Chapter 1022: Changing Times
Chapter 1022: Changing Times
"Come in!"
A low knock sounded at the door, and Dumbledore, seated behind his desk, set down his quill and looked up toward the entrance.
"Good evening, Professor," greeted Albert as he pushed open the door to the Headmaster's office, offering a smile to the elderly wizard.
"Good evening, Albert," Dumbledore replied with a warm smile. "Please, take a seat. Care for some tea?"
Albert sat down across from Dumbledore, his eyes briefly scanning the desk, taking note of 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' and some parchment documents. "It seems I've come at a busy time. I apologize for interrupting your work."
"Ah, 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard.' Have you read this book before?"
As he spoke, he pushed the book toward Albert.
"Are you planning to retranslate it?" Albert took the book, flipping through it casually. He noticed that the ancient book was written in Runic, a language in which most wizards were only moderately proficient.
"Yes, I intend to retranslate it and include my own annotations," Dumbledore replied, adding a generous spoonful of honey to his tea and stirring slowly. "I've heard that you've also been working on a book recently."
"Yes, it will be useful to many people in the future," Albert acknowledged without denying it. There was no point in doing so. He withdrew his wand from his pocket and tapped it lightly against the tea in front of him. To Dumbledore's confusion, he vanished the drink and then summoned a fresh cup for himself.
To be frank, this was an extremely rude gesture, but Dumbledore didn't seem to mind. He merely looked on with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
"I'm sorry," Albert explained to Dumbledore. "Ever since Umbridge offered me a cup of tea, I've become a bit...averse to drinks offered by others."
"It seems that incident left a bitter taste in your mouth," Dumbledore remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"You could say that," Albert agreed, taking a sip from his newly conjured tea. "After all, no one wants to drink something that might be laced with...unpleasant surprises."
"Did she really do that?"
Albert set down his cup and replied calmly, "No, I wouldn't give her the chance."
"Perhaps we shouldn't speak of her," Dumbledore said, steering the conversation away from Umbridge. It was clear he didn't want to discuss the matter further. "I'd be delighted if you could gift me a copy of your new book. And in return, I'll send you a copy of my work when it's completed."
"Oh, certainly, no problem at all."
Albert gave his wand a casual flick, and with a crackling sound, a book appeared out of thin air. He reached out and placed it in front of Dumbledore.
"It seems you have a rather pessimistic view of the future," Dumbledore observed as he accepted the book, quickly perusing the table of contents.
"Very pessimistic," Albert agreed, his tone indifferent as if the matter had nothing to do with him. "A lot of people will die, especially Muggle-born wizards."
"That's truly a grim future."
Dumbledore set the book aside and heaved a soft sigh. "I once taught him, and it pains me that I couldn't guide him onto the right path..."
"The right path?" Albert inquired, his expression curious. "What do you consider to be the right path?"
"At the very least, what he's doing now is certainly not right," Dumbledore replied, avoiding a direct answer.
"Everyone believes they are right, especially certain individuals," Albert said, unbothered by Dumbledore's vague response. He had no intention of arguing with the Headmaster. Instead, he stated the facts calmly. "When the mysterious man and his followers gain control of the Ministry of Magic and emerge as the ultimate victors of this war, they will be deemed right, and you will be wrong."
"Does the winner write history?" Dumbledore understood Albert's implication and took a sip of his tea. "You're right. What is deemed right or wrong is still judged by people. I suppose this topic will fuel discussions for a long time."
"I've heard that you and Severus had a bit of an unpleasant encounter," he finally brought up the reason for seeking out Albert today.
"Unpleasant?" Albert tapped his wand on his cup, refilling it with steaming tea. "Perhaps he feels that way! I certainly won't let his attitude affect my mood."
"He's a bit upset," Dumbledore said, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, he should take a calming draught and relax a bit," Albert said, unconcerned by Dumbledore's words. He waved his wand and conjured a plate of biscuits, popping one into his mouth. With a smile, he continued, "Take Potter, for example. His temper has improved significantly compared to before. You could recommend to Severus those calming candies I prepared for Potter recently."
As he spoke, Albert took out a small vial and placed it in front of Dumbledore.
Dumbledore's expression turned slightly taken aback, and he eyed the vial with suspicion.
"However," Dumbledore said casually, picking up the vial and examining the pills inside before popping one into his mouth to taste it, "you should know that he's a professor, and you ought to show him basic respect."
"Respect is mutual," Albert replied gently. "I get along well with most of the professors, students, ghosts, and portraits at Hogwarts. Even Peeves, who loves to play pranks, is no exception. I dare say that the number of Slytherin friends the other Gryffindors have combined doesn't exceed the number I have alone."
"Why don't you ask why Severus is the exception?" Albert looked at Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling with a smile.
Crunch! The sound of the biscuit being bitten into softened the slightly unfriendly atmosphere.
"It's obvious that the problem lies not with me but with him."
"Perhaps he does have some minor flaws." Dumbledore gazed at Albert and sighed softly. "You know, everyone has their..."
"I understand," Albert nodded, pushing the plate of biscuits toward Dumbledore. "But why should I tolerate his flaws instead of him working on improving himself?"
"In this world," Albert continued, "apart from one's parents, I don't believe anyone should accommodate others unconditionally." It was clear that Albert didn't consider himself Severus' father, so he had no intention of making concessions.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, acknowledging the weight of Albert's words. The situation was indeed as Albert described.
"I admit I don't like Malfoy or Snape, but I never go out of my way to cause trouble," Albert added.
"It's Professor Snape," Dumbledore corrected.
"I said respect is mutual," Albert reminded him. "The reason we respect professors is not out of respect for them as individuals but for the knowledge they possess. Knowledge deserves respect."
"As for people," Albert continued, "I haven't found many aspects about Severus that are particularly worthy of my respect."
"I've truly failed him."
Dumbledore said helplessly, "You didn't fail, it's just that times have changed. If it were a long time ago, I wouldn't have minded calling him 'Professor' out of necessity. But now, I no longer need to force myself, and our relationship is equal. If Snape wants my respect, he needs to learn to respect me first, instead of always bringing up the ridiculous teacher-student relationship."
"If he can't do that, you can just keep him away from me and ignore me altogether. I think we'll definitely not have any more of those unpleasant conflicts." Albert took a sip of his tea and said gently, "After all, I'll be graduating by the end of June next year, and it's unlikely we'll have much interaction after that."
"Please forgive young people for having more fiery temperaments. I really don't have as good a temper as you."
"No, your temperament is much better than most people your age."
Everyone in the school knew that Albert was gentle and rarely lost his temper.
Dumbledore didn't dwell on the matter, as Albert had made his stance very clear—they would simply avoid interfering with each other.
"I heard that Professor Umbridge fell today," he changed the subject to something more lighthearted.
"Yes, she's getting on in years, yet she's still so careless. Falling and injuring herself and ending up in the school hospital—it's the first time I've seen something like that. She's turning herself into a laughingstock for Hogwarts; I wonder why Fudge sent her here. Is it to bring some joy to Hogwarts?" Albert shook his head and chuckled.
"You don't like Professor Umbridge very much, do you?" As he spoke of Umbridge's misfortune, a slight smile appeared on Dumbledore's face, as he also didn't like her, even though he wouldn't show it.
"I should say I hate politicians." Albert shrugged. "By the way, it was Umbridge who ordered the Dementors to attack Harry Potter."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised that Albert had brought this up.
"Do you have any evidence?"
"Do you think I need evidence?" Albert retorted. "Trelawney's divination was done by me, and you should have guessed as much. Just think about the eventual fate of the pink toad; you'll know how many deplorable things she's done."
"The future isn't necessarily set in stone as prophecies suggest." Dumbledore gently reminded him. "You should know how complex and changeable the cause-and-effect relationships of people's actions can be!"
"I know, the predicted future can be changed, but it's difficult and requires a great price. But I don't think Umbridge's prophecy will change much."
"There's something you may already know, but I think it's best to remind you anyway." Albert paused, then continued, "Potter recently formed a Dark Magic Defense organization called 'D.A.' I think you know what it stands for. Fudge is always worried that you're organizing an army, and I think that's why you were driven out."
Dumbledore remained silent for a moment, as if there was something on his mind that he didn't voice.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"I hope you can teach Harry the Mind-Closing Spell."
As Albert stood up to leave, Dumbledore finally spoke.
"I once taught the Mind-Closing Spell to Fred and his brothers, but unfortunately, they didn't learn it. I don't think I can teach it to Potter either." Albert shook his head. "You'd better teach him yourself."
"Perhaps...you've also noticed certain things. It's not very appropriate for me to teach Harry," Dumbledore said, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses.
"Believe me, Snape is even less suitable. Some things are just your wishful thinking." Albert said to Dumbledore, "Also, I prophesied the death of Sirius Black."
"Is that true?"
The usually dormant portrait of Phineas finally spoke up, unable to bear the thought of the Black family line coming to an end.
"I don't know."
"What do you mean?" Dumbledore's expression turned serious.
"Even though Peter Pettigrew is dead, as you said, who can be sure about the future?" Albert kindly reminded him. "I suggest you prepare some Felix Felicis. After all, you don't lack money. Of course, if you can get your hands on some, remember to get me a bottle too. I'll pay for it; you know I have plenty of galleons."
"Wait, Anderson, let's chat." Phineas spoke up.
"There's only so much I can do. At most, I can give you a heads-up." Albert pushed the door open and left.
As he stepped out from behind the monster statue, he ran into Potter, who was standing outside.
"Go on in, Dumbledore is inside." Albert helped Harry into the Headmaster's office.
"Mr. Potter, what brings you here?" Dumbledore was a little surprised to see Harry.
"Sir, I've been having a dream lately, a dream about a long and gloomy corridor. Mr. Anderson told me that my dream is related to Voldemort. He suggested that I learn the Mind-Closing Spell from you, saying that once I master it, I won't have the same nightmare again." Harry looked at the old wizard in front of him and continued after a brief pause, "He said that there's some kind of special connection between me and Voldemort, and the Mind-Closing Spell can prevent me from being affected."
"Mr. Anderson's judgment is quite correct." Dumbledore stared into Harry's eyes. "He believes there's a unique connection between you and Voldemort, and the Mind-Closing Spell can shield you from his influence."
"Can you teach me the Mind-Closing Spell?" Harry asked eagerly.
"I'm afraid I don't have much time to teach you in the near future." Dumbledore remained silent for a moment before finally declining. "If you want to learn, I can find someone else to teach you."
"Who?" Harry asked curiously.
"Mr. Anderson, he's a very skilled Mind-Closing Spell master." Dumbledore said gently, "If I can convince him."
"Mr. Anderson said he couldn't teach me and told me to ask you." Harry shook his head.
"I'll find a way to persuade him," Dumbledore assured Harry, "and if that doesn't work, I'll help you find someone else."
Harry had wanted to ask if Dumbledore was deliberately avoiding him, but in the end, he didn't say it. He knew that if Dumbledore didn't want to tell him, asking would only make things more awkward.
"Then I'll take my leave, Professor." Harry turned and left; he could tell that Dumbledore wasn't ready to reveal more.
Perhaps the time wasn't right yet.
Although being kept in the dark frustrated Harry, he had been able to control his emotions better lately, especially after taking that calming draught.
"I think you should consider Mr. Anderson's suggestion." Phineas spoke to Dumbledore after Harry had left.
"I will."
"No, you won't. No wonder Mr. Anderson flatly refused to join your Order of the Phoenix back then." Phineas turned and disappeared, intending to have a chat with Sirius. Perhaps he should advise his unfortunate great-grandson to be careful. Maybe it was time for him to find someone to love and marry, ensuring a direct descendant for the Black family line, lest the ancient family die out after his death.
(End of Chapter)
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