Death's Deception

"Professor, there's one more thing I need to tell you."

After Dumbledore had clearly explained everything to Tom, William hesitated for a moment before speaking.

Earlier, Cedric, Cho, and I were walking in the Forbidden Forest... when we ran into Ronan.

"Are you sure you want to take a walk?" Dumbledore asked with a smile in his eyes.

"Then let's use another word... digestion."

"Going to the Forbidden Forest to digest your food in the middle of the night, that's a very good habit." Dumbledore smiled, not paying any attention to William and the others' nighttime stroll.

"Ronan... I remember that Centaur, a guy with a pretty good temper."

"Ronan told me that Epsilon Star of Hydra is getting brighter and brighter, and last night it even surpassed the brightness of the Heart of the Hydra."

"And last night Voldemort's Horcrux came back to life. Do you think this sign refers to that?" Dumbledore.

"That's right, isn't it?"

"I know what you mean, William. You mean that since the Centaur ' Prophecy are so accurate, we can ask them to help us," Dumbledore said.

William nodded.

"William, if you know the Centaur, you'll know they often say, ' The Centaur ' Prophecy don't focus on trivial details.'"

"What's the meaning?"

"The Centaur observe the night sky and can only predict the overall fate of a species or people, but they cannot predict the fate of an individual."

"We want to know who the next wizard to help Voldemort will be, and we want to know what Tom will be doing in United States."

But the Centaur can't give us answers; they never focus on these details, only on the big picture.

For example, I've heard Firenze say more than once, "The wizarding world is only experiencing a brief period of peace between two wars. The Mars of war are shining brightly above us, suggesting that fighting will surely break out again soon."

"I observed this myself, even without them telling me. But could they tell us more detailed information?"

For example, who won, and how did they win?

"What happened last night..." William asked, puzzled.

"You can understand it this way," Dumbledore sighed. "Tom's resurrection will greatly influence the future direction of the United Kingdom, and even the entire Wizarding World."

So the Centaur were able to learn of this situation by chance... We can't expect them to be so lucky every time.

Dumbledore crossed his fingers and added:

"And even if they knew more details, they wouldn't tell us, and I don't want to hear them."

"Why?" William asked, puzzled.

Do you remember the Arithmancy you mentioned?

William nodded.

Dumbledore said softly, "Professor Vector said there would be seven attacks, each one failing in the end."

The seven times was accurate; Tom did indeed use seven Basilisk, but the Prophecy failed... So who failed?

Did Tom fail? He did lose his body, but there's still a possibility of resurrection.

Did we fail?

You prevented Riddle's resurrection, turning him into a shadow form, and the attacked people didn't die... But, William, you won't consider yourself successful, because Riddle has become a troublesome long-term concern for us."

"Prophecy are always ambiguous, and countless results tell us that it is foolish to place too much faith in this kind of thing!"

Voldemort's current state is a result of his excessive belief in a certain Prophecy.

We can only try to utilize it, but we cannot treat it as a predetermined outcome, otherwise it will mislead you.

William hesitated for a moment, "But there's a Prophecy that I'm puzzled by, and I've been thinking about it for a long time... Professor, have you read Tyco Dodonas's Prophecies?"

"I read it many years ago." Dumbledore raised his hand again, and another book flew over from the bookshelf.

"A very interesting book. Even upon rereading it later, I realized that some of the Prophecy actually happened to people around me."

"Is this the part you're wondering about?" Dumbledore turned to a page and read aloud softly:

"Ha, ruthless demon king!"

Ah, broken soul!

The self-exile of that year,

Reborn from the gift of Death.

"Who do you think they're talking about?" William asked. "There are only two Dark Lord right now..."

"To be honest," Dumbledore adjusted his Half-moon Spectacles, his voice deep, "For many years, I believed he was referring to Grindelwald."

"Wasn't Grindelwald imprisoned in Nurmengard?"

"Do you think a single Nurmengard could imprison Grindelwald? He was the one who originally built that place."

"Then why didn't the first Dark Lord come out?"

"Because..." Dumbledore took a deep breath, "Gellert promised me he would never leave Nurmengard unless I died."

William coughed, feeling that something was off.

This doesn't seem like a bitter feud, but rather like the resolute farewell between lovers, with a hint of "never to see each other again in this life."

"Since he promised you he wouldn't come out... why do you still think it was him?"

"William, I don't know whether I should trust Gellert," Dumbledore, his voice tinged with frustration.

"He's very good at manipulating people and deceiving emotions... Let's put it this way, he's the most liar I've ever met. I can't tell... which of his words are true and which are false."

"So you believe that he has exiled himself to Nurmenga and will eventually come out?"

"I don't know." Dumbledore shook his head.

"But I think the Prophecy wasn't about Grindelwald, but about Tom Riddle," William countered.

"Riddle was a broken soul, and he also said that he was banished to Voldemort's diary."

He mentioned the Death and the Deathly Hallows from the Slytherin lore.

All indications suggest that he also meets the conditions of the Prophecy.

"The Hallows, the Hallows," Dumbledore murmured, "A dream of a desperate man!"

"But they are real." William thought of his ring and Nicolas's Book of Alchemy.

"So you think the Death in the Prophecy refers to the Death among the Three Brothers?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, Death's legacy might refer to a new Deathly Hallows."

"If Tom really goes to Death and tries to get the three Hallows," Dumbledore said, "I'd be very happy, because that's a fool's bait."

William, man can never conquer Death... Regardless of the version of the Three Brothers, we ridicule the eldest and second eldest for their shortsightedness, admire the youngest for his wisdom, and laugh at Death for being fooled.

But did you notice that in the end, the third brother also died, and his soul was taken away by Death?

The Deathly Hallows... just a hoax by Death. Anyone who tries to find Death is doomed.

William nodded thoughtfully.

"Professor, I'll head back now."

"Get some rest. Tell Harry at the door to come in later. Give me the time it takes to sing a song."

William said "Oh," and left the Headmaster's Office.

Dumbledore sat blankly in the chair, revealing a decadent air he had never shown to anyone before.

A moment later, he got up and went into a room.

This is a simple room.

A large object, covered in black velvet, stood against the wall.

Dumbledore stood there, pondered for a moment, then walked to the covered object and pulled off the velvet.

The Mirror of Erised appeared.

He hadn't looked in that mirror for a year since the Quirrell incident.

At that moment, he mustered his courage and looked into the mirror.

Young Dumbledore and young Grindelwald were lying on a patch of grass.

Dumbledore turned his head away, resisting the urge to cover the mirror again. He straightened himself and raised his blue eyes.

"Gellert, will you be my lover?" young Dumbledore asked, mustering his courage.

"Albus, I must remind you again, I am a man."

Grindelwald raised his hand to shield his eyes from the dazzling sunlight, his golden hair Winky in the glow.

He asked earnestly, "Are you really sure you want to be my lover?"

Dumbledore his head, pondered, then looked up, revealing a resolute gaze.

Life is too short to resist the urge to give it a try.

near,

A deep kiss!

The scene shifts, and the elderly Grindelwald smiles as he sits in a dusty chair, surrounded by solitude.