Chapter 655: An Ominous Prophecy
Chapter 655: An Ominous Prophecy
"I received the package you sent. It seems you've successfully resolved the issue that's been troubling you."
In the mirror, Nicolas Flamel's relieved smile appeared before Albert, "To be honest, I was quite startled when I opened the package. I didn't expect you to have killed a Basilisk."
"I didn't kill it," Albert shook his head slightly, "You know my personality; Basilisk fangs are dangerous, and I wouldn't take such a risk."
"Dumbledore, then? His phoenix is well-suited to deal with such a beast."
"That was Harry Potter, the famous savior of Britain. I just got lucky," Albert whispered, "The process was probably similar to what you imagined."
"Ah, Dumbledore really went through a lot of trouble." Nicolas immediately guessed the reason. He knew about the prophecy regarding the savior and what Dumbledore wanted to do, but he didn't pay it much mind. Instead, he asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"
"Do you know about Horcruxes, those evil objects?"
A moment of astonishment flashed across Nicolas's face, and after a long silence, he said, "Why do you ask?"
Albert proceeded to tell Nicolas Flamel about the memory of Tom Riddle and how it had controlled Ginny to open the Chamber of Secrets.
"To be honest, I find it hard to believe that a mere memory could act and think on its own.
That a memory could absorb the life force of the girl who possessed it?
No, that diary is more than just a Dark artifact. There's something more sinister within it... perhaps a fragment of Tom Riddle's soul.
I've consulted numerous sources, and I suspect that diary is a Horcrux.
According to records, Horcruxes are incredibly difficult to destroy by conventional means, yet Harry Potter managed to destroy one with a Basilisk fang. I must say I'm shocked. You understand what I'm getting at, don't you?"
"I can't be sure if the Basilisk's venom gland still holds any toxins," Nicolas glanced at the frozen gland in the box and spoke to Albert's reflection in the mirror, "But I can try to help you with this."
Nicolas Flamel held no fondness for Voldemort. If it weren't for him, he might not have had to give up the Philosopher's Stone! Speaking of which, he didn't exactly regret giving up the Stone, but he wasn't entirely satisfied with the outcome either.
He realized that his time might be running out.
Albert was an excellent successor, possessing both genius and diligence, but to truly inherit his legacy, more time was needed, and time was precisely what Nicolas lacked at the moment.
People are vengeful by nature, and Nicolas Flamel was no exception; he hadn't forgotten.
"If you're free this summer, come to France for a visit," Nicolas suddenly invited.
"Alright!" Albert was a little surprised but immediately nodded in agreement.
"By the way, I recall that you can make prophecies, right?"
"Yes, I can see possible future events through my crystal ball," Albert was a bit taken aback by Nicolas's sudden change of topic.
Why bring up prophecies now?
"Then you should understand that for a seer, it's painful to foresee people's disasters and yet be unable to stop them, only able to watch as they unfold."
"You made a prophecy about me?" Albert furrowed his brows slightly, suddenly realizing something, and didn't press the matter further.
As for the result, it wasn't difficult to guess from Nicolas's words.
It certainly wouldn't be anything good.
Nicolas didn't answer, but his silence implied consent.
"I believe that prophecies can be changed," Albert said earnestly to Nicolas's reflection in the mirror, "Otherwise, prophecies would be meaningless. It's similar to certain rules of a Time-Turner, but sometimes, even with a hefty price, we can still alter some terrible outcomes in advance.
As Albert spoke, he unconsciously clutched the Time-Turner in his pocket, aware of the risks involved in rashly altering the future. Yet, sometimes, changing a person's fate wasn't as difficult as one might imagine.
"You're right, it's difficult, but prophecies can be altered," Nicolas said with a satisfied smile. "The future is never set in stone; otherwise, prophecies would be meaningless. By the way, when you come, bring that girlfriend of yours as well. We can discuss the rest in person."
"Alright," Albert replied, staring at the mirror's restored surface and falling into a long silence.
Was this also related to Isabelle?
"Ugh, this feeling is awful. No wonder seers like to move around frequently," Albert muttered to himself. He immediately took out the prophecy orb and prepared to make a prophecy for himself when Bitt's voice suddenly came through the two-way mirror.
"I'm here," Albert said, holding the mirror up.
"Master, regarding the house-elf named Dobby that you asked me to monitor, it has gained its freedom," Bitt reported, appearing in the mirror. "However, I think it will struggle to find work. Wizards who are willing to pay house-elves a salary are practically non-existent."
Bitt sounded slightly anxious, feeling that his master might be capable of such actions, but with Bitt by his side, there was no longer a need for another house-elf.
"Good work. No need to keep an eye on it anymore!"
"It's what I should be doing," the house-elf seemed to relax, bowing slightly to Albert before disconnecting the two-way mirror.
Albert put away the mirror and turned his attention back to the crystal ball in front of him, attempting to divine some information. However, the crystal ball was unresponsive, showing nothing but a swirling white mist.
Had the divination failed?
Albert was aware that his divination abilities were limited, unable to predict too far into the future. But ever since he had upgraded the skill to level three, such failures had become rare.
After hesitating for a moment, Albert invested skill points to upgrade divination to level four and once again focused on the crystal ball.
This time, the crystal ball reacted, the white mist swirling rapidly as brief scenes appeared within, revealing images to Albert's eyes.
It was— The Dark Mark!
Albert's face darkened, and he didn't even realize when he had stood up.
"Did Voldemort kill me? Impossible! With my personality, I wouldn't take such reckless risks."
"The Quidditch World Cup?"
"No, if it were me, even if I went to watch the Quidditch World Cup, I would leave immediately after the game and actively avoid that riot."
But— Undoubtedly.
Seeing the Dark Mark in the crystal ball meant trouble.
It signified danger.
"Looks like I need to move my plans forward," Albert muttered.
"Now, let's see, what did Nicolas want from me?"
Albert refocused his attention, watching the changes occurring within the crystal ball. With the prophecy skill upgraded to level four, his prophetic abilities seemed to have improved significantly.
In the crystal ball, the two of them were embracing and kissing.
Albert was stunned.
Was this... himself eating his own dog food? However, Albert couldn't understand why he would witness such a scene.
"It's been accelerated? This doesn't make sense. In a sense, they're both still just children. Why would Nicolas do such a thing?"
Albert frowned deeply as he watched the people in the crystal ball offering their blessings. "Could it be... as I suspected... because of that reason? But would I really let that happen?"
(End of Chapter)
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