"That's true." Victor Wick had to admit it, even if he didn't trust the man.
Even without Grindelwald's interference, he would have continued to pursue greater power on his own.
Years of experience had taught Victor that without strong power as a foundation, he could never truly achieve freedom, even with eternal life.
Nicolas Flamel's movements were always erratic—was it really because he enjoyed the life of a recluse?
Of course not!
The Philosopher's Stone could grant him long life and immense wealth, but it also brought endless danger.
An old and frail Nicolas Flamel, without sufficient power for security, was forced into such an awkward situation.
"You don't even need to resurrect Ariana; you only need to summon her soul and bring her before Dumbledore. That would be enough to achieve our goal," Grindelwald continued, seeing Victor was wavering.
"But there are two difficulties with this..." Victor pondered with a frown.
"What difficulties?"
"First, summoning requires a medium, such as a piece of the deceased's bone. But I cannot go digging up Ariana's grave," Victor said sternly.
Digging up a grave was, after all, an act of disrespect toward the dead.
Lily and Ariana's situations were completely different!
Even Snape, who had agreed to let Victor summon Lily, had nearly lost his temper when he saw that single finger bone.
To say nothing of Ariana...
In fact, knowing Dumbledore, he might not agree to disturb Ariana's rest just for a summoning.
So, the safest way was to bypass the summoning process and deliver Ariana directly to Dumbledore.
Once it was a fait accompli, Dumbledore would have to accept reality.
Furthermore... Victor would never do this himself. If Grindelwald had any ill intent and leaked the matter, Victor might face the wrath of two Dumbledores before he even finished the summoning.
Dumbledore looked kind and gentle now... but that was only because his bottom line hadn't been crossed yet.
Otherwise... the terrifying White Demon King might return for a limited time!
"Don't worry, I've already prepared it." Grindelwald carefully pulled out a small box and handed it over.
Victor looked at the box in shock, a sense of absurdity rising in his heart... Had this old man actually gone and dug up Ariana's grave himself just to strengthen Dumbledore?
"You actually... if Dumbledore knew... do you realize how much trouble you'd be in?"
"Of course I know..." Grindelwald said softly.
Victor looked at Grindelwald with a complex expression. The man actually dared to admit to his face that he had dug up Ariana's grave, handing Victor leverage over him!
Was this old man really without malice?
Victor looked at the small box but didn't take it.
"You keep it. I'll send you a letter when I'm ready," Victor said cautiously.
This thing was a hot potato. He absolutely could not keep it on his person before they began!
If it were in his hands and Grindelwald exposed him, he wouldn't be able to explain it away.
Grindelwald gave a light smile and pulled the box back. "Indeed, I was inconsiderate. This thing shouldn't be kept with you for now... however, I just need you to know that I've already solved your first difficulty. So... I wonder what your second difficulty is?"
"Ariana has been dead for many years. I don't know if her soul is still around," Victor shook his head.
This was the most troublesome point.
Victor now knew about the existence of the Wheel of Reincarnation in the world of the dead.
If Ariana had grown tired of waiting and walked through that door to enter the cycle... then there would be nothing left to summon.
"I see..." Grindelwald didn't know about this, but Victor's words proved there was a risk. "We have to try regardless..."
From Grindelwald's expression, Victor could tell he hadn't foreseen this.
However, this might be good news. Since Grindelwald hadn't predicted failure, did it mean the chances of Ariana's soul still being there were higher?
"Fine, you can head back now. I'll let you know when I'm ready." Victor began to see his guest out.
Currently, everything Grindelwald was doing was beneficial to Victor and Dumbledore.
If anyone else had done this, Victor would have considered them a friend.
Unfortunately, he was Grindelwald. He had too many priors; no one dared to trust him easily.
Grindelwald was self-aware. After a few pleasantries, he left immediately.
When Victor returned to Hogwarts, Harry hadn't left yet.
He was with Lily, and they seemed to have endless things to say...
Of course, it was understandable.
"Harry, it's getting late. You should head back. Your mother is safe with me, don't worry," Victor said, checking his watch.
Harry had been here for far too long.
Before Victor could say another word, Harry gave him a deep, ninety-degree bow.
"Hey, kid, what's this for?"
"Professor, Mom told me everything you've done. From today on, I'll do whatever you ask of me!"
Lily stood by, watching Harry quietly without stopping him.
She understood the grievances Harry had suffered over the years, so she could fully empathize with his gratitude toward Victor, the man who had rescued him from that misery.
Victor didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Alright, I didn't do this just for you." Victor pulled Harry up and said sternly, "Remember, this must be kept strictly secret! Don't tell anyone! Not even Professor Dumbledore... I did this behind his back!"
"I understand!" Harry looked at Lily one last time before slowly walking away.
Victor turned to Lily and eventually placed the Soul-Summoning Banner on the windowsill behind his desk instead of putting it back in the case.
"I'll cast a spell on you... to make you look like an ordinary Hogwarts ghost to others. As long as you don't leave the castle, no one will notice. But remember, you must stay in the banner for at least three hours a day."
Lily was stunned for a moment, her face flooding with gratitude.
"Thank you..."
She understood Victor's intent. He was allowing her to stay in the form of a ghost so she could see her son whenever she wanted.
This was a spur-of-the-moment decision by Victor. The soul's own willpower could actually improve the success rate of the resurrection magic.
So, there were real benefits to doing this.
Moreover, by relying on the massive processing power of the Hogwarts wards to hide Lily's true form, even Dumbledore wouldn't be able to see through it unless he was specifically looking for it.
After a brief silence, Lily said, "Professor Wick, I know you involved Severus because you have a use for him. Severus is an expert in Potions... I've also studied Potions. If I can help..."
Victor looked at Lily in surprise. This woman was truly brilliant.
Since even Dumbledore couldn't be told, the resurrection was clearly a highly secret project.
And Snape's involvement meant Victor needed his expertise.
Lily had realized that the resurrection experiment required Potions, which was why she offered her assistance.
"You're right. Resurrecting someone requires reshaping the body in addition to recalling the soul. That requires Potions..." Victor nodded.
"Let me help," Lily said firmly.
"That would be fantastic!" Victor was delighted.
Snape was already highly motivated. If Lily were helping him... Snape would be working like a man possessed!
Victor couldn't even imagine how efficient a hyper-motivated Snape would be.
"But... are you sure? After all, Severus..."
"Since we can all come back... there's no need to dwell on the past," Lily said softly.
She was very clear-headed. Since resurrection was on the table, past grievances could be set aside.
She was a very rational and intelligent woman.
In a situation like this, such an approach would maximize their interests.
Victor suddenly laughed, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"If only Harry had inherited your cleverness, he wouldn't... be losing points in Potions class every day."
"What? Are Harry's Potions grades that bad?"
"Not exactly... I've heard he's actually quite good at the subject. I know why his points are deducted, and it's quite... understandable... when you think about it. There's only one possibility: he must have offended the Potions professor without realizing it..."
Lily's eyes widened. "Who is the Potions professor?"
"Oh... I forgot to tell you. Severus is the Potions professor here. He's also the Head of Slytherin House."
Lily thought of Harry's face, and her sharp mind immediately connected the dots.
"I see... Professor Wick, thank you for the tip. I think I really should find time for a talk with Severus..."
'Bloody hell!' Snape thought. 'There's a dog! A dog! I knew I was cursed to clash with dogs my whole life!'
"Mr. Merlin..." Victor smiled brightly toward the mirror.
"Well..." Merlin looked at him with a hint of helplessness. "I knew you'd be interested in this."
"I've always been fascinated by the underlying logic of this world. And... whether it's Limbo or the world of the dead, they're part of this world, aren't they? If it were you, wouldn't you be curious?"
"Hahaha... Well said! If I were still alive when I learned about this, I'd be even more eager than you!" Merlin laughed.
"Here, take this wisp of Lost Mist." Merlin sent a wisp of white vapor through the mirror.
The mist didn't vanish as it usually did; instead, it drifted quietly in the air.
"Once you understand the nature of Lost Mist, you'll likely understand the situation on our side."
Victor didn't hesitate. He produced a box and collected the wisp of Lost Mist.
"As long as you don't go off the rails and check in with me more often, there will be plenty of benefits," Merlin said seriously.
"Don't worry! As long as you don't go fixing bugs whenever you feel like it, I definitely won't go off the rails!"