A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Felix seemed somewhat puzzled and inquired, "I don't understand, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore placed his hands before him, his gaze contemplative. "What I mean is, your potential is vast, yet you've been fixated on returning to Hogwarts! I wonder why."

The Headmaster's intent was clear. Felix had already gained considerable renown—three years since graduation, three remarkable books written. Especially the two about Muggle studies, although their sales weren't impressive—certainly not compared to the other professor he had interviewed, who was also an author. The difference in sales between their works was like night and day.

Undeniably, these two books held immense influence. "A History of Muggle Struggles: From Millennia Past" and "How Muggles Think" had become guiding texts for many magical department dealing with Muggle-related matters across the world.

At least Dumbledore himself had discussed some of the content with friends, including the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office and members of the Wizengamot, who spoke highly of these two books.

Felix pondered for a moment and said, "Headmaster Dumbledore, I have a deep connection to Hogwarts. It's like a home to me, a place of comfort! Moreover, I'm genuinely enthusiastic about teaching students. It's a rewarding endeavor..."

Dumbledore interrupted him, his bright blue eyes sharpening, showing none of the gentleness one might expect from a centenarian. "We all know that's not true. I want to know your true thoughts; it's crucial, especially for determining whether you should be granted a teaching position."

Felix grew a bit uneasy, feeling the pressure. He instinctively tried to employ the Occlumency technique, then abruptly stopped himself.

That wasn't a wise decision. Occlumency wasn't all-powerful, especially when you were of a relatively lower level, not to mention you were facing one of the greatest wizards of this century.

Luckily, he had made some minor preparations before coming here—

For instance, a few drops of Felix Felicis.

After a brief two-second contemplation, he decided to go with his gut feeling and said, "To be completely honest."

Felix finally spoke up, earnestly confessing, "To delve deeper into the mysteries of magic."

Dumbledore nodded, adopting an attentive demeanor.

"Headmaster, from the time I entered until I graduated, you've been my headmaster. So, you must have a certain understanding of my experiences. Before fifth year, in order to handle certain troubles, I spent a great deal of time on practical magic, neglecting some theoretical subjects." That was true; to avoid being beaten up and punished, he had felt a sense of urgency.

"During that time, I pursued power, the potency of individual spells. But I was mistaken. It wasn't until the last two years at school, when I finally had the leisure to delve into the mysteries of magic, that I realized what I had missed." That was also true; his golden finger had rapidly propelled him towards strength but led him astray—focused solely on the might of magic, neglecting the importance of theory.

Dumbledore nodded slightly, his tone softening and taking on a hint of curiosity. "So, your research focus is Ancient Runes?"

This wasn't hard to deduce, after all, Felix's three books included not only Muggle Studies but also "Exploring Ancient Runes." Muggle Studies, though, couldn't exactly be considered a study of magic.

"Exactly! The deeper one delves into magic, the more inseparable it becomes from Ancient Runes. Especially when you need to trace back to the origins and study ancient magic, it becomes even more indispensable. It was only in my sixth and seventh years that I realized this. Sadly, in my OWLs exams, I got only an 'A' in Ancient Runes. I couldn't continue with advanced studies; I had to resort to self-study." This was more truth, a mistake Felix, in his youthful ignorance, had committed.

Felix continued under the influence of Felix Felicis, his intuition becoming sharper, his sentences flowing more smoothly. "I do have ulterior motives, indeed. Hogwarts possesses the world's largest library, housing many books on Ancient Runes."

"But on the market—"

"I've read all the books available on the market. Regrettably, most are theoretical with little practicality—they seem to view Ancient Runes purely as a language, using it solely to translate past manuscripts. Moreover, during my research on Muggles, I unexpectedly gained a new inspiration. I tried to combine the two! As you know, Ancient Runes are also essential knowledge for Alchemy."

Dumbledore became quite intrigued. "Are you suggesting—correct me if I'm wrong—that you wish to integrate alchemy and Muggle artifacts?"

Felix appeared excited and went on, speaking fluently, thanks to the effects of Felix Felicis. "Yes, but it's at a preliminary stage—transforming Muggle artifacts into magical products. For instance, air conditioning—an apparatus that cools the air and maintains indoor temperatures at a comfortable range. Muggles rely on electricity—a form of energy—to operate it. However, transforming it into a magical item is simpler, with a freezing charm as its core and an enchantment for temperature regulation."

"Of course, stability must be taken into account, and that's where Ancient Runes come in."

"What I'm currently doing goes even further. I'm blending Muggle ingenuity with wizarding magic. You see, Muggles often have numerous ingenious ideas. Some of their concepts are difficult to materialize, but with magic, it becomes much simpler!"

Dumbledore nodded, offering his assessment. "The first step is modification, the second is creation—an ingenious idea."

The two discussed this matter at length, for a whole three hours, before Dumbledore suddenly snapped back to awareness. He had truly been immersed in the discussion with Felix, who, it could be said, was one of the most exceptional students he had encountered in the past few decades.

Especially now, after his suggestion, this student, after three years of development, was bursting forth with brilliant ideas!

Though he was a Slytherin.

A pity he was a Slytherin!

Dumbledore fell silent, contemplating and hesitating. Time seemed to rewind fifty years in an instant.

It was too alike, eerily so!

The same Muggle orphanage background, the same Slytherin House, the same excellence and politeness, the same obsession with power. How should he decide?

History had proven that perhaps his choice decades ago was wrong. If he hadn't forced the young man to submit using the flames of magic, if he had cared a bit more back then, or even if he had discovered his latent ambition a bit sooner, perhaps a terrifying Dark Lord wouldn't have emerged.

So, what about now?

Seemingly, another similar choice was before him. How should he decide again?

The old man looked a bit dazed, gazing at the young, handsome, brilliant student before him, as if seeing the shadow of another.

Voldemort!

On the other side, Felix seemed puzzled. Everything I've said was true, even if selectively. We were having a good conversation earlier, so why does Dumbledore suddenly look so complex and solemn?

Did I say something wrong?

Did it sting him?

What's going on, exactly?

Felix had quite the headache!

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