Chapter 6: Sincerity

"Wes, go on in. Headmaster Dumbledore is already waiting for you," Professor McGonagall said. "I have some other important matters to attend to, so I'll leave you here."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. If you have time, I'd love to discuss Transfiguration with you sometime. Your recent paper was absolutely brilliant—it taught me so much."

After Professor McGonagall departed, Wes stepped through the large oak door with a slightly nervous heart.

He entered an impressively spacious, circular room. The walls were lined with portraits of former headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were gently snoring in their frames.

Elegant silver instruments filled the office, glimmering with an aura that was both mysterious and enchanting.

Wes glanced around but didn't see Dumbledore's famous pet—the majestic phoenix, Fawkes.

To his surprise, waiting alongside Dumbledore was none other than Professor Snape.

He quickly stepped forward and apologized, "I'm terribly sorry to keep you both waiting."

Dumbledore smiled and gestured for him to sit.

"Mr. Elwin, you're right on time."

"If you're ready, I'd like to begin the interview right away. I'm sure you understand—as Headmaster, my schedule is rather packed."

As he spoke, Dumbledore gave a playful wink.

Snape, however, responded with a scoffing snort filled with disdain.

"Pay no mind to Professor Snape," Dumbledore said with amusement. "He's only here to observe."

"Understood, Headmaster. I'm fully prepared." Wes nodded.

"Some of the following questions may touch on your personal affairs. I do hope you'll answer honestly."

"I have no problem with that, Headmaster."

"Then let's begin. Mr. Elwin, can you tell me why you're applying for this teaching position? As you know, it doesn't exactly offer a lucrative salary—not even enough to cover that fine set of robes you're wearing."

Wes frowned slightly. After a brief pause, he decided to answer truthfully.

He was fully aware that in front of two masters of Legilimency, there was no use trying to lie.

"My goal is simple, really. I want to return to Hogwarts."

"Oh?" Dumbledore leaned in, clearly intrigued. "Go on."

"After graduating, I went on a series of adventures."

"Throughout those experiences, I came to a hard realization: the knowledge I gained at school was far too limited."

"There's no one out there who will teach you with the same selflessness and care as the professors here."

"I've hit a serious bottleneck in my magical research, and I believe the only way to break through it… is to come back to Hogwarts—home to the largest magical library in all of Europe."

Wes laid his true intentions on the table without hesitation.

"So that's why you've been risking your life dealing with Dark Wizards and illegally exploring dangerous ruins?"

Snape suddenly cut in, his deep eyes locked onto Wes with a scrutinizing gaze.

His expression was unreadable. Though his tone seemed accusatory, his real feelings were hard to discern.

"That's right." Wes replied bluntly, unafraid.

Having received the answer he wanted, Snape said nothing more.

"You're very honest, Mr. Elwin," Dumbledore said, adjusting his spectacles. His expression had grown more serious.

"I've heard... less than flattering rumors about you. Frankly, they were quite shocking. If there were solid evidence, I fear the Ministry of Magic would have no hesitation in throwing you into Azkaban."

"The Ministry is a pile of garbage," Wes said bluntly, completely unfazed by Dumbledore's warning. Emotion surged in his voice.

"Those people aren't worthy of being called wizards anymore."

Dumbledore and Professor Snape were clearly taken aback by his candor.

"It seems you harbor quite a grudge against the Ministry," Dumbledore said, trying to lighten the mood. "Funny enough, I almost became the Minister myself last year."

"That was never going to happen," Wes said with absolute certainty.

"Truly wise wizards keep their distance from politics. That kind of dirty, foolish mess only serves to corrupt the soul."

"Oh!" Dumbledore looked genuinely surprised.

"That's quite the insight. It took me decades to understand that truth. And yet you've already seen it so clearly at your age."

"Perhaps it's because I was born a Muggle," Wes explained patiently.

"To me, magic is nothing short of a miracle. It changed my entire fate."

"Fate…" Dumbledore repeated softly, his eyes distant and thoughtful.

Then he looked up, his tone shifting:

"One last question, Mr. Elwin—do you know of the Dark Lord?"

"The Dark Lord? You mean Voldemort?"

At the mention of the name, Snape's body gave an involuntary twitch.

He hid it well, and neither Dumbledore nor Wes seemed to notice.

"Aren't you afraid of someone so dangerous?" Dumbledore now fixed Wes with a sharp gaze.

But Wes remained calm. "Why should I be afraid of a man who's already failed?"

Snape's eyes changed at last—just slightly, but noticeably.

"Your courage is remarkable, Mr. Elwin," Dumbledore said, sincerely impressed.

"It's been nearly eleven years, and even now, most witches and wizards still dare not speak his name. They simply call him 'He Who Must Not Be Named.'"

Wes shrugged indifferently. "Probably just another side effect of growing up in the Muggle world."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then said:

"You're hired, Mr. Elwin."

Wes jumped to his feet, overjoyed, and grasped Dumbledore's hand tightly.

"This is wonderful, Headmaster! I'll do everything I can to become a qualified professor."

"Don't celebrate too early," Dumbledore chuckled.

"Runes is quite an unpopular subject. Not many students will likely sign up. As for your salary…"

"That's fine, Headmaster," Wes said quickly. "I'm not concerned with how much I'll earn."

With that, the two signed the contract smoothly, and Wes left the office in high spirits.

---

Inside the now-quiet office, only Dumbledore and Snape remained.

"He's dangerous," Snape said darkly.

"He's simply... too pure," Dumbledore said slowly. "He needs guidance. Given time, he may become a powerful force against Tom."

Snape unconsciously touched the Dark Mark on his forearm.

"He has no fear of the Dark Lord. And my mark didn't react to him at all—he's definitely not a Death Eater."

"Then all the more reason for us to draw him to our side. Severus, I'm growing older by the day, and Tom will return. We need all the strength we can gather."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Snape stood, ready to leave. He paused in the doorway and muttered:

"Let's hope your judgment is right."

---

Back at the inn, Wes was elated. He immediately began preparing his lesson plans, his excitement impossible to contain.

He raced against time, determined to have everything in place before the start of the term—eager and full of hope for the new academic year ahead.