Dumbledore wasn't going to force Harry into this test. The premise was that Harry had to learn all the information "by coincidence" and make the decision himself.
But all of this?
Boy, you have my attention.
Dumbledore blinked. After saying goodbye to Hagrid, he vanished into a whirlwind of flames.
Basil had no idea what had happened in the hut.
He finished dinner as usual and climbed the stairs back to the common room.
Except, the staircase from the third to the fourth floor malfunctioned, depositing them directly into the Fourth Floor Forbidden Corridor.
Because the floor decorations looked identical, they didn't notice until they reached the end of the corridor.
Only then did they realize their mistake. There was a slightly ajar door in front of them.
Before Basil could stop him...
Ron, with his itchy hands, pushed it open.
It was a three-headed dog!
It was so massive it filled the entire space from ceiling to floor.
Three pairs of vicious, rolling eyes; three noses twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva dripping like sticky ropes from yellowed canine teeth.
"RUN!" (x4)
VROOM!
Only Basil could hear the sound of an engine igniting.
Dragon fire ignited in his heart. His blood turned to magma. Dragon scales surfaced beneath his skin.
Through the perspective of golden vertical pupils, everything slowed down.
Bang!
In a split second, his left hand slammed the door shut.
He stomped the ground, his body retreating while his arms spread wide to shield the other three behind him.
Accompanied by a surge of black-red energy, a strange, ferocious wand appeared.
"[Protego]!"
[Magic Book] and [Dragon Knight] activated simultaneously.
A massive, invisible, yet fiery barrier surrounded the four of them.
BOOM!
The door flew off its hinges.
One of the Cerberus's heads burst through the doorframe.
Its mouth opened wide.
Glistening saliva sprayed everywhere.
Hard, yellowed teeth bit down on the door with a crunch, shattering it.
The teeth scraped against the barrier, producing the sound of metal clashing against metal.
Under the impact of the Shield Charm, the three-headed dog's brain rattled.
The other two heads struggled to squeeze through the doorway.
But they were blocked by the dizzy middle head.
Taking this opportunity, the four students bolted, practically flying down the corridor.
The foul stench and the blood-red maw were deeply etched into their minds.
It spurred their short legs to pump furiously.
The scene gradually zoomed out, surrounded by silver-white mist.
The empty space in the middle reflected everything.
A crooked nose, blue eyes, and half-moon spectacles appeared beside the image.
It was Albus Dumbledore.
He leaned back in a high-backed chair with brass ornaments and purple velvet cushions.
His long legs were stretched out, watching the young wizards' thrilling moment with utter relaxation.
A voice came from a 6-inch silver mirror on his desk, facing away from him.
"Too bold, Albus. If you were the headmaster of my school, I would definitely impeach you."
Dumbledore swiped his finger.
The image in the silver mist shifted.
It moved to the room with the three-headed dog and the trapdoor.
The other two heads of the dog were barking furiously, but no sound came out.
Its body was being pulled back toward the trapdoor by invisible chains.
It struggled in vain, leaving deep scratches on the stone floor.
The voice spoke again, "You cast a spell. Ah, right. Your beloved boy is there."
Dumbledore shook his head. "Harry isn't special. I won't sacrifice any life to protect him, except my own. This test wasn't for him."
He swiped his finger again.
The image rewound.
It focused on the boy who had blue eyes and blonde hair just a moment ago.
Golden vertical pupils flickered in and out of existence.
Patterns of scales flashed across his pale skin.
And that strange wand.
The handle looked like a dragon's head roaring upwards; the wood was black with a metallic sheen; the fiery red shaft was covered in a spiky black dragon spine.
"Hiss! Don't you think he looks like someone? Except for the eyes." The owner of the voice didn't care about the strange wand. He seemed accustomed to the anomaly on Basil's body.
"Gellert?" Dumbledore's blue eyes glazed over for a second, then snapped back to clarity. "No. This boy is more handsome. Only the hairstyle is similar. And he only resembles him when he was young."
"A pity. I thought you were going to have a second spring. After all, I've already entrusted that thing to you. This old bag of bones thought I might see you have a family before I die." The voice teased.
"Die? The elixir you have left is enough for another century. If you regret it, you can always—"
"Enough. Let's talk about that boy! Your new target."
Dumbledore quit while he was ahead. "Don't you think that boy is special?"
"Special?" A light chuckle came from the mirror. "It's just simple magical transformation. In my long life, I've seen too many geniuses. Countless are more special than this boy. That wand is just modified by brilliant alchemy."
"What about me? Why am I so special to you? Are you bored of Perenelle?"
The voice in the mirror panicked. "Don't! Don't say that! Don't let Perenelle hear! You should understand. There are many excellent, genius wizards. But in my lifetime, there have only been two who are truly 'Grand Wizards' in the real sense."
Dumbledore shook his head. "No. Four."
For the first time, the voice trembled. "Who? Besides you and Grindelwald? That laughable Voldemort? Him too? How is that possible?"
"In the inheritance of magic, everything of our ancestors is inscribed. The descendants of Slytherin, due to excessive inbreeding, had the madness of their ancestors amplified generation by generation. This is known as a Taboo Bloodline. Even pure-bloods who value noble lineage and ancient families wouldn't marry someone with a Taboo Bloodline. Because while it brings superior talent, it also brings madness and hysteria. Forget learning magic; they can barely feed themselves. There are few exceptions, like Isolt Sayre, the founder of Ilvermorny."
"Why are you reciting history to me? I witnessed all of that."
"Tom and that great witch share a common trait. They are both Half-bloods."
"I know that. I saw that Voldemort with my own eyes. His Slytherin side was too strong; he didn't seem like a half-blood at all. Although he appeared polite, the madness lingering in his heart surprised even me. He cannot bypass that madness to become a Grand Wizard."
"You might not know. His father was under the influence of a Love Potion when his mother conceived him. Born under such circumstances, he naturally lacks certain emotions. A little negative emotion can't affect him. And perhaps becoming a Grand Wizard doesn't require a spiritual ascension."
"Doesn't require it? You and I both know magic is an illusion. The essence of our magic, ignoring all that magnetic field nonsense, is Belief. A Grand Wizard turns the void into reality, becoming an existence that truly possesses magic. There is no shortcut other than a breakthrough of the soul!"
"What about Magical Transformation? The most dangerous kind, the kind that's practically impossible? Prying open one's own skull, removing one's own veins, tempering every bone in the body, dismembering the ethereal soul."
"How did he survive? Forget the danger. The pain of that kind of transformation alone would shatter a soul."
"At least three Horcruxes to maintain immortality. Killing, endless killing to vent the pain. Did you think he just transfigured his nose away?"
Hearing this, the voice muttered "Madman" and fell silent.
He had mixed feelings.
He once thought it was just a trick.
Dying in public view time and again, then resurrecting in unexpected ways.
This Jesus-like miracle of resurrection had likely been performed by Voldemort multiple times.
Was this why the Death Eaters submitted to him so completely, believing firmly that he could rule the world?
After a long while, the voice spoke again. "What about the other one?"
Dumbledore pursed his lips and looked at Basil with a gaze even more fervent than the one he used for Harry.
---