Chapter 191: The Choice of Potion Paths

Dumbledore raised his brows slightly in surprise. "Oh?"

"The sequence I've just advanced to requires me to play the role of someone who imparts new knowledge and abilities. In turn, I gain strength from the knowledge and abilities I pass on."

"I see."

A thoughtful gleam lit Dumbledore's eyes as he stroked his beard. "In that case...I believe you can start from within Hogwarts. Minerva, Flitwick, Severus, and Sprout—all four are trustworthy. Then there's Arthur Weasley, Lupin, and a few others. They were part of the Order of the Phoenix I formed to resist Voldemort—they can be trusted as well."

"And...Grindelwald."

"What?"

Edward looked quite surprised. Although he regarded Grindelwald as his mentor, he had always maintained a certain degree of caution toward the former Dark Lord.

"Heh, Grindelwald did indeed commit grave mistakes in the past, but you must understand—he didn't act out of selfish ambition or personal gain, but rather out of hope for the future of wizardkind."

"And now, he's seen a different, brighter path forward."

Edward trusted Dumbledore, but he couldn't help but feel a little sceptical about his opinion of Grindelwald.

Hmm...Is this what they call 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'?

Dumbledore chuckled, waving a hand. "Of course, these are just my personal suggestions. The final decision is still yours to make—I trust your judgment."

"Alright~"

Edward mentally calculated the potions and ingredients he'd brought back. If there were enough to go around after distribution, then Grindelwald could have some too.

Sigh, let's hope all this effort pays off and the 'Converging Paths' feedback effect really kicks in.

"Professor, do you have any suggestions as to what potions Professors Snape and the others should take?"

"Hmm, that's something best left for them to decide." Dumbledore suddenly chuckled. "Take Severus, for example—most people would assume he's perfectly suited to the Apothecary pathway, given how it specialises in brewing and can even grant the ability to transform into a bat. But who knows—perhaps Severus might prefer the Assassin potion path."

Huh, if Snape really chooses the Assassin path, he's probably planning to slip it quietly into Harry Potter's food!

Dumbledore then glanced at Lilith and Susie, pondering for a moment before asking, "I'm curious—have both of them, Lilith and...Susie, also taken potions?"

Lilith, who was dozing on Audrey's lap, perked up her ears at the mention of her name and looked over.

"Yes. Lilith, say hello to Professor Dumbledore."

Lilith immediately sat up straight, curling her tail neatly around her hind legs as she purred sweetly, "Hello, Professor Whitebeard."

Audrey gently patted Susie's head. "Sorry, Professor. Susie…doesn't understand English."

Still, Susie gave a polite greeting in Loenese.

Dumbledore's eyes widened in astonishment. He murmured, "Incredible…truly incredible. To think that, after taking potions, a cat and a dog could gain the ability to speak, and even attain such intelligence."

"They were both ordinary animals before taking the potion, weren't they? Not some sort of magical creatures?"

Lilith tilted her chin and declared, "Miss Lilith was just a normal kitty~ But now I'm the smartest cat!"

Susie: "Woof! I'm just a dog."

"Anyone else would surely think they were Animagi. After all, even magical creatures only possess certain unique abilities—yet these two…"

Lilith spoke again, "I'm an Assassin. Susie is a Spectator."

"A Spectator? Marvellous! No creature could fit the Spectator's role better than a dog! And Assassin...well, cats are born assassins."

Audrey smiled faintly. "Professor, do you remember how the Assassin path forces a transformation into a female body after Sequence 7?"

"Of course I do. But Lilith is already a female cat, isn't she?"

Audrey cast a glance at Edward. "At that point, Lilith might turn into a human woman."

"!!!"

Now Dumbledore was truly shocked. "You mean…a real human transformation? Not just Transfiguration?"

"Exactly!"

"Merlin's beard…that's…utterly un-magical!"

Then, with sudden realisation, he turned to Edward with a meaningful look.

Edward was instantly speechless: What's with that look?

Shit—Don't make me sneak Grindelwald an Assassin potion!

He hurriedly changed the subject. "By the way, during the trip, I finally succeeded in completing the Animagus transformation. But I didn't turn into a regular animal...I became an Obscurial."

Dumbledore's brows lifted. After a moment's thought, he made the same guess Edward had previously entertained:

"Because of your previous connection with the Obscurus?"

"Not sure."

"How does it feel when you transform?"

"Just like the legends say—chaotic emotions, an overwhelming urge to destroy everything in sight. But…I can slowly start to control my consciousness."

"Hmm...just like Credence in the past. I imagine Gellert would be very interested in this."

He looked at Edward, a thoughtful expression on his face. "No wonder—when you returned, I could sense a strong wave of dark magic coming from you. Perhaps...it's the Obscurial influence."

"Er."

Edward froze, then admitted a little guiltily, "Actually…I did end up using quite a bit of dark magic recently—especially the Imperius Curse and the Killing Curse…"

Dumbledore fell silent for a moment, then said gently, "It sounds like you faced many dangers over there."

Audrey nodded in earnest agreement. "Yes, Professor. There were terrifying beings and secret organisations—all targeting Edward."

Edward sighed.

"You probably know that the excessive use of Dark magic affects the caster—it makes people ugly, cruel, terrifying…less human."

Audrey immediately looked at Edward in concern.

Edward, meanwhile, recalled the Killing Curse he had cast when he first arrived in the World of Mysteries. Back then, the spell's power was far weaker than it was now.

Part of the reason was that his Sequence had advanced and he could invest more spirituality, but it was also closely tied to his internal killing intent when casting the curse.

After all, in the world of Harry Potter, magic is idealistic—driven by emotions.

"So, should I cut back on using Dark magic from now on?"

"Not necessarily."

Dumbledore shook his head. "Grindelwald used Dark magic countless times throughout his life, yet he didn't fall to become some depraved dark sorcerer. Snape, too, was once a master of the Dark Arts, a textbook dark wizard, yet his Patronus was stronger than most."

"Of course, I'm not saying they were paragons of virtue. It's just that…they both managed to master Dark magic without being consumed by it. They controlled the magic, rather than let it control them. Perhaps you could ask them how they did it."

"I understand, Professor. I'll find a time to visit Mr. Grindelwald."

"Alright then, you two should get some rest. I'll go over the potion assignments again and give you the final list later."

As the two stood up, Edward suddenly remembered something. "Right—Professor, are you seriously planning to run for Minister for Magic?"

Dumbledore blinked and smiled. "Why not? I think this might be the most straightforward way for me to charge into the Ministry and clear the obstacles, all while keeping control over the situation."

"While I was away, has Voldemort appeared again?"

"No."

He shook his head. "Actually, since I confirmed at the start of the year that he wasn't dead, we've been playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse. He wants the Philosopher's Stone I borrowed from Nicolas Flamel, and I want to know why he's still alive."

"The day I had Hagrid retrieve the Stone from Gringotts—that was his first move. But after Quirrell was trampled to death by the dragon, Voldemort disappeared again…until the Chamber of Secrets was reopened."

Edward asked in surprise, "You knew something was wrong with Quirrell from the start?"

"Of course not," Dumbledore sighed. "If I were that clever, I'd have caught Voldemort long ago. It was all deduced after the Gringotts incident."

He paused for a few seconds, then continued, "The problem now is, I don't know what state Voldemort is in, nor whether he still needs the Stone. But I'm planning to find out."

"You're going to use the Philosopher's Stone to lure him out?"

"Exactly."

This was the same tactic he used in the original books—not only did it successfully draw Voldemort out, it also helped train the trio.

Edward thought for a moment and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"If I were ten years younger, I would confidently tell you: absolutely not."

Dumbledore's gaze lingered on Edward and Audrey. "But now… if any children end up in danger, do what you can to help them."

"No problem, Professor!"

———

The moment they walked out of the Headmaster's office, Lilith couldn't wait to drag Susie off to explore the castle and find "Professor Meowgonagall" to play games with.

Seeing Susie's size—nearly as large as a standard golden retriever—Edward could only silently pray for Professor Meow—ahem—McGonagall's well-being.

The two of them made their way down the stairs, past long hallways and the chaotic moving staircases, and finally exited the castle of Hogwarts.

What met their eyes was a vast expanse of white—everything was blanketed in thick snow, dreamlike and surreal.

Audrey stood still for a moment, extending her hand to catch the snowflakes drifting down from above. She murmured, "Last time I was here, it was just late autumn. And now it's already snowing like this…"

No wonder they hadn't run into any students along the way—everyone was probably either in class or huddled in the dorms trying to stay warm.

She exhaled a puff of misty breath, gazing out at the snowy mountains, the lakeshore, and the towers of the castle. "It's beautiful…"

Edward followed her gaze—but what surfaced in his mind was the image of Hogwarts as he'd seen it through that narrow gap during his advancement ritual.

What exactly did that vision mean?

"Ah, it's freezing."

Audrey suddenly pulled her hand back, rubbing it gently and blowing into her palm. Then, grabbing Edward's hand, she exclaimed, "Hey, your hand is so warm! Let me hold it."

"Vestis Tempestas."

Edward tapped her clothing with his wand, and in an instant, she was wrapped in a thick, cosy coat.

"Still cold?"

"Nope!"

She clutched his hand even tighter. The two of them leaned against each other, quietly admiring the snow-covered Hogwarts.

Suddenly, an intense chill swept down from the sky—a chill so biting it felt as though it could freeze one's very blood, leaving an overwhelming sense of discomfort.

Then, two tall, thin black figures floated down from the air. They were cloaked in dark robes, their heads completely hidden beneath hoods. From within each cloak extended a single hand—dimly glowing, greyish, skeletal, and crusted with scabs, as if it belonged to something long dead and rotting in water.

Dementors!

———

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