Chapter 134: Meeting the Old Fox, Dumbledore

In the wizarding world, there was a place of great renown: Hogsmeade.

It was the only village in Britain inhabited entirely by wizards.

According to certain historical records, although individual wizards possessed extraordinary power, they were still at a disadvantage when faced with the vast population of Muggles. Thus, after the Middle Ages, wizards grew accustomed to concealing themselves.

For that reason, a purely wizarding village such as Hogsmeade was all the more precious.

Hogsmeade was an important route to Hogwarts. Aside from the village’s permanent residents, the large number of Hogwarts students in their third year and above made the place exceptionally lively.

There were countless shops in Hogsmeade, selling all manner of goods.

Ma Jun had visited once before, but unfortunately, he had found no useful books. As for the so-called delicious food and fine drink, they fell far short of what could be found in the Muggle world. Consequently, he was not particularly familiar with the village.

Most of Hogsmeade’s buildings were old-fashioned houses with thatched roofs. Among them stood a famous establishment: the Three Broomsticks.

It was an unusual name, yet the pub was never short of customers.

Its proprietor was a graceful, strikingly beautiful woman who still possessed all the charm of her youth. Her name was Madam Rosmerta.

At that moment, in a corner of the pub, Madam Rosmerta cheerfully carried over two tankards of butterbeer. With a radiant smile, she set them down.

“Why do those two want to meet and talk? Are they good friends?” she wondered to herself. Then she said, “If there’s nothing else you need, I’ll be leaving now.”

“Nothing else. Thank you very much!”

Ma Jun looked across the table at Dumbledore, whose hair and beard were streaked with gray and who wore the spectacles of a learned scholar. He thought to himself, “Is this old fellow interested in the proprietress? I certainly can’t see what’s so remarkable about her. I hear she has a very wide circle of acquaintances.”

After Madam Rosmerta left, Dumbledore turned toward Ma Jun.

“Come, Mr. Ma, try some. The butterbeer here is excellent. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

“Oh, is that so?” Ma Jun replied perfunctorily. He casually clinked his tankard against Dumbledore’s and took a sip.

He did not like butterbeer in the slightest. It was cloying.

“I envy you, Mr. Ma, being able to travel the world!” Dumbledore said with a genial smile. “When I was young, I had the same dream. But in the end... I visited very few places.”

“When we’re young, we tend to be somewhat impulsive,” Ma Jun replied with a smile.

“I heard that you were not a student at any of the three great European schools of magic?” Dumbledore asked casually.

“Oh, that’s right. I was an orphan when I was young,” Ma Jun said.

The identity the system had arranged for him was merely that of a wizard. It could not provide him with a more specific background. After all, once a person possessed a social identity, there would naturally be many people who knew him, and too many things would need to be altered. Perhaps the system was incapable of such a task.

It was not difficult for Dumbledore to discover this, and Ma Jun suspected that the old wizard had investigated him beforehand. With Dumbledore’s reputation and connections in the wizarding world, looking into a person’s background would have been effortless.

“I’ve read your travel journals and books,” Dumbledore continued. “Many of the events you described were fascinating. You handled all sorts of crises remarkably well. I also heard that you exposed the true nature of Gilderoy Lockhart?”

“Oh, the travel journals were merely accounts of personal experiences,” Ma Jun said. “Mr. Lockhart repeatedly provoked me at a gathering, and in the end, I had no choice but to challenge him to a duel. Who would have thought he was all appearance and no substance? His actual ability was probably no greater than that of an ordinary seventh-year student.”

“You must know of Hogwarts,” Dumbledore said, taking another drink. He seemed rather fond of the beverage.

“Oh, of course!” Ma Jun replied excitedly. “It’s a wonderful place. I once dreamed of studying there—to meet more friends and learn more knowledge!”

“We have always hoped that Hogwarts would become better,” Dumbledore said, his expression turning melancholy. “Do you know Harry?”

“Speaking of Harry, it seems he’s encountered quite a few difficulties at school,” Ma Jun said with concern. “We’re good friends. We spent some time together at the Leaky Cauldron. He’s a kind and brave boy. He has kept in contact with me by letter. Not long ago, it seemed that... something unexpected happened. He said one of the teachers was trying to steal something. Did he get himself into trouble?”

“No, quite the opposite. Harry deserves praise!” Dumbledore replied. “He accomplished something truly extraordinary. Do you know of Voldemort?”

“Yes!” Ma Jun frowned. “Harry encountered Voldemort? What happened to him?”

Dumbledore was very pleased by Ma Jun’s reaction. Lowering his voice, he said, “Don’t worry. Harry is fine. You don’t seem reluctant to use Voldemort’s name. Many people fear it so much that they refer to him as ‘You-Know-Who.’”

“It’s only a name.” Ma Jun smiled faintly.

“Eleven years ago, Voldemort suffered a devastating defeat because of Harry,” Dumbledore said quietly. “People thought he had died, but in truth, he had not.”

“He’s still alive?” Ma Jun asked, pretending to be astonished.

“That’s right!” Dumbledore said, his brows knitting together. “He lost his body and was reduced to nothing but a soul. He sought to resurrect himself with the aid of a magical object.”

“That object was at Hogwarts, and Harry protected it?” Ma Jun said, even more astonished. “But I must say, Harry was rather reckless. He should have been more careful.”

“Indeed. Fortunately, everything turned out perfectly.”

“Wait...” Ma Jun suddenly said. “Why was Voldemort at Hogwarts? How did he get inside? As far as I know, if there is anyone in the wizarding world whom Voldemort would fear, you would surely be the first person who came to mind. He couldn’t have slipped into the school right under your nose.”

“Thank you for your trust,” Dumbledore said regretfully. “But the truth is, I was careless. He took control of a professor and entered the school by using that professor’s body. I never imagined it.”

Ma Jun laughed inwardly. The old fox was putting on quite an act.

From the very beginning, every step Harry had taken to protect the Philosopher’s Stone had been arranged by this old man. First, he had allowed Hagrid to obtain the Stone right under Harry’s nose. Then, through Hagrid, he had deliberately allowed information to reach Harry, whether directly or indirectly.

By arousing Harry’s curiosity, he had guided the boy, step by step, into protecting the Stone under his direction. Wasn’t the ultimate purpose to help Harry grow?

Seen from the perspective of an all-knowing observer, everything had been far too coincidental.

Yet there was no denying that Dumbledore was a successful educator. At the very least, he had shaped Harry remarkably well. He knew that, by the end of the story, Harry—who possessed a fragment of Voldemort’s soul—would have to face Voldemort directly.

“Voldemort truly is cunning,” Ma Jun said gravely. “Professor Dumbledore, is Voldemort dead this time? Truly dead?”

“No...” Dumbledore’s voice was low. “He is even weaker now, gathering strength in the shadows. Perhaps in a few years, he will return once more.”

“That is deeply troubling. If the truth were to be exposed, the wizarding world’s brief peace would vanish,” Ma Jun said solemnly.

At the same time, he was wondering why Dumbledore had told him all this without reservation.

“That professor was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher,” Dumbledore continued, unaware of Ma Jun’s thoughts. “So we have lost a teacher. However, I believe I have found a more suitable candidate.”

“You mean me?” Ma Jun asked, putting on an expression of surprise and delight. He had already prepared himself for this possibility.

“Exactly!” Dumbledore said with a smile. “Defense Against the Dark Arts is a subject that places great emphasis on practical experience, and your travels have given you an abundance of that. Moreover, you are young, which will allow you to communicate more easily with the students. Your abilities have also received widespread recognition. Everything is highly suitable. Would you be willing?”

“This is... truly wonderful!”

Ma Jun’s delight was plain to see. His acting had already reached a level beyond heaven itself. Even before an old fox like Dumbledore, he revealed not the slightest flaw.

“It would be an honor. I will certainly do my best!”

His first meeting with Dumbledore ended in a peaceful and cordial atmosphere, and Ma Jun accomplished what he had set out to do.

Yet as he left Hogsmeade, one question continued to trouble him: Why had Dumbledore told him, without reservation, that Voldemort was still alive and had attempted to steal the Philosopher’s Stone from the school?

Everyone in the wizarding world currently believed that Voldemort was truly dead. If the truth were to leak out, it would surely provoke widespread panic.

During the years when Voldemort stood at the height of his power, every person in the wizarding world had lived in fear. If they learned that Voldemort was still alive, those chaotic days would return once more.

“Does Dumbledore trust me,” Ma Jun wondered, “or was he using this to test me? Or perhaps...”