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(Translator- I will be mentioning Young Dumbledore as Albus)
In the corridor, the torchlight flickered softly.
Outside the window, a steady drizzle fell, with raindrops rhythmically tapping against the glass. The gentle sound of rain contrasted starkly with the silence within the corridor.
Ian turned his head at the voice.
There, he saw a boy around sixteen or seventeen years old.
The boy wore a well-fitted Hogwarts uniform, his robes neat and crisp. His handsome features still carried a hint of youthful softness, and his confident, composed posture radiated a rare kind of spirited brilliance.
Though this boy's face lacked the marks of age, the dense beard, and the messy hair of the man Ian knew, he immediately recognized him.
"Albus Dumbledore." He had once seen the old Headmaster's memories, personally witnessing the youth of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, so he could now be absolutely certain of the identity of the person standing before him.
The boy or man standing in front of him is just a few years away from adulthood so the changes in appearance weren't too drastic. But if there was something different, it was the aura Ian felt emanating from this younger version of the Headmaster.
Not just the calm poise of a prodigy, but also a kind of... overpowering dominance.
Behind the polite and gentle smile was an overwhelming presence, unyielding and invincible. It was the kind of unspoken aura the now-century-old Headmaster had long since grown out of.
In this moment, Ian finally understood why his old Headmaster had once been so widely admired, to the point that even the first Dark Lord, Gellert Grindelwald, had become an infatuated follower of him.
"Too bad I wasn't born in this time," Ian thought dryly, "or I might've become one of his fanboys too."
His eyes drifted to Dumbledore's hand, that still-smooth young hand was holding a pitch black wand which is quite different from the wand Ian remembered the older Dumbledore wielding.
It had the deep, mysterious feel typical of the kinds of wands often used by dark wizards.
"I knew it." Ian felt like he was looking at proof that the "White Dark Lord" really did exist. Having studied wandcraft in depth, Ian was fairly knowledgeable about the subject.
"You look like you're hoping to challenge me. A kid sneaking into Hogwarts, what exactly are you up to?"
The confident Albus had been watching Ian the whole time. He raised his eyebrows slightly, revealing a somewhat surprised expression. His deep blue eyes sparkled with interest, perhaps even at this age, it had already been a long time since someone had dared to challenge him.
"My Occlumency is pretty strong, and you can still tell what I'm thinking?" Ian was surprised too. Because in that exact moment, such a thought had popped into his mind:
He couldn't beat the old Headmaster. But what about the young version? And that fleeting thought had been instantly read by the very person he was thinking about.
"I rather dislike Legilimency magic, or more accurately, I find it quite annoying. So no, I didn't read your mind. I could just tell from observing your eyes." Albus spoke softly, sounding quite at ease.
He didn't seem the least bit curious why someone wearing Ravenclaw robes had snuck into the school. In fact, he appeared completely relaxed as he casually raised his wand to scratch his chin.
"You have green eyes... which is quite rare. But even rarer is the fact that I'm able to observe your eyes so clearly... Even the professors rarely meet my gaze for so long."
Albus's hair was a soft, reddish-brown, a bit tousled, carrying the unruliness and energy typical of youth. His hair, though not messy, lightly brushed across his forehead, partially obscuring his bright, intrigued eyes.
"I always thought that kind of arrogant tone only came from another old man, but now... maybe I finally understand who he was imitating when he spoke that way."
Ian gripped his wand tightly, visibly eager, as if itching for a challenge.
"So, may I?"
It sounded like an invitation, but also like the formal beginning of a duel. As Ian's eyes grew brighter with excitement, Albus narrowed his own slightly.
"A duel always needs stakes, doesn't it?" He maintained that same relaxed, cheerful posture, his gaze landing on Ian's elder wood wand.
"If I win, you'll tell me why you snuck into Hogwarts. Maybe I'll even earn another Special Services to the School Award for dismantling some evil organization using underage wizards for criminal activity." Albus spoke softly, tone gentle, but the overwhelming confidence in his words was unmistakable.
"And if I win?" Ian couldn't help but wonder if Albus had ever considered that possibility.
"Oh?"
Sure enough, when he heard Ian's question, Dumbledore only chuckled lightly.
"Then you can ask me to do whatever you want. Even if you want me to run a lap around Hogwarts stark naked, I'll do it."
His slightly teasing tone made it clear, he really hadn't considered the chance of losing.
"So I can take that to mean you'll agree to do anything I ask? Sounds fair to me." Ian's eyes glinted as he spoke.
"Of course! Take it however you want." Albus didn't even hesitate, clearly far less cautious than the wise and guarded version nearly a century older.
"Great!" Ian was visibly thrilled. "Let's go to the Room of Requirement."
He made the suggestion.
After all, if they dueled right here in the hallway, who knew how much of the Hogwarts structure might get wrecked? Ian treated Hogwarts like a close friend, and he had no desire to accidentally harm it.
"You know about the Room of Requirement?" Albus was visibly surprised at Ian's proposal, this was one of Hogwarts' well-kept secrets, unknown even to many students and professors.
He himself had only discovered it by pure chance.
"I'm not some random intruder. I'm a legitimate Hogwarts student, though not in the way you might expect." Ian noticed the increasingly curious look in Albus's eyes as he spoke.
"If you want the truth, you'll have to beat me to get it." Ian finished his sentence and immediately turned into a cloud of white mist, racing off toward the floor where the Room of Requirement was located.
You could hardly blame him for being so eager.
It was just, he so rarely encountered someone who might actually be an even match for him.
Because of that, Ian had never really had the opportunity to test the limits of his own strength. Maybe, through a duel with the Albus, he could finally discover the weaknesses and flaws in his own abilities.
"Dumble-sprint? Looks like I have already won this rac--" Ian had just started to gloat mid-air over his flashy magic, only to find the Albus already standing in front of the Room of Requirement's door.
Dumbfounded, Ian swallowed the smug words that had been halfway out of his mouth.
"A self-made spell?" Albus looked at the now fully-materialized Ian with curiosity.
"How the hell did you get here so fast?" Ian was annoyed.
He had clearly left first. Dumbledore had still been standing still when he took off.
"Seems like you don't know Hogwarts quite as well as you think." Albus chuckled, not bothering to directly answer the question.
Perhaps he'd been a riddle-spewing enigma since youth, and the only reason he lived past a hundred without someone eventually punching him for it… Was likely thanks to that unmatched power no wizard dared to challenge.
(To Be Continued…)