Chapter 103: Oh, Headmaster
"So, in the end, it was the power that erupted from the scar on your forehead while Harry was protecting you that drove Voldemort away?"
Dylan glanced at Hermione and Ron.
The two nodded.
"The professors all know about this, right?" Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"...The Headmaster knows. We only told him the specifics, but Headmaster Dumbledore has probably already told the other professors," Hermione said.
"Understood." Dylan turned to look at the closed door of the hospital wing. "We can't go in, can we?"
Ron nodded beside him. "Madam Pomfrey won't let us in."
Dylan's lips twitched. "Then why did Professor McGonagall bring me here?"
Hermione and Ron paused, exchanged a look, and then simultaneously looked at Dylan. "Because Harry fainted!"
Dylan: /--マ
He waved his hand. "Alright, alright, I get it. But I think Harry will wake up soon, don't worry."
Dylan finished speaking and prepared to leave. "I still have a few books I need to read as soon as possible today. You guys should go grab some food too. After all this commotion, aren't you tired?"
Ron's eyes blinked rapidly. "But Harry is still here..."
"I know, I know. But with Madam Pomfrey here taking care of Harry, can you really help by staying here?"
Hermione pursed her lips. "What you said makes sense."
"Right?" Dylan smiled.
"So you can come with me to get some food, and then I'll go to the library, and you can go back and rest for a while."
"After you wake up, come see if Harry has woken up. If he has, you can come find me in the library—I'll be happy for his recovery."
"Huh?" Ron, listening to Dylan's somewhat nonsensical words, couldn't help but scratch his head, feeling a bit strange.
But at this moment, his eyelids were already drooping.
After all the commotion last night, and Harry fainting, he was so scared that he couldn't sleep at all, waiting here the whole night.
He was indeed a bit overwhelmed.
"Then let's go get something to eat first. I'm actually a bit hungry," Ron grabbed Dylan's arm and walked forward.
Hermione glanced back at the closed door of the hospital wing, frowned, but still turned and left with the two.
Dylan stayed in the library for the entire day.
No one came to find him.
He didn't know if Ron and Hermione had slept the whole day.
In any case, after he returned in the evening, Ron was still sound asleep in bed.
Dylan tidied up and then went to sleep.
Today, he didn't go to the professors to learn. One reason was that he really wanted to read some books he was interested in, and he had indeed gained a lot today.
Another reason was that the professors were all busy with their own affairs, especially since the exams had just ended, and students could prepare for the holidays, but the professors still had a lot to do.
—Especially with Quirrell still alive.
Therefore, Dylan naturally didn't want to disturb the professors.
Another night passed.
Dylan got up as usual, but Ron was still sound asleep.
"Was he scared silly by Voldemort?"
Dylan clicked his tongue, then got up and left, preparing to go eat.
Before heading to the dining hall, he first went to the owlery and fed Luna some meat strips.
—Now his assets, after one school year, had made considerable progress.
He no longer needed to be as pitiful as at the beginning, only able to buy a portion of high-quality meat strips.
—Now he could completely splurge and arrange three meals a day for Luna, all with ferret meat strips!
After feeding Luna, Dylan ate his meal and continued to the library.
In the morning, Ron ran over.
"Harry's awake?" Dylan raised his head from a pile of books.
Ron nodded repeatedly.
"Then let's go see him."
Dylan originally didn't really want to go. If he was unconscious, he was unconscious; if he woke up, he woke up. Nothing serious would happen anyway, so there was no need to keep checking on him.
However, looking at Ron's eager eyes, Dylan felt that it was actually normal to visit a friend who was sick.
After he and Ron arrived at the hospital wing,
Dylan looked at Harry, who was sitting half-upright in bed.
At this time, his face was bloodless, and his thin body made him look quite frail.
"Oh, what a poor child."
Dylan sat on the stool beside Harry's bed.
"How are you feeling now?"
Harry's voice was a bit weak. "Okay, just feeling a bit tired, always wanting to sleep."
"Good heavens, you've slept for a whole day and two nights—and more!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes wide.
Hermione, seeing Harry awake, was truly relieved. "You can sleep more if you want to—but you have to eat something first, or you'll starve."
"Have Professor Dumbledore and the others come to see you yet?" Dylan asked again.
"Not yet," Harry shook his head.
"I see. But I think they should arrive soon after hearing the news of your awakening," Dylan said.
As soon as his voice fell, Harry's expression became somewhat hesitant.
Dylan noticed this, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, and tilted his head to look at him. "What's wrong?"
Harry hesitated for a moment, then raised his head to look at Dylan. "The mysterious person was just a soul fragment, yet he could make me unconscious for so long... You were actually facing him alone at that time? Were you not hurt, or rather—affected?"
Dylan narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled softly. "Of course not. Professor Dumbledore arrived very quickly. Voldemort had no chance to attack me."
"Oh, oh, I see. That's good then," Harry seemed relieved, his expression relaxing.
Dylan glanced at him.
When Harry and the others had rushed over, Dumbledore was already standing there.
Harry couldn't have missed him. How did he know that he had faced Voldemort's dark magic alone?
And he even asked if he had been affected?
—"These words were probably what Old Dumbledore asked Harry to ask."
Dylan imperceptibly curled his lip but didn't feel anything about it.
At this moment, Harry spoke again with some hesitation, "Um, Dylan, when you were alone with Voldemort, did he mention my parents to you?"
"What do you mean 'when we were alone'? It sounds like we were on a date," Dylan's lips twitched.
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I just meant, the two of you..."
"It was three of us, there was Quirrell too!"
"Right, right, the three of you. Did he mention them to you at that time?"
"Of course not. Why would Voldemort inexplicably mention your parents to me?"
Hearing this, Harry wasn't too disappointed. Clearly, this answer was also within his expectations.
He just sighed. "I really want to know why Voldemort so cruelly murdered my parents."
Dylan blinked twice. "This..."
He actually knew, but he couldn't say it.
So, he could only shrug.
"Who knows? Maybe the next time you run into Voldemort, you can ask him."
"Ask Voldemort directly?" Harry raised his head.
"That's right," Dylan nodded lightly. "I saw it in a prophecy. You and Voldemort will definitely meet again."
"Divination?" Harry paused.
Before he could ask anything else,
Suddenly, the door to the hospital wing was opened again.
But the person who came was not Madam Pomfrey, but Old Dumbledore.
—After all, having taken care of Harry for so long, and having to take time out to look after a troublesome, always-sick rat, Madam Pomfrey also needed to rest.
Old Dumbledore poked his big head through the crack in the door.
"Children, Potter needs to rest. You've been chatting for a long time. It's time to go back."
Everyone in the room looked towards the door.
Dylan glanced back at the old Headmaster.
The other party also looked over at this moment.
"Mr. Hockwood, I always feel like you still owe me a thank you, or is it two?"
Dylan blinked.
He suddenly remembered the letter that Old Dumbledore had sent with the permit when Hagrid helped him process the feeding license for Umbra.
The content of the letter seemed to ask him to take some time to thank Old Dumbledore, after all, this permit was almost entirely processed with Old Dumbledore's help.
However, at that time, he had just arrived at school, carrying several max-level dark magic spells, and he really didn't dare to face Dumbledore alone.
Therefore, he kept delaying it until he completely forgot about it.
He didn't expect the other party to suddenly bring it up again now.
—Old Dumbledore's memory is really good. He can actually remember such a small matter until now!
After a moment of愣怔, Dylan forced a smile. "Professor Dumbledore, you're right. I owe you two thank yous. One for processing the permit, and one for saving me this time."
"Hehe, in that case..."
Before Dumbledore could finish speaking, Dylan quickly added,
"I'm really very grateful that you were able to help me get Umbra's feeding license processed back then. I really like this magical creature, but they are often considered evil creatures by some wizards."
"—But you know. That's obviously nonsense, because many people also keep them. They're just a bit dark and have some shadow abilities."
Dumbledore was taken aback, just about to open his mouth, but Dylan spoke again.
"Also, this time you saved me from Voldemort's hands. I am truly so grateful to you that I could die!"
Dumbledore's beard twitched. "There's no need to say it like that."
"How can there be no need? If it weren't for you, the one who died might have been me!"
"But no one died this time."
"That's right! You're absolutely right! It was because of your appearance that everyone was spared from death! Otherwise, that night, I believe it would have been a bloodbath!"
Dylan's face was serious, his gaze burning. "I am truly so grateful to you!"
"..."
Dumbledore opened his mouth, then pursed his lips again.
Besides teaching him Occlumency and potions, what else did Severus teach him?
How could this little mouth be so choking?
Dylan gave Dumbledore a gentle smile.
He expressed all his gratitude here directly. Let's see what else this old Dumbledore can say!
"Since you're so grateful to me, come to my office and keep this old fogey company for a chat. You certainly wouldn't mind, would you?"
Dylan: "I was careless..."
The smile on Dylan's face remained unchanged.
"I am most certainly willing."
Dumbledore also narrowed his smiling eyes. "Then come with me."
He turned and left. Before leaving, he also asked Hermione and Ron to leave the hospital wing to give Harry more time to rest.
Dylan took a deep breath, bid farewell to Harry with Hermione and Ron, and then walked out of the hospital wing.
Following behind Dumbledore, he arrived at the entrance of the third floor.
The stone steps carried them, beginning to climb upwards.
Soon, the two arrived at the Headmaster's office on the eighth floor.
The door slowly opened, and an old and mysterious aura wafted out.
It was Dylan's first time here, and he couldn't help but look around curiously.
As soon as he stepped into the room, the first thing that caught his eye was the wall full of portraits.
The people in the portraits were motionless, but Dylan felt as if countless eyes were staring at him.
Dylan's heart stirred.
These old portraits were all extraordinary.
Dylan actually felt that Old Dumbledore had already evolved to a point where he knew everything humans knew, and what he knew... no one else knew.
If he didn't have the system and could directly achieve "knowing everything" by changing the entries, even if he studied for a lifetime, he might not be able to catch up to Dumbledore's level.
After all, Dumbledore's evolution was too fast.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he could already see through the Invisibility Cloak.
By Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, he had already started asking Harry frantically for "water."
—That H₂O.
Dylan felt that with this speed of evolution, without a system, no one in this world could ever catch up, no matter how hard they tried!
Facing such an old man, Dylan had previously heard many people shouting that he lacked practical combat experience—?
Dylan's peripheral vision quickly scanned the portraits around the office, then he silently withdrew his gaze.
So many meritorious former headmasters, what harsh training conditions had they created?
As soon as Dylan entered the door, he felt a group of people glaring at him.
He knew that these people could actually move...
If he dared to try "sparring" here, wouldn't all the black magic, red magic, white magic, and various forbidden arts on the wall come crashing down on him?
With so many great figures of the past accompanying Dumbledore in practicing magic, this was not something Dylan could compare to by going to Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape every day!
Who could still fight Dumbledore?
If one spell didn't work, others would immediately jump out and teach Dumbledore how to fight back!
Dylan followed Dumbledore into the room, then glanced at the phoenix on the desk.
Tsk tsk!
Such an overpowered magical creature actually existed?
Dylan was quickly drawn to the phoenix.
Beautiful, so beautiful!
So beautiful that he wanted to go up and pluck two of its feathers!
However, he only dared to think about it and didn't dare to actually do it.
He could even fight a dragon.
—After all, he also had a dragon now. When it grew up, combined with him, they could become a dragon knight.
Even if he encountered a dragon, he might not necessarily lose.
But how to fight this phoenix?
Even when fighting Voldemort, he could only fight seven or eight times at most.
If he started fighting with the phoenix...
How could infinite resurrection be dealt with?
"Maybe this is what they mean by practice exams being much harder than the real ones."
Dylan stood in the center of the room and then looked towards a basin embedded in the desk's cabinet.
"This is the Pensieve..."
Dylan fully activated his Occlumency.
Not daring to be the slightest bit careless.
Dumbledore leisurely returned to his seat and plopped down.
Before saying a word, and while Dylan hadn't even clearly seen what he was doing, he had somehow produced a box of candies from beside him.
Dumbledore unwrapped the box and said, "Sit down anywhere, child, don't be shy."
"I have some special-flavored Lemon Sherbets here. Would you like to try one?"
Dylan looked at the candy in Dumbledore's palm. Although he hadn't eaten it at all, his mouth watered, and a sour taste rose in his heart.
"No need, I prefer fruits and vegetables to candy."
"Oh, quite a healthy diet."
Dumbledore smiled, then popped the candy in his palm directly into his mouth.
"I heard that you are very interested in divination, and you even divined some things for Potter and the others, and they all came true in the end."
Old Dumbledore suddenly bringing up this topic surprised Dylan somewhat.
When did the fact that he could divine reach Old Dumbledore's ears?
However, since Old Dumbledore hadn't brought up the topics he was even more unwilling to discuss, and it was just divination, he was actually quite interested in discussing it with the other party.
Composing himself, Dylan stopped thinking about the other things in this infernal Headmaster's office.
He nodded to Dumbledore.
"Yes, I think divination is a very interesting thing. We can use it to foresee some things that might happen in the future, and then try to make changes or maintain the status quo, which will in turn affect the new divination results."
"Divination involves fate, which is something that interests me very much."
Hearing Dylan's answer,
Dumbledore smiled, his fingers lightly tapping the table.
"Child, it's good that you're interested in something, but I want to tell you that divination is an ancient and mysterious art. It's not simple prediction."
"Indeed, as you said, it's related to fate. In the process of your divination, you are also conversing with the whispers of the universe—this is what a friend of mine told me."
Dumbledore seemed to have been soured by his special-flavored Lemon Sherbet, his brows furrowing.
"Wow, your friend seems to have a lot of thoughts on divination."
Dumbledore smiled, stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the clear sky over Hogwarts.
"However, I've been pondering, does divination really exist? Child, can you tell me your opinion?"
Of course, old codger—I mean, Old Dumbledore.
Dylan kept his gaze lowered, not making eye contact with anyone on the wall, nor with Dumbledore.
—Including the phoenix that kept staring at him as if looking at something rare.
"Actually, divination, while grand to speak of, is quite small when considered."
"Oh? How so?"
(End of chapter)
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