Chapter 297: Professor Snape Actually Smiled?
Professor Dumbledore's gaze swept over the students at the four long tables below. The smile on his face grew progressively more benevolent, the wrinkles around his eyes filled with gentle warmth. His white beard swayed slightly, his eyes conveying acceptance and approval for all the children.
"By the same token, no matter what rank your House ultimately holds in the House Cup, that cannot overshadow the points you've accumulated all year."
" Every single point is the crystallization of the hard work and sweat you've put in for your respective House's honor, and every one is a concrete contribution."
"Regardless of the total number of points, you should all be proud of them."
He turned to look at the faculty table behind him. Then, he slowly spread his arms, as if to embrace every student present. "Of course, I, and the professors present, are also genuinely proud of every effort you've made and every piece of progress you've achieved!"
As Professor Dumbledore's words faded, a scattering of applause began in the Great Hall. It quickly swelled into a wave of enthusiastic sound. Students clapped vigorously, many with flushed faces from excitement.
The professors at the faculty table also smiled and clapped softly, their applause full of genuine approval for the students below. This was especially true for the four Heads of House. Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Sprout were visibly moved, their eyes slightly reddened, clearly touched by the speech.
And Professor Snape, who was usually so grim, actually let the corner of his mouth twitch up in a tiny, almost imperceptible smile.
Yet, that fleeting expression was caught by several sharp-eyed individuals, stunning them into nearly forgetting to clap. Harry, especially, opened his eyes wide, instinctively rubbing them, wondering if he had seen incorrectly.
Professor Snape actually smiled?
He quietly turned to look at Ron and Hermione beside him, finding them also staring toward the faculty table with expressions of disbelief. Harry had seen Snape smile a few times, but every single one was laced with undisguised malice be it a fierce sneer, a chilling smirk, a mocking chuckle, or a cruel, vicious grin. When had he ever seen such a peaceful, normal smile? This sudden expression momentarily left him stunned, slowing his clapping by half a beat.
In contrast, Dylan accepted Snape's rare smile with composure. After all, he was a disciple acknowledged by Professor Snape. He had also entered the professor's mind using Legilimency and knew clearly that this outwardly cold professor was not entirely devoid of feelings for the students. He merely mused inwardly, surprised that Professor Snape would have such an unreserved moment of emotional display.
Just then, Dylan suddenly felt an incredibly weak, yet distinctly real, power quietly spreading, gently lingering around the entire Great Hall and enveloping everyone present. The sensation was fleeting. If he hadn't had absolute confidence in his senses and the ability to clearly recall his memory, he would have thought it was merely an instantaneous illusion.
"Could this be the greatest power in this world 'Love'?" Dylan wondered silently. His gaze swept across the faces in the Great Hall, some excited, some moved, some warm, and he grew thoughtful.
In this world, the power of Love isn't just an empty slogan like those in hot-blooded shonen comics that spontaneously give the protagonist explosive power to defeat the villain. It is a real, incredibly potent force. Harry's mother's sacrificial protection charm was powered by love. That protective ability was so strong it could even repel the Killing Curse, which the ultimate protective charms couldn't resist. This is something any purely magical power would struggle to achieve. Furthermore, in a locked room within the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic, this force called love can even be stored through some unknown means. This further validates its reality and power.
The Ministry of Magic... The Department of Mysteries... The Unspeakables... Dylan's thoughts leaped, connecting many fragmented pieces of information.
The Department of Mysteries, located on the ninth subterranean level of the Ministry of Magic, is an extremely mysterious and little-known department, even within the Ministry itself. Few know precisely what the people there do, and even fewer can articulate exactly which affairs it governs. They only know it's a place that deals with all sorts of mysterious powers and unknown domains.
Wizards working in the Department of Mysteries have a special title: Unspeakables. This name stems from the strict prohibition they are under. They are forbidden from discussing anything related to their work with the outside world. Not even the minutest departmental information can be revealed, as if their lips have been sealed by an invisible spell.
Unspeakables possess immense autonomy in their work. In certain specific circumstances, they can even disregard the directives of the Minister of Magic. The root of all this lies in the subjects they research: those are secrets among secrets, the most mysterious, powerful, and dangerous forces in the world. Love, Time, Thought, Prophecy, Stars, and the revered concept of Death. Each one concerns the fundamental mysteries of the world.
A slight misstep could lead to unpredictable consequences. They are like explorers walking on a knife's edge, safeguarding these forbidden pieces of knowledge while continuously touching the boundaries of the unknown.
This vast magical world, as dazzling as the stars. The deeper one delves into it, the clearer one realizes one's own insignificance. Although Dylan felt that his current strength was comparable to the most elite wizards in the world today even if "Old Dumbledore" faced him with the Elder Wand, he wouldn't necessarily lose Dylan never felt he had the right to act recklessly.
For instance, in raising magical creatures, he always follows legal channels. He plans to leverage his relationship with Cedric and Luna to expand his contacts in this area, rather than relying on divination to locate their habitats and then sneaking in to capture them, like the poachers do.
Another example is his use of magic. Although he doesn't require emotional assistance when casting Dark Magic and can avoid negative influence with minor care, Dylan still deliberately avoids using magic that is widely unacceptable, such as the evil spells known as the Unforgivable Curses. He never touches them lightly though, in necessary moments, he is prepared to use them.
Though Dylan is still an underage wizard, his strength continues to grow rapidly with his age. Coupled with the various bonuses his achievements have brought him, his abilities across the board are relatively mature. In this era, even if Dylan were to openly break the law, few people could truly stop him. Yet, he has never made any overt, illegal moves.
Aside from the influence of emotional ties, another reason is a persistent sense of caution in Dylan's mind. Voldemort, who once cast a shadow over the entire British Wizarding World, gathered the power of numerous pure-blood families. The sheer magical knowledge he commanded was an eye-opener for Dylan, not to mention the vast, complex information that couldn't be simply categorized as skills.
And Professor Dumbledore, who restrained Voldemort and has lived for over a century the wizard hailed as the most powerful of this century, who defeated the European Dark Wizard Grindelwald is what he currently displays truly all of his depth? No one can say for sure.
Besides Professor Dumbledore, and setting aside the ancient magic that seems lost to the river of time but might still be wielded by some in unknown ways, one must consider the Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries... Dylan cannot be certain whether they possess mysterious powers that transcend his current abilities. After all, they deal daily with the most fundamental and dangerous secrets. No one can definitively say they aren't hiding means capable of overturning known reality.
Of course, in a head-on confrontation, the maximally leveled and meticulously studied Killing Curse, complete with various special properties, would be enough to make any wizard understand the meaning of one-hit-kill. But in this world of the arcane, the most formidable powers are never limited to direct combat abilities. The power of Age, the power of Dimensions, the power of Cause and Effect these are the deeper, more awe-inspiring forces.
Dylan has only minimally engaged with the power of Time; he is, at best, "slightly knowledgeable." He can't even fully manufacture a perfect Time-Turner independently. But the Unspeakables in the Time Room haven't just been studying Time for a year or two. Their depth of exploration in this field far exceeds ordinary imagination. For instance, the strict limitations on using the Time-Turner were set by the Unspeakables of the Time Room, where the devices are securely stored.
Some might wonder why the Ministry of Magic would actually issue such a powerful magical device to a student based solely on a professor's letter of recommendation. The answer is simple: everyone who has attempted to reverse time by more than five hours has failed to survive. No, more accurately, death is likely the lightest outcome for them. Those who dare to tamper with the forbidden aspects of time often meet a fate far more terrifying than death. They might be completely dissipated in the torrent of time or trapped in an endless time paradox, never to find release.
Eloise Mintumble, an Unspeakable belonging to the Time Room, once conducted an experiment to return to the past. In that experiment, Eloise was trapped in the year 1402 for five days. When she finally struggled to return to the present, her physical age had abruptly increased by five centuries, and she suffered permanent, irreparable damage. She eventually died in 1899 at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Beyond her own demise, her sojourn in the past shifted the life trajectories of those she encountered. At least 25 descendants completely vanished from the modern era, as if they had never existed.
And it didn't stop there. Some unsettling signs indicated that the flow of time in the present had also been disrupted. The Tuesday following her return to the present lasted for a full two and a half days, while the Thursday immediately following was reduced to a mere four hours.
This is the terrifying power of Age. Even someone as powerful as Dylan appears insignificant before such a great force.
Regarding the power of Space, Dylan is relatively familiar, having regularly used the Spatial Reconfiguration Charm and possessing an entire world of his own. His Pet Space has become quite large through continuous achievement completion and investment.
As for Destiny, Dylan knows some divination arts, but he can't be sure if the Department of Mysteries has corresponding countermeasures. Therefore, he wouldn't be surprised if the Department of Mysteries concealed methods that could result in mutual destruction with an opponent at the cost of disrupting the entire world.
As for why they didn't employ these methods when Voldemort returned and the Death Eaters invaded the Department of Mysteries... Perhaps they didn't feel the threat warranted it? Or perhaps they had already foreseen that this Dark Lord still wouldn't cause too much upheaval. Although some people ultimately died, the price was still less than what would be required to truly use those ultimate countermeasures.
Let's not forget the existence of the Hall of Prophecy. Those Unspeakables might have foreseen everything, simply waiting for Voldemort to walk step-by-step toward his own downfall. Moreover, there's the prophecy made by Trelawney.
Of course, it's possible that Dylan is simply sparring with an imagined opponent. These powers may not be truly mastered by anyone, and the Department of Mysteries may harbor no secret final resorts. But regardless of whether others possess such power, the existence of the powers themselves is certain. Therefore, Dylan continues to hold a sense of awe and caution toward the mysterious forces latent in this world.
However, Dylan feels that, in some ways, this might be a good thing. If people had absolutely nothing to fear, they might act recklessly one day and do something they would deeply regret later. This kind of behavior can be rationally explained by his experience in his past life.
For example, he knew he shouldn't do it, yet late at night, his mind would get fuzzy, and he'd open various apps. Those seemingly great discounts and tempting recommendations always lead people to mindlessly order a pile of useless things with a swipe of the finger.
Fortunately, purchased items can usually be returned. But the apps aren't just shopping apps; there are also food delivery apps. Once something is eaten, it's hard to get rid of it.
.......
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