The Time Loop Ends

Headmaster's Office.

After viewing William's memories, Dumbledore led him away from the Pensieve and back to the room.

The principal closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before letting out a long sigh, his worries growing heavier.

William, your memory is important.

I've always wanted to observe Voldemort's condition up close, and this passage confirms many of my suspicions, especially regarding his immortality magic.

"What kind of magic is it, Professor?" William asked curiously.

"I can't tell you yet, the entire chain of evidence is missing the most crucial piece of physical evidence." Dumbledore sighed and began to change the subject.

"Since you've come to me with your memories, you naturally want to escape the time loop. Is there anything you don't understand about the whole matter?"

William nodded and began asking questions with practiced ease:

"Wasn't Quirrell a ghost? Why is Voldemort possessing his body?"

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and pondered for a moment before saying, "It's a long story. I told you in the Forbidden Forest that Voldemort had been controlling Quirrell."

William nodded slightly.

"In fact, he was hiding on the back of Quirrell's head."

William was dumbfounded.

A while ago, he offered a high reward for students to investigate what was under his scarf, and some even resorted to various forms of violence... Were they all slapping the face of the Dark Lord?

This joke has gone too far!

Wait a minute, it seems William didn't personally carry out the attack; it was the Slytherin students who were the most relentless, showing absolutely no mercy.

It's a pity no evidence was left behind, otherwise, we could have packed up the evidence and given it to Voldemort when he rose again.

Among the parents of these students, there should be quite a few Death Eaters, such as Lucius Malfoy.

What a pity...

William felt a slight pang of regret.

Dumbledore, oblivious to William's distraction, continued, "This kind of host parasitism will greatly reduce Quirrell's vitality, especially after the two battles with you. Quirrell probably only has a few months left to live."

I suspect that it was around that time that Voldemort suddenly had the idea of abandoning Quirrell.

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes and said calmly:

Voldemort had no friends whatsoever; his men were all servants.

He can sacrifice anyone, even someone who once helped him.

So Voldemort sent Quirrell to the Restricted Section to die, and then used Dark Magic to turn him into a ghost.

After Quirrell became a ghost, he created confusion and tried to lower my guard, but Voldemort himself remained hidden in the school until today when he made his move.

"But aren't ghosts supposed to be unable to touch others? I think he can touch Harry," William asked, puzzled.

"William, do you know how Peeves was formed?" Dumbledore raised his right hand slightly, and a book floated over.

"I don't know." William had indeed always been curious about why Peeves was different from ordinary ghosts.

Peeves has lived in the castle since the founding of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

To be precise, he was born along with the entire building, especially during the period when the castle was a gathering place for many children.

He is a strange creature formed from the students' minds.

Dumbledore handed William the book, "The Hogwarts Secrets."

William glanced at it quickly, looking at the contents of the document about Peeves.

It records the reason for Peeves's birth, as well as the school administrator's struggle against him.

"I have thought more than once that Voldemort was Hogwarts' most outstanding student, and he used the school's special environment to transform Quirrell into this form as well."

Afterwards, they used Dark Magic to sacrifice Quirrell's soul, creating a temporary body, even though this body was different from a physical body in the conventional sense.

"Then why couldn't he touch Harry's body? I saw him touch Harry's corpse and look pained."

"I told you before, William," Dumbledore, his face filled with deep sorrow, "Lily cast a spell to protect Harry."

"Prehistoric Mysteries," William said.

"That's right, that power was exceptionally strong. It not only deflected Voldemort's Killing Curse, but also left the power of love within Harry's body, protecting him until he reached adulthood."

That power resides in Harry's blood and skin, which is why Quirrell cannot touch him.

Quirrell, filled with hatred, greed, and ambition, sold his soul to Voldemort. He would experience unbearable pain upon touching someone marked with Lily's power, especially given his state at the time.

Dumbledore had spoken of the Prehistoric Mysteries to William more than once, and seeing Quirrell's appearance today, he realized that this power was truly formidable.

Dumbledore seemed to know what William was thinking, and he explained, "I know you're curious about where the Prehistoric Mysteries; I do know a little."

Dumbledore waved his wand, and a phantom image of a building appeared before William.

"This is the Ministry of Magic, located on the ninth underground level, where there is a Department of Mysteries."

William said, "I've heard of the Department of Mysteries; Tywin stole the Time-Turner right here."

Dumbledore nodded. "That's right, but there's more to this than just Time-Turner."

Most of the information in this department is highly classified. Only a small number of wizards within the Ministry of Magic know what's inside.

The Department of Mysteries studies many of the world's mysteries, such as love, space, thought, time, and death.

These things are all extensions of Prehistoric Mysteries.

Deep within the Department of Mysteries lies a locked room, a room containing a portion of Prehistoric Mysteries that even the Ministry of Magic has been unable to unlock after centuries of research.

William squinted; this was the first time Dumbledore had told him about the whereabouts of the Prehistoric Mysteries.

However, since the Ministry of Magic has been locked down for centuries, William doesn't believe he can open it.

Just because he's handsome? No way.

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, relaxing, and asked, "Any more questions?"

"The last one, where did that Basilisk come from?"

"Oh, you've asked a question that's difficult for me as well," Dumbledore sighed.

"You should have had a check-up at the Quidditch arena, right?"

"That's right."

After the Basilisk was killed, William searched for Basilisk traces through deep underground caves, but found nothing.

Because there is a tunnel underground in the center of the Quidditch arena that leads directly to the Black Lake.

In other words, the Basilisk swam from the Black Lake and then emerged from the Quidditch arena through a pipe.

But Black Lake is too big.

There is a legend that Salazar Slytherin built a secret Chamber of Secrets beneath Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Dumbledore summoned another book and handed it to William.

Before he left, Slytherin sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that no one could open it until his true successor arrived at the school.

Only the heir can open the Chamber of Secrets, release the terrifying thing inside, purify the school, and eliminate all those unworthy to learn magic.

"The terrifying thing is the Basilisk?" William asked doubtfully.

"I believe what Slytherin left behind was indeed the Basilisk," Dumbledore said seriously.

"But he left the Basilisk for another purpose, and it was never to eliminate Muggle-born students."

In fact, the legend of the Chamber of Secrets of Secrets only began to circulate at Hogwarts centuries after Slytherin left the school.

"Someone is deliberately distorting Slytherin's meaning?" William raised an eyebrow.

"That's right." Dumbledore was clearly unwilling to elaborate. He said casually, "Voldemort found the Basilisk and placed it in the Quidditch arena to lure me away, giving him enough time to deal with Harry and take the Philosopher's Stone."

William nodded; he had completely grasped the whole situation and had no more doubts.

The ring on William's right index finger suddenly became scorching hot, and an eagle flew out of the ring and perched on William's shoulder.

It stared at Dumbledore, then suddenly grabbed William by the shoulder and pulled him up.

William was caught in a whirlpool of confusion, and when he awoke again, he was already in his own bed.

The time loop has finally ended.

(Thanks to "devilden" and "Fengling Shiwu" for their generous donations)