Harry Potter and the Obscurus

Chapter 88 Returning from the Rift

While Harry and his friends were reminiscing about the past near the Willow of Men, Mo Ran swiftly placed the Invisibility Cloak into the Transformation Watch. Reflecting on what had just happened in the Forbidden Forest, he now had a vaguely deeper understanding of time magic and fate.

The reason Saul Krock gave Moran a compass was because people who constantly jump through time rifts usually don't need to devise precise and perfect plans. They only need to follow the guidance of fate and complete what is destined to be done, and everything will be fine.

However, as the truth behind Hermione's attack by the Dementors came to light, Mo Ran gradually realized that the concept of fate was more like a compromise made because one could not fathom the magic of time.

Before he transmigrated into the Harry Potter world, he, like all other Harry Potter fans who had seen the movies or read the original novels, appreciated the story from a near-godlike narrative perspective. Now that he has become a transmigrator, the plot of Harry Potter will naturally deviate from its original trajectory due to his involvement.

Is it true that "we cannot see the true face of Mount Lu because we are in the mountain ourselves"?

Mo Ran murmured as he looked out of the Hogwarts clock tower window toward the Forbidden Forest.

Once upon a time, when he watched "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" in the cinema, he witnessed Harry and his friends' adventures in the third term through this perspective, arranged by the director.

"Remember this, Harry: we cannot change what has already happened, and we cannot let your past self see you."

"Why so sad, Harry?"

"There's no difference; Little Pettigrew escaped."

"No difference? The difference is huge, Harry! You helped us uncover the truth and saved an innocent person from a terrible fate."

……

The voices of Hermione, Harry, Lupin, Dumbledore, and others rang out one after another, and the past and present began to merge together.

Mo Ran finally realized that the feeling of wizards in the magical world using a time-turner was so similar to that of watching a movie in the Muggle world!

If one doesn't participate, even if the audience, remaining outside the stage, has a complete understanding of the situation, they cannot change the inevitable outcome of the story. But if one does participate, the former bystander becomes a character in the story, no longer able to see the truth from an omniscient perspective. Unless one can simultaneously be both a participant and an outsider, even a wizard who can wield time magic cannot escape the constraints of this paradox.

Is there really no way to escape?

An idea that could overturn the logic of time magic appeared in Mo Ran's mind.

He was never a part of this world to begin with. Even though the story of Harry Potter has changed because of his arrival, he is still the only character who can break free from the shackles of fate.

"So why should we just passively accept the world's established rules? Isn't magic just a power of the mind?"

"If I were to detach myself from the story again, then from the moment I came into this world, I, as a variable, have already been reshaping reality!"

"Reshaping reality...Professor Dumbledore and Harry seem to have had a similar conversation. Did he sense something? Or did he see in me the possibility of transcending the limitations of time magic? But the problem is, if we really think about it this way, wouldn't the magic that can reshape reality also negate the meaning of all other magic? If there really is a wizard who can make their words come true..."

Da da da da.

The rapid vibrations from the compass and pocket watch made Mo Ran temporarily abandon his almost naive thoughts, and he, who always prided himself on being rational and pragmatic, breathed a sigh of relief.

Imagine if he really did discover some magic that could change reality through this time travel, wouldn't James and Lily, who sacrificed themselves for their son, and the loyal wizards who were cruelly tortured and killed by Voldemort, all become a joke?

If magic could really solve everything, who would still live with any scruples?

Without reverence, even the most powerful beings will be dragged into the abyss of destruction by arrogance.

......

Swish!

The interplay of light and shadow transformed into the library atop the tower of Nurmengard Prison. Having visited this place with Harry before, Moran could now clearly sense that the room was untouched by any escape-prevention magic. However, before he could even determine his exact position on the timeline, Dumbledore's seemingly weak voice suddenly rang out from the other side of the bookshelves.

"Oh, Harry's here too, that's great."

Having already sensed the other three with his magical perception, Mo Ran first sighed, then took a step and walked to the corridor of the compartment where Dumbledore, Scamander, and Grindelwald were.

"Did you predict I would come again?"

Mo Ran said this.

"Of course not, it's just that we old men really need help right now, so we were thinking that you might be able to come and help us."

Looking at the other person's ambiguous smile, Mo Ran couldn't tell whether Dumbledore's answer was honest. However, regardless of the truth, his current magical skills had already been recognized by the world's greatest wizard.

"If even the three of you can't solve this problem, what can I, a third-year student, possibly do... Alright, let me take a look... Is this the venom gland of a poison leopard?"

On the surface, Mo Ran was putting on a brave face, but inside he was overjoyed. Having the right to discuss difficult problems with the three people in front of him was undoubtedly a great recognition of his personal abilities as a wizard. If he didn't have to maintain Harry's mannerisms in front of Professor Scamander, he would definitely have openly shown his pride in his current achievements.

"Yes, the venom glands of the venomous leopard. The breath of the venomous leopard alone is terrifyingly potent; it can cause deadly diseases and even destroy an entire village. Once this creature reaches adulthood, it is very difficult to subdue. Even if a hundred wizards work together, they are likely to suffer heavy casualties due to a lack of professionalism."

Professor Scamander explained, but his words seemed to have drawn some displeasure from Grindelwald.

"But you're a professional, you should be the most professional, shouldn't you?"

“Using them for harmful purposes is not my forte. My research focuses on how to raise them, or how to enable wizards to coexist with dangerous magical creatures.”

The slightly tense atmosphere between Grindelwald and Professor Scamander initially puzzled Mo Ran, but he quickly understood Professor Dumbledore's intention—could it be that Dumbledore wanted to use the poison of the venomous leopard to fake the appearance of being cursed by Voldemort on his hands?

A fleeting realization caused a slight change in Mo Ran's facial expression, but even this slight change was enough for Dumbledore to notice.

"It's theoretically impossible to separate the external effects of poisoning from the state of poisoning, since the two are complementary and indispensable. However, since Harry is here, we might be able to use time magic to do something with this."

The old bee, who had unusually abandoned his habit of telling riddles, was unaware of the strangeness of his behavior. This caused him and the other three to stare at each other for quite a while before realizing how honest they had just been.

"Time magic? Besides the Reversal Curse, Harry knows other time magic?"

"You mean, this kid now possesses power that even we haven't been able to master?"

"Well, this..."

Dumbledore smacked his lips, as if chewing a toffee, and said:

"I can only say that none of us are as experienced as Harry in time travel right now. As for whether he can use the magic I'm assuming, that depends on his own comprehension."

Faced with the sudden pressure, Mo Ran showed no sign of intimidation. Even under the watchful eyes of three exceptionally talented wizards, each an age of one hundred, he maintained the same composure as before.

He drew his wand and said:

"To be honest, I still don't know any spells that can manipulate time. However, over the past period of time, I have indeed gained some unique insights into those ethereal things. If I understand correctly, the most complex and powerful magic in this world doesn't actually need the aid of wands and spells; it requires more spiritual understanding and conviction, just like..."

Swish!

The wand, with a core made from a falcon's tail feather, gently touched the venom gland of the venomous leopard. It didn't emit any strange light, yet it gave everyone present a peculiar sensation.

It was a familiar hallucination, like Dejavu. Dumbledore and the others, who were seeing Mo Ran use this kind of magic for the first time, suddenly had a sense of déjà vu, as if they had experienced the scene before them somewhere before.

"What? What happened?"

Grindelwald, who reacted most violently, took a step back, but before he could draw his wand to question Mo Ran, he heard the other slowly finish the sentence he hadn't said:

"Just like... the power that once left this lightning scar."

"amazing."

Dumbledore praised softly, his expression so relaxed and cheerful that neither Grindelwald nor Newt reacted when he immediately splashed the venom glands onto his hands.

"Don't!"

Everything happened so suddenly that in an instant, a black line slowly appeared on Dumbledore's right palm, running along his middle, ring, and little fingers.

......

“Even you are being a bit too reckless, Dumbledore.”

Professor Scamander's deep voice broke the brief silence of the Nurmengard prison tower. As a magical biologist, he was naturally much calmer than Grindelwald, having the most comprehensive understanding of the venomous leopard's venom. He quickly put on a pair of horned camel hide gloves, which offered even better protection than dragon skin. Then, as if handling a precious object, he carefully lifted Dumbledore's right hand to examine it closely.

Everything seemed to have returned to the world of briefcases in 1926, filled with magical creatures.

"It doesn't seem too bad."

As Professor Scamander spoke, he shook Dumbledore's three dark, lifeless, charred fingers.

"If it weren't for experts familiar with the venomous leopard who could tell that this was a deep-seated abscess caused by poisonous gas accumulating in the bone marrow, this hand would undoubtedly be considered to have been afflicted by some powerful curse. But I'm very curious, what kind of magic could completely remove the poison while still preserving the actual symptoms of poisoning?"

“I did not remove the toxicity. The venom of the poison leopard will remain on Professor Dumbledore’s hands until after he passes away.”

Upon hearing Mo Ran's straightforward, even somewhat cold and indifferent, answer, both Grindelwald and Newt's expressions changed to varying degrees. However, before they could launch into a verbal attack on Mo Ran, Dumbledore stepped in to explain:

“What Harry actually meant was… as long as I’m alive, I can pretend the poison doesn’t exist.”

"But you..."

"It's okay, I've never thought about pursuing immortality."

Dumbledore gave Grindelwald a look that said, "You should understand me," and continued:

“For a person of sound mind, death is just another great adventure. After I die, I’ll be more concerned with where my soul will go than with what symptoms my body will exhibit. Alright, Newt, now that we’ve done what we needed to do, you should return the Invisibility Cloak to Harry.”