Chapter 94: The Legendary Headmaster's Office

The dawn had yet to break, but the eastern sky was already brightening.

Weak light filtered through the windows, casting a faint glow on the stone floor of the castle's corridors.

On either side of the walls, magical torches flickered, seemingly about to extinguish at any moment.

In the shifting light and shadows of the hallway, Dumbledore spoke slowly:

"We haven't had a proper chat in a long time. My office is just on this floor, and we can have breakfast together if you don't mind."

Faced with this sudden invitation, Ino thought for a moment before agreeing:

"Of course, Professor. It would be my honor! And it saves me from the crowded Great Hall later."

After all, when he decided to hand Tom's notebook to Professor McGonagall, he knew this day would come eventually. Avoiding it was not an option.

---

Though the Headmaster's office could be accessed via the eighth-floor corridor, it was essentially in a separate tower.

Ino followed Dumbledore, eventually arriving at a door guarded by a large stone gargoyle.

"Fizzing Whizzbees!" Dumbledore stated the password without reservation, then turned to Ino with a smile:

"Only Honeydukes includes Billywig stings in their recipe, so their sweets are the most authentic."

"Thanks to you, we now have a competent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, at least in the area of magical creature collection," Ino replied, not hiding the discontent in his voice. After their open conversation last time, he no longer felt any particular resistance towards the old headmaster.

"Haha, many people are dissatisfied with Lockhart, including Minerva," Dumbledore chuckled, "but we cannot deny that Lockhart has his uses. More than learning a few spells, I believe it is crucial for young wizards to develop the right qualities and understand the consequences of vanity, pride, and arrogance."

Hearing Dumbledore's rationale, Ino did not immediately respond. There was no denying the headmaster's points were valid, even important. From a long-term educational perspective, character is always more important than skills.

Honestly, someone with ability but no moral integrity can often cause immense harm to those around them.

"Perhaps you are right, Professor. But I believe that without the corresponding skills, young wizards would have no means of self-rescue when they find themselves in danger. After all, in the face of survival, qualities seem less important."

Without rejecting Dumbledore's decision outright, he still expressed his viewpoint. Hogwarts was not a Muggle school; it was an extraordinary school teaching magic.

Being extraordinary inherently entails inequality. Not to mention the centuries-old grudges between Muggles and wizards.

"It seems we have a difference of opinion on this matter, but that's alright. We can discuss it over breakfast."

As Dumbledore finished speaking, the stone gargoyle slowly opened, revealing the spiral staircase behind it.

Beyond the staircase was a gleaming oak door, with a brass knocker shaped like a griffin.

The office was a spacious, bright circular room, with portraits of past headmasters hanging on the walls. Most of these portraits seemed to be asleep, snoring softly, perhaps due to the early hour.

In the center of the room was a massive desk, adorned with many intricate silver instruments.

"Please, have a seat. At this hour, we'll have to start with some candies to tide us over. The kitchen isn't ready to serve breakfast yet, and even as headmaster, I can't change that," Dumbledore said with a smile, heading to a cabinet and opening it to reveal jars of colorful sweets.

With a quick glance, Ino also spotted another interesting item inside the cabinet: a Pensieve, a now-lost method of making it.

After a brief delay, Dumbledore laid out various sweets on the table.

"Ino, you are absolutely right. In the face of life, many things indeed seem less significant," Dumbledore continued the previous topic once they were seated. "What I want to say is, both the wizarding and Muggle worlds are currently in an era of peace. In such times, character becomes particularly important. One Lockhart is already more than enough."

Ino couldn't help but laugh at this explanation.

"Professor, I'm not here to argue with you. I'm just here to have breakfast and chat about interesting topics, like composition or music."

He realized that Dumbledore could be somewhat stubborn.

Seeing this, there was no need to continue this topic. After all, what's done is done.

Dumbledore, on the other hand, didn't pursue the matter further.

He glanced at the gray-blue sky outside the window, a deep expression flashing in his eyes.

Then, in a calm and unhurried manner, he subtly shifted the conversation to a new direction.

"Or perhaps we can talk about magic. Ino, what do you think magic is?"

What is magic?

Hearing this question, Ino immediately realized it might be a test. After all, in the stories, Dumbledore had asked another student this same question half a century ago.

Looking at the somewhat aged Dumbledore, he decided not to hide anything with false politeness. Despite having Occlumency and the protection of ice and snow, making deception easy, he didn't want to lie.

After all, he didn't plan to become the third Dark Lord. He just wanted to live quietly in this tumultuous world, nothing more.

"Professor, I believe magic is a miracle, a guarantee of my life, and a means of survival."

Saying this, Ino leaned back slightly, adjusting to a more comfortable position.

"Before coming to Hogwarts, I relied on divination to survive. Without magic, I might have frozen to death under a bridge or starved by the Thames."

"No matter how others view magic, to me, that's what it is. With magic, I can live the life I want and ensure I have everything I need."

After speaking, Ino looked directly at Dumbledore, meeting his gaze without a trace of evasion.

The office fell into a brief silence, the snoring from the portraits even quieting down.

After a while.

"Thank you for this honesty," Dumbledore broke the silence, his voice filled with lightness and appreciation. "You know, as an old man, one cannot help but consider what comes after oneself. They praise me as the greatest white wizard of the twentieth century, though I don't see it that way. But as the headmaster of Hogwarts, I genuinely hope that every young wizard who comes here can truly feel happy!"

"And all I can do is try to keep that happiness going."

At this, Dumbledore was slightly moved. He gently took off his signature glasses, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes.

In those eyes, there seemed to be a hidden, profound emotion, as if a light mist was spreading, making the blue even softer and more moist.

"Professor, a crown makes the one who wears it noble, a symbol of status. But its true meaning is that when disaster strikes, it will shield the people."

"And you, Professor, are worthy of the title of Hogwarts Headmaster. The crown shines brilliantly because of you."

This was not flattery; at this moment, Ino was sincerely praising him.

Since becoming Hogwarts' headmaster in 1944, Dumbledore had ensured that no student had died accidentally for 48 years.

Likewise, whether it was during the years of the Death Eaters' rampage or the ten years of Voldemort's terror, Hogwarts had remained largely unaffected.

No other person could have produced such results as Dumbledore.