"Or is there something special about Egypt? Can Merlin only appear within Egyptian territory?"
Dawn rubbed his chin as another possibility surfaced in his mind.
It was not an unreasonable thought. In his dreams, Merlin had seemed to place particular importance on that location.
But Dawn quickly shook his head and dismissed the idea.
He had been to Egypt more than once, yet this was the only time he had encountered anything unusual.
Even if the Grand Sorcerer's appearance really was somehow connected to the location, that could not possibly be the only factor. There had to be something else involved.
Dawn instinctively began thinking it over.
But soon, he stopped.
There was no point. Spending too much effort worrying about the cause would not improve his situation.
What mattered more right now was finding a solution.
Dawn rubbed his chin.
The two methods he had thought of back in the castle resurfaced in his mind, and without hesitation, he decided to pursue both at once.
On one hand, he would continue reading through the Ravenclaw books, searching for Ravenclaw's legacy and, with it, the method the four Founders had used when creating the Sorting Hat to isolate it from natural magic.
On the other hand, he needed to find a way to deal with the legendary Grand Sorcerer who had triggered the World Correction and had clearly positioned himself against Dawn.
Still...
How should he put it?
Call it confidence or arrogance, but Dawn truly felt no reverence whatsoever toward this legendary wizard of myth.
So what if Merlin had a great reputation?
If Dawn wished to, then at most another hundred years from now, the name "Dawn Richter" could just as easily be recorded in history as that of a god.
Dawn had absolute confidence in that.
But then again...
"Why does it feel like the entire world is against me?"
The corner of Dawn's eye twitched as he thought back over all the hardships he had endured throughout the years. Even he found the situation absurd.
Voldemort, Dumbledore, and now the suddenly appearing Grand Sorcerer. It seemed that he had crossed paths with practically every famous wizard who had a name.
Surely...
He would not have to fight the four Founders one by one next, would he?
At that thought, Dawn's face twitched. He hurriedly shook his head and banished the ominous idea from his mind.
He counted on his fingers for quite some time and discovered that among all the powerful wizards he knew, the only person who could even be considered a friend was half of Nicolas Flamel.
Dawn felt speechless.
At that moment, he finally realized the virtues of having an alchemical master as an ally. He could finally let go completely of Flamel's despicable betrayal in Jerusalem.
Dawn sighed softly for the departed Nicolas. Then, being the somewhat petty person he was, he recovered and turned his attention back to Merlin.
Perhaps Dawn had not noticed it, but his years of constantly dealing with powerful enemies were precisely what allowed him to remain relatively calm when Merlin suddenly appeared and displayed hostility toward him.
Inside the wooden hut.
Dawn poured himself a cup of tea.
He took a small sip and continued recalling his brief encounter with Merlin.
Almost unconsciously, he reached out and touched the ribs in his chest that had been struck by the Stunning Spell.
They had already healed, yet seemed to ache faintly even now.
Merlin's spell was truly powerful. It was not merely the magical effect. Even the impact force that accompanied it was in a league of its own.
Dawn was not certain whether this was some manifestation of what was known as an Obscurus.
Earlier, everything had happened too suddenly.
Before he could even examine Merlin's special pattern, the Grand Sorcerer had already vanished without a trace.
But that was not the most important issue.
Once he regarded Merlin as a hypothetical enemy, Dawn decided that the most troublesome aspect of the man was his disgusting ability to appear and disappear at any moment.
If Dawn wanted to eliminate this fellow, then at the very least, he needed to understand that characteristic better and determine whether there were any conditions governing when Merlin could appear and disappear.
Dawn rested his chin on his hand and fell into deep thought.
But as he continued thinking, he suddenly froze.
FUCK! How had he gone all the way around and ended up back at the very question he had started with?
"Tch. What a nuisance."
Dawn rubbed his temples in frustration. An intangible enemy really was troublesome. It would be much easier to simply have a straight-up fight with Voldemort.
Still...
It was not as though he was completely helpless.
Dawn reached into his wallet and rummaged around for a moment before taking out an exquisite, brilliantly gleaming ring with a hollowed-out section.
It was the Gaunt family's heirloom ring, the very ring that had once held the Resurrection Stone.
He turned it over in his hand.
Dawn still remembered what Merlin had once said.
His disconnection from the world could be alleviated to a certain extent by following the course of destiny.
Then...
What if Dawn gave this Horcrux to Harry and let him destroy it?
What if he mentioned Merlin's name during the process, indirectly allowing the Grand Sorcerer to become involved?
Could that cause Merlin to appear completely in the real world and lose his state of being unable to be observed or interacted with?
Dawn pondered the possibility. Ignoring the shrieking of Voldemort's soul inside his mind, he held the ring tightly, his expression uncertain.
On one hand, he felt that the idea was certainly worth trying, and there was a good chance it would actually work.
But on the other hand, he kept remembering the sense of unease his wizard's instincts had given him when he destroyed Slytherin's Locket.
Did destroying Horcruxes somehow have an adverse effect on him?
Dawn wrestled with the question in his chair for a long time.
In the end, he let out a breath and slipped the ring back into his wallet, temporarily abandoning the tempting idea.
He could not act recklessly.
Dawn reminded himself of that again and again.
Although he had always believed that taking action was better than sitting still, acting carelessly without understanding the hidden dangers would most likely only make the situation worse.
"So I still need the information from the dreams."
Dawn narrowed his eyes as he sighed at the dilemma before him.
If he could learn what Merlin and Lai had done with the collective consciousness in Egypt, he would have a much easier time dealing with the problem.
But then...
What about his safety while dreaming?
Another problem occurred to Dawn.
What if Merlin attacked him during that time and took the Invisibility Cloak? Wouldn't everything be over?
Was he supposed to gamble on the effectiveness of the Fidelius Charm, or on Merlin having some restriction that meant he could not conveniently appear at exactly that moment?
Dawn frowned.
There was no way he could accept such a completely unsafe gamble.
After thinking for a moment, he stood up, intending to pay a visit to the long-neglected Slughorn.
He wanted to ask the Potions Master whether the wizarding world possessed some extraordinary potion that could allow a person to remain asleep while still retaining consciousness.
Well...
Although the idea sounded extremely contradictory and completely against common sense, Dawn firmly believed that in the magical world, nothing was absolutely impossible.
°Apparate°
He spoke the incantation for Apparition. But just before the magical flames carried Dawn away, he hurriedly canceled the spell.
As a precaution, Dawn decided to pack up all the books and valuables he had left inside the wooden hut and carry them with him.
That way, Merlin could not potentially break in and steal everything while he was gone.
Compared to this hut, the person Dawn trusted most was himself.
There was another burst of clattering and banging.
Only after he had thoroughly swept the place clean did Dawn nod in satisfaction and once again silently cast Apparition.
Pop!
A rush of air rolled outward.
Dawn's figure vanished from the Vatican. His surroundings changed in an instant, and he appeared in front of a peculiar stone house.
It was a beautiful night.
Stars filled the sky, while the moonlight was soft and gentle.
Inside the stone house, the fire in the hearth flickered. A cauldron on a nearby rack bubbled with golden liquid, releasing a pleasant fragrance as it was stirred.
The Potions Master tightened his grip on his wand.
Faced with the Felix Felicis he had brewed hundreds, perhaps even a thousand times before, his movements were relaxed and practiced.
Yet his brows kept furrowing from time to time as he suspiciously glanced around.
For some reason, he could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.
And that heavy, ominous feeling...
"Mr. Ryan!"
Inside the empty house, Slughorn suddenly shouted.
He warily looked around. Only after waiting for quite some time without anyone appearing did he slowly relax.
Lowering his head, the Potions Master continued stirring.
But not long afterward, he suddenly raised his head again and shouted without warning, "Mr. Ryan!"
His voice echoed through the stone house.
Slughorn repeated the process again and again, behaving almost like a deranged madman.
Only after the potion had finished brewing and been sealed inside a crystal bottle did he finally let out a long sigh, lamenting that he had become far too jumpy.
But who could blame him for being so cautious?
He valued this batch of potions, as well as the organization that had placed the order, far too highly.
Some time ago, for reasons he did not understand, the International Confederation of Wizards had suddenly approached him and requested a batch of high-grade potions.
Naturally, Slughorn had readily agreed. He did not even mind sacrificing a considerable amount of his time for the order.
Just think about it!
The Potions Master specifically selected and trusted by the International Confederation of Wizards.
For a Potions Master who loved fame and vanity, that was practically his ultimate weakness.
Perhaps...
If things continued like this, his name might one day even appear on Chocolate Frog Cards, with every young witch and wizard scrambling to collect it.
Slughorn sank into a beautiful fantasy, chuckled foolishly, and wiped the corner of his mouth. He picked up the crystal bottle, intending to put it away first.
But!
His hand had barely risen thirty centimeters when another hand suddenly seized his wrist, rendering him completely immobile.
Slughorn's expression instantly stiffened.
Unwilling to believe what was happening, he slowly followed the arm upward.
When a red-eyed boy entered his field of vision, his heart plunged straight to the bottom of his chest.
Ah! He knew it!
That feeling of unease earlier had absolutely not been unfounded!
Why did this bastard always show up whenever he was brewing Felix Felicis?
"Ahem... Good evening, sir."
Slughorn was screaming internally, but he knew better than to resist. He released the bottle.
"Long time no see. You have come to see me. Is there something you require my assistance with?"
"Yes. Something like that."
Dawn nodded and naturally slipped the potion into his robes.
"There is something I need to ask a professional about."
He had no time to waste and went straight to the point.
"Slughorn, I need a potion that will allow me to remain aware of the outside world after I fall asleep. Do you have any suggestions?"
The Potions Master froze.
"You mean the Draught of Living Death?"
Afraid Dawn would not understand, he explained:
"This potion places the drinker into a state of complete hibernation.
Their vital signs drop to the absolute minimum, but the brain retains a certain degree of subconscious awareness.
For example, after falling asleep, the person can still hear someone speaking and understand what they mean, but they cannot control their body or respond."
Slughorn gave him an example.
Dawn had consumed the Draught of Living Death several times before and knew its effects very well. He frowned in dissatisfaction.
"Is that all you can suggest? Or do you have a way to take its effects further?"
He made his requirements clear.
"It doesn't need to be too extreme. I only need to be able to dream while simultaneously dealing with things happening in the outside world."
Slughorn's face twitched violently.
What in Merlin's name was this man talking about?
The Potions Master was genuinely struggling. He had not personally seen Dawn for some time, and he had apparently forgotten just how inhuman these unreasonable demands could be.
"That..."
Slughorn carefully chose his words, doing his best to sound sincere.
"Mr. Ryan..."
"Call me Richter!"
Dawn waved a hand, interrupting him. His expression instantly turned displeased as he stared straight at the Potions Master.
"My name is Dawn Richter!"
What?
Why was this happening now?
Richter... Did that surname have some extraordinary significance?
Slughorn truly did not understand. He could only conclude that the little fellow was more than a little unwell. Still, he naturally changed the way he addressed him.
"I understand, Mr. Richter."
He paused before returning to the previous subject.
"Although this is merely my humble opinion, as far as I know, there does not seem to be any potion capable of allowing someone to dream while simultaneously..."
"Fifteen days!"
The Potions Master's words were ruthlessly interrupted again.
Dawn had no interest in listening to difficulties or excuses. He simply stated his demand.
"Within fifteen days. Whether you find one or create one, I require you to brew the potion I want. That's all."
It's happening again!
It's happening again!
That unreasonable demand, that complete disregard for whether another person lives or dies!
The Potions Master's benevolent reputation in the newspapers really was all fake!
Slughorn cursed furiously inside his head. Yet at that very moment, beneath his frustration, he somehow felt a strange sense of relief.
Everything was normal again.
Oh no.
He had apparently been conditioned.
Slughorn's body stiffened. A wave of sorrow washed over him.
But before he could say anything, a flame suddenly ignited out of thin air.
Pop!
Having issued his demand, Dawn did not want to look at the Potions Master's funeral-like old face any longer. He simply left.
A moment later, mournful cries echoed from the stone house.
After leaving the Potions Master's residence, Dawn did not slacken for even a moment. He continued thinking about what he needed to do next.
First, he had to continue searching for magic that would allow him to remain half-asleep and half-awake.
He could not possibly place all his hopes on Slughorn and potions. During this period, he also intended to search through books for an alternative.
But before that, Dawn wanted to find out what his identity had become now.
Pop!
A flash of fire.
When Dawn appeared again, he was already standing in front of Mr. Richter's residence in Kensington, West London.
It was already deep into the night.
Using the Disillusionment Charm and Alohomora, he entered the house. After a brief search, he found his "biological father" watching television after taking a bath.
Dawn did not say a word and immediately began reading his memories.
Scene after scene flashed rapidly before his eyes.
Dawn focused particularly on anything related to himself, but he soon discovered that throughout Mr. Richter's more than forty years of life, there was no trace of Dawn whatsoever.
His first wife was still Mrs. Sophia, but the two of them had never had any children together. He had only had a son and a daughter with his current wife.
"As expected..."
Dawn exhaled slowly. He had anticipated this, so he did not appear particularly shaken.
After taking one last look at his completely unaware "biological father," he turned and left.
Afterward, he went to Kent and found the Ryan family's house.
It was still covered in dust. Nothing had changed.
Dawn then broke into a nearby neighbor's home, grabbed a random man, and once again began reading the relevant memories.
The experiences of the Ryans were not much different from what he had originally learned. They had likewise moved away two years ago and had adopted a boy.
However...
This time, Dawn saw something new in the man's memories.
The Ryan couple had gained another biological child.
The only problem was that the child had not wanted to live overseas and had therefore remained here alone.
Wasn't that far too contrived?
What parent would go abroad and willingly leave their own child behind in the country all alone?
Dawn curled his lips speechlessly.
But then he suddenly remembered what had happened when Professor McGonagall had come to give him his pre-Hogwarts guidance.
At the time, this famously responsible Deputy Headmistress had apparently noticed that he was alone, yet had simply ignored it without asking anything about his parents.
"So many flaws in these false memories, and I never noticed any of them?"
Dawn clicked his tongue, his mood complicated. He was irritated with himself for having remained completely oblivious until now.
But he quickly composed himself and continued searching through the man's memories, moving further back.
Then Dawn saw a boy with the exact same face as himself living harmoniously with the Ryan couple.
Was this Lai's genuine past?
Or was it merely a fabricated memory casually created by natural magic during the process of modifying reality?
That thought flashed through Dawn's mind, but he did not dwell on it.
Having satisfied his curiosity, he casually tossed the man aside and disappeared from Kent.
And so...
Time slipped away.
Everything continued moving forward.
The days passed quickly.
During this period, Dawn spent most of his time in the Hogwarts library, searching for magic that might help him.
And in order to guard against Merlin appearing at any moment, he completely abandoned sleep, relying entirely on potions to force himself through the days.
Not being able to see the images in his dreams, with only one or two fragmented sentences available to him, was not enough to justify risking sleep.
Besides...
Every so often, Dawn would narrow his eyes and examine the natural magic in his surroundings, making certain that he had not experienced another World Correction since the previous incident.
But this did nothing to improve his mood.
Instead, it felt as though he were standing beneath a guillotine that had been raised but had yet to fall, leaving him increasingly anxious.
Fortunately...
Fourteen days after his encounter with Merlin, Slughorn finally brought him some good news.
The potion that could allow a person to sleep while remaining awake had been successfully developed.
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