Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 113 Conversation

"What should I do?" Loren asked.

"Focus." Dumbledore held out his ancient wand to Loren.

Loren first saw a cluster of red light on the tip of the wand. His magical perception was activated, and his gaze was fixed on it, unconsciously drawn in and immersed.

Dumbledore used his wand to draw Loren's attention, then suddenly flicked his wand, diverting Loren's focus away from him.

In an instant, Loren's eyes lost focus, and he could see nothing clearly. The colors of everything in the office suddenly faded, leaving only the outlines of shapes drawn with white lines, like a line drawing. All the lines twisted and intertwined like flowing water.

The teacups, wooden tables, and other objects lack any magic; their outlines are clear, and their lines are fixed and unchanging.

In this scene, Loren actually saw more details more clearly.

On the second shelf of the bookshelf, there was a slightly protruding wooden lump. A few bubbles floated on the tea in the cup, making the shape and movement of the objects more clearly visible to him.

Magical objects, such as Dumbledore in front of me and the Philosopher's Stone on the table, their outlines constantly shifting.

Loren looked down at his hands, the contours of his palms were flowing, and a thin thread was wrapped around his fingers, this was the trailing thread.

He used the fingers of his other hand to hook the thin thread, the lines of his fingers intertwining with the lines of the silk thread, then passing through each other without affecting each other.

"Sense magic with your heart, not your eyes," came Dumbledore's voice.

Under Dumbledore's guidance, Loren abandoned color and vision, and the world appeared as a two-dimensional canvas of line drawings.

Ignoring the line art in front of him, Loren entered a strange state.

The magical things in this office all exude their own presence, and each thing has a different presence.

The two most prominent sources of magic are Dumbledore and the Philosopher's Stone.

Dumbledore's magic was more active, displaying a vibrant life force, like a volcano. The magic in the Philosopher's Stone was even greater, but stable and quiet, like a lifeless star.

This feeling was unlike any other sense. It wasn't sight, it wasn't hearing, and it was equally difficult to describe, but he simply felt it.

Dumbledore placed the ancient wand on the table, the hardwood striking the surface with a soft sound.

"Clatter"

As the sound rang out, the white lines disappeared from Loren's vision, all the objects were recolored, and he emerged from that strange state.

"Remember this feeling." Dumbledore looked at Loren with a gentle smile.

Loren seemed somewhat unsatisfied. "Is this the magical perception of a magic master?"

For things without magic, all senses are amplified, allowing for a clearer perception of their presence and movement. For things with magic, the perception transforms into something else entirely.

Dumbledore stroked his beard, feigning deep thought, "Emmm, although I'm not sure about the others' situations, my perspective should offer some insight."

"How do I get back into that state?" Loren looked away from his wand and at Dumbledore.

"When your magical vision opens, calm your mind, recall the feeling you just experienced, and feel the world with your heart," Dumbledore replied.

Loren nodded as if he understood, recalling the feeling from just now.

Seeing Loren deep in thought, Dumbledore picked up the documents on the table and continued reading. The office fell silent again, the old man and the young man sitting opposite each other, each busy with their own tasks.

It's unclear how much time passed, but Dumbledore finished reading the last page of the document and signed his name at the end with a quill pen.

"So, now tell me, what do you intend to do by suddenly coming to ask for the Philosopher's Stone?" Dumbledore's voice roused Loren from his reverie.

"Oh, the parchment Percy gave us to sign was a little different, you know, I have a different eye. As far as I know, it wasn't just for maintaining secrecy laws."

As Loren spoke, he held out his hand, showing Dumbledore the threads wrapped around his fingers, knowing that Dumbledore could definitely see them.

Dumbledore didn't look at Loren's childish hands, but instead looked at Loren's face and eyes, trying to discern something deeper from his expression.

But Loren showed no expression, only twitching his pale fingers to himself. "The book Nico gave me tells me that I can use magic to wash away the entanglement of traces."

Dumbledore didn't respond to that. He closed the financial documents on the table and set them aside, looking intently at Loren. "I'd like to know your opinion on the Trace, on the Act of Reasonable Restriction of Underage Wizards."

The fact that Loren came to him to ask for the Philosopher's Stone indicates that he already knew about the Silk. His previous words also showed that Loren had some understanding of the Silk and the implications of the Act.

While at Nicolas Flamel's house in Devon, Nicolas handed the picture to Loren in front of Dumbledore.

Although Dumbledore may not have known the function of the paintings in conjunction with the Book of Fantasy, the paintings, like magical portraits, certainly carried many memories of the portrait's owner.

Dumbledore was unaware of Flammel's existence, but assumed there was a magical statue carrying Nicole's centuries-old knowledge, teaching Loren.

"I'm just a kid, what opinions could I possibly have?" Loren muttered. What opinions did he have? His opinion was that changing things would be too much trouble, just thinking about it was too much trouble.

Dumbledore looked at him quietly, showing that the old headmaster was very patient.

"Sigh~" Loren sighed, knowing that the old man wouldn't let him off the hook.

He braced himself on the armrests of the chair and leaned back a bit. "My view is that Muggle ways of thinking and some of their knowledge will flow into the wizarding world on their own and transform it."

"Oh." Dumbledore, hearing this novel idea, showed interest. "Could you explain it to this old man in detail?"

"Pure-bloods can curb Muggle wizards from an educational and developmental perspective, but from my personal point of view, this method may not be that effective..." Loren expressed his thoughts in as gentle a manner as possible.

The entire new generation of wizards is in a state of downgrading in strength, regardless of whether they are pure-blooded, half-blooded, or from Muggle families.

Relatively speaking, the Muggle mindset and some of their knowledge are advantages. This knowledge will naturally flow into the magical world through Muggle wizards and half-bloods, transforming all aspects of the magical world.

Just like Honeydukes, a traditional candy store, it stands out from other candy stores by using common Muggle-world tactics such as discounts, promotions, and gift packaging.

Soon, other candy stores followed suit, assuming it was just another ordinary but effective promotional tactic. This already demonstrated the influence of Muggle society's business model on wizarding society.

The Daily Prophet, which started as a normal news daily, has become a commercial daily filled with false and exaggerated content. This is also a manifestation of Muggle consciousness.

Muggle consciousness gradually seeped into this environment, transforming the magical world.

Wizards are a minority group, and once they connect with Muggle society, they are passively adapted to and transformed. The blockade of knowledge is also broken.

The endless stream of little wizards is the embodiment of this connection.

"Purebloods will inevitably decline, but it will be a long process." After saying this, Loren gulped down a large cup of tea.

Dumbledore tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes deep, as if he were looking through Loren at the future he spoke of.

Dumbledore snapped out of his reverie, refraining from commenting on Loren's point of view, and instead brought up another matter.

"Professor McGonagall seized upon the absurdity of old Crabbe's visit to the school and demanded of the Board of Governors and the Ministry of Magic that Hogwarts' autonomy be increased. Of the 276 amendments she proposed, 176 were rejected by the Board of Governors."

Seeing that he was about to go on and on, Loren quickly waved his hands, "Stop! I'm just a first-year student. These are things for you adults to worry about, not for me."

He grabbed the Philosopher's Stone from the table, stuffed it into his pocket, and hurriedly ran out of the office, shouting, "Goodbye, Headmaster!"

Dumbledore couldn't help but laugh as he watched Loren flee in disarray.

As Nico's designated successor, Loren should indeed own the Philosopher's Stone.

In the hospital, Dumbledore had already warned him that the Philosopher's Stone was not something that granted one's desires. He believed that Loren would not become obsessed with the power of the Philosopher's Stone.

More importantly, Loren will forge his own Philosopher's Stone. No matter how much advice or suggestions you give, ultimately, only Loren himself can walk his own path.

Dumbledore had come to realize that their burdens should no longer be borne by the children.

From the Quirrell incident, he realized that Loren's mind was different. Not the kind of cleverness Hermione possessed, but a more mature mind.

Loren interacted more with Snape and, unlike Harry and the others, didn't assume Snape was the one who stole the Philosopher's Stone. Furthermore, due to her unique perspective, she realized Quirrell was the real culprit. This was something Dumbledore had anticipated.

However, Loren did not participate in the Philosopher's Stone challenge. Even when the curse was about to befall him, his emotions were very calm, and he seemed unconcerned about his safety.

These signs indicate that Loren saw through his scheme.

Dumbledore was already familiar with Loren's character; he wanted to save his family, got along well with his friends, and even managed to get along with the less-than-friendly Snape. He was cheerful, kind, and valued friendship.

But he still wanted to talk to Loren, which led to today's conversation.

Loren had profound insights into the issues of pure-bloods, the magical world, and Muggle society.

They recognize the sinister effects of laws related to tracking, but lack the urge to change them due to laziness and fear of trouble, believing that time and trends will naturally change.

To his greatest surprise, Loren showed no interest whatsoever when the topic of Hogwarts and the Board of Governors came up.

Lacking a grand sense of mission and having no pursuit or desire for power, this is not a good character trait, but it perfectly matches all of Dumbledore's expectations.

Because those who always think they have a mission, pursue power, and yearn to change the world will always make the world worse.

Dumbledore sat at the table, eyes closed in deep thought, considering the school board meeting after the school year, and whether some measures should be taken more forcefully.

The old wizard's strong fingers tapped on the hardwood tabletop, producing a series of dull thuds.

As Loren walked out of the office, he felt that Dumbledore was acting strangely today. But having obtained the crucial Philosopher's Stone just like that, it all felt somewhat unreal.

"Never mind, it's normal for Dumbledore to be abnormal." He walked towards the Room of Requirement, intending to use the magic of the Philosopher's Stone to wash away the traces on his fingers.

After greeting Barnabas, Loren pushed open the door to the Room of Requirement and entered a quiet, abandoned classroom.

He sat cross-legged, took out the magic stone and examined it carefully, ready to close his eyes at any moment.

This is a red, amber-like crystal with low transparency. It's not a regular shape, about the size of a fist, and looks like a stone randomly picked up from a lake; it has a smooth texture.

He carefully channeled a little magic into the magic stone, and the red crystal glowed faintly. A surge of magic flowed from his hand into Loren's body.

A warm feeling spread throughout his body, and Loren's hair and robes billowed and flew about.

He and Harry had felt this magic when they confronted Voldemort in the corridor beneath the trapdoor.

Vast, surging, and endless.

At the time, the magic had an outlet, and afterwards, when Loren woke up in the hospital, he felt feverish all over. Now, all the magic is sealed inside Loren's body, and the warm feeling instantly turns into a burning, bloated sensation.

Loren remained calm. The magic emanating from the Philosopher's Stone would not exceed the limits his body could withstand, a lesson learned from past experience.

They would be at a disadvantage in a battle against Voldemort, not because the Philosopher's Stone lacked power, but because it wasn't infused with more magic than they could handle.

Using magical energy to cleanse the threads isn't a complicated ritual; the flow of magical energy itself is the cleansing process. It's just unknown how long it will take.

Loren closed his eyes, recalling the state of mind he had in the principal's office, and tried to get into that state.

The color of the entire classroom faded, and the surrounding walls turned into rough, twisted, and interwoven white lines.

Loren looked at his fingertips and saw the white lines that were part of the magic threads instantly disintegrate and disappear. The effect that would normally take seven years or more for the young wizard's magic to achieve, was accomplished in an instant by communicating with the magic stone.

He released his right hand, letting the magic stone fall to the ground, and the surging magic power broke.

The throbbing, burning sensation still lingered in his body. He gripped his wand, gradually calming the magic within him.

"call……"

Loren let out a long sigh, staring blankly at the Philosopher's Stone lying on the ground.

The Philosopher's Stone is not only an inexhaustible source of magic, but also a vessel for the creator's thoughts. In the short time he directly communicated with the Philosopher's Stone, he sensed Nico's will within it.

It was a wisdom born of experience, a weariness from seeing the world, and a longing for death. The surging magic and the decaying will formed a stark contrast.

This will, through magic, communicated with Loren's soul, directly conveying its thoughts to him. It seemed to be warning Loren not to go down this path.

Loren picked up the Philosopher's Stone and put it in his pocket. With light steps and a sense of joy at breaking free of his trail, he left the Room of Requirement and headed towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Dumbledore, Nico, they're always thinking of me. What business is it of yours which path I choose to take? Honestly." Mutterings echoed down the corridor.

(End of this chapter)