Chapter Nine "Dumbledore back in Action"
"Snape, is this truly the corpse of Quirrell?" Dumbledore asked as he looked at the terrible condition of the corpse before him.
"There is no doubt about him. I used various magical means to deduce his identity. They all confirm this is, or was Quirinus Quirrell." Snape replied as casted myriad of magic spells to check once more. "I am detecting magic that I am don't know what was used that likely was the cause of death, but whatever it was it was nasty. Really nasty. The kind that I have not seen in many places. This kind of magic is ancient and clearly the Dark Arts."
"Dark Arts, the magic used it is." Dumbledore agreed. "A very nasty magic that destroys both the body and soul. I recognize parts of the magic used from my travels. This is Celtic in nature. Very high level celtic magic that likely has been lost in time."
"Celtic? Are you saying Quirrell pissed of the Irish that they called upon ancient Celtic magic upon him…?" Snape asked with a raised brow.
"Whoever killed Quirrel is very skilled and experienced in the Celtic magic. The Killing Curse is a complex magic spell designed to kill, but this magic makes the Killing Curse look like child's play in comparsion. This is at the level of a magic ritual, and a very complex and powerful one at that. Magic that is designed track its target and kill them so with such precision that there is little chance of survival." Dumbledore said as he analysed the magic.
"I pity the poor Quirrell. He may have been forced to serve Voldemort, but even he didn't deserve this agonizing death," said Snape. "What will be do about this matter? The Ministry of Magic would want an inquiry into this."
"I don't think the Ministry will get involved. More likely the Unspeakables," said Dumbledore.
"Unspeakables? Why would they be involved?" Snape asked in surprise.
"I just found magic that involves altering fate after going through the magic involved in Quirrell's death several times. This level of magic is unlike I have ever seen," replied Dumbledore.
"Altering fate? Usually you jest. That is something to absurd to be real," said Snape.
"Oh, there is magic like that," said Dumbledore as he looked down at the wands in his hands. No one save for himself and his now imprisoned friend, Gellert Grindelwald, knew of Elder Wand. The Deathly Hallow in his hand was foretold to change the fates of those who had come to possess it and it was further proof that the magic that Snape didn't believe in existed. "Do you think any of the Death Eaters will have any information regarding Voldemort?"
"You think the Dark Lord would've survived something like this?" Snape asked in amazement.
"Oh, no doubt. I will tell you the reasons why Voldemort has been able to survive all these years, but not here. Not where there could be prying eyes," said Dumbledore. "Voldemort is immortal. He cannot die until several conditions are met."
"This immortality… did in somehow weaken the Dark Lord because when I served under him, I was one of his most loyal and longest serving followers. I knew how powerful he was at the height of his power. Before his supposed death, he had been weakened somewhat. Not noticeable at first, but for me I was able to notice."
"Voldemort did indeed weaken himself, even despite the fact that he tried to strengthen himself with the usage of Dark Arts and forbidden magic." Dumbledore nodded. "That was why he never fought me directly in a duel. I am far past my prime, yet he has never tried to fight me head on. The only fights that we had were with the aid of his most powerful followers and even then he had always been set packing."
"Wait…" Snape blinked in surprise. "You said that you were going to trust me on the knowledge how the Dark Lord is immortal… Does that mean you are ready to trust me with something so important despite my past?"
"You have proven your loyalty several times over. I cannot doubt your loyalty to my cause. You had after all betrayed Voldemort to try and save Lily and her child, Harry. After that you worked with me to imprison or at least greatly punish the Dark Lord's former followers."
"I am honored by your trust," said Snape in a grateful tone.
"Snape… Do you believe it would be the right decision to call upon the aid of my former enemy, Gellert?" Dumbledore turned to Snape.
"Gellert? As in Gellert Grindelwald? The most powerful Dark Wizard in European history? That man?" Snape said in awe and shock at what Dumbledore was considering.
"Yes, the Gellert." Dumbledore nodded his head. "I believe poor Gellert has suffered enough in Nurmengard. He will also make a great ally against Voldemort."
"Why are you considering this, Dumbledore. You were considered a shining beacon of hope. The symbol of the good and justice. Even when things were at the darkest days of the Wizarding War and Voldemort's Rebellion, you constantly preached for not allowing the usage of torture and killing against the enemy. For the enemy to be treated humanely even if they deserved to be tortured and killed." Snape inquired in amazement.
"Snape look at me," said Dumbledore.
Severus Snape looked at Dumbledore like he had asked. His eyes widened and mouth slacked from shock. The man before him was not the elderly man that Snape had come to know and the whole magical world had come to associate with Albus Dumbledore. There were two reasons why Snape recognized the man before him. The first being that he possessed the same eyes and aura of the Hogwarts Headmaster. The second was matching the black and white pictures of his prime.
"Albus, how?!" Snape shouted.
"How did I become younger? Through a combination of many methods. I have used my connections and influence to gather knowledge and material from all across the magical world, from the modern era to the forgotten past. I was able to partially replicate the fabled Potion of Youth." The younger looking Dumbledore explained before he disappeared and the older form that everyone knew Dumbledore by returned.
"The Potion of Youth? This is unbelievable. This will be your greatest discovery as to yet!" Snape said in awe as the potion master within him began to claw his mind and how Dumbledore had been able to rediscovery the long-lost and legendary Potion of Youth.
"I was only partially successful to my disappointment. The true Potion of Youth was called the Potion of Youth because it returned the drinker back to pre-teen self. What I could replicate of the Potion of Youth, I call the Potion of Prime. It is called that because it returns the drinker to the prime." Dumbledore said proudly.
"What of the research data or any potions that you made? Are they in a secured location? If anyone was to discovery it then there is no telling what could happen. It is a dangerous weapon that can return former powerful wizards and witches, who had weakened from age, back to their prime!" Snape asked in alarm.
"I took precautionary measures against such a thing from happening. I will never allow such a powerful weapon to fell into the wrong hands, especially Voldemorts. All research data and prototypes of the potions were destroyed. I made sure of it personally and went as far as destroy the locations where I had conducted my research and experiments to prevent any traces to be discovered. The research data and the instructions to make the potions are locked away in the safest place I know, my mind." Dumbledore replied.
Severus Snape sighed in relief. He had to agree. The safest place that Snape knew was Hogwarts, but because of one reason. Dumbledore. Wherever Dumbledore went, it became a safe place. Dumbledore was regarded as the most powerful wizard alive for a reason. Then it came to shock revelation came to him that he hadn't thought about before. Dumbledore if he had been returned to the prime of his youth, was even more powerful when he had been decades ago during his prime. Not only did he possess the able body of man in their prime years, but he had the sharp mind and knowledge that he had accumulated over his century long life. Dumbledore could be said to be more dangerous in his current form then in his prime. A scary thought that relieved him as he was one the same side as Dumbledore.
The Dark Lord would terrible in fear if he knew that Dumbledore had become younger again and returned to his prime. Snape thought with a smirk forming on his face. "If you're willingly to work with Gellert Grindelwald then are you also reconsidering the tactics and strategies to use against Voldemort?"
"I do," Dumbledore nodded to Snape's shock. "Too many lives were lost and if they survived scarred forever from Voldemorts Rebellion. I am willingly to use methods that I once preached against if it means less causalities and shortening the conflict. My regret over the decades has changed me. I will for the Greater Good."
"Are you willing to throw away your reputation that you have built over all your life? You will lose many supporters and admirers if you walk the path that you are laying out."
"As I said before, to reduce the causalities and shorten the length of the conflict," said Dumbledore in a stern and unmoving tone.
Severus Snape shivered. Not because he was scared of Dumbledore, but for the Voldemort and the Death Eaters. They didn't know what was going to hit them when Dumbledore and his followers, the Order of Phoenix, fought. There was no doubt in Snape's pragmatic mind that Dumbledore was correct with the assertion that number of causalities would be reduced and people scarred from the conflict.
"What should we do with the body?" Snape asked.
"We should wait for the Unspeakables to come. Then leave this to them." Dumbledore replied.
- O -
"Seamus Finnigan, or should I call you Cu Chulainn?" Shirou asked as he stepped out from the shadows.
"It was you, who was watching? I thought I sensed someone watching me. When have you been watching me since?" Seamus asked.
"Right when you approached Voldemort. I was going to eliminate him, but you did it before me." Shirou responded.
"Wait a minute… for some reason you remind me of someone. You're not him right. That teme! Archer!" Seamus shouted angrily.
"Archer?" Shirou repeated before he remembered who he was likely talking about. "You were wrong about that. Archer is someone else." He responded without thinking and then gasped as he learned something new. "You're him. Cu Chulainn, who fought in the Fuyuki Fifth Holy Grail War."
"Yea, that right." Seamus or Cu Chulainn replied.
"You bastard!" Shirou shouted angrily as he kicked Cu Chulainn in the groin.
"What the hell?!" Cu Chulainn screamed in pain as he clutched his groin and glared at Shirou. "What did you do that for?!"
"For stabbing me in the heart, Teme!" Shirou snapped.
"Wait, you're that kid?! How the hell did you even survive that. Gae Bolg is a cursed weapon that makes healing wounds incredible difficult to heal." Cu Chulainn replied.
"I don't want to talk about that right now." Shirou snapped. "I approached you because I wanted to talk about a potential partnership. We both know Voldemort is back, and we as heroes will never let someone hurt the innocents. Are you with me or not?"
"You want to fight together against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Count me in. I am always looking for a good fight. Those bastards tortured and killed a lot of my fellow Irish. I want to avenge them and prevent more Irish from being hurt by Voldemort and the Death Eaters." Cu Chulainn said with a bloodthirsty grin. "You have a deal." Cu Chulainn offered a hand.
"Good to work with you, Cu Chulainn," said Shirou as he shook the offered hand.
The handshake was not just the start of a partnership between Shirou Emiya and Cu Chulainn. It was a start of a group of legends that would slay Voldemort once and for all and eliminate the Death Eaters. A group that would include fellow reincarnatees.
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