Harboring Different Intentions

"You two look quite energetic!"

The Transfiguration classroom on the second floor of the main castle.

Dumbledore gazed at Cypher and Luna, who both had rosy complexions, and said with a smile.

"We're alright, thanks to Fawkes and Doctor Bohan."

Cypher cast a grateful glance at Fawkes the phoenix, who was standing to one side.

Under Cypher's gaze, Fawkes spread its wings slightly, indicating that it was no trouble.

"Sit down, would you like some sweets?"

As he said this, Dumbledore took out a plate of sweets from a drawer.

Cypher and Luna shook their heads repeatedly; they didn't want to eat the cloyingly sweet snacks.

"What a pity..."

Dumbledore sighed and pulled the plate of sweets in front of him.

"Professor, about the people who attacked us a few days ago..."

Because Professor Dumbledore seemed to be in a relaxed mood after finishing breakfast, Cypher was a little embarrassed to ask.

Dumbledore sighed upon hearing this.

"I'm sorry to say that none of the Dark Wizards who attacked you have been caught. However, judging from the traces they left behind, they did use small-scale barrier magic."

After hesitating for a moment, Dumbledore continued.

"I also inquired in Hogsmeade, and it seems these people are indeed foreign Dark Wizards. They came here illegally to steal an ingredient for a potion."

Cypher guessed that Dumbledore must have gotten the information from Aberforth.

In fact, that was indeed the case. Dumbledore, as the elder brother, was subjected to a barrage of sarcastic remarks from his younger brother until he mentioned that these people had chased after two students last night, at which point Aberforth relented.

Cypher was about to say something when Luna spoke up first.

"Norman Dragon Blood Grass! It was the herb we bought at auction at the Hog's Head Pub."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow when he heard this.

"Norman Dragon Blood Grass? The one you asked me to help you find a long time ago... Wait a minute, Luna, have you been smuggling again behind my back?!"

Dumbledore's expression suddenly turned serious, and he looked at Luna with a forceful gaze.

"Professor, Luna did it for me..."

Seeing Dumbledore's serious expression, Cypher quickly tried to take the responsibility onto himself.

However, since he was not an adult, Dumbledore subconsciously ignored him.

"So what if I did?!"

Cypher looked at Luna in surprise as she suddenly bristled.

He couldn't quite believe that Luna had just contradicted Dumbledore?

"You promised me that you would cure Iris's illness, but all these years, you've been busy with this and that. You stabilized Iris's condition, and then you washed your hands of it. You always use 'for the greater good' as an excuse."

"The herbs that Iris and I need, I've worked hard to get them! You said you'd help me; you have helped me over the years. They all know I'm your adopted daughter. They don't dare threaten me, but they also know that you won't attack them without a reason. Do you know what they call me in the black market?"

"Galleon Princess! My potions are better than others, but I pay more for them! And now! You're still blaming me? If you could have found a single herb, would that incident have happened?!"

In the end, Luna's voice was hysterical, and Cypher fell silent.

After listening, Dumbledore's expression changed from stern to ashamed.

Finally, he sighed deeply, leaned back on the sofa, and stared blankly at the ceiling, as if recalling someone.

Cypher finally managed to sort out the sequence of events.

But now, stuck in the middle, he didn't know how to break the silence.

However, not knowing what to say didn't stop him from putting his arm around Luna to comfort her.

It seemed that Dumbledore couldn't be sure who had attacked them either.

Fortunately, they most likely couldn't get into Hogwarts.

He hadn't revealed the existence of the secret passage.

Because he had broken the barrier and Apparated to the outside world to escape.

Finally, Luna's emotions calmed down.

Seeing that the time was right, Cypher spoke.

"It's okay, Professor, I'll take care of Luna from now on."

Dumbledore came back to his senses and glanced at Cypher.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say that he was still a child.

But as the words were about to come out, he thought of himself. Back then, he had learned Apparition, a magic that even graduating students might not know, in order to take care of his younger sister, who couldn't take care of herself, in his first year.

Just to make it easier to get home from class on time every day.

Now, Cypher is just as outstanding as he was back then.

Even, from some of his ways of handling things, it can be seen that his thinking is far more mature than his at that age.

In the end, Dumbledore remained silent, indicating his acquiescence. In the future, he would no longer care what the two of them were up to, as long as they didn't harm the students of Hogwarts.

"Sometimes, the breakdown of the relationship between elders and juniors is accumulated from small things."

Cypher said softly, "If you, Professor, cannot fulfill the promise you made to Luna, you should also apologize in time. Adults are arrogant towards children, thinking that everything they do is for the good of the child, but they don't know how much damage the child's heart will suffer."

Dumbledore was stunned by the dose of toxic chicken soup.

After a long while, he smiled wryly, got up, and solemnly apologized to Luna.

"I'm sorry, Professor, to have you encounter this upsetting thing as soon as you woke up. But next, I have good news and a request."

Hearing this, Dumbledore, who had received Luna's forgiveness, also smiled again.

"What a coincidence, I also have good news. It's just one sentence. Iris will be back at school tonight."

"Really?!"

Luna, who had been crying silently beside Cypher, suddenly cheered up.

In a trance, Cypher saw Iris's figure teasing people, and he couldn't help but suspect that Luna was acting hysterical, just to escape a lecture...

Luna didn't care that she had revealed a 'flaw'. At this time, she was genuinely happy.

Normally, Iris would need nearly half a month to recover.

So fast, could it be...

"Yes, Iris's condition has recently greatly improved. It has allowed me to see a glimmer of hope for a cure."

Hearing Dumbledore's affirmative answer, Luna exclaimed excitedly that it was great.

Although Cypher didn't know what Iris's illness was, if Dumbledore said there was a possibility of a cure, then it wasn't something that couldn't be solved.

Subconsciously, Cypher ignored that Dumbledore said it was a glimmer.

"It's our turn for good news."

Cypher and Luna looked at each other and raised their wands at the same time.

"Expecto Patronum!"

At the tip of Cypher's wand, there was still a lizard-shaped Patronus.

And Luna's, a ball appeared.

This ball was the product of Cypher's guidance on how to cast the Patronus Charm after he succeeded last night.

The two didn't know what it was, but it didn't prevent them from being independent corporeal Patronuses.

When Dumbledore saw the two's Patronuses appear, without any threads connected to the wands.

He couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaim.

He stepped forward to observe carefully and said to the two.

"This is like the juvenile stage of some kind of creature. You still need to use more and better emotions to make them grow. To be honest, only I can answer you. No one else has seen this situation. There are no related records either. You know, back then, my Patronus was also an egg, until I saw... anyway, in the end, it turned into a phoenix."

After listening, Cypher's heart skipped a beat.

"Professor, did you say phoenix?! Then are these also magical creatures?!"

"Yes. Congratulations, your Patronuses are much more powerful than those of ordinary Wizards. If your Newt classmate were here, he might tell you what kind of magical creatures these are."

"Don't look at me like that, my understanding of magical creatures isn't that deep."

Dumbledore smiled, he thought Cypher's expression was expressing shock that he didn't know what these juvenile magical animals were.

"No... Professor," Cypher swallowed and asked nervously. "Professor, are you an Animagus?!"

"I am not!" Dumbledore answered crisply, then he understood something.

"You want to learn Animagus?"

Cypher nodded repeatedly.

"This... is a bit difficult, I need to confirm a piece of information before I can give you an answer."

"It's okay, Professor, we can wait. Learning Animagus is also to better exert the effect of the Awakening Draught. We won't need it in a short time."

Afterwards, Cypher got Legilimency from Dumbledore as he wished.

He took Luna to the Room of Requirement.

His sick leave would end tomorrow at the latest, and then he would have to go to class.

In a hidden corner of Hogwarts.

A young boy was making a deal with a shadowy figure.

"Give me power, and I'll help you!"

The boy's tone was stubborn and firm. Although it was a deal, the way he said it made it sound like he was ordering a subordinate and demanding a debt.

The figure chuckled softly.

"No problem. Here's a powerful curse spell for you to learn. The things you need to do are inside."

The boy snatched the magic from the figure's hand and reluctantly accepted the envelope.

"I want more!"

He immediately flipped through it, discovering there was really only one spell.

Oh, no, two. There was also the counter-curse.

The boy was dissatisfied.

"Boy, you came to me because you crave power. And I can always find someone else. If I didn't desperately need your identity to do things for me, you wouldn't get a single spell."

"Hmph—"

Hearing this, the boy angrily left the place.

The figure remained silent for a moment, its expression changing several times before it finally solidified its plan.

For the sake of the plan, all sacrifices were worth it.