Chapter 12: Unresolved Dialogue
Chapter 12: Unresolved Dialogue
Let's go back one hour.
Snape strode into the Headmaster's office, his face taut with anger.
"Headmaster! Dumbledore, Headmaster!"
Dumbledore looked up from his desk, "Ah, Severus, what brings you here?"
Snape stood before him, refusing to sit down as he kicked the chair out of the way. With the desk between them, he demanded, "You brought Felix Hepworth to teach at the school? What were you thinking!"
Dumbledore set aside the book he was reading, "Severus, I don't see the problem. Mr. Hepworth is highly talented, and his abilities are widely recognized in the wizarding world, including by me."
Snape's impatience was evident, "I'm not questioning his abilities! I taught him, and I know what kind of person he is."
"Indeed, you once described him as a 'typical Slytherin'—a high compliment, if I recall correctly", Dumbledore said with a smile.
Snape's face darkened, "That was sarcasm, not praise."
Dumbledore nodded, "We all have our impressions of Mr. Hepworth, and I understand your concerns. Since he will be teaching at Hogwarts, it's worth discussing. Let's sit down and talk about it." He waved his hand, and the chair returned to its place.
Snape sat down stiffly, as if the cushion beneath him were a fire-breathing dragon.
"Would you like some Pumpkin Juice? Tea? Or perhaps a Butterbeer?" Dumbledore asked, and with each suggestion, a cup appeared out of thin air.
"I don't need anything", Snape replied curtly.
"Then I'll have a cup of tea. Mr. Hepworth enjoys it very much", Dumbledore placed a cup of tea in front of Snape.
But the look on Snape's face suggested he had just swallowed a fly.
Dumbledore spoke gently, "Let's have a proper conversation. I, too, had my misunderstandings about Mr. Hepworth in the past, but as he grew older, my opinion of him has changed. After a recent in-depth discussion, I decided to offer him the position."
"I think you've lost your mind", Snape sneered.
"Perhaps I am old, but I have become more clear-headed over the years. We tend to make more mistakes when we're young, don't we?"
Snape grunted, "Felix isn't a good man. He abuses his power and causes all sorts of trouble at the school!"
"Do you know what those years were like for me? Because of him, I almost knew every Pureblood family in Britain!"
"I received complaints almost every day!"
Dumbledore seemed to smile, but he quickly covered his mouth and took a large sip of Pumpkin Juice. He agreed, "Indeed, Mr. Hepworth pursued power intensely in his younger years, but we all know there were reasons for that, don't we?"
Snape pressed his lips together, remaining silent.
He knew, of course, that Felix's situation had been dire, even worse than his own had been. At least his enemies hadn't come from his own house.
Dumbledore spoke calmly, "Minerva once complained to me that the Sorting Hat doesn't always place students in the right house. She always thought Mr. Hepworth should have been in Gryffindor. What do you think?"
"That boy is a typical Slytherin", Snape repeated his sarcastic comment from years ago.
“I agree with that.” Dumbledore nodded. “Mr. Heap… he is an outstanding Wizard, extremely talented, one of the most gifted individuals I have ever seen in my life. He has always been pursuing power, and I could see that clearly, even though he rarely displayed it after his fifth year. He never ceased his pursuit of power.”
“Even after graduation, this was my greatest concern.”
Snape listened quietly. He did not deny Dumbledore’s wisdom; the old man’s experience was truly legendary. Snape decided to hear him out to understand what had changed his mind.
“He applied to stay on as a teacher when he graduated. To be honest, his abilities were more than sufficient, and in terms of Spells, he was even more skilled than I was. However, I still refused him, not only because he was too young but also because of the ambition in his eyes. I feared he might go down the wrong path.”
“Fortunately, he listened to my advice. After completing his first year of travel, he settled in the Muggle World and began studying Muggles. It was during this time that we exchanged letters frequently.”
Snape listened silently, surprised to learn of this shared history. When he found out that Felix had become an expert in Muggle Studies, his eyes nearly popped out!
“Perhaps he was just pretending,” Snape said reluctantly.
“No, no, Severus,” Dumbledore countered, “I have a good sense of people. Living a long life has its advantages, and even without magic, I can tell what most people are thinking.”
“From his first day at school to now, he has never shown any discrimination against Muggles. On the contrary, his research into the Muggle World is profound, as evidenced by his books. He doesn’t believe that Wizards are superior; instead, he continuously draws wisdom from the Muggle World.”
Snape retorted, “I didn’t say he discriminates against Muggles, Dumbledore! But his ideas are still dangerous. Do you know what he says in his book How Muggles Think?”
Snape recited a passage as if from memory, speaking quickly: “The concept of blood purity is also prevalent in the Muggle World, but unlike the magical community, an increasing number of Muggle nations are abandoning this notion. This is due to their production efficiency being hundreds or even thousands of times higher than before. Abundant resources have laid a solid foundation for the promotion of education, and those without noble blood have shown extraordinary potential, driving the development of the Muggle World at an unprecedented pace, as if riding a Broomstick.”
Seeing Dumbledore about to interject, Snape continued without pause: “In the Muggle World, if the proportion of nobles is one, the proportion of commoners is over ten thousand. And when the rulers liberated the commoners, their development efficiency surged with an unstoppable force, sweeping away all obstacles!”
The Headmaster’s office fell silent.
Even the portraits of former Headmasters on the walls gaped in shock. These words, while seemingly not directly addressing the magical world, clearly critiqued the current state of the magical community.
One portrait, indignant, shouted, “This is treason! Treason against the glory of Purebloods!”
The other portraits began to murmur in agreement.
Snape glanced at the portrait and sneered, “Headmaster Black, that boy isn’t a Pureblood!”
(End of Chapter)
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