As the moment of departure approached, even though Jane Yu had finally achieved her long-cherished wish of dropping out, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of reluctance.
Especially toward Dumbledore—
Though he had been quite strict about her academic requirements, in other aspects, he was indeed a qualified guardian.
Throughout this journey, the amount of his alchemical products she had consumed was equivalent to emptying a Gringotts vault.
Perhaps she should give him a farewell gift.
Jane Yu carefully went through her trunk, only to find that anything valuable enough had to come from Voldemort's little treasury.
So, with a Horcrux remnant in her left hand and a complete Horcrux in her right, she pondered deeply:
"Professor Dumbledore, may I ask if you dropped this black stone or this silver diadem?"
Two choices, one for each of them.
Simply perfect.
But what she didn't expect was that Dumbledore, holding one in each hand, showed an expression that said he wanted both.
How could he be so greedy?
Just as Jane Yu was about to express her dissatisfaction, she noticed Dumbledore putting down the diadem and staring at the stone in a daze:
"Where did you get the Resurrection Stone?"
"The Resurrection Stone?" Jane Yu asked, puzzled. "From a small room... It originally belonged to Voldemort's Horcrux collection."
Dumbledore sighed deeply and quickly realized the problem. He became stern and said:
"But how did you destroy his soul? Did you—use the Killing Curse—your soul—"
Jane Yu looked up at the ceiling, exasperated.
This wasn't her fault; Voldemort himself had agreed to sacrifice a piece of his soul!
They had merely completed a fair exchange!
"The Resurrection Stone, one of the Deathly Hallows. Look at the markings on it..." Dumbledore awkwardly changed the subject. "Legend has it that turning it three times can bring someone back from the dead."
Jane Yu's eyes widened.
Bringing the dead back to life, defying the natural order?
Wouldn't using it to resurrect someone incur divine punishment?
Can anyone just resurrect whoever they want?
Breaking the cycle of life and death? Disrupting the balance of the universe?
Although she didn't know who governed death in this world—
If this happened elsewhere, even the guardians of the afterlife would want to intervene.
Dumbledore caressed the Resurrection Stone, his face showing a longing expression that Jane Yu had never seen before.
He seemed to be struggling between emotion and reason. Then he released his grip, letting the black stone roll onto the table, and instead picked up the diadem.
"One shouldn't be too greedy," Jane Yu said righteously, staring at his hand holding the diadem. "You can't have both."
Dumbledore froze, muttering:
"Yes, one shouldn't be too greedy..."
Although he had long abandoned the dream of possessing all the Hallows...
Although he had long realized that the Resurrection Stone couldn't bring true resurrection, there was always a secret hope in his heart...
What if resurrection was real? What if he could live with his father, mother, and sister again?
When such a great temptation was placed before him, he could hardly control his desire.
But Jane Yu's words brought him back to clarity.
"No... I can't accept this stone; it doesn't belong to me."
Dumbledore closed his eyes. Though his face was expressionless, he exuded a sense of sadness:
"Only those who truly accept death and are willing to sacrifice deserve to possess this stone."
"And not me... I just want to pull their souls back. But their souls don't belong here."
He sighed, reluctantly placing the black Resurrection Stone back into Jane Yu's hand.
"You are unafraid of death; you are the Conqueror of Death."
She had once torn apart a soul and knew the pain it brought.
Yet she was still willing to use her soul as the price to destroy Voldemort.
If accepting physical death was already the highest state an ordinary person could achieve...
Then knowing the pain of soul destruction yet still choosing to sacrifice...
That truly meant conquering death.
"Huh?" Jane Yu uttered in confusion.
No, she was quite afraid of death.
She didn't want to die at all.
But she couldn't understand why Dumbledore refused to use the Resurrection Stone.
Isn't it just a small tool for communicating with souls?
Summon the soul, have a chat, ask some questions, and then send the old folks back—
What's the harm in that?
If they weren't doing well in the afterlife, she could even burn some paper money to support them.
If it were up to her, various mystical methods like dream messages or spirit summoning would be readily available.
As long as the ghost didn't linger with the living and drain their vitality, it was fine.
Jane Yu picked up the Resurrection Stone and turned it three times.
"You—!" Dumbledore was about to stop her, but he couldn't utter a word.
Because his sister—Ariana, with her golden hair, appeared before him, staring at him intently.
He had imagined countless scenarios of their reunion, telling his sister how much he regretted—
But at the moment of actually seeing her, he could only gape, unable to say a word.
Jane Yu, seeing the silence between the siblings, grew anxious.
She had to break the silence and start the conversation:
"Miss... Ariana," she hesitated, unsure of how to address her, "are you doing well over there? Do you need me to burn some paper money... or Galleons for you?"
But Ariana did not smile. She appeared cold and sorrowful, as if a veil separated her from the two of them.
This was completely different from the smiling portrait Jane Yu had seen.
"No need. You shouldn't have brought me here—I don't belong here—"
Jane Yu nodded and communicated with her:
"Don't worry; we'll send you back in a moment. It's just that your brother wants to ask you a few questions."
Ariana nodded gently.
Tears streamed from Dumbledore's eyes, tracing the wrinkles on his face and soaking into his thick white beard.
He began to pour out his pain and regret, lamenting how he had failed to care for his family.
"I killed you—why did I—was it my spell that killed you during that duel—"
Ariana listened quietly, her expression still cold, though she seemed even sadder upon hearing his words:
"That doesn't matter, Albus. I don't care about that... I didn't want to see you all fighting... I came out to stop it..."
She tilted her head, showing a timid yet gentle look reminiscent of her portrait:
"Why feel guilty? Death, to me, was merely a release from pain."
Dumbledore covered his face with his hands, tears seeping through his fingers:
"Why? You should hate me—"
Sadness and pain seemed to be the only emotions on Ariana's face. Her gaze shifted to Jane Yu, carrying a hint of understanding, and she spoke softly:
"I am already dead, Albus. The living who love you... they are the ones you should cherish... I hope you and Aberforth find happiness."
"The world of the living is fleeting, but the world of the dead is eternal. We will meet again."
Her figure vanished into the air.
Dumbledore suddenly stood up, leaning forward, one arm outstretched as if to stop her from leaving.
But his arm slowly dropped, the tide of emotions receding, and reason gradually returning.
"I understand now..." he murmured.
Jane Yu suddenly found herself enveloped in a bear hug.
Dumbledore's arms, seemingly made of steel and concrete, squeezed her so tightly that her eyes rolled back.
Her face was buried in the layers of his thick white beard, leaving her almost unable to breathe!
"Help—me—" her muffled words were lost in the beard.
In her panic, she grabbed the diadem on the table, trying to remind Dumbledore of the pending gift.
But what she didn't expect was that when the diadem came into contact with the Resurrection Stone in her hand—
The scene of the Headmaster's office disappeared before her eyes, and she was once again pulled into a strange illusion!
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