Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 190: A Tempting Offer
"What makes you jump to that conclusion? And please, be brief." James knew that the old man was going to figure something out after seeing the memories of his encounter with the witch, but he didn't expect him to get there this fast.
"You used a Primordial Flame… and I do know for a fact how impossible it would be for someone as young as you are supposed to be… to do something like that." Dumbledore formed a cup shape with his hands.
After a few short sparks, beautiful golden flames manifested in his hands, and Dumbledore held them in place, floating in between them.
"You have the Gilded Ember." James looked genuinely surprised to find out that Dumbledore, like himself, was in possession of one of them. This is because he had no recollection of Dumbledore using it during all his encounters with Voldemort.
Dumbledore smiled. "There are only five Primordial Flames in the entire world, and each of them can only be used by one person at a time. The most prestigious alchemist in the world would give anything to get their hands on one of these… this golden flame was passed on to me by the one who taught me everything. My old teacher, Nicolas Flamel. He is the one who taught me about these wonders of the magical world."
The golden flame disappeared, and the gentle warmth that was being emanated went away.
"Even after all these years, I can only manifest a fraction of its true power. That is how difficult they are to control," Dumbledore explained. "My old teacher told me everything he knew about these mysterious, magical phenomena. But the most mysterious of them all, was the Argent Flame…" His eyes went to James.
"According to the few journals written by ancient alchemists, the Argent one is the most unique and powerful of them all, and no one has been able to control its destructive capabilities since the dawn of time, and it has not been for lack of trying."
"I didn't think you were that knowledgeable about Primordial Flames. I underestimated you, Headmaster." James said. He had used it without considering that someone watching could actually guess the origins of those flames, as it was a very niche piece of knowledge, even among alchemists.
"Mister Potter… I could believe that a fifteen-year-old boy may have enough talent to become an alchemist at such a young age, even if that would require an unprecedented amount of talent. But to summon and fully control something like the Argent Flame… that is just impossible. Even my old teacher, who had been around for many centuries, could not claim such a feat. Your abilities and knowledge seem to surpass my own, and something like that is…"
"Impossible." James said. He could no longer claim that he was just very talented. Some things require more than talent, but also an immeasurable amount of knowledge, and that takes time to acquire.
"If you really are James Potter," Dumbledore said, "then the only conclusion I could draw would involve a gross abuse of time magic."
"I am a Potter." James responded. "I can only tell you that, and one more thing… I did not choose to be here, and neither do I know the purpose of my presence in this time, although I have some ideas."
"You were sent here against your will?..."Dumbledore remained pensive for a long minute.
"Do you want me to leave the school?" James broke the silence.
Dumbledore tilted his head. "And why would I want that?"
"You expelled me because you thought I was dangerous. Now I have proven to you that I am even more dangerous than you thought."
Dumbledore shook his head. "What made you dangerous was having too much power and little maturity to understand the risks you were taking. Now that I am more aware of your true abilities, this is no longer the case. You are a wise wizard, James Potter. One who has surpassed the level of a mere Warlock like myself. If anything, I wish to keep you in the school for as long as I can."
James raised an eyebrow. "Are you taking back my expulsion?"
Dumbledore smiled. "I could do more than that. What do you think about becoming a professor at this school?"
"You have to be joking… I don't even have my OWLs yet." James responded, while wondering about the old man's change of heart.
"I'm sure you already have more than enough wisdom to pass the exam. I can help you get that done during the summer, as well as the NEWTs exams. Now, you would need to start as an assistant professor during the first year… what do you say? Don't you find attending classes very boring?"
"I do find them boring…" James couldn't deny that. The school level was just too basic for him at this point.
"You don't need to give me an answer right now. Just think about it and tell me your decision before the school year is over."
"And you will trust me with your students? You don't even know who I really am. And that is something that I will never reveal." James had already decided that his past as Harry Potter was a piece of information he was going to take to his grave.
'I do not want anyone asking me questions about the future. That was way too dangerous,' James thought.
"I will never ask you about it. Any knowledge about the future would be too dangerous for anyone to have," Dumbledore said.
"Right…" James responded.
"And your character was never up to question." Dumbledore glanced at Fawkes. "I already tested that during our first proper meeting. No, I was just worried about your methods, but that is no longer a concern. So yes, I will trust you with this. Otherwise, I would never have offered you the position in the first place."
"Very well." James stood up from the chair. "If there is nothing else, I am in dire need of some rest."
"Rest well, Mister Potter. And if you need anything to aid in your little friend's recovery," Dumbledore pointed at the rings on his fingers, "do tell me. I can provide you with any ingredients that you could require."
"Thank you for the offer. I'll let you know if it comes to that." James left the Headmaster's office.
'So, not only am I not getting expelled, but he is offering me a job…' James could not have predicted this turn of events when he woke up this morning.
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