Chapter 207: Horace Slughorn
"I still want to talk to Newt now."
After all the professors had yawned their way out, Dumbledore spoke to Ryan, who hadn't left yet, and Gellert, who was staying in the Headmaster's office.
"Have a heart. Your 'good student' doesn't have your energy. He's just a mortal who falls over at the slightest touch," Gellert said. When mentioning Newt, his expression twisted with distaste.
Dumbledore, noticing the tension, deftly changed the subject, ignoring Gellert to talk to Ryan about Horace Slughorn.
He described Horace as hedonistic and vain, but not bad at heart. Born into one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families, he was elitist but had a keen eye for talent. He was easygoing with students he approved of, putting on no airs, and enjoyed befriending those with promise and talent.
"May I ask, what exactly was the reason Professor Slughorn chose to resign from Hogwarts back then?"
Knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles. Understanding more about Slughorn might prove crucial in persuading him to return.
Hearing this question, Dumbledore fell into reminiscence. In his mind, time rewound to the era when Voldemort was still wreaking havoc.
It was a time of panic and fear. Hogwarts stood as the brightest banner and the most solid fortress. This was due not only to Dumbledore's reputation but also to the dedication of the professors and Heads of House.
At that time, the current Potions Master, Snape, was still Voldemort's right-hand man, the most trusted figure among the Death Eaters. Neither of the two men involved could have imagined the future turn of events where one would turn spy for love, yet they maintained a cooperative relationship even now.
Back then, the burden of potion production and medical treatment at Hogwarts fell on Slughorn. He worked tirelessly, putting in extra hours, becoming almost unrecognizable from his usual self.
Then Dumbledore noticed Slughorn becoming increasingly anxious. In the final days of Voldemort's peak, he fell ill—gravely ill. Madam Pomfrey diagnosed him with a severe psychosomatic illness; the mental pressure had caused serious physical problems.
If the psychological root couldn't be removed, he could only rest and recuperate.
At that time, Slughorn, with countless famous students, held high prestige. He was seen as another banner beneath Dumbledore. Even within the Death Eater camp, he commanded significant respect.
News of Slughorn's illness caused an uproar. People saw it as a symbol, a sign of the decline of the Light side.
This sentiment persisted until Sybill Trelawney applied for the Divination post and delivered a true prophecy. Voldemort then used his own downfall to add a heavy footnote to the mystique of Seers.
"After receiving news of Voldemort's defeat, Slughorn was completely revitalized. The ecstatic joy he displayed initially, along with fragmented sentences he let slip, alerted me for the first time to the possibility that Slughorn and Tom Riddle shared some dark secret. I tried asking him gently, but it only deepened his defenses. A few days later, he resigned, having served as a teacher at the school for half a century."
Dumbledore finished his recollection, having formed a new guess about Slughorn's choice back then—they had found the means by which Voldemort "transcended death."
They had verified that Voldemort possessed Horcruxes, and more than one.
And Horcruxes were indeed the foundation of Voldemort's belief in conquering death.
Dumbledore didn't say it directly, but the implication was clear: Slughorn had discussed Horcruxes with Voldemort.
"Since then, I've wanted to ask him—whether by letter or Communicator—but Horace always avoids the subject. Harry would be a good candidate to make him open up..."
He muttered to himself, his gaze falling over his glasses onto the desk, where Ryan's proposal for academic specialization and a memo already placed there lay.
The memo contained a list of names.
"Call me when it's time to leave, Headmaster." Ryan noticed the hands of the clock had passed midnight; it was time to take his leave.
"Sweet dreams. See you tomorrow," Dumbledore said.
Suddenly, flames roared in the fireplace.
A letter was spat out.
The letter ignited, and a voice projected from it: "This is Olympe Maxime. I have an urgent matter to discuss face-to-face with Mr. Dumbledore in ten minutes."
After repeating three times, the letter burned to ash.
Ryan's Communicator also started beeping. He saw messages from Quirrell, Fleur, and Maxime asking if he was asleep and informing him of an incident involving the Magi-Metal Wizards.
He exchanged a glance with Dumbledore. Both agreed this was serious; otherwise, the Beauxbatons group, who hadn't picked up the bad habit of late-night meetings, wouldn't be visiting at this hour.
"When I left Beauxbatons tonight, I told them I'd see them in three days. I really didn't expect to see them again tonight."
As Ryan spoke, he noticed that Dumbledore and Gellert didn't look particularly shocked, as if they had known this would happen.
Prophecy?
He looked questioningly at Gellert and received a nod of confirmation. He asked, "What's the situation in the prophecy?"
Gellert replied, "Among the Squibs you promoted, there are quite a few idiots who couldn't resist temptation. They foolishly danced in front of French intelligence and were caught after being discovered. That's all I saw."
Hearing Gellert's words, Ryan felt a sense of déjà vu. It seemed there were familiar tactics involved in this chain of events.
He had some understanding of the first batch of Magi-Metal Academy students. There were ordinary people, strong-willed people, and easily swayed people. But all of them held reverence for wizards and professors, as well as fear of ordinary national governments. They wouldn't dare openly violate the Statute of Secrecy, let alone dance in front of a national intelligence agency.
"What goes around comes around. Senior Ralvin learned how to incite public anger from me and successfully ousted Fudge. Now, players in the game of power who want to bring me down and carve up the interests of the Magi-Metal Wizards are copying my moves... using this tactic on me?"
Ryan, waiting at the castle entrance with Dumbledore to welcome the visitors, planned to wait for Maxime and the others to explain the full story and current situation before accurately judging the level of his opponents.
Knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory.
Since the battle lines were drawn, he needed to know exactly how capable his opponents were.
The fact that they had learned to manipulate wizards and incite conflict meant they shouldn't be underestimated.
Ten minutes after the letter appeared.
Maxime, accompanied by Fleur and Quirrell, appeared punctually in front of Hogwarts Castle.
"Long time no see, honorable Mr. Dumbledore." She appeared immense and elegant.
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