Outside Gringotts, everything gleamed with gold.
Dawn stood there sipping from a straw, casually holding a cup of iced drink that was still more than half full, looking every bit like an ordinary child.
Even so...
He continued attracting countless stares.
Though his face remained expressionless, irritation had already begun building inside him.
He enjoyed being the center of attention.
But admiration and being stared at like some exotic animal were two completely different things.
Just what was Fudge doing?
Dawn silently shifted the blame onto the Minister with complete confidence.
Letting out a faint snort, he briefly considered teaching Fudge another unforgettable lesson.
Just then, however, his eyes narrowed.
Although Gringotts' entrance appeared completely empty, a dense cloud of magical mist emerged and began walking toward him.
"Headmaster."
"Did you get it?"
Dawn called out before the figure even revealed itself.
The silvery mist froze.
It seemed momentarily surprised that Dawn could see it.
After a brief pause, the empty space shimmered, and Dumbledore slowly reappeared before quietly blending into the passing crowd.
The old Headmaster gestured toward the tightly wrapped bundle in his hands.
Without another word, the two of them silently headed into a deserted alley.
Only after they were well away from Gringotts did they stop.
"Here."
After a brief hesitation, Dumbledore handed over the package.
Dawn accepted it.
Peeling away the brown wrapping paper, he uncovered a small golden cup gleaming brilliantly beneath.
He nodded with satisfaction.
Another relic of the Four Founders.
Watching carefully from the side, Dumbledore clearly feared Dawn might simply grab the cup and disappear.
Dawn merely shrugged.
Then he got to work.
First, he cast a Blasting Curse, shattering the black threads surrounding Voldemort's soul fragment.
Next, he altered its trait pattern.
The fragment transformed into an ordinary stone.
Natural magic immediately fixed the transformation in place.
Clink.
The pebble fell onto the ground and rolled to Dawn's feet.
A small burst of Fiendfyre ignited beside it.
Moments later...
Nothing remained except ash.
"Done."
Dawn snapped his fingers.
He handed the cup to Dumbledore for inspection.
Only after the old Headmaster confirmed that the Horcrux had truly been destroyed did Dawn carefully take the cup back into his hands.
Nearby...
Dumbledore watched him with a mixture of curiosity and amazement.
Turning souls into matter...
No matter how many times he witnessed it, the spectacle never failed to astonish anyone who truly understood magic.
Dumbledore was certainly no exception.
No wonder Dawn hadn't cared about trading for ordinary Transfiguration knowledge.
How exactly had he achieved something like this?
And his transformations into Fantastic Beasts... Once again, Dumbledore found himself lost in thought.
He couldn't help regretting that he hadn't managed to pick up the stone for closer examination before it had been reduced to ashes.
Meanwhile...
Dawn was already studying Hufflepuff's Cup with fascination.
Though it was made entirely of gold... Its surface felt unexpectedly smooth and warm.
Almost like polished jade.
Rotating the cup in his hands, he examined the dense runes and magical circuits engraved along the inside.
Suddenly...
He remembered hearing Hufflepuff students speculate about the artifact.
'People always say Hufflepuff was exceptionally talented with food-related magic.'
'Even the Hufflepuff common room is located beside the kitchens.'
'If that's true... Then something she left behind must also be connected to food.'
Holding the cup firmly, Dawn experimentally wished for something to drink.
The instant the thought formed...
A rich fragrance drifted into the air.
The previously empty cup suddenly filled itself to the brim with crystal-clear wine.
'So it really is...'
Lowering his head, Dawn inhaled the sweet aroma.
He couldn't help smiling.
The Hufflepuffs had guessed surprisingly well.
Even without ever seeing the artifact, they'd come remarkably close to the truth.
After a moment's thought... He transfigured a small stone into another cup.
Pouring a little of the wine into it, he offered it to Dumbledore.
"Headmaster."
"Would you like to try some?"
"..."
That was an unmistakable invitation to test for poison.
Dumbledore sighed helplessly.
Accepting the cup, he drained it in one swallow.
"Hufflepuff would never have created something capable of harming others.
I'm just sharing.
Headmaster, your prejudice against me really is excessive."
Satisfied that Dumbledore remained perfectly healthy, Dawn gave a perfunctory defense of himself.
Then he finally took a sip.
The mellow liquid slid smoothly down his throat.
His eyes immediately lit up.
Although technically wine... It carried an intense fruit flavor.
Even more surprisingly... The exhaustion throughout his body noticeably faded.
"Wonderful."
A delighted smile spread across Dawn's face.
He immediately began testing other possibilities.
For example...
He asked the cup for a steak.
The next instant... The golden cup melted like flowing metal.
Its shape shifted.
Within seconds... It had transformed into a serving tray with elegant handles.
Resting upon it...
Was a steaming hot steak.
Dawn raised an eyebrow.
He cut it cleanly in half. As before, he generously "shared" the first portion with Dumbledore.
Only after waiting several moments did he begin eating the remainder himself.
It was wonderfully juicy.
Every bite was bursting with flavor.
Even more importantly... Warmth spread outward from his stomach.
The fatigue he'd accumulated during recent research rapidly disappeared.
'So... It summons magically enhanced food from somewhere... And after a thousand years...'
'It still arrives as though it has just left the kitchen.'
Dawn quickly deduced Hufflepuff's Cup's true function.
'Wonderful.'
After finishing his experiments, he carefully placed the cup inside his enchanted wallet.
Then he extended another hand toward Dumbledore. "Headmaster. What about Slytherin's Locket?"
"...I don't have it yet." Dumbledore slowly shook his head. "My boy... I only came here today because of the cup."
"You don't have it?"
Dawn frowned in dissatisfaction.
"You already learned in the dream that Sirius Black follows Harry around as a black dog. Meeting him shouldn't be difficult."
He had never sought Sirius himself because he'd assumed Dumbledore had secretly contacted him long ago.
Apparently...
That hadn't happened.
"I handed Peter Pettigrew over to the International Confederation of Wizards."
Dumbledore explained calmly.
"I hoped to wait until Sirius's innocence had been officially recognized. Then we could discuss these matters openly."
Dawn looked thoroughly unimpressed.
"That's so like you, Headmaster. Always thoughtful about details that hardly matter."
Leaning lazily against the wall, he casually asked, "Aren't you worried Voldemort will cause more trouble while you're waiting?"
"The fragment inside Harry hasn't been removed yet."
Dumbledore answered reasonably. "One Horcrux is important. But not so urgent that everything else must stop."
Dawn shrugged.
He didn't argue further.
Still...
The conversation reminded him of Harry.
In truth...
He already possessed a method for removing Voldemort's soul fragment from Harry.
He could simply transform that fragment into solid matter and remove it from Harry's body.
The procedure wouldn't be difficult.
But...
He intended to wait.
To wait until Dumbledore truly had no alternatives left.
Until the old Headmaster finally agreed to exchange the Elder Wand.
Besides...
One small concern still lingered in Dawn's mind.
The prophecy declared that Voldemort and the Chosen One would each die at the other's hand.
If killing Harry attracted World Correction...
Then wouldn't killing Voldemort prematurely trigger the same phenomenon?
That uncertainty remained.
Seeing nothing else requiring discussion, Dawn didn't bother exchanging further pleasantries.
He simply bid Dumbledore farewell and left.
Passing Gringotts once again, he deliberately glanced inside.
Everything appeared perfectly normal.
Whether the goblins were pretending nothing had happened... Or genuinely hadn't noticed anything...
He couldn't tell.
As he wandered through Diagon Alley...
Dawn briefly considered eliminating Sirius Black immediately.
Then he remembered Dumbledore was probably watching Sirius closely.
He abandoned the idea for the time being.
Gradually... The noise of the bustling street pulled his attention back to the present.
People passed by from every direction.
Narrowing his eyes, Dawn looked through his second sight.
Countless intricate trait patterns floated like mist around every witch and wizard he saw.
Then...
A fascinating thought suddenly occurred to him.
He remembered the creatures he'd created from blood. Artificial life forms copied from the trait patterns of Fantastic Beasts.
Even back then...
He had wondered something.
If one person's entire trait pattern were transformed into someone else's... Would they inherit not only that person's body...
But also their memories?
Their personality?
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Dawn concluded it seemed entirely possible.
In that case...
What if he copied Harry's trait pattern onto someone else?
Wouldn't that create an artificial Chosen One?
Crack!
With a sharp report, Dawn Disapparated.
The idea fascinated him.
Rather than returning to the Vatican... He Apparated directly to Luxor, Egypt.
___________
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