Chapter 405: Regret and Hatred

Chapter 405: Regret and Hatred

"The name Peverell Crest may not be familiar to you, but you must have heard the story associated with it—Death and the Three Brothers."

This fairy tale, as famous in the Wizarding World as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was of course known to Sherlock.

The story is quite simple: Death wanted the lives of the three brothers and, to achieve this, pretended to offer them rewards, fulfilling their different wishes.

The eldest brother asked for a wand more powerful than any other, the second brother received a stone that could bring the dead back to life, and the third brother, being clever, asked for an Invisibility Cloak that could elude Death's grasp.

In the end, the eldest and the second brother both met their demise, while the third brother lived a peaceful life, eventually meeting Death as an old friend and triumphing over him in the end.

This story is included in Tales of Beedle the Bard, a classic fairy tale book in the Wizarding World.

Dumbledore mentioned this story, and Sherlock, of course, knew it well.

By merely asking, Sherlock could already guess what Dumbledore was getting at.

"Professor, you can't be saying that this story isn't just a legend but is actually true?"

Dumbledore's face turned solemn, devoid of the gentle smile he usually wore when joking.

"Whether Death itself exists is uncertain, but the three brothers and the three items they once possessed are indeed real."

He extended the wand he always held in his right hand, not hiding it from Sherlock.

"The most powerful wand in the world, as described in the story, is the one I hold in my hand."

The wand, straight with raised bands at intervals along its length, was indeed unique. If Dumbledore hadn't said so, who would have thought it was the legendary wand?

"You must know about Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Normal Invisibility Cloaks are either enchanted with a high-level Disillusionment Charm or made from the hide of a Demiguise. However, the magic on these cloaks eventually fades over time, turning them into ordinary cloaks."

"But the one Harry's father left him has lasted for a thousand years. The only explanation is that it is the Invisibility Cloak of the third brother, who successfully outwitted Death."

"And the black stone in this ring perfectly matches the characteristics of the Resurrection Stone, as described in the legend."

Dumbledore's voice was calm, but the emotions he suppressed were no less intense than the storm brewing in Sherlock's heart.

Listening to Dumbledore, Sherlock recalled the movie titles he had seen before his journey through time, titles that he had casually glanced over but which had left a deep impression on his mind.

Because this book was adapted into two movies, and the last one was titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Sherlock stared at the Gaunt ring with the Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand in Dumbledore's hands, still feeling a sense of disbelief.

Two of the three items known as the Deathly Hallows were now calmly laid before him?

But as someone who had once been an outsider to the story, Sherlock was only surprised by how easily these treasures had been collected, a simple matter.

In the presence of these legendary items, he maintained his complete rationality.

This rationality told him that the normal Dumbledore would not be so easily swayed by something like the Resurrection Stone, even if it was one of the Deathly Hallows.

If he truly coveted the power of the Hallows, he would have kept the third brother's Invisibility Cloak for himself, rather than returning it to Harry.

Sherlock did not hide his doubts. He trusted Dumbledore's character, just as Dumbledore trusted him, revealing the entire story of the Elder Wand.

"I don't quite understand, Professor. Even if this is the legendary Resurrection Stone, for us, it is a Horcrux that needs to be destroyed. Why are you so moved by it?"

As Sherlock spoke, his voice paused slightly, and he already had a suspicion in his mind.

"Or, professor, are you trying to resurrect someone?"

Dumbledore remained silent.

It wasn't just his words; his expression and eyes were those of a man who had nothing to say in response to Sherlock's question.

Sherlock didn't press the old man, instead waiting quietly. The only sound was the distant, lonely cawing of a crow in the winter night.

After a long moment, Dumbledore sighed deeply and sat down on the dusty floor without a care for his appearance.

"Although it's very late, Sherlock, would you be willing to listen to the story of a deeply sinful old man?"

At that moment, he had none of the airs of the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot, the President of the International Confederation of Wizards, or the greatest White Wizard of the twentieth century. He was simply an old man, weakened by the passage of time, who had no way to make up for the countless regrets of his life.

Sherlock, without hesitation, sat down on the dusty floor as well. He knew that what Dumbledore needed was not comfort but a listener.

"I had a lofty ideal in my youth, back when I was both fortunate and unfortunate to meet the most important person in my life."

"I don't know if you've heard the phrase 'For the Greater Good.' In the early twentieth century, it became the ultimate goal of a group of thugs, but the person who first proposed it was none other than myself."

Sherlock couldn't help but recall how Dumbledore referred to the historical figure known as the first Dark Lord when he recognized the mark on the Resurrection Stone as the emblem of the Saints organization.

"Gellert"

Only someone very close and familiar would call the other by their first name.

Since coming to the Wizarding World, Sherlock had, of course, researched Dumbledore's history. He knew that Dumbledore's current status was entirely due to his defeat of the Dark Lord who had once terrorized the entire Wizarding World.

The name of that first Dark Lord was—Gellert Grindelwald.

"That's right. The person I defeated and imprisoned, the one known as the first Dark Lord, was my closest companion, friend, and lover in my youth."

Dumbledore spoke of his relationship with Grindelwald without any hesitation, his tone as calm as if he were recounting a story that had nothing to do with him.

Sherlock's face showed no shock or surprise.

From Dumbledore's earlier use of Grindelwald's name, he had already guessed part of the story. While the revelation of their romantic relationship was a bit surprising, it made sense.

"We met in Godric's Hollow. At that time, we were like the wind and the leaves; each of us felt that the greatest regret of our lives was that we had only met at the age of eighteen."

"We talked about magic, discussed the state of the Wizarding World, and critiqued the Muggle society's rapid development. We condemned the foolish conservatism of the various Ministries of Magic. Our souls were in harmony, our hearts in tune, and our ideals aligned, until an accident occurred."

"My family is an ancient magical family. Besides me, I have a brother and a sister. My youngest sister, Ariana, was six when she was traumatized by accidentally performing magic in front of three Muggle boys. The magic entered her mind and drove her insane."

"My father, Percival, avenged Ariana by attacking those boys with magic and was arrested and imprisoned by the Ministry of Magic. Because of this, our family moved to Godric's Hollow and cut ties with our old acquaintances. But that peace didn't last long; my mother died due to a surge of Ariana's magical power, leaving us three siblings as orphans."

"Due to my mother's death, my brother Aberforth had to continue his studies at school, and I was forced to abandon my plan of traveling the world after graduating from Hogwarts. I stayed in the valley to take care of my deranged sister. But that was also the height of my romance with Gellert. Ariana, for her part, preferred her older brother Aberforth, so I didn't take very good care of her."

Aberforth was about to return to Hogwarts. During the two months he had been at home, he clearly knew that my mind was not focused on Ariana. He confronted me in front of Gellert, and his accusations enraged Gellert, leading to a conflict between them.

On one side was my brother, and on the other was my lover. I didn’t know who to support. No matter how much I shouted, they wouldn’t listen to my pleas. In that moment, I made an incredibly foolish decision and joined their fight, trying to stop their violence with violence.

Tragedy struck in the end. The already frail Ariana was hit by a spell, and she died right in front of us.

It was evident in Dumbledore's tone that the sorrow and regret he now expressed were feelings he had never shown before.

Gellert fled Godric's Hollow that night. I knew he wasn’t trying to escape the Ministry of Magic's pursuit; he was trying to escape me. At Ariana's funeral, Aberforth broke my nose with his fists. I didn’t feel a hint of anger; instead, I hated him for not hitting me harder.

I knew very well that it didn’t matter whose wand had cast the spell that hit Ariana. The root of all this was me. Ariana’s death was my responsibility, and yet I couldn’t bear the burden.

I have lived with this sin for nearly a hundred years.

The sorrowful old man lifted his head and looked at Sherlock.

Having lived so long, I have made many mistakes, Sherlock. Gellert, known as the first Dark Lord, was once my lover. Many of his organizational theories were proposed by me when I was young. You could say he was the one who always followed through on our agreement, while I was a shameful betrayer.

Tom, who was even more cruel and insane, was brought to Hogwarts by my own hands. I saw his poor character from the beginning but failed to correct him or guide him back to the right path.

I am called the greatest White Wizard of the twentieth century, but it was during that century that the two darkest periods in the Wizarding World were indirectly caused by me. So, I have always felt that this title is not a compliment but a statement of my guilt, a record of my wrongdoings.

But what I regret the most is Ariana’s death. She was the first life I took, an innocent, suffering loved one!

Dumbledore’s voice trembled involuntarily as he spoke.

In my youth, I read countless ancient texts, but even the greatest wizards’ works contained no mention of resurrection magic. Only in that fairy tale was the Resurrection Stone mentioned.

I spent countless hours researching and searching for this legendary item, but I found nothing. I became utterly disheartened, believing it was nothing more than a distant legend.

It wasn’t until I defeated Gellert and gained the Elder Wand’s allegiance that I realized the legend was true. If the Elder Wand existed, then the Resurrection Stone must also be real.

From that point on, I searched for the Deathly Hallows again, but I found nothing and fell into despair once more. So much time had passed, and even my brother Aberforth, who had always hated me, eventually forgave me. I had almost given up on the matter entirely.

But fate is cruel. Tonight, just when I had completely let go of the idea of resurrecting Ariana and believed I would soon rest in the ground with this regret and sorrow, we found it while searching for Voldemort’s Horcrux.

Dumbledore’s eyes were shining as he looked at Sherlock, clutching the ring tightly in his hand.

The Resurrection Stone, in the story of Death and the Three Brothers, has the power to bring people back from the dead!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end