won't get you an answer anytime soon." Edroy pulled his cowboy hat down to cover his face, his words sounding like a drowsy murmur. "Don't worry, I haven't done more than you, but... I haven't done less either; just wait and see!"