"The soul."
The moment the word left Snape's mouth, even Albus Dumbledore was forced to grow solemn.
"An impressive method," he said quietly.
"It seems this hurdle may stop us for quite some time…"
"Caw?"
Just as Dumbledore was thinking deeply, Fawkes, who had been perched on his shoulder, suddenly flapped down. His talons gripped the edge of the stone basin as he dipped his beak toward the potion, giving it a tentative sway before looking back at Dumbledore with a questioning tilt of his head.
"Ah—no, that won't be necessary."
Dumbledore shook his head with a faint, amused smile, motioning for Fawkes to hop aside.
"I haven't tasted it myself, but it's not hard to imagine that drinking this would be… deeply unpleasant."
"But in any case, we still need a living being with a soul to drink it."
Snape's gaze remained fixed on the basin of potion.
"A soul. Intelligence as well… Perhaps we could take a few prisoners from Azkaban?"
"Cornelius Fudge would never approve such a request."
Dumbledore shook his head in rejection.
"He wants nothing more than to finish his term peacefully, and for that reason alone he cannot tolerate even the slightest disturbance. Removing prisoners from Azkaban for inhumane experimentation would generate public opinion extremely unfavorable to him. At times I even suspect that—even if Lord Voldemort were to resurrect himself in front of his eyes—Fudge still wouldn't believe it until he saw Voldemort in the flesh."
"That bad?"
Snape raised an eyebrow, then began turning the wheels of a mind honed in the company of Dark wizards.
"Speaking of which—if any life with a soul can drink this potion… then if I had a bowl-shaped Horcrux, couldn't I use it to siphon it away?"
"Dumbledore, what about that container you use to seal Voldemort's soul?"
"..."
For a moment, Dumbledore truly did not know how to evaluate the idea.
"…No."
After a brief silence, shaken by the suggestion, he slowly shook his head and explained.
"First, this is merely an unproven hypothesis. And more importantly, the device suppressing Voldemort's soul must never be tampered with. This potion alone proves how profound his mastery of soul magic has become—how could I possibly dare to use him as an experimental subject in that domain?"
"Then what do you intend to do? Surely you're not planning to drink it yourself?"
"Ha—please, Severus. I'd like to live a few more years yet."
Dumbledore laughed softly, but the smile soon faded. His gaze grew heavy as it settled once more on the emerald liquid.
"And besides… after seeing this potion, I've begun to feel a vague sense of danger."
"A sense of danger?" Snape asked in surprise. "What could possibly make the great Dumbledore feel threatened?"
"Soul magic."
Dumbledore continued staring at the basin, his voice lowered as if speaking to himself.
"When Voldemort prepared these potions and placed them here, he was barely in his fifties. For the first fifteen years of his life, he had no contact with the soul at all. That means he studied the soul for only about forty years—and yet he has already reached a level of mastery beyond even you or me."
"Do you truly believe that is something one man could achieve alone, Severus?"
"..."
Snape said nothing.
"For a very long time, wizarding society has deliberately avoided research into the soul," Dumbledore continued, not expecting an answer.
"Because no one knows where the soul goes after death. To study it, one must experiment on the living—and that is something our society cannot accept."
"But in the shadows, Dark wizards have no such restraints. They permit themselves to trample life at will—no, rather, they do not even possess our concept of 'life' to begin with. And so they can freely capture living subjects, conducting unrestrained experiments in whatever field they wish. Even much of our understanding of the soul originates from Dark wizard research. This imbalance has existed for hundreds, even thousands, of years."
"Dark wizards' understanding of the soul has long surpassed that of those of us who live in normal society," Snape finally said flatly.
"Exactly."
Dumbledore nodded heavily.
"And soul magic strikes directly at the root of existence—dangerous, fundamental, and immensely powerful…"
"I know what you're getting at," Snape continued, his tone taut.
"This leads to Dark wizards—especially the strongest among them—becoming monstrously powerful, as Voldemort did. It also makes the entire group increasingly bizarre, increasingly formidable, and increasingly difficult to oppose. If this continues, no one can predict how powerful the next Voldemort—or the one after that—might become. And there's no guarantee that there will always be a stronger Dumbledore to oppose them."
"Just as we're facing now—mere Horcruxes forcing us into endless trouble; a single basin of potion placing even the greatest wizard in a bind…"
"You've hit the heart of it, Severus."
Dumbledore rubbed his temples unconsciously, fatigue seeping into his expression.
"Solving problems like these is far more difficult than defeating a Voldemort head-on."
"But I believe this potion before us may also represent an opportunity—an opportunity for mainstream wizarding society to approach the realm of the soul without violating basic human morality."
"The mere existence of this potion proves that non-living materials can be used to create effects that influence the soul. Doesn't it?"
"…You want to study the soul by analyzing this potion?"
Snape's brow furrowed even more deeply.
"I believe it's worth trying."
"But what about the Horcrux inside?"
"That's where our good fortune lies—time is currently on our side."
At last, a trace of a smile returned to Dumbledore's face.
"Voldemort is already finished, and for the moment, no Dark wizard of comparable strength has emerged to rally new forces. So why shouldn't we seize this opportunity, make full use of every advantage before us, and contribute something meaningful to wizarding society?"
"…I understand."
"Perhaps I could even establish a dedicated research project."
He stroked his silver beard thoughtfully.
"If it's just me alone, the work has limited value. I could gather some professors—or scholars I trust—to participate. We could study this place together, and discuss my concerns about the future as well…"
"Perhaps we could even allow some students to take part?"
"Students?!"
Snape actually recoiled two steps in shock.
"Have you lost your mind, Dumbledore?!"
"It's not as extreme as you think. The selection criteria would, of course, be extraordinarily strict—stricter even than the Goblet of Fire's selection of champions."
Dumbledore smiled faintly.
"Young people tend to have bold, unconventional ideas, and such thinking can be invaluable when exploring an unknown field. And I believe it would benefit them to understand the mystery—and danger—of the soul early on."
"Who knows?"
He smiled a little wider.
"Perhaps some exceptionally talented student might prove invaluable in this research."
(End of Chapter)