bookbashuk Chapter 31 Victor's Secret
Chapter 31 Victor's Secret
As soon as the second day's classes ended, Karen said goodbye to her friends and went straight to Victor's office.
Karen stood before the oak door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office, his grey-blue eyes fixed on the intricate runes carved into it. To an ordinary person, those runes would be mere decoration, but to his True Sight, he could see subtle magical energy flowing like streams within the lines. He took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock.
"Please come in," came Professor Victor's deep voice from inside the door.
Karen pushed open the office door and was slightly taken aback by what he saw. Unlike his last visit, several animated star charts had been added to the walls, and seven crystal balls of varying sizes floated on the ceiling, emitting a soft glow. Professor Victor sat behind a desk piled high with ancient books, his black eyepatch over his left eye appearing particularly mysterious in the candlelight.
"It seems you've made your decision, Karen." Professor Victor's golden ponytail swayed gently as he looked up, and the ring on his right hand shimmered with different colors in the candlelight.
Karen replied to Victor, "Yes, Professor. I have decided to join the Hermes Ring."
Professor Victor's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile: "A wise choice. So, have you read my book, *The Doors of Truth*? What are your thoughts?"
Karen took out a uniquely crafted book from the inner pocket of his robe. "The part of this book about alchemy is particularly fascinating, especially the theory of the transformation of the essence of matter. However..." He hesitated for a moment, "I found a description of an ancient curse on page 37, the curse of Herpo. After seeing this, you devoted a lot of space to studying the curses related to it, so I wanted to ask if the curse on you is related to Herpo."
The office suddenly fell silent. A ruby ring on Professor Victor's right ring finger shimmered slightly, and Karen's Eye of Truth detected a subtle magical fluctuation that swept across the room; clearly, the professor had activated some kind of soundproofing spell.
“You’re more observant than I thought, and that’s certainly a clue I left for you.” Professor Victor’s voice deepened. “Yes, the curse on me does indeed originate from Helbo’s dark magic. But the specific details aren’t the point of discussion now.” He rubbed the edge of his eyepatch with his left hand. “I’d rather know what your thoughts are on alchemy?”
Karen understood that the topic had been deliberately shifted, but he didn't intend to press the matter. After all, everyone has their own secrets, just as he had never revealed the existence of the Eye of Truth to anyone.
"I'm still only at the theoretical stage; I haven't had the chance to put it into practice yet," Karen answered honestly.
Professor Victor stood up, his black robe swaying slightly with the movement. He walked to an old cabinet in the corner of the office and took out an exquisite ebony box from the drawer.
"Alchemy is different from other magical disciplines; knowing the theory alone is meaningless." The professor handed the box to Karen. "Inside are the basic tools a beginner needs, enchanted with a Threadless Stretch Charm. Your Ravenclaw common room isn't suitable for experiments. Do you have anywhere else to conduct your experiments?"
Karen took the box, sensing a warm, magical energy emanating from it. "My roommates and I have our own practice room on the fifth floor."
"Very good." Professor Victor took another small cloth bag from the bookshelf. "Like the box from before, it's also enchanted. Inside are iron ore samples, moonstone powder, and a basic six-pointed star magic circle diagram. Your first task is to complete the matter conversion experiment, using this alchemy circle to convert the iron ore into pure iron blocks. Remember, the purity must be high, and the loss must be low."
Karen took the bag, feeling its heavy weight. "I will practice diligently, Professor."
"This experiment may seem simple, but it severely tests the caster's control over magic." Professor Victor's sapphire ring on his right hand suddenly lit up, and a blue thread of magic traced a complex symbol in the air. "Don't try to cheat using Muggle methods. The essence of alchemy is understanding the truth of matter, not simply changing its form. Remember, I don't want the result, but rather your practice in controlling the output of magic during the process."
Karen nodded and carefully placed the box and bag into the inner pocket of his robe. Just as he was about to take his leave, Professor Victor suddenly asked, "Do you still have the parchment Nico left for you?"
"I always carry it with me." Karen took a small leather pouch from the inner pocket of her robe, inside which was the roll of parchment. "But I still can't solve the mystery on it."
Professor Victor gave a rare smile: "No need to rush. Nico will personally answer your questions during the summer vacation. Now, you can go back. Come find me again when you can skillfully control your magic output."
"Professor, I have another question," Karen said after a moment's hesitation, her grey-blue eyes fixed on Victor's expression. "Does Headmaster Dumbledore know about my situation? Is he also a member of the Hermes Ring?"
Victor's lips curled into a meaningful smile, the silver ring on his right finger gleaming in the candlelight. "I'm curious, why did you make that connection to Dumbledore?"
"Because you were personally invited by Headmaster Dumbledore," Cullen carefully chose her words, "and as far as I know, even some of my pure-blood classmates can't find any background information on you. A master alchemist like you..."
"You mean," Victor suddenly interrupted, his eyebrows rising slightly beneath his black eyepatch, "that 'Victor Eisenberg' isn't my real name?"
Karen did not answer immediately, but his eyes gave an affirmative answer.
Victor suddenly chuckled softly, his right hand unconsciously rubbing the black glove on his left hand: "Besides this, what else makes you doubt my identity?"
"The signature on the title page of 'The Door to Truth'," Karen said, looking directly into the professor's eyes. "It says 'KG,' which doesn't match the initials of your pseudonym."
"Ah...that was my oversight." Victor shook his head slightly, his golden ponytail tracing an arc in the candlelight. "I deliberately rewrote the content, but forgot to change the signature." He paused for a moment, then suddenly became serious. "You're right, Cullen. 'Victor Eisenberg' is indeed a pseudonym. As for Dumbledore..." His voice suddenly deepened, "He's not a member of our organization, but he has a good personal relationship with both Nico and me."
Karen noticed that the professor had subtly avoided asking about his real name. He understood that the trust between them hadn't reached that level yet, but he was certain that he would find out the truth sooner or later.
Then Cullen turned to other questions, "So, the reason why Headmaster Dumbledore didn't join, is it because his talent wasn't enough...?"
"Of course not!" Victor suddenly raised his voice, then regained his composure and said calmly, "Everyone in the organization believes that Albus Dumbledore is undoubtedly the most outstanding genius of this century, without a doubt."
He rose and walked to the window, the moonlight gilding him with a silvery edge. "Nicole once told me that he had intended to invite Dumbledore to join him. Unfortunately..." Victor's fingers tapped lightly on the window frame. "At that time, Dumbledore was too deeply entangled with a dangerous figure. Their relationship was enough to shake the balance of the entire wizarding world."
Karen keenly noticed that the professor's tone was somewhat unusual when he mentioned "dangerous people".
"Although Nico insisted on the invitation, the other members at the time..." Victor turned around, a complex look flashing in his single eye, "and ultimately rejected the proposal for various reasons. Later..." He shrugged, "that Hogwarts headmaster never had the chance to come into contact with our circle again. Of course, he didn't need to join, because even if he didn't join, most of the organization's members had close personal relationships with him."
"However, it is precisely because of his example that the conditions for joining the organization have changed. It no longer requires a vote from all members, but only requires another member to review it. Of course, this is also because there are not many members in the organization now," Victor added.
Karen didn't pay attention to what followed, but noticed the key words in the first sentence: "That dangerous person... is it Gellert Grindelwald? I read in 'A History of Modern Magic' that Dumbledore defeated that Dark Lord and ended the First Wizarding War."
The air in the office suddenly froze. Professor Victor stood there, his right hand unconsciously touching the black eyepatch over his left eye, his knuckles turning white.
"Yes, I didn't expect you to know so much, even about Grindelwald." His voice suddenly became unfamiliar, as if it came from a very distant place. "A genius who could have touched the stars, yet for the ridiculous slogan of 'greater interests,' he willingly degenerated into a slave to power..."
Karen was about to press for more information when Victor suddenly waved his wand, and a flash of silver light appeared.
"Alright, the question-and-answer session is over." The professor's voice regained its usual calm. "You may leave now."
Before Karen could respond, a gentle yet irresistible magic enveloped him. The next second, he was standing outside the office door. The office door slammed shut in front of him with a dull thud.
Seeing this, Karen had no choice but to turn and leave.
Inside the room, Professor 'Victor' leaned back in his chair, muttering to himself, "Ridiculous, Grindelwald, utterly ridiculous!"
The office then fell silent.