After Slughorn agreed to return as a professor at Hogwarts, Harry and Dumbledore both breathed a sigh of relief. The Defence Against the Dark Arts position couldn't simply be left vacant, but finding someone willing to take the job was notoriously difficult and had been giving Dumbledore headaches for years.
During the rest of the summer holiday, Harry accelerated his assimilation of the Soul King's authority. By his estimate, it wouldn't be long before he absorbed it completely. Once that happened, he would become a true universal-level powerhouse.
Harry had also begun making plans for how he would grow stronger after that. Once he permanently reached the universal level, he intended to prepare a very special gift for the Dimensional Demon Gods who were planning to surround and destroy him.
The reason he hadn't permanently killed those Dimensional Demon Gods before was that he hadn't been able to perfectly wield primordial chaos power.
But once his own base strength reached the universal level, everything would change.
At that point, he would be able to maintain universal-level power indefinitely. If he unleashed his chaos power without restraint, he might even be capable of matching a multiversal-level being.
This time, when Harry returned to the wider multiverse, he intended to devour every last one of those damned Demon Gods.
Before long, Harry's sixth year began.
With Muggle technology now being introduced into the wizarding world, even the Hogwarts Express had received a major upgrade. Since Harry had personally designed much of it, the wizarding train had actually become more technologically advanced than its Muggle counterparts.
September sunlight streamed through the double-glazed windows of the Hogwarts Express, scattering warm patches of light across the dark green seats.
The newly rebuilt train looked completely different from previous years. Its sleek metal body was polished enough to reflect the clouds overhead, while the compartments were no longer decorated entirely in old-fashioned wood. They now featured padded armrests, adjustable seats, and even small illuminated control panels built beside every passenger.
Ron leaned against the window and ran a finger over the silver buttons on the panel. Watching the Scottish countryside race past outside, he couldn't stop himself from grinning.
"I can't believe it. Last year we were riding around in that ancient train, and now we've got some kind of Muggle-magic hybrid."
Neville was holding a steaming chocolate cauldron cake in one hand while curiously poking at the air vent beside his seat with the other.
"No kidding," he mumbled around a mouthful. "Remember those rickety Thestral-drawn carriages last year? They bounced around so much I spilled my cake everywhere.
"I heard we're taking enchanted cars up to Hogwarts Castle this year. Those have to be more comfortable."
Hermione sat beside Harry with a copy of Muggle Technology and Magic Integration Manual open in her hands, although her attention had already been drawn away from the book by one of the signal towers flashing past the window.
"The technology in this train is actually much more sophisticated than it looks," she said in her usual serious tone. "I studied it over the summer. It retains the magical train's ability to accelerate almost instantaneously while incorporating Muggle rail-stabilization technology, which is why there's practically no shaking at all.
"And have you noticed the lighting? They aren't using magical luminescence anymore. They're using Muggle electric lights, but the brightness is automatically adjusted through magic so they never become uncomfortable to look at.
"I'm guessing most of this was Harry's work. Wizards might have started researching Muggle technology, but they obviously aren't advanced enough yet to create inventions like these."
When everyone turned toward him, Harry gave them a helpless nod.
"Yeah, I designed it, but Professor Dumbledore helped with the magical side. You might not know this, but he's also a master alchemist."
Hermione and the others merely nodded without showing the slightest surprise.
At this point, there was almost nothing Harry or Professor Dumbledore could reveal themselves capable of doing that would shock them anymore.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, stretching their shadows across the compartment as the train glided smoothly along the tracks.
Technology and magic had come together in a way that once would have seemed impossible, much like the wizarding world itself, which had finally emerged from the darkness and begun moving toward an era of peace.
...
After returning to Hogwarts, Harry resumed his usual school life while continuing to search for any of Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes.
By now, Harry knew about nearly all of Voldemort's Horcruxes and had already destroyed them.
They included the fragment of Voldemort's soul that had once been attached to the lightning-shaped scar on Harry's forehead, Tom Riddle's diary, Marvolo Gaunt's ring, Salazar Slytherin's locket, Helga Hufflepuff's cup, and Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem.
However, Harry had recently used divination magic and discovered that Voldemort was somehow still alive and secretly operating within the wizarding world.
More importantly, he had created another Horcrux.
Like Harry, this one was alive.
Nagini.
She was a gigantic snake, but in truth, she was also a pitiful woman trapped by a blood curse.
Harry had no intention of killing her.
Instead, he planned to destroy the fragment of Voldemort's soul residing within her and then break the curse that had transformed her, allowing Nagini to become human again.
For almost any other wizard, accomplishing something like that would be virtually impossible.
But Harry possessed both Ancient Magic and time magic, so it wasn't particularly difficult for him.
Before long, Harry and Dumbledore's relentless search finally uncovered Voldemort's hiding place on an isolated farm.
Voldemort was dressed in ragged clothing. Even his ruined nose had somehow been restored, and his facial features had changed slightly.
If Harry hadn't memorized the unique fluctuations of Voldemort's soul, even he might have had trouble recognizing him.
The instant Voldemort saw Harry and Dumbledore emerge from a portal, he turned and sprinted away.
He had barely taken a few steps when a bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky.
The lightning engulfed his entire body and instantly reduced him to ashes.
Dumbledore silently lowered the wand he had just raised and looked at Harry in amazement.
"Harry, you've become even stronger. I'm nowhere near your equal anymore. Perhaps you've already reached the level of that teacher of yours?"
Harry smiled and nodded.
"My teacher? Maybe."
Although the laws of the wizarding world continued to suppress Harry's strength, after absorbing the Soul King's power, even the strength he could wield under that suppression was no weaker than the Ancient One's.
In fact, Harry had begun to sense something else.
He had a vague feeling that once his strength crossed a certain threshold, the wizarding world would no longer be capable of suppressing him at all.
And when that happened, something incredibly important would change.
After dealing with Voldemort, Harry eliminated the nearby Death Eaters as well and found Nagini locked away in the basement.
Nagini's condition came from a hereditary blood curse. For Harry, removing something like that wasn't particularly difficult.
It took him roughly an hour to completely purge the curse from her body. Afterward, he placed Nagini in the Weasley family's care.
With that, every outstanding matter Harry had left to deal with in the wizarding world was finally settled.
Without Voldemort constantly causing trouble, life at Hogwarts passed quickly and peacefully. Other than Hermione and Ginny occasionally butting heads with each other, there was almost nothing for Harry to worry about.
Time flew by.
Several months passed in what felt like the blink of an eye.
Then one day, Harry suddenly felt a faint tremor ripple through his spiritual world.
He immediately understood what it meant.
He had completely mastered the Soul King's authority.
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