The night at Hogwarts was quiet and peaceful.
Occasionally, the call of a night owl pierced the silence, either as they returned to their nests or carried messages from afar. Ancient trees swayed gently in the breeze, casting dappled shadows under the moonlight.
The little wizards were already fast asleep in their respective dormitories. The moonlight, like a gentle wash, bathed the ancient castle, draping this magic school in a layer of silvery gauze.
Below the towering spire, Grindelwald seemed to be observing the stars in the night sky. The dim light from the tower windows illuminated the open space in front of him.
That light.
The person standing in the light. At this moment, it seemed to guide Ian "homeward."
"Oh, Professor, I've committed murder. What should I do about my soul now?" Ian's heart was actually calm, but he felt he had to appear a bit more anxious for his age.
Regardless of whether people believe it, he had to put on some sort of act.
"Murder is what pollutes the soul, though the understanding of the act itself can also affect this rule. I see your case is better than anyone's."
The one answering Ian's question was Grindelwald, perhaps more qualified than Albus Dumbledore in discussing murder and its effects.
"That's because I know I'm eradicating pests for the Wizarding World. Yes, I should call this killing in defense, considering it was a Black Demon King who terrorized unknown numbers of families."
"My good roommate Michael will thank me; his father died in the struggle against the noseless." Ian found some justifications for his moral standing.
Albus Dumbledore had no response. He was busy observing the stars like Grindelwald earlier, perhaps connected with some Divination knowledge.
In this area, Ian habitually lagged behind.
"You indeed have a knack for finding grandiose reasons for yourself. Tsk, tsk, Aurora wasn't wrong about you. You have talent, at least in finding legitimate reasons for your actions," Grindelwald seemed to admire Ian's rhetoric, looking at Ian with a approving smile on his face.
He didn't look like someone ready to embrace "disappearance." Not only him, but Albus Dumbledore urging Ian along was also unconcerned about their imminent demise.
Instead, there was a sense of urgency.
This could not help but inspire Ian with heartfelt admiration and respect, for as discarded parts of destiny, these two would ultimately sink back into the mysteries of fate along with everything else.
"It's a pity I couldn't reuse Voldemort's soul from the cycle..." Ian's tone carried a hint of regret, clearly not expecting Albus Dumbledore to personally take him to burn Voldemort.
Had he known converting Voldemort into fuel was this simple, he could have taken Dumbledore along when brewing potions, surely saving countless easy upgrades.
"Though you certainly possess extraordinary means for enhancing magic, you've ultimately reached the pinnacle of magic power... The rules of the human world won't allow your body to carry more magic, so it's not truly a regret." Grindelwald clearly also knew about Ian's [Soul Furnace] Extraordinary Traits.
Upon hearing this.
Ian's vacillating emotions improved.
Beside him, Albus Dumbledore turned at this moment to add, "And, as we just said, your cyclical encounters are essentially a form of magic."
"The magic maintaining it can't support you repeatedly using Voldemort to enhance yourself." After pondering for a moment, he earnestly reminded.
"Ian, your abilities are extremely dangerous, so I hope you don't fall into an excessive pursuit of magic power. Our Dark Arts are the best counterexample."
The old headmaster's advice was indeed reasonable.
Ian nodded earnestly.
You could see it from how Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort both had peak human-world magic, yet differed significantly in strength. Magic power is not the sole measure of one's strength.
"I suppose pursuing it is out of the question now too, since you've all said I've reached the pinnacle of magic power." Ian had heard similar notions from Morgan and in Ravenclaw.
Now, it was proven that a wizard's magic power does indeed have a bottleneck. On his profile, there was no sign of growth, nor could it continue to level up.
"Tsk, tsk, listen to how smug he's gotten," remarked Grindelwald, tapping Ian's head with his magic wand. "But of course, you indeed have the capital to boast, having reached heights many wizards can't attain in a lifetime despite not even being an adult yet."
The Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts spoke with a hint of lament.
Albus Dumbledore neither agreed nor disagreed.
He finally withdrew his gaze from the sky.
"The situation should be about right now." The old headmaster took the Sorting Hat, which Ian had been tasked to carry, though why it was needed was unclear.
"What situation is about right?" Honestly, Ian still felt a bit in the dark, as Albus Dumbledore hadn't explained the situation or their objective thoroughly on the way here.