Chapter 44: The Talk
Elegant.
That was the only adjective that came to Dumbledore's mind as he watched Ezio use the Killing Curse.
There was no hysteria or madness, only an absolute, serene, and ripple-less calm. An elegant death, like a work of art, was a breathtaking beauty that demanded one to stop and admire.
But at the same time, a deep unease grew in Dumbledore. Ezio's extraordinary mastery of the Killing Curse, and the vision that was as real as a memory, all told him that behind that beauty lay a cold death that no one wished to face. This power itself was extremely dangerous.
In a daze, he felt as if Hogwarts was being enveloped by a dark cloud of death. A monster, the likes of which had never been seen before, had been born within this school. The only thing he could be thankful for was that everything Ezio had shown so far was 'under control'. He followed the rules, and as long as those rules didn't interfere with what he wanted to do, he was willing to abide by them to maintain a stable external environment.
Ezio's goals were very clear. All his transgressions were based on a premise that was, on the whole, beneficial. He perfectly fit the image of a Slytherin who only pursued final victory, aligning with a 'Lawful Evil' archetype.
But Dumbledore couldn't be sure if Ezio's promise to "keep his word" was credible. Yet in the current situation, unless he chose to destroy this extraordinarily talented but equally terrifying child before him, he could only choose to believe him.
If it had been Grindelwald, when faced with an unknown risk like Ezio, he would have tried to win him over, to get him to stand on the same side, and ideally, to indoctrinate him with his own beliefs and make him a trusted subordinate. If all of that failed, then Grindelwald would have destroyed him without hesitation, completely erasing his existence before he could grow and become a real threat.
But Dumbledore was different from Grindelwald. He was not an outstanding leader. He was not keen on controlling others or wielding power. He did not have the decisive ruthlessness to destroy what he couldn't have, to nip a threat in the bud. Just like back then, he had long been aware of Tom Riddle's greedy, possessive, and selfishly cold nature. He knew he had outstanding magical talent, and even the ability of a Parselmouth, which had an ominous reputation in the wizarding world.
Dumbledore knew even better that the mastermind behind the Chamber of Secrets murders had been Tom Riddle, not Hagrid. Yet he had allowed Voldemort to grow. His refusal to let him teach at Hogwarts later was the only time he had said 'no' to Tom, because if Tom had come to Hogwarts, he would have infringed upon his interests and brought him trouble.
His "don't interfere if it doesn't concern me" way of acting was weak and was the fundamental reason he could not be an outstanding leader. Perhaps deep down, the only things Dumbledore cared about were himself and a few scattered things that were important to him. Everyone has a selfish side; no one is an exception. If not, the special term 'saint' would not exist in the world.
Would Ezio bring him harm now? There might be some trouble, after all, he had stirred things up in Slytherin. But on the whole, what Ezio was currently doing was beneficial to the general environment. While he was fighting for what he needed, he was also letting others benefit. The atmosphere in Slytherin was changing, and the other three houses' opinions of them were shifting. Having witnessed Slytherin's current drive to improve, the students of the other three houses were also being quietly motivated. If this positive trend could be maintained, Hogwarts would achieve even greater success in the future, securing its position as the strongest of the three major European schools. And those who were abandoned, those who were sacrificed, were essentially the dead weight of the current Hogwarts.
Elimination and competition—this has been the law since time immemorial.
'So, should I let it continue?' Dumbledore thought to himself. Soon, he had a decision.
Since things were currently moving in a good direction, then as long as no disastrous situation arose, it was best to maintain this stability. Among all the students, the only one Dumbledore truly cared about was Harry. And now, under Snape's tutelage, Harry was moving in the direction he wanted him to go. Dumbledore had to admit that Ezio bringing Harry into Slytherin and having him maintain a friendly relationship with Snape had helped him a great deal. After all, at the beginning, Dumbledore didn't think Snape would speak a kind word to Harry.
"Since the matter of the Horcrux is resolved, I'll take my leave, Professor Dumbledore."
Ezio spoke softly. Although this visit hadn't gotten him everything he wanted, the gains were still good, and there were even a few small surprises. Ezio was not a greedy person; he knew when to quit while he was ahead.
"Wait a moment," Dumbledore said, stopping Ezio and gesturing for him to sit for a while longer. "Would you like a cup of tea? Or some other beverage."
"Warm water will be fine," Ezio said, graciously sitting down opposite Dumbledore and asking for a glass of water.
A kettle summoned by Dumbledore poured water for one and a very sweet-smelling beverage for the other. A thoughtful glimmer shone in the blue eyes behind Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles. After a moment, Dumbledore spoke.
"There is something I think I should inform you of in advance."
To prevent a certain accident from happening, Dumbledore chose to explain to this child who possessed a maturity far beyond his years.
"Since you have found the Horcrux and destroyed it, then there is something you should know."
"About Voldemort?" Ezio was not surprised.
"Yes, about Voldemort," Dumbledore nodded. "Voldemort never died. For the past ten years, he has been lingering in the forests of Albania, surviving as a weak, wraith-like spirit. After he disappeared, I conducted some investigations into him. I didn't believe at the time that he had died so easily, so I found some clues."
*****
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