If necessary, we can procure ingredients and labor externally," Dumbledore said calmly, though inwardly, he was already preparing to overwork Snape.
"Then I've got no problem. If any other group members need potions, they can contact Miss Granger directly."
Kizaru nodded toward Hermione. Seeing that Dumbledore had decided to cooperate with the dimensional chat group made Hermione genuinely happy.
That meant she wouldn't have to keep hiding things like before. Bearing such a massive secret alone had been a heavy burden.
Plus, Hermione was deeply curious about other worlds. The fascinating items occasionally mentioned in the chat history had made her long to see them firsthand.
Now that she had Dumbledore's approval, she no longer needed to worry.
"Very well," Dumbledore replied, smiling at Hermione. "But I ask that before any trade is finalized, Miss Granger consult either myself or Minerva."
He wanted to ensure that chat members wouldn't sell Hermione anything excessively dangerous.
Though Hermione was more mature than most her age, her youth and inexperience still made it difficult for her to evaluate certain things properly.
"As long as Miss Granger is willing... But are you really unwilling to reconsider trading the Philosopher's Stone or Time-Turner technology?"
Kizaru was overall satisfied with the outcome of the visit, but Dumbledore's firm refusal to share the secrets of the Philosopher's Stone or Time-Turners still left a trace of disappointment.
Then again, given Dumbledore's position, that was perfectly reasonable.
The Philosopher's Stone's secrets required Nicolas Flamel's approval, and the Time-Turners were stored directly under the Ministry of Magic's jurisdiction.
Even with Dumbledore's influence, it was impossible to trade those items without alerting the Ministry.
And once the Ministry got involved, it would go directly against Dumbledore's goal of keeping contact with the dimensional chat group strictly within Hogwarts.
"I can offer you abilities related to immortality… and even the power to bring the dead back to life… in exchange for the technologies behind the Philosopher's Stone and the Time-Turners."
Before Dumbledore could open his mouth to refuse, Orochimaru spoke up to elaborate.
He cleverly used a bit of wordplay—saying the technique "involved" immortality didn't mean it offered true immortality. Whether it was Seastone Gold or his developing Living Corpse Reincarnation, claiming they related to eternal life wasn't a lie.
And the ability to bring back the dead? That was, of course, the infamous Edo Tensei.
"Absolutely not!"
Even the portraits of former headmasters behind Dumbledore cried out in unison. Immortality and resurrection were grave taboos—even in the magical world.
Not even Horcruxes, those vile black magic creations, could truly be called immortality.
Orochimaru shot a questioning glance at Kizaru. After receiving a confirming nod, he retrieved a glowing, radiant chunk of Pure Gold from his robes.
All eyes were immediately drawn to it. Even real gold paled in comparison to this shimmering brilliance.
"This material is called Pure Gold. So long as it's kept on your person, it will preserve your youth... living for centuries without aging is entirely possible."
Orochimaru gave Dumbledore a meaningful look.
Obviously, among everyone present, it was the white-haired headmaster who would benefit most from this miraculous substance.
But what Orochimaru didn't expect was Dumbledore's utter lack of reaction. Though he admired the radiance of the Pure Gold, he showed no hint of excitement.
As though death held no fear for him.
Realizing this, even Orochimaru fell into silence.
Desireless people are the hardest to sway—to move a man who doesn't even fear death is a daunting challenge indeed.
"I... I want to know if you can really bring the dead back to life?"
Just as Orochimaru found himself at a loss, Harry, who had been sitting silently beside Hermione, finally spoke up.
He knew asking was probably wrong. It might trouble Dumbledore, but... he desperately, truly longed to see his parents again.
Professor McGonagall, who instinctively moved to stop Harry, now hesitated upon hearing his words. She couldn't help but glance at Dumbledore.
It wasn't just Harry who longed for a reunion—McGonagall missed her husband, who had passed away years ago. Even Dumbledore found himself thinking of his lost family.
Especially his little sister, Ariana, who had died at just fourteen. Her death, caused indirectly by his own mistakes, was the reason Aberforth had never spoken to him again.
"Of course. If you'd like, I can prove it to you anytime."
Orochimaru didn't know whether Edo Tensei would work in the magical world, but that didn't stop him from stringing Harry along.
After all, he never said he could revive people from this world—and in the art of leaving loopholes in his words, Orochimaru was a master.
"Harry... the living should not disturb the peace of the dead."
But just as Harry's eyes lit up with hope, Dumbledore stared at him and spoke calmly.
It was precisely because Dumbledore, too, had people he wished to bring back that he stopped Harry so firmly.
This wasn't just about letting the dead rest. More importantly, reviving the dead must never become reality.
There were far too many in the world who wished to see their loved ones again. If such a possibility existed, not even Hogwarts, nor Dumbledore, nor the entire British wizarding world, would withstand the tidal wave of longing that would follow. They would all shatter like fragile foam.
"If the Philosopher's Stone and Time-Turner technologies can't be traded, then how about magic itself?"
"Surely Hogwarts, as a school of magic, wouldn't refuse admission to eligible students?"
Orochimaru wasn't particularly bothered by being rejected again. In the end, both the Philosopher's Stone and the Time-Turner were inventions of the wizarding world.
At worst, he could simply select appropriately aged children from Konoha to study at Hogwarts. As long as they could learn magic, it was only a matter of time before Konoha could develop its own versions of the Philosopher's Stone and Time-Turner.
With Pure Gold in hand, Orochimaru felt he had plenty of time and wasn't the least bit worried about living long enough to see that day come.
"Muggles without magic can't possibly learn magic."
Dumbledore gently turned down Orochimaru's suggestion. Even Muggles from the same world couldn't learn magic—how much less so people from other worlds?
Wizards in the Harry Potter world weren't so much "mages" as they were akin to sorcerers in other dimensions. Even so-called "Muggle-born" witches and wizards typically had magical ancestry. Some forebear had been a wizard, and their magical bloodline had simply reawakened in a later generation.
As for where the first wizards came from… well, let's just say the Cult of Sad Winds seems to exist in every world. Some humans' fetishes were so... absurd that even magical creatures couldn't help but say: "WTF."
"Then what about textbooks? Surely your school's textbooks aren't off-limits?"
Orochimaru didn't buy the idea that only wizards could learn magic. In his mind, magic was just another form of energy. If people like Kizaru and other off-worlders could learn chakra, and ninjas could grasp Haki, then there was no reason they couldn't also master magic.
"I want a set too. Let's say a thousand Dimensional Credits. Hmm, that's about one hundred kilograms of gold."
Before Dumbledore could respond, Kizaru spoke up.
As he said this, he glanced subtly at Hermione—a gentle reminder to Dumbledore that Hermione was the actual chat group member. Unless Dumbledore could monitor her constantly, they would eventually obtain whatever they wanted from her anyway.
Even now that Orochimaru was the Hokage, that didn't mean he'd suddenly become all noble and righteous. If Dumbledore kept refusing him, Orochimaru would absolutely start pulling strings behind the scenes.
To maintain peace and stability in the chat group, Kizaru ultimately chose to support Orochimaru's request.
Of course, Kizaru himself was curious to see whether Harry Potter's magic could be used in the world of One Piece.
As for the problem of magical power—that could be Vegapunk's headache. The genius scientist was constantly running on a brainpower surplus anyway. Might as well put it to use.
Now that Kizaru had weighed in, Dumbledore couldn't very well keep refusing. His main concern wasn't really about letting Konoha send students to Hogwarts—it was more about the risk of ulterior motives.
But if the spread of magic to other worlds didn't harm Hogwarts, and could even convince Orochimaru to back off from the wizarding world, Dumbledore thought it might actually be for the best.
"Very well. I'll make the preparations and have Miss Granger deliver them to you both."
Dumbledore, ever decisive, brought the core of the negotiations to a close. From here on, it was simply regular exchange between the parties.
Both Dumbledore and Orochimaru were deeply interested in other worlds and began sharing bits of intel they didn't mind revealing.
Meanwhile, Kizaru strolled around the office, casually observing the portraits of former headmasters, exquisite magical artifacts, and Dumbledore's phoenix.
"Hey, gentleman from another world. If you're looking for more potions, consider going to the Blacks…"
While Kizaru was admiring a particular portrait, the old man inside it gave him a sly wink and quickly whispered a string of words.
Unfortunately, before he could finish, several other portraits rushed into his frame, cutting him off with flailing arms and loud objections.
"Phineas, everything that happened today is to remain confidential. I trust you understand that."
Dumbledore's tone carried a note of warning. The portrait that tried to speak with Kizaru belonged to Phineas Nigellus Black, the only Slytherin headmaster in Hogwarts history.
It was worth noting that Phineas was often considered the worst headmaster in Hogwarts' entire history.
The portraits in the Headmaster's office all belonged to former headmasters, tasked with offering counsel to their successors. As such, once Dumbledore gave a command as the current headmaster, they were bound to obey.
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