"Jack, you haven't passed the Guò Apparition exam yet, do you? Dumbledore suddenly remembered something.

"Professor, it's a little late for you to remember this, we've all arrived. "I have to be at least seventeen to take the apparition exam, and I don't have to get my certificate until next year." ”

"Yes, it's good that you have mastered the spell so well that you didn't leave a part of your body in England. ”

"Minister, this joke doesn't sound funny at all. ”

Breathing in the cold night air, Silver stood in the courtyard of an abandoned village with an old war memorial erected in the middle.

"It's far enough here, why did he want to come to this seaside town in Bulgaria?" said Silver, "and he would really enjoy the village of Badley Barberton." ”

"That old colleague of mine has always liked to enjoy life. ”

They walked up a steep, narrow street lined with rows of houses. They approached a neat little stone house nestled in a garden. As they reached the door, Dumbledore suddenly stopped.

"When we arrive, he should be right here. Dumbledore said.

"Shall we knock?" said Silver.

"Oh, I don't think so, this old colleague of mine is an old friend of mine, and he likes to play little games with people. ”

Jack Silver followed Dumbledore's gaze and looked over the well-tended path—the hinges of the front door were open, and the door hung crookedly.

Dumbledore looked across the street, and there seemed to be no one.

"Jack, draw your wand and follow me. He whispered.

He pushed open the front door and walked quietly briskly down the garden path, Silver following close behind. Then Dumbledore slowly pushed open the front door, wand in hand, ready to strike.

"Fluorescent flicker!"

The tip of Dumbledore's wand lit up. A narrow doorway is reflected. There is also an open door on the left. Holding his glowing wand aloof, Dumbledore walked into the living room, Silver following closely behind.

There was a mess in front of them, an old clock shattered at their feet, the clock face cracked, and the pendulum lay a little farther away, like an abandoned sword. A piano topples over on the floor, keys scattered everywhere. Nearby, a fragment of a broken chandelier was glittering. The mats were thrown everywhere in a mess, already deflated, and feathers were burrowing out of the cracks. Broken glass and porcelain shards were sprinkled like powder. Dumbledore raised his wand higher. The walls were illuminated, and the wallpaper was splattered with a lot of dark red goo.

"It's not pretty, is it?" said Dumbledore heavily, "yes, there's a horrible incident here. ”

Dumbledore cautiously walked to the middle of the room, carefully observing the broken fragments at his feet. Silver followed, looking around.

"It's funny, I can't make such a realistic scene. Silver said

"I don't think I can do it either. Dumbledore said calmly, looking behind a bulging armchair that had fallen to the ground.

Say it's too late, then it's too fast. Dumbledore struck out and plunged the tip of his wand into the cushion of the bulging armchair, which let out a scream, "Ouch!"

"Good evening, Horace. Dumbledore straightened up again.

In the blink of an eye, the armchair turned into a balding fat old man crouching there. He rubbed his little belly. Squinted at Dumbledore with painful, tearful eyes.

"You don't have to pierce your wand so hard. He said angrily, struggling to get up, "It hurts me to death." ”

The light of his wand shone on his bright bald head, bulging eyes, walrus-like silver-white beard, and the shiny buttons on the brownish velvet coat outside his lilac nightgown. The top of his head was only Dumbledore's chin.

"How did you show it?" he asked in a gruff voice. While staggering to his feet, still rubbing his little belly. It seems that he is surprisingly thick-skinned, and he has just been spotted in an armchair.

"My dear Horace. Dumbledore seemed amused, and said, "You can ask this little friend of mine, you didn't even deceive him about your arrangement." ”

The fat old man pinned Silver, "You say, how do you tell?"

"Mr. Slughorn, the blood you're using is too obvious. Silver laughed, "It's the blood of a fire dragon, and the smell of sulfur is too different from human blood." ”

The wizard slapped his broad forehead with his chubby hand.

"I knew it. He muttered, "I don't think there's anything missing, I forgot to erase the smell of fire dragon blood." Ah, yes. However, it was too late. As soon as I adjusted the chair cover, you entered the house. ”

He sighed heavily, blowing the tips of both beards up.

"Do you want me to clean it up for you?" asked Dumbledore politely.

"Please. The fat old man said.

They stood up back to back, one tall and skinny, the other short and fat, both waving their wands in unison.

One by one, the furniture jumped back to its original position, the ornaments regained their original shape in mid-air, the feathers burrowed back into the cushions, and the broken books were automatically repaired and neatly arranged on the shelves. The oil lamp flew to the small table by the wall and was lit again. A large mass of shattered silver frames flickered across the room and landed on a desk, shining as bright as new again. Everywhere in the room were broken, torn, and opened. The stains on the walls are also automatically wiped clean.

"Dumbledore, what are you looking for me for?" the fat old man sat down, "First of all, I won't be going back to Hogwarts, I don't want a bunch of naughty ghosts ruining my leisurely retirement." ”

Dumbledore laughed, "Don't you really want to help me?" Horace?"

The fat old man blew his beard at Dumbledore angrily and glared, "Okay, Dumbledore, do you want to call me when you become Minister of Magic?

Silver found a chair and sat down, leisurely preparing to watch the play.

"How's it going, Horace, how are you doing lately?" Dumbledore asked.

"Not good," Slughorn said immediately, "out of breath." Asthma, and rheumatism, legs and feet are not as dexterous as they used to be. Alas, this is also to be expected. People are old and useless. ”

"However, you must have been agile enough to prepare such a welcome scene in such a short period of time. Dumbledore said, "You won't be alerted for more than three minutes, will you?"

Slughorn said, half annoyed, half smug, "Two minutes." I was in the shower and didn't hear the alarm that my invasion spell had been lifted. But," he said with a grimace as he seemed to regain his composure, "I am an old man, Albus. A tired old man has the right to live a quiet life and get some material comforts. ”

"You're not as old as I am, Horace. Dumbledore said.

"yes, maybe it's time for you to think about retirement. Slughorn said bluntly. "Seriously, I was shocked when I found out that you were actually the Minister of Magic. Even if you really wanted to be a minister, you should have done it after beating Greenwald fifty years ago, doesn't it feel a little too late now?"

"You're right," Dumbledore said calmly, "I shouldn't have been the Minister of Magic at this time, but I don't have a choice, Horace. (To be continued......)