A few minutes later, Sean carefully took out the Resurrection Stone. He could see Headmaster Dumbledore staring at it without blinking, so Sean warily set the Stone down by his own side.
"Do old men always get treated with suspicion by the young?"
Dumbledore blinked too.
Sean met his eyes for a few seconds. In the end, Dumbledore helplessly looked away.
"Mr. Fawkes, could you help?"
Ignoring Dumbledore, Sean spoke directly to Fawkes.
Fawkes was resting in Sean's lap, making him feel pleasantly warm.
The phoenix gave a distinctly human nod, then took the ring in his beak of his own accord.
In an instant, flames rose all over his body. He dropped to the ground and shrank into a wrinkled little bundle, no longer flying at all.
The noon sun had fully risen, and Dumbledore's office was bathed in light.
The glass case holding Godric Gryffindor's sword gleamed with a milky white Sean. The silver instruments sparkled like scattered rain.
Behind them, in a nest full of ashes, baby Fawkes let out weak little chirps.
He gave two croaky cries, and without hesitation, Sean fed the phoenix some herbs.
Sean frowned slightly. Dumbledore could tell he was worried.
"You've been feeding him too well."
Dumbledore said it with amused resignation.
"So you knew…"
Sean put away the Resurrection Stone Fawkes had spit out, storing it in the Wizard's Book.
"Oh, there are very few things in this castle that I don't know about…"
Dumbledore said with a smile.
"Why not take it out and have a look?"
Sean didn't answer. He just looked at Dumbledore in silence, and Dumbledore immediately understood what that look meant.
It was oddly funny. The way this child looked at him reminded him of Muggle children watching an older relative with a medical condition who still wanted to sneak candy.
"Mr. Fawkes will be alright, won't he?"
Sean asked.
"Of course. And now you're leaving already?"
Dumbledore smiled.
"If you permit it, Headmaster."
Sean replied.
"Do you still remember the story of the Three Brothers?"
Dumbledore lifted his teacup.
"Three powerful wizards who created three powerful magical objects."
Sean answered.
"I'm relieved you didn't call them the Deathly Hallows."
Dumbledore spoke slowly.
"No one can escape death."
Sean thought of the Resurrection Stone resting inside the Wizard's Book.
It could only summon wizard souls stripped of emotion.
"Such a simple truth, and yet very few people understand it.
There's a rumor that if someone lawfully possesses all three of those objects, they become 'Master of Death.' That phrase is usually taken to mean the person is invincible, even immortal.
What do you think?"
Dumbledore looked at him.
"I think the meaning of the story is very clear. Death takes us all in the end."
Sean answered calmly.
"How unusual. You don't fear death.
But if you ever change your mind, my dear Green, I hope you'll remember something everyone in the magical world knows very well: I do, in fact, possess the Elder Wand.
Though I also hope you never remember it. People change, after all. No one can say what the future will bring."
Dumbledore said with a hint of feeling.
"Perhaps one person in a million might possess all three Hallows at once. As for me, I'm only suited to the most ordinary and least remarkable of them.
The Elder Wand suits me. And I mustn't boast of it, nor use it to kill. I can master it and wield it, because I don't seek with it—I use it to save others.
That's the last thing I want to say. If, when the time comes for certain choices, you remember those words, I'll be more than satisfied."
As Dumbledore finished speaking, the office door opened.
Hope Cottage.
Sean took the Resurrection Stone out of the Wizard's Book.
Dumbledore's words kept echoing in his mind. The Deathly Hallows were certainly tempting, but…
Sean opened the panel:
[Wizard Sean
Potion Talent: Blue
Herbology Talent: Blue
Magical Creature Talent: Light Purple
Charms Talent: Light Purple
Transfiguration Talent: Purple
Dark Magic Talent: Gold
Alchemy Talent: Gold]
The panel hadn't changed much in a long time, but by second year, Sean was certain to complete at least two more advancements:
[Impediment Jinx: Master (1700/?)
Petrification Jinx: Master (1100/?)
Sectumsempra: Master (2300/?)
Blasting Curse: Master (100/?)
Exploding Charm: Master (100/?)
Three-Foot-Jinx: Master (500/?)
…]
[Advance: Unlock the Dark Magic Master title after mastering seven Dark Magic spells (6/7)]
He only needed one more master-level Dark spell to gain the Dark Magic Master title.
Sean still didn't know what kind of change that would bring, but the Transfiguration Master title had already strengthened his awareness of Transfiguration across the board.
That was to say:
[Transfiguration Master: greatly enhances unique perception in all transfiguration domains]
That change had indirectly helped Sean create his own Transfiguration system—Dragon Spreads Its Wings, Vine-Stone Guardian, and so on.
And not only that, Alchemy was also nearing its final stage:
[High-Tier · Magic Hand Mirror: Skilled (700/900)
High-Tier · Wizard's Book: Expert (7000/9000)
High-Tier · Fairytale Biscuit: Master (700/?) (collapsed)]
[Advance: Unlock the Alchemy Master title after creating three master-level high-tier alchemical creations (1/3)]
That's right. The Magic Hand Mirror had also been classified as a high-tier alchemical creation.
So now, learning one final Dark Magic spell and completing the last stages of the Magic Hand Mirror and the Wizard's Book had become Sean's final tasks for the end of second year.
After reviewing his plan one more time, Sean carefully took out the Resurrection Stone.
It was a black stone, etched with deep, intricate patterns.
Though he couldn't remove the curse on it, his Dark Magic talent told him that the Resurrection Stone no longer carried any Dark Magic aura.
So Sean stared at it for a long time, wondering whether it could be taken into the Borderland.
If it could, then he could fulfill Newt's request and Dumbledore's request in one go.
Warm May rarely brought cold winds. Tonight, the stars over Ravenclaw Tower were especially bright.
Thin wisps of mist rose now and then, the kind of atmosphere that easily brought to mind old magical sayings between wizards:
For example: "A curse begins at dusk, and is broken at midnight."
Or things far older and far more alluring—the Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the Cloak of Invisibility, the Resurrection Stone.
Tonight, in Ravenclaw Tower, Sean drifted into sleep with the Resurrection Stone in hand and the Empty Sigil hanging from his neck.
But his soul entered the strange and dreamlike world once again.
~~~
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