Chapter 65: Conversation with Dumbledore

When Sean woke up, he felt full of energy and comfortable all over. Closing his eyes, he could feel the faint but vigorous magical power within him. Before yesterday, Sean did not have this feeling.

Of course, he had such a distinct feeling because he had just experienced a second Magic Power Awakening, increasing his magic by nearly double out of thin air, hence the obvious sensation.

It is also worth noting that the new talent Sean gained, [Magic Power Awakening], did not merely increase the number of awakenings he could have but also increased the speed at which his own magic would grow as he aged.

In other words, if the amount of magical power Sean gained per year before was 10, then now his annual growth was nearly 20, almost doubling the rate. For Sean, this was the biggest surprise the talent had brought him.

Click…

The door to the ward was pushed open. Snape, still walking with his characteristic stride, entered from outside, stood before Sean's bed, and immediately began his tirade.

"Sean Bulstrode! What on earth is that Gryffindor-like troll brain of yours thinking? I told you before to stay away from the Savior, but you clearly didn't take my words seriously, stubbornly insisting on hanging out with the great Savior, like the foolish Weasley, happy to be the Savior's little sidekick, willing to give everything, even your life, for the Savior's recklessness, arrogance, and thoughtlessness?"

Watching the Slytherin Snake King continuously spew venom at him, Sean knew very well that his Head of House not only held no malice towards him but was acting this way out of concern.

After Snape's stream of venom subsided, Sean smiled and said to him, "Professor, I'm sorry I didn't heed your advice. I originally intended to go and persuade Harry to leave, but then I heard Harry say that someone was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone, so I wanted to go and see with him. Besides, I have a magical item left to me by my grandfather, which can protect me."

The existence of the pure white pocket watch—whether from the commotion Marcellus and the others caused at the beginning of the school year or the time it helped him avoid a Killing Curse from Quirrell right under Harry's nose—had made the fact that Sean possessed it no longer a secret, so he had no need to hide anything about it.

As expected, hearing Sean's words, Snape frowned slightly and said, "Sean, any magical item has its limits. While you certainly avoided harm this time thanks to that item, it may not be so smooth next time."

"On that point, I personally agree very much with Severus."

Sean and Snape simultaneously turned to look at the ward door, only to see Dumbledore holding a small handful of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, eating them as he walked in from outside.

Sitting on the stool beside the bed, Dumbledore handed over the bag and recommended to Sean, "Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, very good sweets. I got them from Harry. Want to try some?"

Sean had tried sweets and snacks from the magical world before. There were some he liked very much and some he did not, such as Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans. Sean strongly disliked uncertainty beyond his control, so he also disliked things that could potentially lead to unpleasant surprises.

However, with the snack being offered by Dumbledore, Sean felt he should still give the Headmaster some face.

This wasn't cowardice, just simple respect for an elder.

Picking up a bean and putting it into his mouth, Sean frowned slightly. Biting down, a fresh peach scent instantly filled his mouth. In contrast to Sean, Dumbledore's originally expectant expression became indescribable.

"Hmm, it seems, Sean, you must have gotten a good flavor."

"Peach."

"Oh, how lucky. I wasn't so lucky; I just had the stale socks flavor. Ugh, truly awful."

Seeing that Dumbledore still had the idea of continuing to share the beans with Sean, Snape said with slight impatience, "Dumbledore, Sean needs more rest. Please say whatever you need to say quickly."

Dumbledore didn't mind Snape's words at all. He just nodded, put away the beans, and showed his standard gentle and benevolent smile. "Sean, about last night's events, I wonder if you would be willing to tell us about them?"

Sean naturally wouldn't hide what happened last night, nor could he. So, apart from briefly mentioning his detailed fighting methods, he told Dumbledore everything else exactly as it happened.

As a master of Legilimency, Dumbledore could sense whether the other person was telling him the truth without using magic. Sean was well-prepared for this. Most of the events he recounted were true. The few problematic parts were only concerning his own abilities, which Sean glossed over, and Dumbledore did not press for details.

After the questioning was complete, Dumbledore nodded slowly and said, "Thank you very much for telling us the truth, Sean. You've helped us a great deal."

Listening to Dumbledore's words, Sean nodded, then asked knowingly, "Professor, the one I encountered last night, that face stuck to Professor Quirrell's back of the head, was that really Vol… Voldemort?"

"Unless there was a mistake, yes, it was him." Dumbledore's expression became a little more serious. He nodded and said earnestly to Sean, "Speaking of which, Sean, there is something I need to ask of you. I hope you can help keep this matter a secret, no matter who it is. Do you understand what I mean?"

Sean looked at Dumbledore and suddenly realized what he meant. "Not even my family?"

"Sean, you must understand that keeping it a secret isn't for the sake of concealment and deception, but for their protection."

Looking at the serious Dumbledore, Sean actually hadn't intended to tell his parents or anyone from the Bulstrode family about this matter anyway. So when he heard Dumbledore's request, he nodded and replied, "Alright, I will keep it a secret, Professor."

"Then thank you for your understanding and help, Sean." Dumbledore smiled, adjusted his sitting posture, and continued, "Furthermore, there is one thing I must remind you of. The pure white pocket watch you possess is indeed a very good magical item, but it has a very significant drawback: it is not discreet enough."

"Although I don't know when it fell into the collection of the Bulstrode family, in the magical world, among some older wizards or ancient families, the pure white pocket watch is a very famous magical item, so many wizards or families know how to deal with this magical item."