Chapter 456 454. Severus and Riddle's Secret
In the barren mountains in the northernmost part of Norway, even in June, the temperature here is basically maintained below ten degrees. The only thing that can be seen above the woods, the only living creatures are crested birds gliding in the sky. eagle.
Jon once followed Grindelwald to the dilapidated Lamo Hans Monastery. Grindelwald in a black trench coat was watching Eric get the potion from Snape.
"Have you verified?"
Hearing Grindelwald's question, Eric's eyes shone with excitement.
"Yes, sir, I have verified some of the experimental products, and the 'dry wood' in their bodies was indeed ignited. Severus Snape is undoubtedly an expert in potion research. A genius, now I am a little curious about what kind of potion he has been refining for Voldemort."
Grindelwald said coldly.
"We don't care about the situation in the UK. We need the conflict there to help us attract other people's attention. All I care about now is this bottle of medicine. 'Dry wood' can be ignited, but I want to know what it is. It can keep burning with the maintenance of life, and it is still a consumable, if it is the latter, then even if this bottle of medicine can help us, it is limited."
Emir bowed his head and said.
"I'm still observing this. The research sample is now in the North Pole. So far, I haven't found any signs of fading."
"Then continue to watch and wait for a year. If there is no weakening after one year, we can carry out worse experiments, which means that we have taken a big step towards success. It’s the last step.”
Grindelwald threw the bottle of potion to Hans, who was silent all the time.
"According to the finished product, see if there is anything that can be improved in the prescription itself, and then increase the scope of the experiment, and strive to increase the yield of the finished product as quickly as possible."
Hans took the potion firmly in his hand. He looked much thinner than when Jon saw him before, but his cloudy eyes were surprisingly bright. Looking at the potion in his hand seemed to be What a rare treasure to see.
"Also, sir." Eric continued, "That American wizard named Matthew Graves followed me to England, but he probably didn't know that I had left from there."
Hearing the name Eric said, Grindelwald showed a sneer at the corner of his mouth.
"Don't worry about him, don't worry about the entire Magic Congress of America, just a bunch of latecomers who don't know how to adapt. If they really like jumping up and down, then help them recall what they have experienced."
After saying this, he stood up from the chair and raised the wand in his hand.
"There will definitely be more intense turmoil in the UK next, and Dumbledore will not give up such a good opportunity, especially after he got what he wanted, taking advantage of this period of time, to take our Everything needed is ready."
At this time Hans finally removed his fascinated eyes from the potion, he looked at Grindelwald and asked hesitantly.
"Master, there are some things I don't know whether I should ask, if Dumbledore"
"Then don't ask."
Grindelwald interrupted him, and the next moment, he disappeared into the monastery.
Jon and Lily returned to France on the same day.
Snape's death meant that their mission was completely over.
After returning to Lyon, Lily handed over to Jon the matter of going to Dumbledore to return to his life. Now she certainly knows something in her heart.
Snape was able to escape from France in the first place, which must have something to do with Dumbledore.
But she didn't ask Jon and Snape if there was another ulterior deal, she was always not interested in how to do it.
When Jon returned to the Hogwarts temporary school in Lyon, he naturally saw the gallows that had not been removed.
It seems that it will not be demolished in the future, but will be clearly used as a symbol.
Even if Dumbledore returns to England with the students of Hogwarts, the French Ministry of Magic will keep the gallows, which carried out the first public trial in the wizarding world, as one of the symbols of this war for future reference. Later generations look up.
Of course, Jon only regrets this. He actually wanted to participate in the public trial that he thought was very meaningful. It was only because of Snape's incident that he had to leave during this time. U.K.
However, this public trial of students in Hogwarts will certainly not be the last one. It is just a foreplay for the large-scale public trial of the entire French magic world. After that, Jon will naturally have a chance to see a A trial that attracted more attention.
After arriving at Dumbledore's office, Jon sat down directly opposite Dumbledore, picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of black tea, and drank it all in one gulp.
The portraits of previous principals on the wall seemed to be acquaintances of him, and they greeted him warmly one by one.
Fox, who had been perched on the golden branch, saw Jon, spread his wings and glided to his shoulder, rubbing his face affectionately with his sharp beak.
There are obviously more things in this principal's room than before, such as the worn-out hat that was placed on a wooden stand alone, and a black gemstone ring that was kept in the cabinet, which was also put together with the ring. There was an elderberry, a wand that belonged to Dumbledore, but he never used it much.
Dumbledore still had a gentle smile, watching Jon as if returning to his office, sitting down so skillfully.
"You're always so reassuring, Jon."
For his praise, Jon just shrugged.
"Because you always want to do too much. In fact, you have followed what I said from the beginning. You don't have to worry about anything, and the ending is the same."
Jon was noncommittal about this, he took out from his pocket the bottle of golden gravel that Snape gave him before going to Lily to die, and put it in front of Dumbledore.
"Perhaps you are indeed right. This is what Snape asked me to hand over to you. He got it from his former master. Not the one who is going mad in England now, it looks more like the one before The one I drove from the castle."
Dumbledore didn't immediately reach for the bottle of gravel, he just said softly.
"Severus has actually chosen the ending for himself from the very beginning. I told you before that he came to me more than ten years ago to beg me to save Lily and said that he also used Harry Potter's life to come When I begged Voldemort in exchange for this, I looked down on him very much. To have compassion for the newborn life is a kind of compassion that a human being should have. At that time, I thought he was a person without love. To satisfy my own desires, I want to get her domineeringly. But it was on that day, when I asked him what he was willing to pay for Lily, and when he answered me all, I really understood what kind of person he is. people."
Dumbledore looked at Jon and said with emotion.
"He is selfish and not a good person, but it cannot be denied that few people can love him to the extent that he does, right?"
"You knew he was going to die?"
Dumbledore didn't answer this question directly, he just looked at Jon and asked back.
"Do you think it is possible for him to continue to live after he was abandoned by Voldemort on the night of the end of the Triwizard Tournament?"
The answer is of course obvious.
Based on the crimes Snape had committed, even if he participated in the public trial, the final outcome would be to be hanged on the gallows.
"Of course he knew this himself," said Dumbledore, "so he and I made one last deal, one in which we could trust each other and think we could have done it without restraint."
Jon turned his gaze to the bottle of golden gravel.
"So, he wanted Professor Potter's safety, and what he paid was to get this bottle for you?"
Seeing that Jon was curious about the bottle of gravel, Dumbledore put his fingers on the desk, as if preparing to have a serious chat with Jon.
"Actually, are you curious about one thing, Jon. I talked to you when you were in the first grade. There were only two things that Tom Riddle longed for the most. One was supreme power, and the other One is the real immortality. Based on his strength, power is of course easy to obtain, but immortality he chose to use the Horcrux method, but later he obviously discovered the disadvantages of this method, so he began to split himself one by one We have always suspected that the soul that went out was recovered, and that rational Voldemort might have been produced in this process."
"But in this way, a problem came to the fore. Since he gave up the method of using Horcruxes to obtain eternal life, and instead chose to maintain his own sanity in order to better operate his own power, then he now, again What do you rely on to freeze your own time?"
This question obviously stunned Jon for a moment.
If Dumbledore hadn't asked this question, he really hadn't thought about it.
Voldemort is undoubtedly afraid of death, otherwise he would not have made seven Horcruxes in a row in the original book, as if he wanted to add an absolute guarantee for his continued existence.
Choosing eternal life was not a decision he made with a slap of his head when he was crazy, but something he was determined to accomplish when he was already rational and young.
Now, since he has recovered the soul in the Horcrux, the immortality that the Horcrux brought him will naturally no longer exist.
Then how can he keep himself young now?
Jon has seen Voldemort many times with his own eyes, and he can be sure that Voldemort's appearance is obviously fixed in the state of his youth, but he is now 70 years old. In the wizarding world, it is not difficult for a wizard to live for more than two hundred years without any means, but his appearance will not change because of this.
He definitely didn't use the Sorcerer's Stone, because that stone fell into his hands only three years ago, and his method of freezing age is obviously not recent.
This means that while Voldemort is actually recovering the Horcrux, he also has another means to maintain his immortality?
Jon now turned his attention to the bottle of golden gravel.
"I've always wondered, is it possible that after Riddle recovered all the Horcruxes, he made himself a Horcrux, that's why there are two of him vying for a body at the same time? situation."
Dumbledore said calmly.
"But this guess was denied by Severus after he was brought back. He clearly told me that Riddle's way of maintaining immortality is very subtle, just like the former Horcrux. He Not disclosed to anyone, but there are some things that need to be done by outsiders. Severus Snape, who he has high hopes for and who will bring him the prophecy about the savior, became the object of his trust."
"It's just that we all know that Riddle's trust has never been absolute. The only person he can really trust is himself, not even another person. So the trust he maintains in Severus is only limited. To the extent he is willing to disclose this part. Severus told me that once he killed Potter and his son and disappeared for a month, and then came back to occupy the British Ministry of Magic. For a while, Riddle often came and went Department of Mysteries."
"Department of Mysteries?" Jon repeated the department.
"Yes, there are many magics in this world that were not created by wizards, and the Department of Mysteries is a place that specializes in the study of certain mysterious and powerful magics that are not under the control of wizards."
Dumbledore picked up the bottle of golden grit.
"Severus said no one knew what Riddle was researching in there during that time, and he drove away all the Reticents working in the Department of Mysteries, leaving only himself. Then two weeks passed, and he It was only then that someone called Severus over, and then took out this kind of gravel that seemed to be extracted from an hourglass, and asked Severus to use this gravel as the core to make a catalyst to catalyze its effect. Here comes the potion."
"Riddle's limited trust is reflected in this. He did not tell Severus what the gravel in the bottle was for, but said that he needed a bottle of catalyst. This is not an easy thing to do, especially when there is no way to Knowing the specific effect of the required catalytic substance, Severus still used his talent, and finally met Riddle's request."
"This is why he has always been so valued. These golden gravels and the catalyst he developed have always been a secret kept between Severus and Riddle. And this secret, even now He doesn't know about Voldemort in England."
Everyone’s opinions have been seen. In fact, I just wanted him to go through the motions at the end. It is indeed right to end it like this. Sometimes it’s not me who is pushing the plot, but the story. people here are pushing me
(end of this chapter)