A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Felix seemed puzzled and asked, "I don't understand, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore placed his hands in front of him, his gaze scrutinizing. "I mean, you have a bright future ahead of you, but you're so fixated on returning to Hogwarts! I'd like to know why."

The principal's meaning was clear: you've already made a name for yourself; three years after graduation, you've written three books, each one quite excellent. Especially the two books on Muggle studies, although they didn't sell well—at least compared to another professor he interviewed—who was also an author, but whose sales were worlds apart.

However, it is undeniable that these two books have had a very wide influence. One is "The Muggle's Struggle: From a Million Years Ago," and the other is "How Muggles Think." They have become the guidebooks for most departments of the Ministry of Magic around the world that deal with Muggle issues.

At least Dumbledore had discussed some of the contents of the books with friends, including the head of the Department for the Prohibition of the Misuse of Muggle Articles and members of Wizengamor, who also spoke highly of the two books.

Felix thought for a moment and said, "Headmaster Dumbledore, I have a deep affection for Hogwarts; it's my home, it makes me feel welcome! And I really enjoy teaching students; it's a very fulfilling thing..."

Dumbledore interrupted him, his deep blue eyes sharp and unreadable, belying the age of a centenarian. "We all know this isn't true. I want to know your true thoughts; it's important, it concerns whether you'll get the teaching position."

Felix broke out in a sweat. He instinctively activated his Occlumency technique, then stopped.

This is not a wise decision. Occlumency is not a panacea, especially when you are at a lower level, let alone when facing what is arguably the greatest wizard of this century.

Fortunately, he had prepared in advance and made some small preparations for it.

For example, a few drops of Felix Felicis.

After a brief two-second thought, he decided to follow his intuition and "tell the truth."

Felix finally spoke, saying earnestly, "In order to study the mysteries of magic more deeply."

Dumbledore nodded, appearing to be all ears.

"Headmaster, you've been my headmaster from the time I entered school until I graduated, so you should know something about my experience. Before fifth grade, I spent a lot of time on magical practice to deal with some troubles, neglecting some theoretical subjects." This was the truth; he was always very anxious to avoid being beaten up and knocked unconscious.

"Back then, I was pursuing power, pursuing the power of individual spells, but I was wrong. It wasn't until my last two years at school, when I finally had the time to explore the mysteries of magic, that I realized what I had missed." This is true. While his cheat ability helped him become powerful quickly, it also led him in the wrong direction—one-sidedly pursuing the power of magic while ignoring the importance of theory.

Dumbledore nodded slightly, his tone softening again, tinged with curiosity. "So, your research focuses on ancient runes?"

This isn't hard to guess, considering that of Felix's three books, besides *Muggle Studies*, there's also *Ancient Rune Exploration*. And *Muggle Studies* can hardly be considered a study of magic.

"That's right! The deeper you delve into magic, the more you can't do without ancient runes, especially when you need to trace the origins of ancient magic. I only realized this in sixth or seventh grade, but unfortunately, I only got an A in ancient runes in my OWLs exam, so I couldn't continue studying and had to learn it on my own." This was the truth, a mistake Felix made in his youthful ignorance.

Felix continued, his intuition heightened by the Felix Felicis, and his speech becoming increasingly fluent. "I do have my own selfish reasons. Hogwarts has the world's largest library, filled with books on ancient runes."

"But what's available on the market—"

"I've read all the books on the market, and unfortunately, they're mostly theoretical with too little practical application—they seem to simply treat Ancient Runes as a language, merely used to translate manuscripts from the past. And while researching Muggles, I unexpectedly had a new inspiration, and I tried to combine the two! As you know, Ancient Runes are also essential knowledge for alchemy."

Dumbledore was intrigued. "You mean—if I heard correctly—you want to combine alchemy with Muggle items?"

Felix seemed quite excited, and he spoke eloquently, "Yes, but this is only the initial stage, which is to modify Muggle items and turn them into magical artifacts. For example, an air conditioner is a cooling device that can keep the indoor temperature constant within a comfortable range. Muggles need electricity—that is, a type of energy—to power it, but converting it into a magical artifact is much simpler. The core is just a freezing charm and a detection charm."

"Of course, we need to consider the issue of stability, which requires the use of ancient magic runes."

"What I'm doing now goes a step further: combining Muggle wisdom with wizarding magic. You know, Muggles always have a lot of novel ideas, and some of their ideas are difficult to turn into reality, but if magic is involved, it becomes very simple!"

Dumbledore nodded and commented, "The first step is transformation, the second step is creation. A brilliant idea."

The two discussed this issue for a long time, a full three hours, before Dumbledore suddenly realized what had happened. He had indeed been unconsciously engrossed in his discussion with Felix, who was arguably one of the most outstanding students he had encountered in recent decades.

Especially with my advice, this student, after three years of reflection, has burst forth with brilliant insights!

Even though he was a Slytherin.

It's a pity he was a Slytherin!

Dumbledore remained silent, hesitating, as if time had suddenly rewound fifty years.

It's so similar, it's really so similar!

Born in the same Muggle orphanage, a Slytherin, equally excellent and polite, and equally obsessed with power, how should he choose?

Time has proven that his choice decades ago may have been wrong. If he hadn't used magical flames to force the boy to admit his mistake, if he had shown more concern back then, or even if he had discovered the boy's wolfish ambitions earlier, perhaps a terrifying Dark Lord would never have emerged.

So what about now?

It seems that the same choice is facing him again. How should he decide?

The old man seemed somewhat dazed. He looked at the young, handsome, and outstanding student opposite him and seemed to see the shadow of another person.

Voldemort!

Felix, on the other hand, seemed puzzled. "I was telling the truth, albeit selectively. We were just having a good chat, so why does Dumbledore look so conflicted and sorrowful now?"

What did he say wrong?

Did it sting him?

What exactly is going on?

Felix has a headache!