Dumbledore stared at the lotus hovering over Theodore's wand, feeling the impossible power housed within it, and his expression grew more and more shaken.
He swore that all the surprise he'd felt in the past eleven years put together didn't come close to what he'd experienced tonight alone.
Theodore's Patronus clearly hadn't fully manifested yet.
But even in this incomplete state, its strength already surpassed the phoenix Dumbledore himself had summoned when he first learned the spell—and not by a small margin.
If it ever became complete… just how powerful would it be?
And this comprehension ability—he had only given the boy the briefest of hints, hadn't even explained the key steps in detail, and Theodore had on his own grasped a full method to fuse the Patronus Charm into other spells.
Dumbledore thought back to his own youth. He had needed a full month of hard work to achieve that feat, and that had already been hailed as a speed "rarely seen throughout history."
But compared to Theodore, the gap was simply too big.
For the first time, the always-proud Dumbledore—who had long looked down on all so-called geniuses—had a startling thought.
This child's talent was absurd.
Even higher than his own.
Professor Trelawney's prophecy about a new generation of Four Founders… could one of them actually be Theodore?
And if he was one of the four, just how terrifying would the other three be?
Was it really possible for this many monsters to appear in the wizarding world all in the same era?
Countless thoughts flickered through his mind. When the lingering power of the Lotus-Sacred Road That Splits Heaven's Light finally faded, Dumbledore looked at Theodore with a complicated, faintly strange gaze.
"Theodore," he said, "you come from the Muggle world. You must have played a few… 'level-clearing' games, yes?"
"I'm planning to set up something similar at Hogwarts—some stages and challenges to get through. Would you like to come take a look and give me some advice?"
Now it was Theodore's turn to be startled.
Dumbledore was inviting him to take part in designing the savior gauntlet game?
He trusted him that much?
[Seeing your extraordinary comprehension, South Pole Elder says there is a formation he would like you to examine.
The formation beneath Jade Void is no trifling matter; even Quasi-Sages would find it a serious headache.
Though Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart makes your thoughts sharp and flexible, you have never truly studied formation arts. Boasting blindly before South Pole Elder would be most unwise; the System strongly advises refusal.]
Theodore's eyes narrowed slightly, as though something had just occurred to him.
The three-headed dog… he'd had his eye on that thing for a long time now.
If he could get his hands on it to raise and cultivate himself, it'd be a solid helper in the future.
And if he helped Dumbledore lay out the "gauntlet game," he'd get to come into contact with all sorts of high-level magical materials. It wouldn't be too much to quietly set some aside for his own use, would it?
He might even be able to grab a few things that would be useful for his cultivation.
[Please consider carefully.
The formation South Pole Elder speaks of is no idle toy. Even those of the Golden Immortal rank would tread lightly around it.
Host, though your spiritual perception is keen, you remain a novice in formations. Do not open your mouth lightly; a single misstep could incur Elder's displeasure.]
A faintly amused look flashed through Theodore's eyes.
Who said he didn't understand formations?
With what Dumbledore was putting together here, Theodore had watched the "walkthrough" at least a dozen times in his previous life. He could recite the solution flow backwards in his sleep.
No one understood this "formation" better than he did.
Ignoring the System's warnings, he answered without hesitation.
"To share the Headmaster's burdens and contribute to Hogwarts," he said grandly, "that's our duty as students!"
"Hurry, let's go take a look at the formation—ah, I mean the 'stages'."
Very quickly, Dumbledore brought Theodore to the trapdoor at the end of the fourth-floor corridor.
When the heavy hatch was opened, a blast of hot, rank air rushed up to meet them, the stink almost seeming to cling to the inside of the nose.
Theodore hadn't even gotten a clear look at what lay beneath the trapdoor when the System flashed a warning in bright, blood-red text.
[Warning: ahead lies a Taotie—one of the most fearsome of ancient fiends. With a single bite it can devour gods and immortals; even the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect would be hard-pressed to survive.
At your current cultivation, Host, you are absolutely no match for it. A single glance from this fiend would be enough to send you into a death-tribulation. Retreat at once and remain under Elder's protection!]
Theodore's mouth twitched as he looked into the room and saw the hulking three-headed dog inside.
This was the Taotie, that so-called peerless ancient fiend?
Ferocious, it was certainly ferocious—but right now that ferocity included wagging all three tails as it fawned over Dumbledore.
The room was nowhere near the size described in the original books; Fluffy, who was supposed to be tall enough to reach the ceiling and fill the chamber, was currently sprawled on the floor, whining and thumping his tail ingratiatingly.
It wasn't that he didn't want his three-headed-dog dignity.
It was that after being beaten half to death a few times, all three of his heads had learned their lesson.
That old man was a walking disaster.
Never mind him—dragging their ancestor from myth into this room would probably end with him getting pummeled too.
In that light, being a little more aware of the situation seemed very wise.
Dumbledore wore a slightly helpless expression as he explained to Theodore, "Don't be fooled by how pathetic it looks right now. In truth, the three-headed dog is a very fierce and difficult magical creature to handle."
"In terms of resistance to magic, it's not inferior to a fire dragon. It has stamina that's almost impossible to exhaust, and possesses an extremely rare, outright astonishing resistance to instant-death curses."
"If you're looking for a magical creature to guard something truly important, a three-headed dog is actually more suitable than a dragon. If the Gringotts goblins could understand that, the security of their vaults might climb to a whole new level."
Theodore nodded and stepped forward.
"Careful," Dumbledore warned.
Fluffy raised all three heads, baring intimidating sets of teeth at Theodore.
Couldn't beat Dumbledore, but this little brat—you could still bully him, right?
But Theodore, looking at the three-headed dog, actually felt his fingers itch.
Thick skin, sturdy flesh—this was the perfect target dummy.
He still hadn't properly tested the power of Lotus-Sacred Road That Splits Heaven's Light.
The next second, silver light burst out.
The thirty-six-petalled lotus wrapped in Gubraithian Fire floated out over Fluffy's heads, slowly spinning as it descended.
The moment the lotus enveloped him, Fluffy's six eyes turned from ferocious to clear and terrified. All three heads let out strangled howls that sounded suspiciously like begging for mercy.
Bloody hell!
The old one's a monster. This little one's a monster too.
I don't want to stay at Hogwarts anymore. I don't want to guard doors. I want to go back to my hometown in Greece!
By the time the lotus fire had burned his hide open and bleeding and even a three-headed dog's legendary regeneration was about ready to fail, Theodore finally waved away the lotus' light, eyes full of satisfaction.
As expected, once the Patronus was fused into it, the spell's power had undergone another qualitative leap.
He had gone a bit overboard, though. He'd practically beaten the poor dog into cowardice.
Now Fluffy was trying with all three bodies to flatten himself into one corner, doing his best to get as far from the trapdoor as possible and leave the entrance completely exposed.
Theodore sighed, reached into his robes, took out a top-grade Flying Tiger Pill, and flicked it neatly into one of Fluffy's mouths.
"Do a good job watching the door," he said. "I'll feed you a few more later."
Fluffy blinked, momentarily confused, and then his throat worked on instinct and swallowed the pill.
The next moment, every wound on his body began to heal at an accelerated rate.
At the same time, strange changes rippled through his frame. Knots bulged along his necks; one bulge in particular looked suspiciously like the sprout of a new head trying to form.
The head hadn't actually grown out yet, but the pressure radiating from Fluffy's body had undeniably risen by a full level.
Looking at Theodore, Fluffy now wore an almost fawning expression.
This little wizard might hit hard, but he also gave real benefits.
Working for him might actually be more cost-effective than working for Dumbledore.
Plus, Theodore radiated a kind of aura that magical creatures couldn't help but feel comfortable around. With all that together, Fluffy's attitude had shifted in an instant; he was behaving more like an enormous pet dog than a terrifying guardian beast.
[The Taotie had long been trapped within this formation. Relying on your peerless alchemical skill, you refined a pill to sate its endless hunger and, for now, pacified its murderous appetite.]
Dumbledore clicked his tongue in wonder.
"A three-headed dog showing signs of atavism? Fascinating. If this were turned into a paper, it would be enough to crown some magizoologist's career for life."
"Theodore, what did you feed it?"
Theodore waved a hand casually.
"I've been dabbling in magical-creature breeding," he said. "I'm working on a project with Hagrid and Mr. Warwick in Diagon Alley."
"That was just a cultivation potion I cobbled together. Judging from the result, it seems to work pretty well."
Dumbledore gave him a deep, meaningful look.
"That is far beyond 'pretty well'," he said.
"No wonder I've heard that you and Severus have been getting along. It seems you've gained quite a bit from him in potions as well."
But he didn't linger on the topic. Instead, he asked, "So. As the first stage of the gauntlet, what do you think? Is it acceptable?"
"Do you see anything that could be improved?"
Theodore nodded, his expression going serious.
"Of course."
"Even with all those strengths, the three-headed dog has a fatal weakness. Anyone who bothers to check the myths will find it."
"From its ancestor in mythology onward, they've all had the same flaw: as soon as they hear music, they get drowsy. When that happens, even ordinary mortals can kill them."
"Since the first stage of the gauntlet can't be too difficult, it's not a problem for it to be manageable—but isn't this too easy? There's no challenge at all."
Dumbledore frowned, thinking it over, and had to admit it made sense.
"Then what do you suggest?" he asked. "How should we improve it?"
Theodore flashed a bright, utterly sincere smile.
"Simple," he said.
"Let's give the three-headed dog soundproof earplugs."
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