Regarding this content.
Ian had some ideas of his own.
Of course, most of it was knowledge from the Hogwarts textbooks. Since those were later versions, he wasn't worried about being discovered by Dumbledore now.
So-called Prophecy is not about "seeing" a fixed future. Rather, it's more like... certain individuals with exceptionally keen senses, or whose soul frequencies resonate with certain deep vibrations of this "web of Destiny," capture the strong connections between certain "nodes" in this network, the general trends of certain "flows," or certain "potential focal points" that will soon become exceptionally "bright" due to the convergence of strong "cause and effect" or "energy."
He paused, as if searching for a more suitable word.
"These captured messages are often fragmented, symbolic, and full of personal interpretations, because the 'web of Destiny ' itself is not written in language."
" Prophet use their limited understanding and symbolic system to 'translate' those vague intuitions. Therefore, Prophecy are often ambiguous, possibly pointing to multiple outcomes, or the original probability distribution may be altered by the very act of Prophecy itself." "This is what is called 'self-fulfilling prophecy' or 'self-avoidance.'" Ian put down his fries, his gaze returning to Grindelwald, his eyes still calm.
Therefore, whether Prophecy is "true" depends on multiple factors: the Prophet's own talent and state of mind, their way of interpreting information, the complexity of the factors involved in the Prophecy event, and... the choices and interventions made by the relevant parties after the Prophecy is known. It is more like a high-level probabilistic warning and causal indication than a fatalistic judgment.
This is the content of the Divination Class materials.
The theory has not yet emerged.
Ian, of course, didn't mind being a plagiarist. His argument was clear, calm, and logically rigorous, far exceeding the depth of understanding of Prophecy that an ordinary young Wizard would have.
It not only points out the ambiguity and manipulability of Prophecy, but also implies a relatively objective, even slightly detached, perspective on " Destiny " itself. Truly worthy of being Raven!
Dumbledore was deeply shocked. He had never heard anyone deconstruct Prophecy phenomena so systematically and "scientifically." This further convinced him that the young man before him possessed a knowledge background and level of thinking that were far beyond the ordinary.
The classic scene of plagiarism and pretense of superiority is playing out at this moment.
but.
However, there are still some uncertainties.
Grindelwald listened quietly, his heterochromatic eyes gleaming with surprise, admiration, a deeper inquiry, and a hint of... indescribable confirmation of some precious quality. He didn't immediately comment on Ian's argument. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, his smile becoming somewhat peculiar—a mixture of approval, teasing, and a touch of old-fashioned mentorly banter.
"Well done, Mr. Ian." Grindelwald's tone carried an almost benevolent teasing tone. "Clear and logical, insightful, even touching on the observer effect and probabilistic interpretation... It seems you've prepared very well for your 'final exam,' and the exam time is almost here." He clapped his hands lightly, his voice particularly clear in the quiet corner.
Final exams?
The word, coming from Grindelwald's mouth, seemed incredibly abrupt and strange in this context.
Ian, who had maintained a calm and composed demeanor until he heard those four words, showed a clear, almost frozen, momentary stunned expression on his face.
In those deep, pool-like eyes, something seemed to be gently stirred, flashing a mixture of surprise, realization, and an almost imperceptible... embarrassment?
"No! What's going on with Grindelwald?!"
The noisy background sounds of the night market seemed amplified infinitely at this moment.
Dumbledore astutely noticed Ian's fleeting, unusual reaction. His suspicions deepened: What did Grindelwald mean by that seemingly random "final exam"? Why did it elicit such a... human, stunned look from this unfathomable young man?
Grindelwald, meanwhile, leaned back leisurely on the plastic stool, his heterochromatic eyes filled with a playful smile, as if he had just made a harmless little joke.
Quietly awaiting Ian's reaction, the atmosphere around the simple plastic table instantly became somewhat subtle and indescribable because of the abrupt mention of "final exams."
"You..." Ian Prince, the " Raven " who had just been calmly and detachedly expounding profound insights about Destiny and Prophecy.
At this moment, a clear crack appeared on the timeless calm on his face.
He opened his mouth slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but it got stuck in his throat. His deep, pool-like eyes stared straight at Grindelwald, who was smiling playfully across from him.
Final exams...
Ian repeated the word under his breath, his tone carrying a strange, almost absurd quality. His fingers, resting on the table, unconsciously twitched slightly before quickly relaxing, as if trying to regain his composed, all-encompassing calm. But this subtle movement and brief moment of distraction were precisely caught by Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
Dumbledore's astonishment and doubt spread like ripples on a lake after a stone was thrown in. Grindelwald's words were by no means unfounded! "Final exam"—that's clearly a school term!
Combining Ian's youthful appearance with the knowledge and strength he had previously displayed that far exceeded his age, an even more bizarre yet inexplicably fitting guess flashed through Dumbledore's mind like lightning.
His expression was one of suspicion and uncertainty. Grindelwald, observing Ian's reaction, deepened his mischievous smile, but he didn't delve further into the topic, as if it had truly been a casual remark. He subtly shifted the subject, returning to the initial question, but with a different tone. "As for that the Black Robed Woman..."
Grindelwald's voice returned to its previous calm, a deep glint flashing in his heterochromatic eyes. "I don't know his exact identity. But to be able to cast such exquisite, long-lasting, and highly targeted soul suggestions, and to have such a clear 'prediction' and 'intervention' regarding the trajectory of Jorkins ' Destiny... such a being is extremely rare in this era."
"Moreover, the location he chose to lead Jorkins to happened to be the very place where you appeared and intervened... This is hard to explain as a mere coincidence."
He paused, his gaze sharpening as if trying to see through Ian's calm surface. "This makes me wonder if the Black Robed Woman's ' Prophecy ' or 'scheme' wasn't just about Jorkins, but also... about you, Mr. Ian. Do you feel that your presence there, saving Jorkins, was also like being drawn to that specific time and place by some invisible thread?" This question went straight to the heart of the matter, connecting the Black Robed Woman's motives, Jorkins's ordeal, and Ian's appearance into a potentially larger "scheme."
Dumbledore held his breath slightly, waiting for Ian's answer.
However.
Ian, however, didn't seem to care that much.
"You just used your Prophecy abilities?" Ian's eyes were filled with obvious astonishment, and even a hint of... being caught off guard by having some kind of disguise exposed?
"Yes."
Grindelwald readily admitted it.
You cheated!
Ian was starting to lose his composure.
However, just as he finished speaking...
A sudden change has occurred!
It did not come from a conversation between the three of them, nor from nearby.
Rather, it was a sudden change in atmosphere.
The lively sounds of the night market in the distance, which were originally noisy but full of life, seemed to freeze for a moment at the same time, as if they had been suddenly gripped by an invisible hand!
Immediately following were several short, terrified screams, and the chaotic sounds of people pushing and shoving, objects colliding and collapsing! But the chaos did not continue to spread; instead, it seemed to be forcibly suppressed and confined to a certain area, quickly becoming low and indistinct, as if covered by a huge soundproof dome.
At the same time, a cold, sinister, malicious, and chaotic Magic Power Fluctuation, like ink dropped into clear water, quietly seeped in and spread from multiple directions around the night market!
Although the Magic Power Fluctuation were deliberately suppressed and dispersed, they were as clear and glaring as a beacon fire in the night for beings like Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Ian!
What's going on?!
Dumbledore and Grindelwald's expressions changed almost simultaneously, and they abruptly stood up from their plastic stools! Dumbledore's Elder Wand instantly slid into his palm, and his azure eyes flashed with a sharp, hawk-like alertness as he quickly scanned his surroundings. Grindelwald, though not drawing his wand—perhaps he didn't have one at the moment—his heterochromatic pupils suddenly contracted, and he exuded a cold, dangerous aura of seasoned warriors. Death Eater! And a large number of Death Eater!
They're silently surrounding the night market from all sides! How dare they so openly gather and approach in Muggle -populated area?! "They're actually retaliating." Ian slowly stood up. His movements weren't hurried, but there was a hint of coldness in his composure.
He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to and sensing something, his deep, pool-like eyes gazing towards the entrance of the night market, where the lights and noise had once been bright and bustling.
It was now being swallowed up by a rapidly spreading, unnatural silence and darkness.
"It seems," Ian said calmly, his voice revealing little surprise, only a knowing "I knew it" in his tone, "Our conversation will have to be temporarily interrupted."
His gaze swept over Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
Finally, the scene shifts to the distant night market area, which is being engulfed by darkness and silence.
"And it seems... there are 'guests' who have arrived uninvited, and they've brought... quite a few 'gifts'." It was obvious who Ian was referring to.
"I never expected him to have such audacity."
Dumbledore, his face extremely grave. He hadn't expected Voldemort to act so swiftly and boldly! To directly mobilize a large number of Death Eater to surround Muggle area? This completely exceeded the Dark Lord's previously relatively "cautious" style! Could it be that Grindelwald's appearance had provoked Tom?
Or was it this threat from the " Raven " that made him decide to eliminate all three at any cost?
But why should Voldemort have that right?!
"It's Tom," Dumbledore voice, his tone filled with chilling anger and deep worry. "He's gone mad! He's actually making a move here!" Dumbledore was still pondering Voldemort's trump card.
Grindelwald sneered, a dangerous glint in his heterochromatic eyes. "It seems your 'new opponent' has not only grown bolder, but also more ambitious."
"Trying to swallow all three of us whole? Aren't you afraid of choking?" Even without his wand, Grindelwald still exuded a powerful aura.
Just then, the cold, chaotic Magic Power Fluctuation suddenly intensified! Furthermore, an even larger, more obscure aura, brimming with the oppressive power and chaotic qualities of a newly Legend, like an ancient beast awakening, swept out from the Street directly in front of the night market with undisguised, overwhelming force! "What's going on?!"
"Is this the end of the world?! Oh my god! What are those things?!"
No! I don't want to die!
Where darkness passed, the air seemed to freeze, the light distorted, and even the sound of the River Thames in the distance seemed distant and unreal. The few Muggle remaining in the night market, either not driven away or unconscious, collapsed to the ground as if all their strength had been drained away the moment this aura swept over them, sinking into the deepest fear and paralysis.
"Da da da~"
Footsteps approached.
Then.
A tall, thin figure, dressed in a black robe, with a pale, snake-like face and narrow, scarlet eyes, slowly stepped out from the end of the Street shrouded in darkness and silence.
He toyed with his Yew Wand, his steps unhurried, as if he were not heading towards a potentially earth-shattering battle, but rather surveying his own territory.
Voldemort!
He came in person!
Moreover, it was in a way that was even more dangerous and eerie, one that Dumbledore found unfamiliar!
"Something's not right with this guy!"
Dumbledore immediately sensed Voldemort's extraordinary nature.
"Hehehe."
Voldemort could hear it.
His gaze.
Like two cold searchlights, they pierced through the thinning smoke and dim lights of the night market, precisely locking onto the three figures who had stood up in front of the food stall.
Then, a sinister and gleeful smile spread across the face of the current Dark Lord.
"Good evening, my dear... Professor."
Voldemort's hoarse, soft voice clearly echoed throughout the "battlefield" forcibly isolated by magic, "And... two unexpected 'distinguished guests'."
"What a... wonderful party!"
As he spoke.
Darkness had already enveloped them.
A major battle is about to break out.
Beside the simple plastic table, Ian calmly met Voldemort's gaze, and for the first time, a clear hint of... cold nausea surfaced in his deep, abyss-like eyes.
It was a kind of annoyance, like looking at trouble.
"Tsk." Ian put down his chopsticks, smacked his lips almost inaudibly, and said, "Sure enough, I hate being disturbed while eating. At this moment."
Ian had already recognized Voldemort's situation and, before Dumbledore and Grindelwald, knew why Voldemort dared to ambush all three of them at the same time.
The opponent has reached the Legendary Status!
Although I don't know why such a major change occurred in history.
But it's quite obvious.
That's Voldemort's confidence!