Career Guidance

Emerald flames licked at his exposed skin. They were not scorching; the faint warmth was only slightly hotter than summer afternoon sunshine. Loren held his breath to avoid inhaling soot, waiting for the slight dizziness brought on by Spatial Teleportation. The green glow rapidly contracted, and he lowered his head, bent over, and stepped out of the fireplace.

The Headmaster's office looked as familiar as ever. Some of Dumbledore's treasured alchemical items sat on the oak shelves. The gilded perch stood empty; Fawkes the Phoenix preferred curling up inside the Sorting Hat to rest, forming a ball of feathers with only half its head exposed. Its eyes darted around as it watched the two old men at the desk.

"...Albus, fire is violent magic. Only by unleashing it freely can it reach its greatest power." Grindelwald glared, seemingly trying to persuade the other man through sheer volume.

Dumbledore took a sip of tea and said softly with a smile, "Fire is also magic of love, magic of life and prosperity. Belladonna Flames and Gubra'i Immortal Fire both prove this. Precise control and clever thought often produce unexpectedly marvelous uses, Gellert."

"I say, there's something wrong with you. You can connect anything to that magic of love of yours. You'd have a hard time fooling even lower-year students with that." Grindelwald turned toward the fireplace. "You there, little fellow. What do you think?"

Loren froze for a moment. He vaguely understood that the two were debating the underlying principles and practical approaches of fire-based spells. He looked at the two Legendary Wizards: Grindelwald, who had once nearly burned all of Paris with Fiendfyre, and Dumbledore, who was deeply versed in the offensive and defensive applications of flame.

What qualifications did he have to judge this debate?

Loren blinked. "I think you