Harry Potter and the Obscurus

Chapter 78 A Person More Important Than the Savior

"Who is he? Wait, you bastard..."

Grindelwald, who had initially thought Dumbledore was joking, instantly darkened his face upon seeing Mo Ran. Meanwhile, Mo Ran, however, acted as if he were unaffected by Grindelwald's hostility, simply pulling off his hood and saying:

"I used to think that even if the title of the greatest wizard were applied to you, Professor, it would still be somewhat of an exaggeration... I never expected... when exactly did you find out?"

Dumbledore blinked, as if somewhat embarrassed, and said:

"I'm too old, kid. You know, I don't remember many things that happened more than a decade ago."

The mental preparation he had prepared for seemed to have no effect. When Mo Ran heard those words from Dumbledore's mouth, which was covered by his silver beard, more than a decade ago, it still felt like his brain had been hit hard with a gong.

Yes, even if an adult's mind and soul were added to his body, how could an infant who doesn't know how to use Occlumency possibly escape the mind detection of the world's greatest wizard? It turns out that from the moment he picked up Harry in front of the Dursleys' house, Dumbledore already knew many of the secrets he had kept to himself.

"Then why did you...?"

Dumbledore raised his hand to interrupt Mo Ran, who was about to continue asking questions. Then, just as he usually did when teaching Harry magic, he leisurely took out the Elder Wand from his sleeve and said:

"Let's find somewhere else to talk first; this place isn't very pleasant."

Swish!

Austria's clean and clear night sky was like a painting that had been forcibly torn away. Even Grindelwald, once known as the Dark Lord, could not see what kind of magic Dumbledore had used.

In the blink of an eye, the three people who should have been in the tower of Nurmengard Prison had all arrived in the Forbidden Forest next to Hogwarts Castle.

"Teleportium......" (Teleportation)

After whispering the name of the spell, Dumbledore continued to explain:

"Spatial magic doesn't have any special tricks. As long as the caster's magic power is greater than that of the other teleported objects, it can be activated without any physical contact. Although it's much more difficult than Apparition, there's no risk of disintegration. Oh, by the way, what were you going to ask me again?"

Mo Ran, who was silently reciting the teleportation spell in his mind, paused for a moment, then glanced at Grindelwald, who had also been taken away from the prison, and said:

"Why didn't you act sooner, instead letting things proceed along the original path for the past two years?"

Dumbledore replied with a smile:

"I have to verify it, don't I? I have to see if those memories are just some kind of delusion... To be honest, even after so many years, I still find your appearance incredible."

Grindelwald was completely bewildered by Dumbledore and Moran's "encrypted chat." Of course, even if he could hear what the teacher and student were talking about, true to his nature, he would still interrupt without hesitation. This was not only because he always liked to be in control and express his opinions, but also because of other factors.

“I don’t mind leaving Newmontgarde and going somewhere else, but if this is a class between you and your students, I have no interest in sitting in on it.”

"Don't rush."

Dumbledore comforted him:

"The main characters tonight are the two of you. I only played the role of introducing you two."

After saying that, he put away his wand and took out one by one from under his sleeves—Marvolo Gaunt's ring, Slytherin's locket, and Hufflepuff's golden cup.

The three rare treasures held little appeal for a wizard of Grindelwald's caliber, but the neatly arranged black sword scars on them did make him realize something was amiss.

"How is this going?"

"And your hands?"

In response to their questions, Dumbledore raised his aged hand and waved it before replying in unison:

"This time I didn't do anything foolish because of the great temptation, but even with the lessons learned from the past, the process was still not simple. Tom Riddle's use of black magic has probably reached an unprecedented level."

Gellert Grindelwald's magical skills were not as advanced as Dumbledore's, but as someone who was also hailed as the Dark Lord in the wizarding world, how could he be completely ignorant of Horcruxes? After staring intently at the three treasures that had been defiled by Voldemort's soul remnants for a moment, his attitude underwent a complete 180-degree change.

"How many pieces did that kid divide his soul into?"

"Seven."

Dumbledore answered bluntly:

"Of course, if nothing unexpected happens, he should think it's six."

"How many have you found so far?"

"Including these three, we've destroyed five Horcruxes. If it weren't for this child, things definitely wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

Dumbledore's praise did not elicit any higher regard from Grindelwald for Mo Ran. He slowly shifted his gaze from the ring, locket, and gold cup, and said quietly:

“I once saw three faces looking at each other, and I know that this scene has nothing to do with the Savior Star. But right now, you don’t seem to need to rely on my prophetic abilities to find the other Horcruxes. So what is the purpose of our meeting?”

Dumbledore waved his hand, retrieving the remaining Horcruxes floating in the air into his sleeve. Then he walked to the center between Grindelwald and Moran and said:

"Gellert successfully predicted the Second World War, which was launched by the Muggle world. In his words at the time, Muggles were arrogant, power-hungry, and crude. However, since his arrest, many wizards have dismissed these statements as mere rhetoric used to incite unrest, failing to give the subject any deeper thought..."

At this point, Dumbledore glanced at Mo Ran, seemingly casually, before continuing:

“I know Gellert very well. His words are very persuasive… extremely persuasive. The reason he can manipulate people with words is because he never uses lies to cover up the truth; he simply manages to cleverly bury his true intentions beneath his heartfelt words… He knows that the Muggle population is about to grow, and he also knows that those guys who used to only use swords and burn witches at the stake have developed weapons that can threaten wizards’ lives. If a few more people like Dorcas and Bartholomew appear in the wizarding world, the next Big Exposure could trigger a terrible catastrophe.”

(Dorcus Twelvetrees, a student at Ivermony School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, met and fell in love with a young man named Bartholomew Barribon during an outdoor picnic. Bartholomew's ancestors were Purifiers who made a living by hunting spellcasters and even capturing and killing innocent Muggles. For love, Dorcus revealed a great deal of information about the wizarding world to Bartholomew, including the addresses of Ivermony School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the Magical Congress of the United States, as well as other specific details. After gathering enough evidence, Bartholomew stole Dorcus's wand and launched a wrongful massacre, which he believed to be a righteous purge. After that, the Magical Congress of the United States passed the Rappaport Act, completely separating wizarding society from Muggle society, and gradually forming a wizarding social atmosphere completely different from that of Europe.)

Grindelwald smiled, though he was reluctant to admit it. The person who understood him best and resonated with him the most had always been Albus Dumbledore.

He said with a hint of helplessness:

"So what? You can see that future without prophetic magic, yet you'd rather let your people risk being discovered and executed than follow me down that path. You gave Muggles a chance, you gave the world a chance, but..."

“Gellert…”

Dumbledore said in a deep voice:

"Fate, time, prophecy—these are things studied by the Department of Mysteries, and they are not things that we mortals can control. You have been defeated by fate several times, and you should understand what is permissible and what is not."

Grindelwald fell silent, and Mo Ran could tell that the Dark Lord had truly been persuaded by Professor Dumbledore.

......

After a long while, Mo Ran took out all the time-twisters, time-twister fragments, Deathly Hallows pendants, prophecy orbs, and the pocket watch compass that Thor Crocker had given him, which were all from Harry's collection.

"professor."

He said:

"You also obtained Slytherin's locket through the Time-Turner, right?"

Dumbledore smiled and nodded, acknowledging Mo Ran's guess.

"So, are all the things Harry and I have done, are doing, and haven't done in recent months included in your calculations?"

Watching the various magical artifacts gradually float into the air, Dumbledore sighed and said:

"There are many legends about ghosts and gods in this world, but whether it's the content of The Tales of Beedle the Bard or the secrets passed down through generations of wizarding families, for thousands of years, when wizards in the magical world have encountered misfortune and suffered endless torment, miracles have never occurred. Even someone like Merlin did not achieve true omniscience and omnipotence and has vanished into history. So, no, many things that have happened to you were not within my calculations, and even the other me that you remember in your mind could not have predicted every step accurately."

"what do you mean?"

“If I’m not mistaken, I was setting up many insurance policies for Harry, trying to give him a last chance at life. But as you know, what truly helped him achieve victory and success was the power from the locked room in the Department of Mysteries.”

Grindelwald, who had been silent to the side, seemed to slowly understand the content of their conversation. His expression first became somewhat suspicious, then he smiled as if mocking himself. Gradually, his eyes began to sharpen. Looking at Mo Ran, who was talking to Dumbledore while wearing Harry's face, an almost impossible conjecture popped into Grindelwald's mind.

"You mean, he's from another...?"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, as if responding to a recurring, seemingly mundane question:

"Yes, that world is very interesting. In a way, we are all just characters in the Tales of Beedle the Bard."

"I do not believe!"

Grindelwald, his mind reeling from the shock, waved his arms violently, as if refusing to acknowledge it all, and asked:

"Just because you saw prophecies about the future in his memories? That's absurd, Albus! If he really is as you say, then he also knows the truth about our duel perfectly well?"

"You mean, why is it that even though you're the one wielding the Elder Wand, Professor Dumbledore is the one who won the duel?"

Grindelwald didn't reply, but seeing his almost irreconcilable demeanor, Mo Ran knew he had to give him a satisfactory answer today.

......

He had certainly considered how Grindelwald, as the wielder of the Elder Wand, could lose to Dumbledore, but neither the idea that he used Exorcism to defeat Dumbledore, who had no intention of fighting him, nor the idea that Grindelwald deliberately lost because of love, seemed logical.

The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie series is still not finished, and even J.K. Rowling, the author, hasn't revealed the important plot points. Is it really possible for me to guess them?

Mo Ran, who was having second thoughts, looked at Dumbledore with a hint of helplessness, but the other man was just playing with the Marvolo Gaunt ring as if it were none of his business.

"Uh... okay."

Mo Ran sighed and said:

"To be honest, I don't know much about your story. I've heard rumors about how you met, and I know that your spells clashed because you were trying to hurt and protect Credence, which led to the breakdown of the Blood Pact. But as for the final duel, I can only offer my analysis and speculation."

Upon hearing this, Grindelwald seemed slightly shaken, but his gaze quickly returned to its previous unyielding intensity. Left with no other option, Mo Ran had to bite the bullet and analyze:

"If we're talking solely about the study of the Deathly Hallows, Mr. Grindelwald is probably far more knowledgeable than Headmaster Dumbledore. Actually, when you met Harry last time, I was wondering why you could name the descendants of the Ignotus family so quickly, yet show no interest in the Invisibility Cloak, which was right in front of you. Have you truly reformed, or do you simply not care about it at all...?"

For some reason, Mo Ran's mind became clearer and clearer at this moment. Whether it was Dumbledore's words about fate, time, and prophecy, or the novel setting that the Elder Wand was also called the "Wand of Fate," they slowly came together like complete puzzle pieces.

"A profound understanding of the Dark Arts, a thirst for power, and the unique qualities of an ambitious man—so, of the three Deathly Hallows, Mr. Grindelwald, the only one you truly desired was the Elder Wand, and that's exactly what you did. Otherwise, you would have had no reason not to visit the descendants of the Ignotus family in Godric's Hollow. Yes, that's it. Professor Dumbledore didn't want to be your enemy, didn't want to duel you; and you told Voldemort that you had never been the master of the Elder Wand."

As he spoke, Mo Ran became more and more excited, just like someone who had suddenly solved a math problem that he had no clue about during the college entrance examination; soon, his voice trembled, and even his eyes revealed a fanatical red light.

"Whether the Elder Wand truly grants invincibility, I don't know, but it is an absolutely loyal wand! As long as its master is not defeated or killed, it will not acknowledge any new wielder, no matter how many times the owner changes. And why were you searching for Credence back then? Oh right! Many years ago, you foresaw that an Obscurus would kill the person you feared most! Professor Dumbledore knew this, but you've been misunderstanding it all along! Because that Obscurus, Professor Dumbledore's sister—Ariana Dumbledore—was the former wielder of the Elder Wand!"

"enough!"

"Let him continue..."

Mo Ran seemed not to have heard Grindelwald and Dumbledore's voices at all; at this moment, he seemed to have grasped some kind of inexplicable thread.

"Professor Dumbledore didn't want to duel you because he didn't want to face the fact that he was the murderer of his sister. If he defeated you, who possessed the Elder Wand, he would no longer be able to use 'in the chaos, someone's wand sparked fatally' as an excuse to absolve himself. And you, Grindelwald, you underestimated the power of love. You saw Dumbledore as the person you feared most, not wanting this relationship to become an obstacle to your great cause. Unfortunately, by using such an excuse to imagine your beloved as an enemy, you ultimately succumbed to love itself..."

"I've said enough!"

boom!

In the dark, forbidden forest, two centenarians bumped into each other like Muggles without magic. Perhaps because Mo Ran, who had entered the time rift, was beside them, they seemed to have seen each other's past selves.

Scenes such as Godric Valley and the Bhutan Magic Competition appeared before their eyes, and the two men, whose beards and hair had turned white, seemed to have returned to their youth.

After an unknown amount of time, Dumbledore spoke first.

"Do you believe me now? This child is more important than the Savior, and he carries a destiny more complex than Aurelius Dumbledore's. So, I hope to get your help, Gellert. Will you agree?"

Grindelwald didn't speak. He stared blankly into Dumbledore's eyes, then nodded with the slightest gesture.