"Mr. Slughorn, you have a point. Silver nodded, "But the Order of the Phoenix won't face these two formidable enemies at the same time. ”

"What do you mean?" said Slughorn, "do you think the Order of the Phoenix can make a profit? This is simply not possible - the two Dark Lords are not evenly matched at all, and the Order of the Phoenix has no chance. Will you work with one of the Dark Lords? It's not realistic. ”

"In fact, we've tried to do that. Silver said.

Slughorn gloated, "That must have failed, the Dark Lord is a capricious guy who doesn't keep his promises at all." ”

"But it's better than doing nothing, Mr. Slughorn. Silver said.

"I don't like to waste my efforts. Slughorn said stubbornly.

Dumbledore re-entered the house, and Slughorn was startled, as if he had forgotten that Dumbledore had not left the house.

"Oh, you're back, Albus," he said, "you've been there for a long time, and you're in trouble?"

"No, I just flipped through the Muggle magazines. Dumbledore said, "I'm a big fan of knitted sweaters. Alright, Jack, we've been bothering Horace for a long time, and I think we should go. ”

Silver gladly complied and immediately stood up. Slughorn seemed taken aback.

"You're leaving?"

"yes. I think I can tell that the defeat is decided. Dumbledore said.

"yes, you finally get it. Slughorn breathed a sigh of relief, "I have the right to live the life I want." ”

"Have a good day, Horace. Dumbledore said to Slughorn, "You need to be careful, Horace. Your whereabouts have long been no secret, and there are many people watching you. If you want to enjoy your retirement more happily, you must be careful and careful. ”

"Oh my God. Dumbledore, what are you talking about?" Slughorn looked uneasy. He fiddled with his two chubby thumbs and watched anxiously as Dumbledore tightened his travel cloak.

"Well, I'm sorry you won't accept the job, Horace," Dumbledore said, holding up his uninjured hand and making a farewell gesture, "Hogwarts will be happy if you can return." We've greatly strengthened our security precautions, but you'd rather fight with those underworld forces for a free life. Personally, I also admire your courage. But the doors of Hogwarts are always open for you, and you're always welcome to come and see. ”

"I mean?"

"Then goodbye. Dumbledore said without looking back.

"Goodbye. Harry said.

As soon as they reached the front door, they heard a shout behind them.

"Alright, alright, I'll do it!"

Dumbledore turned to see Slughorn standing panting in the doorway of the living room.

"Would you like to come back to work?"

"yes, yes," said Slughorn impatiently, "I must be insane. But yes, I do. ”

"Great," Dumbledore said with a smile on his face, "then." Horace, welcome to Hogwarts - I can't welcome you as Headmaster this year, but neither can I welcome you as a Minister. ”

"Well, no problem. Slughorn muttered.

While they were walking on the paths of the garden. Behind him came Slughorn's voice again.

"I'll ask for a raise, Dumbledore! Don't think I don't know, Hogwarts is now under the possession of the Ministry. I'm asking for double the paycheck, and you'll have to send more Aurors to keep Hogwarts safe. ”

Dumbledore chuckled softly. The door to the garden closed behind them, and they walked down the hill through the thick fog that swirled in the black.

"Well done, Jack. Dumbledore said.

"I've failed, Minister Dumbledore. "Mr. Slughorn doesn't have much hope for the Order of the Phoenix, he's so frightened by the two Dark Lords that he won't change his tune if you hadn't scared him hard at the end." ”

"No, you succeeded. Your presence has caused Horace to change his mind. Dumbledore said.

But he refused at first. ”

"Horace is a wizard with a lot of vanity - of course, he doesn't have a bad heart. He just likes material comforts, socializing with famous, successful, powerful people, and he likes the feeling of being at his mercy. He himself never wanted to be in power, preferring to be relegated to a secondary position—that the world would be wider and more comfortable. When he was at Hogwarts, he always liked to pick his favorite students, sometimes because of their ambition or intelligence, sometimes because of their charm or talent, and he had an unusual knack for picking people who would go on to excel in all walks of life. Dumbledore said.

"But he's more afraid of death than any of these things, Minister. ”

"Who can not be afraid of death? This is especially true of a wizard like Horace, who is obsessed with the material comforts of the world. He's probably had enough of hiding in Tibet in the past few months, and if he continues like this, Horace will definitely feel that he might as well die. You must know that Horace's origin is not simple, he is one of the few wizards in Britain who participated in the last war, and he does not lack the courage to fight to the death. Dumbledore said, "He's a very capable wizard, and just because he's not willing to fight doesn't mean he doesn't have a temper." ”

"I didn't know Mr. Slughorn had such a glorious past. ”

"You'll have to call him Professor Slughorn now. Dumbledore said, "The last war didn't affect England, so the English wizards didn't remember the last war, and people only knew that I came out and defeated Greenwald in the end, but no one figured out more details." ”

"Sounds like Slughorn played a very important role?"

"Not only in the past, but this time, Horace is still one of the protagonists. (To be continued......)