Vizette nodded slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he seemed to understand a bit. "So... Headmaster Dumbledore, you still want to take Professor Quirrell to see Mr. Nicolas Flamel?"
Dumbledore nodded and said, "Yes, Quirrell needs to learn alchemy, to understand the Philosopher's Stone, and to control it."
"He needs to guide the Philosopher's Stone to purify his body, rather than passively accepting its transformation. That approach is dangerous!"
Vizette quickly asked, "Headmaster Dumbledore, what is the difference between the two?"
"Take Baruffio for example," Dumbledore blinked. "You should be very familiar with this potion."
Vizette smiled and said, "Yes! Mrs. Pomfrey always tells me not to use Baruffio's Brain Elixir."
Dumbledore said, "This is the best example of passively accepting transformation. If a wizard uses Baruffio's Brain Elixir for a long time, he will become dependent on it... or even worse!"
"Over time, the effects of the Baruffio's Brain Elixir will weaken, and in order to maintain that clear-headed and sharp-minded feeling, wizards will increase the dosage until they are completely lost."
Vizette swallowed hard. "Completely lost?"
"That's right!" Dumbledore affirmed. "When the effects of Baruffio's Brain Elixir wear off, the wizard cannot accept returning to his original self and thus loses all autonomy."
"Quirrell's soul has been purified, and I don't want him to become dependent on the Philosopher's Stone and go down a path of no return. He should become the master of the Philosopher's Stone, not a puppet."
Recalling his performance two days ago, Vizette said firmly, "I believe in Professor Quirrell... He can definitely do it!"
Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Of course, I believe in him too!"
...
The two fell silent. Dumbledore interlaced his fingers, his deep blue eyes gleaming.
Vizette rubbed his eyes. He hadn't rested since the Quidditch final that morning, and now that he was finally back at Hogwarts, he felt a little tired in the warm candlelight.
Dumbledore abruptly asked, "Vizette, do you want to know what happened between me and Voldemort—what he said in the basement..."
Vizette nodded and said, "Headmaster Dumbledore, if you don't feel uncomfortable and are willing to talk about it... I'm all ears!"
Looking into Vizette's calm, clear eyes, Dumbledore coughed lightly. "Voldemort believed that I created him... perhaps that is indeed the case."
"He used to live in an orphanage. Before I gave him the school admission notice, I learned a little about him from the person in charge of the orphanage."
"From a very young age, he was able to control his magical talents and use them to commit some heinous acts in the orphanage."
"A heinous incident?" Upon hearing the word "orphanage," Vizette recalled his origins in his previous life.
Dumbledore nodded and said, "Yes, the children in the orphanage were afraid to mess with him. Because if they anger him, something bad will happen..."
"For example, hanging one's companion's rabbit from the rafters, or taking one's companion into a cave, after which the companion became delirious, as if they had encountered something terrible."
"In short, my first impression of him was very bad. I didn't see a trace of kindness in him. It was as if evil had filled his heart, which was not a good sign."
He spoke slowly, his brows furrowed, and his eyes were unusually focused as he observed Vizette's reactions.
After hearing just a few words, Vizette could only think of one phrase: born evil.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, if that's the case... when he finishes his studies at Hogwarts, will he return to the orphanage? What will happen to the other children? Will they still be persecuted by him?"
"Yes! What about the other children?" Dumbledore's brow relaxed a little. "That's how things went, and that's why he thought I created him."
"I met Voldemort and even learned about his little schemes; he kept a lot of stolen toys. I also had a lot of worries at the time... I didn't do well either!"
"I warned him to empty the cabinet where he hid his things and return everything to its original owners. Then I forced him to return the toys, or I would not let him enroll."
"When was that, Headmaster Dumbledore?" Vizette asked.
"I remember the summer vacation of 1937 very clearly."
Vizette nodded, probably thinking that the so-called "troublesome matter" was related to Gellert Grindelwald.
At that time, Grindelwald's faction was growing stronger and stronger, and Dumbledore was probably having a lot of trouble with it, which was why he said he "didn't do well" because he hadn't put his mind to education.
Seeing that Vizette's expression remained unchanged, Dumbledore's expression also relaxed.
He continued, "I even warned Voldemort back then that Hogwarts does not tolerate theft."
"I did not do well. When he was planning to go to Diagon Alley alone, I did not insist on accompanying him despite his refusal."
"Because I disliked his cruel, mysterious, and domineering nature, and I was always wary of him."
"Perhaps it was because of my precautions that his nature was nurtured and grew stronger, resulting in the Voldemort we know today."
As he spoke, his tone became heavy, and the light in his eyes dimmed, as if he were thinking about more unpleasant things.
Whether it was a misperception or not, Vizette felt that Dumbledore's gaze towards him carried a sense of familial guilt.
In his past life, when he was in an orphanage, he encountered couples who came to his door looking for their children. When they saw their children again, they would show a similar look in their eyes.
"Perhaps I really...can't do anything?" Dumbledore gave a bitter smile. "I can't be a good professor, and Voldemort will always hate me."
"He couldn't be a good brother or a good friend either. He caused the deaths of so many people. Aberforth was the one who should have shouldered the burden of the family... He was a failure, wasn't he?"
Vizette frowned slightly, glanced behind him, and noticed the towering Mirror of Erised.
Back at the Hog's Head, Aberforth had mentioned it briefly, and coupled with Dumbledore's unusual behavior tonight, he could roughly guess what was going on.
Vizette let out a soft breath and said, "Headmaster Dumbledore, I haven't told you about the Mirror World yet, have I?"
"Would you like to share with me?" Dumbledore turned his head again, using the moment to avert his gaze from the Mirror of Erised.
Vizette nodded. "There was a respectable former guardian in the Mirror World who made me understand something..."
"No matter how eloquent the narrator is, we can never truly know what the narrator actually experienced."
"That was the storyteller's experience; only he himself truly knows the pain and joy he went through."
"That's why both you and Professor McGonagall have encouraged me to understand the soul for myself... because everyone's soul and experiences are unique!"
...
Equivalent Exchange:
It's simple math: More Powerstones = More Chapters 📖