Your comments, reviews, and votes really help me out so much and they make me super motivated to keep working on this story! Thank you! Pat**on : ilham20
"Actually, Professor Dumbledore, I'm curious. Why do you think this is so dangerous?"
Lynn pointed to the revolver sitting on Dumbledore's desk. "Is it really that threatening?"
"Is it not?" Dumbledore countered with a question. "A weapon that allows a wizard to rapidly cast Rune Magic."
"You should know better than anyone the advantages Rune Magic holds over standard spellcasting. While wanded spells are far superior in terms of control and convenience, Rune Magic has an overwhelming advantage when it comes to destructive power that requires little finesse."
"Many countries around the world still retain the use of Rune Magic precisely because of its superiority in warfare."
"Fifty or sixty years ago, in the Far East, a terrifying war broke out. It was a massive civil conflict, and almost every magical faction involved suffered a devastating blow."
"Mahoutokoro in Japan had to be rebuilt after the war. The magical traditions passed down there were nearly wiped out. And they weren't the only ones; lineages were severed in multiple nations. That war, which swept across all of East Asia, was the cruelest meat grinder in magical history. Millions of wizards fought on the battlefield, and in the end, hardly one in ten survived."
"And Rune Magic played a pivotal role in that war."
"The fundamental reason European wizards abandoned Rune Magic in favor of wanded spells is simple—our population is too small. We cannot withstand the kind of slaughter war brings. Even at the peak of European wizarding history, our total population barely exceeded eight hundred thousand."
"You are opening Pandora's Box. Once efficient killing tools are widely equipped, war is inevitable. Humanity never learns from history, but history is a diligent teacher; if you forget the lesson, it will demonstrate it for you all over again."
"The danger isn't Rune Magic itself, because that requires study and has obvious casting flaws. The danger lies in your concept. You intend to bypass the traditional methods of using Runes and push it to a point where anyone with a magical core can use it effortlessly. That attempt is far more dangerous than the magic itself."
"I must tell you, your design will be difficult to realize. Someone has tried it before."
"High difficulty, high cost, and hard to mass-produce."
"But I have an intuition. My gut tells me that one day, you might find a way to make this technology widely available, bringing unprecedented 'advancement' to the field of magical warfare."
"And if you do that, you will have opened the box and released the monsters inside."
"After all, war... war never ends."
Dumbledore picked up the gun from the table. "This is a weapon Muggles use to slaughter each other. It is hard for me not to imagine what kind of impact you will have on the world if you perfect and manufacture this."
"Without it, war is controllable. People die, yes, but the numbers remain low. In a magical world dominated by an elite hierarchy, the scale of death is managed. But if that structure is overturned..."
"Professor, are you saying that wizards who lack power deserve to die?"
Lynn narrowed his eyes slightly. "If everyone had possessed the power to fatally threaten Voldemort and his Death Eaters back when they were rampaging, would he have dared to be so arrogant? Would he have acted so recklessly?"
"If a hundred people holding this weapon stood before him, even someone as strong as Voldemort—how many simultaneous Blasting Curses could he block?"
"It was precisely because the people at the bottom had no power to resist his atrocities that he could be so rampant, so insufferable."
"Especially when the wizards who did have the power to stop him curled up inside their shells and ignored the outside world—" Lynn stared straight at Dumbledore. "What were you doing back then?"
Lynn was already entertaining the thought of leaving Hogwarts and seeking education elsewhere. The world was big; how far could Dumbledore's reach really extend? If he left Europe, where could Dumbledore touch him?
With his teleportation abilities, nothing in the world could trap him. Anti-Apparition jinxes were useless against him. He could use telekinesis to twist the heads off any wizard who wasn't fast enough or didn't have enough defensive tricks. The only people Lynn truly feared were the genuinely powerful ones like Voldemort, who had a myriad of ways to save their own lives.
If Dumbledore's reaction time had dulled with age, Lynn could theoretically twist his head off right now.
But Lynn didn't want to gamble, nor did he dare to.
He didn't want to burn bridges with Dumbledore.
"You say the wizarding world is an elite-dominated world. So when someone relies on their powerful strength to commit crimes, why can't other elites stand up and protect those who lack strength?"
"Do they deserve to die? Do they deserve to be stepped on from the moment they are born?"
"If the wizarding world is like that, so what if I flip the table?"
"After all, I can also become one of those people standing at the top of the pyramid. If I decide to do something, who can say no?"
"Professor, since you chose to wash your hands of it ten years ago, why—why step forward now?"
"People who want to do evil will find a way to acquire weapons even without guns. The wizarding world isn't like the Muggle world; the means to kill aren't limited to firearms. Avada Kedavra isn't the only way to take a life. There are far too many spells more dangerous than guns; it's just that most people can't use them, or use them poorly. But some are experts."
"You see danger, but I see the future."
"A future where a villain wouldn't dare parade around in front of people like they did ten years ago."
"Since the Ministry of Magic and those so-called elites can't protect the people, isn't it only natural and fitting to let the people possess weapons to protect themselves?"
"Everything in the world has two sides. I think you, Professor Dumbledore, should understand that."
There was no anger on Dumbledore's face. His gaze remained calm and clear, looking at Lynn with a hint of gentleness.
"Perhaps there is logic in what you say. When no one stops the powerful from doing evil, the citizens who cannot protect themselves can only pray that disaster does not befall them."
"Handing them a weapon to defend their lives does indeed make sense."
"But this also lowers the cost of committing evil, making certain events happen more frequently."
"You can't stop someone who truly wants to do bad things," Lynn shook his head slightly. "Just like the Ministry classifying the Killing Curse as Unforgivable. A wizard who wants to use it won't stop because of a restriction. That law only governs wizards who wouldn't use it anyway. It's no different from a blank sheet of paper, only useful for sentencing after the tragedy has occurred."
"Wizards are essentially already holding guns. Giving them a fully automatic one doesn't make much difference."
The atmosphere between the two fell into a stale silence. Dumbledore wanted a stable, controllable wizarding world; he wanted to maintain the status quo.
"Perhaps I am just old."
Dumbledore shook his head with a self-deprecating smile.
"The things an old man thinks about are different from you young people. The emergence of new things naturally triggers new regulations and rules. The balance of the world is never static; it is a dynamic equilibrium. If we always cling to the old rules, how can we move forward? How can we look ahead?"
"I still believe it will bring new turmoil and conflict to the wizarding world, but perhaps the people of the future will find the correct way to handle it."
"The future belongs to you all."
Dumbledore nodded. "An old man with one foot in the grave like me should just watch quietly from the sidelines."
"However—" Dumbledore drawled, a cunning glint hidden deep in his eyes, "Nicolas once attempted to create the kind of alchemical device you're envisioning. He succeeded. Perhaps you can learn from his success and save yourself some detours."
"Consider it a small token of my appreciation."
The familiar red stone was placed on the table by Dumbledore and gently pushed in front of Lynn.
"Perhaps you can find a better method than Nicolas did."
Lynn didn't immediately accept the gift with a happy face.
Although the Philosopher's Stone had lost most of its value and contained only a trace of magic, that didn't mean it was worthless. Even the dregs of a Philosopher's Stone held value beyond imagination.
No one in the world could replicate a second Philosopher's Stone. But if someone had a sample, there might be a slim chance of reverse-engineering it.
This gift was heavy, and Lynn had to be cautious.
"This kid..."
When Lynn left the office, Dumbledore shook his head slightly as he watched the boy's back disappear behind the door.
Lynn was very careful, but compared to Dumbledore—a kid whose two lifetimes combined didn't even equal a third of the Headmaster's age—he was still a bit green.
The Philosopher's Stone was real, and Nicolas Flamel had indeed created the device Lynn envisioned. But undoubtedly, the device Flamel made was so expensive it could only be a collector's item; it had no potential for mass production.
Once Lynn chose to walk the path Flamel had paved, he would certainly gain something, perhaps even benefit greatly. But conversely, he would be sidetracked by it.
Dumbledore didn't want that kind of weapon to appear on a large scale too quickly. He was old; his energy wasn't as boundless as it had been in his youth. It was better to have fewer troubles.
Deep down, Dumbledore was a somewhat selfish person, not the flawless paragon of wizardry the public made him out to be.
He didn't want to be entangled in messiness during his twilight years. And after he retired—well, everything else would be none of his business.
Just like with Grindelwald back then, and just like with Voldemort, Dumbledore actually never wanted to intervene. But he was pushed up onto a pedestal by the masses, forced to step in. Even now, he still had to pay off one last debt before he could retire. Though lazy, he always finished what he started.
---
The End-of-Term Feast began.
The Great Hall was decked out in Gryffindor's scarlet and gold. Inside, the little lions were beaming with joy. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were also quite happy to see this.
Slytherin had monopolized the House Cup decorations for years, and everyone was sick of looking at them. Besides, the methods Slytherin used to win were underhanded and disdainful.
At the Slytherin table, where the atmosphere was gloomy, the little snakes were listless. But up at the High Table, Snape looked radiant.
His gaze fell on the Gryffindor table, watching a laughing Harley share the joy of the day with her classmates. The corners of his mouth quirked up slightly.
But why was she holding that guy's arm?
Snape frowned, but his displeasure only lasted a second. He quickly made peace with himself. At least the kid was somewhat pleasing to the eye; he had a bit of the style Snape had in his youth. It made him feel much better than if she were with some random punk or a carbon copy of James Potter.
"Now we won't see each other for two months..."
After packing their luggage and boarding the Hogwarts Express, Harley spoke with reluctance.
"Help me meet a few pretty older sisters over the break. Put together a photo album for me when you get back. I entrust this arduous task to you, Harley."
"Lynn, you're such a perv."
Harley huffed, but there was a smile on her face. "I'm just worried you'll scare Cho away."
"Cho already realized ages ago that I'm a heartbreaker, didn't she?"
Lynn was indifferent. "I'm the type of guy who's great for dating but terrible for marriage. I'm guessing my teacher warned you about that too, right Cho?"
"My dad did say something like that," Cho laughed, covering her mouth. "He told me not to get too fascinated by you."
"Exactly. So, if you want to take advantage of me, do it quickly. In a few years, when I'm so handsome I can't even control myself, the line to make a move on me will be miles long."
"When I left this morning, two seventh-year girls wanted to have a 'heart-to-heart' with me. I guess they wanted to round off their seven years at Hogwarts with a bang, but I didn't give them the chance."
"Hmm? Why not?" Harley kicked off her sandals and rested her cute little feet on the compartment seat.
"Probably because they weren't pretty enough. My tastes are quite refined now."
In Lynn's heart, Fleur Delacour was guilty of a great crime. How could that girl be so beautiful? Seeing her too early in life was truly torture.
"Well, they certainly weren't as good-looking as me!"
Harley lifted her chin confidently. "I have a task for you now, Lynn."
"What are you plotting this time?"
Lynn looked at Harley warily. This girl was getting less and less polite with him.
"It's raining outside, and it's cold." Harley pointed to the overcast sky. Late June in England rarely saw much sun. "Warm my feet up. That's not too much to ask, is it?"
"I suspect you have ulterior motives."
"Didn't you say there'd be a line later if I waited?"
Looking at the little feet wiggling in front of him, Lynn looked a bit disdainful. He wasn't into feet; he just couldn't get excited about it.
"Sigh... this is the last time."
"Next semester, the cooldown resets, okay?"
Happily shoving her feet into Lynn's lap and pressing them against his warm stomach, a sense of happiness spontaneously welled up in her.
Just then, the compartment door was knocked open, and the twins pushed in with grinning faces.
"Sorry! Didn't mean to disturb your meal, Lynn!"
"We'll just say one thing and leave, won't get in the way!"
Fred and George kept straight faces, but the corners of their mouths betrayed their inner thoughts.
"I knew it..." Lynn covered his forehead with one hand but didn't take it to heart. "Go ahead, what is it?"
"Do you want to come over to our house for the holidays?"
"We have some little surprises we want to share with you."
"When?"
"Mid-July, probably. We have to see about the specific day, but definitely before the end of July."
The twins kept it mysterious, smiling secretively.
"No problem. Should I take the Knight Bus over?"
"Sure, just tell them 'The Burrow.' Of course, if you want to bring your girlfriends, we'd welcome them with both hands raised!"
"Enjoy your meal~"
"Hehehehe~"
Laughing wickedly, the twins closed the door.