London, England. Inside the Knowledge Society.
Levi and Dumbledore sat facing each other, both having released their wands.
Around them lay ruins ravaged by storm and frost.
The chaotic magic dissipated, yet the two at the eye of the storm remained surprisingly calm.
"Lemon tea, please?"
"Yes—thank you."
Dumbledore thanked the house-elf beside him.
Barton forcefully exhaled two streams of air from his nostrils, placing a cup of lemon tea in front of Dumbledore, adding several large spoonfuls of sugar and stirring it along with the ice.
"Oh~~~"
Dumbledore watched him with a smile, not stopping this seemingly reckless act.
Levi shook his head imperceptibly and spoke first.
"Professor, it seems I've gained your approval? May I ask what the third option is?"
Before their duel, Dumbledore had given Levi three choices.
1. Abandon Dark Magic, never study or spread it again, and Dumbledore will intervene with the Ministry of Magic to lift the warrant for Levi's arrest.
2. Resist to the end, and then be personally arrested by Dumbledore and imprisoned in Azkaban.
3. Wait until after the fight, and decide based on Levi's performance.
Levi rejected the first option without hesitation; he wouldn't stagnate on the path of magic.
He naturally didn't want the second option either—although he was confident he could escape Dumbledore, he wasn't sure he could protect his two assistants.
Moreover, even if he escaped this time, Dumbledore would likely consider him a dangerous target, and his future activities would undoubtedly be greatly interfered with.
As for risking his life, he hadn't considered it—fighting Dumbledore was pointless, and risking his life would be even more foolish.
Therefore, only the third option remained.
"Hmm."
Dumbledore finally turned his attention away from Barton, smiling as he drank half a cup of cloyingly sweet lemon tea in one gulp under the other's gaze.
"Drinking something cold occasionally is indeed quite nice, but I'm getting on in years, so I have to take it easy."
Dumbledore appeared relaxed on the surface, but a glint of amazement lurked beneath his deep blue eyes.
After their exchange, he realized the young man before him had reached a crucial level, perhaps only a step away from becoming a legend.
Such a genius, yet he had remained unknown in the magical world until recently, only recently catching the Ministry's attention?
"Would you mind telling me about your two assistants? And that unique spell you used earlier—was it called the Three Elements Array?"
"Sure."
"His name is Joey, 24 years old. I rescued him after disrupting an underground auction, and he was my first disciple. He's very talented."
Joey stepped forward from behind Dumbledore as Levi introduced him, greeting him.
"Master Dumbledore, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello—good boy."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he could see the scars hidden beneath Joey's clothes. His expression was gentle—he believed Levi could completely remove those scars, but this young man named Joey seemed to have his own stubbornness?
"Her name is Camille, she's 18 years old, her parents are unknown, and she carries some kind of mysterious curse. She's currently studying with me to find a way to break the curse."
"May I take a look?"
Dumbledore, hearing the curse, picked up his wand again.
Camille hesitated, looking at Levi.
"It would be wonderful if Professor Dumbledore could take a look."
Levi nodded slightly to his disciple.
Camille stepped forward silently, rolling up her right sleeve—slightly above her wrist, a black crescent moon was imprinted, looking quite mysterious.
"Professor?"
Dumbledore belatedly realized the uniqueness of Levi's form of address, and his mind unconsciously became more peaceful—the unassuming and polite student from years ago, even after more than a decade, seemed unchanged.
At least, he still respected his former teachers.
Dumbledore, his mind racing, raised his wand and waved it at Camille.
"Unfortunately, I cannot unravel the mystery of this curse either."
Dumbledore withdrew his wand, letting out a soft breath, his eyes filled with curiosity about the curse on Camille.
"However, I can assure you that this curse will not harm her."
"Hmm, currently, apart from erasing her emotions each month, no negative effects have been observed."
"Erasing emotions?" Dumbledore asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Yes, each month her memories of the past are erased—the memories still exist, but in her senses, those events become very distant, no longer evoking any feeling."
"This doesn't affect anything. Even if my emotions are erased each month, I will still wholeheartedly admire my teacher in the new month."
Camille declared expressionlessly, stepping behind Levi.
Dumbledore sensed something and gave Levi a teasing look.
Levi, however, remained focused, showing no reaction to his teasing.
Seeing that he didn't respond, Dumbledore, thinking of the house the other had once belonged to, belatedly realized—the other probably didn't enjoy this kind of 'wasting time' small talk.
So, he finally decided to get to the point.
"In any case, you've taught these two students very well. I can feel the stable and powerful magic within them."
"Yes, I have indeed put a lot of effort into them, but this can also be considered a form of mutual learning."
Levi readily accepted Dumbledore's praise, but his face showed no joy, as if it were simply a matter of course, an inevitable achievement.
"Mutual learning? You mean the teacher learns from the students?"
Dumbledore was somewhat surprised by Levi's viewpoint—he had seen many outstanding people, but often the more outstanding they were, the more arrogant they were, often finding it difficult to accept or admit that they might be inferior to others.
Let alone inferior to their own disciples.
"There is a sequence to learning, and each profession has its own expertise,"
Levi suddenly said in perfect pronunciation, a phrase that sounded somewhat unfamiliar to Dumbledore.
"This is an old Chinese saying, meaning that there are differences in the time it takes to understand a principle, and each person has their own area of expertise in academic arts and skills .
Therefore, a disciple is not necessarily inferior to a teacher, nor does a teacher need to be superior to a disciple in every aspect.
In fact, regarding curses, I only have theoretical knowledge; I don't have much practical experience. I often discuss them with Camille."
"After all, curses are not so easy to find targets for, are they?"
Dumbledore liked this humble answer and pointedly remarked.
"Yes, although white mice can be used as a substitute, the effect is not ideal. I still have a lot to learn on the path of curses."
"You are too modest, Levi. Even without studying dark magic, you are already a very remarkable magical master."
Dumbledore took a sip of red tea and turned his gaze to the two students standing quietly behind Levi.
Should one say that the disciples resemble their teacher?
These three, master and disciples, were truly like cut from the same mold, calm and reserved.
Looking at them, Dumbledore felt as if he were seeing the moon reflected on a lake on a winter night, their serene demeanor concealing a profound depth that inspired contemplation.
Even he couldn't help but admire the three of them from the bottom of his heart.
Such talent, it would be such a waste if he went astray—Dumbledore suddenly had a premonition.
Turmoil was imminent, and he had discovered Levi at this very moment.
In the future, Levi might very well become a crucial part of it!
Thinking this, Dumbledore put down his tea, his azure pupils reflecting Levi's upright figure.
"The third path I offer you is an invitation."
"As the Headmaster of Hogwarts, I would like to invite you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to serve as a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
You can continue your research on the Dark Arts under my supervision, but you must no longer dabble in the three Unforgivable Curses."
A professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts?
Levi's upright posture stiffened slightly.
(End of Chapter)