Dawn leaned against the bookshelf, his movements gentle as he turned the brittle pages in his hands.
[I was not mistaken. I once possessed the Resurrection Stone for a period of time and conducted an in-depth study of its effects.
Based on folk legends, I soaked it in water and fed that water to witches, wizards, and Muggles who were near the end of their lives, only to find that it had no effect on extending lifespan.]
[Additionally, I once placed it into the mouth of a corpse that had only recently died.
Yet even as the body decayed, there was not the slightest sign of resurrection.
As for the rumors claiming that grinding the Resurrection Stone into powder and consuming it could bring results, I hesitated for a long time.
In the end, I could not bear to damage this heirloom and did not attempt it.
But no matter how one looks at it, I can be fairly certain that the Resurrection Stone absolutely does not possess any so-called power of resurrection.]
Seeing that final line, Dawn nodded slightly.
Although the Resurrection Stone carried an illustrious reputation, after acquiring it he had only toyed with it once some time ago and had not invested much effort into studying it.
The reason was simple.
Dawn understood very clearly that resurrection was nothing more than a reflection in a mirror, a moon in the water.
It was not something that could be achieved so easily.
This was not because Dawn blindly trusted some so-called canon, but because he knew exactly how difficult such a feat truly was.
After all, the idea that "death is the end" was deeply ingrained in the subconscious of most people. To allow the collective belief that "resurrection is possible" to override that was almost impossible.
Leaving aside distant examples—
Just consider Egypt, which he had visited not long ago.
The pharaohs had ruled their land and spread their beliefs for nearly three thousand years. Even today, the concept of mummies still fascinated people and inspired countless films.
Yet aside from curses scattered across the land, what had they truly gained?
Despite such immense spans of time and such deeply rooted faith, not a single pharaoh had returned from death.
Could the collective will embedded in a single stone through legends of resurrection truly be stronger than the religious influence of the Egyptian pharaohs?
Obviously not.
Dawn turned the page and continued reading.
[Gradually, after realizing how illusory resurrection truly was, I began to wonder what exactly the apparitions seen through the Resurrection Stone actually were.
Were they souls?
At first, I believed so. But I quickly rejected the idea. If they were souls, how could only the holder of the Resurrection Stone see them, while observers nearby could not?
However, to be more rigorous, I used the Imperius Curse to control others and had them conduct certain tests on the summoned apparitions.]
Oh?
Dawn raised an eyebrow.
A kindred spirit.
[After a series of experiments, I discovered that the Killing Curse had absolutely no effect on these apparitions.
This was understandable, as even ghosts—who are likewise dead—cannot truly be harmed by it.
However, the Cruciatus Curse, which primarily damages the soul and can even have some effect on ghosts, likewise had no effect on these apparitions.
Based on these findings, I believe that the apparitions brought forth by the Resurrection Stone are definitely not souls.]
Dawn nodded in agreement.
Although the author's methods were somewhat crude, Dawn accepted the accuracy of the conclusion.
Then—
What exactly were these apparitions?
When he had summoned the woman's apparition that day, he had carefully examined her using his own abilities, yet he had not seen any trace of magic or distinctive patterns.
Dawn suspected that this was because the natural magic involved in creating the apparition was too thin to detect.
As for the nature of the apparition itself, he leaned toward the idea that it was a construct formed from the holder's own memories.
Continuing to read, Dawn realized that the author's line of thought seemed almost identical to his own.
He was just beginning to feel disappointed when the text suddenly diverged.
[Some have claimed that the apparitions are built entirely from one's own memories. When you converse with them, their responses are simply what you believe they would say.
After much consideration, I find this explanation quite reasonable.
But I am not satisfied.
As one of the Deathly Hallows, the Elder Wand can vastly increase spellcasting power.
When wielded by someone with sufficient magical strength, it can even use simple restoration spells to repair damaged alchemical artifacts.]
[And the Invisibility Cloak allows its user to evade all detection spells. When worn, even curses can be completely ignored.
Then why should the Resurrection Stone be limited to showing nothing more than apparitions constructed from one's own memories?
Although some might consider this ability priceless, I still believe that if this is all it can do, then the Resurrection Stone cannot compare to the other two Deathly Hallows.]
Dawn skimmed through the passage.
But as the meaning registered, his hand froze mid-turn.
Wait—
What did that say?
Dawn blinked and quickly reread the paragraph. When his eyes landed on that line again, they lit up instantly.
The Invisibility Cloak could ignore curses entirely?
He scanned the words again and again. His pupils contracted, and an inexplicable itch tugged at his heart.
He wanted it.
He really wanted it.
Dawn licked his lips.
In the past, he had thought the cloak merely made one invisible and had never felt particularly greedy over it.
But now he learned it could nullify curses?
That was absurdly useful.
Almost instinctively, Dawn began plotting how to obtain it.
The Invisibility Cloak should be in Harry's dormitory, not particularly well hidden. Acquiring it would not be difficult.
The real problem was how to ensure he would not be discovered—and how to avoid implicating his current identity as Leia Hickman.
After thinking briefly, his thoughts tangled without forming anything concrete. Dawn shook his head and set the idea aside for now, returning his attention to the book.
[Though unwilling to accept it, I was unable to uncover any further use for the Resurrection Stone, and gradually abandoned my study of the apparitions.
But one day, a wizard named Kendi used his connections to find me, hoping to borrow the Resurrection Stone so that he could see his wife once more.
I agreed.
My family possessed considerable power, and I was not afraid of others harboring ill intent.
Moreover, lending the Resurrection Stone brought substantial resources, leaving me with no reason to refuse.]
[However. When I observed from the side, I noticed something strange.
As Kendi held the Resurrection Stone, the expression on his face shifted repeatedly, from sorrow and grief to astonishment and fury.
This immediately piqued my curiosity.
But before I could ask, Kendi threw the Resurrection Stone aside and angrily accused me of being a fraud.]
[He claimed the Resurrection Stone was fake, that what he saw was not his wife at all, but merely a stranger with the same face.
How could this be?
Over the years, five or six people had used the Resurrection Stone, and all of them firmly believed in the personalities of the apparitions they saw.
To satisfy my curiosity—and also to punish the insolent wretch who dared insult me—I had him captured and used Veritaserum to extract his secrets.
Kendi told me that his wife had been a kind-hearted, gentle, and perfect Muggle.]
[But the apparition summoned by the Resurrection Stone was sharp-tongued and vicious from the moment they met, mocking Kendi as a self-important freak, a disgusting wizard, and claiming that every day spent with him had been unbearable.
This striking contrast caught my attention. So I went to great lengths to investigate Kendi's Muggle wife.]
[Her name was Catherine, born into an ordinary Muggle family.
Through extracting the memories of those around her, I discovered that she was inherently sharp-tongued and cruel.
Catherine had married Kendi solely to gain access to potions that preserved her beauty. The kindness she displayed had all been an act.
That is to say— The apparition Kendi summoned was not the version of his wife that existed in his memory, but Catherine's true self.
This once again made me wonder what exactly the apparitions summoned by the Resurrection Stone truly were.]
Dawn was completely absorbed, fingers turning the page—only to freeze when he reached the next line.
[I am dying.]
The abrupt shift forced him to pause before he realized that the handwriting had changed. The wild strokes were gone, replaced by something heavy and aged.
Clearly, a long time had passed since the previous entry.
[Some say that death is a great adventure, but when the moment drew near, I found myself far from so carefree.
I felt my body gradually decay, emitting an inescapable stench of rot, and I grew increasingly anxious.
I began to frequently imagine what awaited me after death—whether I would fall into nothingness, or whether a world of the dead truly existed.
This uncertainty sometimes comforted me, and at other times left me deeply unsettled.
And finally, My fear of death overwhelmed my attachment to the Resurrection Stone. ]
[Remembering the scattered legends, I ground a small portion of the stone into powder and swallowed it.
And then—
That very night, I had a most peculiar dream.
In the dream, I returned to the era of the Goblin Rebellions and became a wizard named David Smith.
I lived an incredibly real life in that dream, as if I had truly lived a second existence. Only two days later did I awaken and return to reality.]
[After waking, I sat on my bed for a long time, savoring the experience.
As I felt my frail body, I longed even more for the vigor and strength I had possessed in the dream.
So I eagerly ground down more powder and fell asleep again.
Although the powder of the Resurrection Stone did not extend my lifespan as I had hoped, I thought that if I could sleep long enough, perhaps it could be considered a different form of rebirth.]
[Perhaps it was an illusion, but compared to true death, I would rather drown in fantasy.
I believed I had awakened earlier because I had consumed too little powder. So I ground the entire Resurrection Stone into powder and swallowed it all at once.
But— Everything was different from what I expected.]
The account ended there.
The ink stopped abruptly, and the book had already reached its final page.
___________
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