Hogwarts Raven (Harry Potter)

Grindelwald's words reverberated through the dimly lit office, casting a shadow over the room. His expression was grave, and his tone carried a weight of solemnity.

As a formidable seer, there were few secrets he couldn't unveil, yet the unfolding events surrounding Ian increasingly left him feeling as though his gifts were waning in their potency.

It wasn't a matter of life and death.

But it perplexed and fascinated this former leader of the wizarding world. He had always sensed a hidden connection between Ian and Dumbledore, something elusive that he had yet to fully grasp.

All this time, Grindelwald had been somewhat indifferent to it. He believed he had ample time to gradually unravel the enigma surrounding Ian. However, that perspective shifted irrevocably just a few days prior.

Under the unwavering gaze of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor,

"Gulp~"

Ian first stifled his yearning for the enchanted apple.

Then, he ventured, "You know, I've always been quite popular, surrounded by friends... even in the depths of the Black Lake, I have companions, but honestly, I can't recall the name of the woman you mentioned..."

He was attempting to feign ignorance and bluff his way through the conversation.

However, Grindelwald, whose curiosity was now fully piqued, wasn't about to let him off the hook.

"You know many eccentric witches?" Grindelwald looked genuinely taken aback, his brow furrowing in a peculiar expression.

"Uh..."

Ian found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

He dared not respond, truthfully, after hearing Grindelwald's tale and seeing the Golden Apple resting on the table, he was acutely aware of whom his Dark Arts professor had encountered.

Throughout history, wizards who could genuinely rival Grindelwald were few and far between.

And those who could elicit a response like "almost killed me" from him were even rarer; flipping through the annals of wizarding history, only legends seemed to possess such formidable power.

Thus, it was highly probable that Grindelwald had crossed paths, in some past timeline, with a fearsome witch who was ruthlessly and meticulously felling Golden Apple trees for reasons unknown.

"Looks like you know who I'm referring to." Grindelwald observed Ian's shifting expressions closely, catching a glimmer of helplessness in his eyes.

"Maybe?" Ian offered a noncommittal reply.

"If you tell me the answer, this apple will be yours." Grindelwald began to tempt him, having noticed Ian's gaze continually drifting toward the Golden Apple.

"I think Aurora needs this apple more than I do. She's far too weak… she needs to recover significantly." Ian resisted the allure of the Golden Apple. He was acutely aware that he didn't require it to enhance his magical prowess.

The reason his eyes kept involuntarily flicking toward it was simply that he was relishing the memory of the Golden Apple's effects, the way it melted instantly in his mouth, igniting a profound transformation, an unforgettable, exquisite experience.

"You're remarkably generous." Grindelwald's eyes narrowed slightly.

He sensed something unusual in Ian's words. This only deepened his suspicions.

"I truly don't know what you encountered, or why you believe it was because of me that you were able to… escape." Ian again opted for evasiveness.

His truth remained unchanged.

It wasn't deliberate ambiguity; Ian was merely certain about who Grindelwald had met but was still baffled as to why Morgan, who was still alive in this realm, was aware of him.

"That woman… that mad witch… before she sent me flying, she left me with a message… 'For that amusingly foolish Pigwidgeon's sake, just get lost...'"

Grindelwald's voice carried a tone of embarrassment, Annoyance, And helplessness.

This was perhaps the first time such emotions had surfaced within him.

"Ah?" Ian was momentarily taken aback by the words.

"Why does such a description point to me?"

Hearing that familiar title at this moment made him one hundred percent certain of Grindelwald's encounter, yet he still felt a mix of surprise and indignation that Grindelwald would direct that title at him.

"I know better than anyone which parts of my memories have been forcibly extracted for the longest time!" Grindelwald spoke through clenched teeth, bitterness lacing his tone.

He had likely never endured such a humiliating disgrace in his life.

"Thousands of years of distance! Kid, you even have old acquaintances in places like that? Isn't your so-called popularity and network a bit too outrageous?"

Grindelwald laid his cards on the table, his deep eyes fixed intently on Ian, God only knew how many times he had tossed and turned over this matter in the past few days.

He had pondered this question even in his dreams. If he didn't know every detail of Ian's life from birth until now, he would certainly suspect this boy was some kind of ancient spirit. The unreasonable speed of his magical growth and understanding of spells resembled an old wizard regaining lost knowledge and strength under some kind of "amnesia" state.

"I don't know about that, Professor. Maybe what you're talking about hasn't happened yet, so of course, I couldn't know." Ian shrugged helplessly, his frustration evident.

That was a half-truth, half-lie.

He indeed harbored such a suspicion, but he refrained from mentioning the information he knew about Morgan, nor did he wish to bring up his connection with her.

Better to stir up less trouble.

Feigning ignorance was the simplest solution.

The Dark Arts professor before him had tangled with Morgan before. And when choosing between his beloved teacher and respected professor, there was really no need for much thought.

It had nothing to do with feelings.

It was purely a matter of practicality.

It was less harmful to anger Grindelwald than to provoke Morgan.

On one side was someone who had already been thoroughly bested, while on the other was someone who could easily overpower Grindelwald. Even if Hagrid's Fang were brought into the mix, Fang would know whom to side with.

"If I understand correctly, you're telling me that you might go back to the past at some point in the future, then form a friendship and bond with a legend from thousands of years ago, and you aren't even the slightest bit surprised by these occurrences, as if you were hearing something perfectly normal?"

Grindelwald sneered coldly.

His face bore an expression that clearly said, "Do you think I believe you?"

"Yes, that's exactly it." Ian nodded quickly.

"Of course, I'm also shocked, extremely terrified, and frankly uneasy, I just haven't shown it." He offered an excuse for not updating his facial expression in time.

"That's actually related to me now being numb from shock. You probably don't know, but just a moment ago, due to Professor Dumbledore's mistake, I accidentally traveled back nearly a hundred years."

"I even met the young Professor Dumbledore at Hogwarts during that era. Heavens, he even fought me. I still haven't recovered from it."

Ian patted his chest, a look of lingering fear etched on his face.

At last, a trace of delayed panic flickered in his eyes.

And seeing his performance, Grindelwald, who had been watching with a faint, amused smile, first paused, his already narrow eyes widening sharply, emitting a glint of keen interest.

"All right, all right! After half a lifetime, I finally caught the one who's been slandering me! Learning sneak attacks all from me, eh? Teaching others to jab with the Draught of Living Death at their vital spots, that's my lesson, isn't it?"

His unsettled face twisted into an even more teeth-gritting expression of fury than before.

It was clear:

Whatever offhand remark Ian had made in the past timeline had undoubtedly caused Grindelwald considerable trouble. Heaven only knew how many more chapters that added to the tangled grudges between Grindelwald and Dumbledore.

"..."

Only then did Ian realize something.

"I only said you always wanted to take me as your apprentice; I wasn't trying to trick Dumbledore…" Ian attempted to defend himself, but he noticed Grindelwald starting to rummage through the entire desk for his wand.

The furious look on Grindelwald's face was terrifying as if he was ready to "clean house."

"!!!"

Seeing this, Ian immediately spun around and bolted, not so much out of fear of facing Grindelwald (that was secondary), but primarily to seize the opportunity to escape the Dark Arts professor's interrogation.

In no time at all, Ian dashed out of the classroom, transforming into a wisp of white smoke as he raced toward the Room of Requirement. Meanwhile, after locating his wand, Grindelwald looked up, and Ian had already entered the Room of Requirement and set up thirteen layers of ambushes.

Such speed,

Most wizards could only watch in awe.

"It's all Headmaster Dumbledore stressing me out," Ian breathed a sigh of relief after a while with no sign of Grindelwald pursuing him, and began to wash up inside the Room of Requirement.

How to put it, Grindelwald never truly intended to chase him out.

If he really wanted to make a move, he wouldn't need to be running around looking for his wand.

"Argomotto… Morgan… Mopsus… Enzo… Ravenclaw… Slytherin… perhaps even more targets I haven't discovered yet…"

After Ian left, Grindelwald sat back down, his anger dissipating in an instant.

(To Be Continued…)

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