Testing the Path

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After Dumbledore asked that question, the Headmaster's Office fell silent.

The portraits on the wall held their breath; some pretended to read, others pretended to doze off, but their gazes all drifted this way.

Phineas Black still covered his face with the Daily Prophet, the edges of the newspaper pressed low, revealing only the upper edge of his eyes.

Regulus didn't answer immediately; he was thinking about how much of the truth to tell.

This has nothing to do with political stance or choosing sides; it's simply about a fundamental understanding of Magic.

The person who asked this question was Dumbledore. If Professor Flitwick could notice the change in him, the headmaster couldn't possibly be unaware.

Concealing or giving evasive answers is pointless; it's even a waste of opportunity.

But he won't tell you everything.

What he can talk about is direction, understanding of the essence of Magic, and the initial outline of one's personal path.

Speaking to Dumbledore is also speaking to oneself; it's about expressing one's thoughts and validating them through self-verification.

He looked up and met Dumbledore's gaze.

"At first," Regulus's expression turned calm, "I thought Magic could be completely dismantled."

Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table and interlacing his fingers to support his chin.

Space Magic has a structure, Transfiguration has rules, and even the magic power of Magic Plant Magic Power can be categorized into tendencies and attributes.

I believe that as long as we understand the principles, perform the calculations correctly, and control it precisely, Magic can be completely mastered.

Regulus spoke steadily, continuing, "I break down the Spellcasting into steps, deduce spell variations using logic, and firmly believe that reason can encompass the entirety of Magic."

He glanced briefly out the window, where the canopy of the Forbidden Forest swayed in the wind.

"And I did it." There wasn't much pride in his voice, but Dumbledore tell.

"I'm good at this. Sensing the flow of Magic Power, calculating the output intensity, and adjusting the control precision are all easy for me."

A portrait on the wall muttered to himself, "Another theorist..."

People nearby immediately booed him.

Regulus ignored him and continued speaking.

"Until I summon my Patronus."

He drew his wand, looked up at Dumbledore, whose eyebrows rose, a "go ahead" expression on his face, and his blue eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Patronus Charm".

A silvery-white light rose from the tip of the wand, then condensed, stretched, and transformed into the shape of Starry Sky Kite.

The Patronus circled once above the Headmaster's Office, its wings scattering tiny starlight, and its clear cry echoed throughout the round room.

Fawkes raised its head from the perch, its golden-red feathers slightly unfurled, and it gave a responsive call, its voice warm and bright.

The Starry Sky Kite flew to the Phoenix's side, and they gazed at each other across the air.

Two wondrous creatures, one real, the other a Magic creation.

Fawkes tilted his head, Starry Sky Kite gently flapped its wings.

Regulus watched this scene and continued speaking.

"I didn't intend to summon it when I was on the cliffs in Ireland."

It was that yearning for freedom and longing for the wider world that moved me as I looked at the sea and the sky.

The world is so big, Magic can do so many things.

The Starry Sky Kite flew back to his side and landed on the back of his chair.

"It was at that moment that I realized that Magic Power is not just an energy that can be calculated, controlled, and utilized."

Regulus said with a touch of reminiscence, "It is also alive, changing with the wizard's mood. When I am calm, it is precise and stable; when I am moved, it is lively and joyful. These two states are not contradictory."

He raised his left hand, palm up, and a wisp of silvery-white Magic Power rose from his fingertips, slowly rotating and outlining intricate geometric shapes that kept changing.

"Magic can be a precise science, requiring calculation, logic, and rigorous deduction."

But Magic can also be something vibrant, warm, and full of endless possibilities.

He looked at the Magic Power: "The key lies in how the wizard views it and how he uses it."

The Magic Power dissipated, and he lowered his hand.

"Later, Professor Flitwick told me that Magic is there, and that I should believe in Magic existence, believe in my own understanding, and believe in the power of the mind."

Because Magic sometimes responds to you when you least expect it; it's not always rational, not always logical, but it exists.

He paused for a moment, gathering his final thoughts.

Dumbledore listened intently, a look of emotion flashing in his eyes as he looked at Regulus, as if seeing his younger self in him.

His gaze deepened, as if he had traveled back in time to decades ago.

At that time, there were also people like Regulus who discussed Magic with him and shared their understanding.

The memory continued, but Regulus's voice pulled him back to reality, and the principal reached out a finger to wipe away the tears from the corner of his eyes.

"Now I think that Magic is two parallel paths," Regulus concluded, his tone serious and resolute.

"On one hand, there are rules that can be understood, such as Space Magic and Transfiguration, which can be improved through learning and practice."

On the other side lies the elusive mystery, such as Patronus, which depend on emotions, beliefs, and the deepest desires of the soul, and cannot be fully understood by logic.

He looked at Dumbledore.

After he finished speaking, he waited for Dumbledore's reaction.

There was a few seconds of silence in the Headmaster's Office.

The portraits on the wall exchanged glances; some nodded, some shook their heads.

Phineas Black moved the newspaper down, revealing his entire face.

That face, which always wore a mocking expression, was expressionless at this moment; it simply stared at Regulus.

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, and then laughed.

Dumbledore picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it back on the table.

"Regulus," his voice was softer than before, "You have touched the essence of Magic much earlier than many adult wizards."

Regulus sat up straight.

"Too many people spend their entire lives struggling with whether Magic should be deciphered or felt," Dumbledore, his fingers gently stroking his silver beard that reached his chest.

Some people are fixated on formulas and principles, turning Magic into cold calculations.

Some people are obsessed with intuition and mystery, turning Magic into blind worship.

They felt they could only choose one of these two paths, and once they chose it, they had to go all the way down a dead end.

He lowered his hand and his gaze fell on Regulus's face.

"And as you've seen, they are never opposing forces."

Dumbledore's blue eyes were filled with approval. "Reason is the skeleton of Magic, allowing you to walk steadily, go far, and not be misled by illusion."

Sensibility is the very essence of Magic, allowing you to walk warmly, to explore deeply, and to be Restraints by rules.

A portrait of a female principal wearing a curly wig on the wall whispered, "Like Phoenix rising from the ashes, it requires both the tempering of fire and the belief in rebirth."

Dumbledore heard this and smiled and nodded at her.

Regulus also looked up and nodded politely to her.

"You say Magic is a power that can be controlled; that takes courage." Dumbledore turned back to look at Regulus.

"To acknowledge that it is a mystery worthy of awe is wisdom."

Many people forget reverence after becoming powerful, always trying to conquer everything with logic, but the most fascinating aspect of Magic is precisely its inexplicable parts.

A resonance between the soul and Magic Power, an encounter between faith and miracles.

Regulus listened, a subtle feeling welled up inside him, like someone who had been walking alone on a road and suddenly met a fellow traveler.

Your companion has already walked quite a distance. He turns back, sees you, and says, "You're heading in the right direction."

This confirmation is important.

Even if Dumbledore rejects his ideas, he will not give up his own path; he will only think more deeply and be more rigorous and dialectical.

But the endorsement from the greatest wizard of this century still felt like a shot of adrenaline.

He didn't particularly need it, but it was definitely something to cherish.

He decided to strike while the iron was hot.

"Professor," Regulus asked, "Last time at the Astronomy Tower, you said that the beam of light only brought a little brightness. Could you please explain what that meant?"

Dumbledore's eyes lit up, as if he were waiting for a student to ask a long-awaited question.

"Do you believe that light must defeat darkness?" he asked rhetorically, his tone leading the question.

"Attribute advantage." Regulus nodded. "Patronus are effective against Dementor, and light Magic is effective against dark curses; that's common sense."

"Common sense can sometimes limit one's perspective." Dumbledore leaned forward again, placing his hands clasped on the table.

"When I was young, I also wanted to use spells to destroy the darkness, but later I realized that darkness cannot be destroyed."

Regulus frowned; he knew, of course, that darkness could not be eradicated.

"Just as shadows always follow light," Dumbledore continued, "Light doesn't have to chase shadows. If the light is bright enough, the shadows will naturally recede and lose their means of existence."

He raised his right hand, extended his index finger, and a gentle white light shone from the tip of his finger, not as intense as under the Astronomy Tower, but soft and steady.

The halo drifted toward Regulus and landed on the wand he held, causing the tip of the wand to glow faintly for two or three seconds before going out.

"You used the Shield Charm to block the Grey Mist, that was resistance," Dumbledore said. "If you had made your wand the vessel of light first, the Grey Mist would have avoided you on its own."

The Magic of light is not about attacking darkness, but about not being assimilated by darkness.

Regulus stared at his wand, his mind racing.

The existence of an adversary (v) naturally leads to the rejection of any active attack on v.

The former consumes Magic Power to counteract negative energy, while the latter uses its own attributes to create an incompatible environment.

This is indeed more advanced.

From head-on clashes of strength to natural suppression at the level of attributes.

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