"This is the first time I've ever heard of such a spell." Dumbledore asked with keen interest, "Where did you learn it?"
"I figured it out myself."
Helga's response made Dumbledore narrow his eyes slightly. A witch capable of independently developing a spell of this level was certainly no ordinary figure—yet he had never heard of any "Smith White" before.
Toward this mysterious Miss White, Dumbledore began to harbor a sliver of suspicion, because he happened to know of a secretive hidden organization that had trained many powerful witches and wizards.
Could Miss White be a spy from the Secret Order? That thought flashed through Dumbledore's mind. Judging from the name, Miss White was most likely British, or perhaps from North America. That made it even more unreasonable that he had never heard of her.
If this person had come from Africa, or some obscure corner of Eastern Europe or West Asia, then it would be understandable that someone like Dumbledore—who had lived in Britain for most of his life—wouldn't know her name.
But given the current circumstances... Dumbledore was inclined to believe Miss White was using an alias. He decided to probe further into her background.
"Then may I ask, which magic school did you graduate from?"
Faced with this question, Helga was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
She had never actually attended a magic school.
All the spells she knew were either passed down through her family, taught by friends, or exchanged with other witches and wizards. She was entirely self-taught—and the other three founders were basically in the same situation.
If she had been given a few days to prepare, she might've been able to make up a plausible background. But Dumbledore's sudden request for an immediate interview had completely thrown off her plans.
Right now, she didn't even know which magical schools were considered famous in this modern world!
"I'm self-taught. Some spells were passed down from elders in my family, and I also learned a few from ancient magical tomes left behind by wizards of old." Helga decided to tell the truth, leaning into sincerity as her main tactic.
Dumbledore: "…"
He didn't know how to respond for a moment, because what Miss White had just said sounded absolutely absurd.
If someone at her level could become this skilled through self-study alone, then all the magical schools might as well shut down.
"And where are you from?" Dumbledore decided to continue asking, curious to see if this mysterious woman could offer an even more outrageous answer.
"Wales."
The two fell into a long silence.
Dumbledore quietly picked up his fork and began eating the desserts one by one.
At this point, he was beginning to feel that the likelihood of the woman before him being a spy from the Secret Order was absurdly low. If she truly were a spy, then the Secret Order must be actively trying to insult his intelligence.
There were so many inconsistencies—so many, in fact, that Dumbledore began to think Miss White might actually be telling the truth.
He looked up at her, and from her eyes, Dumbledore saw sincerity. It really did seem like she was being completely honest.
Dumbledore decided to be honest himself, planning to voice his doubts directly—this interview, from both the interviewer and the interviewee, was shaping up to be a festival of honesty.
But before he could say anything, Helga began to explain herself further.
"I can't really be considered someone from this era. I was exploring an ancient ruin… and something quite strange happened. Then this young fellow here brought me into this time." She gestured toward Rhys as she spoke.
Though Rhys wasn't thrilled by how she described him, he still put on a pleasant smile to corroborate her story—though inwardly, he was panicking. Helga is being way too honest. Don't tell me—She'll tell him everything!
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow—this woman's story was becoming more and more extraordinary.
But often, when something sounded too bizarre to be made up, it turned out to be real. After all, made-up stories needed to be logical, but real-life events didn't.
"Could you tell me more about it? Indulge the curiosity of an old man." Dumbledore adjusted his half-moon spectacles, a gleam of intrigue flashing in his eyes.
"Of course," Helga replied. She then recounted her previous experiences to Dumbledore in full—leaving out only her real name. Everything else she shared was completely truthful.
After listening to Miss White's story, Dumbledore found it… surprisingly plausible. He couldn't spot any inconsistencies in the tale, nor did he sense any dishonesty from her. Looking at it from the angle of time travel, all the mysteries surrounding her suddenly made sense.
Could it be that the witch before him really came from centuries ago? Magic truly was extraordinary.
Though it sounded like something out of a fairy tale, Dumbledore genuinely believed what Helga had said about her origins.
That left just one final question: which position should he assign her?
After hearing the winding, fantastical account of her life, Dumbledore had already made up his mind to hire this remarkable witch. Now he was only debating what subject would best suit her.
Based on her background, she seemed like a good fit for teaching the History of Magic. But that post was already occupied by Professor Binns, and Dumbledore had no desire to replace him.
Looking at the currently vacant positions, Alchemy—which had been discontinued for years due to lack of qualified teachers and student interest—seemed like a fitting option.
Alternatively, she could choose between Care of Magical Creatures or Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Contrary to what Rhys had expected, there actually was a chance that the Defense Against the Dark Arts position might open up this year!
The reason was that Professor Kettleburn, who had long taught Care of Magical Creatures, had recently retired, leaving the post vacant. The current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Lupin, had a deep interest in magical creatures and was considering transferring to fill that role—something that wasn't uncommon at Hogwarts.
After all, Professor Quirrell had once moved from Muggle Studies to Defense Against the Dark Arts as well.
Exactly how the positions would be arranged would depend on Miss White's capabilities and the preferences of the other staff. If none of the roles fit, Dumbledore was even willing to consider creating a new course—perhaps in culinary magic!
Culinary magic was an important branch in the magical world and especially beloved by witches. Opening such a class would surely be well-received.
However, for subjects like Alchemy and Culinary Magic, if they were to be officially added to the curriculum, Dumbledore would need to coordinate with the Ministry of Magic to include them in the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams, so students could earn proper certification.
After listing the available positions, Dumbledore folded his hands and waited to hear Miss Smith White's thoughts.
"I can teach any of them—Alchemy, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures, and even a culinary class," Helga replied confidently. She was a well-rounded witch.
"I'm afraid I can't afford to pay that much," Dumbledore joked, then added, "Why don't you show me what kind of magic you're capable of?"
Helga, of course, had no objections.
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