Elena glanced down at the square-shaped hard candy in her palm. It had an amber-like, light orange sheen, seeming to be infused with caramel, and licked her lips. It looked really sweet...
No, no, she was angry right now!
The silver-haired young girl shook her head abruptly, snapping back to reality. If the candy hadn't already been unwrapped, she might have just thrown it away.
Were they really trying to treat her like a kindergarten kid?!
At that moment, she felt a gentle tap on her head and heard Dumbledore's voice, unusually serious, near her ear.
"Among all the young wizards I've encountered, your magical potential shines as bright as the sun in the sky. But excessive talent isn't always entirely beneficial. Without proper guidance, it might even backlash, turning you into a dreadful, non-human entity..."
Here, Dumbledore frowned slightly, troubled, pondering how to explain the girl's current condition.
From what he could see, Elena's control over magic was much better than he had imagined.
Dumbledore didn't want to create a sense of unnecessary alarm by describing too many frightening consequences.
"...an Obscurial, I know."
Unexpectedly, Elena nodded in understanding, dryly responding. As a fan of the Harry Potter series movies, before her journey, she'd at least watched the first installment of "Fantastic Beasts," leaving her particularly impressed by Credence, the Obscurial, who stood toe-to-toe with the most powerful dark wizard, Grindelwald.
Young wizards, in an attempt to evade their fate, suppressed their magical powers. But lacking proper guidance, they didn't learn to control their powers, resulting in a parasitic entity—the dark magical force, the "Obscurus."
When a wizard experienced intense emotional fluctuations, the Obscurus inside them would erupt, turning them into a black, non-corporeal mass with incredibly destructive power.
However, in magical records, apart from Credence, there were no cases of an Obscurial surviving beyond the age of 10.
And Elena was now exactly ten years old.
Elena subconsciously tightened her grip on the hard candy, nervously continuing, "But I've been secretly using my abilities. Before receiving the owl letter, I was merely managing that thing called 'Charming Creature.' Professor Dumbledore, are you saying I'll become that way?"
The half-blood witch bit her lip forcefully, somewhat resentful.
"Are you saying that if I refuse to join Hogwarts..."
If she wasn't mistaken, this should be Dumbledore's ace in the hole to get her to enroll—joining for treatment or leaving it to fate.
Dumbledore shook his head, raising a hand to stop the girl's subsequent words, speaking seriously.
"Even if you don't join Hogwarts, I'll still teach you how to control your magic. A life is not a bargaining chip."
"But apart from that, Hogwarts and the wizarding world won't provide you with any shelter or knowledge."
Dumbledore continued with clarity, "And if you pose a threat to the peace between the non-magical and magical world or within the magical world itself, I won't interfere with the Ministry's rightful actions."
Elena glanced deeply at the old man, referred to as the guardian of the magical world, lips moving as she forcefully swallowed the almost-said "thank you."
Turning her head away, avoiding Dumbledore's gaze, the silver-haired young girl kicked the thick carpet fluff, muttering softly, "It's as if you'll take the blame if I cause trouble after joining Hogwarts."
Take... the blame?
Dumbledore's eyes flashed with a hint of helplessness as he noticed a recurring issue in his conversation with Elena—too many strange Muggle terms.
Although he could hear each word clearly, he couldn't accurately grasp the girl's intended meaning.
One of Dumbledore's prided abilities in his younger days was his knack for understanding most people's thoughts accurately, including various wise magical creatures.
Perhaps, as many outside rumors suggested, he truly was growing old, failing to keep up with the thoughts of the younger generation.
Shaking his head to dismiss these thoughts, Dumbledore met Elena's eyes with a resolute tone.
"Actually, what I want to say is: if you become my student, I'm willing to protect you to the best of my ability and teach you all the magical knowledge I possess, until you grow into a capable witch."
"Protect? All magical knowledge... everything?"
Elena raised an eyebrow, repeating. She didn't believe Dumbledore would confuse the terms 'protect' and 'guard' or naively assume 'everything' only included the O.W.L (Ordinary Wizarding Level) and N.E.W.T (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) contents.
"Yes, you deserve it all," Dumbledore calmly smiled.
"But... Professor, what's the cost?"
Elena said leisurely. She didn't think she emitted any aura of a protagonist from some fantasy novel, allowing Dumbledore to suddenly trust her entirely, especially after witnessing more than one dark wizard's rise.
"There's no cost, just the establishment of a vow: a promise that you'll never incite war between the non-magical and magical worlds. When the two worlds blend, you'll steer everything towards peace. And you'll always safeguard the interests of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the magical world."
Dumbledore answered fluently without hesitation. It didn't seem like a spur-of-the-moment speech. It was as if he'd long prepared for it, waiting for Elena's appearance.
Since Tom Riddle's path veered towards becoming Voldemort many years ago, Dumbledore had pondered this issue. Exceptionally talented young wizards were often susceptible to the allure of power. If, at this juncture, there existed a mental barrier to hold their moral line, perhaps the outcome would differ.
"Professor Dumbledore, I think you might be overestimating me."
Elena awkwardly smiled. She had no interest in becoming a guardian or savior of the magical world. Her only interest lay in enjoying life, eating and drinking merrily, and, after fourth grade, quietly observing the growth of those budding internet big shots in the United States.
"But it's also possible that you're underestimating... Elena, you have no idea how immense your potential is."
Dumbledore slyly winked, not leaving any room for Elena's hopeful thoughts.
(╯°□°)╯︵┻━┻
Communication was impossible now. The conversation had circled back again.
After a few moments of silence, the silver-haired young girl's eyes darted around, suddenly spotting a flaw in Dumbledore's words.
"And this isn't logical. You, being such a powerful wizard, might find ways to bind me to my oath, but there are no rules to hold you accountable. What if you decide not to teach me magic or protect me later on?"
"Unilateral oath constraints, no matter how they're painted, are essentially unequal treaties. I don't want to sign any kind of slavery contract."
Under such vast power disparity, all promises were impossible to enforce—agreements only occurred under equal circumstances.
To Elena, as long as there remained a massive power gap between them, Dumbledore's thoughts were ultimately just wishful thinking, entirely dependent on his own credibility and lacking any guarantee.
Dumbledore smiled lightly, responding effortlessly, "All oaths should be reciprocal
. Have you heard of the ancient magic known as the Unbreakable Vow?" [Note 1, click to view]
In the world of fan fiction, this magic was nearly synonymous with marriage vows for wizards. Elena didn't need Dumbledore to explain further. If Dumbledore were willing to make this quasi-legal vow, there would be no further issues.
"But," Elena shrugged, "The Unbreakable Vow requires a witness, a 'Bonder,' who possesses both magic and qualifications to bind someone as elevated in the wizarding world as you..."
Dumbledore didn't directly respond, gently picking up the wand beside him, tracing the wood grain with his long fingers. He suddenly asked a strange question.
"The symbol next to the piano just now, you do know what it is, right? I don't believe that if it were just an ordinary pattern, you would repeatedly glance at it in a single conversation."
Elena's pupils contracted slightly. She suddenly remembered that there indeed existed another powerful wizard in the world who could rival Dumbledore.
"Are you serious?"
"It seems I don't need to explain further." Dumbledore nodded pleasantly. "Actually, he might be more eager than I am to see your appearance. After all, in a certain sense, you and his thoughts share quite a few similarities."
Gurgle~
Elena swallowed hard, finally understanding why Dumbledore's attitude toward her was so peculiar. So she was being considered as the seedling for the next Dark Lord?!
"There must be some misunderstanding in this, Professor Dumbledore. Please, let me explain..."
"We're short on time, let's go. And remember, don't scare poor Fawkes again."
Dumbledore grabbed Elena's small hand, holding tightly to the phoenix's long, golden tail, saying distinctly, "Please, Fawkes, take us to Nurmengard Tower."
"Wait, won't you reconsider...?"
With a flash of flame, the two disappeared from the headmaster's office.