bantayden Chapter 278, Section 277: You'd better be careful too.
Chapter 278, Section 277: You'd better be careful too.
Chapter 278, Section 277: You'd better be careful too.
Hermione and Snape were still in shock.
Not far away.
The chaotic vortex above the bronze door began to spin again, and a familiar figure slowly emerged from the viscous mist—a long, silver beard, crescent-shaped spectacles, and starlight dancing on his purple robes. As the evil Dumbledore stepped out of the vortex, the air in the Forbidden Forest tensed once more.
"How come there are other Dumbledores?"
Hermione stared wide-eyed, speechless.
however.
Snape, however, could not give her any answer. The current situation was far beyond the comprehension of a first-year witch, and even he, the head of Slytherin and a professor at Hogwarts, felt an inexplicable strangeness. All the knowledge he possessed could not explain the current situation.
silence.
Still, silence.
Albus Dumbledore, standing beside them, seemed unsurprised by this.
"Are we going to fight again?"
Hermione's nails dug deeply into her palms, and the wand in her hand trembled slightly. The battle had already terrified her, giving her a sense of insignificance, as if she might die at any moment. She had relaxed a little after the battle ended, but now it felt as if time had turned back.
Another Dumbledore emerged from the bronze gate.
Hermione's heart leaped into her throat once more. The night wind suddenly stilled. She found it incredibly difficult to breathe, as if an invisible hand were choking her.
Two identical old men faced each other across the distance, the moonlight drawing a silver dividing line between them. Snape, too, was incredibly tense, his expression constantly shifting.
They started fighting.
The little witch was terrified.
Isn't he the same?
He simply possessed better emotional control than Hermione, able to conceal his inner trembling with a blank expression—this Hogwarts professor wanted to say something.
But when he turned his head, he found that Albus Dumbledore beside him had not raised his wand, and Dumbledore, who was standing in the bronze door opposite him, chuckled softly.
"Don't be nervous, Severus, you're safe now. I won't attack because I know it's just a pointless attempt. I'm sorry you've developed a fear of me."
"Killing you was not my intention, but a choice I had to make if I could have escaped. Now I have lost that choice."
The evil Dumbledore spoke softly, his tone and manner exactly like the old headmaster in Snape's memory, making it impossible to distinguish any difference between the two.
"Only I know that I will not fight a battle I cannot lose." He was clearly like the dragon Ian had encountered before, still carrying the memories of the previous battle after each death and rebirth.
In this regard.
The real Dumbledore wasn't surprised at all. He stepped forward, the hem of his robes sweeping across the scorched earth: "It seems you have indeed retained your memories. Will this gate continually resurrect you?"
talking.
The real Dumbledore looked at the intricate runes on the bronze gate. Only Ian wasn't there. If Ian were, he would probably realize that the inability to decipher the bronze gate wasn't his problem.
Even the erudite Albus Dumbledore was no exception—of course, he could see more than Ian, but he still couldn't completely decipher all the runes.
This can be seen.
The knowledge behind the power of this bronze gate must be incredibly profound and vast, and it's unknown what kind of person could have forged such a thing.
A lifetime is certainly not enough to accumulate knowledge—Dumbledore was certain of this, because even after a lifetime of accumulating knowledge, he could only decipher a tiny fraction of it. As a man of immense pride, Dumbledore did not believe that anyone throughout history had possessed talent and aptitude far surpassing his own.
This is not narcissism.
But that's just how it is.
Through the ages.
There was one exception, and he even doubted that this exception was the kind of normal exception—Dumbledore's confidence stemmed from his sufficiently clear understanding of himself.
And this understanding.
Presumably no wizard would consider it narcissistic.
Ian wouldn't think so either.
He would even agree with the statement more than most wizards that Dumbledore was an excellent wizard from a young age, became the guardian of the wizarding world in middle age, and was still able to duel with Voldemort at over a hundred years old. He possessed more magical knowledge than anyone else in the wizarding world today and was a polymath who was involved in almost all areas of magic.
He was ahead of his time.
Just like Merlin back then.
Compared to Merlin, he only lacked a bit of luck in living in a superior era. Dumbledore himself thought so too; he didn't believe he was much worse than Merlin on the same starting line.
Therefore.
He felt that this bronze gate was either the result of countless people's hard work or the work of a genius who could live a very long time. In either case, it was definitely not a work that one person could complete in two hundred years.
"What an amazing creation."
Curiosity shone in the eyes of the learned Dumbledore.
Being learned does not mean being omniscient.
The real Dumbledore could probably only discern a portion of the power of the Bronze Gate, and could not yet fully grasp it, so he needed to verify it with himself who had emerged from the gate.
The wand was not raised.
Neither of them seemed to have any intention of attacking the other this time.
Just as Dumbledore, who walked out of the door, said, he knew himself very well, so he could judge that if it was really him, the other self would not make a move again.
And the facts have proven this to be true.
"One question for another," Dumbledore said softly as he emerged from the doorway. The Elder Wand in his hand didn't seem to be a replica, causing Snape's gaze to constantly shift between him and Dumbledore beside him—perhaps the first-year witch Hermione didn't understand what a Deathly Hallow like the Elder Wand really meant.
But he was standing in front of the door.
The Bronze Gate even managed to "replicate" the Elder Wand.
This was truly a revelation to the entire wizarding world—which is why, although he didn't interrupt and remained vigilant, Snape also pricked up his ears to seek answers.
This is an expressionless eavesdropping.
"A very reasonable deal." The real Dumbledore nodded slightly after hearing this. "You answered my question, and I will answer a question you want to know the answer to." He looked at "himself" standing in front of the bronze gate, with swirling vortexes behind him, and his deep eyes revealed a hint of domineering.
In this regard.
The evil Dumbledore who emerged from the door didn't seem to care.
Might makes right.
He thought it made sense. In the wizarding world, wizards with powerful magical abilities and extensive knowledge are often in a dominant position and can take the initiative.
This is a natural law of survival.
In a brutal competitive environment, only wizards who adapt and continuously improve their strength can survive, and only the most powerful wizards have the right to set the rules.
now.
In a delicate balance.
As the victor of the previous battle, the real Dumbledore certainly had the right to set the rules for communication between the two sides, a point that Dumbledore, who emerged from the bronze door, was well aware of.
"Is it a reset or reincarnation? Is it resurrection or replication?" The real Dumbledore didn't offer much further explanation, simply voicing the question he most wanted answered.
He believed that his other self could understand his meaning and what he wanted to know.
"It is convergence, it is gathering." The evil Dumbledore tapped his temple, a complex light flowing in his blue eyes. He was confident that his concise words would be understood by the other party.
This is true.
Upon hearing this, the real Dumbledore's eyes flickered slightly, but he still nodded calmly, clearly having gleaned the information he sought from his other self's simple answer.
"what?"
Hermione, however, could not understand.
Snape, frowning, was completely bewildered. It could only be said that compared to the combined knowledge of the two Dumbledores, his knowledge was indeed severely lacking.
It's not Snape's fault.
After all, everyone has their own expertise, and even wizards have their limits. Besides, he's quite young and has no way of deciphering the Bronze Gate. His limited alchemy skills only prevent him from grasping any clues to make sense of things. Right now, his mind is still filled with doubt as to whether Dumbledore beside him really did come out of the Bronze Gate.
This will further affect his thinking ability.
Just now.
"Tell me, how did you do it? In this day and age." Dumbledore, who had just stepped out of the door, also asked the question that had been bothering him.
His gaze was fixed intently on the real Dumbledore.
It seems like they care about this a lot.
"What should we do?"
The real Dumbledore asked, his fingers gently tracing the scars on the wand. He was also observing the evil Dumbledore's wand, and he could even feel the connection between himself and that wand.
He believed the other person could also feel a similar connection—this was an absolutely amazing thing, and it meant that the two wands were, in some way, exactly the same wand.
There was only one Elder Wand, the Deathly Hallows, from beginning to end.
This made the real Dumbledore thoughtful.
"You know what I'm asking—legend." Dumbledore, who had emerged from the bronze gate, sighed and spoke again, exasperated by his other self's feigned ignorance.
Yes.
He didn't believe that the other self outside of him was unaware of what he was asking, so the reason he did this was probably to buy himself some time to think.
"It's obvious that you and I, and all of you, have gone in completely different directions. There are always some people and some things that can cause fate to take an unpredictable turn, aren't there?"
The real Dumbledore gave a vague answer. For Hermione and Snape, this answer might still leave them confused, unable to understand what the two were talking about.
but.
Dumbledore, who emerged from the bronze gate, was different.
He was clearly taken aback when he heard that.
"You're really lucky."
The long sigh carried a hint of resentment, but more so a sense of helplessness. Dumbledore glanced at Hermione and Snape.
Hermione just felt a moment of mental disorientation.
"I see."
Dumbledore, who emerged from the bronze gate, sighed again.
Hermione was still in a daze.
Snape was already furious.
"Get out of my head!"
His face turned deathly pale instantly, his long, slender fingers pressing tightly against his temples, a mixture of shock and rage on his face. Clearly, the Potions professor had realized what had just happened.
Dumbledore, emerging from the bronze gate, invaded the minds of him and Hermione—clearly a last resort because they couldn't invade the mind of the Dumbledore beside them.
to be frank.
For a few seconds, Snape was still somewhat confused about what had happened, but now he clearly realized that the Dumbledore who emerged from the bronze doors was definitely not the one he knew. Ruthlessly invading someone else's mind—this was something the real Dumbledore would never do.
He would only suspect that Dumbledore might do it secretly occasionally. Dumbledore inside the door raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. The real Dumbledore had already raised the Elder Wand.
"That's going a bit too far."
His warning stopped the Dumbledore who emerged from the bronze gate from his offensive act.
"I'm sorry, this is the quickest way to find out what happened." The Dumbledore who walked out of the bronze gate looked apologetic, and there was a hint of guilt in his voice.
but.
Snape thought the other person was definitely faking it.
"This is an invasion!" Snape's lips trembled, his dark eyes blazing with fury. He stared intently at Dumbledore, who had raised his wand inside the door.
It's just not very threatening.
"What happened? Did he invade our minds? What is he looking for in our memories?" Hermione seemed to realize what had just happened.
"It's about finding the details of why you became legends," Dumbledore responded from inside the door, but his tone now completely devoid of any remorse.
but.
He still wore a gentle smile. That smile sent chills down Hermione's spine—it was so similar, yet completely different, a far cry from the old headmaster Hermione knew.
There's a reason you failed.
The real Dumbledore sighed at his reflection standing outside the bronze gate.
"Oh."
The other person just chuckled lightly.
"Be careful, Albus, you are not without the possibility of being abandoned. In that case, you will only be a part of us." After saying this, the evil Dumbledore turned and walked towards the bronze door.
Without the slightest hesitation.
The chaotic vortex swirled rapidly, like a greedy maw swallowing him whole. The door emitted a dull thud, then fell silent again, as if nothing had happened.
There were no more new Dumbledores, nor Snape and Hermione emerging from it—the vortex continued to spin, but seemed to have entered a delicate balance.
of course.
No one knows what changes might occur next.
While Snape and Hermione were still worried.
"Thanks."
The real Dumbledore spoke softly—he knew what his ruthless, domineering, and decisive self had done, offering him a little help to reduce trouble at this final moment.
(End of this chapter)