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Page 73
Harry caught the Philosopher's Stone that Levin tossed to him, looked at it, and put it in his pocket: "I wonder how Ron and the others are? Where are the professor and the others?"
Levin reassured them, his tone suggestive: "Don't worry, this is Hogwarts. As long as Dumbledore is still here, they won't encounter any danger."
Upon hearing this, the old bee, who had been secretly observing, felt a burning sensation on its face.
But thick-skinned as he was, he acted as if nothing had happened, silently walked to the door, pretended to have just passed through the fire door, hurried over, and then exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, Mr. Potter and Mr. Green, I'm so glad to see you safe and sound! I hope I'm not too late!"
Chapter 78 A Beach with Professor Quirrell
Dumbledore didn't come alone.
A magnificent, bright red bird, similar in size to a swan, perched on his shoulder. It had a long, shimmering golden tail and long, golden claws.
That was his phoenix, Fox.
As a magical creature, the phoenix possesses the ability to Apparate and is unaffected by Hogwarts' anti-Apparate spells. Levin strongly suspects that he was able to return after being lured away by Fawkes.
“Harry has a bit of a headache, but I’m doing alright,” Levin said, offering his opinion. “It’s just that Professor Quirrell…”
He pointed to the pool of chiloaf in front of him.
"Oh, my God, poor Professor Quirrell."
Even with Dumbledore's composure, seeing Quirrell like this made him frown: "How did he become like this?"
"Perhaps it's because of me and Harry?"
Levin, in a weak voice like an ordinary student, said, "I saw Quirrell grab Harry's wrist and suddenly look like he was in a lot of pain. I realized that perhaps Harry's skin could hurt Quirrell, just like when he defeated the Dark Lord, so..."
At this point, his voice weakened further.
"So I used magic to glue his hands to Harry's wrists."
Harry covered his head and nodded in agreement.
"... "
Hearing this, even Dumbledore was speechless.
Who would have thought that the infamous Dark Lord would be defeated by this simplest of spells (Harry Potter also has the Sticky Charm).
Indeed, the world is full of wonders, and such outrageous things can happen.
Dumbledore sighed softly, "Poor Quirrell, he's completely implicated by Tom."
As he spoke, he turned to the two of them and gave them a smile.
“I’m sorry, it was my fault for leaving you to deal with this alone. The owl that Miss Granger and I sent obviously missed it in the air.”
"Upon arriving in London, I realized I should have returned to where I had just left... I arrived just in time; the problem seems to have been resolved by you..."
As he spoke, he glanced at Harry's expression, then his own expression turned serious:
“I’ve neglected too many things. We must get Harry to Pomfrey immediately.”
Then, he grabbed both of their wrists.
"Don't link me with Harry again this time." Before leaving, he said quipped, giving Levin his signature wink.
Levin thought that perhaps he was trying to alleviate a tension that wasn't actually there.
After all, the scene of Quirrell melting was too horrifying.
Then he said to the phoenix on his shoulder, "Fox, take us to Mrs. Pomfrey."
Levin, leaning against Dumbledore, couldn't help but observe Fawkes.
For ordinary people, it is not an easy thing to observe a phoenix up close.
These birds are not only beautiful and powerful, but also rare. Their calls can inspire courage in the pure-hearted and release fear from the filthy. Their tears have a strong healing effect, and they are strong enough to lift objects larger than themselves.
However, phoenixes are quite rare, and very few people have ever seen a wild phoenix.
As for domesticated phoenixes, apart from Fox, only the New Zealand Motora Macaw Team has a phoenix as its mascot.
Levin suddenly thought, why not make Phoenix one of his six Wild Forms?
It can replace the owl, which symbolizes wisdom.
Levin still hasn't figured out how to get an owl beast from another world.
So, let's set the task for next semester as follows: find an opportunity to get a Fox feather.
As Levin was lost in thought, he suddenly felt himself enveloped by a warm aura, as if he were basking in the sun, feeling extremely comfortable.
Unlike the nauseating dizziness you feel after using regular Apparition, Floo Powder, or Portable Keys,
Before he could recover from this wonderful feeling, they had already arrived at Mrs. Bobby Pomfrey's infirmary.
As expected of a phoenix,
At this moment, Levin wanted its feathers even more; this comfortable teleportation was clearly unmatched by any other method.
In the school infirmary, Levine recounted Harry's ordeal to Madam Pomfrey, and the kind old woman immediately and hastily pulled Harry onto a bed for treatment.
After a moment, the therapist relaxed, saying, "It's nothing serious, but he might need a few days to rest. Albus, and Mr. Green, if there's nothing else, please leave. The child needs quiet rest..."
After leaving the school infirmary, Levin originally intended to say goodbye.
But before he could speak, Dumbledore extended a new invitation:
“Mr. Green, after such an exciting night, I believe you would like to relax with me in the principal’s office with some delicious food. It just so happens that things were a bit rushed earlier, and I also have some things I want to ask you about your adventure.” The old bee said with a kind smile.
Sure enough, after deciding to participate in this challenge, Levin anticipated this situation.
If it were an ordinary young wizard like Neville, Seamus, or Steve who accidentally joined an adventure party, he certainly wouldn't have been invited by the headmaster.
But Levin is different; he is a recognized genius, ranked first in this year's class, and holds a dominant position in Ravenclaw.
It's quite normal for Dumbledore to care about someone like that joining Harry's adventure team.
Levin did not intend to refuse.
He is now considered to have some strength, and with the ability to conceal his thoughts, Dumbledore can't do anything to him.
Furthermore, as a student of Hogwarts, what right did he have to refuse?
Aside from Harry, only a handful of students in the entire school get to go to the headmaster's office. From the perspective of an average young wizard, being able to go to the headmaster's office is an honor.
So Levin nodded in agreement.
"Actually, Mr. Green, I've been paying attention to you ever since you enrolled,"
On the way to the headmaster's office, Dumbledore casually remarked, "You come from a very poor background, but you are exceptionally talented and academically gifted. The professors at the school adore you, and the other children greatly respect you."
At this point, the old bee paused.
"I once taught a similarly bright student to you. He also came from a Muggle orphanage, was just as intelligent, and was liked by everyone. Unfortunately, I wasn't mature enough back then..."
Upon hearing this, Levin's heart tightened; he certainly knew who Dumbledore was referring to.
However, on the surface, he could only feign curiosity and ask, "Professor, who is that person?"
"Hmm, a boy who performs just as well as you... maybe slightly less so? At least you play Quidditch better than him."
"Unfortunately, he took the wrong path in the end..."
Dumbledore's tone suggested he was lost in memories of the past.
Levin didn't interrupt him, but quietly followed behind him.
After going up one floor of stairs, they walked together to the principal's office.
"Toffee fingers."
Dumbledore uttered the correct incantation, and the stone sculpture at the door immediately rotated, revealing a staircase leading to the Headmaster's office.
Chapter 79 Dumbledore's Interview
The two entered the headmaster's office, where Dumbledore had Levin sit down at a large table.
Levin noticed that the worn-out Sorting Hat was sitting on a shelf to the side.
In front of the shelf was a perch, where Professor Dumbledore's pet phoenix was already perched.
Noticing Levin looking at her, Phoenix glanced at him lightly and shook her magnificent tail feathers as a greeting.
The opposite wall was covered with portraits of former principals, who were all fast asleep, perhaps because it was late at night.
But Levin keenly realized that it was all an act; the old headmasters were secretly peeking at him with curiosity.
With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore presented them with chilled pumpkin juice.
The cakes, candies, and other snacks were also divided into two portions and placed in front of the two people respectively.
"Please enjoy your meal, child," Dumbledore said warmly.
Having secretly determined that there were no vomit-reducing agents or anything like that inside, Levin nodded slightly, took a bite of cheesecake, and then a sip of pumpkin juice, instantly feeling refreshed and invigorated.
If it weren't for the old bee staring at him the whole time...
Watching Levin finish a piece of cake, Dumbledore smiled and said, "Well then, like I said before, would you like to talk about what happened tonight, Levin? I need some more specific details so I can pass it on to the others. You know, finals are coming up soon..."
"Oh, of course, no problem, Principal..."
Levin had anticipated this conversation, so naturally there were no unspeakable actions he would take.
So he simply started with Harry and the others' small investigation this semester, emphasizing that Harry took the initiative to ask him for help, then the process of their brave and resourceful challenge, and briefly recounted the performance and role of Hermione and the others in this incident, as well as how they witnessed Harry's confrontation with Voldemort and how they used a mere spell to kill Voldemort.
He didn't shy away from mentioning some of his unusual maneuvers during the process, such as causing all the keys to fall and using 627 summons to replace the pieces.
However, they did not mention what kind of magic they used to achieve the effect.
"Ah, I must say, courage and wisdom coexist in you, my child."
After Cai Wen finished speaking, Dumbledore couldn't help but sigh.
“You are a Ravenclaw in every sense of the word. Of course, perhaps it would have been more fitting for the Sorting Hat to put you in Gryffindor... Anyway, thank you, child, I've asked you far too many questions today. But I imagine you have many questions for me as well, don't you?”
If you have any questions, ask Dumbledore.
Upon hearing this, Levin immediately understood the other party's intention.
This is not just about answering questions and resolving doubts.
You can get to know a person not only by asking questions, but also by answering them.
Asking questions is the most direct approach, but this method can easily trigger the other party's subconscious vigilance, leading to insincere answers.