Chapter 33: Dumbledore's Invitation

However, despite her slight panic, she did not forget to bring Chu Yang along to the Headmaster's office.

The two ascended to the 8th floor via a spiral staircase. At the end of the corridor was an oak door with a griffin-headed door knocker. Professor McGonagall stepped forward, picked up the knocker, and knocked.

With a creak, the door opened. Professor McGonagall led Chu Yang into the room, where a massive wooden table laden with snacks came into view.

The room was spacious, filled with strange silver instruments that looked like magical artifacts, yet also somewhat like mere decorations.

A wise old man was standing by the window, appearing to be lost in thought.

"Dumbledore, Chu Yang is here," Professor McGonagall reminded him.

"Thank you, Minerva. You may go," Dumbledore nodded with a smile, then walked past the central wooden table directly toward Chu Yang.

"Before I leave, there is something I must tell you," Professor McGonagall said, stepping quickly to Dumbledore's side and whispering about Malfoy and the Black Lake.

A flash of surprise crossed Dumbledore's eyes. He mused, "We shall wait for Malfoy to wake up before questioning him for the specifics; let us set aside the accounts of others for now."

"I understand," Professor McGonagall nodded, then turned and left the Headmaster's office.

"You must be Chu Yang? Sprout mentions your name in my ear every day; for a time, I thought I was living in the Orient." Dumbledore greeted Chu Yang with a beaming smile and offered him some of the snacks from the table.

The moment Chu Yang took the snack from Dumbledore's hand, their eyes met, and Dumbledore experienced the same phenomenon as the Sorting Hat.

After three or four seconds, Dumbledore hurriedly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The sense of pressure transmitted through those gazes was something even he found difficult to bear.

"No wonder the Sorting Hat acted that way. It seems you possess something extraordinary within you that prevents others from peering into your thoughts."

Dumbledore marveled, "Because you are an orphan, it was natural for us to assume your parents were Muggles, but it seems that assumption was somewhat inaccurate."

"Your parents likely hailed from a famous wizarding family in an ancient Eastern nation; otherwise, it would be difficult to explain what lies within you."

Chu Yang shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "I am not sure where they were from, but I am indeed an orphan."

"Also, you mentioned peering into my thoughts..."

Chu Yang's gaze became piercing as he looked at Dumbledore. Anyone who experienced two instances of [Legilimency] in a single day would be angry.

"I am very sorry, Mr. Chu Yang. This is one of the few bad habits I have developed during my many years as Headmaster—always thinking I must be careful and cautious in everything, yet neglecting other more important matters."

Dumbledore spoke in gentle, soft tones, his gaze sincere. "From your perspective, you have every right to be angry, but I also hope you can find it in your heart to sympathize with an old man."

Dumbledore was a very clever wizard, and his greatest talent lay in his ability to move others with his warmth and sincerity.

Chu Yang was well aware of this, yet even so, the anger in his heart began to dissipate rapidly.

Dumbledore smiled. "As compensation, I can grant certain reasonable requests, such as providing additional financial aid."

"I love reading!" Chu Yang said without hesitation. "Headmaster Dumbledore, if possible, I hope the library can open more areas to me, allowing me to absorb more knowledge."

Chu Yang's request was clearly not what Dumbledore had anticipated. He had assumed a child from an orphanage would decisively choose financial assistance.

Dumbledore remarked appreciatively, "As a wizard, that is undoubtedly a wise choice. However, knowledge can often be dangerous, especially for a child of your age who cannot yet discern such dangers."

"Furthermore, you have only just enrolled, and there is much foundational knowledge you must learn. To become a great wizard, one must walk every step with solid footing."

"Therefore, I will hold your request in reserve for now. When the time is right, I will allow you access to more knowledge."

Chu Yang did not press the matter, calmly accepting Dumbledore's counsel.

Dumbledore's refusal was within his expectations; he had never intended to achieve his goal all at once. Getting Dumbledore to make a promise was already an excellent result.

As long as Chu Yang continued to demonstrate extraordinary talent and convinced Dumbledore to change his mind, the magical knowledge hidden within the library would eventually be his.

Dumbledore felt gratified by Chu Yang's maturity, which far exceeded that of his peers.

Had it been any other eleven-year-old, they likely would have made things difficult for him for a long time.

"Sprout told me about certain extraordinary qualities of yours, and the Sorting Hat also seemed to have difficulty deciding your placement. So, do you have any thoughts on the matter?"

At this moment, Dumbledore was like a friendly neighbor, discussing the issue with Chu Yang kindly. Chu Yang felt a sense of equality from his attitude; that alone made him feel a sense of closeness.

Chu Yang closed his eyes and thought deeply, but ultimately shook his head.

Dumbledore pushed up his glasses and asked, "Child, could you show me your magic?"

As he spoke, he tapped the air with his finger, and magic blossomed from his fingertip like fireworks.

Immediately after, the wand on the desk flew into his hand.

Wandless magic!

Dumbledore handed the wand to Chu Yang.

He smiled and said, "This is a wand I had prepared in advance; the materials are similar to your own."

"Of course, the core of this wand is not a precious unicorn scale, but a unicorn tail feather. Both represent sacred magical creatures, so they will not be overly repelled by your magic."

Chu Yang took the wand from Dumbledore, but in his mind, he was wondering: what would it look like if Dumbledore asked him to cast magic with the Elder Wand?

What kind of impact would natural magic, centered on Wood Release, have when meeting the Elder Wand made of elder wood and Thestral tail hair?

In any case... this Headmaster's office certainly wouldn't survive.

The portraits of past Headmasters hanging on the walls would also face total destruction.

Dumbledore did not know what Chu Yang was thinking. Seeing that he hadn't moved for a while, he assumed he was worried about the consequences, so he comforted him with a smile: "Do not be afraid, child. No matter what happens, I will bear the consequences for you. Relax, focus, and control your magic."

With the experience from last time, Chu Yang felt less hesitation when using a wand. Listening to Dumbledore's guidance, he slowly channeled his magic into it and gave it a gentle wave.