The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 104, Section 103: The Resurrection Stone and the Terrified Dark Lord

Chapter 104, Section 103: The Resurrection Stone and the Terrified Dark Lord

The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office.

After Ian was captured by Gilderoy Grindelwald outside Dumbledore's office, he was brought here without any room for refusal by the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to wait. As for Gilderoy Grindelwald himself, according to him, he needed to go and see what Dumbledore had found first.

The conversation between the principal and his best friend was obviously going to last a long time, and Ian did consider sneaking back to his dorm, but he was still worried that Gilderoy Grindelwald would run to his dorm and drag him back.

Ian is someone who values ​​his reputation highly. The fact that Snape kidnapped him in class during the day had already become a rumor, so who knows what secrets about him and Gilderoy Lockhart would circulate if he were kidnapped from his bed in the middle of the night.

"What a terrible night."

Ian stared at the tea that Gilderoy Grindelwald had brewed for him. It was served in a simple yet elegant porcelain cup. The cup was smooth and delicate, and the glaze was warm and jade-like, with a faint luster. Its exquisite appearance, color, and texture clearly indicated that it was a fine porcelain piece from an ancient Eastern country.

The British Empire has always held an Eastern preference for tea and teaware, but such things are not common in Hogwarts and many wizarding families.

Most wizards actually possess a certain degree of closed-mindedness, so Grindelwald is clearly someone whose thinking in this regard is completely different from other wizards. The entire office, which seemed to have been renovated,...

Besides tea sets, many countries also have a number of items that carry cultural symbols.

Russian pine furniture, Persian carpets, Japanese wind chimes, African percussion instruments and wood carvings.

This office brings together products from different countries.

There was even an ancient Eastern broadsword and a staff of a culture Ian couldn't recognize hanging on the wall, overlapping each other to form an X-shaped pattern.

It's like a blend of reality and fantasy—although these things all carry a magical aura and are alchemical creations, like the Weasley family's cars, most of them are extraordinary modified items. I don't know how Grindelwald dares to use them so openly to decorate his usurped office.

"What an unpredictable fellow." Ian had always heard that Grindelwald was a wizard supremacist, whose ideology was only slightly less radical than Voldemort's slogan of pure-blood supremacy. However, he was somewhat surprised to see some Muggle items in this room.

Technological products.

Yes, refrigerators, ovens, televisions, washing machines, and even a disassembled computer were all relatively expensive Muggle technology products in those days.

Grindelwald may indeed be wealthy himself, or he may have stolen Gilderoy Lockhart's property, but Ian is more inclined to believe he broke into a Muggle tycoon's house and conducted a groundbreaking free shopping spree. It's unclear why this wizard supremacist would be interested in Muggle possessions.

"To learn about Muggle society?" Ian thought that with the stuff in this office, Voldemort's servant Quirinus Quirrell probably wouldn't even be able to get a professorship in Muggle Studies when he returned. Look, there's even a box of pickled vegetables on Grindelwald's shelf that's been enchanted so it won't spoil.

It was filled with all sorts of Korean kimchi, demonstrating Grindelwald's clear grasp of the essence of Korean culture—a level of understanding that even surpassed that of Muggles in the early 1990s. However, unlike the labels on other collectibles, the label below the kimchi box offered no insights or cultural analysis from Grindelwald.

All that's left is a string of five question marks: "??????"—Grindelwald can write lengthy treatises on ancient Eastern countries, yet he seems completely unable to analyze the culture of South Korea.

"I can understand; who wouldn't be confused after seeing their situation?"

Ian waited idly for Grindelwald, curiously browsing through Grindelwald's collection in the office. Aside from the modified radio, none of the technological gadgets were usable at Hogwarts.

Even though Ian, who was skilled in both physical and magical arts, could conjure a stable and persistent electric current using magic, he still couldn't start even an electronic device. Ian had already discovered this problem when he accidentally found that his tape recorder couldn't play recordings of Daphne Greengrass.

He didn't forget to complain; he just realized he couldn't provide evidence. Of course, Miss Daphne Greengrass's recent quiet behavior was also a reason Ian hadn't made an issue of her. Otherwise, a simple "Professor..."

The question, "What does 'mud seed' mean?" would certainly be enough to make Daphne Greengrass feel uneasy for a while.

Ian had originally planned to go all over Hogwarts, asking every professor about Daphne Greengrass, but Daphne Greengrass's reformed attitude saved her—after hearing Aurora's words, she dared not discriminate against any Muggle-born wizards anymore.

She feared Ian even more than the professor. Ever since the Marcus incident, Daphne Greengrass would immediately avoid Ian whenever she saw him from afar. Even if it was raining outside, she would pretend to go out to sunbathe, her main goal being to get soaked in the rain rather than leave Ian. In classes shared by Ravenclaw and Slytherin students, she would become as if she were invisible; if Ian even glanced at her, she would tremble like a leaf and crawl under the table.

Ian didn't consider himself a very vengeful person; he only held grudges slightly, so he didn't continue to think about Daphne, only occasionally using a "staring" look to scare Miss Greengrass for fun.

This was just a minor incident in daily life. The only noteworthy thing is that through this incident, Ian realized that Hogwarts not only lacked electricity but also prohibited the use of electrical appliances.

It was clearly under some kind of magic or interference, and even though Ian was able to create a stable rated current through alchemy, he still couldn't make Muggle electronic devices work here.

"Only magically modified items are allowed to function."

Ian didn't quite understand why this was happening. When he asked the portraits, they only told him one thing: behind every school rule is a story.

Perhaps something had happened at Hogwarts in the past, or perhaps there were similar situations throughout the wizarding world, but Ian's limited experience did not allow him to guess the answer to the question.

"In any case, magic combined with technology is definitely worthwhile; it's certainly more promising than a single skill tree." Ian has always had his own alchemical philosophy in this regard. For example, fuel limits the flight range of a spaceship, but a magic-powered spaceship would be a completely different story.

Expensive space fuel is both expensive and bulky, unlike the magical wizards who only need three steamed buns a day, perhaps with a little bit of pickled vegetables.

Ian glanced at the kimchi boxes on the shelf. Just then, with the sound of footsteps coming from the direction of the door, Gilderoy Grindelwald, who had been talking with Dumbledore all night, finally returned.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." His manners were always quite changeable, but Gilderoy Grindelwald seemed to be in a good mood right now. "Our headmaster was just too enthusiastic, so much so that I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but he still kept me company and talked a lot about the past."

No one knew if this was true. Ian couldn't sense Gilderoy's inner thoughts; he could only judge from the smile on Gilderoy's face that the old man and Dumbledore were indeed having a pleasant conversation.

"You'll never guess what I saw. He received a letter from an unknown source, and he treasured it so much that he wouldn't even let me touch it."

Gilderoy Grindelwald chuckled as he walked into the office. "Aurora must have told you about our family's talent. Our stingy headmaster was obviously worried I'd 'see' something in that letter. Little did he know, I actually witnessed something he absolutely didn't want to happen the moment I walked in."

"Whatever's in that letter, in the not-too-distant future, someone will steal a photograph from it." Gilderoy Grindelwald's expression seemed somewhat gloating. "If he let me see the letter, I'd definitely tell him, but for now—ha, let the petty person worry about it."

Perhaps it's because older people have the same quirky sense of humor as children.

Ian kept his head down.

No one dared to speak.

He could trust Dumbledore, but clearly dared not trust Grindelwald. Therefore, he could confide in Dumbledore about some things, but he certainly wouldn't want Grindelwald to know them.

of course.

If Grindelwald cheats, then there's really nothing that can be done. The only thing that can't be countered by cheaters is cheaters themselves, even if it's just a minor cheat, it's still a near-unsolvable situation.

"Perhaps it's a letter from Aberforth?" Ian had made it a habit to play dumb, regardless of whether it was useful or not.

Pretending a little is better than not pretending at all. To be honest, it's really tiring. There are too many old monsters around. Since arriving at Hogwarts, he's gained an ability called [Acting Skills].

Perhaps because Ian had already told Grindelwald that he was going to complain to Dumbledore, Grindelwald didn't seem to connect him with the letter.

At least on the surface, that's the case.

"He and his brother haven't been in contact for a long time. Don't be fooled by the fact that I've been staying in one place and haven't moved on."

However, I haven't lost touch with the situation outside.

Gilderoy Grindelwald raised an eyebrow. "This involves something from the past—judging from your expression, you're clearly aware of what happened back then."

All I can say is that Ian does have acting skills, but his level isn't particularly high.

"I only know a little bit."

Ian quickly drank the tea tactically. The tea was clear and bright, with a light green hue, as refreshing as tender spring leaves. However, drinking it made his tongue feel like it had been licked with bitter herbs.

It was really bitter—Ian, not believing in such things, took another bite, and the taste was indeed bitter and strange. He suspected that this was a prank that Gilderoy Grindelwald had played on him on Halloween.

"Smack smack~"

Ian took another sip, still grimacing like someone drinking an iced Americano for the first time. Gilderoy Grindelwald paid no attention to Ian's cat-like reaction.

His expression held a hint of regret, and his tone carried a touch of remorse. "That tragedy changed everything, and it also shows that some prophecies do indeed make the prophet pay the price."

"Our talents allow us to see parts of the future, but if we cannot correctly interpret the fragments of prophecy, the prophet will suffer the backlash from the prophecy itself."

"I'm being cautious enough now, but I still feel I'm not cautious enough—I hope you keep that in mind too." Gilderoy Grindelwald gave Ian a meaningful look.

"I'll remind Aurora."

Ian blinked and continued drinking his tea in silence.

"I'm not worried about the child. She's always had a unique interpretation of the future she sees, which might be a talent that shields her from punishment." Gilderoy Grindelwald's expression was somewhat awkward, and his tone carried a sense of helplessness.

"Are prophetic events bound to happen?" Ian was not yet old enough to be a prophet, and he was also somewhat curious about one of the most mysterious forms of magic in his world.

"It depends on how many wizards believe in it—I don't usually reveal this little-known answer to others because it almost represents the common weakness of prophets." Gilderoy Grindelwald placed his hand on Ian's head and ruffled Ian's still fairly thick hair.

"Of course, I'm happy to answer all your questions, especially for such a lovable little wizard like you." Gilderoy Grindelwald stood behind Ian.

One of his eyes turned slightly white, and then the scene reflected in his eye changed, but the scene he saw was not much different from the scene he had seen over the years.

"Oh, right, if the things you want to predict are disruptive enough, even the best prophets will find it difficult to truly see the future. I think this is also closely related to the influence of history." Gilderoy Grindelwald's voice was very gentle as he patiently added this explanation to Ian.

His eyes returned to normal, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. He wasn't disappointed by the lack of new scenery. To him, seeing the flags raised in the scene was enough.

"Suppose I'm a prophet, and I make prophecies I didn't actually see, but because of my high reputation, everyone believes my prophecies?"

Ian watched as Gilderoy Grindelwald walked up to him. Since he couldn't escape anyway, he could only try to learn as much as possible from the prophet who had left his mark on history.

"That's a great question. Almost no one would make that assumption that wizards can indeed guide the future, because the future is uncertain until it becomes the present."

"Different prophets may see different futures and can choose to guide the present toward the future they want. However, for your situation of assuming a future that has not been predicted, even those famous prophets may not be able to give you an accurate answer to this question." Gilderoy Grindelwald sat down opposite Ian and brewed himself a cup of tea that Ian found both bitter and intoxicating.

"All right."

Ian continued drinking his tea with some regret.

"What did you taste?"

Gilderoy Grindelwald suddenly asked a question out of curiosity.

"Bitter, pure bitterness."

Ian answered honestly.

"That's right, it proves you're very happy." Gilderoy Grindelwald's words were quite interesting, making Ian look thoughtfully at the teacup in his hand.

"To me, this is a sweet tea, but it's gotten a bit sour lately." Gilderoy chuckled, taking a sip, then abruptly returned to Ian's earlier question, "In fact, as far as I know, Merlin made a similar attempt, and in the end, he warned his descendants in his own possessions not to be curious about this anymore—."

The response seemed somewhat vague.

However, it clearly conceals some specific information.

"That's okay too?"

Ian stared in astonishment, his eyes wide.

"The wizard is magical enough, Ian, but I can't give you a definite answer yet." Gilderoy Grindelwald, wearing Lockhart's face, smiled brightly.

"Because some things still need time to be verified."

His words contained a lot of information.

This made Ian's already wide eyes expand even further.

"What did you do?"

Ian couldn't help but ask.

"It was just a small misdirection, of course. As for the purpose—" Grindelwald's eyes gleamed, but Ian, sitting opposite him, didn't have such good eyesight; otherwise, Ian might have been able to see it clearly.

Each glint of light in his eyes represented a different future that Grindelwald had once foreseen.

The scenes vary greatly, but in almost every scene, the glory that seems to be predetermined by history is absolutely filled with the coldness of death—without exception, hundreds of prophecies over the decades.

Greater gains come at a price. Grindelwald's prophecies never contained any future that Dumbledore hoped to see; they always presented a grander prospect at a smaller cost.

only.

"We need to stop our principal from doing anything foolish. After all, some things require the involvement of a great person like him to get the answer to your question." Grindelwald stood up and straightened his clothes. His single eye finally fixed on a misty scene.

The fog is dissipating.

However, things in the fog were still not clear enough—not long ago, Grindelwald had not completely deceived Dumbledore; he too had joined in, challenging the highest achievements of the prophets.

"Of course, your participation is essential."

Grindelwald's smile grew even brighter, his tone carrying a deeper meaning.

"Professor, where would you like to take me? Hogsmeade Village?" Although Ian wouldn't be holding classes tonight due to the holiday, he still didn't want to waste his nightly study time.

Time is the key to mastery, Professor!

Of course, if Grindelwald had only taken him to Hogsmeade, he might have been able to find a chance to bring "The Secrets of Dark Magic" from Snape's hut to the school.

"It's even further."

Gilderoy Grindelwald walked to the desk, took out a gold box from it, and tossed it disdainfully to Ian across the desk.

"What is this?"

Ian looked at the flawless cube in his hand, feeling the weight of the gold. He wanted to taste it to verify its quality, but hesitated because Grindelwald was there.

"A container containing something Dumbledore forbade me to handle." Gilderoy Grindelwald changed his scarf and admired himself in the mirror for a while.

"It will be useful immediately."

Gilderoy Grindelwald straightened his clothes and walked to the cabinet displaying his various collectibles.

He turned and extended his hand to Ian without saying a word.

"Hornets?"

Ian shook it.

next moment.

Ian then understood the purpose of the Korean kimchi box—Giddro Grindelwald gripped the kimchi box with his other hand, and an invisible force seemed to surge in the air, enveloping them.

Ian and Gilderoy Grindelwald vanished from the office. Clearly, the pickle box had been turned into a key. The surrounding scenery seemed to be distorted and stretched by a powerful magical force until it disappeared completely. Howling winds and vibrant colors filled the area around Ian and Gilderoy Grindelwald.

Spinning, flying—and seemingly leaping slightly. It's like riding an invisible train, heading towards some distant destination.

It was much better than the feeling of Apparition. As the power of the Portkey gradually weakened and Ian's vision cleared, he found himself in the middle of nowhere.

"The Gaunt family once lived here. Do you know where this is?" Gilderoy Grindelwald beside him still retained Lockhart's appearance. After all, he was still imprisoned, so he certainly couldn't use his own appearance to move around; otherwise, it would be difficult to explain what was going on with the "Grindelwald" currently imprisoned in Nurmengard.

"Professor, are we here to catch the old corpse in the mountain village?" Ian had been fooled by Dumbledore once, and of course he wouldn't fall for it a second time, so he just looked around curiously.

On Halloween night, darkness fell.

The sky was as if it had been soaked in thick ink, the stars were hidden, and even the moonlight seemed to avoid it at this time, with only a few faint rays of light barely penetrating the thick clouds.

far away.

A dilapidated wooden shed stands in the wilderness, and the slivers of moonlight shining on the mottled old house add a touch of eeriness to the place.

The surrounding trees grew twisted and dense, as if bearing witness to nature's curse upon this land. Their branches drooped low, like countless ghostly hands, silently stretching out in the night, trying to seize every creature that strayed into this place. The wind whistled through the treetops, its mournful sound like the whispers of departed souls.

"The old corpse in the mountain village? You're not wrong. There is a Horcrux here, and we need to keep it from our principal so that he has no chance to come into contact with it."

Gilderoy Grindelwald led Ian forward.

His voice carried a hint of mockery, "Of course, I might also take revenge on you, since Aurora said you think I'm not as good as Dumbledore, so maybe I'll just bury you right here."

Perhaps it was because there was no one around.

Grindelwald deliberately transformed himself back into Gilderoy, the handsome old man making a sinister expression, as if he was about to ask Ian if he was Dumbledore's favorite son.

"Gurgle~"

Ian swallowed hard.

How can I not be nervous?

He really was Dumbledore's favorite kid at Hogwarts!

Ian's hand had already touched his wand. His little movement, of course, did not escape Grindelwald's notice, but it only made Grindelwald laugh more happily.

"Aurora is right, you little guy are really brave." After saying that, Grindelwald walked ahead of Ian, their own place was obviously the dilapidated shed in the distance.

"We all know how bad Aurora's reading comprehension is!"

When Ian caught up, he quickly offered an explanation for himself.

"Pfft, you're complaining about my blood relatives right in front of me. I might actually get upset."

"I'll leave you here and make you walk back to Hogwarts." Grindelwald was the best at changing his expression; one second he was raising his eyebrows as if he was joking, and the next second his tone became very serious.

This is clearly more threatening than living reason.

"Aurora and I are good friends, so she definitely won't think I'm complaining about her. I promised to get her a Christmas present, and she'll definitely cry if she doesn't receive it."

"Furthermore, I have prepared Christmas gifts for both you and Dumbledore. You may not like Christmas gifts,"

"But you wouldn't want Dumbledore to not receive a decent Christmas present this year, would you?" Ian's tone was full of sarcasm; he was clearly betting that Grindelwald and Dumbledore were really best buddies.

"Hahaha~"

Grindelwald laughed very loudly, which disturbed the sleeping creatures in the forest. Many dark figures fluttered in the trees, probably birds that rested on the branches at night.

"There's someone there."

Before even reaching the distant shack, Ian saw several men in suits. Instead of sleeping at night, they were following a nun around in circles in this remote mountain area. It was like the mother hen and chicks in the folktale of Eagle Catching Chicks; the nun walked in front, and the men in suits, blindfolded, had their arms around her shoulders.

The nun seemed to be leading the men in suits on a search for something—when Ian found them, Grindelwald's laughter had clearly startled them.

"wizard!"

The nun gasped in surprise upon seeing Ian and Grindelwald's attire, causing the men in suits to shudder and abruptly tear off their blindfolds.

They were reaching into their waistbands to retrieve something, a dark blob visible in the darkness. Ian immediately felt a chill run down his spine, and his wand flickered with a blue flame.

However, Grindelwald was clearly much faster than him.

"Forget everything, and all is emptiness!"

This is probably the best interpretation of the character being cosplayed. Gilderoy Grindelwald used Lockhart's signature move, and in one go, he made several Muggles roll their eyes and faint on the ground.

"Some people say I was a dark wizard trained by Durmstrang, but I think Durmstrang is clearly far inferior to Hogwarts in training dark wizards."

"First there was Tom Riddle, and now there's Ian Prince? Wow, you guys are really something." Grindelwald turned to watch Ian slowly extinguish his fiery flames.

"That's a gun!"

Ian was still in shock.

He actually wanted to go straight for the big melon.

"I know what they're after. In fact, this kind of person who uses duds to find us has existed for many, many years."

Grindelwald gave Ian a meaningful look. "You kids these days can hardly imagine..."

What happened to the wizards captured by this group back then? — When I was in Japan, I saw them completely dissect a wizard; every organ was used to study why we possess magic.

"Many people say my ideas back then were extreme, but clearly some Muggles were much more extreme than me. The law of the jungle is an unavoidable conflict between different species." Grindelwald didn't know if he was deliberately waiting for this time before bringing Ian here to "encounter" this group of wizard seekers.

No matter what the situation.

He was indeed using these people to lecture Ian, "Look at them, their immediate reaction after they found out we were wizards already says a lot."

"I never wanted to exterminate Muggles, but rather I didn't want Muggles to exterminate us—perhaps there are friendly people among the Muggles, but if the initiative is on our side, I believe there will be more friendly people than fewer. Tolerance and peace? They can only be guaranteed to be achieved when we are the victors." It must be said that even after being imprisoned for many years, Grindelwald's oratory skills remained as outstanding as Ian had seen in Dumbledore's memories.

"Dumbledore won't let me learn this from you."

Ian quickly brought up the old headmaster, feeling that he was being indoctrinated with dangerous ideas and that he didn't want to be brainwashed by Grindelwald like those saints.

"He also forbids me from killing anyone."

Grindelwald shrugged, glancing regretfully at the unconscious people. "However, he didn't say I wasn't allowed to help others rejuvenate."

Ok.

The old man was definitely more ruthless.

This is probably like restoring someone else's memories to their factory default settings.

"Don't worry, I don't want to change your mind, I'm just telling you about the reality." After saying this, Grindelwald indeed didn't mention the conflict between Muggles and wizards again.

They arrived at what appeared to be an unremarkable old shack. The walls of the old house were covered in moss, and the roof tiles were falling off, revealing the oak wood underneath. The area around the old house was overgrown with weeds, interspersed with some withered nettles, their leaves gleaming a faint green in the dim moonlight.

This was clearly an ominous place. One or two nocturnal creatures roamed through this desolate land, their cries sharp and mournful, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the scene.

"Heh, those people could search their whole lives and still not find this place. Let alone the difference between a Squirrel and a Wizard, the difference between Wizards is just as huge." Grindelwald surveyed the legendary family mansion in front of him.

It is nestled among the intertwined roots of trees between two steep hillsides, half-hidden and half-revealed.

Ian observed with curiosity. Dense nettles grew around the house, reaching all the way to the windows, which were very small and covered with thick layers of old grime.

A dead snake shaped like an S was nailed to the gate.

It symbolizes the pure-blood Slytherin family, and this is the house where Voldemort's mother, Merop Gaunt, his uncle, Morfin Gaunt, and his maternal grandfather, Marvolo Gaunt, lived. Perhaps the Muggles that Ian and Grindelwald encountered were informed of the presence of wizards in the vicinity by news passed down from Voldemort's escaped father.

"There are traces of magic here."

Ian waved his wand, and a series of hidden protective spells appeared. Grindelwald, who was beside him, nodded approvingly and then raised his wand and waved it as well.

immediately.

More protective magic that Ian had not yet discovered also appeared.

"Hiss~"

Ian had already grasped just how much Tom Riddle valued the protection of this place; those Squibs and Muggles who actually found the old house would likely suffer a very, very terrible fate. He assessed the measures taken against the old house, and compared to those measures, Grindelwald's punishment was truly fortunate for them.

"If you ask me, I'd rather find a rock, make it into a Horcrux, and throw it into the sea." Grindelwald curled his lip, disgustedly erasing all the defenses with his wand. The sheer number of defenses meant that even someone of his strength had taken him quite some time, demonstrating just how ruthless Tom Riddle truly was.

"I think he might as well turn the whole planet into his Horcruxes." Ian blinked, and the old man and the young man began to comment on the infamous and mysterious Voldemort.

"If he had that ability, would he need to be a Horcrux?" Grindelwald pushed open the door studded with rotten snake bones, and a cloud of dust immediately rushed into his face.

No one had visited this place for many years. Ian covered his nose in disgust. After cleaning, he could finally see the layout of the room clearly—the furnishings were really very simple, with broken chairs and a broken table everywhere.

The kerosene lamp shades on the walls were also mottled and difficult to clean, making it hard to restore them to normal. Even for Muggles, such living conditions would definitely be considered impoverished.

It's hard to imagine that this is where the descendants of Wright live.

It can only be said that the Gaunt family was once very wealthy and prominent, but their fortune had long been squandered. By the end of the family, they could indeed only live in such a humble house. The last family members included the father, Marvolo...

Son Morfin and daughter Merope. Merope is the biological mother of Voldemort, Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"The things are here." Although Grindelwald had never been here before, his eyes were immediately drawn to one of the broken cabinets the moment he entered.

This is probably what makes prophets so remarkable.

"Take out the box I gave you and open it." Grindelwald walked to the cabinet, pulled open the drawer, and an exquisitely crafted ring appeared before his eyes.

At the very top of the ring was a black gemstone. He didn't touch this incredibly legendary treasure.

Instead, he turned to look at Ian, who was studying the golden box.

"Click~"

It took Ian quite a while to finally understand how this thing worked and trigger the mechanism. The cube-shaped golden box then split open like flower petals.

It already contains a locket—Slytherin's locket.

Seeing the locket that should belong to some family here, Ian looked a little confused. He looked up abruptly and saw Grindelwald looking at him with a half-smile.

"This thing..."

Ian's expression became uncontrollable mainly because he felt things were a bit too outrageous. Harry Potter hadn't even started school yet, how come Voldemort's Horcruxes had already been found three times?

"Put this ring with the things in your box." Grindelwald gestured for Ian to walk over, then watched as Ian picked up the Resurrection Stone from the drawer.

He clearly didn't want to touch the Horcrux.

"Although I feel you wouldn't do something foolish, I still think I should remind you not to think about wearing this ring, at least not until the curse on it is cleansed."

Grindelwald gave his earnest instructions.

Ian nodded.

He looked down at the two Horcruxes in the golden box, still feeling a sense of unreality.

"The Resurrection Stone, Slytherin's pendant." Grindelwald stepped forward, calmly gazing at the contents of the box, showing none of the yearning he once had for the Deathly Hallows.

"There is a close connection between them, and our pathetic Dark Lord didn't even notice that." His words made Ian pause for a moment.

"What contact?"

This is clearly beyond Ian's knowledge.

"I don't know either, but you can study it slowly. I just read a lot of books." Grindelwald shrugged and then walked directly towards the front door.

"Are you going to leave this with me?"

Ian quickly followed Grindelwald out of the shed.

"Dumbledore doesn't want to destroy it, and I don't want it to stay here and disgust me. The only person we both trust is you. You absolutely cannot let Dumbledore see that Resurrection Stone."

"This thing can't resurrect anyone, and what it summons isn't even the real dead," Grindelwald reminded Ian before taking out the Korean kimchi box that served as the key to the door.

"Please wait a moment."

Ian quickly raised his hand to interrupt Grindelwald's actions.

Under the suspicious gaze of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Ian began to wander aimlessly around the vicinity of Gaunt's old house, like a lost ant or someone searching for something.

"What are you doing?"

More than half an hour later.

Grindelwald finally couldn't help but ask, as he saw Ian return and conjure various tools from the house's contents before excitedly plunging into the depths of the forest.

"I need to go back and prepare for tomorrow's lessons!"

Grindelwald regretted not spraying mosquito repellent before leaving home, and he couldn't help but grumble a reminder to Ian, who was making all sorts of noises in the distance.

"They're here! They're here!"

Ian, covered in sweat, ran over carrying a large basket on his back.

"What did you do!?"

As it turns out, the prophet was not omniscient. The shock and horror in Grindelwald's voice were no less than that of Snape when he saw Ian brewing the love potion.

no way.

Who knew that Grindelwald would find so many healthy human bones in Ian's basket—a terrifying number, including hundreds of missing teeth alone.

"You dug up the graves of the entire Gaunt family!?"

There will always be people who are terrified.

Why can't it be the first generation?