Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures - H.P.S.T Chapter 1723: The Truth of the World

For a time, Evan had believed that beyond the Veil of Death lay the world of the dead. But this place was merely a space created by Herpo the Foul after he became a god of death — a realm suspended between reality and the Shadow Realm, utterly incomparable to the true world of the dead.

The Shadow Realm was the true resting place for the souls of the dead!

If what Dumbledore had said was true, then the Shadow Realm was far from peaceful.

It was both a resting place for the souls of the dead and the main battlefield between the deceased and evil gods.

These so-called evil gods were not limited to the Devouring God and the God of Death. According to the ancient records Evan had previously researched and the information he had gathered, evil gods existed in ancient magical civilizations around the world, and in great numbers.

He could not imagine what it would be like to confront multiple evil gods at once — it would be unimaginably difficult. Even if countless powerful spellcasters, each of whom had left an indelible mark on the history of magic, were fighting side by side there, it would still be an overwhelming struggle.

Death was not the end, but the beginning of another great journey.

Only now did Evan gain a deeper understanding of this statement. He finally understood why only those with true courage and wisdom could face death with equanimity and choose to move forward.

Because what awaited them was an even harsher battle — one from which there was no retreat.

It was not an easy choice, but some things had to be done by someone.

Those who had passed on were fighting with even greater courage, protecting the living in their own way.

Perhaps what sustained them was the power of love that Dumbledore had spoken of, while those with evil intentions, or those who could not resist temptation, would ultimately fall into darkness, wreaking havoc on the world alongside the creations of the evil gods, spreading fear and despair wantonly.

Evan pondered these things. Beyond the meaning of death, he also gained a faint but profound insight into the magical laws that governed the world. Combining what he had witnessed here, the fact that the space created by Herpo was being consumed by another realm, the information he had obtained from the Titan god of space, and the secrets he had uncovered by following in the footsteps of the Four Founders of Hogwarts, he gradually came to realize that the world might be a composite of multiple coexisting dimensions: the real world, the Shadow Realm, the realms inhabited by the evil gods, and the void from which they were born.

Each world, in turn, was divided into many layers — for example, the non-magical world Evan had come from before his crossing, and worlds where magic existed. These realms existed in parallel, subtly influencing one another in unseen ways.

At that moment, his understanding of the laws of space became far clearer.

“Although there is no concept of time passing here, I believe it is about time for you to return,” Dumbledore said slowly after a long silence. “Voldemort has already obtained the magic needed to become an evil god from the ruins left by Herpo. You must go back and stop him. His defeat is inevitable, but this world has already borne too much suffering — we cannot allow him to continue his destruction.”

“But Professor…”

Evan felt that he still had so much to say, yet in that brief moment, he did not know where to begin.

The conversation with Dumbledore had resolved many questions that had troubled him for so long, and at the same time, it had revealed a much broader world to him, far exceeding his imagination.

If this was the truth of this world, Evan hadn’t yet figured out if he was capable of facing it.

He suddenly realized that his adventure wasn’t nearing its end, but had only just begun.

“People always want to do everything perfectly, to think every plan through as thoroughly as possible. But in reality, that way of thinking is futile and unrealistic,” Dumbledore said, seemingly seeing through his doubts, and continued, “Doing your best in what you should be doing now is enough. Your mission now is to return to the real world, stop Voldemort from becoming a new evil god, and prevent a greater evil from descending. This is the test left to you by the Four Founders of Hogwarts. You have already found the secret treasure they left behind, but the test is not yet over.”

Evan nodded, then immediately thought of something else.   

“Aren’t you coming back with me?”

“I am already dead, Evan. We just discussed this, remember?” Dumbledore said with a gentle smile. “From any perspective, a dead person returning to life is not something that brings happiness. And I must continue onward — I have my own reasons. They are not as noble as you imagine; they are simply my own wishes. Where your treasure lies, there lies your heart!”

“Where your treasure lies, there lies your heart!” Evan didn’t understand the meaning of that sentence for a moment.

“Yes,” Dumbledore said simply.

He turned his gaze to the end of the mist, where the runes formed by the three plaques were still spinning.

From the other side, from the endless void, came eerie sounds, the wails of the dead.

“Of course, you may also choose to continue forward. The final battlefield is ahead.” Dumbledore paused. “Although in my opinion, it’s not yet time for you to join the battle, because there are more important missions waiting for you, and people who love you are waiting for you to return. But in any case, the choice is yours. Whether you go forward or back, it will require great courage.”

Silence fell again. Evan looked at Dumbledore, and Dumbledore smiled back.

He knew the choice was his, and the other was waiting.

It was time to go back and end it all!

Just as he reached that conclusion, the entire space — once calm — began to tremble again. Dumbledore’s figure gradually blurred, and something seemed about to surge forth from the center of the three plaques.

It was a greenish-blue Philosopher’s Stone, the key to Slytherin’s secret treasure.

It was about the same size as the gems left by Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and it carried a strange, distinctive power.

Amid the violent shaking of space, it emerged from the center of the plaques and shot rapidly towards Evan.

“It seems you have made your choice. Then let us part for now, Evan! This Philosopher’s Stone contains the power of the Twin Serpent Staff. The Beacon left by Salazar Slytherin will guide you back to your place. That Beacon is with someone I trust most. Lastly, I wish you good luck.” Dumbledore’s body had almost faded away, but his voice still resonated loudly in Evan’s ears.

A strange magic surged through him, and Evan felt his body become ethereal once more.

It was the same sensation he had experienced earlier when he cast that spell in Ravenclaw’s castle — his body was being transformed into magic itself.

The Philosopher’s Stone left by Slytherin was protecting him as he rapidly ascended into the void.

At this very moment, at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, all the important members of the Order of the Phoenix were gathered.

“Based on the information we’ve obtained so far, after Voldemort emerged from that door in the Department of Mysteries, he went straight to Hogwarts,” Kingsley Shacklebolt said, his face grim as he looked around at those present and shared the intelligence they had gathered. “It seems he plans to construct something in the Forbidden Forest on the school grounds. No one knows exactly what he’s doing. Except for a very few, he hasn’t even allowed other Death Eaters to get close.”

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