Dawn frowned.
He waited for a while, confirming that the three objects had indeed stopped vibrating. Only then did he pick them up one by one and examine them carefully.
In an instant, their magical circuits came into view, accompanied by flickering runic symbols.
After carefully comparing them, Dawn was certain that nothing about them had changed in that regard.
Next, he activated each object in turn and confirmed that their effects hadn't changed either.
Then what was the meaning of that vibration?
Dawn rubbed his chin.
He put the three objects into separate wallets, waited for a while, then took them out again and placed them together.
Buzz!
Instantly!
The resonance-like vibration happened once more. The tabletop was struck with a series of thumps.
But after a brief moment, it stopped again.
Was it because Gryffindor's Sword was missing?
Dawn raised an eyebrow.
He quickly guessed the answer.
As he pondered, he instinctively picked up the Hufflepuff Cup closest to him and began turning it over in his hands.
Clearly, the objects left behind by the Four Founders still concealed some other secret.
An interested expression appeared on Dawn's face.
After thinking for a moment, he stood up.
He decided to go to Hogwarts again and see whether he could acquire the missing sword.
However...
As he pushed his chair back to leave, his eyes fell upon the parchment he'd just taken out to record Trait Patterns.
He couldn't help grinning.
Was his self-control really that poor?
Every time he tried to settle down and conduct some serious research, something else would grab all of his attention.
Dawn scratched his hair in frustration.
Since he couldn't figure out the answer, he decided to indulge himself and simply follow his own instincts.
And right now...
He was more interested in the Four Founders!
With that thought, bright flames suddenly erupted.
Pop!
They carried him away, leaving only a loud boom behind.
Today was October 2.
The weather was clear.
A single night had passed since Dawn's magical conference.
With attendees spreading the news by word of mouth and the morning edition of the Daily Prophet flooding the wizarding world...
The British wizarding community exploded once again!
[Omnipotent?! Dawn Richter's Shocking Magical Conference!]
[The Limits of Magic? The Boundaries of Imagination? What Are We Wizards Truly Capable Of?]
[Mysterious Methods! Miraculous Healing! Is the World's Greatest Healer Actually Him?!]
One exaggerated headline after another occupied nearly every section of the newspaper.
Once witches and wizards opened it, almost everything they saw was related to yesterday's conference.
At Dawn's instruction, Fudge had ordered the newspaper to report everything from a positive and heroic perspective.
The reports included all three spells Dawn had revealed, before-and-after comparisons of the wizards he'd treated, and even his passionate opening speech, which revealed his attitude toward magic.
Even those who hadn't attended the conference could understand exactly what had happened.
But what shocked everyone most was the moving photograph in the center of the newspaper.
It showed Dawn swallowing water transformed through Transfiguration, cutting off his own head, and then being reborn from flames.
People excitedly debated the image, wondering whether it was merely an illusion or the real thing.
Some particularly foolish wizards even tried to imitate the photograph by eating food transformed through Transfiguration.
The result was several people clutching their stomachs as they were rushed to St. Mungo's.
The wizarding world was in an uproar.
However...
Although everyone was enthusiastically discussing the novelty of the event, aside from wizards suffering from terminal illnesses, most people still retained some common sense.
Many thought the praise in the newspapers was far too exaggerated.
Especially the article written by Rita Skeeter, titled [On the Meaning of Greatness].
It read:
[Yesterday afternoon, at the invitation of a friend, I attended Dawn Richter's magical conference at Hogwarts.
Having witnessed it personally, I can only say that my eyes were opened.
Reflecting upon everything that happened, I couldn't help remembering a letter I received from a friend not long ago.
She asked me what kind of wizard could truly be called great.
Was it extraordinary vision? Exceptional talent? Noble character? Or profound influence upon society?
I was at a loss for an answer for quite some time.
It wasn't until I visited Flourish and Blotts and purchased a book on history that I finally understood.
Greatness belongs to those who push an era forward.]
[Several centuries ago, the witch hunts brought war and bloodshed...
The Four Founders emerged from that chaos.
They established a school, protected countless young wizards from the Muggles, and fundamentally changed the way magical knowledge was passed down.
Several centuries ago, wizards were mostly isolated, with communication between them being extremely difficult...
Until Ignatia Wildsmith dreamed of something greater and invented Floo Powder, establishing the Floo Network and making travel for wizards incomparably convenient.
Several centuries ago, magic was difficult for most wizards to master, becoming little more than a convenience available to a select few...
Several masters conducted painstaking research and devoted themselves to their work.
They created wands, allowing every wizard to glimpse the mysteries of magic and greatly advancing its spread.]
[So...
Without question, every one of them was a great person.
And yesterday, at that magical conference, I saw the next great leap forward for magic in a child who is merely thirteen years old and not yet an adult.
Dawn Richter possesses a certain quality that makes everyone who knows him believe that this child was born to transform society and guide magic forward.
I firmly believe this.]
The paper rustled as it was turned to the final page.
Dumbledore sighed softly, lowered the newspaper in his hands, and took a sip of tea.
He looked up at the boy sitting opposite him.
"Dawn, what do you think about the contents of this morning's newspaper?"
"Hmm. The praise is quite pleasant to hear, but I think it's basically accurate."
Dawn nodded solemnly.
"Rita Skeeter is a journalist with professional integrity."
Dumbledore glanced at him.
"Rita Skeeter has repeatedly spoken in your favor for quite some time now. I've been wondering whether the two of you also signed an Unbreakable Vow."
"How could that be? Are you saying these reports are just me praising myself?"
Dawn looked completely innocent.
"Headmaster, that's simply called charisma."
Dumbledore shook his head. He didn't want to continue arguing about it.
He picked up a piece of candy and put it into his mouth.
"Dawn, don't you think you've been appearing at the castle rather frequently lately?"
"I don't appreciate that statement, Headmaster."
Dawn clasped his hands together, speaking with righteous indignation.
"When the Four Founders created Hogwarts, they did so to give every young wizard a home, not to turn it into your personal property."
The corner of Dumbledore's mouth twitched.
"Child, is it my imagination, or does that sound suspiciously like something Fudge would say?"
The old Headmaster rubbed his temples.
"So, what brings you here this time?"
Dawn coughed lightly.
Then, shamelessly, he extended his hand. "Can I borrow Gryffindor's Sword for a little while?"
Gryffindor's Sword?
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. His gaze instinctively shifted toward the sleeping Sorting Hat.
He couldn't understand why Dawn had suddenly brought this up.
Was this some kind of obsession with completing a set?
The old Headmaster frowned.
He turned back toward Dawn and saw the boy's determined expression.
"If I refuse?"
"Preferably, don't."
Dawn grinned and pointed toward the castle around them.
Even his threat was delivered completely openly.
"Headmaster, you have far too many weaknesses. I don't want to make things unnecessarily ugly."
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes.
This was precisely what he had been worried about.
The more Dawn stopped taking him seriously, the more reckless his behavior became.
Last year, Dawn would never have dared speak to him like this.
The old Headmaster felt that he couldn't allow this trend to continue.
But the young wizards at the school made it impossible for him to adopt an overly forceful stance.
What a dilemma.
Dumbledore sighed inwardly.
With the ability to disappear and reappear like a phoenix, combined with an apparent form of immortality, Dawn was far more difficult for Dumbledore to deal with than Voldemort had ever been.
He needed to drink some Felix Felicis.
Dumbledore unconsciously stroked his beard as he recalled the thought that had occurred to him during yesterday's conference.
He made up his mind.
He needed to figure out exactly how Dawn had acquired the phoenix's characteristics during his time away from the castle, and how those abilities could potentially be countered.
The old Headmaster's thoughts raced.
After weighing the advantages and disadvantages, he finally decided that as long as Dawn didn't cross any fundamental lines, he would temporarily go along with the boy's wishes.
Thus...
Dumbledore took a deep breath and spoke solemnly.
"If you're only borrowing it... then yes."
"Huh?"
Dawn froze.
This time, he was the one left stunned.
He suspiciously studied the old Headmaster, completely unable to believe that Dumbledore had agreed so readily.
There had to be some kind of trap.
"Gryffindor's Sword is bound to the castle just like the Sorting Hat. It can't be taken away from Hogwarts."
Dumbledore calmly explained.
"Even so, do you still want to borrow it?"
So that was it?
Dawn frowned.
This had disrupted his original plan of simply snatching the sword away and completing his collection.
Still, the binding probably wasn't absolute.
He wanted to see what happened when all four Founder artifacts were gathered together before deciding what to do next.
So he nodded.
"Of course."
Dumbledore glanced at him.
He didn't hesitate.
He picked up the Sorting Hat from its stool, reached inside, and pulled out an ornate longsword embedded with jewels.
Dawn's eyes narrowed.
He carefully examined the Trait Patterns on the hat.
Then he suddenly remembered the previous Christmas, when he'd tried to pull the sword from the hat and had failed no matter how long he'd searched.
Coincidentally, the Sorting Hat finally woke up.
But the instant it opened its eyes, it saw a familiar face.
It stared blankly for a moment.
Then it shrieked,
"Oh, Merlin's beard! It's that wizard who belongs in Azkaban! Dumbledore, hurry up and throw this evil wizard out!"
Clearly, it still remembered Dawn from the Sorting Ceremony and the previous Christmas.
Dumbledore gave it a helpless smile and quietly explained the situation.
Dawn barely spared the hat a glance.
He simply regarded the sword as something that would eventually belong to him anyway.
He took out his wallet and retrieved the other three artifacts one after another.
Hufflepuff's Cup.
Ravenclaw's Diadem.
Slytherin's Locket.
He placed them alongside the sword.
Then...
Under Dawn's expectant gaze and Dumbledore's bewildered one, the four objects suddenly seemed to sense one another.
They began vibrating violently together!
"What is this?"
Dumbledore exclaimed in surprise.
It was the first time he'd ever witnessed such a phenomenon.
He immediately understood why Dawn had wanted to borrow the sword.
But what surprised both of them was what happened afterward.
After vibrating for a while, the four artifacts suddenly seemed to sever their connection.
They scattered apart and became motionless once again.
"Hm?"
Dawn froze.
He reached over and nudged them.
Now he really didn't understand.
All four artifacts of the Founders were clearly present.
Why was this still happening?
At that moment, the Sorting Hat finally stopped shouting insults at Dawn.
It looked at the artifacts on the table and sighed emotionally.
"Wow. The Cup, the Diadem, and the Locket... I never thought I'd live to see the day when all of them were gathered together again!"
Dawn immediately turned toward it.
"You know what's going on?"
"Of course!"
The Sorting Hat brushed its filthy brim across its pointed top.
"Who do you think I am, brat? I'm Gryffindor's hat! There are very few things at Hogwarts that I don't know!"
It sang the words in an unusually strange tone before proudly explaining,
"Why do you think the Four Founders each left behind an enchanted artifact?"
"Take the Cup, for example. The food it produces is all made from Hufflepuff's own recipes!"
The Sorting Hat gave a smug little chuckle.
"These are all things they left behind for the castle!
Originally, they planned to hide the four objects throughout the castle, create riddles and challenges, and leave them for young wizards to discover.
Supposedly, if a young wizard could complete all four of their trials and gather all four artifacts, there would even be a special reward.
Unfortunately...
The idea had barely been implemented when Ravenclaw's Diadem was lost. Then Slytherin parted ways with the others, and eventually the whole plan was abandoned."
The Sorting Hat rocked back and forth on its stool.
Then it glared fiercely at Dawn, its disgust completely undisguised.
"I just never expected that a thousand years later, the Four Founders' artifacts would all end up in the hands of an awful brat like you.
Merlin truly has no eyes!"
Merlin has no eyes?
Dawn snorted.
He remembered Lai, the person chosen by Merlin.
He ignored the hat's rambling and asked eagerly, "What is the reward?"
"I don't know!"
The Sorting Hat swayed its body.
Then it pulled its brim open, revealing the dark hollow beneath.
"But according to something Gryffindor once said, if you put all four objects inside my body, I'll be able to connect to a certain room and make the reward inside fall out."
"...Huh?"
Dawn tilted his head.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
He looked at the Sorting Hat. Then he looked at Dumbledore.
He had very good reason to suspect the two of them had teamed up to swindle his treasures.
"What happens to the four artifacts after I put them inside?"
Dawn asked cautiously.
"Can I get them back?"
"Uh..."
The Sorting Hat's tone became uncertain.
"Probably."
Dawn's expression shifted between dark and uncertain.
He stared at the open hole in the hat.
Should he try it?
Wasn't this exactly why he'd abandoned his Trait Pattern research and come to Hogwarts today?
Because he was curious about the secrets hidden within the Four Founders' artifacts?
But...
If these things really disappeared forever, and the reward that came out wasn't worth the loss...
Wouldn't he have suffered an absolutely catastrophic loss?
The thought made Dawn's face darken.
After a very long time...
He finally gritted his teeth. "Fuck it! Let's do it! At worst, I'll collect all these things again from scratch!"
As he consoled himself, Dawn shoved all four artifacts into the Sorting Hat.
Then he waited nervously.
Dumbledore watched with equal curiosity.
As the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, even he had never known that the Four Founders' artifacts concealed such a secret.
"Ooh! I can feel it!"
The Sorting Hat shrieked.
Its entire body began trembling as though something were trying to emerge.
But...
The Sorting Hat continued shaking for more than twenty minutes.
Its expression, once excited, gradually became tinged with guilt.
Even its shaking began to look suspiciously deliberate.
"..."
Dawn's emotions rose and fell like a roller coaster.
Only when he noticed suspicious beads of sweat appearing on the Sorting Hat did he finally go numb.
He clung to his last shred of hope and asked,
"Where's my stuff?"
"Ha, haha... Don't, don't worry! I have a feeling! Give me a little more time and I'll definitely find the reward they left behind!"
"Oh."
Dawn smiled without expression.
The Sorting Hat visibly relaxed.
But then Dawn suddenly grabbed it by the tip and lifted it into the air.
"You bastard! Look at what you've done!"
Dawn gritted his teeth.
He wanted nothing more than to tear the hat apart.
The thought that he'd accomplished absolutely nothing and had somehow lost three precious artifacts made his heart ache.
"Give me my things back!"
"Ah, hahaha! Don't rummage around in there! You evil little wizard! Get your damn hand out of my body!"
The Sorting Hat shrieked.
"Ah! I remember! I remember! You have to put me on your head first! Then the reward will fall out!"
It shouted itself hoarse.
But Dawn no longer believed a single word it said. He simply continued shoving his hand inside.
"All right, child. What's done is done."
Dumbledore coughed, suppressing the urge to laugh.
"Why don't you try what the Sorting Hat suggested?"
Dawn glared fiercely at the old Headmaster.
After rummaging around inside the hat for quite some time and finding nothing useful, he finally roughly shoved the old hat onto his head.
"Listen, you stupid hat! If you can't recover my losses, I'll shove you down a toilet!"
"Oh! What an evil thought! Damn brat! Azkaban!"
The Sorting Hat grumbled loudly.
Dawn snorted and was just about to say something else.
But suddenly...
Clang!
He felt something hard fall from a great height.
It slammed directly onto his head.
"Ahhh!"
Dawn cried out in surprise.
He immediately pulled off the hat and looked inside.
There was now a tiny object inside, roughly the size of his palm and small enough to fit in one hand.
He took it out.
It was a statue of a woman.
It was made of marble and depicted a witch wearing robes and holding a book, with a raven perched upon her shoulder.
Her face was identical to the statue in the Ravenclaw common room.
Ravenclaw's statue? What was this thing supposed to do? Could it just be a souvenir?
Those thoughts flashed through Dawn's mind.
But he immediately discarded them.
His eyes narrowed.
Sure enough, dense magical circuits covered the statue.
"This is..."
Dumbledore also moved closer. He reached out, intending to examine it.
Dawn deliberately ignored him.
Then suddenly...
"All right, young wizards of the future. Put me down already. I'm being jostled around so much that I can't continue thinking properly."
A strange, cool female voice echoed through the office.
Dawn and Dumbledore simultaneously turned their eyes toward the statue.
___________
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