27

Seeing the snow with the principal is not something that happens very often. Although no Hogwarts student was unfamiliar with the Headmaster, after all, at dinner in the Great Hall it was not uncommon to see what robe he was wearing at the teachers' table. But it was as if it were just the Hogwarts students looking up at their headmaster, and unlike now, when they were standing close enough to make out the lines in his long silver beard, Eli had never felt it so clearly: Albus. Dumbledore was standing over him.

The greatest wizard of the century, the celebrity of the Chocolate Frog card, the hero of the defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald, also a real elder, a trusted object, a righteous guardian of noble enlightenment. And he even has a good photo shoot, a dress aesthetic with bright, contrasting colors, and a wonderful taste for using the name of a sweet treat as a password to enter his office... He was a real person, and because of that, everything he did was all the more admirable.

Eli momentarily lapsed, and if anything came to him. But he soon came to his senses and realized that such an opportunity was obviously a chance that would never come again, and his thoughts came back to him at once, and with a quick decision he took the thicker letter from the pocket of his robe, and from it he drew the paper that Arthur had sent him.

'Are you busy at the moment, Professor Dumbledore? "He asked earnestly." Arthur and I have been working on the Magical Shield, and we've got some ideas, but we're stuck, it only works once, its life is a little too short, it's hard to keep costs down... We've tried to look at jinxes that witches and wizards use to play tricks on Muggles, which tend to do a lot of damage in one go, but only if Muggles are non-magical and have no ability to neutralize jinxes, which, unlike wizards, is too limited in terms of protection when they're dealing with people who are also magical."

"Ah, I've heard from Arthur that you're working on it." "In fact, I happened to find myself free on my way back from the Wizengamot, so I went to the Burrow, and Arthur told me about your current bottleneck."

"That's great! "Said Eli, perking up." Do you have any good solutions, Professor Dumbledore?"

"Theoretically, there is a limit to how much magic an object can withstand." "If you only need a puppy to last ten minutes, for example, you will have no problem casting a Transfiguration charm on a teacup or a clock. But when you need a pet that will be with you for a long time, and you can't buy one, then you have to try it with the best materials, but it costs a lot more."

The Cost problem Eli anticipated that when a problem cannot be solved simply, a more complex solution must mean a higher cost. He sighed, aware that perhaps he should have accepted the situation, but still asked in a deathly way, "Is there really no other way? Even if it were useful, the scarce materials would not be suitable for a universal defense, which would be against the flow of consumables..."

"You're right." "So I suggested another idea to Arthur -- could it be possible to send a mayday signal at the same time as the spell was triggered? Even with the help of armor, many untrained wizards would not be able to stand up to a well-trained group of Death Eaters. Armor is not enough to bridge the gap in force between the visible and the dark, the law-abiding and normal people, and the unscrupulous and experienced thugs. But if a distress signal had been sent out in the first place, alerting nearby wizards to the sudden danger and coming to their aid, it might have made all the difference, and would have robbed the Death Eaters of the opportunity to attack."

"Like a flare?" Eli started, trying to catch Dumbledore's train of thought. "But it needs raw materials for chemical reactions, not... No, you mean, like the Dark Mark?"

"Oh, I'm a little surprised you even know about the Dark Mark," said RON. "If all my second years know about the Dark Mark, it will be a very bad thing that things have reached a really serious point."

Eli paused, lowered his eyes a little, and said in a low, quiet voice, "I spent many weeks with Papa at St. Mungo's, Professor. Half the men in the department had lost all sense of self, their brows furrowed in pain, as if they were trapped forever in darkness, from which they could never escape; The other half had some sort of deranged memory, where people saw them as they were now, scared, worried, and sad. The Dark Mark is a nightmare shared by all. It's a nightmare when you open your eyes. There's no way out."

They were silent together for a moment.

"I find that a very good idea, Professor." Eli took a deep breath, forced himself to gather himself, and thought seriously. "Just as people feel fear when they see the Dark Mark, so a fixed image can bring warmth and hope if it is always associated with help and rescue. For example... HMM..."

He thought about the images that would represent justice and hope, the dark Mark, and what he thought would give this warm power: he thought of Fawkes in the headmaster's office, a beautiful phoenix, warm and powerful when he saw him.

"Like how about a phoenix pattern?" "I got the idea from Fawkes," he suggested. "It looks better than snakes and skeletons."

Dumbledore let out a little oooh and looked at him carefully.

"You know what? Young as you are, Eli, the thought of inviting you has crossed my mind more than once." He didn't explain what he wanted him to join, which made his words seem a little jumbled. "I have to say, the path you've chosen is exactly the same as this little organization -- we haven't interfered with each other's aspirations or paths, but I have to say we have the same vision for justice."

"What organization?" Eli asked with interest, and the principal himself mentioned that this was clearly not going to be an easy group to make dessert together.

"It's still a little early." "But I think I shall be very happy to invite you to join me one day or another -- and that day may not be too far away."

Eli doesn't get any more information from Dumbledore about the organization that day, but Arthur does spill it during a later phone call.

"Professor Dumbledore said he'd invite you to join the Order? !" 'he raised his voice in surprise.' I'm not surprised you'll be joining us, but I think it's too soon to tell you... '

"So it's called the Order of the Phoenix? "Asked Eli with interest, realizing why Dumbledore had called it a coincidence that day.

Arthur immediately realized that he had said too much, and he was so annoyed that he would not say another word, no matter what Eli asked him.

It was not very important; he was bound to find out sooner or later, now that Dumbledore had mentioned it to him; it might not be the right time, just let it be. Eli didn't spend much time dwelling on the mystery. He put it aside and concentrated on working with Arthur on how to send a phoenix signal as soon as the shield was triggered.

"The Dark Mark seems to be Voldemort's -- sorry, You-Know-Who's -- exclusive invention, and there are no avenues for comparative study. We can't go up to a Death Eater and say, hey, mate, fire a Dark Mark and let's see, I guess he'll do it after he's killed me." "This can't be right, perhaps I can talk to Professors Flevey and McGonagall about it..."

Eli was frowning at the round table next to the telephone in the Gryffindor common room, scribbling away on scratch paper on his brace, organizing questions for tomorrow's consultation with the professors. The picture in the doorway was lifted and three men climbed in, laughing and talking, each looking as if he had been in a big battle of some sort.

"What's the matter with you?" Eli glanced up casually, momentarily dropped what he was doing, and asked in surprise.

"Nothing, just trying to deal with some fluffy little problems." James scratched his hair to make it look even messier. He looked a bit discomfiture, too, but he was in good spirits and looked bright.

"We've decided to do something great, Eli." "He said triumphantly." I wish I could share it with you -- but come on, you seem to have enough to worry about."

He saluted him smartly and informally, and went upstairs to his dormitory with his friends, tired but happy. Two minutes later, the portrait was uncovered again, and Lupin climbed in, his face a dazed mixture of fear, trepidation, apprehension, and perhaps a hint of exhilaration he did not notice.

"Aren't you together?" "Asked Eli unexpectedly." Jaime and his crew just got back."

'What? 'said Lupin absently, seconds before realizing that he was speaking to him.' Er... Yeah, we're not together. They're... No, I have other business..."

All right. Eli shrugged, bowed his head and went about his business. Lupin, however, stopped. He looked hesitantly at Eli for a moment.

Eli finished a page and looked up in his bag when he saw Lupin still there.

'What's the matter, Remus? 'he asked curiously.

Lupin gave a shudder as though startled with a start and stared at him for several seconds.

"No... Nothing." 'he said hastily, staring at Eli. After a pause, he asked softly.' James and his friends are the best in the world, aren't they? I... I can't believe I was lucky enough to meet them."

"Are you asking me for an objective answer?" Eli began to laugh. "To be honest, objectively speaking, they're a little too flamboyant and energetic. I don't know if a gentle, good-natured man like you would find it a little tiring... But I guess if you think they're the best, they certainly are. Everyone is not perfect, but he will always be the best in the world in one's heart, no one else can match."

"Thank you, you're right." Lupin stretched his forehead and smiled, his eyes gleaming. "I'll go up and find them, Eli, thank you very much... You must be the best one in the world. There must be a lot of people who think that."

I don't think I need that much either. Eli waved him off and went back to his bag. He found a new book inside and wrote two more pages on it. Suddenly the phone beside him rang.

Doesn't anyone seem to be waiting to answer the phone? Eli looked around the common room and didn't see anyone who looked like they had an appointment on the other side of the phone. So he reached out, took it, and asked politely, "Hello? Gryffindor Common Room."

"Eli..."

'Petunia? Eli recognized his voice and sat up unexpectedly. "You didn't say you'd call tonight. What happened?"

"No, it's all right." "Said Petunia." I got your letter..."

Ah, that's right. Eli smiled and relaxed back into his armchair. "Wendys is pretty fast. Would you like to understand my point of view? I know it's not all good here, but it's not as bad as you think. I belong here."

He said a few words, but there was no response on the phone. Eli stopped and asked, a little confused, "Penny?"

"That's not what I'm talking about." 'said Petunia, her breath fast and her voice tight.' I... I am..."

She could not say a word and clutched the receiver tightly. In her other hand she held the photograph that came with the letter, her name gleaming in it, behind the snowy castle and the rolling mountains, as if they were the other side of the world.

Petunia breathed deeply, uncontrollably, and pressed the hand that held the picture against her heart, as if that would hold it still as it bounded out of her chest. Her heart was beating so fast, it was like the summer she would never forget, when her sister had received an acceptance letter from the magical world. All her life, she had witnessed her sister demonstrate the magical ability to be different from others, to be treated with contempt, to be favored by heaven... She had made sure many times that she did not have that power, that luck, but she still on that night, shaking hands, wrote the letter, courage, for herself.

She felt as if the unflinchingly brave had returned to her, but this time she did not even know what it was from or what she was striving for. Her eyes were astonishingly bright, but she could not utter a word. She pressed the picture to her heart a little more tightly, as if by doing so she could completely integrate it into her body and make every possibility of it her own.

"I just want to say I know you're right." She spoke at last a little out of words, with a deep, silent sigh, but softly and solemnly.

"I know... Know you're the best."