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Chapter 227: Three Worlds
Chapter 227: Three Worlds
The headmaster's office was silent.
Fawkes, who had just rebirthed, seemed to be recovering his strength, nesting in his birdcage and dozing off. On the wall adorned with portraits, each former headmaster was closed-eyed, feigning sleep, but none emitted the faint snore.
Sherlock stared blankly ahead, clearly overwhelmed by the revelation.
"You mean, my mother is not dead!"
Dumbledore gently rubbed his hand, speaking calmly.
"I wish it were so, but the fact is that Selena died when you were three years old."
"Then what did you mean by the fragment lurking in Voldemort's main soul?"
Dumbledore did not answer directly but suddenly clasped his hands tightly together, countering with a question.
"Do you know how ghosts are formed?"
Sherlock murmured.
"Because of a powerful obsession before death, they are unwilling to leave the world of the living."
"The soul is indeed a wondrous thing", Dumbledore said softly. "Selena tried to use her already fragmented soul to drag Tom into the afterlife, but when she realized she couldn't do it, the part of her soul that should have moved on remained in the world of the living due to her unwillingness to let go."
"The world is divided into three realms: the world of the living, the world of the dead, and the spiritual realm, which only wizards can see."
"Magic originates from emotions, which stem from the soul. The soul and the spirit are two sides of the same coin. Muggles are solely of the living world, and the dead are a mystery. Wizards, however, are a blend of the living and the spiritual, while ghosts are a combination of the dead and the spiritual."
"Whether it's a wizard or a ghost, the spirit is the dominant force. When the spirit, or rather, the emotions, are strong and persistent enough, they can influence both the living and the dead."
"This is a power that Tom will never understand, the most powerful magic."
Dumbledore's voice was low, but his blue eyes shone brightly, as if recounting a great, unknown truth.
Sherlock pressed his lips together and slowly spoke a single word.
"Love."
The elderly man with the white beard opposite him laughed heartily.
"Many have asked me what the most powerful magic in the world is, and I have never withheld the answer. But you, Sherlock, are the first to say this word to me."
"Everyone knows that emotions are the key to casting magic. What emotion is the strongest, the greatest, and the most selfless? This question, so obvious to all wizards, has only been answered by a few names in the entire history of magic."
"And your mother, she was the one who saw it most clearly. Whether it was the things she left you or what she wanted to accomplish, she used that powerful force."
"The part of Selena's soul that tried to drag Tom into the afterlife lingered due to this force, but it was only a fragment she had separated, intending to take Tom down with her."
Dumbledore's voice grew somber.
"The true Selena, the one who was forcibly infused with countless memories of hatred and resentment, driven mad, and eventually released, died in a St. Mungo's bed, with a fractured soul embarking on a greater journey."
Sherlock's lips moved, but no sound came out. Those who knew him well could tell from his mouth that he was saying the name "Bella."
He silently added another entry to his mental ledger against this woman, making it two now.
"Why would Voldemort put me on the same level as Harry and try to kill me once he knows my identity?"
Dumbledore spoke with utmost seriousness.
"Tom is well aware of what Selena did, and he knows that his soul now harbors an additional spirit, one that constantly tries to pull him into the world of the dead. However, he has no way to resolve this issue. The Horcruxes that split his soul granted him immortality, but they also fragmented his soul, leaving even his primary soul, which can survive death, in a shattered state."
"He has no means to free himself from Selena's haunting, but once he discovered that you, her deeply hidden son, are still alive, he would certainly make an attempt."
"Just as he did that year when he decided to go to the Potter family based on the prophecy, betting that the young Harry was the one who could kill him, he would also bet on whether you are the one hidden in his soul, the object of Selena's obsession."
At this point, Sherlock finally understood everything Dumbledore had kept hidden. He took a deep breath.
"So you established the covenant to keep this a secret, to prevent the news that Selena has a living son from spreading. Otherwise, Voldemort would have gone to great lengths to kill me before he lost his power to the Potter family."
Dumbledore's gaze was deep and profound.
"When Tom lost his power, and the Wizarding World believed he would never return, none of those who had established the covenant ever considered revealing the truth. Selena's actions were never recorded in any official document."
"In the eyes of Tom and his followers, she was always a reckless and overconfident witch, a lone figure. I have always maintained this image, never revealing any information about your relationship with your father and Selena."
"But no one who knew about this could forget the bravery of your mother. I certainly haven't forgotten that within Tom's soul lies the most talented student to ever leave Hogwarts, and the thing she held most dear is still there."
He blinked calmly at Sherlock and spoke with a serene tone.
"No one should die without a reason, and no one is unworthy of dying. I am no exception. When the day comes for me to die, I will not hesitate, just as your mother did. But before that day, there are things you need to know."
"I never considered the exact time, only that if you were truly unsuitable for the future of the Wizarding World, I would wait until all was settled to tell you these things."
"But your performance has exceeded everyone's expectations, not just mine, but also Kingsley, Minerva, Arthur, Molly, and Alastor. They all hold you in high regard."
"So today might be the best time for you to learn these things."
"Your mother, Selena Helena Forrest, was not an irrational madwoman. She was the bravest, greatest, and most loving mother in the world."
(End of Chapter)
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