radicalducati Chapter 86 Man proposes, God disposes
Chapter 86 Man proposes, God disposes
The voices coming from the woods were none other than those of DB Cooper and Harry.
"But...but this isn't what we agreed on beforehand! I've already completed the task the Dark Lord gave me..."
How dare you bring that up?
Harry, hidden beneath his black robes, sounded somewhat angry.
"If you hadn't been so clever as to go and find that damned rat and cause all this unnecessary trouble, everything here would have been resolved long ago! It's ridiculous! How could a traitor who betrayed his own friends and family possibly gain the Dark Lord's trust? And you actually revealed the whole plan to that guy just to save trouble!"
DB Cooper, thoroughly ashamed after being reprimanded, lowered his head. According to the original plan, he only needed to impersonate Argus Filch to find fault with Gryffindor and use the opportunity to punish Harry and the other students, giving him a high probability of obtaining Potter's blood against his will. However, in reality, since arriving at Hogwarts, DB Cooper had devoted all his energy to finding the Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk's corpse.
"I was used by that guy too, sir. He had the Dark Mark on him and said he had been infiltrating the Weasley family for over ten years. I... well, I really didn't know he was the one who tricked Lord Voldemort!"
While DB Cooper said this, he was actually thinking about how to get a time-twister from Hermione Granger as soon as possible.
Yes, having been lurking at Hogwarts for almost half a semester, he discovered that some students were secretly using the Time-Turner to resolve their timetable conflicts. With the help of that little pocket watch, he could cast puppet magic on the basilisk corpse when Dumbledore left the castle, thus getting rid of all the troublesome things unrelated to him.
What a load of crap, Death Eaters and Voldemort, they can all die together!
......
Out of fear of Dumbledore's power, the meeting between the two fake Death Eaters ended quickly. Only when the Forbidden Forest returned to silence did Mo Ran slowly emerge from behind the giant tree.
Having overheard their conversation, he roughly understood what the other thing Harry and he needed to accomplish to return to the past was.
Just like Dumbledore, who used the Time-Turner to create time differences and find and destroy a large number of Horcruxes in history, Harry also needs an alibi to further complicate matters among the Death Eaters. Having been a student at Hogwarts, he couldn't possibly be a Death Eater recruiting for Voldemort, nor would he have had the opportunity to travel between the Ministry of Magic, Azkaban, and Dortmund to create panic.
only......
As a wisp of black mist drifted out from his palm, Mo Ran couldn't help but sense something amiss.
The person who just practiced with D.B. Cooper was definitely Harry; his robes and the familiar magic he exuded were enough to confirm it. However, what's strange is that neither the Harry who just appeared nor the Harry who fought the Dementors in the Forbidden Forest showed any trace of Obscurial magic. This was completely different from the situation at Borginborough.
"Does that mean I've already separated from Harry's body at this point in the future? But that doesn't make sense. If Dumbledore was ready to remove the Obscurial's magic, he wouldn't have left me with no warning, unless..."
His confused thoughts were interrupted by a commotion in the woods; the crackling of electricity drew Mo Ran's attention back to reality.
"Could it be that a baby Thunderbird has hatched?"
As if sensing something, Mo Ran was overjoyed and turned around to look behind him. To his surprise, he found a large white-gold bird, more than two meters tall, standing in the woods not far away.
"Ow!"
The eagle's cry and the air vibrations generated by its flapping wings scared away all the magical creatures near the Forbidden Forest. Whether they flew in the sky, ran on the ground, or could move by other means, they all fled in the direction away from the source of the sound.
Forcibly suppressing his fighting instincts, Mo Ran withdrew the black mist seeping from his skin. Then, following Hagrid's example from his Magical Creatures Conservation class, he bowed to the Thunderbird. Strictly speaking, the Thunderbird is closer to the Phoenix in terms of bloodline, but as a magical creature with an eagle's head, this giant eagle originating from North America also has a very proud personality.
"Ow?"
The Thunderbird, seeing Mo Ran bow to it, was clearly taken aback. Seemingly confused, it tilted its head, blinked its two big, round eyes, and then, without waiting for Mo Ran to make any further moves, the bird swooped down.
Mo Ran was amused by the Thunderbird's movements, which resembled those of a free-range chicken. So much so that when he was pressed against the head of that snow-white brain with gold-edged feathers, he was still clutching his stomach with both hands.
"Haha, how did you grow so big all of a sudden? I remember it takes at least five years for a Thunderbird to grow from hatching to adulthood!"
Mo Ran said this, and the feeling of his face being brushed by feathers as soft as silk made him even more convinced that the big guy in front of him was the Thunderbird egg he had stolen from the American Indian Reservation.
"Chirp chirp chirp? Chirp chirp!"
A cry that didn't fit the image of a large bird came from its hook-shaped golden beak. Although Mo Ran wasn't sure why this big guy was reacting this way, the feeling of silky soft feathers rubbing against his cheek made him even more convinced that the Thunderbird in front of him was the Thunderbird egg he had stolen from the American Indian Reservation.
"She treats you like her mother."
Not far away, Newt Scamander's voice suddenly came from a deserted place. Mo Ran only heard a "whoosh" sound, and his magical creature protection professor just jumped out.
Invisibility cloak?
Looking at the silver cloak shimmering in Newt's hand, Mo Ran couldn't help but start calculating the number of invisibility cloaks existing in the current timeline. However, before he could reach a final conclusion, another familiar face wearing a cloak appeared beside Professor Scamander.
"It seems this Thunderbird is no longer suitable to be brought back to the Indian reservation."
As Dumbledore spoke, he gave Mo Ran a sly look. This confused Newt, who looked at Mo Ran, then at Dumbledore, and said with a mixture of helplessness and annoyance:
“Fantastic creatures have the right to choose their own way of life. Even if wizards want to use their extraordinary talents for good or good purposes, they should not treat them as their own private property to buy and sell... or even steal them!”
“Oh yes, Newt, I think Harry must be very remorseful about that, but who hasn’t made mistakes when they were young? Right, Harry?”
Mo Ran wasn't some clueless fool who couldn't understand the unspoken meaning. Since his principal had decided to help him get out of trouble, why wouldn't he cooperate?
"Yes! That's exactly it! Actually, the situation was quite unique back then. I was unfamiliar with the place in America and encountered too many dangers, so I had no choice but to bring the Thunderbird Egg all the way back to Hogwarts. But speaking of which, one of your invisibility cloaks came from the Thunderbird Egg, so where did you get the other one?"
In just a few words, Mo Ran successfully shifted the topic from magical creatures to other matters. Having already traveled through countless different timelines, he naturally didn't need Dumbledore to answer his questions. However, if Professor Scamander could scold him less, he would rather hear more of the headmaster's insights on time travel.
"Speaking of the Invisibility Cloak, Harry..."
Dumbledore smiled and said:
"This thing has really been a huge help to us. Without it, we would have wasted a lot more time with the goblins. Putting everything else aside, just getting through Gringotts's anti-theft waterfall makes a world of difference – having an invisibility cloak and not having one. That waterfall washes away all polymorph magic..."
......
Newt Scamander hadn't become more adept at navigating social situations with age. Even without the mild social anxiety of his youth, he still couldn't bring himself to engage in conversation with friends in areas he was unfamiliar with or disliked. He simply waited, until Dumbledore and "Harry" had finished discussing everything they could, before speaking again:
“Now that the little Thunderbird considers you her mother, let’s leave it at that for now, and don’t let it happen again. Also, listen to me, Harry, don’t forget the responsibilities you bear just because the Thunderbird is powerful. Even if the magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest can support her, you still need to regularly prepare plenty of fruit for her. The climate here in England is not like Arizona; frequent rainy days will make the Thunderbird too excited, and sugar can soothe her.”
"Uh... okay, I understand, Professor."
Mo Ran said awkwardly. He had originally thought that after a pleasant but lengthy conversation with Dumbledore, Professor Scamander would have put the matter behind him, but that wasn't the case. Newt wasn't good at reading people's minds; he always expressed his thoughts bluntly. For him, if he wanted to say something, no one could stop him.
"Oh my, I never expected Thunderbirds to need sweets. How delightful! So, Thunderbirds must be quite intelligent among magical creatures, right, Newt?"
Dumbledore, who had just been acting alongside Mo Ran, became even more energetic upon hearing the word "sugar."
As Newt's mentor and friend of decades, he had long anticipated that Newt wouldn't let Mo Ran off so easily. However, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Since the Thunderbird had become Harry's ally in defeating Voldemort due to time travel, turning a blind eye occasionally wasn't a big deal.
"This understanding is indeed correct, because most animals, whether ordinary or magical, only use sugar as a quick source of energy. Those rare individuals who can use sweetness to alleviate unstable negative emotions such as depression and anxiety are inherently more perceptive."
"Hmm, if that's the case, I think mixing fruit juice and honey together, adding some smoothie, and putting it in a bucket would make a good condiment..."
At this moment, Dumbledore was like a social butterfly moving around the banquet hall, chatting with Morgen one moment and exchanging words with Newt the next, quickly easing the atmosphere. Looking at the beautiful and majestic Thunderbird and the young Obscurial with Obscurial within him, Professor Scamander's expression became somewhat complicated.
Once upon a time, he traveled alone to America with a Thunderbird named Frank, and there he encountered Muggle Jacob, Obscurial Credence, Grindelwald, and his wife, Tina Goldstein.
Time can pass in the blink of an eye.
Now, almost 70 years have passed since the winter of 1926. The once dejected wizard who was forced to drop out of Hogwarts and lived on two silver shiks a week from the Ministry of Magic has transformed into a leading figure in the field of magizoology.
Now surrounded by children and grandchildren, he can't help but feel a little disoriented when he recalls the time he visited over a hundred countries across five continents, observed amazing animals in various places, gradually learned about their habits and abilities, and won their trust.
Yes, don't young people often do self-centered things when they're young? Compared to himself causing chaos in New York with a suitcase full of magical creatures, "Harry's" act of stealing the Thunderbird didn't seem to cause much harm at all.
"Or... should I just not mention that I'll have to return the Thunderbird later?"
An idea that was completely out of character for Newt suddenly appeared in his mind.
“Oh, that’s great… Harry, remember to ask Newtto for advice on how to care for Thunderbirds from now on. He’s the most knowledgeable expert on this subject, both theoretically and practically.”
"I understand, Professor! I definitely will!"
"you......"
As if sensing something, Newt's gaze darted back and forth between the two wizards, one old and one young, until finally he sighed and said with a hint of helplessness:
"Please do not pry into other people's thoughts; it is very impolite to do so."
"Cough cough."
Dumbledore coughed twice.
Even at over a hundred years old, he could barely remember that Newt's wife, Tina, had a sister named Queenie Goldstein. However, compared to Mo Ran, he at least had the identity of Newt's mentor, so even if it was pointed out, it would only be a matter of yawning and pursing his lips.
(Queeny is a natural Legilimency practitioner; she can easily and uncontrollably enter other people's minds to read their thoughts. Because people are usually more likely to spy on others when they are emotionally distressed, the kind-hearted and compassionate Queeny always bears more mental stress.)
"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. Harry's time is very precious."
Seeing Dumbledore about to evade the issue again, Newt stopped worrying about being secretly spied on with magic. He patted Mo Ran on the shoulder and said earnestly:
"Thunderbirds and phoenixes are very closely related by blood, and by using time magic and the magical power of the phoenix, we can help the newborn chicks skip the early growth stages. You should know Dumbledore's old friend Fawkes, right?"
Mo Ran nodded, and the image of that extremely hypocritical guy came back to mind once again.
“Professor Scamander means that if we want to complete this magic, in addition to the ashes that the phoenix turned into during its rebirth, we need you to bring out one more thing from the Time Hall.”
Dumbledore also spoke up, offering his advice.
Compared to Newt's seriousness, he looked much more relaxed.
Mo Ran glanced at the Thunderbird standing beside him, its expression somewhat naive, and immediately understood Dumbledore's meaning. The fact that the grown-up Thunderbird was now standing here meant the magical ritual had succeeded, but...
If he brings out another item from the Time Hall, it means that he has already completed his journey through the time rift.
"No wonder Headmaster Dumbledore kept calling me Harry from the very beginning. It turns out he did this not just to hide my identity from Professor Scamander."
Seemingly having guessed what Mo Ran was thinking, Dumbledore stopped being mysterious and stated directly:
"Man proposes, God disposes. If you have done all you can, you don't need to worry about things that are affected by objective conditions. What's more, you have the people you trust most to help you."
"Am I going to be taking a long break this time?"
Having understood Dumbledore's hint, Mo Ran said with some concern.
He wasn't afraid of falling into a deep sleep; he just worried that Harry would have a hard time dealing with so many unresolved problems without his help.
"Taking a longer rest is not a bad thing for you. Sometimes when I eat too much candy, I need to sit down and take a nap."
Professor Dumbledore smiled and spoke in a gentle and calm voice, as if he were comforting a child.
"But if you're really worried, you can leave some clues as guidance. You know the password to my office, and you also know where those little bottles are."
"The Pensieve..."
Mo Ran muttered to himself.
To be honest, after experiencing so many timelines, all he wanted now was to resolve Peter Pettigrew's matter and return to the Time Hall to end this chaotic time journey. But thanks to Dumbledore's reminder, Mo Ran seemed to have already foreseen that the next stop would most likely be some place he had never expected.
Da, da, da.
A slight vibration came from the lining of the robe.
Feeling the temperature gradually rising in his chest, Mo Ran decisively put aside his wandering thoughts. He touched the Thunderbird, which was reluctant to leave his side, and said with a hint of reluctance:
"I still have unfinished business to do, so you must listen to the two professors and not cause trouble."
"Ow!"