A giant dragon was soaring in the sky, and in front of it was an overwhelming sea of fire.

Here's a moving photo from the front page of the next day's Daily Prophet.

The headline of the report was "Unprecedented Dragon Transfiguration, Magician Ultimatum to the Ministry of Magic?" 》。

I have to say, this title is a bit appalling, and Rita Skeeter, who writes it, knows how to attract people's attention.

Dumbledore sat reclining on the couch, his hands covered by a wide gray-blue robe, revealing only a few fingers, and noticeably the fingers of one of them appeared dry and gray, like burnt coals.

He stared at the moving photo in the newspaper, then looked up at Snape sitting across from him.

"I don't think it's Transfiguration."

As a former Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and now the premier Transfiguration master in the wizarding world, Dumbledore gave his opinion: "Magic can do many magical things, but it doesn't include turning people into dragons. ”

"I mean, real dragons."

"I've heard of some advanced ancient transfigurations that can be used on wizards themselves, but they don't change their essence, and they can't use the dragon's abilities."

Snape sat across from him and said in a low tone, "But I saw it with my own eyes. ”

"What the eye sees is not necessarily the truth." Dumbledore said, "I'd rather believe that a dragon became a wizard than a wizard turned into a dragon—and while there is no evidence that a dragon possesses humanoid intelligence, this dragon is clearly not the same as we know dragons." ”

"He may have some kind of gifted transfiguration that allows him to take on human form, I don't know if you noticed, Severus, we've never heard of magicians using wands."

"All his spells are scepterless and silent." Snape recalled, affirmatively.

"That's right." Dumbledore nodded, "That's pretty much in line with magical beasts, isn't it?" They use their own talents, and they don't need to use a wand or chant incantations. ”

"That would explain why all the magic he wields is something you've never heard of."

Snape's brow moved, and he said, "Albus, so you think that the magician is not a man but a dragon?" ”

"It's just speculation, but it's more acceptable." Dumbledore said, "I agree with what the magician said, that when people encounter something they can't understand, they always want an explanation that is within their own cognition. ”

"Maybe your guess is correct." "But that doesn't change anything—people don't care if the magician is a man or a dragon, they care about the magician's mind, they care about the future that the magician paints." ”

"The mind is right." Dumbledore sighed slightly: "Even if I have overestimated the impact of the magician as much as possible, but he is still beyond my expectations, I have to admit that his series of actions are more intense and high-profile than Grindelwald's original, and his thoughts are more comprehensive and credible than Grindelwald's, in just one month, the situation may be irreparable." ”

"Even if we can kill the magician, we can't change the trend of change, because people can be killed, but ideas don't, and those thoughts are ingrained in many people's hearts."

"The Ministry of Magic clearly doesn't think so." Snape clicked on the Daily Prophet on his desk and read a passage from it.

"Obviously, we all underestimated this self-proclaimed 'magician' criminal, he does have so terrifying power that he thinks he can threaten the Ministry of Magic, but he is wrong, the Ministry of Magic will never give in to any criminal."

"Mr. Fudge, the Minister of Magic of the United Kingdom, appealed to the public not to believe the incendiary statements of magicians, and after an emergency meeting of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the Ministry of Magic unanimously agreed that any act of promoting words and thoughts about magicians is guilty, that any attempt to follow and help magicians is guilty, and that any attempt to disrupt the existing order of the wizarding world is guilty."

"The Aurors will patrol public places including Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron Bar, and will not tolerate any of the above crimes!"

"Minister Fudge said that the magician knows nothing about the power of the Ministry of Magic, the so-called ultimatum is just a joke, the magician will eventually pay for his actions, and evil cannot prevail over good."

Reading this, Snape sneered.

"The power of the Ministry of Magic? Do they themselves believe this sentence when it is said? If they really had the ability to deal with magicians, no, even if they found them, then they wouldn't have made so many accusations and vented their anger on ordinary wizards. ”

Dumbledore sighed, "Fudge's state is indeed a problem, and it is obviously irrational for him to try to suppress the minds of the people."

"Apparently he's going to drag the British wizarding world down the abyss." Snape commented, "He doesn't want to deal with the mystery, and he can't deal with the magician, but he points the finger at the people, and even at you—"

"Albus, I thought that under the threat of the magician, Fudge would come to seek your help, and everyone knows that if there is anyone in the British wizarding community who is likely to fight against the magician, it is the current headmaster of Hogwarts."

"But he didn't, he still controls the newspaper and tries to discredit you."

He tapped a certain paragraph of the newspaper with his finger, and read angrily:

"At the so-called gathering, many people saw the Hogwarts Potions professor, Severus Snape, and there was evidence that the other party followed the crowd and shouted the magician's ridiculous slogan."

"The Potions professor is clearly a supporter of the magician, and it is worth mentioning that when the magician first appeared, Snape also appeared next to the magician, which has to be suspected that there may be an unknown cooperation between them."

"In fact, according to the investigation report of Senior Investigator Professor Umbridge, the magician's remarks have begun to circulate among the young wizards of Hogwarts, which is undoubtedly deliberately spreading, and the Ministry of Magic will review Professor Snape in the near future, of course, this review is not only for Professor Snape, but for all the professors and employees of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, for the future of the wizarding world, we will never allow the ridiculous remarks of magicians to circulate among young wizards."

"It is worth mentioning that Minister Fudge emphasized that the list of vetted includes the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Albus Dumbledore, whose recent performance has been disappointing, and many young wizards have reported that the other party has no intention of managing the school at all, and often disappears, allowing bad habits to spread in the castle."

"If Dumbledore doesn't pass the review, he may be at risk of being removed."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I haven't heard of the censorship." He spread his hands and said, "The Ministry of Magic should have told me in advance about this kind of thing, otherwise they don't have the ability to enter Hogwarts." ”

Anyone entering or leaving Hogwarts Castle needs permission, which is what makes this castle special.

"I'm afraid they don't need to." Snape said with a calm face: "Professor Umbridge's one-sided words are enough to be the result of the review. Albus, Fudge has long wanted to take control of Hogwarts, and this time he only used the Magician's events to play on the topic. ”

"Politics." Dumbledore didn't show an angry expression, he was just a little helpless: "Don't worry about this, they can't remove me if they can't find clear evidence." ”

"Fudge always thought I wanted to take his place, and this prejudice even made him ignore the threat of the magician, maybe he just thought I was better than the magician, after all, I wouldn't point a wand at his head."

"Because you're Dumbledore." Snape said this with some displeasure.

"It's just people's stereotypes about me." Dumbledore lifted his charred palm, "I'm just an old man dying now, I just want to do something right before I die, at least make up for the mistakes I made." ”

"What do you want to do? Pointing a wand at Fudge's head? ”

"If necessary, I will." Dumbledore slowly stood up, "But Fudge doesn't matter, there are more important things to do now, I think I need to meet the professor of divination." ”

"It doesn't make sense." Snape shook his head, "Albus, it turns out that your plan has failed, I can't get close to the magician, and Professor Tang can't he don't need us at all, let alone find a way to provoke him to fight with the mysterious man."

"No, Severus." Dumbledore said slowly, "The situation has changed. ”

"I realized that I had to take on something that belonged to me and not pin it on something illusory."

"For a dying man, I'm the one who lacks time, and there's no need to stall for time through magicians, and I can't let Tom hide behind the scenes."

"At least until I die, I'll have to make sure Tom can come down with me soon, I need more Horcrux locations, and even Tom himself."

"Only Professor Tang can help me find these."

Snape stopped talking, he was the one who knew Dumbledore's physical condition best, in fact, if it weren't for the potions he had configured, Dumbledore might not have lasted long.

Even so, Dumbledore really doesn't have much time left.

The two opened the office door, and they were surprised to see a man standing next to the gargoyle sculpture.

"Professor Tang?" Snape stepped forward quickly, "So, you've succumbed to the point that we're going to look for you?" ”

This was Snape's first instinct, after all, he was in front of a soothsayer who could see the future, and he knew that the two were going to find him, and it would not be surprising that he would come and wait in advance.

"Huh?" Townsend raised an eyebrow, "I don't know what you're talking about, Professor Snape. ”

"I'm here for Professor Dumbledore."

He looked at Dumbledore behind Snape, bowed slightly, and said, "Specifically, I would like to invite Professor Dumbledore to lunch with me." ”

(End of chapter)