Dark_Peace
patreon
Chapter 311: Midnight Encounter, The Secret of the Goblet of Fire
🕑 Added 2025-03-02 17:29:54 +0000 UTCThe night had fallen, and the bright moonlight resembled a layer of soft and mysterious silver sand, gently draping over the earth.
At night, whether it was the Hogwarts castle, Beauxbatons' carriage, or Durmstrang's ship, all had fallen into silence.
Around, there was only the occasional hoot of owls and the whispers of the wind brushing through the leaves nearby; other than that, there was no sound.
...
The night remained deep.
Inside the Hogwarts castle, in the side hall of the Great Hall.
Beneath the grand ceiling, there was no one.
Only the ancient Goblet of Fire stood at the center, with blue and white flames quietly burning. The fire seemed neither scorching hot nor chilling cold, but rather carried a mysterious aura that was difficult to describe.
The quiet castle and the ancient Goblet of Fire seemed to be sharing secrets of the past and the future with each other in the stillness of the night.
But soon, this atmosphere was broken.
As a red glow flickered, a figure holding a lantern appeared in the room.
With Brighid's help, Ino had come to the Great Hall alone.
The quiet hall, the burning Goblet of Fire, and the somewhat beautiful scene before him gave him the urge to take a photo as a memento.
Acting on his thoughts, his figure disappeared again, but this time, he didn't use the power of the phoenix. Instead, he returned alone to the Valley of Sanctuary.
When he reappeared, he had a Polaroid camera in hand, a gift from Newt during his time in America, though it had rarely been used until now, when it was finally of use.
Click!
With a soft sound, Ino obtained a photograph of the Goblet of Fire in mid-burn.
Hanging the camera around his neck, he then walked forward with the lantern.
In front of the blue and white mysterious flames, the small flame in the bronze oil lamp was not overshadowed in the slightest. The orange flame cast a warm glow.
In the light of the fire, Ino could also see the intricate alchemical inscriptions carved on the Goblet of Fire.
Though they appeared very complex, they were roughly divided into two parts, forming a double helix that extended from the base of the goblet upwards.
Times had changed; whether in alchemy or ancient runes, Ino had already accumulated considerable knowledge.
Upon closer inspection now, he could discern some details.
The two sets of inscription symbols on the Goblet of Fire represented two independent functions. One set seemed to have the purpose of identification and selection, while the other clearly carried a hint of dark magic, seemingly associated with curses.
Upon seeing the curse, he hesitated regarding his previous decision—whether Draco could truly bear this responsibility.
One must understand that the difference between the protagonist and supporting characters in a story is more than just a little. Harry might get through it safely, but that didn't guarantee that others would be fine as well.
Moreover, when considering the Goblet of Fire's centuries-old history and the intricate alchemical inscriptions on its body.
After much hesitation, he ultimately decided to abandon his previous idea.
He didn't want to be the one to push fate, nor did he want to be pushed by fate.
With his decision made, Ino once again picked up the camera hanging around his neck and began taking close-up shots of the Goblet of Fire.
In the quiet side hall, the sound of click click echoed as he took about a dozen photos from different angles to ensure nothing was missed before finally putting the camera down.
...
Just as he was preparing to leave, another figure appeared in the side hall.
"I thought you would submit a name, perhaps even use a Confundus Charm to confuse the Goblet of Fire, but... only taking photos, that was unexpected."
Dumbledore, dressed in a blue nightgown with a slightly adorable moon-shaped nightcap on his head, quietly appeared in the side hall.
Seeing the old headmaster appear, Ino wasn't surprised at all.
If it was just speculation before, now that he held a portion of the headmaster's authority, he clearly understood Dumbledore's control over the entire castle.
But now, hearing Dumbledore's sigh, Ino didn't hide his thoughts:
"At first, I did think that way, I even had the name prepared."
As he spoke, Ino took out a piece of parchment from his pocket with the name Draco Malfoy written on it. With a snap of his fingers, the parchment silently flew towards Dumbledore.
"However, after seeing the Goblet of Fire, I changed my mind! I don't want to be the one who pushes fate, nor do I want to be pushed by fate, so I just took a few photos as mementos."
There was another hidden thought in Ino's mind, the same reason he initially didn't want to participate in the Goblet of Fire.
Because he didn't want to be driven by fate either.
...
At the same time.
Dumbledore, looking at the parchment that had flown over, sighed deeply.
Just this one silent, wandless Levitation Charm had already surpassed ninety-nine percent of wizards.
Gently catching the parchment, he glanced at the name on it and then slowly spoke:
"Those who are willing are led by fate; those who resist are pushed by fate; but there is a third option—to walk alongside fate."
This was a piece of wisdom-laden advice.
Ino also pondered it carefully.
...
After a long while.
"It's hard to imagine that you could also skillfully use fate to explain problems. By rights, this is our Diviners' specialty."
Ino smiled, making a light-hearted joke.
He understood what Dumbledore meant, and he also understood the other's plans. It seemed that any headmaster of Hogwarts needed to have corresponding prestige and honor.
Though it might seem somewhat utilitarian, that was the truth. Living in the mundane world, no one could avoid such contamination.
Even Nicolas Flamel, when dealing with his legacy, still had to consider Beauxbatons. It was like a gear mechanism—no matter how difficult it was to turn, once the first gear moved, it already affected the final result.
As Ino thought about fame and fortune, Dumbledore also showed a reminiscent expression.
After a while, Dumbledore picked up the conversation:
"The Diviner's specialty? But unfortunately, I once had a Diviner friend."
Hearing this, Ino suddenly regretted his earlier joke. He had indeed forgotten about that person at Nurmengard.
Honestly, using someone else's sad past as a joking material was very impolite.
Especially when the target of the joke was a one-hundred-year-old man.
Thinking of this, Ino changed the topic:
"Professor! If possible, I hope to wait a bit longer, Professor McGonagall is an excellent candidate!"
Upon hearing this, Dumbledore nodded lightly in agreement.
"I do not deny Minerva's contributions, and I also recognize her excellence! But you should know what she cares about."
"Well! Maybe you're right."
Ino smiled. Perhaps walking alongside fate wasn't such a bad choice after all.
With that thought, he also took out the notebook he always carried with him, tore off a page, wrote a name on it, and then threw it into the Goblet of Fire.
In an instant, the blue and white flames suddenly surged, and as the Goblet of Fire consumed the paper, a trace of orange flame also flashed.
"Alright! I should go to bed now. But before I leave, I sincerely suggest that the elderly avoid staying up late."
As his words fell, Brighid appeared on Ino's shoulder, a red glow flashed, and his figure disappeared with it.
...
In the quiet side hall.
Dumbledore stood quietly alone.
Gazing at the burning blue flames, he seemed lost in thought, his gaze becoming distant and far-reaching.
