"Is this the Virgin Mary?"
In the dim light of dawn, a man wearing a golden crown spoke.
Before him stood a blind old man, feeling his way around as he painted on the canvas.
"Yes," the old man answered.
"This is the god of the foreigners," said the king. "Have you forgotten our own gods?"
"More people will buy the god of the foreigners now."
"I should hang you and let you return to the Virgin Mary's embrace."
"You're welcome to do so, sir. My family died in the wars of gods, and my eyes were gouged out by foreigners. Our god or theirs, it makes no difference. They do not care about the life or death of an old blind man."
"Only nobility can reach Avalon after death, only brave warriors can go to Valhalla, and only believers who have donated to the church can enjoy heaven. I'm just a hungry old blind man who can't go to those good places. I'll always go to hell. Whether it's the hell of the Celts, the underworld of the Vikings, or the purgatory of the Saxons, there's no difference."
"You are a non-believer. But why do they all buy your paintings?"
...
"Teacher, why does someone who resents the gods paint them with such compassion?"
A poet holding a harp looked at his teacher.
"Because the person who painted this picture understands the suffering of this world better than the real gods and their messengers."
"He knows that these sufferings are not tests from the gods, not steps towards heaven, not guarantees for happiness in the next life. They are just suffering."
"Suffering does not bring happiness, growth, or any good outcome. It simply presses hard on people, forcing them to bear and endure it. He did not beautify the suffering, thus he feels more compassion for those in suffering."
"What he painted is no longer important, whether it's the Virgin Mary or Bridget. What matters is the god in his heart, his own god. This is what we're looking for."
"A god who is not a god."
"The portrait comes to life!"
...
"As a restraint for wizards, a vow needs a power stronger than the wizards themselves to ensure its enforcement. It is the Virgin Mary, who can survive on the faith of foreigners and even possess some powers close to those of gods."
In the forest, a group of wizards gathered.
An old man leaning on a wooden staff spoke.
"Also, a portrait is purer than a person, ensuring that after our death, it will still monitor the vow according to our wishes."
"But, teacher..."
"What if it develops its own consciousness and believes itself to be a god? What if future wizards no longer have the power to confront a god? Could it become a new deity?"
"The compassion and love imbued by the painter will serve as its most fundamental emotions towards humans. It will see humans as its children, preventing it from enslaving people like real gods."
The old man said, choosing this portrait over other more powerful vessels for this reason.
"Of course, it might mutate, but there's no perfect plan. We've made the best arrangement, and the future can only be left to the future."
"Its power will also be limited by the vow, not too much stronger than the wizards. If it becomes an enemy of the wizards in the future, then we look forward to the moment when future wizards defeat it."
"Perhaps that will be the opportunity to solve the problems we couldn't."
...
The moment the Virgin Mary was pulled into the black ship, she found herself back on the riverbank where she first became conscious.
Before the painting frame, in the faint morning light, an old man holding a wooden staff sat opposite her.
"I've failed," said the Virgin Mary.
"No, you have completed your mission."
"The long trial is over, they have defeated the gatekeeper."
"What comes next is the real adventure."
...
After the ritual magic support was lost, the portal to the spirit world finally closed, and the black ship and the lake vanished from Murphy's sight.
At the same time, the hall began to collapse.
This true chamber, which connected two worlds, became unstable in its connection to the real world after the previous severe pulling. Large stones began to fall from the walls, and the snake-shaped containers holding the students also shattered continuously.
Dumbledore used a slowing charm to stop the falling debris, and together with Murphy and Grindelwald, opened the containers to protect them within a shield.
Then they led everyone, along with the shattered chamber, back to the real world.
The broken ritual hall crashed to the ground, almost filling the original chamber, even the snake creature was buried underneath—since Voldemort was in a hurry to complete the ritual, it did not participate in the magic circle and avoided being taken by the black ship, but it was buried alive, whether it was lucky or unfortunate was hard to say.
It likely didn't die, but there was no time to deal with it now.
Voldemort's ritual had drained too much magic from the students, leaving them all unconscious, and many were in critical condition.
Dumbledore attempted to sacrifice himself, using the connection he had established with the students to transfer his own magic into their bodies.
But Murphy stopped him, "I've noticed that you seem to have been trying to destroy yourself since leaving Hogwarts. You just want to die honorably, right?"
After leaving Hogwarts, especially after deciding to battle Murphy, Dumbledore's actions were almost suicidal, often fighting Murphy with a mindset of mutual destruction.
"What, is there nothing left in this world for you?"
Murphy said, finding Snape, who was almost crushed as well, and giving him a magic stone to start brewing potions to replenish the students' magic.
The students were just magically exhausted. With a magic stone, a tool with virtually unlimited magic to some extent, couldn't they save them?
"I'm just a broken old man," Dumbledore said, "I belong to an old era, and I can no longer fit into the future you envision."
"I stand here only as an obstacle to you."
Murphy frowned, "I think you're just too pessimistic. Maybe it's just the emptiness and lack of direction and purpose after retirement. It's a common phenomenon in Muggle society, retirement syndrome. Many people regard their work as their life's mission, and once retired, feel everything they fought for has vanished, leading to feelings of loss, anxiety, depression, and the like."
"This is just a normal phenomenon after a major life change. You might just need some rest and to find a new path for yourself..."
___________________
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