great-warnovel Chapter 374 Your Prophecy
Chapter 374 Your Prophecy
Chapter 374 Your Prophecy
The news about Hogwarts' big plans was deliberately leaked by Hermione and her friends to boost the residents' confidence and stabilize the refugees' emotions.
Along with this news, rumors also emerged that Dumbledore was about to return to his slumber.
It's not that Dumbledore suffered any irreparable injury; it's just that the situation has stabilized now. Maintaining the soul of a great wizard for so long is extremely taxing, so Dumbledore has decided to enter a period of slumber and be awakened when necessary.
Most of the wizarding residents said that while they were saddened by this statement, they could accept it.
After all, they knew that Hogwarts had the means to recall souls, and that Dumbledore wasn't gone forever. By keeping his claws to himself during peacetime, he was sending a signal of goodwill.
Only Hermione, McGonagall, and a few others knew that Dumbledore truly wanted to die, and they would try their best not to use his ashes again. He would be buried on a secluded island in the middle of the Black Lake, overlooking the city and the school.
Looking out at the World Cup and the cheers of the people.
"There's no need to be so serious. If the time comes when I'm truly needed, I don't think I'd mind if you dug up a grave and woke me up again," Dumbledore said.
Although he has returned to the other side of death, it does not mean that his soul has dissipated. Hermione could indeed call him back, but that would be too disrespectful to the old man.
"In fact, not just me, you can all go and ask the portraits in the headmaster's office where they buried themselves. If you can find the ashes of the past headmasters, they probably wouldn't mind doing their part for Hogwarts again," Dumbledore suggested, offering a wicked idea.
"If we could find the ashes of the four founders of the academy, that would be amazing! Gellert would have to come to the shores of the Black Lake and apologize!"
Hermione knew the old ghost was joking, and the closer she got to the time when she could enjoy peace again, the happier she became.
As the rumors spread, Hogsmeade attracted worldwide attention these days, and naturally, the news quickly spread to wizarding communities around the world. They were curious about the city's magic at Hogwarts, and were also moved by Dumbledore's peaceful slumber. However, they felt more at ease. Hogwarts was indeed different from the Witchcraft Party. Even with overwhelming power, they would not use it to bully others.
Although the upheaval at Malfoy Castle shocked the world and caused huge problems for trade and supplies everywhere, the visible rise of New Hogsmeade means that it won't be long before this new city can replace the original Malfoy Castle.
The loss of the Quidditch team formed by the nobles means that there will be one less formidable rival vying with the major powers for the core of the Emerald Stone during the World Cup.
This prompted all factions to intensify their team training, aiming to showcase their strengths on the world stage even if they ultimately failed to win the championship.
In this atmosphere, Krum arrived at Hogwarts for the third time, this time representing the new Paris Quidditch team.
"I'm here to submit the team registration form, as well as the broom samples for review," he said to Hermione, who had taken time out of her busy schedule to receive him.
"You guys are still at war with Muggles, how do you have the energy to participate in the World Cup?" Hermione asked casually, but Krum also seemed a little absent-minded.
He didn't respond, but continued, "At the same time, I may be bothering you for a while. My Lord desires that I represent Him to witness Lord Dumbledore's passing into his final rest." This meant he would be staying there for at least a month!
Hermione nodded. It was only natural. She had long anticipated that if Dumbledore made any move, Grindelwald would certainly follow suit.
"At the same time, we extend another invitation to you to visit the new Paris after the ceremony."
This was exactly what Hermione had predicted; Dumbledore's deduction was spot on.
"If you don't want to come, you can send Hilmi instead," he relayed the Dark Lord's words.
She knew that if she refused again this time, Grindelwald would probably resort to violence. At most, the evil old man would give the old ghost a peaceful seven-day mourning period out of respect for Dumbledore!
As if afraid Hermione would refuse again, Krum quickly took out a miniature skull from his bag. A wisp of smoke, like fire, hovered in the hollow eye sockets of the skull, spinning on its own, like the deep gaze of the skull.
"This is a prophecy of my Lord. He commanded that no one but you should see it," the boy said solemnly.
"Not even Dumbledore?" Hermione asked in surprise.
Krum nodded silently.
Hermione thought about it and felt that given Grindelwald's character, there was no need for him to harm her in this way.
However, she still looked up at Krum, who was much taller than her and as strong as an iron tower: "Whatever the prophecy is, I accept the invitation. I will arrange Dumbledore's funeral after Easter before setting off for New Paris."
The boy wasn't surprised; perhaps Grindelwald had already told him about all the possibilities. He reached out and handed over the skull.
Hermione accepted it without hesitation. She had thought that the prophecy Grindelwald left her was meant to be read in a secluded place, but to her surprise, the fog in the skull suddenly exploded as soon as she held it, pulling her into a hallucination.
When I opened my eyes, the magnificent aurora borealis greeted me, followed by a dark sky that looked as if it had been torn open.
This place seems to be a frigid land in the Arctic Circle, where the extreme conditions make it almost impossible for humans to survive. But at this moment, the huge full moon is like a breach in the sky, hanging low as if it is about to fall, like the Milky Way pouring down, sprinkling some kind of dark blue fluid into this world.
The magnificent weather brought forth a stunning hurricane; even the airflow at the very edge dispersed the sky-covering dust clouds.
It was as if an invisible song was floating in the sky, or the echo of stars in the void. The faint chanting lingered in her ears, giving Hermione a sacred feeling.
The atmosphere seemed to be torn apart, and a relentless storm swept down from the strange full moon, as if to sweep everything on earth away.
Only then did she notice that she was in what seemed to be a vast, boundless glacier. Carved by the hurricane, the glacier was as sharp as if it had been carved by a knife and axe. In this terrifying, icy hellish world, a fierce battle was taking place on the ground.
She was fully aware that these were all illusions, and that nothing in the prophecy could harm her, but what she saw before her eyes still made her heart tighten.
She saw Harry, an adult with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, long white hair, and snake eyes. He coldly unleashed a green Deathly Curse lightning bolt from his finger, turning the insect-like monster into ashes.
She also saw Voldemort, laughing maniacally, even uglier than before, with pale skin, narrow, scarlet snake eyes, and no nose—he crawled out of a tattered notebook, and the spreading black mist polluted everything around him.
Next came the dead Potters. She saw James's face ashen, Lily's blue eyes dimmed, and Sirius! This cheerful boy lay motionless on the cold, knife-like wasteland, no longer alive.
She saw McGonagall and Hagrid. Thank goodness, they were alive, but in bad condition. Hagrid looked like Aragog, who had been cut off from the waist down, and could only sit on a handcart, throwing ice around. McGonagall was protecting him, and she was also struggling to keep up.
A tidal wave of monsters surged out of the sea, crawling wet onto the land, shaking off the ice crystals, and then frantically rushing towards the center of the glacier, where people were fighting.
The dark blue light of the unusual full moon intertwined with the ever-changing colors of the aurora, like chaotic consciousness being washed in a vortex, everything tinged with a sense of madness.
The dull thud seemed to come from the other side of the world. The earth and glaciers cracked open, swallowing countless lives. She saw countless figures embedded in the glaciers, all frozen inside, their expressions serene.
"This is—the future Grindelwald saw!?" She snapped out of her terrifying hallucination.
In an instant, everything vanished without a trace. The skull in his hand turned to dust, and the smoky mist within disappeared as well, as if nothing had ever happened.
"Why?" Hermione asked, clutching her aching head.
"Why did he see these things, and why did he pass them on to me?"
Krum shook his head: "I don't know the contents of the prophecy, but my Lord has made it clear that this prophecy belongs to you."