Chapter 235: The Figure in the Mirror
The reason Lockhart was so obsessed with magic was that magic could always create miracles. What is a miracle? It's when people like Peter Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Jr. can brazenly walk around in front of Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape without being noticed. This meant that Dumbledore, powerful as he was, could still be defeated by the miracles created by magic.
Even Dumbledore, with all his power, was put on a countdown to death by the dark magic curse on the Gaunt family ring that Voldemort created. The curse, which started on the hand wearing the ring, irreversibly destroyed all his bodily functions. Magic was so wonderful.
So Lockhart never believed he was the ultimate authority on memories. He just knew that he had gone very deep into this field, but he didn't think no one could beat him in it. At least, not yet. He tried again on Sirius, this time not just using a simple memory retrieval like the Pensieve. He used his abilities related to time, using memory as an anchor to travel through the river of Sirius's past.
But it was no use! He couldn't find any evidence of how Sirius's ear was bitten off by Peter. The past presented to him was so smooth, without a single flaw. Could it be...
He had a guess—what if someone used Polyjuice Potion to become Sirius, and their ear was bitten off by Peter while chasing him? This would perfectly explain why Sirius's ear was on his head and in Peter's stomach at the same time. But what didn't make sense was that Sirius's memory did contain the process of chasing Peter, just not the part about his ear being bitten off.
Interesting! Lockhart was amazed, finding the situation truly fascinating. The current situation was beyond the scope of the magical knowledge he had so far, which limited his imagination and prevented him from making a reasonable guess. So he looked at Dumbledore with anticipation, but the old man just stared at Sirius with a solemn expression. It seemed that the current situation was also beyond the scope of his magical abilities.
It wasn't just Dumbledore; Grindelwald, Snape, Professor McGonagall, Kingsley, and other people he knew seemed to be stumped. It was at this moment that Lockhart truly understood Dumbledore's headaches with Voldemort, who always came up with strange and advanced dark magic, creating one thorny problem after another. He could even imagine that Voldemort, wherever he was, was sneering at everyone's inability to solve the problem he had created. They knew there was a problem, but they would never figure out what it was.
The old witch beside them undid the silencing spell on Sirius and carefully examined him, finally exclaiming in surprise, "Both of these ears are yours!"
This interesting situation obviously attracted everyone's attention. After the old witch's demonstration, people began to step forward one after another, hoping to show off their skills. This was definitely the best time to increase their reputation. Of course, they wouldn't be so eager if they knew that the situation was most likely caused by Voldemort.
Soon, Lockhart witnessed the wonderful and diverse nature of the magical world. The witches and wizards' methods were not limited to the few subjects taught in magical schools. One wizard took a transparent leech from a jar, let it attach to Sirius's cheek, and then, based on the leech's colorful changes, took out a piece of paper and began to make complex calculations. It looked like a Muggle mathematician, but it was actually an extension of Arithmancy and Divination.
Another witch circled Sirius, singing and dancing, waving her wand to release a pungent, grayish-purple smoke. She also threw some powder from her pocket while singing strange, sharp lyrics. This was clearly a technique from ancient wizards. Magic was always full of the unknown.
Over a dozen wizards came forward one after another, each with their own unique methods. As Lockhart watched, he suddenly realized that the curriculum at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry seemed to have a certain bias. Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Potions, Ancient Runes, Divination, Arithmancy, and Astronomy. Lockhart was inclined to describe them as 'the wizarding arts of farming and war.' Spells like Horcruxes, blood magic, Animagus, Polyjuice Potion, Arthur's flying car, and the clock were not actually taught at Hogwarts. The library might have some records, but many professors themselves had never delved into them.
Interesting! He watched with great interest, finding that the wizards present each had different magical traditions. Perhaps this was why pure-blood families still had a reason to exist in this era. Most wizards from Muggle families couldn't even complete all the subjects taught at school, let alone figure out their own new magical paths in the library.
But he quickly took a step back, looking at the old wizard in front of him with an old man's phone-in-the-subway expression. The old wizard twisted his body as if possessed, making all sorts of strange movements. Finally, he even lay on top of Sirius, sticking out his purple-bubbled tongue to feel Sirius's cheek. The purple bubbles began to glow red, and strange pink bubbles floated up into the air.
Sirius, who was being held down by the Aurors, let out a mournful cry. He hadn't screamed like this during the interrogation, but now he felt as if his whole body was about to crack. In fact, to everyone else, he really did seem to be cracking. A series of strange cracks appeared on his body, with bizarre black shadows flowing within them, looking exceptionally strange. The cracking sounds grew louder, like ice or glass shattering, attracting everyone's attention.
The old wizard laughed, gave himself a thumbs-up, and shouted proudly like a preschooler who had just won a prize, "It had to be me!"
The others cheered. The long hours of trying had sent everyone's emotions swinging between anticipation and disappointment, so everyone was now incredibly excited.
"Antilochus, you'd better step back." Dumbledore took out the Elder Wand and strode forward, blocking the space between the old wizard and Sirius. The old man was always so reliable, watching out for any potential accidents.
Just then, Grindelwald stepped forward and gestured for Dumbledore to hand him the Elder Wand. "I'll do it. I think I know what this magic is!"
He took the Elder Wand and lightly touched a crack on Sirius's body. Crack! A sound like dense glass shattering on the ground rang out, and Sirius's entire body suddenly began to melt rapidly. First, he turned into a pixelated figure, then the colors of each pixel bled out, and finally, he turned into a puddle of liquid in a human shape.
"Merlin's beard!" Amidst everyone's gasps, Grindelwald controlled the puddle of liquid to float up, then waved his wand to transform it into an oval shape, finally touching the center.
"Mist dispergo!"
The old wizard chanted the spell. The liquid touched by the wand's tip suddenly released a large amount of steam, which surged outward, turning into a strange, circular window. In the window, a Muggle warship on the sea came into view. The scene quickly zoomed in, passing through a window on the ship and into a room inside, where Sirius was seen sitting blankly on a wooden box of Muggle firearms.
"So this is how it was done!"
The old wizard handed the Elder Wand back to Dumbledore and shook his head in admiration. "The figure in the mirror, a kind of curse. It allows a wizard to see another version of themselves in a mirror, a version that is from the same source. Ahem. This situation uses a creation from alchemy to apply this magic in reverse. So what we've been seeing is actually Sirius's reflection. All of our spells cast on him have an effect on his real body and are then simultaneously presented on this reflected image."
"This way, most magic won't be able to detect a problem with the reflection, because it is indeed Sirius. The only problem is that the reflection can distort some truths."
"And while we're on the subject," Grindelwald said, pointing to the Sirius in the mirror, "he seems to be under the Imperius Curse right now!"
The magic was so astonishing that people were amazed. But no one said a word. The entire courtroom was silent. Everyone's attention was no longer on Sirius but on the legendary figure standing before them.
"Gr-Grindelwald!" The old wizard who had licked Sirius's face excitedly stepped forward, his eyes filled with tears. He bowed deeply. "You—you're finally back!"
Grindelwald turned and smiled at him, looking at the crimson robes of the Wizengamot member. "Antilochus, I never thought you'd make it this far."
Antilochus smiled foolishly, with only a few teeth left in his mouth. "I'm just making a living. I'm about to retire."
"Yes," Grindelwald sighed. "We are all old. It's time for us to retire."
His words undoubtedly sent a signal to the outside world, and many people secretly breathed a sigh of relief. But Antilochus looked at him with a hint of unwillingness. "You—"
Before he could finish, Grindelwald patted him on the shoulder and smiled, shaking his head. "Let's solve this problem first." Then, with a strange expression, he looked around at the wizards. "It's been so long since I've been in contact with the outside world that I'm a bit out of touch. Does anyone know..."
He pointed to the scene in the mirror. "Where did that Muggle warship come from?"
This was an extremely sharp question. Since when have wizards and Muggles been working together, even using a Muggle warship? The more you thought about it, the more terrifying it became. But unfortunately, no one could answer. Grindelwald looked at them with a hint of disdain. "Does no one know? Have you become so ignorant about Muggles?"
Then, he looked sharply at Fudge. "Mr. Minister, you don't know either?"
Fudge wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and repeatedly looked to Dumbledore for help. Seeing Dumbledore's serious expression and lack of response, he had no choice but to say, "I'll contact the Muggle Prime Minister as soon as possible."
"Not as soon as possible," Grindelwald said coldly. "Now. Go ask right now! What, are you not planning on saving Sirius Black?"
In fact, this was an opportunity Grindelwald was giving them. After the old wizard's analysis, Dumbledore already had a solution, and he knew that Grindelwald had a solution, too. Asking Fudge to investigate was just to give the Muggles a chance. The current situation was unclear. Acting rashly would mean declaring war, and no one wanted war. This was also true for Grindelwald; war was never the goal, just a means to an end.
Furthermore, the existing information couldn't confirm whether the Muggles on the warship had sided with Voldemort or were completely unaware that wizards were on their ship. Acting rashly would only make the Muggle power represented by this warship completely stand against the wizards. No one wanted to force the Muggles to start a witch hunt again. That would be an incredibly stupid thing to do.
Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then sighed. He gently waved the Elder Wand, and the circular mirror made of liquid in mid-air quickly warped and collapsed, finally turning into a small, rotating magic eyeball. An eye, the window to the soul. With this eye, he could accurately locate Sirius and even get a grasp of his current state. A stream of light flashed across his half-moon glasses, and Dumbledore quietly put the magical eye into his robes, remaining silent.
It was amazing how easily Grindelwald commanded these high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic, giving out orders as if he were commanding his own subordinates. It was so natural, and those people responded just as naturally, as if Grindelwald were still the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards.
Soon, everyone was sent out in an orderly fashion to handle the various matters. Professor McGonagall also urged the stunned trio, "Children, you must hurry back to school!"
Just as she was speaking, Lockhart walked over. "Professor McGonagall, may I have them participate in this operation? You know, they always need to experience some trials and tribulations. Everyone is here for this operation, and it's the best opportunity."
Professor McGonagall's eyebrows furrowed, but she was also considering the question. She pursed her lips and looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, seeing the excited, eager looks in their eyes. She finally nodded. "You must stick with Professor Lockhart. If you can't, you will never have my permission again."
Then, she looked at Lockhart again. "Professor Lockhart, you should know who might be present this time!"
Voldemort, right? He knew. Lockhart nodded. "Don't worry, I'll watch the children!" The trio's performance in the duel club's hunt for Peter Pettigrew had been a pleasant surprise for him. He couldn't be more excited to see them grow and didn't want to miss any opportunity.
"I hope so."
Professor McGonagall's expression was unusually serious. After just experiencing a bomb attack from wizards and Muggles, and now discovering a Muggle warship involved, she had to return to school as soon as possible to prevent something from happening. With both the headmaster and deputy headmistress absent from Hogwarts, something going wrong would be a big problem.
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