“Perhaps an upperclassman, though we can rule out Cedric from Hufflepuff, as well as Cho from Ravenclaw, Marcus and Terence from Slytherin, and Percy from Gryffindor…
“I estimate it’s likely someone among the staff, or perhaps some upperclassmen I haven’t had personal contact with,” Harry deduced.
“In short, they were right there in the Great Hall last night. Naturally, it’s just an intuition, but I trust it deeply.”
During a life of adventure, intuition was of paramount importance.
Dumbledore knitted his brows.
“That is a grave accusation, Harry. A first-year wizard accusing a member of the teaching staff of wanting to kill him—do you have any evidence?”
“None, Professor.”
Harry shook his head.
“That’s why I said it’s a rather mediocre piece of intelligence—just as your answer to me was quite evasive.”
“Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”
“Though I doubt you’d want the little Savior killed at Hogwarts in his very first year of school.”
Even though this old man was deeply on guard against him, based on all his impressions up to this point, the person Harry trusted most was actually him.
Even Professor Snape had to take a back seat.
With the former, Harry felt he possessed immense value to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore would keep a firm grip on him.
Whereas with the latter—
Harry always felt that Professor Snape’s feelings toward him were more emotional in nature, rooted in sentiments left behind by the previous generation.
Though he wasn’t entirely clear on what those sentiments were.
Yet throughout that month or so of contact, the comments he heard most frequently from Professor Snape’s mouth were about his arrogant father and his brilliant mother.
How profound must those feelings be for him to still dwell on them a full decade later?
Still, emotions would inevitably fade over time, even if Professor Snape had held onto them for so long.
Harry firmly believed that personal value always came first.
Because of his value, while other young pirates were still stuck doing hard, grueling labor in the Genos Pirates, he was able to transfer to a technical post.
Because of his value, aboard Blackbeard’s ship—as a young, plundered slave—he gained the opportunity to get close to the captain.
Because of his value, he became the new captain of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, with countless pirates eager to accept his recruitment.
“…I do not wish for any young wizard, including you, to meet with harm in this school.”
A trace of hesitation crept into Dumbledore’s voice.
“Growth requires tempering. Once, you made me feel that there were many areas where you needed tempering. But the you of today makes me hesitate over whether I should allow you to step into danger.” The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
This statement was quite subtle.
“You know who in this school wants to kill me?” Harry asked.
“I have a few guesses, though in truth, I am more interested in knowing where the person behind him is,” Dumbledore said.
“Harry, can I trust you?”
Harry looked at him.
“…You have no choice but to trust me.”
“Yes, I have no choice but to trust you.”
Dumbledore sighed.
“Promise me, Harry: do not go looking for who it is, and do not meddle in these matters. You need only attend classes and study like any other young wizard. Though, your performance just now surprised me greatly.”
“I even wondered whether that was truly your first time casting a spell. Back when I took you to buy your wand, I was already prepared, yet your brilliance still exceeded my expectations.”
“If you wish to learn more knowledge, you may go to the library. You will find what you seek there—for instance, spells meant for upperclassmen. Mmm, just be sure not to venture into the Restricted Section. That is my advice to you; such knowledge is a poison, a pollution to young wizards.”
This piece of advice provided useful information: beyond the material covered in class, Hogwarts did not forbid young wizards from studying ahead of their year.
“I’ll go take a look, Professor.”
Harry was quite pleased with this tip.
“Naturally, provided that fellow lurking in the shadows doesn’t cause trouble for me, I have no desire to bother with him at all. What I crave isn’t adventure, but obtaining what I desire—the knowledge of wizards.”
Dumbledore stood up.
“You truly should have gone to Ravenclaw, child—though Hufflepuff is a fine choice as well.”
He turned around.
“Well then, I believe we have talked enough for today. I am pleased that you can trust me to this extent, Harry.”
He took a few steps, then suddenly turned his head back.
“By the way, Harry… you actually remember Professor Snape, don’t you?”
“Over there! Look, quickly, it’s Harry Potter!”
“Where?”
“Right by the main doors! Harry Potter—the Parselmouth—got sorted into Hufflepuff! It’s truly unbelievable!”
“Where did his scar go? And why is he all by himself? Where are his roommates?”
Although Harry had eaten breakfast early to avoid being stared at by students from all four houses in the Great Hall, after familiarizing himself with a few spells and finishing his meal, he still couldn’t avoid being spotted by some young wizards upon returning to the castle.
They pointed and whispered at him.
Harry paid them no mind, pushing open the main doors and stepping outside.
As for the leftover dishes from his breakfast earlier, after he finished eating, the utensils and scraps had gradually faded like shadows, vanishing without a trace.
Wondrous magic.
“Hahaha! An isolated first-year! An isolated first-year!”
A shrill voice crashed down from directly overhead.
Harry looked up to see a humanoid figure wearing a bizarre top hat hovering in midair, legs kicking wildly as he clutched his stomach, doubled over with laughter.
He swooped down right in front of Harry, blocking his path.
Thrusting his face forward, he spoke in an exaggerated, mock-sympathetic tone: “Wanna be friends with Peeves? Peeves is more than happy to make friends with a friendless first-year—”
He abruptly snapped his laughter shut, stuck out a tongue that had to be a meter long, and squawked in an even sharper voice: “—AS IF! HAHAHAHAHA!”
Harry ignored him, stepping around the specter to keep walking.
After the Sorting last night, the Hufflepuff upperclassmen had shared plenty of snacks in the common room and passed down many school taboos to the first-years—including Peeves.
Never provoke Peeves, and whatever you do, don’t lock eyes with him; otherwise, he’ll cling to you and play pranks at every opportunity.
The best approach is to ignore him completely.
No matter what he does.
The advice from the upperclassmen proved quite useful.
Upon realizing Harry had zero intention of paying him any mind, Peeves instantly zipped through the wall to find someone else willing to indulge his antics.
Aside from that, there were other rules: Quidditch trials were strictly reserved for second-years and above, and first-years were forbidden from bringing broomsticks to school.
Learning a few simple charms—like the Drying Charm, the Freezing Charm, and the Warming Charm—would make life in the house much more convenient.
When mentioning this, a senior girl had even complained that the Slytherin dorms were bitterly cold, especially in winter, noting she’d been chilled to the bone the last time she went to visit a friend.
Or that second-hand textbooks could be bought directly from upperclassmen, which was cheaper than picking them out at Flourish and Blotts, not to mention more complete with notes.
All in all, the atmosphere in Hufflepuff was truly wonderful.
At the very least, it was vastly better than being on a pirate ship, which couldn’t help but make Harry appreciate the beauty of peaceful times once more.