The Return to Hogwarts

“Let’s discuss these issues one by one, Headmaster Dumbledore,” Amostella said, rubbing his temples, looking slightly tired.

"certainly--"

Dumbledore said with a smile.

Including the first half of the year, Amosta had been back at Hogwarts for quite some time now, and his habits were well understood. Dumbledore stood up, flicked his wand from his sleeve, and a steaming cup of green tea appeared in front of Amosta on the slender-legged desk. He had prepared a cup of honey water for himself.

"Please allow me to recommend a very interesting and delicious food to you, Amosta—"

Although both of them knew the situation was rather bad, Dumbledore, who had seen countless storms in his life, had developed an extremely resilient mentality. He dusted off his sleeves, turned around, took a jar from the table where the Sorting Hat was placed, and cheerfully said to Amostella,

“I’m somewhat acquainted with Cicero Haggis, the owner of Honeydukes candy store. He knows my tastes, so he often asks someone to bring me some of the store’s new products for me to try.”

With that, Dumbledore opened the lid, rolled up his sleeves, and reached down to grope around. But after fiddling with it for a while, he couldn't pull his hand back.

"Are you catching bugs, Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Looking at the strange-looking Dumbledore, Amosta chuckled, but his laughter quickly faded.

"Oh, I've got it! These little guys are incredibly perceptive—"

Dumbledore winked at Amostella, and the next second, the hand that had been stuck in the jar, clutching something squeaking and struggling desperately, withdrew and presented it to Amostella, whose face had immediately darkened.

"This candy is called Cockroach Heap, and its inventor, Mr. Haggis, is still hesitant about introducing it to the residents of the magical world."

"I think Mr. Haggis really needs to think this through carefully,"

Amosta turned his face away in disgust and said...

"By the way, I think he also needs to have his brain checked at St. Mungo's."

"Oh, it seems we can't reach an agreement—"

"I regret it," Dumbledore said regretfully. Right in front of the shivering Amosta, he cheerfully popped the ridiculously realistic candy into his mouth, crunching and chewing with glee, his eyes half-closed, until a few seconds later, Dumbledore's face froze.

"This little guy might have taken one of my teeth."

Dumbledore said in 'pain',

"And it seems I swallowed it down, oh, what a terrible loss."

That's enough, old man! Are you never going to stop clowning around?!

Compared to before, the atmosphere in the office was more lively. Dumbledore and Amosta leaned back in their chairs, each holding their own drink, looking as casual as if they were discussing tomorrow's weather.

call--

He blew on the cool air, took a sip of bitter tea, and savored the strange sensation of the burning heat in his throat flowing into his stomach. Amosta let out a slight sigh of relief.

"Regarding your previous speculation, Headmaster Dumbledore, I noticed that your description was: 'I vaguely sensed a power that did not belong to me.' So, in other words, you are not sure if that thing is a fragment of a wizard's soul, or rather, a Horcrux?"

“We all know what Horcruxes are, Amosta,”

Dumbledore tilted his head back, gazing at the colorful patterns on the dome, and said...

"A stripped soul protected by powerful yet evil magic. Each person's soul, like our magic, is unique. Unless that soul originally belonged to you, they can only depend on each other and cannot merge."

"You mean, what you're observing is that thing is mixed with my soul?"

I think so.

Dumbledore turned his gaze to Amos Tower, as if to confirm whether his judgment was correct.

"That's a very close connection; it lies dormant within your soul. Like..."

Dumbledore hesitated, seemingly struggling with how to describe what he had seen to Amostella. His gaze lingered, finally settling on the green tea Amostella was holding.

"Like two drinks of different colors that cannot dissolve in each other, of course, we still cannot rule out the possibility that it is a fragment of a soul, because my speculation is only based on theory, and we cannot say that we truly understand Horcruxes, the most profound and unpredictable form of black magic."

Amostella nodded slightly, acknowledging Dumbledore's assessment of the Horcruxes.

Indeed, in the current wizarding world, the person with the deepest mastery of Horcruxes is Voldemort, not him or Albus Dumbledore.

Memory, and yet it is memory again.

Dumbledore fell silent, and Amosta remained silent, lost in thought.

Whether it's a Horcrux or something else, the 'foreign object' in Amosta's soul was undoubtedly the work of a wizard, yet he had no memory of it.

"If you truly know nothing about this—"

Dumbledore looked at Amostella, his tone hesitant.

"If you allow it"

"Thank you for your kindness, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

Amosta interrupted Dumbledore first, meeting his gaze and moving the corner of his mouth slightly.

"I will not allow anyone to examine my memories."

Dumbledore was not surprised by Amosta's answer; it was to be expected. Even the closest of partners would probably find it difficult to tolerate the other knowing all of their memories.

Whether the thing in Amosta's soul is a piece of soul or something else, it is impossible to make an accurate guess based on the information currently available. However, there are some things they can at least confirm.

Ding--

The glass bottle made a crisp sound as it touched the table. Just staring at the completely black bottle, the portraits of the previous principals on the wall all gasped in unison.

“Over the years, I have been exposed to your watchful eye countless times, Headmaster Dumbledore,”

Recalling the inexplicable flutter in his heart when he summoned the Patronus on the Quidditch pitch, Amostella's gaze shifted to Dumbledore, who was solemnly gazing at the Dementors, one of the most evil creatures in the wizarding world, and he slowly spoke.

"But you never noticed anything unusual about me until just now when I summoned my Patronus while facing the Dementors."

“I understand what you mean, Amosta.”

Dumbledore sighed softly.

"The exact origins of Dementors, creatures that cannot be destroyed by magic and whom even Patronates can only suppress but not destroy, have remained a subject of debate in the magical world. According to some records, some believe that the 15th-century dark wizard Extis created Dementors. However, according to some records within the Ministry of Magic, clues discovered by investigators from the Ministry's predecessor—the former Royal Magical Society—when they landed on the island of Azkaban suggest that these creatures have existed there for a long time."

We don't know exactly when it appeared, nor do we know whether it is a magical creature evolved from nature, or whether it came from the inspiration of some dark wizard.

"Oh, but judging from the current situation, they were most likely man-made. Of course, you've probably already guessed that their creators are probably connected to you in some mysterious way, but that doesn't make sense, right?"

Dumbledore looked at Amosta with concern and said...

"Even if the terrifying creature that steals people's happiness really came from that 15th-century dark wizard, then why is it associated with you?"

Chapter 216 How to Kill a Dementor

Dumbledore's question drew Amosta's thoughts back to the now-collapsed island of Avalon. In the Greek temple at the center of the island, there were the nine enormous murals he had once seen, depicting the earth-shattering battle fought by the legendary kings Arthur and Merlin against Morgan le Fay, the queen of Avalon, long ago.

Merlin was the only survivor of this war.

King Arthur and Morgan le Fay, arch-enemies also recorded in Muggle mythology, both perished, while the whereabouts of Merlin and the shadowy figure remain a mystery.

Thinking of that dark figure, Amosta's gaze fell on the bottle on the desk in front of him, and he pondered quietly.

Morgan le Fay, known as the Witch of Avalon, was the leader of the long-standing Druid sect, a fact described in both Muggle texts and wizarding history.

The shadow within Morgan's body has only been recorded in mythology. Where did it go? Was it imprisoned by Merlin in the Blackrock Tower?

At the end of that great battle, the twin serpent staffs hurled by the shadowy figure were the Dementor, Azkaban.

"Do you know the exact location of Azkaban, Headmaster Dumbledore?"

After a long silence, Amosta looked at Dumbledore, expressionless.

Dumbledore wasn't surprised that Amostella wanted to go to Azkaban to investigate, after all, that was where the Dementors who caused his soul transformation were first discovered.

"I'm sorry, Amosta--"

Dumbledore shook his head and said,

"The location of Azkaban is a top secret in the magical world. It is protected by the Silent Ones of the Department of Mysteries using the Fidelity Charm, passed down through generations. Even Cornelius probably doesn't know which Silent One holds this secret."

"How does the Ministry of Magic manage to put those prisoners in the bail jail?"

"The door key—"

Dumbledore smiled with a complicated expression.

"Once Wisengamour deems a wizard worthy of being sent to Azkaban, the Strikers will escort that wizard directly to Azkaban via a two-way portal key located within the Ministry of Magic."

Looking at Amos Tower, who was listening intently, Dumbledore suddenly had a thought:

The infamous bounty hunter Golden Viper stormed the Ministry of Magic, crippling its armed forces and stealing the Port Key to Azkaban. The Ministry currently knows the motive behind Golden Viper's heinous crime, but it cannot be ruled out that he may have received a request to rescue a prisoner held in Azkaban.

Thinking of this, Dumbledore felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that Amostella had the courage and the ability to do so.

“If you need to go to Azkaban,”

Dumbledore looked at the young man opposite him who seemed to be pondering something, and said in a more emphasizing tone,

“I can ask Cornelius for a research project on defense against the dark magic on your behalf. I believe Cornelius will not refuse my request, but I think he will allow me to go with him. At the very least, he will probably have Rufus or Barty accompany you.”

Amosta frowned. Each of the things he wanted to investigate could cause a huge uproar if he were to release them. With so many people watching him, what could he possibly do?

“Thank you for your kind offer, Headmaster Dumbledore,” Amosta nodded gratefully, “I’ll figure something out myself.”

"Amosta."

Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, his azure eyes gleaming with a serious expression, and his tone carrying a warning.