The Return to Hogwarts

Principal Dipett's suggestion immediately enraged Phineas, who then spat at Dipett.

"You're just jealous, aren't you? Jealous that the great Slytherin School has produced another outstanding genius, and you want to destroy it!"

Headmaster Black's defense was too broad, and many other headmasters stepped forward to criticize Slytherin, with Armando Dippet being particularly scathing.

"The great Slytherin House? Hmph, I bet you haven't forgotten how much panic that Chamber of Secrets left by Slytherin caused at Hogwarts last year!"

“That secret chamber isn’t that simple!” Phineas retorted sharply.

"Albus has already told us that the Chamber of Secrets is a hidden world. To be honest, I am incredibly grateful to Amostrath Blaine. He has cleared the wizarding world of a thousand-year-old slander against Salazar Slytherin. Slytherin left the Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk for a specific purpose, not to slaughter the young wizards in the school!"

Phineas's statement was the conclusion reached after joint discussion and did not represent his personal opinion alone, so Armando Dippert did not refute it but remained silent.

As if he had won a holy war, Phineas puffed out his chest, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Albus Dumbledore, and said proudly,

"Would you like to hear my opinion, Albus, about Amosta Blaine?"

“I look forward to hearing your insightful opinions, Phineas,” Dumbledore said sincerely with a smile. “I’m sure your wisdom will guide us.”

Finnias, flattered by Dumbledore, was filled with pride. For a moment, he seemed to be transported back to his days as the current headmaster of Hogwarts, wielding immense power. He glanced haughtily at Armando Dippet, who was also giving him a cold look, and cleared his throat.

"First, there's a question that needs your honest answer, Albus—"

After receiving a nod of approval from Dumbledore, Phineas Black's small eyes gleamed with shrewdness.

"Now that you're here, Albus, are you still capable of dealing with Amosta Blaine?"

Chapter 171 The Heir of Hogwarts

Phineas Black, the first headmaster from Slytherin in many years and the most unpopular headmaster in Hogwarts history, posed questions that not only intrigued him but also drew the keen interest of every headmaster depicted in his portrait.

Dumbledore was not surprised by the question, and he was also very clear about what Principal Black was going to say to him next.

"If you mean suppressing him in a duel—"

After a moment's thought, Dumbledore answered the question, "Perhaps it is still possible for now, but I'm afraid this situation cannot last much longer."

"Only suppression?" Armando Dipette frowned, dissatisfied. "We all know your humble style, Albus, but you don't need to be like this in front of us."

“Not out of modesty, Professor Armando,”

"Dumbledore said gently, his tone tinged with appreciation,"

"Compared to a few months ago, he has made great progress. To be honest, I never expected him to improve so quickly. The Fiendfyre spell that Amosta cast tonight was outstanding. The extremely stable spell configuration made the uncontrollable Fiendfyre exhibit an astonishing structural stability. Even I couldn't easily extinguish it. If his magical skills can continue to grow at such an astonishing rate, I'm afraid it won't be long before I'm completely helpless."

Dumbledore's answer satisfied Phineas in the picture frame, but the problem was that his satisfaction was too great, making him feel uneasy.

“Then, Albus—” Phineas said uneasily, “what about this young man’s soul—”

“Still intact,” Dumbledore smiled inexplicably. “That’s the only thing that brings me comfort tonight.”

After another brief silence, the former headmasters of Hogwarts, all of whom were powerful and knowledgeable wizards, were pondering which of the outstanding young people they had met during their lifetimes could compare to Amostrath Blaine.

"--so,"

Phineas was smug, displaying an air of profound wisdom.

"We don't have many options, do we, Albus? Winning over that young man and getting him into our great cause is the only choice, otherwise..."

"Oh, forgive my bluntness, Albus, but if we anger that young man and he decides to join forces with that Dark Lord whose name no one wants to mention, we're doomed. One of them has gathered the direct descendants of most of the pure-blood families in the wizarding world, while the other is infamous in the underworld where ancient sorcerer schools are active. Seriously, if they join forces, they could walk right into Hogwarts, and you wouldn't be able to stop them, Albus."

This is a terrible future, and the possibility of it happening is not low if they mishandle it.

"That child is very kind,"

Unexpectedly, Ms. Delis took the initiative to defend Amosta.

“We all know that kid’s style. He’s almost unbeatable in the wizarding world, but he has always restrained himself and tried not to hurt others. In addition, he has been supporting the Muggle orphanage that raised him.”

“The only reason he’s been so restrained is because of Albus Dumbledore,” Armando Dippet said sharply.

“That’s not the case.”

Just then, a deep, hoarse, slow voice suddenly rang out in the office, drawing everyone's attention to a shelf behind Dumbledore.

“Amosta Blaine, that boy, I remember him very clearly—”

The tattered, wrinkled wizard's hat on the shelf swayed its tip as it spoke slowly and deliberately.

"He is probably the most difficult child I have ever seen in a thousand years to be assigned to. His small body possesses an unimaginably mature mind. It's very difficult, really very difficult—"

The Sorting Hat's words greatly interested Dumbledore. He turned to face the Sorting Hat and spoke with great enthusiasm.

Could you please explain in more detail?

“Of course, no problem, Headmaster Dumbledore,” the Sorting Hat mumbled in a murmured tone.

"We all know what qualities the four great wizards value. Sirs, over the millennia, I have peered into the souls of countless young wizards. For most children, their thoughts are very easy to understand, and I can guide them to where they are meant to be without much effort. There are some who are more difficult, such as Harry Potter. Slytherin and Gryffindor will help him have an immeasurable future. However, even Potter cannot compare to Amostrath Blaine."

"What do you mean?"

Dumbledore's curiosity deepened. He realized he had made a mistake. All along, he had been trying to see through Amostrabe Blaine's layers of disguise to understand his soul, but he had overlooked the fact that he had long ago had the opportunity to experience the real Amostrabe Blaine.

"Very interesting, extremely rare, never seen before, gentlemen principals."

The Sorting Hat chuckled.

"The courage that Gryffindor values, the wisdom that Ravenclaw values, the kindness that Hufflepuff values, and the ambition that Slytherin values—he possesses them all. Headmasters, it's truly a remarkable thing that Amosta Blaine possesses all of these qualities. Headmaster Dumbledore, if Potter can draw the sword of Gryffindor from me, proving he is the true heir of Gryffindor, then Amosta Blaine should be called the heir of Hogwarts. He possesses all the qualities valued by the four great masters!"

The room fell silent after the Sorting Hat's speech.

"All the qualities that the four giants value."

Dumbledore was also taken aback; his eyes became vacant, and he murmured softly,

"Yes, that's really surprising."

"But you sorted him into Slytherin, didn't you?"

Armando Dippert, who has the lowest tolerance for evil, once again sharply expressed his opinion: "This means that in that guy's heart, ambition always trumps everything!"

“That’s not the case, Principal Dippert—”

The Sorting Hat refuted Armando's words once again, letting out a hoarse chuckle as he slowly and deliberately spoke...

"At that time, I mean, when a Muggle child first enters the wondrous magical world, he needs ambition, an ambition for power, to protect himself from harm. But that doesn't mean ambition dominates that child's soul. His entry into Slytherin is merely a specific choice for a specific age group, gentlemen headmasters. If that child were sorted again today, he could go anywhere, gentlemen headmasters—"

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Chapter 172 Why Shed Tears Alone

"Anywhere is possible—"

Dumbledore, his expression serious, softly repeated the Sorting Hat's words, while the portraits on the walls, though eager to discuss the ridiculous yet inexplicably awe-inspiring title of 'Successor of Hogwarts,' all tried their best to remain silent, afraid of disturbing Dumbledore's thoughts.

"I must express my gratitude to you,"

After a long pause, Dumbledore's tone became lighter. He sat in his chair and nodded to the Sorting Hat.

"The wisdom of the four founders is Hogwarts' most valuable asset, and tonight, it has prevented me from making a terrible mistake."

After saying this, Dumbledore rose from his chair, walked around the table, and paced around the round office.

"Specific choices for specific ages—what a wise statement,"

Dumbledore smiled and said, "Even I can't completely avoid the trap of prejudice, can I?"

No one needed to answer; Dumbledore was simply talking to himself.

"--Amostella and Tom are very similar, which is something I've always worried about. This worry is so strong that even though I know he and Tom are completely different people, I can't completely put my mind at ease. I must admit that his Slytherin background has amplified my concern about the similarities between him and Tom, but in reality, it's just a terrible prejudice!"

"That's just how it is, Albus!"

Phineas seized the opportunity and exclaimed happily,

“We all know that powerful wizards have privileges. Although that boy sometimes disregards the law and rules, he is ultimately kind. What happened tonight is strong evidence of that. Those increasingly incompetent guys in the Ministry of Magic can't withstand his antics!”

Phineas was infamous in life, and after his death, he was unlikely to be well received by his peers. However, there was some truth to what he said, so the former principals remained silent, neither agreeing with him nor refuting him.

This was a great encouragement to Phineas, who smugly surveyed his surroundings, his dark eyes darting around.

"We should forgive such a talented young man for making such a trivial mistake and patiently guide him back to the right path."

"What makes you so tolerant and friendly tonight, Principal Blake?"

Dumbledore paused before the golden branch where Fawkes was perched, looked up at the portrait of Phineas, and spoke gently.

"I've made my meaning very clear, haven't I?"

Phineas's goatee trembled with a sly smile as he spoke cautiously and tactfully to Dumbledore.

"Since we can be lenient with the mistakes Amosta Blaine has made over the years, then Albus, my good-for-nothing great-grandson..."

"Aha!"

Armando Dipetet, who had been giving Phineas a disdainful look for a while, suddenly shouted excitedly.

"I knew you were plotting this! Your scheme has been exposed!"

Phineas's attempt to mislead the public provoked widespread anger, and a torrent of criticism ensued. Amidst the fierce condemnation, Phineas shouted loudly.