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The wizarding world, after all, was a place where strength spoke volumes. Ever since Professor Bleane effortlessly took down Fred and George in class, Amostas's reputation had surpassed that of Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape, leaping to become the most revered wizard in the hearts of the young wizards.
Just now, when he appeared in the Prefects' bathroom on the sixth floor, the large bathroom felt as if a ferocious fire-breathing dragon had entered. Prefects from various houses huddled together in a corner of the bathtub. Throughout Amostas's entire washing routine, no one dared to make a sound.
It wasn't until Amostas, having quickly finished his ablutions, sighed helplessly and left, that the atmosphere in the bathroom became lively again.
"Why doesn't Professor Bleane use the professors' private bathroom?"
Oliver Wood, with a large pile of colorful bubbles on his head, collapsed into the water, still shaken, asking Percy, who had been staring at Amostas with reverent eyes the entire time.
In truth, this was unfair to Amostas. It wasn't that he deliberately wanted to show off in front of the young wizards; rather, he simply didn't know that there was a private bathroom specifically for professors in the castle. Professor McGonagall hadn't mentioned it to him when she arranged his office and living quarters. Even this bathroom was something Amostas had only accidentally heard about during his school days.
Around eight in the evening, Amostas, freshly cleaned and in a clean wizard's robe, knocked on Dumbledore's office door and, under Dumbledore's 'eager gaze,' entered the office.
"I imagine this is the first time you've voluntarily come to my office since returning to Hogwarts, isn't it, Amostas?"
Dumbledore, behind his desk, rested his chin on his hands, looking at the somewhat reservedly smiling Amostas, his bright eyes showing satisfaction.
Of course, why would I keep aimlessly wandering around your place if I had nothing to do! This thought flashed through Amostas's mind. He was, in fact, a very insecure person. And Dumbledore, as the only wizard at Hogwarts who could currently pose a threat to his life, naturally, he had to maintain his distance from Dumbledore.
"Actually, Headmaster Dumbledore..."
After exchanging a few forced pleasantries with Dumbledore, Amostas slowly stated his purpose. "According to my planned teaching progress, Headmaster, I plan to have the young wizards, starting from March, try to personally deal with some magical creatures, based on the strength levels of the three year groups. What do you think?"
"You are the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Amostas. You are entirely within your rights to make this decision yourself." A smiling Dumbledore gave his reply in a very open-minded manner.
"Ahem—"
Amostas held his fist under his nose, giving a couple of dry coughs, his expression looking not so natural. "The problem is, the things I plan for them to deal with, well, I think it's better to discuss it with you beforehand."
Three minutes later, after Amostas had clearly explained his plan, Dumbledore, who had initially been so nonchalant, no longer looked so relaxed. Instead, he frowned in distress. "It is indeed an aggressive and dangerous plan, Amostas. You should know that the young wizards' abilities are limited. Is this... is this truly a decision you made after careful consideration?"
"A comfortable cradle cannot cultivate truly capable individuals, Headmaster Dumbledore. I know the upper limits of the young wizards' abilities, but precisely because of this, courage and determination in the face of danger are especially important. Since Professor McGonagall hopes to see genuine improvement in the young wizards, I believe a little risk is acceptable."
For someone as old and astute as Dumbledore, no reasoning was novel or unheard of to him. It was simply that the misfortunes of his tumultuous century had forged his cautious nature.
But in the end, Dumbledore still showed his decisiveness.
"I will discuss this with Minerva. I believe she will understand. But Amostas, to ensure no accidents occur, I suggest you ask Severus to join you during classes. He is trustworthy."
Amostas breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Headmaster Dumbledore for his support. Dumbledore, after a moment of contemplation, then said hesitantly,
"But regarding the Acromantulas you mentioned, I think you should inform Hagrid first."
Amostas was stunned for a moment, but quickly, he reacted with sharp insight.
"Are you implying that those Acromantulas are Hagrid's pets in the Forbidden Forest?"
After Dumbledore gave an affirmative reply, Amostas shook his head and gave a wry smile. "I heard during my school days that Hagrid has a special fondness for large and dangerous magical creatures, but I never imagined he would even treat Acromantulas, such ugly and wizard-unfriendly creatures, as pets. It's truly astonishing!"
"Perhaps it is precisely his pure and uncorrupted heart that allows Hagrid to be favored by those lovely creatures that share the world with wizards."
Dumbledore's remarks were always so full of wisdom. He said to Amostas with a smile, "However, he did indeed pay a considerable price for it."
An hour later, Amostas walked out of Headmaster Dumbledore's office with heavy steps. Standing before the stone gargoyle at the office door, the flickering torchlight on the wall played on his slightly furrowed brow, etching a look of extreme solemnity onto Amostas's face.
Amostas, who had only intended to consult Dumbledore about the magical creatures needed for his class, never in his wildest dreams expected to hear such valuable information tonight.
Yes, Amostas had long known that Hagrid had been expelled from Hogwarts, but he never imagined that the reason for Hagrid's expulsion was actually the Acromantula he encountered on that night before Christmas in his fifth year.
What surprised him even more was that this incident could even be linked to the Chamber of Secrets and Voldemort! No wonder Hagrid had appeared so nervous when he encountered Amostas, who had returned to Hogwarts as an investigator, before the start of this semester and during the Christmas holidays. He had even misunderstood that the Ministry of Magic had sent Amostas back. A look of realization flashed in Amostas's eyes.
Although Dumbledore hadn't explicitly said it, Amostas understood his unspoken meaning: fifty years ago, it wasn't Hagrid who opened the Chamber of Secrets, but very likely Tom Riddle, who had denounced Hagrid.
When Amostas inquired about Tom Riddle's background, Dumbledore's answer shocked Amostas, but once he recovered, he found it to be logical.
The Dark Lord being a descendant of Slytherin was indeed a logical matter. Amostas even suspected that Voldemort's relationship with Salazar Slytherin was probably not just fellow travelers on a path of belief, but a more intimate connection. Just like the widely circulated rumors in the castle before, that Harry Potter had a blood connection to Slytherin.
"The innate awakening of Parseltongue, such a unique talent, is very unlikely. It's highly probable that it's a hidden power within the bloodline. Slytherin might be Voldemort's ancestor... but the key is, can Potter and Voldemort also be related?"
Amostas pondered as he began to walk again.
Dumbledore surely knew more, but for various reasons, he hadn't revealed it to Amostas. Of course, the more one knew, the deeper one got involved, and Amostas was glad to see Dumbledore keeping secrets from him, rather than eagerly dragging him into the mess.
"Anyway, I still need to talk to Hagrid—"
Standing by the office window, quietly gazing at the flickering lights at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, this thought crossed Amostas's mind.
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