"Harry Potter- Ravenclaw"Chapter 32: Like the Feeling of Casting Off Shackles
Dumbledore noticed the shift in Wyzett's expression and waved a gentle hand.
"Do you remember what I once told you?"
"It is our choices, Wyzett, that show what we truly are—far more than our abilities."
"The moment you chose Ravenclaw, you became fundamentally different from Tom… from Voldemort. We shouldn't dwell on what's similar between you and him, but rather on what sets you apart. That's what truly matters."
Wyzett nodded, letting the thought settle. He followed Dumbledore's words, turning over in his mind the differences between Voldemort and Tom Riddle.
He'd faced Voldemort directly at the end of last year, and now, through Dumbledore's eyes, he was meeting the student who would become the Dark Lord—Tom Riddle.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, why does it seem… his methods were even more sophisticated? He knew how to present himself, and he was so skilled at… weaving webs of intrigue."
"So, is it Tom Riddle pulling the strings behind all this? Fifty years ago, he framed Hagrid to clear his own name…"
"And now he wants to frame you, so that…" Wyzett frowned. "What's his goal? He got Hagrid expelled back then, and now…"
His expression grew strange. "Headmaster, he wants to drive you out of Hogwarts? Isn't that a bit… well…"
"Exactly!" Dumbledore laughed, his eyes twinkling. "It's a rather childish notion, isn't it? As if, once I'm gone, he'll have free rein at Hogwarts."
"But unfortunately for him, the Chamber crisis has already been resolved. He's realized that, which is why he tried to make Miss Parkinson the scapegoat—tying himself to the Parkinson family in the process."
"He's like a spider, weaving an enormous web. The pure-blood families, The Daily Prophet, the Ministry of Magic… all of them, knowingly or not, have become part of it."
"If I'm right, once I leave Hogwarts, he'll orchestrate an 'accident' to purge the so-called Muggle-born students."
Wyzett pressed, "Then should we deal with Lockhart first? To stop that from happening?"
"But… what if it's already too late? If this is Tom Riddle we're talking about, maybe he's already left Lockhart behind."
"That's certainly possible," Dumbledore said, holding Wyzett's gaze. "After all, he is a soul. That's why I intend to… move things forward."
Wyzett blinked, then asked tentatively, "Headmaster, are you going to let them force you out—on your own terms?"
Dumbledore smiled, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "They're so eager, weaving their great web. I suppose I ought to let them play their part, don't you think?"
"Apart from the complaints, friends on the Board of Governors have written to me as well. There are those on the board working together to have me removed officially."
Wyzett's brow furrowed. "The Board of Governors?"
"The Hogwarts Board of Governors," Dumbledore explained. "Your scholarship last year, the school's day-to-day running—they're all thanks to the board."
"The membership is… complicated. There have been several shake-ups over the years. Back when Voldemort was at large, the pure-blood families held most of the seats. These days, it's about half and half."
That made things clear to Wyzett.
"So, Headmaster, you plan to further reduce the pure-blood families' influence?"
"That's part of it." Dumbledore laced his fingers, a faint smile at his lips. "But achieving that through ordinary means isn't easy."
"Luckily, Cornelius Fudge has handed me just the opportunity I needed. He's being terribly impatient—he could have waited a little longer…"
"In fact, they all could have waited. Let the parents protest first, then have the Ministry step in…"
"It's this very impatience that's created an opening for me—a chance to solve three problems at once, and save a great deal of time."
For some reason, listening to this calm, almost playful analysis, Wyzett felt that Dumbledore seemed… different. As if he'd shrugged off some invisible restraint, letting a sharper, more brilliant edge show through.
He could sense Dumbledore's control over the whole situation—not only anticipating his opponents' moves, but even turning those moves to his own ends.
It was clear: for the foreseeable future, the Ministry and the pure-blood families would be dancing to Dumbledore's tune.
...
"Do I seem unfamiliar to you?" Dumbledore asked with a warm smile. "Maybe it's your presence, Wyzett. I feel as though… I still have a little light and heat left to give."
"Guardian, is it?" Wyzett looked at him, his voice suddenly low. "When you leave Hogwarts—because of their pressure—what do you need me to do?"
"Just what you said—guard Hogwarts." Dumbledore's tone was light, almost cheerful. "Because you're here, I can finally loosen some of the chains that have bound me…"
He let out a long breath, pulled a cockroach cluster from his pocket, and chewed thoughtfully.
"How to describe this feeling?"
"It's like casting off shackles—so much lighter. It's rather fun, exercising the mind like this every now and then."
A thought struck Wyzett. "Will this affect the Geis?"
"Of course not!" Dumbledore's voice softened, gentle as a grandfather soothing a child to sleep.
"I'm not doing this for myself. I could never find that kind of purpose before, so I never acted this way…"
"But now, the timing feels right. If my instincts are correct… I think I've found the person I was waiting for. Someone who lets me do a little more, to make up for old mistakes."
"Headmaster Dumbledore…" Wyzett felt his throat tighten, his nose prickling. "I…"
"These are things you deserve, Wyzett." Dumbledore waved off his protest. "You have so much ahead of you—so many choices to make for yourself."
"This world will change because of you. That much, I can foresee. Oh! If Harry finds himself in danger while I'm gone, I hope you'll look out for him."
...
After leaving the headmaster's office, Wyzett wandered outside for a long while.
He had to admit—Dumbledore's words had struck him deeply.
Shine and give warmth…
Perhaps there was another meaning: when a candle stub burns brighter, it's also burning itself away.
No matter what, he didn't want to see that happen.
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