Chapter 506 "Dumbledore's Secret"

"Why do you say that Professor Dumbledore is dying?"

When Sean's voice was heard, the principals stopped talking all of a sudden. With Phineas pretending to have a glass of red wine swirling in his hand, Dilys Derwent, the former Hogwarts female principal, left the painting, presumably to the St Mungo's in the painting.

At the moment, Armando Dippet was staring at Sean, and he seemed to realize that the young man was deceiving him by pretending to be impolite.

"Tell me." Sean asked again.

The principals were silent, and after a while, Dippet said reluctantly, "It's not good for you to know it."

"If only you hadn't slipped your tongue." Phineas sarcastically said.

"Shut it." Dippet yelled at Phineas and continued, "Child, you should go back."

Sean didn't leave but moved a stool and sat directly in front of the painting.

"In your eyes, I might be just a student who is still studying at Hogwarts—a child. I have always respected the elders, especially you, who have made great contributions to Hogwarts. This castle lasts for a long time, and this is proof of your work. I can understand your thoughts that students need to be protected, and children need to avoid problems, not because you look down on a child but because you think it's the best thing to do."

After a series of words, the principals' emotions improved a lot, especially Dippet's. He liked the feeling of being praised sincerely, especially when Sean was an outstanding student of Hogwarts.

Sean looked more and more sincere. He took a deep breath and continued, "I believe that Professor Dumbledore also thinks the same way. He is not only a powerful wizard but also the most loveable person I have ever met."

The principals nodded.

Sean's tone changed and became serious, "You know Professor Dumbledore better than I do, and you know the truth of what I don't know. But even I, who doesn't know the whole thing, know that Professor Dumbledore has gone through many things."

In the painting, many people sighed, and the expressions on their faces looked regretful.

"As a student, if I were to insist on one of Professor Dumbledore's weaknesses, it must be that he tried to carry too many problems. Too many that he couldn't talk about it, so many things that he would be running around day and night, so much that he can't even think about himself anymore."

"Principals," Sean showed a faint smile, "Do you know that Professor Dumbledore hasn't been reunited with his family members for a long time? Even his sister is still trapped in a somewhere. But everything he did was not for himself. He wanted Hogwarts to fight for it, he wanted children to explore the magic safely and freely, and he wanted people in Diagon Alley to bring smiles and make the world a better place…"

Under Sean's speech, all the principals sighed, and some showed Pride on their faces.

"If I don't know all of this, I might not do anything. At least I won't waste the time used by everyone here and Professor Dumbledore."

"But," Sean changed the subject, "You told me that he will die. In a world where there will be no Albus Dumbledore, only a graveyard containing his favorite robes and candy, his wand, and the body he never woken from and carved into the cold marble that belonged to Albus Dumbledore, for children like me to look up to and admire as their own role model."

"Later generations will pass on the word that the great Albus Dumbledore always expected everything...but he expected something of himself?" Sean looked at everyone in the painting. Even Phineas's eyes were erratic, not daring to look at Sean.

"All this is because Professor Dumbledore bore the burden too much and was unwilling to let others get involved in those things. Even if that child has a great strength and a mature mind?"

"As the former manager of the school, I believe that everyone here understands better than I understand that many things cannot be solved by doing it alone. Otherwise, how did the school was created? Everyone is looking for a place to learn back then. Aren't wizards getting better because there's more group like Hogwarts?"

"Professor Dumbledore's power is unquestionable, but you know better than me that there are some things he can't bear alone."

Dippet said loudly with some annoyance, "It's his own choice. It is the glory of a wizard to create a better world. He's willing to give his life, and that's not something anyone else could do, and why don't you think that those are the only things he could do?"

"Is it?" Sean stood up and looked directly at everyone, "Professor Dumbledore's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. He is very kind and always wants to do everything. Prioritizing others. Ask yourselves if more people like Grindelwald, Aberforth, McGonagall, and me get involved. Will all this make the burden on his shoulders better?"

The paintings were completely silent. Some of them leaned against the edge of the frame in silence, some opened and closed their mouths and cursed secretly, and some secretly wiped away their tears.

Dilys, who returned to the frame at some point, sighed. Her voice was reassuring, but there was a lot of helplessness in it.

"We are not ghosts, let alone living beings. We rely on the magic that is in here. While we have consciousness and memory, there is only one meaning for our existence: to give the current principal all the help we can. Meaning that all our actions must be guided by the will of the current principal, which cannot be overturned."

Sean lowered his head in disappointment, "Ma'am, is there no possibility of a little help? I can really help Professor Dumbledore, and, as the person in the prophecy, I would also have the right to know, right?"

"But…" Dilys looked embarrassed.

Phineas was sulking alone, while Dippet was sighing while looking at the other principals across the canvas.

Sean was silent for a moment and asked, "It's okay if you can't tell me the truth, but I have a question."

"Do ask." Dilys said softly.

"Is it certain that Professor Dumbledore will die?"

No one answered, but the portrait did not show any expressions.

Sean took a deep breath, "According to my current understanding, the biggest threat to Professor Dumbledore is the Unbreakable Vow, which he voluntarily did for it. He did a lot of things with his things that I don't know about, and normally, it wouldn't lead to his death. He has a certain way to bypass the Vow, and he doesn't like to put his life in other people's hands."

"Given that he volunteered himself to do this, he must have thought it through carefully and found that there is no better solution. Though his death will definitely bring about a huge change, and now there is a hidden danger that all of us have no clue about, but it will explode and destroy the entire world."

Sean raised his head and said, "It's me. You all know the prophecy, right? You know the Sin in my body. I have at least some clues about other things, and Professor Dumbledore will reveal some information to me at times. Professor Dumbledore only told me the specific content of the prophecy and how to deal with the Sin, and he has never done any action regarding the Sin while there is only more than a year left for it to wake up."

Sean narrowed his eyes, "You were all present when Professor Dumbledore told me the prophecy in this office."

He raised his head abruptly, "Either that prophecy has hidden things that I don't know about, or the professor hid part of the prophecy from me. There is another part of that prophecy, right, and it involves Dumbledore dying?"

The paintings looked at each other in panic, but no one spoke. However, their silence already answered his question. Dumbledore hid a part of that prophecy, and the hidden part, which Dumbledore discovered through his own research, can only be solved through his death.

"This era will come to an end. He shall be released from the prison. He will be reincarnated. The Seven Deadly Sins will grow under Pride's lead. The old era is going to be burned while the new age will be painted with the blood of the thousands."

"If the blood is to be wiped dry, the old age will bear the harsh punishment."

"Those revived ancients offer their souls. Those corrupted ones offer their blood. Pride will forgive the sins of the world, humbly and mercifully accept all of them."

It was the part of the prophecy Sean had stuck in his head. But now it seems that Dumbledore kept part of the prophecy partially secret. Sean's brain kept running, and he tried to analyze Dumbledore's ultimate goal now.

There are three major problems at present. First, Grindelwald's time travel incident brought about the attention of the world's eyes, which will be solved in the near future. Secondly, the Returners who are about to make a move, their purpose seems to be to make the whole world more chaotic or to welcome the leader of the Returners that Sean guessed to return to the real world, that is, this "bard."

Third, there are the Seven Deadly Sins, among which Pride in Sean posing as the leader. When Pride fully awakens, the prophecy will happen, and this world will be in chaos.

Among them, there is a certain connection between the Returners and the Sins. Given that Dumbledore has also gained a certain degree of trust from the Returners, He wants to solve the hidden danger of the Returners and the awakening of the Seven Deadly Sins at the same time.

Can the two be linked and solved at the same time?

Sean thought about many possibilities. After all, there was not enough information to draw an accurate conclusion.

This is not the situation he wants. It was impossible for the principals to provide any more information, so Sean left a word to think about what he had said to them and left the principal's office. After he left, the principals looked at each other speechlessly, and there was only a long sigh to be heard from them.

Sean walked out of the office and opened the door of the Room of Requirement again. To his surprise, there was someone in the room. It was Professor Dumbledore.

Sean stepped forward, "Professor?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "Listen to me, Sean, give an old man with half a foot in the grave a little time."

Sean's mouth squirmed twice and fell silent.

Dumbledore smiled gently, took two cushions with ease, and patted the cushions beside him, "Maybe it's time for me to tell you about something."