thebusnovel Chapter 114, Section 113: That Year, That Day, That Transaction
Chapter 114, Section 113: That Year, That Day, That Transaction
Chapter 114, Section 113: That Year, That Day, That Transaction
Over thousands of years.
There are many legends about the Resurrection Stone.
The most famous story is undoubtedly the one about Death and the three brothers, in which the Resurrection Stone is a gift from Death to Cadmus Peverell.
Legend has it that it possesses the magical ability to transcend life and death. However, according to verification by those who have actually obtained the Resurrection Stone, the stone actually summons an existence that is more real than a soul and more illusory than a physical body based on the user's memories and impressions of the deceased; it does not possess the true power of resurrection.
Perhaps the ancient wizards did not realize this, or perhaps the author of The Tales of Beedle the Bard misunderstood it, but there are some correct points in this story.
It truly seems to carry a "curse," leading its owner toward death—the "spirits" projected through the resurrection stone are ultimately just phantoms of the dead. These phantoms can only be seen by the corresponding user, and they will lure the user toward death in various ways.
Rather than saying that the Resurrection Stone resurrects the person you cherish, it's more accurate to say that the Resurrection Stone is inhabited by an evil spirit that spyes on other people's thoughts, and all its actions are merely for the purpose of scheming to take other people's lives.
For this reason, Ian has always held a rather rational view of the Deathly Hallows.
It's just an alchemical creation; of the Three Deadly Holy Relics, only the Elder Wand truly possesses practical value. Both the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility are somewhat overrated. Ian's earlier intervention to stop Helena's attempt to destroy the Resurrection Stone and eliminate Tom stemmed from his curiosity about the stone's creation process: "Where did the Resurrection Stone come from?"
Ian looked at the ring in Rowena Ravenclaw's hand with a somewhat incredulous tone. Not to mention him, even Helena had an incredulous expression on her face.
Clearly, Ian is not the only one who does not believe in the legend of the Three Sacred Treasures.
"The Resurrection Stone, the Elder Wand, and the Invisibility Cloak all came from here." Rowena Ravenclaw's tone was quite certain. She returned the Resurrection Stone ring and the Slytherin locket to Ian, seemingly showing little interest in these treasures that she believed truly possessed extraordinary origins.
"Did Death forge them?"
Ian still felt something was amiss.
To be honest, he had always suspected that the so-called Trinity Relics were not actually gifts from Death, but rather extraordinary alchemical creations made by the three exceptionally talented brothers.
Like the Philosopher's Stone, or other powerful alchemical masterpieces, the so-called legend of being a gift from Death may simply be an artistic embellishment embellished over many years of rumors.
Of course, it's also possible that the three brothers fabricated a marketing story to inflate the value of the Three Holy Relics. After all, in the stories Ian knew about reality and the future, Albus Dumbledore was the one who truly collected all three relics, yet even this headmaster of Hogwarts ultimately did not triumph over death.
It's understandable that Ian would look down on the three Holy Relics because of this, but who would have thought that at this moment, Rowena Ravenclaw would present Ian with a completely new version of the legend.
"Who knows? I may have been here a long time, but not that long." Rowena Ravenclaw chuckled but did not directly answer Ian's question.
"Then how can you be so sure that the Three Deathly Hallows all originated from here?" Helena, her face full of curiosity, asked Ian the question that had been bothering him before Ian could even finish her sentence.
"Because of the material, my child." Rowena Ravenclaw picked up a stone from the ground, and sure enough, the texture of the stone was almost identical to the Resurrection Stone.
Such a coincidence seems to confirm the detail in the story of "Death and the Three Brothers" where Death casually picks up a stone, makes the Resurrection Stone, and gives it to the three brothers.
"This is outrageous!" Ian hadn't noticed this before. He picked up a stone from the ground and compared it, he could indeed feel that the resurrection stone had some incomprehensible alchemical touches.
"Elderberry! There's no elderberry here! And the materials for the invisibility cloak!" Ian wasn't unwilling to believe in the existence of Death, he just couldn't believe that Death's creations were so powerful.
"The Elder Wand isn't without a core; it's just that its core comes from this realm of the dead, making it invisible to mortals. That's also why the Elder Wand possesses such immense power." Rowena Ravenclaw crushed the stone in her hand. She simply rubbed her fingers together, and the stone in her hand, which could perhaps be forged into a second Resurrection Stone, turned to dust.
"I remember you, Mother, never pursued the legend of the Three Sacred Treasures back then?" Helena and Ian had similar reactions, which proved that it wasn't just Ian who was making a fuss over nothing.
Her understanding of the Trinity was very different from that of Rowena Ravenclaw.
"Salazar has studied this extensively; he's always been obsessed with these things." Rowena Ravenclaw's gaze fell on the locket in Ian's hand.
"Could the invisibility cloak really be a cloak taken from the Grim Reaper?" Ian squeezed the locket in his hand, his thoughts still somewhat fixated on the birth of the Trinity of Death artifacts.
To be fair, the craftsmanship of the Three Sacred Relics is indeed extraordinary. Even the remnant soul of Voldemort, which could be corroded by the Ravenclaw tiara, did not have any residual effect on this Resurrection Stone ring.
Ian had previously leaned towards the possibility of a manufacturing defect, but if Rowena Ravenclaw hadn't been drinking fake alcohol, then it would be reasonable that Voldemort's remnant soul hadn't damaged the Resurrection Stone.
After all, it is a creation of God.
"I haven't studied much about the embodiment of rules like Death, but I do know a bit about this place." Rowena Ravenclaw didn't wait for Ian to speak before asking him another question.
"Little one, do you know what this place used to be?"
Faced with the question from the founder of Hogwarts, Ian glanced at Helena, who was also somewhat bewildered, and then looked around at the mountains that were laid out like Mount Orodooin from The Lord of the Rings.
"The abode of Death?"
He tentatively guessed.
"Nobody wants to live in a place like this, right?" Rowena Ravenclaw gave Ian, who was nodding, a meaningful look in her eyes.
"This place was once the domain of death, the very edge of a dreamlike realm. One step forward was the beginning of another journey—and it later became proof that someone had triumphed over death."
"There weren't any volcanoes here before, just lava and earth—there used to be a group of natives who built the mountains you see here to serve the being that defeated death. Nobody knows how many years this lasted." Rowena Ravenclaw's words made Ian's eyes widen.
"Holy crap! Who's this awesome?!"
He felt that this place was very similar to Mount Doom in "The Lord of the Rings", and it couldn't possibly be a mysterious entity occupying this place. He had also read "The Lord of the Rings", a modern work.
"You shouldn't ask me that kind of question." Rowena Ravenclaw walked to a small hill and looked up at the tallest volcano, lost in thought.
"My mother probably doesn't know either; she would say such things when she doesn't know anything." Helena didn't know whether she was trying to smooth things over for Rowena Ravenclaw or helping Ian to provoke Rowena Ravenclaw.
Ian glanced at Helena.
She glanced again at Rowena Ravenclaw not far away, "So, in the end, time erased the prosperity that once existed here, and also took away some of the things that once occupied this place?"
He couldn't see how this place could possibly be inhabited by any "unknown species".
"Perhaps the prosperity that existed here was merely for some purpose that has already been achieved." Rowena Ravenclaw's words were somewhat inexplicable. She turned to look at Ian behind her. "And time cannot take away the original inhabitants of this place. What took them away was a dark wizard's ritual."
These words were spoken.
Immediately, some of Professor Grindelwald's remarks flashed through Ian's mind.
"A Dementor?!"
He instinctively connected Grindelwald's words with Rowena Ravenclaw's current remarks. Around the fifteenth century, a dark wizard brought Dementors to the world during an experiment on an island, and Grindelwald had said that, according to his research, Dementors were a species that should not exist in the human world.
This coincided perfectly with what Rowena Ravenclaw had said, and Rowena Ravenclaw's slow nod seemed to confirm Ian's exclamation.
"It seems you learned this information from others; you're a remarkable scholar."
not only that.
Rowena Ravenclaw then made a startling statement: "We can no longer know why Death made that deal with the three brothers, but one thing we are certain of is that you can obtain the most basic materials for forging an invisibility cloak from Dementors."
"Taken from life that is not subject to death, it is certainly different from the invisibility cloak made by the Invisible Beast, and it can indeed help people avoid death to a certain extent." Rowena Ravenclaw gave a completely new interpretation of the Three Holy Relics, clear, direct, and subverting the common sense of many people.
"You've taught me a remarkable lesson today." Ian struggled to process the information he had gained, and his gaze was different when he raised the resurrection stone ring in his hand again.
"According to you, the Resurrection Stone should also truly possess the power to overturn life and death?" Ian thought that since it was a creation of God...
Even if it were just a casual act, it certainly shouldn't just produce a phantom projection, since Rowena Ravenclaw said that the invisibility cloak could indeed help one avoid death.
"As I just told you, Salazar has done extensive research on this. Most of what I know comes from Salazar's research and—" Rowena Ravenclaw looked again at the young wizard not far away, "some guys have caused me a lot of trouble with their nagging and boasting."
Her voice carried a hint of sighing.
"I don't like people nagging me either; I only like nagging others," Ian echoed Rowena Ravenclaw's words.
His attention remained focused on the resurrection stone ring, whose engraved patterns were very different from the alchemy he was familiar with, and even looked like a random scribble.
"Did the Slytherin ancestors ever use it?" Ian weighed the locket in his other hand. He had certainly noticed that Rowena Ravenclaw would always glance at this thing whenever she mentioned using the Resurrection Stone.
"He showed us the secrets of the Resurrection Stone. This stone is never meant for the living. To unleash its power, you must first deliver it to the dead you wish to resurrect."
"Of course, just like the exaggerated power of the Elder Wand and the Invisibility Cloak, it can't truly resurrect a dead person, but you can temporarily bring the dead back to the mortal world through the connection you establish." Rowena Ravenclaw's gaze did indeed fall on the locket in Ian's hand.
"This is the beacon that Slytherin once displayed. You can continue to use it," Rowena Ravenclaw paused for a moment, then spoke in a rather helpless voice, "but I don't think you really need to use it. After all, you're not like other living people who have to pay a huge price to reach this place."
Helena nodded in agreement at her words. In all her years, she had never heard of Ian’s exaggerated abilities, which were simply trampled underfoot the barrier between life and death.
"I'm an orphan, and I do have parents, but I don't think I've ever found them... Of course, for the time being, my headmaster probably needs this answer more than I do." Ian weighed the resurrection stone ring in his hand, which wasn't particularly heavy, wondering if he could trade it for the Elder Wand to study.
"Are you going to use this ring to blackmail Dumbledore?" Helena couldn't help but ask when she saw Ian looking gleeful.
He hesitated for a moment.
The young-looking woman added another sentence.
"He'll lock you up in the basement. He's not like the little wizards you've blackmailed." Clearly, this Ravenclaw ghost had heard plenty of rumors about Ian at the school.
"????"
Ian really wanted to catch the people spreading rumors about him. He just wanted to study Dumbledore's wand, not for Dumbledore to announce his abdication in the Great Hall and give a two-hour speech praising him, while also silencing all the opposition from the board of trustees.
"Perhaps the current headmaster has someone he cared about who has passed away, but I don't recommend that you let him use this ring frequently. It's not a good thing for either the living or the dead." Rowena Ravenclaw didn't care whether the young wizard was blackmailing the headmaster or not; she was simply offering a gentle, earnest reminder.
"Don't forget, it was Death who forged it, not—"—someone else. The voice of the founder of Hogwarts was filled with a sense of prejudice against Death. "Those who use such methods will ultimately pay a price; the Three Holy Relics themselves come with a pact with Death."
"Whoever uses it, signs it; there's no escaping that responsibility."
For people of her generation, this might not have been unusual, since many people involved in stories about death ultimately met with bad ends.
"I'll study it, gather some ideas, and see what the alchemical inscriptions on it are all about." Ian also felt that it was indeed necessary to be on the safe side to avoid any accidents. Compared to being concerned about the old headmaster Albus Dumbledore's desire, he was more worried about whether this ring would have a negative impact on his good friend.
to be frank.
Rowena Ravenclaw's words were not without merit; the various owners of the Elder Wand all died in dramatic ways, and the Grim Reaper's purpose in forging the Three Holy Relics is indeed a mystery.
"Can you take me back to a place I know well?" Ian carefully placed the Resurrection Stone and the locket, then looked up at Rowena Ravenclaw, who was combing Helena's hair.
Rowena Ravenclaw didn't turn around. "Little one, your time is probably running out. The deeper you go here, the greater the burden you'll have to bear."
Just as Rowena Ravenclaw could guess when Ian would leave the island, she now seems to be able to sense how long Ian can remain in the dreamlike illusion.
"what?"
Ian didn't understand his "limited-time experience" as well as Rowena Ravenclaw. Only after Rowena Ravenclaw reminded him did he concentrate and carefully experience it.
"When will I be able to stay as long as I want?" Ian sighed, realizing that Rowena Ravenclaw was right; his "experience card" was expiring at double the rate.
"When your magic power accumulates to a level that surpasses our limits, that may be the time when you achieve your goal," Rowena Ravenclaw offered her advice. Morgan seemed to have said something similar to Ian before, but Morgan was referring to the qualitative change that would occur upon reaching the limit.
Who's right?
That can probably only be verified after it's achieved.
Name: Ian Prince Occupation: Bloodline Warlock Magic Power: Level 8 (In the midst of explosive leap)
Ian glanced at the information at the top of his personal panel and sighed helplessly. He had originally hoped that the burning of Voldemort's soul fragments would bring about a qualitative change for him.
Who would have thought that Rowena Ravenclaw would just throw Voldemort into the lava? He should have immediately used his magic to try and gain some "experience" in the lava.
"It seems there's something wrong with my Guardian Charm. Could you help me see if I can fix it?" Ian didn't have much time to return to the town or the castle for a reunion.
He could only make the most of the remaining time to seek help from Rowena Ravenclaw—as the head of Ravenclaw, Professor Flitwick could see that something had gone wrong with the flow of his magic, and the founder of Ravenclaw might have the ability to help him correct the abnormal operation of the Patronus Charm.
"Of course, no problem."
Rowena Ravenclaw readily agreed, without even needing Helena to whisper in her ear. Knowing that Ian was not capable of casting spells without a wand, she thoughtfully conjured one up for him.
"The power of cognition?"
Ian looked at the wand handed to him. It was no different from the wands that his teacher Morgan had conjured, except that one used a picture frame and the other used a roadside stone.
"Who taught you this?"
Rowena Ravenclaw raised an eyebrow in surprise. Helena, who was next to her, tried to replicate her mother's actions, but just like Ian's attempt to cast a spell with his bare hands, she had no idea where to start.
"My other teacher, Ms. Morgan," Ian replied honestly with a grin, though he had always hoped that Morgan would fight Ravenclaw.
However, Rowena Ravenclaw clearly had no competitive spirit.
"You certainly know how to choose the right teachers to guide you."
She simply sighed with a strange emotion in her voice.
"I guess I've always been lucky." Ian familiarized himself with the wand in his hand, and with the limited time he had left, he raised his hand and cast the Patronus Charm.
"Protect the Gods!"
The magic wand in his hand emitted countless fine and dazzling silver rays, which, like the most dazzling meteor shower in the night sky, intertwined with the volcano to form a flowing silver scroll.
It's not just about warmth.
Even the surrounding scorching temperature was significantly reduced.
"It's spectacular!" Helena exclaimed in amazement as she gazed at the spreading silver light. She had never seen anyone cast this spell and still not summon a guardian spirit several minutes later.
Rowena Ravenclaw watched Ian cast the spell. She wasn't surprised, only raising an eyebrow. "Raising your magic limit, looks like another problem can be solved for you."
talking.
Rowena Ravenclaw waved her hand, and Ian's Patronus Charm immediately subsided, all the silver light flowing back into the wand in Ian's hand.
"What kind of technique is this?"
Ian was quite surprised by Rowena Ravenclaw's actions.
"Use my understanding to override your understanding."
Rowena Ravenclaw explained her actions succinctly. She glanced at the pocket where Ian had the Resurrection Stone ring, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke with some uncertainty.
"Given your current magical abilities, you certainly can't summon an entire world across the distance of life and death. However, if you can target a specific objective—you could cleverly unleash an incomplete Patronus Charm." Rowena Ravenclaw had indeed found a feasible solution for Ian.
"Use a resurrection stone?"
Ian took the ring out again.
"It's a replica of the Resurrection Stone." Rowena Ravenclaw crouched down, picked up a stone, and placed it in Ian's hand under his somewhat stunned gaze.
"You might need to find an alchemist to help you, but I don't think that's difficult for the current headmaster. He once took an alchemist on a tour of Hogwarts—they came to see my portrait." Rowena Ravenclaw's words made Ian's eyes widen suddenly after a slight pause.
"You even know that such things have happened in the human world?" Ian remembered that Rowena Ravenclaw could know the passage of time by looking up at the sky, and he finally realized that the portrait hanging in the corridor might not be just a portrait.
It is a pair of "eyes"!
"Hiss! Cheating! So you can cheat too!" Ian did indeed have some Gryffindor characteristics; his astonishment was almost identical to the Gryffindor portrait.
"Although this sounds a bit like self-praise, I still hope you understand that life and death are eternal topics, and all wizards with even a little talent in history have studied them."
"And those among them always manage to find different ways to continue to observe the human world even after they have left this world."
"This is not the pursuit of immortality; it stems from our curiosity." Rowena Ravenclaw's pride was not reflected in her tone or expression; her understated words were as if she were calmly discussing something perfectly ordinary. However, no one could deny that she deserved to be called a figure in the annals of history.
"Can this kind of thing really be counterfeited?"
Ian raised the resurrection stone ring in his hand again. He remembered that the old man who sold wands had said that his wand was a replica of the Elder Wand, but who knew if the old man had ever actually touched the Elder Wand.
Look at these alchemical symbols.
Look at these strange patterns.
They are practically indistinguishable from alien script. Most importantly, it would be extremely difficult to find books to study them; deciphering them from scratch would be no easy task.
"You don't need to fully understand it, just find the small piece of rune you want." Rowena Ravenclaw saw the young wizard's body gradually becoming transparent.
Her calm expression contrasted sharply with Helena's surprised gasp. The mother and daughter may look alike, but they are clearly worlds apart in their composure.
"Remember, don't use Death's things lightly—it will bring bad luck." Rowena Ravenclaw reminded and emphasized this again before Ian disappeared for the last time.
Ian gave her an OK sign.
"Thank you for your help."
He bowed slightly, earnestly.
"We are the ones who should be thanking you. May you eventually fly safely to your desired destination, little raven." Rowena Ravenclaw and her daughter bowed slightly as well.
After Ian's figure completely disappeared.
"Mother, are we going forward?" Helena remembered what Rowena Ravenclaw had said before: this was the edge of the dreamlike realm, and beyond that lay a new journey.
Her voice was somewhat uneasy and nervous, just as Rowena Ravenclaw had said, this soul, who had been a ghost for a thousand years, indeed lacked the courage to face the unknown.
"I'm afraid we'll have to wait a while, my child—I must finish what I must do." Rowena Ravenclaw took out the crown from her bosom, which had regained its color and luster.
"This will take some time. I need to use this place to reforge it." Rowena Ravenclaw looked at the tallest volcano in the distance and the sprawling lava within it.
Helena looked at the crown that had once caused her so much grief and despair. Now, she had lost all desire and greed, and her face showed only a hint of worry and fear.
"You just said that this place belongs to a great being who has defeated death. I don't think such a god would allow us to use this territory without permission?"
Helena's concerns were not unfounded.
only.
Rowena Ravenclaw chuckled softly.
"I think this was something that guy arranged for me to do."
She fiddled with the gemstones set in the crown, as if adjusting their arrangement.
"Huh? You've already interacted with the gods of the dead world?" Helena's expression was one of shock, and her tone was filled with disbelief.
"My dear, fate will not easily bring you back to my side. This should have been a story many, many, many years later, but someone helped us rewrite this future." Rowena Ravenclaw spoke softly as Helena's stunned, bewildered, and confused expression changed.
"Did you make a deal with the gods?"
Helena's voice trembled slightly, filled with terror.
"Death made a deal with the three brothers, and with the three of us as well. The price to forge the crown is this, but I don't think it's a bad thing."
"Your arrival at least demonstrates his kindness."
Rowena Ravenclaw's soft whisper was tinged with emotion.
"Little Ian!!"
Helena seemed to realize something; she suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes filled with horror, and her whole body seemed to tremble.
"Yes, my child, you've already seen it, she's easy to get along with—isn't she?" Rowena Ravenclaw reached out and touched Helena's forehead, wiping away the traces of molten ash. Her soft voice echoed in the dead land surrounded by volcanoes.
No one responded.
[P.S.: Big news, today, brief, follow-up, frantic updates, multiple times.]