148: Speedy Soul Collection Process

"Why is it not the right time? Wait, you just died—uh, sacrificed yourself… Does that mean there's a powerful enemy involved?"

Now that he had grown somewhat familiar with the situation, Tony rubbed his chin and casually joined the conversation.

"If they could kill the Jedi leader, then the enemy must also be an extremely powerful Sith."

"Since they're opposing the Jedi leader, that means they must be the Sith troopers—"

Tony subconsciously equated this bearded old man with the Sorcerer Supreme's level.

But he failed to notice the slight twitch in the expressions of the professors when he said Jedai Leader.

"Ahem." Lyon coughed lightly at just the right moment to interrupt Tony's analysis. "Nobody here gets the reference, Tony!"

Calling Dumbledore with silly Star Wars names was fine as a private joke, but it definitely wasn't appropriate to say it outright in front of everyone.

"It's Voldemort, isn't it? He has returned, once again leading the Death Eaters to sweep across the British wizarding world," Lyon said as he looked at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore chose to selectively ignore Tony's unusual way of addressing him. "That's correct. This country is once again shrouded in his shadow."

"Even Hogwarts cannot guarantee absolute safety."

"So unless it is absolutely necessary, I would advise you all to wait until this darkness has passed before coming here."

"When that time comes, every wizard at Hogwarts will welcome you with open arms."

Tony found this odd. "So you're saying… you actually have confidence in defeating this Voldemort?" 

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth, hidden beneath his beard, tightened slightly. 

This was the question he had been waiting for. 

"Regrettably… no." 

"As you can see, if not for Lord Lyon's intervention tonight, I would have returned to dust here." 

"Voldemort's power is simply too vast." 

"His followers are embedded in nearly every pure-blood family. This war will be incredibly difficult." 

"Now that I have been granted a second chance at life, all I can hope for is to resist for as long as I can before I face death once more." 

Dumbledore went on to detail the brutality of the Death Eaters and the sheer strength of Voldemort. 

His words were filled with helplessness and uncertainty. 

It was as if his brief encounter with death had stripped him of all confidence, leaving him as fragile as a flickering candle in the wind. 

His speech, filled with emotion and sincerity, sounded almost like a final declaration before an inevitable end. 

Everyone present couldn't help but be moved. 

Tony, watching Dumbledore closely, had a vague feeling that there was something more behind his words.

Mordo, Banner, and Wong, all of whom had strong senses of justice and relatively straightforward minds, were already filled with righteous indignation after hearing Dumbledore's words.

Only Lyon remained with his arms crossed, suddenly shaking his head.

The others might not understand Dumbledore, but he certainly did.

This old bumblebee had been a top-tier strategist since the days of Grindelwald.

Back in his youth, he had managed to persuade an even younger Newt Scamander to follow his lead without question.

And in the original timeline, the victory in the Second Wizarding War was at least half due to Dumbledore's meticulous planning.

Looking at his actions now—first voluntarily going to his death, and now suddenly declaring that he would resist until his final moments—

It was clear as day that Dumbledore was subtly maneuvering to get them, the outsiders, involved.

Lyon sighed and stepped forward, draping an arm over Dumbledore's shoulder.

"Old Dumbledore, you do want us to help, don't you?"

Dumbledore was briefly stunned. He hadn't expected Lyon to be so blunt.

So, he chose to be equally straightforward. "Lord Lyon, I can see that you possess great strength. If we could gain your assistance, I believe the wizarding world's chances of victory would increase significantly."

Lyon nodded. "If you want our help, you should just say so. If you don't say it, how could we possibly know? And if we don't know, how can we decide whether to help you or not?"

Dumbledore's aged but sharp eyes locked onto Lyon.

"Then… what is your answer, Lord Lyon?"

Lyon patted Dumbledore's shoulder and shook his head. 

But before Dumbledore could show any disappointment— Lyon spoke again. "Kill Voldemort? What war? I can settle this for you right now." 

"But once it's over, you'd better be generous when it comes to magical exchanges—like giving us full access to the library." 

Lyon's words sounded almost exaggerated. 

But to Dumbledore, they were exactly the answer he had been hoping for. 

There was absolutely no reason to refuse. 

He burst into hearty laughter. "Of course, that won't be a problem. Isn't magic meant to be shared openly and inclusively?" 

He extended his hand forward. "Come, our esteemed guests, let's head to the Great Hall together. It's dinnertime now, and I'm sure you won't be disappointed by the food at Hogwarts." 

Professor McGonagall and the others, who had been silently listening to their conversation the entire time, couldn't help but smile as well. She began organizing the students, preparing to lead them into the castle. 

But Lyon gently brushed Dumbledore's hand aside. 

"Dinner can wait."

Lyon grabbed onto Dumbledore's wizard robe and took off into the air.

"No need to wait for another day—since we're here, let's deal with Voldemort first. Dinner can come afterward."

The two of them soared above the open grasslands outside the castle.

The professors and students were completely dumbfounded for a moment before quickly rushing out of the courtyard to chase after them.

Tony donned his armor, grabbed Wong and Mordo, and—with the astonished gazes of the crowd following him—soared out of the courtyard as well, landing beside Lyon outside the castle.

"Lord Lyon, what exactly do you plan to do?"

Dumbledore wasn't particularly nervous, but he had a strong feeling that the young man beside him was about to do something big.

"Obviously, I'm going to eliminate Voldemort… This place is spacious enough, so it seems quite fitting."

Lyon activated his Super Vision, scanning the entire wizarding world.

After being enhanced by the Will of the Origin, his vision now carried spatial properties.

It easily bypassed all magical barriers, revealing everything.

"If I remember correctly, to kill Voldemort, we first need to destroy his Horcruxes, right?"

"And these so-called Horcruxes are objects that contain fragments of his soul."

"As long as the Horcruxes remain intact, even if the original body dies, the soul will not dissipate. Instead, it will continue to exist in an alternative form, waiting for the opportunity to resurrect."

Lyon suddenly raised his right hand and began drawing a circle in the air.

Dumbledore hadn't expected Lyon to be so knowledgeable about Horcruxes. "You are absolutely correct, Lord Lyon… But—what kind of magic is this!?"

As Lyon's fingers moved, a golden, shimmering circular portal appeared before them.

On the other side of the portal was a pile of miscellaneous objects.

Dumbledore immediately recognized it—it was the interior of the Room of Requirement.

"This is a Mystic Gate, similar to Apparition, but instead of teleporting individuals, it directly links two spaces together."

Lyon explained casually as he reached through the portal, pulled out a diadem, and tossed it onto the ground.

"This is Ravenclaw's Diadem, one of Voldemort's Horcruxes."

Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock. "A Horcrux? Ravenclaw's Diadem?"

He bent down to pick it up, immediately sensing the eerie presence of a fragmented soul. Lyon had been completely correct.

When he looked up again, his eyes widened even further.

Lyon was now drawing two circles simultaneously, opening two more portals at once.

One of the portals opened into a vault at Gringotts. 

The other opened directly into the Ministry of Magic—right in front of a very prim and proper Dolores Umbridge, who was seated upright. The moment she saw Dumbledore, her eyebrows shot up in suspicion. 

However, before she could utter a single accusatory word— Lyon suddenly reached both hands through the portals. 

With his left hand, he grabbed a golden cup from inside the Gringotts vault. 

With his right hand, he yanked a locket straight off Umbridge's neck. 

"What—!"

As Umbridge let out a shrill scream. Lyon waved his hand, shutting the portals before she could react. 

"Slytherin's Locket, Hufflepuff's Cup—these two are also Horcruxes." He tossed the artifacts onto the ground without a second thought. 

Dumbledore stood there, mouth agape, unable to say a single word.

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