32: A White Wizard or A Dark Lord?

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"The Obscurus is an extremely powerful magical force. It typically manifests in young wizards who have a lot but are forced to suppress their magic," Dumbledore explained.

What surprised him most about Ivan was that the boy hadn't been abused or mistreated—something usually associated with the creation of an Obscurus. "Your talent is exceedingly rare, Ivan."

Ivan's magical abilities were so immense that they might have been the cause of the Obscurus forming within him. For most young wizards, a magic outburst would lead to catastrophe, but Dumbledore had never heard of any such incident involving Ivan over the years.

This showed the extraordinary control Ivan had over the Obscurus, and Dumbledore was impressed by the boy's ability to maintain a kind heart despite the overwhelming power within him.

"My nephew and sister... they were the same as you."

After a long pause, Dumbledore revealed the most painful part of his past, something he had buried deep within himself.

He hoped to dispel any doubts Ivan might have and earn the boy's trust.

"So, I won't harm you—absolutely not," Dumbledore said, his eyes sincere, as though he were seeing his sister and nephew in Ivan.

"I believe you," Ivan replied, though he didn't completely trust Dumbledore.

The reason he wasn't particularly worried was that he had already glimpsed fragments of the future.

It had to be said—being an Obscurial was like a nemesis for Dumbledore. The identity gave Ivan the potential to overpower even the strongest wizard in the world without giving him a chance to fight back.

"Thank you, thank you for your trust, Ivan."

Dumbledore removed his glasses with trembling hands, perhaps seeing Ivan's response as a form of forgiveness from his long-lost sister and nephew.

"Professor, the book says that Obscurials rarely live beyond the age of 10," Ivan pointed out. "But I'm already 11."

"Some young wizards with exceptional talent may be able to defy that rule."

Even so, Dumbledore's nephew, the longest-living Obscurial known, had still passed away at the age of 25.

"You mean..." Ivan asked, "There's no way to stop it?"

"I'm sorry, child," Dumbledore sighed. "I don't know how to."

Since the Statute of Secrecy came into effect, Obscurials had nearly vanished from the wizarding world, as most young wizards were enrolled in magical schools where they could safely learn and practice their magic.

"However, if you're willing, Ivan, you can come to me," Dumbledore offered, saying that Ivan could visit him at any time to ask questions about magic, and that he would do his best to help.

Yes, Dumbledore intended to mentor Ivan, helping him grow and improve his magical abilities.

As for the Obscurus, Dumbledore admitted he could not provide a solution, but he believed in Ivan's potential.

"Thank you for your help, Professor," Ivan said sincerely.

With Dumbledore's guidance, Ivan knew his magical abilities would surely improve by leaps and bounds.

And Dumbledore was right.

Instead of relying on others, Ivan knew he had to believe in himself.

In short, Dumbledore hoped that Ivan wouldn't give up and would live with strength and courage. "That's right," Dumbledore added, "if possible, I hope you won't reveal this power easily."

The Obscurial was like a ticking time bomb. Though it had become something of a legend, its deterrent power was far greater than that of werewolves.

If the parents of other students were to learn of Ivan's identity, it could cause significant problems.

However, just as Dumbledore had managed to protect Lupin by concealing his werewolf identity, allowing him to study at Hogwarts in peace, he was confident he could protect Ivan in the same way.

"I understand, Professor," Ivan replied, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.

The existence of an Obscurial was like a slap in the face to the magical communities of different countries.

It exposed the failings of the Ministry of Magic in educating and guiding young wizards, which would likely lead to heavy criticism from the International Confederation of Wizards.

Additionally, young wizards might see Ivan as a monster, and the parents of other students would fear for the safety of their children.

After all, the consequences of an Obscurial's outbreak could be catastrophic.

So Ivan understood the pressure Dumbledore was under. "I will try not to use this power."

"Just don't harm the other children," Dumbledore said gently.

Dumbledore removed his glasses and reassured Ivan that this wasn't a restriction.

If Ivan ever needed to use the power of the Obscurus, Dumbledore would protect him, even if his identity was exposed—just as he had done for Lupin in the past.

"Alright," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Rest well."

"By the way, Professor..."

Ivan was about to leave but suddenly remembered something. He turned around and said casually, "I noticed something at the banquet."

"Oh? What was it?" Dumbledore asked.

"The professor sitting at the teacher's table," Ivan explained, "the one with the cloth wrapped around his head."

"Professor Quirrell. What about him?"

"I saw a black mist around him."

Ivan's clairvoyance allowed him to see things that others couldn't.

Dumbledore had likely sensed something as well, but he hadn't expected Ivan to be so perceptive.

Ivan had mentioned this because of Dumbledore's earlier hint.

Parents might worry about an Obscurial, but what about Voldemort?

After all, allowing Voldemort to enter Hogwarts and serve as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was no small matter.

"I'm aware," Dumbledore responded calmly.

Dumbledore thought for a moment. "I will handle this matter. Now you should go and rest, we don't want you to doze off tomorrow, do we?" he said with a light chuckle.

"Heh, we don't! Well, good night, Professor."

Since Dumbledore didn't want to elaborate, Ivan naturally decided not to involve himself any further.

He felt both cautious and trusting of Dumbledore.

The caution stemmed from Dumbledore's cunning nature; one could easily become part of his grand plans without even realizing it.

As for trust...

If you are talking about the original content, there's an old saying in the Harry Potter world: you can always trust Dumbledore.

When you think about it, aside from the unclear circumstances surrounding Ariana, has Dumbledore ever intentionally harmed anyone in his life?

It's important not to think too highly of Dumbledore, but equally important not to think too poorly of him.

One thing is certain—Dumbledore hadn't lied to Ivan.

That is, the old man would never harm him.

'But why wouldn't he?'

Ivan's first interaction with Dumbledore left him with a deeper impression of the "White Wizard" of the magical world: 'For a greater purpose?'

Ivan couldn't believe that Dumbledore was unaware of the issues surrounding Quirrell.

Perhaps Dumbledore hadn't anticipated that Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort.

But even if Quirrell had simply become a dark wizard, allowing him into Hogwarts was still a highly irresponsible decision.

Then there were the so-called "protective measures" for the Philosopher's Stone—those magical barriers that seemed more like a child's play than actual protection.

Rather than true defense, it felt more like a trap to lure Voldemort in, and at the same time, a test for Harry.

But no matter how you look at it, whether Dumbledore was baiting Voldemort or hiding something as dangerous as the Philosopher's Stone on the third floor, he was risking the lives of the young wizards at Hogwarts.

'Sigh~ This is Dumbledore.'

Ivan couldn't fully understand Dumbledore's motives.

But there was one thing he was certain of.

Between the safety of Hogwarts' students and teachers and his grand plan, Dumbledore had chosen the latter.

The entirety of the "Harry Potter" series, all the original books, could be seen as the price paid for that moment.

Every person involved, every crisis—all of it.

'Harry is the savior, the center of the story.'

'But what about everyone else?'

Sirius, Lupin, the Longbottoms, the Weasleys...

These people chose to follow Dumbledore. How much risk did they take, and how much did they sacrifice?'

'For the greater good, some people can be sacrificed—even if that person is oneself.'

Thinking this, Ivan couldn't help but smile: 'Since I've come to this world, wouldn't it be a pity if I didn't challenge the strongest wizard of the era?'

Is this dangerous?

Ivan thought it was rather fascinating.

After all, Voldemort had killed so many people, yet Dumbledore hadn't taken direct action back then.

It seemed that Dumbledore's attitude had always been somewhat contradictory.

It wasn't necessarily the number of people who died that determined Dumbledore's stance—it was whether or not Voldemort could lead the wizarding world into a new era that influenced him.

If the Death Eaters hadn't grown increasingly reckless, and if Dumbledore hadn't realized that Voldemort was not the future of the wizarding world, would he have ever formed the Order of the Phoenix and led his followers to fight against him?

Just like his solo duel with Grindelwald.

Until the very last moment, Dumbledore had hesitated to turn against the person he loved.

In other words, as long as Ivan didn't cross Dumbledore's ultimate line, he never had to worry about the old man doing anything harmful to him.

'In short, let's set a small goal first,' Ivan thought, feeling the faint stir of ambition within him.

'Establish my own group within Hogwarts, and then...

'Become someone like Dumbledore..

'Uh, wait.. Do I want that?'

'What do I want?'

'A White Wizard- I don't want to live my life for the sake of protecting others and then be blamed when I fail.. A Dark Lord- I don't want to antagonize the good people and cause destruction... but I want the servitude they have..'

'I want to be powerful... I want to have fun... I don't want to serve and live for humanity.. I want others to live for me(?) And I want to do whatever I want in my life...'

'So not a White Wizard, not a Dark Lord either... Let's meet in the middle!'

'Let's Become a White Lord!'

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15 Chaps ahead:

P@treon: HornyFBI