The Quidditch match concluded swiftly with little excitement to speak of.
In less than five minutes, Harry caught the Golden Snitch just inches from Snape’s nose, securing a decisive victory for Gryffindor.
Snape’s face turned livid with rage, no doubt dredging up a flood of painful memories.
Linus scooped up his stack of parchment, intending to hurry to the library, when someone lightly tapped his shoulder.
He turned around to find Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw prefect and Percy Weasley’s girlfriend.
“Is something wrong, senior?” Linus asked politely.
Penelope handed him a small slip of paper.
“Professor Dumbledore asked me to pass this to you.
Also, we had better get on good terms with our little professor in advance—maybe next year you’ll be grading our Charms homework too.” She gestured toward the pile of parchment in his arms.
“That’s far too early.
I’m nowhere near qualified,” Linus replied modestly before seeing off the blonde senior.
Unfolding the note, he read: *Please come to the Headmaster’s office later.
I am personally quite interested in your current research on Charms.
P.S.
The password is ‘Licorice Wand’.*
Linus thought for a moment, then handed the stack of parchment to Hermione.
“Help me save a seat in the library.
I’ll head over later.”
Hermione took the stack and gave a simple nod.
“Save a seat?
Is that really necessary?
Who else hangs out in the library besides you two?” Ron shrugged from the side.
Saturday at Hogwarts Castle was unusually quiet.
Most of the early risers had gone to the pitch to watch the match, while those who skipped it were sleeping comfortably in their dormitories.
Linus stepped onto the creaking wooden stairs and arrived before the deserted Headmaster’s office on the third floor.
“Licorice Wand.”
As he spoke the password, the stone gargoyle leaped aside, revealing the passage behind it.
Linus walked in and spotted the white-haired old man sitting behind the desk.
“Professor, you wanted to see me?” Linus asked.
“Speaking of which, this is your second time in my office.” Albus Dumbledore produced a handful of Drooble’s Super Blow-Pops and motioned for Linus to sit on the sofa, while taking a seat on the opposite couch himself.
“Too many sweets cause tooth decay, Professor,” Linus said, waving his hand.
“Too pragmatic, Linus.
At your age, happiness should be your topmost priority,” Dumbledore said, popping a candy into his own mouth.
“I’m already very happy, Professor—every single day.” Linus smiled at the white-bearded old man.
“Ah, well, I can see that.
You are much more relaxed than during your last visit.” Dumbledore pushed his half-moon spectacles up his nose.
“Now then, let us discuss your Wand-Lighting Charm.
A brilliant concept and insight.
I take it you intend to apply it in actual combat?”
“How did you notice, Professor?” Linus welcomed the rare opportunity to discuss research with a master duel-caster.
“When your magic reaches a certain level, you become acutely sensitive to nearby magical fluctuations.
And I happened to be standing higher than anyone else at the pitch.
It was difficult not to feel curious about a Wand-Lighting Charm maintained nearby for nearly half an hour.” Dumbledore winked at Linus.
“Where do you think I should direct my research next?” Linus held up his right index finger, where an imperceptible orb of light hovered—blending so thoroughly with the surrounding light that it was impossible to distinguish with the naked eye.
“If you intend to use it to mask the light beams of offensive spells during a duel, I personally do not believe it holds much practical value.
Light travels far faster than human reaction time—by the time one sees the light, reacting is already out of the question.”
“Combined with non-verbal casting, it could allow for a surprise attack when facing multiple enemies,” Linus offered, having already considered Dumbledore’s point.
“That brings us to another issue: you cannot mask the magical fluctuation generated when a spell is cast.
And to someone like me—if I may say so without modesty—such a fluctuation is no different from someone shining a searchlight directly into my face.” Dumbledore folded his hands over his knees and continued, “Furthermore, I believe that in a few years’ time, unless you are facing a top-tier master of the wizarding world, you will not need to rely on sneak attacks to subdue an opponent.”
“What if I find a way to eliminate the magical fluctuation of the Wand-Lighting Charm itself?
And use it to isolate the magical fluctuations of other spells?” Linus looked up, his eyes shining with excitement.
Dumbledore let out a warm smile.
“Then your talent in Charms will have already surpassed my own.
Would you really have the heart to rely on a sneak attack to defeat an old man like me?”
“I never said I wanted to fight you,” Linus muttered.
Dumbledore abruptly shifted the topic.
“I heard you’ve been researching a Magic Recovery Potion lately?”
Linus realized in an instant that the spy Severus Snape must have reported his joke about challenging the entire Ministry of Magic.
The overly cautious old Headmaster was probing him again—that was the real reason he had been invited to this office today.
Linus let out a quiet sigh.
“You can speak frankly, Professor.”
Dumbledore looked into Linus’s calm eyes with a gaze full of concern.
I have no intention of prying into your secrets.
I merely wish to remind you that if you ever find yourself in immense trouble, you can always seek refuge here in the Headmaster’s office.”
“I am not someone who seeks out trouble, Professor,” Linus said.
A smile broke across Dumbledore’s solemn face.
“I believe that wholeheartedly.
I know you are a good child—kind, brave, intelligent, and disciplined.
However, during the youth that we have all experienced or are currently experiencing, difficulties and dangers often arise that exceed one’s own abilities.
At such times, seeking help from an experienced old fellow is by no means a bad choice.”
“Understood, Professor.
I’ll be sure to bother you more often.” Linus nodded earnestly.
“Now then, back to this Wand-Lighting Charm,” Dumbledore said, raising his index finger.
An imperceptible spot of light lit up at his fingertip—identical to Linus’s.
In just a short span of time, he had mastered the technique.
“Can you feel it?”
It was a vague, subtle ripple.
Though Linus couldn’t see anything on Dumbledore’s finger, he could faintly tell that something was there.
Linus nodded.
*A rare gift,* Dumbledore marveled inwardly, though he kept the thought to himself.
“In terms of light manipulation, I personally believe it shares underlying principles with the Disillusionment Charm,” Dumbledore noted.
“Using an expanded, modified Wand-Lighting Charm to replace the Disillusionment Charm?” Linus rubbed his chin in thought.
“Indeed.
Furthermore, different spells trigger different levels of spiritual warning in a wizard’s intuition.
Compared to a Disillusionment Charm drawing near, an approaching Wand-Lighting Charm carries a significantly lower danger coefficient in one’s instincts.
If applied properly, it will yield the best results upon its initial use.”
“I am not a sneak-attack fanatic,” Linus declared, exasperated, before emphasizing gravely, “Besides, I am more inclined to first research how to eliminate magical fluctuations altogether—even if only for a single spell.”
Dumbledore offered a meaningful smile.
“Many predecessors have walked this path before.
I hope you can discover new shores where they left off.
As for reading material in the library, I suggest you consult *Fundamentals of Charms*, *Ancient Magic Unveiled*, and my own modest work, *Advanced Charm Deconstruction Techniques*.”
Linus tilted his head.
“I’ll keep an eye out for them.”