Dawn picked up the fortune stick.
To be honest, the most likely crisis he could encounter right now would be his identity being exposed and Dumbledore coming after him.
But even then, escaping would not be difficult.
That hardly counted as a real crisis.
Dawn tapped the desk lightly. Besides, there was still the second half of the message.
[Go with the flow, and you will gain something unexpected.]
This fortune had been drawn as a divination attempt regarding the "world correction." Could it be saying that after the crisis, he would gain some understanding of that phenomenon?
Dawn thought about it for a while but still couldn't figure it out.
It was also possible that this draw hadn't truly triggered any prophetic insight.
After all, judging from Trelawney's ability, the probability of genuine inspiration appearing during divination was extremely low.
So Dawn took out the Felix Felicis Slughorn had given him and took a small sip.
Then he shook the fortune tube again.
Clack.
Not long afterward, another stick flew out.
It rolled across the desk and once again stopped with the words facing upward.
"You will soon encounter a crisis. But if you go with the flow, you will gain something unexpected."
Dawn's expression turned serious.
Once might be coincidence.
But twice in a row could not be explained that way.
That meant that sometime soon, something unfavorable really would happen to him.
Dawn rubbed the wooden stick thoughtfully.
He began considering whether he should temporarily leave Hogwarts.
"No... that's not right."
"The crisis doesn't necessarily have to come from Dumbledore. Leaving the school might actually be what brings danger."
He quickly dismissed the idea.
Besides, judging from the wording of the fortune, even if danger appeared, it might not necessarily be a bad thing.
Dawn remained calm.
The abilities of a phoenix gave him tremendous confidence. Still, he did not want to sit around waiting without preparation.
He preferred to act proactively and figure out what exactly this coming event might be.
Should he continue relying on divination?
Dawn thought about it.
Even with Trelawney's talent copied through the special pattern, her divinations rarely produced clear visions.
They were vague prophecies at best.
If he wanted to prepare in advance, perhaps he should seek out a prophet with stronger inspiration.
At that moment, a name suddenly appeared in his mind.
Grindelwald.
Of course.
How could he forget about him?
Dawn slapped his palm lightly.
The Dark Lord who once launched a war to overthrow the Statute of Secrecy, only to be defeated by Dumbledore and imprisoned in Nurmengard, possessed a remarkable ability.
He was a true seer.
He could glimpse fragments of the future.
Dawn decided he needed to pay him a visit.
With the special pattern, he could copy that useful ability for himself. And it just so happened that today was Friday.
There were no more classes scheduled.
Since his safety was involved, Dawn forced himself out of the lethargy that had been clinging to him.
He stood up and left Hogwarts through the fireplace.
Nurmengard.
After leaving Hogwarts, Dawn Apparated to Austria and landed on the barren ground outside the fortress prison.
Heavy clouds gathered around the tall tower.
It looked as though sunlight would never reach this place.
The towering mountains cast dark shadows over the structure, making everything appear bleak and oppressive.
"This place really has terrible surroundings."
It was Dawn's first time here.
He brushed the dust away from the inscription carved above the tower entrance and silently reflected.
This was the fate of the defeated.
Dawn reminded himself of that fact.
He cast the Disillusionment Charm and the Muffliato Charm, altered his appearance, and stepped inside.
Then he began climbing the spiral stone staircase.
The tower's interior was almost completely bare.
He passed several empty rooms along the way.
Nothing inside them.
From Dawn's perspective, he could never accept living in such a place.
Let alone being imprisoned here.
He continued climbing.
Eventually he reached the top of the tower. There he found a room that at least showed some signs of life.
Inside sat an elderly man with thin hair and a gaunt frame, writing something.
"Albus?"
Sensing someone watching him, Grindelwald set down his pen and turned around.
"No... that's not right. Who are you?"
His gaze settled on the space where Dawn stood.
Dawn, still under the Disillusionment Charm, felt slightly surprised.
He had not planned to reveal himself. His original intention was to record Grindelwald's special pattern and leave quietly.
Yet he had been noticed.
It seemed that even after years of imprisonment and being forbidden from using magic, a powerful wizard was still a powerful wizard.
After thinking briefly, Dawn dropped the invisibility and revealed himself.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Grindelwald."
"Oh?"
Grindelwald studied the middle-aged man standing before him.
After a moment of silence, he spoke with certainty.
"...Dawn Richter."
Dawn raised an eyebrow.
He glanced at his altered appearance.
This was the second surprise Grindelwald had given him in a very short time.
He did not deny it.
Instead he asked curiously, "How did you know?"
"Intuition."
Grindelwald tapped his temple with a thin finger.
"The moment I saw you, that name appeared in my mind. As a seer, I take my intuition very seriously."
"I see."
Dawn nodded in understanding.
Fortunately, Grindelwald had relied on his prophetic instinct.
Otherwise, Dawn would have had to wonder whether his disguise as Leia Hickman had already been seen through by Dumbledore.
Dawn had no real interest in conversation.
He quietly studied the old man in front of him, memorizing the special patterns drifting within Grindelwald's magic.
But although Dawn remained silent, Grindelwald seemed very interested in him.
He observed him carefully from head to toe.
"You know, child," Grindelwald said, "you have caused Albus quite a bit of trouble. For a while, he came here almost every day asking about your whereabouts."
He paused briefly.
A faint smile appeared on his lips. "Those were wonderful days."
"He doesn't come anymore?" Dawn asked casually.
"No."
The old man sighed.
"Something else must be occupying his attention now. I have once again been set aside as the least important matter."
For some reason, Dawn felt that Grindelwald sounded slightly resentful.
"Oh, right."
Dawn suddenly remembered their encounter in Iceland.
"The reason Dumbledore managed to intercept me there last year... was that because of your prophecy?"
"Yes."
Grindelwald nodded calmly.
He did not appear afraid that Dawn might harm him. And Dawn had no intention of taking revenge on a defeated prisoner.
He was simply curious.
"Other than that, have you seen anything else about me?"
"I saw you ignite a war," Grindelwald said.
Ignite a war?
Dawn froze slightly.
But after thinking about it carefully, he realized it was not impossible.
If he were being honest with himself, if one day he needed to conduct research on collective consciousness...
Then conquering the world might indeed become the most convenient path.
___________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/BloodAncestor