Dumbledore blinked, stunned for a moment. Behind his half-moon spectacles, his eyes widened slightly as he murmured, "Oh—my apologies. This is the first I've heard of such a thing…"
Lilith suddenly reacted. She took a toffee from him, unwrapped it, and stuffed it into Susie's mouth while muttering, "Susie, you're already a Sequence 6 Beyonder dog. Unless you eat several hundred kilograms of chocolate in one go, you won't die."
She cast a sideways glance at Evernight Goddess, her tone intentionally provocative. "Isn't that right, Amanises?"
Evernight Goddess: "…"
Susie frowned in confusion. "Really? Eating several hundred kilograms would kill me—because of the dose being too large?"
"No! Because you'd burst."
Everyone: "…"
A few minutes later, after the group had already departed, a blond boy of sixteen or seventeen walked over. He held his chin slightly raised, making no effort to conceal the arrogance in his eyes.
"There doesn't seem to be anything here like you said."
As he spoke, he pulled a black notebook from his robes and opened it. Words leapt rapidly across the pages of their own accord.
"I sensed it—the entity was right here just moments ago. Hurry and find them!"
The boy clicked his tongue. "Tch! And where am I supposed to look?"
"Toward the spectator stands! The one who obtained Slytherin's secret is in the stands!"
"Then why didn't you say that earlier?"
He shut the notebook and leapt directly off the terrace. His body dropped more than ten meters yet landed as lightly as a feather. Without hurry, he began walking toward the stands.
———
Inside the Room of Requirement
Edward returned to the Room of Requirement carrying the historical projection of the Mirror of Erised. He stood before the mysterious surface, eyes focused, and recited the ring of strange words under his breath:
"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi."
But when the final syllable left his mouth, the room remained silent. Nothing happened.
"That's odd. Barty Jr. recited it exactly like that last time."
Edward frowned, lowering his gaze in thought. Then he raised his head and stared deep into the mirror. Mysterious patterns flickered across his pupils as his [Deconstruction] ability activated quietly.
Moments later, he perceived the mirror's true nature—
It was a sealed gateway, a "teleportation portal."
Only by possessing the key could one activate it through the spoken incantation.
And the key…was a wand of unusual form—
The Elder Wand.
"I see." Understanding dawned on Edward.
He remembered that Dumbledore's Elder Wand had been lost long ago. Coupled with Grindelwald's and Dumbledore's accounts of "the other world," he suspected the wand's disappearance was likely caused by Dumbledore accidentally opening the Mirror of Erised's seal—allowing creatures from that "other world" to invade continuously.
As for why Barty Crouch Jr. had been able to activate the mirror—it was because the "door" had remained half-open. It was only when Voldemort passed through that it was fully re-sealed.
"So the Elder Wand, one of the Deathly Hallows, is the key to opening the 'deity's dwelling.' Then what roles do the Resurrection Stone and Invisibility Cloak serve?"
Edward pondered but soon shook his head. There was no time to dwell on it. He gathered his will and used [Deconstruction] to forcefully pry open the mirror's "gate."
The mirror flared with soft, pale radiance. After more than ten seconds, the light extinguished, and the surface turned pitch-black. Then, like a door opening inward, the mirror slowly parted.
From within emerged pale, corpse-like arms, accompanied by wailing cries and shrill screams. In an instant, they seized Edward's clothes and limbs.
A tremendous pulling force dragged him toward the mirror. Edward did not resist. He allowed the hands to draw him in inch by inch.
And just before the mirror-door snapped shut, a plume of black smoke seeped out and drifted rapidly into the distance.
Darkness swallowed Edward's vision. It felt as though he were walking into a corridor with no source of light.
Sensing the hands still clinging to him, Edward released a ripple of spirituality, blasting them away. Then he stepped forward—crossing the endless tunnel in a single stride—arriving at an exit.
However, an invisible wall blocked his path—one that even a Sequence 2 Planeswalker could not pass through.
"As expected, it's not that simple."
Edward used [Deconstruction] again. This time, in less than thirty seconds, he understood how to pass through—only a soul (a spiritual body) could penetrate this "wall." It had been designed specifically for the dead.
With his current abilities, this posed no real obstacle, but curiosity stirred in his mind: Back during the period of lost memories…how exactly did I pass through this wall?
"Oh—right, the Resurrection Stone!"
Edward slapped his forehead as realisation dawned. One of the abilities of the Resurrection Stone was to allow one's soul to temporarily leave the body—turning into a spiritual form.
He immediately shifted into his spirit body, passing through the transparent wall with ease. As he did, he couldn't help wondering about the last of the Deathly Hallows—the Invisibility Cloak. What purpose would it serve inside a "deity's dwelling"?
Once he slipped through the wall, the world before him opened up.
Stretching endlessly was a white expanse. In the distant horizon lay an infinite body of water and boundless pale mist.
The place where Edward stood resembled a lone island at the centre of the water.
But soon he realised this was no true island—it was an old train station, one every Hogwarts student would instantly recognise:
King's Cross Station.
Not far away stood the bewitched barrier leading to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. A train was parked beside it—but everything appeared dreamlike, as if painted with fog.
"I remember in the Harry Potter novel, Harry met Dumbledore for the last time here—many say it's the boundary between the living and the dead."
"Board this train, and you're headed for the world of the dead."
Troublesome.
Edward sighed and walked toward the train. Out of the mist, a man in a uniform suddenly materialised, blocking the doorway. Upon seeing Edward, he spoke politely, "Your ticket, sir."
"Ticket?"
Edward conjured a scrap of paper and cast a Confundus Charm on it.
"Will this do?"
The conductor smiled courteously. "Please, sir—let's not joke. No one boards without a ticket. It's for your own safety."
"Then where may I purchase a ticket?"
The conductor shrugged. "Every person meant to board naturally possesses a ticket. Others who wander here by mistake cannot possibly have one."
"I understand."
This was clearly a train bound for death, and only the dead were qualified to ride it.
Edward nodded and once again presented the piece of paper.
"How about now?"
This time, the conductor's gaze wavered. Slightly dazed, he accepted the paper, then stepped aside.
"Oh…my condolences, sir. I hope your journey ahead brings you a pleasant memory."
"Thank you."
Edward inclined his head and stepped into the carriage.
The second attempt succeeded because he had layered the Confundus Charm with Blind Stupidity, rendering the conductor incapable of distinguishing truth from falsehood.
Inside the train, he saw rows of passengers already seated. Their faces were vacant, eyes hollow, as though unaware of what had happened to them or where they were going. They simply followed a predetermined fate with mechanical obedience.
Edward attempted to converse with several of them, but they responded sluggishly—or not at all. Some seemed unable even to hear him. With no other option, he found an empty seat and waited patiently.
"I wonder how I got aboard the last time without the conductor noticing…Could it be that I didn't board at all?"
But he quickly shook his head. No—that was impossible. He must have boarded. Otherwise, there would be no explaining his state upon returning to the world.
After a moment of quick reasoning, he arrived at the conclusion, "So…the Invisibility Cloak?"
He tossed a coin for divination.
Heads—affirmative.
That confirmed it. The functions of the three Deathly Hallows had now become clear:
The Elder Wand—the key that unlocks the Mirror of Erised's seal.
The Resurrection Stone—allows passage through the transparent soul-wall.
The Invisibility Cloak—hides the living from the conductor, enabling them to board the death-bound train.
This was the true secret of the Deathly Hallows—each item, once "activated" as an extraordinary artifact, revealed its hidden ability.
Feels…a bit underwhelming.
The thought surfaced only for Edward to shake his head with a soft laugh.
No—he felt this way only because of the elevated perspective granted by his current Sequence. To someone native to the Harry Potter world, things would be entirely different.
Because collecting all three Hallows truly allowed one to reach the deity's dwelling—and even meet a deity.
———
Half an hour later
The train gave a faint jolt and began to move, accelerating quietly with no announcement and no warning. It slipped deeper into the boundless fog and the endless waters beyond.
Outside the windows, everything remained a featureless white. There was no telling the direction of travel, nor what the train passed by. It was all unknown.
Until—
A thunderous whistle blared.
The train burst out of the fog and sped over a vast, pitch-black river. Phantasmal figures drifted along the banks. And in the heart of the river stood an enormous, scythe-wielding figure garbed in black. Each swing of the scythe sent countless shadows scattering, shredded and swallowed by the water.
Edward's spirit trembled as he stared at the massive Grim Reaper.
His intuition screamed the truth—
This was the same entity who had sent him back last time.
The same "Grim Reaper" he had glimpsed during his Beyonder advancement—only far larger.
Could he…be the one Adam and the Evernight Goddess referred to as "that person"?
At that moment, the enormous Grim Reaper paused.
He turned his skull slightly, meeting Edward's gaze.
Then—his lower jawbone dropped loose, forming an eerie semblance of a smile. He placed a bony hand over his chest and bowed deeply to Edward from afar, before resuming his grisly "work."
The train continued onward, quickly leaving the Grim Reaper behind.
Edward hesitated for a moment, ready to slip through space and question him face-to-face—
But then, from beside him, a voice spoke, "Are you looking for me?"
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.