A thought flickered across the mind of Amosta, but he still reacted to Dumbledore's gaze with a calm demeanor.
"I would like to hear your opinion first, Headmaster Dumbledore."
A hint of helplessness crossed Dumbledore's old face as he knew that Amosta must be hiding some extremely important information. However, he had no way to force this young man to reveal what he did not want to say, whether it be appealing to his reason or resorting to force.
"Let's begin with my conclusion, Amosta--"
Compared to the potential problems of Amosta, the bitterness of not being trusted was completely insignificant. Dumbledore shook his eyebrows, and his expression was as somber as ever. This look also made any thinking creature or thing in the office realize the seriousness of the situation.
"We all know that a Patronus is a magical creature that reflects the... or even the soul, so the root of your Patronus's abnormality lies in your soul, Amosta, and my observations have confirmed this guess."
"Your observations--"
For the first half of Dumbledore's statement, it did not exceed Amosta's understanding scope, or rather, he had already guessed in his mind. However, for the second half... Amosta's eyelid quivered slightly. He gazed at the enigmatic wizard before him, who was regarded as one of the greatest witches and wizards of all time in modern times. There was a subtle hint of suspicion in his tone.
"If you mean observations from the perspective of magic..."
"Not from the perspective of magic, Amosta,"
Dumbledore said in a calm tone,
"Yes, you didn't hear wrong. I can see through a person's soul... Once I could, but now that ability has degenerated significantly... Of course, that's not the core of our discussion. If you're interested, I can talk to you about that knowledge later."
Dumbledore did not wait for Amosta's response and directly stated the conclusion he had reached through guesswork and observation.
"I believe your soul does not wholly belong to you, Amosta. I can faintly 'see' another force within your soul."
The room fell into silence as the portraits of past headmasters all opened their mouths in shock, and even the fox on the gilded bough hesitated before letting out a curious squawk, listening intently.
"There is a force within my soul that does not belong to me...what do you mean?" reading hall.
Amosta spoke slowly, almost straining his brain with a mental block to maintain an unflinching expression.
"My soul... harbors the souls of others?"
"I'm not sure--"
Unexpectedly, Dumbledore shook his head, and his silver beard waved with the motion.
"I just felt... a very, very vague sensation, like an illusion... But if it's not an illusion, then that thing doesn't belong to you..."
Dumbledore looked very hesitant.
"If... I mean if, Amosta, and if it's really someone else's soul, I have encountered a similar situation."
"Where?"
Amosta was economical with his words. In a subtle way, it seemed as if the shadow that had been cast upon him was about to reveal another corner.
After Dumbledore spoke those words, the portraits on the walls all inhaled sharply. These magical portraits, which retain the memories of their creators, were all sharp-witted wizards in life. Moreover, they also knew more secrets about Dumbledore than anyone else. With just one sentence, it was already enough to trigger their imagination and make them think of many things.
The air grew still, as if even the flickering candlelight on the desk corner was frozen. Dumbledore watched Amosta, who was silently waiting for his reply, and looked at this outstanding young wizard who completely surpassed his expectations. In his heart, he was making a difficult decision.
"If it's really difficult, Dumbledore--"
The prolonged silence made Amosta realize that Dumbledore's 'similar situation' was not as simple as he had thought.
"It is indeed not an easy secret to say, Amosta,"
Dumbledore smiled.
"But I believe you are trustworthy. My hesitation was just an old man's stubborn habit--"
Indeed, it is quite a strange habit. He always manages to gather people's hearts, no matter the time."
Amosta pursed his lips, thinking.
"I think you must remember what happened at this school last semester, I mean, the Slytherin's Chamber opened after fifty years and attacked two innocent young witches."
"Of course, that's why I came back to Hogwarts."
Amosta nodded.
"That's right--"
Dumbledore continued to smile, "Before you came back, there were always rumors in the school that Harry was the heir of Salazar Slytherin. Do you know why, Amosta?"
"Slytherin's manner of speech?"
Dumbledore nodded.
Dumbledore nodded. "But we now know that Tom Riddle, who opened the Chamber fifty years ago, including last year, was the one called the mysterious person. He was also a Slytherin, Amosta. What do you think the connection is between these two?"
"I think it definitely won't be a blood relationship."
Amosta's eyes narrowed. He now understood why Dumbledore had been so hesitant before.
"--Before Tom failed, the last person he killed was Harry's mother. Then, he tried to kill Harry with the Killing Curse, but the spell only left a scar on Harry and didn't take his life. Instead, it killed Tom himself."
Dumbledore's voice softened, like a murmur in a dream.
The fox wailed in a sorrowful voice, its sound drifting lazily through the quiet room. Amosta leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
The atmosphere in the office was incredibly oppressive. Even the wind outside the castle had become dull. Dumbledore did not speak, just looked at the old, feeble hands resting on the desk with a worried expression.
"So that means--"
Only the candle, being gradually eaten away by the flame, proved that time was still flowing. Amosta sighed deeply.
"Do you think I and Potter were both turned into soul objects, Dumbledore Headmaster?"
"I don't want to deceive you, Amosta"
Dumbledore took off his glasses and massaged his brow.
"I believe that this is indeed a possibility, but from your reaction, it seems like you know nothing about it. This is unreasonable. I am quite certain that no one can secretly insert a soul into a wizard like you without any explanation. Unless, your memory has been tampered with?"
For Dumbledore's guess, or better said, probe, Amosta made no response.
Since he was born into this world, he had a clear understanding of whether his own memories were problematic. At least now, he had figured out one thing: why he could touch the double-ended staff that even Gryffindors couldn't lift by force.
* * *
Reading Hall
