Chapter 42: Exploding Voldemort

Lin Mei smiled but remained silent. At that moment, his expression carried the unmistakable confidence of someone who held all the cards—a true capitalist's smile.

"It doesn't matter how I know," he said leisurely. "What matters is that I know exactly what state Voldemort is in right now."

Dumbledore's sharp blue eyes lit up with curiosity.

He had yet to uncover the secret of Horcruxes, so he was eager to hear what insights Lin Mei could offer.

But, of course, Lin Mei had no intention of making it easy for him.

Dumbledore studied Lin Mei's unreadable expression. He knew that unless he agreed to whatever Lin Mei wanted, he wouldn't get a single useful word out of him.

"So, what do you want?" Dumbledore asked, testing the waters.

He had tried before to peer into Lin Mei's thoughts—to get even a glimpse of his intentions.

But Lin Mei's mind was naturally sealed off. Every attempt at Legilimency was met with a solid, impenetrable wall.

Lin Mei smiled. "Nothing too difficult. Just two simple requests."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Now you have me curious."

Lin Mei didn't waste words.

"First, I want to learn alchemy. I need you to help me find a way to do that."

"Second, I want Professor Snape to brew me a powerful 'heavy metal' potion before the end of the semester."

Dumbledore fell into deep thought.

These weren't difficult requests—at least, not for him.

Granting access to alchemy knowledge would require some effort, but with his personal collection, it was entirely feasible.

As for Snape? The man was one of the greatest potion masters alive. Brewing a single potion, no matter how advanced, would be hardly an inconvenience.

After a moment, Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

Lin Mei's eyes gleamed—this was exactly the outcome he had aimed for.

Truthfully, his real objective had initially been something far more ambitious: the Time-Turner.

With it, he could have absorbed every bit of knowledge stored within Hogwarts' libraries and classrooms in record time.

But Lin Mei was no fool.

Dumbledore was a master manipulator—a fox among foxes. If Lin Mei pushed too far, he risked drawing suspicion.

So, he changed tactics.

Instead of overreaching, he settled for two seemingly reasonable requests—things Dumbledore wouldn't mind granting.

And it worked.

With his conditions met, Lin Mei didn't hesitate.

"If my observations are correct, Voldemort's soul is far from whole." His voice took on a knowing edge. "It seems he has torn it apart multiple times... but I can't be sure exactly how many."

Dumbledore's expression darkened slightly.

"Oh, and one more thing," Lin Mei continued casually, as if it were an afterthought. "Harry carries a fragment of Voldemort's soul inside him."

Dumbledore's fingers tightened ever so slightly around his wand.

Lin Mei smirked.

"That fragment has fused with Harry's own soul. And considering how much time has passed since Voldemort's 'death,' I doubt this is just a simple case of possession."

His gaze flickered, sharp with understanding.

"This isn't just a matter of coexistence. This bond runs deeper. It's woven into the very fabric of Harry's fate. It makes him, in some ways, a mirror of Voldemort… but also his greatest counterbalance."

His voice dropped slightly, serious now.

"This connection is both dangerous and—if handled correctly—potentially the key to Voldemort's defeat."

Dumbledore remained silent, processing this revelation.

But Lin Mei wasn't finished.

His tone grew even more solemn.

"One more thing—I've noticed something strange about Voldemort's power."

Dumbledore's gaze sharpened. "Go on."

"Even though he's strong, there's an irredeemable flaw within him. It's not just because his soul has been shattered."**

Lin Mei's fingers curled slightly, as if tracing invisible threads of fate.

"It's deeper than that. I suspect his attempts to restore himself—his rituals, his methods—were incomplete. Flawed. He took shortcuts, rushed the process, and in doing so, he created an irreversible instability within himself."

He looked straight at Dumbledore.

"His own greed for power might be the very thing that dooms him."

For a fleeting moment, worry passed through Dumbledore's wise old eyes.

Then, finally, he sighed.

"Your insight is… remarkably sharp, Lin Mei."

His voice was quieter now, carrying the weight of an unspoken burden.

"You're right. This is something we must be extremely careful about. Harry's connection to Voldemort will be one of my greatest concerns moving forward."

Then, as if shaking off the heaviness of the topic, he gave Lin Mei a small smile.

"As for your requests—I'll make the necessary arrangements. While Hogwarts' library doesn't have a comprehensive alchemy collection, my personal archives should suffice."

He chuckled. "And as for Severus… well, I imagine he'll be less than thrilled, but he'll do it."

Lin Mei nodded, already making plans.

The semester's end was drawing near.

And he intended to make full use of the time he had left.

While everyone else was distracted, he had his own agenda—

To secretly master the Dark Arts.

He had already obtained Sectumsempra, one of the most dangerous spells in the Half-Blood Prince's collection.

Now, he had his sights set on something even more forbidden.

The Unforgivable Curses.

One way or another—before the year was over—

Lin Mei would learn them all.

The final thing Lin Mei needed to do was adjust the dragon-slaying magic energy within his body.

And where better to train than the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor of Hogwarts?

At this stage, only Dumbledore knew its exact location, so Lin Mei had no fear of being discovered.

Soon, he and Dumbledore made their way down from the eighth floor to the Great Hall on the first floor.

As for the floating monster Lin Mei had been carrying with his Hovering Charm—Dumbledore had already removed it from Hogwarts by some unknown means.

The moment the troll vanished, Lin Mei sensed the hidden magic Dumbledore had used.

His heart clenched slightly.

Dumbledore's power was truly beyond comprehension—even among the greatest wizards.

And yet, despite all his strength, even he had no foolproof way to defeat Voldemort.

This only reinforced one undeniable truth:

Voldemort, in his prime, had been terrifyingly powerful.

Fortunately, unless the Triwizard Tournament began and the Goblet of Fire was tampered with, Voldemort would not be fully resurrected anytime soon.

For now, Lin Mei would only be facing fragments of his lingering soul.

"Oh my goodness, my boy!"

A warm, high-pitched voice called out as Lin Mei entered the Great Hall.

It was Professor Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw House.

"I heard you helped the Ravenclaw students during the attack! For that, you have my deepest gratitude."

The small professor gave a slight bow—a rare and genuine gesture of appreciation.

Lin Mei responded with a polite smile.

"Professor Flitwick, you're too kind. As a Hogwarts student, it's only natural to help my fellow classmates. Besides, in a crisis like that, any wizard with the ability to help should do so."

Flitwick's sharp eyes twinkled with admiration.

He reached up and lightly patted Lin Mei's knee—the highest he could reach given his short stature.

"Your bravery and wisdom have not only earned you the respect of Ravenclaw House but have also impressed the entire faculty. Remember this, Lin Mei—Hogwarts needs students like you."

Lin Mei nodded humbly, but inwardly, he was already thinking ahead.

Now's the perfect opportunity…

He had deliberately bypassed Hufflepuff and Slytherin, heading straight for Ravenclaw—not just to earn goodwill, but to secure an advantage.

Suddenly, a thought struck him.

"Oh, that's right, Professor Flitwick!" Lin Mei said, feigning a casual tone. "I wanted to ask about the final few pages of Ancient Demon Runes: A Complete Collection… Would it be possible for me to—?"

He let the question hang in the air, waiting for the professor's reaction.

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