Chapter 131
Dumbledore did not answer; he stared directly into Soren's eyes and said, "Soren, you've heard of the 'Walpurgis Knights,' haven't you?"
Soren was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in understanding. How clever he was, having guessed Dumbledore's meaning in an instant.
"Professor, you mean..." Soren said, "the Hohenheim family is connected to the Walpurgis Knights?"
"You really do know about the Walpurgis Knights," Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with light. "I've been observing this organization for a long time. At first, I thought it was a faction of Voldemort's followers because of its many unknown connections to the pure-blood families of Great Britain, but my intelligence network told me—"
"The Walpurgis Knights existed long before Voldemort was born, and they left traces during the global wizarding war at the beginning of this century (the one led by Grindelwald)..."
"I persistently pursued the investigation and found that many major international events from the last century, and even earlier, revealed its shadow... including the goblin rebellion in the 18th century, the Italian civil war in the 17th century, and the extermination of the vampire royal family in the 15th century... It's like a venomous snake hiding behind the scenes, ready to strike whenever the opportunity arises."
"Although I don't have strong and sufficient evidence, I have many reasons to believe," Dumbledore said solemnly, "that the pure-blood families of Great Britain are merely the tip of the iceberg. In Europe, North America, and even Africa, many ancient pure-blood families are likely its members, and among them..." Dumbledore paused for a moment before saying gravely, "the Hohenheim family and the other family are included..."
I see!
What the two of them had just discussed about the pursuit of power and the six great magical books was merely an appetizer.
The current topic was the reason the old man had summoned him today.
Soren snorted coldly, "Professor, you know about the 'Ghost Society' at Hogwarts, right? They are an underground student organization that inherits the will of the Walpurgis Knights. Speaking of which, they have a small grudge against me!"
Dumbledore's expression suddenly became enigmatic. The name "Ghost Society" reminded him of Voldemort...
This organization was originally called the Walpurgis Knights at Hogwarts and was a group that trained potential Death Eaters under Voldemort. However, after being suppressed by Albus Dumbledore and his predecessors, it was renamed the Ghost Society. Over the years, it had gone silent, yet unexpectedly, it had already made a move without his awareness.
He sighed.
It seemed that he really was getting old.
He suddenly felt a bit weary. Harry's growth was far from what he had expected—did he really have to continue placing all his hopes on that prophecy from years ago?
"I haven't even gone looking for trouble with them, but I didn't expect them..." Soren's voice suddenly turned cold. "Since they dare to come knocking, I can use this competition to let them know that the Malfoy family is not to be trifled with..."
In Soren's mind, he was already ninety-nine percent sure that these two beautiful witches were coming for him. After all, the original text clearly stated that the opponents were supposed to be Krum and Fleur!
And he himself happened to be the biggest variable in this world. Unless there were other unknown travelers in this world, the only one who could derail the original plot was himself.
The question was, what was the purpose of the Walpurgis Knights coming after him?
The Ghost Society had targeted him, but he hadn't retaliated. The one who attacked him was Gemma, but she had clearly shown restraint, and she had deliberately revealed quite a bit of information before striking—though the two were no longer friends, Soren didn't really want to take revenge on her.
As for the Walpurgis Knights spread across Europe, he hadn't even come into contact with them.
What had he done to provoke these two families that had been lying low and playing the mysterious game for centuries to reappear at this moment?
He thought of a possibility.
Unless...
For Soren at this moment, understanding the opponent's motives was of utmost importance. He already had an immature guess in his mind.
"Soren, don't let your guard down," Dumbledore said. "The extent of the pure-blood families involved with Walpurgis and the power they possess has always been a mystery. The global wizarding war back then at least involved the pure-blood families of Great Britain, France, Germany, and Austria..."
"If it weren't for these well-established families providing both money and manpower, this war wouldn't have dragged on for so long, spreading and expanding throughout Europe and even North America..."
"Just after the defeat of the Saints, it was thought that the Walpurgis would suffer greatly, but unexpectedly, in just a few decades, they reemerged during the war initiated by Voldemort..."
"This force's foundation is likely much stronger than we imagine," Dumbledore's eyes flashed with insight, "even if one day its historical roots trace back to the era before Hogwarts was established, I wouldn't be surprised."
"However, what's more important right now is for you to recognize the current situation," Dumbledore said, "since you know the details of the other two warrior, I feel relieved. You mustn't be careless or try to show off; if you encounter danger during the competition, you need to withdraw and protect yourself in time..."
"Don't worry, Professor," Soren smiled, "you should save this talk for Potter! I feel he needs to understand this more than I do."
Dumbledore did not take up the topic about Potter; his expression remained deep and inscrutable.
He blinked, "Returning to the previous topic," Dumbledore said, "most of the other six extraordinary books are mostly unaccounted for..."
"The Book of Druids was lost when Druid civilization disappeared," Dumbledore said, "the Book of the Dead primarily discusses necromancy; I suspect this book is with the Necromancer Guild in Transylvania, a mysterious organization that survives underground, only recruiting wizards who practice necromancy, with many members being vampires and living corpses."
"The Abattoir is divided into eight volumes; aside from the one I have, I am not sure where the others are, but I have heard that the hidden family, the Weitz family, which has avoided the world for centuries, seems to hold two volumes of the Abattoir. They appear to be following some ancestral teachings, trying to complete the collection of all eight volumes."
"The Book of the Phoenix is in my possession; it is the core inheritance of the Dumbledore family, and it is because of it that I was able to gain the loyalty of Fawkes."
Fawkes is the name of the phoenix that Dumbledore keeps; he is known as the only wizard in the magical world to have a phoenix as a pet, which is the reason behind it.
"The last book—the Dark Revelation, I have never known its whereabouts, but I have a strong suspicion... I suspect it is with Voldemort. The strange and unpredictable abilities he has acquired likely come from this book... As for where he obtained this book, I truly have no idea..."
Interesting.
Are new forces and families emerging?
Dumbledore family... Weitz family... Necromancer Guild...
Perhaps it has become commonplace; this time, Soren's heart was hard to stir.
The well-informed Soren certainly knows that the long-established wizard families are not limited to the Sacred 28 pureblood families.
He has always known that there are some low-key and mysterious families in the wizarding world that are not well known to the public. Although these families may not have much fame, their heritage is no less significant.
For instance, the Dumbledore family, which has the legacy of taming phoenixes, is already something to be envious of.
Knowing the plot, Soren is even more aware that Dumbledore probably has more to conceal—the inheritance of the Book of the Phoenix is certainly not limited to this. In the second Fantastic Beasts movie, Dumbledore clearly stated that his family's bloodline can naturally establish a close bond with all magical birds, including powerful phoenixes, thunderbirds, and colorful winged birds, as well as weaker but uniquely capable creatures like the Snidget, the Golden Snitch, the Errol, the Augurey, and the Demiguise, among others.
As for the Potter family, which traces its lineage back to Linfred from the twelfth century, on the surface, it is known as a potion-making family that invented the Bone Regrowth Potion, the Pepperup Potion, and the Sleek Easy Potion (the one Hermione used at the ball). Although those patents have accumulated considerable wealth for their family, they are either sold or long expired, leading outsiders to believe the family can only sit idly by.
But in reality? Linfred's eldest son, Hardwin Potter, quietly married the granddaughter of the third Peverell brother, thus inheriting the legacy of the Invisibility Cloak.
So, it's not surprising at all that there are hidden families in the wizarding world.
"Alright," Dumbledore handed the book to Soren, "take it, child! You need it, and I need you to believe in your headmaster—"
Dumbledore winked playfully and said, "Let's consider this book as the beginning of our mutual trust!"
Soren accepted the book; "Abattoir" had been immensely helpful to him. Just the first three volumes he had in hand were enough to elevate his strength to this level today, not to mention that he was currently studying Transfiguration, and "Abattoir: The Transfiguration Chapter" was quite timely.
["Abattoir Volume Four" acquired!]
"I brought you here today to say just this," Dumbledore summarized, "do you have any questions for me?"
Soren thought seriously for a moment and asked, "Professor, I would like to ask you, is there no way to break the Unbreakable Vow?"
Dumbledore paused slightly, then replied, "Yes, unless the secret keeper leaks it, it is absolutely unbreakable. Why do you suddenly ask this?"
Soren answered seriously, "I found out the truth about Meredith's abduction. The Shadow of the Dragon is actually an organization preserved by the dark witch Morgan Le Fay from the tenth century—I have already discovered that Le Fay practiced the magical creature Animagus, so her soul cannot be extinguished, and Meredith, strictly speaking, is her descendant's bloodline, which can be used as a vessel for her resurrection."
Dumbledore furrowed his brow tightly and said, "Is it the magic of borrowing a body to return to life? This…"
"This sounds quite tricky!" Dumbledore said seriously, "There are many black magic spells for possession, but most can only temporarily attach to the vessel, because the mismatch between the vessel and the soul easily causes rejection... As far as I know, there is only one way to truly merge with the host's soul—"
"Bloodline fusion."
Soren asked anxiously, "Then, Professor, what will happen after the fusion? Will Meredith's soul still exist?"
"I'm sorry, Soren," Dumbledore's eyes showed a hint of pity, and he spoke softly, "the soul of the stronger will devour the soul of the weaker. If your information is accurate, and if the other party is indeed the dark witch from a thousand years ago—there's no doubt that Meredith's soul will be devoured..."
Although he had been mentally prepared, Dumbledore's answer hit Soren like a bomb in his mind. His heart immediately felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar.
Seeing Soren's extremely pained expression, Dumbledore couldn't help but reveal a very complex look. He could see it clearly and was confident he wasn't mistaken; although Soren's face was expressionless, the fleeting pain in his eyes was not fake.
This child is not Voldemort.
No matter how astonishing this child may seem, he is just a child.
At the same time, he had other doubts about how Soren had taken that step... Could it be that... he had completely guessed wrong...
He hadn't severed the ties within his soul at all?
Another even more absurd thought uncontrollably arose: had this child walked out on another path of magic? Could that be possible?
"The good news is," Dumbledore comforted Soren gently, "bloodline fusion magic is a very time-consuming magic; it requires both a body transformation and a soul merging process..."
"The body transformation means allowing the body to adapt to a brand new soul. During this stage, the body will continuously change, and its appearance will increasingly resemble that of the resurrector, but it won't be exactly the same; rather, it will become something between the resurrector and the host. The soul merging stage requires the resurrector to devour the host's soul and use the power within the soul to take over the host's body."
Soren asked with difficulty, "Professor, just tell me directly, how much time do I have left?"
Dumbledore shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't be sure about that either; it also depends on how long Meredith's will can resist her—" As if unable to bear looking at Soren's expression any longer, he looked up at the small light on the ceiling, "But I think you still have several months' time, right?"
Soren didn't know how he said goodbye to Dumbledore or how he walked back to his dormitory.
He, usually wise and calm, seemed to have lost his soul, feeling muddled and dazed.
He didn't change his clothes, lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He didn't dare to close his eyes; he feared that if he did, he would see Meredith's heartbroken face.
Suddenly, his magical power seemed to come alive, flooding into his mind, causing his thoughts to suddenly cool and bringing him back to clarity.
Soren couldn't help but marvel at the magical power's miraculous nature; it could autonomously protect and remind its host. A similar situation had occurred when Merlin tried to amplify his greed, tempting him to take the magical artifact.
He clenched his fists and said to himself, "Meredith still has time; I can't give up!"
He organized his thoughts.
Meredith's location is most likely in the Shafik old residence, and that place is unsolvable unless the secret keeper leaks information—this has been confirmed with both Dumbledore and Voldemort.
If he can't get in, then he must lure the person out.
The known members of the Dragon Shadow are three: Moody, Mrs. Zabini, and Mrs. Selwyn.
Moody is off-limits because he is likely involved in Voldemort's plans, which would complicate matters.
"That means," Soren's eyes gleamed with determination, "it must be Mrs. Zabini and Mrs. Selwyn..."
A plan began to form in his mind.
But before that, he needed to ensure that his strength could handle unknown enemies.
After all, he needed to strengthen his power!
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