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Chapter 965: Meeting with Xenophilius
Chapter 965: Meeting with Xenophilius
As Xenophilius descended the stairs, he naturally noticed Ivan's presence.
Although they had never met in person before, Xenophilius had seen Ivan's face in the newspapers often enough to recognize him quickly.
"Hals, what a surprise to see you here!" Xenophilius exclaimed, walking up to Ivan and giving his shoulder a friendly pat.
"I'm sorry to intrude, Mr. Lovegood, but I have a matter I need to discuss with you", Ivan replied politely.
"Come, come, let's go inside and talk!" Xenophilius stepped aside, gesturing for Ivan and Luna to enter.
Once inside, Ivan curiously looked around. The house's decor was as peculiar as the courtyard outside. Everything was curved, and the walls were painted in bright primary colors, adorned with various flowers, insects, and birds.
The second floor seemed to be a mix of a living room and a workshop, cluttered with old books and parchments piled on tables and chairs.
An old printing press was creaking away, spitting out copies of the latest issue of The Quibbler, which were scattered on the floor.
Seeing this, Xenophilius looked a bit embarrassed and quickly patted his head, muttering, "Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were coming, and I forgot to tidy up..."
As he spoke, Xenophilius drew his wand, and Ivan and Luna joined in with their own spells. The scattered newspapers quickly stacked themselves up, and the books were neatly arranged on the bookshelves.
The once cluttered living room instantly became much tidier and more spacious, and Xenophilius pulled out a few chairs for Ivan to sit.
"Speaking of which, I have to thank you, Hals. Before you found the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, many of our readers used to send letters questioning the existence of such magical creatures, accusing me of fabricating stories to grab attention... Goodness, how could they think such things? It's a blatant slander!
But now, everything is different. No one questions the value of my research and reports. Many witches and wizards have even traveled from far away just to see the Crumple-Horned Snorkack for themselves—after all, who doesn't love that little darling?"
Xenophilius spoke enthusiastically, his face beaming with pride. He excitedly showed Ivan a scale model of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack he had made based on Luna's description.
He even mentioned that three months ago, he had traveled all the way to Sweden, one of the potential habitats of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, in hopes of finding more of them.
Unfortunately, despite spending over a month searching, he hadn't been as lucky as Ivan. However, he wasn't giving up and was planning to explore the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts during the summer to see if he could find any new leads.
Listening to Xenophilius, Ivan couldn't help but roll his eyes. The Crumple-Horned Snorkack was something he had Transformed specifically to make Luna happy. No matter how much Xenophilius searched the wizarding world, he would never find another one!
But Ivan knew that even if he told the truth, the stubborn Xenophilius wouldn't believe him, and it could lead to an argument. So, he tactfully suggested that the Crumple-Horned Snorkack might be extremely rare, possibly nearing extinction.
Xenophilius nodded in agreement. Over the years, he had put a lot of effort into finding the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, but always came up empty-handed. This was probably the only explanation.
Perhaps thinking he had found a kindred spirit, Xenophilius was extremely talkative, discussing everything from the habits of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack to the dietary preferences of the Natterhook...
Ivan felt like his head was spinning, completely unable to follow Xenophilius's train of thought. He had no interest in learning about the natural enemies of Natterhooks and Nargles, but out of politeness, he didn't want to immediately interrupt the man's enthusiasm.
Fortunately, the young witches noticed Ivan's discomfort and gently interjected, "Father, Ivan has come to see you about something..."
"Oh, right!" Xenophilius suddenly snapped back to reality. He picked up the teapot from the table and poured Ivan a cup of Gurdyroot Tea, then patted his chest and said, "You can tell me anything, Ivan. Just let me know how I can help!"
"I would like to ask you about the Deathly Hallows..." Ivan said, glancing down at the teacup in front of him. It was filled with a deep purple liquid, much like beet juice.
Ivan tentatively took a small sip and found the taste quite peculiar—sour with a hint of bitterness, as if Xenophilius had accidentally used Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans instead of tea leaves.
Xenophilius raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by Ivan's question. However, after a moment's pause, he composed himself and said, "You know about... Ah, yes, that's not surprising. Many great wizards seek the power of the Deathly Hallows..."
"In fact, my knowledge of the Deathly Hallows is quite limited, so I can only provide you with some clues..." Xenophilius spoke slowly. "There's not much historical record of the Invisibility Cloak and the Resurrection Stone, so I can't trace their whereabouts. However, the Elder Wand is different. Its history is well-documented, and it is steeped in blood and violence..."
"I'm not interested in the locations of the Three Hallows, Mr. Lovegood!" Ivan interrupted before Xenophilius could elaborate.
Xenophilius looked at Ivan in surprise. If not to find the Deathly Hallows, why was Ivan asking about them?
Suddenly, Xenophilius seemed to have an idea and asked hesitantly, "Could it be... that you already possess one of the Deathly Hallows?"
"I have obtained more than one, but their power doesn't seem as great as I had expected!" Ivan explained succinctly.
"Is it the Elder Wand... the Invisibility Cloak, or... the Resurrection Stone?!" Xenophilius became very excited, grabbing Ivan's wrist and eagerly asking.
Ivan understood why Xenophilius was so excited and didn't mind the intrusion. He spoke directly, "I have possessed all three Deathly Hallows... The Elder Wand significantly enhances the power of spells, giving the wielder an advantage in duels, living up to its reputation as the most powerful wand... The Invisibility Cloak can conceal the wearer from any magical detection..."
"And the Resurrection Stone? Can it... can it bring the dead back to life?" Xenophilius asked, his voice trembling.
Luna also looked at Ivan expectantly, knowing that in the Tale of the Three Brothers, the Resurrection Stone could bring the deceased back to the world of the living!
(End of Chapter)
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