Chapter 253: Did I Read a Fake Version of Harry Potter?

"Whoa! The Death Eaters are escaping!"

"The Death Eaters and goblins are on the run!"

"Don't let them get away!"

"After them!"

The Hogwarts-side wizards chased the goblins and Death Eaters beyond the castle grounds. The moment the anti-Apparition wards no longer restricted them, the Death Eaters Apparated away at once.

By then, it was too late to cast Anti-Apparition Charms again. Amid the chaos, over a dozen Death Eaters were still left behind. Thus, the Battle for Hogwarts finally drew to a close.

The Death Eaters suffered a crushing defeat and fled in disarray.

Hogwarts claimed an overwhelming victory with minimal casualties—thanks in no small part to the Black-and-White Dark Lord duo who had been tirelessly "putting out fires" and blocking who-knew-how-many Killing Curses.

Cheers erupted across the castle courtyard. Wands waved in the air as everyone let out the adrenaline and excitement pent up in their hearts.

"Did you notice, Albus? The Death Eaters didn't seem very eager to fight."

"Mhm. If not for that bizarre horn, the goblins would've scattered much earlier."

"If we manage to get our hands on that thing, would you mind letting me study it for a bit?"

Grindelwald pocketed his wand. "You're really just leaving the Philosopher's Stone to that kid?"

Dumbledore spread his hands. "What do you expect us to do? If we'd followed them, and Edward activated that magic-blocking field of his in a duel…what would us two old geezers be good for except getting in the way?"

"Bloody hell! What kind of rogue 'magic' is that anyway?"

"That's not magic. It's a potion."

"I'll call it whatever I damn well please."

"…Are you still a child?"

Just then, Snape hurried over. He first glanced warily at Grindelwald, then pulled up his sleeve. "My Dark Mark reacted just moments ago—at the exact same time the Death Eaters began to retreat."

"So Voldemort ordered the retreat?"

To be honest, even though the battle had turned decisively in their favor, if the Death Eaters had decided to fight to the death, Hogwarts would've undoubtedly paid a steep price—even if they still emerged victorious.

"This probably means Edward's side has reached a conclusion as well."

Just as he finished speaking—

"Help! Help us!!"

Hermione and Ron came scrambling over, tumbling in their rush.

"Professor Dumbledore! Professor Snape! Help! Harry—Harry's been captured by a Death Eater!"

"They forced him to hand over the Philosopher's Stone!"

"We barely managed to escape!"

"Harry stayed behind to stop them!"

"Please! Save him!"

Snape's expression turned grim. "Where?"

"Just—just behind the moving panel on the fourth floor!"

"What were you doing there?"

"We didn't go there on our own! The Death Eater made us go!"

Snape's face darkened as he sprinted off without another word.

Not even thirty seconds later, Edward appeared with Harry in tow.

"Professor Dumbledore. Mr. Grindelwald."

"Harry!"

Hermione and Ron charged toward him, nearly knocking him over.

Harry quickly raised his hands and backed away. "Wait—don't touch me. I'm about to lose it."

"You—what's wrong? Did the Death Eater hurt you?"

"Are you okay, Harry?"

Edward shrugged. "To stop Voldemort from getting the Philosopher's Stone, Harry just…swallowed it whole."

"Oh, Merlin…" Dumbledore blinked in disbelief before quickly recovering. "Get him to the hospital wing at once!"

"No!"

Harry clearly had his own priorities. "I think I need to go to the bathroom first."

The two kids half-dragged, half-carried him as they rushed frantically toward the nearest toilet.

Edward's expression grew serious. "Professor Dumbledore, you assigned your brother and Fawkes to protect Harry directly, correct?"

"That's right. Where are they?"

"…I didn't see them. Which means, from the moment Barty Jr. kidnapped the three of them, they might've been completely unprotected."

"!!"

Dumbledore's face changed dramatically. "That's impossible…Even if Aberforth isn't a match for the Death Eaters, Fawkes should've been able to escape with them. Don't tell me they—"

With a burst of fire, Fawkes appeared midair with a rather battered Aberforth dressed as Discount Dumbledore.

"Bloody hell!"

Aberforth landed and cursed immediately. "That bastard! I don't know what he did, but he somehow made me and Fawkes Apparate straight to bloody America!"

Then he turned and glared at Grindelwald. "What the hell is he doing here?!"

Grindelwald replied coolly, "Albus asked me to help."

"Bullcrap!"

Aberforth snorted and muttered, "Those kids—are they alright?"

"They're fine."

"Good. I just saw the Death Eaters get routed too, so I'm off. Can't stand the sight of you."

With that, Aberforth turned and left without a second's pause, clearly unwilling to share airspace with Grindelwald.

Fawkes fluttered onto Dumbledore's shoulder and started chirping incessantly. Dumbledore could only stroke his feathers and soothe him gently before turning to Edward and asking:

"Did everything go well on your end?"

"Not exactly smooth sailing—Voldemort escaped."

Edward shook his head. "And it wasn't just a simple escape. It seems his plan actually succeeded."

He paused there, glancing at Grindelwald.

Grindelwald let out a cold snort. "What, I'm not allowed to listen now? Fine, I'll leave."

"Stay," Dumbledore sighed. "If this matter warranted you using a Time-Turner to come back specially, then it's clearly no simple incident."

Grindelwald paused in surprise. Edward blinked. "You…how did you know?"

"I happened to be watching when you intervened earlier," Dumbledore replied calmly. "There were two of you at once. What other explanation is there besides a Time-Turner? Come. Let's go to my office."

———

[Hogwarts Castle, 8th Floor—Headmaster's Office]

Edward recounted the events in detail to the two older wizards:

"…So, I used the Time-Turner you gave me, Professor, and returned to the afternoon of the 19th. I kept a close eye on my past self because, initially, I suspected he might've somehow travelled through time."

"But that wasn't the case. This morning, he—uh, I?—woke up normally, had breakfast, and followed the plan to reach the room where the Philosopher's Stone was kept."

"On the way, we heard cries from some students, and curiosity got the better of us—we both stepped out to investigate. That's when we discovered Death Eaters had infiltrated the castle."

Dumbledore's expression was heavy with guilt. "I'm sorry. I never imagined…that the Death Eaters could infiltrate Hogwarts like this and remain hidden for over ten days."

"Past me, concerned, went to find Audrey. Meanwhile, I couldn't resist stepping in to take care of the remaining Dementors. Afterwards, both of us returned to the room one after the other. Not long after, Barty Jr. showed up with Harry and the others."

"…Barty's condition was incredibly bizarre. His body was severely decayed—some parts exposed his internal organs and bones. Coupled with his strange mannerisms and behaviour, I asked him directly, 'You're not really Barty, are you?' He seemed to confirm it…but also not quite."

"Then he slit his palm and chanted the incantation carved into the Mirror of Erised. The surface of the mirror immediately revealed a black door…"

"…That was how my past self was pulled into the mirror. Everything returned to normal after that."

Edward paused briefly before continuing, "Voldemort's true objective seems to have always been gaining access to the inside of the Mirror of Erised—and in the end, he succeeded. Based on our previous theories, that black door inside the mirror might actually lead to the dwelling place of some kind of deity."

The two elderly wizards fell silent for a long moment.

It was Grindelwald who finally spoke, shooting Edward a sidelong glance. "You sure held your nerve. Just watched yourself get dragged into an unknown world and didn't lift a finger?"

"My spiritual intuition warned me in time," Edward said. "If I'd intervened, I might have gotten pulled in too."

He thought for a moment and added, "Besides, when I returned, Professor Dumbledore gave me a specific reminder: 'You're not changing the past—you're fulfilling it.' I had a hunch at the time that he was being deliberately cryptic."

Dumbledore's eyes lit with understanding. "So, it was because of this conversation today that I went out of my way to tell you that on the 25th?"

"That's what I suspect." Edward paused again. "Oh, and Barty—whoever or whatever he was—asked me a question. It might've just been a distraction, but it was still a fair point."

"He asked: Why bother teaming up with goblins and summoning so many Death Eaters to storm Hogwarts? Wouldn't it have been stealthier to act alone?"

"He said that Hogwarts Castle isn't just a school, or a magical construct—it's a seal, containing something inside."

Edward turned toward Dumbledore. "Professor, what's your take on that?"

Dumbledore mulled it over for a while, then spoke with some hesitation, "Judging by the outcome…what was sealed might've been the Mirror of Erised itself."

"Exactly."

"By his logic," Edward continued, "the magical array embedded within Hogwarts was originally designed to contain the Mirror. But when the Death Eaters and goblins attacked, Professor Flitwick diverted the castle's defences to repel them, weakening the seal. Then, Barty recited the incantation and opened the world within the Mirror, achieving their goal."

"Tch." Grindelwald suddenly scoffed. "Albus, do you remember why you came to me eleven years ago?"

Dumbledore looked slightly exasperated. "Must you always emphasise I came to you?"

"I'm just stating facts," Grindelwald replied coolly. "Back then, a strange and dangerous magical creature appeared in the castle. You asked for my help. We dealt with it together."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "What kind of magical creature would require both of you?"

"It wasn't that powerful, per se," Grindelwald replied. "But it was incredibly elusive—lightning-fast. Albus was afraid that if it got startled, it might injure others nearby."

"At the time, Hogwarts had just endured a Death Eater attack. I assume you used the castle's magical array for defence then too, didn't you?"

Dumbledore seemed to connect the dots. "Are you suggesting that creature had something to do with the Mirror of Erised?"

"Considering what happened today…it's a distinct possibility."

Grindelwald cast Edward a sideways glance. "Oh, and the stone embedded in your ulna—the one we extracted? That came from inside one of those magical creatures."

Edward instinctively looked at his arm, a strange thought occurring to him:

That stone…it really does feel like the kind of 'magic core' you'd find in fantasy novels.

Could it be…that the world inside the Mirror of Erised is some kind of magical fantasy realm?

What the hell? None of this was in the original story…

Did I get thrown into a bootleg version of Harry Potter?!

Dumbledore turned to Grindelwald. "This matter is far from over. Gellert, I need you to remain at Hogwarts a while longer."

Grindelwald's lips curled faintly into a smirk. "…Very well."

———

[Note]: Enjoy the Extra Chapter~ 426 Powerstones for another one tomorrow! Go VOTE~

And if you are like me and want to read 40 Chapters in advance of the current story right now, you can support me on my Patreon. Thank me later~

Link - (P)atre(o)n.c(o)m/ Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]