Human resentment soaked Dumbledore. More and more people whispered in his ear.
Persuading him to abandon himself and join this carnival of suffering.
"Professor." A familiar young voice sounded.
Dumbledore turned back and saw Aiden, similarly soaked like himself, with broken wings, shattered horns, and black eyes growing all over his body.
Dumbledore saw Aiden show him a smile. "End me."
Dumbledore suddenly pulled himself out of the black mud, gasping.
Looking at the pitch-black core of Hatred, he calmed his emotions.
Under his will, magic flowed into Othala (ᛟ), contending with the power of Hatred.
In unifying with the Deep Realm King, Dumbledore finally understood the magic of love.
He combined his magic with the emotions in his heart. A phoenix Patronus appeared in his consciousness.
The phoenix sang.
Similarly, outside Dumbledore's inner world, a phoenix came to his side.
No matter where members of the Dumbledore family were, as long as they needed help, the phoenix would follow like a shadow.
The newly arrived phoenix wrapped its flames around Dumbledore. With the cooperation of two phoenixes, Dumbledore successfully used magic to dispel the Deep Realm King's influence on himself and controlled this part of the Deep Realm King's core.
Dumbledore's eyes suddenly opened wide, breathing heavily.
"Welcome back, Professor," Aiden said, extending his hand.
As Dumbledore was about to rise, he found another phoenix standing on his chest.
"Oh, so it was your cry that woke me just now. Thank you," Dumbledore said, smoothing the phoenix's feathers.
The phoenix cooperatively pressed its head against Dumbledore's chest.
"Alright, pleasantries time is over. You haven't forgotten your old flame is still waiting for you, have you?"
A certain unromantic dragon interrupted this warm scene.
"Yes, time to go back, right, Fawkes?" Dumbledore said, standing up and patting the phoenix.
"Who?" Aiden pretended not to know.
"Stop pretending. You came back from the future. How could you not know her name?" Dumbledore glanced at Aiden.
"Hehe."
Aiden transformed into a giant dragon again, carrying Dumbledore to begin the return journey.
On the way, Aiden's eyes shifted restlessly, as if he had something to say.
"Ask," Dumbledore said, seeing him like this.
"What did you see inside the Deep Realm King's core?"
Seeing Dumbledore didn't mind, Aiden asked openly.
"Can't you read it yourself?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
"No, if I perceive the agreement projected by your memories, what I see will inevitably be what I see. Because we're observing the same thing, and what's truly different is your personal experience of it," Aiden explained.
"Many things. Students, family, loved ones," Dumbledore said, lowering his head with a bitter smile.
"Oh, then who woke you in the end?" The dragon gossipily brought his head close to Dumbledore on his back.
"You," Dumbledore answered with slight mischief.
"Me!"
"It's you all. It's the future. I can't let the Deep Realm hurt you, even if you have enough power to deal with it. So before my life comes to an end, I will absolutely protect every one of my students!"
Dumbledore's smile was so gentle. The love produced by this sincere emotion became his sharp weapon to defeat the Deep Realm King.
Penetrating the boundary between illusion and reality, Aiden brought Dumbledore back to Hogwarts.
"Dumbledore!" Young Professor McGonagall ran over.
"Dumbledore, what's going on? I received a letter from Aiden. Grindelwald wants to duel you, right?" Newt said, pushing open the hall door while carrying his case.
"Yes, and to deal with Grindelwald, Dumbledore dragged poor, weak, defenseless little me all the way to the Deep Realm."
Aiden put on his most pathetic expression and dabbed at his eyes dramatically.
"Weak." Dumbledore, who had just raised his teacup for a sip, choked.
"In any case, you're leaving soon, right? Take me with you," Newt said, ignoring Aiden's antics and looking directly at Dumbledore.
Lally and Theseus also walked out.
"It would be my pleasure," Dumbledore said, bowing to them.
"Well then, let's go."
Aiden snapped his fingers. Several people were pulled by him into the collective unconscious sea, rushing all the way to Nurmengard.
"Are you really going to do this?"
Inside Nurmengard Castle, Vinda Rosier looked at Grindelwald with worry. The other acolytes wore similar expressions.
"Time is on our side. There's no need to risk our lives for this. As long as it leads to a greater future, sacrifice is necessary. We won't mind!"
Vinda Rosier still wanted to persuade Grindelwald. The other acolytes nodded in agreement.
"Vinda, we must be clear about one thing. The greater good serves wizardkind. And now? My struggle with Albus is accelerating the consumption of wizarding society's potential. This isn't for me. Everything is for you, all of you."
Grindelwald gently caressed her face. Vinda clutched his hand, savoring the warmth of his palm.
Outside, ripples appeared in the air. They gradually expanded**, and** a giant dragon shimmering with mysterious runes emerged from the distortion.
"Ah, my eyes, my eyes!"
The acolytes who accidentally looked at Aiden's true form knelt on the ground. Blood flowed from between the fingers covering their eye sockets.
"Hey, even if opinions differ, don't slaughter your own kind, Prewett!" Grindelwald snorted.
Ghostly blue flames ignited, blocking the acolytes' line of sight.
"My apologies for that," Aiden said, snapping his fingers. The acolytes slowly recovered.
The remaining acolytes helped them away for treatment.
Aiden returned to human form, pulling a black bubble from behind him and popping it with his wand.
Newt, Theseus, Kama, Lally, and Dumbledore appeared.
Dumbledore walked forward, surveying the castle burning with ghostly blue flames.
"What a grand welcoming ceremony, Gellert."
Having directly faced the past, Dumbledore now smiled with some relief.
"Albus, you've finally come. But why can't you just understand me!"
Grindelwald seemed to smell the scent of destiny and finally spoke his true feelings.
"I can't, Gellert. Magic is a miracle the world has bestowed upon us. It shouldn't be used for killing. Stop, Gellert," Dumbledore said, his gaze calm.
"Then..."
"Let this duel be the limit..."
"The loser hides," both said in unison.
The two looked at each other, then Dumbledore turned to look at Aiden.
"You be the witness, Aiden," Dumbledore proposed.
"It would be my pleasure," Aiden said, bowing to the two legendary wizards.