Hearing Charles’s words, Dumbledore’s movements suddenly stopped.
Even his expression, which was usually so well controlled, revealed shock, astonishment, and disbelief.
“You—you said you’ve already learned the Banishing Charm?”
Dumbledore’s voice rose several pitches.
“Charles, you need to understand that although this spell is slightly easier than the Patronus Charm, it isn’t that much easier.”
“Many of Hogwarts’ older students have spent years studying magic and still cannot properly cast this spell.”
“And you haven’t even entered Hogwarts yet.”
“This is your first time coming into contact with magic…”
Charles simply looked at Dumbledore and smiled.
“Headmaster, the reason is very simple.”
“I’m a genius.”
“Geniuses have always been different from ordinary people.”
“If I’m not mistaken, Headmaster, when you were young, you might not have been as talented as I am, but you were certainly far ahead of your peers as well, weren’t you?”
“Geniuses tend to shock people.”
“You should understand that better than anyone.”
After his brief astonishment, a smile appeared on Dumbledore’s face.
He was certainly a genius himself.
But saying that he might not have been as talented as Charles when he was young?
What an interesting claim.
It had been many years since Dumbledore had heard something like that.
Still, the child standing before him was supposedly the most talented student in the entire Muggle world.
Every subject he participated in, he had performed at an astonishing level.
Perhaps…
It really was possible?
After a moment of hesitation, Dumbledore turned around and took out a wand.
Unfortunately, it was not the Elder Wand that Charles had been hoping to lick a few more times and milk for Deduction Points.
Instead, it was the wand Dumbledore had obtained from Ollivanders many years ago.
Charles couldn’t tell what the wand’s exact wood and core were made of.
But there was no doubt that a wand capable of matching Dumbledore, especially the young Dumbledore, could hardly be ordinary.
Charles took a deep breath and accepted the wand from Dumbledore.
The moment it entered his hand, the wand immediately showed its personality.
Charles could almost feel the resistance and disdain emanating from it.
Who are you?
I am Dumbledore’s former wand.
Even though I was eventually shelved after Dumbledore acquired the Elder Wand, I am still not something an ordinary person is worthy of wielding.
Charles raised an eyebrow.
When he looked up, he saw Dumbledore watching him with an amused smile.
Dumbledore blinked.
“Charles, this was the first wand I ever used.”
“I carefully selected it from Ollivanders.”
“Well, I wasn’t exactly an easygoing person when I was young.” Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“So this wand, which was matched to me, has quite an unruly personality as well.”
“How does it feel?”
This wand was practically Dumbledore’s test of Charles’s so-called “genius” theory.
More talented than I was when I was young?
Then at the very least, he should be talented enough to earn the approval of Dumbledore’s former wand.
Charles’s lips curled into an interested smile.
“Wands have personalities too?”
“That’s pretty good.”
“I just hope its durability can match its attitude.”
Charles had previously obtained a wand from Dark.
But when he released the Eternal Blazing Sun, that wand could not withstand the violent fluctuations of magical power and developed crack after crack.
After Charles barely managed to cast a Laser Charm with it, the wand shattered completely into fragments.
Now, Charles’s eyes flickered as he looked at Dumbledore’s former wand.
A thought quietly surfaced in his mind.
How about using you to cast the Eternal Blazing Sun?
You’d better hold together.
The next moment, the wand, which had previously been filled with resistance, seemed to sense the magical power gradually gathering within Charles.
It also seemed to sense the terrifying spell Charles was about to release with it.
Suddenly, flowers and fireworks began bursting from the tip of the wand.
In an instant, the entire room seemed to become filled with blooming flowers and dazzling fireworks.
If the wand could speak, it might even have shouted,
There cannot be two suns beneath the heavens.
Charles is the only sun in my heart!
Dumbledore, who had been watching with great interest, was also stunned by his former wand’s shameless display.
Wait.
Even though I haven’t used it in many years, I distinctly remember that this wasn’t its personality.
Flowers and fireworks?
It always looked down on such things.
So how did it become like this?
Could it have been neglected for too long and become lonely?
While Dumbledore was still trying to understand what was happening, Charles felt the wand becoming completely obedient in his hand.
He grinned.
Then he tightened his grip and, with flawless precision, performed the wand movement for the Banishing Charm.
The next moment, an invisible and intangible magical domain spread outward.
It was filled with a warm and reassuring sensation, enveloping the entire room.
When Dumbledore witnessed the nearly perfect Banishing Charm, he couldn’t help exclaiming in surprise.
After a moment, he looked at Charles with undisguised amazement.
“Charles, I can’t find a single flaw in that Banishing Charm.”
“Perfect.”
“I have never seen a more perfect Banishing Charm.”
Dumbledore couldn’t help asking,
“How did you do it?”
Charles answered with righteous conviction.
“I was able to accomplish all of this through my talent and hard work.”
“Other than talent and hard work, there were zero other factors involved!”
Hearing this, even Dumbledore couldn’t help sighing.
“Talent and hard work?”
“What astonishing talent…”
For a moment, Dumbledore seemed to remember the past.
It seemed that the Headmaster of Hogwarts back then had once looked at him with exactly the same expression.
And that Headmaster had said similar words to him as well.
Dumbledore had never imagined that so many years later, he would one day look at another young wizard with that same expression and say those same words.
The Charles Evans standing before him was undoubtedly a magical genius who surpassed even Dumbledore himself!
This gave Dumbledore a strange sense of excitement.
For all these years, he had always blamed himself for failing to properly guide Tom Riddle when he was younger, ultimately allowing him to become Voldemort, a menace to the entire magical world.
Now, he had encountered a student whose talent was even greater than Voldemort’s.
Perhaps…
He could make up for his past mistake.
He could guide Charles Evans onto the right path.
Especially since Charles Evans was different from Voldemort back then.
Voldemort had only been interested in advanced Dark magic.
But Charles clearly had a much greater enthusiasm for Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Then Dumbledore absolutely could not discourage that enthusiasm.
He needed to guide Charles toward the path of Light magic.
He needed to teach him the magic of love.
Dumbledore’s gaze became increasingly fervent.
“Charles, I told you before that once you learned the Banishing Charm, I would teach you an even more advanced spell—the Patronus Charm.”
“Now that you’ve accomplished it, I cannot go back on my word.”
“Watch carefully.”
“This is the Patronus Charm, a spell that the vast majority of adult wizards cannot cast even after spending their entire lives trying…”
Dumbledore raised his wand.
Charles’s heart also became incredibly excited.
The Banishing Charm could be deduced into a powerful magic like the Dustless Domain.
So what could the Patronus Charm be deduced into?
And more importantly…
What would his own Patronus be?
(End of Chapter)