Richard kept a low profile. Like a true Hufflepuff student, he became quiet and inconspicuous, trying not to attract attention to himself and to remain on guard.
To distract himself from his paranoid thoughts, Rich Jr. threw himself into his studies, focusing mainly on practicing Transfiguration spells, as practice had shown their enormous benefits.
November flew by unnoticed, and snowy December arrived. Christmas was just four weeks away, and Richard received the first reports on the Dumbledore investigation.
The information was disappointing. A psychiatrist working with the intelligence services, based on a detailed oral profile of Albus Dumbledore, concluded that the headmaster most likely suffered from delusions of grandeur.
The doctor identified the following key elements: firstly, the throne on which the Headmaster sits; secondly, the colorful and distinctive attire. He also suggested that the Headmaster may suffer from psychopathy. Its symptoms include callousness towards others, decreased empathy, an inability to genuinely repent for harming others, as well as deceitfulness, eccentricity, and superficial emotional reactions. The doctor also wrote several other diagnoses: narcissism and, to some extent, Machiavellianism.
Narcissism is a character trait characterized by excessive self-love and inflated self-esteem. For example, in Dumbledore, this is evident in the grandiosity with which he introduces himself in his invitation letter, listing all his positions and names.
Machiavellianism is a political approach based on force, disregard for morality, and the like. The school's headmaster positions himself as a great wizard, dresses eccentrically, contrary to wizarding business fashion, displays disdain for and distrust of government bodies (the Ministry of Magic), and demonstrates his power in every way possible through various small details, which the psychiatrist was able to discern in the description.
In the doctor's conclusion, he wrote that subclinical psychopathy, along with subclinical Machiavellianism and narcissism, are part of the "dark triad of bad characters," characterized by callousness and manipulativeness. These traits point to antisocial personality disorder.
According to the psychiatrist's conclusion, the "unknown patient" exhibits criminal tendencies, sadism, and recidivism. He is a skilled liar and seizes the initiative during conversations and interrogations, and may pose a danger to law enforcement officers. The doctor strongly recommended that this individual be interrogated with all necessary security measures in place.
Richie thought after reading these documents:
"So much for kind Grandpa Dumbledore, the great wizard. But in reality, he's a dangerous madman, something the wizards seem to be completely oblivious to."
The day after studying the report, Richard met with Harry Potter and took him aside for a chat.
- How are you, Harry?
- Thank you, good. And you, Richie?
- Excellent. Read this.
Richard handed Harry a copy of the psychiatrist's report. Harry read it curiously. Looking up from the paper, he said:
- What kind of psycho is this? The Dark Lord or something?
- You try to guess, Harry.
"I don't even know," Harry had no idea who they could be talking about.
Richard explained:
"Your Uncle Scott consulted a forensic psychiatrist who creates psychological profiles of dangerous criminals for Scotland Yard and the secret services. He provided the doctor with a detailed description of Albus Dumbledore, without naming any names."
Harry Potter's face stretched in astonishment.
"I knew it!" he exclaimed. "Headmaster Dumbledore is a mad dictator and manipulator! But what does that give us?"
"It means, Harry, that this psycho has set a trap at the school for someone his mind has designated as an enemy. He's using the Philosopher's Stone as bait. We shouldn't get involved in this-we'll be safer."
"I'm sure Dumbledore stole the Philosopher's Stone from Flamel. Richie, we can't leave something like that to a madman. Can you imagine what would happen if that madman also became immortal?"
"I think he's capable of bringing about the end of the world," Rich drawled thoughtfully. "But that's too dangerous, Harry. I suggest we avoid the heat of the moment and instead find a way to eliminate this dangerous wizard by other means."
"What?!" Harry Potter was stunned. "Richie, what can we do to a powerful grown wizard?"
"I don't know yet, Harry. I don't know, but I'll definitely think of something. But for now, we should keep a low profile."
"While you're thinking about it, Dumbledore could become immortal," Potter frowned. "Richie, I still think we need to save the Philosopher's Stone."
Richard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He wasn't sure Dumbledore was the threat to the world, but the likelihood was very high. Having a mad and dangerous wizard to deal with was bad news. But confronting an old man was one thing, and confronting the same man young and at the peak of his powers was quite another. The Philosopher's Stone had to be removed anyway.
Richard, raised as a serious businessman and politician, thought more broadly than the ordinary man he'd been in his past life. It occurred to him that since he didn't know where the threat to the planet's existence was coming from, it was best to act decisively-eliminate everyone who could, in theory, destroy the world. No, not commit genocide against wizards, but identify potentially dangerous mages and neutralize them by one method or another. And if, by chance, innocent people were among them... What could he do? When you chop wood, you get chips. Compared to five billion human lives, the fate of two, three, or ten wizards is mere trifles. Staff reductions at a large company cause more harm than the disappearance of a few potentially dangerous wizards.
"Okay," he said. "Harry, I'll provide magical gadgets that will allow you to fight adult wizards on equal terms and avoid being trapped. We won't be able to lure Dumbledore out of the castle until the end of the school year. I've already arranged everything. All that remains is to eliminate some teachers and provide an alibi. But I'm limited in funds before the Christmas holidays. So, wait until summer, don't get involved in anything yet, and don't draw attention to yourself."
"Okay," Potter agreed. "What do we do now?"
"In general, it's learning," Richard replied. "But if you're talking about the present moment, there's one idea that's long been in need of testing."
- Which?
Harry was bored and was ready for any adventure just to unwind.
- Tell me, Harry, does your living portrait actually control the opening of the door?
"Well, yeah," Potter shrugged. "So what?"
A wide smile spread across Richard's face.
"Excellent!" he said joyfully. "Amazing! I've always been plagued by the feeling that I'd missed something. But it turns out that the portraits are sentient and can somehow interact with their surroundings, like opening doors, for example."
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, bewildered, already accustomed to the process of entering the Gryffindor dorm.
- A reasonable portrait, Harry!