Hogwarts Raven (Harry Potter)

It was clear that Dumbledore was not surprised by this revelation. A subtle, indescribable emotion lingered in his voice.

"So, what sort of plan do you have in mind?" Ian's gaze locked onto his old headmaster's eyes, his tone devoid of complaint or negativity.

However, despite this, Dumbledore had to summon his strength, meeting Ian's gaze with utmost sincerity, and from the depths of his heart, he expressed an apology.

"I am truly sorry for the trouble I've caused you… I did have a particular plan, though it was still in the testing phase, and what just transpired was certainly beyond my expectations. I assure you, there is no… conspiracy or trickery on my part." Dumbledore offered a wry smile, his tone laced with shame and a hint of self-deprecation.

"Since you already know what transpired in the past, I suppose you can understand that after experiencing such events, I honestly don't know whether I should trust you."

Facing Ian's somewhat peculiar stare, he continued, "I know you want to curse me. Yes, as you can see, I truly wasn't a good person in my youth." The elderly headmaster managed a bitter smile, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

It was evident that he felt a deep sense of guilt.

"I can swear by magic that what I'm saying is devoid of deception." With that, the old headmaster retrieved his wand, preparing to make an oath.

However, Ian stopped him.

"That's unnecessary."

Ian understood well that oaths couldn't bind the heart; only the weak would resort to such means to constrain others. For that reason, it was sufficient for Albus Dumbledore to display such an attitude.

Of course,

He still made a note in his little notebook, no, probably a whole page, after all, he had always believed in repaying kindness and returning favors for losses.

Hmm.

Sometimes Ian felt he was quite like a corvid in character.

"If you can teach me the techniques you used to evade my magic when you were younger, I think we'll be even for now." Ian winked at Albus Dumbledore.

"For now, huh…"

Dumbledore clearly began to sweat again.

"What else?"

Ian replied confidently.

"Alright, that's certainly acceptable." Dumbledore sighed and nodded in agreement. After all, he was the one truly in the wrong here.

To be honest,

Looking back at his age now,

He did feel that his younger self had indeed been a bit unkind and unreasonable… Perhaps all the fear others in the wizarding world had of him was something he truly deserved to be forgiven for.

"I almost thought I wouldn't make it back, and even now, I still don't fully understand what this device really is. I remember its original function wasn't supposed to involve time travel, right?"

Ian wasn't the type to obsess over a question, but he turned back to regard the great clock. If he recalled correctly, this clock was originally intended to maintain a continuously cycling timeline.

How had it ended up crossing through time?

"Due to a sudden burst of inspiration, Nick and I made some modifications to it… I must say, this is likely an alchemical miracle that no one else could replicate," Albus Dumbledore explained, his eyes gleaming with a mix of pride and nostalgia.

"As you know, it can seal away a considerable span of time, so we treated it as a sort of stabilizer."

"Yes, a kind of safeguard to ensure that no matter what happens, any accidents would be contained within a manageable scope, so that when I perform a time crossover, I won't inadvertently cause too many changes due to mistakes."

As Albus Dumbledore raised his hand and pointed to the top of the great clock, a small device, roughly the size of a palm, could be seen fitted inconspicuously at the very apex.

"Is this the device you had Professor Flamel repair?"

Ian recognized the object embedded in the clock. During his studies in alchemy with Nicolas Flamel, he had witnessed Flamel repairing it on more than one occasion.

He hadn't anticipated that over just one summer holiday, Nicolas Flamel had truly managed to restore it completely.

"Yes, the true artifact that enabled you to cross over a hundred years is this ancient Time Turner," Albus Dumbledore admitted candidly.

Not only that, he also revealed something that made Ian's pupils contract slightly.

"We all knew you had entered a time loop, and we were aware that you altered certain events within that loop. This new alchemical device, in my view, can recreate such a miracle." Albus Dumbledore regarded Ian with a penetrating gaze, the weight of his words somewhat overwhelming.

Clearly,

This was Dumbledore voluntarily disclosing secrets that Ian had not been privy to before.

The reason for his vague wording,

Perhaps it stemmed from lingering concerns or existing limitations?

"So, were you successful?" Ian's eyes flickered with intensity.

"We made attempts, implementing changes in the past that could be buried beneath the sands of time, such as retrieving some artifacts destined to be lost forever. That's also why we were able to repair the ancient Time Turner… Initially, we only used ordinary time-turning devices to enter some relatively recent past."

"You know, I've been studying similar principles since last semester, so there were no mishaps. In that regard, we achieved smooth success."

"It was only in the past few days that we attempted to venture into a more distant past, which also proved successful. I have already begun further research into whether it is possible to alter the manner of death for certain beings just before they pass, in ways that go unnoticed and leave no trace of abnormality."

Albus Dumbledore spoke slowly, with an air of frank honesty. He did not conceal the ultimate aim of his research.

The old headmaster understood just how astute Ian was. He believed that Ian had long been aware of his intentions.

"I have a question. According to the principle you mentioned, all changes must conceal the truth as much as possible, restoring history's original appearance on the surface."

"Then, regarding the duel between you and me, the altered past has influenced the present you now inhabit. What exactly is the situation there?" Ian's mind was racing, piecing together the implications of their conversation.

He noticed some contradictions in Dumbledore's words.

"That's the crux of the matter, my boy."

Dumbledore didn't shy away from the question; instead, he looked at Ian with bright, penetrating eyes. "You accomplished what Grindelwald and I attempted many times but ultimately failed to achieve."

"You truly changed the past and successfully returned to the present… I believe the two lingering doubts in my heart have just been answered definitively."

The old headmaster's voice took on a more complex tone.'

(To Be Continued…)

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