Now, the first obstacle had been dealt with.
But Sean didn't relax in the slightest.
Before Will opened the box with magic, and before Professor Quirrell destroyed the ring with Fiendfyre, Sean intently observed the outside of the shack.
"Professor, if possible, please try to preserve the Resurrection Stone."
Sean said.
"Ah... as you wish."
Quirrell responded without hesitation.
To him, whether the Resurrection Stone was precious or not didn't matter; Mr. Green's will must be carried out.
Sean looked outside again.
He was slightly puzzled... Could he have been wrong?
So his thoughts returned to the Resurrection Stone.
There was a fact in the wizarding world that was easy to notice but few knew: Salazar Slytherin was highly likely a descendant of Cadmus Peverell, one of the Three Brothers.
The story of the Three Brothers predated the founding of Hogwarts, and the Gaunt family were descendants of both Slytherin and the Peverells.
From this, it wasn't hard to deduce that Slytherin likely possessed the Resurrection Stone at some point.
Ravenclaw's memories in Sean's mind also confirmed this.
Ravenclaw had once studied Slytherin.
Not just his Parseltongue, but also his ring with the Resurrection Stone.
The Resurrection Stone, a stone from Death that legend said could bring people back to life.
Although in reality, it couldn't truly resurrect the dead, only summon a substance more real than a soul but more illusory than a physical body—just like Riddle coming out of the diary.
But it clearly involved the mysteries of the wizarding soul.
From Ravenclaw's research, Sean easily formed a deduction.
The Resurrection Stone could indeed interfere with a wizard's soul, but its interference was more like a terrible, crude ancient magic.
This powerful alchemical creation could breach the Veil and summon souls that should have passed on.
But that was all. The summoned soul was an empty shell, missing the most important thing.
Without that to connect the wizard's soul, the Resurrection Stone could only summon a "magic-less" wizard.
—Neither possessing a wizard's wisdom nor a wizard's emotions.
It was supposed to be an object Death used to mock the greedy, but now it seemed there was an unexpected turn.
It could summon a wizard's soul.
In the dreamscape, this was an ability Sean absolutely needed.
On the other side, Quirrell had cautiously begun. With a shout, a rolling, surging sound came from the room.
It started as a small wisp of flame, but rapidly grew larger. Soon, the flames began to transform into a horde of beasts made of fire:
Salamanders, chimeras, and dragons rose and fell, then rose again.
The accumulated junk and trash in the room were thrown into the air, falling into their fanged mouths and onto their clawed feet, finally consumed by the hellish fire.
The fire beasts surrounded the ring in the box, closing in tighter and tighter. Claws, horns, and tails lashed about, and the heat wave surrounded it like a wall.
At this moment, Sean was extra careful, because Fiendfyre was extremely difficult to control, and Professor Quirrell obviously couldn't be disturbed right now.
Sean looked outside again. Quiet, pitch-black, with only the occasional startled bird call.
It seemed he had guessed wrong.
Headmaster Dumbledore didn't like stalking a young wizard that much.
Soon, the smoke and heat became suffocatingly dense. In front of Sean, the evil fire devoured the Gaunt shack, devoured the filthy walls, and devoured all the secrets in this room.
Amidst the hissing of various monsters, a heart-wrenching scream erupted.
"Damn thing—"
The voice roared in pain, making Sean and Professor Quirrell's eardrums buzz.
Professor Quirrell was obviously familiar with this thing. He couldn't stop trembling, his whole body shaking like a leaf.
When that pitch-black thing with a twisted face was about to rush over, veins popped out on Quirrell's forehead. He roared, and blazing flames burst from the tip of his wand.
The waves of fire became visibly more intense, and the thing's miserable howls grew louder.
If Sean hadn't cast a Muffliato charm long ago, the entire village of Little Hangleton would probably have been awakened.
Sean didn't want to be discovered, didn't want to be summoned by the Ministry for questioning, and he also knew that the more corrupt an institution, the more it liked to flex its authority.
Quirrell was still shaking. His eyes were bloodshot, but he stared fixedly at the skull-like black mist.
"Come on, damn it!"
He cursed as if in release.
The confrontation lasted for a few minutes. Finally, the Fiendfyre burned out.
A ring fell to the ground.
Quirrell trembled in exhaustion and was supported by a pair of hands.
"Professor, thank you for your hard work."
A voice said in his ear.
"Ah..."
His throat was hoarse, and he couldn't speak.
His body wasn't severely damaged, but just now, his spirit had undoubtedly undergone a trial.
Voldemort, that was Voldemort...
"My, did I arrive just in time?"
An unexpected voice sounded.
Sean instinctively hooked his finger, stowing the Resurrection Stone into the Book of Wizards.
"Headmaster Dumbledore."
Sean looked up.
The old wizard with the long white beard stood at the door, gazing kindly at Sean.
Sean sighed. It seemed Headmaster Dumbledore did like stalking young wizards.
They had destroyed the Horcrux, but that didn't mean they had destroyed the curse.
Sean thought he still had plenty of time to break it. If breaking it failed, they could still destroy the Resurrection Stone. Now it seemed time always liked to play tricks on people.
"Professor, do you remember what we said?"
Sean whispered to Professor Quirrell.
"Of course."
Quirrell, having recovered, stood beside Sean without hesitation, staring warily at Dumbledore alongside Pukwudgie the butler.
"It will be very dangerous."
Sean said.
"As you wish."
Quirrell enunciated every word.
At the door, the aged voice spoke again:
"We need to talk?"
Dumbledore's smile faded, and he looked as if he had suddenly aged a great deal.
"Mm."
Sean tightened his grip on his wand.
Admittedly, he had learned a lot of magic, including some powerful spells, but facing Dumbledore, he had no confidence.
"I have searched for it for a long time... I had to learn to live my days in guilt and extreme sorrow, that was the price of my shame... But now, has everything taken a turn?"
Dumbledore said with a hoarse throat.
Sean saw that Dumbledore's eyes no longer twinkled with wisdom. He knew that this greatest wizard was partly swayed by overwhelming emotions.
"Even if it will be very dangerous?"
Sean asked.
"Even if it will be very dangerous."
Dumbledore's deep eyes looked like a boundless ocean.
"Child, I want you to understand, this is my choice. Love and death are always consistent. The will to seek love is also the willingness to die."
He said.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, would you be willing to give me a practical lesson?"
Sean asked suddenly.
"Of course."
Dumbledore smiled.