This might have been the first time Dumbledore realized that his orders didn't work very well at Hogwarts.
Sirius still stood there, emanating a cold aura, while Snape fixed his sinister gaze on his profile.
"I just want to hear some reason that can help me understand, not those grandiose words you usually say to me."
At that moment, Amostar felt a bit of sympathy for Dumbledore. These two incompatible middle-aged men, who had never stood together in the same trench before, were there to force him to give an explanation.
"Alright, if you're willing to stand and listen, but I want you to understand that what I am telling you is strictly confidential. It must not be revealed to anyone. Of course, I also hope that the party involved doesn't find out about it for the time being..."
Dumbledore sighed.
"Firstly, I'm sure you won't forget the terrible night twelve years ago when Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow and targeted the Potters. James and Lily died, while Harry gained overnight fame that night by thwarting Voldemort."
At the mention of this, Sirius and Snape both breathed more softly, each clamping their lips tight, a look of distress on their faces.
Amostar lowered his head and sipped some clear tea, comforted by the fact that he was a listener, knowing some things but also hearing others for the first time.
Dumbledore spoke in a deep tone, recounting everything.
Professor Snape was struck like a thunderbolt when he heard that Lily Evans had created an extremely powerful protective spell within Harry's blood at the cost of her own life. Amostar could feel the pain gushing from those hollow eyes, even the Patronus charm could not completely conceal such intense emotion.
Amostar knew very well that this pain was not only caused by the death of his beloved, but also because the child that Lily Evans had sacrificed her life to protect was the son of his lifelong enemy. This could almost explain why Lily Evans loved James Potter so deeply.
"Thus, it was not Harry but Lily——"
Sirius murmured in a distracted manner.
"It was Lily's spell that defeated Voldemort."
"It was Lily Potter's pure, unreserved love for her son Harry that defeated Voldemort,"
Dumbledore was also deeply moved, but he still corrected Sirius' statement, "Love is a great force. It is so powerful that I think Voldemort may never be able to understand it."
Sirius seemed to be moved deeply, he slowly sat down, his hands covering his face, and his shoulders trembling slightly.
He wouldn't forget that it was due to his fault that Lily had to sacrifice her life; he felt guilty and couldn't shirk responsibility.
Amostar didn't find Sirius' regret strange; it was rather surprising to see Snape Professor with a 'what-ifs' expression on his face.
Does that mean that Professor Snape also played some part in the death of the Potters?
"But Voldemort is defeated, isn't he, Dumbledore? The protective spell you cast on Harry——"
After a long time, Sirius raised his head and stared at Dumbledore with bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse as if he were a traveler who hadn't drunk water for days in the desert.
"Harry no longer needs the blood protection provided by those Muggle parents; he can quite——"
"Do you really believe that Voldemort has truly died?"
Dumbledore's voice suddenly became firm, and his question made Sirius speechless again.
"I have a question, an academic one, Dumbledore, Headmaster—"
Amostar pondered thoughtfully.
"If I killed the Dursleys, does that mean the protection spell you cast on Harry will fail?"
Amostar's question immediately attracted angry glances from Sirius and Snape, but Dumbledore knew that what Amostar was really concerned about were academic matters. After a slight pause, Dumbledore said,
"Yes, but that is merely an additional layer of protection on top of the spell Lily casted. Even if my spell fails, the magic in Harry's blood will still remain. Voldemort will still be unable to touch or harm Harry."
"And what about his followers?"
"This protection only exists between Harry and Voldemort, but I am not particularly worried about this possibility, Amostar. If you know Tom like I do, you will understand that to reestablish his dominance, he will definitely have to take matters into his own hands."
"If I remember correctly, that kind of contract-like magic has a time limit——"
"Until adulthood."
Dumbledore looked deeply into Amostar's eyes, and his tone suddenly became elusive.
"Of course. There is no doubt that we must ensure the utmost certainty. Amostar, you know Harry and Tom's past. So, we may need new preventive measures."
"I understand what you mean, Dumbledore—-"
Amostar furrowed his brow.
"But there's no need for such trouble, my point is that Voldemort can't possibly fight us all at the same time. Uh,"
Midway through his sentence, Amostar suddenly realized something, and he shifted gears, his tone becoming hesitant.
"Alright, I won't disturb your plan. Who knows what may happen in the future."
Sirius and Snape both realized that Dumbledore and Amostar were discussing something of great importance, related to the protection of Harry, but they couldn't understand. Moreover, Sirius and Snape both knew that the two 'puzzlers' in front of them were not going to explain what they were discussing.
Both Sirius and Snape left looking disoriented and distraught.
"So, Headmaster Dumbledore——"
After a brief discussion on the previous topic, Amostar asked,
"What important thing did you say needed discussing with me?"
"It's like this——"
Dumbledore's tone brightened once more.
"This matter is still top secret, only those involved in it are allowed to disclose it. During this time, I have spent most of my energy on it——An ancient competition that has not been held for many years will be held again next school year."
"An ancient competition?"
Amostar's eyebrows twitched, and when he heard the name of the competition from Dumbledore's mouth, even Amostar, who was prepared, couldn't help but show a few moments of surprise on his face.
"The Triwizard Tournament, you're saying that competition that was banned for centuries due to its high casualty rate?"
"That's the one—"
Dumbledore said with a smile.
"For centuries, people have attempted to restore the tournament several times, but each time it was unsuccessful. However, the International Cooperation Department and the Sports Department of our Ministry of Magic believe that the time is ripe for another attempt. The Department has taken concrete action, and we and the other two outstanding magical schools - you know them surely - Beauxbatons and Dumbledore Academy have reached an agreement, and the International Confederation of Wizards has secretly passed a resolution."
"Remarkable."
Amostar sighed in amazement. He hadn't expected that an ancient competition that had entered the history of magic would eventually have the possibility of being revived.
"But what am I supposed to do?"
"Oh, though we have reached a basic consensus, there are still many problems."
Dumbledore shook his bushy eyebrows, looking quite helpless, as he said,
"Our biggest dispute is which magical school will be the host of the tournament—I'm certain I possess the virtue of modesty and courtesy, Amostar, but if I don't make a strong case for Hogwarts on this matter, the Board of Governors will surely try to kick me out again."
Dumbledore sipped his tea, barely noticing the bits of tea leaves stuck in his teeth. After a moment of thought, he continued speaking to Amostar.
"For a while, we - I mean, I and the heads of the other two schools -"
"I haven't seen such a heated debate in many years. It's a burden for an old man like me—the self-recommendation arguments from the three schools were all very convincing, leaving the International Confederation of Wizards at a loss. They finally considered the danger of this event and to ensure the safety of every young wizard participating, they demanded that each school provide a 'safety plan'."
Observing Amostar's look of realization, Dumbledore smiled and said,
"Are you not the Head of the Safety Office of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Amostar? I think it's your job to take your carefully prepared plans and convince those stubborn fellows."
(End of Chapter)
