To Professor McGonagall, Roger had become almost like her successor.
She naturally didn't want Roger to take risks.
But Roger's personality, if you looked at it charitably, was strong-willed; if you looked at it negatively, he was stubborn as hell.
Unless a better solution was presented, he wouldn't change his mind.
However, Professor McGonagall pondered for a long time and still couldn't think of a better way.
The most traditional method was mental cultivation, but it could only slow down the process of mental aging.
Using the power of Time Magic to permanently freeze one's mental state might be a way out, but that would completely strip Roger of the possibility of 'progress.'
Becoming something like the 'Alaya Will,' coexisting with countless life forms to constantly renew one's mind... but that would inevitably dilute Roger's self.
Maintaining mental vitality by regularly clearing memories was completely impossible; memories were an important part of what made a person.
It was like that classic question.
'Which emotion is the most important?'
The answer was that every emotion was important; they were all indispensable parts of being human. If any were missing, a human wouldn't feel quite human.
Perhaps there really was a better way to achieve Roger's ideal of an ageless mind.
But just as Roger couldn't figure it out, Professor McGonagall was also at a loss. Human thought had its limits.
It was difficult for people to think about things they had never known.
...
...
...
"You're just going to let him do this?!"
In the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall, having returned from the Ministry of Magic, stared sternly at Dumbledore's aged face.
As Roger's magical power grew stronger, Professor McGonagall had gradually fallen behind him. Now, Dumbledore was handling Roger's magical affairs.
Dumbledore couldn't possibly be unaware of what Roger was planning, yet he had never mentioned it to her, nor had he stopped Roger from undertaking such high-risk endeavors.
To Professor McGonagall, this was simply unacceptable!
"Minerva, I have my own considerations," Dumbledore said with a helpless expression to Professor Minerva McGonagall.
"Whatever your considerations, they shouldn't be a reason for you to remain indifferent when a child is in danger," Professor McGonagall retorted, displeased.
"...Setting aside the child's affairs, you know Roger's temperament."
"Even if I tried to persuade him, it would be useless, and might even backfire."
"As for helping Roger perfect his plan from a magical standpoint, there's no point."
Professor McGonagall's expression turned confused, as if to say, 'Do you even know what you're talking about?'
Dumbledore didn't keep her in suspense and revealed his understanding: "Roger will continue to advance until he reaches the end of Eternal Life."
"And with his insecure personality, as long as there's a possibility of success, he won't consider the risks and will boldly use high-risk strategies."
"Even if I could help him once, there will come a time when I can't."
Strictly speaking, Dumbledore had already helped Roger a great deal during their joint magical research.
And this pursuit of an ageless mind was precisely that 'time when he couldn't help.'
"Minerva, I get lost too."
Although Nicolas Flamel was a close friend of Dumbledore's, he had always been more of an 'elderly senior' figure to Dumbledore.
In front of him, Dumbledore couldn't always speak his mind freely.
But Minerva McGonagall was different; their friendship was gentler, allowing Dumbledore to reveal more of his heart.
"After you could no longer keep up with Roger, you chose to let go and entrust Roger to me."
"Then what about me? When I also find myself unable to keep up with that aggressive pace, what should I do?"
Roger's path could, in essence, be summarized in one sentence.
High risk, high reward!
Given Dumbledore's personality and position, he couldn't be as 'reckless' as Roger.
In the advancement of magic, conservatism falling behind progress was almost inevitable.
"On more and more issues, I find it difficult to offer him any advice."
In the end, Dumbledore could only recall Nicolas Flamel's words to him: "Trust him. Trust Roger."
In Dumbledore's life, he had experienced too many instances of good intentions leading to bad outcomes.
Therefore, he knew.
Worry could cloud judgment.
Sometimes, what you perceived as help could very well be interference.
In their shared gaze, McGonagall understood Dumbledore's thoughts.
With a soft sigh, she turned and left.
In his youth, Dumbledore's personality was actually quite radical.
But after experiencing various hardships in life, Dumbledore began to lean towards conservatism.
Deep down, he yearned for change, but the wisdom gained from his experiences told him that maintaining stability was perhaps the better choice for most people.
In this stubbornness, Dumbledore ultimately chose to let go.
He chose to believe in the future chosen by the Seer.
Perhaps, he would bring about a better world, different from Grindelwald's.
...
...
...
Matters at the Ministry of Magic were handled with a simple resolution; the hidden dangers around Voldemort would likely take some time to detonate.
The research and development of the new Second Brain, much like the new Wand, would require a considerable amount of time, and couldn't be rushed.
Arrangements had also been made for Hermione's situation...
Returning from the Ministry of Magic, Roger was planning his schedule, item by item, from memory.
His research on Pestering Mites with Luna was scheduled for the weekend, so what he should do today was...
Just as Roger was contemplating, someone unexpected sought him out.
Hagrid!
"Do you have a new breakthrough in your Magical Creature experiments?" Roger asked, looking at Hagrid, who had approached him.
As the keeper of Hogwarts' Forbidden Forest, Hagrid had many daily tasks, and under normal circumstances, he rarely sought Roger out.
"That's not it. There have been some minor breakthroughs, but that's not why I'm here," the tall, sturdy half-giant shook his head.
"I wanted to ask you about something."
Seeing Hagrid's awkward expression, as if he didn't know how to start, and recalling recent events, Roger instantly understood what he was there to ask.
"Did Dumbledore tell you?"
"...Yes." Hagrid nodded. What he wanted to ask about concerned the Basilisk and the Chamber of Secrets.
The Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk had once caused Hagrid to be wrongly accused of manslaughter.
Publicly, Hagrid was stripped of his right to possess a Wand because of it.
A wizard without a Wand was like a Muggle who had lost their limbs.
Casting spells was secondary; the main issue was the charge itself.
Hagrid wanted to ask the young Seer if he could clear his name.
Hagrid certainly trusted Dumbledore, but with the Seer present, he naturally wanted a double layer of assurance.
If even the Seer, who could see the future, said it was stable, then Hagrid would be completely at ease.
"You don't need to worry about clearing your name; just trust Dumbledore."
"What was that phased breakthrough you mentioned?" Roger asked, looking at Hagrid with a wary expression.
It wasn't for any particular reason, but rather because Hagrid had caused him quite a few headaches.
It was hard for Roger not to be vigilant.
Just as Dumbledore was uneasy about Roger, always fearing he might cause a major incident, Roger felt the same way about Hagrid!
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