"Newt Scamander, the most famous expert on magical creatures in the world, author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
"Professor Flitwick mentioned to me that the Scamander family is very skilled in the application of the Undetectable Extension Charm."
Dumbledore stroked his beard with a chuckle.
"Yes, that Newt. I thought you'd be surprised to hear that name."
A faint smile appeared in Lucien's calm eyes.
"The greatest wizard of our time—I wouldn't find it strange no matter who he knows or corresponds with."
This made Dumbledore laugh heartily, and he handed the letter to Lucien.
Lucien opened it and began to read. The beginning was blank, presumably the personal greetings between old friends that Dumbledore had concealed, so he skipped directly to the main text:
"Using the Undetectable Extension Charm to contain living creatures is not just a simple spell. It also involves Transfiguration and even Alchemy…"
"If that student is also interested in Transfiguration and Alchemy, he can read the following basic books, which may give him some inspiration…"
As expected, using the Undetectable Extension Charm to contain living creatures was extremely complex.
He should have no problem with Transfiguration. As for Alchemy, analyzing that transforming pocket watch would give him some understanding, but it might not be specialized enough. He would still need to search the library for Alchemy books.
Well, Newt only mentioned how to create a single space in the letter. Constructing multiple diverse environments simultaneously must belong to the Scamander family's secret heritage.
Is old Dumbledore really that enthusiastic? He actually wrote to an old friend to inquire about a new student's problem.
Tsk tsk tsk, he truly deserves to be called the greatest Headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for going to such trouble to help me inquire about this."
Dumbledore waved his hand, his bright blue eyes narrowing with a smile.
"Don't mention it. It's also a teacher's duty to help students pursue knowledge. Are you getting used to Hogwarts?"
Lucien nodded, saying he was getting along very well with his classmates and that the Professors had helped him a lot.
"Oh, I've also arranged with Professor Quirrell to have a weekly tutoring session with him to learn practical Defense Against the Dark Arts skills."
At this, Dumbledore set down the honey water in his hand, a glint flashing in his eyes, though he replied without much hesitation:
"Hmm, he also graduated from Ravenclaw; he's your senior... Quirrell's theories are very solid. He might not be very good at communicating with students, but that doesn't affect his teaching."
"Tutoring is certainly not a problem."
Upon hearing Dumbledore's reply, a relaxed smile appeared on Lucien's face, though his heart skipped a beat.
Wait, this reaction isn't quite right.
Did Dumbledore not notice the problem with Quirrell, trusting him so easily—or rather, trusting Tom's character?
He brought this up proactively for safety reasons, but why was old Dumbledore's attitude so calm?
"Lucien, I remember you came from a Muggle family. You must be full of curiosity about the magical world, right?"
"Yes, that's why I bought many magic books at Flourish and Blotts before, and borrowed some from the library…"
The two chatted casually, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.
"Lucien, have you read about a certain type of magic in books?"
"What magic?"
"Dark Arts."
As he spoke, Dumbledore picked up a lemon drop and popped it into his mouth, as if he had just said the most ordinary word.
Lucien's thoughts, however, began to race.
Dark Arts?
Old Dumbledore must have misspoken.
Would the dignified Headmaster of Hogwarts ask a new student if he had heard of Dark Arts?
He wasn't some pure-blood descendant, so how would he have been exposed to the Dark Arts beforehand?
No way—Dumbledore couldn't possibly think that what he was going to learn from Quirrell wasn't Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Dark Arts, could he?
No, from an outsider's perspective, even if they knew Quirrell had issues, it was normal for a student to seek tutoring from a Professor. It couldn't possibly be linked to Dark Arts.
And why was Dumbledore asking so directly? Shouldn't he observe him secretly first?
What exactly went wrong…
Lucien quickly reviewed his conversation with Dumbledore, even the details of entering the Headmaster's Office resurfacing one by one.
Phoenix, Sorting Hat…
Sorting Hat!
A sentence suddenly flashed in Lucien's mind: "…You are truly is the most talented young Wizard I've seen in all these years."
Talent? Can the Sorting Hat detect a Wizard's talent?
His strongest talent was Transfiguration, even reaching an extraordinary level.
If Dumbledore had learned this from the Sorting Hat, then some things would make sense.
For example, writing to an old friend to consult about a new student's problem.
A new student who simply performed well probably wouldn't warrant such an effort, but what if it was a 1st year Wizard whom the Sorting Hat also acknowledged as "the most talented I've seen"?
If this hypothesis holds, and the Sorting Hat could detect his Transfiguration talent, what about other talents?
What was his talent second only to Transfiguration?
Dark Arts!
Lucien had certainly never displayed his Dark Arts talent in front of the Hogwarts faculty and students; in fact, he had never learned a single Dark Arts spell.
But what if Dumbledore already knew about his alarmingly high Dark Arts talent from the Sorting Hat?
That's why Dumbledore was so calm after he suggested tutoring with Quirrell, and why he seemingly inexplicably brought up the topic of Dark Arts.
Lucien glanced at Dumbledore, finding him leisurely sipping his honey water.
Heh, so he was waiting for him here.
Newt's letter was just a pretext, wasn't it? What Dumbledore truly wanted to understand was his attitude towards the Dark Arts.
Was he worried? Worried about another Lord Voldemort emerging in the world, or even another Grindelwald?
The reason for asking so directly was because he thought he was still a child, and it would be easy to tell if he was lying.
Alright, it was about his attitude toward the Dark Arts. What he was about to say was all true.
Lucien quickly settled on his wording.
This thought process was very brief, just long enough for Dumbledore to blow on the hot steam rising from his cup a few times.
"I've seen some scattered mentions of the Dark Arts in books, basically describing them as terrifying, powerful, evil, and so on."
Dumbledore nodded, saying noncommittally:
"Hmm, what are your thoughts on the Dark Arts?"
Lucien's tone was calm as he uttered a single word: "Control."
This answer surprised Dumbledore. He put down his cup and looked at Lucien with interest.
"Control? How to control?"
Lucien looked directly into Dumbledore's eyes, without the slightest evasion.
"As you know, I come from a Muggle background. In the Muggle world, people master knowledge and use knowledge."
"But when I came into contact with the magical world, I felt that those rules might not apply. In the magical world, knowledge can be equivalent to power, real, tangible power."
"The Dark Arts are powerful, but they are also easy to lose control of. More importantly, the Dark Arts can also affect a person's character."
"So, is it people controlling the Dark Arts, or the Dark Arts controlling people?"
Pausing, Lucien's gaze toward Dumbledore deepened even further.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, as the greatest wizard of our time, if you were to use the Dark Arts, could you control them one hundred percent?"
After Lucien asked this question, the Headmaster's Office fell into a long silence.
The old man, Dumbledore, lowered his head, staring at the ripples in his cup.
Yes, control—can it truly be controlled…
How many years ago was it, in Godric's Hollow?
Three angry youths argued, and in the end, they drew their wands to duel.
In the chaos, a curse killed Dumbledore's sister, Ariana Dumbledore.
No one present knew who had cast that Dark spell that hit her.
Were the three youths back then—was Dumbledore back then—controlling the Dark Arts?
The pain of long ago could now only turn into silence.