5 days later,
Avalon
Professor Albus Dumbledore walked out of the puddle and stepped on the path leading to the white tower.
In the Battle of Legends, the Headmaster had lost his left hand and left leg, getting pulverized by the Obscurus. Both his limbs were back now as if he hadn't been one of the four legends on whom the battle got named in these last few days.
At a glance, from the way he carried himself, it truly didn't look like he had almost died if not for the timely intervention of an Inferi.
However, if one looked closely, one would have found subtle changes about him as well.
Dumbledore's left hand was gloved, which reached to his elbow. He walked swiftly for his age, but he limped now and then as if he wasn't quite used to his left leg.
Then there was his eyes. Under his silver hair, they had once possessed a great calm, full of understanding and mercy.
Now, they looked blank at one time.
At another time, anger, sadness, and determination flashed across them… with a touch of fear.
Anger he could deal with, Dumbledore knew. Sadness would last the longest, but he didn't mind it, either. Determination he needed the most. But fear? Fear was something that must be resolved the moment you sensed it. Otherwise, it could lead to nothing but misery; something he couldn't afford right now…
I can't afford it ever… Dumbledore added within, remembering a hideous laugh; the soulless students he had left behind.
Students…
His students…
Hogwarts students!!!
Still, he was Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, the Supreme Mugwump.
He knew it wasn't the man he feared, but the unknown. To root out this fear from him, he must find answers.
And to find the answers that he sought, he must visit the place he had promised himself he would never set foot on.
Dumbledore walked on the cobbled path, looking left and right. He remembered the days he had spent in this place.
Regardless of his falling out with the Order of the Immortal Lotus, he couldn't deny the charm of this place.
On his left, the village was still bustling with all kinds of magical people.
On his right, the Great Forest still roared as if it was alive.
Herds of Unicorns and Hippogriffs ran across the hills, Dodos kept blinking in and out of existence, and the Sphinx was just lying, bathing in the sunlight; thinking of puzzles, perhaps?
Roar!
The dragon's roar came out of nowhere, its echoes reaching all corners of the mythical island.
Dumbledore's steps faltered. For a moment, his vision faded away, purple fire burning in his blue eyes.
The fire was about to burn the students to ashes; the hope of this world.
And he couldn't do anything…
Whatever that had happened next, he blamed himself for it.
Dumbledore took a deep breath and resumed his walk, reaching the tree on which perched a Phoenix.
He bowed.
The Half-Deep One's eyes opened. IT looked at the wizard and then closed them again.
Taking a left turn, Dumbledore found himself facing an arched door, a seven-colored lotus shining at the very top of it.
He craned his neck up, following an instinct, and looked at the clouds.
There, on the smallest cloud, there was a Qilin.
Dumbledore bowed again.
The Half-Deep One had been eying the sky. When the wizard bowed, IT looked down at him and then went back to gazing at the heavens.
Taking another deep breath, Dumbledore passed under the arched, stony door and entered the white tower.
In the middle of the colossal, round hall, around a round table, there were seven high-back chairs, of which five were occupied by hooded figures. Each figure was surrounded by a color of the rainbow, blurring their appearance. It was as if they were seated there, but they also weren't.
Dumbledore's gaze ignored the blurred figures and landed on the six objects hovering on the top of all chairs but one.
Step by step, he walked to the round table, saying nothing.
He went around the table and positioned himself behind the Indigo Seat.
As much as he hated to do it, Dumbledore bowed the third time, giving respect to those who didn't belong to this era.
A force pushed him up.
"Have you changed your mind, child?" King Solomon, the Violet Seat, questioned, not unkindly.
As he heard the question, Dumbledore regained his lost composure.
Yes, he remembered. He was a child as he stood in front of these people who didn't belong to this era. And, as a child, he could afford to be a little frivolous.
"No, Your Royal Excellency," Albus answered, shaking his head.
Circe, the Red Seat, giggled. "Came back running after facing defeat, then?"
Albus clenched his hands in fists before relaxing altogether. "Yes," he answered shamelessly. "I… need an explanation."
"You dare demand an explanation from Us?" Circe scoffed. "On what grounds, pray tell?"
Albus went quiet.
Only for a moment.
Suddenly, under the gazes of the Six, his white robes turned Indigo.
No matter the reason, or the time, Albus Dumbledore remained a Candidate of the Indigo Seat as long as he wished to.
"Fair enough?" Hermes, the Orange Seat, commented, looking at Circe.
The Red Seat only scoffed in reply but didn't deny the truth.
Albus ignored the absence of Merlin, the Blue Seat, and his gaze went beyond the Green Seat this time. On the Witch of Endor's left, under a book that seemed to be in many places at once was the Yellow Seat, Abdul Alhazred.
Albus' blue eyes shook as he found the uncanny similarity between the yellow cloaks.
"The Yellow Warlock has nothing to do with me," Abdul told him. "In fact, he has nothing to do with the Order at all."
This time when Albus clenched his fingers into fists, his knuckles went white.
He had always been an astute student of magic. He had a knack for not only magic but for critical reasoning and a sense of the underlying meanings of the words.
So, when the Yellow Seat told him that the monster had nothing to do with the Order, he knew exactly what they were implying.
"You… used me…" Albus uttered through clenched teeth. "You made me believe it was my trap when the trap had always been… yours…"
Albus felt helpless within.
He should have realized it sooner.
When he had gone to Madam Villanelle, asking for help against the Inferi, he should have known the Order might use his words against him.
This was how the Six always played with the material world in the name of not meddling with it. And it was the innocent who paid the price for it.
His students…
Suddenly, Grindelwald's face flashed by Albus' memories as well.
They had yet to bury the dead wizard, his rotten body still lying cold in Hogwarts.
"There was no other choice, child," King Solomon said, the violet signet ring bobbing up and down over his hooded head. "We needed to confirm many things, and we needed to confirm them fast."
Albus almost snapped. "My students!!!"
Silence.
…
"An unfortunate incident," Circe shrugged, surrounded by red mist.
Finally, when things seemed to go out of hand, the Green Seat sighed. "Things have taken the worse turn, child," she said, sending a chill running down Albus' spine. "Now we must depend on you more than ever."
"What's going on?!" Albus asked, stunned. What could make the Witch of Endor herself utter those words?!
King Solomon put his hands on the round table. "I think it's time…"
"Indeed." Green Seat agreed. She looked at Albus and said, "It's time you know of the true nature of the Order of the Immortal Lotus…"
"… of an existence called Outer One…" Yellow Seat nodded.
"… of the timelines…" Hermes said, leaning back in the high-back chair.
Before Circe could say something unreasonable again, the Violet Seat turned his head and looked at her.
It was a monarch's request to refrain herself.
At different times, it could have been his command.
Who dared to ignore or reject it when it could be carried out?
King Solomon looked back at Albus Dumbledore, his non-existent eyes glowing with resolve.
"It's time you know of the Sevenfold Path of Multiverse."
**************
AN: Over 60 Chapters ahead of Webnovel are on Patre0n, excluding exclusive Side Stories. With each Tier, you will get ALL Monthly Uploads as well. You can also access all the backlog chapters, with Images and Gifs, enriching your reading experience, while simultaneously supporting the work.
Link: https://www.patreon.com/c/droopyauthor
Link (if you would be kind enough to donate a hot coffee): https://ko-fi.com/droopyauthor
50 Power Stones: +1 Bonus Chapter and +1 Bonus Chapter for every 20 Power Stones above that