"Like Barty Crouch Jr.?" Vizet raised an eyebrow slightly, following that line of thought. "It seems the potion in that Stone Basin had an effect beyond Voldemort's expectations?"
"Yes," Dumbledore said. "It could be said that in Barty Crouch Jr.'s past life, he lacked something quite important: the freedom to choose."
"After he drank that potion that touched upon 'hope,' he regained that thing." He let out a soft breath. "That is the turning point I mentioned just now."
"Barty Crouch Jr. could only grope his way forward in the darkness before. Darkness was everywhere, so direction did not matter. Until he encountered the Death Eaters, and encountered Voldemort."
"Voldemort used some honeyed words. That is his strong suit, and many people were bewitched by it. Barty Crouch Jr. was no exception."
"After being bewitched, Barty Crouch Jr. regarded Voldemort as a kind of guide, allowing him to lead himself toward an even deeper abyss."
"At least, in our eyes, that is very frightening!" He sighed. "He could be swallowed by the abyss at any moment."
"And the hope Barty Crouch Jr. obtained from the potion was like a faint glimmer kindled in the darkness, illuminating another path for him and giving him the chance to see that possibility."
"As for whether he chooses to ignore that glimmer and continue sinking into the darkness he knows so well, or summons the courage to follow that glimmer and truly choose a direction for himself for once... that remains unknown."
Vizet's eyes flickered. "Headmaster Dumbledore, was this small change in Barty Crouch Jr. discovered by Voldemort?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "Fortunately, Voldemort did not discover it."
"Voldemort has always been very confident in himself, or rather... this is the arrogance brought about by walking the Path of Magic known as 'Solipsism.'"
"Especially