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Chapter 190: Prophecies and Paths
Chapter 190: Prophecies and Paths
Mihal circled over the black lake, occasionally spitting fire or diving into the water before soaring back up.
But after several passes, only faint ripples remained on the lake's surface, quickly calming once more.
"It seems the Inferi have all been destroyed... or their rigid minds finally learned to avoid danger," Lupin said, turning to look back.
Of Voldemort's Inferi guards, only Regulus remained, still struggling weakly and ineffectively.
"Sirius, about Regulus..."
"Burn him," Sirius Black said, his arms hanging limp at his sides as he refused to approach his younger brother. "I'll take his ashes to my crazy mother."
Lupin sighed at the sight of Sirius' face, as pale as that of an Inferius himself. "Sirius, don't be so childish."
"The war happened over a decade ago. Regulus obviously recognized his mistakes, even if he didn't have a chance to turn back..."
"If you dispose of his body so hastily, you'll surely regret it later."
"It's not shameful to admit that you feel sad about the death of your younger brother, Sirius."
Sirius' lips twitched, and he quickly glanced at the struggling Inferius on the ground before snapping his gaze away as if he'd been scalded.
Although Sirius was considered a traitor and a disgrace by his family, and he, in turn, scorned the House of Black, he had to admit that he and his brother had once been very close.
Before Sirius joined Gryffindor, Regulus had been quite attached to his older brother, sticking to him like a pesky shadow, much to Sirius' annoyance.
"Dumbledore—" Sirius' feigned coldness softened, and he bowed his head, his fingers clenching involuntarily as he spoke in a low voice. "I recall a kind of magic... one that can expel Necromancy from Inferi and grant the dead peace..."
It was an advanced and obscure branch of White Magic that required the consumption of powerful magical energy. Among them, only Dumbledore knew how to cast it.
In the past war, they had only learned how to expel or even destroy the dangerous Inferi and did not consider them as their own kind. They also did not expend their energy to give the dead a proper send-off.
This was also because Voldemort's Inferi were mostly created by killing Muggles. People hardly considered the possibility that their loved ones could end up among the ranks of the Inferi.
Yet now, this had happened to Regulus.
Seeing his once well-behaved younger brother still under the enemy's control after death, even though they had barely spoken to each other later in life, Sirius felt immense pain.
Faced with Sirius' request, Dumbledore naturally did not refuse.
"After we're done here, I'll expel the Necromancy from him," Dumbledore said gently. "Sirius, accepting the passing of a loved one is a long and painful process. It's alright to be vulnerable and to cry. We are here to provide any help you need."
"But I want you to know that Regulus is surely in a better place now, free from pain and worry. And when the time comes that you meet again in another world, I believe he will welcome you with a smile."
...
Wade walked slowly along the narrow path by the lake. With normal vision, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But he could see green magic swirling like a group of small snakes swimming in formation.
Then, Lupin saw Wade reach out and grab something invisible in the air, yanking it forcefully. A jingling sound followed, like metal chains clinking together.
Suddenly, a thick green copper chain shot out of the water like a venomous snake and lunged at Wade. Lupin raised his wand and once again, an invisible barrier blocked Wade from harm.
The chain collided with a loud 'dong' but showed no signs of giving up. It stood upright, retreated a bit, and then immediately struck at the two of them again.
"Bang!"
A spell landed on the copper chain from the side, causing it to lose its momentum and fall to the ground, coiling and pulling out a small boat from the lake.
The boat glowed with a greenish light as it glided silently toward the shore, like a ghost in the depths of the night.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Lupin called out.
Dumbledore nodded. "I've calmed Regulus down a bit... Sirius is with him."
Wade turned to look.
Sirius hadn't cast a Lumos spell, so Wade could only make out a dark silhouette. He seemed to be kneeling or squatting, or perhaps he resembled a large black dog sitting quietly.
Lupin had once mentioned that after returning from Azkaban, Sirius had developed a certain fear of darkness. Despite his nonchalant facade, his sentiments didn't escape the perceptive werewolf.
Wade turned his head. Although he couldn't see the other's expression, he could empathize with the feeling of losing loved ones time and again.
With a loud "bang," the boat collided with the shore.
It was a very narrow boat, pointed at both ends, and it looked like it could only accommodate one or two people.
"Wade, it looks like you'll have to wait here for us," Lupin said, turning to the student beside him. "I just realized that Apparition isn't possible within this area, so we'll have to use this boat to get to the center of the lake."
"I'll go with Dumbledore first, and you'd better stay with Sirius."
Before Wade could say anything, Dumbledore spoke up.
"No, Remus, I think you should stay here," Dumbledore said.
"Professor," Lupin frowned, "I admit that Wade is excellent, but after all, he's just a twelve-year-old child. I think I'm more suitable to face unknown dangers..."
"It's not a question of who is more qualified to face danger, Remus, nor is it about ability," Dumbledore said calmly, cutting off what Lupin was about to say.
"It's just that Voldemort cares about how much magical power is crossing this lake. I believe this boat has been enchanted so that only one wizard can ride it at a time."
"But Wade—"
"He won't be counted. After all—as you said, he's only twelve years old, and his power is negligible compared to mine."
"Of course—"
As if considering that such words might be a blow to the proud young man, Dumbledore quickly added, "Voldemort certainly never expected that someone would be more talented than he was in his youth—he always makes such foolish mistakes."
"You flatter me, Professor," Wade said, unperturbed. There was a vast gap between his magical prowess and that of Dumbledore, who had spent a lifetime studying magic. It was only reasonable, and there was no shame in acknowledging it.
The two boarded the boat one after the other.
The boat had been enchanted so that it didn't wobble due to uneven weight distribution, but the space was so confined that Wade chose to stand like Dumbledore.
A warm hand rested on his shoulder.
Dumbledore seemed concerned that he might accidentally fall off the boat, and Wade nodded slightly, feeling a bit constrained but not rejecting the elderly wizard's gesture.
"Be careful," Lupin admonished. "I'll be waiting here, and if anything happens, I'll find a way to get to you immediately!"
"I understand... But simply riding the boat shouldn't be dangerous. Voldemort also needs a safe way to travel back and forth," Wade replied.
"All right..." Lupin took a deep breath. "If there's any uncertain danger, come back first, and we'll figure out the next step together, okay? We don't have to solve everything today."
Wade nodded in agreement. "Understood."
Dumbledore smiled gently.
Although Lupin's words were directed at Wade, Dumbledore knew that they were also a form of protest directed at him.
This was a novel experience for the old headmaster.
It was the first time someone had doubted his ability to protect those around him.
He could tell that Lupin didn't distrust him; rather, he saw Wade as someone he was responsible for protecting.
Despite Dumbledore's greater power compared to Lupin, he felt uneasy and worried as Wade ventured out with him, away from Lupin's watchful gaze.
It was akin to how parents felt about their beloved children, or how a miser guarded precious jewels, cautiously and valuing them immensely.
...
The boat set off automatically.
It needed no steering, heading straight for the green light in the center of the lake, leaving a fan-shaped wake behind.
The dark lake gave no glimpse of its depths, except for the reflection of the light from the tip of Dumbledore's wand, like fragments of starlight.
Mihal perched at the bow, looking left and right, occasionally spreading his wings and spitting fire towards the lake, as if still expecting more Inferi to emerge.
Wade imagined a drooling child running amok, his vision blurring for a moment.
Dumbledore stared at Mihal, his eyes reflecting the golden light of the phoenix.
"A truly unique life form," Dumbledore mused casually. "Where did you discover it?"
"At the Gaunt family's old mansion," Wade replied. "I didn't exactly 'discover' it... I 'created' it."
Dumbledore fell silent for a few seconds. "... Created?"
"Alchemy of life, involving forbidden magic. But it could also be considered an accidental byproduct," Wade explained.
Wade knew it would be futile to try and hide anything from Dumbledore's discerning eyes. Moreover, he felt it would be more embarrassing if his lies were exposed.
Thus, he briefly recounted the events of that day with Lupin, emphasizing the figure struggling in the blazing fire and even attempting to attack them, while omitting the part about Mihal finding the Resurrection Stone.
Wade was unsure if the current Dumbledore could resist the temptation of the Resurrection Stone, but the fate of the Peverell brother who had obtained the stone served as a constant reminder.
As expected, Dumbledore was intrigued by the shadowy figure and inquired further about the situation at the time before falling into deep thought.
The small boat gently parted the lake's waters, creating soft splashes.
They were now quite far from the shore, but Lupin continued to hold his wand aloft, emitting a bright light, making the figure standing tall like a pine tree conspicuous from any angle.
Magic was a power connected to the mind, and perhaps because of this, those whom Wade had helped always found a way to reciprocate.
But it wasn't a cold exchange of interests.
As he gazed at the figure that was growing smaller and smaller, Wade suddenly spoke up, "Professor..."
"Yes, Wade?" Dumbledore looked down at him.
"Why didn't you ask?" Wade inquired.
"Ask about what?"
"How I know all this... and why I'm doing all this..."
The surroundings were quiet, so quiet that one could hear the sound of their breathing.
Dumbledore didn't seem surprised, nor did he exude an air of "having everything under control." Instead, he let out a soft sigh.
"You know, there's always a segment of wizards who possess the gift of foresight. Take our Divination professor, Sibyl Trelawney, for example. Her great-grandmother, Cassandra Trelawney, was the legendary seer."
"Sibyl inherited a portion of her great-grandmother's gift, although she doesn't seem to be able to utilize it effectively."
"And in the present day, the most powerful seer I know is Gellert Grindelwald. He can see fragments of the future."
"Prophecy shaped him, making it easier for him to achieve success. But prophecy also destroyed him, causing him to neglect many things... things more important than life and death."
"Before you, I always believed that Sibyl was merely an occasional fortune-teller, and Grindelwald was the only seer of our time."
Wade looked at him in surprise, and Dumbledore's gaze, filled with gentleness, held a hint of pity.
"Wade, I don't know how much you've seen, but I want to remind you... Don't overestimate the power of prophecy, and don't fall into determinism. Prophecy guides us toward our destiny, but only you can decide the direction of your future."
...
The boat gently bumped against the shore and came to a stop. Before them was a smooth, rocky islet, no larger than a room, with a stone pillar at its center and a stone basin atop the pillar.
The stone basin emanated a greenish glow.
Dumbledore disembarked from the boat and stepped onto the black rocks. He observed his surroundings for a moment before turning back. "Wade?"
Snapping out of his reverie, Wade quickly got off the boat.
Seeing the elderly headmaster's robe adorned with stars and moons, Wade felt a mix of surprise and expectation.
No wonder Dumbledore had never questioned him... Perhaps he had already come to his own conclusions.
Prophecy...
Speaking of which, what difference did his knowledge make to this world compared to prophecy?
Hmm... There was a difference—
The future seen by a seer could change according to the actions of the observer, but what he knew was a story with a fixed ending.
He had already muddled up the development of that story, and he intended to change even more.
When people came into this world, they always wanted to leave something behind.
This world had given him a second life, and in return, peace was the best gift he could offer.
As he approached the stone basin in the center, Wade thought to himself.
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(End of Chapter)
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