Crack—crack—crack—
The direction the wand was pointed toward happened to be the wooden desk in front of them—and under the influence of magic, the desk actually began to sprout branches and buds.
Dead wood returning to life!
Dumbledore, witnessing it with his own eyes, wore an expression of utter shock. He murmured, "Unbelievable… absolutely unbelievable. Such vast life energy—it's as if nature itself is casting the spell."
"All this time, magic has always presented itself as pure, neutral energy."
"Even among witches and wizards, where there are Light and Dark distinctions, and even with special cases like Dark Magic, the essence remains the same: magic as energy. But magic that is born with an inherent attribute—this is the first time I've encountered anything like it in my entire life!"
Dumbledore looked as though he had discovered a priceless treasure, his face lit with a childlike, innocent joy.
When Chu Yang's magic finally dissipated, a small tree had already grown from the desk, nearly reaching the ceiling. Vines coiled around its base, dotted with ivy and clusters of vividly colored flowers.
The portraits on the walls could no longer hold back and erupted into a cacophony of voices.
"Remarkable! This is truly a breathtaking sight!"
"This completely overturns my understanding—he didn't cast a single spell, yet produced such astonishing results!"
"Dumbledore, hurry and lock him up for research! This could usher in a great new era!"
Chu Yang slowly lifted his head and fixed a cold stare on the portrait that had shouted about capturing him.
Phineas Nigellus Black.
The first headmaster to graduate from Slytherin—and also the most unpopular headmaster in Hogwarts' history.
He was also the great-great-grandfather of Harry's godfather, Sirius Black.
In short… among all the headmasters' portraits, he was the most detestable one.
"Let's not say things like that, Headmaster Phineas," Dumbledore said calmly as he straightened his beard and wiped his glasses. "He's about to enter Slytherin. By that logic, he's something of your junior."
"What?!" Phineas exploded in rage.
Only a gaping, furious mouth remained in the frame as he roared, "I will never allow a Muggle-born child to enter the great House of Slytherin!"
Phineas had overheard Chu Yang's conversation with Dumbledore and knew he came from an orphanage.
As for Dumbledore's later speculation that Chu Yang might be descended from some famous Eastern wizarding family, Phineas dismissed it entirely.
After all, he hadn't used Legilimency on Chu Yang himself—so naturally, he saw no reason to accept Dumbledore's view.
"You've been dead for over sixty years—why are you still clinging to that ridiculous blood purity nonsense?" a female headmistress sneered, her disdain unmistakable.
Chu Yang glanced at her name.
Dilys Derwent.
Before becoming a renowned headmistress in Hogwarts' history, she had been a senior healer at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Dilys had become headmistress long before Phineas, and whenever she spoke, he usually fell silent.
Once the portraits finally quieted down, Chu Yang asked, "Why place me in Slytherin?"
Dumbledore was silent for a moment before replying, "Slytherin is an excellent house, but their views on certain matters are overly rigid. As headmaster, I cannot forcibly interfere with students' beliefs."
"The person to change those beliefs would be best suited to do so as a student—one of their own."
Chu Yang frowned. "Why me?"
Dumbledore explained, "To convince them, it must be a wizard from a Muggle family—otherwise, it holds no meaning. But such wizards are usually limited in aptitude and unable to accomplish this. You, however, possess extraordinary potential…"
Chu Yang was skeptical. He had the distinct feeling that this kindly old man was hiding a bellyful of schemes behind that gentle smile.
Suddenly, he thought of Dumbledore's long-term 'Chosen One' shaping plan for Harry Potter.
Damn… am I being treated as an insurance policy?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Still, under the circumstances, it was difficult to refuse Dumbledore's arrangement—especially since the agreed-upon compensation might vanish with a single no.
"Fine. Slytherin it is," Chu Yang said at last. "But I need to make one thing clear: if those students aren't exactly friendly toward me, I will retaliate when necessary. And when that happens, you'd better not blame me."
A bunch of not-yet-graduated reserve Dark wizards? Fine—Dark wizards are exactly what I specialize in dealing with.
Seeing Chu Yang crack his knuckles, Dumbledore smiled in amusement. "If you feel your safety is threatened, you may defend yourself as you see fit. I guarantee there will be no issue."
"In that case, I'll gladly join Slytherin," Chu Yang said with a slight bow. "And please remember our agreement."
"I never break my word," Dumbledore replied, winking at him playfully like a mischievous old man.
He then summoned a house-elf and instructed, "Please fetch Professor Snape for me."
The elf vanished instantly from the office.
Hearing Snape's name, Chu Yang sighed quietly to himself.
If there was one truly tragic figure in the wizarding world, it was him.
The girl he loved was taken by the boy who bullied him daily—and he still had to risk his life protecting their son.
Severus Snape's devotion to Lily Evans was worthy of respect.
Yet it was also tragic—and foolish.
If Chu Yang were in Snape's place, setting aside everything else, the first thing he'd do would be to find a way to kill James Potter.
That humiliating upside-down incident in fifth year had dealt Snape a devastating blow, tearing him apart from the love of his life, Lily Evans.
From Harry's perspective, James Potter was a great father. From the perspective of friends like Sirius Black, he was a trustworthy companion.
But from the viewpoint of an objective outsider, they were a bunch of bastards—far worse than Draco Malfoy.
In the end, whether someone is good or bad depends entirely on perspective.
About ten minutes later, after settling the new students in Slytherin, Snape arrived at the Headmaster's office. He first greeted Dumbledore respectfully, then cast an indifferent glance at Chu Yang.
The astonishing scene in the Great Hall still lingered vividly in his mind.
He remembered Professor McGonagall saying that the Sorting Hat couldn't decide this child's future. Now Dumbledore had summoned him to the office—there was no need to guess why.
Sure enough, Dumbledore spoke the next second.
"Professor Snape, from today onward, Chu Yang is a student of Slytherin. Please take him to the dormitories."
You're sending a child from an orphanage into Slytherin?
Snape could already imagine just how difficult Chu Yang's days ahead were going to be.
(End of Chapter)