Chapter 28: I Don't Believe You for a Second! You Old Rascal!
Chapter 28: I Don't Believe You for a Second! You Old Rascal!
Fawkes, who was lazily preening his feathers, suddenly shivered for no apparent reason. He opened his crimson eyes and looked around for any potential threats. After confirming that the only presence was a low-magic, harmless young wizard, he closed his eyes and resumed his rest.
The harmless Ivan, however, extended his sinister right hand under the guise of building a closer relationship for future communication.
His nimble fingers paused in the air. Seeing that Fawkes was still pretending to sleep, Ivan cautiously touched Fawkes' feathers with a single finger.
The moment they made contact, the feigning Fawkes opened his eyes sharply. After a tense standoff, where he glared at Ivan, Fawkes, confirming that Ivan had no ill intentions, arrogantly flapped his wings to push away Ivan's hand, his eyes full of warning.
As a Phoenix, Fawkes was not one to be touched by just anyone.
However, no matter how proud Fawkes was, he couldn't match Ivan's shameless approach.
Given that Fawkes was Dumbledore's pet and quite human-like, he naturally couldn't harm Ivan. After a few minutes of hide-and-seek, Fawkes reluctantly gave in.
This was partly because Ivan never showed any sign of hostility throughout the entire process. Otherwise, Ivan's fingers would have been gone long ago.
"I never thought I'd have a day where I could pet a Phoenix!" Ivan happily petted Fawkes, using his experience from petting parrots in his past life to build a strong bond, aiming to reach a point where Fawkes wouldn't resist even if he drew blood.
Fawkes gradually shifted from initial impatience to indifference, and eventually, he even lifted his proud head, allowing Ivan to pet the feathers on his neck.
While petting Fawkes, Ivan also carefully observed this legendary Western creature.
Unlike the divine Phoenix in Ivan's past life, Fawkes looked more like a large turkey with beautiful golden-red feathers. Despite his majestic appearance, Ivan couldn't help but think about how he might taste.
Ivan had a sudden idea and began imagining various dishes—fried, grilled, and roasted.
Just as Ivan was thinking about roasting Fawkes, a gentle voice suddenly spoke up.
"Fire is the Phoenix's cradle; perhaps you should consider a different method of preparation."
Ivan turned to see Dumbledore's tall figure entering the room. Despite being over a hundred years old, the greatest White Wizard of the century remained spry and even had the energy to joke with Ivan.
Fawkes, who had been petted by Ivan, hastily flew up, angrily pecking Ivan's head before fluttering to Dumbledore's hat, watching Ivan warily.
Fawkes never imagined that the harmless young wizard in front of him had plans to roast him.
"Professor, I'm curious how you knew what I was thinking. Can you read my memories?" Ivan rubbed his slightly sore head and asked innocently.
"Sometimes a person's actions and behavior can reveal their thoughts", Dumbledore replied, neither confirming nor denying, but with a meaningful tone.
Ivan's face showed a look of sudden realization, but inside, he was already raging.
I don't believe you for a second! You old rascal!
Perhaps because the Top Student experience card he had redeemed hadn't expired, Ivan felt a force sneak into his mind the moment Dumbledore spoke. This force disappeared when Ivan asked his question.
Even with his toes, Ivan could guess that this force was Dumbledore's Legilimency. He just didn't understand why he could detect such a subtle and soul-related magic trace while under the influence of the experience card.
For some reason, after retracting his Legilimency, Dumbledore didn't use it again. Instead, he dragged his long blue and purple robes to sit in the headmaster's chair, gesturing for Ivan to sit down and taking some snacks from a drawer to place on the table.
"Would you like some Cockroach Clusters? Or perhaps the latest flavor of Fizzing Whizbees?" Dumbledore offered, picking a bit for Ivan to try.
Ivan didn't even touch the notorious Cockroach Clusters but was somewhat interested in the Fizzing Whizbees. He took one, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.
The light bite released a burst of honey sweetness, and the sugar shards seemed to have a mind of their own, jumping around in his mouth and dodging his teeth. It was a bit like the popping candy he had eaten in his past life, but sweeter.
Dumbledore didn't rush to ask questions. Instead, he poured Ivan a glass of Iced Lemonade and then assumed the posture of a listener.
After eating some candy and drinking half a glass of lemonade, Ivan gradually calmed his nervousness upon meeting Dumbledore and began recounting the events.
Of course, Ivan didn't repeat the lies Hermione had told, as they were too fake. Not only would Dumbledore not believe them, but Ivan himself wouldn't either.
Moreover, Ivan wasn't sure if Dumbledore would suddenly use Legilimency while he was speaking or read something from his face.
So, Ivan mostly stuck to the truth, only omitting some key details.
In the end, he said that before the Halloween Feast, he learned from Harry that Hermione was hiding in the Bathroom alone. Worried, he went to look for her, encountered a Troll on the way, and entered a Secret Passage to hide. Hermione was then drawn by the commotion and he bravely stepped forward to defeat the Troll.
To add credibility, Ivan described the battle in detail.
The remaining points of suspicion were the pre-transformed Iron Thorns used to restrict the Troll's movements and the possible detection of Sleeping Potion components on the Troll's body.
Ivan couldn't explain the Iron Thorns. If Dumbledore asked, he would have to claim he was practicing Transfiguration and Reducing Spells. Fortunately, Ivan had been working on this for several days, and many young wizards could vouch for him. No matter how much Dumbledore investigated, he would only reach that conclusion.
Ivan didn't mention the Sleeping Potion at all, as even if it was detected, Dumbledore would have more than one suspect. Quirrell was the most likely to take the blame.
Ivan quickly reviewed his story in his mind to check for any loopholes.
However, Dumbledore's next reaction made Ivan feel like he had punched a pillow.
(End of Chapter)
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