Everyone stared as if they'd seen a ghost.

No, Dumbledore was already dead — they had seen a ghost.

The figure lying on the grass stirred, slowly turning over and sitting up. A dazed expression appeared beneath his half-lidded eyes. His weathered hands moved shakily to his chest and face, full of disbelief.

His voice, raspy at first, grew louder:

"I... I should be dead. What happened?"

"Professor Dumbledore!"

As soon as Malrick released the mental restraint he had placed on the crowd, Harry Potter darted forward and wrapped his arms around the old man.

"You're alive... No, you were dead, but now you're back!" Harry said breathlessly, gripping Dumbledore's shoulders, nearly choking on his own emotion.

"It's really you. You're okay!"

Dumbledore had been more than just a mentor to Harry. Most of his family had perished at Voldemort's hands — and Dumbledore was one of the few constants he had left.

The shock of seeing him return, alive and breathing, overwhelmed him.

Despite his effort to stay composed, tears streamed down his cheeks.

He looked into Dumbledore's now-vibrant eyes, wanting to say so much, yet all he could manage was a choked, "It's great... it's really great."

"Harry, it's alright. Everything's alright now," Dumbledore said softly, still disoriented but gently wiping Harry's tears away. He embraced the boy, then glanced around and noticed Professor McGonagall nearby, with dozens of stunned students behind her.

Their expressions ranged from awe to sheer confusion.

Some whispered — though with their shock, few remembered to whisper quietly.

"Fred, did you see that? Dumbledore just came back to life!"

"Of course I did! Merlin's pants, George, what do you think that guy — the one hotter than Sirius — gave him to drink?"

"Shush! Don't bring up Sirius in front of Harry! Also, I bet that was Felix Felicis!"

"Felix Felicis? That brought him back to life? No way! That's gotta be dew from the Goblin Forest — I read about it in ancient scrolls!"

"You mean the Goblin Forest? The one Merlin visited?"

Their speculations got wilder by the second, and the whispers turned into loud chatter as they glanced from Dumbledore to Malrick.

Despite what he'd done — something bordering on miraculous — Malrick stood quietly, his calm presence somehow more intimidating than the spectacle itself.

He looked like someone who could command Death and expect it to obey.

Professor McGonagall finally had to raise her wand and cast, "Sonorus!"

"Silence, everyone! The Headmaster is alright. The funeral is canceled. Return to your dormitories at once!"

She turned to Hagrid: "Escort them back and return afterward."

Hagrid gave a reluctant nod, but the students didn't budge. Gryffindors especially refused to miss out on the biggest mystery Hogwarts had seen in years.

One after another, they insisted they had a right to know what had happened — even citing Dumbledore's previous death as justification.

McGonagall sighed and relented, but reminded them firmly to keep quiet.

Dumbledore, however, didn't mind. In fact, he seemed to enjoy being surrounded by the students again.

"Minerva... what happened after I fell from the Astronomy Tower—" His gaze shifted mid-sentence. "Ah, it's you, Mr. Malrick?"

He had been about to question McGonagall but now turned to face the five unfamiliar figures who had stayed mostly in the background.

Tony Stark and the others, dressed in sleek modern attire, had stood out from the beginning — but Dumbledore's mind, still reeling from his resurrection, had taken time to catch up.

"We meet again, Professor Dumbledore. We did say we'd meet again, didn't we?" Malrick said, hands clasped behind his back.

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed with realization.

"So it was you… You brought me back, didn't you? I don't know how to thank you."

"It was nothing," Malrick replied evenly.

Dumbledore shook his head. "That can't be called 'nothing'. You used something precious on me, didn't you?"

He opened his hand, revealing a small jade bottle.

"I can feel the magic in this. A potion like this isn't just rare — it's sacred. I'm grateful, truly. But using something so powerful on me... it feels like a waste."

The old wizard's voice trembled slightly. He knew he had been cursed by a Horcrux — a slow, unavoidable death. That was why he had arranged for his own demise at the Astronomy Tower. His death had been a strategic sacrifice meant to help defeat Voldemort.

He wasn't sure if coming back now was part of the plan — or something that would unravel it.

Malrick remained composed.

"That was Zeus Spring Water. As long as the soul hasn't dissipated and the body is still intact, it can bring someone back."

"A treasure like that..." Dumbledore muttered, brushing the bottle with reverence.

"It should be used on the most valuable people," Malrick said simply. "You shouldn't have died at the hands of Death Eaters, Professor."

Thankfully, Dumbledore's soul had remained undamaged — otherwise, more magic might have been required to restore him.

Dumbledore gave a faint smile and leaned on Harry's shoulder as he stood.

"Such a resource... I can't imagine it being easily replenished. Some must be lost with every use. That's a shame."

"It's already used," Malrick replied. "No need to dwell on it."

Which was technically true — even though the original source was massive, every drop used still diminished it.

Dumbledore straightened, more lucid now.

"I haven't asked... are you from the Ministry of Magic?"

He paused, then chuckled, "Forgive me — perhaps you're agents Gellert invited?"

Malrick blinked, momentarily speechless.

Even after resurrection, Dumbledore still linked things back to Grindelwald. Typical.

"No. We're from Kamar-Taj. We came to Hogwarts to exchange knowledge," Malrick replied clearly.

"Kamar-Taj?" Dumbledore echoed.

"It's in the Himalayas," said Wong, stepping forward. "We practice the Mystic Arts. Revered Malrick is our Sorcerer Supreme."

This was the first time Wong had spoken — but his timing was impeccable. He wouldn't let the Sorcerer Supreme introduce himself like some unknown wizard.

"Sorcerer Supreme..." Dumbledore murmured, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "The Himalayas... the domain of the ancient mystics. I've read of it in fragments, but never met someone from there directly."

He extended a hand: "It's an honor. Forgive me — I've been so caught up, I forgot to introduce the Hogwarts faculty."

He gestured toward McGonagall, then to Professor Slughorn and the rest, giving brief but respectful introductions.

Malrick responded by introducing Tony, Mordo, Wong, and Bruce.

Tony raised an eyebrow now and then, clearly recognizing names from magical texts he'd skimmed through — but he stayed quiet, unusually respectful.

The introductions ended with a brief moment of silence before Dumbledore spoke again:

"You've come a long way, friends... and Hogwarts welcomes you."

"But truthfully — you've arrived at a rather chaotic time."

---

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