Chapter 123: Dumbledore's Hint

After the young wizards left the Great Hall, Dumbledore drew his wand and began to "draw" near the professors' table with fluid, sweeping motions. Grey-white mist billowed from the tip of his wand, and under the influence of Transfiguration, it gradually coalesced before everyone’s eyes into a towering, snow-capped mountain range, with a temple standing proudly at its peak.

"Bhutan," Newt said softly.

"Correct, three points to Hufflepuff!" Dumbledore joked.

The young wizard Xiwen happened to be walking out of the Great Hall at that moment. He looked back silently and was stunned to see that the Hufflepuff hourglass had truly dropped three yellow gemstones.

*‘He can actually do that…’* the ghost Xiwen twitched his lip, deciding to stir up some trouble for the professor who was handing out points so recklessly.

He turned to Jacob and said, "Mr. Kowalski, if you don’t care for that bag of Cockroach Clusters the Slytherin student gave you, you might as well give them to Dumbledore. I bet he’d really like them!"

"Really?" Jacob, looking bewildered, handed over the Cockroach Clusters he had been so eager to discard and asked, "Do you really enjoy eating these things?"

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Kowalski. And of course, thank you, Mr. Strange." Dumbledore accepted the bag with delight, popped one into his mouth, and began to chew with great interest.

Xiwen: "…I really didn't expect you to actually like those."

After finishing the treat, Dumbledore carried on as if nothing had happened, addressing everyone present.

"The Kingdom of Bhutan, located high in the eastern Himalayas. It is a place of indescribable beauty, and some of our most vital magic originated there. The people of Bhutan often say: listen closely, and the magical knowledge of the past will whisper in your ear."

Xiwen gazed at the temple on the Himalayan mountain, his eyes flickering with a sense of trance.

The Himalayas, the temple.

These were words that had once been incredibly familiar to Xiwen—as if it were the location of Kamar-Taj. The temple of Bhutan was strikingly similar in style to the architecture of Kamar-Taj, and its position was uncannily precise. In Xiwen's eyes, the image of this temple seemed to overlap with the place where he had lived for twenty years.

Yet, Xiwen knew clearly that there was no Ancient One, no Stephen Strange, and no old brothers and sisters there. There was only an equally ancient magical heritage and a completely different system of magic.

By the time Xiwen regained his composure, he realized Dumbledore’s speech was coming to an end.

"I’m afraid I must ask you all to spend the night at my brother Aberforth’s pub, the Hog's Head," Dumbledore said. "Prepare yourselves; tomorrow, we face our final battle!"

...

As a successful ghost who had his own room at Hogwarts, Xiwen did not follow Dumbledore to spend the night at the Hog's Head, choosing instead to remain in the dungeon room with Helena.

"Helena, do you think we can succeed in stopping Grindelwald tomorrow?" Xiwen asked, his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong? Are you lacking confidence?" Helena smiled.

"It’s not about confidence; it’s that I have no idea how things will unfold," Xiwen shook his head, distressed. "Dumbledore hasn’t told me anything. He just told me to 'do what I believe needs to be done,' but I have no idea what that is!"

"Don't overthink it. Perhaps it isn't time for you to act just yet," Helena comforted him. "Maybe tomorrow, Dumbledore will give you a new hint?"

"I hope so." Xiwen frowned, lost in thought.

The night passed in silence.

The next day, everyone gathered on the eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle, inside the Room of Requirement. The room was now quite empty, save for a prayer wheel carved with golden runes placed at the front, and five identical vintage leather suitcases arranged in a circle in the center.

Newt’s assistant, Bunty, was already waiting, looking at everyone with a nervous expression.

"Newt, come take a look at these cases," Dumbledore beckoned. "Can you identify which one is yours?"

Newt looked around carefully and slowly shook his head. "I cannot," he said.

"Good!" Dumbledore smiled. "Otherwise, I would be worried."

He then distributed the entry tickets for the International Confederation of Wizards election to each member, telling them to keep them safe, as they would be unable to enter the final venue without them.

"Mr. Strange, I assume you don't need a ticket to enter the venue, do you?" After handing out the tickets to everyone else, Dumbledore looked at Xiwen and smiled.

"Of course," Xiwen curled his lip.

Dumbledore nodded, smiling, and walked to the front of the room. "Very well, everyone, the final phase is about to begin!" he said solemnly. "Now, each of you choose a suitcase, and then proceed to Bhutan via the prayer wheel."

"Mr. Kowalski, you shall come with me," Dumbledore added, looking at Jacob.

Jacob hesitated for a moment, then nodded and bent down to pick up the suitcase in front of him.

"Ahem!" Dumbledore’s cough rang out.

Jacob straightened up and walked toward a different case, looking at Dumbledore. The professor nodded with a smile.

"Er, Dumbledore," Xiwen suddenly recalled the comical sight of Jacob using a Portkey to reach the train and couldn't help but speak up. "I think I could open a portal directly to Bhutan. That way, Mr. Kowalski wouldn't have to endure the misery of Portkey travel."

Jacob clearly looked tempted, glancing hopefully at Dumbledore.

"That won't be necessary; Mr. Kowalski will accompany me," Dumbledore said, ignoring Jacob’s plea and rejecting Xiwen’s offer without hesitation. "Also, Mr. Strange, I personally advise you to be the last one to leave." Having said this, Dumbledore winked at him.

Xiwen stood frozen.

After Dumbledore and Jacob left, Newt quickly grabbed the suitcase nearby—the very one Jacob had wanted to choose before Dumbledore stopped him. Newt then walked toward the spinning prayer wheel.

"See you all in Bhutan!" Newt said, touching the wheel and vanishing from the Room of Requirement.

Following him, Theseus and Professor Hicks each grabbed a suitcase and departed. Only Xiwen and Bunty remained.

Xiwen watched the scene, lost in thought—what was the meaning of the look Dumbledore had just given him? Was it a hint about what he was truly meant to do?