Sometimes, a change in the atmosphere of a conversation happens in just an instant.
Ino noticed that after he finished speaking, Dumbledore gradually fell into deep thought.
Faced with this contemplation, he didn't intend to break the silence.
…
A long while passed.
Dumbledore stood up once more and walked toward the cabinet where he stored his sweets, the only cabinet in the headmaster's office.
When he opened the cabinet, two objects slowly floated into the air.
One was a goblet about a foot tall with two handles. It was golden in color, and its surface was intricately carved with a vivid depiction of a badger.
The other was much smaller, a ring that appeared to be somewhat crudely made. Interestingly, this ring was also made of gold, but its surface was set with a gemstone resembling obsidian.
There was no need to study their shapes; just a slight sense was enough to detect the dense malice clinging to these two items.
"Your wisdom is truly admirable!" Ino remarked with genuine admiration.
Unlike Ino, who knew the whole story, Dumbledore had managed to unravel all of Voldemort's schemes with only limited information.
It made him want to say to Tom Riddle, "Your professor will always be your professor."
On the other hand...
Dumbledore waved off the praise with indifference: "It's not that hard to guess, if you know him."
"Exceptional magical talent, handsome looks, high emotional intelligence, social skills, adored by everyone..."
There was a hint of regret in Dumbledore's tone, but then he shifted to a more teasing voice: "Honestly, when you first came to the school, you were quite a bit like Tom."
"Is that why you kept orchestrating these so-called 'chance encounters'?" Ino replied, half-jokingly.
"Hahaha, yes! I deliberately sought you out," Dumbledore admitted cheerfully.
"But it wasn't until your name appeared in the Book of Admittance in your second year that I realized the fundamental difference between you and Tom."
This time, Ino didn't interrupt Dumbledore's narration.
Instead, he straightened up and adopted a listening posture, knowing that what came next was likely the main event.
Sure enough, after sighing, Dumbledore shifted the topic:
"Tom had an inherent arrogance, which is why he wouldn't choose ordinary objects to create Horcruxes, except for that notebook during his school years. And after I saw Slytherin's locket, I had an initial hypothesis…"
He abruptly stopped mid-sentence, noticing that Ino had disappeared from his original position.
In a brief moment, when Ino reappeared, he held a beautifully crafted diadem adorned with countless gems.
"Don't worry, I didn't intend to keep it. I just borrowed it for a while. It belongs to Hogwarts," Ino explained while placing the diadem on the table in front of them.
"I trust you! That will never change, just like Hogwarts' trust in you," Dumbledore replied, waving off the concern and turning his gaze back to the goblet and the ring.
"It surprises me that Tom would go as far as to create six Horcruxes..."
The diary, the locket, the diadem, the goblet, the ring, Harry.
These items flashed through Dumbledore's mind in succession.
"There might be more than six since he might not yet know about Harry's existence," Ino added after some thought, choosing to share information from the original story.
The creation of the final Horcrux, according to the original timeline, was supposed to happen this year. But given that everything had changed, it was uncertain whether Voldemort would still choose Nagini as the vessel for the Horcrux.
Therefore, even though he decided to share the original story, he refrained from mentioning Nagini, the viper.
After all, a single mistake in prediction could lead to a completely different outcome.
...
"More than six? Not aware of Harry..." Dumbledore murmured, frowning slightly.
Seeing the headmaster's apparent concern, Ino felt powerless.
Unlike the previous Horcruxes that had clues, the final Horcrux was the hardest to deduce.
Time quietly passed as they both pondered.
After a while, Dumbledore slowly spoke: "Ino, perhaps your guess is correct! It seems Sybill's prophecy will be delayed for a long time."
"Are you really planning to sacrifice yourself to save Harry?" Ino asked, surprised, but quickly he understood the reasoning behind it.
Unlike in the original story, where Harry was forced to act, in this situation, Dumbledore sacrificing himself might indeed be the true script.
Facing Ino's surprise, Dumbledore didn't respond; he only gave a faint smile, neither confirming nor denying it.
...
Late at night.
Ino left the headmaster's office.
Walking alone through the silent corridors, with nothing but sleeping portraits and moving staircases around him, he heard no other sound.
The castle, too, seemed to have fallen into a slumber with the night.
Amidst this tranquility, he pondered the content of his final conversation with Dumbledore.
However, regarding the subsequent plans and his personal choices, he expressed respect.
After all, no one is immortal. Even someone like Nicolas Flamel and Perenelle could not achieve true immortality.
Still, if it were possible, Ino would like Dumbledore to have a peaceful old age.
The mistakes made in youth had been atoned for over half a century, and perhaps that was enough.
...
Time flows like water.
It slips away quietly and unnoticed.
After the opening feast, all of Hogwarts was filled with excitement.
The Triwizard Tournament had become a perennial topic.
Unlike past events, the current buzz was everywhere—in the common rooms, corridors, great hall, or any other place—wherever one went, there were always discussions.
The castle itself also began a new round of decoration.
Hidden portraits, untouched for centuries and covered in dust, were taken down, meticulously cleaned until spotless, and then re-hung.
Among all the places cleaned, the most noticeable changes were in the corridors with their suits of armor and the Great Hall, serving as the reception area.
The armor along the corridors had been polished to a shine, so much so that one could use them as mirrors. As for the Great Hall, it looked completely new; not only were there large silk banners hanging, but the four house flags were also clearly flying in the air, thanks to magic.
Of course, there were many other changes, but once a notice was posted, no one cared much about the alterations to the castle.
On the third week after the start of the term, under Professor McGonagall's watchful eye, Filch put up a notice in the Great Hall that Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would be arriving at Hogwarts this weekend.
The notice acted like a catalyst, pushing the already lively atmosphere of the castle to a fever pitch.
However, everything has exceptions. For every event someone cares about, there will always be someone who doesn't.
Take Ino, for example. Compared to the Triwizard Tournament, his mind was currently entirely focused on the valley of the Sanctuary.
The magical beans that sprouted last year, after a whole year, had borne fruit near the end of September this year, just in time for the Harvest Festival—or perhaps one should say they had given gifts.