Richard kept his head down. Like a true student of Hufflepuff, he became quiet and inconspicuous, doing his utmost not to draw attention to himself while remaining constantly on guard.
To distract himself from paranoid thoughts, young Grosvenor buried himself in his studies, focusing primarily on practising Transfiguration spells, since experience had already shown just how useful they could be.
And so November slipped by unnoticed, and snowy December arrived. Only four weeks remained until Christmas, and the first reports concerning the investigation into Dumbledore's case finally landed in Richard's hands.
The information proved deeply unsettling.
A psychiatrist working alongside the intelligence services, after being provided with a detailed verbal profile of Albus Dumbledore, concluded that the Headmaster was highly likely to suffer from delusions of grandeur.
The doctor identified several key indicators. First, the throne-like chair upon which the Headmaster seated himself. Second, the gaudy and attention-grabbing robes he wore. He also suggested that the Headmaster might suffer from psychopathy. Its symptoms included callousness towards others, a diminished capacity for empathy, an inability to feel sincere remorse for harming other people, as well as deceitfulness, eccentricity, and shallow emotional responses. The physician listed several additional diagnoses as well: narcissism and, to a degree, Machiavellianism.
Narcissism is a personality trait characterised by excessive self-admiration and an inflated sense of self-importance. In Dumbledore's case, for instance, it can be seen in the grandiose way he presents himself in the Hogwarts acceptance letter, complete with a full list of titles and honours.
Machiavellianism is the practice of conducting politics through power, manipulation, and disregard for morality. The headmaster styles himself as a great wizard, dresses eccentrically in defiance of the conservative fashion favoured by wizards, shows open distrust and disdain towards governmental authorities — namely the Ministry of Magic — and constantly displays his authority through countless little details the psychiatrist managed to pick out from the description.
In conclusion, the doctor wrote that subclinical psychopathy, alongside subclinical Machiavellianism and narcissism, formed part of the so-called "Dark Triad" of maladaptive personality traits, all of which were associated with callousness and manipulative behaviour. These signs pointed towards antisocial personality disorder.
According to the psychiatrist's assessment, the personality of the "unknown patient" displayed tendencies towards criminal behaviour, sadism, and repeat offending. He was highly skilled at lying and seizing control during conversations and interrogations, and could pose a danger to the lives of law enforcement personnel. The doctor strongly advised that any interrogation of such an individual be conducted with the strictest security precautions in place.
After reading the documents, Richie could only think:
So this is the kindly old grandfather Dumbledore, the great wizard. In reality, he's a dangerous madman — and the wizarding world doesn't notice a thing.
The very next day, after studying the report, Richard sought out Harry Potter and pulled him aside for a private chat.
"How are you doing, Harry?"
"Fine, thanks. What about you, Richie?"
"Splendid. Read this."
Richard handed Harry a copy of the psychiatrist's report. Potter read through it curiously. Then he lifted his gaze from the page and said:
"Who's this lunatic supposed to be? The Dark Lord or something?"
"You try guessing, Harry."
"I honestly have no idea," Harry admitted, unable to imagine who it might describe.
Richard explained:
"Your uncle Scott contacted a criminal psychiatrist who creates psychological profiles of dangerous criminals for Scotland Yard and the intelligence services. He provided the doctor with a detailed description of Albus Dumbledore without mentioning any names."
Harry Potter's face stretched with astonishment.
"I knew it!" he exclaimed. "Headmaster Dumbledore's a mad dictator and manipulator! But what does this actually give us?"
"It means, Harry, that this lunatic has turned the school into a trap for someone his mind has marked as an enemy. He's using the Philosopher's Stone as bait. We shouldn't involve ourselves in this affair if we value our lives."
"I'm sure Dumbledore stole the Philosopher's Stone from Nicolas Flamel. Richie, we can't leave something like that in the hands of a madman. Can you imagine what'll happen if he becomes immortal as well?"
"The end of the world, perhaps," Grosvenor drawled thoughtfully. "I believe he's quite capable of causing it. But this is far too dangerous, Harry. I still suggest we avoid rushing into the fire and instead think of another way to eliminate a dangerous wizard."
"How?!" Harry Potter looked utterly flabbergasted. "Richie, what can we possibly do against a powerful adult wizard?"
"I don't know yet, Harry. I honestly don't. But I will think of something. Until then, we should keep our heads down."
"While you're thinking, Dumbledore might become immortal," Potter replied with a frown. "Richie, I still think we need to save the Philosopher's Stone."
Richard thoughtfully rubbed his chin. He was not entirely certain that Dumbledore truly posed a threat to the world, but the probability was alarmingly high. Having a dangerous and unstable wizard as a problem was bad enough. But there was a world of difference between opposing an old man and opposing that same wizard restored to youth and standing at the height of his power. One way or another, the Philosopher's Stone had to be removed.
Richard, who had been raised to become a serious businessman and politician, thought on a broader scale than the ordinary man he had once been in his previous life. A thought occurred to him: if one could not determine exactly where the threat to the planet originated, then the safest course was to act decisively — eliminate everyone who, even theoretically, possessed the power to destroy the world. No, not commit genocide against wizards, but identify potentially dangerous magic-users and neutralise them by one means or another. And if some innocents happened to be caught among them…
Well, what could one do? You cannot chop wood without chips flying.
Compared to five billion human lives, the fate of two, three, or even ten wizards amounted to a trivial sacrifice. Downsizing in a large corporation caused more suffering than the disappearance of a handful of potentially dangerous wizards.
"Very well," he finally said. "Harry, I'll provide magical gadgets that'll allow us to fight adult wizards on equal footing and survive any traps. Dumbledore can only be lured away from the castle near the end of the school year. I've already arranged everything. All that remains is removing certain professors and securing alibis. But until the Christmas holidays, my options are limited. In short — wait until summer. Until then, don't get involved in anything and don't attract attention."
(End of Chapter)
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