Avada smiled without saying anything, though inwardly he let out a quiet sigh—this was the only way to break free from the vicious cycle of misplaced trust.
At first, he had considered using Voldemort as a cover, claiming that he had come to the Restricted Section to complete an assignment Voldemort had set for him. But after thinking it over, that explanation quickly fell apart. Voldemort was currently a professor—if there really were some academic need, all he had to do was issue him a written permission slip. Why would he need to sneak into the Restricted Section?
Left with no other option, Avada had been forced to expose his identity as a "seer," claiming that he was waiting for Harry. Otherwise, there was simply no way to explain why he had been wandering the Restricted Section in secret, studying dark magic. His Magical Perception was his greatest secret—it absolutely could not be exposed at this stage.
By reading the books Professor Baker had left behind, Avada already understood the true significance of his ability, and he also understood what real Dark Wizards were like. If his innate ability to perceive magic were to be exposed… he didn't even dare imagine what kind of future would await him.
Professor Baker seemed to have already noticed something unusual about him. Although Baker clearly underestimated him—and was also restrained by a magical contract—it was still a hidden danger. At present, aside from Voldemort, this was Avada's greatest source of pressure, and also the primary motivation behind his development of the Near Yet Far Spell.
However, calling himself a seer created another problem: it would severely weaken the trust he had built with Dumbledore. Dumbledore had originally believed that Avada, influenced by Voldemort, had chosen to trust him. But once the matter of prophecy came to light, the nature of that trust changed entirely. After all, who was to say Avada hadn't foreseen the future—hadn't clearly seen that Dumbledore would never harm him—and thus confidently chosen to warn him?
Worse still, given the current situation, Dumbledore might be led to make some unpleasant associations. A natural-born seer. Astonishing talent. Frequent contact with, and study of, dark magic… Who had the last person like that been?
And on top of that, Avada was now studying at the side of Voldemort—the Dark Lord of this era.
That was why everything Avada said had to revolve around a single objective: convincing Dumbledore that he would not walk the path of a Dark Lord, that he would not fall into becoming a Dark Wizard.
So he chose to deliberately draw Dumbledore's attention to the similarities between himself and Grindelwald—and then make it absolutely clear that he was not Grindelwald.
By exploiting that sharp contrast in a short span of time, he intended to completely erase Dumbledore's preconceived impressions.
"Let's talk about you first."
Ignoring Harry's shocked gaze, Avada turned to him with a smile. "Can you tell me why you suddenly became so curious about Nicolas Flamel? Curious enough to risk sneaking into the Restricted Section?"
"And you didn't even ask anyone else," Avada added. "Any student in fourth year or above who can pass History of Magic could easily recite Nicolas Flamel's contributions to alchemy. If you'd asked around even a little, you wouldn't have needed to come here."
"I…"
Harry hesitated for a moment, but in the end decided to tell the senior who had always treated him kindly. "I think Snape is trying to steal whatever's being kept in the corridor on the fourth floor. And that thing is connected to Nicolas Flamel… so who exactly is he?"
"The thing on the fourth floor belongs to Nicolas Flamel?!"
Avada exclaimed, then immediately frowned as he muttered to himself, "So that's it… That's what he's planning."
Now it was Harry's turn to be confused. "What?"
"Nicolas Flamel is a French wizard who lived for over six hundred years. He made truly groundbreaking contributions to alchemy, and he's an old friend of our headmaster, Dumbledore. They even collaborated on some research together."
"And his most famous achievement was the successful creation of what had previously existed only in theory—the greatest accomplishment of alchemy: the Philosopher's Stone, also known as the Sorcerer's Stone. It can turn base metals into gold, and it can be used to brew the Elixir of Life. That's how he managed to live for more than six centuries…"
"So that's it!"
Harry grew excited as well. "That giant dog must be guarding the Philosopher's Stone! Nicolas Flamel entrusted it to Dumbledore for safekeeping, and Snape's trying to steal it! Who wouldn't want immortality and endless gold?"
"It isn't Professor Snape."
"Huh?"
"I can't tell you why, Harry, but I can guarantee that the person trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone is absolutely not Professor Snape."
"Oh, come on—you're just like Hermione, thinking every professor is a saint… I saw it with my own eyes! On Halloween night, when the troll caused a distraction, Snape sneaked into the fourth-floor corridor and got his leg bitten by that dog!"
"…Let's stop discussing this, Harry. I still maintain that Professor Snape is not the one trying to steal the Stone. But I can't convince you, because I can't tell you the reason I'm so certain. This discussion is meaningless. Let's end it here."
"You already knew someone was going to steal the Stone, and you can't tell anyone? Were you threatened?"
In an instant, Harry's eyes filled with worry and anger.
"…"
Although Avada was grateful for Harry's concern, he couldn't help rolling his eyes at the boy's wildly imaginative conclusion. Threatening a student by force on Dumbledore's turf, of all places? Who would be stupid enough to do that? Even a Horcrux diary only dared to manipulate people slowly!
"It's not about threats," Avada said calmly. "It's just too dangerous. I was dragged into this matter by accident, and there's no need to spread the risk further. In situations like this, sharing the danger doesn't reduce it for everyone—having one person bear it is enough."
"Professor Dumbledore knows that I'm involved, and he's agreed to it. He can also guarantee my safety."
It was only after the heavy weight of "Dumbledore's assurance" was placed on the table that Harry finally stopped pressing the issue.
"And honestly," Avada added with a grin, "being involved hasn't been all bad. For example, my invisibility, and my ability to read normally even in complete darkness—I learned those during this whole affair."
Yes. All of those prohibited spells were taught by Voldemort. They had absolutely nothing to do with Magical Perception.
Now that Nicolas Flamel's information had been delivered, Avada steered the conversation back on track. "As for my thoughts on the Statute of Secrecy… well, it was mostly idle speculation. Changing a law so deeply rooted would definitely cause massive chaos and disorder—that's not something I want to see."
"But I still can't help imagining what it would look like, a world where Muggles and wizards walk side by side."
"Why is that?"
A hint of curiosity appeared in Harry's eyes—he knew far too little about this senior whose name he didn't even know.
Hearing the question, a trace of nostalgia surfaced in Avada's gaze.
"When I first discovered that I had magical talent, I was only six or seven years old. Back then, I was introverted and timid. After realizing I was different, I didn't dare reveal my abilities to anyone—I was afraid of being seen as a monster, of being rejected, of being isolated…"
"And yet, to the child I was then, magic was mysterious and fascinating. So I often practiced in secret, trying to see if I could do even more interesting things…"
"Then one day, while I was practicing, three kids caught me in the act. I panicked—I thought the day I'd always feared had finally arrived. And then, guess what happened?"
"They crowded around me with looks of pure curiosity, begging me to show them more. After I cautiously confirmed that they didn't reject me at all, I suddenly gained three new friends!"
Avada could almost hear Dumbledore's breathing.
"What I remember most vividly is that when I asked them not to tell anyone about my magic, one of them said this to me."
He curled his lips slightly and recited softly:
"'Why would you think that? Having magic is amazing! If I could easily help everyone, make everyone happy, and be thanked by everyone, I'd be overjoyed!'"
"Even after I grew up—after I realized that human hearts aren't as pure as we imagine them to be as children, after I encountered the wizarding world and learned about the Statute of Secrecy—that sentence has always stayed with me."
(End of Chapter)