It was hard to say what Professor McGonagall was thinking at that moment; even she herself couldn't articulate it clearly.
However, half an hour later, Robert left the office, successfully obtaining Professor McGonagall's hair—a full five strands.
Soon after, Professor McGonagall also left, walking through two corridors until she arrived at the Headmaster's office door, also located on the eighth floor. What had happened today was too bizarre; she needed someone to help her make sense of it all, and Dumbledore was undoubtedly the best choice.
The entrance to the Headmaster's office was blocked by a hideous stone gargoyle.
"Toad's Delight," Professor McGonagall said.
The gargoyle sprang to life, moving aside to reveal the spiral staircase behind it. Professor McGonagall stepped onto it and was swiftly carried upward, stopping in front of an oak door.
She raised her hand to knock when Dumbledore's voice called out from inside.
"Come in, Minerva."
Professor McGonagall pushed open the door. Dumbledore stood in front of a tall bookshelf, dressed in a pink pajama set printed with strawberries, complete with a matching pointed hat—also pink.
"Is there something you need, Minerva?" he asked calmly.
Perhaps used to such eccentric attire, Professor McGonagall didn't even blink. She got straight to the point and recounted her encounter from just half an hour ago.
"If a wizard's wand core is made from their own hair, then it becomes the most harmonious match—like an extension of their arm, truly unstoppable..." Dumbledore pushed his glasses up his nose with interest.
"Did he really say that?"
"Yes," Professor McGonagall nodded. "But Dumbledore, is this actually possible? Using a wizard's hair as a wand core?"
"Haven't you already witnessed one impossibility with your own eyes?" Dumbledore countered. "Casting three different spells simultaneously is simply unheard of."
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it," Professor McGonagall sighed.
Even now, she struggled to accept what she had seen. Otherwise, she wouldn't have rushed here so quickly.
"Ollivander's craftsmanship is indeed remarkable, but why haven't I seen a wand like this before?"
"No, Minerva, I think this has little to do with Ollivander—or at least, not with Garrick Ollivander," Dumbledore said, turning toward a cluttered table filled with various silver instruments. He seemed lost in thought.
"I just remembered something interesting."
"Something interesting?" she repeated.
"Yes. About a year ago, I was searching for a suitable Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
"Excuse me, Headmaster," Professor McGonagall interrupted, "By 'suitable,' do you mean a Ministry of Magic fugitive?"
"Minerva, you wound me," Dumbledore replied, his expression unchanged.
"Nowadays, it's hard enough to find someone willing to teach at all… I must say, thank goodness Quirinus volunteered this year. Otherwise, I'd have spent another two months looking."
"I just wish you'd be more serious..." she muttered. "Alright, continue."
"Where was I?"
"A year ago."
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore said. "A year ago, while visiting an old friend, I happened to run into Garrick Ollivander. My friend told me Garrick was seeking suitable core materials for his grandson. Apparently, the boy was an unconventional genius wandmaker—capable of crafting cores from all sorts of unusual materials."
"Unusual materials?" Professor McGonagall's brows lifted.
"This is where it gets interesting," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I suspect you may have missed a crucial detail—the core of that round wand was made from a Quintaped's brain."
Professor McGonagall's eyes widened slightly, her confusion deepening.
"You seem to have thought of it," Dumbledore continued. "In our conventional understanding of wandlore, core materials are typically slender—something like a feather—that can be easily inserted into the wand shaft."
"Yes," she said automatically.
"That's precisely what makes this so fascinating," Dumbledore said as he walked to the window. "I studied wandlore once—not enough to call myself an expert, but enough to be considered a novice. In my opinion, if the core was merely a single neural strand from the brain, the effects wouldn't be that extraordinary—it would function like a standard wand. But if it were an entire brain... that's a different story altogether.
"That brings in the alchemical theory of magical medium integrity and complexity. If it was a full brain, it might be capable of truly astonishing feats. Though, now that I think about it, Robert only demonstrated three types of magic. A Quintaped should be able to manage five. So perhaps it wasn't a complete brain after all."
Dumbledore paused and raised an eyebrow. "Of course—he must have gotten it from Knockturn Alley. The goods sold there are rarely intact."
"Wait, Albus," Professor McGonagall said quickly, seeing Dumbledore's excitement building, "But how... how did Robert do it?"
"Minerva, I don't know everything," Dumbledore replied, shaking his head. "Wandlore is a vast, profound field—mysterious and ancient, just like magic itself. Perhaps only Robert knows how he managed it."
Professor McGonagall fell silent.
Naturally, she couldn't bring herself to ask such a question of a student directly.
Several quiet minutes passed. Then, seeing no further answers forthcoming, Professor McGonagall prepared to leave. Though many of her questions remained unresolved, she didn't consider the meeting unproductive.
At the very least, Dumbledore seemed to know who Robert was. That was something.
"Wait, Minerva," Dumbledore called out suddenly as she reached for the door. "May I ask you for a favor?"
"Of course," she said without hesitation. She turned to face him again. "What is it?"
"It's just..." Dumbledore hesitated slightly. "If Robert truly makes a wand using your hair, could you come and show me?"
"Hm?" McGonagall looked confused.
"I'm very curious," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps I could ask him to make one for me as well."
"With all due respect, Albus…" McGonagall stared at him. "I don't believe you need a wand that's like an extension of your arm—unstoppable."
"Thank you for the compliment, Minerva," Dumbledore replied, blushing slightly.
"I'm just curious. My current wand… well, how should I put it? It's a little temperamental sometimes."
Professor McGonagall gave him a long, thoughtful look, as if trying to judge whether he was serious or simply joking.
In her memory, she couldn't recall the last time she'd seen Dumbledore actually using a wand. She had even occasionally wondered whether Dumbledore truly needed one at all.
Still, after a brief hesitation, she gave a nod.
"All right. If that day ever comes, I will."
She didn't make the promise too definite. She still had doubts about whether hair could actually serve as a wand core. But for now, she was willing to keep an open mind.
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