Setting down his tea, Dumbledore fixed his blue eyes on Levi Wells's straight posture. "The third path I offer you is an invitation."
"As Headmaster of Hogwarts, I invite you to teach at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, that is, Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. You may continue your research into Dark Magic under my supervision, but you must no longer involve the three Unforgivable Curses."
At the mention of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Levi Wells stiffened in his seat, his previously straight posture turning rigid.
Legend said that Lord Voldemort once desperately wanted the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, but Dumbledore firmly refused him. Because of that, he placed an equal curse on every wizard who took the role at Hogwarts. From then on, no Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor ever managed to teach safely into a second year, and each year Hogwarts had to find a new person for the post.
Facing Dumbledore's offer, Levi Wells thought quickly. The curse left by Lord Voldemort was frightening, but with enough care it should not threaten his life. After all, the werewolf Remus Lupin had held the same position and still left Hogwarts safely.
If Remus Lupin could do it, there was no reason he could not. He also had a companion from Gilmere who carried a powerful curse and was naturally sensitive to such things, which meant the two of them might even discover something about Lord Voldemort's curse together. The short term danger seemed manageable, so the real question was what came after.
It was now 1992, which seemed to be the time when the story he vaguely remembered was supposed to begin. After more than thirty years in the magical world, many details of that story had already faded from his memory. One thing was clear though: if he taught at Hogwarts, he would inevitably be drawn into the main events.
The number of deaths in that story had not been large, but even someone as strong as Minerva McGonagall had been seriously injured in the war, and Severus Snape had been killed by a single strike from Lord Voldemort. Even if few people died, the risk was still real in theory. The problem was that he had no other choice.
Getting Dumbledore to accept his continued research into Dark Magic was already an unbelievable concession. Everything that followed could only be handled step by step. For him, teaching at Hogwarts was the only path left.
If that was the case, then showing proper sincerity was the most important thing right now. He lifted his head and spoke.
"I am sorry, Professor. I was too surprised just now, this news truly flatters me."
By the time he spoke, Levi Wells had already made his decision. Dumbledore only looked at him calmly, without even a hint of a smile.
"To be able to teach at Hogwarts would be an honor. I am happy to accept your invitation, but…"
Levi Wells drank the red tea in his cup in one go, and his calm gaze took on a serious edge. Dumbledore noticed the change and frowned slightly, realizing this would not be settled so easily. He wondered if the request would be related to Dark Magic and hoped it would not be something unreasonable.
"I can barely count as an educational Author, and I have my own principles and goals when it comes to teaching students."
Taking the position out of necessity and then wasting a whole year for all seven grades like Quirinus Quirrell was not Levi Wells's style. He would not take responsibility for other people's lives, but he would not deliberately waste them either.
"Of course, I can feel that your students are all very outstanding."
That was exactly why, if this discussion failed, Dumbledore would not allow Levi Wells to continue acting freely. With the shadow of Lord Voldemort returning, he needed to reduce every other potential threat to the smallest possible level.
"If I am to serve as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, I hope to teach in my own way. The school needs to respect and cooperate with my ideas."
"Ideas? You are not planning to teach students Dark Magic in class, are you?"
"No, Professor, you misunderstand."
Levi Wells snapped his fingers, and Bartton silently brought over two plates of Basque cheesecake and replaced their drinks. The movement was smooth and unannounced.
"With the current level of students at Hogwarts, they are still far from qualified to study Dark Magic with me."
Dumbledore looked at Levi Wells for a long moment without speaking. This time, he did not even have the mood to thank Bartton. Hearing his beloved students spoken of this way was something he could not simply ignore as headmaster.
"I want to know this. After you take the post, what is your teaching plan?"
"First, I want to change the teaching model of Defense Against the Dark Arts. I want to cancel the small classes split between two houses and instead gather students from all four houses together, with two additional classes each week."
Dumbledore thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Levi Wells, if all four houses are taught together, there will be over forty students. I do not think this kind of teaching helps their development. You cannot take care of every student."
"I can. Through quizzes during class and monthly exams, I can easily grasp the learning progress of every student."
"Quizzes and monthly exams?"
Although Dumbledore was hearing these ideas for the first time, he roughly understood what Levi Wells meant.
"That is right. This has been practiced in Muggle education in China for a long time and has shown remarkable results. Through intensive practice, they continuously produce top students with excellent grades."
"Muggle education in China? You have studied that as well? Ah, of course. You are Chinese, and your Muggle Studies grade was an O."
Hearing these ideas for the first time sparked Dumbledore's interest. He considered himself an educational Author as well, and being headmaster of Hogwarts had always been a source of pride. Faced with these new ideas, he quickly forgot his earlier displeasure and began an earnest exchange.
The more they talked, the more Dumbledore was amazed by Levi Wells's originality in education, or rather, his professionalism. Every idea he proposed was supported by real teaching experience. Only through this deep discussion did Dumbledore learn that since graduating and taking in Joel Wiley, Levi Wells had been deliberately seeking out talented students to teach.