"Influence the soul…"
Avada murmured to himself. It matched perfectly with his own research into the Resurrection Stone, as well as the results of his observations of the Invisibility Cloak.
So it was true—every one of the Deathly Hallows was a masterpiece of the Peverell brothers in the domain of the soul.
And beyond that, whether it was the protective charm Harry's mother, Lily Potter, cast before her death, or the methods Salazar Slytherin used to conceal the Chamber of Secrets, all of it pointed strongly toward the same conclusion: the Deathly Hallows were deeply tied to the soul.
By now, it was all but confirmed that the Gaunt family, descended from Slytherin's bloodline, and the Potter family, descended from Harry's ancestors, were both bloodline descendants of the Peverell brothers. And it just so happened that both families had produced magic related to the soul, while each also safeguarded one of the Deathly Hallows…
Dumbledore had personally confirmed that the protective charm Lily Potter cast in her final moments had drawn upon the power of love. And if Grindelwald was right—if "love" really could draw upon the power of the soul—then that protective charm was undoubtedly a kind of soul magic as well.
No wonder he had failed to notice it at all the first time he went to the Dursleys' house.
And that only made him more curious.
Just what sort of legends had the Peverell brothers been, to delve so deeply into such a mysterious field over a thousand years ago, and to create masterpieces like the Deathly Hallows?
"However,"
Grindelwald's voice continued, cutting off Avada's thoughts,
"even after grasping the basic principle behind the Elder Wand, Nobby Leach University's plan to replicate it still failed. The realm of the soul is too profound. Simply knowing the principle makes it extremely difficult to derive the actual method of implementation. And the Elder Wand itself is no longer in the university's hands, so borrowing it for research is practically impossible… Thus, the project was shelved."
"Now that you know this much, and now that the Resurrection Stone is already in your possession, why don't you tell me your thoughts?"
Grindelwald fell silent and turned his gaze toward Avada, watching his reaction with clear anticipation.
"The Resurrection Stone…"
After thinking for a while, Avada finally voiced his guess.
"I think the Resurrection Stone's true function is not to revive the dead, but to create… no, to generate souls."
He caught himself just in time before using the word "create." He had once again recalled that enormous, majestic sphere he had seen deep within the timeline—a sphere made of exactly the same substance as the soul itself.
"Generate souls? An interesting thought."
Grindelwald immediately understood what Avada meant, and a smile once more appeared on his face.
"Have you ever tried using the Resurrection Stone to produce a pure soul, one without any personality?"
"I have. And I succeeded."
"Then that confirms it."
His expression suddenly turned delighted. His wrinkled old face lit up with such vitality that he seemed to grow more than ten years younger in an instant, and Avada could not help being reminded of Dumbledore's cheerful look.
"All this time, we underestimated the Deathly Hallows—and underestimated their creators, the Peverell brothers."
Grindelwald laughed wildly.
"Albus and I… Merlin's beard, we were complete fools back then! No, perhaps I was the greater fool…"
"Tell me—when I first learned of the Resurrection Stone's properties, what do you think I wanted to do with it besides gathering it to master death?"
"I wanted to use it to build an army of Inferi! A sacred relic capable of producing souls, one that pointed directly toward the deepest mystery of the magical world, had fallen into my hands—and I could think of nothing better to do with it than manufacture Inferi! Heavens, hahaha…"
Even Avada failed to hold back at that. It really was absurd.
"Hah… hah… good grief. It seems that even that noseless bald man, who turned the Resurrection Stone into a Horcrux and then tossed it aside, showed more respect for the Hallow than I did."
Only after quite a long while did Grindelwald finally stop laughing madly. The effort had drained his strength, forcing him to bend over and brace himself against the bedside while he gulped down breath after breath, the sound like a worn bellows rasping back and forth.
When that unsettling sound gradually subsided, Grindelwald lifted his head again, his expression unexpectedly solemn.
"For a very long time, Nobby Leach University has held many theories about the Resurrection Stone's true purpose. In any case, it certainly cannot revive the dead—that much both you and I know. And the information you have provided very nearly confirms the most unbelievable line of thought among them. And if it is all true…"
"Then one can only say that the Peverell brothers may well have been the greatest wizards in history, bar none."
"What exactly is that line of thought?"
Avada asked impatiently. Grindelwald had kept him hanging for far too long.
"That line of thought is this: the Deathly Hallows may have been created for the purpose of guiding people into exploring the domain of the soul."
Grindelwald let out a long sigh.
"The Resurrection Stone can produce soulless raw soul-material out of nothing, allowing people to freely research the origin of the self without harming others in the slightest. The Elder Wand can influence the soul and simulate the only emotion that arises from the soul. And as for the Invisibility Cloak…"
He paused before continuing, his voice a little dry.
"If our interpretation of the tale is correct… then the Invisibility Cloak's true function is to block the power of Death."
"To block… the power of Death?"
Avada's heart jumped.
The power of Death—an unknown force that appears the instant a soul loses the protection of spiritual power, dragging that soul out of this world. At present, it could only be observed, with no way to study it any further. Like the scythe of Death itself…
Could the Invisibility Cloak truly block that kind of force?
"You see, if you think along those lines, then the purpose of the Deathly Hallows becomes very clear."
Grindelwald knew Avada was already aware of the existence of the power of Death, so he did not waste time explaining it.
"The personality-less souls produced by the Resurrection Stone can be used to study the properties and structure of the soul itself. The Elder Wand's ability to affect the soul can be used to study the power generated by souls with personality, and the way the power of the soul functions within the structure of magic. And the Invisibility Cloak provides a perfect breakthrough for researching the power of Death…"
"Look— the soul itself, the interaction between soul and magic, and the power of Death that reaps souls… Nearly every question concerning the soul can be placed under one of these three headings."
Grindelwald's voice of admiration was filled with deep reverence.
"The Deathly Hallows are guiding wizards toward the exploration of the soul."
"That is the true meaning of 'mastering death.' It does not mean that once the three Hallows are gathered, their possessor becomes immortal and free to toy with souls at will…"
"It means that the truth revealed when the three Hallows are brought together could allow all wizards to master the soul, and thereby master death. That would be an age beyond imagination."
"Though, of course,"
he suddenly changed tone and spoke with careless indifference,
"this hypothesis only holds if the Invisibility Cloak truly possesses the ability to block the power of Death… And that is something you will have to confirm."
"You do know where the Invisibility Cloak is, don't you?"
"…"
(End of Chapter)