Let's turn back the clock, to the 19th century.
Albus Percival Dumbledore. The man who would later be known more often by the title of Professor, or Headmaster, Dumbledore, also had a time when he was just a student, called by his first name, Albus.
"Albus Percival Dumbledore."
And just as it is in other cultures, when a student is called by their first, middle, and last name, it usually means they've been caught doing something wrong.
This was precisely the case for the boy, Albus, now standing at attention in the Gryffindor common room.
"Four Gryffindor first-years ransacked the office of the Hogwarts caretaker, Gladwin Moon. Quite an impressive feat, isn't it?"
Before Albus stood a figure, perched on the edge of a bed, legs dangling casually.
It was the 7th-year Gryffindor Prefect, Aisen Knightly.
Albus didn't understand exactly why he had been summoned here.
Or, to be more precise, he didn't understand 'how he had been found out.'
"Sir, while it's true I failed to stop my friends, the ones who raided Mr. Gladwin Moon's office were the other students. I don't understand why I, of all people, was called here..."
That's right. Albus was a student with no connection to the incident. No security spell could find a trace of him in the office, and he was, naturally, not a target for disciplinary action.
Officially, that is.
In truth, the entire operation against Gladwin Moon had been orchestrated by none other than Albus Dumbledore.
It was an act of revenge against the disagreeable culture Aisen had introduced and established in Gryffindor, the culture of 'seon-hoo-bae.'
[T/N: this was explained previously, it basically means the junior, senior hierarchical system in Korea]
If it weren't for this disciplined culture, Albus could have had a much more productive first year.
Once his thirst for revenge took hold, the rest was remarkably easy.
For Albus, who possessed an intellect far superior to his peers, manipulating the hearts of a few children was a trivial matter.
In a boarding school where students' actions were naturally restricted, the caretaker, the very symbol of that restriction, was an easy target for their anger.
And while planting this resentment for the caretaker in the children's minds, he had also managed to erase his own presence from the operation, making it impossible to trace any connection back to him.
Albus was certain that at this level, he wouldn't be caught by anyone.
Or so he thought.
"Do you take us for fools?"
"Pardon?"
"Did you really think that I, or the professors, wouldn't notice something so obvious?"
Aisen's eyes were piercingly cold.
He didn't know how, but this senior, who had once been the object of his admiration, seemed to see right through everything.
Seeing Albus flinch, Aisen continued.
"Sure, you might not like the caretaker, Moon. And you might want to play a prank on him. This senior has done that sort of thing plenty of times, so I won't say anything about that. But."
Aisen paused, looking directly into Dumbledore's blue eyes.
"Don't you think there's a problem with inciting your friends to act, while you alone slip away to avoid punishment?"
"No, sir. I didn't incite my friends. They acted of their own..."
"Hmm. It seems you still don't quite understand what you did wrong."
Aisen leaned down and casually slung an arm around Albus's small shoulders.
"Hey, Albus. You're a smart kid, so you must have felt it, right? How simple-minded people are."
Aisen spoke with a smile. His friendly tone, so different from his usual 'senior-like' demeanor, slowly chipped away at Albus's defenses.
"The kids around you felt insignificant, didn't they? You thought that aside from me or a few professors, no one could possibly keep up with your intellect, right?"
"N-no, sir."
Albus's voice grew smaller and smaller. Because deep in his heart, a part of him was nodding furiously.
"Well, there's nothing wrong with being brilliant. And manipulating people's hearts is a way of developing your own character, I suppose."
Indeed. Doesn't the philosophy taught at Hogwarts affirm this?
"It's not like you controlled or deceived anyone, right? You just stimulated their desires, and their actions are ultimately their own responsibility. It's not like you cast the Imperius Curse on them, after all."
Just as Albus was beginning to deeply agree with the words that seemed to perfectly read his mind, Aisen's next statement made him freeze.
"But wouldn't you say that's more suited to Slytherin than Gryffindor?"
"Pardon?"
Albus was startled by Aisen's mocking tone, which felt as if his previous sweet voice had been nothing but an illusion.
"I mean, it's true, isn't it? Inciting and manipulating others—isn't that the goal of Slytherins, who pursue power and ambition? Well, Slytherin is a fine house. Wow, you must have secretly disliked our house, huh? How have you managed to put up with it? What, should I get your house changed for you? This senior has enough clout to submit a petition to change the house of a first-year who's been here less than a month. Just say the word and you can go to Slytherin right now and start honing that ambition!"
Provoked by Aisen's taunting, Albus's temper flared and he shouted.
"No, sir! I am, no matter what anyone says, a Gryffindor!"
And as if he had been waiting for those very words, Aisen smiled, his golden eyes shining dangerously.
"Oh, really? In that case, are you prepared to prove your courage, in a manner befitting a Gryffindor?"
Aisen's dangerous, never-before-seen smile made Albus feel as if he were sinking into a mire. But what could he do?
If he backed down now, all that would remain for him was dishonor.
Albus clenched his fists and said.
"Of course! If I am given the chance, I can prove that I am more courageous than anyone."
And as he would recall much later, he never should have said those words.
Before Albus could even finish his sentence, Aisen grabbed his wrist.
With a dangerous smile, Aisen said.
"Good. Then let's see you prove it."
Swoosh.
A brown-covered spellbook materialized in Aisen's right hand and flew open.
In the next moment, Aisen was sucked into the book.
"Wh-what is this!"
And naturally, Albus, whose wrist was still in Aisen's grasp, was pulled in with him.
Leaving behind only Albus's scream-like cry, the Gryffindor common room fell silent. Albus, Aisen, and the book—all had vanished without a trace.
"Aaargh!"
Rustle.
The place where the book spat Albus and Aisen out was the middle of a dark forest.
Gasping for breath, Albus finally regained his senses and demanded of Aisen.
"What in the world is going on?!"
"Wow. Are you shouting at me right now?"
Aisen's single remark immediately silenced him, but a rebellious glint still shone in his eyes.
Seeing this, Aisen muttered to himself before speaking. Right, it's no fun if he becomes obedient right away.
"This is the Forbidden Forest. We used the Floo Powder in the guidebook to Apparate here."
So the spellbook in Aisen's right hand was a guidebook.
No, more importantly, the Forbidden Forest.
The color drained from Albus's face.
"Are... are students allowed to be here?"
"And why wouldn't they be?"
The name itself is the Forbidden Forest, and he asks why not? Aisen's answer, which completely defied common sense, left Albus unable to think straight.
"Anyway, the reason I brought you here is to beat the spirit of Gryffindor, not Slytherin, into you."
Beat the Gryffindor spirit into him? Before Albus could even question it, Aisen continued.
"To prove your Gryffindor courage, you'll need to roll up your sleeves and fight on the front lines, wouldn't you agree?"
"Wait...!"
Sensing something from Aisen's ominous smile, Albus hurriedly tried to stop him, but Aisen, a seventh-year, moved with a speed that not even the professors could match.
Whipping out his wand in an instant, Aisen yelled.
"Bombarda!"
BOOM! KABOOM! CRACK!
An explosion of a completely different magnitude from a normal blasting curse erupted, as if the heavens and the earth were being torn asunder.
And naturally, such a noise was more than enough to summon all manner of dangerous creatures from the Forbidden Forest.
"Sir! What is the meaning of this!"
Seeing Albus's pale face, Aisen cackled with laughter.
"What do you mean, 'what is this'? It's the accelerated Gryffindor training course!"
"Back in my day, we all did this much," said Aisen, who had only enrolled as a fifth-year.
Hisss?
Hissssss
Skitter-skitter
The first to arrive were spiders, large enough to pounce on a man.
Seeing them swarm across the ground, seemingly enough to cover the entire forest floor, Aisen smiled and shouted to Albus.
"Wow, what a sight, huh? What do you think? A Gryffindor can handle this much, right?"
"Wait, sir! Are you suggesting the two of us are going to fight all of those monsters?!"
Was this even possible? But Aisen's next answer went far beyond anything Albus could have imagined.
"The two of us? Of course not. You're handling this much on your own!"
That bloody senior. Albus finally gave up on thinking altogether.