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Chapter 966: The Method to Crack the Resurrection Stone
Chapter 966: The Method to Crack the Resurrection Stone (Combined 4000 Words)
"I'm sorry, but as far as I know, it can't. The Resurrection Stone only conjures a false Magic Illusion..." Ivan shook his head, looking at the father and daughter, and spoke thoughtfully.
"Do you remember that legend? The fate of the second of the Three Brothers... He asked Death for the ability to bring the dead back to life, wanting to revive the girl he had once wanted to marry but who died prematurely. In the end, he was driven mad by the torment and even despaired to the point of suicide..."
"But that doesn't prove anything. Perhaps he used the wrong method, or maybe the girl never loved him and didn't want to return to the living world", Xenophilius insisted, then looked at Ivan with earnest eyes. "You have the Resurrection Stone, don't you? Hals?"
Ivan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He realized that unless Xenophilius personally verified the Resurrection Stone's function, they wouldn't be able to proceed with the discussion.
With that in mind, Ivan took the Resurrection Stone from his neck and displayed it in front of the two of them.
The diamond-shaped crystal slowly floated in the air, its luminous Magic Light captivating Xenophilius. With Ivan's permission, Xenophilius's hand trembled as he held the Resurrection Stone and slowly rotated it three times.
In the next moment, the figure of a Witch appeared before them. She looked to be in her early thirties, with a resemblance to Luna, a gentle smile on her face, just as Ivan had seen in the memories of young witches.
Xenophilius was overwhelmed with emotion. He stood up, repeatedly calling his wife's name, as if trying to touch the Witch's face, but his hand passed right through her.
Seeing Xenophilius's distressed state, Ivan couldn't help but frown, regretting his decision to show him the Resurrection Stone.
Despite warning Xenophilius about the Resurrection Stone's flaws, it seemed Xenophilius hadn't taken him seriously.
Sure enough, Ivan's worst fears were soon realized.
After a heartfelt reunion, Xenophilius firmly believed that the Resurrection Stone had brought back his wife's soul, ignoring the inconsistencies Ivan pointed out.
"This is my wife, there's no mistake... no mistake!" Xenophilius shouted stubbornly, clutching the Resurrection Stone tightly, afraid Ivan might take it back.
Xenophilius's stubbornness left Ivan feeling helpless. If it were anyone else, he would have taken action to make them see the truth, but this was Luna's father, and he couldn't bring himself to do anything to Xenophilius...
Just as Ivan was grappling with this dilemma, a gentle voice sounded in his ear.
"He just needs some time... Father will come to his senses."
Ivan turned to see Luna still standing in place, not as captivated by the false Magic Illusion as her father.
Even as the Witch gently waved at her, Luna remained rooted to the spot, her eyes reflecting a touch of sorrow.
"I can feel it, that's not really her..." Luna's ethereal voice rang out again.
Ivan fell silent, realizing he should have anticipated that the Resurrection Stone was a deep-seated issue for Xenophilius. Perhaps coming here to ask about the Deathly Hallows was a mistake from the start.
The most effective way to destroy someone is to give them a final hope and then shatter it right before their eyes...
Ivan sighed, hoping that once Xenophilius calmed down, he could reason with him. For now, anything he said would fall on deaf ears.
With that in mind, Ivan and Luna left the living room, giving Xenophilius some time alone.
The Lovegood Manor wasn't particularly large, though it had three floors. If you excluded the workrooms, the remaining space wasn't much.
Luna led Ivan up to the third floor, which was almost entirely decorated as a Magical Creatures exhibition hall, with various specimens hanging on the walls.
Notably, Luna's room was also on this floor.
This was Ivan's first time entering a girl's room, aside from the brief intrusion into the girls' dormitory during his second year.
However, Luna's taste was clearly different from that of a typical young girl. Her bedroom was decorated simply.
A light blue carpet covered the floor, and by the table were handmade models of Luna's imaginary Crumple-Horned Snorkack, Nargle, and Natterhook. On the windowsill, a few clumps of bright red Dirigible Plums were planted.
What left Ivan most astonished was the two beautifully painted portraits on the bedroom ceiling, depicting none other than himself and Luna.
These portraits, likely treated with a special magic, couldn't move or speak like those in Hogwarts, but they looked incredibly lifelike, as if they could come to life at any moment.
A thin golden chain linked the two portraits in the middle...
Only when Ivan moved closer did he realize that it wasn't a chain at all, but thousands of identical words written in beautiful golden ink—“friend”!
"Do you like them? I drew them myself..." Luna asked softly, her head tilted back to admire the work.
"They're amazing!" Ivan said with a smile, though his mood was somewhat complex.
Luna had recognized him, yet the number of true friends had decreased...
In the original Time and Space, the ceiling of this bedroom also featured portraits of Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Neville. Now, only his and Luna's remained.
It was hard to say whether his interference had been for the better or worse...
But since the deed was done, Ivan quickly composed himself and began chatting with the young witch about everyday amusing events.
Luna also brought out the glass bottle containing the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. After more than a year of care, the little creature had doubled in size. If not for the Extension Charm placed on the bottle, it would have been too big to contain.
The two of them chatted happily for the entire morning, but it was somewhat disheartening that Xenophilius showed no signs of breaking free from his delusion and seemed to be sinking deeper into it.
Fortunately, Xenophilius still retained some semblance of sanity. Under Luna's persuasion, he handed over his notes on the Deathly Hallows to Ivan.
...
In the evening, outside Lovegood Manor, Ivan flipped through the thick notebook in his hands, his brows furrowing and then slowly relaxing.
Xenophilius's research on the Deathly Hallows had spanned several years, during which he had scoured all available resources and conducted extensive analyses of the related history and legends.
Perhaps because he had never truly obtained any of the Deathly Hallows and had become somewhat mentally unstable after his wife's death, the notebook was filled with a plethora of wild and unfounded conjectures.
Xenophilius had proposed over a dozen different possibilities for the creator of the Deathly Hallows, some of which even contradicted each other.
However, one bold hypothesis did provide Ivan with significant insight...
Xenophilius believed that the Deathly Hallows might have originated from a single individual, a powerful wizard with unparalleled talent in alchemy, who sought to conquer death and gain dominion over it.
The evidence lay in the functions and symbolic meanings of the three Deathly Hallows.
First, the Elder Wand granted the user unparalleled power in battle, the ability to control life and death.
Next, the Invisibility Cloak provided comprehensive protection, shielding the wearer from misfortune.
Finally, the Resurrection Stone could reverse death, pulling the soul of the deceased from the depths of the afterlife.
Among all the Dark Magic rituals for resurrection that Ivan knew, the most challenging step was always recalling the soul of the deceased. The Resurrection Stone could accomplish this effortlessly, making it akin to a gateway that allowed free passage between the realms of the living and the dead.
One could imagine that any wizard possessing all three Deathly Hallows would be nearly equivalent to death itself, endowed with impenetrable protection, unmatched power, and the ability to reverse death.
This might be the origin of the legend that gathering all three Deathly Hallows would make one a Deathmaster...
Xenophilius even posited that the figure of Death in the story was actually this powerful wizard, who, nearing the end of his life, called his three sons to his side and had each choose one of the Deathly Hallows to inherit. However, over the centuries, the story had become severely distorted, eventually evolving into the well-known tale of the Three Brothers.
Xenophilius's hypothesis was certainly compelling, but it also had several contradictions. If the creator of the Deathly Hallows had truly conquered death, he could have used the Resurrection Stone to return from the world of the dead, even as his life drew to a close.
Of course, it was also possible that he had been betrayed, or perhaps he had achieved a sudden enlightenment and accepted death with grace...
Additionally, based on information from Grindelwald, the three Deathly Hallows seemed to have some secrets or required certain methods to fully unlock their power.
The Elder Wand needed to be won from its previous master, the Invisibility Cloak had demonstrated additional abilities in Grindelwald's hands, and the Resurrection Stone remained the last piece of the puzzle.
Ivan stroked his chin, lost in thought. At the North American Magic Congress, Grindelwald had personally stated that even Dumbledore couldn't break through the magical barrier.
"Perhaps these Deathly Hallows, like the legends, were truly crafted by Death itself..." Luna's melodic voice suddenly broke the silence of the night.
Ivan turned his head to look at the young witch sitting beside him, gazing into the distance. "Why do you think so?"
"Because it's interesting, isn't it?" Luna blinked her eyes and said softly.
Ivan couldn't help but laugh. Indeed, it was quite intriguing.
Ivan lifted his head and gazed at the sparkling night sky, asking thoughtfully, "What do you think Grindelwald meant by that barrier?"
"Death doesn't lie, so the stone He gave Cadmus must truly be able to bring back the girl he loved..." Luna gently shook her head, her voice drifting.
"But Death is also cunning, wanting to torment Cadmus. If I were Death, I would place a magic on the Resurrection Stone—Cadmus would only truly see her soul when he stopped yearning to bring her back to life."
Hearing Luna's words, Ivan was momentarily stunned.
"Did I say something wrong?" Luna looked at Ivan, puzzled.
"No, you might be right... It's very possible, very likely!" Ivan muttered to himself, realizing this perfectly matched Grindelwald's description of the barrier.
With Dumbledore's extensive knowledge of magic, there were few things in the world that could stump him, or perhaps just one: his feelings of guilt and love for his family.
In the original timeline, Dumbledore had said that one of his primary reasons for pursuing the Deathly Hallows was to bring his deceased sister back to life and seek his family's forgiveness.
If Luna's theory was correct, then Dumbledore truly couldn't break through this barrier.
Of course, the caster might not have been Death. It could have been the creator of the Resurrection Stone, who didn't want its power to be misused, thus placing such a restriction on it.
"Let's try it now..." With a clear goal in mind, Ivan immediately perked up, eagerly pulling Luna back to Lovegood Manor.
By the time they reached the living room, Xenophilius had just prepared a midnight snack. Seeing Ivan and Luna enter, he happily invited them to join him. Luna's "mother" was leaning against Xenophilius, and even though they couldn't touch, they looked like a couple in the throes of new love.
Ivan sighed inwardly. He had never realized the Resurrection Stone's seductive power was so strong. If this continued for a few weeks, Xenophilius would likely end up like the second of the Three Brothers, Cadmus, choosing suicide to be with his wife.
"What's wrong?" Xenophilius pulled out a chair, but noticed the two standing motionless. He was puzzled.
Seeing Xenophilius's entranced expression, Ivan didn't know how to persuade him. After a moment's thought, he snapped his fingers. Xenophilius's body jerked, and he fell back into the chair, falling into a deep sleep.
"Sorry, Luna..." Ivan looked at the young witch, his face showing a hint of regret.
The young witch shook her head, not minding. Letting Xenophilius sleep unknowingly was probably the best choice.
Ivan stepped forward and opened Xenophilius's tightly clenched right hand, taking out the Resurrection Stone. After a moment's hesitation, he didn't experiment right away but left Luna to take care of Xenophilius while he Apparated to a nearby uninhabited cliff.
A cold breeze blew past, and Ivan took a deep breath. He then slowly turned the diamond crystal in his hand three times.
He didn't know how to break the magic on the Resurrection Stone, but he knew he had to face it first.
As he thought, five figures appeared before Ivan. In addition to Dumbledore, Nicolas Flamel, and Orlando Hals, there were two middle-aged couples with black hair and black eyes.
Ivan's body trembled uncontrollably as he stared at the two familiar faces—those of his parents from his previous life!
(End of Chapter)
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