In the original timeline, the bedroom had portraits of Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Neville on the ceiling, but only his and Luna's were there.
It was hard to say if his interference was good or bad…
However, since it had already happened, Ivan quickly composed himself and chatted with the young witch about the interesting daily happenings.
Luna also took out the bottle containing the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. After more than a year of cultivation, the creature had doubled in size, and if it had not been for the powerful Extension Charm that had been placed on the bottle, it would not have been able to hold it.
They spent the rest of the morning chatting happily, but, regrettably, Xenophilius did not show any signs of breaking free from the illusion.
Xenophilius was able to retain some of his wits and, under Luna's persuasion, handed over his notes on the Deathly Hallows to Ivan.
… .
In the evening, outside the Novgood House, Ivan flipped through his thick notebook, his brows furrowing and then relaxing.
Xenophilius studied the Deathly Hallows for several years, going through almost all the information he could find and analysing all the relevant histories and legends.
Perhaps because he never actually obtained any of the Deathly Hallows, and because his wife was mentally unstable after her death, the notebook was full of wild conjectures.
Xenophilius alone suggested a dozen different possibilities for the makers of the Deathly Hallows, some of them contradictory.
However, Ivan was inspired by one of these bold conjectures…
Xenophilius believed that the Deathly Hallows may have come from a single individual, a powerful wizard with a talent for alchemy that was beyond the reach of ordinary men, who sought to conquer death in an attempt to gain the authority of Death.
The proof is the function and significance of each of the three Deathly Hallows.
First was the Elder Wand… which granted the user the ability to fight to the death in battle.
The second is the Cloak of Invisibility, which provides comprehensive protection from misfortune.
As for the final Resurrection Stone, it could reverse life and death, pulling the souls of the dead back from the bottomless abyss.
Of all the dark rituals Ivan knew about, the hardest one was to recall the souls of the dead. The Resurrection Stone could do this with ease, and mastering it was like having a gateway to the living and dead.
It can be imagined that any wizard who possesses all three of these Hallows would be almost as powerful as the living Death, possessing the ability to reverse life and death, as well as the ability to do so in a defensive manner.
This may be the origin of the legend that if you collect all three of the Sacred Weapons, you can become the Master of Death…
Xenophilius went so far as to suggest that the true form of Death in the story was this powerful wizard, who summoned his three sons to him when he was nearing the end of his life, and made them each choose to inherit a Deathly Hallows.
Xenophilius's guess was undoubtedly good, but there were also contradictions. If his guess was correct, then the makers of the three artifacts had conquered death, and could return through the Resurrection Stone even in their dying days.
Of course, it is also possible that he was betrayed during this period, or that he suddenly had an epiphany and accepted death…
Additionally, from what Grindelwald had told him, the three Hallows seemed to hold some sort of mystery, or needed to be activated somehow.
The Elder Wand needed to overcome its previous owner, and the Cloak of Invisibility had shown other abilities in Grindelwald's hands. The only thing left was the Resurrection Stone.
Ivan was lost in thought, rubbing his chin. During his time in the North American Magical Congress, Grindelwald claimed that it was a spell that even Dumbledore could not break.
"Perhaps these Deathly Hallows were made by Death himself, like in the legends…" Luna's melodious voice suddenly rang out in the silent night.
Ivan turned his head to look at the young witch, who was looking out into the forest. "Why do you think so?"
"Because it's funny, isn't it?" Luna whispered, blinking.
Yvonne laughed. It was funny.
Ivan looked up at the brilliant night sky and asked quietly, "What do you think Grindelwald was talking about?"
"Death can't lie, so the stone he gave Cadmus must have brought back the girl he loved…" Luna said, shaking her head.
"But Death was also very cunning. He wanted to torture Cadmus, and if I were that Death, I would place a spell on the Resurrection Stone — so that when Cadmus stopped thinking about bringing back the girl he loved, he would finally be able to see her soul."
Ivan was left stunned by Luna's words.
"Did I say something wrong?" Luna asked Ivan, confused.
"No, maybe you're right… it's possible, it's possible!" Ivan muttered to himself, which corresponded to Grindelwald's claim about the maze.
With Dumbledore's knowledge of magic, there is only one thing in the world that can stump him, and that is his feelings and guilt towards his family.
In the original timeline, Dumbledore stated that one of the most important reasons he was so desperate for the Deathly Hallows was to bring his dead sister back to life and gain the understanding of his family.
If Luna is right, then Dumbledore will not be able to break through.
Of course, it was not necessarily Death who cast the spell. It is possible that the creator did not want the Resurrection Stone's power to be abused, and thus placed this restriction.
"Let's try it now…" Ivan was excited to have a target and eagerly dragged Luna back to the Novgoode house.
Xenophilius had just finished preparing supper when they arrived at the drawing room. When Ivan and Luna entered the room, Xenophilius was delighted to join them. Luna's "mother" was leaning against Xenophilius. Even though they could not touch, they looked like a couple in love.
Ivan sighed to himself. He had never felt the power of the Resurrection Stone's bewitchment until now.
He had no doubt that Xenophilius, like the legendary second brother of the three brothers, Cadmus, would commit suicide in order to truly be with his wife.
"What's the matter with you?" Xenophilius asked as he pulled out the chair in the drawing room. He was surprised to see them standing there, unmoving.
When Ivan saw Xenophilius's intoxicated expression, he didn't know how to persuade him otherwise. He thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. Xenophilius's body shook violently, and he fell back into his chair and fell asleep.
"I'm sorry, Luna…" Yvonne looked at the witch apologetically.
The little witch shook her head, not caring. Letting Xenophilius sleep without realising was probably the best course of action.
Ivan stepped forward, opened Xenophilius's clenched right hand, and removed the Resurrection Stone. After a moment's hesitation, he decided not to experiment on it there. Instead, he left Luna to take care of Xenophilius while he used Apparition to travel to an uninhabited cliff nearby.
As the cold wind blew, Ivan took a deep breath and turned the crystal three times.
He did not know how to break the spell cast on the Resurrection Stone, but he would have to face it first.
While Ivan was thinking, five figures appeared in front of him. In addition to Dumbledore, Nicolas Flamel, and Orlando Hals, there were also two middle-aged couples with dark hair and dark eyes.
Ivan's body quivered as he stared at the familiar faces of his parents in his previous life!
(PS: If you can't find the card, you might as well post both chapters together…)